untitled

On our last day in Glacier, my brother dropped me at the trail head for Avalanche Lake and I started to walk. The most significant thing about this hike is that I've done it at least a half dozen times. It is familiar. I approached the shore line and reached into my pocket...two rings in my hand...and then they were gone. I turned around, walked back to the trail head and caught a hikers shuttle to the lodge. 

I did some packing tonight. In a way, it felt like I was preparing for a trip...and I guess that, in some respects, I am. Tomorrow is a new year and I will be starting it off a little bit lighter.

reflections from the dirt

Life seems to have gotten in the way lately, impairing my ability to reflect.

I was finally able to have some quiet time on Christmas Day. The sun was supposed to come out, but it didn't  The wind was supposed to die down, but it didn't...and I didn't mind. It was an opportunity to be on the road, alone...an opportunity to process the months of September, October and November. Those three months were a blur of dirt and happiness.

I approached cyclcocross season with a completely different perspective than road season. I raced for fun. I didn't train. I had no goals. And it worked for me, perhaps because there was no pressure.

Seven races seemed like a good number for my first season. My last race was Crossasaurus Awesome, which netted me a fourth place finish in the Cat 3/4 field. I was content.

The laid back atmosphere paired with the intensity of racing was a perfect combination. No activity better suits my personality.

Several months ago I described cyclcocross as the sport that I never knew that I always wanted to try and now it’s the sport that I don’t ever want to be without. 

between the pumpkins and the mistletoe

The pumpkins came down and the snowmen went up. Halloween candy was still on the clearance shelves when the Christmas decorations made their appearance in stores. The turkey got lost, somewhere between the pumpkins and the mistletoe.

Where did Thanksgiving go?

I read an article the other day, which talked about Christmas being a reminder of the things we don’t have. That doesn’t necessarily have to mean material things. Three years, each with a (different) significant person in my life missing for the Holidays. I too am guilty of focusing on the absence rather than the presence.

In the final days leading up to Christmas I have decided to take a step back, several steps back, rewinding to Thursday November 22^nd, taking pause and being thankful. 

cheers

There’s a line in the theme song from the show Cheers that says “Sometimes you want go where everybody knows your name." 

Sometimes, it’s nice to go where nobody knows your name.

I stepped on to the street and into a sea of people. Each face had a different story to tell. I wondered if any of them were curious about my story. I walked the streets where no one knew my name and the most they wanted from me were directions or spare change.

I stepped on to the trail and into the woods. It was growing dark and began to rain. This trip was intentional. No one would be here in this type of weather. I’ve walked in worse. It is a small price to pay to be able to hear nothing but the sound of your own footsteps.

12/12/12: A Day of Awesomeness

 

Believe...Miracle on 34th Street...Macy's. Penn Station to Chambers...sunset walk over the Brooklyn Bridge...view of Lady Liberty...The Watchtower (new info on Jehovah and his witnesses)...freshly made pizza at Grimaldi's...a new friend (Rafael)...walk to the water...nutcrackers...East River Boat...The Eifel Tower. Subway to West Village...hot chocolate with gelato in it...walk to the famous Union Square...statue of George on a horse...wafels and dinges. Subway to Rockefeller Center...big red balls...oversized Christmas lights...Yankee Santa...lights! THE Tree...ice skaters...5th Avenue...more lights! Kobe Bryant. Walk along Central Park South...free the horses...a new friend and cocoa beans in their natural state...chocolate samples...Columbus Circle...Time Warner Center. Walk to Lincoln Center...The MET Opera Tree...Santa in a plane...tree of blue lights. A great day.


*stream of consciousness...courtesy of Marge

love it or list it

Earlier this afternoon, a friend of mine sent me a picture message of a Philadelphia Starbucks mug I had given her for Christmas last year. I considered adding to her collection this Holiday and remembered the Fairmount Park Starbucks mug my Aunt had given me for Christmas a few years ago.

A quick Google search revealed that the 2007 mug is considered rare and last sold on eBay for $166.

I have been using the mug a couple times a week, unaware of its value. My coffee tastes like coffee regardless of the mug. I'm not really much of a collector and see no point in sticking it on a shelf. So, I am faced with a decision...do I cash in on eBay or continue to use it like all the other mugs?

snow globes

There is a snow globe packed away in the holiday decorations. Each year it makes an appearance and is placed on a shelf. The landscape is serene, with the "snow" settled at the base of the structure until it is shaken. 

Today, I thought that, in many ways, my life is like that snow globe. The debris of past storms have settled into the back of my consciousness. Then, something stirs them up and all of the sudden they are there, swirling around me. If anything, my experiences this week have made me realize just how fragile I can be at times and how easily emotions can get stirred up inside of me.

no room

The caffè americano is my drink of choice when patronizing local coffee shops. My favorite part of the ordering process is when the barista asks if I want room for cream. "No room" is always my response. It makes me feel like such a bad-ass. That's right, I drink it straight up, no cream or sugar...and I'm not sure why because I don't drink my morning coffee that way...until now...enter the Bialetti 6799 Moka Express 3-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker, the best $21.48 I ever spent on amazon.com, which enables me to make a caffè americano every morning. So far, I have only used it to add shots of espresso to my morning coffee(highly recommended). This week I'm making the switch to becoming a "no room" every morning, bad-ass.