+1

My weekend starting Friday night:

Homemade Mexican tea, then chilled out drinks for friends birthday.

Sleep past usual half six wake up.
Have a walk in the sun to get hair cut and pick up supplies.
Watch some snooker with a cup of tea.
Go out on Bob Jackson for a big ring blast around local lanes.
Leftovers and film night with K.

Early wake up and big breakfast.
'Check shirt cafe ride' with Rich all morning.
Followed by lunchtime beer and an afternoon of LBL.
A bit more snooker.
Put loads of unwanted stuff on ebay.
Homemade veggie bake followed by Moto GP to round things off.

Productive and fun, good times!

Flanders

Come in like a lion, go out like a lamb.

Everything feels a tad 'urgh' at the moment, a little slow and painful. Most people can't stop talking about the weather and while I'd rather it was a bit warmer it's not causing me too many problems.
On that note, as long as I'm not snowed in, hopefully should be completing my first brevet of the year on Sunday - the almost yearly tradition of the Fountains Audax. This would start a busy few weekends of riding, including another trip to Belgium for the most important race of the year and my favourite 'The Scotton' the week after.
There's not much else to say really, maybe in the April update we all might be a bit happier.

Once a month is enough for anyone

+1
Coal Tar soap
Setting up customer's custom builds
LastFM finding me new music by my favourite bands
Getting my Spring riding campaign finalised
Sven Nys killing it
New kit and the kind acts that go along with it


-1
Extreme headwinds
Politics almost spoiling plans

First one married - the best one yet.

Great food, great company, new surroundings and a country walk round Hovingham to finish things off.

What's in your blood?

The following writing may turn self-indulgent and the very opposite to the self-effacing nature I usually live my life by. No apologies just a polite notice.

So far I have had a very Family themed Christmas, and then last night we had a family-reunion type party with those who we sometimes don't get to see outside of the usual formal occasions that happen once or twice a year. By and large we all get on well, there are the standard family relationship dramas playing themselves out but no-one ever starts throwing punches, yet.
What struck me last night is how we celebrate new life - as a family we had two babies born in 2012 and at least another two on the way in 2013. We are not ashamed to get down on the floor and crawl around playing with toys, the youngest are not put away to amuse themselves - we all interact together.
At the same time, we have lost family this year and we never forget that. This was the first Christmas where a couple of big personalities have been absent and were sorely missed but it is not our habit to dwell on death. I suppose as farming families we get exposed to the now very Disney term of 'Circle of Life' quicker than most, also having a large family means there is always someone at a different stage of their life who we know.

This somehow sits differently to my regular day to day life. Katherine and I have an excellent family life in our own little house but outside of that it can feel quite lonely. Our friends are spread far and wide, and we all suffer from the modern disease of thinking internet interaction is a replacement for face to face contact. Also as we all get more responsibilities in our lives it gets harder to organise regular meetings. On the work side of things a couple of happenings have served as a reminder of who my friends really are and my riding has developed a bit more of a solo theme, as well as suffering in regularity due to some injuries.
This all can add up to a slight feeling of being alone and lost - especially when the weather turns and I feel trapped in the house. Like I said at the start, living in a modest fashion isn't the done thing these days, so my achievements can feel belittled just by being exposed to the grand plans of those around me.

So in the spirit of New Year and as a reminder of 2012, here is my positive reminder of the best things I have done this year.

 

Obviously the best thing I did this year (and maybe my whole life) was to get married to Katherine in June. It took a while but I'm now completely used to wearing my titanium wedding ring.



Getting married means having a Stag Do. For mine I got to shoot a shotgun for the first time and then a week later some of us went on a (quite hard) bike ride.



Also a wedding means you get a honeymoon. San Francisco and New York for a month.



That Bridge and The Park.



I became a Godfather to my Cousin's son Isaac, we had a few little travels around the UK and I relearnt a few skills I'd forgotten about;



I got to ride a lot and where I wanted rather than to anyone else's schedules.



Finally, I got a small addition that hopefully reminds me of Good times, who I am and who I want to remain.

 

Out and about.

A steady mornings spin round the defrosting lanes with a flask stop near Cattal bridge. Just out for an hour but it stands as my longest ride of the past month and nice to say it was pain free, apart from near the end when the cold made my mending bones ache.



A reminder of what not to take for granted when it comes to riding.