Weekend, Nay Holiday, Blues

The weekend wasn't a total washout, it was only about 80% a washout. I did get to do a few things that were pretty righteous. Friday sucked in SO many ways. Friday was a crazy morning of rain and warm, than cool and ice, cold and snow, more warm and ice, finally cold and snow. It kinda sucked, really. Not to mention that the culmination of the afternoon was freezing cold, and the now rain and slush freezing solid. This left sheets of ice and the tire tracks frozen solid in mini stalagmites all over the roads and parking lots. Again, it just sucked.

Saturday had some promise, not for riding, but it had promise. I woke up at the butt crack of dawn and got out to ring bells for the Salvation Army. Yeah, I was that guy. The one who stood in the mall ringing the bell non-stop. Did that for a bit, saw a ton of people, some who I knew, and got to see a generous side of people. I was amazed to see how much money some people will cram into the small red kettles. VERY cool. Also really enjoyed seeing kids digging through their pockets, or being egged on by mom and dad to go put some change in the kettle. I think it's important to teach kids to give back at an early age. Saturday night turned out amazing as well. Had the annual family Christmas dinner. My family is pretty huge. My moms sister had five kids, they had six, four, two, two, and two respectively. All total I figure there was about thirty-five or forty people total. About eight or ten of them are under the age of ten. I would be more specific, but I keep counting and missing people or having too many. Oh, and I'm too lazy to write down name, so you'll have to deal. OK, so my family is insane! When we get together we are just insane, in a fun way. We all hang out, chase kids, talk and do a white elephant gift exchange. Every year there is an abundance of crap! After all, thats what a white elephant should be about, right? It was four hours that flew by, and I would've been OK if it had been longer. Digressing.

Ugh... This is where it starts falling to pieces. Yeah, it's that time of the year. Holiday season! Woo-freakin'-hoo! I like to consider myself one who, generally, likes the holidays but this is where my fine line gets drawn. I was up early, earlier than I wanted to be, but late enough that going to church wasn't going to be an option. Suck. So I rolled out of bed and realized a shower right out of bed was going to be both a time issue, and futile since I would be cooking like a fiend. So I got our Christmas diner with my father-in-law done, and realized I felt like crap. Yup, a cold. Two weeks without a cold, and now it's back! Double suck. Shower should help. Or not. Had dinner with the in-laws, crashed in my bed for a minute (hour... or so) startled awake, groggy and grumpy. Triple suck. Got dressed and went to Target for drugs, in 30 MPH winds (with higher gusts), about 2ºf temps, and double digit below zero temps with wind chill (as I type this it's 10:00 pm Sunday and it's -22ºf with wind chill right now, in a whiteout), and a full parking lot. Suck to the fourth power (this is where it gets into exponential growth). To top it off Christmas Eve has now been changed no fewer than thirteen times, and it's supposed to be a freezing rain storm anyway, which will make all of the plans useless. Suck to the fourth power. OH! and I ate my own body weight in homemade Christmas cookies. Enter the suck trump card!

So, now I sit here complaining it now dawns on me, Saturday is the trip to Ray's MTB. So I now have five days to recoup for the trip to Ray's. By the way, if you're in Cleveland you should be meeting up with us to MTB at Ray's. Just comment ere, or send me an email through the link at the top of the sidebar on the right. So, original plans on hold, if not DOA, for the Christmas Eve run.

It may sound like I'm complaining, because I was, but it was to set up this point. All of that said, It could be a lot worse. I hate to be a downer, but I want to encourage you to remember just how lucky you were this year. Whether it's your family, your health, the fact that you are in a good place financially, the fact you still have a job, we all have things to be grateful for. Heck, if you could, donate. Donate money, donate time, whatever you can do. Remember that while some people have it better than you, some people have it far worse.

Until tomorrow.