Cycling on roadways: How to spread the "Rules of the Road?"

The other day, I was in a vehicle with a couple of friends and somehow bicycles came up as a topic of conversation (shocking, with me in the car, I know). Anyway, neither of these two lovely ladies ride - or at least not very often, and it's always interesting to hear the perspective of those who don't ride a bike versus those who do. The conversation turned at one point and one of these friends said, "Some cyclists just think they own the road. They're just rude." Of course, being the snarky gal I am, I had to say, "Yes, and some drivers are rude." I said it as a joke to lighten what seemed to be on the verge of turning into an argument, but I wasn't really kidding. There are rude drivers AND there are rude cyclists. In fact, there are lots of inconsiderate people in every day life, and it may have absolutely nothing to do with their mode of transportation.

We continued to talk and they both stated that they dislike it when cyclists ride on the sidewalk, particularly when traveling on the "wrong side" of the street. I agreed that it is not the safest place for a cyclist to be, but here in Colorado, unless stated otherwise, it is legal to ride on the sidewalks.  They had a couple of other complaints about cyclists and the things they do on the road, and I had to point out some laws that they weren't completely aware of when it comes to riding and driving on the road.  I have found that sometimes I am expected to be the representative for all people traveling via bike, and honestly, I'm not exactly comfortable with that role; however, I also don't like to hear drivers say things that don't actually coincide with the law. I'm always amazed at how many people don't know the rules of the road.

A sharrow indicates that cars and bikes share the lane of travel (on the left) vs the bike lane indicated to the right of the photo above
*Image found here

As we continued to chat, I wondered (as many others have over the years) how to get this information out in mass to drivers without coming across as just another a$$hole cyclist, or as a holier-than-thou sort of rant because that is never my goal. As both a driver and a cyclist, I do my best to be aware of everyone out on the roads. Sure, I have bad days, and perhaps I do a random stupid thing once in awhile, but I always try to be safe and have patience with everyone on the roadways.

Some days are better than others. For example, when riding home from a kickboxing class recently, I pulled up to the middle front of the lane at a signal so that those who were turning right could do so when safe. Apparently, the car behind me (who was going straight across, as I was, and had to sit and wait for the light to turn green, just as I was) didn't like this and decided to honk and rev his engine behind me. Mind you, I'm in a residential neighborhood with children playing in yards, people out walking, and so on. When the light turned green, I mashed my pedals to get going (it was on a slight uphill) and started moving to the right where the bike lane began on the other side of the signal, but before I could get there, he squealed his tires and raced around me. When I'm on my bike, it's not my goal to piss off all the drivers on the road; just as when I'm driving, I have no desire to run pedestrians or cyclists off the road. As corny as it sounds, can't we all just get along?

The reality is, however, I had the right (and really, the responsibility) to be where I was so as to not impede traffic. Too many times I have stayed to the right and had someone in a car come around me on the left to try to make a right hand turn, only to have the light turn green. Then, I'm being cut off by the car trying to go right when I'm attempting to go straight. It's just not worth the potential danger, and it's a lot easier to just ride like a car. The quick video shown above is hardly all-inclusive, but it's a nice reminder to everyone that cyclists are vehicles and should ride as such. What I dislike about the video is that it's aimed specifically at cyclists rather than both cyclists and drivers. While there are often cyclists who don't know the rules of the road, I find that drivers are often confused when a bike rider takes his/her spot in a lane.

In Colorado, these are some of the most common things I have heard or read drivers complaining about when it comes to cyclists, so I thought it might be nice to share them here. Colorado statutes for bicycles can be found by clicking here, or here, and there are some quick cycling tips here, but I thought it was worthwhile to pick a few to put here specifically.

Bike signals * Image found here

1. A bicyclists may use a lane other than the right-hand lane when:
a. Preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private roadway or driveway (heads up drivers - that means a cyclist has every right to be in the left hand turn lane to make a left turn);
b. Overtaking a slower vehicle; or
c. Taking reasonably necessary precautions to avoid hazards or road conditions.

2. A bicyclist shall not be expected or required to:
a. Ride over or through hazards at the edge of a roadway (this means, as a cyclist, I may have to come out into the lane), including but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow lanes; or
b. Ride without a reasonable safety margin on the right-hand side of the roadway.

3. Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding bicycles two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a laned roadway, shall ride within a single lane.

One thing to also point out is that it is the cyclist, not the driver who decides what is an unsafe condition.  Above all, I think drivers tend to forget that a cyclist is at a disadvantage when it comes to size/weight. When a driver behaves unsafely, s/he is driving a several ton piece of machinery designed to go at much higher speeds than a bicycle. Hitting a cyclist, even at slow speeds can do some very serious damage (perhaps even kill him/her). The blog author of Cyclecious, sadly, has frequent reports of drivers hitting cyclists - and it rarely turns out well for those on a bike.

So, dear readers... how do we get the word out to those who aren't likely to seek out this information? How do we get safety across as a message of cooperation rather than using it as a tool for argument? A lot of us choose to use the method of riding responsibly ourselves - a model of "do as I do," but that really doesn't educate drivers who insist that a bicycle shouldn't be on the road at all. A quick search of the web turns up a slew of anti-cyclist rants/blogs (of which I will not link to because some of them are just flat out scary and I don't want to encourage bad behavior), and Tom Stafford wrote an interesting article for the BBC recently on why motorists have such disdain for bike riders, but none of these things seem to really help the situation. I don't want to ask how to "educate motorists" because it comes off as prissy and elitist (I think), but there must be a way to get information to everyone who uses the road without it turning into a ridiculous argument that doesn't help anyone. Suggestions? Thoughts? I'd love to hear.

In the meantime, I continue on, attempting to be a "representative" (at least among the people I know) of all cyclists - hoping that I don't anger the drivers even more.

The Frustration of Bicycles

The first time I really started riding a bicycle in adulthood was about 8 years ago. I was looking for some cross-training ideas and Sam tossed out the idea of riding a bike. I kind of laughed because most of my memories of riding a bike involved something heavy and unable to get up overpasses in my youth (though I had a lot of fond memories as well). After borrowing one of his mountain bikes to commute on and ride just about anywhere, I became a bit addicted to seeing how far I could go. Even though his bikes were incredibly painful for my hands and wrists, I couldn't seem to stop riding. When I decided I didn't want to be in pain anymore while riding, things kind of shifted. It started with a cruiser bike (which I adored!) and blossomed into what has, in essence, become this blog.

Electra Daisy 3i, AKA "Stuart" - the bike that started it all

Fast forward to today. I still love riding, but my frustration with bicycles still remain - in a different form. I don't know if it's something innately human, or if it is a strange quirk of my own, but I have tried for several years to limit the number of bikes in the household and to try to find that "one perfect bike." Along the way, I have learned that it just isn't possible for me to have that singular bike that does everything, and I've accepted that as long as I want to engage in different types of riding, one bike isn't going to cut it. The one bike that seems to elude me repeatedly is THE road bike. For many years, I resisted the idea of a road bike at all. Even when I got the Hillborne, I didn't think of it as a "road bike" because I didn't think of myself as a roadie by any stretch. Although I still don't think of myself as a road cyclist, I do want to engage in faster road rides and the reality of the Hillborne is that it's just not able to keep up with the speed of others. I can ride it alone just fine, knowing that it's heavier and will be a bit slower, but if I have any hope of keeping up with others, it needs to be lighter weight. However, the Hillborne is an awesomely perfect all-around bike. I can take it on the road, I can take it to the grocery store, and anywhere else I desire. I can load him up and make him heavy and he still handles well.  Best of all, it's comfortable for long distances. I've pondered the idea of stripping him down, but he still wouldn't be as light as other typical road bikes, and additionally, it wouldn't be as functional as my every day bike.

Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen

Enter the Homer. When purchasing the Homer, I had high hopes that it would become the road bike for faster rides. It is lighter than the Hillborne, handles well, and is quite comfortable... however, the trouble I still have with this bike is its slowness - or rather my inability to get it to speeds I want to see. Downhill rides are fabulous and I can easily pass just about anyone; but, on level ground or climbs, it's still too heavy to keep up.

Torelli Express

Over the last several months there have been a few attempts to find that perfect fit. The Torelli is a fabulous bike and I love how zippy I feel on it. Even if I am not as fast as others, it feels faster and I know that my averages were higher even on lone rides. The problem with this bike is that the top tube is too long and even with a shorter stem, I return from rides with a strained neck that lasts for several days up to a week. Again, I'm not looking to be in that sort of pain. I don't mind soreness, but pain due to improper size or set up isn't okay.

Whitcomb frame/fork from 1981 - I should know better; I have the "red bike curse" to contend with

A Whitcomb (which I still haven't wrote about - but I will get there, I promise) frame and fork was purchased with the hopes that this vintage ride could be the answer. However, even after setting it up with lightweight parts, it seemed to weigh more than the Homer and just doesn't have the peppiness I was hoping for in a road bike. I do, however, think this could make a fabulous bike for other purposes that I will be writing about in the future.

The more recent purchase was a Mercier that Sam purchased online, believing that it could be the perfect fit. Using the lightweight parts from the other failed builds, he set this one up and took it for a spin. He thought it seemed great and sent me out to give it a whirl. On my first ride out, however, it felt, well, odd, and as though I was going to be sent over the handlebars at any moment. It still didn't seem to have that feel I was looking for and had the added "bonus" of fitting strangely.

I've looked at a slew of bikes and thought, "maybe this one," but I can't spend (nor do I have it to spend) endless money on bicycles.  In many ways, I need to take my own past advice and realize that if one cannot test ride a bicycle before buying, this is, unfortunately, what often happens. It's a huge trial and error process and getting frustrated helps no one. That, however, doesn't stop the frustration from taking place. Figuring out the next move is even more aggravating. Sam thinks that spending a smaller amount and continuing to try out frames is a good way to go. Some days I agree with him; other days, I have varying thoughts. I think about the idea of selling off everything except the Hillborne to fund a titanium road bike or something that I can find locally and actually try it before buying. However, even those test rides are often short and don't always provide the best insight into what will actually work over longer distances. I've considered renting a road bike for a longer term testing period at one of the local bike shops and moving forward from there, but that has its own costs associated with it, and it could end up being more expensive than the buying-and-selling merry-go-round process currently taking place.

Unfortunately, I don't necessarily have the answer at this moment in time, but I know that if I want to pursue road rides, I have to keep on with this process in some form. For someone who just wants to go out and ride, it is an amazingly daunting and time-consuming process. So much so, that I've had thoughts of just giving up the idea of finding what I'm looking for and riding what I have in whatever way I am able. I don't give up quite that easily though, so I have no doubt there is more trial and error in the future. At least I can take some solace knowing that there are others who have endured their own frustrations with finding the right bike - in whatever form that is for the individual - and know that eventually, the right one will come along.

Early Review: Soma New Xpress 650b Tires (in White)

At the close of summer, I started having some issues with my Grand Bois Hetre tires on the Hillborne. Specifically, I kept getting flats. I wasn't getting them once a month, or even once a week, but often multiples in the same day. It was incredibly frustrating. Rather than trying to figure out a method to line the tires or fill the tires with goo, I decided to simply put my Schwalbe Marathon tires back on the bike. The up side was that my fenders fit on the bike again (yay!), but the down side was that I really loved having cream tires and somehow the black ones just didn't "feel" right to me (boo!). It seems like a silly issue, I know, and truly the functionality of the bike is far more important than the color of the tires, but over the winter I went on a hunt to find some 650b tires in white or cream.

Soma New Xpress in 650b x 38mm - in white! :O)

One day, while engaging in my seemingly never-ending hunt for bicycle parts, I was on the SOMA website and saw that they had their New Xpress tires in the 650b size and in white (which is actually more of an off-white/cream color - I should also note that they are additionally available in a terra cotta color for those interested). I actually already owned these tires in black (they're on my Homer), and have been riding them for about eight months now without issue. So, I had to give it a shot to see if they would hold up on the Hillborne as well.

The Hillborne, as many are aware, is the bike I generally turn to for every day pleasure rides, grocery store visits, trail rides, and just about anything that isn't specifically a long training ride or a long road ride (and sometimes I use it for those rides as well). These tires would have a lot to live up to on this bike, but I was ready to test them out. Although they haven't been on the bike very long (in total, about 2 months now), they have been through the usual rigors faced on daily rides. I've been through the patch of road (several times) that inevitably has a huge spread of thorns/goatheads (that I also somehow miss seeing and run over... every - single - time), I've been on a couple of snow rides, and although the riding isn't quite at its peak just yet, they have held up incredibly well (they still have the little nubbies on them for goodness sake).

The good news: I haven't had a single flat tire (knocking on wood as I type). The tires are comfortable, allow for speed (or at least as much speed as one can pick up on a 40 pound bicycle), and are aesthetically  what I was looking for in a tire. As a bonus, they are narrower than the Grand Bois' and therefore, I can keep my fenders in place - which in turn keeps me clean on wet/muddy rides (Please note that the fender issue is specifically in regard to this bike because of its smaller size - not a general statement about Rivendell bicycles).

The Soma tires were cleaned after my snow rides, but the road grime just didn't seem to go away with a good scrubbing

The possible down side: White is a tough color to keep clean, and certainly after traveling through all of the snow madness, there was quite a bit of grime left on the tires to be cleaned off. After a thorough scrubbing, much of it still remains in the form of stains. I honestly don't mind this, but it could be bothersome to those who prefer an always-perfectly-clean look.

Inflate to 55-75PSI

In addition, for some, the low inflation pressure may be an issue. These tires inflate from 55-75 PSI and although I find it to be fine for every day riding, it wouldn't necessarily meet every individual's needs. There is enough debate about tire size/pressure out on the web though, so I won't get into that debate here. I tend to keep my tires inflated to about 70 PSI (or slightly higher) on this bike, and the pressure seems to stay for several weeks without needing to be pumped up again with the SOMA tires (I've noticed the range staying between 65-70PSI, even during Colorado's crazy spring season during which the temps frequently fluctuate between the low 30s and the mid 80s F).

Again, it's still early on in the life of these tires on the Hillborne, but having had a similar experience with them on the Homer over the last eight months or so, I feel comfortable using them as the every day tire. When goathead season hits in the late summer/early fall, I may opt for the Schwalbe's again, but for now, I'm extremely happy to have these New Xpress tires to ride on every day. Who knows? They may never need to leave this bike at all, which would be an amazing treat!

Why riding in snow may not have been my brightest cycling moment

As some may recall, I recently wrote (proudly, I might add) about my experience of riding while it was snowing. It was a first for me to ride with snow actually falling and although I had read many, many times about those with much worse snow than we get that it's best to avoid bikes with a derailleur during such weather (and should opt instead for an internally geared bike or a single speed), I was determined to carry on. Pshaw!  I follow no rules. I have plenty of bikes, and yes, they all have a derailleur; but logic (and others' experience) be damned, I was going to attempt a ride in the glistening, albeit extremely freezing and wet snow.

This was the photo used in the prior post - as I was so excited to "show off" all the snow 

If you happened to take a glance at my snow-ridden derailleur photo (which was taken only a brief time into the ride), and you happen to be someone who has attempted this sort of thing on your own (or, you - unlike myself - are smart enough to learn from others' mistakes), you may wisely be shaking your head at my foolishness right about now.

It's just frozen water, right? How bad can it be. Very soon after this ride, I was leaving town for several days. I casually mentioned to Sam that it might be nice to take a look at the Hillborne to see if it needed to be wiped off - though I stated it was nothing urgent, and I could always take a look when I returned home. When I did return, we were involved with other craziness and I forgot all about looking in on my bike, so a couple of weeks after the ride, I finally got around to pulling it out to see if I should clean him off a bit (Mental note: this is what happens when one has more than one bike).

Did I mention that my bike is steel? As in, that stuff that rusts quite easily when exposed to water. As in, those bikes from our youth - you know, that same material they were all made of - and that we see, often rusted through, because they were left out in the elements. Yeah, that steel.

Um, well, I probably should've taken photos. They would speak far better than mere words can do, but I will say that many of the metal pieces (the chain ring, pedals, crank, etc) weren't looking so great. It appeared to be rusting (orange-y kind of color on these parts) and there was an extreme amount of gray-ish/black gook covering the rims and tires. I got out the hose and a sponge, as well as some soap and went to work, attempting to remedy my "great idea."

The good news is, I was able to get most of the bike cleaned up without too much trouble. The tires are somewhat cleaner (though being a light color, I doubt they will ever completely be rid of the gray-like substance from the de-icer on the roads), and the rims look decent again, but I am definitely concerned about the future of the chain ring and some of the other pieces on the bike. It's not as though it sat in grime for months or years, but I think there is a lesson to be learned in there somewhere.

For starters, I understand why people opt for their "lesser" bike in this sort of weather. Who wants to worry that their favorite bicycle may become rusty from riding in the snow? The internal hub makes complete sense in this sort of situation as well. The derailleur ices up so quickly and it becomes incredibly difficult to change gears. If, like me, you live in an area with some hills, you may not want to be mashing up the hills when it's icy on the ground. Additionally, if the snow had been falling at any faster rate, I'm not sure the brakes would have even worked properly (I had one close call, but fortunately, I wasn't riding very fast). A single speed (or internally geared hub) with a roller brake might very well be the easiest thing to use in snowy weather. Perhaps - just a small perhaps - I should be more willing to learn from others, rather than venturing out and thinking that their opinions or experiences aren't applicable to me.

Don't get me wrong, the derailleur system worked just fine, and I would ride this away again (though I would clean the bike up much, much sooner), but I think there are better, more appropriate ways of riding while it's snowing. The derailleur system does fine when the roads are pretty clear and the snow is just on the ground, but when the snow is actually falling, there may be more effective ways to ride a bike.

Easy Come, Easy Go

Last week, I wrote briefly about Sam's decision to accept a position in San Francisco. I was a bit conflicted about the move, but I knew deep down that the job was such a wonderful opportunity. There was no way he could say no. We spent the week (and weekend) packing up our house here in Colorado and preparing to transport all of our things to California.

Late on Sunday, Sam got an e-mail from the company that had hired him saying that they would like to speak with him on the phone. He called back and was informed that they would need to rescind the offer of employment due to a loss of their largest contract. There was no longer a job opening.  I don't know precisely what ran through Sam's mind (obviously, he was upset - and it showed), but what ran through my mind (after the initial, "You're kidding, right" that I actually said out loud) went something like this:
Panic.       Calm.        Anger.      Calm.        Sadness.       Calm.         Irritation.          Calm.           Panic.

*Image here

Yes, the thoughts may have been bookend-ed with "panic," but there was a lot of calm in there as well. Most of any calmness present was for Sam's benefit because the last thing he needed was my frantic craziness that typically surfaces when panic sets in... but soon my brain began to function and I started to think through everything that had transpired. Something good has to come out of this. The universe/God/the collective "we" (whatever you choose to call it) simply cannot be this cruel, can it? Officially, this news meant that Sam had not only lost the opportunity in San Francisco, but in just over a week would no longer have a job here in Colorado.  In turn, there is no consistent income for our household.

We should both be far more distraught than we seem to be. I am a person who believes that everything happens for a reason though, and ultimately good will come from what has seemed some sort of painful, theatrical event. Most of our house had been packed up during the interim between the acceptance and rescinding of the offer. In that time, I cried - a lot. For a person who loves change and enjoys being in different places, I was having a really tough time with the idea of leaving this area. Everything I touched reminded me of something that had happened here, someone I would miss, or a life event that took place while living in Colorado. We were standing in our basement one evening and I had a complete, sobbing fit at one point. I went to bed every night with a tear-stained (drenched) pillow. Sam and I were married here, we have made a life here, and just when I think that I haven't attached to anyone or anything, the universe decides to impart wisdom to show me that in fact I do attach, I do have friends, and a life, and lots and lots of goodness right where I am.

When something like this job and subsequent withdrawal of the offer takes place, it can be difficult to see and understand why, but there is no convincing me that this isn't part of the path we are meant to follow.  I have realized how many wonderful people surround us every day and how fortunate we are to live where we do. We had people who supported Sam's opportunity (our opportunity) and the move, and yet were just as excited to hear we weren't leaving. We've had lots of suggestions of places for Sam to look for alternate employment in the area, and in fact, he's already had two interviews (with another scheduled later in the week). The "right" place will find him and I don't view the San Francisco experience as a loss or a missed opportunity. It happened because it needed to - perhaps, for many reasons.

I needed to see just how much this area is home, to understand that it's okay to put down roots and admit that I don't want to leave. As one of my very wise kickboxing instructors has said to me, "You don't always have to be tough girl (Not that I think I'm tough, but, okay - maybe sometimes I do feel like I have to put up that front)." Sam may have needed the push to leave a job that wasn't healthy for him and to find the actual opportunity that awaits. My partner is a "soldier" who will carry on, despite being unhappy, and while it can be an admirable quality to be able to get through tough times, he may have needed to have no choice but to move forward. I think he's realized just how much he wants to be here as well.

Life is settling back in again, and I am sure there will be bumpy patches as we move forward, but I am so thankful to be remaining here. Thank you to all for your well-wishes in SF, but we'll be staying right where we are - I say, for the time being (of course), and Sam says "forever." Either way, we are happy to continue on, knowing that "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." - Hemingway

Mail Delivery, by Bicycle

Today, as I was heading home from a quick stop to the grocery store, I spotted a postal worker delivering mail - by bicycle. It wasn't loaded up like this one for the British, but rather looked more like an every day mountain bike with a basket up front and a stack of mail. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a shot, but it started to get me thinking.

*Image found here (I believe it is a purchase-able item on Etsy, as well)

While I'm always a little more aware of people on bikes, simply because I frequently use that mode of transportation, I realized I have personally never witnessed a postal employee delivering mail on a bicycle in our city. Perhaps its a regular occurrence in larger cities (I honestly don't know), but I was curious to see if this is a coming trend, or perhaps a reaction to recent talks about limiting mail delivery days? After a search, I was unable to find out if this is now a regular delivery mode, if it's something being considered as a possibility for the future, or if it's been happening for some time and I just hadn't noticed it until today.

Last year, Longmont rolled out a bike share program for city employees to get around town, and again, though I've never personally had the opportunity to see it in use, I think it's a wonderful program (particularly for a fairly small community) that helps lighten the need for city employees to use cars during the work day - especially when traveling to a spot not far from city offices.

Are there any locals who have witnessed mail delivery by bicycle? I'm curious to know if this was a one time happening, or if this will become more regular. If you're not local, does your mail (at work or home) get delivered by a postal bicycle rider?

Goodbye, Colorful Colorado; Hello, Golden State

The last week or so has been a little chaotic and dramatic in our household, and it doesn't look to be shaping up any time in the near future. As noted a couple of days ago, Sam went for an interview in San Francisco last week. All went well, and the company offered him the position before he'd even left the building. We had lengthy discussions about the pros and cons of accepting the offer, and after a lot of tears and talking, late Monday evening, the decision was made to let the offer go. I think we both felt relieved in some sense, but also a bit disappointed that Sam wouldn't be pursuing such a wonderful career opportunity. However, the company wasn't going to give up on Sam without a fight, and as they continued to pursue Sam, they sweetened the deal even more. At this point, it would have been incredibly difficult to continue to decline... and so, he accepted a very exciting opportunity on the west coast.

*Image found here

What does this mean for us? Well, for starters we are going to have a very quick reminder of just how expensive housing is in California (as well as the high cost of many other necessities), but it also means we'll be renting out our "forever house" here in Colorado and attempting to get an entire household packed up and moved in about two weeks. My mind is reeling, spinning out of control. There are so many unfinished projects around the house that I honestly don't even have time to be typing this out, but it's also the quickest way I know to tell as many people as possible without having to restate the story a hundred times.

As with any change, there is good and bad with this move. I am sad to be leaving a community that I have grown fond of. I will miss the ease of bicycling in this area as well. Oh, we'll adjust to a busier atmosphere, and I'm sure it will become old hat in no time at all, but I've realized just how easy it is to get around in this area by bike - even in the winter, as I've just recently ventured out on a snow ride. I will miss the happy bird that whistles every morning, looking for its partner. I'll miss the people we've had the opportunity to get to know, and even some of the ones we don't know very well, but who still made an impact on our (my) life. I'll miss attempting to get some kind of garden going in the yard, the squirrels that heckle the dogs each morning,  the train honking its horn several times a day, and many, many other things.

This photo was taken almost 20 years ago on a trip to visit a friend living in Sonoma, CA - who would've thought I'd be living in this area nearly two decades later?

With the downside though, comes good and positive change. For instance, I will no longer worry about snow in the winter and spring. So, we may be in for more rain than we get here, but I'll take that as a positive. We will be closer to family (though I haven't quite determined yet if this is a positive or not :O)). We will be close to good public transportation... and perhaps even more exciting to me, we will be extremely close to the beach again (even though I am aware that this part of the state isn't as sunny as other regions). In addition, Sam's career is in for a definite, and much-needed shake up, and I will find my way in the slew of artists in that part of the country... I'm actually looking forward to it.

As for the blog here, I am supposing posts may end up being a bit sporadic until we are settled in to a new spot. For the time being, when Sam arrives in California, he will be staying in an extended stay location in SF, while I will be a couple hundred miles south at my moms home with our dogs, until we secure an actual place to live.  I'm sure that is going to bring its own challenges, but we know what we are in for and are embracing the experience. I know our relationship is strong, and while we will miss being together every day, the ultimate outcome will be a great one. I continue to remind myself that we just cannot know where life is going to take us, and we could end up back here in Colorado quite easily. This is just one of those opportunities that has to be acted on to see what might be possible.  I truly believe it is going to be a wonderful, positive experience. I look forward to the road ahead and the adventures that await us.

"Change. It happens every day, every moment, everywhere. To live fully, we must learn to embrace change and honor it, even when change arrives with the companions of fear and uncertainty." - Unknown