Catching Up on Life and Bicycles

I feel as though I've gone a bit quiet here in the blogosphere. It isn't really intentional, but life has been full and busy and... well, unfortunately that means I tend to slack off on anything that requires me to sit and focus (e.g., the blog). There are things to share and they will come in time but I thought a quick post was in order for some quick updates.

On the personal/job front...
Sam has officially been offered a position locally, so it looks like we are staying here in Colorado for the time being. I think we were both a little anxious about leaving the area, but were willing to do so if needed for our survival. He is very excited about the position, the potential with the company, and as an added bonus, it's less than 10 miles from home, so he can bike a lot more frequently to work (always a nice discovery in our book).

As for Sam's health, he is doing much better after his emergency room visit. Thank you to all for your well-wishes, good thoughts and prayers. He was pretty quickly back to pedaling, running, kickboxing, etc, so I am grateful for his swift recovery.

My mock up (2-sides, anyway) of a potential switch gear box painting

A few weeks ago, I submitted a model of what I would paint on one of the several switch gear boxes around town through our local Art in Public Places program. My maquette, as well as the many others, went on display and up for public vote at the local museum, and I was informed today that I was one of the five that have been selected to paint this year. I am excited (and nervous, as it's a decent sized project), but grateful to all those who took the time to go and vote. I will do my best to take some in-progress photos as I begin working later this summer, and am looking forward to a new adventure.

On the bike front...
As some of you read here, I had put my Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen up for sale locally in an attempt to cover the out of pocket costs involved with Sam's ER visit mentioned above. Fortunately, we were able to figure out a way to get these costs covered without selling the bike, so I'm happy to report that I'm still riding him and glad to have him in the bicycle fold. I appreciate everyone who helped spread the word that the bike was for sale. I thought it would go quickly, but the universe has a way of working things out in the end, so I suppose he was meant to stay right here.

Old version of my Surly Pacer

In an odd twist, my Surly Pacer made a return to our household recently, but the only thing that remains the same is the frame and, hmm, well, that may be about it. I will attempt a post about that bike in the near future and all its fun changes (as well as more on how it ended up back here), but it was interesting to have a bike come back into the house that I assumed I would never see again. I recall that I didn't feel horribly fast on the bike before, and that has definitely changed with the modifications.

Somewhat recently, I wrote about my dilemma with a the Trek Lexa SLX. The Lexa remains in my possession for the time, thanks in part to Sam's diligence and the extension of the 30-day trial period from the bike shop. They assured me they wanted me to be comfortable and happy with the decision, and that they didn't want me to keep something I couldn't use, so I'm thrilled to report that after a much-fought decision on my part to go in for a bike fitting, the ride seems to be a lot easier on my hands (I really hate it when Sam is right). I am hoping that it remains comfortable and will be something I can keep and use regularly.

Today is bike to work day, so hopefully everyone enjoyed a peaceful ride in on his/her bicycle. Although I work from home, I did get in a lovely ride this morning and was happy to see so many out and about on two-wheels enjoying the day. It's a hot one locally, so remember to take it easy and bring extra water for the ride home. Happy riding, as always! :O)