Fashionably late comes my post about things past, and those yet to come, but what did you expect? My last update was in June!
It’s not for lack of trying though. I’ve sat down in front of my computer several times and I honestly meant to write something — not because I feel like I have to, but because I like to. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like I had anything worthy to write about. Then a few months went by and I thought about writing a few lines and realized that now there was way too much to write. This happens to me quite often with old friends in far-away places.
Hey buddy how have you been? Good? Me too. Well, let me just recap the last ten and a half years …
It just doesn’t work, and I’ll tell you why. I’m an information junkie and one thing that’s always been hard for me to do is to condense information down to the necessary. Well, what most people would consider necessary. I’m sometimes reminded of a story (true story, by the way) about Stanley Kubrick, who gave his daughter a fifteen-page set of instructions on caring for his cats. While I’ve never written a fifteen-page manual for anything, I have no doubt my girlfriend has been annoyed by my commentary and suggestions on how to chop the onions when we’re making dinner, for example.
My quirks aside, there’s also the constant struggle of objectivity and subjectivity. At a recent communications training seminar, three people were asked to participate in an exercise. The first guy was told a story, then the second guy came in and the first guy had to tell him the story. He gave him his version which had changed somewhat. Then the third guy came in and … I’m sure you know where this goes. Just three guys later and a story has half of the original facts with a fair amount of new, made-up and/or assumed information. I suppose I just don’t like the idea of being part of the misinformation cycle. On a side note: I was able to re-tell the story almost verbatim, after hearing it from the course leader once. I actually still could.
Still, as fun as it is to recall year old conversations line by line, I sometimes end up with information-paralysis. Take this blog for example. One week there’s nothing important to write about. A few weeks go by and now there’s too much to write about. Next thing you know, it’s six months later and no updates.
Maybe I should work on that this year starting now.
To briefly recap last year:
Laura and I spent much of the 2008 spring and summer looking for a house. That is, of course, until the economy shot itself in the face while jumping from a high-rise window holding a stick of dynamite in each hand
With house prices plummeting worse than AIG stock, Laura and I moved into an apartment on the U-City Loop and it’s been great. Driving to work costs me a fraction of what it did before, and I look forward to riding my bike to work once it warms up
I did another MS bike ride and I want to give a special thanks to everyone who supported me. This would have not been possible without you. I’m proud of two accomplishments in particular:
1. over $3,500 raised for the National MS Society — which landed me in the 74th top fundraiser spot
2. completed the first day’s century with a personal best average of 19.5 miles per hour. If you’re not a biker, that’s pretty fast. In fact, it far exceeded what I thought I was capable of.
I was promoted to captain of my company’s MS biking team
I redpointed (climbing term for climbing a route without falls or resting on the rope/gear) the second pitch of Fancy Lads at Draper’s Bluff. Depending on who you ask this route is rated 5.11d – 5.12b. Either way, that’s pretty hard and I was thrilled when I clipped the anchors.
I work for the Italians now (in a somewhat roundabout way)
Laura and I have not bought a single loaf of bread, save for one during our move in October. We make about two or three loafs per week, and frankly, I couldn’t imagine eating the store-bought stuff anymore.
This year’s Halloween party was crazy and bigger than before (see for yourself here)
Things I’m looking forward to in the new year:
Stay on top of this blog and write at least one post every month.
Redpoint some of my 5.12 projects. It’s time to step up the game and I really hope the spring plays along with good dry weather — I can’t take another 2008-like spring
Biking to work — now that I live much closer to work I’m looking forward to riding my bike there as much as possible.
I’ll leave it at that before the list gets too long. It’s kind of late to still be talking about the new year, but I hope you all have a great 2009!
