In case you wondered why the posts have dried up I’ve not been abducted by aliens, I’ve not had another heart attack and I’ve not entered a monastery. I’ve just been strangled by circumstance.
Among the many things that have diverted attention away from the Vespa and riding has been a transition to a new job managing digital education. Part of that includes developing 50 or 60 online training courses by July. And a few other things.
And the holidays and family attract time and attention. Two dogs constantly ask for me and I have my own personal regimen of post heart attack dances to attend to.
Even the pictures of the Vespa seem a bit strangled by stuff. I’ve not ridden as much lately and that’s never a formula for joy. But I still ride when my brain allows, when I’m not strangled by circumstance.
Most rides of late have taken me somewhere to relax, reflect, eat and write. But nothing I can share here. Just the regular ravings of an old man resisting the draw to go quietly into the night.
I do have some photos to share and some stories about riding in the frozen fog we were blessed with for a week or more. For now though, I just want to check in and say hello.
Congrats on the new job! Sounds very busy but if it is enjoyable it is all worth it.
Happy holidays to you and yours, and I will be patiently waiting for the frozen fog post…
Thanks Melu. I’m sitting here with sleeping dogs and eating my breakfast trying to decide whether to go for a ride, go for a walk or just do nothing and put pen to paper on riding in the cold. Nice choices to have. Guess I have some things to be grateful for…
Happy Holidays to you!
Gotta admit I was going to reach out to see what was up.
Very nice to see it’s all good.
Merry Christmas to you, Kim, and the pooches!
Merry Christmas to you and yours David. I’m still here and feeling good. Just busy.
Give a busy man an additional task (or 60 in your case)
and he’ll do the tasks as well as if he had but one task.
And as noted, Christmas with new grand-child this
year and the myriad other tasks of existence; something
is forgotten.
Tell me Steve why do (did in my case) “they” drop these
tasks on us, now?
Your job title has perhaps changed as well.
Or you could look at it this way; you are alive
and reasonably well enough to be able to
accept the tasks ahead. You could be
in a stone orchard!
One of these days I’ll cross the international
border and drive to State College to encounter a Vespa
rider having a proper cup of tea in Saint’s Cafe.
Merry Christmas Steve to you, Kim and
your extended family!
I’ve been doing two jobs for awhile now and things have reached a critical mass where I need to really focus on the course development. So I’ll transition to a different position and we’ll hire someone to replace me on the PR, marketing and magazine editorship. Photography is already gone.
Want to stay out of the stone orchard for a while yet. There are more visits to Saint’s I want to make.
Looking forward to your froze fog (hoar ice) pictures. I was able to catch some pretty ones in the meadow below our house. Merry Christmas and a Happiness and Good Health in year ahead.
Posted a quick reflection of the hoar ice riding. Felt rushed putting it together. Everything feels sort of thrown together lately.
Merry Christmas Robert!
Wait a minute, a new job? Or something new tacked onto the old?
Most of my rides this fall have been just going to the coffee shop, shopping or other errands. I can’t think of a single ride in a long time for just riding.
It’s something I’ve been doing for a year but I’ve finally come to the point where I need to formally shed my current position and formally move into the digital education development role.
Rides are what they are. I’ve quit trying to force anything and just go with the flow.
Hmmm. That doesn’t look like anti-heart attach food at the Pump Station. I think that picture is at the Pump Station.
That is the Pump Station. A bagel and a couple cookies won’t kill me. I’ve made dramatic changes in diet so an infrequent divergence is fine according to my cardiologist. I hope that’s true…
Well, for starters, congrats on the new job (assignment?). “Stuff to do” is usually good; I’m dealing with a bit of the same, with freelance gigs piling up just before Christmas, meaning at least two train rides into Gotham and back this coming week.
Meanwhile, the thermometer sticks stubbornly on the low side of 40, and Melody is still under its cover – I actually have the jacket to handle the cold, and the helmet handles stuff from the neck up. But my hands? Hmm, have to figure that out. Need to drop off a package to FedEx…maybe I’ll see how my “regular” gloves manage. No chance of warmer gloves till Tuesday or Wednesday. (But, speaking of covers: the new one works great, leaving Melody nearly bone-dry after our one soggy day.)
And, I still need to see if weather in January will be okay to take my road test, assuming they actually finish reconstruction at the Eatontown facility like they said they would. How cool it would be to have license in hand on or around my (60th!) birthday. Might even make it to your part of the woods not too long after.
So, here’s to you, the new work, holiday cheer, a not a lotta ice.
Thanks. I’m looking forward to the new challenge at work.
Some regular heavy gloves should be fine in the 40s and into the 30s. As the temperature drops below 35F I begin to notice problems keeping my hands warm. That’s where the hand grip muffs help tremendously along with the heated grips.
Good luck with your road test. Perhaps we’ll cross paths in 2016.
Ride safe!
Oh please. I struggle to find something to say every week on my blog. How you do six or seven times a week so well is beyond my comprehension.
I have lots of ideas just not enough time to write. I guess I’ve never shared much of my writing process but I’ve always written on a daily basis in a journal. Now more of that writing is on the blog. I get cranky when I can’t empty my brain out on a regular basis.
All the best to you Steve, your wife and the dogs. Enjoy the winter solstice and good health in the years to come.
Greetings from Vespa riders in Kangaroo country.
Thanks Mike. Hope all is well for you and yours in Kangaroo Country.
Are you using your iPhone and the parkmobile application to pay for parking?
I use that once or twice a week. The number on the meter in the first photo is for that.
I used it in Phoenix Az and South Beach Fl and it was very convenient. I’ll show it to you tomorrow. I realize you usually park your scooter in free scooter spots but sometimes I don’t like to put my Ducati between two rusty Honda’s that new riders own. Something might fall off and hit my motorcycle!
No, I use quarters in the meter. The app is just too much for me to think about. I’ve never had to park between two rusty Hondas yet. And I almost always use the free spaces unless I need to be closer.
Your photo’s have the amazing ability to capture the chill in the air and the moisture in the fields. Beautiful. Winter has arrived here in Medford with a few recent snow storms. The hills surrounding us are white with snow but the valley floors are clear and wet. I wish I had the energy to ride. Work has been sapping me of all my energy and the damp roads just don’t appeal to my sensibilities. I’m looking forward to sunnier days to rev my engines and turn the throttle.
It sure does take energy to ride in the cold — mental and physical. And I certainly appreciate the effect work can have on those energy supplies. I’m hoping the holiday break allows me to recharge.
Best wishes for the holidays and be safe turning the throttle!