Being Held Accountable

So the last time I checked in, I filled you in about my new rules I was planning on living my life around. And like any significant change, I have to be held accountable or its easy to fall back to my old, unproductive ways.  So today, I am publicly updating the masses to hold myself accountable for the changes that have been implemented…

As for Rule #1, Ride the damned bike, I feel have done exceptionally well thus far.  Since the start of the new year, I have only taken 6 rest days from the bike. I’ve logged over 20 hours in the saddle and about 270 miles.  Unfortunately, most of the miles have been riding my trusty Cannondale R600 on the indoor trainer. Mack’s dad and grandmother have been less than dependable on taking her on the days that they are scheduled to, and with Amber going to school full time during the day and working nights and weekends, Baby sitting duty naturally falls on my shoulders. Mind you, I will never complain about getting to spend more time with her, it just proves to be very difficult to get outside on the bike. Lets just say I eagerly await 50 degree temps and pulling the baby trailer. But in the meantime, I am committed to this change and that means that I am on the trainer at least 60 % of the time.

Hate this view, but its one of the necessary evils to be ready to go for the Morgantown RR

Rule #2, Crosstrain. So far this is an area that is still slacking. But I have recently started doing upper body and core workouts . Because its been on such a limited basis, I personally consider this a failure thus far in my training season. And to this, I publicly make a promise to my teammates to step this area up. Crossfit anyone??

Rule # 3 is to Drop a lot of weight. And it has been slow and steady progress. I weighed in at the start of my offseason at 241 pounds. This morning I stepped on the scale and I am down 13 pounds.  I haven’t had to make a significant change to my diet yet, but I HAVE made a conscious effort to eat better foods and reduce my sugar intake. My pitfall is usually craving caffeine and since I can’t stand coffee, CocaCola has always been my go to beverage of choice.  I’ve given black and/or green tea a try but it just doesn’t seem to satisfy my thirst. But giving up coke (well, for most mornings anyways) is working and each day I step on the scales about 3 pounds lighter than I was the week before. Call it baby steps I guess.

Rays MTB Park on 1-1-14... 241 pounds

Rule #4 is to Set Goals.  While I have several significant goals (like reach 210 pounds again, average 20mph on solo training rides, take back my KOM on Ruff Creek Hill, and ride 5000 miles in this calendar year) its about setting smaller, attainable goals for the short term  goals. Having a rear wheel sensor for my trainer bike helps me keep motivated because I have a series of mini goals I plan to achieve on it. Some of these short term goals are as follows:

Average 16mph for an hour

Average 17mph for an hour

Average 16mph for the week

Average 18mph for an hour

Average 17mph for the week

Average 19mph and hour

Average 18mph for the week

Average 20mph for an hour

Average 19mph for the week

Average 21mph for an hour

Average 20mph for the week

Average 20mph for a 2 hour trainer session

(bold goals are already accomplished J

Rule #5 is HTFU. With this artic cold wave we have going on, it  is REALLY testing my commitment to this particular rule. But thanks to Nalini’s collection of Fleece Lined Tights, braving the sub zero temperatures has been easier than expected.  However, there have been a few times that I have succumbed to the temptation to skip an outdoor ride opportunity.It doesn’t help that on one of the winter rides I did go on resulted in my finding a large patch of ice buried under a layer of snow and followed that up with a swift exit from the vertical position in exchange for the much less preferred horizontal position.  Regardless of this mishap, I need to get passed this mental block and put the tire to the path, sSo again, I give myself a FAIL for this rule thus far as well.

 

Although technically a horrible picture from a composition stand point, I think the steam rolling off me in sub artic temperatures indicates just how cold its been lately.

My new rules have definitely helped with my training but there is still lots of room for improvement. I want to thank my teammates for doing their part to keep me on point. I need to thank the awesome folks at Pathfinder for putting together the care package that my trusty trainer steed needed to get her back into riding shape (its truly amazing what a new chain and cassette will do for a bike. And since I haven’t been able to make it down to the store, finding the beautiful green Pathfinder bag hanging on my door knob is always sets the tone for the rest of the night!)  And I want to thank Kenda too, because the Nevegal tires I ordered for the mountain bike are perfect for the mostly  snowy conditions I’ve been riding in this winter (although I have found out that they are not the best tire for riding on ice)  Also  special thanks to Shawn Geiger, Billy Slutz, Nikki Bee, and Stephanie Lamb for getting out there and riding with me this winter. I’m planning on practicing rule #5 this Tuesday for tacos at OTB, just so you know.  I also want to thank former teammate Jerry Audet for the random emails and texts that offer valuable online training resources, or words of wisdom, or even a swift kick in the ass. I also thank Mack for finally learning to entertain herself for an hour while I ride the trainer in the corner.  And a thank you to Amber for putting up with having a bike on a trainer and a repair stand with a box fan clamped in it, all left in the corner of the living room of our small apartment. While unsightly, it does eliminate the excuse of not wanting to set up the trainer every night.  And finally, a thanks is offered to you the reader for staying tuned to the endeavors of a fat and lazy bike racer.  Stop back later and check out my progress.

Winter Training

Thus far winter training has been a little more fun this year with the two trips we have made up to Rays Indoor Mountain Bike Park. Since my teammate JR turned me on to mountain biking last season I have had a difficult time getting off the mountain bike to get on a road bike. Then after visiting Rays with a few teammates my enthusiasm for mountain biking has increased even more.

Nate, myself, Addie, Veda & Jeff

 

 

When the weather outside is less than desirable for riding, having a place to ride inside makes for a lot of fun. That is unless the place you are riding inside is keeping you in the same place such as a trainer.  Don’t get me wrong, you can get a great workout on the trainer.  However, it comes with the price of extreme boredom.

 

The crew at Rays Indoor MTB Park

 

Now that the holidays are over I am really starting to get excited for the 2014 cycling season.  I don't get to ride a lot in the off season with my teammates so for me our team training camp in March will not come soon enough.



Shawn at Rays

 

 

I am also excited to get back to Morgantown so I can check out our new sponsor in 2014, the Apothecary Ale House & Cafe.  And of course you cannot make a trip to Morgantown without hitting up Morgantown Brewing Company while you are having your bike tuned up at Pathfinder of WV.

 

 



 

Addie and Mac

 

I cannot say enough how happy I am to be a returning teammate of the Dynamic Physical Therapy cycling team powered by Pathfinder for the 2014 cycling season.  Thank you to all of our 2014 sponsors!







New Year = New Rules!

Rang in the new year with Amber

And with Billy, Arryn, and Addie Slutz

2013 is behind me and I no option but to move forward. Its ok to look back to see where I came from and to maybe learn from my mistakes, but I have to keep moving forward to keep finding happiness. So, 2014 is about moving forward and trying to improve myself in so many different ways. As we all know, Albert Einstein said that insanity is repeating the same steps over and over and expecting a different result. So if I repeat what I did last year, I have no chance of obtaining better results or greater happiness in the coming year, unless I make a few changes. So I quickly jotted down some ideas for new rules to live by in regards to cycling, and I hope to make them stick.

 

Rule #1 Ride the damned bike-- Last year I spent way too much time riding the couch instead of riding the bike. Its not always easy when I have to watch Mackenzie, but I have to work around the schedule and find opportunities to put the rubber to the road. No more excuses, just solutions!

Rule #2 Crosstrain-- OK, so there are going to be times when I just cant work a ride into the mix, but I can always steal 20 minutes and go for a run, or work on core exercises, or even just go for a brisk walk.  Maybe NOT as beneficial as a ride, but it will definitely pay bigger dividends than channel surfing.

Rule #3 Drop some (make that LOTS of) weight-- started 2014 at 241#'s, the most I've weighed in almost 6 years.  I'm not going to diet like so many resolutionists out there, but I will watch my diet closely. I'm giving up soda (wish I could stomach the taste of coffee for the caffeine), I'm eating more vegetables, I'm eating smaller meals,I'm but eating more of them. Week #1 concludes with a total weight loss of 6#'s. But those are the easy 6, I figure the next 36 will be the tough ones.

Rule #4 Set Goals-- Not just major year end goals, but little monumental and incremental goals along the way. Just like anyone else, I like the rush of meeting or exceeding a goal, so I am making it easier to keep having intrinsic rewards along the way. Trainer goal #1 was already accomplished in week #1 and tonight I go after trainer goal #2 during the Pens v. Canucks game. Hope the 10PM start doesn't kill me in the morning....

Rule #5 HTFU-- this is an oldie but a goldie. Its too easy for me to find an excuse to do something besides ride the bike or do a workout. But I need to keep putting my best foot forward in 2014 to get where I want to be. 

And PLEASE don't be afraid to call me out if you think I'm not sticking to my own rules. I will most likely appreciate the forced refocus!

My WV List: #1 Thank you

I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks; and ever thanks. 
- William Shakespear, Twelfth Night

Thank you.

Thank you Dynamic Physical Therapy for being a positive voice in the cycling community.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to race and be with some incredible people.

Thank you Shawn for making the most GD delicious baked goods, and being a good roommate and a good friend.  Here’s to more road trips. GET ON THE FRONT AND PULL.

Thank you Stephanie, for making me think that maybe if something isn’t enjoyable…maybe I better just take the day off.  And for showing me that the love of cycling goes beyond pushing the pedals, and  means doing your share when you’re not racing.

Thank you Jeff for making me feel like I don’t eat enough.  Thank you for showing me what true love of cycling means.  But more over, thank you for being the BEST team mate- I owe my first ever cycling win to you.  I will never forget that.  Mostly, thanks for being so fun.

Thank you Tara, thank you for our countless talks.  Because if it wasn’t for you, I would have felt a lot more alienated, a lot more alone, and a whole lot more miserable.  I miss our daily talks more than I ever thought I would.  I wish you the best as a Mom and a scientist.  Oh, and thanks for the shake weight…and druken summersaults.

Thank you Walt, thank you for the support you gave me through the dark times, and for the advice to buck the trends.  To pave my own path.  You’re going to be one hell of a Dad.  MONSTER TRUCK.

Thank you Dharendra.  D, you were also always there for an encouraging word- both about racing and work…and life.  A tried-and-trusted friend…you are going to make a mark in science, I know it.

Thank you Derek.  If not for you, I would probably still be injured.  I’d probably would never have done a cycling race, or gone to Nationals, or hit many a swimming goal…or swam in the Mon.  I owe you, a lot.  I won’t forget that.  Come visit.

Thank you Anne, for making Derek more bearable.  For the snappy comebacks, and for making me feel a little less crazy when I would feel guilty about eating or doing something stupid.  I miss you.  Congrats on your house, baby, and awesome life.

Thank you Zack, for the hallway chatter, giving me perspective, and sharing my love of metal.  Of anyone I know, you were the most made to be a great scientist my friend.

Thank you Janelle.  Just…Thank you.  A million times thank you.  You have strength that I do not, and you single handedly changed me as a person and a scientist.  You taught me more about integrity in 2 years than I had learned in my whole life.  I will NEVER forget you.  I owe you so much, and I miss you daily.

Thank you Kyle, thank you for the PUNDA scale.  The friendly miles at whites, and being an ear to listen when things in lab got bad…or rather…when they got worse.  And thanks for convincing us all to take those pills… Now, get out of there!

Thank you Pathfinder, for fixing everything I broke.  Both intentionally and un-intentionally.  And thanks for being affordable.  I really miss that.  Finally, thank you for supporting the cycling scene, we all really appreciate it.

Thank you Nicole, for being a quiet voice of reason in the insanity that was our office.  You may not have been as loud as the rest of us, but I always listened when you talked.  I wish you the best now and in the future.  Won’t be long now, until your next step!

Thank you Katie, my “little friend”.  You were the best lab mate I had.  It’s no wonder you’re killing it now in Med school.  I may not have been your boss, but I brag about you to people even now.  You bring a higher bar to everything you do.  Well, except the lab music…and drawing.

Thank you Daniel, Dano, The King, Grammar Dan, Dan the Man.  Thanks for taking one for the team…who else was going to take the verbal beatings?  Thank you for being a really great friend, and a voice of reason…and showing me that maybe I don’t really have to completely make up my mind to be happy.

Thank you Cody, thanks for Parry Grip.  Thanks for incredible websites, and for making me not feel like a freak for wanting to leave Academia.  I wish you had joined our lab, but happy you made the right choice.  Stand up guy.

Thank you Exercise Phygiology faculty of WVU (Dr. Alway, Mustafa, Morrisette, Hollander, Pistilli, Olfert, Dick, Chantler, and everyone else in the department) for giving me a second chance, and also for my award.  I am humbled and very grateful for the education I received, and the respect I have earned.

Thank you Chris.  Thank you for the stories, for showing me around Morgantown, and for being an ear to blab too when I wanted to talk about the latest frame or racing strategy.  AND for showing me it’s ok if I want to have more than one passion.  Life is short!  Take that next risk my friend, you are not one that fails.

Thank you Bill.  Thanks for hunting with me, for showing me the ropes in grad school, for the discussions on life and everything else.  And on saving money.

Thank you Gunnar.  Thanks for being loud when you needed to be, and thanks for being loud when you didn’t.  I owe almost all of my cyclocross knowledge to you, and much of my road cycling…and who better to learn from than T-Rex?  A character I will never forget.

Thank you Betsy, for making Gunnar much more likeable.  For being my arch-nemesis SS racer, and making me work just that much harder to try and keep up.  You definitely class up the racing scene.

Thank you Gary and Tracy, for showing me that love and devotion isn’t just about touchy feely BS.  It’s about a shared passion, and a constant support.  Maybe next time I’ll keep up.

Thank you Marco.  Thank you for always being on a ride- even if no one else was going to show, I knew at least you’d be there!  Thanks for the laughs, and wish you luck on your next step…wherever that may be!

Thank you V-berg aka Sassafras.  You always calmed me down post-race…giving great perspective…such a chill guy.  But come race time, no one had a race face like you my friend.  Like a warrior ready for battle.  I owe you for the cross’ skills, and hope our paths “cross” again. CHECK THAT SEAT TUBE CLAMP.

Thank you James, for our talks at the shop.  For the comradery in all those races, for showing me I shouldn't try the paleo diet, and for giving me advice on racing MTB.

Thank you Gina.  For letting me steal your husband almost daily for hours on end.  For the support you give the community.  For being such a good dog-mom.  For making Carly and I so welcome.  A true friend, whom I miss often.

Thank you Jonathan, for loving strange [good] music.  For at least trying to jump the log.  For being enthusiastic and having all kinds of integrity.  Work hard in school, life will figure it’s self out.  Take a risk my friend!

Thank you Mon Bike Club.  So many people I could thank.  You guys are the best, and are so supportive, I’m proud to have ridden with so many of you. LONG LIVE THE HAMMER RIDE.

Thank you Billy, thanks for making me laugh.  For making me think I should probably push a little harder, and to try new things.  For being such an awesome Dad, a true role model.  You never cease to amaze with your enthusiasm.  I hope some of it has traveled with me.

Thank you to my other WVU work friends- Lindsey, Mike, John, Drew, Shin, Sara, Sara, Danielle, Josh, and all the others.  Good group of people I’ll not soon forget.

Thank you Todd, for making me a little less self conscious about my over-analyzing.  For giving everything to get me to the podium, even if I screwed everything up in the end.  For being a great guy.  “Until next time”.

Thank you to all of my other past team mates- Devin, EJ, Chris, Brian, Nicole, Justine.  You guys and gals are all class acts.  You’ve all taught me something, and I appreciate the time I’ve had with every one of you.

Thank you pro-mountain gang.  Dusty, Tim, Ben, Nate, Seth, Cornett, Caleb, Mike, and the rest- thanks for being good cycling citizens, and putting up some quality competition.

Thank you to the many other Pittsburgh cyclists I’ve met and ridden with.  There’s too many to mention- Jason, Christian, Rick, Stephanie, Rick, Jeff, Jeff, etc etc etc.  You’ve all left a mark.

Thank you Fred, for the kick ass pictures.  You don’t get nearly enough thanks.  I appreciate all the time you take to come out and get great shots of all the action.

Thank you West Pennsylgania cycling, for restoring my faith in Man.  For buying JR that bike.  For keeping it classy, but not stuffy.

Thank you Dennis and Gary.  For being the enforcers, the allies, and friends.  Without you, racing wouldn’t be the same.  Period.

Thank you JR.  For being my most trusted friend, true to the very end.  For giving life to the cycling race scene.  For giving me the chance to try and fall in love with cycling.  For making my time in WV better.  Simply better.  For re-kindling my love of the dirt.  How am I going to get the motivation to keep riding without you constantly there to lend companionship.  You give more of yourself to the community than nearly anyone I know.  WOOD DUCK.

Thank you West Virginia, the people of West Virginia.  I owe you so much.  I am not the person I was when I first came to you.  And I will never be again.  Thank you for being beautiful, for being kind.  For teaching me to keep an open mind, and keep perspective.  I would never have guessed that I’d end up knowing you so well, or liking what I knew so much.  Additionally, who knew I’d ever miss you so much.  Like it or not, you’re part of me now, and I hope I am part of you.

What a great gift.

Here's to the next step.

Happy New Year.

This blog has been nearly 5 months in the making.  Pictures did not seem appropriate, and this is my only post without them.  It reads simply, and the actual typing and construction took very little time.  However, getting it down on the screen, to actually complete it, meant saying good bye.  And I haven’t been ready for that.  I’m still not really.  But, as 2014 starts, I am now in a year in which I will not live in WV, and have been officially released from the cycling team, and I knew it was time to move forward.  I hope you have enjoyed my posts, and I am thankful for everyone that has taken the time to read them and get to know me through this online-venue.  I may continue to be a guest contributor to the team blog as my new adventures begin here in MA.

 There may be people I've missed, if so let me apologize.  While I say this was a 5 month process, I have felt constantly rushed and overwhelmed by the prospect of thanking everyone that needed to be thanked.  There’s just so many people who helped me along my way in WV, who may never have been thanked, and may not even know how thankful I am.  Every single one of you has left a mark.  Some people may just say that, but I mean it.  My time in WV may have been relatively fleeting, but it will always remain a great time in my life.

Until country roads, take me home…

How we Prepare for 2014

The end of my race season is marked by the annual international travel with my wife! It never seems to last long enough. I don't ever take a bicycle so I am forced to do extended walking and hiking as a form of cross-training for the following year. I doesn't hurt that my wife can "walk me into the ground." She will power walk for 12 straight hours and I will be begging to take a break.

 Travel coming to an end in Mid November leaves me excited to plan for the upcoming season and allows for some fun specific riding. I ride with anticipation for my final big "fun ride" of the season called the "fat boy birthday ride." A large group of guys and gals gather in West Virginia to ride and celebrate the birth of the "All Mighty" Jr Petsko. We endure the elements riding On and OFF road-usually in some wicked conditions. This year was no exception. I don't typically ride in these conditions but it is so much fun to get out there in a non-competitive ride with these peeps!

 Serious planning starts to take place looking toward the New Year. Preparation for 2014 race season needs to begin. My favorite place to go and reflect on the previous year and plan for next is

the BEACH & Brunson Villa, Surf City, NC.

Two of Our Best Friends live here and love to have visitors! Lucky for us we love to travel; So serious training starts for 2014 here at their home in North Carolina were I ride all morning and walk the beaches with my wife Caito in the afternoon. The roads are flat here in North Carolina and you cannot hide from the wind. It is a perfect place to commit to the saddle and get in long steady miles.

Every day Chef Myrna would say that I can't go ride without a little something to give me energy! She always choose an international theme for the meals of the Day. This day she did a Turkish tribute meal in recognition of ours recent travels. It usually turns out that I'd rather to take a nap after the daily breakfast than ride! My wife and Myrna laugh and say that I'm breaking my daily bread before I leave with my mistress (The Cannondale EVO) for the morning.

GOOD MORNING and Thank You Chef Myrna!

As I prepare to get on the road, Caito and Myrna usually make a few jokes about my stretchy pants. I tell them that "sometimes when you are a MAN-you wear Zee stretchy pants!"

Myrna shakes her head while taking this picture and asks, "how can you sit on that seat?" I told her it is all about the cyclists Fizik Arione! She said that sounds sexy but she didn't speak Italiano!

When I'm lucky I get to meet up with some of the Southern competition to ride. It's great because they are preparing for early February racing so it forces me to push myself a little more. This is Ian having an easy time around the 50 mile mark forcing me on into the headwinds!

\

A few hundred miles later I am tired but relaxed. The stresses of days passed are replaced with optimistic day dreams of the season to come. I sometimes reflect on the reason why I put myself through the pain of training and cycling competitively. I always come back to a similar answer...

... I like to push myself. I love to test myself. I like to belong to something bigger than just me. I love the responsibility that comes with being a team member. I like to be a better me. I love to help the people around me be a better them and somewhere deep down inside I don't want to smell Roses. I still wonder what it would be like to be fit enough to smell the Lavender Mid-Summer with these guys!

Thank You to all those that help Our Dreams become one step closer to Our Realities. We cannot do it Alone...

New Year's Resolution

A New Year’s Resolution

                Out of the 45% of individuals who make New Year’s Resolution only 8% are successful in achieving the goals they set.  This may make you wonder why people set resolutions.  I’m a firm believer that if in your heart you want to make your life better you will.   My resolution isn’t for a year; it’s one I will keep for life…Finding balance.

                I started my career less than a year ago and I dove head first.  Anyone that knows me could attest that I’ve worked as much overtime as possible.  This is due to many reasons…student loans are the devil, I want more for my life than just working, and I absolutely love my job.  Unfortunately by working so much I’m afraid I had the opposite affect and ended up only working.  I became so set on my goals of owning a home and the future I lost sight of the present.   

                This past year has been stressful to say the least.  Amidst all the stress I lost sight of who I am.  I became a robot working at times 24 days straight.  I would come home from work, cook dinner, shower, and fall asleep on the couch at 830..Wake up at 530 and do it all over again.  As much as I thought this wasn’t affecting me and more importantly the people I love,  I’ve come to realize now that I’ve just been going through the motions the past few months.   I haven’t paid enough attention to them and the things I enjoy most.

                Reflecting on the past year, I’ve realized it’s time to make a change.  I can’t say I won’t work overtime because after all, a girl has to eat.  I can guarantee that I’ll have more balance in my life.  This year my resolution is to take a step back and enjoy the little things and the big things that make life worth living.

 

 

2014 will be about getting back to being this girl

 

Best Christmas Memory

I was just reading posts on Facebook, and I came across one from a friend, Harlan Barnhart.  Essentially, he was asking what everyone’s favorite Christmas memory was.  I smiled as I read the comments about the childhood memories people had shared at that point. Obviously, it made me start thinking, and that thinking eventually lead to me write a blog about it.

Flocking around Santa at the Annual Cook Christmas Party

Immediately,   I was taken back to 7^th grade and the pile of skis, poles, and boots that were found under the tree that year. I also had quick visions of my freshman year at Slippery Rock and my very first Penguins jersey, it was a gift from my sister, Amy.  I also remember opening my first box of Lego’s, and to this day, I still love sitting on the floor, amidst a pile of assorted pieces, while I look for the perfect one to finish whatever I am building at the time. And the Radio Shack TRS-80 that was supposedly a joint gift to be shared by my two sisters and me, but somehow became the prized possession of my dad, he even built his man cave around it. Then I was ashamed that I had overlooked the greatest gift I have ever gotten, my dog Brady.  And as I sat there smiling as I reminisced about all of the wonderful gifts I was given over the years, it dawned on me that maybe, just maybe I was missing Harlan’s point.

I loved this drum!

I shifted  mental gears and started thinking about the perfect (in my mind) gifts I had given (or was about to give this year).  After all, they always say it’s better to give than to receive, and I’ve always taken pride in my ability to come up with great gifts for the people around me.  As I let myself start to travel down this path of thinking, in the back of my head I knew this wasn’t even what I should be looking into. Harlan’s post was about sharing our favorite Christmas memory.  After a stroll down memory lane, it was rather apparent that one memory stood above all others as my favorite Christmas memory to share: Christmas, 1983.

That was the year our house burned the day after Christmas. Now, your immediate impression may be that I must have fallen and hit my head during my recent trip to Ray’s Indoor Mountainbike Park.  But nothing like that happened, and if you look at it from the right perspective, it makes complete sense. That was the year we piled into my dad’s version of the Family Truckster and headed for the coast of Maine to spend the holidays with my mom’s parents. And Christmas was awesome. The thing I remember most was that my grandparents had a live tree and planned on replanting it that spring. At the time, I had never heard of anyone doing such a great thing, and as I grew up and saw more and more people doing that, I just assumed that they had copied my grandparents idea. The other thing I remember was that on the 26^th we were making plans to go skiing at the SnowBowl in Camden, ME.  At that point, I had never been skiing before and as you can imagine, I was thrilled at the prospect of what layed ahead of me.  I remember how difficult it was to sleep that night, almost more difficult than on Christmas eve.  And the next morning I remember buzzing around the house with tremendous expectations. If we were going to go skiing, it was going to have to be that day, because there was a storm coming.  Well, the storm came early, in the form of a phone call from Bob Faddis. (see #13)

Yes, this is Chrsitmas in Maine... not much snow, but still it was snow!

Bob is arguably my dad’s best friend.  And the only phone call I EVER remember my dad getting from Bob in all the years of vacationing was regarding when Joe Cook (also see #13) fell off a ladder while doing some roofing at the Greene County Museum.  I remember being in the basement when the phone rang. I believe my grandfather answered it, and when he called out “ Gary, its Bob Faddis”, I knew something bad was about to be announced.  I even had a fleeting thought that our house had burned but I quickly dismissed that as nonsense. We weren’t even there to make THAT happen.  But I was wrong, and that was exactly what my dad shared when he got off the phone.  We went from packing for a day of skiing heaven to packing for a trip from hell. Within an hour, the car was packed and we were piling in to head back south to Waynesburg. My Dad’s parents lived in Chatham, NJ so we would go that far before we would continue on to complete the trip the following day. It was going to be tight because my Aunt Gayle was there for the holidays with 3 of her 4 boys as well as my Uncle Glenn and his girlfriend, Claire. The tiny 3 bedroom house was packed to the gills with 7 adults, 3 teenagers, 3 preteens, and a dog. My parents stayed at a neighbor’s house around the corner, because there just wasn’t enough room in the inn.  I was sleeping on an air mattress or couch in the basement with both my sisters and my 3 cousins.  Throughout the night, the storm hit and instead of being pounded by a foot of snow, it turned out to be an inch of ice. You literally could not move outside without falling down because everything was covered in a thick layer of ice.  We were stuck and not able to go anywhere. We spent the next couple days trapped in a house that hadn’t seen a new toy since the early 50’s and we forced to find ways to entertain ourselves.  It was a challenge to keep from getting in trouble because we were literally tripping over each other in the small house.   But it had to be a more of a challenge for the adults to have to put up with all our shenanigans and not want to kill us.  And there were lots of shenanigans. I mean lots.

Newspaper Clipping from the Democrat Messenger

Flames out the basement door

Fire Truck parked in front of the house

All buttoned when we got home from Maine/New Jersey

Essentially the view from my bed (see foot board on the bed) looking into mom and dads room

Bikes in the basement. Believe it or not, my Grandfather rebuilt 2 of these and the last I knew, these were still being ridden.

Shenanigans... as if you doubted me (actually taken the following Christmas and the only other year I got to spend Christmas with my cousins from New Hampshire)

It was the first Christmas that I got to share with any of my cousins.  While the catalyst for the occasion was among the worst possible ideas one could imagine, we made the best of it. I’m sure mom and dad wanted nothing more than to hurry home to see the damage done and begin the hard work needed to create a new home for our family.  But for me, I wanted nothing more than a few extra days of making memories with my cousins, and that’s what we were blessed with.  I look back on that time knowing that while it changed our lives, it ultimately changed them for the better. 

Merry Christmas from the Big Guy himself, as well as from Amber, Mackenzie and Santa Claus!

So Harlan, that’s my favorite holiday memory, and thanks for inspiring me to really reflect back on the 41 past Christmases. If I wasn’t already in the holiday spirit, I know i would be now.  I am excited to start making another round of memories with my family this year. While the gifts we get and give are exciting in the present, it’s the memories we make that are important for the future so we can look back on our past.  I’d like wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year, and I leave you with just one question…

What’s YOUR favorite Christmas memory?