Vaaaaaacaaaaaaation

We're outta here.

Vacation finally starts tomorrow.  Another touchstone in the annual cycle, this one has a well established routine that invokes the simple pleasures of just doing a whole lot of nothing, a whole lot of eating and drinking, and a whole lot of enjoying those around us.  I read blogs written by people I don't know whose sole connection with me is the bicycle, and I'm thankful for what I've got and what I get to look forward to.  Like riding, writing becomes an outlet of a different sort, one that lets me filter some thoughts through the noggin, especially after a busy week laden with the pre-vacation noise that we need to get through to get to take our week or so off, kind of like the electric fences that some dogs run through, suffering the pain of that jolt of current before they break free.

Some random thoughts...

It's late, and we're leaving at 6AM so that we can have breakfast in Williamsburg VA at 9.

A friend of ours has cancer.  It doesn't look good.

The mom of a friend of ours has cancer.  It doesn't look good.

This guy (don't know him, but I know of him, due to the bikin' and the bloggin') had a heart scare.  Looks like he'll be OK. 

This guy (very faint acquaintance, due to the bikin' and the bloggin') has a great post on the sham that is this year's Olympics.

Spent an awesome weekend with some friends at Lake Holiday (northern tip of VA) last weekend.  Great riding up there.

Spent the week fretting about where our company is going to be in the short and long term, given the bleak house of cards that is our economy.

Spent the last two days managing expectations and realizing just how screwy communications and perceptions can be, even when you think you're getting a message across.  Time to spell things out.  While you're at it, put away the Blackberries.  We're in a meeting, fercryinoutloud.

Get to Frankenbike a friend's frame to create a cross bike in order to introduce her to the wonderful world of Hup Hup. Charm City is only 6 weeks away.

And I get to spend a week riding my bike around the flatlands of the Outer Banks.  Riding more than two days in a row...

The good things and the bad things.  What's not to like?