Today is a double post day. I just have a lot to share, and once I get everything up to speed, I should have a bit less.
Anyway, I wanted to share some pictures of my frame and fork. I'm damn proud of them, and wanted to tell a little about them.
The frame is a Canfield Yelli Screamy, as I mentioned before. This isn't the typical mountain bike frame. First, it's made for 29" wheels, whereas the standard has been 26" (though they are becoming more and more common). Second, it has a tapered headtube. I won't go in to details, but in short it makes the bike stronger and stiffer. Stiff is good, as too much flex can really make handling bad. It has a slacker than normal headtube angle. This puts the front wheel further out, making the bike more stable when going down hill. And, it has shorter than normal chain stays (the bars going from the seat tube to the rear axle). This brings the rear wheel forward more, which shortens the wheel base, making handling a bit better. The tubes are a bit larger than normal, the welds are thick and clean, making the bike really strong. Oh, and the top tube is bent, which protects me in the even I fall forward ;).
The fork is a Fox F29 RL. This is a good all around fork. It can be adjusted to have longer travel, and has a 15MM thru axel. It isn't as easy to take the wheel off, but it makes for a very strong axel, so flex is reduced. Oh, and myself and the former owner think it was tuned by a professional tuning company, as the seals are different than factor and the fork actually gets the full suspension travel, which is abnormal for Fox forks.
Now, I just need to work on wheels. Sadly, those are about as expensive as the frame and fork. I'm looking for used, and will update you when I get some. Mainly, I'm looking for something strong enough to handle about everything around here, yet not be overly heavy. I also want a rather wide rim, as it allows the tires to spread out more, increasing cushion.
That's it for now. I'll update you when I have new info.
Another Christmas has come and gone. It was a great one, actually. We were never truly rushed and didn't have to stay anywhere, which makes it a great time, as we all can get a better night's sleep the night before and we had a chance to have our own little Christmas morning. I greatly enjoyed it for the first time in a while, and I hope they stay this way in the future. Oh, and I'd like to thank Melissa for a great present! I love the watch, hon!
With the end of Christmas, the end of the year is always right around the corner. Now, I don't make New Year's resolutions, at least I don't consider them as such. When I think of resolutions, I think of simple, half-hearted promises people make to themselves about 15 minutes before midnight, while being completely wasted. If they remember the resolutions, it's usually the typical "I'll get fit this year" or "I'll stop smoking", and rarely are they taken seriously, resulting in broken resolutions by the end of February. Instead, I take a serious look at the past year, figure out what I want to change, and I develop a reasonable plan for changing things for the better. So, here's my list, in no particular order:
Go to church more. Buy a Bible. This is one we somewhat accomplished last year, but I'd like to really improve on it this year. We found a church we like, but have only been a handful of times since August. Things got really busy starting in September, and after that, we just didn't go as much as we wanted to. Starting in January, I'd like us to go as often as we can, so about two to thee times per month. I would also like to get a Bible for the family. I would like to read it once a week, maybe Sunday evenings. It may sound lame and old-fashioned, but there are so many great things that come from a family becoming more spiritually involved. You meet new people at church, it teaches many great stories of kindness, love and generosity, and I know I feel good in so many ways after coming out of church.
Get fit. Yes, I bashed this one above. But, I'm very serious about this one. Since last year, I've lost 8 lbs, and I don't need to lose anymore weight. So, this isn't a weight loss plan, this is a general get in shape plan. I need to be healthier in general, and I also want to look good for my wife. Not to mention my 10 year high school reunion is coming up and I would love to look good for that. I have some general ideas for doing this, as well. First, I want to change my diet a bit. I probably should actually increase my calories some, considering I'm losing weight eating an average amount of calories. But, I'm not going to eat a bunch of junk. I want to get more fruits, veggies, and lean meats, and cut down on sodium, sugar, and other junk. Not cut it out, but just keep it low. Basically, I need more protein, fiber, and vitamins in general. Second, I will work out more. I'm probably not joining a gym, as I just don't see the need for it at this time. However, I will use P90X. I've seen the results first hand, I just didn't stick with it. I have everything I need to get in shape that way, so why pay extra? Maybe in the future, but not how.
Date nights. Melissa and I did this last year, but stopped in November and December due to how busy we were and our budgets. I loved it and it did great for us, so I'd like to get it back on track this year.
Ride my bike more. It's kind of hard to do without a bike, but I should be able to get my old one back soon. It certainly isn't ideal, but it's functional. If anything, having an old, richety bike will force me to improve my riding skills because I have none of the nice, modern technologies of mountain biking to compensate for the lack of cycling skills. This is my one hobby, I enjoy it a lot, and see #2. If I can start riding regularly, it will be very beneficial.
Finish my bike. Though my old bike will work for now, I've ridden the bike I'm working on now, and it's leagues ahead. Finishing it will give me a nicer ride, which will allow me to take on tougher trails and obstacles. I could also take on trips with me, as it will be rather versatile. Plus, building it myself will give me the skills and tools to work on it myself in the future, reducing costs for maintaining and repairing bikes.
Get finances in order. Don't get me wrong, we're doing alright. But, there are many things we can do to make things even better. I have plan figured out, which is pretty much the standard in financial planning. First, we're trying to pay off revolving debts (credit cards/lines of credit), and reduce term debts to some extent. I'm hoping we'll get that done this year, after which we'll only have one credit card open for emergencies. We're also working on an emergency fund. My goal is to get an equivalent of 6 months of my salary and 4 months of Melissa's wages. That way, if anything happens to our jobs, we can continue for a while unemployed. I chose 6 months for me as quite frankly, it wouldn't be easy for me to find a job in this economy. I chose 4 months for Melissa as it hopefully wouldn't be too hard for her to find another job. Not sure that'll happen this year, but it could. After that, I'd like to start saving money towards a down payment for a house and a maybe a car, though that will probably not be next year. We could also reduce excess spending, though we've done a good job of that recently. The only thing we could do a little better is minimizing eating out.
Get a dog. We've been talking about getting a dog for awhile, but we plan to do so in the spring. I've wanted one for some time, but we think now is the time. We were thinking about a German Shepherd, but have now decided to go with a dog that'll be more playful with children and friendly. We've gotten it down to a golden retriever, labrador retriever (black), or a flat-coated retriever.
Continue Aidan's development. I think we've done a good job of this so far. The little guy is 2, but can count to 11 (I'm working on 15), can speak in short sentences and tell us what he wants, recognizes his colors and shapes, and knows many of his letters. But, we can't stop now. I also want him to be potty trained by the summer, or birthday at the latest, as well as going to bed on his own, without fussing.
So, those are my New Year's goals. We'll see if I actually accomplish them. Wish me good luck, and to all of you, Happy New Year!
Aidan, Melissa and I had a Christmas celebration with her mom's family tonight. After 7 hours, you'd think I'd be exhausted, and during the ride home, I was. But, now I'm not feeling too terribly drowsy. So, I thought I would write a little in my blog.
Strangely, I'm looking forward to Christmas tomorrow for the first time in several years. In the past, even when we lived in Lawrence, I didn't care for it much as we would wind up spending the night at one of several houses, all of which had no extra room for us. It's an unfamiliar place and Aidan would have to sleep in the Pack 'n Play, which means he'd wind up in our bed, and none of us would sleep well. We would then stumble through Christmas exhausted and irritable, and we would have to do our presents to one another and for Aidan the day before or Christmas night, when everyone was tired. Well, that's not happening this year. We are doing presents in the morning, going to families throughout the day, and if all goes well, we'll be home by 7. I'm looking forward to that! Aidan should get to bed at a decent how, and I'll get the chance to relax a little Monday and Tuesday, before going back to the grind. It's much needed considering how terribly work has sucked. I can't give out too many details, but I've gone from having a potential new $7M in commercial loans as of September, to no new ones at all. They have all fallen through. One isn't dead yet, but the deal is on its last legs. I'm also struggling to retain a major client, and have been spending a vast majority of my energy on making that work. In what I do, you can have a perfect year lined up, but in the blink of an eye, it can all disappear due to events out of your control. The idea is you keep trucking and make it a good year regardless of what happens, and I mean no excuses, but it's hard to not feel discouraged by the process. I've half committed to another year after my two years in May, but I'm already looking around at new opportunities. I'd prefer them to not be sales driven, but as long as it would be more in line with the analysis and portfolio management I want to do, I don't care.
I also decided to do a little bike build update. I had mentioned in my previous blog I'm building a mountain bike for myself, but didn't mention how far I am. Unfortunately, I'm not very far at all. I have the frame and suspension fork, two of the most expensive parts, but that's it. I'll post pictures when I get them, as I an rather proud of them. I still need a lot of other things, most of what I won't mention, but I need new wheels, tires, a drivetrain, and various miscellaneous things. It's costing more than I had figured, but it'll be worth it in the end. I will have a bike that is built to exactly what I want, versus many off the shelf bikes that have a mix parts, some of which I could handle, others I couldn't.
The frame is a Canfield Brothers Yelli Screamy. I got it second hand from a local guy who bought it from the CBs company as a demo bike. Basically, it was used to give others test rides, and once the season for test rides was over, CB sold the frame at a discount. I also got the fork from him. It's a Fox F29 RL. It's third hand, but only 2 years old. For the non-bike junkies, the frame, and ultimately my whole bike, will be designed as a trail bike/all mountain bike. That's bike lingo for a bike meant to handle most trails and a fair amount of jumps and drops. Nothing big, like the crazy people who do downhill races, but pretty much everything you would encounter on a typical trail, and then some. Because of the design of the frame and the parts I plan on using, it won't be the fastest bike in town. No, I don't want to race cross country right now (the standard mountain bike race, much like running cross country, but with rougher terrain). Maybe some day I'll try some minor local racing, but not at this time, and that would require a different bike. Instead, this bike will be a little heavy but very sturdy and comfortable. It won't steer too quickly, but will it will be stable, so it will handle descents and rough terrain with ease.
I will say, I haven't been passionate about anything like this in a long time, not since I played music. I just enjoy it so much. For one, it results in plenty of exercise. However, unlike road biking, the scenery is constantly changing, and the terrain itself offers a multitude of challenges.
Finally, I'm getting tired. Better go to bed and rest up for the big day tomorrow. Merry Christmas everyone!
So, I decided it was time to start a blog. I guess I'm stating the obvious, but I don't really know how to start this off. I probably should say why I started a blog. Well, one of the main reasons is to keep friends and family up to date on what's going on with my family and I. I don't get to see everyone too often anymore, so I don't always have the chance to talk to them. With this, they can just read about it whenever they feel like it. Also, I want to use it to chronicle what's going on.
So, if you've been living under a rock for awhile, I'll fill you in on what's going on with my family. My wonderful son was born September of 2009, making him 2 now. Aidan is truly my pride and joy. He's so much fun and such a wonderful kid! I'm proud of how great he is and how he's developing, and I can't possibly imagine life without him. Also, I got married to the love of my life, Melissa, October 2010. The wedding was great, the honeymoon was great, and I must say, life couldn't be better. We've had our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I love Melissa so much. We recently moved in to a house, which is just wonderful. We're renting, but it is so much better than apartment living. It's quiet, peaceful, and we have a yard for Aidan. And for the dog we hope to get soon!
Another thing I would like to chronicle is my workout routine. Off and on, I've been working out with P90X. When I'm on, I notice results quickly, and I'm pleased with what I see. However, I just can't seem to maintain the drive to get up at 5 AM or earlier every morning to work out. Well, that's going to stop soon. I'm getting some more weights to try and make the lifting more productive, and from there, I plan on starting back up. I'll probably post about the workouts weekly, just to hold myself accountable. I want to be in shape again, and seeing the results I was able to accomplish in just a few short weeks, there's no reason why I can't be.
And finally, if you didn't know, I've become an avid cyclist (mountain biking), though I don't have a bike right now. I guess it's more accurate to describe it as all-terrain biking, since we have no real mountains around here. It's not as crazy as some people might imagine. I picked it up in the spring of '08, after a coworker told me the old bike my parents got me was a decent mountain bike back in the day. I went for a ride on my first trail, and I was hooked. I wound up getting a new bike at the beginning of '09, but unfortunately, it was stolen shortly before Aidan was born. We almost got it back, but that's another store. So, I'm building up a new bike, and I'm going to chronicle that here.
