Wednesday...New Year's Day 2014

Happy New Year to all!  As often noted here previously, 2013 was a vapor trail!

Iowa couldn't quite get'r done in the Outback Bowl, but they weren't awful in the second half.  If Ruddock had stayed in, who knows?  One play here or there and it coulda been a different result.  If anything, Iowa has to come away with the realization that they can play with anyone.

The Home Page pic is an old one, from last Winter, I think.  We've had more snow today, maybe three inches, which required a full snow blowing effort.  Tomorrow, we go back to very cold temps and after a little respite this weekend, more below-zero days next week.  Scottsdale can't come soon enough!

I've elected to go with a home trainer for my bike rather than join The Y (FKA Gold's) and start up Spin Abuse classes again.  Actually, the motivation for this came from the idea to get 2 something to do on her own at home for her knee rehab.  Her look into the stationary bikes at Second Wind was not too positive, so the trainer seemed like a good alternative.  I checked with the owner of the bike shop where I do my business, and took his recommendation on this unit...Cycle Ops Mag Trainer.  And bought two., one for Highland Avenue and one for Maplecrest.

Of course, since my primary bike has been relegated to the scrap heap, I'll be using my back-up ride for this exercise...my 22-year-old Trek carbon fiber composite...last ridden about three years ago.  (Still no firm word on the warranty investigation.  But the bottom line is that it will cost me a few dinero to get a comparably-out-fitted new bike.  Bummer.)

Here's my Top Five Moments from 2013:

5.  George Srtait concert in Minnesota in February.
4.  Biking up Mt. Rose (short side) in August.
3.  Dinner at Rosemary's in NYC with 3, 3.1 and 4 in April.
2.  Healdsburg (generally) in Sonoma in August (Rodney Strong winery specifically)
1.  Straits of Messina in September.  Surreal.

And without being too morose, the low points:

5.  Basement flooding at the end of the Memorial Day weekend.
4.  September and October tax filing dates.  Extra miserable in 2013.
3.  Turkey Trot crash.  Memorable, and it can't quite be on the Positve listing!
2.  Travel snafu's, specifically that Dallas layover with 2 and a cancelled trip to AZ in April.
1.  Pneumonia in February-March.

Goals for 2014 will come out in another entry later this week.  One that I've been consciously wanting to address is my frequency here at the blog.  The system shows 206 entries for 2013, which is in the ballpark for the numbers of the prior couple of years.  I'm thinking that 225-240 is the preferred range. That alternative blogging site I signed on to last month might be the ticket.  I think that the various problems I have had with Blogger may have disincented me at times last year.

OK.  All for today.  Make it a good year in your neighborhood.

BCOT