Adios, 2018!

I’ve been in a foul mood for the last week. 2018 has felt both supremely long and shockingly short. And while I sometimes feel that everything my husband and I have built for our lives came crashing to a halt in the last two years or so, we have managed to still have some amazing moments.

… Harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Harness. Energy. Block. Bad. It’s like a carousel. You put the quarter in, you get on the horse, it goes up and down, and around. Circular, circle. Feel it. Go with the flow … (Happy Gilmore)

In the spirit of gratitude and reflection, here are the best moments of 2018:

January

• I discovered others share my life mantra of Maximum Enthusiasm
• I officially achieved my goal TSH! #thyca
• I went fat biking – and discovered I enjoy getting fat all winter!
• Two of my sisters and one of my nieces came to visit me. ❤
• I adopted a senior beagle, who we named Beauregard, and my dog-mom life is basically complete.

February

• I demo’d a sweet Kona Big Honzo DL and questioned if I really wanted a full suspension mountain bike when I got a job
• The Eagles won the Super Bowl!
• My doggo had a successful surgery to remove a lump under his leg
• I rode bikes with a guy in a velomobile

March

• Not one but TWO multi-day power outages! Great excuse to break out the camping gear at home. Thanks, Nor’Easters!
• I became a Pactimo Brand Ambassador!
• Hosted my first Trail Maintenance work day to repair a section of boardwalk that was devastatingly broken.

April

• I did a lot of gravel and mountain biking as the snow abated
• One son was accepted to the university of his choice
• My other son went mountain biking with me for the first time ❤
• Wild green onions grew in our yard for literally no reason
• Muddy Onion with Karen, Gail, and Matt!! (read the post – then go register for 2019)

May

• I celebrated 5 years of mountain biking with … more mountain biking
• I was one of three speakers as part of REI’s Women’s Speaker Series, discussing trail construction and maintenance
• Formally announced registration was open for The Dirty Apple Ride
• Rode gravel in the rain with my friend Judy
• Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder with Matt!! (go register for 2019!)
• My in-laws and two of my nieces came to visit! ❤

June

• Completed my fourth Ride for Homes, benefiting Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia
• Girls + Matt Bike Camping weekend at Kingdom Trails was literally me living my best life  #ThankYouLandOwners
• Rode my bike to the farm for their strawberry festival
• Friday afternoons at the brewery, sitting on the patio and watching the tractors go by
• 3 years cancer-free
• Another child of mine graduated from high school

July

• Birthday!
• Lots of route scouting and adjusting for The Dirty Apple
• A hawk landed in the tree behind our house and ate a snake while the sparrows of our yard screamed and darted around. That was cool.
• Mt Riga gravel and Three State rides
• And I got a job!! … which also means significantly less bike time.

August

• Started that new job, which is right off the bike path but doesn’t have showers
• Hatch chile verde – frozen leftover from the in-law visit in May – is food of the gods
• NEW BIKE DAY!! Santa Cruz 5010c XX1. She’s orange and her name is Jezebelle.
• Golden Gran Fondo, courtesy of Pactimo Brand Ambassador program!! (go register for 2019!)
• Time in Colorado with my friends and family ❤
• My friend, who passed away suddenly back in May, visited me in a dream. It was his birthday when I woke up.

September

• Adjusting to being a family of 3 at home – just our daughter is still in the nest!
• FINALLY a family camping trip!
• “Are we doing enough to warn kids about the dangers of getting stoked?” (this makes me laugh every time)
• Lots more Event Directing tasks for the Dirty Apple Ride
• Girls Gravel Ride with Karen & Gail (I love these women!!)

October

• The Dirty Apple Ride was a huge success! I learned a lot about bringing a bike event to fruition and can’t wait to open registration for 2019!
• Learned Adventure Cycling has a two-week bike tour of Denali and added that to my list of Bike Things To Do In My Lifetime
• Took one of my sons to see Nine Inch Nails with Jesus & Mary Chain.
• Took my second ever mountain bike skills clinic and learned exactly how much better I can be with proper technique
• Organized a trail care morning for my office
• Summoned for Grand Jury Duty! … but ended up dismissed
• Our trail town committee (I’m the VP!), along with tremendous volunteers, completed a 600′ boardwalk section of a new trail we’re building

November

• Surgery to remove a lump in my breast (it was benign).
• Built a bog bridge over a section of a local trail that crosses a wetland with the help of 14 fellow mountain bikers. Trail Care is a thing!
• Not enough riding because Recovery (who knew a 5cm incision would hurt so much?)
• My son and his girlfriend came home for a weekend! ❤
• My sister and her girlfriend and her daughter came to visit for almost the whole week of Thanksgiving and it was glorious! ❤

December

• Ice Weasels Cometh with Karen! This year was at an abandoned insane asylum. It was cold. And fun. And the only bike race I will ever do.
• ClifBar brought back Peppermint Stick to the seasonal flavor line-up. Yes, this makes me happy.
• Finally back on the bike more consistently – if only it would stop raining! #OperationAvoidTheTrainer
• Installed a new mailbox post and mailbox, instantly improving the curb appeal of our home
• Went on a night gravel ride to see ERDAJT, the world’s largest outdoor holiday light display
• Celebrated 7 years as East Coast citizens
• Had all of my babies home for the holidays ❤

What does 2019 hold? Hopefully a lot more fun, family, friends, and bikes.

See you in the future!