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!
wife. mother. awesome girl. 