Merry Holidays, Happy Christmas and all that stuff...

Here it is, the Friday before Christmas. It's slow as can be here since any retailer who is looking for a bike today is going to be completely unhappy. Today is largely a day to close up a few things and send a few emails to friends and associates and prepare to be out of the office for a few days.

I always look forward to this time of year and this holiday because of my kids. As a parent, Christmas really becomes about your children- other parents know what I'm talking about. I thoroughly enjoy Christmas day, even if getting to that day drives me insane starting around September/ October when Christmas lights and other stuff start getting crammed into my face. Didn't Christmas use to start in December years ago? Anyway, watching the kids on Christmas day and playing with all of my nieces and nephews really makes the day for me now. I'll probably get another sweater from somebody, not that I'm complaining, and I'll eat too much and ride too little (if at all)... and generally come back to work feeling like a beached whale. Yeah me!

As cliched as it has become, like with Thanksgiving, I really do find myself looking at the year that's closing and looking forward to the one that is rapidly approaching. It is easy for me to say that I feel blessed to have the life that I do, with a family I cherish and a job that I love and friends who mean the world to me. The blogosphere has given me many wonderful new friends, almost all of them I've never met and yet I feel very much connected to them. This blog has become a very effective way for me to stay connected to many people all at once, as well as helping to grow the Masi business. The blgos that I read every day have become more important to me than the news or television in general. Just ask my wife, I watch very, very little television anymore, but I read countless blogs and participate in the blogosphere regularly. I have a huge network of friends now- that'd be you.

I am very thankful all of the readers who have made this silly space a part of their lives or their day. I am floored by how many of you did not vanish when the content here as gotten "soft". Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for finding something to like about the Daily Drive posts... it amazes me how many readers have been following this silly series. DOn't forget the video contest. Submissions have to be to me by the end of January.

The new year comes with new challenges and adventures. I'll continue to travel and will be in your neighborhood at some point most likely. January brings a trip to Taiwan for the first time. February brings trips to multiple places and some time during the spring I will be in Australia (and possibly New Zealand) again. It will be a great year for challenges, growth and new opportunities. It should be very exciting- to say the least.

Sincerely, I wish each and every one of you a fantastic holiday season and I hope that the coming year brings you much prosperity and joy. Thank you for your continued support and friendship- it means more to me than you all know.

Tim