Merry Christmas, my friends!

As I sit here with a nice full belly and warm feelings of love, peace and happiness I want to take a moment to again thank all of you who feel compelled to stop by here from time to time- whether daily, weekly, monthly or whenever the mood strikes (or a link leads you here).

I write this blog because I am a blogger and a very social person, but also because of the friends I have made and community that has grown here. I am blessed, and more thankful than you know, that you come here to read the stuff that comes out of my head. I sincerely wish you all the very Merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years- I pray for all of us that the new year will be filled with health, happiness and prosperity.

(Me with my 2.5 favorite girls... and yes, that means that my wife and I are having a baby girl.)

The past year has been one filled with many different challenges and struggles, but I feel blessed to be doing what I do and to have the friends and family that I do. All of you make my life so much more satisfying- much more than you know.

Thank you for the support and friendship that you have given- it is a much greater gift to me than you know.

Tim

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Masiguy!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or just having the day off (hopefully you have the day off), I sincerely hope that you have a fantastic day with your friends, family and/ or loved ones.


Christmas, like most holidays in the US (especially), has become largely a way to stimulate the economy with massive consumerism. But, the true meaning of the day is built around the idea of love, compassion and caring for others. In that spirit, I wish all of you a fantastic day.

Days like today should remind us of our blessings- no matter how small they may seem. I am blessed to be able to share this day with my loved ones. My crash in April put me a lot closer to not being able to enjoy this day than I ever care to get again. The fact that I am well enough to be able to complain about not being able to ride as often as I would like is a blessing that I do not take for granted. I am also blessed to have the friends in my life that I do- and that includes you.

Enjoy the day and remember the little things that build into the blessings in your life. They are there, even if they seem hard to find. I promise.

Thank you,

Tim

Tis the season...

All the family Christmas festivities have begun...

... hope you are enjoying yours too.

Tim

Merry Christmas (again) & I did it!

Merry Christmas to all. What a day...

Could not sleep last night and finally got out of bed at 4:00AM. By 7:30 I was on my bike rolling away from the apartment. I came home at 11:50... after riding between 90 to 100 miles. If my memory serves me correctly, it should have been 100, maybe 101 for the ride. I had to fight a killer headwind on the trip north for part of the ride, but I had an awesome tailwind on the way back. Not that it helped me going up any of the hills... but on the flats I was flying!

Afterwards, I went to my aunt's house for a late lunch with my extended family. (Last night I had the kids for dinner at my Mom's for our traditional get together with my brother and sisters- I'll have pictures up from that soon.) After eating that big meal, I then headed to the house of my best friend's mom... for another big meal. 3 in 2 days... and I feel it too. I've eaten a lot the past two days. Thank God I got some good mileage in today, or I'd burst at the seams.

I sincerely hope that everybody had a great day today- no matter what you did or how (if) you celebrated. Back to work in the morning... so I'll have to drag my bloated carcass out of bed and head to the office. Oh well... at least I'll be fat, tired and sleepy!

Tim

Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays!

Since I have a lot of international readers and friends around the globe (where it is already Christmas day), I thought I'd put up my Christmas/ New Year's post now.

Like Thanksgiving, this year is a different kind of Christmas for me. It's unlike any Christmas before it and will likely be unlike any Christmas that follows it. But such is life. I will be enjoying tonight with my kids at my mother's house for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner with my immediate family of brother and sisters and all of our offspring. The best part, of course, is watching the kids tear through the wrapping and into the presents. The shouts of glee are the best part of the whole evening for me. Tomorrow the kids will be with their mother traveling and having fun, so Christmas day will be the first one for me without my kids. Needless to say, it's a "first" I'm not exactly looking forward to, but life is about new experiences and growth.

The plus side is that I will still be seeing my friends and family tomorrow and will get out for a ride as well. Life is full of balances- with bad comes good, with lows comes highs, etc. I am blessed to have the friends and family that I do and I am always aware of that. This time in my life, though painful and trying, has been very effective at showing me that I will never truly be alone. I have too many friends and a loving family. I am blessed beyond the measure of money, fame or recognition- I have the very tangible and real things that can not ever be purchased or won.

So I hope that this Christmas brings much joy to everybody. Hopefully there is a bicycle involved somehow too- whether for yourself, or whether you built it for your own children or somebody else's. I know that for me, one of the greatest moments of my life was receiving my first bicycle. I'm quite sure my parents had no idea what that bike would lead to in my life. Not only did I taste freedom for the first time on a bicycle, but it has given me a career and served as my vehicle to see the world.

Masiguy- circa 1975 or 76.

Enjoy this time with your friends and family and anybody else you love- even your bike. May the new year be filled with more blessings than you can possibly ever count. Remember those who are less fortunate and find a way to ease their burden because the world needs more of that- locally and globally. AND... may the new year be full of excellent rides, a clean and smooth running drivetrain, no flats and lots and lots of tailwinds!

(And thank you for continuing to read this blog.)

Tim