Big Change

After ten years of driving Engine 1 at BCFD's main station, a transfer posting for driver of Engine 2 on my same duty shift appeared. I thought long and hard about the pros and cons, especially leaving the crew I have been working with and love, but in the end, I made the switch.

I am now down in the South End and my first day in my new station was a long day. Eleven calls, with 4 after midnight. They assure me that this is not the norm and that it was my bad station 1 mojo that I brought with me causing all of the runs. Hopefully my bad mojo wears off soon....

Daddy - Daughter Dance!

For the second year, my princess and I went to a daddy-daughter dance. She got the royal treatment and we had a great time. I love being able to do things like this and I hope that when Emily is older, she will always remember the things she did with her Dad....

Snow Day

As I am typing this, I am looking out the window and all I see is white. The snow is blowing sideways across the yard and the kids are home from school on a snow day. The best part? I rode my bike home from work this morning in this mess!

I could have done without the strong northeast wind, but I love riding in fresh, unpacked powdery snow. If not for the wind, I would have rode longer.

I have been loving the mild winter, but it is nice to have a few days like this over the winter as well...

Feels Like Spring

This weather can stick around as long as it wants! I was able to get out and ride 21.71 miles this afternoon. I am lovin' this weather.....

Moving right along....

I am never amazed as I grow older, how fast time seems to fly by. Just the other day it seems, was New Years Eve. Now January is gone and February is upon us. The other interesting thing is that we really have not had a winter yet. Trust me, I like the snow at winter time, but I am definitely taking advantage of the mild weather.

Last January, I rode my bicycle outdoors for 125 miles, mostly commuting to work miles. For 2012 in January, I rode 213 miles, mostly longer, non commuting miles. My mileage for the first five days of February is also way above last year. 2011 had 118 miles for the entire month. I am already over sixty here in '12.

I am still not 100% sure of my goal for this new year when it comes to running and riding. Last year, I finally reached my goal of 2,000 miles in one year. I bumped that up to 2,200 for this year, but may increase that to 2,500. I plan on doing some bike races and running some 5k's. My back feels much better after having issues with it last year, but I can tell at times that it is not 100% anymore. At almost 42, I have more aches and pains than I used to, but I am trying to get back to where I was, get back to a higher fitness level, and drop about ten to fifteen pounds, putting me back where I was when I started racing.

All of this, working three jobs, and taking care of my family and the obligations that come along with that. It is never a dull moment in my life, that is for sure.

Nice Weather....

On my commute home from work this morning, it was around 35 degrees and lightly raining. Now it is pouring rain out. Where is the snow this winter? It is January17th, and outside I can see the lawn. On the plus side, I have been able to get a lot more miles in on my bike.

For the year, I have 156.85 miles in. That is 26 miles more than the entire month of January in 2011. I take the extra time and miles, but a do miss the snow of a usual Michigan winter. I am glad I took the kids sledding on Sunday, because there is no snow left now!

A Good Weekend

Every weekend that I have off from work is a good weekend. This weekend was no exception. Saturday saw us go to Merto Skate, the local rollerskating rink for a birthday party. For the twins, this was only their second time on skates and by the end of the party, were rolling around the rink without any help. Awesome! We got home around 5pm, and I had to make the call if I was going to drive to Ruby for the Team Sandbag party or not. In the end, as much as I wanted to go, I couldn't justify driving over an hour and a half each way for a few hours at the party. I wish now I would have made the other call, as I found out I won an award from the team for perseverance.
I was totally surprised by this, as I have been pretty non existent the past few years. All I can say is thank you! The group, Team Sandbag, is just a wonder group of amazing people. People from every walk of life, coming together, and having fun together. It has been an honor to be a part of this. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the madness!

Today, I took the twins sledding. It was cold, but we had a lot of fun. I really try to get out and be active with them as much as I can. I want them to have great memories of their childhood and having fun with mom and dad. With everything going on the past few years though, it always seems like I am not doing enough. We do our best, but I know we could do better if we had the means. Hopefully, that will change in the not too distant future.