The Year in Rearview

So...I got a couple extra days off this week. Sounds good right? Normally I would agree if the days off were not the result of a crash while riding my bike. (For future reference if i every mention my bike I never ever mean a motorcycle.) It occured to me late Sunday evening, as I sat icing the lump on the back of my head, that it was exactly one year to the day from the point where my life seemed to take a nose dive. That is not to say that everything that has taken place over the last 365 days has been bad. There have been some definite ups. I know that I can be abrasive and hold on to things that make me upset. I have been getting better and generally I have begun to be more positive. At the risk of imitating Andrew over at the Goodbye Blue Mondays blog and in the spirit of getting things off my chest, moving forward, and putting the past to rest; I now present you with the my own tops and bottoms list.


Bottoms

1. Losing my feline daughter
2. Getting laid off the same day as my wife from the same place
3. Getting ditched by the people I thought were friends, who used to work with me at said place (Maybe it was my Jerry Maguire exit when I was told it was the logical thing to lay us both off. Maybe some people should position their feet in other peoples shoes.)
4. Being laid off from my next job the day before my insurance was to kick in
5. Getting caught behind a crash in the Marshall and Sterling Racing City Grand Prix, having to chase and crashing myself, and then attempting to continue only to crash again when security line tape got caught in my handlebars a la Lance Armstrong and a spectators musette bag.
6. (Doesn't really count because it happened day 367) I found out that I may have a condition that causes infertility. Shannon and I are not planning on having any children but it can be upsetting to find out that we don't really have the option if we wanted to.

Tops

1. My grandmother recovering after a week of scary post operation days
2. My first podium placing day one of the 2008 Tour of the Catskills (I blew it for the overall podium the next day but it still felt really good)
3. Second in my age group at the United States National Snowshoe Championships
4. Finally having a good paying job again
5. Saabs are no match for a Lazer helmet
6. The 2009 Corning-Wineglass Marathon (I am feeling good about how it is going to go. Wait and see.)

So there it is. Here is to bigger and better things.