Coffee and Lies # 106 It's twenty-fifteen

2014 was a fantastically eventful year.  Zach got into and subsequently started at Lauder; we were able to get the cabin and spend a bunch of time there. Bikes were bought and sold and kids and grandkids had fun.  The nightmare that was the Carlton Complex and Rising Eagle fires scared us, but left us mostly unscathed. Work was good and playing was even better.

To put the icing on the preverbal cake; by combining some vacation and comp time with my company holidays Hottie and I were able to spend two solid weeks at the cabin to close out the year.  It was the longest vacation we had taken since we traveled to the Middle East after Zach finished his program in Damascus. We were gone long enough we had to have our mail held. Whoop whoop.

We had some time to ourselves as well as time with family and good friends.  We watched it snow and walked under the stars.  We skied, rode fat bikes, sledded, baked and read. We ate well.  I skied hard and biked hard a handful of times and at other times we enjoyed some mellow skiing, riding and walking.  The sun went to bed early and so did we. Aside from a feast prepared by El Chefe’ and our Chismus dinner the meals were simple and satisfying.

Only because I could- I let the hairs grow on my chin just to see how much grey there was.  I was wondering if I might get kind of a Walter White cerebral-bad ass look going.  

It turned out to be more of a cowboy sidekick look.  

I was happy to shave it off, but not as happy as Hottie who had practically resorted to picketing to try and persuade me to shave off the prickly monster.

When we got home I went to grab a plate and opened the wrong cupboard.  It was an accomplishment to have been gone long enough to be confused.   When I returned to road biking the more traditional Q-Factor felt odd after the super wide pedal spread on the Fat Bike.

Despite a discouraging rain a half dozen of us showed up for the Coffee and Lies ride. Another three joined the soggy squad for post-ride coffee at Fuel. Big John had a surprise for me that was truly a Chismus miracle. 

Speaking of Chismus miracles; after months of working on updating our tried, true and awesome kit design our team’s design committee offered up the results of their labor to the team and it was received with open arms.  I can assure you I will never look at a team kit the same again.  There are a lot of riders wearing bad looking kits. There are some kits that look okay.  There are very few that look outstanding.  We were striving for excellence.  I think we nailed it.  More to follow.