I need to change the subtitle of my blog...

...from semi-daily to semi-weekly. I haven't had a chance to take pictures and for some reason I just can't post without pics. I'll just dig up some random snap shots for filler.

Follow-up from my last post- Spencer is on her own on the bike, starting and stopping by herself with no problem. Crappy video from my point and shoot camera below. Can't wait to take her on a bike ride.





Countdown to vacation is on. Shortly we will be headed down to the Gulf Coast for a week of hanging on the beach, eating great food and I might even enjoy an adult beverage or two. After experimenting last year on a new house, we are headed back to a house we have stayed in several times before, next to Grayton Beach, named Gulf Coast Nights. The house is great, but the pool area is even better. The owner cut just enough trees for the footprint of the house and pool resulting in a really nice, private feel.

Grayton is one of the communities along "Scenic 30-A", a collection of beach towns which are pretty strict about tasteful development and ecological impact. No billboards, tacky junk or amusement parks, but lots of bike paths, dune lakes and my favorite restaurant, The Red Bar.

Recent kid pics.

Princess Molly.

Molly harassing her brother.

Poor Scout being the good patient while Molly plays with her Doctors kit.

Some tacky sunglasses from the lost and found at work. Will thinks they are pretty funny. I'm betting he won't think this picture is quite as funny during his teenage years.

Great moments in parenting

Sunday, Spencer and I went down to a parking lot near the house for some bike practice. What she didn't know is that I brought a wrench to take off the training wheels. After many guarantees for her safety, some coaxing and crying, I finally talked her into giving it a whirl. It didn't take long before dad's hands came off the handlebars and she was on her own!

She pedaled unassisted for about a hundred yards yelling "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!". When she finally came to a stop at the end of the parking lot, she had the most excited look I have ever seen on her face and said "Daddy, I really did it!". The look on her face, the excitement in her voice! The whole moment was pure magic and I'll always remember it.

Kids are awesome. Sharing the joy of their accomplishments and watching them learn makes all the craziness worth it.

We worked it some more and she kept getting better and more confident. Won't be long before I can take her on little rides while I pull her brother and sister. Some pics below before we ditched the training wheels

Greenway ride

The Wednesday night Haw Ridge ride was rained out so we fired up some Greenway action. Nice to have warm weather and daylight. Spring is a really good thing.



Hit a little offroad in the middle of the ride.






Had a great group, fast and fun.

Nice to arrive at the pub with daylight left and sit outside without freezing half to death. Market Square was buzzing folks.

Spotted this awesome machine/long board hauler and thought it would make for a nice picture. Come to find out it belongs to all around good guy and owner of the Heuristic Workshop, Eric Ohlgren aka Donger. This old CB twin is gonna be his steed for The 555. Sounds like a ton of fun. Cross the country on nothing but highways and a $500 motorcycle which may, or may not, leave you stranded at any point. Those types of adventures don't exist much anymore.

Hats off to the participants. I'm jealous.

Kind of reminds me of one of the first serious books I read as a kid. ZEN and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Need to dig that back out and read it again sometime.