Where has the summer gone?

It's hard to believe that we're staring at the middle of August already. Where has the summer gone? Where has the YEAR gone?

There's talk of school, of cyclocross season (a fall/winter cycling psychosis), an end-of-the-season race and party for the youth triathlon team I help coach, all the signals that point toward cooler (and wetter) months coming all too soon. But we've still got another month (I hope!) of good weather coming.

This has been a roller-coaster week, though. Good and bad happening all around. On the good side:

* Last Thursday I dropped off my wife's bike frame and fork at the powder coater. It should be finished today. Pics will be posted.

* Monday was my younger daughter's first birthday. She's just taking her first steps, soon to be walking.

On the bad side:

* Tuesday was my father's birthday, the first since he passed away earlier this year.

* The suicide of Robin Williams has weighed on me, for several reasons.

I scheduled a ride on September 20th, the day after I hit 51. It's a repeat of a ride that Steve Hampsten (Hampsten Cycles) put on last summer, and I wanted to do the course again this year. With Steve being very busy, I decided to just throw it together myself. Should be fun, 60 miles, mostly on gravel, with a two-mile tunnel just past the half-way point.

I'm also realizing that I may not be able to get the frame for the tri team completed by the end-of-season party. I was hoping to have it there to display/show off. I may be able to get it assembled (the frame), but I wouldn't want to hang parts on it before it's been prepped (bottom bracket faced/threads chased, head tube reamed and faced) and painted. Some busy build time ahead.

So hopefully things are going well in your camp. Be sure to hit the back-to-school sales and check your supplies lists...