A Much Simpler Time

  In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

The Karate Monkey from around 2006

During the past twenty years of blogging there has not been much of the time spent just doing simple riding and writing. From very early on I was sucked into a different sphere of activities and that propelled me into a side-gig that has been at times both amazing and exasperating. 

Between writing for other sites, having the burden of doing specific rides on specific gear/bikes to write up specific posts, I haven't had time to just ride much. So, I thought I'd go back into the archives to see when it was that all this went berserk. 

But before I get into that, let me just make it clear that I allowed this to happen to myself and through it all I met a lot of really great people. I got to do a LOT of really cool things. Both the people and the experiences enriched my life greatly. Had I just kept things chill and easy?

I doubt that this blog would have made it past a few years. 

So, let that simmer in the background as you read the rest of this post. Everything has a time and a place. A season for growing, and a season for fading away. My 'crazy times' as far as the blogging/writing goes may be coming into a season of fading, but you never know, right? 

Anyway, back in 2005, when this all started up, it was 'just me' and while I was doing Trans Iowa already, that was the extent of my 'business'. Other than that, I had a lot of time to just ride bicycles. Sometime during late 2005 and into 2006 was when the acceleration to craziness started. By 2006 I was wrapped up into it all and it hasn't been until this time last year when I was able to look around and say that all I had to do was write another post for this blog, and not do a bunch of "that other stuff" that kept me busy for the better part of two decades now.

"all sorts of weirdos ride bikes"

Which is weird now. I mean it is hard to not think I "should be doing something' because for all of the time from 2005-ish until up to now I had things to stay on top of. 

It isn't that I am unaware I have this extra time to do other stuff. I have joined a couple groups, I am volunteering. I have done neighborhood clean-ups and attended meetings. All part of what I feel is my "civic duty". 

So, these things are a nice diversion from the usual worries and tasks that I was often trying to keep in line for many years. Still, there are those moments when I find myself worrying I must be forgetting some detail. 

Now a year has passed and I think I will be able to start to make room in my head for something a bit more blog related. Maybe do some things I have thought about doing which just were not possible when I had all of the other stuff going on.

Or...... Maybe I'll just go for a bicycle ride. You know, for the fun of it, and see how that goes. It was how I used to do things back in my simpler days. Or was it just "normal" everyday riding? Have I forgotten how to do this?

I don't think so, but sometimes when I look back to 2005 and before, it makes me wonder.