...and the hits just keep on comin'!

The 4th quarter of 2006 has treated Cam poorly. We're looking for a strong rebound in '07. But, I'm not going to set any resolutions because they usually dissolve faster than...well... something that dissolves really quick. Here is a quick snapshot of the recent happenings in the good ol' year of the dog (aptly named by my Asian friends) :

1. The queen bitch slap - getting separated.
2. It's evil backhand - getting separated during the holidays.
3. Kick in the nuts - having to alternate "custody" of Cobi Joan every two weeks
   
4. A poke in the eye - Truck gets towed in the 'burbs of York, PA.
5. A knuckle sam'mich - Bank cards are lost after a night on the town...no bank card for 2 weeks!
6. Not my friend, too! - My iPod bites the dust
   

After typing the "bad" stuff, it ain't all that bad...I guess. I presume my list of good stuff could be larger. Let's give it a crack.

1. I've developed a better relationship with my parents...I guess eventually they become your friends...once again they were right.
2. I've strengthened relationships with old buddies...
3. I got to meet some pretty interesting people...
4. I've lost a good amount of weight and feeling better/younger than ever.
5. Figuring out that I am getting a little wiser...I won't take people's problems for granted any longer. If a friend comes to me with a problem...I'm gonna do what it takes to make sure they get what they need...a silent ear, a wingman, a strong shoulder to lean on, a place to sleep, some grub or an ass-kickin' (if needed).

This list could go on for ever. I will stop it short.

Writing this blog is starting to feel like the end of a Doogie Howser episode.

Probably the last 2006 entry...see you and the boar next year.

No Rain, No Rainbows

It's amazing what a little inspiration can do for you. Everyday you hopefully get to wake up and make decisions that impact not only you, but also the people around you. You get to ask yourself what kind of person, friend, son, daughter, father, mother, stranger you want to be towards others. Bask in the reality that we only have a limited amount of time to make these simple yet seemingly difficult choices. Who do you want to be today?


Take some time to watch this. On this note, I need to run.

Happy birthday 8 lb 6 oz baby Jesus

Wishin' all the readers a Merry Christmas!

Thought for the day: Boozing and cell phones do not make good bedfellows. Texting in the wee hours of the morn is a recipe for disaster. Thee end.

International Holiday Party of Mayhem

Kickin' off Christmas weekend with some international flair. My friend, Hoppe, dished up about a dozen delicacies from around the world and spanning various religious festivities. Approximately 20 people came to enjoy the - hopefully - inaugural event.

The menu favorite seemed to be the cocomut shrimp with peanut sauce. So good. And the drink of the night had to be Amarula. Again, so good.

What makes this night so mayhem-ish? Well, I head out to my car at the end of the evening while talking to Hoppe. We are standing on his porch and I look at the space my car was parked - no car. Awesome. I presume my car was stolen. I walk inside...calmly...and call 911. I reported it stolen. A couple of minutes later they call back and tell me it is at an impound lot. So, Hoppe drives me up to the lot to get my truck...I drive home. The end.

Apparently, they have a crotchety, old neighbor who had it towed. No "Do Not Park" signs were to be found - anywhere. I wasn't in the mood for fighting it...just get my car and roll home.

Lil' Bit O' Truthiness - I live a comfortable life, so I'm not going to complain. However, all I want for Christmas is...no more tests of sanity for a while...please!

Tough, Love, and other Bah-Humming

Just a brief examination into the word "tough" and how it has been playing a role in my recent life.

Tough. Riding on the trainer in the wee hours of the morn'. My typical morning ritual starts at 6:00 by plucking out my "sleepers" and gulping down 32 oz. of water. Then I hop in my bike shorts and mount the beast...aka, the bike trainer. I have the old Spinerval videos, but they are VCR tapes...so I go off of memory. Seriously, who uses a VCR anymore?

I start with a gentle warm up, followed by a hammer fest. I typically ride for an hour or so...just to the point when I may possibly start crying. Then I figure I am just about done...right after I click into a lower gear and grind for a couple more minutes. That my friends is what we call the "pain cave". It has definitely improved both my endurance and my waist line.

Tough. Finding out that I may have to run 10 miles in three weeks and the last time I did that was....never. The AR race is coming up soon, so I tested the running waters last night. I ran 7 miles and felt pretty decent by the end. I guess a few other factors will come into play during the race, like biking 25 miles before the run and orienteering during the run. My mindset is to push my body, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Truthi-Tough. Being alone during the holidays. Let me preface this by saying I will have a ton of family and friends around, but there's something to say about sharing the time with that special person. I guess I've never really been in a situation where I've been single during the holidays and I am here to say that it is a weird feeling.

You see, I'm a huge holiday fan. In fact, I presume that the "Holiday 'A' List" probably looks like this:

- Santa

- Buddy the Elf

- Cameron

The thing is, Christmas just doesn't feel quite the same, no matter how hard I try to make it be. Shopping, parties, the movies (I miss my Rankin/Bass marathons). It's just a little bit painful to come face-to-face with these holiday realities alone. I assume this too shall pass or maybe I'll have someone "special" to share them with next go 'round...but for now :(

And for all you "tough" guys out there that think this is whiny...I don't wish this on you. Merry Christmas.

Truthi-Tough. This whole debacle doesn't just affect the two people involved. It has taken on a cascading effect which has spilled over into multiple layers of my life, as I'm sure it has with hers. The thing that is currently getting under my skin is that our dog, Cobi Joan, is thoroughly confused. She is bouncing between homes every two weeks, which I can't believe she comprehends.

One of her basic instincts is to herd. She always hated when I was on one floor and my wife was on the other. Now she just whines...a lot...wondering where she is...and why she wouldn't want to be with us. It kills me. Not the fact that K's not there...that I have dealt with. It's the fact that Cobi has the best personality a dog owner could hope for and I see it changing.

The flip-side to this argument, which people have brought up over and over again, is that at least she isn't a child. True. I can't argue with that. But still, she's a living, loving and thinking creature who has been like a child to me. I imagine the feelings increase ten-fold with a child, but the worry and guilt are still there.

I won't leave you with Bah, Humbug...not mah true style. See, I told you I was in the top three holiday lovers list...HO, HO, HOLLA!


Until next time! Stay Jolly...RideCam'rs

If this gig doesn't work...

...I can always be a fireman. Say what?!

My department at work had our holiday party last evening at our fearless leader's house. Fantastic house, even better time. The comaraderie is something we haven't shared in a long time. Of course a little vino and beer will always spice up the night.

I digress. What's all this fireman stuff about? A little after halfway through the evening a bunch of us were gathered in the kitchen. A co-worker walked into the dining room where the food was laid out and let out a shrill...manly...with a touch of girlie. We run in to see what has happened and before our eyes we had a fire. Not a little fire, but a fire that would have gotten nasty in a couple of seconds had we not taken action any quicker. A centerpiece had caught fire when the candles burned too low.

It's amazing how the mind freezes up in a situation like that. Here stood our boss looking dumbfounded and everyone else running around with cocktail cups of water trying to put out the blaze...which is basically the equivalent of spitting on a forest fire. Finally, we ran the centerpiece out side and stomped it out.

What could make this event any crazier you ask? During this time, the other half of our department, sitting in another room not 10 feet away, had no clue what was happening. The kicker, a minute or so after the event someone came walking in to the kitchen. Apparently the smoke had made its way into their room. They asked if we had been smoking weed...effing hil-arious. Of course it was the last person on Earth I would have expected that comment from.

That's about all the adventure I could handle yesterday...No feats of physicality took place other than sprinting with a blazing centerpiece. I do, however, need to make sure I do something tonight, including making an effort to create a modified training plan for the adventure race.

真実-iness

That's right! RideCam has gone international. I landed my first international visitor hit last night. I assume it was from an adult site, but hey, it's a start.

I'm truthed out from yesterday...if something pops up today, I'll be sure to open the kimono for all to peruse.

Here we go

RideCam is going to have a little switch up in format. First a little bit of my daily trials and tribulations in the saddle (for the gear heads) and then, as previously mentioned, some "truthiness" (thanks Steve Colbert). I've had a whirlwind past couple of months and the ink just needs to be spilled.

Ride Time with RideCam and friends

Loch Raven - Seminary. Three players...cold temps...zero daylight...fast ride. That sums it up. It has been a while since we all rode together. Maybe even going back as far as the 24 Hours of Big Bear. Myself, Hoppe and Toby hit the trails around 6:30 and made no excuses for the lack of light. It was a high tempo'd ride, where we all pretty much stayed together (at least for the majority of the ride). Around the midway point, the multiple water crossings started to take their toll on our feet. Trying to ride with ice blocks as feet = no fun.

Oh, and define gross - wearing another man's spandex. Yuck. I forgot my bike shorts and had to borrow Hoppe's knickers (clean, of course). I got home and showered with a scouring pad. It's not as bad as Team Hugh Jass' "baton-esque" passing of the spandex between each lap at the 24 Hours of Snowshoe.

Otherwise, we had a blast.

Adventure Race. I think I've been suckered into doing a short sprint adventure race at the Natural Bridge in Virginia. Just mountain biking and orienteering, but still. Short? Try 25-35 miles. It's something I've always wanted to do (as in the 100 things to do before I die), but it's in 3 weeks. I've promised my friend (a wiley AR vet) that I will give it hell. More to come.

Truthiness Time

(Ed. note: If you came for the adventurous side of RideCam then this may not be your bag. No worries. Although I'm sure by now you're wondering...what the hell is this all about. Just soapbox'ing my feelings...feel free to comment...good or bad)

(Second Ed note: This is going to be harder than I thought. I just wrote an epistle on my current situation, but the better part of valor kept me from publishing it. So kids, let me try this again.)

Here we go for the first installment. Let's just dig right in with the facts. The kid (aka Cameron) is going through a divorce. Complete surprise...and not the balloons and cake variety. This one is the head splitting and heart stomping variety. It would have been easier if I had done something atrocious or if I was just a cold, unromantic type person...then I could understand. I like understanding things...this one I don't. But as time goes by...I have learned and continue to learn a lot. Some things I wish I never found out, but I have to move forward.

I figure I either feed into the negativity of the situation and become some sort of recluse wallowing in my own self-pity, or I find the silver lining. So I chose the latter quickly.

Make no bones about it. The situation isn't so black and white. The emotions that fill this turbulent time have left me very tired. A lot of things have flooded my thoughts which makes it hard to get to sleep and once you stir in the middle of the night, well you better grab a book because you're not getting back to sleep.

So where's this positive side come into play? What have been the takeaways so far? Every difficult situation is ripe with learning opportunities. Humans usually learn more from loss than from the status quo. Here's what I have learned so far (warning: these may be a) cheesy, b) blatantly obvious or c) all of the above):

Marriage is full of compromises. I harbor no ill-will or regrets for the opportunities I passed on during my marriage. In fact, I would and will do it all over again...when the time and person are right. My point...it's time to do the things I have put on the back burner. Good fodder for a future "truthiness" article.

A good "circle" is the strongest force you have. I felt like I was on my own when this whole situation transpired. I kept these overwhelming feelings at bay and it was physically and mentally destroying me. Once I let the situation known to both family and friends, the support I recieved was quite possibly one of the warmest feelings I've ever had. I felt a great deal of protection and peacefulness around these people and they are going to great lengths to ensure that I come out of this ordeal a better, happier person. This will be a long journey for sure, but I take a lot of comfort in the fact that I have a lot of great friends and a fantastic family. In fact, the friends/family line has become a thin line these days - I have a lot more "family" out there than I thought.

New relationships are important - continue to foster them. I never realized that I shut myself off from meeting new people. I was always a very outgoing, inviting person who made sure everyone was laughing and happy. I think I let that little piece of me go for a while. Fact is, I'm a big fan of people and all their idiosyncracies. I've always enjoyed learning new, interesting things from complete strangers...in hopes that they too, if inclined, would become a new friend. So far, I've met a couple "strangers"... so it gives me hope that I will get back on track. Hopefully foster some new friends and relationships.

Grow old, never grow up. Enjoy the time you have and be yourself. Understand the situations that you are in and act accordingly, but don't let go of your inner child. There's a time to act professional and "grown up", but don't fear letting your hair down and acting silly in an attempt to be someone you're not. I think I gained a lot of gray hairs attempting to be this type of person. Not worth it.

Honor yourself and what's next (of course I speak of the other sex). This little lesson could probably be a write-up all on its own. I'll try to be short and sweet. The battle here is, "how do I move forward". I'm starting to remember the old Cam...I liked him a lot. Simple. Honest. Fun. Pretty simple tenets. Ones I lost sight of, but hope to regain.

I see a lot of people trying to impress people by being someone they're not. The unfortunate reality is that this works for most, but it will at best be a shaky foundation where only a slight miscue will send the walls crashing - leaving people either upset or disgusted - usually both.

So where does the female side of the equation fit into this rambling? Let me give it a shot. I have a lot of friends that have given me the "tons of fish in the sea" speech and have discussed the wild sides of bachelorhood...but alas...not my style. The player in me was laid to rest after college. The game, while easy and tempting, no longer appeals to me...not really who I am. It doesn't fit into my paradigm...Simple.

If I find someone who thoroughly intrigues me, I'll take the time to get to know them without pretense. People fascinate me. Getting to know someone who shares a lot of common interests is far better than playing the "game", in my opinion. Thankfully I found out early that there are these "fish in the sea"...just not tons of them.

Going forward, I'll continue being the guy I described above. Some call it the "nice guy"...well here's to the nice guy. My belief is that a lot of ladies fear the "nice guy" - maybe too good to be true, a wolf in sheep's clothing or maybe not a "challenge"? I dunno. But at the end of the day being honest, open and truly caring allows me to go to sleep at night. Carlos Mencia did a nice job summing up the plight of the nice guy . I'm not on board with everything, but his concluding "argument" is undeniable and effing hil-arious.

So for a good time call.....kidding.

That was a mouthful...time to make a meeting. Trust me...the truthiness section will become less preachy so bare with me and stay tuned.

Until next time...stay classy RideCam'rs.

OK, OK...

So now I have a little more free time. I can write a little more often. I will try. No promises. I think life is about to become a little more entertaining so be on the lookout for some interesting tales. There will be a lot of truthiness pouring from the pen!

Back to work...