My how time flies! I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I have posted to this site. And what a year it has been…

Work

In the last year I was promoted from Web Code Monkey (that’s an official title, I’m positive) to Code Monkey Leader. The projects I supervised went from being in minor maintenance mode to substantial new development mode. The team expanded to the point where we had to reorganize, or else I would have been supervising 15-20 people which would have been unmanageable for me. I am now able to focus my time on leading and mentoring a lean team of 5-6 highly qualified web developers. This group really pushes me to stay ahead of the technology curve.

Home

Since the last post Mrs. GeekCyclist and I separated and divorced. I can’t say that I have no regrets, because in the back of your mind there is always a little voice saying “could I have done something different?” That said, I am happy with the decision, and moving on with my life. We share legal and physical custody of our wonderful boys, and are doing our best to be supportive parents. I am finding there are a lot of joys and frustrations with the single life, but those are stories for other posts on other days.

Cycling

It’s been a while since I have biked to work consistently, but there have been a few happenings on the cycling front:

• When I moved to my new apartment it became even more convenient for me to run errands on my bike. So while I commute infrequently, I can often be seen riding around Magna with panniers full of books, groceries, or workout stuff.
• I started teaching a “Be a Bike Commuter” workshop for the University of Utah’s Lifelong Learning program. It’s a 2.5 hour workshop on equipment, practical concerns and safety of urban or transportation cycling. I love doing the class and I think the participants enjoy it. It seems like they do since the U keeps asking me to come back.
• I’ve started to downsize the bike stable. That comes with apartment living… By spring I hope to have the Roubaix, and a nicer mountain bike; I still have a couple of bikes to sell.

Mortality

This may seem like kind of a downer, but in reality it’s helping me focus my life a little more. In the last year a friend lost his wife to cancer. Shortly after that one of my best friends from high school and a fantastic musician/artist lost his battle with an aggressive cancer. We also lost the former Mrs. GeekCyclist’s father to a massive stroke.

Psychologically these deaths threw me for a little loop, but as I look back they are helping me to realize how important it is to cherish every moment and treasure every relationship. There is something to rejoice in, and something to learn every day and I don’t want to sit idly by while life passes me by.