Early

Given the fact I have a bike on loan, I decided yesterday to give it a true test, meaning two climbs up Kennedys Bush early this morning. One on my current bike, and then one on the new bike; giving me a great comparison. Started at 6am, and finished at 8, somewhat stuffed, the loops up/down were around 45 mins each, with breaks in between!

Really interesting. I love my Trance X1, a lot, but I have to say that the 29er Anthem was more stable to ride, definitely climbed over rocks easier and even the 2/10 gearing was fine on the steeper stuff.

All up, the 29er was good, probably good enough for me to buy it, the question now is which model, and the shop has offered me a pretty sweet deal on the next model up (of course). More money, but better in many ways. Will mull it over this weekend.

Also to mull over today. One year on, from the big day. Wow, what a journey, it seems so long ago. I didn't go to, nor watch the ceremony today, but I did observe the silence. As I said to several people, one or two whom it might have offended, I have navel gazed enough in the last year, and I didn't feel a need to relive it. But of course you do. Yes, I have thought more about life in the last 12 months than in my entire life, and to be honest, today I didn't want to talk about it. I often deal with stress by joking and laughing, today wasn't a joking day.

It's been a tough year, in so many ways. Dealing with 10 000 aftershocks. Keeping a business running and the pressure of ensuring work is there. Making sure we have premises and all the challenges around that. As a family we've hung in there, they have all been amazing. Lucky in many ways, and lucky because our house wasn't too badly damaged. We've yet to have it fixed, but to be honest, it's not a priority.

Every person in this city has suffered in some way. I salute them all, but for me, I had to move on. I did so at Christmas. My sanity and health actually needed me to do so. I'm lucky that I can move on. Many can't yet, and it might be years. I feel very heavy in my heart for those people. Crap, it makes me freakin sad just thinking about it.

And every time I drive down Riccarton Road I see last years photo in my mind, and think of the person that died. Christ knows what it was like to have been in the central city. Well, I do know; bad.

Anyway ... 2012 already is presenting its challenges, but they are way way less in reality than 2011, so it's feeling pretty good. Our family life is "normal", work life is somewhat "normal" and life goes on, as it does.

Feeling positive, which is good. Hoping to make 2012 a cracker and make up for some lost time.