Ok, vacation's over.

I'm back. What can I say? I've been blogging for a decade now, and I can't stop. Blogs are part of my life at work, and also how I get things out of my head. They are how I communicate with friends that I might otherwise lose touch with, and they are how I can tell stories about my life. I'm going to go ahead and say it with some reserve: I love my blogs.

And with that, let's pick up things and start pedaling again!

I'm wrapping up a 10 day vacation, and here's the short of it:

First off, I needed it badly. Ten days away from the Bay Area was fantastic.

What did I do?

2 days kayaking, camping, and exploring California's Lost Coast with Claire: One day in Whiskeytown, one at the mouth of the Klamath River where it opens into the Pacific (scary, majestic, brutal, humbling, freezing cold, miserable, and beautiful) in Yurok territory.

1 day and night in Ashland, Oregon, my new favorite town to visit.

Flyfishing with not much luck due my own damn fault.

We hosted a fantastically fun BBQ with twelve good friends!

Hosted some friends from the Bay Area for an evening after said BBQ.

Drank an enjoyable amount of local beers and wines from the Real NorCal and Southern Oregon.

I turned 32 on June 28.

I put 200+ miles on the new Rivendell Rambouillet, which I have deemed The Blue Sheep™. I simply love the bike, and couldn't be happier with my decision. For those who have been emailing me, here is a painfully detailed set of photos. Enjoy! The head badge displays a true statement: Always willing, ever able.

And be sure to take a look at Jeff's 108.67 mile day. Can you say salt? That's from the Mile High 100 ride we did a couple weeks ago.

Oh, and I have a draft of my next post, tentatively titled, 'On Dogs, Dog Owners, and Bicyclists'. Inspired by the fact that I was chased by a dynamic duo that consisted of a Rottweiler and a Pit Bull on a recent ride from Chico to Red Bluff, and fueled by a flurry of recent posts around the web on the subject, it's time to put my thoughts out there. Stay tuned.

Well, it's good to be back after a couple weeks off. Heh.