Today I celebrate my 43rd birthday, or as I like to think of it: Celebrate the closing of my 43rd year and beginning of my 44th year.
Unicycle content? When I started my 43rd year I was riding more regularly because Andrea, my eldest, was riding more and we were having a good time. I had a couple 24’s and the giraffes but hadn’t learned anything new in years. In June I asked Andrea if she would like to join a club, she did and we joined the Uniques Of Washington. Since that fateful moment I have done the following things I had never done before:
Belonged to a club, ridden in parades and shows, became equipment manager for the club, learned to hop, basic rolling hop, finally consistently got over that %&@#$ 10 cm obstacle, drops, ride one footed, seat on stomach, seat in front, rode uni.5 & Blueshift, rode a 9 ½ foot giraffe, rode a Coker, rode a 40” big wheel, rode a 16” tall unicycle, rode a triple stack giraffe, rode a handlebar uni, rode a coaster uni (very briefly), rode Muni, bought a Muni, made up a 28” wheel for the Muni frame, got my own 20, witnessed spectacular uni riding beyond my wildest imagination at NAUCC/UNICON 11, watched Abby, my youngest, learn to ride at age 5, discovered RSU, got UNiVERsE, One Wheel No Limit & ITTD, made the first post on the Stealth, volunteered on a USA committee, and spent countless hours to put together a brief unicycle biography & photos of an old friend. I’m sure there is more but you get the idea.
A great uni year was not without some downs though. I broke my heel on a lawn dart dismount off the 9 ½ foot giraffe and couldn’t ride for 10 weeks, my old dog of 15 years died, lost my job (got a new one), and I met several unsavory characters. You wouldn’t know these guys but their initials are TJ, GH, JC, and JT. If you ever run across these guys just ride, ride away then come back for more.
Can’t wait to see what my 44th year brings, I hope to have many more uni achievements and initials to add to the rogue gallery.
Lets ride,
