Inception

One more item must be added to the list created 12/25/10. The creation of my third daughter on 12/25/10. That's right, we're having another and yes, another girl. A special Christmas gift. Today was the first day I've seen our healthy little lady on the sonograph and she's developing perfectly. Of course my wife is still gunning for a boy and has already expressed her desire for a fourth. The next time's the charm apparently. We shall see what the vasectomist has to say about that. Well, I'm off to the mountain after a stop at the museum to check out the National Geographic decade of photos exhibit. Should be fun.

Take as much time off as I have and it's hard to know where to start.

Times are good. It's been a very generous year. I have a tremendous amount of respect and gratitude for my life in Korea and the Koreans that make it possible. This truly is a place of honest quality. Reconciling distance, ease of living, missing others and safety on the road has its trying moments, but the drawbacks of Korea hardly eclipse its enjoyments. So I thought I'd jot down a few.

1. waking to toddler kisses

2. cheering hikers as mountain bikers clip loose clothing and startle the unaware.

3. private lessons

4. setting ones own schedule

5. accepting or declining work

6. the acceptance of alcohol and its rightful place within society.

7. cops with little to do

8. mountains unbordered by fences

9. bike shop owners who charge half price to me and sometimes my friends

10. a wife who puts up with no bull shit from her husband

11. working

12. the occasional students interested in life's infinite possibilities

13. having time to ride

14. having friends to ride with

15. 2 months of vacation

16. Summer and winter programs

17. a big house for a couple years

18. a nice gift under the tree for my beautiful wife

19. speakers somewhere in shipping

20. the constant lesson in patients

I love this place.

To all,

Hello one and well, most likely one. Today marks no special day; nothing significant has occurred to inspire me. I just felt it was time (actually, I feel this often) to write something, post a pic or two and include a couple vids. Maybe it's that I have the time to do so as I'm out of bed early. Maybe it's the ever approaching due date of baby #2 (no name as yet). Maybe it's just maybe. Whatever.

A quick update:

let's see... since my last quick update half a year ago (just photos) Bek has grow quite round. As a matter of fact, at that time we were still mostly unaware of Bek's pregnancy, Autumn was a few months into a teeterish walking existence and I was starting to sweat more during rides (no longer winter). I was also enjoying my first semester teaching university students to write and speak more fluently, a position I continue to enjoy part time out in the county. Here's a pic of the two building university, Daegu University of Foreign Studies, DUFS for short:

These were taken about the same time and I think capture the essence of this exceptional yet small higher learning facility. I say exceptional due only to the quality of student for whom I teach. Luckily for me, I was asked to instruct an advanced speaking and an academic writing course. Also fortunate is that for the three years prior to teaching at DUFS, I’ve been able to work with a similarly high caliber group of students, though of a much younger age.

Now almost completing a year at DUFS, I’m wishing I had a masters as they’ve offered me a full time spot had I the credentials. I’m looking to move on my from my post at Equip, the language academy mentioned above. I love the students and the almost unheard of opportunity to teach literature. But the hours and lack of vacation are beginning to ware hard upon family time. If I were to make the jump to a full time position at any of the numerous universities in Daegu, or Korea for that matter, between two and four months would be on offer for vacation, as well as a 16-18 hour teaching week.

Anyway, enough of teaching. Here’s a couple videos of Autumn. She is growing far too fast. How fortunate we are to live in an age of countless tools to help capture time. Enjoy.

Thought I’d also include a pic or two, plus a couple of vids of bike related stuff.

Video Treats

Looking through some recent home vids, I found this one of little Autumn and Bek. Enjoy

Bits and Bobs

I went looking back through my blog here and realized, there's not one picture of Beck. So before you go doubting her existence, here are a few photos of my lovely bride.

That bottle holding trick is really quite handy. Although, long moments of concentration will end sometime with a sudden, wild flaling of her arms, as if she only just realizes what she's doing. Yet, often she'll manage to hold on and relocate the nipple. She'll stare at it briefly and casually go back to eating. Amazing.

Here are a few shots from around our little corner of Daegu.

Autumn deep in concentration.

Spent April 5th in Seoul with a fantastic group of riders. These boys are fast flying Filthies. Was a great day and I can't wait to do it again. Here are a few photos. Enjoy.

No better way to start the day than with 2 litre bottles of Hite (Korean for Budweiser).

How brief the sensation of flying. Good thing Kevin's quick with the camera.

No one would do this, so I gave a demonstration to loosen up first drop anxieties.

Rock garden 101: Don't crash!

I'm Back

Well, almost. I'll be crutching around for a few weeks while my newly opened leg heals up. The surgery was a fantastic success. Started out with a local anesthetic, allowing me to get a real feel for what was going on inside my leg. Literally, I could feel the pounding on the bolts as they drove them from the bone and the stitching up had a certain tingle to it. I wanted to watch but they wouldn't allow it. I think I lost a little too much blood and started shivering violently. Unbeknownst to me, they gave me general and, next thing I know I'm laying in my ward room, facing up, staring into a 4' florecent light. Fortunately, this doctor was on top of his game and noticed that my vastus lateralis muscle, the one on the front, above the knee on the outside, had been severed and needed to be put back together. So now, I should be able to recover to a full 100%. I thought I was just up shit creek, and would have to suffer the next bit of history with limited leg function. But, not so, not so.

Once this leg finishes healing, I’ll be hitting the gym and the mountain hard. I can’t wait to get back up to full speed. Mountain Rehab 101.