New winter gear

Nope.  Although I could use some good winter riding gloves, I've decided to forgo the purchase and make due with that I have.  Why would I do that you ask?

Well, because as I eluded to the other day we are planning on moving to warmer climates come this summer.  Annie and I have been thinking about possible relocation options over the last year or two and our sights have settled on Charlotte NC.

I'll be honest, the move will be bitter sweet.

Sweet - warmer temps in the winter (a major impetus for our moving in the first place), year round riding (without freezing), A lot more "bang for your buck" house wise, getting a yard for the dogs, a nice clean little downtown area, and the fact that Annie's best friend recently relocated to the Charlotte area.

Bitter - leaving a sweet job at a small high school (with a campus setting!), further from family and friends, and not being able to race all of the races I entered this year... I'd very much like to get another shot at some of those courses!!

The sweet outweigh the bitter for sure.  Family will visit, hopefully friends will as well... There will be new races to enter, and I'm hoping that during the summers I can line up a visit "home" with the opportunity to enter some races up around here as well.

I'm in the process of looking for jobs - and have notified my supervisor as such.  Some people freak out about the idea of letting your current employer know what's up before you have a new job, and some people are dicks!  I don't want to leave my coworkers hanging, but more importantly I don't want to leave the kids hanging.  Plus, as I'm applying I do need letters of recommendation and whatnot, so it's no big deal.  As soon as things really start taking shape (like getting a job, or selling the condo - hopefully we can time that one right) things will be made official with the school, but I want to give them as much time as possible to find a quality replacement... not wait until the summer when we've already moved!

Plus, who knows what can happen... maybe I won't find a good job (although I'm not too concerned with that as I have a couple options within the school system - counselor or Dean of Students - and I can always go back to agencies outside of a school setting - although then I give up my sweet summers off deal...), or we won't be able to sell the condo (again not really worried about that, we've made improvements, we are in Southie, and new businesses and restaurants are always going in on the waterfront).  Basically we are a go for a move at the end of the school year, it's just a matter of getting everything in line.

But until then, I'll be riding the heck out of trails up here!!  I have a feeling I will miss the N.E. terrain when I'm down there... I mean, I'll totally appreciate the trail maintenance and care that seems to go on down there, but from the extensive riding I've already done there (ugh... one ride?) I didn't encounter nearly the roots and rocks we see normally here.  I do know I can always head out to Pisgah to get my butt kicked when I get homesick.