And another update finally arrives

Yeah I've been quite lazy this past year, no updates and lots to talk about and some new pictures too. This past year has really been really up and down for me, winter and spring were pretty uneventful until I got a note from Kim that invited over to Thailand. I talked briefly with Jessica (also from Camp Pinewood) and ended up with a ticket to Bangkok for free due to all of my frequent flier miles. I also got in touch with Max and decided to do Ragbrai this July, this time without all of the hard work.

Unfortunately my ankle injury knocked me off of my bike for more than half a year, and it made me really hesitant to push myself on the bike. I sometimes feel a little twinge (that I'm not even sure is actually there) and get a little nervous about my ankle, but I'm pretty much over it now. Fear of injury didn't stop me from buying a road bike (a pretty nice one too, I think), and I'm finally selling my mountain bike after about 3 years of riding it road only. Riding Ragbrai has taught me that riding road can be fun too.

Anyhow, around the beginning of June I found out that my mom had cancer, the original prognosis made it look like it was pretty advanced and pretty tough to beat. After a month or so they determined that they could do chemo and radiation and as it turns out that combined with one final surgery has made her completely cancer free, and it looks like she's back to normal (as normal as she's going to get anyhow, perhaps I should say she's the way she was before?).

	My 5th climb of the day on Raleigh Beach, Krabi Province, Thailand.

I didn't end up doing Ragbrai so that I could spend that week with my mom, but we decided that going to Thailand was something that I'd regret not doing, so in early July I hopped on a 747 and flew out to Bangkok. What a great trip! It was exactly what I needed to recharge after all that had happened in the previous month. Kim and Jess met me at the airport, we spent a day hiking around Bangkok seeing the sights and then hopped on a train for the province of Krabi in the southern portion of Thialand. We ended up on an idyllic beach in 80 degree weather, we did some rock climbing, some swimming, and a whole bunch of sitting and reading and I was SO happy to do it. Good Thai food for every meal and just a blast of a time hanging out with Jess and Kim. There a photos posted here from the trip but it really doesn't do the country justice, it's a beautiful place and I can't think of a better place to go for my first trip overseas.

Just prior to my Thailand trip we moved out of our house on 58th. After 3 years together it was finally time to move on, Jonah was going to school and Charles was making noises about doing the same (though ultimately he did stick around)... and we didn't end up having any choice on the matter because Ramona wanted her house back anyway. Honestly it was a little sad for me, I miss everyone from that house, though I do ocassionally get to see Neil, Yumi and Charles it's just not the same as it was when I could lounge around in the living room and hang out with any one of them. I know it couldn't last forever, but every once in a while I still think about all of the fun we had there.

The last time I wrote I was dating Kati, unfortunately we ended up breaking up. I don't want to get into details, there was a rough patch for a little while after the breakup but things seem to be pretty friendly now so I think things have worked out for the best.

	Christmas in Zion National Park, in the southern part of Utah

I've travelled quite extensively since last summer: to San Francisco to visit with Paul, to Colorado to see my father graduate from college, Las Vegas for Martin's bachelor party, to Chicago for Andy's wedding and then again for Martin's wedding (!), southern Utah for Christmas with my mom, who has fully recovered (which is what I would call it anyway, she was able to hike 5 miles in a day and go downhill skiing) and down to San Diego to visit Jonah and Marisea in their new home. I do miss having everyone around, and now Charles and Martha are headed south to Corvallis. On the plus side it does give me an excuse to travel.

Coming up shortly I expect to take a road trip to Colorado for the Telluride film festival, and may be doing Ragbrai (my ankle having finally gotten back up to full strength). I want to try to get to Europe some time in the next couple of years, so I might save my money and just stick around here for the next little while.

I think that pretty well covers the last year and a half, if you're interested in more send on an email. Thanks for catching up.