That Time Again! Year End, 2024

That's right, the end of 2024 is nigh! That means weird behaviors, strange rituals, incredibly insane shopping stories...and decorated sugar cookies. I'm not tryna brag, but my MEH cookie is in a totally different league than Alex's perfect cookie. Who wants a sugar cookie so perfect that you could shellac it and hang it from a hook on your Christmas tree??

I had to include this photo of us making the aforementioned cookies because I thought the expressions were priceless. Tyson looks like he's wondering about the success of introducing bacon grease to a sugar cookie, but he hasn't said anything yet.

All year, I've been getting photos like this in my inbox. I'm pretty proud of her, but I'm also thinking it might be a passive-aggressive way of her telling me to get my flabby buttocks back into the gym. "How many plates you want on that Olympic bar, Hanna?" "I reckon I'll take some of the Big 'uns" she said.

I saw this on the internet the other day, and I thought it was such a perfect word! I applied it to Eli's trip to Gulf Shores with Kai. 

They meandered around the Gulf area, visited Florida (no Florida Man sightings) and generally just coddiwompled around until they ran out of money and time. They are almost home as of this writing.

Name tags are essential in some social settings. 

What is seemingly very boring news, I got a new mountain bike. What was not boring was that it was a surprise. I had no idea that my family had schemed to get a new bike for me for Christmas. It was only after asking a thousand questions about how to prepare this bike for a made-up customer that Eli finally spilled the beans and told me it was for me. Not only that, he mentioned that the new Boyd wheels that have yet to arrive would have decals that matched the yellow graphics on the new bike! I'll take another pic of that when I get them. I may be in the twilight of my cycling career, but my bikes keep getting better! (you don't have to feel mahvelous, you just have to look mahvelous)

Speaking of mahvelous! Not really. But it was better than last year by a chunk. I had a few good races, too. I won a Tuesday Night Crit. I won a cyclocross race. I think I did 17 races total this year. I'll take it. 

And The Beautiful Mrs. K did what she does: Gathering, organizing, planning, promoting, encouraging, riding, coaching...it's exhausting! 

And Remi the Hound Dog continues to do Remi. 

Atta boy, Rem.

And last, but certainly not least, we got a band together. Not like a musical band. But a band of coaches and mechanics and mountain bike nerds to give a stepping stone for kids who want to go farther with their sport. South Side XC Devo. You will see them everywhere in the early spring, riding, racing, and more. Say hi, give them the thumbs up, and watch for bigger and better things. 

Now then. On to...