Hidden Splendors

it's been a while since i've written anything, and part of the reason is because i haven't been motivated to do much of anything.  i got a cold about a week ago, and just when i thought i was on the mend, i got a little stomach bug which zapped me of most of my energy and had me remembering what projectile vomit is all about.

i had a great weekend (despite the stomach bug) visiting old friends in Reno whom i hadn't seen in about twenty years (since high school) and remembering why it is that i have furry kids and not the human kind.  wow.  what a lot of work and challenge those little ones are.  hats off to all of you who have the human kind of children.  i don't think i could do it.

the last few days of rest have me realizing that i need to start making a solid effort at getting ready for the 2011 event-season (aka "racing", but as a middle-of-the-packer, i hate to use that term race... ) and wondering how it is that we are almost in January already.  most event sign-ups start taking place in January, and some have already taken place.  i'm trying to figure out where i will be working this spring ~ if i will be extending my contract here in Nevada or looking north for another assignment in a similar type of practice.  the event schedule will in part be determined by where my living/working location is at any point in time this summer, and i can't say with much certainty where either of those will be... time will tell...

i was commenting on another friend's blog that i am impressed by her ability to look to the future and see where she might possibly be 5 years from now.  i'm just looking at where i might be 2 months from now, and it's hard for me to look much further ahead.  not sure why that is, but that's how my brain is functioning these days.  might be a survival tactic:  that i'm trying to enjoy the moment and not get disappointed in things that might not materialize.

for the next few days, i will be driving many miles:  first to Utah, then to Idaho, then back to Nevada.  long days in the car looking out across our Western landscape of desert is a great place to contemplate all that we have:  the hidden splendors that can show up at any time without warning, and the joys that they bring.

Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a joyous 2011.