The morning radio show that I listen to online ends each show with "What did you learn?" and they go around to each of the 3 hosts and 2 producers and get one or more comments from each. Most of the time, they're stupid and funny. I thought it would be fun to keep a similar log for my year, 2014. Little did I know what 2014 had in store at the time.
I missed a few days here and there and some days I had more than one thing to post. On those days where I had a lot of things to say, I narrowed it down to one. Many of these only have meaning to me. Some have been redacted because they were too personal or could expose me to issues that I'd rather not face in public yet. Thank you to everyone who helped me through this very difficult year. Let's hope that 2015 brings much less turmoil an many more miles on the bike and on the water.
1/1: Snowboarders should wear bright colors when a photographer is present
1/2: Supply and demand works - even with pot sales in Colorado
1/3: Frank Beers was an amazing man (Holes in my shoes movie)
1/4: It's bad etiquite to talk about digestive issues on Facebook
1/5: You CAN eat Lemon Herb Salmon for breakfast. And: You can't schedule wind. Wind always wins.
1/6: Old people are expendable! (Tim Book did computer training instead of driving his route in snowmageddon - they sent 2 older women in his place)
1/7: A haiku should have a pivot... a biting contradiction
Snow is a good child
It leaps and dances like stars
Still can't find daycare
1/8: School closings are like dominoes falling. Blame the lawyers.
1/9: 3 closings and a 2-hour delay makes one restless girl
1/10: Nobody wants to show their nipples through a jersey
1/11: Delta Dawn isn't easy to sing
1/15: It's ok to skip some days
1/16: I've forgotten what it's like to be broke
1/18: Other kids Jenna's age get to stay out until midnight
1/19: The worst part of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is the altitude adjustment - Lexie
1/20: If you are in Mrs [REDACTED]'s class, cheaters CAN prosper
1/22: Denial is the first stage of grieving - captain and tennille
1/23: You can't miss the bear. finding one data issue doesn't guarantee success
1/24: [REDACTED] can't type
1/25: The Grand Rapids Griffins can beat the Montreal Canadians
1/26: Matt Billings has a "no mister policy"
1/28: I lost my stylus and it will cost $10 to replace
1/29: Atlanta can't handle snow/ice any better than we can
1/30: [REDACTED]
2/3: Andrea can learn to not yell
2/5: A guy in a sports car might have to get out and push a truck out of the way
2/8: Mom clicks suspicious links on FB
2/10: Dad clicks suspicious links on FB, too
2/12: Jenna placed 3rd in the DECA competition
2/13: Conrad's carwash is not kind to girls driving manual transmissions
2/14: Turtle island has a house/bar built there (and a LOT of junk)
2/15: Google's page 2 is where the old internet begins - where you'll find free files
2/16: Olivia's cheeks make her head front-heavy
2/17: 2 hours of kiting can hurt like 5 hours of biking
2/18: Inspirational posts from other FB people can get you to get on the trainer when you don't want to
2/19: Jenna's hairdresser died suddenly
2/22: Religion can get in the way, still
2/23: Ice jams can move huge pieces and destroy trees - even healthy ones
2/24: Cog Monster LLC will become real
2/25: Only on my FB page would a kiter and a cyclist get into a grammar discussion on a post about underwear
2/26: [REDACTED]
2/27: Climaterrorists will be climaterrorists
2/28: I can write good things about myself, if I try.
3/1: Footprints in the snow are to mountain bike trails as coble stones are to a coblestone road laid by a person with no depth perception and no sense of touch.
3/2: Take handwarmers with you
3/4: Watching your child suffer is one of the most helpless feelings in the world
3/5: Back scratching and scalp massages can make pain go away
3/6: I am President, CEO, and Founder of Cog Monster LLC
3/7: Millionaires give millionaires trips to Africa. Billionaires give pickup trucks
3/8: A bike washing station in the basement is a great thing
3/10: Vets have no problem prescribing $60 pain meds for dogs
3/11: [project] just keeps getting more complicated
3/12: I am capable of hiding things from myself
3/15: Jenna rocks the top ten at DECA
3/16: Going to breakfast when you're sick isn't fun for anyone
3/18: I can still get lost in programming and enjoy my job
3/19: Pain points are similar across job roles and they mostly point to communication issues
3/20: 40 degrees is cold to people who don't ride in 13 degree temps
3/21: When you crash on ice, you don't get road rash because you slide
3/22: I am not capable of separating my little toe from my foot despite my efforts
3/23: Facebook is not the best place to communicate an event/gathering -- Attendance at the Cog Monster Jersey distribution was sparse at best
3/24: It was 4 years ago this month that we put Disney down. Today we did the same for Cadence. This hurts
3/25: No matter how many times I look, she's not laying on her pillow
3/27: Good ideas - like ice cream gift cards - are worthless if poorly implemented and not communicated
3/28: There's still residual snow on the north side of the garage
3/30: Matt Cleland is a big fat fatty and a jerk that nobody likes (except not)
4/4: The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is the Golden Gate Bridge
4/5: 4 flats on one ride can't ruin a great ride
4/6: Hawk Hill would make a great repeat loop for training
4/7: Brits can say "sort of" more times per minute than most people can say "ummm" in a minute
4/9: If your beta testers are only finding font size issues, you've done well
4/10: Userform1.ControlName.Property doesn't work as well as Userform1.Controls("ControlName").Property
4/11: Damond John went to the school of hard knocks and persevered
4/12: Oreo can learn to not jump up on you
4/13: Bella must be taken off her leash AFTER you're in the yard
4/14: "Every time" and "always" are subjective when describing the layout of an XML file
4/15: Screw off cap bottles can't be reused for craft brew
4/16: Mariah likes roller coasters more than Nicole. Mind blown
4/17: 7pm doesn't mean 7pm at belle tire - even if they've had your car since 8am
4/18: Bella will wait in the yard
4/19: Mt Mitchell... I got this
4/20: Sleeping in is good, if you can get there. Also, FB is dumb and I'm going back to GTG
4/21: Jenna thinks these are entertaining. Also 2/16 is the best
4/22: If you unlock a Nissan using the key-fob, it relocks itself making it impossible for your friend to securely drop off his wheel
4/23: Hot Pepper Raspberry Spread is amazing
4/24: Jackson makes up stuff, too
4/25: Eric Drake would make a tough but good boss
4/26: Eat more breakfast before a century
4/27: AJ can pop a wheelie on his scooter
4/28: Moths head toward the light when they die
4/30: I really do like my Galaxy S3 enough to not upgrade even though I can
5/1: Rick Hummel is a beast who can gap Tim E and me working together
5/2: Jenna isn't 8 and I won't treat her like she is
5/3: The Galaxy S5 is looking better and better
5/4: Dropped my phone this morning and broke the screen
5/8: Presenting in front of the CEO is fun
5/9: If you give Jenna enough rope, she'll hang herself, still
5/10: Mowing is less fun without my girl
5/11: #CyclistProblems is a good theme for CogMonster.com
5/12: The great towel crisis of 2014 ends tomorrow
5/13: Always do what's best for Jenna
5/14: Nashbar doesn't do a good job updating you on package status in shipping
5/15: I still cry when I think of Stupid
5/16: I'm still a last minute packer
5/17: If you can't fart in the bathroom, you can't fart anywhere
5/18: Brian and Eric have special diatary restrictions
5/19: I can still score big on big hills 7:43:21
5/20: Naps are good
5/21: [REDACTED]
5/22: 22.9 after AOMM hurts
5/23: Demolition is more fun than construction
5/24: Chris and I are pretty bad-ass with a tablesaw
5/25: Chris and I can destroy a tablesaw in less than 2 days
5/26: It's ok to sleep in... sometimes
5/27: Fact - I suck at selecting pints of strawberries
5/29: Missing one reference on a research paper drops the grade to an F (50%)
5/30: Julie can drink 4 lemon-drops
6/1: After drinking four lemon drops, Julie wakes up with "ouch" on the brain
6/2: Game 7 playoff hockey is the best hockey
6/3: Any windy day on the water is better than the best day working
6/4: Double check the weather forecast before you go to bed
6/5: Brent really did retire from racing
6/6: Without a dog, the space between your deck and the ground becomes a haven for small animals - rabbits, opossums, and raccons
6/7: I'm willing to stay up late to watch Stanley Cup Playoff overtime
6/8: Bonus wind is better than bonus hockey
6/9: A 70 mile ride can be ruined at mile 69.5 by a bad pass
6/10: I can forget my father's birthday
6/11: A phone with a moot button would be awesome
6/12: Danny Divito can't say whore either
6/13: Forgetting to hit reset on your garmin can make for a really silly track
6/14: Kiteboarding without an audience and without friends is less fun
6/15: 2013 MMM was way more fun than 2014
6/16: Green slime tubes are WORTHLESS (when you have a cut valve stem)
6/17: Audi HID headlights cost $918.00
6/18: Jenna is as bad at sorting laundry as she is at doing laundry
6/19: I can spin, still
6/21: Save your work
6/22: Wild yeast can ruine beer
6/23: Replacement shifters aren't cheap!
6/24: They're remaking A Never Ending Story - and I'm OK with that (no they're not)
6/25: In the year 2000, a $45,000 car didn't include auto-shut-off headlights
6/26: Cog Monster Bile is awesome
6/27: Requiring a superfluous supporting document to open a checking account can cost your bank some business
7/1: Monica likes the taste of hose...errrr ho's water.
7/2: Save more often
7/3: Keep this list in evernote
7/4: Backyard fireworks accidents can be very scary
7/5: If there's no body-fat, you'll need friction to get warm
7/6: Another name for "Kiteboarding in offshore winds" is "A bad idea"
7/7: Waiting for wind that never comes sucks
7/8: Wind that you didn't expect is more fun than wind that you wait all day for but it never comes
7/9: Thanks to pellicle, Cog Monster Bile is bitter and barely drinkable
7/10: I'm having a super awesome strong year on the bike
7/11: Sometimes you're just better off riding your bike
7/12: Some bottles of Cog Monster Bile are still ok
7/13: I CAN do a front roll!
7/14: The Toledo Blade hires morons - who can't write - to write articles
7/15: Mike's willing to brew some bile on Brewly in July
7/16: They need to have a meeting to discuss my availability
7/17: Adobe Illustrator is so frustrating
7/18: All the things are clean
7/19: Adobe Illustrator is pretty awesome
7/20: Thomas J dies
7/21: Eggs & Legs for lunch is still awesome
7/22: I can apply the carbon fiber pattern with AI!
7/23: A locked out AD account can ruin your day
7/24: When I saw a pay phone in the ruined subway of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, I knew it would never come to pass
7/25: Two darts short of a full magazine = not so bright
7/26: A goal without a plan is just a dream. A plan without steps is just a dream. Steps without action is just a dream
7/27: Real Mexicans don't eat sour cream - source Jenna
7/28: One can spend 8 hours working on an online store and still not be done
7/29: Help desk asking for your password is apparently common. Not gunna happen, though
7/30: If you get the right help desk agent, they don't ask for passwords
7/31: I think my mom is in denial about it being her birthday
8/1: Mom's phone died - that's why she didn't answer, twice
8/2: MARR followed the 80/20 rule... 80 miles in the rain and 20 on just wet roads
8/3: I NEED wind
8/4: South Ave is still a mess of potholes at the 75 exit
8/5:
8/6: People aren't rushing to buy BSCM dayglo green
8/7: Three of the area's best riders have crashed this year
8/8: If you sneeze and it blows your brains out, it will make it easier to climb high mountains
8/9: Microcystin... not so bad after all - if you're kiting
8/10: Missing a turn can be a good thing
8/11: Check on her every time from now on until she proves herself again
8/12: A one hour kite session can make your stay-cation bearable
8/13: A two hour kite session can make your stay-cation nice
8/14: I am a spammer
8/15: We need a MADD equivalent for Cyclists and bad drivers and I may just be the guy for that
8/16: Expect your children to do childish things
8/17: Then expect childish adults to abandon them for doing those things
8/18: Ugh.. back to work
8/19: When the weatherman is wrong, you ride your bike
8/20: Riding with Suzanne means still doing a lot of work, even when she's pulling
8/21: One's strength can exceed one's abilities
8/22: Waking up working means going into the office long before I want to
8/23: [REDACTED]
8/24: Saying goodbye sucks
8/25: I can keep up with TAB's fastest and some respected area racers
8/26: Pictures taken from a familiar perspective are enjoyable
8/27: I'm pretty good at reading people after all
8/28: Back in the 70s, it was adorbs-balls to teach a toddler to swear (Sarah Silverman)
8/29: Patching a hole is worthless if there's a gash 8 inches away
8/30: I think it's time to implement Roommate Mode to prepare Jenna for the future
8/31: The second button placement really does make or break the shirt
9/1: Wind on my birthday is the best present I could hope for
9/2: Requesting PTO to go play in the wind may cause jinxing of the wind
9/3: Rick is a pretty awesome boss when it comes to time off
9/4: Requesting PTO to go play in the wind DOES cause jinxing of the wind
9/5: Frontroll transitions with a back loop means pain
9/6: Cog Monster Bile V2.0 is delicious
9/7: Jenna is selfish
9/8: Tim gets excited about back to back centuries
9/9: The way to get people to participate in the summer picnic is to schedule everything
9/10: We are but a heart beat or a wheel-overlap away
9/11: We will never forget
9/12: BACON! is in the works
9/13: Always, always ask questions - don't just assume
9/14: When in doubt, say no
9/15: I can do it
9/16: Mid Ohio has a teen driving course
9/17: Scanning multi-page documents is a PITA
9/18: Monica is going to be a lovely bride
9/20: cremasteric muscle strains suck
9/21: Brooke's dad is awesome
9/22: Riding in the drops hurts more with a cremaster muscle pull
9/23: The new car itch is strong
9/24: Random days off without wind = naps
9/25: Making a brew kettle can be more expensive than buying one if you don't have the tools
9/26: Aimee can say it
9/27: I can advertise on my own site as much as I'd like
9/28: Some adults, who seem mature, are not
9/29: Still a bit sore
9/30: Jenna will be the death of me, I swear (I had no idea when I wrote this)
10/1: Don't yell, there may be Penguins fans close-by
10/2:
10/3: 90 minutes on the water is worth the price
10/4: Turning on the heat is depressing... a little
10/5: He's Baaack!
10/6: I think I'm a little scared of 2015 and beyond
10/7:
10/8: Founders Breakfast Stout is pretty damn good
10/9: 1 and 0 and 81 to go
10/10: Cube functions are my next big thing
10/11: A lot can be accomplished in the 12 hours that your friend competes in IRONMAN
10/12: I am completely healed - I hope
10/13: If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass when he hops (Red Foreman)
10/14: Saturday could be the pick of the week - wind-wise
10/15: Jenna is spending like she already makes good money
10/16: There are vast differences between Excel 2010 and 2013 when it comes to PowerPivot/PowerQuery
10/17:
10/18: 'Tis better to require an RSVP than to request a "not attending" reply
10/19: The rebound shuffleboard table is huge but Chris's van can handle it
10/20: People have to complain about something
10/21: To be a Chainsaw Ninja, you must act quickly
10/22: In Canada, they have Kurig machines at concerts
10/23:
10/24: Crystal Ellis is an amazing individual and I could tell that from a 4 minute conversation
10/25: 60 miles at 20.7 average was too much
10/26: F5.6 + ISO 1600 is the answer for pictures at the switchbacks
10/27: Charlie Horse + Time = back spasm but stretching really helps
10/28: I've been nominated for the TAB Board
10/29: Raking 0.4 miles of bike trail is hard work
10/30: It gets worse
10/31: I just want to get lost
11/1: I have great respect for those who homebrew and I intend to get there
11/2: Getting lost isn't an option
11/3: Beersmith needs an Evernote plug-in
11/4: Jenna has quite a history
11/5: Make sure you check the inventory before you leave the store
11/6: I'm no Lance Armstrong - thank Pepe
11/7:
11/8: We like our men like we like our weather... bringing 8-12 inches (from an IRC chat)
11/9: Racking to secondary... WAIT; There's no rush.
11/10: I need to build a fermentation chamber
11/11: Being a pack-rat can pay off but it's still not worth it
11/12: 19.4 degrees Celsius
11/13: Sometimes you just have to start over
11/14: Bad news (to someone else) can raise your spirits
11/15: I should have ridden
11/16: I still hate the rollers
11/17: Jenna lies about stupid crap for no damn reason
11/18: When it's not her gas, Jenna is willing to make extra trips
11/19: Getting up at 5:50 for someone who says "We don't have a relationship!" seems pointless
11/20: Taking someone who says "We don't have a relationship" to the ER at 1:30 am reminds you that you're daddy... always
11/21: It's so comforting to have people to lean on
11/22: We might be just a radiator away from a return to normalcy
11/23: You are right to keep harping
11/24: My system for filling in orders on the champ sys web site has flaws
11/25: Lemon Drop Gose seems quite drinkable
11/26: Working from home isn't bad if you have a task
11/27: ILM_LILM_ may be the best IRC weekend thing ever
11/28: German Engineering saved Jenna hundreds or thousands
11/29: Ed will never give you a number
11/30: Meditation is hard
12/1: It's good to have some normalcy again
12/2: It got worse and normalcy was fleeting
12/3: The year of "It STILL could have been worse" continues
12/4: [REDACTED]
12/5: It'll be difficult, but I can do it
12/6: Don't empty the mash tun below 1.010 SG
12/7: [REDACTED]
12/8: [REDACTED]
12/9: One of the hardest things you can do as a parent is to watch your children make mistakes that you already made
12/10: It's also really difficult to recognize when you are acting irrationally
12/11: [REDACTED]
12/12: [REDACTED]
12/13: Don't step on your sunglasses
12/14: I wish there was an opt-out for Christmas
12/15: Jenna is recovered
12/16: I don't like keeping secrets
12/17: People make bad decisions when they're drunk
12/18: [REDACTED]
12/19: The closer we get, the more I hate Christmas
12/20: Spent-grains dog-treats are easy to make
12/21: 3 on 3 can't come fast enough for the Wings
12/22:
12/23: I still love riding even when it's cold
12/24: I need a better pretzel recipe
12/25: Still a last-minute wrapper
12/26: Belgian Dubbel may be my favorite flavor
12/27: Blue is a real color
12/28: The Lions are the Lions
12/29: Dremel grinding is fun
12/30: Plate 21 would be an OK place to work for a couple hours
12/31: Always do for others - family or extended family or just people in general. You'll be in their shoes one day, if you're lucky
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