Gratitude

Sometimes I forget to be thankful.

I turned on the news this morning and watched a wall of water devour a river valley in Japan that looked a lot the one I grew up in. I tried to put myself inside that car as it was swallowed up trying to escape the black sludge of an intruding sea. I am thankful not to have been in that car.

The people of Libya have lived under the rule of a repressive dictator for the past 40 years. This week, hundreds of Libyans died in a conflict for political ideals and basic human rights. At times I question the altruism and transparency of those who lead this country, but I am thankful to have the right to criticize my government on a public forum.

A recent study by the US Military reported that 2,537 civilians were killed, and another 5,594 were injured in Afghanastan in 2010 & 2011. Considering the source of this data, and their track record, one might assume these estimates are far to low. In any case, it is difficult to argue that those who suffer the most in armed conflict want little or nothing to do with the fight that showed up uninvited at their doorstep. I am thankful to live in a country that overwhelmingly chooses to solve it's internal disagreements through political discourse.

A week ago I sat the passenger in a car and watched a man with what I assume to be Multiple Sclerosis struggle to position his motorized wheelchair in a manner that would allow him to reach the crosswalk button . I am thankful for the ease at which I roll through that same intersection on my bike at 15 mph on a regular basis.

Tomorrow I will wake up and ride my bike for an hour in the rain and practice Yoga under the watchful eye of my wife. I will eat wonderful food and drink hot coffee for breakfast in a peaceful restaurant. In all likelihood, no road-side bomb will explode on my path, no missiles will strike down announced from the sky, and the hands of nature will remain relatively docile for another day. I will live as I see fit in pursuit of my happiness, grateful for one more day of health and peace in my life. Tomorrow I will not forget to be thankful.

Livin' the Dream,

Matt

Shadow: An area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object. On March 5th, 2011 the sun shined for the first time this year in Seattle. I am thankful for the slightest hint of an approaching summer.

Young entrepreneurs out in force at the first signs of Spring. They assured Jenny and I that "they would have popsicles in the next week or two".

Not quite Mexico or Hawaii, but a fifty cent lemonade near the Puget Sound pretty much counts as a beach vacation with cocktails.

Some of us are really grateful for the sun.

I ran into my cousin Jessica at Golden Gardens. I am her favorite cousin.

Pretty cool paint job, but I prefer our little house.

Snowman is also thankful to go to the beach.

I would like to thank the person who purchased the Shake Weight at full-price and then donated it to the Greenwood Goodwill. I have only owned it a week, and have been more than satisfied with the value of $1.99 I paid. As a fitness professional, I can honestly say that I have never laughed quite as much while using a piece of exercise equipment. I think it is important that everyone follow the link above and watch the promotional video. It won't change your life and you shouldn't buy anything, but it is pretty funny and laughter is good medicine.

A cold ride the rain provides the perfect reference point for a hot yoga class. Jenny is now teaching at Mountain Flow in Madrona.

Recovery Meal. A picture says a thousand words & fat cardiologists can go pound sand.

Snt. Cloud Cafe.

Most of all I am thankful for a partner who will join me in putting a little adventure into an ordinary rainy Seattle day. We got wet to the bone biking today when driving was an easy option. Jen kept smiling and joking our way through the soggy day. Like my Dad says, It is better to be lucky than good and I certainly got lucky with Jen!

An Adventure with the Fabritius Clan

Bike, bags, bottles, coffee & a wee hangover.... Url ready to roll!

Cool Gary, Vashon Island, WA. As legend has it Gary was a life long islander who suffered from mental illness. Gary could often be found hitchhiking the island roads, somedays with a smile and a wave, others with a cursing fist. In any case, he was part of the Island Family and largely accepted by the community. Gary was killed when he stepped into traffic on a dark winter morning. This statue stands as a memorial to him and the unique community of Vashon.

Time warp. Vashon Island, WA.

Now that Rudolph is a celebrity, he hangs out on Vashon most of the year.

Discovered in 1792 by Capt. George Vancouver named for his friend Capt. James Vashon. Pioneering began in 1877 when Shermans came to homestead at Quartermasters Harbor: Prices, Miners, and Gimans at Paradise Valley. By 1878 all had settled on claims.

Rhododendron ride.

The Goldfish Tavern. Tacoma, WA. Had it been open, I would have likely stopped to fuel up.

The Ortlieb Ultimate 5 Classic Handlebar Bag. I love this piece of gear and affectionately call it my glove box. Maps, food, phone, camera, wallet and snowmen all at the tips of my fingers. With all seriousness though, I own several Ortlieb products and have never been anything but thrilled about the quality and function.

Jenny's homemade bike bars.

Visits to the emergency room will be in this one's future.

Taylor on the wake-up call.

Nature wins again. The Deschutes River at Pioneer Park in Olympia finding the path of least resistance.

Good clean fun.

Late morning snack.

Nylon pants and morning rain made for perfect sliding conditions.

It seems that that the future of Ursus maritimus is largely dependent upon our desire/ability to curb greenhouse gas emissions and the resultant impact on polar ice cap retention.

Loading up.

Pre-crash action shot.

The whole "keep your eyes headed the same direction your bike is going" hasn't really sunk in with young Carter quite yet.

Taylor, just happy to be included.

My ride home.

Train tracks are huge part in the history of both Washington and United States. I believe that they also are a key to our future.

Recovery meal.

Saturday morning came early with the echo of Friday night's beers tapping lightly, yet persistently behind my eyeballs. Can't do the time, then don't do the crime say I. An alpine start of 8:20 am and a a quad Americano got me rolling the now familiar route to the Fauntlaroy Ferry in West Seattle. I put in a phone call to my 4 year old nephew Carter on the ferry to Vashon.

Unlce Matt, I am coming to get you in a helicopter was about all I could decipher through heavy breathing and the pitter-patter of feet running across hardwood floors.

That sounds much more fun than spinning another fifty miles with a slight hangover, I thought to myself.

OK see you soon, bye! click before I could arrange my pick-up spot.

A spin in the foggy mist and tall evergreens of Vashon delivered me to an encounter of the Snohomish kind with a friend from the past. Sixteen years time and I recognized Sean on the sidewalk outside Harbor Merchantile in an instant. I wouldn't have had this meeting in a car.

A Rhododendron ride to Point Defiance and south through University Place. A 10 minute chat with the mailman saved me half an hour and got me off my donor ride to the refuge of bike lanes. South...Steilacoom, Joint Base Lewis-McCord, a secret passage through the twilight zone of Dupont, bike lanes in Lacey, destination Olympia reached.

The welcoming crew at my sister Jenny's house was 25% naked when I arrived on this particular evening, but offered food, water and shelter. Un-offended and hungry, I was thankful for a hot meal and a warm bed.

Jenny was pretty straightforward when I told her I wanted to come down and hang out for the weekend, You never know what you are going to get Matt, she warned.

I manage large groups of five year old children for a living, and figured hanging out with my two and four year old nephews for a day would be a cake walk. Mark Twain once said All you need is ignorance and confidence and success is sure. I have plenty of both, but Mark never met my nephews.

Super Bowl Sunday found the men at the pleasantly empty Pioneer Park on the Deschutes River. Forest hiking, rock throwing, spiral sliding and a short lived long jump competition carried the morning into afternoon. Carter ate bird shit, which was not nearly as troubling as the fact that he didn't seem to mind the taste. Skip made a smart Dad move and declared it lunch time before Carter got hungrier and found something more revolting to eat.

Load up the troops and off to the Cabela's in Lacey. If you have never been , it is quite a site to behold. Lots and lots of dead stuff, tools associated with the craft, and folks largely interested in killing more of it. I grew up in a gun family and have killed and ate more than a few animals in my life. I take no issue with hunting and do so myself. In fact I think that if all people who ate meat got a little "closer to the source" we might respect the life that ended to sustain ours a little more.

Sunday afternoon came to quickly. A break in the rain and an unfamiliar route to the train station motivated me to my bike. Carter helped me pack and Taylor, always happy to be included, followed close behind. The clouds parted for a moment and invited a quick ride with the boys. Helmets and boots, training wheels and laughter; a Front Door Adventure on the Lake Cove Loop.

Experience is the best teacher, and my nephews didn't really inherit the caution gene. Sharp turns at high speeds usually don't end all that well, and this was no exception. A respectable crash, a skinned elbow and an abandoned bike cut the adventure a little short but left a smile etched on my soul.

As I peddled away from Olympia I realized that five minutes on the bikes with Carter and Taylor was more fun than the 80 miles it took me to earn the opportunity. I love these boys more than words do justice and look forward to the day that the we shed the training wheels and stretch the adventure just a little further beyond the Front Door.

Livin' the Dream

Matt

The Reference Point

Sometime during the chaos of building My Front Door, my sister Jenny slipped my wife Jenny (yes I know it is a little weird) a wad of cash and told her to spend it on something fun. This Front Door Adventure is brought to you by my loving Sister Jenny.

Adventure Bike 1.0 (AKA Url). Built like a tank yet hard to hit. Designed and built by David and Issac at Second Ascent in Ballard. Top notch work done at a fair price.

Oishii Sushi in Greenwood. Pros: Good Sushi and great service. Cons: No bike rack.

I am a Lucky Basartd to have married such a fine looking woman who will go on a bike date in the rain with me. I am thankful her parents invested in orthodontic braces.

My month of sobriety did not stop me from stocking the beer cellar. Chuck's on 85th and 8th in Greenwood has the best beer selection in Seattle. Chuck is a pretty entertaining fellow as well.

My Team: Promises of hot coffee and food just around the next bend and beer at the end of the day keep Team Snowman on the move.

In what I have coined the Beach Climb Ride, 5 Seattle and Shoreline Parks are visited over 40 miles and 1500 feet of climbing. Hamlin Park, Shoreline WA.

Rails, rain and empty playgrounds.

One of my favorite tree in Seattle. If this one could talk, a story it could surely tell.

Salmon Slide. Carkeek Park, Seattle WA.

Perfect riding conditions. 43 degrees and raining. We love our green summers here in Seattle.

The tree gives the blacktop the middle finger. As much as pavement make my life by bike easier, I still like to see the trees win the battle.

First beer in 29 days. I haven't gone that long since I was 12.

January 3oth, 2011. Rainy and 43 degrees in Seattle Washington. Today was a perfect Reference Point Day. A Reference Point Day you ask? What on earth is that? The Reference Point is closely tied to my belief that we might all benefit by embracing a little more discomfort in our lives. Yes that is what I said, embrace discomfort.

I had this conversation a couple weeks ago with Ben Krause who has been farming in the Snohomish River Valley for the past 30 years. Sitting in his hot tub drinking a beer just a few miles short riding a 1oo miles on a day that the temperature never creeped above freezing, Ben offered his opinion of my recreational pursuits, "I can see the fun in riding bikes and all Matt, but today is pretty miserable man."

I couldn't disagree, but instead posed this question. "Are you comfortable right now Ben?"

He looked a bit confused and hesitated, but sitting in a 100 degree pool of water with a cold beer, there was really only one answer, "Yeah, I am pretty comfortable."

"How do you know?", was my follow-up question. Again, a confused look; this time I didn't wait for a response.

"You know you are comfortable because you have spent quite a bit of time uncomfortable Ben." I pointed across the yard over to the old milk parlor, which was converted into a bakery/kitchen several years ago when the Krause's discovered that pumpkin patches and weddings were a better bet than cows. "I can remember when we were kids and you would be up at three in the morning on freezing cold mornings going broke milking cows. Covered in shit, cussing up a storm and every day deeper in dept. That was pretty uncomfortable eh?" Ben laughed and nodded, "Yeah, that was pretty uncomfortable alright."

"Exactly, you know you are comfortable now because you have spent quite a bit of time in your life really uncomfortable, you have a reference point for understanding comfort. " I could tell Ben was following me but still thought I was crazy.

It seems to me that we strive so much in our lives to eliminate any discomfort that we don't recognize or appreciate the simple things that bring us comfort. A hot shower, dry socks, a roof over my head, clean drinking water and a warm bed. These are a few of the simple comforts that I appreciate on daily basis.

People have a hard time understanding why I get out of bed an hour early in the morning when it is pouring down rain, get on a bike and peddle when there is a perfectly fine automobile sitting at curb side ready to deliver me to my destination. The truth is that inviting a little discomfort into my life provides the reference point for me to understand and appreciate the things that bring me comfort.

As our country becomes collectively fatter, more polluted, and increasingly mechanized I think we all might benefit a little by inviting a bit more discomfort in our lives. Maybe a short walk in the rain to bus stop, possibly getting up a little earlier to carpool with coworker, might I suggest a bike ride in the rain?

You gotta get to know the ying to understand the yang.

Livin' the Dream

Matt