2009 Review
Walking: I began the year struggling with knee and hip pain, wondering if I would ever hike again. After one failed regimen, a chiropractor gave me a therapy program that worked. I managed to hike across Wyoming with Ann and Pete, suffering far more intestinal pain than knee pain. Now I’m experimenting with running again, exactly what got me in trouble before, but with a whole new twist: bare feet.
Working: Thanks to Ann, I’ve spent the entire year developing my ability to make a living doing freelance work procured largely via my open source software. It seems to be working! This has inspired us to make exciting plans for 2010.
Eating: This was my first year as a vegan! The diet works for me and makes me feel great. I thought it would be terribly hard to give up half and half in my coffee, and cheese on everything, but I was surprised. The hard part is that I’ve yet again rejected mainstream values, further isolating me and adding one more difficulty for my already weak social skills to overcome. I hate casting myself as a morally superior being, yet I can’t picture giving up the diet for this reason. So mostly I try to be an Onobtrusive Vegan.
There was a nice helping of gravy on the year – some climbing, and really good visits with friends and family. The end of my sixth year of marriage, however, brought challenges that some of our married friends warned would come in otherwise unpredictable forms. It proved to be a time to question our marriage, answer those questions together, and come out to our great relief with a renewed appreciation of our partnership. Now I’m glad for the struggle because I feel closer than ever to Mrs. Cyberhobo.
Last but not least, there were numbers! Here are some of the things I kept track of by week:
Hours Tracked (by GPS, starting in June): 400.9
Outdoor Nights: 22|39
Miles on Foot: 1148.81
Elevation Gain on Foot (ft): 195116
Rock Climbing Elevation Gain (ft): 4250
Miles by Bike: 262.08
Bike Elevation Gain (ft): 6095
Books Read: 13
Movies Watched: 33
