Savin' Gas

Becky and I have saved 33 gallons of gas over the last 5 months by commuting on our bikes to work here at P&P. I was lying in bed thinking about this dismal fact last night.

Was it worth it to sweat, freeze, get rained on and honked at - all to save 80 bucks and reduce worldwide oil demand by 33 gallons? Mix in the friends we’ve met, memories of pedaling through Lafayette after dark, the feeling of connection to our community and I can truthfully say that I think so.

Most of all though, it feels like we’re living purposefully on things that we value. Im not too worried about how large or small the results are. Commuting is fun, we feel good about it – and in the end, maybe that’s what it’s all about.

Our Anniversary

Actually, this is one day AFTER our year anniversary of hiking north from Springer Mtn Georgia. Tonight, we presented our finished AT slideshow to a wonderful group of around 30 people. I was so pleased that this many folks turned out to hear about our adventure.

I spent hours trying to get just the right music and timing on my slides. Yesterday, I spent 4 or 5 hours going through my journal to come up with some good quote to use during the show. These journal quotes were intended to give people an inside feel for our state of mind and our emotions at different points in the trail. I was a little embarresed when I started getting choked up reading some of these journal entries. Luckily I pulled it together and I don't think that many people noticed.

Well - I think that the turnout for this event shows that there's potential for what we want to do with Pack & Paddle and the new room once EPuck moves out in May.

Trail to Trial - A Whole New Life

Over the last few weeks, friends and acquaintances have been coming in to see what's happening at Pack and Paddle. I've had a lot of fun telling them what we're planning for the business and how much fun we're having.
That brings me to today. I've decided that it would be fun to share some of the stories of our re-construction project with you over the next few months. Since we've been working on this for a while, I'll spend the next few days catching you up to what's been going on in our lives this spring.
Let me begin at the beginning (sort of): Becky and I spent 6 months of 2006 hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. I don't think that at the time we returned that I fully appreciated the depth and breadth of the changes in our lives that took place on this adventure.

I came home calmer, bolder, stronger, more confident and most of all, having more fun with everything I did. I don't know where the change came from, but now that we've been home for over 6 months, I can tell you it's happened and it's not going away.
Two days after we arrived back in Lafayette, our biggest competitor out of California called and was interested in purchasing EPuck.com (our internet based hockey retail site). Long story short: EPuck was sold in early February. This freed Becky and I up to become more creative and have more fun with Pack & Paddle than we ever had before.

This joy that we've shared with so many of you is where our new adventure began. So far, things have not gone the way we expected. It's been more difficult to transition from trail to business than we thought. Actually, I hope NEVER to make that transition. But we are muddling through. Just like the AT. Step by step with patience and (hopefully) a touch of humor.

If you stick with me, I'll share the true stories and thoughts that are making up my life right now. If you're in the shop sometime, please mention that you are reading my blog - that will definitely make my day and keep me writing...

This is What it's All About

I had more fun tonight than I've had in a really long time. I presented a slideshow of the Appalachian Trail to a group of scouts and gave them a talk on lightweight backpacking. This is my first duty to perform in my "new" role at Pack & Paddle. Only hours before the event, we signed final papers for the sale of our business (EPuck.com). Then I'm in the warm and woody womb of P&P talking about some of the things I love most: Hiking, Kids and Gear.

When I started, I had a rough idea of what I wanted to say. By the time I was done, I had talked about the AT experience, Hiking gear, responsibility on a trip to your group, leadership, preparation and even making the most of life. It was like when Jerry McGuire's manifesto (memo) poured out of him. For me, it was an uplifting, exciting and fun experience. Becky was there with me, making it complete.

This was an auspicious start in that it totally defined what we hope to be and become at Pack & Paddle. I left the building pumped up about all the possibilities of things we had in front of us over the next few months.