Hello...Anybody Out There?

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome myself back to the blogosphere (I hate the word blogosphere). It's been a little over three years since my last post. In my "goodbye" post dated January 4th, 2012, I was whining about lacking the time to keep up with my blog. So what's changed? I'm retiring! One week from today I'll be retiring from the Texas Department of Public Safety where I have worked the last twenty five years, approximately six years as a Highway Patrol Trooper then the last nineteen as a plain clothes Criminal Investigator. This means that I'll have time, craploads of it, for blogging and most everything else I enjoy. Looking at my Blogger feed I notice that quite a few of the folks who were blogging back in the day are still at it (back in day being 2012). Great! I'm going to spend some time visiting these blogs and getting reacquainted with everyone and everything.

My new Blogger profile pic.

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With my new found freedom I'm looking to do something I've never had the opportunity to do before. I've got a couple of ideas but alot depends on how much money I get paid for my unused vacation. I should be receiving a check March 1st. I'll be able to make serious plans at that point.

What's been occupying my mind lately is the thought of doing a cross country bike tour. I think it would be cool to ride out of my garage, head west across Texas and jump on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route near Silver City, New Mexico. I also wouldn't mind connecting to the ACA Southern Tier route in El Paso and head out to San Diego. I've never seen the Pacific Ocean and I hear that San Diego is a nice place to visit. If I felt up to it I could then follow the ACA Pacific Coast route north to Seattle. Like I said, it's just an idea right now.