I had a great weekend getaway with the wife. It was a good time to reconnect, chill and have a good time away from home. And that last cup of coffee seemed like a great idea when we got home.

As I waited for sleep to overtake me, it could not be found. Instead I found myself looking at the clock, taking my resting heart rate which was 65 bpm, a little amped from the coffee, and getting swept away by thoughts in my mind like waves hitting the shoreline…

…Things are happening. People ARE getting off the couch. I was thinking about people like Chris, Rachel, Gretchen and others that are doing things, entering races, tris or runs, buying new bikes and training to meet bigger goals in 2012. I love to hear that Adventure Monkey is having an affect on people’s lives. That is the reason for this site and all that I do here.

…Coffee. I definitely shouldn’t have had that last cup of coffee. The fresh ground beans were delightful though. Very tasty, and the smell. I can’t wait for my morning cup. But now. Five hours sleep. If I fall asleep now, I’ll get five hours. I went to bed like two hours ago.

…I gotta get ready for the Stagecoach 400. I need to get my bikepacking gear nailed down and purchased. Bills to pay. Airline ticket. If I go early I can see family. I need to get my plans figured out. Bivy, tarp or tent? Revelate bags. Still need to purchase the seatbag and handlebar bag. Errin and Erik are using that same bivy. Clothing. Do I need rain gear? I don’t have any. For crying out loud.

I finally got out of bed and got on the computer. I might as well use my time to research and order supplies.

First I got on the Revelate Designs site. I almost ordered, then I wasn’t sure about the handlebar setup. I emailed Eric about it. Hopefully he will answer soon. I see from his Facebook page that he’s out-of-town. I know I am going to get his seatbag, the Viscacha  and a handlebar bag setup too. I need to order the items I know I want ASAP.

Now, let’s go ahead and order that bivy. Errin and Erik both like it. It’s the Ptarmigan  from Titanium Goat. As I looked it over I had more questions. Hmm. I soon found myself reading through reviews and opinions about ultralight shelters for hiking, backpacking  and bikepacking on the interwebs. The minutes crept by as I scoured different sites for information. Finally I landed on something that looked interesting. Tarptents by Henry Shires. I looked at each single person shelter and watched each video. Then I looked up some reviews. Some were scathing and some were exemplary. Just like any other gear. Some people love it others hate it. These looked interesting.

Finally my eyes felt a little heavy. I shut the laptop and headed to bed. I layed down and tried to relax. I little more tossing and turning, another resting heart rate check, now down to 53bpm. “If I fall asleep now, I’ll get three hours sleep.” Sometime after that the waves of sleep finally pulled me under.

Feed Your Monkey!
Eric