Just thinking. That's all.

Normally, I don't work on bikes to much on Sunday, but today after Daren and Joanne left I needed a quiet time to be close to Doug. Working on bikes is one of those places for me. Cross season starts very soon (tomorrow actually) and I have been procrastinating the task of getting Doug's cross bike ready to race. It's amazing how comforting it is to take apart a bike and put it back together. I get terribly engulfed in the work. Today though I was doing it to be close to my dad.

Daren and Joanne came for a quick visit to drop Erin off in Eugene to attend the U of O for grad school. It was so nice to see them and have them here. We are very excited to have Erin and Pat close by. We don't have much family this way. Even though Doug and Daren have different personalities, there are so many similar mannerisms  that I couldn't help but be reminded of the old man.

Daren and I were able to get away for a few hours to ride the back roads of Eugene.  When Doug would come in to town, the first thing he would ask was, "When can we ride?" He loved the beauty and quiet roads of Eugene. They are country roads with little to no cars. You can ride double on most of the roads, allowing you ample time to catch up and talk. It was great catching up with Daren on our ride. I was reminiscing and talking about the last ride I did in Eugene with my Doug, Wolf Creek. It's an old logging road with trees so dense that they form a tunnel around you as you ride. He always wanted to take a detour and ride all the way to the coast, but I never got to do that one with him. On our last ride on Wolf Creek I was pulling out my camera to take an action photo of him riding and my camera slipped and broke. Never took pictures the same after that - a little blurry.

I think I realized how much I miss the little things with my dad. Erin and I had to go to her apartment to sign papers, but when I came back Daren was outside in the backyard playing with my boys. My dad loved to do that. It makes me sad to know that my kids are going to grow up without their grandpa. He really loved them.

I am grateful for family in that they can help fill these voids in my life. It will never be the same as having my dad back, but it helps.