Ladies and Gentleman, Pearl Jam (or not)

February. It's still over three months away, but it's always on my mind. Why? Decisions. Every year I've gotta pick and choose my races, and sometimes a few of them that I really wanted to do end up on the cutting room floor. Time, money, conflicting dates, commitments, logistics, work, family, and boredom all come into play when it's time to make the call. This February I'll be faced with my first of these such decisions for 2010: The Season of Broken Dreams;

P36AR VS SSAZ/SSUSA

I've been thinking about doing each of these events quite a bit over the last coupla years. Both of them are promoted by a coupla of my friends (Eric PMBAR Honcho Wever and Dejay Birtch) so the friend card can be a hard one to play when there are two in your hand. Somehow they managed to pick the same date in February for their events, as if there just weren't any other weekends to choose from (I've looked at the calender, and there are three others). I've been making a mental plus/minus checklist which I've decided to share with the class today.

P36AR plus:

I can drive to it (it's in Pisgah).

I don't have to take any time off work (although I will have to return to work on Monday after doing the 36 hour race).

The outta pocket costs are extremely low.

I want to do this race at least once before I die (that could happen at any time and maybe even at the race itself).

I sorta know what I'm getting myself into (36 hours of cold and pain).

I'll get to see some folks I know.

SSAZ/SSUSA plus:

I haven't been to Arizona in years (and when I was there it was a horrible experience at the 24HITOP).

Being in Arizona in February sounds pleasant.

Being on vacation is always better than being at work.

It would be relatively cheap (compared to other out west adventures I've been on).

There would be lots of camaraderie and hanging out.

It's easier to enjoy a beer when you're not riding for 36 hours.

I'll get to see some folks I know from all over the country.

P36AR minus:

No matter what the promoter tells me I know that I'm gonna miss out on some sleep (I like sleep).

It's gonna be cold and more than likely wet (I hate being cold and wet).

It's gonna be hard at a time when I'm not really ready for a hard time.

I've already ridden almost everything in Pisgah before, so I won't see anything new (except maybe my penis in a frozen state).

SSAZ/SSUSA minus:

It's gonna cost me money.. real money... amigo money. I'm figuring $2oo-300 plus unpaid time off work (that's a decent chunk of money).

This is not the time to be taking unpaid time away from work (I need to make hay while the sun shines).

I'll be eating into my time off work just one month into the year.

I'll be burning up kitchen passes on the home front.

It means travel.. airplanes, bike boxes, luggage, and all the crap I just absolutely abhor when it comes to racing.

Time, money, conflicting dates, commitments, logistics, work, family, and boredom are all accounted for and in a state of conflict. If I choose not to decide I still have made a choice, right? I gotta do one or the other, so I guess I need to get off the fence and do something a little less close to doing nothing, but different than the day before. Can I mix a Rush reference with Prince, or is that poor form? Who cares? I'd go see both of them in concert together (if the tickets were free, I didn't have to take time off work, it was an indoor concert with climate control, and I could take some friends with me).

"I only want to see you riding in the Pisgah Rain. Pisgah Rain, Pisgah Rain..."