The last post of 2007

Thanks to the fact that Sarah is sick AGAIN, I'm not going out tonight. It'll be some trainer riding and movie watching, and my guess is I won't make it to midnight. But honestly, who cares? The Julian calendar is as arbitrary as any other. But grumbling aside, thanks to everyone who helped make 2007 a really good year for me. Some highlights:
-Really getting into building full suspension bikes. The Ventana/Waltworks custom combos have worked out super well and I've gotten several orders for them, and my new 29" DH bike is the best long-travel bike I've ever ridden. I'm super proud of it, even if the DH crowd isn't quite ready yet (hence not one order for one... c'est la vie).
-Racing. Sarah had a great year and won the Winter Park series as an expert. Maybe she'll have to move up next year. I managed a 2nd place, a 6th place, and a 9th place in the uber-competitive Tipperary finale (you know when 50 pros roll off the line and JHK and the Schultz boys are among 'em that it's a serious race). Missed my goal of making the final podium due to a stupid DH crash. Maybe next year...
-As a side note, I was in both first place and last place at some point during EVERY race I finished at Winter Park. Not that weird, given that I usually spin out on the SS in the starts and get to the singletrack last, but still interesting.
-Sarah passed all her exams, jumped through all her hoops, finished all her classes, and is an official PhD candidate. Plus she got a raise (woo! $24k a year!)
-My good friend Lee and his wife Linda had a baby boy (congrats!) and my friends Shems and Crystal announced that they're expecting one as well. As those are my first college friends to end up in a family way, I'm feeling a little old, but I'll get over it, I'm sure.

For those of you who were waiting, here's a final shot of the Ventana frame. Shown are the shock mount and toptube/seat tube brace. I'll do a shot of the final powdercoated and assembled frame as well when it's ready.