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Here are a few shots of the soon-to-be Thornhill homestead. The ones with furniture are of the model home. And, in the interest of full disclosure, we didn’t think about documenting the construction progress until last weekend, so the ones where the walls are most unfinished are of another home that’s about a week or two behind ours in the construction phase.

Creekside Village

Found via TruthAboutAbs.com:

Does anybody even look at this thing anymore, given that I add a post only every few months? Well, on the off chance that someone does, here’s the official announcement of Mike Thornhill Creative Services (I’m sure I’ll change the name to something good in a few months, but that’ll do for a start). Looking for a cheap (in price only, I hope; not in quality) photographer for a wedding or other event? Need a brochure or newsletter designed? How about some writing–maybe a news release or an article? I’m your guy.

Check out what currently passes for my Web site for this little endeavor at MikeThornhill.wordpress.com.

So the EMT (Everlovely Mrs. T) and I skipped church (again) this morning and went cycling down the river to Marshall and back. Hard to believe this is only the third time this year I’ve been out on the bike. I’ve really got to get back in gear (get it, “in gear”–it’s a joke, ah say, it’s a joke, son). My motivation just hasn’t been there the past couple of years. This year, my motivation is somewhat back: just like with racquetball, I’m back at the point of wanting to ride; I just need to figure out how to translate that into actually getting on the bike (or the court). To deal with (pre-ride) bed head and (post-ride) helmet head, I threw on my ball cap the EMT got me to commemorate my first century ride, which was almost exactly four years ago, and realized I haven’t done a century since later that summer. Heck, I haven’t gone more than 30 miles in a single ride since last August, and that was the first one of that distance since the previous August.  But I digress…

Anyways, the point of this was the headwind. What is it about riding a bike that you always have a headwind, even if you’re doing an out-and-back? Or maybe it’s just the NC 151 ride down the river that works that way. And what is it about me that I can’t seem to remember that’s the way it works? Seems I’m always thinking to myself on the way out to Marshall how nice it will be to have that headwind at my back on the return trip–only to have what feels like an even stronger headwind on said return trip.

Come to think of it, I only recall one time when I really felt like I enjoyed a strong tailwind (2005 Jubilee Joy Ride), and that one came at the price of riding back into the headwind. It was kind of fun, though, in a strange way, to be pedaling as hard as I could, going down a fairly steep hill, and barely making any progress. Today was nothing like that; just the usual irritating reality that is the ride along the old Broad.

ht: Karlyn Morissette

ht: Real Live Preacher

Not me, but it could be.

Seems my primary sports/athletics interest is shifting from bicycling back to racquetball. The everlovely Mrs. and I are planning to take advantage of the YMCA’s “pay the day” promotion (initiation fee is equal to the day of the month) and join back up. I haven’t played much the past three years, since taking the job at Mars Hill and dropping my gym membership at Vision (which shut down a few months later, so it wouldn’t have made much difference if I had not dropped the membership), thinking I would use the facilities at the college. That hasn’t really happened, though, in part (at least this is my rationalization) because the racquetball courts and fitness center equipment are in such bad shape. I don’t think the courts have been touched since I was a student at MHC, except by the water which apparently leaked in sometime over the past 20 years and warped the floorboards. I’ve played a few times there, but between the poor upkeep and the oversized dimensions of the courts, I haven’t really put a lot of effort into it.

Now, though, I’m ready to get back into racquetball. I bought a new pair of shoes and some new gloves and balls; I found a great deal on a brand new Head bag at Goodwill for only $5; now with the membership at the Y I’ll be good to go. One of the reasons I left the Y and joined Vision way back when was that there were rumors the Y was going to take one of its only two courts and turn it into an aerobics room. Hopefully, that never happened, because with Vision closed, all the racquetball players had to go somewhere, and the downtown Y is about the only choice in town with more than one court. I think some went to UNCA, but they don’t offer fitness center memberships to the general public, so it’s probably only the older set that could take advantage of that facility (I think they can get a fitness center membership if they enroll in a “College for Seniors” course or two).

So, here we go again. Time to see if some racquetball and other Y workouts, combined with the once or twice a week lunchtime basketball games at work, can put a dent in all the weight I’ve put on over the past few (OK, “many”) years.

Just back (OK, I’ve been back since Sunday, but who’s counting?) from five days with about 7,000 of my closest teenage friends. Acting on some thoughts I’ve been having in recent days, months, years (see “Pastor Thorny?” below), I volunteered to go along as a chaperone for the church youth group’s trip to Youth 2007 SPLAT, a quadrennial gathering of youth from the United Methodist Church. Stay tuned for more thoughts on the trip, but for now, suffice it to say that a good time was had by all. Who knew the 40-something guy with no kids would actually enjoy spending time with a bunch of teenagers (and the other adult volunteers who helped me stay sane on this, my first trip of what I anticipate will be many with the youth of Weaverville UMC).