Blog Evolution Continues

In the beginning, this blog was entirely for me and mostly numbers.  However, it quickly came to also be for the rest of the Irregulars, but was mostly for me and mostly numbers. 

Eventually, the words became more important than the numbers -- but I will always keep the numbers summary after my rides / my posts about the rides in which I participated.

When I took up randonneuring, many of the rest of the Irregulars still wanted to keep a written record of the rides, even when I wasn't there.  Actually, come to think of it, that practice started when I was sidelined after my Sep-2009 crash.  Being a bit of a control freak, I was reticent, er, extremely reticent, to give up absolute control.  Others would write reports, I would edit them, sometimes putting in wayyy too many [editorial comments] within the body of the report, and I would publish the report.  At least I always gave credit to the actual author.

Several Irregulars have made contributions.  Each with their own "twist" on telling a tale.  But I must note that it has been like pulling hen's teeth to get some IRs to submit or contribute to the word-smithing.  So, eventually, almost all the "guest" blog posts were coming from the same source:  Mr. Incredibly Straight-laced Nice Guy, aka, "IvaHawk". 

Eventually, came the hardest part to-date:  could I give up some control over the blog and invite other(s) to "author privileges"?  It has only taken me a year, even with the excellent example of the grand-daddy of all NC rando blogs (Research Trailer Park) at hand, to get over the control phobia thing, and to fully realize that although I "own" the blog, and control it, it isn't really "just mine" anymore.

With trepidation, I broached the subject to IvaHawk.  He demurred, but eventually agreed. 

So ... now ... I am proud to announce that IvaHawk has agreed to be a direct contributor / author on this blog.  (He even made a "test post" just to make sure we had everything worked out.  That post has since been deleted.  I think that threw Andy's RUSA Blogs a bit, and I'm thinking that a fair number of randos tuned in to find ... nothing new.) 

I am looking forward to discovering his first real post in a few days when he will report on the several Irregulars heading up to the Hanging Rock - Pilot Mtn area for a min-3-hump ride.  I will also be looking forward to his report, in just over three weeks, on this year's AoMM. 

However, a word to the other Irregulars, esp. those doing the mini-3-hump and AoMM this year:  I expect each of you to offer contributions / assistance to IvaHawk if he asks you.  The decision to request words from each of you is his; but just remember, some of you have trembled at the thought of having to face "the wrath of Martin".