So long 2009! Wow, end of the year post here, it’s Dec 31st as I write this! This past year has really been amazing and we’ve really grown so much and learned soo much! Each year I feel like our bikes get better and better and the shop lately has felt so much more organized!

Also, I promised my self that I’d get an Iphone by the end of this year and Andrea was nice enough to get me half as a Xmas present. What an awesome gf right!?! Also now I can hopefully update more stuff on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr…Weird enough my favorite part of the iphone so far is the Holga “Hipstamatic” app. It makes it look everything look so artsy, haha! So of course I put a ton of pics up (many of my kittens)! Also, expect lots more of those until I get bored with it, haha!

We’ve been doing a bunch of planning for all things NAHBS, which is coming up real fast. We’re making three bikes again this year, but this time they are all pre-sold customer bikes. I’m not going to put any pics of these up beforehand because it’s a surprise, but we might do a pre-showing at a bar in Boston the week before NAHBS. I’ll keep you all posted…

Some sad news this month is that Joe B is leaving to pursue other interests. I want to thank him for all his help this past year and wish him the best in the future! As far as the rest of the shop I’ve had a ton of help lately from the GH crew, Brian Kelly has been really stepping up his game lately and doing an amazing job. Greggles is pounding away at emails and other office work. Mike’s been getting in a ton more time under the mask lately. And we now have Manny volunteering and doing tons of little odds and ends around the shop. All these guys help is really letting me get my hands dirty while still doing all the planning to get this place to the next level! The shop really seems to be taking shape more and more, we’re having weekly meetings now and really getting caught up to where we need to be. So just wanted to say thanks again guys, we’re moving the in right direction!

I got an invite to Johnny Cupcakes house this past month for his Xmas party. I’ve only met Johnny a couple times, but he’s a super rad dood and we have a lot of mutual friends. His whole story is pretty inspiring to me, and I think that he’s so spot on with branding and the way he represents his company. Plus he has skee-ball in his basement, not to mention a full on arcade… His house was absolutely amazing and I posted a bunch of pics on flickr…Vigo the Carpathian, I mean seriously…;)

Andrea and I also got an invite to the Otherside Cafe’s Xmas party. And by invited, I mean we were basically party crashers! But it was really great as we have a lot of friends there. I’d like to thank everyone we know at the cafe, and thanks especially to all those Geekhouse owner’s who have supported us over the last couple of years. You guys rock! Also, where else would you get a blue snuggie with eyeballs for Xmas, haha!

I was also able to make it out to ANT this past month to do some bookkeeping work for Mike. This was part of my agreement for my original apprenticeship with him and I want to keep helping him out as I owe everything that Geekhouse is today to him! Also, he invited me over his house for pizza, which was great! It also made me realize that I need to get all my 2009 bookkeeping done and ready for taxes, so I recruited Andrea to help. She loves bookkeeping!

In addition to being invited by Nicole Freeman the “Boston Bike Czar” to join a board of other Boston bicycle industry members. We were lucky enough to attend the Boston Bikes ‘State of the Hub’. If your interested in all the details check it out here… But the run down is Boston is becoming even more of a world class cycling city thanks to Nicole and Mayor Menino!

Also this last month marked the end of cross season (tear, tear). I couldn’t have asked for a better season or a better bunch of guys and gal on the team. We finished out the season at a fun local race called Ice Weasels and it was pretty fitting because it just snowed a few days before and the whole course was just a white out! But we managed to stay warm with the help of some beers, and of course wonderful cupcakes thanks to Bob and Kat. Most of the team met later that night for a few drinks to talk about all the good times and all the diabolical plans we have for next year. Thanks again guys for a wonderful season. Next up a 24-hour MTB team coming Summer 2010!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

-Marty