Thom G Rides On...

In honor of Thom G over at The Surface Tension…

He is a true maverick. A punk rock, opinionated journalist-anarchist with a passion for all things outdoors, he will be sadly missed, but as Thom has mentioned on many occasions, “it was time”. He is uncompromising as a journalist and as a person, which I think is part of the reason he stood out so much at the paper. He has earned many prestigious awards over the years as our Outdoors writer, something he couldn’t have done if he didn’t have a true love for the subject. As he has said before, he can sometimes be "perceived as an asshole", but I never personally witnessed that aspect of his personality. He was frustrated, sure, but believe me when I say that his decision to leave this place was a tough one. He really agonized over it, but I think he has made peace with it now, recognizing that this new detour in his life was necessary for his growth and for his health.
Due to prior family commitments, work schedule and the fact that I’m a lame-ass, I am unable to help give him a proper send off. No worries though, as his many friends and allies are legion. He will get drunk, he will shed a tear or two, but the truth is that when he gets to ND he will make new friends, win lots of new awards and hopefully keep in touch with those of us here in Northern California with whom he has affected in so many ways.
I take comfort in the fact that he will still have his blog and I am looking forward to reading tales of his new adventures on a (hopefully!) daily basis.

Good luck, Mr. G.

Ride on.