Been doing a lot more rides after doing some tuneups on the bike myself (I like working on my bikes): Trued both wheels, replaced shifter/brake cables, replaced chain, expanded the range of the cassette, put new brake pads, new tires (went from 23s to 28s OMG what have I been missing!), overhauled hubs, put new bearings in the rear hub as well as replaced a chipped hub cone, packed fresh grease in bottom bracket and bearings and adjusted the derailleurs properly.
Now I love the bike even more. Never getting rid of it - its a fantastic bike that excels in the hills.