And this mutha effer called ott Seven is over. Actually as shitty as it may have been, it was a pretty decent year. Great friends, great rides, new experiences, new house. No need to belabor any points, 2007 is over. Yee hah. Time to focus on feeling good again. What is the saying, "living well is the best revenge"? Not that revenge is the proper word, but I will live well. React as you wish.
Full weekend right off the bat w/ a surprise 30th for my work Homey, G. Then off to mingle with the best bunch of pedalers known to man, the DCCo'D. Then some sweet new MTB trails.
It is all about me. Some may say, "so what is new" some may say "it is about time". I say hopefully the blog entries will be a little more fun to read.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
The incredible lightness of being...or
Letting go, to get a grip. With a ton, the past 2 1/2 weeks, of time off from work you really get to thinking. I finally came to peace with something I have essentially being denying for years. I called the person this affected most and let them know. It was a hard call. Immediately after the call I ventured out on the bike, incredibly ironic for those who may of what I speak, for what was to be an easy 90 minutes. I immediately noticed that I was singing to my Ipod. I was going relatively easy, but I felt like everything was light & easy. I was taking in my surroundings and had a weird sense of calm. Next thing I know, I am an hour in and still going west. All I really wanted to do was keep on riding and enjoy the peace and sun. Hell, even a 15-20 mph headwind was not bugging me. I had not felt this a peace with myself in a long time.
So today I checked that last piece of baggage. I offered a heartfelt mea culpa. I let go of that last bit of guilt, and got a good solid grip on where I am at.
A lot has been written about not being able to commit yourself to a future, if you will not let go of your past. Today, I am committing to my future. More on that to come.
Happy Holidays to all.
So today I checked that last piece of baggage. I offered a heartfelt mea culpa. I let go of that last bit of guilt, and got a good solid grip on where I am at.
A lot has been written about not being able to commit yourself to a future, if you will not let go of your past. Today, I am committing to my future. More on that to come.
Happy Holidays to all.
Monday, December 17, 2007
I did not even miss it
So whilst the rest of the cross troupe was narrowly avoiding hypothermia I decided to play a different type of bike game this weekend. It was BIKE POLO time. Yes kiddies, bike polo. Cases of beer, dozens of sausages and hot dogs, bikes, mallets, grown men who should know better, full contact, open fires, jager shots, yeah it was a damn fine time. Huge thanks go to Matt & Cat to put up with all of this lunacy on their property.
It was great to catch up with some guys I have not seen in far too long. It was like an Aquafina reunion. Bill, Ron, Matt, Kev, Slick, Trdina, Myself. Who knows how long that team could have gone had Trdina not figured out that EASY rhymes with Ngezyi.
Being that I have very little to add to what has already been posted, check these sites for some pics and video.
http://kevososlow.blogspot.com/
http://doucheblogcycling.blogspot.com/
http://theshadowshop.blogspot.com/
I do not care what the final score may have been of the last death match, we still had the team. We lost our emotional spark late in the game. It seems that not only was he wearing women's sunglasses, he was also wearing women's panties. As evidenced by him cowering about and fretting he would be late to a gathering. As soon as little Rocky Blier and his short bus helmet departed we had lost our emotional spark.
That was a damn fine time. Highly recomendo for all.
It was great to catch up with some guys I have not seen in far too long. It was like an Aquafina reunion. Bill, Ron, Matt, Kev, Slick, Trdina, Myself. Who knows how long that team could have gone had Trdina not figured out that EASY rhymes with Ngezyi.
Being that I have very little to add to what has already been posted, check these sites for some pics and video.
http://kevososlow.blogspot.com/
http://doucheblogcycling.blogspot.com/
http://theshadowshop.blogspot.com/
I do not care what the final score may have been of the last death match, we still had the team. We lost our emotional spark late in the game. It seems that not only was he wearing women's sunglasses, he was also wearing women's panties. As evidenced by him cowering about and fretting he would be late to a gathering. As soon as little Rocky Blier and his short bus helmet departed we had lost our emotional spark.
That was a damn fine time. Highly recomendo for all.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Vacation Day 2
I am off work until Jan 2nd. I am trying to occupy my time with stuff to do.
Yesterday. Slept in until 10:00 I vacuumed and cleaned the upstairs then went to the shop to mount a tire and pick up my new winter mtb shoes and a cross wheel that i forgot the other day.
Happy hour with work peeps then home. I fell asleep on the couch at 9:30.
Today I finally awoke at 9:30. A rockin' 12 full hours of sleep. Awesome! I proceeded to rewrite/edit the MAC cross rules for the PA series. The PA series needs a little guidance for next year, and I want to make it better. Hopefully the changes will work. It also gives me a little leverage in making sure races are run up to a certain standard. I have spent the last three hours on a project I have been threatening to do for some time. I rewrote/plagarized Hans Christian Andersen's classic book. The emperor's new clothes. I tried to follow the story line by line and apply it to industry. Little did I know my great concept has already been published in such a format. It was fun and it killed some time during a freezing rain, shite day. I may "publish" my little ditty somewhere. I am not too sure. I am certain that some people would find it highly entertaining while others would be less thrilled. I am not so sure Big Colonel enjoys freedom of speech when it is critical.
What to do know. I think I will check my ass for bed and chair sores since I have barely stood erect since 4:00pm yesterday.
KC seems epic. I can not wait to see the pics. I am glad I am missing it though. One harrowing hypothermic cross experience was enough for me.
Yesterday. Slept in until 10:00 I vacuumed and cleaned the upstairs then went to the shop to mount a tire and pick up my new winter mtb shoes and a cross wheel that i forgot the other day.
Happy hour with work peeps then home. I fell asleep on the couch at 9:30.
Today I finally awoke at 9:30. A rockin' 12 full hours of sleep. Awesome! I proceeded to rewrite/edit the MAC cross rules for the PA series. The PA series needs a little guidance for next year, and I want to make it better. Hopefully the changes will work. It also gives me a little leverage in making sure races are run up to a certain standard. I have spent the last three hours on a project I have been threatening to do for some time. I rewrote/plagarized Hans Christian Andersen's classic book. The emperor's new clothes. I tried to follow the story line by line and apply it to industry. Little did I know my great concept has already been published in such a format. It was fun and it killed some time during a freezing rain, shite day. I may "publish" my little ditty somewhere. I am not too sure. I am certain that some people would find it highly entertaining while others would be less thrilled. I am not so sure Big Colonel enjoys freedom of speech when it is critical.
What to do know. I think I will check my ass for bed and chair sores since I have barely stood erect since 4:00pm yesterday.
KC seems epic. I can not wait to see the pics. I am glad I am missing it though. One harrowing hypothermic cross experience was enough for me.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Life imitating art
So, I went to an awesome holiday party last night. The hosts were superb, the spread was incredible and their home was absolutely stunning. One of the most beautiful I have ever set foot inside. For those who really know me, you know that I love looking at homes. The architecture, the art, the interior colors, just the way everything comes together. This home was incredible.
Sorry, I digress. Back to the title. Since I know very few people at this function, I stay close to my work colleagues. I do not mingle well. I will hold a conversation with anyone, and be very fluent at their level. However, I will not initiate the conversation. So late in the evening one of the guests is introduced to me and we start talking. She asks if I am single. Yes, I am single I reply. Here we go kids, the next question is awesome. Keep in mind I just met this leopard skin outfit lady. Are you gay? No, I am definitely not gay. "Well you never know", was her retort. This is life start imitating Match.com. She askes if I am looking to meet anyone. My reply is somewhat evasive, "I will never say no". Here goes this ladies dialogue "Well I have a friend who I should introduce you to, she is forty-six. How old are you, let me guess. You are, um let me see, I am not so good at this, you are FORTY-EIGHT. How old I reply. "FORTY-EIGHT". Thanks, I think, I am forty. I like to think I am a pretty young forty. "Oh, well, my friend is definitely older than you". That might not be bad though, she says. The next two daggers come quickly. " She has two teenage kids, they are pretty needy". "Are you very spiritual, she is." Um, no, I am agnostic. I do not go to church. I like to think that living by the golden rule is good enough.
Wow, finally it came to an end. Needless to say I will not be going out with a forty-six year old lady, with two needy teens, that goes to church, and I forgot, likes to travel. Yes. This single life is fun.
Sorry, I digress. Back to the title. Since I know very few people at this function, I stay close to my work colleagues. I do not mingle well. I will hold a conversation with anyone, and be very fluent at their level. However, I will not initiate the conversation. So late in the evening one of the guests is introduced to me and we start talking. She asks if I am single. Yes, I am single I reply. Here we go kids, the next question is awesome. Keep in mind I just met this leopard skin outfit lady. Are you gay? No, I am definitely not gay. "Well you never know", was her retort. This is life start imitating Match.com. She askes if I am looking to meet anyone. My reply is somewhat evasive, "I will never say no". Here goes this ladies dialogue "Well I have a friend who I should introduce you to, she is forty-six. How old are you, let me guess. You are, um let me see, I am not so good at this, you are FORTY-EIGHT. How old I reply. "FORTY-EIGHT". Thanks, I think, I am forty. I like to think I am a pretty young forty. "Oh, well, my friend is definitely older than you". That might not be bad though, she says. The next two daggers come quickly. " She has two teenage kids, they are pretty needy". "Are you very spiritual, she is." Um, no, I am agnostic. I do not go to church. I like to think that living by the golden rule is good enough.
Wow, finally it came to an end. Needless to say I will not be going out with a forty-six year old lady, with two needy teens, that goes to church, and I forgot, likes to travel. Yes. This single life is fun.
The last bike game of ott seven
Yesterday was PA State CX champs. I was feeling good and ready to go. The course was fun, and extremely slippy, sloppy and muddy. "true cross" as some say. Bah humbug. True cross is when you get your cross bike, nothing more, nothing less. I do pretty well in slippery mud so I was psyched Challenge tires dialed at 25 psi and time to go. We start off w/ a smallish field and I get the hole shot and go to the front. Then someone comes riding into my rear wheel. Cross newbies do not understand the race is not won in the first thirty seconds. They also do not understand that you can not expect to go really fast and try to make a ninety right in slippery icy conditions. This leads to the neckcracker running into my rear wheel. He just keeps rubbing it and then pushes me left. All the rubbing and the push left skip my rear wheel. Guess what rolled tubie!!!!!! I must partly take the blame because it was taped and not glued. However my other taped tubies stayed together yesterday just fine without neckcrackers running into me.
I stop and start to run to get out of the way. A few people ride into me. Keep your heads up kids. I try to remount the tire for about twenty seconds. It is half off, no dice. I look up and I can no longer see the leaders. Thankfully it is wicked muddy. I rip the tire completely off and start rim riding. I make it a decent distance then have to run about 200-300 meters of mud that others rode, because the rim just cuts straight through the muck. Finally I get to the pit. The announce is saying that I have a very long day ahead of me now. Yes, I do. I am about 2ish minutes back due to this little blunder.
In days of yore I would have let out a monstrous scream of obsceneties. This time, there were none. It was weird. I was actually calm. I knew I could not win the States Gold. I knew that I would need a pretty super ride to salvage my PA State series overall as well. Off I went. I went like absolute hell for the next two laps and reeled in everyone but the top two guys. I had reduced the 2ish minute gap to 45 seconds with two to go. The officials were encouraging me, the announcer was encouraging me, people around the course, my fellow racers. They knew I was going for it. Penultimate lap, I lose 15 seconds to the leader and do not gain on second. Bell lap time to go. Standing whenever possible, running the mud pretty darn fast. Ripping the corners. Then I see Kirk & realize, I can not catch him in the last half lap. I still keep going hoping for some mechanical karma, but no dice. I come across third. Totally gassed. Basically fall down to my knees, in the snow. Through my haze the announcer said I had the ride of the day, maybe the best ride he has seen all year. Who knows. I know I tried my damndest. I hope the show was worth the money.
I appreciate everyone who has given words of encouragement this year. As I said before I hear when you cheer. It is awesome. I heard yesterday when someone yelled at me on my last time up the run-up; "Hebe, stop walking. You do not want me to take a picture of you while you are walking." I started running again, thank you.
Even when the bike game does not turn out the way you would like it to, it is still fun. This year I lost, yes lost THREE races due to mechanicals. It made me a better person. A stronger person. A calmer person. I think I have finally made some sort of peace with myself in the bike game.
So the tally for the cross bike game was as follows.
Fifteen races.
Two wins
Three seconds
One third
Two fourths
All finishes in the top ten
PA series overall win 35+
MAC series overall third 35+
Not too bad.
I heart the cross bike game.
Thanks again to all my friends, acquaintences, sponsors and fellow gamers for meeking ott seven a great year for me.
I stop and start to run to get out of the way. A few people ride into me. Keep your heads up kids. I try to remount the tire for about twenty seconds. It is half off, no dice. I look up and I can no longer see the leaders. Thankfully it is wicked muddy. I rip the tire completely off and start rim riding. I make it a decent distance then have to run about 200-300 meters of mud that others rode, because the rim just cuts straight through the muck. Finally I get to the pit. The announce is saying that I have a very long day ahead of me now. Yes, I do. I am about 2ish minutes back due to this little blunder.
In days of yore I would have let out a monstrous scream of obsceneties. This time, there were none. It was weird. I was actually calm. I knew I could not win the States Gold. I knew that I would need a pretty super ride to salvage my PA State series overall as well. Off I went. I went like absolute hell for the next two laps and reeled in everyone but the top two guys. I had reduced the 2ish minute gap to 45 seconds with two to go. The officials were encouraging me, the announcer was encouraging me, people around the course, my fellow racers. They knew I was going for it. Penultimate lap, I lose 15 seconds to the leader and do not gain on second. Bell lap time to go. Standing whenever possible, running the mud pretty darn fast. Ripping the corners. Then I see Kirk & realize, I can not catch him in the last half lap. I still keep going hoping for some mechanical karma, but no dice. I come across third. Totally gassed. Basically fall down to my knees, in the snow. Through my haze the announcer said I had the ride of the day, maybe the best ride he has seen all year. Who knows. I know I tried my damndest. I hope the show was worth the money.
I appreciate everyone who has given words of encouragement this year. As I said before I hear when you cheer. It is awesome. I heard yesterday when someone yelled at me on my last time up the run-up; "Hebe, stop walking. You do not want me to take a picture of you while you are walking." I started running again, thank you.
Even when the bike game does not turn out the way you would like it to, it is still fun. This year I lost, yes lost THREE races due to mechanicals. It made me a better person. A stronger person. A calmer person. I think I have finally made some sort of peace with myself in the bike game.
So the tally for the cross bike game was as follows.
Fifteen races.
Two wins
Three seconds
One third
Two fourths
All finishes in the top ten
PA series overall win 35+
MAC series overall third 35+
Not too bad.
I heart the cross bike game.
Thanks again to all my friends, acquaintences, sponsors and fellow gamers for meeking ott seven a great year for me.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Sloppy seconds
Went back for some more again today. She was not as pure today. I could see where I rode her pretty hard yesterday. It was still damn nice. Slippin' and slidin' with a good flow & rhythm that can only be achieved by having done it before. It was so nice and pleasant today I even took off my outer layer of protection.
Started the same way as yesterday, backwards. That initial effort is a bit hard, then it all starts to flow nice, quick and steady. Today I decided to ride a little longer. I turned around and came on home from there.
Since this is ripe with double entendre, the clockwise loop of Pinchot will from here on out be referred to as riding Lady Pinchot Doggie Style. The counter clockwise loop will be riding her Missionary. It will be nice when the gents in camo & blaze orange stop trying to invade my ladyfriend.
Started the same way as yesterday, backwards. That initial effort is a bit hard, then it all starts to flow nice, quick and steady. Today I decided to ride a little longer. I turned around and came on home from there.
Since this is ripe with double entendre, the clockwise loop of Pinchot will from here on out be referred to as riding Lady Pinchot Doggie Style. The counter clockwise loop will be riding her Missionary. It will be nice when the gents in camo & blaze orange stop trying to invade my ladyfriend.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Nooner with a Virgin
Yeah, yeah don't you wish! Different nooner, different virgin.
Got done early and skidaddled over to Pinchot to poach some fresh snow trails. It was awesome. The perfect way to kill some time before work committments tonight. To spin around with 1-2" of fresh snow was sublime. No tracks but me. The park was mine. Falling snow, fresh trails, no worries, no cares. You can not get lost, just look for your trails. I think tomorrow I will do the same thing, just a little longer.
Today reminded me just how much fun riding a bike can be. No bike game cares, no training parameters. Just me, the bike, the snow, the trails.
Since I am skipping Cross Nats, the next couple weeks will be chock full of anti-gaming fun. Fixie rides, snow MTB, maybe even some bike polo next weekend. While the roadies are gearing up, I am going to enjoy some time on the land of misfit bikes. My 12ish year old SMOR 853 and my CAAD 8 fixie. These buggers sit patiently awaiting their turn. They know how much I love them. They know they bring peaceful happiness and not gaming stress and pleasure.
So my weekly recomendo is to get out and have a nooner. Either kind will do.
Got done early and skidaddled over to Pinchot to poach some fresh snow trails. It was awesome. The perfect way to kill some time before work committments tonight. To spin around with 1-2" of fresh snow was sublime. No tracks but me. The park was mine. Falling snow, fresh trails, no worries, no cares. You can not get lost, just look for your trails. I think tomorrow I will do the same thing, just a little longer.
Today reminded me just how much fun riding a bike can be. No bike game cares, no training parameters. Just me, the bike, the snow, the trails.
Since I am skipping Cross Nats, the next couple weeks will be chock full of anti-gaming fun. Fixie rides, snow MTB, maybe even some bike polo next weekend. While the roadies are gearing up, I am going to enjoy some time on the land of misfit bikes. My 12ish year old SMOR 853 and my CAAD 8 fixie. These buggers sit patiently awaiting their turn. They know how much I love them. They know they bring peaceful happiness and not gaming stress and pleasure.
So my weekly recomendo is to get out and have a nooner. Either kind will do.
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