Well the sonogram, yes sonogram, ruled out pregnancy as a stomach issue for me. That sure is reassuring. Step three in the medical process of determining my GI ailment is done. GP, Gastro, Ultrasound, next up is endoscopy & biopsy, followed more than likely by the beloved colonoscopy. I should get all test results after the endoscopy next Tuesday. I just need to wait on more bloodwork and the colonoscopy after that. So hopefully something is nigh.
A funny anecdote came from my endoscopy scheduling. The nurse sadi I could get it done yesterday or today, when I was scheduling two weeks ago. I stammered and replied, "I have a big race that weekend and really do not want to interfere, I know that is stupid." She retorts back in a absolutely beautiful sly sarcastic tone. "No problem, you have put this off for six months already, another week will not hurt." It was priceless.
So I am not feeling well, GI wise, yet again. As John from Cincinati says, "I had a man-size dump today." Sorry for the candor of info, but this was part and parcel of my GI hell. Hopefully all resolves quickly as the coolest MTB race on the planet is this weekend. More to follow. I think I will do another pictorial update of the Farm stage race.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The day in pics
I have been putting in the hours at the shop of late. It is a good thing, that way I can stay occupied. Below is the cast of charecters, minus our boy Reds Snoresney.
The Man, Big Al.
Best buddy & little buddy.
So this is what a pro looks like? Clown on the right.
Now that is pro.
Old school wrench, Jeff.
Guess the shaved/bald guy. I am a "mechanic", not a magician.
The Man, Big Al.
Best buddy & little buddy.
So this is what a pro looks like? Clown on the right.
Now that is pro.
Old school wrench, Jeff.
Guess the shaved/bald guy. I am a "mechanic", not a magician.Good times. Crazy customers. A guy is pissed that a used wheelset has some minor cracks and has to get it fixed. I end up selling him a new $300 set and he thanks me profusely for making his day. Keep in mind, that as all bike gamers know, $300 retail is pretty freaking cheap. I have two sets that are double that cost, at 20% under wholesale. Lady brings in a bike with the tire mangled and the tube wrapped around the fork. I am snapping pics as Al tells her it will cost $70 to fix all her bike issues. She replies that she paid $70 for the bike at Wal-Mart. Yes, please fix it. WTF!?!?! A guy is in with his son. Son wants to start racing, dad thinks he will be great. I end up showing them all high end carbon. Time, Trek, Lemond, Giant. I bet the kid gets a TCR 1 as his first bike later this week. This will be a $3,000 sale, for a first bike. Holey moly. DAAA was in the shop. He still managed to give Ray shit for not riding a RIGID single blingle at Stoopid 50. Daaa, gears are for queers. Just wait until he sees the new 31'er from Fisher.
For all those who play along in Legendland and patronize/hang out at shops, do yourself a favor and rent High Fidelity. This movie just substitutes a record shop for a bike shop. I made this connection about five years ago with the shop. It totally fits. NYCbikesnob also wrote about this recently.
Off to a work meeting Monday-Wednesday. I am sure I will have some stellar material.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
State of disrepair
Man was I wrecked after Neshaminy. No offense to anyone in the 40+ class, but I shut it down with 2 laps to go. Not two 1 mile crit laps, mind you. Two 6 mile 37-40 minute mtb laps. I could tell my body was a hurtin' unit. That race was a new level of suffering, mental & physical for me. Had it not been for Ray's parents who were handing up bottles or Ray/VisitPA.com who paid my entry I may have thought of bagging it.
The course was so sweet, but the 95 temp and three thousand logs turned my lower back into a knotted mess. After years of 75-90 minute crits, a 2:30 mtb race with an avg HR of 173 is a whole new level. So today, Wednesday, I am still tired. I may need to race the road this weekend so I get some efforts, without the beating.
On the GI note my gastro appt went as I expected it. Questions, poking, prodding and schedule an appt for an endoscopy/biopsy. So my Independence day starts a day early with the appt on the 3rd. At least then I will know what, if anything, is amiss in the upper GI. If I "fail" that test then I get the good fortune of the "output" end scope.
On the ink note, I think I am going to make an appt this weekend to run a design idea by an artist. The one I really want may be a little too big to cover/mesh with the present design. I saw another cool Phoenix (mythical bird, as if you did not know) design that would be cool. If you wonder why the Phoenix, do some quick reading as to what the bird is and I think you will agree that it fits pretty well.
Past was good, future is better.
The course was so sweet, but the 95 temp and three thousand logs turned my lower back into a knotted mess. After years of 75-90 minute crits, a 2:30 mtb race with an avg HR of 173 is a whole new level. So today, Wednesday, I am still tired. I may need to race the road this weekend so I get some efforts, without the beating.
On the GI note my gastro appt went as I expected it. Questions, poking, prodding and schedule an appt for an endoscopy/biopsy. So my Independence day starts a day early with the appt on the 3rd. At least then I will know what, if anything, is amiss in the upper GI. If I "fail" that test then I get the good fortune of the "output" end scope.
On the ink note, I think I am going to make an appt this weekend to run a design idea by an artist. The one I really want may be a little too big to cover/mesh with the present design. I saw another cool Phoenix (mythical bird, as if you did not know) design that would be cool. If you wonder why the Phoenix, do some quick reading as to what the bird is and I think you will agree that it fits pretty well.
Past was good, future is better.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Guess the "healthy" one
I have kept the blog basically "image free" until now. Hopefully I will not digress into some crack whorish fix for pics. Today's image is basically a metaphor for the blog, and me for that matter.
It is guess the "healthy" ankle quiz. Which, like myself, even when "healthy" I am still a little misshapen if you will.
I broke a bone on the side of my ankle & severely sprained it warming up for a race. I then proceeded to the ambulance for some tape and a small Mexican Pharmacia worth of Ibuprofen and proceeded to race. Yeah baby, I still won. Small race, but a win nonetheless. Legendary, is it not? Oh SNAP, I am a doper! Oh no, I suck. Just read the wristband.
I hope the MASS Blue Coats are not piss testing tomorrow.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
School was in session tonight
I got to ride with Banana Smallhamfudgepeckerpacker tonight. Man was that fun. We rode at the Oesterling farm. I sat behind Kyle for two hours and learned what it is like to ride fast lines. We were ripping some of the coolest flowing singletrack around. At damn near forty years old and many moons in the amateurish bikegaming biz, I was learning like a 12 year old tonight. When to brake, where to slide, when to flow, when to hammer. Damn good fun. It felt good to be riding right behind someone that good ( do not let it go to your head Kyle, remember job description #5). The hillclimb was only slightly "fun". 900 feet vertical in a little less than 1.5 miles. The decent was nice. 45.4 mph, 41 mph sprint on the flat and that little guy still came around after I thought I dropped him.
A ride or two like that each week and my MTB form will rip around pretty quicklike. Yes, I feel like I am far from form.
On another note, today was yet another bad GI day. Cramping and Ethiopianesque bloating throughout the day. We finished riding and I graced Kyle with a side profile of my 4 months pregnant belly. I gave it the Thimmy Kamala the Ugandan Giant pat down.
I can wait until the gastro says, " I really want to 'scope you." Yes please.
Good times. Oh the road keeps getting harder to go back.
A ride or two like that each week and my MTB form will rip around pretty quicklike. Yes, I feel like I am far from form.
On another note, today was yet another bad GI day. Cramping and Ethiopianesque bloating throughout the day. We finished riding and I graced Kyle with a side profile of my 4 months pregnant belly. I gave it the Thimmy Kamala the Ugandan Giant pat down.
I can wait until the gastro says, " I really want to 'scope you." Yes please.
Good times. Oh the road keeps getting harder to go back.
Oh, this is rich
Piepoli's team-mate David Millar has had his share of doping drama. The 30 year-old spent time under suspension after admitting EPO use, and has since become an antidoping advocate. He gave his team-mates the benefit of the doubt, according to AFP. "They are not-negative. Leo has a certificate for asthma. Iban has a testosterone history. It is necessary to give them the benefit of the doubt," Millar declared. "One cannot never be sure with hundred percent certainty, it is always necessary to have doubts. In my personal opinion, they deserve my trust. If I am misled, it would be a pity. That would break our friendship."
You have got to be F'ing kidding me!?!? Millar, yes the same Millar, who so sadly admitted to EPO. Crybaby pussy! That fuck only admitted to EPO once he was caught with the needles in his possession. How many Cofidis riders did little Davey sell out? He even blamed his TWO times usage to the pressures to get results from management. Hmmm, you are hired to do a job. Your employer expects that you do that job. Welcome to life Davey. You damn well know that Davey was going to be hush hush and ride the EPO gravy train right to the World Champion bank. Now that cheesedick has the audacity to say it would be a pity if HE were mislead. WTF Davey!
I hope that scrawny little Piepoli takes Millar behind the woodshed and beats him senseless with the riding crop form Millar's moral high horse.
My advice to riders.
You are paid as cyclists, not speech writers. Keep your day job, and as the great motivational speaker Matt Foley once said, " keep yer damn yap shut!"
You have got to be F'ing kidding me!?!? Millar, yes the same Millar, who so sadly admitted to EPO. Crybaby pussy! That fuck only admitted to EPO once he was caught with the needles in his possession. How many Cofidis riders did little Davey sell out? He even blamed his TWO times usage to the pressures to get results from management. Hmmm, you are hired to do a job. Your employer expects that you do that job. Welcome to life Davey. You damn well know that Davey was going to be hush hush and ride the EPO gravy train right to the World Champion bank. Now that cheesedick has the audacity to say it would be a pity if HE were mislead. WTF Davey!
I hope that scrawny little Piepoli takes Millar behind the woodshed and beats him senseless with the riding crop form Millar's moral high horse.
My advice to riders.
You are paid as cyclists, not speech writers. Keep your day job, and as the great motivational speaker Matt Foley once said, " keep yer damn yap shut!"
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Pleased to meet you...
won't you guess my name.
After five long, stinky, painful, gastrointestinal distress filled months I finally went to get a second opinion. Dr's Weaver & Miller had made the diagnosis of Celiac, and it seemed pretty close. Being that I do not want to give up bread, pasta or beer I opted to go with a little more in depth medical expertise.
I got the call from the doctor's office that I needed to call back to speak with the doctor. OK, no problem, something is amiss. At least now I can pin it down. Well I call and am told I am positive for Helicobactor Pylori bacteria. Well at least I have a name for the proverbial face. The shit of it is (no pun intended), that is akin to walking on a Ford dealership lot and the dealer pointing to the lot and saying there is your new Ford. WTF!?!? Which one? What does it do?
I do not even know if it is a live and thriving bacteria, or if it has been in my belly for years. Supposedly H Pylori causes/predicts ulcers. I have no symptoms to suggest that. To make things worse the past two days have been bad GI days for me. Pain, bloating and repeating like a howitzer. I can not believe I am looking forward to having fiber optic tubes inserted and threaded through the old upper and lower openings in the near future.
There are a few other values that are mucked a little high, that may or may not be additive and point to other things. That is for the specialists to figure out. It has been five full months already, another month surely can not make matters worse.
I will say this. I am sick and friggin' tired of being sick and tired.
On another truly depressing note.
It takes, on average, ten years for someone to get correctly diagnosed with Bipolar disorder from disease onset. One in five people with Bipolar disorder will commit suicide. These are the fun things I learn and get to speak about every day.
After five long, stinky, painful, gastrointestinal distress filled months I finally went to get a second opinion. Dr's Weaver & Miller had made the diagnosis of Celiac, and it seemed pretty close. Being that I do not want to give up bread, pasta or beer I opted to go with a little more in depth medical expertise.
I got the call from the doctor's office that I needed to call back to speak with the doctor. OK, no problem, something is amiss. At least now I can pin it down. Well I call and am told I am positive for Helicobactor Pylori bacteria. Well at least I have a name for the proverbial face. The shit of it is (no pun intended), that is akin to walking on a Ford dealership lot and the dealer pointing to the lot and saying there is your new Ford. WTF!?!? Which one? What does it do?
I do not even know if it is a live and thriving bacteria, or if it has been in my belly for years. Supposedly H Pylori causes/predicts ulcers. I have no symptoms to suggest that. To make things worse the past two days have been bad GI days for me. Pain, bloating and repeating like a howitzer. I can not believe I am looking forward to having fiber optic tubes inserted and threaded through the old upper and lower openings in the near future.
There are a few other values that are mucked a little high, that may or may not be additive and point to other things. That is for the specialists to figure out. It has been five full months already, another month surely can not make matters worse.
I will say this. I am sick and friggin' tired of being sick and tired.
On another truly depressing note.
It takes, on average, ten years for someone to get correctly diagnosed with Bipolar disorder from disease onset. One in five people with Bipolar disorder will commit suicide. These are the fun things I learn and get to speak about every day.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Persona, Persona non grata
So lately a friend and I have been having this ongoing discussion of image, personality, imposed personality and their interplay. The great, or not so great thing about the Internet is the anonymity that it perpetuates. There is next to no accountability, and anyone can become just about whatever they damn well please. This, all to this pleasure and dismay to anyone who sits in front a screen and perpetuates the debacle.
The intriguing part of daily life is that you only have to try just slightly harder to achieve the same end, and do it right in front of someones face.
So, the discussion had been mostly centered around the fact that very few people really know the real you/me/him/her deep down. What I wear to work perpetuates the myth that I am a true white collar professional. Yet what I wear while practicing for the bike game or working/hanging at the bike game shop, perpetuates the ruse that I am a gamer. The everyday Joe/Jane will have the gilded impression on either side of the dime. At once I am the "man" and an hour later I am a slacker that should get a "real" job. The truth in this great debate lies somewhere in between. Then comes the twist that my friend and I speak about. This is one where you purposely inhabit a personality to go along with what believe perceive, or what you want to convey at that particular time. Sometimes as a joke, sometimes a joke taken to far. If anyone has seen the "podium shoes" you will know what I mean.
So what really is my/your persona? It probably is something, but a handful of people really know, and a busload think they do.
These days I can guarantee you that my real persona is masked well under the podium shoes, Jos. A Banks suits, VisitPA.com bike gaming kit, the tattoos, the house and this silly originallegend diatribe. The few that are "privileged", and or cursed, to really know my persona understand where I come from.
The part of this debate and dilemma is that I/you/we have all done something to inherit the persona non grata we at times try to escape, and we all will still do our damnedest to keep it alive.
Don't mind me. I am going to slip on my podium shoes & VPA.com kit and practice my victory salutes in front of a full length mirror, while sipping a $15 bottle of Delirium Tremens that I poured into my Jeff Gordon #24 pint glass. All this while Hank Williams Jr and Kid Rock blare in the background.
Like I said the truth lies somewhere in between.
Be nice.
The intriguing part of daily life is that you only have to try just slightly harder to achieve the same end, and do it right in front of someones face.
So, the discussion had been mostly centered around the fact that very few people really know the real you/me/him/her deep down. What I wear to work perpetuates the myth that I am a true white collar professional. Yet what I wear while practicing for the bike game or working/hanging at the bike game shop, perpetuates the ruse that I am a gamer. The everyday Joe/Jane will have the gilded impression on either side of the dime. At once I am the "man" and an hour later I am a slacker that should get a "real" job. The truth in this great debate lies somewhere in between. Then comes the twist that my friend and I speak about. This is one where you purposely inhabit a personality to go along with what believe perceive, or what you want to convey at that particular time. Sometimes as a joke, sometimes a joke taken to far. If anyone has seen the "podium shoes" you will know what I mean.
So what really is my/your persona? It probably is something, but a handful of people really know, and a busload think they do.
These days I can guarantee you that my real persona is masked well under the podium shoes, Jos. A Banks suits, VisitPA.com bike gaming kit, the tattoos, the house and this silly originallegend diatribe. The few that are "privileged", and or cursed, to really know my persona understand where I come from.
The part of this debate and dilemma is that I/you/we have all done something to inherit the persona non grata we at times try to escape, and we all will still do our damnedest to keep it alive.
Don't mind me. I am going to slip on my podium shoes & VPA.com kit and practice my victory salutes in front of a full length mirror, while sipping a $15 bottle of Delirium Tremens that I poured into my Jeff Gordon #24 pint glass. All this while Hank Williams Jr and Kid Rock blare in the background.
Like I said the truth lies somewhere in between.
Be nice.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Empathy is not always a good thing
I just spent forty minutes writing about my day at work and the impact of mental health disorders. It was far too depressing to publish. I deleted it.
Monday, May 28, 2007
I love you, I hate you!
You define me.
You defy me.
You make me feel good.
You make me hurt.
We have our ups.
We have our downs.
We are one.
We are two.
I am always there for you.
You are always there for me.
I shown you places no one else could.
You have taken me where only you could take me.
I always take care of you.
Yet, you sometimes break down on me.
You have provided some great days.
You have broken my heart before.
I have a heart.
You are heartless.
That is the difference in our relationship.
Without you I am not the same person.
Without me you will find someone else.
I love you!
I love you, my lovely bike(s).
Gotcha!
Yes, this is about my bike(s). After over twenty years the love burns as strong as ever. Something as simple as a bike really can test the limit of human emotion. As shitty as I have felt both physically and mentally the past few months, once I get pedalling it all disappears.
I wonder if i could write off $150/hr for bike relaxation therapy?
You defy me.
You make me feel good.
You make me hurt.
We have our ups.
We have our downs.
We are one.
We are two.
I am always there for you.
You are always there for me.
I shown you places no one else could.
You have taken me where only you could take me.
I always take care of you.
Yet, you sometimes break down on me.
You have provided some great days.
You have broken my heart before.
I have a heart.
You are heartless.
That is the difference in our relationship.
Without you I am not the same person.
Without me you will find someone else.
I love you!
I love you, my lovely bike(s).
Gotcha!
Yes, this is about my bike(s). After over twenty years the love burns as strong as ever. Something as simple as a bike really can test the limit of human emotion. As shitty as I have felt both physically and mentally the past few months, once I get pedalling it all disappears.
I wonder if i could write off $150/hr for bike relaxation therapy?
Friday, May 25, 2007
Close your eyes and envision
Chris Farley in the tight leisure suit as Matt the self-help guru from Saturday Night Live. He is speaking with Riis, Zabel, the rest of Telekom, all of MG-Geweiss, Musseuw, Hamilton, Basso, Bartoli, Armstrong, Landis, Meirhagge, Chiotti, F'ing tricky dick Virenque, anyone who ever raced for Festina, Rooks, Theunisse, etc... you get the idea.
So, Farley hikes the pants in the front & the back and starts in on them.
Farley: La De Freakin' Da, you all doped. No kidding. No you want to confess, boo frakin' hoo be a man.
Group ensemble: sorry Matt we thought it was time to come clean.
Farley: (Incredulously) Clean, clean, what in the name of God's green earth do you mean clean.
Ensemble yet again: (Sheepishly) Well we, uhh, you know, uhh for the better...
Farley: (Hikes the pants from the front and the back) You are all freakin' girls! You are all freakin' junkie liars. You know where junkie liars end up.
Ensemble: (quizzically puzzled blank stare) Riis, Holm and Aldag meekly reply "Team directors"
Farley: NO!!!! YOU END UP LIVING IN A VAN, UNDER THE BRIDGE, DOWN BY THE RIVER!
Fade out as Farley pratfalls into a row of Cervelo & Giant bikes.
There was never an intention to come clean until the heat turns up. I guess that means Hamilton & Armstrong are truly pathological.
All apologies to the great SNL skit writers.
So, Farley hikes the pants in the front & the back and starts in on them.
Farley: La De Freakin' Da, you all doped. No kidding. No you want to confess, boo frakin' hoo be a man.
Group ensemble: sorry Matt we thought it was time to come clean.
Farley: (Incredulously) Clean, clean, what in the name of God's green earth do you mean clean.
Ensemble yet again: (Sheepishly) Well we, uhh, you know, uhh for the better...
Farley: (Hikes the pants from the front and the back) You are all freakin' girls! You are all freakin' junkie liars. You know where junkie liars end up.
Ensemble: (quizzically puzzled blank stare) Riis, Holm and Aldag meekly reply "Team directors"
Farley: NO!!!! YOU END UP LIVING IN A VAN, UNDER THE BRIDGE, DOWN BY THE RIVER!
Fade out as Farley pratfalls into a row of Cervelo & Giant bikes.
There was never an intention to come clean until the heat turns up. I guess that means Hamilton & Armstrong are truly pathological.
All apologies to the great SNL skit writers.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
And this is a surprise how, part deux
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/may07/may25news
F'ing Riis. We all know you doped. Mr 60%. Yeah, you were clean as a whistle.
F'ing Riis. We all know you doped. Mr 60%. Yeah, you were clean as a whistle.
And this is a surprise, how?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/may07/may24news2
As I have said before, I firmly believe that most of the pro bike gamers were dopers in the 90's. They all answer straightfaced and say they never doped. I call Bullshit, you just never got caught thanks to your own personal centrifuge.
I really could care less. Sports are theatre, entertainment. Entertain me. Part of me is actually of the capitalistic, Darwinism bend of thought that says, let them dope. Ride faster, entertain me more, die quicker. Hell 33% of the pro pel are asthmatics, how convenient. I am surpised that more are not anemic, if you follow along. Maybe some latent childhood ADHD, Narcolepsy or insulin resistance.
Were does this Merry go Round stop? The gamers work in an essential police state environment with a clandestine judicial proceeding. At what point do the innocent have their rights respected.
Riddle me this Batman. Say "The Man" knocks on your HOME door before you go to work and says, "follow me, we are peeing together this morning." Better yet, "wake up sunshine, I am sticking a needle in your arm and sucking some blood." I just want to see what we got going on in your body today. That is every day for some bike gamer.
My overarching points are these:
Mea Culpa my ass. I do not believe for a second you did EPO once. Millar, Zabel, Basso. LIARS!!
10-15 years ago has no bearing on the present.
Police state justice is out of control.
There will always be cheaters. Hell I race against them, even on the local level.
I do applaud Slipstream, CSC and T-Mobile for their stance.
Who knows, this whole thing is just getting old.
Gotta go, my centrifuge just stopped. Time for my daily injection to be ready for Tour de Tykes.
H-crit is up to 57, Riis eat your heart out. I heart dopers!
As I have said before, I firmly believe that most of the pro bike gamers were dopers in the 90's. They all answer straightfaced and say they never doped. I call Bullshit, you just never got caught thanks to your own personal centrifuge.
I really could care less. Sports are theatre, entertainment. Entertain me. Part of me is actually of the capitalistic, Darwinism bend of thought that says, let them dope. Ride faster, entertain me more, die quicker. Hell 33% of the pro pel are asthmatics, how convenient. I am surpised that more are not anemic, if you follow along. Maybe some latent childhood ADHD, Narcolepsy or insulin resistance.
Were does this Merry go Round stop? The gamers work in an essential police state environment with a clandestine judicial proceeding. At what point do the innocent have their rights respected.
Riddle me this Batman. Say "The Man" knocks on your HOME door before you go to work and says, "follow me, we are peeing together this morning." Better yet, "wake up sunshine, I am sticking a needle in your arm and sucking some blood." I just want to see what we got going on in your body today. That is every day for some bike gamer.
My overarching points are these:
Mea Culpa my ass. I do not believe for a second you did EPO once. Millar, Zabel, Basso. LIARS!!
10-15 years ago has no bearing on the present.
Police state justice is out of control.
There will always be cheaters. Hell I race against them, even on the local level.
I do applaud Slipstream, CSC and T-Mobile for their stance.
Who knows, this whole thing is just getting old.
Gotta go, my centrifuge just stopped. Time for my daily injection to be ready for Tour de Tykes.
H-crit is up to 57, Riis eat your heart out. I heart dopers!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
New ink
I have been tossing some ideas around in my head for some new ink lately. I am not really sure what to get done. I am sure Dr. Weaver will read this and cringe.
So the concept is around new beginnings, living (joie de vie, per se) and cycling. I presently have a upper arm tatt of a nickname for Amy. I do not want to destroy the tatt, but I no longer want it to be focal. It is a Japanese symbol for Pi. Basically a Pi symbol with three bars on the top and two thin bars on the left side. I like the symbol and also the concept of Pi being undefinable and ongoing. My quandry is do I make designs around the symbol or do I incorporate into a cover-up. I was thinking a cover-up with a Phoenix and a flame design. This would also meet my rebirth, rise from the ashes theme.
I am not a fan of bands, so no bike chain band around my 13" pythons. I am not a sleeve person either, but would not be averse to a large total shoulder area fill-in. What to do, what to do.
So the concept is around new beginnings, living (joie de vie, per se) and cycling. I presently have a upper arm tatt of a nickname for Amy. I do not want to destroy the tatt, but I no longer want it to be focal. It is a Japanese symbol for Pi. Basically a Pi symbol with three bars on the top and two thin bars on the left side. I like the symbol and also the concept of Pi being undefinable and ongoing. My quandry is do I make designs around the symbol or do I incorporate into a cover-up. I was thinking a cover-up with a Phoenix and a flame design. This would also meet my rebirth, rise from the ashes theme.
I am not a fan of bands, so no bike chain band around my 13" pythons. I am not a sleeve person either, but would not be averse to a large total shoulder area fill-in. What to do, what to do.
Monday, May 21, 2007
A funny thing happened on the way to the Coliseum
I have now fully realized how fun racing a MTB is. From the courses that challenge you physically & mentally, to the atmosphere, to the people involved. The mountain scene is like a backyard picnic, while the road scene is like a corporate evening of forced fun. Do not get me wrong, I love racing on the road. The biggest difference is that the competitors are so much more factioned due to team "obligations" or some fantasy about being the next 12k dreamer. It is nice to race your bike and let the strongest fight it out with the course and the competition. There is no sitting in here. The mountain scene also quickly delineates talent. I can race any 1,2 crit in the are and be a factor. If I were to race Elite Mtb I would be fighting for probably 10th-15th on a good day. Talent rises, pretenders fade. Maybe that is why I have so enjoyed cross for all these years. If you put the efforts in, it will show.
So lately I have been on the Flyin' Ryan training plan. Do not exceed 8 hours and then go kick ass. Time to turn the amp to eleven and Spinal Tap out to some big weeks. Oh yeah, I will break the Leech secret. He rocked a 16ish hour week the other week. Look out Hamboner, you and you pre-school possee may be in for some VPA hurtin'.
Enough for this morning. I am finally gettin batteries for my digi so expect some pics the project bike. It was a big hit at Granogue.
Have a good week all.
So lately I have been on the Flyin' Ryan training plan. Do not exceed 8 hours and then go kick ass. Time to turn the amp to eleven and Spinal Tap out to some big weeks. Oh yeah, I will break the Leech secret. He rocked a 16ish hour week the other week. Look out Hamboner, you and you pre-school possee may be in for some VPA hurtin'.
Enough for this morning. I am finally gettin batteries for my digi so expect some pics the project bike. It was a big hit at Granogue.
Have a good week all.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Who will stop the rain?
Interesting day yesterday. I helped my good friend Nina with her golf tournament fundraiser for the Mark Encin Foundatio. Mark was Nina's husband. He passed about a year and a half ago from malignant melanoma. He was diagnosed in the very late stages and fought like hell, but ultimately succumbed. I really did not know Mark so well, but I always enjoyed my time around him. Nina started a foundation to support melanoma research. The golf tourney is a first step to what I hope is a long endeavor. So many people were so generous that I was truly amazed & humbled. Long story short $12k was raised for two research institutions. For more info on the foundation and Melanoma read here. I had a great time being a very small part of this worthwhile cause.
It is always hard to watch people close to you experience emotions of sadness and grief. Yesterday was no different. The very unfortunate part was that these emotions did not stop at the golf outing. I received a call at 4:00 letting me know that one of my customers who I really enjoy seeing has suffered a tragic and senseless loss. There is no way to even try to quantify the magnitude, except that I feel there is no greater loss a man can experience. At 12:45 pm yesterday a piece of shit with a gun walked into this gentleman's office and shot my customer's wife. Mary died shortly thereafter in the ER. The Moola's have two high school aged children that, when they returned home from school, now have no mother. Jag no longer has his loving wife and friend. I do not understand what can make a person take another's life. Mary was always very nice and pleasant to me. I can only imagine how nice she was for her close friends and family. I can not comprehend eating lunch with your spouse then five minutes later you return to your office to the horror of your spouse being shot.
I will not pontificate about Mental health issues, gun ownership or commensurate criminal punishment.
Dr. Moola, my thoughts are with you and your children today.
It is always hard to watch people close to you experience emotions of sadness and grief. Yesterday was no different. The very unfortunate part was that these emotions did not stop at the golf outing. I received a call at 4:00 letting me know that one of my customers who I really enjoy seeing has suffered a tragic and senseless loss. There is no way to even try to quantify the magnitude, except that I feel there is no greater loss a man can experience. At 12:45 pm yesterday a piece of shit with a gun walked into this gentleman's office and shot my customer's wife. Mary died shortly thereafter in the ER. The Moola's have two high school aged children that, when they returned home from school, now have no mother. Jag no longer has his loving wife and friend. I do not understand what can make a person take another's life. Mary was always very nice and pleasant to me. I can only imagine how nice she was for her close friends and family. I can not comprehend eating lunch with your spouse then five minutes later you return to your office to the horror of your spouse being shot.
I will not pontificate about Mental health issues, gun ownership or commensurate criminal punishment.
Dr. Moola, my thoughts are with you and your children today.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Yeah, baby, yeah
I was/am all full of myself with the completion of my new project mtb. An STXC machine. The bike is a one-of-a-kind HEBE brand (note the headbadge). It is the old (10 years) theoriginallegend.blogspot.com model
Yeah baby, the power of the Sharpie.
Here it is
Smorgasbord custom 853 10+ year old steel frame
PACE Carbon rigid fork
Bontrager carbon flat bars & X-lite stem
Schwalbe Fast Fred rubber
Thomsen post
Airione saddle
And the coupe de gras. DURA-ACE 10 speed bar end shifters mounted to a Paul Thumbie
Dura-Ace Read derailleur
Dura-Ace 11-21 cassette
Single 36 tooth front ring w/ custom Hebe design Race Face guard. Trick & tricky
Eponymous & pretentios all at once. That is how I roll. YEAH, BABY YEAH!
I am feeling randy.
Yeah baby, the power of the Sharpie.
Here it is
Smorgasbord custom 853 10+ year old steel frame
PACE Carbon rigid fork
Bontrager carbon flat bars & X-lite stem
Schwalbe Fast Fred rubber
Thomsen post
Airione saddle
And the coupe de gras. DURA-ACE 10 speed bar end shifters mounted to a Paul Thumbie
Dura-Ace Read derailleur
Dura-Ace 11-21 cassette
Single 36 tooth front ring w/ custom Hebe design Race Face guard. Trick & tricky
Eponymous & pretentios all at once. That is how I roll. YEAH, BABY YEAH!
I am feeling randy.
Blowin' out the carbon
From my legs, mind, belly, ass
All this achieved in one short visit to Happy Valley. For all yoy JoePa psychos I roade by his home. OOOHHH so mystical. Regular guy, regular house, not a deity.
So I worked with a new rep yesterday in Altoona then bolted off to State College to see my good friend Ry. I always enjoy time around him as he challenges me to think more than I normally do. The conversation is always good and thought provoking. The type that really makes you think about the topic you are forming/supporting an opinion around. Dude can also pedal a bike. I guess being a friggin National Champ tends to make that an understatement. Yesterday was an awesome mix of new and different roads as well as dirt road and SINGLETRACK riding. Yes, full on singletrack on a road bike with 130psi in the tires. Damn it was fun. I had to lay low so as not to destroy his fragile legs. Not really. If you have never ridden singletrack on a road bike, do it. Very fun. It also is imperative to have the proper weight distribution and finesse to make it work. Thanks dude. Good ride.
Zipped downtown for dinner at MadMex. Had the good fortune to be in the throngs of co-eds who were not yet born when I graduated high school. With graduation this weekend at PSU the seniors have nothing to do but party all week. Food was delectable and huge portions. After a little nap it was back the MM for some Tequila. MMMM tequila. A couple of large Margarita's and I was ready to crash.
Then back to the grind of work. I had a great discussion with a doc who is going into a new private practice. Some times it is very rewarding to be a drup rep. That was one of those times.
More to come soon
All this achieved in one short visit to Happy Valley. For all yoy JoePa psychos I roade by his home. OOOHHH so mystical. Regular guy, regular house, not a deity.
So I worked with a new rep yesterday in Altoona then bolted off to State College to see my good friend Ry. I always enjoy time around him as he challenges me to think more than I normally do. The conversation is always good and thought provoking. The type that really makes you think about the topic you are forming/supporting an opinion around. Dude can also pedal a bike. I guess being a friggin National Champ tends to make that an understatement. Yesterday was an awesome mix of new and different roads as well as dirt road and SINGLETRACK riding. Yes, full on singletrack on a road bike with 130psi in the tires. Damn it was fun. I had to lay low so as not to destroy his fragile legs. Not really. If you have never ridden singletrack on a road bike, do it. Very fun. It also is imperative to have the proper weight distribution and finesse to make it work. Thanks dude. Good ride.
Zipped downtown for dinner at MadMex. Had the good fortune to be in the throngs of co-eds who were not yet born when I graduated high school. With graduation this weekend at PSU the seniors have nothing to do but party all week. Food was delectable and huge portions. After a little nap it was back the MM for some Tequila. MMMM tequila. A couple of large Margarita's and I was ready to crash.
Then back to the grind of work. I had a great discussion with a doc who is going into a new private practice. Some times it is very rewarding to be a drup rep. That was one of those times.
More to come soon
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The best/worst kept secret
The times, they have a changed. Being that about a whole dozen or so people know this drivel actually exists, I guess I am writing more for myself.
After twelve very good years of marriage things started to spiral last March. The reasons are not of any great consequence, and since this is a bully pulpit medium it is not fair to Amy to go into them where she can not fairly reply. Then in September the bottom basically fell out. By November Amy and I decided to seperate and ultimately divorce. Our divorce will be final in about two months, I believe. Throughout the past six months of living on my own I have experienced a vast realm of emotions. I have has the good fortune of a lot of very great friends, you know who you are, lend me support. Without them and my family I would not be where I am at presently. To list all of the people who have been so kind, giving, understanding with me would be a disservice because I know I would leave someone out. I want to take another time to say thank you.
So, here I am now. I have made it out alive (figure of speech, not literal) and I will be a better and wiser person. I am sure that, ultimately, Amy will be a better and wiser person as well. So there, I have said it publicly. I have accepted my lot in life and what brought me to where I am. Now it is time to start another chapter of this great adventure. I hope that with the support, love, laughter of my great friends and family I will go on to have forty more years to pester all of you with my inane nonsense.
I am not about to dispense wisdom, learnings or advice. Obviously all three of those little nuggets should be taken with a grain of salt.
Tomorrow I will get up, go to work, ride my bike, enjoy my friends and live my life to the fullest that I can. I will do the same the next day and the next and hopefully for many thousands thereafter.
Funny thing happening as I close. Those who know me know my love of music. Those who know me well, know how I internalize and relate to lyrics. As I close this entry, The Verve tune "Lucky Man" just came on Itunes shuffle. Yes, I am a very lucky man for all that I have experienced, and all that I will experience. It may not seem like it at times, but yeah Sister Luck has definitely called out my name more times than not.
After twelve very good years of marriage things started to spiral last March. The reasons are not of any great consequence, and since this is a bully pulpit medium it is not fair to Amy to go into them where she can not fairly reply. Then in September the bottom basically fell out. By November Amy and I decided to seperate and ultimately divorce. Our divorce will be final in about two months, I believe. Throughout the past six months of living on my own I have experienced a vast realm of emotions. I have has the good fortune of a lot of very great friends, you know who you are, lend me support. Without them and my family I would not be where I am at presently. To list all of the people who have been so kind, giving, understanding with me would be a disservice because I know I would leave someone out. I want to take another time to say thank you.
So, here I am now. I have made it out alive (figure of speech, not literal) and I will be a better and wiser person. I am sure that, ultimately, Amy will be a better and wiser person as well. So there, I have said it publicly. I have accepted my lot in life and what brought me to where I am. Now it is time to start another chapter of this great adventure. I hope that with the support, love, laughter of my great friends and family I will go on to have forty more years to pester all of you with my inane nonsense.
I am not about to dispense wisdom, learnings or advice. Obviously all three of those little nuggets should be taken with a grain of salt.
Tomorrow I will get up, go to work, ride my bike, enjoy my friends and live my life to the fullest that I can. I will do the same the next day and the next and hopefully for many thousands thereafter.
Funny thing happening as I close. Those who know me know my love of music. Those who know me well, know how I internalize and relate to lyrics. As I close this entry, The Verve tune "Lucky Man" just came on Itunes shuffle. Yes, I am a very lucky man for all that I have experienced, and all that I will experience. It may not seem like it at times, but yeah Sister Luck has definitely called out my name more times than not.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Random race thoughts
I still love racing my bike.
I love the scene, the people, the personal challenge.
I do not enjoy when that is spoiled in some respect.
Branchbrook was the first time I was actually freaked out while racing.
If you use the porta-pots, slide the freaking handle shut.
Nice touch at LP to place Human Zoom reading literature in the porta's for us. Sunday Philly paper would have been cool also.
Smoother course mean more bozos are there at the end.
Some people still think sprinting for 50th is cool.
Crit racing is NASCAR, think about it. It really is.
Bike racing distorts ones reality.
Wheelsets are now more expensive than bikes, when I started racing.
Everyone has a pair of those wheels, if not two pair.
Teammates make or break the racing experience.
EVERYONE, keep your day jobs.
Stay safe, stay fun, enjoy the ride.
Twain was once quoted as saying, "there is nothing so pure as a boy and his bicycle."
I would hate to have that spoiled.
I love the scene, the people, the personal challenge.
I do not enjoy when that is spoiled in some respect.
Branchbrook was the first time I was actually freaked out while racing.
If you use the porta-pots, slide the freaking handle shut.
Nice touch at LP to place Human Zoom reading literature in the porta's for us. Sunday Philly paper would have been cool also.
Smoother course mean more bozos are there at the end.
Some people still think sprinting for 50th is cool.
Crit racing is NASCAR, think about it. It really is.
Bike racing distorts ones reality.
Wheelsets are now more expensive than bikes, when I started racing.
Everyone has a pair of those wheels, if not two pair.
Teammates make or break the racing experience.
EVERYONE, keep your day jobs.
Stay safe, stay fun, enjoy the ride.
Twain was once quoted as saying, "there is nothing so pure as a boy and his bicycle."
I would hate to have that spoiled.
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