Simple Pleasures...

Watching a baseball game while working through a bag of Peanuts (Remember when a ballpark used to reek of cigar smoke, beer, hot dogs, fresh cut grass and dirt? The sights and sounds of pregame BP and warm ups? People using their scorecards? Organ music? That was atmosphere! There was no blaring hip- hop "music" or idiots using spud guns to shoot cheap t-shirt's into the stands? Nobody talking on their cell phone next to you; people were there to watch the game).

Southern cooking (It's hard to beat pork bbq, fried chicken, catfish, fried okra, hushpuppies, slaw, greens, pintos, sweet potato pie, banana pudding, iced tea, etc).

Southern humor (Last week I was talking with an elderly friend in Wilmington, North Carolina. He told me "it's so hot- This morning I saw a dog chasin' a cat and they was both walkin'". I've heard dozens of these over the years, I love em'!).

Amateur Sports (In an era of spoiled, cheating professional athletes; watching a good little league, high school, or college game is a distinct pleasure. I'm also disgusted by the owners, unions, and media who enabled these idiots! It really doesn't matter which sport).

Silence (I love not hearing a TV, radio, cell phone ring/ conversation, etc. This is especially true on a nice, long ride. Just the pedals turning on a finely tuned bike).

A good book (I love a comfortable chair, a cup of joe, and a good read. I love feeling the "heft" of a book in my hands!).

The sights and smell of a bike shop (Bikes, wheels, and tires. A mechanic turning a wrench, or truing a wheel. A conversation taking place. If you don't get it, that's o.k. But you're missing out on something beautiful).

Home garden's (Grow your own! It's always better than what you get at the store. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats a tomato sandwich with a tomato from your own garden! Plus, playing in the soil is therapeutic).

2009 Capital to Capital Century

Last Saturday I participated in the "Capital to Capital Century" for the second year in a row. The course is beautiful in a way I can only describe as "Southern" in terrain and spring scents. The 100 mile route ventures along portions of the James River, passing colonial plantations and civil war battlefields. Huge portions of it feel like you're passing through a forest. At 8 AM sharp, several hundred of us who were doing the century left Rocketts Landing on the Richmond waterfront heading towards Williamsburg, Virginia's colonial era capital. Rides of 50 and 25 miles left later that morning. Over 1300 cyclists signed up for the various rides.

There's a lot that goes into preparation for a century (if you want everything to go smoothly). Thursday I cleaned the drive train on my bike and did some minor adjustments. I didn't want any "mechanicals" to ruin my ride. Friday night I loaded up the Honda with all the gear I might need and mixed my water bottles (Hammer Nutrition supplements are the best!). The forecast was for the low 80's and probable thunderstorms. Last year was a bit on the cool side and we had a light rain at times. Carol, Jillian, and I got up very early Saturday morning and hit the road. It was nice to have "my girls" there to see me off.

This year I was very prepared, having about 1,100 miles in my legs. In fact, I'd already done rides of 45 (Monday), 40 (Tuesday), and 28 (Thursday) last week to keep my legs loose. So I felt ready for the challenge. My goal was to have a decent time and finish comfortably.

The first 25 was great. I warmed up and jumped into a great paceline of about 15 cyclists and we were clipping along pretty good. I took some fairly long pulls at the front and my computer said I was between 21 to 25 mph. When I'd slide over to let someone else have a go at the front it was really cool to watch the line move past me. I'd slide down until I saw a gap and then move into the line. On the down side; at about mile 20 or so we ran into some pretty rough road. In fact one stretch of chuck holes caused total chaos! The gal next to me bumped wheels with another cyclist and they both went down very hard. Several of us stopped to help. They both had some nasty road rash, but remarkably decided to continue riding! I saw both of them after the ride, bandaged up and happily chatting with their friends. That's pretty hardcore in my book!

During the second 25 I hooked up with 4 0r 5 riders from Rowlett's, a local shop team (They did all the work, I was invited to sit in). We were flying and I rolled into the Williamsburg rest area in good shape! I ate a Clif Bar and banana. Refilled my bottles and rested in the shade for about 15 minutes. I didn't want to sit for too long, when you do that your legs can get pretty stiff. Plus, it was really starting to heat up so I decided to start the trek back towards Richmond.

Miles 50 to 75 were pretty good. Once again I jumped into a pace line and was able to take some long pulls at the front. By now the temp was in the high 80's and it was very humid. I'm a fanatic when it comes to hydration, so I wasn't having any problems, but I started to notice a number of people sitting on the side of the road rubbing their calves, etc. To their credit, the organizer's did provide a "broomwagon" you could call if you had any problems, so I'm sure they were busy.

The last 25 weren't all that bad. My legs were tired, but not destroyed. I backed it down a bit the last 15 miles or so. I had some great company when I teamed up with Craig, a Rowlett's team member. Craig is on their mountain bike team and riding a friend's road bike (A sweet Litespeed!). We were able to pace each other along whilst chatting. Having someone to suffer with makes it go quicker (thanks Craig!) and is part of the experience as far as I'm concerned.

When I crossed the finish line I had a tremendous sense of accomplishment (and I really wanted to park myself in the shade). I grabbed some food and relaxed with "my girls" and fellow cyclists. We swapped tales and just enjoyed each others company. I got a free massage! I absolutely love cycling! Physically, I don't think there's a harder sport from an anaerobic standpoint. It's a great way to stay in shape and it helps you burn stress. I sleep better and it makes me want to watch what I eat. Not only that, I get some of my best ideas for work presentations while I'm riding! It has its own unique "community" and with its rich history it's a great sport to follow as well. I'm hoping to find another century to do later this year. Who knows, maybe I'll just go out and do one on my own...

Capital to Capital Century Prep

This Saturday I'll tackle the "Capital to Capital century" again! It's a 100 mile ride from downtown Richmond to Williamsburg and back. I'm not sure how many people are riding the century, but there are around 1000 cyclists registered for the various rides. It makes for quite an atmosphere. Last year I did it in 5 1/2 hours. I'm in much better shape this year and would like to cut my time down. I've been putting in a lot of time at the gym and have a very decent mileage base this spring. My weight is down and my overall strength is up as a result, so I should feel better the 2nd half of the ride. I've been getting my miles in when I'm home, averaging 40- 50 miles an outing several times a week for the last month or so. I've also found some decent climbs, so I've had a lot more "hill work" this year as well. When all is said and done I'm very pumped for this ride! The route is beautiful, I'm feeling great, and I absolutely love my bike!

I found a really cool link to some info about my first "real bike"! Man, did I ever love that Fuji!! I don't have any idea how many miles I put on that bike, but it felt like a part of me. I wish I still had it.

http://www.classicfuji.com/ClubFuji_1985_Page.htm

Friend Dossier #2- Tom Connolly

When the Connolly family moved from Edinburgh, Scotland to Fresno, Fresno immediately became a better place and Edinburgh has never recovered. I can honestly say that Tom Connolly made my early years tolerable and entertaining! There were numerous times when I was feeling down for a variety of reasons and just being around him was a breath of fresh air. To this day, I've never met a person with a better sense of humor or who cared about his friends more than Tom. I've always appreciated his honesty and sincerity. The following experiences always make me smile and laugh. In fact, I share them with others to this day...

* Tom's family was always very kind to me and I really enjoyed going to his house. His dad was one of the funniest people I've ever met. For example, one time his dad was driving us somewhere and saw a very fat woman waddling down the sidewalk. He said she "looked like 100 lbs of jello in a 50 lb bag"! I use that line to this day! He took us to the horse races a couple of times, I remember falling asleep on a bench. We were in the garage once and he asked me to hand him a "torch". I didn't know what he was talking about! Did he mean blow torch? Who uses a torch? He wanted a flashlight. He thought that was pretty funny! The first time I went to their house, his mom asked me if I wanted a "biscuit". I'd never been offered a biscuit but thought it sounded OK. She brought me a little plate of cookies. I thought that was pretty cool. His sisters, Ann & Louise were always nice as well. I can remember Tom yelling at Louise to shut up their dog, Sammy:)

* The family was hooked on Happy Days and Solid Gold. His dad used to call us into the TV room to check out the Solid Gold dancers. I thought that was hilarious! One time Tom and I were hanging out on our favorite "tanning spot", our thermo nuclear hot roof. We'd managed to get Toms current "dream girl, Kelly F., over to hang out with us. He was rubbing tanning lotion on her shoulders and had a smile a mile wide when he looked at his watch and said "DAMN, I've got to go! Happy Days is on!" He quickly hopped back into the house, threw his shirt on and left! Leaving Kelly confused and me laughing hysterically!

* Tom went through a stage where he had the hots for stoner chicks, or as he called them, "ZZ Top girls!"

* Tom loved to show me British newspapers with crazy pictures from soccer riots! I remember one pic of a girl with a lawn dart stuck in the side of her head! He told me the hooligans would chuck "missiles" i.e. broken beer bottles, lawn darts, etc at their rivals! Crazy!! I think the first day I met Tom (outside McClane's locker room if I remember right) he was wearing a soccer jersey and some snug pants that would've been styling in Edinburgh (but not Fresno).

* Tom always had a love of cars and scooters that apparently afflicts him to this day! We had many a good time tooling around in his Corvair! We'd go to "Dicks" for cheap hamburgers, or go "hang out" on the backside of the airport.

* Tom used to make really cool album covers for our imaginary band "The SKAT Team". SKAT was an acronym for something, I can't remember what though. It had a real "Rude Boy", "Ska" flavor to it. He'd make up some pretty funny song titles on the back. I remember one was "Cuba, a Romantic Country"!

* Tom went on a church sponsored "father/ son camp out" with us once. We rode up the mountain Smart family style, in the back of Dad's pick- up truck. We were hiking in the woods one afternoon and he got pissed when one of the Halverson kids threw a rock at him, so he started rifling rocks back as hard as he could. Brother Halverson complained to dad, who really didn't give a "you know what"! I remember dad felt good when Tom complimented his chili. Tom told jokes and made funny comments in the tent all night, that was one of the best camping trips I remember.

* If you looked up "Kraftwerk" in the encyclopedia you'd see a picture of Tom. Tom is a music FREAK and has pretty good taste. Variety is his middle name! Once flew on a plane with a very fat, sweaty "Buster Bloodvessel" from the Ska band Bad Manners, I was impressed by the story!

* We egged and TP'd many a house back in the day (I'm not proud) and only got caught once! We egged the hell out of some pseudo Nazi kids house; at least we thought he was a Nazi. When your testosterone is flowing, sometimes the thought is all you need. A bunch of us (Me, Tom, Sean S., Bert D, Pat?) set out in the wee hours of the morning in Tom's Corvair, armed with several flats of eggs and chips on our shoulders. When we drove by the kids house we were shocked to see him sitting on his front porch! We drove past, talked it over, and decided his sitting on the porch was "meant to be"! What we didn't expect was for Tom to hop the curb, drive across their lawn, and light him up with his high beams! Insanity ensued as we rained eggs on this kid! The kid retreated into his house (eggs following him inside) screaming for his dad, who came running out in his underwear! Tom, realizing it was time to bolt was grinding his gears trying to get his clutch into reverse! When he did we were practically "burning rubber" in reverse across their lawn (jacking up their grass I'm sure)! When we hit the street Tom pulled forward and started driving down the street, but went only fast enough to let the dad catch up a little, then Tom would drive forward a little more, let him catch up a tad, then drive forward, etc!
While this was happening Bert was chucking eggs at the dad, Sean was screaming "I can't believe this!" over and over, the rest of us were laughing hysterically! The next day we got a call from Tom, we'd been pinched by the cops! The dad had snagged his plate number. An officer called and told us we could clean it up and the parents wouldn't press charges. Tom showed up, we didn't (I can't believe I was that ballsy). I felt guilty for ditching Tom. He told us the parents even fed him!

* In the summer, sometimes we'd go for a walk late at night. If Tom was with us we'd always have to worry that he'd throw a rock or pine cone against a neighbors garage door! He'd say "What would you do if I was to throw this pine cone at that door"? We'd start running fast! KA-BOOM!! We'd hide in a hedge or behind a car! Hangin' with TC was crazy!!

* We did "Air Guitar" at McClane one year. We "performed" Depeche Mode's "People are People" (There's one I wish I could get back. Geeeez!). Tom was the lead singer, I was back up, Brian was Martin Gore, and an Asian kid named Gee played the other keyboard! Some kids cheered, others threw fruit cups at us! In hindsight, I'd throw a fruit cup at myself!

* We (Me, Tom, Pat, and Jason) had an "epic night" on the backside of the airport once. We then drove to Blackbeard's and Tom woke up the next morning with a girls phone number written on his arm, he was excited and called her! He found out later that she was 12 or 13!

* He took a trip back to Scotland once and I wanted to go desperately! I couldn't even come close to paying for something like that so I didn't even broach the subject. It's always been one of my regrets.

Tom, You've always been a solid friend! One of my best!! I have nothing but good memories of hanging out with you and I hope we can get together and reminisce someday soon!

The Wisdom of Joe Sobran

Teach Your Children Well

In my own experience as a father, I have discovered several simple devices that can illustrate to a child's mind the principles on which the modern state deals with its citizens. You may find them helpful, too.

For example, I used to play the simple card game WAR with my son. After a while, when he thoroughly understood that the higher ranking cards beat the lower ranking ones, I created a new game I called GOVERNMENT. In this game, I was Government, and I won every trick, regardless of who had the better card. My boy soon lost interest in my new game, but I like to think it taught him a valuable lesson for later in life.

When your child is a little older, you can teach him about our tax system in a way that is easy to grasp. Offer him, say, $10 to mow the lawn. When he has mowed it and asks to be paid, withhold $5 and explain that this is income tax. Give $1 to his younger brother, and tell him that this is "fair". Also, explain that you need the other $4 yourself to cover the administrative costs of dividing the money. When he cries, tell him he is being "selfish" and "greedy". Later in life he will thank you.

Make as many rules as possible. Leave the reasons for them obscure. Enforce them arbitrarily. Accuse your child of breaking rules you have never told him about. Keep him anxious that he may be violating commands you haven't yet issued. Instill in him the feeling that rules are utterly irrational. This will prepare him for living under democratic government.

When your child has matured sufficiently to understand how the judicial system works, set a bedtime for him and then send him to bed an hour early. When he tearfully accuses you of breaking the rules, explain that you made the rules and you can interpret them in any way that seems appropriate to you, according to changing conditions. This will prepare him for the Supreme Court's concept of the U.S. Constitution as a "living document".

Promise often to take him to the movies or the zoo, and then, at the appointed hour, recline in an easy chair with a newspaper and tell him you have changed your plans. When he screams, "But you promised!", explain to him that it was a campaign promise.

Every now and then, without warning, slap your child. Then explain that this is defense. Tell him that you must be vigilant at all times to stop any potential enemy before he gets big enough to hurt you. This, too, your child will appreciate, not right at that moment, maybe, but later in life.

At times your child will naturally express discontent with your methods. He may even give voice to a petulant wish that he lived with another family. To forestall and minimize this reaction, tell him how lucky he is to be with you the most loving and indulgent parent in the world, and recount lurid stories of the cruelties of other parents. This will make him loyal to you and, later, receptive to schoolroom claims that the America of the postmodern welfare state is still the best and freest country on Earth.

This brings me to the most important child-rearing technique of all: lying. Lie to your child constantly. Teach him that words mean nothing--or rather that the meanings of words are continually "evolving", and may be tomorrow the opposite of what they are today.

Some readers may object that this is a poor way to raise a child. A few may even call it child abuse. But that's the whole point: Child abuse is the best preparation for adult life under our form of GOVERNMENT.

Hell of the North!

Tom Boonen avoided the carnage in the Arenberg Forest and basically brutalized his opponents to win his 3rd Paris- Roubaix in 5 years. He opened up a 15- 20 second gap with 13 kilometers to go and that was that. Never let a two time winner power up the road (easier said than done no doubt)! The Belgian flag should have a cobblestone right smack in the middle of it.

More Important Things...

Last Sunday was a great day! We went to Easter Mass at St. Joseph's, it was a beautiful service and really reminded me of what's ultimately important in life. God and family. God has truly blessed me in innumerable ways, far more than I deserve! I cannot possibly express how thankful I am for all that He has done for me. I'm even thankful for the trials. They've made me a spiritually stronger and more sympathetic person. There's a lot of disturbing things going on in our country and the world on many levels. Most, if not all of it angers and disgusts me. It's as if a fire hose of ignorance has been opened up by and on humanity. However, it's important to not lose sight of the of the many, many wonderful things that happen on a daily basis as well.

I just want to leave "the vineyard" in a little better shape for my posterity. The older I get, the more apparent my own mortality becomes I guess.

Belgian Bad Ass!!

Stijn (Stain) Devolder, and his posterity, will never have to pay for a beer in Belgium again after he won his second consecutive Tour of Flanders! With 261 km of racing in the wind and on some perversely steep cobbled hills, you must have an iron will, legs, and lungs to finish this race, let alone win it! What a perfect stud this guy is!

This week the "Monuments" continue with Ghent- Wevelgem and my personal favorite, Paris- Roubaix. I predict good rides from Fabian Cancellera, Heinrich Haussler, and Tom Boonen. Cobbles, cobbles, cobbles!!

I had a great ride yesterday. It was a beautiful 68 degrees, I did both hills on Old Gun Road and felt great! 44 miles in 2 1/2 hrs! Today it poured rain (urgh!), so I hit the gym after I did my office work. I'm really looking forward to the Capital to Capital Century next month. It's a beautiful ride from Richmond to Williamsburg and back. Last year I was recovering from a back injury, I finished just fine but was suffering a little towards the end. I'm in much better shape this year and want to finish strong.

Friend Dossier # 1- Brian Gooch

When I think back on some of the positive things about growing up in Fresno, several friends immediately come to mind. I'm amazed at how fast time passes and regret not keeping in touch with a guy who has been a family friend for many, many years. Good friends are hard to come by, and I'm thankful to have exchanged some funny memories with him in the last couple of days. That "conversation" sparked the memories listed below...


*Brian had the first Atari I ever set eyes on. My brother Patrick and I spent a lot of time at his house playing Pac- Man, Asteroids, Space Invaders, and who knows what else. Brian was a video game master!

*Brian's house was so close to the railroad tracks that it'd shake when the train roared by!

* Whilst in front of Brian's house, my dad once lit some sort of explosive (I think it was July 4th) and through it into the air; when it exploded the street lights flickered and went out! We hid in the house and watched a police car cruise by, looking for suspicious "activity"!

* Brian had a "Doughboy" pool and we used to swim at his house quite a bit. One time, Pat and Brian started playing around by slap fighting. After a few minutes, they were slapping the ever lovin' crap out of each other!

* Brian always had the ultimate tan! After a cold, foggy winter; all he had to do was think about the sun and "POW" he was four shades darker than I could ever hope to be! I was always envious.

* Not only was he tan, he was ripped! He probably still is...

* One time, he and Pat had a hot dog eating contest on the patio of the local Der Weinerschnitzel!
I don't remember the numbers (it was disturbing to behold), but I thought he was crazy to try and out eat Pat. I think one of them yacked up a lawn and leaf bag's worth of chile cheese dogs!

*Speaking of yacking, Brian bought a pretty sweet Team Fuji (blue and yellow I think) and would ride with us on occasion. One time he had to stop, and he yacked on somebody's front yard! I always wished he'd of kept riding. He had freakishly huge legs! It's a shame those bad boy's weren't put to good use.

* He and Pat once shot up his backyard fence with a pellet gun. His mom, not knowing her own son was the culprit, freaked out and called the police. Brian "played dumb" when the cops came by, denying knowledge of anything. He hid the pellet gun between his mattresses. Pat once shot a girl (with the same pellet gun) in the butt, sniper style, from Brian's bedroom window. I don't think they escaped that one.

* Brian toilet papered his own house at least once! WTH?

* He once got into a fight with some kid named Eddie. We we're at Mayfair elementary playing baseball. I don't remember how it started, or who came out on top.

*He had numerous jobs. Taco Bell, Long John Silvers (deep fryer burns), and Televideo. He was robbed at least twice at Televideo, one time he was left hogtied in the restroom! He bussed tables with me at Roger Rocka's Music Hall and I think he got me a bussing job at some no-name diner. It sucked, and I quit a couple of days later.

* He usually had impeccable taste in music, but for some unknown reason was hooked on the album/ song "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie, and several Kenny Roger's songs! He'd play them all the time; perhaps he was trying to get Pat and I to go home!

* His mother's funeral was the first Catholic service I ever attended. I felt terrible for him and wished I could say something profound to comfort him. That's a rough thing for a teenager to go through. Sometimes, life can be pretty serious.

I'm sure I'll have more memories "surface" as we reminisce. I certainly hope he has as good of an opinion of me, as I do of him. Three cheers for you buddy!

Ukrops 10K- Richmond, VA

Saturday morning we drove into Richmond for Carol & Heathers first 10K! The out and back course is on beautiful Monument Avenue, famous for it's row houses and monuments of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B Stuart, and Confederate president Jefferson Davis (side note- In a obvious attempt at political correctness, a statue of tennis great Arthur Ashe was erected several years ago. Armed with a tennis racket and a book, not only is he completely out of place, some have observed that he looks like he's going to apply a "beat down" to the children that surround him).

With 32,000 participants and 50,000 spectators, it was an awesome scene to behold. They send the runners off in waves in 5 minute or so intervals. Carol has been diligently preparing for a couple of months and Heather was on Matoaca's cross country team this year, so they both felt confident they could set a good pace on the 10K (6.2 mile) course. While they were running, I took Jillian and her friend Bracey around some of the booths, etc. There were several music groups playing on different parts of the course and tons of people were running "in costume"as well (fittingly, they had their own wave). We saw Raggedy Ann, a team dressed as Pac- Man, Harry Potter, a viking, several men in business suits, a dude in a french maids outfit, a few people in bright green and blue skin suits, a man dressed like Indiana Jones pulling an inflatable rock, and most distubing of all- some fat guy from the cast of "Cats".

The weather was perfect for the event, just a tad chilly and most importantly, no rain! The local weather boobs had it completely wrong and this time the mistake was actually in our favor! About an hour after Carol and Heather's wave launched the girls and I grabbed a snack and found a place at the finish line. Carol and Heather crossed the line together in 1:26:48! Not to shabby at all for the first time! 6.2 miles is a pretty good haul! I'm extremely proud of them!

Today was a pretty good day...

I got my work done early and put in a 44 mile ride (2 1/2 hours)! It's absolutely pouring rain right now and it's supposed to let up tomorrow morning, which is a good thing because Carol & Heather are doing the Ukrop's 10k in Richmond around 11am. If they're lucky, it'll just drizzle a little. This run is a pretty big deal on the east coast. Around 20,000 people are signed up if the news is correct.

My ride went very well. It was cloudy, dry and about 58 degrees. All I needed to stay warm was my arm warmers and vest. It's nice to pedal along the James River and enjoy the scenery before climbing up Old Gun Road. It's not a steep climb, or particularly long, but I hit it at about the 25 mile mark so if I'm not feeling all that great it can hurt a little. Today I felt very strong and blasted up as fast as I ever have! It felt terrific! My fitness level has really taken off over the last two weeks. I've put in a lot of upper body and core work over the winter and really ramped it up the last few weeks. It really feels like it's paying off. I'm not where I want to be weight wise, but I've not been this light in years. I'm very happy now, but I'd like to drop another 10 or 15, I'd be ecstatic!

As I plodded along I thought about how important it is to practice "self denial". From large and small financial decisions, to what we feed our minds, to quantity and quality of food choices; it's a great habit to cultivate in every facet of our lives. I've not always been good at it, but I try and that's a good place to start I guess.

I celebrated my fine day with an Amstel Light.

More Fresno Memories...

Growing up in Fresno had its good moments. Now that I'm older and (presumably) wiser I can see that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. I guess I was just your typically whiny (bored) teen who thought he was having a "Footloose" moment at times. You know the type.

I was out riding yesterday and today (42 & 32 miles) and had some great memories float by.

I remember...

I know alot of folks buy into the whole "global warming" scare, but it has always been hotter than Hell in Fresno. You have to be careful about touching the handle on your car door, sitting on your vinyl seats in shorts, and if your an idiot, walking barefoot on asphalt. The plus side was my mom dropping me and a couple of my brothers and sisters off to swim at Airways. I think it cost 50 cents and you could swim all day. The tallest diving board seemed like it was 50 feet in the air. I bet it was 10 feet.

I remember the Chicken Pie Shop. A restaurant that sells chicken pies has to be great, right? It was.

Zack's. I can never smell a clove cigarette and not thinks of Zack's dance club.

Bowling at Fresno State. We used to make up names for the score sheet, I'd usually pick a name like Fausto Coppi. My brother would pick something subtly perverse. We thought it was funny to have it glowing on the overhead!

We used to play "pickle" till we were exhausted!

My grandmothers walkway used to be lined with jars of sun tea in the summer! Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats a Mason jar full of ice cold sun tea in the summer! She also made top notch potato salad as well! It had little chunks of pickle in it.

My dad was a mechanic for a time and once brought home a "crap load" of donuts he salvaged off of a donut truck that wrecked. If I remember right my mom froze alot of them so they wouldn't go to waste. I think we had the metal sheets they were on for quite some time as well.

I once had a blue and white "SWATCH". That was one trendy timepiece!

We used to eat breakfast at Roding Park with my Dad's family. They'd cook pancakes, bacon, etc. It was fun.

Grandma Smart always had a frosted Christmas tree! And made some wicked rum balls we used to sneak away with!

Ottmar Thomas' Toyota of Visalia commercials! What an accent that mook had!

Pizza and Pipes! It's impossible to eat cheap pizza whilst listening to an obnoxious pipe organ and not have fun! I think it burned down.

I used to get most of my school clothes from the J.C. Penny catalog and GEMCO. Those were the days of terry cloth shirts, O.P. shirts and shorts (nutters), and shoes (fake Vans) sure to keep an orthopedic doctor gainfully employed.

It doesn't seem that long ago. Man does time fly!

Pot O' Gold!

The Eighties were an incredible time for Irish cycling! It's not like the peleton's cup was running over with Irishmen, I can only remember four. Two of them were amongst my absolute favorites, Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche. Martin Early didn't get much press but was a very capable rider for Fagor (sweet kits) and PDM. Paul Kimmage toiled for RMO and later penned the very compelling "Rough Ride".

My first look at Kelly was the 1986 Paris- Roubaix. The combo of Phil Liggett's commentary and John Tesh's techno music blew me away. That was the most heroic sporting event I'd ever watched at that point in my life! This race was long, cold, wet and muddy. Over cobblestones? You've got to be joking! These are HARD men!! I wanted a KAS jersey something fierce!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_onBx2ZSHA

http://cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/rider_bio.asp?rider_id=49

Sean Kelly was a flat out freak on a bicycle! He also won the Vuelta d' Espana!

Stephen Roche was a weapon of mass destruction in 1987! He won the Giro D' Italia, Tour de France, and World Championship; only Eddy Merckx had accomplished that before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BrvsSOs920

"It's only a mountain..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8woHATqz8E

http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/rider_bio.asp?rider_id=114

I still have my Carrera jersey (what a team that was!).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Rain, Rain, Drizzle, Drizzle

What a sucky weekend! Sometimes I think the weather has it in for me. The weeks I'm on the road it's 70 degrees and sunny. Lately, the weeks (or weekends) I'm working at home its too crappy to venture out. So I spin on my trainer, which bores me to no end. On the plus side I have been hitting the Y and getting some really good upper body/ core sessions in.

I've been using Hammer Nutrition's HEED drink mix the last few weeks and can't say enough positive things about it! I've used Hammer Gel for about a year or so and love it as well. They have an excellent website with some very interesting articles about their sports supplements; you can check it out at http://www.hammernutrition.com/.

I was up in the DC area this week and had Korean food for the first time. It was teriffic! In fact, I may go on a Korean food tangent. The dish I had is called Bibim Bap. It's a salad of sorts with rice, and several small bowls of a variety of marinated vegetables. You mix them all together and add some of the spicy sauce that came with it. I love variety in my diet and this is something I plan on enjoying again!

If you ever find yourself in Alexandria, VA you should check out Hee Been on Little River Turnpike (http://www.heebeen.com/), you won't be disappointed.

Delayed at JFK (again)

ARRRRRG!

At least I can people watch. A woman (I think) just slithered past that reminded me of Ronnie James Dio! For those of you who haven't experienced RJD (or you just want to reminisce), you can "live it up" on youtube-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ_FgL5l1og

Picture him sporting a pair of trendy fur lined suede boots and you'll have an idea of what just strutted past me. Good luck getting a solid nights sleep!

Now I was never a Dio fan mind you; I just remember all the stoners wearing his concert t-shirts when I was in high school. I've always liked a lot of what is now termed "classic rock", but drew the line when it came to the more creepy stuff like Dio, Ozzy, Kiss, etc. I had AC/DC's "Back in Black" 8 track when I was in the 7th grade, I listened to it quite a bit until someone explained what some of the lyrics meant and I chucked it. Even now, I'll listen to a song and all of the sudden I'll understand what their singing about. Usually I'm disappointed and embarrassed at how naive I can be.

Tour of California Rolls Through the Valley

I had an "office week" last week and was able to watch most of the ToC on Versus. It was great to see a couple of stages roll through the San Juaquin Valley on some of the same roads I used to train on! While we had some very good racing in the Fresno area back in the 80's, who would've ever guessed that a pro peleton as strong as that would roll through the Valley? I was amazed at the size of the crowds along the route of every stage!

Mark Cavendish stormed to victory in Clovis, just nipping Tom Boonen at the line!

He actually sat up a hair to early and was lucky that Boonen didn't snag that win! I Like Cavendish quite a bit. He's young and although some would say he's cocky, I think he exudes the confidence of someone who's racked up a pile of impressive wins. This kid is only going to get better!

The next day the ToC started in my wife's hometown of Visalia. I consider Visalia my adopted hometown and spent a lot of time riding in the foothills around Visalia and nearby Exeter. Visalia has hosted a teriffic road race and criterium every year since the mid 80's.

It was cool to watch the peleton line up at the corner of Church St. and Acequia!













Visalia has always turned out great crowds for the crit every year but they really outdid themselves at the ToC!

Overall the coverage and racing was pretty good. I'll admit my patience was tested with the Lance lovefest that was inflicted on me every day by Phil, Paul, and their sidekick who seems to ramble on. I love Phil Liggett. He's been the voice of pro cycling forever. However, when he starts yammering on about Armstrong I feel the bile start to churn in my stomach. On top of that you had the likes of Landis, Basso, Hamilton, and the rest of Rock Racing soiling the ranks of the peleton. It was a dopers reunion of sorts.

Another thing that needs to be addressed is the idiots running next to the riders on the climbs. Good grief! This is a safety issue and if people don't have the sense to stay out of the way it's going to cost someone their season. There were dozens of fat, wheezing losers sprinting along in asinine outfits within inches of putting a rider on the deck. I wouldn't be surprised if a rider dismounted and beat someone senseless!

I did manage to get in about 120 miles last week. The weather has been pretty chilly, but I picked up a Pearl Izumi Insulator jacket and some new Pearl booties a couple of months ago when I was working in New Hampshire (at a Pearl Izumi store no less). They work great! I've been trying some new embrocation by "Sports Balm" that I bought here at 3 Sports as well. It's very warm, but not overwhelming, with a great scent. Perfect on a cold windy day!

Load O' Feces

I have a fantasy that is surely destined to remain a fantasy. I'd love to see an athlete clearly admit to knowingly taking "performance enhancing drugs" and admit it was cheating. He should express sincere remorse for damaging the credibilty of his chosen profession and make every effort to cooperate in the effort to clean up his sport. He should then retire and find something else to do with his life.

Watching Alex Rodriguez's lame attempt to "apologize" and field questions about his involvement with PED's was utterly predictable. He has now joined the ranks of other tainted atheletes who've made complete fools of themselves in an effort to salvage something they don't possess. A good reputation. This is no surprise to me, I've been saying this about him for years. Look at him! He's huge! In fact, I don't buy his PED time frame at all. He looks bigger now than when he was on the Rangers. Let's not forget this is the same guy who left the Mariners for the Rangers, and not for the money (Haaaa! Haaaa!). And what's with the current trend to "plead young and stupid" in an effort to excuse cheating, drug use, sexual promiscuity, fathering illegitimate children, etc? Is 24 or 25 years old the new 16 0r 17? I don't think so! It's merely an effort to downplay serious moral flaws!

My motto for a number of years has been "If you have low expectations, you're never dissapointed".

Bud Selig and the owners are another story. I don't believe for a minute they didn't know what was going on. They didn't notice that the players looked more WWF than MLB? An eyebrow didn't raise as longstanding MLB records were shattered? They allowed it to continue because the turnstiles were spinning like propellers. Ultimately they don't give a crap about the players or the integrity of sport, it's all about profits.

Mowtown is Rundown!

I've been here working for several days and I've got to say, Detroit is a dump! I've been here four times over the last year and it's always the same. Filthy hotels and restaurants, depressing scenery, and roads that remind me of carpet bombed runways! On top of that the wind has been blowing about 30-40 mph all week. That's great in one sense; it cleans the streets by blowing all the trash who knows where.

Good job Detroit!

On a happier note, the weather in Richmond has been pretty decent for putting in some miles on the bike. Last weekend I was able to get in several 40 mile rides! Over the Winter I've been working pretty hard on my upper body conditioning and I can already tell a huge difference from where I was at this point last year.

I became interested in Catholicism last Fall and started attending the Latin Mass at "Our Lady of Fatima" in November. I've had some good Catholic friends for a number of years, but never really discussed religion with them. I always assumed (big mistake) that most of the bad things I've heard about Catholicism over the years were true and hence, had zero interest. However, early last Fall I read an excellent book by Tom Woods; "How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization" and it perked my curiosity. I had many questions for my friends and they were answered well enough that I decided to investigate Catholicism seriously. Several months and countless hours of study later, I've got to say I've fallen in love with the theology and the Mass. I'll certainly post more about this exciting change in my life in a future post!