Yeah, after a week of my being blllleeeecchhh with the dirty rotten cold, we're pretty content to curl up in front of the tv and sort through the dregs of the available movies. So far we've finished "The Long Way Home" (Depressing documentary) "Austin Powers", "Dodgeball", and now a few episodes of "From Earth to the Moon". So far my favorite episode is about the engineers on the Lunar Module. Figures I'd love the engineers. So we won't bring the New Year in with a bang, but a yawn and a stretch and a snuggle with the dogs.
I hope you're having the level of excitement you desire for your New Year's Eve. I'm off to snuggle with my hubby.
Everytime we go to Bowling Green, I remember "Oh yeah, I really love the south." My dad always phrased it as "the living is softer there". And that wasn't an insult.
We had a chance to hang out with Erin & Baker before we left for Christmas. Poor little Ginger, it turns out she's half chicken. The first day we met up with them, she stayed velcroed to our calves. She did a lot better the second day. Another chance for Fredly to catch up with his best friend. We miss both Erin and Baker an awful lot!
While driving around, I saw a car with "Claen Me" inscribed in the dust. Not a proud moment for the Kentucky board of education.
The Hill's plant is located in Bowling Green. But even better is there's a neighborhood not far from there called "Hill View". Given there aren't many hills in that area, there's only one "Hill" that can mean.
The Fathers of Mercy have an enormous chapel going up. It was pretty awesome. The steel had just come in, so in the few days I was there, you could see more and more of the framework going up.
Ginger and Darcy the schnauzer played like champs. And I think Darcy won. Long after Ginger & Fred were passed out, Darcy was still demanding attention from his 'mom'. On the plus side, we actually got to see what a cutie pie Ginger is when she's not wound up with nothing to do. It also convinced me that a terrier is not for me. I can barely keep up with our dynamic duo. I would have killed Darcy years ago.
Ginger got to meet Fred's best friend, Baker, yesterday. And she was terrified. Little Miss Thang who completely rules the roost at home, took one look at Baker and velcroed herself to our legs for the entire night hike. Which makes for a few queasy moments when you're thinking "What did I just step in/on? Mud? Horse poop? Puppy?"
When the three dogs got back to our house, Ginger made the mistake of going for a bone that was far too close to the one Baker was chewing on. And he made it very clear that she should never do that again. Much drama ensued. But secretly, I'm pleased. She needs to learn that she's not queen of the world. And boy is she going to be surprised to see Baker again today! We're hoping to meet at the park (despite the crap weather) this afternoon for a last doggy run before we hit the road tomorrow.
And in case I don't blog for the next few days....Merry Christmas, y'all!
Since I can't surf petfinder for myself any more, I'm now surfing it for my friends. And looking at the contingent from Texas, I ran across a rescue called Last Chance Rottweiler & Small Animal Rescue. Awesome.
You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.
Last week Chris and I went to Bistro 19 to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. It's a new restaurant not far from our house, which trends dressy (with the occasional jeans in sight). Once we got in, I looked at the front of the menu and was pleased to see that they focus on seasonal, locally produced ingredients. For appetizers, we ordered the Calamari, which turned out to be as good as one of our favorite Louisville places, Palermo Viejo. I ordered the Wasabi Ahi Tuna, Chris got the Bistro Burger. Both were really tasty. And the chocolate cake made by the good folks at Uptown Coffee...well really how could that be wrong? Overall everything was super tasty, our only complaint was service was a bit off. I don't know how to explain this one, it wasn't the typical being deserted for hours on end bad service. When it was time for the next course, the waiter showed up. And the man pouring water and bringing bread did a yeoman's job. But it's the little things in life, like not interrupting a patron's sentence, or waiting for feedback when you ask a question, that didn't seem to happen. Strange. I would assume some of the rougher service edges will wear off when the restaurant is more than a couple weeks old. Or maybe next time we will just get a different waiter. But it's definitely a worthwhile (for us splurge) experience.
Wow, the Mid-Atlantic crew's trek to Providence this weekend did not go unrewarded. If you ever wondered how the MAC cyclocrossers stack up against the rest of the country, well wonder no more:
Masters 30-34: Ryan Leech (above) takes the stars and bars, with teammate Wes Schempf in 8th Masters Men 40-44: Mike Hebe in 10th Masters Men 45-49: Gunnar Shogren in 5th, Chris Long (who swings between Mac & New England) in 9th Masters Men 50-54: Jim Bronson in 8th Masters Men 55-59: Fred Wittwer in Stars & Bars Masters Men 65+: Rob Lea in Stars & Bars
Masters Women 30-34: Deirdre Winfield in Stars & Bars, Betsy Shogren in 4th Masters Women 40-44: Sami Fournier in Stars & Bars (She's Mac emeritus) Masters Women 45-49: Tammy Ebersole in 9th Masters Women 50-54: Tracy Lea in 4th
Junior Men 17-18: Nick Bax in 4th (won the last B race in the Mid Atlantic)
And of course those are all top 10s, there were probably a bunch of top 20s that I missed. And they're mostly people I've heard of or know. Anyway, the MAC racers so far have garnered 5 jerseys. Not too shabby!
Update Nice write up in Cyclingnews.com with mad props to Deirdre & Ryan here
God, I love food day at work. Everyone in our department brought in something to eat today. My friend Tom brought in Scotch Eggs. Never heard of them? They’re heart attacks on a stick. Take a hardboiled egg, wrap it in sausage, bread that, and fry it. I’m pretty sure eating a whole one nullifies your life insurance. And wow, is it tasty.
It’s been a tough week, and I’m glad to see the Friday of it. Without going into too much detail, they re-orged my boss out of a job. Which has left everyone who worked for him devastated. Chris has been working a new job (hooray!), but we’re hearing that some at the old job are still grinding axes. Gentlemen: He has never told anyone that he was fired. He has told people that you transferred him from the place 5 minutes from home to the place ½ hour from home. And you told him on Friday that he started on Monday. Ok? You made a business decision. He made a business decision. I know personalities are involved, but in the spirit of the holidays, it’s really time to take a deep breath, and let go of the grudges. Ready? Ahhhhhhhhhh. Can you say Merry Christmas without choking? No? Try it again. I have no intention of treating you with anything less than respect, and I expect the same from you with regard to both my husband and I. And you aren’t going to be able to do it while you’re strangling on your own bile.
Wow, I feel better already.
Anyway, back to my woe is me…..work has been incredibly busy last week and this, and will be again next week. This is the time of year when managers look at their yearly goals and realize that one of them was to get some projects completed. And there’s still 20 minutes before the Christmas holidays! We can do it!
But in much happier news, my friends Art & Eva had their baby, Mina on Dec 4. I think Mina will be a perfect match for Sean & Marilyn’s handsome little boy born Nov 20 (rubs hands together in matchmaking glee).
And in other happy news - Angie is coming to visit this weekend. Sweet!
In unhappy news – DEAR LORD THE HOUSE IS A WRECK! THE DOGS NEED TO BE WALKED! I DON’T HAVE MY MIL’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT! I HAVEN’T SENT OUT CHRISTMAS CARDS!
Tomorrow is the first day of cyclocross nationals. Chris and I aren't going this weekend for a variety of reasons. But we'll be hitting the "refresh" button on all of the websites that carry info on cyclocross. That includes blogs from MegA (who isn't actually going to get to race. OUCH. Geesh, Meg, don't do that!) FatMarc Chris (Not my Chris. This is the author of the famous Mad-Libs Race Report) and of course, the photographers Dennis Smith Kevin Dillard and finally Cycling News Velonews Bikereg (hopefully they'll post some results here!)
Since I don't read Vanity Fair, I came across the Proust Questionnaire in a backwards kind of way. Since I'm dealing with a lot of chaos at work, and a teensy bit at home, this is my out for the day. The 13 year old Proust gave much better answers than I...
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? To be worried about the health and safety of those I love.
Where would you like to live? Practically, someplace south of the Mason-Dixon, closer to both sets of families. In a dream world, there are limitless places I'd love to live - Italy, Ireland, Colorado, California...but only for a little while in each place, and then back home to the practical place to be near those we love.
What is your idea of earthly happiness? Hanging out with friends and family, playing with the dogs, sharing a pizza. My wants are few.
To what faults do you feel most indulgent? Not being serious enough! There's plenty of earnestness and seriousness, bring on the occasional flibbertigibbets!
Who are your favorite characters in history? Thomas Jefferson. Benjamin Franklin. Very different characters, but characters nonetheless.
Who are your favorite heroines in real life? At a large level, the women who were the "first" in various professions - doctor, lawyer, engineer. At a more immediate level, my Mom and my aunts who made such a huge impact not only on me, but also on my gazillion cousins.
Who are your favorite heroines of fiction? I don't have a single heroine. I tend to like strong women who aren't afraid to make necessary changes, and do what needs to be done. I hate WHINY.
Your favorite painter? Camille Pissaro
Your favorite musician? I'm not sophisticated enough to have a real musician as a favorite!
The quality you most admire in a man? Just one? I can't do just one, it's all part of a package.Intelligence, humor, strength, compassion...
The quality you most admire in a woman? Pretty much the same answer.
Your favorite virtue? Tact - because I possess none.
Your favorite occupation? Anything that allows me to spend time with my husband, my family, and the dogs.
Who would you have liked to be? Me. I live a pretty sweet life, despite the occasional bumps in the road. In another world, I would be rich enough to give more to charity, and maybe work part time at a real job and part time for a charity.
...why the Catholic Church is against fetal/embryonic stem cell research (just a note: They are not against adult stem cell research. The media has not conveyed the difference well), THIS is one reason why.
I've recently taken the oh-so-risky step of leaving Ginger out of her crate if I'm going out on a short errand (under an hour). I'm also leaving her out of her crate for the 1/2 hour or hour between my leaving for work and Chris getting up in the mornings. Chris snapped a shot of the aftermath this AM. The dogs know that I usually have treats in my coat pocket. Being cold out, I also have kleenex in my coat pocket. This isn't the first time that Fred's taken advantage of my absence to dig out some treats. The shredded kleenex, though, is a Ginger trademark.
A huge Way-ta-Go to our friends JH & Ethan who did well in the Virginia racing world.
Ethan took 1st in the 10-14 Year Old category for VA cyclocross. Chris and I are not only excited for him, but also really, really impressed by the VA state seal. I mean, the Missouri state seal has a bear and a belt buckle, but the VA state seal? That has a dude standing on another dude's neck. How sweet is that?
Our friend JH took 2nd place in the BAR (Virginia's Best All Round Rider) in the Masters 35+ category, which is super cool as well. Granted he wasn't able to wear that super sweet VA seal on his chest, but 2nd is still amazing.
Seattle airport took down their Christmas trees because a Rabbi threatened to sue if they didn’t put a menorah up. Rather than bow to ANY holiday, and future other lawsuits, they took everything down.
People behaving poorly here: 1. Dude who sued to make what is basically a secular holiday, expand to include everyone’s holiday of choice 2. Seattle airport admin who basically exhibited a fit of pique 3. The lawyer who said they were afraid that this would make the Jews look like a grinch. Well duh. They called a lawyer to dispute a frickin' decoration in a frickin' airport. If they don't want to look like a grinch, maybe it's time to call a PR dude. The lawyer isn't cutting it.
Look…. If I wish you a Merry Christmas, this is not an assault on your right to believe in Earth Mother, God, Buddha, Moses, or the healing power of beer. This is me, from my culture, wishing you the joy of a holiday that’s very special to me. I do want you to be happy, and for there to be peace on earth. If you wish me a happy Hanukah, I don’t feel the urge to call a lawyer. If you want me to wallow in your Ramadan sorrow, er, ok. Wish me happy festivus, and I won't remind you that Seinfeld finished it's run YEARS ago, but accept your good wishes with a cheerful wave.
The sad reality is this kind of stuff is only an issue because people are bound and determined to feel victimized. And sometimes I sympathize, this is not a great time in our country's history to be a Christian, either. But if you feel offended that a Christmas tree is in an airport, I’ll understand that you need me to change my “Merry Christmas” to something else.
Ok, I saw this one over on Shelli's Sentiments and thought it was pretty interesting. It's a have you ever list. I bolded the ones I've evered. 62 out of 150 isn't horrible...
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink 02. Swam with wild dolphins 03. Climbed a mountain 04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive 05. Been inside the Great Pyramid 06. Held a tarantula 07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone 08. Said “I love you” and meant it 09. Hugged a tree 10.Bungee jumped 11. Visited Paris 12. Watched a lightning storm at sea 13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise 14. Seen the Northern Lights 15. Gone to a huge sports game 16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa 17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 18. Touched an iceberg 19. Slept under the stars 20. Changed a baby’s diaper 21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon 22. Watched a meteor shower 23. Gotten drunk on champagne 24. Given more than you can afford to charity 25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope 26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment 27. Had a food fight 28. Bet on a winning horse 29. Asked out a stranger 30. Had a snowball fight 31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can 32. Held a lamb 33. Seen a total eclipse 34. Ridden a roller coaster 35. Hit a home run 36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking 37. Adopted an accent for an entire day 38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment 39. Had two hard drives for your computer 40. Visited all 50 states 41. Taken care of someone who was drunk 42. Had/Have amazing friends 43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country 44. Watched whales 45. Stolen a sign 46. Backpacked in Europe 47. Taken a road-trip 48. Gone rock climbing 49. Midnight walk on the beach 50. Gone sky diving 51. Visited Ireland 52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love 53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them 54. Visited Japan 55. Milked a cow 56. Alphabetized your cd 57. Pretended to be a superhero 58. Sung karaoke 59. Lounged around in bed all day 60. Played touch football 61. Gone scuba diving 62. Kissed in the rain 63. Played in the mud 64. Played in the rain 65. Gone to a drive-in theater 66. Visited the Great Wall of China 67. Started a business 68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken 69. Toured ancient sites 70. Taken a martial arts class 71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight 72. Gotten married 73. Been in a movie 74. Crashed a party 75. Gotten divorced 76. Gone without food for 5 days 77. Made cookies from scratch 78. Won first prize in a costume contest 79. Ridden a gondola in Venice 80. Gotten a tattoo 81. Rafted the snake river 82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” 83. Gotten flowers for no reason 84. Performed on stage 85. Been to Las Vegas 86. Recorded music 87. Eaten shark 88. Kissed on the first date 89. Gone to Thailand 90. Bought a house 91. Been in a combat zone 92. Buried one/both of your parents 93. Been on a cruise ship 94. Spoken more than one language fluently 95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show 96. Raised children 97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour 98. Passed out cold 99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country 100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over 101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge 102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking 103. Had plastic surgery 104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived 105. Wrote articles for a large publication 106. Lost over 100 pounds. 107. Held someone while they were having a flashback 108. Piloted an airplane 109. Touched a stingray 110. Broken someone’s heart 111. Helped an animal give birth 112. Won money on a TV game show 113. Broken a bone 114. Gone on an African photo safari 115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears 116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol 117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild 118. Ridden a horse 119. Had major surgery 120. Had a snake as a pet 121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon 122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours 123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states 124. Visited all 7 continents 125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days 126. Eaten kangaroo meat 127. Eaten sushi 128. Had your picture in the newspaper 129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about 130. Gone back to school 131. Para-sailed 132. Touched a cockroach 133. Eaten fried green tomatoes 134. Read “The Iliad” 135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read 136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 137. Skipped all your school reunions 138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language 139. Been elected to public office 140. Written your own computer language 141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream 142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care 143. Built your own PC from parts 144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you 145. Had a booth at a street fair 146. Dyed your hair 147. Been a DJ 148. Shaved your head 149. Caused a car accident 150. Saved someone’s life
Official 2 year anniversary of our wedding. And Tammie's birthday. All part of my plan to nevere forget either. Either that or the only day in December that I could get both St Cecilia's Church and our reception hall.
Anyway, being a super traditional kinda girl, the reason St Cecilia's Church was so important to me is because our family seems to keep coming back to it. My Mom grew up in the shadow of St Cecilia's and went to their grade school. She was baptized there, Mom & Dad were married there, I was baptized there, my Grandfather was buried from there.... You get the picture. To me it was another opportunity to help include Chris as part of my family traditions. And that the church is just beautiful was a huge added bonus!
And afterwards we got to hang out with our friends and family at the reception. Actually our favorite part of that week was just the time our friends Laura & Eli, Christine, Tammie, Sean, Angie, Mikey, and Jake. We went to the Chocolate Bar the night before our wedding and it was so much fun that we all still talk about it.
Happy anniversary, sweetheart. Just 48 more years until you get to renegotiate the contract and look for some young 65 year old chickie.
Oooohhh myyyyyyy. So when we got Fred, he is the world's most mellow dog. No, really, he's super mellow and always has been. He believes in truth, justice, and humans are to be treated with respect. His only concession to freaked out doggy-dom is he doesn't like dogs, trains or semis. But overall, we all chill around the house pondering the meaning of life.
And then we got Ginger
And at the ripe old age of 5 months, Ginger growled at Chris. This led to Ginger being put on her back, snarling and growling until she realized that was that. Later last night, I held her back, and she growled at me too. But this time, Fred did the honors. I held him back from dealing with her when Chris was flipping her, but this time I didn't have a hand on him, so he immediately ran over and put her on the ground. Which I appreciated, actually. This was sort of one of the reasons we wanted to get a second dog while Fred was still young. We wanted him to show the second dog the ropes. But it doesn't stop me from thinking that it's going to be a really long year or two until someone grows up a bit and calms down. Eeks.
When Chris got back from the races last weekend, he mentioned that Bessy the battery for the Honda was (ahem) terminal.
Having just survived a million, billion car and dog bills the previous week, I was keeping my fingers crossed that the battery would limp along until the next pay period. But last night it became apparent that the number of starts left in that battery was in the low single digits. I even parked the car nose out, so that we could jump it this morning. If you have ever seen our driveway, you know what a feat that is.
So at lunch today I was off to Pep Boys for a new battery. Except when I got there, it was a 2 1/2 hour wait. And no appointments, they were only first come first served. Then it was off to Walmart. Another 2 1/2 hour wait. I was starting to call Chris to come out and install a new battery when one of the service guys offered to show me what needed to be done. All I had to do was remove or loosen 4 bolts. Sweet. I bought myself a battery, and a wrench and decided to change it myself.
The thing they don't tell you when you take on these little tasks is that it helps if you're not incredibly, mechanically inept. I have troubles driving a nail. I'm the queen of the 90 minute bike tire change. The first thing I found out is that two of the little rods that hold the battery in place weren't permanently held there. So the minute I unscrewed the bolts, the little rods fell through the engine. But not all the way to the ground where they would be easy to pick up. Noooo, they were in some tray located under some doohickey near a fan. Mind that I'm in my work clothes. And I'm not a mechanic at work. And then I learned to curse like a mechanic. The next thing I discovered is that automotive work when it's 20 degrees out becomes more of a challenge. Unscrewing and re-screwing fine pieces when your fingers are numb? Fabulous. But ultimately I wrestled the old battery out and the new battery in.
Then I took the old battery back in so I could get my core deposit back. And asked for a job application.
Poor Fredly-medley, winter is not coming easily to him so far. For one thing, when we had to take him to the vet for the cyst on his side, they shave him down. We call it the $300 haircut. The temps have been...brisk. The last few days were around 20 degrees, but today we were at 14 degrees. I've started putting one of Chris's cycling vests on him to try to give that big shaved spot some coverage. Poor guy, neither of us ever thought it would come to him having to wear cute little outfits. Hopefully this is a short term issue.
The other danger of winter for the big lug is salt. He has horrible problems with rock salt in his paws. Once that happens, he stands still with one paw lifted as high as he can get it. This morning I brushed the rock salt out of his right front paw. Then he lifted his right rear paw. Then his left front. I just called it a day. Ginger had relieved herself, and none of us were having any fun. We opted to go home and eat instead.
Anybody south of the Mason-Dixon want to hire a bike mechanic and an IT project management type? I'm not sure I can stand 4 more months of this.
Weblog Awards announced their finalists, and while several that I nominated got picked in their category (I'm sure I wasn't the only one to nominate them!), alas, none of my friends were nominated as finalists. Drats. Sorry Flick, Fatmarc, Megan, Vica, Class Factotum! I tried, darn it!
After having dogs for almost 4 years now, I'm guessing that having a dog is about 10% of the work of having kids. Some responsibility, some clean up work, but you can still leave a dog home alone. Apparently Paris Hilton thinks that number is closer to 100% than I do. She has decided after spending all that time with Britney's kids (which should be enough to make CPS step in), and she looks after animals. Er... Ok. AND she wants 4 in the next 5 years.
Me thinks this will last as long as her vow to be celibate for a year lasted. That was, what, 20 minutes?
My parents were only without power from the winter storms that hit St Louis on Thursday for a day and a half. And they could afford to buy a generator. This is the third time this year they've lost power for more than a day. This is probably a good investment. But CNN is reporting that this morning, 195,000 people are still without power 6 days later. Temperatures have been peaking around 20 for the last few days.
This morning I was walking the dogs through the first noticeable snow of the year. There still won't be accumulation, but there were little traces of snow caught in the cracks and blowing in waves across the street. When I looked up into a street light, big fluffy Christmas snowflakes are falling to the ground. And because it's 25 degrees, I've got the place to myself. Ahhh, this is perfect this time of year. Talk to me in January when all I want is to move to the Sahara. But for now, this is the season.
Yesterday was Chris's first day without the bike shop, and from a totally selfish point of view, I could live with that. Ask me after the paycheck time comes and goes, but Chris spent the day working on coaching, taking the dogs to the park, and doing a bit of cleaning. I got home to the dogs sacked out instead of the frantic scramble to get the puppy out to potty, snuggle with Fred, walk the dogs long enough to burn off the steam from the day. This morning I "short-blocked" the dogs, which means about 15 minutes in the cold instead of 45. And when I got home, Chris was home and relaxed, as opposed to getting home at 8:30, shovelling food down our throats , and giving the dogs their second walk before we go to bed. It's not a permanent way of life, but ya know, it's not a bad way of life.
PS: Ginger is now officially tipping the scales at 33lbs. So she's gained 8lbs in the last 5 weeks. I keep looking at her to see if she's going to be a Great Dane mix after all.
The rest of the building is steadfastly ignoring Christmas, wallowing in their beige funk. Not the row of cubicles I sit in. It looks like Christmas threw up here. One of my co-workers drove 140 miles round trip to come in this weekend and get crackin' on the cubicle.
This is the wall next to my cubicle. Positively demure with only some icicle lights to make things all puuuuurty. Very tasteful. Alas you can't see my Christmas tree, probably lost in the glow of the plastic Santa.
Working the twin Santas, and a little Christmas tree.
As you can see, the carpets, walls, and cubicle walls? Grey, beige, and more beige. All of this Christmas tackiness is a welcome relief.
Photo by Dennis Smith, shamelessly stolen from here
Ok, since my hubby (grumble, grumble) won’t cough up a race report, here’s what I’ve gathered. Some of this he told me at midnight when he finally got in. Given I was asleep, any weirdness is the result of cyclocross stories mixed in with whatever I was dreaming at the time.
There was some confusion on the line at the start of the B-Race. The whistle sounded, but as there had be no warning, people weren’t sure if it was the start, or something else. Ultimately fatmarc got the holeshot once all was said and done.
The officials got ticked off because Chris referred to them as officials. Which confuses me because I’m not sure what people call them other than officials. Refs? Umpires? Divas? Normally I don’t bash on officials because they have to put up with bike racers. And that’s not an easy thing. But c’mon….
Chris made Kevin Dillard’s Raw gallery. That may have made the whole race worth the drive.
Well maybe winning that first lap prime made the whole race worth it.
Maybe getting to hang out with Peter and Steevo for dinner made the whole season worth it.
Or possibly getting passed by Dan Brill & Matt Ferrari (he of the fishnet stocking'd win at Beacon) during the race, but then managing to claw his way back and beat them – that made it all worth it.
Or maybe getting ridden into a tree by Matt, getting to pull out the trackstand on the uphill to screw up those following, or not letting Etown push him off his line made it all worth it. He definitely likes the hands on kind of racing, and this race was all about banging shoulders and playing the tactics.
Ok, who am I kidding, his getting buzzed on KY whiskey with his fellow B-racers – that made the whole season.
And getting 4th overall for the series – that didn’t hurt either. The winner for the Bs was up for grabs until today, no runaway winners this year! Chris wasn’t in contention for the top 3 spots, but in one race he jumped from 7th to 4th overall for the series. Not too shabby! It also helps that it was a pretty cohesive group of racers, and sort of a throwback to the old “Mid Atlantic Brotherhood” for him this season. The DCCoD sort of made up the nucleus, with the rest of the Bs joining in. Compete hard in the race, have fun afterwards.
Since this was Chris’s last race of the season (no Natz this year), I have a feeling it’s going to be a long, antsy December. Maybe teaching Ginger to mountain bike will fill that gap. But I doubt it.
The dude's name is Kamini, he was the only black kid in a rural French town. And even though I had to get Google translations of the lyrics, I'm still amused by this rap video.
What's a blonde's mating call? "I am soooooooo drunk!" What's a brunette's mating call? "Has the blonde left yet?"
Someone who shall remain nameless, but I'm married to him, just called me with the blonde mating call. Given he doesn't (normally) drink, that's actually pretty big news. He podiumed at Reston. One of his fellow podium-ees was sporting some Kentucky whiskey, and what's a Kentucky boy to do? On an empty stomach he says he did two shots of 4 or 6 ounces. (yes, yes we'll correct his terminology later). I strongly recommended caffeine and food for him before he got too sick and too tired.
But apparently the whole "fuel for the fire" thing worked for him. He applied the "I don't have a job" stress, and fought back after a couple of guys passed him. He's buzzing along in a happy haze at the moment. A great way to end the season. He says I'll see him sometime before morning as he's planning on hanging out. I'll try to get him to at least write up a race report tomorrow!
What movie did I watch last night? The lyrics to one of the songs follows. Hint: It's a Christmas flick
We’ll follow the old man wherever he wants to go As long as he wants to go opposite to the foe We’ll stay with the old man wherever he wants to stay As long he stays away from the battle’s fray Because we love him, we love him Especially when he keeps us on the ball And we’ll tell the kiddies we answer duties' call With the grandest son of a soldier of them all
A couple of Sundays ago, Chris was trying to get the dog to move out of Chris's side of the bed. After much bitter complaining from the dog, he moved. "You have to be patient with him", I told Chris. "He's not used to having 3 in bed." "Wow, that makes me feel a lot better about what's going on in my absences for racing."
The dogs have been hyper today. This past week both Chris and I have been working long hours, and the result is that Ginger and Fred are under-exercised and bored. So today was just a long series of walks. First both dogs. Then Fred and I walked to the track. Then Ginger to the track to play fetch. Then both dogs. Then a nice nap. Then walk both dogs. It's 6PM and I've walked approximately 5 miles today. I'm beat, but this last walk seems to have finally done the trick. The dogs have finally settled down, and Ginger is no longer driving Fred and I bonkers.
Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates. "In honor of this holy season," Saint Peter said, "you must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven." The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. It represents a candle, he said. "You may pass through the Pearly Gates" Saint Peter said. The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, "They're bells." Saint Peter said " you may pass through the pearly gates." The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women's panties. St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, "And just what do those symbolize?"
The other night Chris was playing with Ginger. (On his lap, on the sofa.....grrrrrr.....) And he told me that he and Fred had decided that Ginger could stay. "You hadn't decided this before now?" "Weeeellllllll....For a while, Fred and I weren't sure that she was the best use of the family's $14"
Sigh. I’ve had better weeks. Gentle readers, it’s a whiny kind of post, so if that’s really not what you’re in the mood for, may I recommend the blogroll to the right?
To start with, Chris is leaving his job. He has lots of regrets about leaving. He really loved managing the shop, and had put heart and soul into it for the last 8-ish months. But the company decided that they needed him more at a different store, and we weren’t prepared to make the lifestyle adjustments that would be necessary. Unfortunately the store at which he works was apparently not negotiable. And there were other factors (there always are). So the great job hunt is on.
In addition I took the car in for it’s 60,000 mile service on Wednesday, at which point they told me that the rear tires were kaput. Which meant a trip last night to replace those.
Last night Chris was petting Fred, and I heard him gasp. I turned around and Chris had totally recoiled and was pale. Now my hubby is totally not the squeamish type. In addition, to add to the surreal ness, Fred was absolutely calm. So I went to take a look, braced to see an alien head coming out of Fred’s side. Instead I saw a nasty thumb sized hole in his side. We were off to the vet.
So a $300 vet bill, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and a shaved dog later, we now know what a sebaceous cyst is.
Oh yeah, and my parents are without power because of the midwestern storm that hit. This is the third time this year.
It reminds me of a string of wet sponges; it reminds me of tattered washing on the line; it reminds me of stale bean soup, of college yells, of dogs barking idiotically through endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it. It drags itself out of the dark abysm…of pish, and crawls insanely up to the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and doodle. It is balder and dash.
-H.L. Mencken
By Ken Levine One of the writers from the TV series M*A*S*H writes about Hollywood, showbiz, etc
Class Factotum She's Baaaacccckkkkk. And as funny as ever!
Cobb I'm fascinated on this man's ponderings on being American. And being black. And being an African-American.
Confessions of a Pioneer Woman She makes me laugh. Any woman who has named her own disease - Low Blood Sugar Cranky Butt Disorder - is ok by me.
Cute Overload OK! I admit it, I love a website which uses terms like "prosh" and "paws-up-itude". I'm pretty sure I will have my engineering degree taken away now.
Fatmarc Mountain Bike, Cyclo-cross...is there anything this man doesn't do?
