Oh did I mention...

...we moved in and already had our first guests.

Thursday, Burly Irishmen moved my heavy furniture and all of the better half's library.

PAB and xB stayed with us on Friday and Saturday.

Saturday was Pesky...I don't want to talk about it. Dima told me not to carry heavy boxes up the stairs or it would block my legs...yeah, I shoulda listened.

Sunday was Burlingame...see above.

So, I am back in the ATL for a couple days. Had to go to work to relax!

Team Training Camp Idea

Not Your Typical Training Camp

Cyclists must endure the hardest training and competition regimen of all athletes. The ancient science of Classical Yoga is the perfect compliment to modern scientific training methods. Yoga is a complete method of training- it’s not just postures! The flexible cats at the Sivananda Yoga Farm in SoCal (where else?) are offering a week-long Yoga & Sports Camp with 2 Yoga asanas classes a day, workshops, testing and personalized advice, there is plenty to keep you motivated and take your cycling to the next level.

I can totally see oV doing this!

Yoga combines all key aspects of performance into an integrated whole:

- Movement
- Breathing
- Recovery & Relaxation
- Diet
- Positive Thinking, Visualization & Meditation

And if that isn't reason enough to go here's a little something something for VB:

a San Francisco community center is offering naked yoga, where bare essentials means just that: Men and women are completely nude during the 90- minute class.

Nevada City Torture Classic

Cat's Hill...child's play.

Nevada City: 1.1 mile, 7-turn, counter-clockwise loop with 120’+/- of climbing per lap, reaching speeds of 50+ mph on the straight-away downhill across the start/finish. The course is 1/3-downhill, 1/3-uphill and 1/3 rolling/flats.

This is a true race of attrition starting at 2500'.

Make the split or go home.

I figured to do some early work then be a cheerleader.

An attack, a chase, stay with it.

Taz, oV, Pascuzzi, Hutch...suffer trying to keep sight of them.

Chasing with DeanO, PaTofu, Angerman, Bosch, Easterling, Parks, Nolan, Kramer...

Simply focus, see the wheel, hold the wheel,
Legs burning, lungs burning,
Don't give up any momentum, ever.
Learn the corners.
Fly!

14 minutes in...feels like more.

14 minutes in...can't be.

Oops, that is the time not the stopwatch. 22 minutes down...30 to go. Pascuzzi on the sideline? Crashed...

20 to go still hanging.

Lap cards soon. Suffer more, longer...push over the top, legs OK...not great...OK.

Countdown.

The bell, not even three minutes left, crash, oV and Hutch out, racing for 2nd, sprint, nothing left, Top 10!

Not a cheerleader.
Finish.
56 minutes, 8943 heart beats, 20.3 miles, 21.6 mph avg, 2245' of climb.
Success.

Teacher

To see kids interested,
in something,
strive,
aspire,
hope,
learn,
set goals,
have hobbies,
love something.

I strive to be,
the one that inspires,
sets the example,
introduces,
starts the fire,
feeds the fire,
teaches love.

Sacrifice,
drive,
desire,
success,
failure,
love,
life.

How to make Golf interesting...

I was just sitting here
surfing the web
and the tube...multi-tasker
extraordinaire that I am...looking for something to play in the background, sportslike, having already watched today's TdS TT (Jan is looking good). Well, nothing on but the Golf, which I have to admit helps me sleep.

So, I look up and watch this overweight, out of shape, "athlete", hitting his tee shot. There are people lined up on both sides of the box (hee hee, I said box).

Anyway, wouldn't it be more interesting if some percentage of balls that were played would randomly veer off course. Or, EXPLODE? I don't know. Seems like a foul ball every now and then would keep people on their toes. I'd give the guy a do-over...I mean mulligan.


Just an idea...

Busy, busy, busy

I got a jet on Sunday.

Flew to Little Rock, Arkansas
Then Grand Junction, Colorado
Then Mountain View, California.

Monday the documents came in for the new house and we signed. Escrow closes Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.

Tuesday I had to take the jet down to San Diego for some inspections.



It is Wednesday morning

I am watching the TdS

(yikes, what a website)


Time to take Tucker to the park.

He is sitting on the couch whining at me.

He knows it is time to go.

He will be sad when I pack my bags.

Then back to the ATL so I can get there before dark.

Missed Opportunity

Stuck in Atlanta...missing the Fremont Criterium!

Damn this sucks. So, I thought what the hell, I'll go to one of the Southeast Cycling races this weekend.

I missed the Georgia race calendar.

Dahlonega Omnium:
Blood Mountain TT,
Black Mountain CR,
Three Gaps RR

I could have done the CR today...should have....but just didn't find it early enough.

And the RR tomorrow, 8600' of climbing in under 50 miles, not my kinda race!

I checked Florida.
All the way down in Homestead...too far.

I checked the Carolinas Cycling Association.
Jun 10 2006 Southern Village Criterium (cancelled)

I checked Tennessee.

A race called the Roan Groan.

Hmmmm

Something about a Carvers Gap...sounds mountainous to me.


A RR with an 8 mile uphill finish....not for this kid!


Though this would have been a great ride to just do. The scenery looks awesome.


Oh well, no racing, it will make next weekend oh so much better!

Atlanta Group Ride

I found a new Atlanta group ride today.

Lots of racers.

But, they were going easy today because they are racing this weekend.

Figured out who the "big man" was.
Constantly running his suck.

Whenever anyone would go off the front he would make some smart ass comment:

"That one's gonna come back"

"Now we'll see who the pretenders are"

"He'll never make it"

"Caught before we top the hill I bet"



I got tired of listening to him so I decided to push him whenever he made a move and just nip him at the crest of each hill. Next time he would go a little harder and so would I.

I think I pissed him off...but, I shut him up 'cause he was too busy sucking wind from then on.

He kept looking at my antique steel frame and fork with 6 speed Campy Nuevo Record drive train with friction downtube shifters, then he would look at me, then my jersey (I was wearing Le Matin today).

I just smiled.

This might actually be my bike that
Paolo is holding?

Are those the upgraded Suntour Cranks?








Maybe I can get one of these fancy new ones!

Customer Service?

I get to the Atlanta Airport

Shuffle off the airplane

Jump on the train

Jump on the bus

And arrive at the car lot to pick up my rental. Except, I don't have one, I mean I started to book one, but missed the last step and never got confirmation.

"I'm sorry sir, we are sold out...no confirmation...no car"

So I go back to the terminal, go the the USO, get on a computer, go to the website to find my confirmation, realize I didn't finish the booking, so try to reserve again...FOR RIGHT NOW!

AND IT WORKS!

I get back on the bus...
back to the lot...
get in my car...
a Mustang (even though I asked for something that gets better mileage) and drive to my Mom and Dad's


Wouldn't it have been easier to just rent me the car

While I was standing in the PREFERRED CUSTOMER kiosk

Instead of making me go find a computer and book it on line.

Apparently that is not the way they do business.

Apparently Avis needs to Try Harder...
and read this book.

I guess it would have been
easier for me...but not
necessarliy for them?

Wasting away again...

Sitting in the hotel in the ATL...


surfing, blogging, reading...

dreaming....


TOP TEN FLAVORS

1. Cherry Garcia® Ice Cream
2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
3. Chunky Monkey® Ice Cream
4. Chocolate Fudge Brownie™ Ice Cream
5. Half Baked™ Ice Cream
6. New York Super Fudge Chunk® Ice Cream
7. Phish Food® Ice Cream
8. Cherry Garcia® Low Fat Frozen Yogurt
9. Coffee Heath Bar Crunch® Ice Cream
10. Peanut Butter Cup™ Ice Cream

Low Fat Frozen Yogurt...
how did that make the list?

That's like drinking.....

or Guinness Light Stout?


or eating...

(sorry guys ;o)

or driving...

even if it is a limo (yes...that's a Yugo Limo!)

Fun in the Sun

...without a bike!

I had almost forgotten it was possible.
If only we had a canoe.
Actually they did have two
seater kayaks...we declined.



Saturday we went to Michel Schlumberger
for their Wine Bench party.
It was a great afternoon.

We drank some wonderful Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay,
enjoyed the company of some good friends,
drank some Pinot Noir and Reserve Cabernet,
ate some great bbq and softshell sandwiches,
drank an interesting Maison Rouge,
had some strawberry and lemon ice,
topped off with a delicious dessert wine.



Then we wandered Healdsburg...

Found a great restaurant that served....



Very good Zins that we drank with
tempura fried green beans...


...and more zin that we consumed with dinner.



I had hanger steak...
...did you know hanger steak
is the abdominal wall?

Dinner with veterinarians can be quite informative.

What a great day!