Rollin' on the Golden Gate

Since i was a wee-one growing up in the Napa Valley, i have always wanted to ride my bike on the Golden Gate Bridge! Well, this saturday, i will have the chance to do just that!!

Shelli, Cody and I are participating in the MS 150 Waves to Wine Event. It begins in San Fransisco, where you head out over the Golden Gate and on up to Sonoma. Sunday will take us over the rolling hills into Healdsburg, CA. Then, the car will bring us all the way home!!

This is going to be fun because thats what riding a bike is all about! if you have the deep desire to donate, you CAN. Thank you to those of you who already have!!! Super cool!

This was planned a bit on the last minute side, but it seems like everything will be balancing out and it will be nice to just get out of the smog and normality of things. I haven't traveled in like a month, so i guess i have gotten the itch!!

Fessing Up

"WHOSE THE NEW GIRL, OR IS THAT A DUTCH BOY?"
I heard this statement on the last RAINCROSS RIDE I went on. I have to fess up. i did not go with the mullet, but more of a traditional cut. Actual pictures, maybe in a week or two.

The Good Life

Although it takes some time, coaching Junior High Volleyball is pretty much the best for this fact alone:

SNACKS
I don't spend my minor pittance on high end snacks, but parents are more than willing to do so. They roll in the coolers, break out the snack packs, beverages, and pop tarts. They usual try to create a complete mini-meal topped off with a ziploc bag for the leftovers. I usually just got an apple and one roaming oreo cooking in a bag that by the time i got ready to consume them the cookie was best used for pie crust and the apple for dart practice.

"Pittance (through French pitance and from Latin pietas, loving kindness) is a gift to the members of a religious house for masses, consisting usually of an extra allowance of food or wine on occasions such as the anniversary of the donor's death festivals and other similar occasions. The word was early transferred to a charitable donation and to any small gift of food or money."

Sorry. i have come to the habit of looking words up online, and i found this definition quite enlightening.

that was the one and only interesting thing that took place today.

Parting shot: Finish line in Aspen. Thanx for the pic DAD!

Calm Down ALRIGHT!! Here's your proof

Some people don't believe that i actually cracked and cut and bleached my hair. well here it is!!

Crash Landing

The HOST family
Paige, Darla and Greg Johnson

Two months and 15 days ago, I landed on the Johnson's front porch. Darla swiftly asked if i had my bags with me and if not, to get them quickly. The time since has been spent by to pool with the smell of BBQ in the air, watching kids play the Wii and counting the glow in the dark stars on my ceiling.

Sometimes i come home pretty late, and i catch some crap for it. Sometimes i make some food, but mostely Darla and Paige do, and they show me up pretty good. I have become the fall-gal for all of Greg's misplaced bike tools, broken toys, and poorly turned off cable. Its always nice to have someone new to pass the buck to.

the comedy factor is exceptionally high due to the fact that Greg enjoys dressing up in Paige's Bumble Bee halloween costume and terrorizing the visitors.

They have a cat
The problem with *cat* is that she/he poops in the wrong spot. Now i say he/she because i know very little about this creature. I don't even know its name. This is the first time in my LIFE i have not known the name of a pet that resides with me. i feel bad.


*Cat* Waiting to enter. It slipped in once, i pretended to be its friend, and tossed it out the door.


Greg sells Bikes
Thats just what he does. He builds them, sells them, gets dealers to sells them, and rides them. Sometimes. He is so into bikes, he even rode this Trek model to the mailbox, 30 yards away, to fetch the mail in his basket and deliver it to the table. Now thats commitment!


This was a short story of where i am in the hills of Loma Linda. Many a cyclist has passed through these Host Home walls before me, none have probably stayed as long, but i am sure all have felt just as loved. Giant tear. But for real, these guys are life savers!

Not AGAIN!!

I have a problem. Whether it be a one night get-away or an adventure across the country, i ALWAYS FORGET MY TOOTH BRUSH!! I had none this past weekend in Big Bear. I had to go to the store. In North Carolina i looked through Shelli's dad's cabinet, found nothing. In Deer Valley, i was coming up short too. Then Eli stated he was rollin to the store. Did anyone need anything? Well, yes indeed I do. He bought a two-fr. I didn't even have to pay him back. Ever since, everytime i leave this necessity at home or on the road, i think of calling Eli and asking for a hook up. this is Eli at last weeks race. He let me borrow his bike to make a trip to the car. It was a dirt jumping bike. Not good for skirts.


I am being the best model i can be here. Wearing the new hot dress Shelli gave me for my birthday and the cycling jewelery the Johnsons gave me. I am also holding a box of RAD, a new endurance drink powder. At least its brining one of my favorite words back. And it tastes pretty good.

I also won a new jersey. This was the last race of the Cal State Series (south i guess...) and i was able to win it and then snag the overall series title. sometimes i wear the jersey when i am styling my new hair cut, but not any other time. The hair cut, well you will just have to wait and see...

Sweet Success

THE JEEP IS SOLD!!!
Pictured here with a rock circle. Quite odd actually, but just goes to prove i know most everything. Adam and Chris set this booby trap up and i found it a mere 20 minutes later. The funny thing is that three fridays later, the rocks are still there!

I ran out of Spanish Rice, but won their hearts back with Churros

And this is all that was left.

Last weekend, i headed to Big Bear Thursday afternoon with 40 high school seniors. i had one job. and it was a big one. i was cooking for them, until Saturday night.

9 dozen enchilladas (potato ones, cheese ones, ones with peppers...)
3 HUGE pans of black bean salad
3 huge pans of spanish rice made from scratch
3 pans orzo salad (Thanx Christie for the recipe!)
And all the accutraments for hot dogs plus potato salad
A pancake breakfast was had with some killer scrambled eggs.

To say the least, i was pooped. my ankles were swollen, there were stains on all my shirts, and i barely ate a thing all weekend I always have the staples though: Yogurt; carrots; apple sauce; slim fast and pedialyte. Im hungry...

But it was worth it! The kids loved the food and even said it was healthy AND good. score. The churros created a feasting frenzy as did the root beer floats on saturday night!

I do have an idea though: How about a SAVORY CHURRO. Think Corn Nuts. They come without the sugar and cinnamon, so why not bake them and roll them in garlic herbs? BBQ flavor? Rosemary? Think about it...we will have a taste test sometime...later...

Who is your bed-fellow?

Timber is mine. For now. He is waiting transportation to his new home, on the lease to own option. They are completing a fence, just for him. But for now, we share many things. Frolicks, cuddles, naps, tug of war and the such. If only you could be so lucky...

Some things, are in fact, as large as they appear

I was riding with Matt one day and i kept getting this shaft of light stuck in my eye. Could it be faulty sunglasses? NO! Not the HAbervisions, they would not let me down (besides sliding, fogging, and getting dirty). I tried to move and get out of the way, but then i realized just where that glint of light was coming from.

Then on another ride, Matt was shooing a fly away with his left hand when SMACK, something hit me upside the head. Good thing my helmet was intact and ready for warfare. Otherwise, i could have been down for the count.

And this, was the culpret. A GARMIN, so he says. I was thinking calculator, GPS from way back when. But it is purely a wrist watch.


PS: Some of this could have been a lie.

I find most things funny

This weekend has been big. But, last weekend was BIGGER. So, i have to back track just a bit, to get myself up to speed.

I had a birthday. i am not one for self-promotion, aside from the fact that i have a blog that is soley centered around myself. But, i turned 28 last Sunday. The cool thing about the placement of my birthday is that Labor Day always lands near the date, so i get a holiday of sorts.

Lets start with Friday:
Yucaipa Regional Park for a picnic with the high school students and fun on the water slides, frolicking in the lake, and a snack, brought by yourself. I got dinner from friend Carrie, then hit up some church action where Zack never seems to let us down.

Moving to Saturday:
I have become addicted to riding my bike, in mass. I like to call it the coffee shop on wheels. This group is huge, fast, and extremely entertaining. I flatted. And when i abrubptly stopped to fix it, i actually had to sit on the curb because the vomit was so close. It was also 110 degrees and i was sweating like i just climbed out of the pool. Adam Hart stopped to help, which was great because i promptly flatted again. We time trialed it back to meet Matt, because all mountain bikers must stay close and be eachothers wingmen.

It was officially Hot.

The big Day:

My posie of Matt, Trevor, and Christie, and i all headed to Big Bear to do some scouting. THis was the ultimate birthday bash. Three of my favorites, on our bikes, doing what we do. The weather was about 25 degrees cooler than the furnace we call home, and the conversation selacious as usual. AS we neared the end the flood gates opened and dumped the largest amount of rain i have seen in months. The trail quickly turned into fast moving stream and i loved it! Then i felt bad because the boys were shivering and turning blue. Something to do with that low body fat percent or something. Once we loaded up we headed to La Montana for a delicious meal. Now that, my friends, is an awesome day.

Later that day, Shelli took me to a movie and gave me a pretty hot dress. My host family (who will soon have an entire post dedicated to them) hooked me up with cycling jewlery. yeah.

Then real life attacked, which left me spun out with late nights and early mornings of working on work stuff, which will create its own blog one day.