Comedy of Errors

I think i read that book in high school, or at least the ClifNotes.




Sometimes things just aren't meant to be. Nothing huge goes down, nothing horrific derails the plans, it is just a steady stream of small pebbles that collect, and knock you gently off your path. If you look at them one by one they are omens or nuggets of direction, you choice to pick them up.


Ok, so i left my helmet at home on day two for the stage race, thus not racing and getting bumped out of the event.

The whole thing ended up for the best i feel, now focusing on the start of the REAL season at Bonelli park next weekend for Cal State Mountain Bike race #1!


New Rule: When riding the Postal Loop or anything in Angeles Oaks that can be accessed via Lock Leven, i must ride from the house. This is 3 mile one way, 10 minutes to get to the trail head, 30-40 minutes to get back, depending on how extreme the center action was.





Dinner: Hay bales and green sticks. Actually, Shredded Wheat Cereal and grilled asparagus. yum.





BBQ; We have been cleaning the yard! The summer kitchen is looking better and better and with the warmer temps, HUGE options of dinner on the patio!!


CLimbing: Many people ask me what Jason does when i am out training, racing, or driving around to the two affor mentioned activites. From time to time he will join me on a ride. But, he has found that Frustration Creek (and no that is not the name of a ride with me) is a 5 minute drive from our house with some "epic" climbing. These photos were taken yesterday with his friend Jason. Looks too high for me! Plus, i wouldnt want to hurt my delicate hands.

The PETS: Photo #1 Timbers first week at home.

Photo #2 Yesterday, under the table. He has a lot more growing to do too!

Big, Squishy, Liars

The weather guys, that is. They said this weekend would be cool, high seventies max. Today clocked a high of 98 on the 10 freeway, not a good way to start a stage race.


San Dimas Stage Race: The fact that the word stage is used, means i have to go back, and then go back again. This particular event is on the road, which could quickly become a four letter word.

TT: That means Time Trial for you non-bikers. It is over, not as fast as i hoped, not as slow as it could have been. 30/47 which means i am still alive and can fight another day.

Tomorrow is a road race which should be quite the cardio fest, followed by a crit on sunday. The only thing that scares me is that the crit is sponsored by a hospital. Go figure.

I just keeping thinking that my actual season has not even begun yet, so just chill.

Bike Fit: Yesterday i got my bikes fit, which created this huge question mark in my mind for what could have actually happened last season. A lot of things were fixed and many more were braught to my attention to fix on my own. Unfortunately, due to poor timing, this took place yesterday, filling my head with way too much information today and forcing me to ride in a position i have never felt before. Better now than later i guess.

The Team Redlands boys in the form of Trevor, Matt, Jeremy and then guys i dont know, are also doing the event, so i can at least see a few familiar faces as i traverse the roads between the starting line and the finish flop on the ground. I must say, this road scene is pretty crazy and very, extremely, emensley different from that of the mountain bike world. I will hold my head high with my mountain helmet, mountain shoes covered with dirt and speckled with my last nose bleed and home that nobody notices my down hilling gloves. Actually, it is too hot to wear those, but i can only find one of my "I look like a roadie gloves" so now the hunt is on!

Chaos, Joy Style

LACK OF TALENT, TALENT SHOW:
sO, I work at this school and we had a talent show on Saturday night. The theme was the 60's and well us teachers all had to do an act. Now i got ASSIGNED.......did not choose, never would have, Puff the Magic Dragon to perform with Dozer. Lets just say he did NOT want to wear wings, but he did wear the horns, although he was moving so quickly, nobody really got a good shot of him.

The Plan: To minimize pets exposure to the masses, i skipped out Little Red Riding Hood style with a basket of flowers. I held up a sign that said "Have you Seen my Dragon?" and looked out into the crowd. Then i had two girls run behind me screaming and flaling their arms, running from, the Dragon. Then Jason let Dozer go, and he was supposed to come to me. This is when the plan went south. He ran everywhere. The guy with the spot light followed my chase around the gym as we finally ended on the cat walk, where he would perform NONE of the tricks we had practiced. We quickly made an exit through the nearest door.

But come on, Dragons arent supposed to do what they are told. And i dont think Puff was a good Dragon, at all.
And yes, tht is my outfit!

Photo Thief

Nothing too grand is going on in my Villa, so i stole pictures from my brothers blog! This Suzanne and Pet #4 I can't remember his name, but he is the new one that rings a bell when he needs to go out and pee. BUt the cool thing is she had her own room in the hospital she actually works in with a heap of flowers and the pet was allowed. That is the coolest thing ever!! It seems she also got to wear "normal PJ's" which is always a plus!

This is a shot of their back yard, you can't really see the detail, but they put in an "Aspen grove" and created quite the dog sanctuary with flag stone laid as a path to get there.


Suzanne graduated with her nursing degree in December!

I cracked

And i had to post photos of Timby, Timber, Tim-Tam, Tin-Tin, Pet #Dos

Here he is after his lunch, taking his nap on an unsuspecting kids shirt! He goes here out of his own free will!

You can see the "old" kick ball to the right. I think his jaw is getting stronger! Here he is awaiting snack. I didnt have any, so i let him chew on my keys.

In this shot, he is upset to be tied to a tree, as he waits his turn at kick ball. A very fundamental element of physical education curriculum!

Phew

Sister-in law Suzanne has a successful surgery yesterday and will probably be in the hospital until Friday, with a 6 week recovery plan. Good news for sure.

And yes, it is 3:27 am, i am writing a paper, sort of. i think i am going to unplug my internet, but in need it for research. hmm. practicing self control. Also, the futon is open, with blankets and everything and sleeping pet Dozer, only about 7 feet away. must resist!!

If only i could do what i am supposed to...

A little picture of me and the BEND (HusBend) out to eat some Thai food, right before nephew Griffyn puked, through the grated picnic table. super.

Happy 2nd Birthday Griffyn! Pictured here with new cousin Uriah, being bad in the court, at the wedding!
























Bit of Trouble: My sister in law, Suzanne is in the hospital. In the course of about 2 years she has had 2 severe head injuries one in a crit on her bike, the other at the hands of a garage door. The end of the very long story is that safety is now the name of the game, all the activies she loves are on the back burner indefinately, and she will be on blood thinners for a very long time due to severe blood clotting. However, on saturday, she took a nasty dive off her horse which dislocated her elbow and created a compound fracture which sent her into the ER. She has been there ever since as they monitor her pain, her lack of blood clotting due to the meds, and they wait for things to mellow out before they can do surgery. it is a very tough time as my brother sits in the hospital with his lap top and cell phone attempting to work, think about training, and the laundry he is not doing. Suzanne is super strong and wonderful, and needs a lot of support. Jeremy says he can take one of the four huskies in for a visit, they do pet therapy! So hopefully that happened today.

Every day i am on the bike it is a blessing.

Not sure if these links work, but they are of super cool brother getting a Christmas tree then made a snow cave for his nephews while Suzanne takes the dogs for a drive These two know how to make every moment count, every experience is sensational, and they love every bit of life and what it hands them.

Oh, WHAT

In an attempt to be neither redundant or bland, i have avoided blogging in the near past. Here are a few of the non-appearing blog options i have mulled over:

1.) Century riding is for someone else (recap of Palm Springs 100 and my distain for a) triathletes; b) people who ride with iPods and don't pay attention; c) how fantastic a dislocated elbow actually looks along side the anatomy of shock.

2.) What a great decision - to give my snowboard away in college (the memoirs of a high school weekend trip to Snow Summit (with moderate amounts of very slushy snow) and cabin sleeping. not my cabin; also, what a broken arm looks like and how great it is to have all that snow handy to pack it in)

3.) A day in the life of Timber - (if he was a human child, i would be broke. and yes, he does sleep under my desk at work and people don't even know he is there)

4.) The Husbands Job (Two things are fantastic: a) Uncle Greg; b) Trust Padgette's)

5.) The Men of Ladie's Night (There were roughly 7 men in attendence at the all-girl night at Don's Bike. They asked the most questions. Good times though, i think i turned red, talked too fast, and laughed a lot. welcome to my world on a bike)

6.) Am i supposed to ride that thing? (i have a new two wheeler. Today, i got renters insurance. This weekend, we are clearing out the "spare room" for the bikes to be holed-up. To say the least, they will no longer be allowed in a) The garage; b) the hitch rack on the Jeep; c) anywhere suspect.)

There, wasn't that simple??

Rumor has it i could show face at Southridge this weekend, but the non-snow outside is quite forboding. I spend enough time in it, why go race in it?

May I have your attention, Please

This coming Thursday, February 15, I will be helping host a Ladies Night at Don's Bike Shop in Rialto, CA. Tonya Bray, founder of mtbikechicks.com will also be presenting.

Sorry Veeze and other males who have planned on sneaking in the back, you gotta be a girl!! But i wouldn't tell them if i saw you in the back!!

http://www.sbsun.com/search/ci_5183926 this was in the local newspaper, gives a run down of what will be covered. I had no idea it was there, until Veeze said so and Michelle showed Jason the clip!

Also, you can RSVP at this site: http://www.donsbikeshop.com/

Hopefully a bunch of you can come! We will have a lot of fun, and hopefully some delicious snacks!!

Have you ever...

On the way home from graduate school tonight, i became revenous and had nowhere to turn. i had consumed all my Tree Hugger snacks and Squirrel Food as one student calls it (that last link had nothing to do with squirrels or their food. i found it under tree hugger, and i laughed.) i even tried a lukewarm mixture of water chocolate slimfast powder. But to no avail, i was still hungry. I turned, ever so slightly, into the Farmer Boys parking lot. Since i dont eat me, or actually, things that look like complete flesh, i opted for the tried and true, Grilled CHeese now there is nothing wrong with cheese and bread per se, BUT, when the bread is white and void of nutrients, then lathered with a "Butter flavoredpaste" which is then smashed against some straight up American Cheese, and grilled next to a Pork Chop, this is not the form of nutrition i needed. But it was SO GOOD.

My hands became slippery with saturated fat, i had to wipe them on the Puppy's head to avoid stearing wheel slippage. Puppy rides shoty with me everywhere i go, i think he ate the wrapper for the sandwich.

As i injested this mock-meal, i could feel the adipose around my mid section thicken into a thicker layer of blubber which will make me more buoyant incase of a water landing and it will help insulate me for this terribly cold, 80 degree winter weather.

Alas, it is over. i am not even close to full, and i have homework to complete, which will have to wait until....never. I must sack out, get up at 4am to ride, go to work, go to class, go lift weights to get huge, go home, repeat.

BIKES
I do still ride them for sure. Boulevard road race was, well on the road, which reminded me a myriad of times why i truly love to ride mountain bikes.

NEWS BULLETIN
Could the owner of the mid-quality double wide that has been parked for OVER A WEEK on the first good turn out coming up HWY 38, please come and take it HOME.

ONLY in the woods...

Our woodland "town" is overflowing with a plethora of varments or various size. Me and the boys have had several encounters with racoons which always leaves dozer drooling, pacing, and sporting a mowhawk!

Thursday night, around 2:00am, when i took Small Pet out to water the lawn, Dozer bolted out between my legs. He scurried around the yard searching for the creatures. Then i heard them. IN THE GARAGE!!! I am remotely afraid of them, so i just went inside and cleaned up all the trash the next morning.

Saturday night, around midnight, i awoke to an orange blinking light. First thought was that i had hit the panic button somehow on my jeep keys. I went down stairs, and yes, it was the Jeeps hazard lights. Was someone steeling it? no, it was the first car in the drive, with two behind it! I summoned Dozer to my side, holstered my keys and went out into the cold. As soon as we crested the stairs, Dozers hair stood on end and his throat began to rumble with distain. I came along side the Jeep, clicked the unlock button which turns on the dome light and stared in dismay. There was a RACOON sitting on the drivers seat of the jeep, one hand on the stearing wheel and one on the window. I flipped out. I ran inside and woke Jason up and told him my disturbing tale. He merely grunted and asked if i thought i could kill it.

Once back outside, i opened the rear hatch window, hoping to lure Dozers prey out. I decided that the Racoon was moderately intelligent, so i took Snoop inside. Still not leaving, i opened a rear passenger door. Now remember, this whole time the hazards are flashing. He then turns the head lights on. He kept trying to get out through the window which was only open about 4 inches. (Not my fault) He finally realized he could actually use a door. As he scampered on the roof, i thought to myself, no, hes not that stupid, he cant! But he did! He ran right onto the hatch, which slammed shut and catipulted him into the wood pile below.

Now, thats comedy. If you don't think that is actually funny, i officially think you are very boring.

ESL etc

ESL: English as a Second Language

I go to graduate school with a bunch of really intelligent people. there is one small issue. OUr round table discussion look like a meeting at the United Nations. In one class there are THREE of us who our first language is English. The rest are from Ghana, Cambodia, and Taiwan. I find that when i speak, most people just look at me. I have to slow it down, and leave out a bunch of the extras. i am sure many of you would appreciate this approach to my discussion tactics. I have a lot of respect for this group of people. The content of the classes is quite difficult and very indepth. They told me that have to read the chapters multiple times always using their translator computers.

PET update: Dozer and #Dos
Don't be jealous!

OH, my face: Looks are deceiving

I smile a lot and so people see my teeth. I get compliments on how nice they are. If they only knew. These pictures were taken this week when i needed to get my veneers taken off, temps put on, in expectations of veneers that seal properly. I have not seen the teeth in this state since 2001 so i had my dentist take a picture, but i could not look at it until i got to work later on. With the lack of endophines that were cruising through my veins when i knocked them out, i was not sure i would actually find it entertaining this time.

I already had the shots and stuff, so i look weird

Don't worry, they are covered up now!

Riding has been great, the phone works, and the pipes are piping hot. I have great expectations for the weekend to come, which will start in about 65 minutes with a ride through the Wash with The Husband!

happy riding!

Frozen, and dont call me

I saw an entire orange grove frozen this morning. The early shift sprinklers were ticking away as their spray instantaniously froze the the leaves, then the ground, as the icecicles froze in modern stalagmites, or is it stalagtites. i can never remember.

Oh yes, i am not being rude, but dont call me at home, until further notice. The guys across the street lost their phone line due to either a branch, and too-tall truck or a rabid racoon. Verizon was very nice and came out and fixed it for them on Friday, subsequently taking our line out. I called the wonderful provider of connection to the world, on Friday, and they said they would work really hard, put me at the top of the list and hopefully have a line for us by 5pm TUESDAY. Thank you, for your hard work and dedication.

Some people raced this weekend. Man, what is October going to feel like, deep down inside for them after 8 months of pounding the dirt.

Some people rode the snow, somehow logically saying it was ok to be below 10 degrees, because there was snow.

Personally, i rode the sand, the dirt, the trainer, and the wind. This crazy wind has gotta chill out!

For me, my hands are frozen, my driveway is frozen. The steps to my house in both directions are frozen solid and i can even spot a little orb of frozen yellow snow. Anything that was snow is now ice, which makes walking in any shoe awkward. Also, the pipes were, have been, and probably will be tomorrow, frozen. its nothing personal, its just really cold. There is nothing more rude than waking up at 4:15am to make that much needed coffee. You place the filter in the hole. You dump the beans into the grinder, making that awful noise that just about wakes up the Boys, then you pull the karaff out, place it under the faucet, turn the nob. NOTHING. And all of this in the dark.

The Real Deal

TIMMY, In a South Park accent is the only acceptable way to address Pet #2.

These boys will not stop. From the kitchen i hear a yelp, a snarl, and a grawl. I run to see what it was and who was bleeding, but no. Timber was lunging at Dozer, being as fiesty as possible. Attacking again and again with all his might, biting his neck, hanging from his cheek and searching for something to nurse from. They are both recovering nicely.

Timmy found one of Dozers bones. A bit more than he could handle, but of course, he thought he could.



Dozer and his dang stick. We kept hiding and then it would appear out of nowhere. It was about 8 feet long The act that led to its demise was the bashing of about four different peoples knee caps with one calculated manuver. It made a great fire starter.

And then there were TWO

American Bulldogs, that is. BUT, i wont have pics until this afternoon. The little piglett from Charlottes Web will have to do. There is a shocking resemblance. The new one, 7 weeks old and 13 pounds (that is VERY large) is doing great. His name is TIMBER and he is quite calm. I only had to take him out about every 2.5-3 hours last night and he hasnt once peed in the house, yet. Dozer is freaking out and feeling inferior and dominating at the same time, which will dwindle soon.


Jason and I canoeing last winter in FL.

Cape Canaveral State Beach, FL my mom took this one and she called it Beach Bums, and thought it was very funny!! hahhaha....

Flash backs of a different kind. Christmas1985, i am about 6 years old. I can figure that out by the amount of hair my dad has and the color of my moms hair, oh, and the year. IF you can not figure out which one i am, we must not be that good of friends.

Just The Beginning

Happy New Years, of course. Jason and i just returned from our trip to FL where things went grand. My dad gave me 5 disks of photos, so i finally have something exciting to share!!


RACE FALSH BACK: NORBA FINAL, SNOWMASS

Would you like to know how i really felt?
I saw the kid in the back walking around earlier and he was obviously blind. What a ride.
This lady had two small kids SCREAMING "mommy" as she rode by. She came in 15th. I guess she is an old-school podium finisher coming back after starting a family. Now that is cool. Gives us all hope!!
UPGRADES: Ha, not me for sure! But i was ELATED to know that Heather and Kim made the move!! Good girls. THanx for opening up the top of the field.

Packin it up

Going to good old Florida tomorrow for a bit of family fun. Should be about 75 degrees with clear skys. Nice. I actually packed the trainer in a duffle bag for the visit. I pulled a slick mountain tire out and i am planning on stealing my moms Trek hybrid for some base mile action. Since the only way to go up in FL is to ride an overpass, and i have not-so-fond memories of dodging Armadillo carcases during college summers, i plan to avoid riding on the pavement. Plus, it just takes forever. At least they will feel my presence out on the patio instead of far off in the swamps.
We are flying back to the IE on the 2nd, and my parents moving van, which will move them to Sacramento, is coming on the 3rd. I wonder what we will be doing...None the less, it is always better than working. Well, my job is pretty cool from time to time...

I found some stuff..

Like my USB chord. Again. But then i lost one glove. Just one. I have 4 pairs of cycling gloves, some with long fingers, some stained with blood from my last nose bleed during a long climb, and some so old that there is no purpose in wearing them at all. The only valueble pair of gloves i have today are my Mountain Hardware COLD weather gloves. I have to wear them in the house, in the car, and anywhere in my mountain town. And, i only have one. Jason mocked me with some lame correlation to Michael Jackson, which in anger, i threw the right handed glove...somewhere. Now i just went to the car to get my coffee mug and there, under the drivers seat, was the LEFT hand glove. Once again, i am not too proud to say, i am wearing one glove.


On our thanksgiving trip, i only took one picture. This is Jason and Uriah VERY excited to be photographed, in our very small hotel with no phone.

Sometimes, Dozer wants to play, with my foot. Good thing he doesnt go for my cankle with its succulent flesh!

Christmas in a warmer place, like another continent would be nice. These boys are just cooling off from the hot summer weather. That is Rouru, my brother in law and of course Griffyn.





This mornings inside temp is actually 3 degrees WARMER than yesterdays. We have run into an energy snaffoo as we try to heat our poorly insulated mountain pad. Before we went to bed we actually got the temp up to 59, what a nice feeling. I had been keeping it at 61 degrees all the time with the GIANT propane heater. BUt, the propane ran out after 3 weeks. This stinks because it is a costly resource. We know it is the lack of insulating and archaic windows and the cold air whipping through the door jams and the fact that the heater is very inefficiant. So now, back to chopping wood and waking up on rotations during the night to "stoke the fire" I just hope pet doesnt freeze while we are absent. Last night i put him in a down sleeping bag because he was literally shivering. What a powder puff.

it has begun, finally, i think...

Winter that is. But i think it may be lying to us. I woke up Sunday morning and i could see the snow line out the window and the ice crystals on the banister. the fog was hovering closer than it has since March, and the mountain traffic has slowed about 15 MPH. It must be winter.

IT HAS...BEEN just a bit since you last got a view into what in the world is going on. There are somethings that make me laugh OUT LOUD even NOW as they have happened a few weeks back.
1.) I go mtn biking on fridays with the girls from work. we are a chill group, just out there looking at the sand. I asked one coworker if she wanted to join us. she said should could not because someone stole something off her bike. What was it i asked? Her wheels. Plural. She had not noticed and the crime must have taken place early last year. hmmm. Hard core for sure. Also, she said i was allowed to mock her on my blog....

2.) Another friend has a young girl, about 8, who REALLY likes to wear her bikini under everything, everywhere. He had gotten a bit tired of this drama, so as they left for their christmas piano recital, he rifled through his drawer and found his bright, red, lifeguard SPEEDO, from way back in the glory days. He pulled it on over his dress pants and proudly marched to the car. "Look, the whole family is going to wear their bathing suits to the concert. This is fun." Needles to say, the young one started to shed her layers right there as she ran flailing into the house, trying to rid herself of her once loved swimmers. I LOVE it!

3.) Shelli saw something HORRIBLE hahahhaha in Hulda Crooks that made her RUN AWAY, doubling her projected run time, and upsetting the pristine balance of her belly. procreation has many locations.

4.) I had to ride my bike to work. It was 24 degrees. They had sanded for ICE. There was water everywhere. i thought of a happy place.

No photos, dang

HOLIDAY/HONEYMOON: So, have you ever been to Mammoth? Have you ever found a reason to go beyond, that thin strip of high way called the 395? Don't. Just kidding. But if you continue on, you will pass Bodie, a historic Ghost Town. Then 120 leading into the back side of Yosemite, and when you sneeze or glance down at your cell phone that is in fact, accepting no cell at all, you will pass by Colevill, CA. Jason and i headed up there, about 7 h 30 min from FF for Thanksgiving to see Uriah, the small one. I packed the cooler with all food imaginable, it was NOT in the budget to eat out on this trip. We scraped together all our wedding money, gassed up the Sub and headed north. The hotel we stayed in didnt have a phone in the room and with the lack of cell service, i became worried, twice.

The weather was blistery and dry, forcing me to apply ample amounts of Natural Ice chapstick through out the stay. The company was pleasent enough, Uriahs mom, her husband, and Uriahs brother and sister and random military folk. The only reason they live there, or anyone lives there for that matter is the military training center. Sure beats Iraq though. Uriahs step dad was on track for his 3rd deployment when they relocated.

The new graze, i guess, is a deep fried turkey. I had two of them over the holiday, and supposedly they keep in the moisture better and hold in the taste. Whatever. i just know it wasnt tofu.

TRAINING RIDES: i found myself in unfamiliar sticks, laden with high winds and freezing temps. This posed quite a problem as i snuggly stuffed myself into my lycra. So i decided i would hit up the trainer big time. This made for an awkward moment. The only place i could fit without totally annoying everyone else was the bathroom. With handle bars on the outside of the door and me and the bike in the bathroom i could hardly see the glare of the TV as it spit out oddities like "I shouldn't Be Alive" and "Man Vs. Wild" now that is ALL i would watch if i had a TV at home! None the less, calories were burned and the pores were cleaned out.

RANDOM THINGS X 5:
1. I have a student teacher, i actually knew him in college, and well, we just play all day and talk about innovative ways to play dodge ball or trick children into running a mile without actually knowing it.
2.Said student teacher asked me about a HUGE fiasco that left my entire college basketball team in shambles, hating eachother, crying, and wishing for that greener grass that would never come. I COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED!i still know it was really stressful and certain people still wont talk to eachother due to the way the chips fell, and i was a big player in the thing, but i have no clue about the particulars and when i tried to explain it, i sounded really stupid. So time really does clear some things up.
3. Dozers mom had another litter of small pets. Get yours while they are hot!
4. Charity bike ride at the Azure Hills SDA church Sunday, 8am. For the good of the children and the food bank. Be there.
5. It MIGHT snow tonight.

The Cycling Continuum

To start things off, we have to welcome SITKA to the pet family. He is with Suzanne, my sister-in-law in this picture. I think he is about 9 months old. He seems a bit on the evil side, maybe it is the white eye brows or something. Jeremy and Suzanne had him for a weekend, they act as a Husky Foster home at times. Then they just kept him, making him NUMBER 4!!!!!!

But he is a good boy, even bell trained. They put a cow bell on the sliding glass door and he rings it when he needs to go out. Unlike Sherpa, who simply pees on the door during the night, thinking he is outside. He is now leashed to the bed at night. The other two pets are Glacier and Koho.



In rare Britney Spears Fashion: oops i did it again.

Poor, poor Jason. The ride was titled the HELL RIDE for a reason.

The trail: Santa Ana River Trail.

The Terrain: Rocks, sand, pebbles, ACORNS (of death), leaves, roots, lunar scape (burned areas) and shear cliffs.

The Length: Oh, only about 27 miles

The Company: Just a few, about 34

If you are up to date, as you should be, with my blog, you know that the new husband and even more newely converted cyclist, has gone on a few rides. Now i used to bail out and leave him to his devices, but now his shiney bike awaits the hitch rack as he sits poised on the futon, wearing the same jersey he wore yesterday with the same tufts of helmet hair sticking out of his helmet vents. He MUST come a long.

But a ride of this magnitude is stressful. There are people all "racered out like spandex warriors" (direct quote) that push the pace. The first 20 minutes found him gasping for any semblance of oxygen in the crisp mountain air. I had the dubious distinction of riding SWEEPER, cleaner upper and the one who wards off monsters. This put me last in the pack, strategicly placed to help Jason as well as the others who, literally, only ride once a year.

Through all the wailing and gnashing of teeth, scraped shins, near death drops onto holly bushes, Jason was planning his next adventure. Although it would be approximately 3 hours 25 minutes shorter then the ride being completed, it would happen none the less.

I had a good time too, and saw some crazy wild techniques and had some great laughs. One guys did a number on his derailur hanger, and there was nothing i could do to bend it back and get the chain out of the spokes. Then a rider came UP the SART and said "Hey Joy!! SOmeone took your bike!!" Actually, i was loaning the good ol' Gary Fisher Sugar to a friend of the crew, who was riding up the trail from me. I have a habit of having things that stand out, so good to know that if one of my bikes actually WAS stollen, the cycling community would have my back and pretty much take them down.

The guys who stopped was BRIAN BLAIR, used to ride with the Warrior Society, who is a mechanic, and fixed the rear der!!! NOw THAT Is what the cycling community is all about!!!

This ride was STELLAR hahahah, funny word. But truly, to have from the novice athlete through the Pro rankings, they all came out and rode together. Nodody was throwing down or strutting their Pecock feathers. Everyone was helping someone else, supporting and cheering. Christie organized the ride through her "very important job" and it is a yearly tradition for them.

bottles of death

"Don't drink water from a bottle that has been sitting in your car. Heated plastic will bleed toxic substances that can be carcinogenic. Don't heat or freeze in plastic for the same reason. Heat in glass. Do NOT cook in olive oil at high heat. This too is carcinogenic. It is fine to saute in olive oil but if you are browning or frying, use canola oil. Spices that are cancer preventative, particularly prostate and colon cancer, are cinnamon and tumeric. "

I got this quote off of Sheryl Crows official website regarding her bout with Breat Cancer. I drink out of my cycling bottles everyday and sometimes they get really hot in my car, or i put coffee in them (totally extreme situations only). My brother Jeremy told me to stop using Nalgene bottles and to go totally glass. SO, mission number one: FInd a class bottle that i can take EVERYWHERE with me like a cycling one...

Be healthy!

Hardest Day at work...

First, i eat yogurt every day. I abhor fruit on the bottom, yet i continue to accidently purchase it, and not realize what it actually is until i have dug in.

THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR BUT NO WAY TO ADEQUATELY SAY THANX:
Wedding gift from my coworkers: Paid the tab on Jason's Fat Pussom Mountain Bike

A brief Honeymoon night sported by my mountain bike pals: The Mission Inn

An excellent sponsorship package and support from: Team Jose Ole

A working heater in the house: The fire place was literally filling the house and loft - where we sleep (pet included) with smoke. The chimney was swept two times and different wood was used. Finally we resorted to the huge propane heater. Although it took us well over 30 minutes to figure out how to jerry-rig it so that it stays on, it works. It smelled like cat urine for awhile and Jason and i stare helplessly down into the abyss that holds the piping hot coils, a straw, a baby spoon and tooth brush, Dozers fur and cobwebs. So far, nothing has ignited.

Oh yes, the hardest day: Monday was parent teacher conferences at the school i work at. We were all slotted to be there and available for 15 minute appointments from 7am until 6pm. I had.....NOBODY sign up to see me, the entire day!!! So i arrived at around 8:15 and left at 5pm. I did grading, attendence, and lesson plans. We also got lunch from La Basil. What a very difficult day.

That evening, I convinced Jason to come with me to the high school barn party at Riley Farms. This place was crazy. We were in the old packing shed where we drank apple cider, square danced and had a soup contest. I was a bit disgruntled that mine did not win, but i guess you have to let the kids win every now and again.
Thanx cousin Malora for fixing my hair! (and Audrey and Ector for finding the foliage for my du)





Our bride/groom cake from Martha Greens!

The reception, thank you SALLY AND RICH for sharing your awesome home!!!




So it is a bit out of focus... but this is us in the Historic Riverside Court House. the Judge was awesome!!! "I would highly suggest ceremony C. It is short and to the point yet personal enough to make it special." Super

One Year and counting...

This blog has existed for just a little over one year. I think i will keep it up, although i will make a resolution to post more photos, for sure!!

This weekend road rides head you towards billows of smoke as usual. Although they are hanging high in the sky and towards the east, they still loom. The mountain bike trails are littered with pine neetles and acorns that act as a slip and slide. So i opted to sleep and eat. which makes you fat and slow. Not really, i did ride, but Jason and i hit up an excellent bbq/house warming/birthday party today. There was chocolate, cheese, devilled eggs and everything else you would like.

Small nephew Griffyn went to see the grandparents in FL one last time (They are moving to Sacramento) and found an excellent spot to hang out.

Clarification

Just like in the magazines, when something is misrepresented, spelled wrong, or completely off the wall to begin with, they write in the next issue, in a small box in the editorial section what they have done wrong. Now whether or not the wronged parties ever find out is never known, but ill-penned authors feel all that much better about themselves.

Now, some may have found one and a half comments in a previous post, which is now absent, to be a bit brash and of the unprofessional nature.

Heres the deal: I have nothing but the utmost respect for ALL my fellow racers. We are all on the same emotional, athletic, and spiritual roller coaster that could buck any one of us off at any given second. We each come to the plate with our own set of oddities, and as you all know, i am definately not protected from this affliction. Rarely can i find my shoes, sometimes i wear hawaiin raps instead of pants, my kit looks like a pinata and i have big teeth. I talk too much and at times my mental filter is malfunctioning.

Point being, i wouldn't race if it wasn't for the people i race with and against. You girls have given me the motivation and the desire to train, eat moderatly well (check out the new Buffalo Ranch Doritos...) and be a better person.

See you on the trails.

A-N-D-R-U-C-Z-Y-K get it straight!

It rained on Saturday, it was fogged in on sunday, but Forest Falls had a huge shaft of sun!!!!!

The things I hate...

Places I have fallen asleep lately:
1. Dental Chair
2. Aesthetician Chair (bit of a brow trimming)
3. Tanning bed (lame attempt to get rid of cycling lines)
4. During a pedicure

Things i hate now:
1. Filing teeth down
2. The stupid massage thing on the pedicure chair, makes me feel like i will vomit!
3. Someone else cutting my nails
4. Rain, its raining the day before my outdoor wedding reception, suspect!!!

Race Recap: Last weekend was the Fall Classic. A bit of a podium shot, it was just the two of us in our class, about 10 experts total. i think i came in 3rd overall. it was a good day but not an exciting day by any means. i took a tumble on Fall Line and acrued blunt force trauma bruises to both patellas and my forearm. This totally flared up that knee issue i got in April at Sagebrush. Oops.

THis week i have been laclusterly not riding. its ok though. Jason and i hit up Loch Leven one morning as i lined out the reception tables in my head.

The family is knocking and the favors need to be finished. A picnic is to be had at the Falls, hopefully not too wet and cold. I also need to get a jacket for tomorrow, i feel like it will be chilly!!

Grey tooth and other oddities

GREY TOOTH: This story began in the spring of 2001 as i rode my bike the 2 miles to a very exciting Statistics class. This particular morning i was wearing no helmet, gloves, riding shoes, or super hero outfit. I took a digger about 200 yards from my front door on solid asphalt. The abrubt stop left me with a split open forehead, 3 teeth basically gone, a hole in my chin and my left palm, a broken watch and sunglasses, and a skinned up knee. By late afternoon i had 3 "new" teeth that have lasted until that incident with the nerd rope a few months back. Thus began the teeth bleaching. Once they reached a certain level of bling, the dentist pull off the compositis and replaced them with temporary teeth, which have lasted about 3 weeks. This is when Jason began calling me Grey Tooth because all the others were shining and the dull temps were collecting EVERYTHING! As of Tuesday, i have three porceline veneers, just like on Extreme Makeover. You know, when they take women who have had a hard run of things and put them through a blender and chances are they come out looking like a drag queen. I did ask if boobs were an option too for me. They said no. So now, my pearly whites are just that, WHITE.

LINGERIE PARTY: not quite sure how you spell that, but whatever! Last Saturday there was a bit of party on my behalf. They should have known better! People know how i freak out if i am the center of attention. It was like group therapy through laughter. There were some pictures to post, but we just wont go there. sorry fan club.

JASON, THE CYCLIST: After a saturated fat filled breakfast at The Oaks last sunday, the boy and i headed to Big Bear. The goal was to pre-ride the Fall Classic course, which i will race tomorrow. There are some down hill sections i wanted to get a good visual of before actually racing on them. Now this course is 18 miles long with about 80% fireroad and the single track goes way too fast. The climbing is moderate, if you compare it to Brian Head or something stupid like that. I keep forgetting that Jason is riding a BIG bike, a bit on the heavy side, with flat pedals and old riding shorts from my "bigger" days. I will preface with the fact that he made it ALL THE WAY!!! I was so proud of him! However, he was very rude and called me a liar about 62 times, walked his bike a bit, and swore he would hitch a ride home. Other than that, it was great. I guess i used all the bad phrases like "we are almost done climbing" or "Just around the corner" and other such nonesense. So maybe it was a bit much to bite off after him just riding up and down Loch Leven, once. But yesterday i bought him "The Zinn of MOutnain Bike Maintenance" because he has promised to come to as many of my fantastic events as possible and make sure my bikes are in tip top shape. Now that, my friends, is commitment!!! Also, he got a box in the mail yesterday from Performance with Pearl Izumi shoes, a greatful dead jersey, and stealth mat-black helmet and some shorts from Fox. Yup, hes hooked!!!

IS THERE A WEDDING? Um yes. Now i totally promise that there will be pictures to post from that one! Family will start arriving on Tuesday, first to come sister Julene From New Zealand. Then the parents from Florida/Sacramento and Friday brother from Colorado. Uriah will be traveling down with Jasons mom, who the kid has actually never met and Jason hasnt seen his mom for about 5 years, so this is actaully a very important weekend. We are going the chill mode with a private family ceremony in Riverside and then a bit of a mountain reception up here in Forest Falls. I am quite excited about the tables. It is amazing what you find to obsesse about during such functions. I realize that this is just a mid-scale party celebrating Jason and I, so why get all crazy about it. There is nobody to really impress and the fact that i am going to be wearing a dress should be impressive enough, thats for sure! I am contemplating doing the nails thing again, but i am not fully committed yet!

CONSERVATIONISTS: if you have seen Uncle Greg Johnsons car parked at Loch Leven or Angeles Oaks recently with a plastic trashbag by the trunk, dont jump to odd conclusions. He has taken upon himself to clean up the forest. Any trash found in the parking area gets placed in that bag and i am sure he picks up stuff on the ride as well. IF you are lucky enough to ride with him, DO NOT throw your Gu wrappers in the woods, or he will swiftly get Edward to take you down. So maybe on your next ride, pick up some trash too.

OLD SCHOOL RACERS: Speaking of Ed and Greg, all the old, i mean "LEGENDS" are going to be out racing the Fall Classic tomorrow. There is no money on it yet, but Uncle Greg says he is going to come off the couch and beat my time. I told him that if he does, it is simply gravity pulling him down faster on the descents. It has nothing to do with skill.

Two to Go

cal state races, that is, until the season is officially over. I have sworn off any notion of cyclocross so that october 23 will officially mark the start of base training. i cant wait actually.

This past weekend i raced up in Big Bear where i squeaked out another top spot on the podium, out of three. All in all it was a great day. I knew i had to hammer the climbs with Essence and Heidi trailing because they tend to catch up on the descents. I made a large enough lead on those hills to keep me a good 2 and half minutes out in front.

Jason and Dozer came along for the fun, making it Jasons first ever mountain bike day in big bear. I mean he was actually riding a bike!!!! The tables have truly turned and i feel like we have a cyclist on our hands. if you look really close, you can see green lycra peeking above his cargo shorts, he has vowed to never wear them solo, but he now understands that they at least need to be under the outer layer. We are going halves on a bike for his wedding gift, pretty much the coolest gift EVER. He has been riding to work and lamenting on the fatigue in his legs. He has suffered a very large gash on his right shin due to an unruly stick, all of which i take much pleasrue in. Yesterday he said, "well i might be late, i am going on a ride." DANG - that was my line!!!! That is so not fair!!! He hates the old helmet i gave him, so we may have to transition to a full face. he only really likes going down things. Last weekend he had me haul him and pet to the top of Morton Peak so they could bomb down. They were covered with a thick layer of powdery dust for a few days. Since all the CDF guys pretty much tore up that road during the last fire.

Oh yes, those wheels of mine. I guess i was a little un prepared for their rapid turnaround and customer care. The wheel i "broke" was a prototype, one of a kind. By the axl (actually the cups on the end were stripped) bending, this was a huge deal. It needed to be sent to Taiwan so they could fix their design. Pretty cool! By friday a new wheel was in town, another carbon that is shinier than the last. It rode well and took the pounding of trails like Fall LIne just fine!

Now, i have to teach. Maybe one day i will post a photo, but probably not!

Sorry Pets!!

Hello my friends, family, and arch enemies. Although i do not slack off on this blogging mission as much as other people....i have not kept you adequately informed!!

FAVORITE DAY AT WORK: so far!This past friday i turned right out of Valley of the Falls drive instead of left and down into the dismal Inland Empire. I headed to Big Bear where i spent the day in the shade with the seniors as we traversed a ropes course with the intent to bond and hurdle some fears. Totally the best way to earn a pay check. This day totally beat out last friday, eventhough i spent the day at Yucaipa Regional Park with the entire high school going down water slides and swimming in the lagoon. Until the bb day, this was my favorite day at work.

LEAST FAVORITE DAY AT WORK: so far! All week days preceeding this past friday where i spent up to 8 hours on the football field with a myriad of girls over heating and seeing splotches due to the 106 degree weather.

A Bit of A Race: Thank you for rest! I felt a bit of a slacker as i skipped some recent workouts. However, this proved to have the opposite effect. I did a little race in Santa Barbara, part of the Cal State series where i podiumed for the first time since June. Since last season i did all local races, i landed a spot in the top three (out of three) at all the events. This year, having my ego bruised on a weekly basis on the national circuit has proven a little less fruitful in the hardware department. But those races sure taught me to suffer and to push through, which definatly helped me hammer to a first place finish, out of three.

This was a redemption race because in June this is where i got hypernatremia and puked a lot. This time i felt strong the entire time and was able to push myself harder than ever before. for the first time in months i felt like i was racing, not just holding on by a string and being chucked down a mountain by two big circles held together by some form of metal.

Low point: I TOTALLY bend the axel on my rear wheel! Very odd i know. I guess those covert training ops have really upped my wattage! Who knows with carbon wheels that cost a good percentage of the Jeep, i guess they cut weight in other places to. But due to the fact that they are created by an obscure German company that nobody has ever seen, the turn around on the product could take oh about 13 weeks. But now i realize why it felt like i was towing my bob trailer....

I drove to Big Bear to get Taco Bell

And i didn't even eat it. Here's the deal. there is a bit of a fire down in Mentone and up Morton Peak area that is "threatening the woods." Now it really isn't going to go to Forest Falls, but it cuts off HWY 38, the way home. Yesterday it was quite fantastic especially when it was 105 degrees outside. Here's the sad thing: : "Officials have determined illegal and negligent target shooting as the cause of the wild fire in the San Bernardino Mountains." Thanx loosers. next time, just build a bon fire. Reason number 52 that guns are bad.

The Exodus
I snuck behing a Sheriff and made it to Forest Falls before the road was closed. In the woods ash was already falling and the 4pm sky resembled that of dooms day as the blood red sun snuck behind the smoke plumes. I headed out of town towards Angeles Oaks, that was the only way out. The road between FF and Big Bear was desolate. Not a single car. As the red sun was dropping, casting erie shadows, i could only think of bad things to come. The metropolis of Big Bear beckoned me with it neon lights and season only toy shops. This is when i hit up Taco Bell, a place i usually shun. My choices were slim. McDonalds - don't even get me started on that one; greasy mex places (But there is always the one where we start the races, gotta love that one.) But when on EVAC status, no time to dine in.

Now I didn't have to leave. The sheriff didnt knock on the door, the locals didn't flee. But i have to make a living or go through the motions of making a living, down in the nasty nasty valley. The option i took was to drive up and retrieve the bikes (duh) properly place PET with Jason (who doesn't leave the mountain until the flames are literally licking at his heels) and get some clothes so i don't have to waste time and scrilla at Target (which i am actually banned from due to an over spending issue).

HWY 330 was closed for some construction so the only artery out of the mountains, besides Yucca or other unmentionable "high desert locals" would be the 18. This road is of the devil. All mountain traffic packed onto a poorly banked, awful lighting, double laned, race track...in the dark. This is why i did not eat my dinner. I am a pro at eating and driving. This time, i white nuckled it, screened cell phone calls and turned off the music. Just kidding. it is a crazy road though.

Down here on the flat lands i have more than enough to do. Pace out a mile on the track. Make jr. high girls to tae bo in a classroom. "What? Are you complaining?? Do you want to go outside? We were supposed to run a mile today!! Are you ready for that? Huh? huh? You think that is bad air quality? try living in India. Ugh. Oh you have your school picture today? Just put your hair in a pony tail, thats how i always wear it, and it looks good." Sorry. I digress. I spend a lot of time convincing children that exercise is fun.

I am actually have a fantastic week, actually riding my bikes (eek) and expiriencing an overall sense of life enjoyment.

My cycling sails were deflated, so i backed way off, worked on the inside (tear) and got back to the center. Overtrained cyclists, you know what i am talking about.

Peace out and watch that buck shot. They make shooting ranges for a purpose GO AND SHOOT THINGS THERE

Random, quite

This is what i drive down into every day going to Redlands. See that line in the sky? I wonder if it has caloric value.



These are Jeremy and Suzanne's pets in Colorado. Glacier, Sherpa, and Coho. They even have a sled to pull on the snow and a wagon to pull on the road!! Jason wants to breed one with Dozer to create the Bulsky, the most powerful dog ever with phenomenal endurance and very odd looking fur.


Santas Workshop

I became quite bored tonight, sad for the last saturday night of summer, school starts on monday! So i stripped down the sugar and spit shined it. Got a flat to fix on the 9.8 and Hulda Crooks dirt to remove. I will maybe clean the roadie up a bit, gotta take her out for a spin tomorrow!

OOPS

I REALLY took stuff apart! I think it will ok though. There was dirt from here to Vermont stuck in that thing, so it needed to be done. Uncle Greg is looking at this and freaking out. Dont worry, if it gets real bad, i will get some help!

Enthusiastically Participating

Somehow i convinced Jason to go to Doheney State beach with me and a bunch of the 11th graders and their parents today. A great time was had by all.

Give me your bottle lids, now

it was 4:40am in the Denver Airport, today. I threw my toothpaste in the trash, another $2.19 wasted. Security man #1 tells me to dump out .09oz of water in the trash can. i nicely ask him if he wants me to replace my lid, he says yes. TSA lady says "excuse me, i will need to remove your lids. you can elect to mail them home, go and check them with your baggage, or throw them away." thank you for the wonderful and profound options. I am now minus two bike bottle lids.

Heres the pros: i came in 2nd overall for the norba national series open womens short track. I also came in 3rd overall for the same series in expert women 19-29 for cross country. I guess the reward for traveling hundreds of miles, throwing my body down mountains and slogging through mud since april is a nice, small, placque. Thank you NORBA.

Heres some more pros: i totally hit the wall on sunday's XC course. Thats ok though, you gotta learn what it feels like sometimes. The mental trauma to convince myself to complete the dang thing was almost more than i could bear. Speaking of BEAR...

Bear Naked Cannondale gave Ma and Pa a t-shirt, so they hooked me up. Bright Orange, in true Jose Ole style, i was wearing at LAX, (while i waited for my 20 minute commuter flight to Ontario) while i sat in Starbucks, a place i usually do not promote. This lady comes up to me and says do you work for them? Um, no. So i guess she knows the founder. So i told her that in 8 years, when i am pro and all, i would like to ride for their team. so we will see what happens.

Benefits of being an expert: i read somewhere that you are not truly an expert at something until you have done it for 10 years. I guess i have 9 to go. by then i can go to Masters worlds. But we have these magnificent start times: 7:30am, 9:00am. usually still fogged in and cool. Then there is the benifit of riding with 14 year olds. Since i am a teacher by nature, i tend to hang out with them, especially when they take huge diggers in the woods and ball their eyes out. It is just like 9th grade PE. where better for a little counseling than in a thick forest in a foreign town?

Only thing that kept me going: So on the second lap i was flying solo, off the back. i saw Adam Craig, Carl Decker, and one of those Huge Kona boys out toolin around. Exciting for sure. As i crested a climb, probably pushing my bike due to the fact that my legs were on vacation, i saw them again! truly exciting this time. As i continued down the fantastic single track through the dense forest, a lone expert guy showed up. He had taken a wrong turn and was now on the same voyage as i was, to finish and get the stupid points. I had met him in Deer Valley, i think his name is Justin, nice chap for sure. He brought the news that saved the day. "Adam said to give you a push." or something to that affect. Thank goodness for those pinata uniforms, once someone meets you in them, they will never forget you.

The Flip Side

The hunt for Bridezilla.....


As i return from Brian Head, UT and NMBS #something, i am faced with the fact that i must attend to the flip side of my life. I am planning in two months what most people take, oh, 15. A wedding is to be had on October 15, strategically placed between the Fall Classic in Big Bear and the Cal State Final in Castaic. Oh please, let the road rash and bruising be minimal! I also was "awakened" to the fact that most of my time goes like this: sleep, ride, stretch, eat, eat, eat, work, sleep. So Jason and i are going to the movies tonight. Maybe i will even fix my hair...nah.

BRIAH HEAD RECAP: My heart was palpating a bit too much and it actually hurt in my little chest cavity. i was really hot most of the weekend while others were doning arm warmers and parkas. The decents were death where i ran/fell/threw myself down faster than actually riding. I nailed it on the climbs and flats (big ring Uncle Greg) but as soon as i dropped onto the single track, the girls i had caught would show up again. Thats ok though, i eeked out a 5th place, having dropped back to 7th for a bit. I was polite to everyone and had an awesome time. Still however, the trash talking resumes and rumors are spread. thats ok though, i have Pet to take care of my problems. SHort track was a 6th place, ok for the day. The worst part ever of the whole weekend was the drive home. My nerves were twinging with Vegas traffic as i assumed most everyone was nearly inebriated or excessively short of sleep, making their attention spans and fortitude in the heat very low. Trevor was my guide for the weekend and thanx to him, we made if back over Cajon without a glitch.

Teri, this one's for you!
So since i am getting ready for wedding and all, i have to buy shoes and stuff. I decided to see how the pedicure/manicure thing works, so it wouldnt be a shocker the day before the event. Oh what a shocker it was non-the-less. There was for sure no english to be had, and i think they were talking about the excessive bruising on my shins and calves. The only other clients were two males getting pedicures, one attaining hot pink polish, because why not! I tried to leave because i thought she was done, but oh no, one more coat to go honey. far out, i dont think i can take these things off with needle-nose pliers! How will i fix my chain? What if a twig gets stuck under there? WAH!



(those really aren't mine) i also cracked and bought some over-priced BOOK of wedding non-knowledge. Why do i care if that dress cost $4,800 plus a limb?

Joy Ride

Go Get em Griff!
what a good boy, riding his bike in the rain in his duck boots! He will be the first Pro Mtn biker from the Cook Islands!
Off to Brian Head tomorrow at 5am, yippee. Two more nationals to go! Just finished making a stellar power point presentation for grad school about what to expect in PE, should be great!