Rants, Raves, and Ramblings

Stacked Up

2011-08-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

Got out to the Beech late tonight and by the time I helped Jay put on his new rear brake, I was thinking about not hitting the trail. Joe talked me into it. So I put on the masher, mounted the light and started the pedal strokes. About 1/3 of the way through I had to turn on the HID in the singletrack. As the natural light disappeared, I was feeling better and better and was probably having my best lap of the year out there. Then, out of no where my bike came to a dead stop. I went forward so quickly that all I remember was the "ooommmphh" sound that I made as I came to a dead stop on the ground. If Jay had a seismograph at his house, I'm pretty sure it would have registered the impact. I've been through that spot well over a hundred times and have never had an issue. Never saw the rock that got me. I may have laid there a minute, it may have been five minutes. I started moving when I realized that the mosquitoes were actually bothering me. My limbs were functioning. It took a bit to untangle myself from the niner that lay on top of me. Dirty and bruised, I got up and finished my lap. Couldn't put my forearm on the armrest on the way home because it feels and looks like I'm hiding the top 1/4 of a baseball just below my elbow. I'm sure it will turn pretty colors. Can't wait until next week.

2011-07-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

Ready for a ride

2011-07-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Who is that masked kid?

I been thinkin'...

2011-07-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

Protein and carbs. Easy protein and carbs for the 24hrs in Wausau. Was thinking eggs. Good protein. Hard boil them and bring them along. Don't want to waste time peeling them. Could pickle them. Have time to do that. No shell. Open the jar and slam one down.

Carbs? Hmmm.... would be nice to have them in a premixed container.

I think it's settled...

Pickled eggs and Schlitz it is.

Happy Monday all y'all!

Cherry Pickin'

2011-07-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

1st lap tonight was bad.... really bad.... helmet denting bad. Was having huge trouble on one of the climbs. Then looked down and realized that I was in the big ring. Between poor choices of lines and rubbing elbows/forearms with trees, I was ready to pack it in after one lap.

Got back to the car and took off my helmet. Looked around at the perfect conditions and the sandhill cranes flying over head and decided to do something about how I was feeling.

It was time to get my flow back on. I replaced my brain bucket and clipped in. I then headed out to the trail and picked my favorite section of the lap and did it over and over and over and over and over. Started to trust in the Schwalbes again. Found the right lines again. Picked the right gears again. Finished up and got back to the 'baru and found my head energized and my legs drained.

Love me dat feelin'.

Just a Trim

2011-06-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hit the Beech tonight with a few others to cut back the overgrowth. Conditions have been great for vegetation and it was time to cut grass and and trim the brush. A few places look like a highway, but a couple of weeks from now the trails will be pree-mo.

My ride tonight was a mixed bag. I'm looking at rocks and roots and hitting them. Not my normal lines at all. If'n I don't correct this problem, the weekend at the end of July is going to be a long one.

2011-06-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

6 hours for the man today... out at noon. Install a hitch on Julie's car this afternoon. Sneak in a quick pave on the genius. Head to Downer for the pro race with high primes and competition for them. All the while trying to not run particular types of individuals off the road because CB has me worked up.

Happy Saturday all y'all.

Three Words About Tonight's Effort

2011-06-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ride, Sally, ride.

With age comes... wisdom?

2011-06-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

That certainly wasn't the case yesterday. My legs aren't bothering me today which means all of my issues yesterday were cause by my own stupidity. Forgetting to eat!? I know, you look at me and it looks like I've never missed a meal. I was so geeked up to get out of work and get up to the starting point that I just wasn't thinking. Causing myself the world of hurt that I did was utterly ridiculous , inexcusable, etc. Lesson learned. Beech tomorrow night. Only question that I have to answer tomorrow morning is what to put on top of the car in the morning... single rigid or geared squish.

My How Things Change

2011-05-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of my new truck and my new German Shorthaired Pointer.

Dear Josh,

2011-04-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry that Chris has not been updating his blog so that you can keep up with what's happening. We've been too busy biking, skiing and enjoying food and drink.

Buckets

2011-03-22T20:02:00.001-07:00

Pouring tonight so the indoor class certainly seemed to be the way to go. Yoga, 20-minute warm-up and a 40 minute ride with wind ups and sprints at the 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 minute marks followed by some slow, slow turning of the 53x12 at the end.

I've noticed two things recently. My heart rate seems to be recovering much better now. Nice to see the graph drop off on the backside of an effort. And, my legs are starting to turn quicker. I know that I'll never have a top cadence like many people have, but it has been years since I've been able to pump the pistons over 160rpm like I did tonight. Hit 166. Maybe on Saturday I'll be able to eek out 170.

Still thinking about doing the crit on Sunday. We'll see.

Oh yeah, pretty much nailed the fit on the new roadie but new shoes and saddle had me hurtin' a bit.

17 Days...

2011-03-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

and this d-bag is out of here and heading to AZ and NM for some non-indoor saddle time. Wasn't sure that I was going to be able to swing it. But, thanks to Cheapoair.com I was able to score roundtrip for $268. Just need to get the dos Niner cleaned up and shipped within the next few days. I'm going to ship it plenty early this year in case fedex decides to ship it to AZ via CA again.

Yoga

2011-03-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

Wondering if there is a sequence that goes downward dog to plank to corpse. I really could have used that one last night.

2011-02-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the help little man.

Can I get a little help here?

2011-02-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

Decisions, Decisions

2011-02-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

I was just at a bar that had 30+ tappers. It's been a long time since I've been somewhere like that... let alone on a weeknight. Tomorrow could be a long, long day.

On a completely different note, curling rocks! I may have found a new sport to fill the void that no longer playing hockey has left.

Pick a Phrase

2011-02-16T08:04:00.000-08:00

Decent day at work. Well... no real complaints anyway. A training session that ended early. Relaxed drive to my spin location. 30 minutes of yoga. 90 minutes on the trainer. Home in time for bedtime story. A dog that is turning the corner behavior-wise. Time with my wife/best-friend. In bed at a reasonable hour and a good night's sleep.

Life is good.

or

Just livin' the dream.

Happy for Good Chamois

2011-02-13T05:10:00.000-08:00

Almost two hours on the trainer yesterday. The time actually went by quickly. Nine other people surrounding you doing the same thing certainly helps. Hope all these hours transfer well to road and trail in the future.

Gittin' Antsy for April

2011-02-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

Course Profile

Does this make me a redneck?

2011-02-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr

2011-01-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

It was 6 degrees when I left work tonight. There is a bright side... it was 11 degrees warmer than when I left for work.

I got a nice package...

2010-12-28T10:01:00.001-08:00

in the mail yesterday! Thanks CB!

I will learn from this mistake

2010-12-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of my midweek weekend. I thought that I'd get an extra trainer session in this week at the LBS. Had to make a phone call afterward.

Me: Hi, Honey, I'm going to be a bit late from training.
Julie: Why?
Me: I need to make a quick stop at the clinic. I think I need a few stitches in my head.
Julie: What happened!?
Me: A bike wheel fell on my head.
Julie: What!? Are you okay?
Me: I'm fine, the bleeding is pretty much stopped.
Julie: Do you need me to pick you up?
Me: Nah, I'm fine.
Julie: You sure?
Me: Yup. If the walk-in clinic is isn't open yet, I'll go the to ER. I'll let you know where I end up and then I'll see you when I get home.
Julie: Okay. Love you.
Me: Love you, too, Hun.

I think that calling Julie two monthes into our dating, from the ER at 10:30p, with a broken leg suffered during a hockey game conditioned her to be quite capable of handling these types of calls and situations.

So, I thought I'd help the LBS clean up before they opened and hang my bike up where they store them. I was very much paying attention to the Madone and Cervelo on either side of my hanger and failed to noticed the tireless wheel that my saddle was knocking off its hook. Because I didn't notice this, the wheel came down and landed pretty much square on my head. It hurt a bit, but I was actually more concerened about whether or not I had knocked the wheel out of true. I didn't think much of it until the shop owner looked at me and said, "Yeah.... you're bleeding, ya better let me take a quick look at that."

Made the pit-stop on the way home to see the doctor. 2 centimeter cut. Nice clean cut. No stitches. She super-glued it back together. We chuckled a bit about what had happened and I was on my way. Only a half an hour delay in my day and I was on my way to the grocery store and then home.

Two very good speed workouts this week with some ply- and isometrics thrown in the middle of the sessions. Legs spent at the end of each, tough to walk up the stairs when I get home, but the next day feeling great. Hoping to maybe get an outdoor ride in on Saturday or Sunday.

Ahhhhhhh

2010-12-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

Two days off mid-week with my bride, child in daycare today, mall pretty empty, 3x shot breve, full family day tomorrow. No complaints here.

It's Circled

2010-12-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

Have a weekend circled in April so that I can go ride the ST in this video. Thanks to Back of the Pack Racing for posting this on their blog and allowing it to be copied.

The course venue is near Gallup, New Mexico. The race is Dawn 'til Dusk. I had fun out there last April even though I had absolutely no business going out for the last lap that I did.

The workouts have already started and I cannot seeing my performance being any less than waaayyy better than previous.

Now I just need to find a cheap flight. I really wish that it weren't such a long freakin' drive. Would love to be able to load a few bikes into a vehicle and have choices of rides while out in NM and AZ for nearly a week.

Today

2010-11-20T22:05:00.001-08:00

I had a son who finally decided that it's okay to use the toilet at times other than when being told to, a dog that finally decided that it's okay to crap outside and I got out for a ride on the Rocky. Life is good.

Better to Build than Burn

2010-10-03T19:09:00.001-07:00

Got together with Jay today to rebuild Apex Bridge at Beechwood. The large willow trunk that it crossed cracked some more and it had become quite sketchy. We pulled out the old pieces, did some eyeballing, some marking and Jay free-handed a few cuts with the chainsaw. Voila! Level anchor points. Okay, they're off slightly, but we'll call it close enough. Put the pieces back on. A little bench-cutting on the trail at the entrance and exit, and some anchoring. Solid piece of work. Sam and Josie were rolling toy trucks down either side and even they stayed on all the way down the declines. Maybe we now made the crossing too easy. But, that remains to be seen. When at the peak while riding over, looking to the right will have a rider seeing seven feet of nothing but air down to the ground.

did some of this last night

2010-09-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Andy and Ron...

2010-08-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

if you see this bike in the Madison area and the rider on it isn't named Conner, please remove the rider so that the bike can be returned to it's rightful owner. Thank you.

Since I haven't been able to ride, I started catching up on some builds. This was one of them on the list. Went to a neighbor's college son who moved off campus for his sophomore year. He had originally brought up a 24"-wheeled Roadmaster MTB that needed about $30 dollars in parts just to get anywhere close to being reliable. He hadn't ridden it for what he figured was about 6-7 years. Not to mention, Conner is just a hair under 6' tall. I wasn't about to let it go down like that. After a brief chat, and asking for his trust I started the search. For less than the value of the parts needed on the R-master I found and picked up this old steel steed that had been sitting in someone's basement for the last 5 years. Added fenders, picked up a lock and a seat leash and replaced the derailleur cables. Even had some leftovers on the shelf from previous projects to seal those two cable systems. The shifters were pretty gummed up, but got them working well. I had forgotten how many parts were in those trigger shifters.

Took it for a spin and it was working very well. I was quite pleased with the outcome given the small investment. Sold it to Conner for pretty much my cost. He was blown away with what he got for the money. The cost was equal to or less than what a lot of people are listing their used department store bikes. Was happy to help out a "poor college student" who is working hard to put himself through school.

Happy commuting, Conner!

Not Happy at All

2010-08-17T05:43:00.001-07:00

Was getting ready and looking forward to this, but ended up with this instead. Doing something simple, no warning. I'm now on my 3rd day being down. Don't know if I'll be able to climb onto the saddle or not.

2010-08-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Backyard veggie pick
Brutal mosquito haven
Much left on the vines.

2010-08-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Humidity high
Temperatures are as well
Hot, sticky and low

2010-08-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

Bike to get popcorn
Support the local kids
Fam time is the best

We went to the zoo...

2010-08-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

and saw dinosaurs! Except it seems that Julie and I no longer no the names of the dinos. They nearly all have names now that we can't pronounce. What happened to the simple brontosaurus, pteradactyl and triceratops? At least they've left the tyrannosaurus rex alone.

Sunday Wrap-up

2010-07-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Tour is over,
But it's not Schlek,
Contador again, what the heck!?

In the yard,
Mulch not spread,
Two bushes removed instead.

Cracked the shovel,
Trip to the store,
Spending money, not less but more.

Open the truck,
But the lock is broken,
More than a few choice words spoken.

Ton of rain,
Yard of mud,
Can't cut grass, may as well pound the p*d.

Canx...

2010-07-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

Alterra cancelled today. Some of the course is still under water. Not surprising as the hill in our backyard is still wet. Can't even think about cutting the grass.

Now have a month to get ready for this race. May even attempt it on the ss.

But for now I guess I'll try to finish spreading the mulch.

2010-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

2010-07-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

Two pyramids of cucumbers. The inside height of the fence is 36". Lettuce, spinach and carrots in foreground look a bit wilted. Amazing how watering can make things look bad for a bit.

2010-07-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

The mess of squash. And this is after yanking a few because they were taking over the area.

2010-07-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Julie behind our wall of tomatoes.

2010-07-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Evening watering

2010-07-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Washing the evening's harvest for dinner.

2010-07-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Meant to get this up awhile ago. Sam's first night in a tent during the 4th of July. Did quite well. Hope to make a couple of camping trips with him.

Garden

2010-07-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

The spinach is nearing an end. The lettuce is still great. We may even be able to get a 2nd planting in before cover-cropping.

Salsa tomatoes are starting. Cayenne peppers are getting close. Green peppers are close. Plucked a Pinot Noir pepper last night. It was outstanding.

Tomato plants are 5' tall. Had to yank 2 squash plants because they were out of control. Cukes, peas, beans, carrots, watermelon and onions are coming along nicely.

Seems we did well on our first attempt.

First Ride

2010-07-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

Went out to Beechwood last night for the first ride on the new niner.

This is the build:

niner SIR9 frame

Vassago ODIS fork

crank bros Iodine headset

crank bros eggbeater sl pedals

Stan's ZTR Arch rims on Phil Wood SS Disc hubs

Sapim bladed spokes

Race Face Deus stem and bars

Avid bb7 brakes

Avid speed dial 7 levers

ergon grips

Race Face evolve SS crankset/bb

Thomson seatpost

WTB Laser V saddle

Alligator Fortress brake cables

Schwalbe Doc Blue sealant

Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires 2.25 rear, 2.4 front

There are a couple of changes that I'd like to make, but overall it's very close to exactly what I want. Current gearing is 34x19.

Did the parade lap just to feel the roll. Rolls very easy. A couple of brake and saddle tweaks and I was back on to head out for my lap. First two bridges felt good and I noticed that the bike when uphill far better than my old SS. I attribute that to the huge weight difference... especially in the wheelset and tires. I got into the first singletrack and tried to get a flow going. The bike responded well and went wherever I pointed it. That can be both good and bad in my case. It was also quite apparent that I chose wide bars. Tagged a couple of the trees.

As I got into the more rocky parts of the trail, I noticed that the front felt twitchy. Thoughts are I'm no longer used to a rigid fork, the contact patch on the 2.4 was just grabbing more or tire pressure was too high and I was bouncing off the rocks. I'm going with pressure at this point. I don't quite have this tubeless thing figured out yet. Heck, I'm still nervous about not having tubes. I get plenty of input from others about pressure from others, but I'm also nearly twice the size of some of the others.

I was able to roll the rock gardens better than ever. Got up some climbs that I didn't think I'd make my first time out. The tighter sections where aim and go. Steering didn't require much input. The bike is quick and even more comfortable than I thought it would be.

It all added up to the best first lap I've ever had.

Latest Build... This One's for Me

2010-07-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Finally finished this... seems like I was waiting forever and a day for some of the parts. First ride report to come shortly.

A Build

2010-07-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

A few months back I arrived in AZ days before my bike frame did. I did my miles on the NM course on a borrowed trusty old steed. I enjoyed the ride of that brand so much, I had to build one.

Who knew that you could find these frames for $95?

2010-06-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Had the chance to work outside all day today. It was wonderful. Fresh air, nice temps. I have the same possibility for tomorrow, but it's supposed to rain... I think I'll delegate the task tomorrow and see what the weather will bring Monday.

Other things? Not much at all really. Just in a funk. Don't know what will take me out of it. Hope that it ends soon.

2010-05-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Just watched our 13 year old pug defend our yard from our neighbor's 1-1/2 year old golden retriever... twice. Bella 2, Midas 0. Now that's entertainment. Good girl, Bella.

Urban Ride

2010-04-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, Flagstaff urban. A bit different from normal urban. Did the urban trail with some built in sight-seeing with Dana, Chris' wife... aka Rocket Girl. She was very kind to me today and there was no dropping of the big guy. Have no idea how far we went battling with the wind off and on. Think we were out for a bit over an hour. Pavement, gravel, some dirt and a little cyclocross up an embankment at the end of a double track. Nice little spinning ride. Big thanks to my tour guide. Oh yeah, the dos finally arrived... in one piece even.

Fuel Hits New Mexico

2010-04-11T11:40:00.001-07:00

Packed the bags for a AZ-NM-AZ-OK trip. Shipped out the bike and wheels and hopped the plane bound for Flagstaff to meet up with CB.

If you look closely, you may notice that my bike is not on the back of the car. Thank you FedEx for shipping it to California instead of Arizona. Luckily Chris still has his old 26" hardtail Diamond Back around. That was to be my ride for the weekend.

We headed east toward Gallup, New Mexico on Friday with Chris' friend Joel. Started the pre-ride and found that I was really struggling for air at nearly 6,500'. That's quite a change from the near 800' where I normally breathe. Took the climbs slooowwww and steady and just enjoyed the mesa views and surroundings. The course is a thirteen mile single track loop in the high desert just west of Gallup. Nice flowing spots with moment climbs thrown in. Trail was hardpack... unless you got off the side. Then, sand would easily grab your front wheel and throw you into the air. Trust me, I know. A couple of the climbs were grinders and there were some fun techie sections as well. Had a few places where missing the corner was not an option, unless you preferred to be on a steep, rocky slope that would put you far below the trail line. While I didn't get the miles in that I wanted, I did get in a lot of saddle time that really worked the handling skills. Great venue, great hosts, great vibe.

Opening Day

2010-03-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Nope, not baseball, something much more important.

Merklein, Jaybird and I hit the trail. MC joined us later, but is still being hampered by a hockey injury.

So glad I didn't have any other plans and was able to make it out to the dirt.

Suddenly, 2010 seems much more balanced and right.

I'm in

2010-03-26T06:17:00.001-07:00

DtilD

a couple rides

2010-03-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Last evening, we put a couple new goodies on the bro-in-law's roadie. A 10-mil shorter stem and pedals to be specific. We burned 20-25 minutes of daylight so we opted for the backyard crit. It is really nice having a 1-mile 'round the block adjacent to my back lot line. A few warm-up laps and the 'call your sprint' sessions began.
"2nd fire hydrant. Go!"
"Street sign past the driveway. Go!"
"Driveway at the top of the incline. Go!"
You get the picture. After a number of these little burners, we did a few sunset cool-down laps and called it a night. Wobbly legs going up and down the stairs afterward. Must have been a good night... or so I thought. Called Chris during lunch today. He wasn't sore, I wasn't sore. Guess it wasn't as good as I thought. I told him that it's easy to modify the crit lap to include a climb that can be sprinted every lap. I'm not sure how keen he was on that idea. I'll talk him into it Wednesday night. Weather pending of course. If we end up indoors, I have just the DVD in mind.

This evening, Julie and Sam went out for a walk with "Aunt" Meg and I hopped on the old steel steed. 70 minutes in before sunset. I hate uphills. I hate headwinds. I really hate uphills into the wind. I love being on my bike. Especially when it's still mid-March in Wisconsin and there's no need for booties, long fleece-lined legs or long sleeves.

Today's Question

2010-03-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

What would give you more joy - a master suite or a sibling for Sam?

48.2 Degrees

2010-03-07T17:10:00.001-08:00

Enough said.

The other day

2010-02-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

I was waiting to pull out of a parking lot. A first generation Saturn was in front of me. In the rear window was a large sticker that said Bad Boy Club with some type of pseudo-tough looking cartoon-like face in it. I snickered to myself a bit and then realized that I had better stop so that the driver didn't notice what I was doing. Because, after all, the plastic chromed hubcaps and the mock chainlink license plate frame screamed Bad Boy.

The Toyota has been in the shop and I've been driving this:

Guess I better go get a sticker.

Mmmmmmmmm... Lunch

2010-02-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

Was out of coffee at home. I have now discovered that I can get to Fuel Cafe and back in well under an hour with two pounds of coffee and a pesto melt. Yum.

Good, but smart?

2010-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

Started the day with some scratch oatmeal/apple/cinnamon pancakes thanks to Julie. So tasty and so much to stick the ribs. That and some fresh perced coffee and the day started just right. Time with the youngster this morning. I am still in awe of how quickly he changes. Not the drastic changes that I say when he was less than a year. Now the changes are things like new words and phrases just "appearing" and seeing the cognitive thought process starting. Life is amazing.

Took Rocky-cross out for a spin today. Thought I'd get some base work in outside rather than in the basement. Just set out and didn't really have a plan. Before I knew it, I was out near DoubleB's homestead. I had, earlier, reached down out of habit and realized that I truly wasn't on my road bike... no cages. I was now well past an hour in and had no fluids to replenish what I was burning. It may have been only twenty-six degrees, but I had worked up a powerful thirst. I made a few turns and I was in a friendly subdivision. Pulled up to the door, knocked, no one home. Dang, had been hoping for a big glass of H2O. Called Ben just to be sure that he wasn't in the basement too into his arcade games to hear the doorbell. Turns out I missed he, Jess and Quinn by about ten minutes. Oh well. Back on the saddle, clipped and turned toward home. Came into the driveway with 1:45 logged today. Felt good except for some early inclines. But I think that may have been due to no real warm-up. But then again, I'm not sure I feel good on any inclines. I'm trying to address that with a two-pronged approach. Hope it works.

Weekend is nearly over. Presentation to senior staff looming tomorrow. Hope to sneak a day off this week. I'll need to look at the forecast. The outside time was good for the soul today.

Happy Sunday all y'all.

2010-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

Just fixed the doorbell on our Distribution Center with my Leatherman.

2010-01-29T09:55:00.001-08:00

Just fixed my cubicle with my Leatherman.

Not Base

2010-01-28T10:38:00.000-08:00

Last night Chris and I spun. We've been going mostly pretty easy during these Wednesday night sessions. Last night was not that way. The set that finally really hurt was 4x3mins in Big x 15, 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off. The minute between intervals seems like it was barely enough to get some fluids. Today, quads are sore. But, the good news is that my hams and calves are feeling the work as well. Maybe my circles are getting a touch better. Will burn some acid out tonight and then work on some more base.

Sam told Julie that I'm sick today. Wish I had known. I would have stayed home.

Blame Favre?

2010-01-26T10:46:00.001-08:00

Answer from me? No. While he did have the dagger, there were far too many mistakes made before that time. The better team lost. But given the fact that they gave the ball away 5 times means that they didn't deserve the win. It's fun listening to all the rhetoric going around now.

Now, Vikings fans, prepare for five months of, "Should I stay or should I go?" Will he be back? It all depends on how much you feed the ego. If he does come back, bet it's not for an entire training camp.

Away

2010-01-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

Julie's away for the weekend. Last time she did that it meant rough-housing for Sam and some quiet time for me. That quiet time included a lot of Guitar Hero with a number of real Whiskey Old-fashioned Sours. Wonder what it will bring this time. Some sledding, some trainer time with the bro-in-law, some football, some pizza... and maybe an Old-fashioned or two.

Happy Friday, All y'all.

Outdoor Spin

2010-01-18T10:46:00.001-08:00

Predicted temps for yesterday were near 40. That made the cabin fever set in a bit. Took care of some small items in the morning in hopes that the low 20s would make it to the near 40s. I waited and waited and waited. The mercury - well the digital thermometer - struggled to break the freezing point. But, it was sunny and didn't look bad out. Layered up and hit the road and scattered-slippery-spot multi-use trail for about 1:10. I was hoping that the Bugline had seen more hikers, but it was far from being packed enough to be rideable. 32.9 degrees when I left; 32.2 degrees and falling when I got back. Seems I hit the high mark of the day. Saw many others out. CC skiing, walking, jogging and sledding. Good to breath outdoor air rather than basement air. I also hit one of my many mini goals on another journey I'm taking. It makes me smile but I must now press on to the next one.

Happy Monday, all y'all.

Higher Temps

2010-01-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Julie is out running a few errands this morning. Sam and I just made a few adjustments to the Rocky-cross. Sunny, warmer... no basement trainer today.

Hope all y'all can get out today.

Clark, Late Fall 2000 - January 10, 2010

2010-01-10T21:14:00.001-08:00

This is difficult to type, but I wanted to let you know that our sweet and gentle pointer Clark passed away this morning after seven years with us. Looking back, we cannot believe that it has been that long. Looking ahead, we have trouble picturing our lives without him.

After surviving the abuse and starvation that he endured at the hands of his original owners, we were lucky enough to have him end up in our home. His spirit and gentle ways were qualities that rubbed off on everyone that he was around. His personality made us laugh. His loyalty made us proud. All of our family and friends felt comfortable and secure with Clarkdog. He was a warm pillow for Sam, a playmate for our twelve year old pug, the best dragonfly hunter around and a wonderful hiking companion.

About 3am this morning, his breathing was a bit labored and it seemed that he wasn't able to get comfortable for very long periods of time. About 9am, he had another small seizure and I laid back down on the floor to help console him while he went through it. After a bit of time, his eyes started moving around again and his breathing came back to normal. I was talking to him and petting his head when he lifted his head, looked at me with those sweet amber eyes of his, put his head back down, took three deep breaths and expired.

He looked so quiet and peaceful. All I could do was shake in disbelief as I pet him and gave him a hug.

The house has been oddly quiet today. No clicking of his nails. No tags jingling as he did his "squirrel dance" at the front windows or patio doors. A huge, loving part of our family is gone. The seven years we were fortunate enough to have with him now seem like a blink in time.

Thank you to the GSP Rescue for bringing Clark into our lives. Thank you to "Aunt" Mindy and "Aunt" Patty of the GSP Rescue of Wisconsin for nursing Clark back to health so that he could come to our home and be part of our family.

Clark truly was a good boy. He will be forever in our hearts and will be missed dearly.

Does Anyone Have Trike Rollers?

2010-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

So, Santa brought this for Sam.

Last night when he saw Chris and me on our dreaded trainers, he moved his bike to join in. He did his part to keep us motivated. Guess it's time to custom build some rollers.

2010-01-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

Big Dog was doing well this morning. I know he was feeling better because he ate. Not at his normal feverish pace, but he ate. I'll take small pluses with him right now.

I hate being on a trainer, but I'll be on it in the basement tonight. Bro-in-law is coming over for the restart of our Wednesday night rides. Soon will be Beechwood Tuesdays. Throw in a couple more rides for good measure and all will be well. I'm growing impatient already.

Clark

2010-01-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

Clark wasn't doing well last night or this morning so Julie made a call to the doctor and I was able to take him in this evening. It doesn't look good. After nearly five years of clean health, it appears that the cancer is back. Unfortunately, it seems as though it has come back as Cushing's Syndrome and it is very likely that there is a tumor on his pituitary gland. This means that it is inoperable. We will do our best to treat the symptoms and keep him as happy as possible. He will have good and bad days and we will prepare for something that we don't want to have happen.

2010-01-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

I am very sad and concerned. Our big dog had a seizure this weekend. He seemed to recover well, but he's acting a bit out of character tonight. I hope he didn't have another episode during the day today. Doctor for him on Thursday.

Phone Call

2009-12-31T13:56:00.001-08:00

Caller: How long are you open today?

Me: Is this for a delivery?

Caller: No, I just need to drop something off.

Me: So you're delivering something?

Caller: No, I just need to drop something off.

Me: We close at noon for deliveries.

Caller: I can't make it by noon, but I'm not delivering, I just need to drop something off.

Me: As long as you're not delivering, someone will be here until 3:30.

Caller: Ok, I can be there by then to drop something off. Thanks, good-bye.

Me: Good-bye.

Guess I don't have to be in hospitality to enjoy stupidity.

Happy New Year All Y'all!

Back to the Grind

2009-12-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas was quiet and chaotic.

Work this week will be busy and slow.

Happy Monday!

2009-12-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

Great....

2009-12-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

now I feel guilty about owning dogs.

Article.

Telecommute

2009-12-18T10:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I worked from home. Even though Sam and Julie were in and out throughout the day, I had very few interruptions and was able to do and fix things that I've been trying to get through for quite awhile.

Today, I could feel tension in my neck and head withing two hours of arriving at work and I feel like I've gotten very little done.

Wish my position were more conducive to a virtual office.

Maybe it's time for some change.

Happy Friday, all y'all!

2009-12-16T11:22:00.001-08:00

The Big Ten is considering bringing another school into its conference. There will be a twelve to eighteen month study done to see if it's a viable and worthwhile move.

Congress wants to push the healthcare reform bill through by Christmas. This bill has not been around for even close to twelve to eighteen months.

Is the Big Ten trying to act far too slowly or is Congress trying to act far too quickly?

No Lost Screws

2009-12-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

No extra screws either. That's the good thing. The bad? The problem wasn't the switch. Well, guess I'll move on to the fan and see if that's the fix. Unfortunately, if I keep moving through the 4runner like that, it will be a very long project. But, I'd end up with nearly an entirely new vehicle.

I have a few days to burn in the next couple of weeks. Think I'll look at the forecast and see if I can find some daylight hours and decent temps to take Rocky-cross out for some miles. I haven't been seeing the sun much lately and it's really getting to me.

I Need to Make a New Rule for Myself

2009-12-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

No sitting in the 4runner during lunch when I have my Leatherman with me. It seems that approximately one-third of the dash has been taken apart. The intention was to replace the heater fan switch, but the switch is at home in the garage. What are the chances that I won't lose any screws by the time I get home? Maybe I shouldn't carry a knife with me on a daily basis.

Words I Don't Care to Hear

2009-12-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

"We are going to spend our way out of this recession."

Spring Thoughts

2009-12-04T11:25:00.001-08:00

I know that this is way early. And, by no means does it mean that I don't want winter. But, I'm thinking that my b-day gift in May should come early and it should be a roundtrip flight to somewhere in the Southwest in say April or so.

It's strange, normally this time of year I don't think that far ahead. But, right now when I do I almost get giddy. I've sat down, pondered, and layed out some plans and goals to be hit step by step. I think what's driving it is the huge let down I experienced from the lack of racing and riding... especially at the end of the season. Now that I no longer see daylight during the week, I really miss saddling up any of my trusty two-wheeled steeds.

Motivation is here now. I need to run with it in a smart way to carry through the next months.

It has started

2009-12-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

My lawn is still green, but the flurries have started. Not like we've gotten 4 inches of snow that would cancel a crit. But already, with barely any flurries, I heard someone complaining about snow while I was at lunch.

Hey! Moron! It's December in Wisconsin! Quit the complaining, act like this is completely normal - because it is - or move!

Champange Hand-ups... Wisco Style

2009-11-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

Photo by J. Curtes.

This is one of my favoite pics of the year. No spillage. Many cheers. I love the cross scene. I seem to be having some internal issues that I'm going to need to address. Ben may or may not remember what I agreed to. We'll see next season.

Check It

2009-11-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the link CB.
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5687735/

2009-11-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

I was going to post some things today, but I spent too much time commenting elsewhere. Now it's time for coffee and getting prepared to split wood.

Happy Saturday all y'all.

I must have

2009-11-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

a timeshare somewhere that I need to find. I keep getting emails telling me that I can rent or sell my timeshare for top dollar. I feel that I may really be missing out on a spectacular money-making oportunity.

Up in the air

2009-11-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

Have some type of bug. Missed two days for the man this week. Hate doing that. Saturday cx is out because of schedules. Maybe I'll fight dano for DFL on Sunday. If I'm feeling a bit stronger, that will be the plan.

Went to my favorite lunch place today and saw an old Toyota with Fuel Cafe stickers on it. Thought I had the only one of those.

2009-10-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Lost my racetime babysitter for tomorrow. Not good. Have no idea how I'll be able to do the Halloween CX now.

Blaster Results - Courtesy of Big Steve and Julie Timeworks

2009-10-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ladies

Place

Time

Name

City

Team

1 08 04

101

Melinda Propson

Green Bay

Performa

1 09 46

102

Margaret Ruf

Platteville

1 20 09

103

Heather Utech

DePere

Performa

Men

Place

Time

Name

City

Team

53 20

104

Constantine Peters

Milwaukee

53 20

105

Darwin Peters

Milwaukee

Expo Racing

1 06 42

106

Dan Hutter

Oconomowoc

MOJD Marine

1 09 21

100

Thom Mathie

Barrington IL

Ladies

Place

Time

Name

City

Team

1 42 42

218

Amy Plato

Grafton

Twin 6

1 48 53

205

Heidi Kraut

Oconomowoc

DNF

207

Brittany Nigh

West Bend

Team Pedal Moraine

Men

Place

Time

Name

City

Team

1 22 56

209

Josh Bartoszuk

Fuel Café

1 26 30

212

Chris Volgrecht

Milwaukee

Treadhead Cycling

1 27 07

Igor Norideski

West Bend

No Ride Ski Racing

1 30 18

211

Marcin Nowak

Verona

Polska

1 31 10

201

Steve Cummins

Slinger

1 31 22

215

Jeff Wren

West Bend

Extreme

1 31 37

204

Paul Kekstak

Green Bay

Performa

1 32 17

216

Jeremy Walworth

Oshkosh

1 32 24

203

Don Freitaig

Marshall

1 36 00

206

Andrew Schumacher

Kewaskum

1 36 01

219

Mark Husband

Shorewood

1 31 30

202

Dean Zigman

Sussex

1 40 17

213

Luke Utecht

Greenville

Performa

1 45 51

208

Guy Archambeau

Menasha

1 47 28

210

Chris Cooper

Milwaukee

1 57 26

214

Jim Schuldenberg

Dallas TX

2 03 25

200

Big Bob Neidinger

Slinger

2 05 37

220

Nathan Keopke

Glendale

2 10 38

221

Jeff Trepanier

Jackson

DNF

Jay Curtes

DNF

217

Andy Schinpke

Cedarburg

Twin 6

Ladies

Place

Time

Name

City

Team

2 01 49

516

Lori Sable

Thiensville

2 06 10

329

Abigail Strigel

Madison

Mafia Racing

2 11 15

318

Claire Cannon

Milwaukee

WORS/Twin 6

2 11 24

320

Lindsey Kriete

Milwaukee

Gear Grinder

2 15 46

311

Pamela Davis

Edwards CO

First Descents

2 22 27

302

Regina Campbell

Wauwatosa

Alterra/Twin 6

2 31 39

327

Rachel Gatto

Oak Forest IL

Twin 6

2 43 03

319

Gabriela Bartnova

Zion IL

Club Tread

Men

Place

Time

Name

City

Team

1 44 37

315

Rotten Ron Knutowski

West of Madison

Fuel Café

1 44 44

321

Randy Wegener

Plymouth

Fond du Lac Cyclery

1 51 09

330

Kevin Tith

Madison

B K B

1 52 04

317

Greg Jones

West Allis

1 56 10

301

Brian Petted

Cedarburg

Fuel Café

1 59 30

306

Aristotle Peters

Hartford

Expo Racing

2 00 48

316

Ryan Santoski

Milwaukee

Team Seagal

2 02 53

303

John Lanser

West Bend

2 04 44

324

Bob Phelps

Milwaukee

2 06 17

328

John Timm

2 09 08

322

Michael Martens

Grafton

Buc/Nomad Cycling

2 09 21

309

Ryan Cowles?

Mpls MN

Twin 6

2 11 15

414

Matt Gehling

Madison

2 13 18

305

Jake Schipke

Cedarburg

Team Extreme

2 19 31

421

Jim Michlar

Whitefish Bay

Gear Grinder

2 22 25

325

Jared Pleus

Sheboygan

2 22 32

312

Justin Latham

Germantown

Got Wood?

2 22 33

313

Jeff Bublitz

Green Bay

Gen-X

2 26 20

304

Blake Schlaeppi

New London

Bean City Brewery

2 30 07

310

Todd Neidinger

Waunakee

2 31 39

307

Keith Wolf

Wauwatosa

Extreme/Twin 6

2 42 28

331

Paul Makela

Grafton

2 43 32

323

Mark Scheultheis

Wauwatosa

Chriropractic Partners

DNF

300

Jon Hirsch

Hartford

Fuel Café

DNF

308

Andy Thieman

Edina MN

Twin 6

DNF

314

Marc Engelhardt

Milwaukee

Team Seagal

DNF

326

Al Ruhoff

Plymouth

Men

Place

Time

Name

City

Team

2 04 33

402

Darrin Braun

Butler

Adverture 212/Specialized

2 07 34

864

Joe Curtes

Fuel Café

2 07 53

417

Ron Stawicki

Waukesha

Team Polska

2 10 25

415

Ray Nelson

Woodstock IL

Tread Head Cycling

2 12 42

401

Maiciej Nowak

Waukesha

Team Polska

2 14 52

407

Chad Boyles

Cedarburg

2 15 03

412

Jack Hirt

Wauwatosa

2 18 07

Mike Curtes

Fuel Café

2 19 16

420

Chad Hindebrandt

Wausau

Team Polska

2 21 40

419

Nathan Guerra

Oconomowoc

Mr. Tree Racing

2 21 41

408

Ben Cisheros

Waukesha

Team Polska

2 22 54

410

John Lirette

Menomonee Falls

Hayes Disc Brakes

2 23 36

411

Carlos Haeckel

Waukesha

AdventureGuatemala.com

2 24 26

413

Glenn Kirst

Menomonee Falls

Wheel & Sproket

2 27 26

409

Ben Neubauer

Oshkosh

Performa

2 29 48

400

Bill Nigh

West Bend

Pedal Moraine

2 30 37

405

Dan Schaefer

Adell

Pedal Moraine

2 32 14

404

Mark Burkholz

Menomonee Falls

Extreme Bike

2 56 03

403

Berry Davis

Edwards CO

DNF

406

Kevin Plato

Grafton

Fuel Café

DNF

418

Brian Merklein

Hartford

Fuel Café

DNF

422

Joel Johnson

Wauwatosa

DNF

423

Nate Johnson

LaCrosse

Mt Borah

DNF

424

Sam Wellskopf

Campbellsport

Shakedown Cruise

2009-10-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

Layered myself up to ward off the lower 40 degree temps and took the Rocky-cross out to Beechwood tonight for its inaugural ride. Have some adjustments to make. Front end chatters a bunch under hard braking. Rear brake needs to be dialed in better. It's been awhile since I've set up cantis. Guess I've lost a bit of the touch. Shifting was pretty good. Need to move the hoods up a bit higher. So, for just taking it off the work stand and hitting the trail, it worked quite well. Hooked up nicely. Ran it up False Summit five times and hurdled some logs on the lap that I set up. Have a lot to work on. Legs have very little left in them right now, but it feels great. Maybe tomorrow I'll hit the local park and try out the "course" that Sam and I walked off a few days ago.

It is Built

2009-10-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

Since I'm out of the running for total lap count this season, maybe I'll try this on some sections at Beechwood tomorrow (today... I really need to get to bed.)

The plan was

2009-10-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

to finish the x-bike and head to Lapham to see how awful I can make myself feel. But, during the Saturday night assembly I found that the cable hanger for the front brake won't work. Decided to not do the race if I didn't have a front brake. So, no race update.

Some Parts

2009-10-02T23:11:00.001-07:00

2009-10-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have the parts. Time to put the Sam-man to bed so I can start building. Maybe I'll snap some pics for all y'all so you can see what a little old, a little new, a little used and a little off my shelf will turn into.

2009-10-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Sam was coloring... on the 57" screen in the living room. Luckily Clark must have figured that something was wrong, so he ate the crayons.

Thank you, Sam.
Thank you, Clark.

1 Thing I REALLY Don't Like

2009-09-05T04:57:00.001-07:00

Seeing the sunrise,

at work,

on a Saturday,

of a holiday weekend.

Tonight's Booyah Bash and tomorrow's corn roast are helping to keep me going.

Guess I better get back at it.

Happy Labor Day weekend all y'all

2009-09-04T10:36:00.001-07:00

It's nearly Friday!

Cows, Broken Hand and the Po-Po

2009-09-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

First thing I saw when I was pulling into the Beech. At least it was penned. BTW, there are a number of cowpies on the trail.

Not me. Heal fast and well, Bob. For others out there, the berm/bowl is a wholelotta different at night. And, it may be renamed.

I think he was on a fishing expedition. The "said" reason he stopped me before I even got a chance to get on the road was b/c I have no front license plate and he also wanted to warn me about the few cows still on the loose. Told me that one had already been hit by a car. Glad I made, for some unknown reason, the decision to not have a single beer. Nothing on breath. Nothing in the truck. Hope no one else had any issues.

Happy Wenesday all y'all.

2009-08-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

Showed up at the race venue on time.

Made my donation to the Titletown Flyers and the Reforstration Camp.

Road the course set up for racing.

Felt good.

Beat some that had been beating me.

Didn't place as high as I thought.

Was bottle biotch for the Curtes bros and Maciej.

Went home.