2006 Texas State Time Trial Champion 10-12yrs

.8 gallons of gas, some jerky and Ivermectin Wormer

I'm riding the scooter with a Young Gun on my wheel. He's getting ready for a trip across the pond. We're settling into our groove. The weather is favorable after a record heat wave for April slapped us in the throat. A long sleeve t-shirt is just right for me on the motor and him in shorts and short-sleeve jersey working up a sweat. Easy there, boys.

As I mentioned, we are in the groove, but about three miles into the ride is when I decide to check the gas gauge. Not good.

So I send him up the road and I stop at a country gas station. What makes it a country gas station? Well, it is also a feed and tack store, and the only non-truck vehicle at the place is me, on a red Vespa-like scooter. And I'm wearing a black helmet with flames on it. No matter how hard you try, it is hard to fit in like that.

I filled up the tank, which holds 1.1 gallons full, and went inside to pay (no pay at the pump here). I didn't have any cash, so I had to bust out the check card for my $2.67 in gas. Needing to show that I am indeed manly, I picked up some jerky as well. But I didn't like it.

With a bit of hurry to my step, I head for the door and an entering Farmer Joe holds the door open for me. I tip the bill of my helmet to him, say "Howdy" and "Thanks" and then see that the pump I chose to use to fill up my steed is the only pump that also spews diesel, and there is a line of two big trucks behind Collina, my faithful red scooter.

"Sorry 'bout that," I say. Farmer John replies, "Y'all are sure going fast out there. Have a good ride."

Well, we sure did.

Hey, llama! Come here, llama!

Sitting in the comfy chair in the living room doing some work on the computer. It is fascinating work, editing a bio profile thing and getting some articles tweaked that I wrote years ago. Anyway, out the dining room window I saw a llama walk down our driveway and out the gate.

Whuh?!

Pretty sure I was seeing things, I sat up straighter and got back to work. But then I saw throught the windows at the back of our house that a llama was walking down the road.

Up I get, make sure I'm dressed, and I hightail it out to the street. The pavement burns my feet, but since it is my gate to the pasture is open, this is pretty much all my fault. I run as best I can to go get the llama, which responds by running away from me, of course.

Eventually, I get the thing turned around and spend the next 30 minutes or so getting the thing 200 yards back into our front gate. I spend the next 30+ minutes trying to get it through our yard and back out into the pasture. But it is all good now.

What are llamas used for, anyway?

I just went out to take a picture of one of the llamas (you wouldn't have known if it was the llama anyway). Three of them were under the tree next to the well house. As soon as I opened the front door, they took off running. Watching three llamas run from me opening the door is funnier (only just) than me, barefoot, trying to round one up.

Big Sam Weekend

After the crit on Saturday, we made our way back to Stella Sola via I45. We had to convince ProCard that there were trees in Texas. Plus we wanted to show him Big Sam.




Big Sam. And Kid #1.


We raced bikes over the weekend. Kid #1 and I raced on the track. Kid #1 won the Youth B's handily. Not sure why he was put in Youth B's, but since it was his first night racing at Alkek, and we showed up just as registration closed (no warm up at all), there wasn't much point arguing. I raced masters. Did ok in races #1 and #3, but totally messed up the plot in race #2 to the point that I missed the bus, the car after that, the scooter after that, and the lady pushing her twins in the stroller after that.

We grabbed some IHOP at 11pm and then found a motel for the night. Early to rise for a early race for Kid #1 on Saturday at the Heights Crit.

This is a nice race, and I hope they can continue to pull it off. It was held in the Heights area in Houston. Felt like one of the Superweek crits in Wisconsin (minus the crowds and hangover). Made ProCard feel at home a little.

Kid #1 rode the ride of his life, thus far. He finished 7th overall in a race that included 17-18, 15-16, 13-14 and 10-12 age groups. He won the 10-12's in this LAJORS race, which helped add to his medal collection.

ProCard has already been beat down by The Coach about his race, but to sum it up, he missed the break because he was goofing at the back of the field. He made the most of what was then a workout, but sat up near the end of the race because he didn't think the leaders could handle the last corner at speed. The leaders balled it up in the last corner, taking 6 or so people down. Live to fight another day.

But we got to see Big Sam on the way home.

By the way, Peter left for his Wisconsin home today. Get back here soon, ProCard!

Perspective

Can't Pimp This Ride Much More Than It Is

Here's Noah's new sled. Frame/Fork courtesy
of GSTz. The Dura Ace stuff is a hook up from
pro, Peter Femal. The rest is stuff that was in
the garage.


Here's Noah at the start of the first Tuesday
Nighter of 2006 in Plano. Sort of a famous
race. Noah is racing in the C's here, which is
against grown ups, though there were a couple
of high school kids in this race. Noah was
dropped pretty early, but fought back to finish
ahead of the two high schoolers and a couple
of grown ups. This was his second ride on his
new bike.

The commute isn't too bad, I get my own office, and even an intern...

Just got promoted to Head Coach at my "other" job. Yes, I've been Head Coach at my regular job for some time, but at the "other" one I had to actually earn it.

I'm going to celebrate by eating a donut this morning.

Send me a bill, Drs

Had one of the most wicked dream I've ever had last night. I'm riding my bike (in my dream I'm race shape and fit) down Country Club Rd when I get hit from behind by a Camry.

Stay with me here.

My body is split cleanly in two, with a top half and bottom half. The POSS2 were laughing, but upside down in the trailer behind my bike. My bike ended up on the golf course, and two golfers were angry that we were on the course.

It took me longer than I wanted to drag myself to my legs, which then started kicking me as I approached. This took too long for the golfers, evidently, so they started hitting golf balls at the kids.

Reanie told them, "No. You stop it." Buddy kept picking up the balls and taking them back to the golfers who would then hit them back at us.

Meanwhile, I'm stressing out because my middle hurts, I need to get the kids back in the trailer, because I'm nervous about Noah, who was riding ahead of us, reaching the intersection of the highway by himself.

So, I get everything upright, but I'm having trouble hammering to catch him because my alignment of upper and lower body keeps coming askew. We do finally catch Noah, who is at the coffee shop near the intersectionn of Country Club and 377. He's on his cell phone with Mama, and she asked if we'd stop and get milk and tampons if it wasnt' too much trouble.

After going to the store and getting an earful from the manager about me getting the floor bloody, Noah and I raced home. He beat me, but it had more to do with me having to go gentle around the corners so Reanie and Buddy wouldn't spill their cappuccinos.

Then Reanie kicked me in the stomach (really) and I woke up to see that the alarm was about to go off, and that was it.


Well, I think I have a little better understanding of why I haven't been riding even though I'm healed up. I've felt safe on the track. I even felt safe in the craziness of the start of the Aledo race, even as I locked it up behind a crash. Felt safe riding with Glen. But I just can't go out by myself and ride.

Whew!

The last time I raced a road bike was on September 12, 2004...until today. It wasn't pretty, but I finished. Because so many people quit, my placing might even look decent on a resumé. I also doubled the mileage on the odometer of my cycling computer with this ride. I'm going to celebrate by eating a carrot cake.