Budreaux's Birthday Party!

The truck full of straw bales before we made the fort/castle.

Lawson was King of the fort/castle.

I can stand on the chair because it is my party.

Mmmm. Cake.

Yeehaw! (look closely at Anelise coming down the slide)

Busted.

Bude and his buddy Zachary partied until they dropped.

Whupped.

as always, if you want a better look at the picture, just click on it.

Uh oh...

...guess who got a cell phone that takes pictures.



First picture I took.

OK, that's not true, but Mama wouldn't let me post the first picture I took. Now this blog has upgraded to being like every other blog.

I'm so technologically behind the times. I bet nobody has Intellivision anymore.

Good thing I got dressed for work today

Some guy pulled up in our drive way a little bit ago. Had a bike on his car, and he was all decked out in cycling gear. Complete with yellow Team Discovery commemorative jersey.

Not recognizing the person, I opened the window, asked in a friendly way, "What's up?" and waited for a response.

He gave me a little head nod that told me "yo, what's up with you" or maybe it was a head nod with a little shake telling me, "What do you think I'm doing?"

Not satisfied with the exchange, I simply kept looking at him with my head out of the window from my office (no screen). After not even getting further acknowledgement from him, I quickly went to the computer to see if I had some meeting with someone today, perhaps explaining our visitor.

Nothing on the plan for today involving riding with the yellow jersey type.

So I went downstairs and outside to get a closer look. Turns out that this guy thought it was OK (it is, really) to park in our driveway because he's seen lots of cyclists here leaving for rides.

I explained the situation and told him that he could park here anyway, but I guess he was a little struck by it all. He apologized ("Sorry, my bad"), got in his car, and started to drive off. By the time he was at the end of the driveway, I pulled his bike from the grass to the driveway so he could see it...

He drove back up to me, got out of the car, shook his head, and without saying a word, put his bike back on the trunk rack and drove away. Without securing the bike to the rack.

When he hit the gravel transition from our driveway to the road, the bike hopped off one of the arms of the rack. He stopped, got out of the car, put it back on the rack (without securing it again), and drove off.

I'm trying to get back to work, but I keep getting stuck thinking about this strange occurance. Which ranks, in strangeness, higher than ranger humming "Girls just wanna have fun."

If this doesn't clean me out, nothing can

Budrick crawled into our bed too early and too late last night/this morning. Too early to really get up myself, but too late to put him back in his bed and think I could get more sleep.

So I made myself useful by throwing lunch together for Mama and Big Boy. Made some smoothies for everyone (once it was time for everyone to get up anyway, since the blender doesn't have a 'snooze' feature). But mio sforzo migliore came from the oat bran muffins I made.

Of course these are made from scratch. Do you think Chloe keeps a mix in her pantry?

OK, now I'll ge tback to work

When I get geeked on Italy stuff, guys like the Beaner roll their eyes or call BS on me. But here's a map of one of the most beautiful places in the world.

There, in the upper right, you can see Taceno and Cortenova, and a little southwest of there is a place called Esino Lario (which is usually part of the Giro di Lombardia route). Well, the cabin that Nuccia left Chloe is on the road between those two places. Now look across the lake at the tip there. What do you see? Bellagio. That's right. A little south of there? Madonna di Ghisallo.

Need help with the scale of the map? It is about 10K from the left edge of the map to the right.

Here's something more for the bike geeks. Third picture from the bottom...the one of the lake...that's the lake separating Bellagio and Esino Lario. On just the other side of the mountain is the cabin.

OK, sorry. Just got all "homesick" there for a moment. I'll eat some pasta and be alright.

So, who wants to go?

Angel Fire crew...do you remember?

I almost sort of do. Anyway, I got the iTunes spitting songs as I work. The Divinyls I Touch Myself is playing. Good trip. Good times. We owned that place, eh Brad?

Working the fields

We had all of the kids working the field the other day. Before the POSS2 got home with Mama, Noah and I were out in the pasture working on the 400m track we're building for running and riding ove rthe fall/winter.

It is pretty well cut in now. We're hoping for some rain to help the good grass take and finish off the goat head/sticker burrs for good, but in the meantime, we keep plugging away at it.

On Monday, I was ready to give it another cutting, but since we were expecting some rain, I wanted to clear the cow crap off of the trail. Make for better walking and running when out there in the dark.

So, Noah and I were shoveling the crap into the wheel barrrow. He was working pretty hard. Had to remind him that the faster we got it done, the less time we were working with shit, but we got it done.

When we got to the last 100m, I hollered to him, "Are you having fun?" He couldn't hear me since he had his playstation thing headphones on (he can listen to music with it--he was listening to Beastie Boys). He took out the headphones, asked "What?" and I repeated. His response was, "Well, I'm not having fun, but I'm doing OK."

Just as we finished the shovel work, Mama arrived with the POSS2, and they got on the lawn tractor with me, and we got to work cutting the track even closer to the ground. They helped drive.

The track is just about 400m long. 100m is a down slope, and about 50m-ish is flat, and the rest is uphill-ish. But really, it is all pretty flat. Just feels more uphill when you are out there. I've ridden my road bike out there and not picked up anything in the tires, so I think we've got it cleaned pretty good. It is about 8.5 feet wide all the way around.

We'll have some sort of play/training out there in the coming months.

Do you remember your first real bike ride?

I remember riding with Matt McCullough at SWT and we got excited about doing rides that seemed so far to us.

Anyway, Noah and I went out for 13.5 miles today. He's been off the bike, and I've been off the bike even more. But we knocked it out.

I've felt less fatigue after doing 120 mile rides before. Long, long way to go.

Hold Your Line (and nobody is wearing a helmet)

About 3 min of pure entertainment.. Work safe, too.

Must eat

To continue on this narcissistic theme, I am so frikkin' hungry to be a bike racer again. I'm chomping at the bit to get to training. But I catch myself when I realize I'm going to be doing 15-20 mile rides for awhile, and those will make me tired.

Long way to go.

For Crying Out Loud

I'm so done with The Racing Post. Not that anybody really cares, but dang, I just don't want to be in those pages anymore.

Why?

Doesn't really matter, but it is safe to say that even if I do still own the thing, I definitely can't control what is printed in its pages. Not even when it is my own damn column.

Gump says, "And that's all I got to say about that."

Uh oh

Upon waking from her afternoon nap, Reanie told me, "Santa is making my presents."

Brody is in the house!

My sister Shaun and b-i-l Neal made me an uncle again today. Brody Allen Harpstrite comes at us with 8.13 lbs and 20 1/4 in. Big Brother Aidan is happy to have someone to big brother to.

Oh yeah? Well you should have seen the other guy.

Dent. The car is gray, so stuff didn't show up in the pictures too well.

If you click on the pic you may be able to see it a little better.

There is a good gouge at the top of the dent, and you might be able to see one along the top of the pin stripe. It looks like a tire mark under the mirror on the door.

There is also a dent on the piece between the windshield and the door/mirror.


As much that mirror hurt, I kinda wanted it to have some visible damage. By the way, this is the only look I've really had at the car; I didn't look at closely that day.

This shows the initial impact at the corer of the bumper and then a different gouge at the front of the fender.

Thursday Update on Wooombpf

So it is an update for today, but I'll start with yesterday. Got a little worried yesterday. Physically and mentally I took some steps backwards, but I think (now) that it was due to a cumulative lack of sleep. It is hard to sleep when there is no good way to lie down.

I tried doubling up some sleeping meds, even with the pain killer and muscle relaxant. Nothing worked. Finally, yesterday afternoon, I finally just crashed. Even with the "wooombpf" sound playing every 15-20 minutes, and the increase in the gnawing feeling that when I ride I'm gonna have some issues, I finally just slept. It was only for an hour, since I had to pick up Noah from school, but it was a full-on, sweat through my clothes and the sheets, slobber on my pillow, hard sleep.

Awaking from that, I was somewhat refreshed. My left side ribs and left side guts, which are giving me the most trouble overall, were very sore, but it was the first time I've even FELT like getting up since the bump.

Noah and I drove the couple of miles over to where I was hit. I've mentioned several times how lucky I was, but it is even more evident now. I'm lucky for just missinig a drive way (instead I landed in a ditch). I just missed hitting a street sign ("Narrow Bridge Ahead') and the narrow bridge that was ahead. Where I fell was, in fact, right in front of the golf course. For those familiar with the area, it was next to the hole that runs parallel to the road.

I slept some more when we got home, and it was just as deep a sleep as earlier. Had to wake up to go get the POSS2's since Mama was held up in an important meeting, but we managed.

Noah watched the babies while I slept even more. It seems that I sleep for about an hour very deeply, then I wake up, go get a drink or something to eat, say "Hi" to everyone that lives here, and then I sleep again for another hour or so. This was one of the first days in a long time that we actually got everyone to bed on time, and I slept from then pretty much through the night, minus the POSS2's coming in to customarily make sure we are still there or something.

All that said, aside from my left side ribs and guts, I feel sore but lots, lots better. My elbow works, but I don't have much range of motion, and I absolutely can't bang it on anything. But I think we've for sure turned a corner here.

You couldn't tell that I just left to go to the doctor, but I did. Definite broken rib on the left side (just one, though?), so I feel less of a wuss knowing that something is indeed busted. Nothing is broken in my shoulder, but I didn't really expect there to be since it feels like tissue/ligament/tendon issues and not bone issues.


All things considered, I fell pretty ok. If I can talk Noah into bringing the trainer to the house from the barn, I might even get my track bike on there and spin for just a something small in the next couple of days.

Tuesday Update on Wooombpf

Busy day. Had lots of folks stop by. Scored well with Niles, because he brought by lots of venison. Andrew D stopped by on his ride, which was cool. My Mom made a brief stop on her way to Longview.

Lots of calls too. It has been pleasantly overwhelming.

I feel worse physically today, but my head is totally clear. Recieved a letter from the guy's insurance company telling me to call them when I'm off the pain meds and that I need to send them some tax stuff for the last three years. Now, that's getting into my business, but I think it is a good sign that we are getting somewhere, though.

My body did stiffen up quite a bit from yesterday. I think it is due to feeling better yesterday so I moved around too much. Or maybe it was the Pilates video. Who knows?

Becky brought some books by yesterday. I read some stuff by Sedaris, which is laugh out loud funny, but once I started the second book of his, I felt like it was too much. Now reading Pico Iyer's Video Night in Kathmandu and diggin' it. And I ate all of the shortbread cookies she brought by too.

It is worth noting here that Noah has really stepped up in the last week. He's helping out tons, and he was already good about helping out before. I think he's a keeper.

When my Mom stopped by, she left behind a big plastic tub that has all kinds of stuff from my growing up years. There's my cub scout shirt, some pictures of when I was a baby, a few books, a baby tooth, my first BMX jersey, some stories that I wrote in second grade, etc. A childhood in a box. Pretty neat.

Update on Wooombpf

Feeling LOTS better, so long as I sit still. I took the halfcast off of my elbow and am keeping a folded up bathtowel around it for protection. The cast and sling were to help keep it propped and protected, but it feels better if I keep it up anyway, so that's what I do naturally. Using the towel as protection is a little more user friendly in most ways as it allows me to at least type on the computer somewhat normally. I still can only peck out a few lines before having to rest since my right shoulder doesn't like my right arm to be elevated as high as the keyboard very long.

My teeth still hurt as does my jaw, but I ate quite a bit yesterday so I was probably just doing too much too soon.

I went most of yesterday without pain meds, but I had a rough time from mid-afternoon on and had to get some in me. NOt sure where it came from, but I lost my stomach a few times yesterday as well. That said, I was more active yesterday morning than I had been all days combined since being hit.

Ribs sill hurt just as much, but that is to be expected. My upper back is stove up pretty bad, but the great news is that my lower back (which had been giving me fits before the accident) hasn't been an issue at all. Can't turn my head too quickly or my neck barks, but moving slowly gives me about 75% 5ange of motion.

Knees are tweaked as well as hips, but not so much that I dread it when getting up like I do my neck, back, ribs and shoulder.

Mama sent me a link to get the police report form so I can get that assignment done. Finding it online is a huge bonus because I can't really drive so well at the moment to get to the police station.


Becky, one of my LSWorkers, just stopped by with all sorts of goodies. I've got fresh DVD's and loads of reading stuff. The kitchen is now flowered and there are even some things to eat that don't take any effort.

I'm gonna try to read it all, because Becky is one of those folks who, when she sends me an email, I have to open a dictionary and a browser to google so I don't go all public school on her.

Thank you so much, Becky!


That's about it for now.

Wooombpf

Howdy,

Hard o be entertaining because it is difficult to type, me head hurts, and it is about time for some more of these fine, fine meds. But here’s what I’ve managed to peck out…

While out for a mid-afternoon one hour spin, I was hit from behind by a motorist. It was straight up, plain and simple, an accident. I wasn’t the target of an angry driver or someone who was trying to brush me back or whatever. Not sure how fast he was going, but this is a 50-60 mph road.

I was heading southwest on Country Club Road in Argyle at about 1:45-2pm. I was very near the right edge of the road with my tires on or very near the white line, which is customarily where I ride. My habit is not to take up much of the lane, as I prefer to give motorist as much room to pass as possible. I understand some folks may feel they should take p more of their lane for safety, visibility, and to force motorists to pass in the other lane only when safe. But I prescribe to the idea that I want to be the least nuisance possible, since I live in the area and these are essentially my neighbors.

I was caught by the front fender and mirror of the car. My body took the blow. I spent a little time on the windshield and top of the car before dismounting into the nicely groomed ditch. Fortunately I missed the pavement.

The initial hit was sudden and unexpected. My best recollection (and so far, very much recurring) is the sound of “wooompb” as I was being hit, and my vision growing quickly black with a light growing rapidly smaller and smaller to the size of a pin hole while spinning, sort of like what I remember seeing in the Batman shows as a kid. That sound was the same sound you hear when cars hit each other.

My next glimpse of memory is being in the air in a “flying” position over the car and looking down into the windshield and seeing the driver’s hands on the wheel. At that point I don’t remember much except for thinking “I got hit and I’m probably dead.”

My next memory is hitting the ground, then a blank time, and then landing on my back and hitting the back of my head. I went out for a spell (I don’t know how long). I do remember thinking as the lights went out again that I hoped I wasn’t in the middle of a multi-car accident and that I could just end up where I ended up without having to deal with cars on me.

I couldn’t feel anything when I came to from that,. My thoughts were that I was either dead or that I was in such shock that I wasn’t feeling anything. I tried to do an inventory of body parts, but I couldn’t feel anything. I could hear my middle child saying names of the parts of the body as I checked to see if they were still attached.

Everything was very fuzzy and moving in a haze. Sort of like what the Young Guns were seeing when they took the peyote. But I wasn’t taking peyote.

The motorist stopped and tried to help me up as I was trying to get up. I wasn’t altogether with it, but came to very quickly when he grabbed my left elbow to help me up. Alarm clocks don’t seem so bad now.

He asked if he could take me to the hospital, and he was extremely apologetic. Looking back now, I can say that he was in shock himself. Another motorist then stopped and asked whose fault it was. The man who hit me said, “Unfortunately, it was mine (meaning himself).”

I looked at my phone to see what time it was, and I realized that I needed to get home quickly since I had to pick up Kid #1 from school. I asked the man to take me home instead. Mind you, I wasn’t entirely with it, and neither was he, which is why we didn’t call police. He asked me several times if he shouldn’t just take me to the hospital.

So, we piled my bike into his trunk, I called Chloe on the way home and asked her to meet me there, and the guy drove me home in what was the most harrowing 10 miles I’ve ever been in a car. He was a mess just out of being scared. Wrong side of the road, driving 15 mph, pulling out into traffic, etc.

While sitting in his car, the list of damage to me was being rung up. My shoulder and ribs were giving me the most pain, but my hips, back, jaw and elbow were close behind.

I asked the driver to stay with me at the house until Chloe arrived, which he did without hesitation.

Once Chloe arrived, she got his name, license number and all that. It occurred to me that we should have a picture of his car showing the damage, and she took that. Once certain she had enough information from him, she sent him on his way, and then we went to pick up Noah (kid #1) and then went to the emergency room.

With nothing poking out of me, it took awhile to be tended at the emergency, but I was seen. Was x-rayed (not kidding) about 40 times, and I had a CT scan done to check for internal damage.

Damage to me-
Dislocated right shoulder
Broken left elbow
Rib “damage” primarily on the left side, but the right got some too.
Concussion
General pain in teeth (all), jaw, back, neck, hips, left knee, and right ankle


Damage to bike-
Broken right seat stay
Trashed Powertap rear
Broken saddle
Don’t know if anything else yet.


I’ve pretty much stayed in bed since getting home Tuesday night. I can’t roll over on my own, and I need assistance sitting up. However, as of last night, I could get up the stairs if I took my time. All that said, with the pain meds and muscle relaxants, I don’t feel much like getting up anyway. There’s a nice supply of DVD’s being played on my laptop. Typing notes is a painful process since I can only one-hand it, and that hand is connected to a shoulder that isn’t working so well.

Anyway, as I told my teammates, y’all don’t know anyone luckier than me. I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and vibes. Mostly I want to thank my wife, Chloe, who has had to really pick up the slack. With three kids here (10yr, 3yr, and almost 2yr), she’s had her hands full. Noah has been a huge help in taking care of the little ones, getting stuff for me, and making sure he was cared for himself. I want to thank Andrew and Stephanie Hassan for watching and feeding kids #2 and 3 while I was in the hospital. I want to thank David for kicking butt at the last Tuesday Nighter in Plano. I’d like to thank the athletes I work with for understanding. I also want to thank all of those who have sent notes and “get well” wishes and offers to help. And I’d like to thank my teammates who knew just how much to joke and how much to care.

Cri

Wheels

This is Collina. She's not even 1 yr old yet.

This is Mama's car, Agatha. She's of legal age.

This is Ingrid. She's 13 yrs old (but she's had a heart transplant).







This set of "wheels" has had a face lift. This is Bollacilli. (www.semcustompaint.com)

Steamboats, Fried Chicken, Anti-freeze, Taking out a loan for gas, Pine Cones, And Our Visit to TN to See Apple Granny

Mama did a great job getting us packed into one bag. Kaner would be proud. All five of us were packed into one duffel bag. This is without cycling stuff, but still, diapers and clothes for five people for a long weekend in one bag is cat 2 packing, at least.

We made a trip out to Eagle's Nest to see Apple Granny and to try to talk her into leaving the farm there and moving in with us. With the babies and such, we couldn't afford to fly out there, so we packed into my "new" wagon and made the 12 hr haul on the road.

Before leaving on Friday, however, (my b-i-l) Lonnie and his clan stopped by for a quick visit on their way to CO. In the big picture it is kinda funny that they were plowing up I35 on their way to CO while we were loading up to plow I30 and I40 to TN, yet we somehow still had a Chloe-style dinner here at Stella.

I didn't get to eat with them, as I was at the shop getting new tires on the "new" car. Pretty much a leap of faith that the 13yr old car would make the 1400 mile trip, especially considering the only driving I'd done with it at that point was the test drive. And to think that I'm not much of a gambler.

We hit the road at about 10pm. The kids slept for the most part, which made for a pretty dang easy trip. Now that I think about it, it wasn't until Tuesday morning, when I took Noah to school, that he'd actually sat in a seat in the car. For the 12.5 hr trip there and the 13.5 hr trip back, he was packed into the back of the wagon with our bag, a blanket, a couple of pillows, and his PSP thing.

Anyway, we went up to see Apple Granny and enjoy a quiet weekend in rural TN. Now that Mama has a real job, we can't get away for a week at a time like we used to do, so we had to squeeze in our RnR qucikly. After driving through the night, I had a world class nap on Saturday...windows open, hearing the critters in the woods, and even the sounds of a tug boat in the far distance on the TN river.

There was visiting and some being made useful for Aunt Betty and Apple Granny. A trip up to the church to take some bottled water, carrying a few things out to the barn and up from the basement. Had to be careful, though, because I didn't want Mama to think I was all hip on doing chores.

Somewhere in there was some real good banana pudding that Granny said was for my birthday.

The little ones played with the dogs and sticks and stuff. Noah and I hiked (a pretty tough hike, actually) through the woods, across a couple of pastures and down to the river where we climbed on fallen trees, watched a steamboat go by, and got up close with a cottonmouth. It was pretty much a Tom Sawyer/Norman Rockwell-type weekend.

The visit was short, but it was a good one. The land up there is postcard beautiful, and the roads (though I didn't bring my bike) beg to be ridden. The rolling hills, 2-mile climbs, the forests, the perfect pavement, the country-quiet...

We hit the road for the return leg on Monday morning. The wagon ("Ingrid") was holding up with a minimal of coolant and oil leakage, and the spedometer and tachometer freeze was only temporary. Overall, as travelling goes, Ingrid is a solid vehicle for us, and after driving the Bessie and Moby for so long, we were glad to have something that got gas mileage in the 20's instead of the pre-teens, especially since we were paying anywheres from $2.99 to $3.69 (fugg!) per gallon.

It is one thing to travel through the night with babies in the car, but it is quite another to travel during the middle part of the day. But all things considered, I think they did a fine job of it. There was a short bit of cabin fever from all of us, but we're also rolling in a spot that is half the size in which we are accustomed. 13+ is a long time for a grown up to sit in one spot, so for the babies to be strapped into those seats was a significant chunk of their time alive.

We did stop for coffee, a lot. We also stopped for a family fried chicken dinner at a fast-food joint called Mrs. Winner's. The whole time we were there I had a voice in the back of my head that sounded like crOzzy saying, "Winner, winner, chicken dinner." Another de-car wasa at a rest stop in Arkansas where the babies ran around while me and Noah chucked rocks and a water bottle up into a pine tree to knock down cones. Mama has been collecting pine cones lately, so we were speeding up the process. Knocking pine cones out of trees is fun. Should try it sometime.

It was pretty late when we got back, but the adventure was a good one. The quality time with Apple Granny was still too short but worth the trip. The nap I had on Saturday, however, was certainly worth it too.

Odd

Listening to the public classical station in the kid's room this morning as I got the herd ready. In the mornings the "dj" has a british accent and speaks the perfect english that you'd expect to hear on the airwaves of such a station.

But it was still weird to hear him talking about Dallas Cowboys' news.


I suppose it isn't any weirder than Bob Roll talking about euro dawg peloton happenings.

Still, it sounded odd, but it also made me listen, and I don't normally listen to anything about the Cowboys.

Play Ball

Last night was the first game of the restart to my cat 5 softball career. Scott (Noah's step-Dad) and I play on a team made up of Scott's neighbor and his coworkers. So, I got on this team as the step-third cousin twice removed or something.

I hadn't thrown a ball or swung a bat in years (since 2000 to be be precise), but I was itching to do something active. Somehow I ended up playing softball. Oh, I take that back...I did swing a bat at Gameworks when Burke, Jodith and Keegs came up, but that was a video game. I also played air hockey, so I'm quite the Bo Jackson.

Since I'm the new guy, I got to play catcher. Catcher in softball is where they put the people so they will hurt them the least. But I got to play, so I don't mind. Honestly, I probably would have been a liability in the field since I'm gimped and all.

Had a good time though. Batted three times. Grounded out, flew out, and got on (probably an error). Didn't miss any pitches, which isn't anything to brag about, but I was surprised at how many strikeouts there were in this slow-pitch game.

But the cool thing is that I didn't get hurt. This might not be a big thing to the reader, but considering the last two softball games I played netted me a torn quad and a pulled hamstring. That I didn't get hurt is a big deal.

The sad thing is that I'm sore from running 300 feet on the night.

We won though, by coming back in the bottom of the last inning, and I helped push the guy from first to third who ended up scoring. Which sort of made up for the error I made (that everybody else would have made too) during a play at the plate. When you are catcher you only get one or two real plays per game.

It was fun, and I look forward to our next game. Our team name is "Those Guys."


Oh, I went to the last doctor (I hope) I'll see about my back. Since I've been doing exercises on my own and making some adjustments to how I sit and such, there has been some improvement. With that in mind, the doc says we can hit PT more aggressively. Worst case is that I'll get surgery later. Best case is that things continue to improve. The nerve damage is there and there's not much that can be done, but strengthening my back will supposedly minimalize the issue. I like this doc, so I'm fired up about what we are doing. Should be back to racing (got approval on the homefront) in 2006. The bottom third of the field is in trouble.

Scam

My Lovely almost fell for a scam. I wasn't going to write about it, but she insisted because she wanted to make sure nobody else fell for it.

The scam is called a "Nigerian Scam," I believe. It came into our lives when we put the Expedition up for sale.

Seems the scammers of this sort look for something being sold, and if they determine that there is some sort of desperation, they start in with the emails that involve out-of-country buyers, agents picking up the car, agents receiving payment, an overpayment with a cashier's check and so forth.

Nobody would actually pick up the car. No agent would actually show up. The scam is in the casheier's check. It is a counterfeit.

What they do is send a cashier's check for over the amount. The reason can vary to whatever their creativity affords. In this case, they told Mama that it had to do with reimbursement. The idea was that they would pay twice the amount for the car, and we'd send the over 1/2 to the agent, who then applies it to something and ultimately it all comes out in the wash. Mama read the emails closely, so she was believing the story. I didn't, however, since I'd read something about such a scam recently.

Meanwhile, I was to be checking the mailbox regularly for the cashier's check. If the scam holds true to form, the scammers won't send it for awhile to create desperation on the part of the seller. Eventually they expect that the seller will pester the scammer with "Where's the check" and so forth. At that point, they have you.

In this case, they were going to send a cashier's check, we would deposit it, and the bank would show that the money (in this case, $18,000) was in the account. Then we'd cut a check to the agent to speed up the process, since "the agent can't pick up the car until..." (or something like that).

But the thing is (here's the lesson), just because the bank shows the money in your account and says it has "cleared" doesn't mean it really has. It takes 10 days or so for a cashier's check to actually clear, but since your account shows the money deposited, you feel safe in writing the check. Meanwhile, the bank would learn that it was a counterfeit, but we would have already paid "the agent" the overage. Nobody would have picked up the car, but since it was a counterfeit check, the bank deducts the "deposit." But now you are out the money you paid to the agent.

When this whole "deal" stressed me out too much to sleep, I started looking for information online about the scams. At that point, Mama sent me the email dialogue with these folks, and we were able to sort out that this indeed was such a scam.

I want to thank Mama for listening to me on this one.


This scam is pulled not just on cars, but on anything. It is most often seen on eBay and the like. It can be for small items or big ones. When I went looking for information, I found that most of the time the scammed won't say anything out of embarassment for falling for such a thing. But it turns out that the scam has been pulled for "items" as small as a $10 DVD and as big as $60K Mercedes and $300K houses.

Thought for the day

No matter how much The Assassin encourages you to keep going, you really should stop after your second serving of zabaglione

Pope Budicus I 

circa 1977 in Longview. From l-to-r: Cami, me, Mimi holding Shaun, cousin Johnny, cousin Sheri. 

Doping

Photographic evidence that I do endorse performance enhancing supplements to my athletes. This is a shot of the head LSW soigneur helping one of my junior athletes in the bouncy slide competition. If you look closely, you can see that other juniors are forced to also use performance enhancing supplements to remain competitive. It is a vicious cycle. Do you remember when kids used to slide on the bouncy slides just for fun? 

#3's Terrors, Stuff We've Planted, and a Sleepover

Not sure what Mama was thinking, but I just scored an iPod mini. She was entered in some raffle at work and won...a Playstation. She made way to Best Buy and exited sans Playtation and con iPod.

A few years ago I was in the throes of music downloading mania. Originally this was to have a library of tunes for the regular spin classes I was holding up at Bluebonnet Bikes and in our garage. But a crashed hard drive took out not only my bidness, but also my library (I think it was around 1500 songs) of music that I'd handpicked.

I guess I'm still bummed. Probably because this was before DSL, or at least before I had it, so downloading music wasn't as quick as point and click.

But I've got the thing now. My library of CD's has made it back to the computer, but this was just a small bit of all the music I'd Napster'd. We'll see if I get back to that ripping music again. I think the going rate is a buck a song, so I'll have to be more selective.

Uncle Lonnie and Uncle Pickle have incredible music collections. They have something for every mood, party and situation. Me, I have a collection of The Racing Post cycling socks. Uncles win.

Just wish I was riding to use the iPod. Noah and I have been completely off the bike for more than two weeks now. My back has gotten to the point that I can't ride at all, even with Noah, and besides, he tweaked his knee practicing soccer, so we've been keeping ice on things. Or eating ice cream. One of the two.

Reanie has been riding, though. In fact, we're going to have to figure something out, because she's moving so fast and hard on the tricycle that she's usually only on two wheels. If she's on Budisimo's "bike," when she takes off she spins the front wheel while it struggles to get traction. Don't need no powermeter to know she's cranking out the watts there! Might be time to pull the little bike out of the barn...

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Noah had a buddy over to play and spend the night. They "swam" with the bouncy slide, and they were both very, very cool about letting Reanie and Budisimo play with them.

We had homemade pizzas and an apple pie thing that Mama concocted. So good that I ate three pieces of pizza past full and still went for it on dessert.

The boys played computer games well into the night. Though I was trying to sleep, it was neat to hear them really into it.

The plan was for them to sleep outside, but after tending to #3 at 4am, Mama saw that the boys were "camping" in the living room instead. I just got through checking on them, and as I look at the clock, I'm chuckling because the babies will be up soon, and those boys will be hard pressed to get back the sleep they missed by going to bed so late. 10 years old is fun, though.

But so is 35.

By the way, Happy Birthday, Lisa! (it was yesterday)


* * * * *

Something is going on with Buddy at night. It has happened twice in the last four or five days. He wakes up in the middle of the night in a terror or extremely pissed off. He's screaming and hollering and running around in full sprint. He runs faster than he can see and plows into and through things. He can't stop moving and hollering/screaming. On one hand, it is the middle of the night, so Mama and I are doing what we can to make this a brief interuption, but on the other hand, he's darn near inconsolable. If it weren't the middle of the night and I hadn't just been startled awake, part of me would like to see what he's doing or trying to do in an effort to figure it out.

Tonight he "came to" in about 15 minutes. The other night it took 45 minutes or so. Since I'm such a light sleeper that I wake up when a cow takes a leak, I'm up for good once Buddy does this thing. Mama tries to help him though it awhile, then me, then Mama, then me again...and so forth. Meanwhile, whoever isn't with Buddy directly is having to soothe Reanie back to sleep. It is quite a production.

Not to discount what Buddy is feeling, but it is painful on our end to see him in such a state. Sure, he's not even two, but to see him struck so breaks your heart. You just want to hold him and hug it away, but holding him increases an already unbeliavable outburst (not the right word, but didn't feel like looking for it).

* * * * * * *

-We planted some pumpkin seeds yesterday. It is about a month too late, though. They'll still grow, but the pumpkins won't look like much by halloween. Took me forever to find pumpkin seeds to plant. We'll have to save some from the pumpkins. But what will probably happen is that when it is time to plant next year, I'll be thinking either, "I meant to save seeds from last year," or, "Where did I put those seeds"...

-We've had a couple spaghetti squash from the garden in the last week. Better than what you can get at the store (of course), and strangely, bigger too.

-The tomato plants are about done. Next year I'll plant more of those. I didn't count on that the kids would pick and eat so much.

-Mama is about to make another batch of pesto as well as jalapeno jelly. Put your orders in now.

-The fig tree stopped producing for the year. Darn. I'm going to have to learn about the different kinds of figs and see if we can't get a June producer and something the will produce later in August.

-Noah's pear tree...last year it produced one pear. No big deal since we only planted it last year. This year, however, at one time there were 20 pears. But gradually they disappeared. It is normal to lose a few to bugs or whatever, but this was different. These weren't partially eaten or even on the ground. They would totally disappear. A pear isn't that small, so it isn't like a bug can take it away. Best we can figure is that someone has been picking them or that there is a bird that is strong enough to take the entire pear away.

As the tree went down to ten, then four pears (which weren't quite ready to pick), we became more attached to the remaining fruit. When we were down to one, I told Mama that it was for Noah to pick (he would be with us the next day). And wouldn't you know it, that ONE last pear was gone before Noah got here. Darn.

-I was about to pull out the eggplant yesterday. We got one good one off of it, but it hasn't done anything in a few weeks. On the day that I decided to pull it to make room for something else, sure enough, there's one brewing!

-The watermelon is about the size of a grocery store canteloupe, but it is ready anyway. We'll get into that today. I think we planted the watermelon too late, so I don't expect that we'll get anymore off of this plant.

* * * * * * *

You read all of this?

From the mouth of a babe

First thing Reanie said when she woke up yesterday--
"Excuse me, Daddy. I tooted."

First thing Reanie said when she woke up today--
"I like food, Daddy."

Buon Compleanno

This is what Noah looks like on his 10th birthday (and first day of school)! 

Communist

I was riding the scooter back home after taking Noah to a birthday party. A cyclist was rolling up the hill on McMakin as I approached. Being on the scooter, it didn't take much for me to get by him.

The car that was tailgating me, though, was not enjoying the ride. I was traveling the posted speedlimit, so it wasn't that I was holding up the show. But since I could wiggle through and get by, the car behind just had to wait for the guy to get over the hill.

The motorist honked in that unfriendly way and got right up on the cyclist's butt. And for some reason, that didn't make the cyclist go up the hill any faster. More honking. Shouted something, but I couldn't make it out (I slowed down and was watching this mess in my rear view mirror).

After the top of the hill, the motorist gunned it, went wide, but brought it back close to the cyclist. Who knows if it was intentional. Looked intentional to me. The guy riding gave the "hello arsehole" sign. Since I was watching I'd slowed down, and the motorist came up on me pretty quick.

I usually don't get involved in these things. I've only expressed my displeasure of a motorist a few times in all my years of riding bikes. But for some reason, I felt compelled to go 30 mph (posted 40) until the stop sign. When the guy tried to pass, I went to the middle of the road, but stayed in the lane. Nothing illegal; just not friendly since he obviously wanted to pass.

We got to the stop sign, and I moved over to the right, since that's the direction I needed to turn. He pulled up next to me, two wheels just on the other side of the yellow line, rolled down his window, and said...

"You F@*%ing Communist!"

So there you go.

The kids are home from school for a couple of days. Reanie seems to be enjoying the party. She dressed herself. 

I've never made a big thing about whether one wears a helmet or not, but Budisimo makes a good case for helmets looking cool. 

The original Schwinn Stingray. 

And I learned today that you can buy this Schwinn Stingray at f'n Kroger. 

Buon Compleanno

"Today is my birthday. I am three years old."  

First of all, Reanie is not on drugs. Second of all, this is the stuff I missed a lot last year. It is why I don't have any real racing goals at the moment. It is why I don't ride much. And I'm loving it.  

Not Really Stories But Gotta Go In There Somewhere II

NRSBGGITS #1
Noah and I went to Academy to get him some soccer shoes this morning. Over the PA, we heard, "Bubba, please report to the gun counter."


NRSBGGITS #2
Yesterday, as I was herding the livestock, I told Reanie, "Let's get in the car. It's time to get to school."

She said, "No, Daddy. It's time to get the party started."


NRSBGGITS #3
From the top step, Buddy can spit up milk to reach six steps down.


NRSBGGITS #4
I got my new old road bike back from Sem. If you ever think about getting a frame (or helmet, or motorcycle or...) painted, you will regret it if you don't at least contact David Sem. www.semcustompaint.com "Bollacilli" and "Binati" will be built up very soon.


NRSBGGITS #5
After our track workout yesterday, Noah and I ate at Golden Corral. Now, I will NEVER crave anything they serve there, but I believe it is now one of Noah's favorite places. Maybe he was just hungry, but he made six trips to fill his plates. Of course, he may have just wanted to stay inside the place, since we were in parking lot traffic in Bessie (no AC) and it was only in the low hundreds yesterday.


NRSBGGITS #5
We got Buddy his own tricycle today. Noah Reanie and Buddy can race each other.


NRSBGGITS #6
I haven't picked up a permanent replacement training wheel for my track bike yet, but Mama got me a kick butt rear tri-spoke that falls under the category of "You can't blame the wheel for your result" in terms of go-fastness.


NRSBGGITS #7
Had a good time at Rudy's b-day dinner on Sunday. And in contrast to Hassan's b-day dinner we had at the same place not too long ago, I can actually remember this dinner.

Here's another shot Troy took of Noah. This picture shows Noah getting up to the rail and picking up his pace to begin his 200m tt. 

This is Noah on the clock for his 200m TT. He did a great job for his first official 200. 

This is Noah just rolling out for his 200m TT. Troy took this shot (and the one above). I tried to blow it up so you can see Noah's face better, but I don't really know what I'm doing with the editing stuff. Noah had a good game face. 

This is a shot of Noah during his flying 500 TT. He's still on the lead in laps before the clock actually starts ticking. That's me in the background cussing and spitting at him. A client of mine (or his wife) took the shot. 

Looking for a rear wheel. Anyone got a rear wheel?

Since Noah and I don't ride much, we are perfectly qualified to race track.

We went out on Friday night to race bicycles. Noah hadn't ridden a bike in a week and a half, and I hadn't ridden anything more than taking the kids to school in the trailer in that time, so I wasn't much better.

What the heck? We raced anyway.

Noah had decent speed, but he was racing against juniors who were 15+. That is, once they separated the juniors/youth from the adults. He races his ass off, though, and if he sticks with it, these will be part of the stories we tell when he's got his picture in the magazines or something.

On the way to the track, Noah asked if we could eat dinner out with the racers. A sort of tradition is for a group to go out to eat after the races. By and large, these are all folk of whom I enjoy their company, so I do like to go eat. But it is also that Noah is 9yrs old, and we need to get home to get him to bed. Plus, I want to see Chloe too.

Anyway, Noah asked if we could go out to eat after the races. I told him that if I finished in the money that we could go out. See, I pretty much knew that wasn't going to happen, so it was pretty easy to tell him, "Sure, if...."

Well, I only had enough cash to register Noah in his race and me for one category. Normally, I register for Masters and the 1,2's. Since I'm not training, the extra $3 to add another category is just ride time. I like that.

Well, with me only riding one category, I wasn't so fried in each race and I could actually hang on and not get dropped. A night of that got me 4th place and in the money. So Noah and I went out to eat.

I had a veggeburger, salad and water. Noah had a cheeseburger, french fries and root beer.

There was more racing on Saturday night at a new event called the Festival of Speed. This consisted of a 200m time trial and a 500m time trial as well as a kierin. Noah did the 200 and 500 while I did the 200 until the 175m point, and I had to pedal weird through the 500, and I didn't really get to do the keirin at all.

Noah busted out decent 200 and 500 time trials, but he really only had one other guy in his age group. With all juniors, Noah was 5th and 4th (I think). He won an XXL t-shirt!

I didn't get to really warm up since registration was overwhelmed by the unexpectedly large turout (for track, anyway), but I wasn't stressed by it at all. If that stuff is going to matter to me, then I need to train first. Nevertheless, I'd poured over gear charts and redicted times based upon certain rpm's and so forth that I had a good idea of where I'd be. Come game time, I wanted to leave nothing on the table, as I wanted to have a time of my absolute best to use as a benchmark in training.

In the 200 I thought I slipped my tire as I came out of turn 4 to get up to speed, and again out of turns 2 and 4 on the actual time trial. Weird, but I didn't really think anything of it, but it was a bit disconcerting to have something give like that when going all out. For just a split second there, it crossed my mind, "It'd be funny to crash going this hard and being on the track all by myself."

In the 500, it happened again 4 or 5 times as I ramped it up from 575m or so (you get to hit the starting line at full speed). I just assumed it was the cheap ass tires I'm using and the fact that I hadn't really run at it in the races like I was for this event. I sort of went at 90% through the first of the two laps, and since it didn't slip anymore, I tried to step on the gas for the last lap. Still wasn't happening. Felt like it was slipping even more. I tried to spin it up without really torquing the cranks. Whatever.

The last event of the night was the keirin. I wasn't going to do this event originally, as I figured we'd head home with Mama and the babies there watching and not wanting to stay out too late. However, things were running very late, and Mama took the attitude that if we were out that late, might as well do the event that I'm good at. And if I do say so myself, I'm pretty darn good at the keirin. And I wanted to make up for whatever was holding me back in the previous two events.

I got my buddy Mark to hold me for the start. The motorcycle comes around, and even though we're frickin crowded with 9 guys on the track, I get a great push and start without having to mix it up and half pedal as the group fell in behind the motorcycle. But the official signals a false start, and we roll back to the line to try again.

I get focused, and we get ready for the motorcycle again. It is going to be MY spot behind that bike, even if I did draw 6th position. MY spot.

About four pedal revolutions in and my cranks are just spinning. Like Lance says, "No chain." But in my case, it is "No cog." Spun that mf'r right off the hub. I'm out of the race 20m into it.

I coasted into the infield (which is very awkward on a track bike, since it isn't supposed to coast, and you don't have any brakes) and I'm thinking about how much a new wheel is going to cost and how quickly I just went from planning to be IN the money to being OUT of money. A few guys come up and tell me that I must have great power to do that to a cog. Um, yeah. Power. I'm trying to think of what a new hub is going to cost and where I'm going to get the money for that.

It was hard to be upset seeing Noah so happy. That dude wants it, I tell you.

I don't think today is my day

First of all, Reanie got up at 4:00a and though Mama could go back to sleep, Reanie's wiggling and chatting kept me up.

Second of all, it is raining today, so no riding on the track. Not that Noah could go anyway since he's at a sports camp.

Third of all, while the Wal Mart check out chick is waiting for the person in front of me to clear the way, she is cutting her fingernails with clippers!

Fourth of all, as soon as I get home, I find out that there's a race in Austin being scheduled in conjunction with Lance's Ride for the Roses, which is over the top of the two I'm promoting in Denton in October. OK, so I was only planning to promote TWO races in one weekend, but I also had the TXBRA awards banquet thing brewing as well as the TXBRA annual meeting for that weekend. I've been sitting in meetings with the Mayor, the police chief, the Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Association...since October. *%#$!@#*)(

The high point today is that I'll be getting my road bike back from Sem shortly. I had to mail him an empty box so I could get him to mail it back. I anxious to show everyone my "new" steed.

Water Conservation at Stella Sola 

We're Dancing With Ourselves

Skipped more training lately. Skipped out on racing Friday night too, but that was because Noah was at his swim team banquet for awards.

But this weekend has been a good one. Haven't done much of anything, really, but I got to see everyone dance. It was especially cute to see Reanie and Noah dance together. I also got to sit under a tree and read a book while everyone skinnyslid. Stuff like that.

I had some pangs to race on Friday, but not as much as usual. We're taking Rob's advice to just chill for the season. Don't try to force it. Let's see how the winter plays out. I fully admit, though, that it would be easier to get out to train and race if I had an actual goal to pursue. Just sort of going through the motions until it strikes.

Burke and Jodi are coming so I watered the yard and crushed a grape with my chair and made jelly

In weather this morning, it has been three days in a row I was all set to water the yard. Three days in a row there was thunder, lightening, winds, and all the things that tell you to batten down the hatches, so I opted out of watering. Then it won't rain.

Well, I'm going out now to turn on the water. So you can be sure it is going to rain today.

It is some power to be able to control when it rains, and I am somewhat conflicted about using this power today, because Noah and I are to race track tonight, and Burke, Jodi and Keegan are coming up here today. But dang it, it is hard work keeping up with the neighbors and their yard.


In other developments this morning...I was eating grapes at the computer...

This just in. I finished typing the words, "...neighbors and their yard" and went down to turn on the sprinklers. Just as I typed, "...I was eating..." rain drops began hitting my window and lightening struck somewhere near the far pond. It is power I tell you. Power.

So, I was/am eating grapes this morning and happen to drop one. With Kid #2 and #3 around, we don't have the "3-second" rule, but that is mostly because Kid #3 will eat anything, anytime, anyway. I did drop one, though, and I wanted it, so I rolled the chair back so I could get the grape off of the ground. I rolled over the grape with the chair.


In sports this morning, Kid #2 is in flying form on her "bicycle." Her pink (giro, giro, giro) trike is being ridden to its fullest. It was just two weeks ago that she couldn't get over the hump in the driveway, but now she not only gets the thing over the hump, she also gets that thing going at about 120+rpms. She grits and bares her teeth, leans back to get more leverage with her arms, and gets after it. It is very obvious that she is enjoying the speed.

After a meeting this morning, I will pick her up from school and take her motorpacing.

In other sport's news, Kid #1 competed in the Divisional Championships of swimming yesterday. This is a big meet bringing in the top swimmers from around the Metroplex. According to the seeded times Noah had, he was placed in the first or second (of four or five) heats, with the supposed fastest seed/heats being the last.

He was bummed to learn that his times placed him in the bottom 1/3 or bottom 1/4. He responded by setting a PR in freestyle and placing 5th overall. He was DQ'd in the backstroke in a heartbreaker, since he was doing very well until the last stroke, when he turned over to touch the wall. His time was officially good enough to place him 8th overall, but the DQ negated that, of course. The other stroke in which he competed was the breast stroke, and he gave it his all in his small heat of three boys, but it wasn't quite good enough to put him in the top 8. It was a good meet overall, though I think Kid #1 was expecting higher placings based upon his placings at the regular meets throughout the season. But at Divisionals, the kids from the more serious swim programs show up, and that makes a difference. He just learned the meaning of "Big fish, little pond."

In the Strongest Man competition, Kid #3 competed in the tractor push yesterday. The John Deere Pedal Tractor is outfitted with Kid #1, who isn't allowed to pedal. the object is to push the tractor and Kid #1. That's all. Kid #3 did this on the driveway for about 15 minutes, which is a record not only in his age group, but also his size category. In fact, I'm still checking with the officials at the South African headquarters of the World Strongest Man Competition, but I think this is an outright record as well. Especially considering the shows are only 30 minutes long.

When I get back from motorpacing Kid #2, I'm going to take Kid #3 out back and have him push me and my truck across the pasture.

In health and living, Mama made some jalapeno/watermelon jelly. Yes, that's right. We picked the jalapenos from what we have growing here, and we would have used our homegrown watermelons, but they aren't ready yet. But the jelly is indeed 100% homemade even if only 40% homegrown. I've only had a couple sample tastings of this concoction, but my word, I dare say there hasn't even been anything better to spread upon cornbread.



Have a great day!

Some days I don't have it. Some days I almost do.

Been riding pretty regularly lately. That doesn't really mean much, since it means I regularly ride 15 or so miles per day, three days per week to take the little ones to school.

But I also get out to the track with Noah once a week, and that is starting to be more of a workout. I do some pacing or some sort of set of intervals with him, and as soon as we finish his set, I'll take off on a two lap "flyer" of my own. It is something, I guess.

About two weeks ago I went on the Sunday ride for the first time in months. My goal was to simply make it with the group to Hilltop. For whatever reason, I bridged across to a break just before the hills. The break was brought back, but the effort I made to get there didn't allow me much recovery time as the hills came. But I did make it to Hilltop, and proudly sat up and let the group ride away. I have no idea if I could have stayed with the group.

That's not true. I would have been dropped like Buddy would drop a brussel sprout if Mama brought cookies to the table.

Anyway, I suited up for the Sunday ride again today. No real reason to expect anything more, but I made the goal of getting over Hilltop with the front group today. And that is what I did. Though, I was caught behind some folks who let gaps open up or who were being dropped, so getting over with the group was dang hard. In fact, I spent about half of that hill chasing and just caught the tailings as we crested the top. Then I let it loose on the downhill section to put myself in a more respectable spot.

When we got to the stop sign at the bottom of the hill, I thought about carrying on with the group. I started planning where I could realistically hang on and thinking about where I would realistically have trouble if I kept up with the better end of things.

But a washed out bridge and road construction sent us on a detour. And that detour took in a hill that I wasn't ready to roll over. Oh, I probably would have made it with the group, but Hassan attacked there.

I was faced with two options as I saw it. Both options required me to shift gears. The racer in me wanted to shift to a harder gear and go. The other option required shifting with the left hand (to a much easier gear in the little chainring).

The wuss won out.

I saw Hassan carry on up the road, and the first person to go after him was wearing a Texas Cup Champ jersey.

Lazily over the hill and the rejects started coming by me. Then I started to feel all bad about myself.

Suddenly, I was inspired. I could see the leading group, and if I got after it right then, and if I could enlist some reject help, and if the leading group would let off the gas just a little, I knew I could get back in there with the real racers.

So I got the bike in the big ring, stood up, and made about 10 revolutions of the crank before I went to the little ring and sat back down.

I rolled in with a few folks who talked about how Hilltop didn't seem as hard today. Thanks.

Something ate at me about sitting up (twice), so I tried to guess where to meet up with the group to ride it in and get more "racing" action. I guessed the wrong way and assumed I missed them, so I simply head towards the house (we live just after the "finish" of the "race" part of the ride).

About two miles from the finish, Hassan and a sometime riding buddy, Mad Dog Thompson came flying by. They were off the front of the race group, but none of the four or five people limping in with me believed me. Especially since the pack wasn't in sight at all. A couple minutes later, though, the pack did come by, and they were going twice as fast as the two leaders.

So I took a short cut so I could see my boy win the sprint. He did stay away with Mad Dog, but they rolled across the line holding hands, sharing the "win." No, Hassan is not gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Nobody should get too worked up about some group ride "win," but this is the Sunday Ride, and it is one of the bigger deals of such rides. Maybe it is a Metroplex phenomenon, but the fact is, The Assassin raced well today. No upgrade points, and no cash payout, but it for sure shows that he's been doing his homework.

Our home routine is pretty established. I'm not likely to get away with evening group rides in the near future, if ever, but knowing that Hassan went from training and racing very well to very nearly losing a year of racing, and then coming back again...I'm insprired.

I may have to ride at 5am to get it done, but I want to be back with the front group again. Mostly because I don't want to have to argue with the dropped people about who is in the break.

True.

I'm not one to forward on jokes and such via email, but though this is one I've seen before, I thought it fit in here when I saw it again.

How to know whether or not you are ready to have kids...

MESS TEST: Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST: Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake a child at night.

GROCERY STORE TEST: Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST: Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST: Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST: Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00 p.m. Begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 p.m. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 a.m. Set alarm for 5:00 a.m. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

INGENUITY TEST: Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

AUTOMOBILE TEST: Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There, perfect.

PHYSICAL TEST (Women): Obtain a large bean bag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans. And try not to notice your closet full of clothes. You won't be wearing them for a while.

PHYSICAL TEST (Men): Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT: Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.

Not Really Stories, But Gotta Go In There Somewhere

-NRSBGGITS #1-
When Noah and I took the little ride out at Lake Cherokee, we used the lake roads, which are narrow, twisty and kinda hilly. The ride we did was an out and back thing that had a little loop at the end that goes around the pitch and putt, nine hole golf course out there. The total ride is about 14 miles or so.

Anyway, we spent most of that ride side by side. When we got to the golf course part of the ride, Noah was watching someone take a swing when he got his front wheel into my back wheel. For those of you who ride, you know that feeling. He should have crashed. As his wheel and tire were getting all up in my business, I had time to think, "Well, here he goes, his first real road fall. It is going to burn a bit, but we'll get to see what kind of toughness he has." Yes, he was rubbing up against me that long.

But he didn't go down. When I looked at him, his eyes and mouth were wide open. We were prolly going about 17mph or so at the time.

The first thing he said..."I was checking out her swing." Right on.

-NRSBGGITS #2-
On Wednesdays lately, Noah and I have been going out to the track to workout. This past Wednesday, I met him at the pool after his swim practice. He was on his road bike, which he had ridden over to Lisa's the day before. I intended to ride around, meet him there, and ride home with him, but I got caught up with something that must have been important, so I had to hustle and meet him on the scooter.

He asked if he could motorpace home. So that's what we did. 22 mph most of the way. He could have gone faster, but there wasn't any real need. He did go about 20 mph up the McMakin hill, which is something that not just any bike rider can do.

-NRSBGGITS #3-
When we go to the track on a weekday, I load up Moby with bikes and gear, and then Mama takes it to work. I run the kids to school in the trailer, and when Noah and I get ready to go, we take the scooter to Mama's office, then take Moby to the track from there. All silly, I know, but we are having fun trying to figure out how to use the scooter in place of a car.

Anyway, after we finishing ripping laps at the Superdrome, we take Moby back to Mama, and then head home on the scooter. This week, though, Noah wanted to hang out with Mama at the office. And that's what they did.

While riding home, I saw an Indian grocery store. Hadn't noticed it before, so at the next stop light, I break out the cell phone, call Mama, and ask her to stop by to find something new to try for dinner. Felt weird to be riding a scooter talking on the cell phone. Felt stupid, actually. Especially since it isn't an automatic. I didn't mean to ride and talk, but I was blocking traffic when the light turned green.

-NRSBGGITS #4-
I can't remember what the stuff Mama and Noah bought is called, but it was all good. It is always a treat when Mama gets creative in the kitchen.

It sounded like they had fun going in there and not knowing what anything was. This is an authentic place, so even reading the name on the package, reading the ingredients or even looking at the picture wasn't enough to really explain what they were getting into.

-NRSBGGITS #5-
That evening, Noah and Reanie played on the bouncy slide. I don't mean that they just happen to be on it at the same time. They were actually playing together. Singing together. Carrying on conversation. I wish had the skills to write about how amazing it felt to watch them interact like that. I must have spent 15 or 20 minutes watching them through the window.

-NRSBGGITS #6-
I coach a junior named Andrew. He's the real deal, but we have to find all the pieces before we can put his puzzle together. Since his return from Nationals, we're spending more time together. Frankly, I wish I could coach like this with everyone, and now that the magazine is out of my hands, I do have the time to do this better.

Back to Andrew...we've been meeting on Wednesdays at the track (same session with Noah) and then again on Thursdays here for motorpacing. Last week it was very windy to the extent that it made the scheduled workout almost impossible. Since he is a junior, he races on restricted gears, which means at some point, he can't just go to a bigger gear to go faster; he has to simply pedal faster. On the National and International level, since all the juniors have the same highest gear, races often come down to who can pedal that gear the fastest. So, we get him behind the scooter and I take him to speeds that I know aren't easily attained. We got up to 40mph last week, which is something in a 52x14 biggest gear. That's about 135 rpms and holding.

Well, today he comes over for the motorpacing session. And it rains. We wait it out, and after a few hours, the skies clear and the roads dry up (we won't motorpace in the rain). I tell him to get his cycling stuff on, and I go check messages real quick. When I come downstairs, Andrew is sitting by the door wearing his cycling clothes and helmet, and he tells me, "It's raining."

So I stick him on the rollers on the back patio, set up a fan and a radio, and tell him to knock out an hour. It wasn't until he was on the rollers that he told me that this was only his second time to try. But I left him next to the glass door and windows anyway. Maybe I should get him to sign a release or something.

Andrew makes it 59 minutes before he falls off the rollers. That's pretty close to an hour. So good job!

This is NOT our scooter. "Collina" looks just like this one, minus the white wall tires. We'll prolly have those, baby moon hubcaps, chrome trim and baskets...the works...when we win the lottery or something. 

Here's an aerial shot of Grandma and GrandBuddy's place where we held our family reunion over the 4th weekend. GrandBuddy took this shot from Cousin David's airplane. 

Go Jump in the Lake

We had a family reunion this past weekend at the Dixie Star, which is Grandma and GrandBuddy's place on Lake Cherokee. The Williams' came in from Texas, Colorado and Pennsylvania. Good group. Good times.

Getting there almost sent me over the edge, though. We thought we were doing great by leaving Stella around 2:00. It is about 2.5-3 hr to Dixie Star from our place, but at 4:10, we were still sitting at the Dallas Tollway and 635. Insert your favorite cuss here.

We did manage to get there eventually, and to make up for the frustration we went to an all you can eat catfish place. While it was nice to eat french fries, fried catfish and hushpuppies, Kids #2 and #3 were not ready for a sit down dinner, and they took to romping that room. Mama and I were too tired to put up much of a fight. It was funny/sad to watch Aidan get the strong arm from his Mommy and Daddy while we let our little ones run wild. We've been the ones to keep ours prim and proper while hell broke loose around us, so I felt their pain. Not enough to do soemthing about my kids right then, but I still felt it.

The next day was the actual reunion. We set up the bouncy slide, got the waverunner working, blew up a row boat thing, got the paddle boat in the water, put the trampoline float thing in the water, borrowed the neighbor's party boat (GrandBuddy's boat is sick) and got food stuffs out. Visited with cousins, aunts, uncles, inlaws, outlaws and so forth. Like I said, Good group. Good times.

We ate lots of desserts because that is what we do best, but we also had some Bodacious barbeque to keep things proper.

Just before dark, we piled as many Williams's into the party boat as we could, and set out to the middle of the lake. The Lake Cherokee community does an annual fireworks thing, and since it is a lake community, everyone goes out on the lake to watch it. Those of us who didn't squeeze onto the boat enjoyed the show from the yard, since the Dixie Star has one of the best views of the show anyway.

And that was that for Saturday.

Sunday was spent cleaning up a little, being lazy a little, and then riding the waverunner big. Since I couldn't throw off Kid #1, we enlisted the help of some friendly Aggies (Robert and Karen) from across the lake, and they took Cami and Noah out to dump them. Mission accomplished, I believe. We also swam and paddled and pedaled the paddle boat and jumped on the trampoline out in the water. Then we slept soundily. Soundly? Soundily? Whatever.

Monday morning came, and I had to talk Noah into going on a ride, but once we got rolling, he figured out why I made him take his bike. The curvy and hilly roads around the lake are just plain fun to ride. We visited a bit more, then loaded up and head home.

We stopped near Tyler so I could get a DQ Country Fried Steak Sandwich. Sandwhich? Sandwich? Whatever. DQ just happened to be next to a fireworks stand, so we did that too.

Once we finally got home, we put the Bouncy Slide out and played some more just to try to squeeze as much as we possibly could out of the weekend. Once it got dark, we remembered that our house is in the absolute perfect spot for catching firework shows. By sitting at the end of our driveway by the gate to the pasture, we have PERFECT seats for the firework shows from Flower Mound, Grapevine and what was either a Roanoke or Texas Motor Speedway show.

We made a good effort at a show with our own fireworks, but Reanie (Kid #2) wasn't so much into that, so we cut it short. Didn't really feel like a loss though, because we had a very full and long weekend.

Woke up the next morning, piled the kids in the trailer, rode with Noah to swim practice and then rode the little ones to their school. Raced like hell to get home as three people called me in that seven miles to tell me that I was about to be in the middle of a serious storm. I was home about two minutes when it hit. It was a good one, and this is one time I was glad to not be riding in the rain.

I turned on the computer, saw that it was 60 messages, then the power went out, so I took a nap.

Prolly left something out, but I didn't mean to.

Wednesday Morning, Thursday Morning.

Wednesday morning started Tuesday night as I loaded up Mama's car with the track bikes and gear. We've been talking about getting a smaller car, but everytime I load up enough gear for me and Kid #1, I wonder how we'll get by with anything smaller (we will, of course, but still...).

We filled and loaded a one gallon water jug as well as a 3 gallon jug. Lots of water. Have you been to the Superdrome at mid-day when it is 99degress outside?

The original plan was to ride road bikes with Noah over to swim practice with Kids #2-3 in the trailer and then on to their school. But we woke up 10 minutes too late to pull that off, so Mama took the little ones to school.

This worked out well for me because we took the scooter to the pool instead, which allowed me to take the laptop and get some "desk" work done while Kid #1 did the swim team thing. By not taking the little ones to school or riding to swim practice, I missed out on 20 or so road miles, but with a solid session planned at the track, I wasn't really worried about it. I was, however, worried about not having time to get some work done. It all worked out just fine.

We scootered home from the pool, ate some breakfast, and Kid #1 took care of a couple of chores while I finished up some work.

Then we took the scooter to where Mama works so we could transfer our bodies to her car with our bikes and head to the track. It would have been fewer transfers if we could have just taken my truck, but it was filled with brush that had yet to be taken to the brush pile...

We got to the track just about the same time Christi (track monitor) showed up, which gave us the maximum amount of time there.

Noah (Kid #1 for those without a program) and I got started quickly with a 20 lap warm up. About half way through this set, Andrew (a hot rod junior client of mine) showed up and got his stuff together. I expected two more clients to show, but Becky was the only one who could make it, and at that, she was running behind because she couldn't take her kids to gymnastics camp until an hour later than she thought.

Having clients out at the track is great because I can easily ride with them without having to chase anyone down too much, and I can watch them all without having to be in multiple places at once.

Andrew needed to do some specific work, as he's preparing for L'Abitbi. Noah was just getting a general workout in, but for him, we have to keep it all in "game" situations to keep it from being work or "training." Though, to be fair, he'd be just fine with whatever and however I threw it out there for him. Becky...Becky is like a 14 year old with a Corvette. She's got a great engine, but she's still learning to drive.

I was just out there to spend as much time as I could with each of them.

As Noah and I wrapped up our warm up, Andrew was hitting the boards for his warm up. I jumped on with him for several laps while Noah wiped down and got a drink.

Once Noah was ready to roll, I dropped off of Andrew and took Noah through a 12 lap thing of sprinting every four (we're in the same gear, and I have to pull all of the time).

We finished that up, and I rolled in, took a drink, and got Andrew going on his workout. For him, though, I was way undergeared, so I just did the best I could. Of course, he's such a hoss that he doesn't need someone to push him or lead him. Just tell him what to do and he'll give it 100%.

So, for the next hour or so, I was bouncing between the two and just working them through their workouts. During the resting periods I tended to a few coaching-related phone calls.

When Becky showed up, I spent some time riding with her, helping her get familiar with the track and riding with company. It worked out that Noah was getting on the track for a set while Becky was riding, and I tried to get us all to ride together, but Noah was getting tired and Becky is super strong...so all I ended up doing was messing up a set for Noah.

We did pull off a few "races" between Noah and Andrew. They'd start on the pursuit lines, and Andrew would have to race 2.5 laps to Noah's 2 laps. Fun for both, it seemed.

After over three hours of baking in the convection oven known as the Superdrome, Noah and I were spent. Andrew rode home. Becky wanted some more, but we were just out of time. And out of water.

Loaded up all the stuff, went to Subway and had one of everything, then took Mama back her car. I rode the scooter home with a quick stop at the grocery store for some stuff to make a dessert for the holiday weekend. Kid #1 went with Mama to go get the munchkins, and we all made it home whupped from the day.

Unloaded all the bikes and got the road bikes ready for an early morning ride before swim practice.

Thursday morning, 5:15am. "Hell, no," I say. We all sleep in a bit longer, Mama ends up taking #2-#3 to school again, and Noah and I knock out 15 or so ending up at swim practice. Pretty darn cool to watch him carry his swim trunks and goggles into the pool while wearing his cycling stuff. I went out for another hour while he swam.

Then we rode home so we could get ready for Andrew's motorpace session.

Just as I got out of the shower, Andrew showed up, and we made quick work of getting ready, since we wanted to minimize our time out there in the upper 90's.

Noah rode with me on the scooter while I paced Andrew through some speedwork out to and at the Texas Motor Speedway. It took Noah about an hour, but he learned that riding on the back of a scooter at 28mph for 2.5hr isn't really all that fun. But he didn't complain. He asked me at one point when he could start motorpacing...

While out at TMS, Noah was riding backwards on the scooter, facing Andrew, and Andrew was all of six inches behind the scooter...and we passed a police car. He waved. He's my second favorite police man ever.

Just as we were all about to crack from the heat, we called it a day.

Smoothies and pasta for lunch. Andrew went home. Noah took off to play with friends, and I got to work on desk stuff.