getting in a ride before school

I've turned coaching duties over to Sir Budicus.

On Being Buddy

Buddy, Noah and I went out for pizza Saturday night. We picked a place on the square in Denton mostly because it is near Beth Marie's Ice Cream Shop.

Buddy was fired up for pizza. That is until I parked in front of the ice cream place thinking we'd just walk across the square to the pizza place. Now, Buddy isn't a fit thrower, and he didn't on this occasion, but he was adamant that since we were going to get ice cream that it makes perfectly good sense to go into the ice cream shop if that's where we parked.

So when we did get to the pizza place, Buddy wasn't quite as fired up seeing as he was so ice creamless. Some root beer helped.

Our pizza had black olives on it. Buddy will not eat the tires no matter if you call them olives and eat a bunch to show him that they are, in fact, food.

He eventually did eat a piece of pizza, which is a light meal for him. Out the door he was suddenly recharged. Holding hands to cross the street. Running and jumping in the grass of the courthouse. He even sat down and trusted that Noah, waiting in line, would actually bring him a chock-o-let ice cream.

While there, a blind woman came in with her seeing eye dog. A couple kids went to pet it, but somewhere along the way Buddy must have learned that most folks with seeing eye dogs would rather you didn't be all kid-like with their dog. Not sure where he learned it, but he was telling us that you don't play with blind dogs.

Later, at home, we found out that Buddy LOVES The Three Stooges.

All told, it was a good day.

Eat Drums

Soccer Ballerina

Reanie's first soccer season wraps up on Saturday. The talk of keeping the team together for the spring season is already going, and I'm completely supportive if she wants to play soccer and stay with Coach Robert, Coach Scott and these girls.

But I also wanted to give her the opportunity to do something else in the spring. She's expressed interest in basketball, gymnastics, and taking ballet again. For sanity's sake, I asked her to pick one for now, and we could maybe had another if everything was going ok (read: didn't inconvenience me too much).

She said she wanted to be a soccer ballerina. I explained that while there are certainly times that soccer can be graceful, there really isn't any such thing as a soccer ballerina. She said SHE is a soccer ballerina, and I say, "of course you are, Honey, but when it is time to go to practice, there isn't any place where they have soccer ballerina practice, so..." She said, "yes they do".

And I didn't feel like poking my eye out with a stick, so I let it go. That is until she asked me if we could go get a soccer ballerina outfit.

"Now, Reanie, there's really no such thing," I said, knowingly. And to prove my point, I put "soccer ballerina" into the google, dammit. I really, really, really hope I'm not coaching a soccer ballerina team in the spring.

Everything was perfect, but then Noah talked

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

it pounded through on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat;

for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

I've been riding regularly. Almost all of it is with Kid #1, but it is happening often enough that my doughy center is more like several 100calorie snack packs instead of the "I Just Ate How Much" bought at Sam's. Lately I've felt more like someone who could maybe have been almost better than average instead of "Is that really your 'champ' jersey on the wall", in an incredulous tone.

We're rolling along side by side as normal, and feeling like I wanted to open the throttle just a tad, just enough to hear and feel the motor run, I told the Kid that he could sit on my wheel. I figured it would be nice to offer since his first instinct would be to try to match my pace while riding side by side.

Big ring. Having my left hand doing the shifting feels foreign, but I increase the tempo so that I'm riding at general cruising speed for someone who deserves the category number that is on my racing license. The Kid behind me shifts through his gears as well. My mental math calculates the distance we need to ride, our current pace, the watts I'm throwing (tossing, laying, perhaps dropping) down, that he's got it 10-20% easier in my draft...and then get some Pet Shop Boys song gets stuck in my head and I go all public school on my calculations.

We make a few turns, pop over a few hills, and generally carry some solid momentum. We roll on for several miles without talking, which is just fine. Really. We have to get on a busy FM road for a hundred yards or so to get to Hilltop Rd, but we make it through. No big deal.

As we approach the bottom of the hill on Hilltop Rd, Kid #1 comes flying by and tells me to start the clock. Haven't heard a word out of him in 15 minutes, and he startles me by not only sprinting to the bottom of the steepest hill around these parts, but also by telling me, basically, "Game On!"

I hit "start" on my computer a few times, jacking it all up, pretty sure I'm going to have to send it back to the company to reset it, finally getting it right just as he passes the tree we use as the normal start for time trials on this hill. Then I chase him so I can stop the clock when he reaches the top.

It wasn't a PR, but close enough that he obviously gave it is all. Since I was all cruising just fine before this impromptu world record attempt, I didn't let up too terribly much. Maybe I was feeling a little put out that my tempo wasn't enough for him and that he needed to go "hard" to get it done. I don't need no 12 yr old reminding me I'm slow. But whatever.

So maybe I didn't let up at all. Maybe I just kept the tempo going. "I'll wait for you at the end of the road" I didn't say out loud but implied when I kept going.

With him still right on my wheel, I do think I heard him breathing hard, though.

We went up and over another couple hills, over some tracks, and just maybe I increased the tempo a little bit more. It may have been because it was getting dark. It may have been because we were meeting Mama and the POSS2 for dinner after Kid #2's soccer race practice. It may have been to show that I'm going easy all the time because I'm riding with you, not because I am this slow.

From there we make a turn up a longish false flat. The kind of road you can really put out the power and still feel a sense of speed. Figuring this is where he'd finally come off, I even said, "I'll wait for you up there" giving a head nod towards the top.

I passed some attractive women who were walking on the path in the opposite direction, who I'm sure wanted me real bad, but I was busy at the time, so I just smiled and said "Howdy" in a voice that I aimed to make sound like going at that pace was normal for me and actually easy, even though they are feeling this rush of wind go by without me even breathing hard.

Felt some sweat glisten on my arms and roll down my nose. "Hell, YEAH!" The watts looked good, and I'd been holding it for awhile. "Maybe I should adjust my goals higher for next season. I better sit up for the Kid. No need to show him up. Nah, he's good. He can't get lost even on his own. I'll keep going."

He startles me just then by rolling up next to me and saying, in normal breath, "Is glue lighter once it dries?"

Buon Compleanno

Buddy is 4 years old today! well, he'll be 4 years old tomorrow too, but he started being 4 years old today.











"Am I always going to have Halloween cakes for my birthday?" Probably so. Could be worse. Could be born near Christmas. Your Daddy is cheap like that.




This is really a pciture of Roxanne, but Buddy got in the way.

in the last 240 hours

Friday. Chloe quit her job at BEA.
Saturday. Reanie had a soccer game.
Sunday. Chloe left for NYC to train at her new job.
Monday. Regular day starting out with getting kids ready for school, lunches made, breakfast, and dropping them off, but then I had to pick Noah up from school to make sure we had enough time to ride, and then for me to go get the kids (normally Chloe picks up the kids, but she was in NYC) from day care and get back in time for the group strength workout here.
Tuesday did the same pick up for Noah, because the bus doesn't drop him off at Lisa's until too late for us to ride and get back in time to pick up kids.
Wednesday. Same as Tuesday. Had to help Mama with a homework assigment over the phone and internets at 11pm.
Thursday. Same as Tuesday.
Friday. No Noah, but did get the house sorta ready for Buddy's birthday and halloween party. Picked up Mama at midnight from the airport. So I guess that is really...
Saturday. Soccer game for Reanie in the morning. Tackle the yard, which entails mowing with a push mower, since our tractor has been in the shop for a month, which also means that the yard hasn't been mowed in a month. My arms are still sore as of this writing. Trimming too. Basically reclaimed our yard. Set up for party. Then had the party. Grammy, Lonnie with Ella and Lonnie V stay the night.
Sunday. Cross race for Noah. Go out to eat with our crew, Grammy, Lonnie and his kids. Visit with Jordan's parents that afternoon and evening.
Monday. Move offices to get Chloe sorted out in her new home office. Group workout in evening. Noah, Jordan, Chloe and Mark all take turns cleaning our fireplace.

Reminds me of training camp

I love it.

Reanieisms

Bathing kids and otherwise getting ready for bed.

Reanie: Daddy, who am I the boss of?
Daddy: (thinking carefully) Nobody.
Reanie: Noah?
Daddy: No. You are the boss of me.
Reanie: Oh. You need to tell me to get ready for bed.

A few minutes later, as I'm getting out of the shower, Reanie is standing on the scale...

Reanie: Daddy, will you measure my feet?
Daddy: What?!?
Daddy: ...
Daddy: ...
Daddy: OH! Your feet are 40 pounds.
Reanie: Now measure Buddy's feet.

Another few minutes later, while looking at the marks on the wall where we measure the kids...

Reanie: Will Noah still tell me he loves me when I'm taller than him?
Daddy: He will if you tell him to.

Yes!

And a diet coke, please. I'll be first in line.

Never Quit

Memory Ln.

Don't blink

fall is here, hear the yell
back to school, ring the bell
brand new shoes, walking blues
climb the fence, book and pens
i can tell that we are gonna be friends

walk with me, suzy lee
through the park, by the tree
we will rest upon the ground
and look at all the bugs we've found
then safely walk to school
without a sound

well here we are, no one else
we walked to school all by ourselves
there's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all the ants and worms
we clean up and now it's time to learn

numbers, letters, learn to spell
nouns, and books, and show and tell
at playtime we will throw the ball
back to class, through the hall
teacher marks our height against the wall

and we don't notice any time pass
we don't notice anything
we sit side by side in every class
teacher thinks that i sound funny
but she likes the way you sing

tonight i'll dream while i'm in bed
when sill thoughts go through my head
about the bugs and alphabet
and when i wake tomorrow i'll bet
that you and i will walk together again
cause i can tell that weare going to be friends

--White Stripes, we're going to be friends

No guarantees

One of the big risks of letting people know you are pregnant early on in the pregnancy is that the risks of losing the baby are the greatest in the early part of the pregnancy, and then if that does happen, everyone gets let in on that too. We know better, really, but in all the surprise, we were excited and wanted to share that excitement with everyone too. We're not sure if we're going to keep trying at this point. Of course, we weren't really trying in the first place.
Right now it feels a bit like a great party and nasty hangover.

First, I'm gonna take a nap

Reanie scored a couple goals. I got all teary eyed when she gave her victory salute.
Noah crashed within a few miles of the finish and DNF'd.
He raced the next day and won.
He was too sore to ride all week.
Buddy told me I grabbed the wrong keys when I grabbed the keys to the Toyota instead of the Jeep. He was right.
I got real busy with the weekend's (just past) race promoting.
Found out the baby is due in May.
Promoted some races this weekend.
Reanie scored a goal in her game I missed because I was in a parking lot with bike racers instead.
Noah won his race.
Reanie came with me to the bike race in Downtown Denton (to help).
Noah crashed much harder in this one. Finished anyway. 3rd. Went to ER. Nothing broken, but he ain't moving to good, is in a sling, and has bandages on most of his body.

It's been an eventful 7 days. But I really, really need a rest. Kept waking up in a sweat last night thinking "Oh, Crap! I have to...", but I couldn't think of what the thing was I had to do.

Bumps and bruises

Re-posting the thing about being bumped by the car started a side conversation about the most recent bump I felt.

Here's today :

No, ROF May, those aren't stretch marks.














This was about June 14 (the bruise is on the right. Cami is on the left):

What Reanie Learned at School Yesterday

Setting: Breakfast table Friday morning at Stella Sola. Noah, Buddy, Reanie and Jordan at the table eating toast. Daddy is in the kitchen putting lunches together.

Reanie: Daddy, do you know what I learned at school yesterday?

Daddy: No, Honey. What did you learn?

Reanie: That 4th graders are TALL!

Daddy: They are?

Reanie: Yes! Not up to the sky tall, though.

Daddy: Ah.

Buddy, Do you want some more toast?

Buddy: Yeth.

Daddy: What kind of toast do you want?

Buddy: Chok-o-let. (pause for several seconds) And budder.

It is just another day, but then again it's not.

a few days ago I was reminded that September 13 marks two years. In some ways it seems like a lot longer ago, but in other ways it feels like it could have been last month. anyway, that was a crappy few days. things are getting better still. but they are getting better.

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.

I'll risk going it alone

After dropping everyone off at school, I was mindlessly listening to the radio during the drive home to work.

I was too lazy to lift a finger to change the channel when a commercial played. So there I was listening to a pitch about a program from New York Life. They said something along the lines of there being a guarantee that I wouldn't outlive my money.

that may be well and good. It is a perfectly prudent thing to make sure you have enough money to live while you are living. But for the life of me, my first impression was that once my money got low, New York Life would kill me. Guaranteed.

"Daddy, please take my picture before my soccer race"