On being Buddy

Yeehaw!

Aunt Jennie reading to the cousins


Daddy pissed that there's a weight limit on the thing


Arkeolojists

Just me and you. Mano e Bevo

It's ok. They're not really bears. Just pretending.

I guess Buddy could have been driving at the time.

Less mud on the Buddy Express

Feeding

San Patricio Metro

It is not Buddy's fault the lake is so dry right now.

Family. And presents.

I'm pretty sure I'm having more fun than Buddy here.

Pics are from my rock star b-i-l, Lonne IV

Buon Natale

Bonus track:

Blogging, twittering, and facebooking...Oh my!

good golly! I used to hand write training plans and then snail maill or fax them along. I even stuffed them into ziploc bags now and then and handed them over on training rides. This was back when you'd get an AOL disc in the mail and with the newspaper every day. It isn't that I'm a luddite as much as it is that I'm just slow to want to jump in and learn the new device. I don't want to spend an hour figuring out how my phone works. Show me the numbers to dial and the button to press to answer. "Oh, but your phone can do so much more!" Yeah, but do I really want my phone to take my temperature (for a $3.99 app fee)?

But in the last couple of months I've picked up an iPhone, created a twitter account, a facebook account, and got some new big flat screen HD tv thing.

On my desk is still a moleskin, steno book, a 2 column hardcover accounting book, and a couple pencils. One of which needs sharpening.

Also on my desk is a USB thing that allows 5 ports for the one into my lap top. Plugged into those are a powertap cradle, an SRM cradle, the iPhone synching and charging thing, and a plug to go to my external hard drive which is connected to my other lap top next to me. I also have a heart shaped calculater that I got from Reanie that she earned at school for standing in line or being quiet during a play or something. It replaced the simple yellow one I bought on my way to my statistics final in grad school. That one lasted 8 years. cost me a dollar. and I still can't believe I forgot my calculator on my way to a grad school statistics final.

Among some cluttered paper stuff is also a tea pot that Chloe's uncle Nino gave Nuccia when her parents got married. I also use a wool sock as a wrist pad thing for the mouse (wireless, of course) to the computer.

It's kinda trailer park here at my desk, but at least it is an Airstream.

Weekends

Last weekend was one of the best weekends of my life. Annual Nutcracker date with Reanie on Sunday, slept in an hour on Saturday, massive breakfast and then gut bomb ride with Noah, drove down to Austin for the TXBRA Texas Cup awards, saw 10 LSW family members pick up their championship jerseys, picked up one myself, had Bonnie say some nice things about me while my kids played in a bar, scored a Festina watch, all while my Mom and family were see it, went on a great ride with a great group of folks from Austin Bicycles, watched Noah do some grown up stuff on the bike, had Scottie pull for about an hour, and then went to Central Market for lunch right after the ride and heard a really cool band (porterdavis) play.

Then drove home.

This weekend, we squeezed in a 10 mile ride on Friday, slept in today (yes!), had some homemade pecan cinnamon rolls, about to go ride, wil sort out the new team kit, ride with Noah, we're putting on a race tomorrow in Denton, and then I'm pulling the parts off of my bike to put on Noah's bigger frame so Royce can get this frame, and then I'll get my stuff from my old bike on my new frame...it'll work out, I think.

Whew.


Happy birthday Rob Strange and Mark Kuithe! Our team will never get a Continental license now.

On being a parent

Things you wouldn't think you'd ever have to say--

Hey, you stop licking each other's teeth.

Preview blog post

Waiting for a few more pics to get here as well as catch my breath. Great weekend

Mama, I think Noah is taller than you now.

Thank you, Libby, for sending this to me

My favorite night of the year

Nutcracker.

During the performance, Reanie asked me if we could come back every year, even when she was old, like thirteen.

Reanie's Mama made her dress.



And i'm incapable of keeping my eyes open when there is a flash.
Yes, I've tried that.
And that too.

On being a badass.

I had a soy latte this morning. Not because I'm trying to be some supergranolahero about it, but because we are out of skim milk.

Starting to smell a lot like Christmas

Hooper

Noah played his first basketball game ever. Safe to say he was the best bike racer on the court. But they don't put that kind of thing on the scoreboard. He picked up a couple baskets, made a few steals, grabbed some rebounds, and ran back and forth down the court a lot. Mostly, though, their team played well and soundly routed the other team, which happened to be his old school.

No previous organized basketball experience for most of these kids. Further, it was obvious that this was the highest "level" of anything most had competed. It was a blast to watch these kids grow in the matter of four 8 minute quarters.

Reanie, Buddy and "cousin" Anelise were bleacher monkeys, which is part of the fun too. Every once in awhile one of them would pop up, yell "Go Noah", whether he was on the court or not.

Mixed bag

--Chloe and I saw Sarah Brightman Wednesday. A lot of gay people like Sarah Brightman. Made for double the entertaiment. Anyway, in the show there was a computer projected back drop deal. During one of the songs, Sarah was sort of dressed up like a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood. She was on a stationary bike. Playing behind her were some people (computer projected, but life size) on BMX bikes riding behind her doing stunts. They were wearing wolf masks. Hmmm, where have I seen that before? Really, really strange, because I had no idea that it was part of her show. Just coincidence.

--Noah has won a couple cat 4 races on the track against the adults. It helps that he's got some teammates out there.

--While at the grocery store the other day, Reanie grabbed my hand just to hold hands. Not crossing the street. Not a busy crowd. Just holding hands. We just walked around for awhile because I couldn't remember what I was supposed to get for a moment.

--We've opted against speech stuff for Buddy. Instead, he's going to take Mixed Martial Arts. In the long run, it's probably more effective in dealing with people who tease him. Besides, "Yeth, Thirw" sounds cute.

--Noah made the basketball team at school. He seems to be enjoying it except for maybe the being at school at 645am part.

What's a Girl To Do

Bat for Lashes

This has been brought to you by the Bartonville Performing Arts Council.

I'll buy that for a dollar (and get a tote bag too)

Putting on the finishing touches to my new bike. While working on bikes, in order to avoid a nuclear holocaust on anything related or unrelated to bikes, I've found it helps me to have on some classical music. WRR 101.1 is the option in these parts. It's nice.

While trying not to round out a 4mm titanium bolt (again), I heard Mr DJ say, "WRR, classical 101.1, playing the top hits of the last several hundred years."

#2 and #3 isms

Reanie-- we voted in elections at school today
Mama-- Really? Who'd you vote for?
Reanie-- I don't know, but I couldn't tell you anyway.



We usually walk Buddy to and from school. It's a great part of my day, actually. Holding hands walking down the road to/from school, picking up sticks and rocks.

First thing we do is hold hands since it is a road, road, and not a street with a sidewalk. His backpack was full for some reason the other day, so I was taking it from him, and he said, "We need to couple".

Methinks this train thing is getting out of hand.

Buon Compleanno

Cinque anni!

Have you had your Lone Star Works today?

Texas Cup Titles in 2008- 10, including overall rider of the year for the second year in a row
Texas Cup podiums in 2008 (top 3)- 19

In the overall Texas Cup Rider of the Year competition, LSW took the top two spots, with four in the top ten, 5 in the top 20, 6 in the top 25, 7 in the top 30, 10 in the top 40 and 11 in the top 45.

State Championship wins in 2008- 15
State Championship podiums in 2008 (top 3)- 26


Not that anyone is keeping score. It got kind of silly when I figured top 5's, so if you really want to know, think of a silly number. That's probably pretty close.


There's a couple of mtn bike titles and several podiums for the championship series there, too.

A couple of Superdrome Points Series wins and several podiums.
A couple of podiums in the Alkek Series overalls.


http://www.lonestarworks.com/

Photo essay of the weekend at State Track Championships

Warrior getting ready for a battle

Madeline and Noah

How many people in this picture won a Texas Cup this year?










Best dancer at the Track Championships. Often heard saying, "Do you know my brother, Noah?"













There was a lot of this on the weekend










Which resulted in this.

Noah's 9th state title, and Imari's first medal at State Championships.


Good game.

Perspective

It started raining on us when were about 4 miles from the house. Just a couple minutes into the wet, Noah's only complaint was that he didn't bring a cycling cap to keep the spray out of his eyes.

You can't coach that kind of thing.

Um...well...neither can I.

It wasn't the rain, that the bike was getting dirty, that his powermeter stopped working...it wasn't any of that. It was that he forgot a cycling cap to keep the junk out of his eyes, because he was gonna keep going anyway.

Now, it wasn't cold out, but it reminded me of something I heard somewhere once, "Cold, wet days--they're just mine."

updates that aren't connected other than that they are my updates

Kitchen is starting to resemble an actual working kitchen. When we started running out of money for it, Chloe started working double time. She's busting her butt on this thing. I help out minimally. It works out better this way because I'm not in any way thrilled with how this process has been going, and I don't need reminders in my face about the new dishwasher that is in there now after paying guys $60/hr for 4-5 hr to fix the dishwasher they broke in the first place, ruined the floor in getting it out (floor wasn't originally part of the deal), which means the kitchen, dining room and living room are now in the game for new floors, AND THEN we call out an actual repair person, pay him $125 to tell us that it is another $400 for it to be fixed. After that, we dispatched Chloe to the dishwasher store to get a new one. $350 later, we have a new dishwasher. Do we talk about the sink that fell out or the cracked granite counter top yet? Prolly best not, as I might throw a drill or something through your computer screen.

The kids are home from school today. Dorkball coaches don't get Columbus Day off. We have a crappy union, I guess. They are playing it up, though. Noah is throwing Buddy on the swing, Reanie is riding up and down the driveway on her bike, they are chasing chickens, which is a lot harder now that we are down to only 6 or 7.

It's like the plague or something. Or that we were slow to figure out how the raccoons figured out how to get those sitting ducks in the coop at night. We'll get more after we build the new coop and run. If we're going to have so many chickens, we might as well do it right. Our originl coop was designed for about eight, so when a critter gets in there when there are 15, it's like Beaner at Golden Corral with the company credit card.

I did the group ride yesterday and didn't get dropped. First time in forever.

Noah raced the 4's on the track on Friday. Botched the first race badly due to hearing me say "Go Noah" and him thinking that meant, "Go, Noah" and then he solo'd for 6 laps. Unfortunately it was a 7 lap Danish (Win and Out) race. So 2nd, 3rd, 4th...wasn't gonna happen, either. He rallied for the next two races with a 2nd and 1st. This is against the grown ups.

Reanie weighs 50.5 lbs. Buddy weighs 50.0 lbs.


Somehow after I had said, "NO iPHONES! We don't need it. I'm against it. NO!" turned into both Noah and me having one. I admit that they are cool, but I'm scared to answer it when it rings because I might be charged $4.99 or something for answering it. Meanwhile, Noah has his doing his homework for him.


I got a new bike. I took some parts off of it because they were too good for me. But I left enough bad ass on it to force me to get out there and make the bike go like it wants to go.


Back to work for me.


UPDATE-- It was more than fawesome, because we could smell it from the driveway as we rolled up from a ride. It actually took me a moment to realize it was coming from my house, even though there's no other house it could be. First time in 3+ weeks, but Chloe made an honest-to-serious-goodness, real deal meal tonight. We ate at the table and everything. I even teared up. That was damn good.

And to lend weight to the nurture side of the nature v. nurture debate, both Reanie and Noah aced their report cards this first six weeks.

Good. Day.

For the poss2's Grandparents

We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday. Interestingly, there's no actual pumpkins in this picture. Oh well.