Negative Eight is Great!

What do you do when upon waking, before that morning cup o'joe, you catch out of the corner of your groggy eye, a negative 8 staring back at you from your trusty thermometer. Go for a bike ride silly. It always amazes me how comfortable single digit temps can feel if adorned with $500 worth of lycra, and Goretx. The snow was deep, and slick as a melting ice-cream sandwich, and a real mental workout as any laps in concentration had you wrapped around a sapling, but a great 2+ hour workout it was. Thanks to DoubleD, D-Wayne, and JimmyV for making it out.

Most of the group was cheating a little with their tire selection:

108 or -8 this guys always got a smile on:

I see stupid people:

Gwen's in!

The little sis made it across the pond for her annual holiday pilgrimage. Them Brits get too much vacation. I think she was here for about 12 weeks or something (yes I'm kidding).

Tightwad, MO

Traveled to Tightwad last weekend for some family X-Mas fun. Lucky for me the temps stayed below freezing and I was able to check out the new trail system just a few miles down the road at Warsaw. 10+ miles of flowy singletrack goodness. The trails are a little “raw and untamed” at this point, lacking a worn in grove, but with some use will be double fun. Check em out if you’re in the area.

Man Cave

I’ve always like building things. My father is an Industrial Arts teacher at my high school, and in the summers as a teenager and most of college, we would complete room additions, remodels, etc for some extra dough. My Dad used to say teaching was just a hobby, as he made more money during the summer. Anyway, along the way he taught me how to sweat a joint, mud and tape some rock, wire up a panel, and lay a straight single. Invaluable stuff every homeowner should know.

This is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I feel I can handle most issues with my house, and a curse, because I feel I should always do something myself as opposed to having it done for me (saving mucho time).

I’ve been working for a few weeks on the “Man Cave.” Progress is slow, due to Holiday commitments, but steady. With any luck, I’ll be ready for paint by 2010, and some new toys will arrive soon after that.

Stay tuned.

Catching Up

Seems I’ve been neglecting my blogging duties lately. Not much to report I guess.

Everyone likes pictures, so here you go:

This rider will try anything if you present it as a present:

Watch out for this guy, he can bust a move on ANY bike:

I’ve been working in the basement a bit. I’m in the process of finishing off my shop area for some super secret equipment to arrive shortly. I’ll get some pics of that soon enough. But THIS will hopefully arrive before X-Mass.

After a month + of off season, social rides, and too many calories consumed as a ratio to calories burned, I decided to show up for the State CX race totaly unprepaired. Stoked to see the local CX heros ride off into the muck, and busting out some two wheel drifts into the tape, I almost forgot how hard I was pushing. The decision to race was all I needed, as a little competition has got me fired up to resume some dedicated training for next season. Weight room here I come. Pics HERE.

Props, to THIS guy for breakfast, coffee, hot coco, homemade relish, brats, etc, etc… Sometimes I wonder if he prefers cooking for friends over riding. He does both very well.

Finally, my little boy turned 3 yesterday. Pictures of his birthday cake to follow. (yes he had his own peanut butter cake)

Rain is good sometimes

Rainy Sun days are great for whipping up some homebrew, so that's what I did. Fowler Creek Hardcore Honey Wheat will be on tap in 4 weeks.

Some of you may have heard me talking about working with Columbia Parks and Rec on a revitalization project at Grindstone. I've got it broken down into three smaller projects which I think we can get finished by next fall. When its all said in done, 6+ miles of schweet singletrack are possible. Heavy D and I went out in the pouring rain this afternoon to flag the first section. Part One of Phase One will be to re-route a steepish hill on the North side into some "fast and flowy" get your grove on tasty goodness. This will connect back to the mound loop (Phase Two) and then back to the parking lot. It took a couple hours, but I think we have it dialed. Work days will be happening soon, I'll be a calling! This park is going to rock.

Pumpkin Beer at Flat Branch

The Pumpkin Beer at Flat Branch is the nectar of the Gods. No other fluid on earth is closer to heaven than the reddish gold bubbly goodness F.B. serves in early November. It sells out in 2 weeks, and I've missed it the last two years. My feeble attempt to replicate it at Flower Creek Brewing was a disgrace to its holiness.

Did some wheeling with Dr J on Sunday. Broke in the FJ a bit. Good times.