Getting loaded!

Getting Loaded!!!!

Oh that got your attention didn't it? HA! I'm loading the Ipod with a batch of new tunes for training.

Skillet's tune Comatose is good!
So is Open Wounds by the same band.

Throw some of your favorites out to me... I've worn down my summer and fall tunes. Sorry no Coldplay allowed... gotta take a break from those guys.

Life is good...with a charged up IPod and some new music.

And now I remember...

And now I remember why I don't eat crappy foods!

And now I remember why I never ride over the Big Dam Bridge on Sunday afternoons!

The afternoon ride was OK. I got 42 miles in but jeeze louise it was crowded out there. It wasn't just couples walking their dogs either. It was herds, packs, swarms....whatever you call them, they were there.

I've been eating that crappy (but oh so good) holiday food and I could tell a difference in my riding today. Sluggish is a good word. I popped up to the 20-23mph category a few times but seems to have locked in on 17mph. Every time I would just be riding along and look down it would be 17. Sigh.

And hey kids, if you ride with an IPod (now don't go hatin' on me because I do) then by all means download the Green Day & U2 live version of Saints are Coming. Yes, that song about the New Orleans floods. Oh my goodness! That song hit just as I was starting up Ft Roots drive and by the time I hit the top I was head-banging and had that wonderful coppery taste of blood in my mouth from sucking in air so hard. I pushed it harder that I have in a long time on that climb. Sweating, running nose, tasting blood and rocking it out hard! Ya gotta love cycle training! I do!

Sounds like a beautiful week for you folks to do running and riding while the rest of us slave dawgs are stuck in the office. 61 for a high tomorrow with sunshine. (Cough cough -- I'm calling in sick! HA!)

Ya want to hear spooky? I was riding and my CI went quite. I reached up and it was still there and no, I've not gotten the double sided tape yet. I kept it in place with a cycle cap under my helmet which I like to do anyway. So I thought maybe the mag just slid over and disconnected. Nah, the battery was really dead. I rolled on being happy as a loon. Ride ends and I reach up and lo and behold the thing is still all there but was just hanging on my helmet strap. I'm worse than a kid with this thing....but I sure do love it! Advanced Bionics rulz! HA!

Awwright, I gotta put up my gear before the queen of the estate gets on to me.

Life is good... so is Green Day and U2! HA!

After strom beauty

The storm just came through and the sky was one of the most beautiful i have ever seen. The dark clouds of the passing rain then straight over us were these beautiful white wave looking clouds and in between the two was the most brilliant rainbow I have seen in years and years! This photo does not even touch the beauty of this few moments. Even our neighbors were out with cameras shooting photos. I'm serious... it was an "I'm in Awe of His wonders" sort of moment. I certainly say it was a defining moment of 2009!

Before the storm the winds hit HARD and a huge bag of trash (I have Christmas overflow right now) flew across the backyard! Spooky! The temp dropped from 72 to 54 in just a very short time.

Life is good... and beautiful!

70% chance

thinking thinking thinking....
70% chance of rain tomorrow. Doesn't sound very promising for a ride. Thy trainer may calleth.

I'm feeling the need to go spend money in bike shops. I've never used a heart rate monitor and am considering it. Leave me a comment if you have a recommendation.

I'm becoming a fan of a different bike team. Yeah yeah yeah... I'll tell you real soon. Rock is going to be around next year but it seems their money is tight and they dropped their best riders. I still have my fingers crossed that someone will pick up these guys. Bahati is a nice guy, has a family and kicks it on the bike!

Just got in from dinner out with wife. Things are crowded tonight. Lots of big families eating out.

I'm going to have my "set your goals" meeting with myself tomorrow early in the morning. (Note to Jo... I think it may involve a veni! I have big goals for next year! HA!)

I know I don't talk much about my CI or hearing aid lately. They have just weaved themselves into my everyday life and I couldn't live without them. I did run out of that double-sided wig tape that I keep the CI plastered to my head with. I rode without the CI for the first time in a LONG time on Christmas eve and boy did it stink! I hated... and I mean really hated not having it. I can hear cars and other cyclist coming from behind me with the CI. I can talk to other riders beside me with the CI. Yes, it is my lifeline!

Life is good...

Strong! Christmas Eve ride

Not sure where it came from but the ride today was strong! We had another warm winter day today and after Em and I knocked out a little last minute shopping we had some time before the wife's family came over for Christmas eve dinner and gift opening. I headed out for a 2 hour ride and while I was riding I kept thinking I was riding stronger. When it was all over, I had been riding stronger. Man was I happy to see those numbers!

Em and I had lunch at a local place and while we were in there eating I noticed a couple of Army service folks eating at another table. We got a hold of their ticket and it was funny because the female officer kept saying, "Who did that?" I wouldn't turn around to look at them but the lady seated on the other side of the room was smiling really big. It was so much fun to do that! Now it's your turn to do the same! Pay it forward! Surprise someone you don't even know!

Life is good and Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night....

i been good!

I been good this year Santa! Oh awwright, I've been sorta good. Happy fat boyee?!

I parked it on the trainer tonight for an hour. Legs were jelly donuts by the time I finished. Note to self... if you are home alone next time don't train by the fireplace and turn the heat down. But then on the other hand I sweated my rear off. It was a dandy hour of torture!

In case you are wondering what Lance Armstrong did today, I can tell you he froze his hands off and had pot roast for dinner and he is not the only one making a comeback in oh-nine! Got to love Twitter!

Ok, I'm heading to the bed...zzzzz

Life is good...even on a trainer.

30 & 30

I know you can't really see it but the bank says 30. As I was leaving the parking for the 2nd half of the ride I looked up and it said 29 but I was already bungled up and riding and didn't want to stop again.

It was really a beautiful day of riding I rode a good 2 hours and made 30 miles. I know, that's not much. It was considering the headwind. A couple of times I had those good gust that make you go 10mph.

Had a house full tonight... it has been a busy weekend and I'm seriously pooped! We had our Christmas service at church today and I had completed the homeless video and Greg used it at the end of his lesson. He told the crowd (about 500) that it was one of the most powerful video that had ever been shown at our church. That was my Christmas present right there! Heard a lot of folks cried. I took it straight to the heart... from the heart.

Ok... I really am pooped...

Life is good... even in pooped status.

blog-aizzy-ness

I have blog-aizzy-ness these days. I've been working on a video from the homeless weekend and I was loving it then someone hooked me up to a different song that they thought would be good. I did a great imitation of Charles Ingeles (sp?) during the post production. The new tune behind it is God of this City by Chris Tomlin. Hearing the song and seeing the photos roll through of homeless people is just really hard. There is one photo that I let run a several extra seconds of a guys with dries blood on the side of his head. I want to drive a hard point home. The video will air during the Christmas service tomorrow morning. Terri is the only one who has seen it and she gave me a thumbs up. She made a couple of great suggestions and I edited a little more. Lots of video during tomorrows service! I will be glad when Sunday night gets here! I'll be a tired puppy!

So we didn't see the sun or the warm temps today. Yesterday was like May. Tomorrow is going to be like... well.. December! HA! 34 for the high and 19 for the low. Cayman Islands starting to sound good already. Had some friends who flew into Denver this morning and they had a record low of -19. Oh yeah, they will still hit the slopes.

Life is good... I feel like a kid counting down to Christmas morning.

Cold hands that felt warm

So the dreaded ice storm cometh. About 3 this afternoon folks were getting a bit antsy as reports started coming in about sleet here and there. Wife's office closed down and I had drove to work with her. I needed to stay and the roads were not bad at all when they closed so I caught a ride in with a coworker who lives just down the road.

We walked out to the car and oh man, it was solid covered in ice. Bummer. She had a ice scraper so I volunteered to scrap while she warmed her car up. Then I scraped the coworker's car next to us, then another car, then yet another one for a secretary who is a favorite of mine. Just wanted coworkers to come out to find their cars had been scraped.

While I was scraping, one of my coworkers noticed I had no gloves on. I realized she was right and then it hit me! I just smiled and said, Yeah, I know, but I'm fine really and continued scrapping.

After I jumped into the car it was warm and I began to thaw! HA! Ride sharing coworker is a female and asked if I would drive. She was nervous driving on ice. I was a gentleman and drove (but a nervous wreck on the inside driving someone else's car). I looked down and she was passed the white line on "E". I conned her into letting me stop at a service station and offered to fill the tank since I was getting a short ride home. She paid and bought me a coke. Full of gas we headed home but not without skidding on the bridge. Traffic was the pits.

As we got to the house coworker said, you really ought to remember your gloves on days like this. I just smiled and said I remembered them! She looked at me so funny like well you droffus why did you not put them on.

As I walked up to the hill to the house I realized my hands were indeed warm the whole time I was scrapping ice without gloves. Very warm... I even smiled and hummed while I scrapped.

My gloves... well, I gave mine to a homeless man 2 weeks ago. Not only were my hands warm...but so was my heart.


Life is good...with a warm heart and hands!

Quick Hit Thursday

Sorry...been swamped!
Heading to Branson tomorrow to take the folks. Mom turns 80 next week.
The trainer I sold, I bought back. I'm so happy to have a trainer for my bike rather than a studio cycle.
Had Buffalo steaks the other night. I love them. They are very lean.
Diet has had it's highs and lows.
Next week is the Ft Roots VA Christmas caroling. All the bike climb the hill to take goodies to the vets and sing Christmas carols as a token of thanks for letting us train on their "driveway".
Out of here until Sunday night.... y'all have a good weekend.

Intercity

Up at 5:30 and out the door to help deliver hot coco, donuts, new coats and a duffel bag full of new thermals and food stuffs to the intercity. An emotionally amazing morning.

More later but I've got a bizillion things to do!

Yes , yes and yes...

Yes I worked out, yes I sweated... a lot. Yes, I was good on my diet today.

If you are free on Dec 20... go to Juanita's. Altus Pocket has their first concert. I got to hear these guys on MySpace... yep, search Altus Pocket and you'll find them. I'm loving this band! Here's the kicker. One of the guys is the husband of one of our audiologist. The headliner for the night is going to be Machnia (I think I spelled it right). Who are they? Ever heard of the band Evanescence? Well this is some of the orginal members. So make the date... oh and they have a realy cool t-shirt.

Life is good... it just really is.

Sin

Chocolate is the devils food.... hmmm, devils food cake does sound good right now!

Oh boy, I've done it now! I was doing really good on the ole diet then we went to Branson and I kicked back a little. Then I chugged and bumped along Thanksgiving week until the big day and off the wagon I roll! It's Elliot's fault... she wanted fudge and cold coke so I partook. Well, then partook and partook and partook. Then I hear this, "Oh George, this cheesecake is sugar free!" Well scoot your rear down the bench sis because I'll just bring my fork and eat right out of the pan! HA! Not really but it was good enough to.

Today I'm working along being my happy fat self and up pops an email. Oh gawd no!!! Oh no no no no no no! And another 4 no's. It's my coach... COMING TO TOWN!!!! Breathe man breathe! In and out...slowly... Pop a couple of FRS chewables. Ok I can handle this. I told the truth... it's the best way when you've dug a hole.

So the plan is to get back on the wagon and eat like I'm supposed to not like I want to. I had lost 6 pounds towards the 20 so he was happy with that. Said that just shows him that the 20 will not be that great of a deal to do. Now the training. Well, he was disappointed. I'm getting to ride but not like I should be as far as training. I'm going to scout a couple of giant parking lots to loop at night. I'm just not a big fan of riding roads at night. The gym for core strength training is on the list as a "you must do this now". So what will happen when he comes to town... can you say "training camp"? Yep, the end of the year is going to involve something called pain. But he promises once we get past that the training is going to rock. Then he told me something that I thought as a bit random. "I want you to find some time and do nothing but think about why you are doing this. In silence and no distractions. Mediate your cause." So why do I want to train and do this ride. Because there is a $28,000 piece of equipment that is very important to get for the hospital. We need another machine that screens newborns for their hearing. If we catch it early enough we can do something about it way before it's noticed in kindergarten. Yes, that's why I want to train and do this ride.... that's exactly it.

I'm going to see the logo for the ride next week. I'm super excited! Yes, I will post it. Right after the holidays the jersey has to head out the door to LG for production. All of the teams are getting their 09 kits made and since this ride is earlier than the past ones (Gee, I finally learned not to ride in 100 degree heat... imagine that! HA!) then I have to get it in earlier.

Ok well... got to get on the trainer here in a few....

Life is good... and boy does it shape up when the coach comes to call! HA!