Back on track

The focus is on the adventure race, which happens in less than two weeks. Last night I rode the trainer for 45 minutes...thinking this was going to be my only exercise for the evening. I hopped off, felt pretty good and hit my small OM loop which is a little over 2 1/2 miles.

I figured it was time to see how the transition may feel. My run started really strong...maybe too strong. I guess my engine was primed and ready to rock. I may need to harness the energy a little better at the start of the 10 miler on the 13th.

Oh well, this will be my first attempt at an adventure race and I'm sure I'll learn a lot more on the course.

The fast life....

I am no longer built for the late nights and raucous behavior that I honed in my college days. The past couple of days definitely reminded me of that.

Thursday. A few buddies and I rallied around Fed Hill and hit up dinner and some local watering holes. Lost bank cards...never to be found again. Got up Friday and ran a couple miles and felt good as new.

Friday. Volk and I hit the Rock and Roll Hotel in DC to see Lake Trout. A good location although a little smokey, and it was also an all ages show which always seems to louse up the atmosphere. We ended up getting home around 3:00 am.

Saturday. Needless to say, it didn't take too much to de-motivate me from running or hopping on the trainer...my body needed rest in more ways than one. So I wrote off Saturday. OK, so I did jog a little...then watched Tenacious D.

Sunday. I spent the day watching football in DC with my boys and then we painted the town...starting at Four Courts for dinner and then all points around the nation's capital. The intention was to see George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, which got nixed due to outrageous ticket price and the proximity of good bars. It was a fun evening for sure...what a great way to end such a weird year!

So...now my focus is the upcoming AR race. More details to come. Oh and I'm also planning on running the Marine Corps marathon in October...

...and the hits just keep on comin'!

The 4th quarter of 2006 has treated Cam poorly. We're looking for a strong rebound in '07. But, I'm not going to set any resolutions because they usually dissolve faster than...well... something that dissolves really quick. Here is a quick snapshot of the recent happenings in the good ol' year of the dog (aptly named by my Asian friends) :

1. The queen bitch slap - getting separated.
2. It's evil backhand - getting separated during the holidays.
3. Kick in the nuts - having to alternate "custody" of Cobi Joan every two weeks
   
4. A poke in the eye - Truck gets towed in the 'burbs of York, PA.
5. A knuckle sam'mich - Bank cards are lost after a night on the town...no bank card for 2 weeks!
6. Not my friend, too! - My iPod bites the dust
   

After typing the "bad" stuff, it ain't all that bad...I guess. I presume my list of good stuff could be larger. Let's give it a crack.

1. I've developed a better relationship with my parents...I guess eventually they become your friends...once again they were right.
2. I've strengthened relationships with old buddies...
3. I got to meet some pretty interesting people...
4. I've lost a good amount of weight and feeling better/younger than ever.
5. Figuring out that I am getting a little wiser...I won't take people's problems for granted any longer. If a friend comes to me with a problem...I'm gonna do what it takes to make sure they get what they need...a silent ear, a wingman, a strong shoulder to lean on, a place to sleep, some grub or an ass-kickin' (if needed).

This list could go on for ever. I will stop it short.

Writing this blog is starting to feel like the end of a Doogie Howser episode.

Probably the last 2006 entry...see you and the boar next year.

No Rain, No Rainbows

It's amazing what a little inspiration can do for you. Everyday you hopefully get to wake up and make decisions that impact not only you, but also the people around you. You get to ask yourself what kind of person, friend, son, daughter, father, mother, stranger you want to be towards others. Bask in the reality that we only have a limited amount of time to make these simple yet seemingly difficult choices. Who do you want to be today?


Take some time to watch this. On this note, I need to run.

Happy birthday 8 lb 6 oz baby Jesus

Wishin' all the readers a Merry Christmas!

Thought for the day: Boozing and cell phones do not make good bedfellows. Texting in the wee hours of the morn is a recipe for disaster. Thee end.

International Holiday Party of Mayhem

Kickin' off Christmas weekend with some international flair. My friend, Hoppe, dished up about a dozen delicacies from around the world and spanning various religious festivities. Approximately 20 people came to enjoy the - hopefully - inaugural event.

The menu favorite seemed to be the cocomut shrimp with peanut sauce. So good. And the drink of the night had to be Amarula. Again, so good.

What makes this night so mayhem-ish? Well, I head out to my car at the end of the evening while talking to Hoppe. We are standing on his porch and I look at the space my car was parked - no car. Awesome. I presume my car was stolen. I walk inside...calmly...and call 911. I reported it stolen. A couple of minutes later they call back and tell me it is at an impound lot. So, Hoppe drives me up to the lot to get my truck...I drive home. The end.

Apparently, they have a crotchety, old neighbor who had it towed. No "Do Not Park" signs were to be found - anywhere. I wasn't in the mood for fighting it...just get my car and roll home.

Lil' Bit O' Truthiness - I live a comfortable life, so I'm not going to complain. However, all I want for Christmas is...no more tests of sanity for a while...please!

Tough, Love, and other Bah-Humming

Just a brief examination into the word "tough" and how it has been playing a role in my recent life.

Tough. Riding on the trainer in the wee hours of the morn'. My typical morning ritual starts at 6:00 by plucking out my "sleepers" and gulping down 32 oz. of water. Then I hop in my bike shorts and mount the beast...aka, the bike trainer. I have the old Spinerval videos, but they are VCR tapes...so I go off of memory. Seriously, who uses a VCR anymore?

I start with a gentle warm up, followed by a hammer fest. I typically ride for an hour or so...just to the point when I may possibly start crying. Then I figure I am just about done...right after I click into a lower gear and grind for a couple more minutes. That my friends is what we call the "pain cave". It has definitely improved both my endurance and my waist line.

Tough. Finding out that I may have to run 10 miles in three weeks and the last time I did that was....never. The AR race is coming up soon, so I tested the running waters last night. I ran 7 miles and felt pretty decent by the end. I guess a few other factors will come into play during the race, like biking 25 miles before the run and orienteering during the run. My mindset is to push my body, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Truthi-Tough. Being alone during the holidays. Let me preface this by saying I will have a ton of family and friends around, but there's something to say about sharing the time with that special person. I guess I've never really been in a situation where I've been single during the holidays and I am here to say that it is a weird feeling.

You see, I'm a huge holiday fan. In fact, I presume that the "Holiday 'A' List" probably looks like this:

- Santa

- Buddy the Elf

- Cameron

The thing is, Christmas just doesn't feel quite the same, no matter how hard I try to make it be. Shopping, parties, the movies (I miss my Rankin/Bass marathons). It's just a little bit painful to come face-to-face with these holiday realities alone. I assume this too shall pass or maybe I'll have someone "special" to share them with next go 'round...but for now :(

And for all you "tough" guys out there that think this is whiny...I don't wish this on you. Merry Christmas.

Truthi-Tough. This whole debacle doesn't just affect the two people involved. It has taken on a cascading effect which has spilled over into multiple layers of my life, as I'm sure it has with hers. The thing that is currently getting under my skin is that our dog, Cobi Joan, is thoroughly confused. She is bouncing between homes every two weeks, which I can't believe she comprehends.

One of her basic instincts is to herd. She always hated when I was on one floor and my wife was on the other. Now she just whines...a lot...wondering where she is...and why she wouldn't want to be with us. It kills me. Not the fact that K's not there...that I have dealt with. It's the fact that Cobi has the best personality a dog owner could hope for and I see it changing.

The flip-side to this argument, which people have brought up over and over again, is that at least she isn't a child. True. I can't argue with that. But still, she's a living, loving and thinking creature who has been like a child to me. I imagine the feelings increase ten-fold with a child, but the worry and guilt are still there.

I won't leave you with Bah, Humbug...not mah true style. See, I told you I was in the top three holiday lovers list...HO, HO, HOLLA!


Until next time! Stay Jolly...RideCam'rs

If this gig doesn't work...

...I can always be a fireman. Say what?!

My department at work had our holiday party last evening at our fearless leader's house. Fantastic house, even better time. The comaraderie is something we haven't shared in a long time. Of course a little vino and beer will always spice up the night.

I digress. What's all this fireman stuff about? A little after halfway through the evening a bunch of us were gathered in the kitchen. A co-worker walked into the dining room where the food was laid out and let out a shrill...manly...with a touch of girlie. We run in to see what has happened and before our eyes we had a fire. Not a little fire, but a fire that would have gotten nasty in a couple of seconds had we not taken action any quicker. A centerpiece had caught fire when the candles burned too low.

It's amazing how the mind freezes up in a situation like that. Here stood our boss looking dumbfounded and everyone else running around with cocktail cups of water trying to put out the blaze...which is basically the equivalent of spitting on a forest fire. Finally, we ran the centerpiece out side and stomped it out.

What could make this event any crazier you ask? During this time, the other half of our department, sitting in another room not 10 feet away, had no clue what was happening. The kicker, a minute or so after the event someone came walking in to the kitchen. Apparently the smoke had made its way into their room. They asked if we had been smoking weed...effing hil-arious. Of course it was the last person on Earth I would have expected that comment from.

That's about all the adventure I could handle yesterday...No feats of physicality took place other than sprinting with a blazing centerpiece. I do, however, need to make sure I do something tonight, including making an effort to create a modified training plan for the adventure race.

真実-iness

That's right! RideCam has gone international. I landed my first international visitor hit last night. I assume it was from an adult site, but hey, it's a start.

I'm truthed out from yesterday...if something pops up today, I'll be sure to open the kimono for all to peruse.

Here we go

RideCam is going to have a little switch up in format. First a little bit of my daily trials and tribulations in the saddle (for the gear heads) and then, as previously mentioned, some "truthiness" (thanks Steve Colbert). I've had a whirlwind past couple of months and the ink just needs to be spilled.

Ride Time with RideCam and friends

Loch Raven - Seminary. Three players...cold temps...zero daylight...fast ride. That sums it up. It has been a while since we all rode together. Maybe even going back as far as the 24 Hours of Big Bear. Myself, Hoppe and Toby hit the trails around 6:30 and made no excuses for the lack of light. It was a high tempo'd ride, where we all pretty much stayed together (at least for the majority of the ride). Around the midway point, the multiple water crossings started to take their toll on our feet. Trying to ride with ice blocks as feet = no fun.

Oh, and define gross - wearing another man's spandex. Yuck. I forgot my bike shorts and had to borrow Hoppe's knickers (clean, of course). I got home and showered with a scouring pad. It's not as bad as Team Hugh Jass' "baton-esque" passing of the spandex between each lap at the 24 Hours of Snowshoe.

Otherwise, we had a blast.

Adventure Race. I think I've been suckered into doing a short sprint adventure race at the Natural Bridge in Virginia. Just mountain biking and orienteering, but still. Short? Try 25-35 miles. It's something I've always wanted to do (as in the 100 things to do before I die), but it's in 3 weeks. I've promised my friend (a wiley AR vet) that I will give it hell. More to come.

Truthiness Time

(Ed. note: If you came for the adventurous side of RideCam then this may not be your bag. No worries. Although I'm sure by now you're wondering...what the hell is this all about. Just soapbox'ing my feelings...feel free to comment...good or bad)

(Second Ed note: This is going to be harder than I thought. I just wrote an epistle on my current situation, but the better part of valor kept me from publishing it. So kids, let me try this again.)

Here we go for the first installment. Let's just dig right in with the facts. The kid (aka Cameron) is going through a divorce. Complete surprise...and not the balloons and cake variety. This one is the head splitting and heart stomping variety. It would have been easier if I had done something atrocious or if I was just a cold, unromantic type person...then I could understand. I like understanding things...this one I don't. But as time goes by...I have learned and continue to learn a lot. Some things I wish I never found out, but I have to move forward.

I figure I either feed into the negativity of the situation and become some sort of recluse wallowing in my own self-pity, or I find the silver lining. So I chose the latter quickly.

Make no bones about it. The situation isn't so black and white. The emotions that fill this turbulent time have left me very tired. A lot of things have flooded my thoughts which makes it hard to get to sleep and once you stir in the middle of the night, well you better grab a book because you're not getting back to sleep.

So where's this positive side come into play? What have been the takeaways so far? Every difficult situation is ripe with learning opportunities. Humans usually learn more from loss than from the status quo. Here's what I have learned so far (warning: these may be a) cheesy, b) blatantly obvious or c) all of the above):

Marriage is full of compromises. I harbor no ill-will or regrets for the opportunities I passed on during my marriage. In fact, I would and will do it all over again...when the time and person are right. My point...it's time to do the things I have put on the back burner. Good fodder for a future "truthiness" article.

A good "circle" is the strongest force you have. I felt like I was on my own when this whole situation transpired. I kept these overwhelming feelings at bay and it was physically and mentally destroying me. Once I let the situation known to both family and friends, the support I recieved was quite possibly one of the warmest feelings I've ever had. I felt a great deal of protection and peacefulness around these people and they are going to great lengths to ensure that I come out of this ordeal a better, happier person. This will be a long journey for sure, but I take a lot of comfort in the fact that I have a lot of great friends and a fantastic family. In fact, the friends/family line has become a thin line these days - I have a lot more "family" out there than I thought.

New relationships are important - continue to foster them. I never realized that I shut myself off from meeting new people. I was always a very outgoing, inviting person who made sure everyone was laughing and happy. I think I let that little piece of me go for a while. Fact is, I'm a big fan of people and all their idiosyncracies. I've always enjoyed learning new, interesting things from complete strangers...in hopes that they too, if inclined, would become a new friend. So far, I've met a couple "strangers"... so it gives me hope that I will get back on track. Hopefully foster some new friends and relationships.

Grow old, never grow up. Enjoy the time you have and be yourself. Understand the situations that you are in and act accordingly, but don't let go of your inner child. There's a time to act professional and "grown up", but don't fear letting your hair down and acting silly in an attempt to be someone you're not. I think I gained a lot of gray hairs attempting to be this type of person. Not worth it.

Honor yourself and what's next (of course I speak of the other sex). This little lesson could probably be a write-up all on its own. I'll try to be short and sweet. The battle here is, "how do I move forward". I'm starting to remember the old Cam...I liked him a lot. Simple. Honest. Fun. Pretty simple tenets. Ones I lost sight of, but hope to regain.

I see a lot of people trying to impress people by being someone they're not. The unfortunate reality is that this works for most, but it will at best be a shaky foundation where only a slight miscue will send the walls crashing - leaving people either upset or disgusted - usually both.

So where does the female side of the equation fit into this rambling? Let me give it a shot. I have a lot of friends that have given me the "tons of fish in the sea" speech and have discussed the wild sides of bachelorhood...but alas...not my style. The player in me was laid to rest after college. The game, while easy and tempting, no longer appeals to me...not really who I am. It doesn't fit into my paradigm...Simple.

If I find someone who thoroughly intrigues me, I'll take the time to get to know them without pretense. People fascinate me. Getting to know someone who shares a lot of common interests is far better than playing the "game", in my opinion. Thankfully I found out early that there are these "fish in the sea"...just not tons of them.

Going forward, I'll continue being the guy I described above. Some call it the "nice guy"...well here's to the nice guy. My belief is that a lot of ladies fear the "nice guy" - maybe too good to be true, a wolf in sheep's clothing or maybe not a "challenge"? I dunno. But at the end of the day being honest, open and truly caring allows me to go to sleep at night. Carlos Mencia did a nice job summing up the plight of the nice guy . I'm not on board with everything, but his concluding "argument" is undeniable and effing hil-arious.

So for a good time call.....kidding.

That was a mouthful...time to make a meeting. Trust me...the truthiness section will become less preachy so bare with me and stay tuned.

Until next time...stay classy RideCam'rs.

OK, OK...

So now I have a little more free time. I can write a little more often. I will try. No promises. I think life is about to become a little more entertaining so be on the lookout for some interesting tales. There will be a lot of truthiness pouring from the pen!

Back to work...

Oh yeah...

...I forgot to mention that during the Wine Fest Ride, we garnered the support of my father and 4 hours of his time. He so graciously lent his support by way of SAG-ing for my group. Dubbed "SAG Daddy", he was critical to our success and comfort during this ride. He lugged food, water, beer, tools, clothing, beer, etc...ensuring that we had everything we needed for the ride.

He was put to the test when he was pulled over by a state trooper. Apparently a local yokel called 911 because an unknown vehicle was parked out front of their house. People are strange. The kicker was that the cop finally pulled him over because he passed us, giving us all the room we needed, which placed him on the wrong side of the yellow lines. Ridiculous. He was let go with a warning...

So kudos pop...it was a great time...now we need to upload those photos!!

Back in the (mountain) saddle, again

It's been a while since I've put two wheels on dirt...too long. I have decided to stay single for the remainder of the rideable season. What a rude awakening. I thought I was going to pass out on Merryman's Loop, while Hoppe was putting on a show. It's good to have your ass handed to you once in a while...keeps ya honest. Oh...and no more large gas station choco-chip cookies before I ride...bad juju...and bad vurps.

Bike N' Brew weekend

The wiley road crew is having our one-week "reunion" ride, which will take place in either the northern rural section of Frederick County or around the city. Afterwards...Pumpkin Ale will be brewed...stay tuned!!!

Bye - Cycle

WOW...

...I really suck at this. So, no more promises...

A series of fortunate events:

Dragon Boat. The PHH crew paddled to a third place finish during Catholic Charities bi-annual Dragon Boat Race. Thirty teams showed up, four made it to the finals...and our crew took third. Not a bad day at all, considering it was a double elimination tourney and we only lost once. I can't wait until 2008!

Mountain Biking. With Dragon Boat practices and other wordly duties, mountain biking has taken a dramatic back seat. From riding 3- 4 days a week to once every two weeks...ouch. I hope to get in at least two rides a week on the single dinga. I think I'm going to shelf the geared monster for the year, unless we hit any monster rides...we'll see

Roadie Time. I recently purchased a new Bianchi Giro, which served me well in the 2006 version of the Maryland Wine Fest Asthma Metric Century Ride. Hoppe, Dean and myself finished the epic (i.e. hilly) ride a little over 4 hours, which is a pretty good clip considering what little training we had. It was a great event. Most likely I will be riding more road than mountain until it gets too cold to ride on the road.

The Empire Begineths. Family Chesnik BrewHaus...'Nuff said.
Kickin' Ass and Drinkin' Beer. And I'm almost out of my home brew. Time for round two. I have a bunch of ideas floating around in my head: Mocha Porter, Fat Tire Replicator, Pumpkin Ale, etc. I must make more beer, 'cuz I can't kick ass. The following is the little number Hoppe worked out for my for our first pilsner.

The backstory: My bro's nickname was "Bub". We shared some of our best times over a couple wobbly pops...probably the first time we ever truly bonded above the regular brother-brother relationship. He was great role model for me and I miss him deeply...Here's to you bro!

Football. Believe it or not...I'm actually getting into watching football. By the end of the season I may know more about he NFL then my wife...maybe. I see a morning road ride which dovetails nicely into a pre-game beer/shower...then grill. Noice!

More excuses...

...or not. I got nothing. Here's what I've been up to the last month:

World Cup (okay so that ended before the last post - bugger off will ya!). It had its ups and downs, but not as climatic as previous World Cups. Maybe I'm jaded and my soccer days are becoming more and more distant. But I tend to think I know a good match and tourney when I see one. Did the U.S. qualify this year? Bye Bruce...ya done well for the program, but your time is up.

Mountain Biking. Getting about two good rides a week. Not like the hey days of spring. It's gettin' hot out herre! Hitting the usual spots at Loch - Seminary (when the air is as thick as butter) and Merryman's (when I feel like a 15+ miler).

I'm a Roadie too. Well, not as often as I'd like. I am riding the Wine Fest metric century so I need to put miles on my minty monster. My buddy just got his euro-trash badge (a carbon LOOK), so I better come prepared.

Commuting. By car...I suck. Not trying to excuse this, but I've been having one hell of a time waking up these days...which makes commuting 15 miles not so fun. Heat doesn't help matters in the morning when I am reaching for excuses. My belly however....

BrewHaus. The pilsner is bottle conditioning. Might unleash the first bottle or two this weekend. May be premature, but we'll get a better idea of where our brew is heading (other than mah belly).

Dragon Boat Racing. My company is sponsoring a boat at this year's Catholic Charities Dragon Boat race. This race pits corporations and organizations around the B-more area in some friendly boat racing competition. My first practice out I learned that I don't use my upper body as much as I should..ouch.

That and other worldly duties have kept me pretty busy. I'll try to post more frequently...no promises.

Bye now.

So maybe I don't write everyday or...

.... take showers, or eat with utensils. Okay I'm no Chris Farley, but I was on a roll. So what's up in mah world? Well, I have been mountain biking all over the great state of Maryland hitting up hot spots, such as Gambrill and Avalon.

Had the pleasure of riding with a huge crew this weekend that spanned all disciplines and skill levels. It was good times indeed. We hit up a pretty large chunk of Avalon, withe the majority of our time spent at the "playground" of log rides, jumps, berms, etc.

After the ride, I headed to my parents' house to begin my reign in the homebrewing world. My dad and I sat in the garage, swilled some beer, and made our first batch of brewsky - a pilsner. The choice was decided based on the flashbacks it provoked in my pop. He remembers growing up in Milwaukee and drinking a good Pilsner. The smell of the boiling wort wafting in the air reminded him of the essense of his childhood hometown.

The brewing was followed by a family BBQ...The company and food was tasty as always...the food, not the people...sickos.

I'm out...'til next month...kidding...hopefully sooner.

Bye,
Cycle

I'm back...

First commute of the season....pathetic. Although I think I set a new PR (43 minutes). I'll have to check the archives. I was rollin' and it felt pretty good. I need to dial in the bike a little better, some shift issues, but nothing major.

I almost didn't hit the road this morning...I have been having a terrible time waking up lately. I'm really glad I pushed myself though. Morning commute feels like a great cup of coffee. I am ready to kick this day's ass! Nice cheesy bacon omelet with wheat toast and milk, checking the emails and GO!

Sorry for the lag...I was busy training for the 24 Hours of Big Bear. Not really "training" in the classical sense, just riding a ton of mountain. Our team, Enter the Draggin killed our personal bests and we are very happy with our results. Big Bear was awesome this year. Fast trails, cool weather, good times...indeedy. I owe a lot of my success (aside from my team) to riding single speed for most of my training. When I hopped on the geared 29er, it was on.

Gotta go.

Bye Cycle!

I know, I know

...not so much in the way of blogging lately. Between training for Big Bear, building the 29er geared machine and other house and work duties...just no time. After all the chaos I will sit down with a nice snifter of tequila and wax poetic on the trials and tribulations known as my life and the way of the bike. Until then....

Punch a Meteorologist in the Face Day

Evening weather forecast for Friday morning

Dense Fog: Okay it's not raining, but I'm not a fan of commuting in fog...not to mention dense fog.

Showers in the morning time and throughout the day: Damn, now I guess I'm really not commuting to work...Damn!

Fast forward to wake up time

I figured I would sleep in. When I wake, I see sunlight drizzle through my blinds. That's odd...fog and sun...doesn't register. I open the shades and there stands the most gorgeous spring morning I could ever recall.

Now it's too late to commute...ARRRRGGGHHHH!

Lesson learned - Just prepare for a beautiful day.

I think I'm gettin' the vapors!

Funny article found by my wifey: Start thinking of excuses.

GIRO and BIG RINGS

Some mo' news to report re: Giro and Big, long road rides...HI-YAAAAAAAA!!!

SPY-YO-GIRO

A little recap with a little help from my friends at cyclingnews.com, this is where our picks stand by stage:

Stage 1 Results: Saturday, May 6: Seraing - Seraing ITT, 6.2 km

1. Savoldelli
10. DiLuca .19 - Crankfurter grabs the upperhand in this battle
13. Basso .23
15. Cunego .25 - RideCam is happy that Cunego fairs this well in a race format he is not known to do well in.

Stage 2 Results: Sunday, May 7: Mons - Charleroi Marcinelle, 197 km

Nice race - awesome finish - McEwen once again proves his kick finish worthiness with his saavy dissection of Petachi and his Milram train.

Stage

1. Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 4.51.40 (41.14 km/h)
2 Olaf Pollack (Ger) T-Mobile Team
3 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
4 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Team Milram

GC

A little reshuffle due to stage bonuses known both Basso and Cunego down a spot...thanks to Olaf Pollacks placement in the top three today.

1. Savoldelli
10. DiLuca .19
14. Basso .23
16. Cunego .25

Stage 3 Results: Monday, May 8: Perwez - Namur, 202 km

German rider shows the field that he can dance on the pave.

Stage

1. Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner 5.14.41 (39.086 km/h)
2 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
4 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic

GC

1 Stefan Schumacher
2 Savoldelli .13
13 Di Luca .39
16 Basso .43
17 Cunego .45

Stage 4 Results: Tuesday, May 9: Wanze - Hotton, 193 km

McEwen again....ROBBIE!!! (a popular Crankenstein war cry). There's that Bettini character again.

Stage

1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 4.38.51 (41.527 km/h)
2 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
3 Alberto Loddo (Ita) Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni

GC

2 Savoldelli .13
14 Di Luca .39
17 Basso .43
18 Cunego .45

BIG RINGS SUCKA

I left my front door in Owings Mills for a little jaunt (20 miler) and decided to hit the road a wee bit longer. Instead of heading own Deer Park, I opted to hit Ivy Mill Rd to head to Westminster, ending up in New Windsor beore turning around. I got a little lost in some parts, but I decided that would only add mileage...FINE WITH ME.

And the title may be misleading, because I maintained most of my time in the middle ring.Gotta do some spin fests every once in a while. Still got a decent average mph. Here's the map/mileage/ride time @ Software Brewery. Big thanks to Marc for creating this tool which is improving every day. Next on the agenda, Altitude Changes? SICK!!!!

Let the games begin

With the grand tours on there way this year, Crankenstein* and RideCam** will be going toe-to-toe to show our vast knowledge of the inner workings of the beautiful art of road racing (Wow, what a mouthful). The anticipation has been too much for the gents, which has led to many conversations during the working hours, which has led to a little wagering and side betting on these events. Of course we trade in the sweet nectar known as beer.

First up, Giro d'Italia:

This race will be determined in the hills. If you're a sprint-boy, sorry about your luck...see you at Le Tour. As such Crankenstein and RideCam have based their picks on the riders who are strong in the hills and have a team who can support such an effort. Oddly enough our picks were identical, except for the second podium position. They are as follows:

Crank-masta-flex
1. Basso
2. DiLuca
3. Savoldelli

RideCam-a-cam-a-cam-a-chameleon
1. Basso
2. Cunego
3. Savoldelli

Crank questions my second pick, Cunego, because his team may not prove to be sufficient to support his effort through the challenging course. He may be right. We'll have to wait and see. Who will win the Maglia Rosa?

THIS JUST IN: Crankenstein writes, "editorial note: betting with my big brains i have him [Savoldelli] placed 3rd, although my heart is rooting for il falco to don the maglia rosa in milan." Always rooting for the home team...I hear ya. I would love to see Danielson shine, but alas, I think he will be the workhorse. The life of a domestique, although DC has done a tremendous job of thinning those lines since Lance's departure.

Check out OLN every Sunday for race highlights or check out their coverage on OLNTV.com. Other sites to watch:

• Cycling News
• Velo News
• Pez Cycling

Here's the start list.

* Crankenstein is better known as Brad Snyder who hails from
them thar Harford hills.

** RideCam requests to remain anonymous due to the beating he is
about to give Me Llamo Bradley.

Personal Ride News

Mountain Biking. Team Enter the Draggin' is in our final month of training for the 24 Hours of Big Bear. With grand aspirations of competing on a 29er SS, I think I will end up taking my Sugar Race instead.

Road riding. I have taken the MintyMonster on a couple road rides which have been a pleasurable separation from straight mountain biking.

Commuting. If the weather cooperates, I will be commuting next week or I will take down this website...My word is bond!!

Can you 3% ?

Jacked from SSO's website

Ride your bike more, watch gas prices go down. "If everyone decided to drive 3%
less the next 30 days, prices would crash," says Tom Kloza, senior analyst at
the Oil Price Information Service.
Source

Guess I really need to get on the bike and commute!!!!

In other news, a buddy of mine has created an online application that allows a Garmin FR201 GPS user to export code from the The 201's Training Center application into Google Maps. Pretty sweet!

Sorry for the Hiatus

I was waiting until my first commute of 2006 to write my next entry, but my fans have been waiting and making it known. Well, I'll meet you half way. For your viewing pleasure, my new 29er singlespeed and my trail buddy, Sake (doubles as a horn, and triples as a dog toy...he's a good partner).

Housekeeping

No better way to describe this edition of RideCam. I have been slacking at writing/lacking at time for my blog. So, I am going to throw a couple highlights of the past few weeks your way right now!

Family Birthday Party @ Dogfish Head. After getting lost based on my "shortcut" directions, we arrived at DFH about a half hour late. When we walked in my parents and Aunt Barbara were already noshing on an appetizer. We got settled in, ordered a brew and the fantastic conversations started. It's amazing the things you learn about your family over a good meal. The fortunate/unfortunate part was that my aunt could not partake in the beer offerings, as she is starting a South Beach regimen. I on the other hand took part in the Ocean City Beach diet...beer and fried food. Oh, and I got some great gifts, too. I received a Dremel engraver just like my grandpa used to use...on everything, which made Christmas interesting. Imagine waiting to play with your toys because they were being engraved. I also received some Margarita Salt...and I was just running out...Thanks Barbara! My parents rounded out the gift exchange with a picture of a cruiser bike leaning against a brick building...really cool. I also received a gift certificate to the home brew store, so I can start building my empire. Although we were there for three hours, it seemed too short.

My birthday (Feb. 28th). Pretty low-key. Some workmates took me out for lunch, which was nice. Then I got home and waited for my wife to decide what to do for dinner. We ended up heading to Red Robin for burgers and then had dessert. It was a Mud Pie ice cream, which looked like a nice sized delicacy, but this thing came out on a platter. It was absolutely humungous...K and I finished it!

Biking. It's on like Kong! The training season is upon us. Hoppe and I have been out in force the last two weeks. We have adopted the race strategy, which will push us. We have built in enough rest time, that this strategy might actually work. After a two week hiatus off the bike, I already feel my strength coming back. I'm not sure what the equation for muscular and aerobic atrophy is, but I certainly felt it on my first hard ride.

I thought I was going to start commuting, but the weather has not been cooperating. I really hope to get going within the next two weeks. I need to complement my MTB with road miles to build a stronger endurance base, without destroying my body and bike. I received my first 29er flat last night. Thankfully it was a slow flat, which I found when I got home.

The Enter the Draggin' site is up! It's just a homepage right now, but good things are to come. (Ed note: site has since moved to Blogger).

Beer. Our last beer class was the Saturday after my surprise party. Oi vay. I would have rathered kicked my own ass, then walk into the brew area where our class took place. The idea for the class was to sample a similar commercial beer and then our beer. I got to sample the brown ales and I have to admit, I liked our classes version (and this isn't even the beer my team made). After that, I had the commercial IPA and I couldn't go any further, and the next beer was ours! I had to excuse myself a couple times, which enabled me to make it through the class. It was really too bad, because I wanted to participate more than I did. Oh well, a good surprise party always trumps a beer class. My dad and I walked out of there with 26 bottles of brew, which is nice. It was great taking the class with him and I can't wait to start experimenting at home!

That's about it. I'm sure I missed a lot, but that's all I got!

SURPRISE!

Okay...so let me sum up the last coupla days for you. Friday started off with me taking some down time from work because I felt a little punk. Lots of new stuff going on at headquarters which had taken a toll on my eyes...giving way to headaches. Time for some R&R.

So the day rolls on, I slept in for a bit and then I got my bones out of bed to pick up a gift and card for my buddy Keith. He and his lovely lady were coming over to celebrate our births (his on March 1, mine on Feb 28). I wasn't too sure I was up for going out, but thought I could play it cool by laying low (i.e., don't "celebrate" too much).

So Keith and Becca get to the house and get ready. In the meantime, I offered a beer to my guests whilst they got freshened up and waited for my wife to get home. Eventually, K got home and the "big wait" began. I had been ready for two hours, so I was primed to get this over with (still a little tired). Crazy enough, K and Bec took forever to get ready and Keith was begging for another beer. I told Keith to hold off until we got to dinner and he agreed which doesn't happen - the "not wanting a second beer"part, not the agreeing part [remember this part for later].

Still waiting for the girls, Keith and I are shooting the breeze about how we might be set up for a surprise, then his phone rang. It was Munro, which Keith said to me, "If we were being surprised then he wouldn't be calling from home". The surprise factor really had come and gone a few weeks back, so hearing this affirmed no such action.

Finally, the girls were ready to roll out and we headed to North Star. I asked if everyone minded if I played a little Matisyahu and everyone was perfectly agreeable [remember this too]. We get to the restaurant, which has our favorite section, the patio, under construction. We all were hoping that the patio was open, but oh well. After nearly forcing Becca and Keith in the door, remaining the gentleman my momma raised me to be, we got to the hostess desk. I was just taking in the sights, I've never been in the restaurant part. Keith handled the reservation and then the owner came out and we talked for a minute or so. We were waiting for a table to clear. Then we walked into the wing of the restaurant that our table was in. The hostess opened the door and there was Hoppe...HUH? That's cool, why didn't he tell me he was going to North Star? Wait, there's the post-college crew, and the Lobley's....shit.....SURPRISE!!!! I turn around to tell Keith that we had been taken, but Keith wasn't there...wait...what a [very expletive]. He was in on it too.

Everything now made sense...kinda [remember all of these asides above, yeah those make sense now]. Well, now it's a party. And it easily goes into the top five memories of my life, which is a pretty tough category to crack. After doing some gesturing/posing to the crowd, which I normally would never do, I turned to see the biggest smile on my wife's face and after hearing stories of her gargantuan planning efforts...it may have been from shear relief.

I got to see family and friends that spanned my three decades. It answered the age old question of if you could have dinner with three people, who would it be. It would be, I would throw a party and these people would be there. I had a feeling rush over me that is impossible to describe, but I wish it upon everyone. I got to look around the room after I said hello to everyone and thought to myself, there are a million good memories I've shared with these people, there are a lot of hard times I've shared with these peoples, there are a lot of bars that got independently wealthy from these people...it was like a living scrapbook and I was the glue. Damn, I'm still getting goosebumps. A lot of things became clearer that night, about friends and family and such, it sounds silly, but it was an honor to be in that room with my "circle".

Okay...then I got really wasted, wore a cowboy hat, introduced my mom to a new vocab word based on my wife's uncle's gift of edible undies, took about a million pictures and "drifted" to sleep in my party clothes.

What? Did you think I was going to end this on a dramatic note?

Okay...I will. K, hope you read this...Thank you from the bottom of my heart, that was one of the coolest things anyone has ever done for me, and people have done tons of cool things for me. I love you tons...now give me back my credit card :) Just kidding, I already got it!

48 bottle of beer on the...

Tuesday night had my dad and I bottling our creation during our second homebrewing session. I was relatively straight forward. First rule of bottling: SANITIZE. Our instructor, Bob, said this time and time again. He's a very laid back, soft spoken individual, so I determined that this was his way of shouting at us.

So we sanitized and hung the bottles on a rack, which we would come back to after we racked. HUH? Yes, I had the same confusion. Being the learned brewman that I am, I did homework. I read Homebrewing for Dummies. One section was called racking...I assumed that when we put bottles on a rack, that well, this must in fact be "racking". Politely, Bob corrected me. Racking is the act of siphoning out the fermented wort from the fermentation bucket. This process minimizes the amount of sludgy byproduct (mainly yeast) that gets bottled. So from the fermentation bucket to the bottling bucket our booze did flow.

Next step, bottling. The bottles were at the ready and the caps were, you guessed it, sanitized. The bucket had a nozzle that was place directly into the bottle and the magic happened - beer in bottle. Not yet bottled beer mind you, the next step was to crown (cap, if your a rookie) the bottle. My dad was a ninja on the crown crimper, and with much hesitation let his young jedi operate the heavy machinery.

Voila...we had two cases of beer. They are now bottle conditioning for another 10 days. We will pick the finished product up next Saturday during our final session.

BIKING - HAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA...um no.

Um...Yum

The mussels turned out delish...I didn't know how much two pounds of mussels were, but it appears to be over 50. The rosemary and garlic fries turned out great too. I think I rushed them a bit, I would have liked to had the fries crispier before I tossed them in the garlic and rosemary. But, all in all a great meal. The Grand Cru was an excellent, but different kind of beer. It is a sour ale, with hints of lemon and cherry...neither of which are part of the brewing process. It tasted almost more like a wine to me. We capped the dinner off with a truffle and wine (for her) and a DFH Shelter Pale Ale for me.

No spinnin' for me...I was too busy stuffing my face.

Oh, Snow!

So, this weekend brought us a ton of snow, the only outdoor activity I got was shovelling...ARRRGGGHHH! I wanted to get my ride on at Loch this Thursday, but I won't have a comrade and I don't want to challenge the night, cold and snow/icy conditions, solo...call me a sissy...I'll beat ya!

Trainin' again. Looks like I will be spinning indoors...again. Awfully boring. I plan to hit the road or trails on Saturday. Something nice and long!

V-Day. Tonight, I cook dinner (like usual) for my special lady. I plan on making mussels a la biere et frites. Otherwise known as mussels in beer broth and fries. It's a Belgian dish. The mussels call for a Flanders Red Ale, so I picked up Rodenbach Grand Cru - some for the dish, more than some for me. The rest of the recipe includes cream, butter and bacon - so I don't think I can go wrong. I would probably eat my arm if those ingredients were on it.

To compliment the mussels, I am attempting to duplicate the Brewer's Art Rosemary and Garlic fries...so good. If I master this recipe, the next time I leave the house may be during the Dr. Phil show when they knock down a hole in my house big enough to back an ambulance in and cart my big ass to the hospital.


Hammer Bar. I just got these bad boys today after waiting a couple months on backorder. I received 15 chocolate and 10 almond raisin. I sampled one for breakfast and one as my midday snack. They are both very delish. This will remain one of my go-to's for meal/snack replacement and pre-ride fuel. It's a great whole food, organic alternative, which will become a main staple for me. I need to knock out the sugar and processed-adled foods out of system...it is zapping the energy out of me...fo' shizzle! I am also looking to stock up on other Hammer/E-cap products for my commuting/race season. Indeed!

To all...Happy V-day...wrap your arms around yourself...you just received a hug from me...I'm out!

VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ!!!

It has come to my attention that my blog has predominantly become the place where my friends and family have come to learn the "goings-ons" in my life. Apparently this has supplanted the need for actual one-on-one discussion. If you are reading this and sounds like the road you have been heading down, don't feel ashamed or disgusted with yourself. This is your "free pass", so go ahead, pick up the phone, give me a ring...we'll talk. Although I have a terrible habit of not answering or returning calls. Just leave a comment on my blog...we'll do lunch.



Other news...Olympics start tonight...Oh snap. I'll be eagerly awaiting the skeleton and snowboarding events. Okay, honestly, the figure skating...shut up.

Thursday Night Races

Hop and I may have started a new personal riding trend. Tonight is our first Thursday Night Race and I am hoping the first of many. Hopefully we'll add riders and distance as the season continues into the warmer months. Right now our course is set at Loch Raven - Seminary. It is nice to know where you are going and all of the escape routes, if necessary, during the cold, dark nights...coupled with the fact that your riding buddy may be racing ahead of you. We have a quick, 5 1/2 mile loop that we tackle. By the time we get to the lot and ready, it really is all the mileage we have time for (on most nights). So it's on...

Details to follow....

RESULTS ARE IN: HOPPE WINS THE INAUGURAL THURSDAY NIGHT CLASSIC
Right from the start he set the pace. Although Chesnik did all he could to keep his big bones rolling, Hoppe denied any attempt at a leading role in the race. At the mile marker, with slight trail confusion, Chesnik did some trail blazing which slowed hime down due to the old "stick-trying-to-rip-off-disc-brake" issue. Not that this was a deciding factor in the result of the race, but it sure as hell didn't help. To rub salt in the wounds, Hoppe waited...classy move, but still it burns a little. To add more salt in the wounds Hoppe suggested a re-route of the predetermined race route. Sweet! These races will definitely help us guage our weak points, which as of right now appears to be just me...but that's okay. With a ton of commuting (30ish miles round trip) and training-specific rides, I'll be a new machine. Hoppe is planning to get a new bike, which may be his only weak point right now...effin' scary.

At least we both got the same trophy at the end. A nice cold, but warming Stoudt's Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout.

Chesnik, Chesnik & Hoolehan

This is the name of our brewing team at our homebrew class at the Flying Barrel. After a bite of my mom's infamous mac&cheese, my pop and I headed down to Frederick to attend our first homebrew class. With 9 students and one teacher, we jumped right into the process.

Step 1: Select our beer. We chose a Pale Ale based on the other team's selection of a Porter.

Step 2: Measuring and Milling our grains. Pretty interesting process. We nibbled on the roasted crystal barley and flaked barley...quite tasty. After milling the crystal into our steeping bag, we added the barley flakes and headed over to the boiler.

Steps 3: Steeping the Barley. It took approximately 15 minutes to steep. Enough time to quaff a brew crafted by our fearless teacher, Bob. Throughout the process we had "spare" time to enjoy different samples.

Step 4: Boil, Boil. Time to add 6 lbs of Pale Mat syrup to the mix. Our team partner Mike got the pleasure of stirring with the world's largest spatula, while I poured the syrup into the boiler. After that we dashed in our first hops, which escapes me now. We waited for a half hour. Yes, more brew was consumed.

Step 5: 30 minues pass, time to add the Finishing hops, Cascade.

Step 6: 2 minutes later we release the beer from the boiler into our fermenting bucket. A strainer catches all the left over gobble-di-gook.

Step 7: Cooling the beer from 212 to 80 degress. We used a copper immersion chiller, which utilizes a water source (hose) and coiled copper tubing. The idea, cold water in through the copper tubing chilling the wort. The cold water turns into warm water which is used to clean the boiler. Pretty interesting process. I got the job of stirring the wort, which earned me a seat and a fresh beer from my bestest beer bitch, my dad :)

Step 8: Add yeast and stir! Pop got stirring duties this time while Mike dumped the yeast. This is my favorite part, because this is where the alcohol is born. The yeast eats the sugar with the byproduct being sweet, sweet booze.

Step 9: Sanitize the lid and pop it on the bucket. Add the aerator and VOILA!

I'm sure I missed a step or two, but that's okay. So did Bob, the instructor. He fumbled on a few steps, probably due to the number of batches going on at once. Our team was the first to go, so we were the Guinea Pigs...which will probably end up being the name of our pale ale (credit to my pop's for the name). Or we could call it "Shit..Sugar", a phrase Bob used when he made his first trip up.

It is a great class, maybe not everything I thought it would be, but it's definitely fun. I thought it would be more homebrewing (i.e., making beer in a kitchen) oriented. The facility they have is beautiful, but would be quite an expense to get up and running in one's house.

Oh, the Things I Have Done

Ride. The only rides I have done recently were on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Both at Loch. Not too sloppy. With a momentary lack of judgement based on lack of saddle time, I rode in conditions that I typically object to. The more unfortunate part is that I'm not the only one. Loch Raven is starting to look like a sloppy, rutty motocross course...in some sections. So I pledge not to go down that road for a while.

I went to the Stop, Swap and Save in Westminster to check out any possible deals. I was mainly looking for SS cogs, but to no avail. I did run into an old PHH colleague who has become a distributor for a west coast frame builder...more details to come. I didn't pick up any gear, but I did have my eye on the wool cycling caps...maybe next time.

Football. Picksburg wins, yinz! My mom's side of the family rejoices. K and I hit the annual Munshaur Super Bowl Extravaganza. Food, Beer and Football...good times.

GPS. I'm not sure if I trust the Forerunner. Ithas given me different altitude readings on two separate rides (same trail). I will give it some more time before I dismiss it as a good tool for biking. It has been useful for trail runs though. Good pace setting and the GPS has proved helpful on one trail run.

Brewing. First homebrew class tomorrow!

THIS JUST IN... A good guage of sunrise/sunset times: http://mach.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/aa_rstablew

I'm trying to judge when my first 2006 commute will take place. I'm hoping on my birthday, Feb 28th.

Tools

This weekend was ladened with tools. One I couldn't find and the other found me. As mentioned in my previous post, I got the 20 tooth cog for my rig, the problem is that I didn't have the proper lockring tool. So I went to the nearest LBS, Race Pace, and they suggested a tool that might do the trick. So I get the tool and take it home. I fumbled a lot to get it off, noticing some rounding of the notches...not good. So I immediately take it back. Still looking for the right tool.

On Sunday, I went to REI just to browse. Luckily it was their Attic Sale, where returned goods are sold at cheap prices. Most goods are damaged or heavily used. So I stumble across some "nearly" great finds, only to find out that they are ripped, chipped or missing parts. Then I get to the piece de resistance. Before my eyes laid the Garmin Forerunner 201. I have been tinkering with buying one of these bad boys for a while, but it was way down the list...a hair to pricey for what I would want it for. Well, low and behold, here it was at a cut rate. They had it listed at $50, which is a phenomenal deal...then they shouted everything is half off the lowest ticketed price.

Shocked and awed as I was...I started tinkering with the watch to ensure that there was no hidden damage. I asked if I could take it outside to catch a signal. So I hopped outside and "BINGO!". Then I hopped in my car to see if it tracked and the mph's and waypoint function worked...indeed. Lastly I plugged in the charger to ensure that it charged properly...yessir. SOLD! I got the Garmin with the last of my REI gift certificate with a huge smile on my face. It reatils for $150, purchased for $25!!! It is less expensive than the crappiest cyclometer and has loads more functionality. Finally we can get a good peg on altitude and distance on biking excursions

Workin' for the Weekend

I should be getting my 20 tooth Surly cog tonight. I'm excited to see how that pans out for me. I think I'll be spinning a ton in the flats, but climbing more "currently unclimbable" inclines. One of the joys of SS'ing - always tinkering/perfecting.

Tomorrow promises to be a nice day high 50s!!!

Roll with it!!

THIS JUST IN...Got the cog from Speedgoat, had to find the proper tool...the new cog is installed and ready to roll. Unfortunately, no ride today...I have to go to a work function with K. There's always tomorrow.

Springtime in January

Mountain Bike @ Loch (Saturday). With temps in the mid 60's, it was time to hit the trails. I met up with Volk at the trailhead at Seminary, where dozens of riders assembled in short sleeves and shorts to hit the singletrack. Volk and I once again wore the same jersey, looking like team goofball out on the trails. We headed in with no real game plan, and ended up riding for three hours touring almost every trail that the Seminary Trail offers. I got to see the Loch Raven Dam for the first time since the construction. It is pretty impressive. I digress.

I think I am going to gear up with a 20 tooth cog in the rear. I fear that will put me in spin central on the flats, but I want to see how it would effect my overall ride.

We ended up going to Baja Fresh for some grub and called it a day. I got home and washed the bike then myself....then it was chili time.

Chili. I am getting closer to perfection with my chili skills. This time I used Rogue Smoke Ale as my beer of choice. The name pretty much says it all and the chili actually did have a hint of smokiness to it. Good stuff...can't wait to try it today as we watch the football games.

Hike @ Soldiers Delight (Sunday). Took a nice stroll throughthe western side of Soldiers Delight this afternoon with my main hiking comrade, Cobi Joan. She was a tad confused and I was a little hesitant. I didn't want to stoke her desire to hike so early in the year. She might now come to expect it. For those who don't know, Cobi Joan is a 15 lb Shih Tzu and isn't very adaptable to snowy/cold conditions. She is however an extremely durable, strong pup. We've gone on 10+ mile hikes where I've thrown in the towel and she is just getting warmed up.

Back to our hike. The trail was a little sloppy, but because 75% of the trail is stone-fortified, it wasn't a squishy mudfest. We tallied about three miles.

But what about bikes?

Not much discussion around bikes lately. I need some outdoor biking miles...pronto. I am heading out this weekend for road or dirt...I can't take it!!

My Rig is, all like, mad at me. I bring her in the family and leave her in her room, not to be ridden like the stallion she is. My bad! I definitely need to get a new rear cog...either 19 or 20. I am having issues pushing her up some hills I typically have little to no problem with. It's all about the gear inches baby.

I'm also missing the road..the cruel, grinding pain cave...which for some unfathomable reason I enjoy. Mostly because I know I'll be able to quaff a tasty beverage at the end with no guilt! Actually, because it takes you to parts of the world...ok, state...ok, county....that I would otherwise not see by car. You have time to smell the roses (and dead animals and cow dung and...you know, if you know). Not only do you invigorate your physical being, but all five of your senses become hightened and enlightened. Good stuff!

I think I have an idea on what to do with by broken Surly 1x1 frame. I was perusing the Dirt Rag site and ran into a rant by Karl Rosengarth re: SCUL (Subversive Urban Chopper League). Basically they are a bunch of riders dedicated to the art of the chopper bicycle, among other interests. It got me thinking that, with the assistance of my father-in-law who is handy with welding, I could create a frakenbike that I could tool around town/beach with. I have all sorts of ideas in my head, but they probably won't come in to fruition for a while. Too many things on the plate already. Here's a great movie trailer from SCUL: http://www.scul.org/movie/. Check it out!

Okay, I'm done.

OR NOT...

THIS JUST IN...



I finally found DFH Fort at Calvert Wine & Spirits...YAY! Tonight...me, my girl (meaning my wife, not the beer) a fire, some cheesecake and a bottle of Fort. Sounds muy bueno to me. I actually picked up two bottles. After searching high and low, I found her...all thanks to beeradvocate.com's user forum. A fellow beer nut from the area rated the Fort and I tracked him down and asked...WHERE!!! I ran to Calvert and picked the last two up with a huge smile on my face. One to drink, one to lay down. I have a feeling this one will age great! Might also be highly collectible due to the rarity of the bottling this year!!!

Temperature Check!

So, I have already made some headway into the goals I have set forth in my last blog. My dad and I got confirmation that we were admitted into the brew class...Check! K and I looked at houses in the Westminster area on Sunday...Check! I've been on the trainer and working out in preparation for my physical challenges...Check!

Dogfish Head AleHouse









K and I went to the Dogfish Head AleHouse on Friday night, in an effort to go to restaraunts in other parts of the world. This choice was heavily influenced by your's truly. Dogfish has some of the best beers in this part of the world and we are lucky that they are close by.

We started the evening with a short stay at the bar waiting for a table to open up. K indulged in the finest of sodas and I started off with a Burton Baton offered in a snifter glass. I may have chosen a easier beer to kick off the night, but it was tasty all the same.

We then immediately got our table and started the feast. We began with a three cheese crab dip. Next beer up: Raison D'Etre . Then we made our minds' up for the entree and we both went with pizza... I went with the seafood pizza and K went with a spicy pizza. Both delicious. Pizza loves beer, and beer loves pizza. I went with a Snowblower Ale next, not because it went the best with pizza, but it is only available in draft...I had to go for it.

Our dinner filled with great conversation even with the fact that K was slightly under the weather. We talked and ate for over 2 hours. So why end the party there? We got an excellent chocolate cheesecake which prompted me to take it a step further with a year-old World Wide Stout. This was an excellent pairing. What an excellent night! Why end it there, K allowed me to have one more nightcap. We sat at the bar and people watched as a quaffed a Olde School Barleywine. Upon finishing the wonderful night, we picked up another momento for both of us.

And yes, K so graciously drove home with me in tow. She was all hopped up on soda :)

BIG PLANS 2006

Here goes the list of all the things I'd like to accomplish in 2006. My plan is to fire a ton of possibilities out there and see what sticks. A short list will be created soon. Aight:

24 hour races:
Big Bear - June 10th-11th
Seven Springs - first weekend in September

Adventure Race/Off-Road Tri:
Rocky Gap Adventure Race - May 20th

Charity Rides:
Maryland Wine Fest Ride (road) - mid September
Chesapeake Asthma Ride (road) - June 2nd-4th; may be hampered by Big Bear.

Local MTB Race:
Race in at least one area race. Never have competed in a normal race before.

Run in a 5k:
Building block to longer runs and eventually a real triathalon.

Hike a section of the AT:
If I can take a week each year for a couple years, I will have completed the whole trail

Lots of weekend camp/ride trips:
Plan for a lot of training rides/camping in the Mid-Atlantic area. I also really want to ride the entire C&O Canal in a weekend.

When Daylight Savings returns to better daylight hours:
Ride, Ride, Ride to work again!!!

Start brewing:
The Big Man and myself are taking classes in February. Family Chesnik will sow the empire they have been destined to create through malt, hops, yeast and water!!

Woodcrafting:
My dad and I have been talking a lot of game about making our own furniture and whatnots. Time's up...this is the year!

Friends:
I have some yahoo's that want to start a clothing line. I know zippy about the biz and have zero design qualifications. They are very creative and inspired gents who are very passionate about their idea. I hope I can help them with the business side, which means I got some studying to do. It's all about the biz plan, baby!

Family:
The wife is eager to find her "nesting" house. The time may be right to find new digs. All I want is a garage and a shed to call my own. A shed for brewmaking and bikes! Oh, and two bathrooms.

It would be great if we could start filling the house as well.

Guess who's back....

...back again. Guess who's back, tell your friends! Guess who's back...okay, you get it.

Been a long time! My apologies. No excuses...just 100% plain ol' busy (wait, that's an excuse). My punishment is your enjoyment (maybe). The world's longest blog submission. Here goes:

Biking

I have been on the Rig sporadically during the holiday season. Hoppe tries his damndest to get me out on the sloppy trails, but I refuse. I did enjoy our iced singletrack session though. This was our pre-Christmas ride which included a bottle of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale and a little Beam. Those two definitely warmed our innards.

I am enjoying the hell out of the rig. It is definitely a beast on the trail. I think once I get my strong cycling base back...I will be a force on the trail :)

Other than my minimal outdoor antics, I have been doing some indoor training. Fun stuff.

Brew

My new found love of all things brew was given a shot of adrenaline during the holidays. I received a couple gifts relating to the glorious hobby:

Books
Ultimate Beer by Michael Jackson
Homebrewing for Dummies
Beers of the World- a gift from my riding buddy Hop.

Gear
Hop Holster - My bro-in-law and I received these from my wife. BIG HIT at the family party.
A cool bottle opener.

Knowledge is Power!
However, the cream of the crop (though not so much a Christmas present) is the class my dad and I are taking in February through the local homebrew store. We are going to learn the ins and outs of homebrewing. I was going to take a class at some point, but it's great to take it with my pops. After reading copius amounts of info on the process, I believe his analytical/scientific brain will be a wonderful asset to my learning process. My scientific brain is likened to a bull in a china shop...I like beginning projects and ending them...it's that in between stuff that I'm not a fan of :)

Bottles
My neighbor is a huge brew afficianado, whom I give beers to every time I see him. Most of the time he has quaffed my selection, but I throw some newbies his way to. Well, one day during the holidays he stopped by mt house and handed me three new selections (Bezelbuth, Lion Stout and another I can not recall). Anywho, we were talking and he mentioned his "cellar" and I told him I'd be interested in seeing it one day. And off we went. He literally has dozens of "laid down" brews. He treated each one with kid gloves and he new the ins-and-outs of every last one. His excitement sparked mine and we talked for a few hours about beers, brewpubs, etc. I ended up leaving his house with about a dozen different brew, my favorite being a 2003 DuClaw Devils Milk wax-dipped growler, which apparently DuClaw no longer does. What a treat! I now have started a mini cellar in the back of my refrigerator. My finished basement doesn't stay cool enough...fortunately and unfortunately. My plan is to start having tasting parties with my drinking buddies...price of admission: a bottle to lay down for a future party.

Family

I hope the readers understand that these blogs are a stream of consciousness and no, my family ranks numero uno in my heart. They do not rank below bikes and booze...my dumb brain is just a little slower than my big heart.

We had a wonderful holiday. Not too much rushing around. We were able to enjoy each other's company...something I haven't had the opportunity to truly do for a while. My eyes have definitely opened up to spending time to the people I truly care about, including family and friends.

While I like getting gussied up to party on New Year's, I really, really enjoyed grabbing a bite, enjoying libations and camping out with my wife and pup in my basement, watching movies and the ball drop. I assume we'll probably do something different next year, but if we don't...that's cool too.

I already talked about the upcoming class with my dad. And I am also eagerly awaiting the addition to my parents house which will also include a workshop. We are in a huge d0-it-yourself mode. Brew and Furniture...watch out crafting world!

Big Plans for 2006...forthcoming!!!!

On the Injured Reserve

OK, it's not as bad as it sounds. I have a minor pull/strain in my hip flexor...it's actually 90% better than it has been the last two days. I've stayed off the bike and administered heavy doses of Rankin/Bass Christmas shows (ie, the Heat Mieser), a couple Sierra Nevada Celebration Ales and a few puppy dog kisses. I'm almost back to snuff.














I assume I injured myself due to the new geometry of the Rig. Make that, I didn't properly adjust my ride for my body type. Note to readers...never ride your bike "as is" when you leave the shop..adjust to fit!

I am taking a lot of days off this month, which means I will be taking a few day trips to ride at various riding hot spots. I hope to hit Avalon this Friday, if the weather holds...meaning if it doesn't rain. If it snows and the wind isn't ridiculous...it's on like Donkey Kong!

Be good!

I'm baaack!

Here's the good, the bad and the skinny:

• The Rig is in, all 29 inches and singlespeed-ness of her (picked up on Thursday).
• I have logged three wintery cold rides since (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
• I've always rode in the winter, but I don't recall ever being so cold - shoe covers were purchased, Swobo beanie on Xmas wish list.
• Volk is a riding machine with his new Santa Cruz Blur.
• I am going through an adjustment period on the Rig. Still trying to see what tweaks will need to be made.
• The snowboarding season is upon us, which means I lose my riding buddies.