...working on a term paper...

...and boy does it SUCK!

I hate writing term papers, YUCK!

No racing today.

I pre-registered for the cross race today, but there was no way I was going back to that mess. So, what did I do instead of slogging through the mud today:
- Sophie didn't wake up until 8:15!
- Fed Sophie and Jacob
- Decided I would have bacon, eggs and toast.
- Hung out with Jacob watching tv.
- Mom came over.
- Jacob and I went "fishing" at the Lake (Guy's/EVO I have a great place to put on a race)
- Watched some guys play disc golf
- Looked at the boats
- Jacob wanted some food, so we went to wawa for hoagies, he pushed the buttons.
- Ate lunch with Mom, Jacob and Sophie
- Went out for a ride to the Lake (Guy's/EVO I have a great place to put on a race)
- Came back, told Jacob he had to go to sleep
- Jumped in the shower
- Ran to the grocery store
- Made Chicken Paprikash, to take over to In-laws
- Loaded up Mom's mini-van (had to make about 10 trips, I kept forgetting things)
- finished prepping dinner
- served and ate dinner
- came home in the jeep with Kris
- put Jacob to bed.
- here I am
- I'm going to bed.

Not racing today was worth every penny of the $26.20 entry fee!

What a waste of money...

Went to the Evo-Guys race today. From what I could tell the race was going to be run in some fields around some guys house and with all the rain we were in for a slog. I held out some hope that they could configure the course to at least make it a little interesting. Not really. Although, they did not have much to work with. I'd say 98% of the course was on grass. A lot of it was in hay fields that hadn't been mowed in a while. (I pulled foot long pieces of grass off of my bike.)

With all the rain, about 90% of the course was 3 inch deep mud. Now, I can handle mud, as long as there are some sections were you can carry momentum and some speed. The whole thing was about at running pace. I hate this kind of race and to me it is not modern cross, more like what I'd imagine cross was like in the 20's.

Oh maybe the fact that I have no fitness came into play? It was the absolute worst conditions for someone with my lack of fitness.

No, I'm not going back for more tomorrow. $58.40 down the drain! Damn! That is over a month's worth of my bike allowance!

Anyone want to meet me for a ride tomorrow?

Highland Park Cross

Mom said she'd come over and watch the kids while I went to the race! Woo-Hoo!
I figure if I'm going to actually ride my bike, it might as well be a race, right?

Sophie was up but Jeb was still sleeping, changed and fed Sophie and out the door by 8:15. crap map quest says an hour and a half... crap need gas... crap I hit every light on 309... It wouldn't be race day without some stress.

I actually got to the race about 45 minutes before the start. Number, suit-up, sweet free red-bull, pee, almost didn't make it to the potty, yeah, I was doing the pee-pee dance. Ride the first section of the course. hmm this is going to be a little slick. lined up early, I learned that from the Granogue race, I got a second row start, right behind Fort James and Pauly. I got a really good start, one of the things I'm actually good at, I think because there is a lag between the effort and your body realizing what the frick is going on. So, I'm sitting there in about 6th position and notice Pauly is off the front by a bit. Heck, while I'm here I might as well try and help Pauly. So, I get to the front of the group and kind of ride next to a guy, not blocking but disrupting. It worked for a few seconds, until we hit the next hill and it was like the dam burst, people kept passing me... Usual cross race story for me, any uphill I get passed, any downhill or section I can carry momentum I pass them back. I was back and forth with a Kissena guy. He had a bit of a gap on me going into the barriers before the finish. I knew I was faster through the barriers, closed the gap through the barriers. Into the right hand 180 onto the paved finishing straight, he goes wide, I changed my apex and got inside of him and on the pedals before him... beat him to the line! Felt good to actually sprint someone at the end of a race!

Hung out and ate my "pork" bbq sandwich, the lady gave me chicken instead of pork. I ate the sandwich in front of Tom and Kelly warming up on the trainers for their race. They didn't want any of my sandwich?!? Tom remembered he needed his number pinned on, "Its in the truck". Nope, not there. Tom runs around looking for his number, after about five minutes he sees a crumpled piece of paper on the ground about 20 feet from his truck, yep his number!

Good to actually get out and race, good to see everyone, wished I could have hung out a little longer, but had to get back to releive mom from watching the kids.

Looks like Mom is going to watch the kids again this weekend! Sweet more racing!

Thanks Mom, it means a lot to me.

New York City

Took the family to NYC last Friday evening. April, Cayley, and April's friend Tonya came up to spend the night at my parent's time share in NYC. The location is sweet! 56th and 6th or something like that. We took a stroll down to Times Square:


We look like a bunch of tourist don't we. I guess we were.

We went into the Toy R Us. And stumbled across this little lizard:



The thing moved it head, eyes, and tail. Jeb did ok with it until it started to roar! He was a little freaked out.

Everyone came by the house Saturday, after spending the day in nyc for cheesesteaks, I make a pretty good cheesesteak, thanks to my time working in Ganello's.

Trick or Treat

I took the kids trick or treating. Jeb filled up his little pumpkin with some good candy! I envisioned us doing our little cul-de-sac, but he wanted to keep going! We hit the next cul-de-sac over as well.