December | 2009 | Close The Door!

Archive for December, 2009

Post Xmas Update

Posted in Family on December 28, 2009 | 8 Comments »

We survived xmas. Kids were up at 5AM, but I made them go back to bed and read books until we were ready to go down. Benji had a new bike down there and we wanted to witness the moment, you know.

Incredibly, that WORKED and they played and read books up there till 745!!! Ok, they tried to sneak down a couple times but I caught them.

So, lots of fun toys for the boys. Their Oma and Opa in Germany got the DS’s so they were video gaming non damn stop for two days. That led to gaming in bed under the covers, etc. etc. which led to video game hangovers. Ahh, the firsts, its so special to witness your children’s first moments, isn’t it? First hangover is especially touching.

I am not really getting back into work yet, taking it easy thru the 1st. Mommy had to go in, so she took Noah with her. He, of course, grabbed all the DS games and took them with him, so Benji had none to play with. He got a sweet motorized Lego set for xmas, though, so we had to tear down the initial build and tackle something else.

Since we had the time, we decided to try the hardest thing in the “constructions”, which is what he still calls the “instructions”. This ended up being a ridiculously complicated truck, with steering wheel, roll cage, operable hood (front hinged, just like the real thing). This took us a solid three hours to complete. It was impossible. He was particularly happy with the result, though, and I guess that makes it all worth while. He is quite a stickler for following the directions explicitly, but we did ad lib some at the end with roof lights. Big trucks need lots of roof lights.

As for me, I scored some nice old man gifts. Wifey got me a damned Snuggy (hardy har har…) and a heated vibrating back pad (SCORE!). Here I am excitedly telling all my tweeps!

Joke is on Wifey, as the back massager has a heated testicle mode (FTW!). Yah, married guys, take note! All of woman kind just lost a little of their man control…and we just got a remote control!

On Saturday we all headed out to take the boys to the Chipmunks the Squeaquel. God, that was punishment. I survived, but it was touch and go. On the way home I had to stop by the beer store for a reward. I broke my own “only one $7 beer and the rest $4 and under” rule, and loaded up with THREE spendy beers. I promptly drained one, it was yummy. I have one left, but as soon as I push publish on this update, I am headed right for the beer fridge.

Sunday, we all sat around and watch CYCLOCROSS LIVE on my giant 50″ plasma TV! YES! I finally tried outputting the VTR4 feed to my TV via the HDMI cable, man, that worked awesome! The feed quality has gone way up, must be HD over there now. The larger picture was not grainy at all, it was so awesome. Noah and I loved it, and even Wifey followed the action. Cross is freaking MADE for TV, and they do a great job in Belgium with the cameras, covering pretty much the whole darned race. I will never be able to watch on my laptop and be satisfied by that again. Ruined.

Ok, that is about all I have. Hoping for some decent snow one of these days, as winter without snow is A DRAG. I just picked up some tele gear on craigslist, which I hope will get me out more with Noah. I am sort of over clomping around on the board while trying to “ski” with a 5 and 8 year old. Of course, while a great deal, the gear is over in NH. If anyone reading this is headed to VT any time soon, I will give you my gas money if you want to shuttle my shit!

Happy New Year, and remember, while 2009 was the year of LAME, 2010 is going to be the year of BADASS!

Read Full Post »

The best movie quote EVAR! (K)Bar None!

Posted in Other than bikes on December 23, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Just googled this. I read it, and of course got all choked up. Powerful stuff. To think most people don’t like the Col. Jessup character as a person. I think he is an idol, the gold standard. Almost makes me like Jack Nicholson, cause really, who else could have played him?

Best Monolog since Shakespear:

Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessup): Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have more responsibility here than you could possibly fathom.

You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.

I know deep down in places you dont talk about at parties, you don’t want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand to post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to!

Best Zinger:

Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessup): You see Danny, I can deal with the bullets, and the bombs, and the blood. I don’t want money, and I don’t want medals. What I do want is for you to stand there in that faggoty white uniform and with your Harvard mouth extend me some fucking courtesy. You gotta ask me nicely.

Read Full Post »

Christmas Message – Warning, Sappy

Posted in Other than bikes on December 23, 2009 | 1 Comment »

My wife gets a Marine Corps Christmas poem every year from a WWII Vet, Marine, who lives in one of the properties she manages. He still marches around in his USMC jacket and cap, looking sharp, with his military alignment and all. Its about The Pride, people.

Anyway, this reminds me of the best monolog in cinematic HISTORY, Jack Nicholson as Col. Jessup, in the court room when that little snot Tom Cruise “cracks” him. I always interpreted it differently. More of a lack of fear and remorse for what he had done and the obvious consequences. Given the alternative of hiding the truth, or lieing to protect himself, he did what Marines do, he went on the offensive in a blaze of courtroom glory. It was beautiful and always chokes me up. I suspect I am one of the few who gets choked up by the courtroom scene in A Few Good Men…what can I say.

Anyway, here is my little dose of xmas shlop for the internets.

A Different Christmas Poem

. . and a reminder of who’s keeping us safe

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear..

Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,

“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light

Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,

I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”

“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,”

Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue… An American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall..”

” So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”

“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,

“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,

For being away from your wife and your son.”

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

Read Full Post »

Last Ride of ‘09 – Ride #91 – NATZ!

Posted in race reports, Training Log on December 16, 2009 | 7 Comments »

After the SS, we came back to the awesome rental house and chillaxed. I got a massage. Bart Bowen owns the joint, and ran my credit card. That was cool. I never pass up the opportunity to heckle a PRO, so I let him know I was right there when he wiped out in the last corner of ’98 Natz in Devons, taking out Mahk the Shahk and letting Page get 3rd. He remembered it VIVIDLY and went on and on about it. We had a nice laugh.

Saturday dragged on, I was not feeling like racing. We headed over at noon and did hot laps. It was now muddy as hell, and wet. I much preferred the frozen conditions of Friday as it was way more slippery (negating WATTS) and it was dry so my ass did not get wet and my bike did not get ruined.

Skinny hit the turbo and Gewilli and I just hung the fuck out. I eventually rode in the parking lot for 20 minutes. Gewilli did too, but of course he rolled a tire doing it and almost did not race! 200 pounders are hell on tubies. It was Chips loaner wheel, too. Eventually ROB KRAMER! hooked him up and he made it.

I lined up like 10th row. Skinny got shafted out of his #6 call up cause the people that run scoring and staging at Natz are really bad at what they do. Sorry. How do you screw up top 8 from last year? So he was 34th. I watched the video and he was 20th at the stairs, which is almost the end of the lap, so he for sure would have been better than 12th if he got away clean. Turns out it happened to Bob, the owner of Planet Bike, last year as well. Tight. Really tight.

I lined up outside right, as usual. There was a hole in the middle a row up so I made the pass. No one wanted to be dead smack in the middle of the 10th row of 10 wide at natz. But I owned it. HTFU right? The gun goes off and there was not a total 10 second pause like usual. It was rather a slow roll out. Nice. I slid around a bit, but not much, as it stayed packed and steady till the first left hander. There it was a parking lot. I stopped, gradually and calmly, as it was totally packed, guys down, etc. In return, I got straight up RUN THE FUCK OVER from behind. It was like being on the fence at a concert and being crushed when the band comes over and starts throwing their underwear into the crowd. I was physically thrust forward and almost knocked down and trampled.

That pissed me off and I told them so, using some foul language. I mean, WTF assholes, do you not see us here OFF our bikes, standing? You think you can just ride THROUGH me? Get the fuck off and control yourself and your bike, shit for brains. If you are behind ME, you already SUCK so pull your head out of your ass, you Cat 3 Old Man piece of shit. Really. I mean really. WTF is with some people?

Personally, I think my starts are so good because I am relaxed. I dont AMP UP on the speed metal, or start shaking all over, hunched over my bike, etc. I relax, I line up smart, in the right gear, and watch for creases and sprint thru them and I rarely if ever have a problem and always move up.

I ran through the corner once it started moving, actaully slipping up a few spots as everyone went wide right, but there was not even a fence on the left, down to the pits, so you could hop out there and have a clear line. I rode that in my pre ride laps, knowing the edges is where you would be riding on the first lap. Worked out well.

From there, I just settled in and followed wheels. I never really got passed, and not alot of guys really came back at me, and I did not really pass alot of guys. It was almost like we were seeded by ability (huh…) and so the race sort of stretched out cleanly. It was crowded for 3 laps, but not walking or stopping crowded, except lap one on the stair, and again on the crazy uphill-off camber-downhill. I hit the low line on that as the high line was a conga line of guys shuffling thru. That was great except that someone completely yardsaled off the high-mid line and right down onto my line, right in front of me. It was a barely controllable free fall as it was, so there was no stopping and I piled right into him, going ass over tea kettle myself. Our bikes were hooked, etc. but we stayed calm and got it undone. I lost about 10 spots right there, after having made a nice move to pass a bunch. Bummer.

There was very little passing room anywhere out there. Just watch the girl-cam footage over at Colin’s site. You know where it is, no need to link it. It was one or two good lines, but the turns were so closely spaced it was tough to get around more than one person. I was usually in a train of 3 or 4 so yah, passing, not so much.

We did 7 laps, and with 2 to go I suddenly had some room and felt decent. I picked it up ALOT, and in fact turned my fastest lap on lap 5. Alas, lap 6 was “get caught by the leaders” lap, and as I crossed the pavement to the grass section, which is maybe 2 minutes (out of 7) from the finish, the lead trio came thru. I pulled over and stopped as it was all one line swoopy to the stairs. I did not know how many of them were coming so I stayed over and stopped for a while, then finally continued. From there, I finished up, and caught another lapped guy on the pavement. Clearly riding slow to the finish, I was not about to pass him, so I sat up and rode next to him and across the line. No way I was passing in that scenario. Stupid.

I had a great view of the finish as I was in the chute with the top 3. I was the 8th guy lapped. Bummer. So damn close to lead lap. Not bad considering the start and all that. Plus, those guys are even faster than JONNY BOLD! so I can’t complain.

I was 33rd in SS, which stings a bit, and 83rd in M35. Pretty much on par with previous years, but I think I actually did much better in M35 this time, and SS was much bigger than previous years.

So in the end, to recap my year, I did 91 rides from Natz to Natz, saw definite improvement in my cross racing, and won 4 MTB races on the SS (ok three were training races). But still, that is my best year ever by a long shot. And I turned 38. So I feel pretty good about next year. I am going to try really hard to ride the MTB or something this winter and to get out and race weekends more this summer.

I also met alot of new people, made alot of new friends at the races (by actually talking to people…), and that makes the racing that much more fun. Hopefully that is the impetus I need to get and stay out there more this year. Next season should be that much better! Dare I hope – 100 rides?

Read Full Post »

Ride Updates and NATZ!

Posted in race reports on December 11, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Lets see, I laid around like a cripple after NBX. I would write a report but I have totally forgotten what happened. I was terrible, and all the guys I usually easily beat all beat me easily. Sweet. I did do an opener ride Friday on the trainer, and then two races, so that would be 88, 89 and NINETY! Holy hell, 90 rides in a year! No wonder I fell apart at about 80 rides. My body cant handle the volume…

So, lets see, after NBX I stayed in La Prov. Got a massage from JONNY BOLD!’s lady freind, Nancy Gillooly. She was awesome and I felt so much better for about a day.

Wednesday I flew out to PDX, and Gewilli picked me up in the biggest manvan I have ever seen. Its like a school bus. We drove a half hour, got to Hood River, got a cheap hotel and got into bed about 12:15. Gewilli promptly got into the room and dropped the worlds largest turd and plugged the toilet. It overflowed on the second flush, but with quick thinking, he closed the lid to contain the floaters. So we had to get the night manager out of bed again and get a new room (directly UNDER that one…hmmm).

Whatever, I slept well. We left in the AM and got to Bend by 1130. Got an hour on the course and went to get Skinny. Its was slick, but not too bad, more like dry snow packed up. We went back at 430 to ride again and it had glazed over something fierce. Was really frozen and rutted and slick.

We raced SS at 11AM today. They lined up by random number. Luckily Skinny got 3rd row. Gewilli got 6th row and I got 7th row. Oh well. They did not call up last years winner, etc. They also never published how they planned to line us up. The event has not been, errr, well run so far. Results have been a mess, etc. Moving on.

So off we go. I ran 42×19 which sounded HUGE. I did all my hot laps on 42×21 yesterday. Curtis ran 42×15 so I figured I better gear the fuck up if I wanted to hang. Turns out I probably could have run 42×17, 42×18 would have been perfect. That is just so huge its beyond what I ever would dare to run in a SS cross race, but it was fast out there.

I caught Gewills at the turn off the pavement, I squeaked thru by rim running the fence, as usual, he was caught a bit and I blasted off down the course. I moved up pretty well the whole time, never feeling like I was pushing my legs really hard. Its not a course where you can bury yourself, its alot of finess with the ice and all. That is an idication that I should have run a harder gear I guess, but it was fun and my fitness is VERY suspect at this point.

With 2 to go, it had strung out alot and it was actually sort of lonely. I was on Jared Roy of Crossniacs and looking good. I had a group chasing hard behind us. Then, one to go we all started going hard. I did feel some leg fatigue by that point. Regardless, the higher speed led to the inevitable crash, and I stacked it on the left hander into the pit area. I got passed by the group, got on, went passed the pits and crashed on the NEXT left hander. Somehow I magaged to skin up both sides of my hips, though. I must have high sided one. Back up, charging hard but feeling pretty deflated. I made one nice pass but that was it and I never got back passed the group, though I had the legs. Its single speed stupid. Don’t fall off.

I ended up 33rd, though it took the TWO FUCKING HOURS to post results. Really. No shit. I waited till 1:15 at the venue, nothing. Finally bailed. Gewilli went back and called me with results. Skinny got 8th after being 3rd all day. He crashed as well and lost posistion and got caught behind lapped riders. Gewilli was 59th, first guy not on lead lap. Damn, so close. He said he was under geared (he was 2×1).

Pretty ridiculous results took that long. I MUST assume they have a fucking camera in there, and we had arm and back numbers on. That is how it has been for EVERY damn field. So not PRO. Really, the production here is pretty effing LAME. Sportsbase is just not up to snuff, AGAIN. Every damn year all the same problems that we never see at Verge. We are so spoiled.

Anyhoo, I got a coupon for massage, 50 bucks for an hour. I am all over that, though my hips are ripped up. Saturday at 230 we do 35 plus masters. I dont care much about that race, and line up 106th of like 200, so what can you expect? Not much. Single speed is my goal race, and I blew my goal of top 30. This is my worst result ever in SS, but it was a serious race field, no freaky freaks that I saw, at all. Bunch of skinny fuckers on nice bikes, actually. We had a full field too. Bout a 100.

Ok, time to go get rubbed down, and then start drinking!

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »

Close The Door!

Carharts and Manclogs

Archive for December, 2009

Post Xmas Update

The best movie quote EVAR! (K)Bar None!

Christmas Message – Warning, Sappy

Last Ride of ‘09 – Ride #91 – NATZ!

Ride Updates and NATZ!

Archives

Categories

Pages

Follow “Close The Door!”