:: Good Enough To Eat ::

:: this tree caught my eye on the ride today. it's apparently the favorite joint for the local woodpeckers, and the thought crossed my mind it might be tastier than the stiff-bar i'd been working on since i left the house. please pass the salt... ::

:: Gravity Demons ::

:: after loosing the game of phone tag this morning with dieter, i struck out on my own for an adventure aboard the new steed. i was secretly relieved after a fitful night worring about bonking, being dropped, or worse yet, having to be waiten for. we'd originally planned to do some climbing, and i was nervous. while wolfing down some faccia luna pizza with the rakkit-brawl crew the other day, i had proclaimed 'i'm so fat, i'm going to go on 2 diets.' i was only half kidding. grad school has not been kind to both my mind and waist line the last few months. so back to the story, i was relieved when i was let off the hook for a day of climbing... flats with diets are bad enough. as i headed out of town it seems that my mind was conspiring with my legs and i didn't even notice the jullian pike sign. feeling a nagging, i made a u-turn and headed away from the flat ride. my body and mind were begging to escape the punishment, but i knew it had to be done.

black mo and the back injury ruined my will to ride last year, and it was time to face the gravity demons that were lurking in the back of my mind. i figure if i can make it today this early in the season, there will be no reason to fear them again. as julian kicked, the pvd jt remix started playing and my cadence quickened. as i lowered the jersey zipper, i almost raised lunch, and decided to back off a touch. eventually the top of the climb was in sight. 'welcome to moshannon', 'it's been awhile' seemed to be implied. the reservoir was still ice covered, and the air chilled to the bone. the views as always didn't disappoint. the descent down the 1500+ foot drop around loose gravel switchbacks left a smile on my face that took hours to fade. not even bonking on the final climb could wipe it away. i saw the man with the hammer, and laughed him off, digging deep into the energy reserves. no records were set today, but i no longer have to fear the gravity demons this season. ::

:: Carbon ::

:: ...carbon carbon carbon titanium carbon carbon carbon... ::

:: Anticipation ::

:: she has arrived, snuggled safely (i hope) in the bicycle shop basement still in it's shipping box. i haven't opened it yet; saving the glory for tomorrow. gives me something to get out of bed for in the morning. any ideas for a good feminine name? ::

:: Fudge Update '07 ::

:: the mc.chump fudge shoppe has been working overtime producing this years batch of the infamous irish cream wiskey fudge, a recipe that has been handed down from my grand-pappy, and slightly modified by plump.chump hisself. three batches were made this year in rapid succession. batch #1 turned out excellent. batch #2 however, was a little off due primarily in part to the sampling of batch #1. upon much more careful measurements (and several glasses of water to sober up) batch #3 was also a success. after warning our staff assistant that 1) it was stronger than usual, and 2) it might be a bit soft at room temperature due to 1), she said "i don't care if i have to eat it with a spoon, don't change a thing next year..." dieter: "yum!" mum mc.chump, who moonlights as a tea-totaler, commented "it's delicious! strong, but delicious!" pop mc.chump was too busy fighting mum mc.chump to comment. ::

:: Another One ::

:: ... bites the dust. another big news email today; my roommate and best friend from undergrad is tying the knot this summer. that's the second one this week... the other being my only classmate from undergrad. and the third one this month... my training partner from undergrad. if you count the two this past fall that makes five. and two babies. and i can honestly say i am happy for all of them. but i find it ironic that exactly two years ago today, sitting in the same place even, i got news that wasn't nearly as pleasant and is probably the reason it will be a long while before i have good news to share of the caliber like alot of my friends are having lately. don't get me wrong, i have a fantastic relationship with inanimate things... bicycles, my motorcycle and car, and matlab (at least occasionally anyway). the last thing i wast to do is detract from their joy; i just hope someday i'll feel like i can open up and have similar news to share. just don't hold your breath. ::

:: It's On ::

:: monday am sitting at 'work' the back was twinging, and thoughts of another season over before it started crept in. since productivity was exceptionally low anyway, i phoned the shop and scheduled a fitting. g-man quickly noticed a 1.5cm hip imbalance, and coupled with low knees and high hips, the fitting took alot longer than either of us expected. after flipping the stem for a wicked rise, tweaking fore aft position, cleat placement, and adding a shojo sized saddle, i was off. aside from feeling like i was 11ft tall and being wary of corners, i felt like a new cyclist. for the first time in almost 9 months no twinge. generally after a ride it feels like there's been a parade of elephants across my back, but now it's like i've been to the spa. tuesday am we tweaked the tt position, and thankfully for my ego it doesn't look like my walmart inspired road bike. on the way home i was about to hit some construction when the flagger flipped the sign, smiled and waved. i shifted into 55x11 and put my head down and thought, it's on. ::

:: now i just have to }squeeze{ into my skinsuit... ::

:: Rakkit Bump ::

:: rough day for the chumpster today was. first at the work game, and then on the courts. i should have known better... when my head isn't in it it's never pretty. a few games ago chumpster almost got knocked out when the wall ran into him. just when i thought the bruises and bumps both physical and mental were fading and gebnor was making cameos once in awhile, wham! thankfully the court survived to brawl another day. now to ease my bumps with some ice(cream) ::

impressive, eh?