Where have I been??????

For those of you that are regular readers, you are probably wondering what I have been up to.....

• working
• sleeping
• worked on monkey boys bike
• Got a Christmas tree
• working
• worked on Steeves new ride
• working
• tried to see a movie
• working

I think you get the picture.


Haven't heard form Monkey Boy....

So at this point I can only assume that Monkey boy has started his trek to Florida. It was supposed to start Saturday. I worked on Stevens new TT bike and he had not heard from him either. So we will assume he is on his way and should be about 300 miles into his trip by now.


Like I said I have been busy......

So the Christmas peak is finally coming to an end and I should be able to get back to a somewhat normal life. I hope to get on the bike this weekend for the Tour de Liquor and then back to spinning next week. I wont be able to teach a morning class this year but hope to do some in the evenings.

We also got our Christmas tree up and decorated. Of course flick and his mom were unable to decide which tree to pick and I as usual had trouble explaining that trees look much smaller out in the woods than they do in our living room.

I also forgot that Flick myself SAM and Goliath have been working on a new christmas dance number...Enjoy

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I think my brain is asleep.....

So after another long day I headed for the gas station for a fill-up. So I pull up to the pump and run in to prepay since it seams that there was a rash of pump and run when prices were high...although I heard of none.

Anyway I come back out to pump my gas and for the life of me I cant find the gas cap on my truck...which is normally located on the drivers side. So I get in turn the truck around, walk to the other side and what do yo know.....no fuel cap. Now I am frustrated so I walk back to the other side and guess what miraculously appears.....my gas cap. So back into the truck and turn it around again and out again to pump. All the while some guy is watching this all transpire and all I could do was look at him...smile..and say..."its been a long day".

Monkeyboys off to Florida......

That's right folks and he isn't using his frequent flier miles either. He is riding his bike. this is a new endeavor for him and I hope that he does not regret it. Not saying that he isn't physically able it is just probably the wrong time of the year to do it is all.

I'm Beat.......

this week has really taken its toll on me. working from 2:30 am until some days after 5 weren't so bat until I got a cold. I figure I will be better by sometime after Christmas since that's when the hours at UPS will cut back.


Kick a man while he is down...........

So I have been working at UPS and doing drafting work. I was hired to help out with a project that is coming to an end so I am pretty sure I will be out of that job shortly. So as I said let the pointed toe kicking begin......

• Job uncertainty
• Grandmother admitted to the Hospital. Not sure what is wrong...maybe a stroke
• Feel like crap due to illness
• And for the cou-de-gra......... Sam was to the vet today, he has been limping around, and they feel that he has bone cancer and there is nothing to be done for him so his time with us may be limited

The bright side........

Some may wonder how that could be but the lord does work in mysterious ways.

• I know that I will find another job
• My Grandmother has lived a very full and happy life. Not extravagant but happy and full of love
• I will get better

Sam on the other hand is not going so easy.......

I have only had a few dogs in my life and only in my adult life. We did not have pets as kids. Annie was the first. she was a beagle and one of the best ones I have ever hunted with. we would hunt from sun up to sun down, and on more that one occasion I actually carried her out of the woods. I spent a lot of time with that dog both hunting and at the house in the yard. She was obedient and would even retrieve a rabbit that was shot ( a real rarity). then she got some kind of hip disease common to beagle and i had to put her down. I couldn't bare to be in the room with her when they did it so I left the room with tears in my eyes. they latter brought her out to me and I took her home and buried her and cried some more. She was my dog so my wife did not experience the loss I had.

Mandy was the next...Annie's replacement. She was a good hunter as well but I no longer had the time to spend with her so I gave her to my nephew.

Next was Lance.....the first family pet. He was a blond lab mix and had lots of personality. He would go mountain biking with us and was a hoot., He could not stand to be last but never got in the way. He was awesome but as one man dog. he never really took to my wife and wen my son got old enough to move around on his own Lance turned on him so I had to give him away.

Now Sam.....Sam is probably one of the best behaved Golden retrievers you will ever see. Obedient to a fault and goes out of his way to please and will chase a ball until your arm hurts. We would go to work with me every day. I would ride my bike he would run. He did that from almost the time we brought him home. He would stop at all the stop signs on command and never got distracted...even if there were other dogs around. He is truly a family dog and I know that this is going to be a blow to all of us. My wife is already crying about it and I am sure that my son and I are next.

Goliath....... Goliath is our dumb blond. He is also a golden retriever but has a totally different personality from Sam. He is a lover and desires constant attention. he is pretty cool but not near the dog that Sam is.

The Christma lights were hung from the gutters with care..........L

That is if you consider a ladder propped up on a one side with a brick with care...more like careless I would say. But what must be done by one man must be done and they all mostly work so I am happy. I don't particularly like ladders, as I have had many friends over the years fall off of them and I think the statistics bare out that.


Ahh the holidays..........

So may of you are used to seeing me on one of these since it is the holiday season you will probably see me in one of these I would be curious to know how much the volume has increased over the years since the Internet.....my guess is three fold but I don't know. I do know this.....Internet shopping rules these days and you would not believe what is on those trucks most days bot in items and quantity. I have actually put a shoulder to the door to get it shut some days.


Probably shouldn't say anything........

So my wife and I have been having some unsettling experiences with some people from our church. Now I must say that it is not earth shattering but it is definitely something you would not expect from people that you worship with. I almost decided not to blog about this situation since many who read this know me and where I worship, but then again, for me not to say anything is completely out of character. Not only that my wife and I think the world of bot of our pastors and families as well as our congregation as a whole so all the more reason to write.

So this whole thing started with one couple in our church and it had now blossomed into more. It actually started a couple of years ago, and actually it started with the husband. We have been attending this church since before were were married and only left for a few years since we were no longer in the area, but would still come back once and a while for a visit. It was a couple of years after we had come back that we were invited to a Church members home for a small dinner party. we went and had a really good time and met some wonderful people, including said couple. We talked and had some wonderful fellowship, but from there it was down hill. At first he would only speak to us sporadically at church and all but ignored us if he saw us in public...today it is as if my wife and I do not exist to either he or his wife...except for the few times that they came into my former business looking for a deal or when we give them not choice but to say hello. Now what bothers me the most about this particular couple is that He is a deacon and she is a worship leader in our church, which to me seams hypocritical and as a church member am concerned for how the church is perceived when others outside the church encounter these people (read the Sunday ride report at the bottom) because I find it hard to believe that we are the only ones.My wife actually could not wait to get out of church last Sunday after hearing him read from the lectern and watching her help lead worship.

Like I said there are a couple of others as well. One is a person that is in our home fellowship group. this person actually goes out of their way to avoid us wbut their spouse is always friendly the other is another couple that we used to attend their home fellowship group, and there have been a few others as well that I don't know quite as well.

I am really in a quandary because my wife is fed up and wants to try out some other churches. while I really like our pastors and don't want to jump ship.

A 23 degree mountain bike ride is better than indoor training any day......

Back on the bike today after over a month off. Between Archery season and work I have not had much time for anything else. Starting work at 3:30 am and finishing up my day at 5:00 pm makes Rich a tired boy, zombie like you might say. Oh well, I enjoyed the season and work isn't so bad either.

Man did it feel good even though the temperature did not go over 30 deg and was closer to 20 when we finished. Monkey boy, Scott and myself did 1 1/2 hours in whites woods today with little trouble. Riding in the snow is plenty fun but can also make steep descents , with switchbacks impossibly fun. The riding was superb and I actually was dressed correctly. Dressing for winter riding can be difficult. Don't wear too much or you will sweat to death, wear too little and freeze. the only thing that was cold on me today was my toes as usual. I could not find my winter booties so shame on me.

It was really good to get out and ride with monkey boy and this was the first time I had ridden with Scott.


I"ll keep buying them til I fond one that shows me what I want to see......

So I was helping out around the house today and came across another scale. Now you must know that over the years I have seen many of these devices in my home and rarely place a foot on them, but finding this one today made me curious so I asked my wife how many of these things we needed to buy, her reply....."I will keep buying them until I find one that tells me what I want to here." I really did not expect that response but I guess that all of these years of being around me and my smart@&& friends for the past 15 years, a little is bound to rub off. Which means that my son will probably be a comedian when he grows up, or just be plain intolerable.

Dirty....Dirty....

Well it has been quite some time since my hands have been greasy but they were definitely dirty today. Steve brought over Hannah's bike for me to swap the comps to his new/old TCR alliance frame. this should be a nice upgrade for here. She has been riding an OCR2 for about a year now and doing quite well with it.

Steve is all a twitter over his new ride, a 09 Specialized Tarmac frame that he put his other parts on. He really likes the way that it rides, nothing quite like carbon.


Spooky.....Spooky.....


My son and I carved pumpkins the other evening. He drew the faces and I cut them out. he did a pretty good job for a little guy. He still wont touch the pumpkin gut though.I did however sneak up on him and dump a handful down his shirt. He nor his mother failed to see the humor in that, as usual, but did find humor in him doing it to me. That made things all better.



Speaking of Spooky..........

Did you happen to catch Obamas 30 minute, I'm the greatest thing to happen to government infomercial last evening. I hope that the public realizes that it was just that, a commercial, not necessarily reality TV if you get my drift. Shoot, after watching that I was almost ready to vote for him.Unfortunately though the general public is much like my son. If it on a TV commercial it must be true. Grab onto your wallets folks...its going to be a bumpy ride.

Sundays L.E.R.......

Low effort riding that is........ couldn't get out til after 1:00 on Sunday so I missed the regular ride and went out on my own. I was kind of glad to miss the ride because not only did I need a low effort workout but It has been a long time since I have just gone out by myself.

Riding with the group is allot of fun but riding alone allows you just to ride....no particular destination or pace, and nobody to talk to. It also gives you time to reflect. I guess that it doesn't necessarily mean that you wont have any conversation though. I most often find myself praying or just talking to the lord. As a christian I am as guilty as anybody for not spending enough time in prayer.Now I have made much improvement,but i believe that we all fall short in this area of our lives and that we should always seek ways or time to make it a part of our daily life.

I rode for about 2 hours and had a really nice time.


Still Hunting......................

Went hunting on Monday evening.....as usual I got there later than I wanted but had a pretty good hunt. Saw a small buck on my way in and rattled in a small six pointer that spent a good 10 minutes under my stand. I don't know if I will hunt any more weekday evenings though, getting up at 3:00 am every day for work and staying up until 9:30 pm is starting to wain on me. I guess we do turn the clocks back next week though, and it will be getting dark earlier so maybe I will continue.

Gone Hunt'in........

As I said before its Hunting season so the bike kind of moves to the back burner for a while.I was out both Friday and Saturday afternoons. Friday was a pretty good day. After walking in on another hunter I had to rethink my strategy for the day. So I set up in an area I have never hunted before.

I found a tree suitable for my climber and took a perch about 20 feet up and relaxed.I arrived a little later than I wanted to mostly because of the other hunter being in the spot I had originally planned to hunt but that really did not concern me. I enjoy being out as much as anything else, I just missed out on an hour of relaxation is all.. So after sitting for r a while I pulled out my rattling antlers and started to make some noise. I rattled for about 5 minutes and waited. then I rattled again for about 2.

Now I have never used any tactic for hunting that has worked as well or consistently as rattling except for a grunt tube. But that usually only works if you actually see a deer and can intemperate how he is responding to the noises you are making. So I waited about 30 minutes and started again for another 3 or 4 more minutes. I put the antlers down and just waited. I must have been off my game a little because I just happened to look to my right and there was a pretty nice little 6 point standing right there. He was a 1 1/2 year old deer and was sporting his first rack. Where I hunt the deer have to have at least 4 points on a side so I let him walk. I probably would have anyway since hes was such a young deer. That was the only deer I saw on Friday except for the one that I spooked when climbing down out of the tree.

More Hunt'in.......

Saturdays hunt went pretty good. I got out a little later than i wanted to and the deer were already on the move. All in all I saw over 20 deer on the day.

My brother and I are very fortunate to be able to hunt the property that we do. It actually belongs to some long time family friends of mine. it consists of 130 acres surrounded by about 2000 acres of private land. i have permission to hunt both their property and a neighboring property that consist of over 700 acres, so there is ample room. The only rule is don't shoot any of the does hanging around the farm house and don't shoot the white buck..... These are pretty easy rules to follow in returned for the great hunting opportunities.

The only other other place I hunt that produces the quality deer I see here are some public game lands close to my house, but I don't spend too much time there, even though I have seen some of the biggest bucks there as well.


I should really carry a camera....

So I set up in one of my favorite spots and as I said the deer were already on the move. So I did a little rattling and waited. I saw a bunch of does but no antlers. then about 40 minutes or so before dark 2 does come balling by my stand with their tails tucked and the hair standing up on their backs. they come to the field and abruptly stop and then meander on into the field. So I stand there for a minute listening and I here another deer approaching. Now I am pretty sure that a mature buck is coming due to the loud guttural grunting I am hearing approach. So I grab my bow and wait. Pretty soon he appears..........."THE WHITE BUCK".

Now he is not your normal white buck, he is actually a palomino buck. Brown at the head turning to spots then white at the rear. He also has a dark chocolate rack, and unlike most palomino bucks his rack is perfect. He is an 8 point with plenty of mass and I would say at least a 18" spread, and would probably score in the 130'-140's. Needless to say he is beautiful and would make an awesome mount.

So he approaches the field and stops about 15 feet from my stand and works a scrape, then moves out into the field and walks right in front of me, nose to the ground. What an awesome display. I think that I am going to start carrying my video camera all the time now. There is so much to see in the outdoors and I would like to be able to share what I see with others.

Antler carvings

Didn't ride yesterday. My wife had to work so my son and I went to the woods for some leaf collecting and deer recon. We really had a great time. I really enjoy sharing the things I enjoy with my family and they are always more than happy to oblige. so we collected many leaves and also inspected some deer sign. It is so cool the interest young children have in things they know nothing of. i showed him sum Deer rubs only stating to him that that is were the deer rub their antlers. he said, "cool, antler carvings". then we went to inspect the pond and found a couple of scrapes which he dubbed "deer diggings". we had a great time, the only drawback is that I become so enthralled with explaining things to him that I often forget to take pictures.I di get this photo on our way out though.


The SNUGGIE???????...Oh brother......

I think that the Jedi should get credit for this one. It appears it also comes with some new fangeled Light Saber, you would definitely need it if you planned on wearing these things in public, an di wonder if they are fire proof.........Enjoy the lunacy...........

The original JEDI SNUGGIE...........













Then there is this of course........

Finally remembered what I did two Sundays ago.......

I just finished reading Steve's blog and my memory was jolted back two weeks. On that Sunday, Steve, Matt, Zewack, Nicoll, Hammer and Myself did the Three man loop. We stayed together pretty god until we left 286 to McEntire the steady climb and accelerations left a couple of guys a little short as we approached the steeper part of the road. We then waited and regrouped for the big climb to Parkwood and finally regrouped again at sportsman's club road. Everybody pretty much hung on til 422 then Nicoll took it up a notch and He, Hammer and myself spit the rest of the guys right off the back and never let up until the end.We all had a pretty good ride and it really feels good to come home with little or nothing left.


By the way which ones PINK.........

Went to the Benedem to see the Austrailian Pink Floyd on Tusday October 7th. What a spectacular show. We kind of decided to go at the last minute so our seats could have been a little better but there really aren't any bad seats at the Benedum Center so it was still OK. They played The Wall front to back with some theatrics and video. It is hard to believe how much they sounded like the original and I don't think anybody left disappointing, I actually have the movie playing in the background right now. If you have never seen the movie before it is a must see for any Floyd Fan..... set aside 90 minutes follow this link and enjoy or if you have already sen it, enjoy it again. They also played about a 45 minute set from The Dark side Of The Moon. If you get the chance to see this band or the Pink Floyd Experience you really should go.

This kind of puts things into perspective.........

A friend of mine did Iron Cross this past weekend and had a bad day (flat tire). Anyway he is a good writer and has written many anecdotal stories over the years, most of which are hilarious, this one however shows another side of Mike which is why we all love him so much.....enjoy.

No Joy In Muddville

Three major races this season and three major disappointments. Mohican 100‐total implosion with 10 miles to go and then a wrong turn, adding 6 miles. Wilderness 101‐broken rib at mile 67 and then limping into the finish. Finally, Iron Cross, my shot at redemption‐a torn tire at mile 47 of 62. I was well on my way to shattering my personal best, when it all went rushing away, like the air from the 3” gash in my rear tire. I’ve spent the last 24 hours sulking, thinking of wasted efforts from thousands of training miles, hours suffering in heat, cold, rain. Long lonely miles working towards goals left unfulfilled and dreams left unrealized.

The more I thought about things gone wrong, the more bummed I became. Then it hit me like a frying pan; what a complete tool I am. It’s pretty ridiculous that I could be so self absorbed to actually be upset that a couple bike races didn’t go well. Over the last two years; I’ve watched a friend return to the bike after a life threatening illness. I’ve watched another friend come back to competitive cycling after battling a heart disorder. So many others, with REAL problems. Financial distress. Marital problems. Sick children. Lost jobs. Fire. Plague. Petulance…Bad bike race… My God…please. Riding a bike is a luxury, racing a bike a privilege. My friends have taught me that. It’s a lesson that I’ve needed to relearn and apparently must remind myself frequently. How many things do we take for granted? Far too many I’m afraid. Go out and ride your bike…just because you can.

Back at it........

Haven t been posting much lately. Been busy with work and such. Haven't been riding too much either. I have only ridden twice in the past two weeks. I rode this past Sunday and the Sunday before adn that is it. Gabe and I rode to the park this afternoon so I guess I did do something on the bike.

I cant quite remember the previous Sundays ride but this past Sunday, Rich, Hammer, Matt, Andy, Botsford and Jason did the Bar Slope loop headed out Airport to Hoodschool then back to Airport to 286. Then into Clymer to 403 to Bar Slope the back home through Tanoma. I was really kind of looking foreword to a easy ride since I haven't been riding too much, but as usual it wa not long before things got in a hurry. Riding with these guys is real similar to racing except that instead of having a big group of guys to hide behind when you don't feel good there are usually only 4 at best and if you lose contact your sunk.

So it was your usuall reindeer games and such and I survived to win a couple of township line sprints. The heart is behaving pretty well these days adn I am happy for that.


IRON CROSS UPDATE........

Brownie, and Dirty Mike did Iron Cross VI this past weekend and I wish I could have been thee but was not able to make it this year. Brownie actually added to his suffering by doing Iron Cross light the day before. For those of you that aren't familiar with Iron Cross, here is the skinny. Iron Cross is a 62 mile long Cyclocross Race (follow link for more description) where you ride a bike very similar to a road bike through the woods, fire roads and such. Mike flatted and Brian did it in just over 65 hours not quire beating his designated mark. This really surprises me because Brian is probably one of the most fit people I know. He actually placed 2nd overall in the PA State Time Trial Championships. He just does not do well in mass start races for some reason. Probably partly mental and partly a lack of specific training in short all out repeated efforts.


Time for my other obsession.......

Well fall is here and so it is time to start thinking about archery season.......... I haven't done a whole lot of hunting the past few years and really hope to be able to get out a little bit more this year. it is things like this that keep me interested.......
























All score 126 or better, the first I hunted for 3 years , missing him once and finally shooting him right under my tree stand on October 31, 1998 the other two I could not wait and when we crossed paths in rifle season I could not pass them up. I had a buddy that totally focused on archery and let a lot of bucks pass in rifle season. He later in life regretted doing that so I decided not to follow in his footsteps....


Some Bail out huh..........

Well the Dow dropped again today......I must say that at this point I am unaffected, since as most people I know, I don't have enough money invested to be concerned and definitely not enough in the bank to not be covered by the FDIC. Shoot most of the people I know have less money on hand than they spent on their bikes........ I hope that things turn soon, but I really don't see that happening for another year at best.

Sunday ride report to follow

lots of stuff to write about. will get to it tomorrow.

Been busy.......

Haven't been writing much lately. I have been busy working and studying. As some of you know I have been in business for myself for the last six years and finally, after a hard two years, decided to get out. I have found gainful employment, and currently testing for another job though, so all is good.


Its about time............

So it appears that OJ has finally gotten caught red handed, please excuse the pun. I cant believe that he got off the first time and was elated to see him found guilty in the civil suit. His finatial situation must be a lot different that it was duing his first trial.


O.K John Give Us some Names..........

So John McCaine has promised to elimainate the PORK in Washington when he becomes president. I think that he should start know by letting us all know who is responsible for all of the PORK added to the big Bailout Legislation.


Speeking of Government.........

I think this kllady has a pretty good grasp on reality.............

O.K. Maybe not but it is funny though.........

Saturday Ride Report......

Rode with Steve, Brownie, and The Beachcomber this past Saturday. We started out doing the 3 man loop but happened to chase the rain down so we diverted onto 217 to Thompson road then back to Indiana. IT turned out to be 34 miles or so and was a bit harder than I actually wanted to ride so I bagged the Sunday Mountain bike ride for this week.No heart problems today and the Beachcomber actually passed up two work gloves thsu missing out on a pair.

I really Do Not Like Politicians.....

So if is is so important that they pass this legislation to bail out all the rich CEO's of these defunct financial institutions, why them are they going home for a couple of days before they reconvene on Thursday to revisit the situation. Meanwhile the stock market is taking a nose dive. And these are the very same people that are going to manage this money as well.......give me a break, all they can manage to do is spend and take days off, or better yet not even show up for work on a regular basis.

Thursday Trounce.......

Well last nights ride turned out to be the usual fair. I figured that since Nicoll was at interbike, that we could have a good recovery ride from Wednesday nights outing....no such luck. Andy, Botsfrord and Steve showed up and Andy suggested the Tanoma loop after I was done pining about how tired I was from Wednesday. So we headed out, me thinking that it was going to be a fairly easy ride.

We had a fairly leisurely ride for the first few miles until we reached the new pavement at the Airport the Steve started to pick up the pace....buckle up. My legs wee feeling a little flat so I migrated to the back til we got onto Hood School Road then it was game on.Everybody seemed to be feeling a little frisky..even Botsford was riding strong. He hasn't been out with us much this year due to some chronic back pain, attributed to a large farm tractor flipping over onto him a few years back. Luckily guy to survive that. He is having surgery sometime this year to try to solve the problem.

Really ended up being a fast ride and I felt pretty good once we got going. Brownie and I are riding on Saturday afternoon....maybe I can talk him into riding easy.


Here is a cool biking story.........

This guy walked into my store a few years back and started to me he wanted to buy a bike and ride across the country. Now this may not seam like and odd statement but you must understand that Joseph, up until this point had only been riding a short time and had done nothing but Rails-to trails. Far be it from me to put the damper on ones dreams, so we talked for a while and I fit him up with a nice Cannondale T2000. He picked up the bike and a few weeks later started on his journey across the Northern part of the country. Long story short he made it with no real issues. He called me a couple times along the way and has doe several trips since. Here is the short version of the latest.....enjoy.

Rich,

Enjoyed your blog. Just thought you might like to know I did a month long tour of central Europe this spring . Did a month in Germany and Switzerland last summer.

Flew to Munich (second year in a row), took train down to Rome to meet up with my little sister, then back to Munich to pick up my bike and head by train to Linz, Austria to rendezvous with a fellow I met 2 years ago in N.Dakota when crossing the USA. We rode down the Danube (Doneau to the Germans) to Vienna, onward downstream to Bratislava, Slovak Republic then headed north east through rural Slovakia along the south side of the small Carpathian Mountains. After Neva Mista (New City I think from Soviet days) we headed north OVER the mountains to the south east corner of the Czech Republic and entered Poland not far from where the Czech/Poland/Hungarian borders come close together.

We were intending to visit the Nazi death camps at Auschwitz and rounded a corner and just stumbled upon the Birkenau complex. Took a 3 1/2 hour guided tour of the camps which left me physically and emotionally exhausted. It is an mind blowing experience. If you get the chance it is a must visit. You see things a bit differently after that experience.

We then cycled 45 km to Krakow, Poland which is a wonderful place with reasonable prices like I imagine Prague 15 years ago. After 2 days in Krakow we headed to Cottbus Germany by train (just over the border from Poland) and headed by bike down to Dresden, After Dresden we headed up the Elbe River to Prague. Well the Elbe does not actually go all the way to Prague but branches off so we actually followed a major tributary to Prague. Stayed a couple of days in Prague then headed cross country toward Germany with a destination of Munich. Made it all the way to Regansburg on the Danube where I cut the trip short and headed home due to illness in the family.

Spent a month and did about 1800 km. Beer in Czech Republic is US dollar 1.15 in restaurants and bars. Great stuff at the right price. Germany, Poland and Austria have great beers but the price is much higher. Slovak beer prices were also cheap but the whole country is pretty poor.

Some fair roads in Slovakia and Poland but no problems. One factor that I had not anticipated was the fact that camping is associated with the Communist era and most in Slovak, Czech Republics and Poland have closed down because everyone now has money and fancy cars to go to far off places ans stay in hotels.

No problem with bike. Need to tear down wheels and check bearings. I have never regretted purchase. Thanks for helping me get the right size. I had the bike parked on the street in Linz, Austria in front of a Internet cafe and a Austrian fellow was admiring it when I emerged from cafe. I did not have panniers mounted since I was all set up at a camp ground. He said he really liked the classic touring style. Interesting because Germans and Austrians all tour (lots of them) on very upright bikes with what I would call butterfly handlebars.

Anyway the Cannondale T2000 has not let me down and other than that first go around with the blown tire (x2) I have had excellent success with the Schwable tires. I like wide and tough touring tires.

Rich, If you ever have anybody ask questions about touring Europe have them contact me. I love to share my experiences.

Best regards,

Joe Trudo

This is comforting.........

Maybe you might want to slip your pilot a coffee next time you fly. Unless these guys are you flight crew then maybe you should just get off.

Wenesday Night Quad Buster.....

Road with Hammer, Matt, Monkeyboy, Zwack, Andy and Steve this evening. We did a through together loop which included Fulton Run, Marianne Hill, Cheese Run, Northridge Road and finished up with five points from just before the old mine shaft. 32 miles with over 3000 feet of vertical climbing, the major climbs included Marianne, Cheese Run and Northpoint.

Lots of fresh oil and chips on Ben Franklin form Marianne to 422 after the new pavement ends at the township line. Then Cheese Run turns from pavement to improved surface, if you consider dirt and gravel improved surface, then down the other side which is sort of paved but scattered with rock and dirt from the hill above.Northpoint is a road I have never done before...pretty much one big climb approximately 5 miles long or so...maybe more. then back to five points from there.

The group stayed together until we reached the regular five points loop then after we reached the summit of the climb past the mine shaft the game began. I took of and Monkeyboy, Hammer and Andy responded in kind and grabbed my wheel. Lets just say that for the next 15 miles or so nobody let up and if somebody did there was somebody there to attack.The 4 of us rolled into town pretty spent but ahead of the darkness. Matt and Steve showed up a while later and Rich headed straight for the barn.

All in all a really good ride. It felt really good as hard as I could and I know everybody else in our 4 man group at the end was as well. Monkleyboy is really getting strong on the climbs. He has only been road riding this summer...although he is sporting a triple and I made him work to make it to the top first. Steve fell over on Marianne Hill. and double flatted on Cheese Run Road. My heart flip flopped a couple of times this evening but no real issues.


Make sure your wife wears contraception next time she goes swimming.........

Man these Scientologists have all the luck. It appears that Nicoll Kidman and 7 other women got pregnant from swimming near some waterfall. What a bunch of idiots. Sorry for pointing out the obvious........ and on the other side of the fence.....


Two egomaniacs on one stage....how rich is that.......

Sunday Ride Report

Did the Nolo Hill loop with Matt, Andy and Duane Sunday afternoon. Once I fixed Duane's bike we headed out 6th street to Metts Road. Man I hate that road. It like riding a roller coaster without the thrill or fun. Actually that was pretty much how the whole ride went. Climb after climb with what seamed like little or redemption. The best descent of the ride ended in a T at the bottom so you couldn't even enjoy the role out before the next climb.

All in all a pretty good ride with some pretty good efforts and a descent average for a hill 44 miler. I felt OK today except my legs felt like two anchors. No real heart problems today just a few little jumps but nothing serious.


The Clintonistas Are Supposedly On the Prowl......

So I heard rumors today that Bidon is going to pull out due to some health issues and Clinton is going to step up. How stupid. For her to stand up and be 3rd choice would be both a disgrace and humiliating. Now don't get me wrong, I would not have supported her for president, but....she would have been a much more worthy opponent than NOBAMA.......BTW have you notice that when he gives his speeches he refuses to look straight into the camera at his television audience. its always left or right while diverting his look while changing back and forth.And what if this happens.

Ride Reports and more......

Did the Eastern Shore loop with Rich, Henk, and Fanning. What a wind Whopper. 14 mph Headwinds with gusts up to ??????? I have never ridden across 217 that slow in my life. The other anecdotal note from the ride is the balls of my feet my feet hurt at the end. I have only ever had this happen a couple of times in my riding career. Usually during a century early in the season. I contribute it to the forcible pedaling into the headwind for 34 out of the 40+ mile ride. Oh and about 3 miles out I bonked. Didn't eat lunch before the ride......Stupid.

Wednesday Night Ride report........

Did the reverse Tanoma Loop this evening with Matt, Rich and Steve. This was Steve's first ride with the group. It is always fun when somebody new shows up. What makes it fun is the unknown and trying to see if you can make them crack. Not to be mean or anything like that, it is kind o f a training ride and it helps them see where they are at in their fitness. He is a pretty good rider and if he keeps racing it wont be long before he is hangin and dropping others on the ride. I had a really good ride today. the stress is dissipating in my life and I hope that this will have a positive affect on my heart.

Peanutbutter Racing.........

Sam won the peanut butter festival race this past weekend. The team had a fairly good turn out as well.

• Brownie finished 38th overall which isn't bad for a guy that has been spending way too much time on his TT bike
• Rich Allen finished 42nd overall.
• And Henry forgot his shoes....... which surprises me because he usually starts preparing for these kind of things way in advance.

Other notable mentions are....Jason Blews 24th (SS), Martin Flynn 26tth, Duane "Corkett" Corbett 36th, Liz Martin 55th, Ben Shcerf 62nd (SS). and lets not forget those that competed against SANDBAGGER OF THE YEAR "HANSEL LUCAS",(I hate that stuff) Charles Flynn (Martins dad adn first race), and Rebecca Blews (Jasons Wife).

Congratulations to all for doing such a great job. That course is not easy and to complete it is an accomplishment.

Get Out Your Pooper Scooper.......

So this is the best use we can come up with for DNA testing? I'm sure that Indiana Borough (Sorry their site is still under construction. Maybe the will get caught up to the 21st century before we reach the 30th century. Should change the name to Mayberry) will be all over this. Any way to make a buck and make people not want to come or live here.......Thanks for all you do.

Still Here

Don't worry blogger fans. I am still here. Just been busy. Will have ride reports and other fun stuff for you tomorrow or the next day.

Wednesday-Thursday Ride Report.......

Wednesday nights ride was allot of fun.....Andy, Rich, Bill, Matt and myself did the Bar Slope this evening. Headed out east Pike to Hood school and straight across at the bottom to 286. 286 to Clymer and then to bar slope then home.. It was a pretty good ride with a few reindeer games mixed in.


Thursday Evening.........

Well it was you usual suspects thins evening. Mark , Andy and myself did the Three Man Loop the usual way we do it. steady and fast. My legs were burning before we got to hilltop and once we reached the turn at the Golden Pheasant toward Parkwood we never dropped bellow 21 mph until we were almost to the end..and as we all know that is just a steady annoying climb going across that road. Anyway we had a really good ride and had it lit up for the majority of it...man I'm tired. No heart problems either night to speak of.


Where were you on September, 11 2001??????

Wow it is really hard to believe that that day in history is upon us again.....I am glad to see that it has not become just a passing thing and is always on the minds of people. We will become victims again if we allow ourselves to be complacent which I am afraid has already happened to some extent.

I was actually sitting at my workstation listening to the radio when I heard teh first announcement of the first plane....to this day I cant forget the feelings of anger and disbelief I felt that day.....NEVER FORGET


So I hear that Lance Guy is going to try road racing again.......

Stupid I say.........egoimaniac.........I'm bored so I am going to go race my bike again.......the way I see it it will go one of 3 ways for him.......

1. It will be the best decision of his life and he will be even more of a cycling icon.
2. He will finally get caught doping .
3. He will fail miserably and be know as the guy how tried to make a comeback and made a fool of himself.I doubt this will happen but it would be funny.

I Will never go to a regular movie theater again.......

So my wife and I went to the movies a week ago. We went to see THE DARK NIGHT in IMAX...only $2 more than the crappy theater at our local mall and 10000000 times better.