Twenty-one Years

It has been twenty-one years today since I first met my wife. A couple more years and I will have known my wife longer than having not known her. My wife and I were matched by Reverend Moon and afterwards we went out to KFC with some of her friends for dinner. Today we went out to lunch at Applebee's and then went shopping for a bridal shower gift for more youngest brother's fiance'e. Two other of my five brothers are already married and all three were matched by computers.
God loves a cheerful giver. My parents got us this 2002 ford cargo van. Rode my road bike out to their house to pick it up. No more excuses for not getting to the gym. Could probably fit a half dozen bicycles in the back with gear. Most likely strap two bikes to one wall leaving plenty of room for the dogs.

Eagerly awaiting the Hoyt Park trails to dry out. They usually dry out very quickly. Wonder how the Bike Expo went with the massive snowfall. Wanted to stop by myself but was too busy shoveling.

Moved my writing station, my laptop isolated from the Internet, upstairs. The dogs really like it there so thought it might be a better place to write. Some kind of feng shui thing maybe.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all! Or Passover or Spring or just plain life! The grass looked to be turning green the day before this picture was taken.

Watched "The Face" on PBS in the early morning hours. A show on the images of Jesus over the centuries. Went to Church and stopped by my parents house after giving them a call.

Was thinking of busting out the grill a few days ago. Fortunate to get a long ride in on Thursday before the snow. They were putting up the tennis court nets at Hart Park. Maybe could have waited a week. Swan Blvd flood detention ponds near done and it looks like they are about ready to lay that 'fancy trail' after it dries out. Should be some good cycling loops and oodles of opportunity for some off road trail work in the surrounding forest.

I've been fleeced! As I am sure half the city already knows if not the entire world. Yes, my wife finally cut my hair. A nice peach fuzz. It's colder but with the decreased wind resistance it could bring me some medals this year.

Television

This was to be my view for a good part of the winter, from a trainer I never received for Christmas. But with the writers strike peddling in place still would have been a near unbearable bore. The first and only TV (used) we ever bought until recently.
With all the snow and car troubles it was not easy to get to the gym much either. Bally on Hawley Road invested in some new equipment recently; mostly free weights but a few stationary bikes also. Bikes I could actually ride in comfort. Working the stationary bike with the heart monitor is good to relate breathing with heart rate. I can recall one hill where I really should have dismounted much earlier and caught my breath. My legs shout, "more!", and my lungs scream, "nooooo!" Of course warming up sufficiently also makes those hills easier.

Yes, the WORS Handbook is out and I've been so excited I've forgotten to post for awhile. Looking to get a new front tire and found some good tips on the message board.
Mongolia appears to be becoming a mountain bikers destination. Added some you/tube clips to my "God's Good Earth" links.

So my wife came to me and said, "The TV stopped working." That would be the TV in our living room; an old TV my parents replaced.
I called my brothers and found an old TV one of them wasn't using.
"I can go pick up a TV from my brother tomorrow," I said.
"I want a new TV." she said.
"We don't have any money" I said, "and my brother has a 22 inch TV he isn't using."
"You already called him!?" she said and gave me one of those looks without looking at me.

We got a new flat panel and bought a demo sound system they were getting rid of cheap so we could get to $1,000 for the 24 month financing and pretend we aren't paying for it.
Now she can read the subtitles on those Korean dramas she likes so much. My wife loves it and if she's happy.....
So does a 37" flat panel make one feel good about oneself? (with a surround sound system)
Well, my wife told me she was at Sam' Club watching people look at flat panel televisions and thought, "ha ha ha, I already have one."

Leap Day

Does today really count? If I eat a lot or workout hard will it make a difference?

It appears I need to vigorously exercise nearly every day or my weight keeps going up rather than down. I'm disappointed that I will most likely weigh in a mere few pounds lower than the beginning of last years race season. With the snow/weather and loss of a vehicle it was hard to train or even get to the gym. Ideally twelve pounds would be a minimum expectation and a good average for serious long term weight loss. The good news is we found the best price for whole milk at Kwik Trip.

Starting to get back to the gym and more serious about staying on my supplements. I will still enter the season with stronger performance skills and superior conditioning than last year. Maybe I'll take those cans in for some spending money for some biking odds and ends. Nike bike wear is all on sale since they are doing away with all their biking lines.

This is the main race among my 'Racing for Real men' that I would put on my first to do list. Added some MTB clips from Mongolia to my 'God's Good Earth' link list. For those who don't know what a Skinny is...

Hard Pack

The times I've gotten out to ride this winter have taught me one thing, If riding on hard pack it needs to be below freezing by several degrees or it is like riding on wet cement if any melting is going on.
I asked my wife, "Do you want to go out and ride with me this winter?"
"No" she said, "Never!"

I found this You/Tube video and just had to contemplate the life span of the dog, Catchy music too.

We went to see "Cloverfield" yesterday and then went to dinner. A movie that proclaims itself a Godzilla flick ten time over in the first ten minutes and then turns out to be a love story.
"They tricked me." I said to my wife over dinner at Applebee's.
"Who?" she asked.
"The movie people."
My wife said, "Movie people." and laughed.
Beware the movie people. You'd understand if you saw the movie.

'Good Bye my Friend...'

The first severe weather of the year totaled our truck, smashing in the two driver side doors. I was parked and yes I was inside. But of course I was fine, not easily roughed up. We decided to keep the car and use it as is but we should of taken the buyout from the insurance company.
This Sunday, coming back from Madison on an errand in sub zero temperatures we just got to a bridge and were hit with a gust of wind. Nothing but ice. Veared and started spinning immidiately. One way, then the other, concrete barriers ebbing and flowing bouncing twice on the front end.

My wife grabbed my arm and said she thought we were going to die and was happy we were together.

The first thing I thought was, "We're going to crash."

And then, "This is just like NASCAR."

The Bigger They Are...

Watching the Eli Manning pass that won the game my wife said; "Wow! He did a good job. He's a good player."

Could any one have asked for a better game? And a wild card team beating the undefeated. E-Trade baby best ad.

Even my wife is concerned that I haven't gotten to the gym much lately. Time to get back to exercising ten hours a week. Of course there's always that snow shoveling. She wants me to go more and ride more.

She said; "I don't want you to die."

Well...

That's one.