Blog or Die

2010-04-13T09:40:00.002-04:00

Blog is down.

I wish you could have seen it...

2008-06-20T10:50:00.007-04:00

We played Tammrack last Saturday. Tee Time was at 8:20 am. That is by far the earliest game I've played this year, but in hindsight I'm glad we did it.

The early morning fog was still hanging we we arrived. It was nice and cool for a while but it burned off quickly. Then it got stanky hawt. I'm talking "My team is not expendable, Gen-e-rall" hot. "Makes Cambodia look like Kansas"

I think Tonny had a rough start but then he came around. It made for good entertainment.

My brother Tehrrek and his boy, Bane were also with us. Our shenanigans were cheeky and fun.

Unfortunately our Cart did not appreciate the shenanigans. I wish you could have seen this jack-azz video I had . Unfortunately during our 500 replays and drunken laughter, it accidentally got erased. It was prob for the best.

Tehrrek had a couple of Birdies, Tonny got Boogies, and I got a Turtle. Check out that Stupid grin. A-hurrrrr-hurr!!!

Well, I'm off to Daytona, Florida tonight. We're taking a week at my parents condo. Hopefully I can find a local course and maybe get some Stick time. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to some Sun, Sand, and Serious Coronas.

Wow

2008-06-16T17:33:00.003-04:00

That was a pretty amazing US Open. Tiger wins in Sudden Death over Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. TV golf is normally not that intense... and I really like golf.

Now remember kids,

2008-06-09T16:03:00.005-04:00

...always call ahead and reserve your Tee time. I thought we could just walk on at Yorktown in Belle-Vegas. YOU SO WRONG! Tournament play all day!! ha-haa!!!

No, biggie we'll just cruise down to Tammrack and bang out a quick 9'er. YOU SO WRONG! Tournament play all day!! ha-haa!!!

At this point I decided to call Locust Hill and see if they have anything open. Well tap my turkey and call me Gobbles! They had something open!! but now we have a little more than an hour to kill... hmmm... what would golf legend John Daly do? TO THE BAR, of course!

Some pizza and a couple of pitchers later, we were loose enough for nine at LowCost Hills.

For Kelli's Birthday, I set her up with the "New-New". New Bag, New Shoes, New Glove. So at least we look like we know what we're doing.

We had pretty decent greens and fairways, with some swampy spots from Friday night's storm. They were very nice and cut us a break by only charging half for greens fees. So I over compensated by shooting double par. Or playing half as well... wait, check my math. I suck.

Same Bar, Same Owner, NEW NAME

2008-06-03T13:08:00.005-04:00

Wow, I'm not sure who reads this thing anymore. It's been a long time since my last post. As you can tell, I'm changing formats. From the Pro Tour to the PGA Tour...

I basically started this thing back in 2006 as a place to post my Cycling Pics and tell the stories behind those photos. But as of late, I don't have any cycling pictures or stories. I thought about deleting this thing but just couldn't bring myself to do it. So we're Golfing now. I'll try to keep it interesting...

If you linked my blog to your cycling blog and feel the need to separate yourself from this non-sport blog. It's all good. I won't drink your Milkshake. I won't drink it up.

Blah

2008-03-26T13:26:00.005-04:00

I got nothing for ya. I haven't been cycling. I haven't been Stair Climbing. Nothings. I'd like to tell you that it's because I'm soooo busy or things have been hectic with work lately but that's really a lame excuse.

Truthfully, I just got a PlayStation 3 and have become the poster boy for the Inactive Youth Group. Maybe I can buy a Video Game where you have to ride your bike? That would kinda be like exercise, right?

Virtual Exercise? Like in the future...

Who Run Barter Town? Master Blaster.

2008-03-05T09:46:00.006-05:00

So Master the Met was tougher than I thought. It seemed tougher than practice. I went waaaaayy too hard in the beginning. I guess since everyone was there yelling and whooping, I got over hyped. I just sprinted up the stairs without even thinking about pace. Big Mistake! I think I got to the 7th floor without even taking a breath. My legs went straight into the red zone, then is was mind over pain till the end. I don't know how many times I almost fainted. A true suffer fest to say the least.

For some insane reason, in my head I keep hearing, "Just keep swim-ming, Just keep swim-ming" from Finding Nemo. Prob lack of oxygen to the brain. Pics...

Getting ready to Blast off... Count me down, Sally.

People on the stairs courtesy of FotoJack.com

Bryan Cave Team Standings

66 jason rutherford • 08:14 0:12/m
84 steven poplawski • 08:25 0:12/m
105 czarrok fitzpatrick • 08:47 0:13/m
147 jared gaffney • 09:25 0:13/m
159 justin siess • 09:34 0:14/m
196 pam king • 10:03 0:14/m
208 kathi kellenberger • 10:10 0:15/m
307 stephen harris • 11:31 0:16/m
310 susan taylor • 11:33 0:17/m
382 gina mistoler • 13:05 0:19/m
417 mya emery • 13:59 0:20/m
422 beverley foster • 14:06 0:20/m

Been there, Done that, Got the T-shirt.

I just found out there's a little video of the event out on STLtoday. I have a little guest appearance in there. It's me at the top, just finishing and looking all retarded.

Astana Team Bikes

2008-02-21T14:12:00.004-05:00

In my opinion, I liked their old BMC bikes better.

On a purely cosmetic level, I'm not really feeling the Treks. Although I do like the SRAM red tech, cuz it's "new" and "different". I know, I'm a dork.

That's all I have for today. I'm going home, Friggin' Ice Storm. *mumble-mumble Grumble" *#@#$

Ouch... Game Over, man.

2008-02-12T14:40:00.006-05:00

So Jared and I are practice climbing the stairs for the upcoming event, Master the Met. I wasn't feeling all that good, but somehow managed to get my time down to 9 minutes 10 seconds for 40 Flights of stairs. Well, today we bumped into another group of people who were also training. At first, it was a couple of ladies and we started chit-chatting about the race. I'm not too sure how it happened but we ending up climbing the stairs again with this fitness group! So back to back, up the stairs. As other people started to meet up with up, I noticed that these people were pretty hardcore. Some were carrying weights and others had backpacks loaded up with weight. I was feeling pretty cocky about my 9 minute run until a couple of them said they were in the low 6 minute range. Ouch! Waa-wa-waaaaaaa...

2/5/08 10-11 minutes
2/7/08 9 minutes 34 seconds
2/12/08 1st Run 9 minutes 10 seconds
2nd Run 10 minutes 11 seconds
2/14/08 8 minutes 34 seconds
2/19/08 (stop watch error) little less than 9 min?
2/21/08 8 minutes 20 seconds
2/26/08 8 minutes 15 seconds

Slayed the Beast

2008-02-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

I talked to other members of my stair climbing team and they said the "Beast" was not that tough. They convinced me to try to climb it during my lunch break. And since I'm a sucker to Peer pressure... I did.

So I climbed the stairs from the lobby to the 40th floor today. I freaked out the Lobby security guy. I didn't know where the door to the Fire Stairs were so I had to ask. When I told him I was going to climb the 40 flights he had a minor freak out. Like most people do when you tell them you are going to do something crazy. It was actually easier than I thought. I didn't have a stopwatch so I had to use my Cell Phone. I completed all 40 Flights in a little over 10 minutes.

Not bad at all for my first attempt. I kept it at a moderate pace the whole time. I was a little nervous because I had no idea how hard it was going to be. My heart was racing before I even started, like it does prior to a big race. I had to keep telling myself to "calm down" and "breathe easy". I'm going to try it again on Thursday. This time I'll be with a buddy, Jared. I'm also going to get a stopwatch for some better times.

2/5/08 10-11 minutes
2/7/08 9 minutes 34 seconds

Why must I hurt myself?

2008-01-30T10:19:00.000-05:00

I recently signed up for a stair climbing event called Master the Met. Here's a description from their website:

The American Lung Association is sponsoring an event called "Master the Met". This is not your usual 5K, this event takes people vertical as they attempt to climb the 42 floors (over 1,200 steps) to reach the celebration at the top! Hundreds of people will be participating! Sound interesting???

What do I know about competitive Stair Climbing?! Nada. But I do work in the Metropolitan Building downtown. I currently work on the 39th floor and in my career here, I've had to do two fire drill evacuations. Which means I've had to walk down the 39 flights of stairs. Not bad at all but still going up is going to be a whole 'nother beast. I have till March 1st to become a Stair Climbing Fool. Wish me luck.

If you would like to make a contribution to the American Lung Association and help me raise my goal of $200 please click here. I'm not sure if you want to, though. By doing so you are becoming an accessory to murder. MURRR-DURRRR! As this event will probably be the death of me.

That's the Beast, looker's right of the Arch. McNasty.

Back to Work

2008-01-15T10:32:00.001-05:00

We just got back from a Week in Steamboat, CO. It was sooo Gnarly. We stomped Fresh Pow-Pow on the daily. It was totally whited on Rabbit Ears Pass, Brah. We almost had to chain up.

Once we got to the Condo, it was all good. The place we rented was hella nice. We built a baby ramp next to it one day. I think that was my favorite day. I never laughed so hard. Plus the beer was flowing, spring break style.

People were up and down the mountain all week. Thankfully no one got hurt this year. Although we did lose a lot of things. I lost my wedding ring for about 12 hours. After searching barehanded in the snow for 7 hours, I gave up. Then my dad just happened to notice something shiny in the road later that afternoon. I don't know how many times that road was plowed during the day. It was some kind of Devinne intervention. So slightly scratched up, it was recovered. Now it has character.

Dom, (from the vid below) lost an envelope with $600 cash in it. Luckily a worker from the resort found it and returned it to Dominic. He tipped him $50 for honesty. Finally, my brother lost his car keys somewhere. Unfortunately, these were not found. Since he didn't have a spare, he now has to go to the hassle of getting it re-made. But heh, minor stuff in the overall major goodness.

You prob already knew...

2007-12-28T18:55:00.000-05:00

And Merry Christmas to ALL!

2007-12-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

Alot of stuff has been going down lately. It's been a whirlwind on my end. I don't even want to think about 2008. We just got back from Las Vegas. Which was insane in the membrane. Rams Game last night. Non-stop Christmas Parties with Work, Family, and Friends. CJ is leaving us for-ev-ver. I haven't done ANY Christmas shopping. I've been eating like the contestants before going on the World's Biggest Loser. And I guess it snowed while I was gone? Sheeesh.

But hey, Tis the season... and I'm thankful to have the opportunities to celebrate with Friends and Family. Happy Holidays!

ps, we leave for Steamboat, CO in a week. Walk Hard!

The Tree

2007-12-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

Leave me some Christmas Cheer!

Seriously Lacking

2007-11-27T12:24:00.001-05:00

I haven't been outdoor riding much so... I really don't have much bike blog material. I've been on my early morning trainer sessions but that's not really interesting. I think I may need another Spinervals DVD. I have #15.0 - Have Mercy, "The Sequel". It's all-ight, but I'm losing motivation. Right now I'm just spinning to burn calories. I've been eating like champion. This year I celebrated three Thanksgiving's. Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. It's hard work, man. I did work to get all that in. At one point I was sweating. But Chow today, Spin tomorrow. It's all Ladders and Slides, man. Write that down.

**More Invisible LOL Cats**

Get Stuffed

2007-11-21T14:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!
Eat Big, pass out. Repeat with leftover turkey/Mayo sandwiches the next day.

Crank Dat Soulja Boy

2007-11-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

A pretty decent weekend all around. The Fall weather was great. On Saturday, me and the brew crew went to a winery called Hidden Lake in Aviston, IL. I don't really have much of a wine background ('cept fo dat MD tweny/twen-twen) so this was a new experience for me. It was great. I'm not sure exactly what types of wine I was drinking but it did the trick. So put Hidden Lake on your score card and check it out.

I took off work on Monday. I have a lot of PTO days left in the year and I need to burn them. Most of the good days are already claimed. Like the days before/after the holidays. So I'm left with random Mondays. It looked sunny so I hit the Bike Trail. I had to purge the toxins from the weekend shenanigans. It...was...Win-Dy!! (note the capital letter) But the juice was worth the squeeze. Another awesome day on the Fall-O-Meter.

ZOMBIE DANCE!

2007-10-25T11:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween.
(wit sound goodness, crank'um if u got'em)

For SwirloGirl. Chicky-Check it!

Basically, I had a wig on. Creativity points = -6

Iowa, not so Epic.

2007-10-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Well we kinda made it. We rode from Burlington, Iowa to Clarksville, Missouri. Total around 165 miles.

We drove up Friday night and stayed in Burlington. Then started early Saturday morning. Since we were there, we had to ride the Snake for old times sake. It was cold and overcast'd all day.

We stopped in Nauvoo for lunch. That Bacon Potatoes soup was da Dog's Bollocks!! I coulda ate a bucket worth. We rode all day in the cold to a town called Quincy. Trip distance at this point was close to 100 miles. I was happy to be watching tv in warm hotel room when we were done.

Sunday warmed up pretty fast. That was nice. But today's challenge would be the hills. As soon as we crossed the bridge into Hannibal, it went vertical. The 65 miles of serious "up and downs" started to break me. Mike B was not affected. His super human strengths were awe inspiring. +5 points for MB.

We were still far out and had a long way to go. The call was made to have backup sent. Then Nuke from Orbit. I went home and showered like a fighter pilot.

For an elevation of Sunday's ride route. Click here.

Something to Blog about...

2007-10-09T10:22:00.000-04:00

I'm riding my bike across Missouri this weekend. CJ, Mike B. and I are going to pedal from Muscatine, IA down to St. Louis, MO. (points 1 through 9 on the map).

I've got this nervous-excited thing going on right now. I believe the distance is around 300 miles. No support, carry what you need to survive. We're planning on a 4 day trip. We've all been out of town riding/racing this will be a new adventure for me. It will definitely be a new distance record for me. I'm expecting Epic-ness.

Not much else going on in Bike Land. I recently rode the MS150. It was a good time. Kelli did awesome on the bike. She really impressed me with her effort. We rode with Kelli's work team, the McCarthy Hammerheads. A great group of people. They had some pretty sweet custom jerseys made up! I haven't been to the MS150 in a long time. It was cool to see some of my old cycling buddies (the Downhill Coasters). I also ran into some fellow DW riders (Martin, Nate, and Matt F). Also the Big Cheese, Alan Hautly of Hautly Cheese was there! A great guy who loves the bike.

Mr. and Mrs. The Rok

2007-07-17T21:21:00.000-04:00

"Super crazy" does not begin to describe it. As of July 7th, 2007... I'm officially married. Once things settle down, I'll try to get back into a rhythm again with my biking/blogging. Totalllly, dude.

Iowa Racing pt 2+3: Melon City and Quad Cities

2007-06-04T15:28:00.000-04:00

After the Snake Alley Race, the crew heads back to the Hotel for some serious TV time. The box was hard-wired to The Discovery channel. I now know of a man/legend named Bear Grylls. The word extreme doesn't do him justice.

Then the Rock n Roll Road Tour moves to Muscatine, Iowa for the Melon City Crit. Here's a pic of the squirrel that tried to kill me. If Bear Grylls was here, he would have ate you, squirrel. I had some Cliff Bars so I was not hungry.

A couple of action shots.

Here's a product endorsement photo. Send Checks to M.A.double-S-to the V.

After the races we packed up the gear and headed off to Rock Island, Illinois for the Quad Cities Race. After we ate monster amounts of carbs for dinner, we did a little night ride of the course.

Then it was up early Monday morning for the final race through downtown . Good times had by all.

Iowa Racing pt 1: Snake Alley

2007-05-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

For those that don't know, I recently went to do a series of races in Iowa. As always it was a blast. Now, I'm going through all of my Iowa racing pics. There's just so much... and I'm no Pic-ologist! As always click for Biggie-pops.

It's so much easier to drive Snake Alley. Why should we race it?

During dinner on Friday night, we saw a portrait of one of my late Uncles, Senor Matador Rok. I guess he died on the Snake, too.

We woke up Saturday morning to some pretty harsh weather. A complete 180 from last year. Buckets of rain and cold did not help at all. Still, it was all jokes and smiles before the big race.

CJ and I got super lucky. It stopped raining for our race. The cobbles where pretty dry by then which allowed us to stomp the pedals without slippage. A lot of people were not so fortunate.

Here's a look up from the start of the climb. Also some nice chalk work by D-Dub. Those J's are tricky! I couldn't have done it without the support/teasin' from the Jr's. Even when I was deep in my pain cave, they could still make me laugh!

Well...that did not go as planned

2007-05-22T20:38:00.000-04:00

I did the MO State Championship race in Rolla last Sunday. I did not do well to say the least. Well, if you read my blog it's all right there. Bad food. Bad training. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Well, that last one I made up but you know what I'm saying. It was all garbage. Well, at least the SUV looked tough.

I got a new Yakima Rack and a couple of Steel head bike trays. Then Mike B. added his pair of Yak trays. Throw on a handful of high dollar bikes and... my baby was loaded up like a baked potato! Our next jaunt is to Iowa for Snake Alley. Road Trip!!

I did about 8-9 hill repeats this evening in prep for the beast. I lost count because all the blood was in my legs. I think I could have done more but I was kinda worried about over doing it. I'm not good at judging my recovery time. I suck. That's really all I got for now.

Oh, I'm recording some "Bachelor Re-cap" show for Kittens... and is it just me or did dude pick the worst girl? I cant hear what they are saying cuz I'm bumpin' Three Six Mafia so my observation is based strictly on looks but... seriously? Woof.

Crave Case

2007-05-16T12:32:00.000-04:00

"We're going Ballistic, MAV!!!"

Kelli and I did the Chain of Rocks bicycle fun club ride. The 40 mile route sucked. I can't believe we paid for that. The roads were junk and I flatted. -2 points. But... we didn't do it for the route. Kelli's new work place has a team that does the MS150 and this was thier season opener. The people made the ride fun. We barely noticed the sucky-ness.

After that ride we ate like Wealthy 18th century Land-owners. Taco bell was the pabulum of choice. Yummmmm... dirrrrty tortillas. *drool* Oh snap! So check out my awesome food regime.

Pre-ride: Hardee's Loaded Omelet Biscuit and Hash browns
Post-ride: Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla, Nacho Supreme, Plain Taco and Kell's leftovers.
Late-late evening: White Castle's 4 cheeseburgers, Cheese fries, Fish Sandwhich and a Diet Coke (Cuz I'm healthy!)

"Um, can you put melted cheese on everything?...wha'bout Bacon?"

Yeah... looking back that late night run to Crave City was not the best move. But when is White Castle ever a "good choice"?

I woke up early on Sunday and got some hard fast miles in with CJ and Big Braun. I think we cranked out another 40+ miles. I felt good for some reason (prob the Castles). Next on the list is the Newburg Hellbender Road Race this Sunday, SUNDAY! SUNDAY!!

A wise guy, eh?!

2007-05-08T20:10:00.000-04:00

Not much going on, this side of the keyboard. I recently did the 66 mile route at the Tour de Stooges. That was good. The map showed a 63 mile option, and I know I started my odometer late so I must have taken a wrong turn out there or something. Whoops... it coulda been worse. I could have rode out to Carlye and not even known about it. My pride stopped me from checking the course map. I don't have time for no stinkin' map.

I'm working nights on Monday and Tuesday this week. For some crazy reason, I woke up this morning at 7 am. Which is weird since I worked late last night. It was probably the obscene amounts of caffeine I drank to stay awake. But i took the opportunity to put some more miles in on the bike. I was trail side and turning spokes by 8:30 am. It felt good. Normally, at that time I'd be logging into my work PC, checking 'z' e-mail. Instead I was trailside, straightening the curves. It was a great day for it, too. Except for all the bugs.

I took a bug to the helmet this morning. It was either a bug or a small bird. (ok, slight exaggeration) but the thing was big and it got lodged in one of my helmet vents. I could feel it buzzing into my scalp. Not Cool! I locked up the brakes and snatched off my dome piece and did some spaz-tastic curly shuffle in the middle of the trail. I'm sure it was freakin' hilarious to passers-by. But I was at Terror Alert Orange.

Oh well, mother nature.

Tour of St. Louis

2007-04-30T16:56:00.000-04:00

I raced... Well kinda. I did a couple of laps last Saturday at the Tour of St. Louis. I did not win. Not even close. Other than my biking, it was an excellent day. Pics here.

And here's where it all went south. No man's land off the back. I'm not race ready as of today. My focus is now going to turn to hill repeats as I prep for Snake Alley. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

MS Paint Rulez my small Kingdom!!!1!!

2007-04-26T18:14:00.000-04:00

I'm working nights tonight and Friday night. That's kinda good. It's a break from the norm. It's a different kind of work. I woke up this morning and looked out the window. It looked sunny but there were some serious clouds on the horizon. They looked angry! For a second, I thought maybe I should not ride outside. Then I remembered that motivational Lance Armstrong Poster where he's training in the Alps with Johan... I decided to get some!

I'm glad I did because the clouds never produced a drop. All show. But since there was a threat of rain I didn't take the digital camera. So... I recreated scenes from my 2 hour bike ride using MS Paint. Yeah, you're welcome!

First there was this massive C-130 Military plane that dropped out of the sky. This thing looked wicked cool as it cut through the clouds on it's way to Scott AFB. I mean biggins.

Next up was this mentally challenged Raccoon. I think he was sick or had the Rabies. I don't know but he just sat in the middle of the bike path. I kept waiting for him to scurry away but he never did. Even when I ran over his tail and cleat kicked him in the snout, he just sat there. Ha! Just kidding, I didn't bust him up. But he looked bad. Poor woodland creature.

And that's basically it. Awesome bike day, now I'm at work. Hopefully that Children's book deal goes through and I can retire.

All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy.

2007-04-24T15:34:00.000-04:00

Duuuuuude, I've been stooopid busy lately. I know, I know, cry me a river... Who isn't busy? Seriously, work has been completely off the hook. Off the hinge, off the wall, off the banger. We're doing another phase of office moves and it is not fun. No sir. I had to work last Saturday and couldn't ride. So on Sunday I had to get out on the trail.

So on Sunday I rode around my house down to the MRT. *Trail report* For those who ride the MRT trail, they closed that crack nasty section down. It looks like they are totally repairing it. SO that's good. I didn't ride that far but with the gusty winds I felt pretty spent afterwards. Those winds were gus-TY!

I almost forgot, I rode my bike into work last Saturday. I didn't ride it all the way from Fairview to Downtown STL due to time shortage. I just rode the 5-6 miles to the nearest Metrolink but it was still kinda cool. I felt all Green and pro-Earth. I wish I could do that more often but there's no way. It's kind of a hassle. My buddy has a Hybrid and it's pretty sweet. I think it's definitely worth looking into if I buy another car. Maybe I can put NOS in it, or sit it on some spinnas. Ride them Michael Jordans (the duece tray's got me sittin' pretty).

"I'm Super. Thanksssss!"

It's coming...

2007-04-19T12:18:00.000-04:00

*This photo and more awesome snake bites at Luke's Photos.

I apologize for the sloppy grainy video(old camera)...

Team Thurs Nites at the J-Bizzy. Man Pants.

2007-04-13T10:28:00.000-04:00

The weather was chill but the times were good. I had to slip on the Man Pants and get some 2 wheeled-action. Actually it started to warm up after a couple of laps and I had to shed some cold gear. I tried to get a lot more pictures but the attacks were fast and furious last night. I'd pull out the Digi, then someone would take a flyer. That's a cycling.

"This is why I'm hot..." Mike T.

More high speed shots below. Some of the pics are blurry because of our insane velocity. Well.. not really more like I forgot to use the "sport" setting. Hey, I'm no Graham Watson. I'm going to miss the Tilles Park Crit this weekend but good luck to those racing. Hopefully the weather will lighten up for some riding. Also, good luck on the A.C.T.s!!

*News Flash*

"Due to the threat of inclement weather (rainy sub-40's temperatures and the threat of snow) we have been forced to cancel tomorrow's TOC-Gateway Cycling Club Spring Criterium at Tilles Park. This decision has been made in conjunction with the officials and race promoter and is in the interest of rider safety.

We will attempt to reschedule if possible.

We are truly sorry we must make this decision."

James Roseberry
Gateway Cycling Club

Bring Your Own Big Wheel Race

2007-04-09T17:46:00.000-04:00

We need to do this in the STL.

one more...

It's all goin' down, man...

2007-04-03T10:21:00.000-04:00

I haven't touched the bike since last Thursday. That's not good. I'm not going to make tonight's, Tuesday Night Worlds. That's not good. Hopefully, I'll make the Thursday night team ride. If I haven't forgotten how to ride my bike by then.

"Hey, even the Mona Lisa's falling apart." -Tyler Durden

New Camera, Old Ride

2007-03-27T15:54:00.000-04:00

I'm still riding. No, really... See I have pics!

We got a new Canon Digital camera and this thing is nice! It was well worth the extra money. The pics come out so clear even when in motion. Click the above for biggies. My old camera was a Kodak. It was decent but I didn't know any better. This new slim has so many more features than that old and busted Ko-dank. Ok, so that's the end of my Canon commercial.

Thanks for stopping by.

Intensity Loop

2007-03-22T11:06:00.000-04:00

It was so nice yesterday I had to get some bikeage in. After work, as soon as I got in the car, it was full speed/Days of Thunder all the way home. Cole Trickle always goes to the outside. He ain't got the balls to take me on the inside. Laws broken = 3

The car said it was 79 degrees yesterday around 5:30. And that's a spicy meatball!! A little windy, though. I did my Intensity Loop (pictured above) it's not a long loop, only 5 miles but it's got some ups and downs that start to wear on ya after a 4-5 laps. The nice thing about this loop is that it's right next to my house. I can ride up to the point of complete exhaustion and then limp to my garage. That's a bonus. The downside of this loop, the road sucks in some spots. Another thing, some of the drivers like to play "Buzz the Biker" on those narrow back roads. Not fun for the cyclist. Oh well, if I die on the bike... it would be a good death.

Looks like rain the rest of the week and weekend. Sadoes.

To end on a positive note. Have you seen the recently updated D-dub Team website? Niiiice.

http://www.dentwizardcycling.com/

Nothing to report, Captain.

2007-03-19T10:21:00.000-04:00

Not much going on in my biking world. I worked nights last week and got in a couple of hard sessions during the day but other than that... zips. With wedding stuff, work stuff, and house stuff I've been overwhelmed. Don't ever grow old, brah.

And yes, I "borrow" most of my pics from PezCyclingNews.

I saw this on the Web and snatched it. I thought it sounded Blog Worthy. I think that's going to be my phrase for '07.

I need more snap.

2007-03-12T16:56:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday's race did not go as planned. I still need more work. Thankfully, I still have some time till my next race. I'm not going to make Hillsboro. So what ever race after that... I definitely need to be on for that one.

The rest of the team is looking really strong. That just motivates me to try harder.

I also want to throw a shout out to one of our younger jr's. He went down during his race and appears to have broken his collar bone. Have a speedy and healthy recovery, Turner.

Do you feel the need?

2007-03-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

So I've been reading about this Apple+Nike+Sync run thing. From my understanding, you take your I-pod and install some new software on it. Then you take the Nike+ Sensor and put it in your shoe. It sync's and tracks your mileage. It also has a friendly voice that tells you the distance. i.e. "You have ran 45 miles", "You are on fire.", "You ran over a cat." Well, those last two I made up. But all of that is WEAK compared to the next feature. I give you the "Power Song".

I don't know about you, but I have certain songs reserved only for Hard Efforts on the bike trainer or any workout for that matter. They are Power Songs. These songs are usually all the same. They start out around a medium pace then crescendo to obscene levels of Rawk. Just when you think you are about to die from song, there's usually a break or voice with no instrumental. Really quiet, really calm... then Massive, Big, Furious for the last part of the song. Then over. It's a 4 minute mental and physical work out that if timed right, pushes you over your egde. With the Nike+ system you can program your power song to one button. So no matter where you are in your playlist, Boom! Power song. Instant juice. All right, maybe I'm over-hyping the coolness... but I thought it was special.

I think they should put "Power Song" buttons on all sorts of stuff. Like Blenders, Lamps, Toilets, and/or Family Pets. That would be sweet.

Bonus Vid* Super Mario + Doom = Punch Yoshi in the FACE! If you have the time watch him finish the whole level. Soak it in...
Here's a better high Resolution version. But you have to Click.

Back from the Beach.

2007-02-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Sick-Wicked! What a nice little mini-vacation. I went to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Corpus Cristi, Texas. We left late Thursday night and drove straight through. The trip took about 19 hours. Which was kinda rough but well worth it to bring my Bike. I like to road trip. You kinda find yourself talking about nonsense just to pass the time (my specialty). I brought DVD's but we ended up chatting all the way. Well, one person slept from time to time while the Navigator conversed with Driver. It was a good system.

I got online and found a group of cyclists that meet every Sat and Sun down there. So I hooked up with them and jumped in the mix. They were a slightly older group. More of a Fun Club ride atmosphere. Some riders (including the ride organizer, Dave) were strong tri-athletes. They liked to pin it and kept it interesting. I couldn't have asked for a better loop. Although it wasn't the longest ride, it had Killer views of the beach. 90 degree weather with a pretty strong wind coming off the water. Epic-ness all around.

The ride along the ocean-front.

A view in front of the Naval Base

Some of the older riders. Weekend warriors who love talking bike.

Right outside of Austin, Texas we had a nasty blow out. The tire was completely Shredded. Not-so good times. We saw so many flat tires in Texas it was ridiculous. At one point 4 cars in a row, all flatted. Luckily we had a full sized spare. Note: If you drive thru Tex, take a good spare.
Some random Beach shots at Indian Point Pier: (click for biggies)

My life be like ooh ahh

2007-02-20T17:35:00.000-05:00

I jumped on the Blue Pain Train, last monday. One word, Win-friggin'-DY! It was a good wind, though. Headwind on the way out. Tailwind on the way back. So nice. Temps couldn't have been better for this time of year.

This week is going to fly by. Work is action packed because I have a short week. I have to prep all before I leave but it will be so sweet to take a mini-vacay. Peace and Grease. Good luck to D-Dub at Froze Toes.

Calories in, Calories out...
I saw this vid on Dan Schmatz' blog and it cracked me up. Most non-bike people do not realize how much food a cyclist can eat. Even Kelli freaks out sometimes when I scarf wicked quantities at break-neck speeds. I don't even notice it anymore. I've seen some pretty insane chowing when traveling/riding with the team. The best is when a waitress' jaw hits the floor after she has just witnessed someone eat a massive mountain of post-ride pancakes. Or the all-you-can-eat Pasta Buckets at the Snake. Wow, just talking about it is making me hungry...

Does the Ice Cream man still sell Froze Toez?

2007-02-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to make it to Froze Toez this year. I'll be in Corpus Christi, Texas that weekend. My younger Texan cousin (Ye-haw!!) is becoming an Eagle Scout. From what I understand it's a pretty big deal. I'm using it as an excuse to road trip to the beach and ride my bike. Hopefully it will be sunny down there.

1. Leave STL (w/ Fam) on Thursday after work, drive 16 hours.
2. Ride bike Friday.
3. Ride Saturday morn. Ceremony Saturday evening.
4. Ride Sunday morning.
5. Drive home Sunday night.
6. ?????
7. Profit $$$$
8. Back to work on Tuesday.

We'll see how that goes. I'll try to snap some photogs. Lately, when I bring my camera nothing special happens. Ultra-Boring. And when I don't bring my camera, Logan rides up on some Deer bones. Then he decides to chuck a Deer femur, knee, and Hip socket at me. All still attached by Cartilage. I think we offended the deer gods on that one. Sadoes, no pics. Good times had by all (except for the Deer, R.I.P)

How to tell if your Dog is ill

2007-01-31T10:29:00.000-05:00

Well... surprise, surprise. I'm sick. I don't understand it. I eat well. I work out. Oh... yeah... never mind. I must have caught a cold or flu from one of those fine establishments I hit last weekend. I had to call in sick yesterday. I was coughing and hacking on Monday but on Tuesday it was a straight up smack-down. Complete failure of all systems. It's all karma, man. I was so laid out yesterday, I think I out slept the cats. Unfortunately it was not a good kinda sleep. It was the sweaty, cold, uncomfortable sleep. I'm back at work today. I'm at 60% maximum wellness. I'm doped on some Theraflu thin strips medicine. I can't tell if it's making me sleepy. Oh well, if I fly under the radar today tomorrow will be better.

In other news. I'm thinking about subscribing to a Bike Mag. I'm thinking about picking up Cycle Sport America for a year. I had a subscription to Bicycling and that magazine was total toilet paper. Every issue was the same. "How to lose 10 pounds!" and "Go faster on the bike!". Then you turn to page 93 and there's a 2 paragraph article about "oiling your chain will increase your speed". Uber-weak.

Vino's new ride. Photo courtesy of PezCycling.com

Ouch! My arteries hurt.

2007-01-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

Friday
Lunch:
Hooter's Buffalo Chicken sandwich w/ cheddar cheese curly fries
Dinner:
Houlihan's Chipotle Chicken Nacho pile w/ 4-5 beers

Saturday
Lunch:
1 medium-sized Totino's Sausage Pizza
Dinner:
Helen Fitzgerald's 3/4 lb Smokehouse Bacon Cheddar Burger/fries w/ 5-6 beers

Sunday:
Lunch:
TGI Friday's Chicken BLT sandwhich w/ fries
1.5 pieces of Dairy Queen ice cream cake.
Dinner:
Red Lobster's Lobster Pizza (medium sized)/cheddar Bay biscuits w/ 2 beers

I'm so buff right now, it's ridiculous. I feel dirty. Oh, throw in a 2 hour trainer session on Saturday and another hour this morning. That should put a microscopic dent in my saturated fat count. I normally don't eat that extreme or drink that much brew, but this weekend we had a 3 separate birthday's to celebrate. I guess it's all in prep for Super bowl weekend/Mardi Gras. Come on metabolism, don't fail me now!!

The Cat Report.

2007-01-26T09:59:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I showed some cat pics. So I thought I'd drop some on you today. Jax and Hayley have been very bad lately. They've been spending a lot of time in the basement as punishment. So when we let them upstairs, they try to suck up. But I'm on to their game. Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.

Hayley Lynn: A.k.a. Princess Paws, A.k.a. Sugar Steps, A.k.a. Ninja Flip Kick
We always think she's so precious and never does anything wrong but she's hella-sneaky. Here's a quick snap of her busting into the cat food Bin for a little late night snack. Straight Busted.

Jax: A.k.a. Jackson Tyrone Brown. A.k.a Big Buddy, A.k.a. Big Steps. A.k.a. The Stomach
This is a pic of Big Buddy trying to squeeze into a women's size 6 shoe box. Jax, you know you ain't no Size 6! Maybe in back high school, Sally.

** WHOA!! I was doing some key word searches on google and I found this! It's a video I made of Jax a while ago but it's on some Japanese web page. Too Funny!! Maybe he's famous over there. "Ha-Ha! look at fat american kitty!! Ha-haaa!"

Yeah, a bike related posting!!1!!ONE!!

2007-01-23T10:08:00.000-05:00

So I got to ride outside for the first time this year. Last Saturday I met up with the Jr's and did the Webster Grove ride. It was cold-cold in the morning (car said 25 degrees@9am) but started to warm up late in the ride. That's a lot of layers of clothing. We did about 3.5 hours. Around 50+ miles with a couple of stops.

In my rush to get out there, I forgot my camera and sunglasses. I really needed my sunglasses for some of the down hills. At the bottom I had streams of tears streaked across my face from the wind. I'm surprised they didn't turn to icicles. There's probably science involved in that but anyway. Now that I think about it, I'm kinda glad I left the eye shields. I got pretty good wind burn on my face. If I would have had the sunglasses, I would have looked raccoon-ish the rest of the weekend.

During the ride we started some drama with aganga (pronounced "a gang of") of deer. "Aganga" is the collective noun for a group of deer*2. Mike T decided to charge after one of the deer as a group crossed the road meters in front of us. Luckily there was no contact. That could have ended up bad for all parties involved. It was a funny sight none the less.

*1 photo courtesy of Graham Watson
*2 There is no such thing as "aganga"

Step 1. Build bike ramp from snow
Step 2. Pedal
Step 3. Call doctor (w/ sound goodness)

...and there I was...Alone... Ashamed.

2007-01-19T10:07:00.000-05:00

A female co-worker caught me picking my nose.

Now, I wasn't index finger/knuckle deep or anything. I was using my thumb and barely scratching the surface. Which in accordance to Man-Law guidelines is perfectly legal. If this would have been one of my boys, I would have made some crude comment about "mining for gold" and we would have High-five'd. (*well maybe not a High Five but you know wha-I'm-sayin)

However, it was not. It was a slightly older female co-worker and she was obviously offended. Instead of a High-Five, I got the "awkward silence, look down, look up, apologize, more silence" routine. I froze up. It was like a Sienfield episode. I wanted to proclaim my innocence but the damage was already done. So now I'm crying about it on my blog. Oh well, I've probably said too much or we've just taken our internet relationship to the next level. Either way I'm good with it.

"Foot Jam Nose Pick on the Lip, Nasty"

I'm such a poser.

2007-01-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

Before the Awesomeness:

I think a homeless man was living in the back of my ride.

After the Awesomeness:

The Team Bags have arrived. Mike B. stopped by on sunday and dropped off the goods. The bag is hella-swheet. It's heavy duty with logos embroidered into the side panels. It also has my name sewn into the top panel. Too cool for words.

Speaking of cool, it's friggin' brisk outside. The car said it was 12 degrees this morning. With the wind chill, it felt like negative 12. I ride the Metrolink to work and I thought I was going to freeze up and die. I can handle the cold when I'm prepared for it. I was not ready for that nonsense this morning. When I got to work I just poured the hot coffee right onto my head. Yeah, that kinda worked.

I don't see the resemblance...

2007-01-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

(**Just a pre-warning. Some of the links in today's post go to very Gore, Bloody, Horror movie sites. Use your best judgment.**)

So, a girl at the office said I looked like the guy from the movie "Hostel". (Official site)

Now, I don't know if any of you have seen the movie Hostel but if you did you would understand my concern. Here's a brief description from Bloody-Disgusting.com:

"Written & Directed by Eli Roth, Presented by Quentin Tarantino, HOSTEL is a mixture of many of the most terrifying things about human nature and the world at large, culled from many impossible-but-true stories of human trafficking, international organized crime, and sex tourism. Relentlessly graphic and deeply disturbing, the film is sure to shock even the most hardcore horror genre fans. HOSTEL tells the story of two American college buddies Paxton and Josh who backpack through Europe...the two friends quickly find themselves trapped in an increasingly sinister situation that they will discover is as wide and as deep as the darkest, sickest recess of human nature itself – if they survive."

I've seen the movie a couple of times and it's pretty gore. I even heard they are coming out with Hostel 2. I love these movies they're pretty entertaining. But anyway back to the story...

So when I heard this comment, I immediately thought she meant the guy that gets all hacked up and stuffed in the sink. Or maybe the sick crazy chainsaw wielding Geman? Maybe she meant this guy (note the leg detached at the knee)? Ouch.

"No, no... ", she says. "The guy who survives, Jay Hernandez."

Meh... I don't really think so but to each their own, I guess.

Cheesing it up for a good cause...

2007-01-08T13:15:00.000-05:00

This weekend was the "Get Hooked on Health" Expo. It was a lot of fun. The Team rode Cycling trainers for charity during the event. I had the 11am to 1 pm shift on Sunday. I had so much fun talking and hanging out, I stuck around well after my shift ended. I was going to take some pics but my photographer was at the wedding show (next door) most of the time. It's so hard to find good help these days.

From Alan Hautly, "I want to thank all of the Team members that participated this weekend by coming down and riding in Hautly Cheese booth at the Get Hooked On Health Expo. You guys did a great job, and with your efforts we will be donating over $6760 to the St. Louis Children's Hospital. I really appreciate how everyone interacted with the visitors to our booth, the comments were very positive.

Also, a special thanks to Dave Orwick for organizing the riding schedule.

We will set a date to again deliver the check to the hospital in the near future. I talked to one of the VP's at Charter, and they will send a camera crew to film us during our ride. This will be some great exposure for the team."

Above is a photo of team making the donation to the Children's Hospital in '06. If you squint, you can see me on the far, far left.

*Bonus Lanky: A 4th Dimensional Rollercoaster. Grab some popcorn and watch the whole video included in the link. Crazyness. "...a design in which the seats can rotate forward or backward 360 degrees in a controlled spin..."

This is the new layout for 2007...

2007-01-04T15:25:00.000-05:00

I'm cheesing on this one. I think it came out hella-sweet. I'm teaching myself photoshop. I got the software from work and I'm watching on-line how-to videos. I'll never be able to get a job as a Graphic Designer *cough*Swirlogirl*cough* but it's cool to play around with.

My boy Jared just got back from Skiing in CO. He could go soooo Pro at any minute. The video is him dominating the Box at the Terrain Park. Watch for him to go big in... well maybe not.

He also told me that he had a Wendy's 1/2 lb. Bacon Cheddar Double Melt. That Bastige!! He also said that it was better than Heaven. And that someday he will marry the 1/2 lb. Bacon Cheddar Double Melt. That's it! I'm opening a friggin' Wendy's Express in my basement.

You're a Slacker, McFly!!

2007-01-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

So I've been slacking on the bikeage, lately. With the Holidays, family, and friends, I've just been swamped lately. If I'm not busy, then I'm worn out. The best I could do was hit the trainer a couple of times in the morning before work. Uber-weak, I know. It was nice out last weekend, too. The freakin' weather man said it would rain all weekend so I made other plans. That Liar!! I should have known better. Yellow Card, Glen Zimmerman! You've been warned.

In other news, it's 2007. I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. I've been reading/hearing alot about NY's resolutions. I don't have a New Year's resolution. I don't think I've ever really had one, ever. But I guess if I had to come up with one, it would be "No more clubbin' baby seals in '07". Yeah, um... '06 was a bad year for me and the little snow leopards.

The Top 10 New Year's resolutions.

**Update** New page layout for '07. I'm not sure if I like it or not... I may need a couple of days.

The gift that keeps on giving...

2006-12-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

My best gift this year...The iPod Nano.

My sister totally got me by surprise with this one. I had an Mp3 player but it was about 10 years old. I think it only had 128mb (which holds about 1.5 songs.) Well, maybe I'm slightly exaggerating but you get the idea. It was old tech. Plus I got a handful of Best Buy gift certificates from everyone, which is sweet. I'll prob wait till after the new year and hit 'em up. It's too crazy to go shopping now.

I also need one of these Nike Shirts. Too bad you can't get them at Best Buy.

Santa throws down a fierce attack...

2006-12-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that isn't my best photoshop'd work but you get the idea. Santa is taking it to the hill retro old school style!

I cant believe it's already Christmas. I have bought zero presents. No time to panic though. I'm sure there is plenty left on the shelves? I have my list of what people want but I just haven't made it to the stores. I've been crazy busy lately. I went to the Illini vs Mizzou "braggin rights" game last Tuesday. My brother scored us some hella-swheet seats in a party box. It was bananas. The game came down to the last couple of seconds. Good times had by all.

*Bonus Lanky: LineRider.com Virtual Sled man. Create your own black diamond runs.

Do you like base?

2006-12-18T13:06:00.000-05:00

Wow, I hope everyone got a chance to get out and enjoy this global warming. It was friggin' nice out there for December. I rode myself into the ground. I had the days off and spent as much time as I could physically handle riding the bike. I might have overdone it and cooked myself but the juice was worth the squeeze.

I did my normal leg workout on Wednesday. Rode solo on Thursday and rode with CJ on Friday. Plus we did Austin's new "60 miles, 12-15 climbs..., and 3000+ ft of climbing" route on Saturday. I think it was more like 50+ miles but I popped around 35 miles. I think my legs were smoked from the previous days' exploits. We started out on a nasty climb and my legs went straight into the red zone right off the bat. Once it got into my head that I was not 100%... mighty Caesar started to fall. The last time I remember feeling that bad was during the QuarterMax Quarter Ironman a couple years ago. It's that feeling where you need food but you cant eat because it feels like you're going to blow chunks. It sucked. I didn't feel right the rest of the day. Kelli and I ended up at Smokey Bones BBQ house that night where I ate a filthy amount of food. Yum-yum, meat on the bone hungry dog style.

Kelli wanted to ride on Sunday, so we did a hour of light spinning on the MCT trail. I think that helped spin out the lactic acid a little but I'm still feeling it today.

*bonus*
Here's a web gem for ya. Simply amazing. The worlds most dangerous roads.

Respect my authoritah!!

2006-12-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

Good weekend in Bike Land. I got my new bike built'd. Thanks to the awesome wrenching skills of Mike Bizzy. Big shout outs to my boi.

So last Saturday was the maiden voyage of the S.S. ButterSmoothCrisp. I rode for about an hour and a half just to test out the rig and make adjustments. There were a lot of trees down on the bike path which kinda sucked. I gotta say, I like this bike a lot. The cables still need to stretch and it's skips around on the cogs a little but the ride quality is Butter Smooth Crisp. I think from now on I will just call my bike, "Bacon". My bike is the bacon.
*Disclaimer* I'm no bike expert by any means. And to tell you the truth this is the first Carbon bike I've ever ridden so views may be a skewed. mmmmm... bacon.

Sunday was another good ride. Mike picked me up at the hacienda around 9 am. Then we hopped over to the Webster Groves to ride with the Team. I wish I would have had my digital camera with me on the ride, so much stuff went down. Including being stopped by the Po-po. I was cracking up the whole time. See Austin's blog for details. I think we did a 4 hour ride all over the STL. The weather was perfect. Can you dig it?

*Update* I'm off work the next three days and look at the forecast. Looks like Christmas came early for this biker. Soak it in!!

It's finally Friday!!

2006-12-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

Dude, this has been a long week. It's finally Friday, so it's time to rock out! Plus, it's a payday Friday which is even better.

Yada-yada-yada rode the trainer
Yada-yada I'll try to ride this weekend
That's all I got. Cue cowbell.

Snow Days are the best.

2006-12-04T14:02:00.000-05:00

Another epic weekend is in the books. For those who don't live in the area, we had a crazy Ice Storm followed by layers of snow. This ice storm coated the trees with ice and knocked out power lines all over the STL area. Many people (including my parents) are still without power. Here are some pics I snapped of trees around my home.

I guess it was the blankets of snow on Friday that put me in the Holiday Spirit. Plus the fact that they closed my office, I felt like partying. Since most of my people were without power, I suggested a soirée at my place. Good times had by all. Some of my Brew Crew were there. My Parents were there, Mike B and his crew came over to warm by the fire. He also brought a ton of burned DVD's and accidentally left them there. Me being a movie freak, I was damned to watch as many as I could. Here is a list of movies I watched this weekend.

SpaceBalls, Clerks, Jack Ass Season 1, Jack Ass Season 2, Days of Thunder, Team America, The Last Samurai, Back to the Future Part 2, Back to the Future Part 3, Caddy Shack, and House on Haunted Hill.

To be completely honest, I only watched half of Clerks. It started to Skip. And I watched Team America and half of The Last Samurai while I was on the Bike Trainer, Sunday.

Durka-Durka, Today's post is weak.

My Little Ass is cold...

2006-11-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

Please cover your donkey, people.

What's up with the weather? I guess it's officially winter, but dang! Mother Nature didn't have to bring it in like that! No love, just BAM! Oh well, I think we're still riding on Sunday. I may need to get some of those little 4-hour warmers from Sports Authority and put them in my shoes. We used to do that for snowboarding. Maybe I'll wear my snow goggles and snow pants as well. Sheeesh.

Don't let me down Internet people:
It's colder than __(fill in the blank)____

Dang and Double-Dang!!

2006-11-27T10:40:00.000-05:00

Dang!
I missed the team ride that was in my own back yard. It sounds like the crew rode the MCT trails over in Collinsville which is my stomping grounds (10 min from my hacienda). I ride that trail like always. I had family in town so I couldn't get out. Actually over this whole break, with more-than-awesome weather I only rode once for an hour and a half. That kinda sucks now that I'm typing it but I guess I only see fam once a year so it's all good.

Other news I bought a new road bike frame.

It's pretty sweet. I still have to buy a Crankset for it. So it wont see road for awhile. The guy that I bought it from (Mark B.) was super cool. He's a fellow rider for the DRJ Racing team. He took awesome care of this bike. I was chatting it up with him for a while in his garage. Mark has some sweet bikes and he takes super-great care of his gear. I was amazed. I thought I was a little crazy about detailing my bike with a tooth brush every now and then. But I bet this guy does that and then floss's the spokes. Bottom line, it shines.

Here's kinda what it would look like with my Ksyriums Elites. The pic below is a small size 52 and it has SL's but you kinda get the idea.

Tell them, Fergie...

2006-11-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

It's so D, to the E, to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!

From me and mine to you and yours, Happy Thanksgiving!!
Someone was getting a little jealous of all the attention Jax (white cat) was getting. So she turned on the charm and worked her way onto the blog. I can't say "no" to Princess Paws.

Since the fam was all together in the same location (which only happens once every 10 years, or when the planets and stars align during the winter solstice) we had some family pics taken. Kennedy-style. I wanted to go with a "Tony Montana" style portait of me and my Lady Tiger with a neon "The world is yours..." in the back ground but I got veto'd hard. Oh well...

For those of you who haven't seen my bro/sis in a while/or didnt know I had a brother/sister, that's them. I'm the oldest of three. We all have strange names. Me = Czarrok. Bro = Tehrrek. Sis = Rhiannon. Yeah, good times. One of these days, I'm gonna get my bro on the bike. He's not ready yet.

Lacking content...

2006-11-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

I really don't have much for you today. It was a Good weekend. CJ, Mike B. and I did a +4 hour ride on Saturday. It was crazy cold outside. I think it was in the 20's around 9am when we left. Ouch. But once you started moving it was kinda tolerable. I'm not sure if it was the cold weather outside or I didn't drink enough water but later that day I felt like toilet. I couched it up allllllll day/allllll night. I tried eating random crap but that didn't help. Oh well, the juice was worth the squeeze.

Other news: My sister is in town for Turkey Day!! She flew in Sunday. Yeahhhhh!

Other other news: Bored of this web page? Then Rock it out with Tenacious D!!

And I'll Form the Head...

2006-11-17T11:57:00.000-05:00

So I paid a homeless guy a Jimmy John's Hunter's Club sandwich to wait in line for my Play Station 3. Unfortunately, he ate the sandwich and burned the PS3 for warmth. Silly homeless!

I might get a bunch of hate for saying this but I'm not that hyped on the PS3. I've got my Play Station 2 and it's all good. I play video games but not that often. Plus I'd have to buy more games for the PS3 and that would get real expensive real quick. And Riddle me this, Batman. Why the Frick don't they make the Game Consoles backwards compatible?!! I guess, I know the true answer. $$$$$$, If it don't make dollars, it don't make cents/sense. <-see what I did there.

I think they should make all the Play Stations connect together. Stay with me here... so you have a PS1 and the PS2 comes out. That should connect on top of the original 1, making it Ultra-PS1!! Double the memory. Double the speed. This would be well worth your money to upgrade. Now, the PS3 comes out. Sure you can run it by itself but that would be what? Weak. OR you connect your PS3 to your existing Ultra-PS1 and now you have the Omega-Supreme-PS1!!!! Of course you would have to upgrade the voltage in your house to play the OMS-PS1, but it would truly be epic.

I got the new Omega-Supreme-PS1 and you can't play.

Welcome to the Dark Side

2006-11-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

Blog or Die has changed formats. I was kicking this idea around the other day while on the trainer. Right now, I'm living in a world of darkness. It's dark when I wake up. It's dark when I drive home from work. My office area is in the center of a building so we have no windows. I have no contact with the sun. It's kinda depressing. Now before you go and call the "Whaaaaambulance", I'm not complaining. I'm just telling you the reasoning behind the black. Who knows, I may change it a couple of times before the day is over. Give me a "Pump it" or "Dump it" in the comments if you feel the need.

In other news, I crashed the MB. I was trying to Ghost Ride the whip. What is "Ghost Riding the Whip"? Well, I'm glad you asked. Cue video, please...

*ps. I didn't really crash out the MB.*

Regulators, mount up.

2006-11-13T13:42:00.000-05:00

You gotta be handy with the steel. Earn ya keep. So Basso is now with the Disco boys. This should be interesting.

I didn't get to ride with the Jr. Varsity on Sunday. I got a jazillion excuses. It was a nice day too, oh well. I rode the trainer this morning for two hours to make up for it. Kelli left on business this morning. She had to get up early to catch her flight, so I just got up early too. She's out of town for a week. It's me and the brat cat crew holding down the fort.

Some other caffeinated thoughts... I want a Wendy's 1/2 lb Jalapeno Cheddar Double Melt. But all of the Wendy's in Fairview, Swansea, and Belleville are closed. I think the Wendy's in STL are down as well. I believe they are going though some kind of financial trouble. But they keep running the TV ads for this burger. That ain't right, man. I love Jalapeño. I love Cheddar cheese. I love Bacon. And I love Burger. Then Wendy's comes along and piles it on a sandwich!! DAY-UM!! I may have to road trip to a working Wendy's.

Soldier Strong on Veteran's day

2006-11-10T13:49:00.001-05:00

I was off Thursday and Friday this week. I didn't get to ride on Thurs but we stomped it out today. I met up with Logan, Mike, and CJ at 8am this morning. I didn't bring the digi-cam because I thought it we were going to get rained on. The weatherman said storms all day but he smokes crack. It was a good ride, no rain. Ha!

Are you not entertained? I apologize if today's entry sux. I don't have much but here's one for you. What was Maximus' horses name? He had two. Someone please google that and post up like mailboxes.

*Breaking News. Swansea is the new East Saint Louis. Double homicide? I need to join a gang and build up my street cred.

Spent 50 on a Caddy, 25 on the Pinky

2006-11-06T11:20:00.000-05:00

I logged some awesome hours on the 2 wheeled horse this weekend.

Saturday:
We did a fundraising bike ride for Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo, IL. Here are some pics, Please you look...

Mike got a phat new Lemond. It is very nice. He was very much happy. Here's a pic of a sign at some dank bar we passed on our ride. It says "New Floor. No Bike Cleats." I heard that this sign has been up for a couple of years. Hating on the Spandex. CJ took a break from Marathon training and came out for the Big Bike Hurt. Good Stuff.

Sunday:
The Team ride from the Webster Groves Starbuck's was a blast, as always.

Me and the Logan representing the IL-side. Turner was in the Building! Austin on his Boost mobile "Where you at?!!" Mike T with the Sprinters trophy. cA-kaw!!

Also, I was messing with my camera on Sunday and the different photo modes. Here's a little something I threw together with MSpaint. I thought it was kinda clever.

Keaton "the CONDOR" Hanson

Please send $10 for the full poster version. Autographed copies are going for $15.

I be Stuntin' like my daddy...

2006-11-03T10:28:00.000-05:00

It's Friday. Very Nice. Here's a little Friday humor. Allow me to present:

The three finalists for the "Man of the Year" Award!!

Number 1:

Number 2:

And finally Number 3:

Big weekend planned for the bike. Big base pain sessions on Saturday and Sunday. No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve; ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I got some new bike gear so that should keep spirits high. New bike stuff makes riding fun. Borat the movie on Sunday. Bonus.

Would you like to be my Personal Assistant? R U Hawt?

2006-10-31T20:58:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a crazy-insane weekend.
I also had Monday off and I didn't have to work till tonight, so I've been away for a while. The STLbiking forums are blown up. I gotta get a team cycling cap. So I can be soooo Euro. More on that later. That and after going through all of my work email, my head asplode. So this will be short. I see that the poll worked. I kinda figured that on the song lyrics. So noted, no more lyrics unless I bust out some sick wicked free-style. Then ya'll can gap 270 the flat down box, tailslide 270 out on the flat rail, back 9, cab 10, switch back 9, boardslide to switch 50-50 revert out on the up to down box and front 10 jump on my BIG willie style like you're Shaun White.

**update.** And this is why I'll never be able to run for Mayor. Too many pics out there of my shenanigans. That's my Pimp Dog, Jared with the Purple Mohawk. And the sexy pirate is yours truly. Off-season training like an Mo'Fo'.

Vote or DIE!

2006-10-26T17:10:00.000-04:00

The first eva poll on my blog. Please vote accordingly. The people want to know.

Not sure what Paris Hilton has to do with my Vote Blog. This pic was on the same page where I got the "Rock the Vote" jpeg. I thought it was funny and sad at the same time.

Happy Halloween!!

Wanna know the time? Better clock us

2006-10-25T16:43:00.000-04:00

So myself and some of my Professional Beer Drinker friends are going to make an appearance at the Red Bull Soap Box Race at Forest Park this weekend. Looks like a blast. Hopefully there will be some carnage.

When: October 28, 2006
Where: Forest Park (on the Muny Grounds) map
Gates Open: 11:00AM
Opening Ceremony Begins: 12:30PM
First Cart Launches: 1:00PM

Not to be confused with the youth soapbox derby, Red Bull Soap Box is a national race for amateur drivers, which is fueled by creativity and competitive fun – not to mention the need for speed. It is the first-ever race of its kind to hit the U.S. and St. Louis, which is a city rich in hometown pride, cultural heritage and also the gateway to the West. The event will take place in Forest Park, which is dubbed the “Crown Jewel” of metropolitan St. Louis and the location of the 1904 World Fair. Thousands of spectators are expected to flock to this signature racing event to cheer on their favorite, most outrageous Soap Box. Collegiate, high school and cross-town rivals are encouraged to flaunt their spirit and one-up each other.

Other than that, not much biking planned for this weekend. I'm off monday, so maybe then. As of today, I can't make sunday's Jr. Vasity ride. Who knows, maybe I can swing some stuff.

Dude, like Snoop say "Step Ya Game Up"
Double the caboe, mediterrain up
D-Class Action cuts, tuck your chain up
Liberachi fingers, just hit Lorraine up
Just last week, I was out in Aspen
Me and Puff hoppin off the plane, both us laughing
A week before that, I was out in Italy
Attire heart throbs could not get rid of me
Up and down the tella crib, me and like ten hoes
Call from the cell phone, give me that Enzo
I know what your thinking, yeah me too
Okay everybody meet mister me too

I know, I know, yep yeah, you too
Okay we get it, yep yeah you too
I know, I know, yep yeah, you too

I'm soooo getting a clue...

2006-10-23T22:36:00.000-04:00

Good weekend on the bike. I rode Saturday for around 2 hours late in the afternoon. It was a little windy but had to be done. Sunday. I woke up at 7:00 am to meet up with the team in Webster Groves by 8:30 am. It was a bit brisk at that time in the morning. But since everyone was cold and suffering, it was all good. All you can do is laugh and ponder how crazy we are for the sport. To be honest, I was a little nervous about the ride on Sunday. Austin "Massive Attack", who organizes the group ride said it was going to be hilly. My definition of hilly and his definition of hilly are quite different. I was ready for the worst. Maybe some HC "beyond categorization" climbs or something. But it wasn't too bad. I had to zig-zag up the hill in Lone Elk Park but it was a good burn. My heart was in my throat when I got to the top. That's the sign of a good hill. A nice park too. I've never been out that way and it was a good route. I look forward to hitting that again. I guess I've been on my same loop so much I might have gotten a little too comfortable.

But the question on everyone's mind is "Where is CJ?" I've heard reports that he is training in the high altitude mountains of Mexico with Danilo Di Luca and the Liquigas squad. Or has he jumped the pond to Europe and picked up with the Spaniards training in Italy? He may be at some top secret camp at MIT doing marathons of low intensity, high volume bike work in wind tunnels. I'll keep checking CyclingNews.com for any signs of him. Stay tuned...

What's cooler than cool?

2006-10-19T17:49:00.000-04:00

Ice Co'!! Ah-right x8, It wasn't raining this morning so I stomped out into the coldness. I was tired of riding the Flight simulator in my basement. I needed some real combat scenarios. It was hella brisk, though. The car showed a temp of 41 degrees this morning at 8:30 am. I forced down some scalding hot Hardeez coffee and clicked in around 9:00.

It was kinda windy. I think Glen Zimmerman said NW winds at 9 mph. Not too bad but it added to the nip factor. I think I need more cold weather gear.

I don't think that more gear will make you warmer once you're out on the trail but it will definitely help you get out of the car. That first push from car heater warmness to cold bike is rough. My Mp3 player shut itself off after 2 songs. That sucked. The batteries died (I thought batteries worked better in the cold?). I normally carry a spare but in my cold weather rush I forgot. So I had nothing to distract me from the biting cold. Double-suck.

(I liked this sign)

I lasted about +2 hours out there. I saw one other Roadie. A handful of dog walkers and one crazy Runner. She had on a long sleeve t-shirt and some running shorts. Silly runners.

(Arch and St.L in the background across Horseshoe Lake, Click for Biggies.)

That's about it. I got home, took a 45 minute shower to warm up and went to work. I'm working nights today and Friday. I also got nights all next week which should be interesting. I'm gonna try to put in some +4 hour tours this weekend. Who knows when or where. Maybe I should be riding longer than that for base or something? If you have any input on that let me know. I think I need to pick up a Carmichael book or something. Something with a lot of pictures... and pop-ups.

Devil May Cry 3

2006-10-18T16:43:00.000-04:00

So I'm playing this game called "Devil May Cry 3" on PS2.

It's the closest game I can find that resembles the old skool, Contra (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start). It's a basic "shoot, shoot, Jump, Jump" game. I know that might not make sense to to most people but not everyone has wasted hours of their life playing video games. I think I may be approaching the age where I should no longer be playing video games. But that's neither here nor there.

I've had this game for a long time. I think I got it last Christmas with some Best Buy gift certs. I started playing it and got stuck on level 7. You can ask Kittens, I could not, for the life of me, get past this one obstacle in the game. I even started all over in "easy/sit down to pee" mode. Once again, I got stuck on level 7. It's not like it was an "End Boss" or something, I wasn't dying. I just had to do a series of combos' on this amulet in order to break it. Then I could advance to the next level.

After months of frustration, I had kinda given up on the game. I had no other choice, I downloaded a Cheats manual and was determined to beat this level. Now here's the kick in the beans, turns out I didn't have to combo this thing. I just had to walk around it. Mother Trucker!! I swear I tried that at one point but I must not have done it right. Oh well. Now I'm on level 18 of 20. And it feels Goooooooood.

If it rains tomorrow and I cant ride the bike, I'm going to beat that game. Then I'm going to light it on fire and bury it in the back yard.

Let It Rain. And Clear It Out

2006-10-16T12:48:00.000-04:00

Let It Rain. And Clear It Out
Let It Rain. Clear It Out

Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Wit A Soda On The Side

This song has been following me around all weekend. I heard it three times on Friday. Kittens and I were laughing so hard. We were doing the Chicken Noodle soup dance all night. It's like Crack. I couldn't get enough so we were trying to call 100.3 The Beat to request it again when alla sudden they started to play it again!!

Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Wit A Soda On The Side

Ahhhhhhhhh! My head asplode!

I rode on Saturday with Logie Da Homie and Mike B (fresh off the plane from his Honeymoon in Colorado). We stomped out a nice 4+ hour ride. My speedometer was acting up. It was on and off so I don't have any exact numbers. There was a nice breeze blowing in from the West, so that helped to put the hurt on. Good times. I needed a good tear down and rebuild.

I'm working nights on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. Hopefully one of those days will be nice and I can get out on the road. That is all, chicken noodle soup.

I see dead people.

2006-10-12T16:56:00.000-04:00

So I think my basement is haunted. A long time ago, maybe 10-12 years ago there was a construction accident near our new home in Fairview. A worker was digging a trench for a new subdivision when it collapsed. He was buried alive.

Now our new home is in an adjacent subdivision to the one where he was killed. I have my stationary trainer setup in the basement. I spend lots of time down there grinding away with my headphones on full bast.

I have a TV setup down there but I'm using the DVD player upstairs. So I hardly ever turn it on. Now here's the freaky part. Every now and then I will see something move in the reflection on the TV screen (kinda Ring movie style). I quickly spin around thinking it's the cats or Kelli but nothing. I've seen shadow movements on the concrete wall and felt rushes of cold air on my back. With my headphones on full, I cant hear anything but I can definitely feel/see stuff. I know what you skeptics will say but F' that noise! I knows what I knows. I believe that it is the ghost of the man that died near by.

The cats know it too. I believe that since he was buried alive, he is somehow trapped in the basement. I haven't seen a face or anything. All I've seen is movement. Either in the TV or shadows on the wall. For all I know it's the lack of blood in my head as it rushes to my legs on the bike. Or it could be a caffeinated brain going wild mid-workout. But... If it's not and I'm hacked in to bloody pieces by a phantom with a dull shovel, you guys know what happened to me. If you read in the news, that a local man was mutilated and his remains splatter against the wall. That was me and I told you so.

Happy Halloween, people!

If that doesn't get in your head, check out Fingerbang's latest post. Warning. Not right.

(**Did I cross the line with that last pic? Screw it. Gross for the sake of being gross. Go rent Silent Hill the movie. Now!)

U know what ol' Jack Burton says at a time like this?

2006-10-09T15:38:00.000-04:00

Not sure what's going on with my biking. I'm kinda all over the place. I've been on the Trainer in the mornings. I like that. I tried to get out after work but it's getting dark way to early now. I rode 60 miles on Saturday. I must have killed it (or I must be weak) because my legs were toast afterwards. Maybe I didn't eat enough or drink enough but I was hurting. I'm normally good at that distance but for some reason my body was in the crapper. So I did what at any super athlete would do... I went out drinking.

I know, I know but I had a good reason. My good buddy, Kyle was DJ'ing at the Upstairs Lounge. So I picked up one of my friends and we headed out to the set. I've never been to the Upstairs Lounge. It's a pretty cool spot. They had all these crazy TV's with random stuff playing. On one of the big screens, they were showing Big Trouble in Little China. Now that is one of my all time Fav's! That immediately put me in to full movie quote mode. I was "Triple or Nuthin' Wang!!!" and calling everyone Lo' Pan. Good times.
So Kyle's set started around 12:30, I think. He totally killed it. Everybody gathered around and snapped pictures. It was epic. Unfortunately my wing man had about 15 too many, we had to bail in a hurry. Poor bastige ended up tossing his cookies on the side of the road in the pale moon light. I couldn't do anything but laugh. Jack Burton: We really shook the pillars of hell, didn't we, Wang?

Lean wit it, Rock wit it

2006-10-04T13:42:00.000-04:00

May I present Mr. and Mrs. Mike Braun...

(hold for applause)
Great weekend! For those who don't know Mike and Julie got married. It was a great wedding and reception. Collars were on pop! CJ said his came popped from the tux rental. P-iiimp! I was leanin' and rockin'. Good times...

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are like Eleventy-Niner-ba-jillion words.

I hate my job

2006-10-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

I had an awesome weekend. I was feeling pretty good about life when all of the sudden, I get C-punched in the Jimmy John's Deli Fresh by work this morning. I hate my job sometimes. Hard to explain the exact details but bottom line I got hard shaft for going out of my way to help someone out. Now I'm bitter and hate all.

More happy posts tomorrow.

I shut 'em down.

2006-09-27T18:04:00.000-04:00

So here is a run-down of all the vermin I encountered on my +3 hour ride this morning.

The Deer Family: Papa Deer just strutted out in front of me this morning. He had no fear. Unlike his fam. I guess the mom and baby saw me coming so they froze on the side of the road. I hit the brakes maybe some 20-30 feet away. Once they saw I was stopped, they darted across the path into the wooded area after papa deer. Crazy Deer, I'm riding here!

The Bunnies: It must be wabbit season. The bunnies are funny. You don't even see them till you're right next to them. Sometimes they dart right into the bushes. All you see is a little plant movement and they're gone. Sometimes they run down the path in front of you. Almost teasing, to see if you give chase. Every now and then a bunny will give me a little head fake, like he's going to cut in front of me but then darts into the foliage. Silly Wabbits.

The Squirrels: the tree rats are like the bunnies except they don't head fake. They will cut right in front of you and take you out. I brake for squirrels. This one time (not today) a freakin' mad squirrel got all Kamikaze Bomber on me. He came charging right at me. He ran right down the middle of the path, right at me. I saw the look in his eyes. He was whacked on some bad acorns, man. The dude was not right. He punked me out. I don't mess with crazy. I slowed and let him clear.

The Chipmunks: I've seen alot of these guys lately. They just dart across the trail. Nothing special.

A Snake: I saw a 4 foot snake on the trail today. I'm glad Kelli didn't see it. She would have flipped. I felt kinda bad because I saw a jogger approaching, that I should have warned. I hesitated, the moment passed. Snake was prob gone by then.

The Grasshoppers: I had a grasshopper jump onto my shoe today. The other day, one jumped onto my top tube. The Shoe Hopper just rode it out for a good 6-8 miles. Then he was gone. I think he had a lot to think about before committing seppuku and swan diving into my spokes. Poor bastard.

Do yo chain hang low?

2006-09-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

Is that your chain!?
Bout 24 inches is how low I let it hang
Hop out the ride n let the diamonds smoke off the range
Just by the chain you can tell the big kid do his thang
You know the name!

So here we are, Getting ready to get it on. But wait... this is not just a normal training ride. This is a celebration ride. If only we had someway to humilate and honor or Bachelor's last days as a free man...

Oh hells-yeah! Cant have a party without a tuxedo! Ladies and Gentleman, le maillot niore.

Mike B, you've been officially pimped.

We did do some riding.

Wait for it...

2006-09-19T13:44:00.000-04:00

Pics of Mike B's bachelor Bike Ride coming soon. I forgot my digital camera, so CJ snapped some still frames. I'll get a copy of the photos later. Good Stuff.

Other than that, bust out yer Pirate Keyboards!

Happy "Talk Like a Pirate Day"!

What R U doing Saturday?

2006-09-14T13:27:00.000-04:00

Saturday (9/16/06), CJ and I are taking Mike B. (above) out for his Bachelor party. This will be a good time! (evil laugh Bwah-ha-haaaaa!!)

Saturday morning we have an easy celebration ride planned. The Blue and White soul train will leave from the Webster Grove Starbucks at 9:00 am. Since Mike is the leader of the Jr. Team this would be a nice way to get the Juniors involved. Maybe we'll run into some of the Hub Cycle Guys out there as well. The more the merrier. The morning ride will be an all ages approved show. The 10 pm show will not be.

Then after a little a little rest we'll regroup and hit the town later that night. Not sure on an exact location but I have some ideas. *cough* East-side *cough*

Just Kidding, no dancy-dancy for you! The only place we prob wont go is the Landing. I think Soulard bars are a little better. Although, I havent been out in a while, things maybe different now. I think Mike will have the final veto.

Other News of interest, I took a day off and went to the Cards Game yesterday. It was definitely time for a Senior Skip day. I had a couple of adult beverages and met my buddy Kyle around noon. We had lunch and more beverages at Jack Patrick's downtown. I needed it. It's been a rough week with all of the Office moves. The game was a good time, too bad the Cards we're done in the first inning. But we were there for the beer/conversation and not so much the game. As always, good times.

Blogger Beta is not there.

2006-09-08T22:16:00.000-04:00

This is what I get when I try to post comments on other people's blogs:

"Account Moved to a Google Account

The account you've just logged in with, czarrok, has been merged with the Google Account Czarrok@gmail.com.

You will need to log in to the new version of Blogger in beta with your Google Account.

Unfortunately, you cannot post a comment on a non-beta blog or claim a mobile blog using your Google Account. These features are coming soon."

So... That sucks. I tried to roll back to the old but I get El shaft loco. I also tried to create a second non-beta account but all new accounts are created in the new version. Maybe the good folks at Blogger will fix it. I will hold my breathe and wait.

*Update* I think if you preview your comment first, it will then allow you to post. Thanks Swirlogirl. I think that works.

I was there... U City Race.

2006-09-06T09:53:00.000-04:00

I'm just happy to have had the opportunity to race one last time before the end of the season. Thanks all who worked so hard to create an extraordinary event!

More Photos of the Race weekend

Some of the photo's on my FlickR are super huge. I didn't have time to scale them down so be warned. Unless, you really wanted that Rok Desktop Wallpaper.

Blogger Ver 2.0

2006-09-01T12:52:00.000-04:00

I'm trying out this new Blogger Beta. So if stuff screws up, let me know.

Otherwise, Good luck racers at the Gateway Cup. 4 days of back to back racing in the STL area. Full fields packed with Animals on trikes. It's going to be a zoo. Good thing our DW squad trains with cougars.

Today is a Coffee Day

2006-08-31T10:05:00.000-04:00

I'm loving this weather. It reminds me of fall. Fall is by far my most favorite season. Fill your coffee cups and sip away. If you're awesome, chase that coffee with a killer bike ride. That is all.

Why can't I quit you, blogger?

2006-08-29T14:30:00.000-04:00

I had a pretty crappy weekend. I was at work from 8 am to 8 pm moving computers on Friday. Followed up by another 9 am to 5 pm of moves on Saturday. Thankfully, I didn't have to come back in on Sunday. And do you think the users would be happy come Monday?! Aw, Hell-to-the-NO!! All I heard were complaints, "My desk is not the same, I want my PC on the other side, my poor butt itches...etc" So, not a good start and this was just the small move. The big dog mother of moves starts this Friday. The only highlight of the weekend was riding my bike with Kitty on Sunday...

It was raining Sunday morning and I was kinda undecided if I would venture out. I thought about just hitting the indoor trainer again. I must have looked like a ground hog peaking out the door every 15 minutes sniffing the air, looking for a break in the clouds. Finally it stopped raining around 1:00.

Kelli convinced me that I should go out and ride. She even wanted to tag along! Sweetness! We hit the MCT trails. The ride started out hot and humid, I thought we would drown in our own sweat. Now this is where Kelli gets the Gold star for the week and made my day. When we hit her normal stopping point she wanted more. This neophyte needed a bigger challenge. She ended up doing the complete 27 mile loop! I'm quite proud of her awesome effort. Congrats Kitten, you biked your way on to my bike blog!

King for a day

2006-08-25T11:35:00.000-04:00

As always the Thursday night team rides are a blast. We did some Sprint workouts, some high speed cornering drills, popped some wheelies, and worked on a little bumping. The shoulder bumping will get the Jr's ready for the Gateway Cup. From the looks of it some of the Labor Day's races are 75 people deep. Sharpen up those elbows!!

The man himself, Alan "Big Cheese" Hautly came out. You may recognize the name from Hautly Cheeses, one of our team sponsors! How cool is that? He also came out last week but I missed that one.

This is a good over the shoulder-no-look photo of Big T, Turner Rapp. You can't say enough good things about this 12-year old racer. After a quick review of the photo, I commented on how good it came out, to which Big T replied, "Rok, any photo with me in it is going to be good." Too funny, He's even picking up on the racer ego. I blame the guy in this next photo.

That's me rubbing shoulders with John "the Belgian" Caldwell. He just got back from racing/training over in Europe. Glad he's kicking tail with the DW squad. He likes to ride close. I think he just wanted to snuggle cuz he was cold. Ha! Maybe I'll get him some are warmers. He's got all the tricks of the trade and is a solid rider on the bike.

That's it for today. That may be it for a while. With work picking up and racing coming to an end my bloggin' might fall off for a little bit. Who knows.

Nothing to see, move along...

2006-08-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

Not too much going on right now. I've been riding the indoor trainer alot and that's major boring. But if I don't have time to get out and ride, it has to be done.

I missed last Tuesday's night race. Shame on me. I think my race season is over. Yup... it's over. I'm prob not going to make it to Sedalia. I have to work this weekend as well. #$@#!!! Our office is going crazy with this big relocation. And the fact that I'm going to miss the G-Cup pretty much closes the book on this season. I'll still be out there riding whenever I get a chance, though. If anything just to get that mental stress relief.

Sorry, L-Jon. No Gateway Cup for me this year.

Let's put a positive spin on this. With all this extra overtime $$, I'll be able to sneak away on a little vacation. I spoke to my parents and they said that I could grab a week at one of their condos.
*happy dance/get's Crunk*

I rode the Couch all weekend

2006-08-21T11:54:00.000-04:00

I went out boozing it up with co-workers on Friday night. Let's just say, I may have had too much to drink. I spent all day Saturday with an epic hangover. I moved from the bed to the couch and that was it. Not fun.

I could have easily spent all weekend entertaining my friend the couch but we had tickets to the Rams Game Saturday night. The seats were freakin' awesome. Box seats in Kitten's company box. All you can drink, All you can eat, Private Bathroom, Mini-TV's, and Plush seating. It was so choice. I highly recommend it. I ate mass quantities of un-healthy food and drank more of the Devil's Brew. So bad, yet so good. I think my body was not used to the sudden trauma. "Weekends are for Biking, Not for Boozing." said Jack's liver. I started to feel like major crap.

My Grandma and Aunts were in town for the weekend. So on Sunday, my mom wanted us to go to church together. Call time for Churches was 9:00 am. So after a 30 minute shower, I put my game face on and headed to Our Lady of the Snow. Oh and get this! One of Sunday's readings, was about thou shall not booze it up. Serious! If that aint a sign, man. I spent the rest of the day on the Couch marathon watching movies.

This morning, I got up at 5:30 am and hit the Indoor trainer before work. Had to get the poison out. Time to get back in to my normal healthy routines.

You broke me.

2006-08-17T22:29:00.000-04:00

HOLY SNAKESONAGOTDAMPLANE!! I'm gonna try to keep this as PG as possible. So I like to consider myself a pretty easy going guy. I dont get mad very often. I have a pretty high tolerance level for crap, I think. But I let my emotions get the best of me tonight.

What normally takes me 30 minutes to get to the JB park took over an Hour and 45 minutes!! An Hour and 45 minutes and I didnt even make it to the park! I ended up going road rage crazy and pulling a U-turn around columbia, IL. I 4x4'd through the grassy median and never looked back to that hell. I guess it didnt help that I downed a huge pre-ride energy drink when I got into the car. I was all jacked up on caffeine and slowing stirring to a boil. Then there are these cork soakers who think they can drive down the shoulder and cut back in. They need to be dragged from their car and beat to death with a Topeak Floor Pump. I guess I've been spoiled riding metro link to work. I've been somewhat sheltered from the bridge drama. There is no way I could deal with that on a day to day basis.

I was so looking forward to tonight's team ride. I was off today and all I wanted to do want spin some spokes. At the rate I was moving I wouldn't have made to the park till after 7:30. I didn't even get to see who the mystery guest was. Well thank you IDOT, MODOT or who ever FngDOT's fault it is. Thank you for stealing my cookie and pissing in my milk. I'm bitter.

Does not like traffic. Enjoys brunch, though.

\end rant

You see me doin' thrill-seeker liquor store holdups?

2006-08-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

A good solid weekend on the bike. 50 miles on Saturday. Then another 50 miles on Sunday. It's been a while since I've done that. Not sure if that's going to help my racing at all. I should be doing intervals or sprint work-outs, I think. But at this point, I just want to ride.

Saturday's ride to was raise money for Mike B's church. So CJ and I arrived at the event around 8:00. We pre-registered and I did a quick scan of the talent that showed up. I'd say about 50+ people running around in spandex. A decent group. Mostly middle-aged to older crowd. CJ and I hit the road and we never saw those people again.

Mike B was actually driving a support truck for the event which was a blast. We practiced taking water bottles from the truck as I domestique'd for CJ Landis. Good Times.

Sunday's ride was the Ice Scream Ride in Edwardsville sponsored by Trailnet.org I was amazed by the huge turnout at this event. It had to be about 400+ people. It was Me, Mike B, and Dennis Fickinger. No CJ Landis. I guess his "B sample" came back positive or something. The Tunnel Trolls were talking smack, CJ.

We handed out some Jr. team recruitment cards but the crowd was once again mostly old men in Discovery Jerseys. Now, I'm not saying I'm top Cat, big racer. I know my place. But some of these guys out there see the team kits and they want to go. I could tell that Mike was getting antsy. If an attack is made you feel the need to respond. I mean that's why I race bikes, brah. I take scores.

So we're about 40 miles into it. It's Mike, Dennis and me taking it easy. This crew comes flying by. They had kinda been yo-yo'ing us all day. Moving up, falling back, what-evers. It was time to get it on. Mike and I both looked back at Dennis. He gave us the "go get 'em" nod. Oh Snap! Dogs of the chain... dogs off the chain with the gate wide open!! Mike barks, "Go straight to the front! We want to make our presence known." We drilled it hard. We blew through their crew as the weak dropped off. It was nice.

I know, I know, I can hear you already. But Rok, you attacked some old-aged granddads who were out enjoying the scenery. To that I say, No way man! They were all Elite masters. Who were prob dopped to the gills. Well, maybe... I'll just have to wait till their tests come back.

Do not try this at home... snicker

2006-08-10T11:20:00.000-04:00

Some of the other Cycling teams may spend thousands of dollars on team building activities such as Training Survival camps or Paintball tournaments. But here on the DW squad we do things a bit differently.

We watch MythBusters as a team. And then we perform the myths on the street in front of Mike B's house... Oh Yeah!

If that's not enough fun for ya... Try the Advanced method...

Yes, we drilled holes through the mentos.

The damage has been done. Also a friendly reminder...

Maybe next week...

2006-08-09T13:15:00.000-04:00

My Tuesday Night Race didnt go down as planned. The plan was to win. And win I did not. I was up front for the majority of the race but I couldnt close the deal. I let a couple of banditos slip by me in the last lap and the next thing I know I'm out. Austin "Massive Attack" kept yelling "Attack" from the sidelines. I tried on one or two laps but it wasn't enough. I'm running out of races. My season is coming to an end.

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

I give 'em the GAS FACE!!!

2006-08-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

Gas Face n.
1. A face made during the uncomfortable discovery that you have gas or the face one makes during or after the release of said gas by someone else.

2. The look you give someone when they are saying or doing something you think is dumb as hell. Made popular by a rap song from the 80's group 3rd Bass

I found some pics of me racing in Jefferson City a couple of weeks ago. I didnt realize that I was making these crazy retarded beaver faces. I guess I was wearing the "Mask of Pain" or something. I'm not gonna ham it up for the cameras, gots to keep it real. But I may try to be a little more aware of the photographers out there. Now, where's my 3rd Bass cd...

Happy Friday

2006-08-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

"I'm bringin' sexy back..."

My Cup is in the can...

2006-08-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

Some of y'all might know this
And some of y'all don't
Some of y'all might be with this, and some of y'all won't
But listen, let me clear my throat
Oh, have mercy babe, Ha
I hope ya don't mind, let me clear my throat

Every year the bike season in Saint Louis basically ends with the Gateway Cup. It's like Spring Break, Finals, and the Tour de France all rolled into one Del Taco burrito. (see video) It's a four day race with money for individual race wins and overall wins. I did decent last year (crashed on The Hill) and was looking forward to throwing down. But I have been denied this pleasure.

For some asinine reason, the higher-ups at my work place have decided to move our offices that weekend?!!! Of all the weekends in all the year, they had to pick that one. We cant move the PC's during production hours so we have to start Friday night and be finished by Tuesday. The way my boss put it, "don't make plans that weekend." There's a strong possibility that we will finish early but the races will prob be full by then. They are already starting to fill up. I wont even get to watch my team mates race either. I'll be in the office slanging PC's.

Not sure if you can tell but the fact that I have to work over labor day weekend upsets me. Luckily for my company, they happen to pull this stuff while I'm in a Financial/transitional period. I could use the over time. So I will remain eazy breezy and hope for the best. Maybe the construction will be completed early and we can move the weekend before. More likely, it will run behind schedule and I could still race. So we'll all be little Fonzies and what's Fonzie like? Cool.
Correctamundo! Cool... Now reach in there and hand me my wallet.

No need to read.

2006-07-31T16:55:00.000-04:00

Mike "The Last Boyscout" B. and I stomped out a sweet 50 miles last Saturday. I was feeling kinda Jiggy so I threw in a couple of attacks to keep him guessing. I'm not a good attacker because I always get this stupid grin on my face beforehand. I'm not a good poker player either for that matter. I'm working on it. Maybe I'll just get some kind of ninja mask or bandanna.

The Last BoyScout at Webster Groves Crit

Other than that, not much going on. My Accountant (Kittens) has put me on a strict spending diet. I'm not really sure where my money goes. At times I even throw money away. One time, I found my missing $30 in the kitchen trash. Sometimes I just flake out. I blame all the computer tech nonsense that I have to remember for work. I cant tell you want I wore yesterday but I can tell you everything you need to know about the TCP/IP protocol. I guess everyone is like that in some way. I make a lot of lists. I also have my PDA which keeps some stuff straight. But then I have to remind myself to update my handheld. Meh, I'm just whining. This post sucks.

Dent Wizard Jr Team Rawks!

2006-07-28T11:03:00.000-04:00

The Dent Wizard juniors are some tough hombres. It seems that as of late they are getting awesome opportunities to spread their wings outside the STL area.

Right Now John Caldwell is racing in Belgium and doing well.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (July 25, 2006) – Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn. / Middle Tennessee Velo Team) took first Sunday at Westrozebeke in Belgium.

Brown won after working in a break for most of the race, with the help of his teammates John Caldwell and A.J. Meyer who stayed in the group (and as you can see) spent a lot of time at the front trying to slow down what was otherwise a very fast race.

Brown went away with about 400 meters to go and had a good lead when he crossed the finish line. Meyer then won the bunch sprint. These riders rode a very fast race on a 6.8-kilometer course; a mix of farm road, cobblestone, town street and highway. Of the 39 15-16-year old starters, only a few dropped out – it was a really competitive race and very different from what these riders experience at home. A good crowd was on hand for the holiday weekend here in Belgium and there was a lot of talk on the P.A. system about the "Americans" in the race. The team will have about 100 Euros to split after winning primes and the race.

Also Austin "Massive Attack", Martin, and Keaton are training with Dan Schmatz, local STL dude turned pro. They are housing with the man at his place in Colorado. How sweet would that be?! Thrashin it all day in the rockies. Way nice.