She's HERE. . . . .

Ok, so she arrived earlier in the week, but I didn't want to go look at her or else I'd want to ride her, but I want to swap out a few components before they build her. . . .so I FINALLY went to look at her today.

She's pretty.

So I'm not "fluent" in "bike lingo" like most of you are. . . . .but I know a little more than a few other girls I know. . . . .and I know I'm swapping out the wheelset for the X Lites (comes with the Race Lites) and I'm swapping out the crank for the XT. I just can't justify the price difference to swap out the crank to the XTR. . . . .and really the slight difference in weight doesn't really matter to me.

And finally I'll have disc brakes. . . . .which I was VERY nervous to go to because I MUST be able to adjust them. She comes with the Avid Juicy 7. . . . . which I'm told I can have some adjustment with.

Bill's got Phoenix all cleaned up and ready to take pictures of to get her "on the market". I'm sad to see her go. . . . as always. . . .but excited for something NEW. Now I can't wait to get her home. . . . . . . .

What's the worst smell?

I think the worst smell is when your dog eats CRAP and then throws up in the corner of your laundry room. . . . .in a CONFINED space. . . .and you have to clean it up.

You also learn how long you can hold your breath when that happens too.

Gross. Just what I needed on a day that wasn't so great to begin with.

The Pyramid

Finally, we made the pyramid.

The first attempt didn't go quite the way it was supposed to. . . . . . . .

The second attempt was a success.

Yes, it was during the Super Bowl. . . .NO we were not drunk. Sad, isn't it?

Putting it to a vote. . . . .need your help!

So I need to order new business cards, but am not sure which bike picture to go with. What do you think?

This is what I had. I think it needs to be updated (#1).

This one (#2)?

Or this one (#3)?

Or this one (#4)?


I'm going to order on Monday. . . . . . .put your vote in now. #1, #2, #3 or #4. And that's not the order I like them in. . . . .

I do have "regular" business cards too. . . . . . .but these are WAY cooler.

Notice something different???

Oh my GOSH, I FINALLY figured out how to make that STUPID box at the top of this blog go back across the page. Wow. What an accomplishment. I think I'm going to cry. What a benchmark in history this is. I can go back to bed now. My life is complete (at least for today).

February already?

Can you believe it? It's already February. Where does the time go?

Well, I'm offically addicted to the Rollers. I have to tell you, an hour on the rollers goes by faster than 20 minutes on the trainer. I've also reached the conclusion it's more comfortable on my back. While I'm still not all that good at standing on the rollers. . . . .I've started to practice riding with no hands. It's actually EASIER than standing. Go figure.

This AM had me up at 5:15 again (that's early for me, I prefer to rise around 6:30-6:45) and off to the Y for a second day in a row. Got the weight workout out of the way. . . . later today I'll add the bike portion and I'll be all set.

I think I need an extra month before the WORS season though. . . not sure I'll be "ready". It is MY year you know. . . . . .the "year of Brittany". Life is a lot more fun when you put YOURSELF at the center of it, instead of everyone and everything else. Finally, I get it.

The birthday "cakes"

It may not look all that exciting. . . . . . .


But it was delicious.

"Spilling the Beans"

Thought this article was interesting on the MSN page today.

We had a discussion over the weekend on caffeine and it's effects on working out. So it was interesting to read the following excerpt from that article:

"Caffeine benefits the endurance athlete," Lawrence Armstrong (a professor of exercise and environmental physiology at the University of Connecticut) says. "It's for the weekend warriors, the rowers, cyclists, swimmers and runners who cover long distances. It is not for sprinters," he says. :It seems to have no effect on events that are less than 90 seconds long."

In fact, coffee gives exercisers its biggest boost when the workouts are four to 20 minutes long and the intensity is high (a 7 or above on an intensity scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being sitting on the sofa), says Armstrong. But what about the world's mellower athletes, is there nothing in a cup of coffee for them?

Don't sweat it, Armstrong says: "If someone works out at 40 to 50 percent of their maximum [intensity], drinking caffeine is probably not going to help them physically, but it will affect their alertness and their mood, and this will translate to a better workout."

"If you are going to use coffee to help you with exercise, drink it one hour before your workout," says Armstrong, because caffeine needs about 60 to 90 minutes to work its way into your bloodstream.

So there you go. Drink up fellow cyclists.

Rollers update

Made it for the full ride on the rollers today (90 min). I can stand up. . . .but only for short intervals. I think I made it a total of 6 seconds one time. . . . . .I'm supposed to have "patience". Whatever.

A birthday shout out

Happy Birthday to this girl.


I hear she's finally 28. . . . . . . .

Rockin' on the Rollers

I'm finally successful at riding the rollers for 45 minutes straight without any "issues". I can actually watch TV now while I'm riding them, and if I'm really careful I can even sip from my water bottle. I do have to hang on for a few seconds starting off and ending though. . . . . .but that's ok.

One thing I've not achieved success at yet though. . . . . .standing up while riding the rollers. I actually gave this a try yesterday and almost fell off the bike. It made me laugh pretty hard, but it was a tad bit scary. I think this will be the next thing I conquer. I have to learn how to stand on the rollers if I'm ever going to ride them longer than 45 minutes. After that time. . . . well. . . .it's just "uncomfortable".

It sure breaks up the trainer time though. . . . .rollers for a while, trainer for a while, some intervals on the trainer, a few episodes of Alias. . . . .before you know it, it will be May. Sweet.

What the heck

So one day my links just stop working. What's up with that? I didn't change anything. . . . .I didn't do anything different. . . . .they just stopped working. So I went back and re-did them all, and hopefully they work now. . . .but what the heck??

Technology.

You know that feeling?

You know that feeling you get when you start a new work out program. . . .the one where you THINK you're easing in to it, when in all reality simply doing ANYTHING different isn't "easing" into it?

I started a new weight routine Monday. Today is Wednesday. I'm still sore. Yesterday I was so sore I could hardly walk. Today I skipped yoga because it hurts my muscles to even LAY DOWN. . . . . .I figured how in the WORLD am I going to stretch them into poses? Yeah, right.

Hopefully today is the worst day, and tomorrow will be better. I guess I should have incorporated lunges into my program sooner. . . . .obviously they're using muscles I'm not using. The body has GOT to be better tomorrow. . . . . .I hope. . . . .

Monday AGAIN?

Another full-filled weekend passes.

Friday - we played a few games with obscenely large cards. . . . .and actually played an uno-attack game that didn't last 4 hours.

Saturday - made my first serious attempt at riding the rollers. Only made it 10 minutes before my hands were killing me and my whole upper body was tired from holding it completely tense. Headed out to dinner w/most of "the misfits" (new label for ourselves), then saw what I considerd to be a terrible movie. If you like dark, dreary, depressing movies, then go see this one. That's the last time we let "the Prez" pick the movie.

Sunday - made it a whole 30 minutes on the rollers - yes, without even holding on to anything. Before you know it I'll be doing those no-handed, one-legged pedals. Can't wait. Then we ventured downtown to the Pabst to see Who's Line Is It Anyway (our Christmas present from CK). It was quite funny. I did take my camera, but of course left it in the car, so this is the only pic I got. Oh well, at least it's SOMETHING.


After the show we hiked through the snow to The Rock Bottom, where we stuffed our faces for dinner. A fun time was had by all. . . . . .or so it seemed.

A LONG day

Well, I rolled my lazy butt out of bed at 5:15 this morning. . . .a little too early for me. Today was our company retreat at the Kalahari in the Wisconsin Dells. A few of us decided to just go for the day. Well, it's 9:30 and I just got home a short time ago. It was an enjoyable day. . . .but a LONG day. Hitting "social hour" after the last speaker made it even longer. . . . .but it was fun to visit with others in the company.

After I process all the "new information" I learned today. . . .I'll "educate" you all on anything "life-changing". I bet you can't wait.

Makin' it work

Dragging my butt to the bike was a chore tonight. But I decided to have a cold one while I did my "recovery ride", and that helped a little.

Then we dove into the little treat I made afterwards. Yeah, the two of us ate HALF of it. Why is it I'm SO hungry on RECOVERY week??

Oh well. It was a "fruit pizza". That makes it GOOD for me, right?

Recovery weeks SUCK

I understand the whole "load and recover" process. . . . and I've seen how it works with my own body. BUT, that doesn't make recovery weeks any easier.

First of all, NOT releasing the endorphins your body has become accustomed to is a tough thing for those around you. . . . . .second, not using the muscles to the extent you have been using them over the past few weeks angers them. . . . .and third, what the heck does one do with all their time if they're not TRAINING (ok, that one I don't really seem to have a problem with, I seem to fill the time just fine).

It's only Wednesday, but my body feels quite angry these past 3 days. I'm trying to gain some extra recovery time for the back, so I haven't sat on the bike since Sunday. One wouldn't think a few days off. . . . .after taking most of the summer off. . . .would be a problem. Yeah, I hate it. If I do end up having to surgically correct this "issue" in my back. . . . .well, they should send me away so others don't have to deal with me. Cuz not being able to ride again is gonna KILL me.

Think I'll make the body feel better tonight and spin on the trainer. I would have done yoga today, but I could not get my BUTT out of bed this morning. The joys of "recovery week". I'm tired (and hungry) all the time. . . . .and I'm not even using any extra energy!

It's COLD out there!

I think the snow makes it FEEL so much colder outside, don't you think?

It's a "recovery" week for me. . . .which means as much as I may WANT to ride my bike a LOT, and harder than I should, I need to scale back. Sometimes I have to remind myself that if I don't listen to my back, it will take me out of commission again. . .and I do NOT want that. So recovery it is!

Given the snow and the lower temps. . . .it's not a bad week for recovery. By next week the snow might be gone and the temps could be 50 again. Who knows! Stranger things have happened!

Another great day

Yet another great day of mountain biking. Went "down south" and joined the Local MoFo's for a nice little tour. Check out THIS GUY'S BLOG for pics.

Toured a few new trails. . . . got friendly with a tree or two. . . .almost died only once. Got some good laughs from the Northerners when I pedaled into a root or something. . . .thought I was a gonner. Thank God I have skills. . . . .I was able to save it as I ran with my bike (while I was still on it I might add), provide a nice entertaining show for those bringing up the rear. . . and I didn't even fall. Such talent.

Squirt was not in attendance today. . . . .something about "furniture shopping". I think she was frightened off by my highly developed technical skills yesterday. . . .

Sunday Ride

We're riding at the Harley/Hoyt trails. . . .11:00am Sunday. Meet at Curry Park off Hwy 100, just south of Capitol Dr if you're interested. Might be the last day to catch a mountain bike ride for a while. . . .who knows.

Lookin' for Info. . . . .

Anyone know how the Harley/Hoyt trails are holding up? Are they in decent riding shape for a Saturday ride? Does anyone have a ride planned for Saturday? I'm looking for "variety". . . . . .

Back to the BASEics

Despite the "warmer" temps today. . . and the spots of sunshine, I decided to scale it back and sit on the trainer today. I broke out the Alias DVD's that my BFF gave me for Christmas and intently watched 2 episodes. It's funny how much faster time goes when you're being distracted.

One thing's for sure. All the harder workouts I've been doing lately. . . .all the mountain bike riding with others that has pushed me out of my "endurance" zone and into a higher heart rate zone (muscular endurance). . . .has made riding BASE miles a breeze now. I easily slid into the proper heart rate zone and was able to crank out 90 minutes without even trying. In fact, I think that 90 minute endurance ride even loosened my tight muscles from yesterday's weight workout, an added bonus.

Variety is the spice of life they say. It's the key to sticking with a "plan" and not getting burnt out. I know it's only January and I just "officially" started my plan. . . . .but I've got a LONG way to go before I'm "burnt out".

Sweet.

Freeeeezzzzzing

Yes, it was freezing outside today. I think I'm spoiled now by the nice weather.

While some people were training inside today, due to the "cold" weather, we bucked it up and rode outside for a night ride. Once we made it down the big hill from our house to the trail, it wasn't all that bad. Of course the ride home totally SUCKED as the wind was in our faces. . . nearly took me right off my bike as we turned north on the final stretch.

Another sweet mountain bike ride outside in January. Gotta love it. Of course one of these days I'm going to have to back it off and actually ride some BASE miles. . . . . .one would think I'm getting ready for the race season already. Guess that's what happens when you lose "discipline" and do your own plans. . . .you do what you want to do, not always what's "best" for you at this time of year. But what the hell. If I can. . . .I might as well. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger. And heaven knows I need to be stronger after all that time OFF.

Monday Blahs. . . . .

Well, I took the weekend off from updating. . . .sorry kids. At least my fellow bloggers were updating so you're at least getting your fix.

Saturday had Bill and I on the mountain bikes at Blue in the am. . . . .a beautiful morning for a mountain bike ride. Saturday afternoon had us with Team Pedal Moraine, doing our team "hike". Yes, I counted it on my workout plan because I'm positive I was at LEAST in endurance. . . .if not muscular endurance at times. We hoofed it up some of those hills.

Sunday we did the Milwaukee River trails. They were a little muddy, but still a lot of fun. A nice change of pace from the "norm". . . . .with a nice variety of people. While many people hit the deck. . . .I managed to keep it upright. How exciting for me.

All in all it was awesome to return to a full training week. . . .above and beyond, in terms of time on the bike, anything I've had since April actually. I chart everything I do in terms of workouts, and I had to go all the way back to April to find the same load I had this past week. We'll see how the body takes the load THIS week. . . .that will be the true test. It's quite exciting to get back to training as this is the longest I've been away from a plan since I started "planning" back in 2003. If I can hold this pace for the next 4 months. . .I may just have a chance at my goals for 2007. We'll see.

What is "anonymous"

What is "anonymous" really? I think in the blogger community it means one of two things.

One being the person can't figure out how to attach a name to their post. . . .which is understandable as it can be confusing for "non-computer literate" people. . . .however most of those people are intelligent enough to leave some type of signature indicating who they are.

Two being the person is too cowardly to actually leave a signature and let anyone know who they are. I've seen this on a number of message boards & blogs I've been to. It seems some people only have courage to speak their mind when no one knows who they are.

I enjoy posting silly things on my blog, giving my friends & others things to laugh about, poke fun of me about, maybe even to learn (these "learning" posts must be coming in 2007), but I don't enjoy people who don't have a backbone. . . .who feel the need to post their thoughts for the world to see while hiding behind a little tag that says "anonymous".

If you're going to read my blog great. If not, fine. I don't really care. But if you're going to take the time to make comments here - have the courtesy to attach your name at the end of the comment. This world is a crappy enough place without us slamming each other on message boards & blogs. If you're going to be an jerk, I think we'd at least like to know who the hell you are.

Brakes?

Left - Front

Right - Rear

"You're so pretty".

More New Year's

A few more pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Squirt "in the middle" again. . . . . .

The General with his "twins".

The Virgin with the boys.

Hhhhhmmm, where am I you ask? I must have gone to bed after dinner or passed out in the corner or something because I didn't make it in to any of the "after" pictures.

Oh wait. . . . I did make it into one. . . . .who is the Virgin talking to anyway?? Weren't all her friends THERE (except for SS Amy and "the Prez" - who decided to celebrate on "their own".)

Shake and Bake Ricky Bobby, SHAKE AND BAKE.

Happy New Year.

What to tell. . . .

Hhhhmmmm. So many exciting things happend today, I don't know what to blog!

I suppose MOST importantly I took advantage of the sunlight and got out on my mountain bike for a nice ride on the gravel trail. I would have liked to have had just a LITTLE longer to ride. . . .but I crunched myself for time.

The sunshine felt great. I love my mountain bike.

Happy New Year

Out with the OLD, in with the NEW they say. . . . . .so we rang the New Year in with style. Here's the good looking group, minus Tiny, because he's always late.

We played Uno Attack for about 6 hours. . . .that was ONE hand. . .. then someone threatened to go home so we called it. Played a few more games. . . . . . overused the phrase "SHAKE 'N BAKE RICKY BOBBY, SHAKE 'N BAKE". . . . . .and got a GOOD ab workout laughing so hard ALL while stomping the competition.

Went to bed around 3am and then for some crazy reason we decided to get up and do the Polar Bear "swim" the next morning. Well. . . . .SOME of us did. . . .here are the BRAVE souls.


After I hit the water. . . . . . I got accosted by a 90 some year old man. . . .and then made a mad dash back for my towl. Couldn't feel my toes for about 3 hours. . .the feeling is just coming back now.

All in all it was a good couple days. I lost my voice Friday, so everyone's been quite happy about that. I might just become a mute now. . . . .stop speaking all-together. Perhaps that will be my New Year's resolution.

Actually my New Year's resolution is to live life for ME this year. . . .to do the things I want to do. . . .the things that make ME happy. I know I'm a late bloomer in this department . . . . . .look at the crowd I'm telling this to. I haven't always been the bubbliest person lately and I think it's because I simply forgot how to live life for myself. I've learned that when you get too wrapped up in other people's lives it can really take a toll on you. Especially when you become "dependent" on what you take away from any one particular relationship. I'm ALL about relationships in life. . .it's what makes me tick. But somehow I forgot to nurture the most critical one. The one with myself. And that's what 2007 needs to be about for me. Getting back to the basics and doing what makes me happy. Hopefully in the process it will bring happiness to others as well.

Happy New Year.

Trans Siberian Orchestra

Each year we go to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra we think "wow, that was the best show yet!". This year was no exception to that rule. In fact, this was the first year the Bradly Center SOLD OUT. They were SO rockin' this year that they even had one of these guys make a special appearance to crank out some tunes.

There's something for everyone at these shows. Yes, even those that don't like Christmas music will probably enjoy TSO.

I don't know how they're going to top it next year.

New Year's Resolutions

So what are YOUR New Year's resolutions?

Ride more? Eat Less? Drink more? Drink less? Continue to hide from the law? Become a "better person" (who defines 'better'??).

Let's hear them. This will be for my entertainment. . . .and then I'll pick the REALLY good ones and make those mine too (maybe).

Merry Christmas

We have no children. . . .what else do I have to do on Christmas Morning but wish you all a Merry Christmas? I think I'll go back to bed now.

Looking Back

Last night we did a night ride at Blue which once again proved to be a good time. Only a couple casualties. . . . . nothing TOO serious. We were out about 1:43 and came home to stuffed shells for dinner. Delicious!

I'm an "organized" fitness freak, with a spreadsheet that charts my workout plans, my weight, my fatigue level, my stress level and my sleep. As I input my workout last night I commented to Bill how "funny" it was that I was putting a "3" down for fatigue (on a 1-5 scale - 5 being the worst). Looking back just about all my workouts have been 3's recently, which is odd because I haven't BEEN working out! It's sad when you lose your fitness. . . . .every workout seems 10 times harder than it really is.

As I flipped back to October and November, I see a sad, SAD trend. Two months full of 4's and even 5's in ALL categories, low workouts hours, lots of "off" times. . . . . .no wonder December's workouts seem SOOOOO hard!

This will be my lowest year in terms of hours on the bike since I started riding. Much lower mileage, much lower time training, higher fatigue & stress. . . .but lower weight, if that counts for anything. :-)

2007 is just around the corner and yet I still don't know what it will bring for me. A full WORS season? A GOOD WORS season?? Mediocre at best??? Or will the body turn around and this will be the year I rock out? Given it's already almost the end of December. . . I don't see that option on the horizon for 2007. But I'm learning to live my life for the day and not worry about the future as much. It's not an easy transition for me to make. . . .but as long as I WANT to be on my bike (which I do) and as long as I CAN be on my bike (even if only for half the time as in years past) really. . . .that's what it's all about. Maybe the "results" won't be there again. . . . .but if it's still FUN, I think I'm in.

Spring?

Is it time to start racing yet?
Geez, I hope I'm ready when Spring rolls around.


Until then, I think I'll eat another cookie. . . . . . ."bulk up".

Let's go hiking!

After 2 hours on the road bike Saturday, the body wasn't going to appreciate another bike ride, so we decided to go hiking.

The virgin showed up with a dead animal on her head. . . . . .
There's something to be said for having athletic friends. When one says "let's go hiking", you know it isn't going to be a simple "walk in the park". When everyone breaks out their water bottles to take along to "hydrate" you know it's going to be a "HIKE".

We thought about jumping into this buggy about 45 minutes in to the hike, but there wasn't enough room.


So we held out and managed to "climb on!" with a few photo opportunities in between.

The girls. . . . .


The boys. . . . .

Two hours later we arrived back at the parking lot at New Fane. A bit tired, hip flexors screaming (at least mine were), and ready for a nap. We all broke a sweat. . . . .some of us even hit our LT (or so it felt like). See, cross training can be fun.

Friends

The boys made friends. . . . .

The girl's were popular. . . . . . . .

Yum!

Margaritas!


Hhhhmmmmm. . . . . . . .

Saturday

Tickets to the ballet . . . . . . $186.00

Endless pictures of Margaritas . . . . .$100+

Seeing THIS on the streets of Milwaukee. . . . . . .

PRICELESS. . . . . .

I'll never be Miss USA. . . .Mrs Universe. . . .or any of those. . . . .

THIS is why.

I live my life by my own rules and if others don't like them. . . . . then they're probably not the people I want to "hang" with. If I have to change who I am in order to gain someone else's approval. . . . .I'm out.

Nuff said.

Thursday?

Well, I'm not sure where the week went. I started my official workout plan on Monday and of course I apparently jumped in with both feet. . . .and that was the window my body was looking for. It unleashed the wrath of soreness and flu like symptoms on Tuesday. The stomach cramps were so bad I curled into a little ball on the couch most of Monday night and all of Tuesday. I even missed our office Christmas party, which I never do. I'm usually the "life" of those parties. . . .and I didn't even get to go.

Thankfully all the rest allowed me to venture out Wednesday for the "CSS" training in Brookfield. Yes, I'll soon be an official "Certified Senior Specialist", able to work with "the aging" population through their real estate transaction. How exciting. The body still felt crummy and I barely made it through the class without a nap. . .thank goodness I didn't drive.

Today I woke up still feeling a little "off", but much better than the last couple days. "The plan" was to start the Christmas baking today but being sick on Tuesday put me WAY behind "the plan" so instead I focused the day on getting caught up with things . . . .AND. . . .doing my next "installment" of my workout plan. We'll see how that feels a little later, as I just got back.

Thank God tomorrow is Friday. Maybe I'll actually catch up on everything and have that day of DOWN TIME before Christmas. I'm going to sit and stuff my face with Christmas cookies. I think I can afford to gain a few pounds back. Sweet.

Adios!

My Desk

I had to shuffle a few things around. . . . . . .but now I can proudly display my limited edition, autographed print from "The Goat".


I hope nobody steals it when I'm not around. . . . . .

The Scavenger Hunt

Ahhhh yes. The "winners" (aka - the BEST looking team).



The love birds.

"The President" trying to make the evening a little more tolerable.


The "hottest ass in WORS". . . . .OBVIOUSLY. . . .

The card shark who played it tough for 3 rounds and then laid it down to the hottest ass in WORS. . . . .

Not really sure what's going on here. . . . . .

I think this guy was telling us about "natural male enhancements" here. . . . . .

Sweet. A good time had by all. . . . . .except for poor Barb. Take away that little "bathroom incident" and it would have been a little better night. And we missed the 9:00 mooning, I'm so upset about that. But we sure were entertained by the cars trying to parallel park outside. What can we say? We're just simple country folk.

My horoscope

Sometimes, just for fun, I see what my horoscope has to say about my life. Here's what it has to say today:

December 8, 2006
Are you feeling overworked and stressed? A lot of good things may be happening for you on several different levels, Brittany, and you may feel as if there are too many things happening at once. Nonetheless, if you make the effort to remain grounded you'll probably find that what needs to be done is no more than you can handle. Don't panic. This is only a temporary situation, and the results should be worth the effort.

Well, I think this is a perfect excuse to take a day of "down time". Even the STARS think I'm working too hard and TOO much is happening. I need to "make an effort to remain grounded". Hhhhmmm, that's not something that comes easy for me. I am an "in the clouds" type of person. I run from the law. . . . .I change my name to an alias. . . . .I sit and daydream any time I'm not working . . . If I wasn't allergic to cats I'd probably be one of those people who have 27 cats and fall asleep one day and the cats eat their eyes out.

Yep, that's me. . . . .living life on the edge. Never worried about tomorrow. . . never worried about others. . . never worried about where I'm going to find my next meal or alcoholic beverage. . . I never think about anyone but myself. . . .I'm a rebel. A rebel without a cause. What more would you expect from the "Princess".

Sure, I'm "grounded". It's all about ME. Screw "the others".

Tequila Chistmas Cake

I think I'm going to make this sometime in the next week. . . . . .

Tequila Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups of dried fruit

• Sample the tequila to check quality.
• Take a large bowl, check the tequila again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.
• Turn on the electric mixer.
• Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
• Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
• At this point it's best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup... just in case.
• Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
• Pick the frigging fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner.
• If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
• Sample the tequila to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something.
• Check the tequila.
• Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
• Add one table. A
• dd a spoon of sugar, or somefink.Whatever you can find.
• Greash the oven.
• Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner.
• Finally, throw the bowl through the window.
• Finish the tequila and wipe counter with the cat.
• CHERRY MISTMAS!

Finally. . . . .a breath

Finally. . . .I catch a break from working ALL the time. Thank goodness, I think the Captain was just about ready to commit me. Now I may just get the Christmas decorations finished before it's CHRISTMAS! Yikes.

Actually I'm catching up on my continuing education classes now. In real estate we're required to take 12 hours of CE every 2 years (yes, that's pathetic as there are many agents who do NO business and struggle through this loose requirement to fulfill your license). This year, I am simply a TOTAL procrastinator. There are 4 modules that need to be completed prior to December 31st, prior to renewing my license. I waited so long I have to take them on-line now and I JUST finished my first one. Only 3 more to go. But have no fear. . . .I did score 100%. Contrary to popular believe, I am not only PRETTY, I'm SMART too.

Thank GOD it's Friday. Oh wait. . . . .it's only. . . . .oh crap.

Monday humor

Is it Tuesday yet??

Just a typical Saturday night

Just your typical Saturday night. . .. sitting around decorating Squirt's house for Christmas.

She's a little picky about how her decorations go up. . . . . .I think she has some pent up aggression. . . . .

Three dorks. . . . . .well, two dorks and a mouth. . . . .




The finished product. . . . ..

And then some down time with Jenga. All I have to say about that is "LIKE A BANDAID". Of course I had no patience and lost about 3 times. Then it was time to go home.

Sweet. A fun time had by all. . . . . . .of course some more than others. I'm enjoying getting back in touch with my true inner self. . . . . .my true inner dorkiness. What can I say? I am what I am. . . . . .why fight it?

Yes, I am ALIVE

Ok, so I guess everyone misses me. . . .sorry. I needed to take a break to figure out my purpose in life. . . . . .then I realized I don't have a purpose. . . . . . .so I'm back now.

Today's the big 3-0 for my little sister. Happy birthday Heather. You are officially "OLD" now.

But not as old as me, I know. And that was proven by our morning activity today. Picked out the Christmas tree. What a chore that was. Bill's parents came for breakfast and mimosas (yummy) and then all 4 of us set out to find that "perfect" tree.

What a bunch of dorks. And let me tell you. . . .. .the "perfect" tree does not exist. So we finally JUST picked one and we'll make it work.

Today we'll rearrange the living room to fit the monster in. . . . then tomorrow will be the official decorating day. Tonight we've got to get Squirt's house taken care of. . . .maybe leave a little surprise for the LOVE BIRDS who are on their mini-honeymoon. . . .we'll see.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates on our FABULOUSLY interesting lives.

Yeah. . . . .I have GOT to find a purpose. . . . . .

What is your purpose?

Did you ever stop to wonder what your purpose is on this earth? Why you were put here. . . . what you're supposed to do. . . . who's lives you're supposed to touch. . . . . what your "greater purpose" is? I think this time of year always has me reflecting on what I want out of life. . .out of the future. . . even the present. I know this is a deep concept for most of my blog fans, so if this is too deep, you'd better click away NOW. It' s ok to be shallow and not have a purpose on this earth other than to ride your bike, drink beer, etc. I will not judge you.

I think my time off the bike over the summer started me thinking about life in general and what my purpose is. Most of the time when I ponder these things all I have to do is jump on my mountain bike, go for a nice, long, technical ride and the world seems to be a better place when I get back. But lately, that process doesn't always work. Besides the fact I'm still restricted (by my body) as to how often and how hard I can ride. . . . as well as where and when I can ride due to the beautiful WI weather, I think I may have reached the "cross road" in life. . . .the place where you have to figure out what the future holds in order to take the next step. Whether that's in your personal life or your professional life, I think it all boils down to a few deep questions.

What brings you a sense of peace, happiness and fulfillment? Who are the key players in your life and how important are their decisions in your daily life and your future? What is your greater purpose in life and why are you here?

These questions are different for everyone and depending on when you answer them, you may have a completely different set of answers. Five years ago my answers would have been very different for these questions than they are today. Today I'm not quite sure I even have those answers. I'm not here to be an "elite athlete". . . .that much I've figured out. And the key players in my life change throughout the years, so basing my future on them seems silly. And my purpose in life seems to be a floating target depending on who's in my (personal and professional) life and what they need.

Perhaps when we all get where we're ultimately going, we'll have ALL the answers. Until then perhaps we live life day by day with our own happiness as the driving factor. Just a thought. . . . a "DEEP" thought. Just a "someone throw me a life preserver it's so deep" thought.

The Week

How does one sum up the week of Thanksgiving?

Wednesday night - did a night ride. . . . .TRIED to do a night ride. CK lost his crank arm, no one had a tool, couldn't reach Tiny on his phone, Brittany was elected to ride back to the house to bring a tool back so everyone else could keep riding. On the way out Tiny noted CK was already on the road on his way back to the Nigh's house. Now I lost everyone so rather than ride in the dark alone, I figured I'd go home anyway so CK didn't have to hang out alone. That plan didn't work. I got home and NO CK. Sat by myself until everyone came back about 90 minutes later. Got caught up on dishes though.

Thursday - The day of THANKS. Wasn't feeling very thankful. Body was hurting, mind was fried from the long week at work, I just needed some TLC. . . .none to be had.

Friday - The start of exterior illumination. . . . .or so we thought. Thought a cold might be coming on so I laid low and tested outside lights. Bill got a call from work, had to go in to rebuild a server. So I took a nap and called the Virgin and the General to see if we were "ON" for the night. 22 minutes on the phone and we formulated a plan. Finally heard from CK, he rode 3 hours alone. Called Bill, he'd be at work all evening so he said go eat. Tiny called. . . . .somehow he must have known we were going to eat. $50 and two pitchers of Margaritas later, Virgin and Girl were feeling pretty good. We left the restaurant to head home and I must have been obnoxious because I remember a slight disagreement and then riding home in silence. Got home, got the games out, got more alcohol, scared CK away . . . . .he left. . . . .the rest of us partied till dawn. Played a little twister. . . and that's all I'm going to say about that!

Saturday - Wake up feeling crummy, but excited to ride my mountain bike with my friends on new trails. Sounded like Bill was going to have to work for most of the day again, so I tried to scope out where I was supposed to be and when. I was supposed to ride down with CK, but he left without even calling me, so I had no clue where I was supposed to be. Being "flexible" I jumped on the internet to locate this Jewel Osco I was supposed to be at. Took me longer than I thought to get there. . . . .and I was just about to say screw it and turn around when I was reeled back in by Lori who directed me to where I needed to be. When I finally got there thankfully KEVIN was helpful enough to get my bike out and get it ready while I put my shoes on and got ready to ride. Had a good time with Amy. . . . .of course we always have fun riding together. Left the Jewel Osco parking lot with the promise to hear from CK in a bit. . . . . haven't heard from him. Got home, Bill had already left for work, now I get to curl up on the couch and spend Saturday night on my own. Plans change I guess. I'm told I need to be "flexible".

Hopefully tomorrow brings better times. It's got to, right??

What?!?

What the hell day is today?? Where did the week go? Oh yeah, I was busy having a lock smith re-key someone else's house. . . .that was SUPPOSED to be a foreclosure. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from the Washignton County Sheriff's Department. Great. I'm a fugative now. Now I know how Russell feels. . . . .

ONE LAST TIME

We're going to do IT one last time this year. . . . . . .

OUCH!

Nothin' new

I suddenly have too much work to do and not enough time to do it.

Whatever. I think I'll go make a drink. I hear that helps.

The things

The things this boy puts up with. . . . . . .

It's not easy being CK.

Self-discipline

Elbert Hubbard defined self-discipline as, "The ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not."

I believe I lack self-discipline. So what's new. Happy Monday.

CX Racin'

West Bend Wisconsin. . . . . .the snow fell heavy Friday night. . . .numerous accidents. A stretch of Hwy 41 was literally closed as there was a 6 car pile up. I arrive home from work after a long treacherous drive in the 4 wheel sleigh and decide I'm parking my butt on the couch and not setting foot outside again.

Saturday morning I look out the window, everything is white. . . .I mean REALLY white. A couple inches of snow. . . .a snow filled, slush covered drive way. . . .32 degree temps. . . .I'm thinkin' "sure, what the hell, let's go to do the cross race in Janesville". So I call Tiny to make sure he's out of bed because I figure CK and I aren't going to suffer alone. . . . . .

After a 2 hour drive we arrive in Janesville. I register right away so I don't change my mind. Then I walk to the course and see it's all mud. Now I'm thinking "cool, I might do ok. . . .looks like the skills will come into play". I'm seeing people COVERED in mud . . . .some of them all you can see is their EYES! Wow. This is going to suck.

I try to warm up but decide really, I don't care. That's the fun thing about not being in the series. . . .or having "good" races. . . .you can afford to not really care. So I stand on the start line and chat with Keith while everyone else warms up. In retrospect. . . .I probably should have warmed up. . . . .

Off we go. . . . . I used the abs a ton to balance myself. . . . .sweet, at least they got a good workout. Actually rode ok, except for the fact I can NOT ride unclipped. This was my downfall. Not only did my feet slide all around on the pedals, I kept trying to pedal with my WHOLE leg and I kept lifting my feet off the pedals. Duh. So I ended up running a couple parts I should have rode. . . .but whatever. It was not so bad anyway.

I feel like I had more to give, which was good. Not sure why I didn't give it. . . . .but then again, I don't really care either. :-) Finished 7 out of 10 Cat 3 women. Caught up to Colleen at the end and she put the hammer down and stomped me. Never saw her again. Nice finish!

Even in the mud I practiced my "form" on the barriers. That's the fun part. I may not have WON, but at least I looked cool.

CK took 1st in the 40+, he had a huge gap. He probably could have walked most of the last lap and still won. He got a sweet trophy and some cash. Add that to his Iceman cash and now he's surpassed me in the winnings department this month. But he doesn't have a sweet Iceman jersey. Ha ha.

Now it's time to RECOVER. Maybe ONE last CX race next weekend. . . . . . . .

Once upon a time in a land far, far away. . . . . .

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there was a little elf named Tiny. Tiny liked to ride bicycles and actually he was pretty good. He got harassed a lot to ride with the faster elves, but Tiny knew what his goals were and he stood his ground and stayed with the slower elves so he could meet them.

One day the KING Elf asked Tiny to race his bicycle in a magical land far, FAR away. It would take 7 days by camel to get there, so Tiny decided to rent a Jeep (not a sheep). The Jeep rode well and he arrived at the magical land in plenty of time to pre-ride part of the course. Now Tiny didn't realize this magical land that was far, FAR away was just like the place he was from. . . .where it gets dark by 5:00. . . .so he set out on his adventure not knowing where he was going with only mere minutes until dark. Of course he got lost. . . . . . .and a gnome from another town had to be guide him back with his little pen light. . . .just in the nick of time as Tiny was getting hungry.

The next day Tiny rode in the race the KING Elf invited him to and he won. He celebrated with his little elf friends and the beautiful princess elf and they both took home Iceman jerseys.

That night Tiny had trouble sleeping and he decided he would pack the Jeep up to head back to his home lands in the middle of the night. . . . . .so he did. He entertained himself on the long drive back in the dark by singing country songs to himself. . . . . .telling himself stories. . . . . .and counting how many deer he saw on the roadside.

Before arriving back in his village he had to return the Jeep to the Dollar rental counter. The gargoyle behind the counter was pleasant enough to point out the fact that they didn't have Tiny's camel anymore. It became a mystery as to where Tiny's camel went. Upon further investigation it was discovered Tiny parked his camel in a no-parking zone, so they had to tow his camel. Tiny pointed out to the gargoyle that SHE told him to park the camel there, but it didn't matter what he said, they were going to charge him for the towing anyway. . . . .so he gave up the fight.

They sent him to the Troll's shack to pay for the towing and once he arrived there he discovered they not only towed his camel and charged him for that. . . . .but they parked the camel in a limited parking zone so he also received a ticket. By now Tiny was very angry and went to pay the Troll so he could get home and eat. The Troll informed him of the charges. . . . . .and then informed him that on top of the towing and the ticket charges. . . .he also had to pay another $30 to STORE the camel. Poor Tiny was fuming out his elf ears as he went to the time machine to get cash for the Troll. After some debate and a second trip out to make change because the Troll didn't have any change. . . . . .Tiny finally got his camel back (not to be confused with his "Camelbak") and headed home to eat.

He was very glad the KING Elf had given him money for winning the bicycle race in the magical land far, FAR away. . . . .because he spent it all on his camel. Stupid camel.

Happy Birthday CK!

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to Jeff Melcher today. Not quite the Big "4-0". . . .but he's closer to it than I am. Hope your day is great. And you're welcome for the weather I provided you with.

Did a night ride last night again. Wasn't as much fun as last week's. I think the fatigue I'm still carrying from the Iceman made it just a tad bit less fun than I hoped for. Funny how the body can do that to you. . . .make a ride less fun when it hurts a little more than usual. I also seemed to momentarily have a loss of "skills" and forgot how to RIDE. Although I wasn't laying across the trail on the way down those "steps". . . . .yes, those "steps" that you aren't supposed to ride. . . . .now Captain's got a one way ticket "you know where" and it wasn't even Squirt's fault. She was off gettin' "perty".

Hit New Fane today for a bit since it was SOOOO beautiful. Yeah, that felt like crap too. Guess the body needs some recovery time. Seems like hard rides take me down for several days now-a-days. It kind of sucks to lose the "recovery" factor. But at least I'm on the bike. That's a bonus. And besides, the "base period" will shortly be upon us. Then it's lots of long, easy rides anyway. THOSE I can handle. Thank god it takes the endurance longer to leave the body. There might be hope for me yet. :-)

GET OUT and enjoy the weather. I will make the snow fly again soon. Yuck.

The Iceman recap. . . . .

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." ~Benjamin Franklin . . . . . . . . . I think I might just believe that.

7 hours 45 minutes in the vehicle one way. . . . . . .freezing temps. . . . . .snow flakes falling. . . . . .69 SPORT women alone. . . . . .28.5 miles of double track, single track, flats, hills and SAND. . . . . . HUNDREDS of slower sport men in front of me. . . . . .and one FREAKIN' AWESOME finish for Girl. :-)

This was not the kind of course that favors me. . . . .especially now, when I've lost some strength and some upper end. But somehow, when you line me up at the start, tell me it's a race and say "GO", some switch flips deep inside me. This season I have been able to access parts of myself during racing I didn't even know I had. 2006 was the season for realizing what is truly inside of me. . . . . . .what motivates and inspires me.

My finish time was 2:28. AHR 181. A 90 minute WORS race has me at an AHR of about 182. I had no idea I could put that much out for that long of a time frame (at this point in the year especially). . . . .and not bonk. I even surprised myself.

Out of 69 sport women I ended up 8th overall. Out of 25 sport women in my age group (35-44) I took 1st. I got some awesome BLING! Walked away with $135, a 1st place medal and an Iceman Cometh Jersey (maybe I'll wear it at the next cross race). I was so excited. . . . .I was walking on clouds. :-)

I wasn't the only one who made my name known in Michigan. We had some AWESOME finishes among us. Jeff Melcher skillfully took 2nd out of 107 in his age (expert 35-39). He ended up 8th overall. . . .out of 394 Experts. Unbelievable.

Nathan and Ron took 1st and 3rd (respectively) in their age group (expert 25-29). Scott Cole took 5th in his age group (expert 40-44). John Lirette took 1st in his age (sport 40-44), with a mechanical none-the-less. Russell took 4th out of his age (sport/expert clydesdales). Mike & Jay took 6th in the tandem category. And there were a number of other prominentnt WI WORS riders who cleaned house as well. Check out ALL the results here.

Overall it was a well spent weekend. It was great to be able to ride with so many other great riders, to practice my "aggressive passing" going around all those slower sport boys, to spend quality time with other awesome WI WORS people, to spend 16 hours in a car with my BFF, to listen to Tiny's stories of the weekend (which I will recall for you in future posts), to realize that I really do have the motivation and the inspiration, I just have to remember how to tap into it. . . . .and use that this winter so NEXT season can be what this season was "supposed" to be. I can't wait.

Iceman Cometh

Off we go. . . . . . .off to Traverse City Michigan for the Iceman Cometh. I hope it's not SUPER freezing. And I hope I finish well. Good luck to all you sucka's doing the cross race this weekend.

Night riding does NOT suck!

Ok, I have a new attitude on night riding now.

Went out last night with a few friends, on a trail I know very well, and took the lead. The group of people were fun, the trail was great, the weather was not-so-bad, my light was awesome, and the pace. . . . . . .well, the pace was probably a little higher than I expected, but I guess that's my fault since I set it.

Had a blast. . . . . . had some good chili afterwards. . . . . and now I'm pretty sure I'm hooked on night riding. Let's do it again NEXT week!! :-)

Sweet.