Saturday, December 31, 2011

Ike

I guess it's that time of year when you look back at the year that has passed and reflect. I'm not much into reflection. I would rather just get on with it. However, this was a bittersweet year and one I'll remember. I lost one of the best friends a girl could ever have.



I still find myself spontaneously crying at times. Only last week I threw out his stuffies. It wasn't an easy task. The man loved his toys. Ike's bed is still in the bedroom and I'm not sure when I'll have the heart to throw it out. Ike came to me when I first became sick and I was having a hard time dealing with the fact of living with a chronic disease for the rest of my life. I credit him with keeping me on track and for my not giving up. Even when I didn't think I could move and I felt horrible I always made sure he had his walks and always made sure he got his swims in. He was 24/7 therapy.


Even up until his very last day he knew when I was not feeling well and wouldn't leave my side. It's still really strange not having him around when I hurt and am sick. I've relied on his comfort for a long time. He kept me in line and made me laugh every day. For that I am grateful.


He went everywhere with me. Road trips, vacations, bike shops, coffee shops, parties, races, rides...I even used to sneak him into the lab at NYU at night so I didn't have to leave him at home alone. Rarely did I even drive to the store without taking him for a ride. I could take him anywhere. He's been more places than most people.

He was a dear friend and a big part of my life. I'm so happy I had such a great friend for almost 14 years. I only hope he enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed his.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Festivus for the Rest of Us

There was a stop on our 10 hour trek home for some last minute gifts. Hit the usual bad weather around Cumberland, MD and rolled into Athens around midnight.

I am my father's daughter and cannot pass a Cabela's

A little bummed we couldn't ride at Lake Hope ('Mini-Mohican') on Saturday. It was extremely muddy there. We're spoiled up here because it's rock based and we can still ride somewhere even when it's been rainy. It's clay based there and it's not pretty nor fun. It was for the best anyway. I went a little crazy the week before Christmas and some easy rides on the bike path were exactly what I had been missing. Except for doing laps on the island section of Upper Greenwood Lake, we don't have any flat areas by us to do a nice easy spin.Yes, I do understand there is such a thing as a trainer, but I will not do it until I absolutely have to. 3 feet of snow and 0 degrees sounds about right.


Mom and her pie

It was nice to see everyone. As usual Christmas was a marathon event. It takes some endurance to make it through. Christmas Eve at my dad's and Christmas day at my mom's. Made a Lego jet, ate lots, rode some, looked at bridesmaid dresses, played with horses, saw the cousins, etc. Got some sweet new Carhart stuff, 75 mini tubes of toothpaste, 2 dozen toothbrushes, dental floss and Ibuprofen. I think I'm set as far as dental hygiene is concerned. Oh, and some fleece purple pjs. The picture does not do them justice. As Anonymous said: "So multi-functional, you can use them to mop your floor, or if you piss yourself, they will soak up all the urine and your skin will stay dry."



Lookin HOT

Actually, had them on last night and despite the appearance they may be my new favorite thing. Like wearing cozy, soft bath robe. Haven't tested the pissing theory yet. That will come soon enough. I just have to be sure not to walk outside so the neighbors can see me. Luckily, we don't have many neighbors.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Happy Feet

I had to post this picture so I remember it. Knickers and shoes with no shoe covers on December 22nd at Waway. Probably jinxing myself and there will be a foot of snow when we get back from Ohio. Also, a balding Geax Saguaro is downright silly in the rear on slippery roots, rocks and leaves. At one point I was standing and climbing and slipped out so hard that my head hit the handlebars. Good stuff.


Now for my unsolicited product review of the year. Peanut butter Gu is out. I love peanut butter. I was hesitant about this one. Tried it today for the first time and it's pretty tasty. Just have to get past the weird texture and that it has the consistency of epoxy. I believe if you were to crack a fancy plastic bike on a ride this product could be used as Bondo. And it tastes good, too.


Off to the Buckeye state tomorrow. Merry Christmas everyone!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Crunch Time

For now I'm just trying to get to the other side of Christmas. Once that's done I'll feel a lot better. My work days have been spent mostly filled with typical HR nonsense: enrollment meetings and talking managers through issues that arose after holiday parties where employees were over-served and played grab-ass. Let 2012 be here already.


Finally found the illusive Legos I was searching for. Some shopping left to do. A treat or dish to be made for tomorrow's work potluck. Thank goodness it's not another cookie swap year. The 10 dozen homemade brownies with peppermint icing and crushed candy canes about killed me last year. Not to mention the icing remnants still to be found in odd places around the house. Ike was wearing icing for about a week after that.


We're off to Ohio Friday, bikes and all. Hopefully, it will get colder there this week. It's been so warm and rainy there that I'm told it's muddy as all hell.


I may just finish up the shopping on the drive home. Cabella's for everyone.

Monday, December 12, 2011

There's Always a First Time

I would like to preface this post by saying that the holiday season makes me a crazy person. I don't like the holidays. I REALLY don't like the holidays. Add a full moon and you get, well, it's a recipe for a woman on the edge that's what it is. I'll just start with that.



Sums up the day at Blue


Saturday, Jim, Mike and I went to ride at Blue Mountain. Nothing crazy, just a leisurely paced, fun ride. Something snapped in me in the first 10 minutes. Nothing was going right. I was mad at my body, my finger was stuck to my GD glove, my suspension felt awful, I felt like I was dragging a sled, and the trails at Blue sucked. We got to a techy section that I remembered being able to ride and I freaked out. Grabbed my bike and attempted to launch it. I wanted to throw it into the creek. However, a branch caught the rear wheel and it only went about a foot. I couldn't even throw my bike right. I think that pissed me off even more. Jim and Mike watched, mouths gaping open in horror and disbelief. They had no words. I've had thoughts of throwing my bike before but I've never actually done it. I've kicked the wheel in protest after a crash, but this was the first official toss and I'm not proud of it.



Crispy Hoeferlin Trail


Sunday, I decided to isolate myself from the rest of the world and go out by myself, just in case that crazy person came back. Waway was a ghost town. Usually, I will see signs of life on certain trails. No one. I was the first to break through the frozen puddles. It was frozen and perfect. I felt like I had the park to myself.

Iron Mountain is not really much fun to climb after all the water damage

Everyone always asks about the elevation gain at Waway and they think there's not that much climbing. On paper, yes. However, when you are climbing over loose baby heads, root packs and up technical switch backs it makes it seem like a lot more climbing. It's full body climbing. None of the climbs are smooth and groomed.


The reward for not throwing my bike


No bike was harmed on Sunday. I guess I would call it a success.

Friday, December 9, 2011

I give you...

The finger. No. Not that finger. This finger...



I've been having some issues with this guy lately. I smashed into a tree over a month ago on a ride. Nothing new there. I thought I had a pricker or something in it because it had this weird bulge at the top and I actually squeezed bloody yuck out of it. It has been discolored at the joint and there's a raised purple blue bump. Last night I was talking to Mike about it and after I mentioned it still hurts pretty bad, he pointed out that it is crooked and there is a bump on the side as well. Perfect. I haven't really paid much attention to it because my hands hurt frequently and my joints and that pain is much more uncomfortable than this. This is just a nuisance. It has been really achy lately and I've noticed at yoga I'm having trouble straightening it out for planks and down dogs and such. I realized that I can't straighten it without pain. So I went to get an x-ray, mostly to make sure there was nothing in it...pricker, wood, metal, plastic...sounds crazy but for those of you who have raised me, lived with me or those that know me well you understand that none of those things are out of the question. I do weird shit.


Got an x-ray. It's broken and has been for a while. Looks like it's tried to heal and now has started to heal in a curved position. Awesome. The doctor suggested I go to a specialist because he thinks it may need to be re-broken and re-set. Not sure if the splint will do anything now. Hello. No way. I'll see how this splint thing works out. I've already had it off a few times at work today because I'm a chronic hand washer at work. I'm going to try to keep it on. It does hurt quite a bit now that's it's forced to be straight in the splint. Already putting together my 'riding' splint for the weekend...

Monday, December 5, 2011

popcorn dreams

There's really not much to report. I've been pretty boring. Leaving the house around 7ish all last week and not returning home until 8ish on most nights. Not much fun. Not much time for much else. Flare-up last week. Mouth sores and the whole thing. Not sure if it was work or the previous week on the bike. Probably a little of both. Saturday, I tried to ride but it didn't work out. It felt like my appendages were going to rip off at the elbows, knees and ankles and I was weak as all hell. I started with Mike and Gerry from our house and ended up circling the lake home. I actually took pain killers on Saturday. I don't do that very often because they make me feel so horrible a few hours in and the day after. I have quite the collection (Percocet, Oxy, Vicodin, Ultracet). It's a 'hillbilly heroine' jackpot in my cupboard. I was miserable and had to cave.

A day and night of in between asleep and awake and some really screwed up dreams (Mick Jagger and Orville Redenbocker were my next door neighbors who rescued parrots and hamsters and ran the Utopia deli. Mick was excited for the bear hunt. Orville liked to give me free popcorn. Mmmm.) and I awoke Sunday with a hangover and disappointed there was no popcorn. I rode to Waway for a ride by myself. Didn't want to commit to anything more in case I felt awful. Well, I did feel awful. Just a drug induced awful. It's like a hangover but without the fun.

I worked some things out on the ride over (mentally and physically). I stopped for some dry heaving and a reexamination of my plans for the day. I finally made it to the park and started to feel better. I ran into some freeriders and rode with them for a while. They always put things into perspective for me. I realize what a wuss I am most of the time.


Hunting season started to day. Bear and deer. That puts a damper on the local woods. Not ready to give them up quite yet. Snow will take them away soon enough and I will be under 40 lbs. of clothing on the road. Boo.