One per month quota, Met.

I see i am right on course for an award for one crappy blog post per month. I really thought about putting off until tomorrow, but wednesday morning is Goose hunting. So sorry i'm not going to stay up blogging when I can be resting for hunting. It just won't work. Trust me it won't.

So my August started off pretty cool, well it was really freakin hot. The month started off in DC. We had nothing planned for the first day. That worked out well. Since the flights were all screwed up. We arrived in the afternoon and not in the morning like planned. So we had time to do a little walking around and we had dinner. Did I mention it was hot?

Day two was a day I had somewhat planned, notice I say somewhat. My plan was going to Arlington and seeing an High School friend Jeff Davis. And off I went, my second ride on the Metro. I kinda had it figure out now. I mean I made it all the way to Arlington and didn't get lost! Well, on the Metro anyhow. I got off the Metro and walked into the Arlington Visitor Center. I was sure I could walk right to section 54. But, I didn't remember "section 54". OOPS, take note, Arlington is NOT small, you want to be damn sure you know what section you are looking for. So I went off memory, another big mistake! I remembered the section he was in was two sections from the visitor center. So off I went. It was right about now I wish would have stopped and got some water! So anyhow. I took a short cut and headed across a parking lot, and past the first section. So as I get to the second section, it was empty! So off to the third section you know the one I am sure he is the one, I notice that I am on the wrong end. I'll say I was on the East side instead of the West. Honestly I never knew north, south, east or west the whole time I was there. So I figure crap one more section. At least I was upbeat! I was close and I was on the right end. So I went to the next section, it was huge and he was not there. To the next section, nothing. I stopped and checked out the useless map again and saw I was to far and I knew I was in the wrong place, for sure. So I headed to the Tomb of the Unknowns. i got there at 10 to noon. The bell sounded and I watched as the first Guard came out, shortly later the next Guard. I felt like I was in a good spot to take pictures and I was ready to go. To say I was moved would be an understatement. It was flooring. I shot alot of shots and watched as the Guards were switched and back they went. I have to believe these Men are the most dedicated people I have ever saw. The heat was intense and these young men marching like machines. I took shelter from the heat for about 20 minutes and then took my spot. I had scouted it out and got the place I wanted for my second round. I was on a mission. A mission to document my day there, and to not pass out. I finished with the 12:30 changing and headed back toward the visitor center. The closer I got the more upset I became. I really only had one single reason to go to Washington DC, it was to see Jeff. And the more I walked the more I felt defeated. I got to a place and it was like some one slapped my stupid ass. I had my new phone, and I could get onto the internet. Jeff had been a Guard for years, and on the Old Guard web site they had a page of Guards that had passed away, they also had some information. And on that site I knew they had Jeffs info. Section and Head stone number. I felt a small amount of relief. I was off again, still no water.

I found section 54 and in a short time stone 242. All I saw was the rear of the stone. I paused a for quite awhile. I guess I hoped when I went to the other side of the stone it would say Duffy Smith or something. But it didn't. i had found him. And after all these years it felt real. Real sad. I sat there for about an hour. Baking. I remember the times he would come over to his Aunts house, she lived right next to my Dad. We all took off behind the trailer park and would go sledding. And just plain hang out. I couldn't believe he was really gone........

more tomorrow I can't seam to see the key board anymore.

Crap

Well, busted by the Blog cops. Thought I'd be all about this blogging stuff. Come to find out I never remember to post anything. My live is kinda boring, but NOT that boring.

So a quick update. Went our Saturday morning with my brother and Son. We rode mountain bike at Cannonsberg. Man I feel old. They both kicked my butt. So to celebrate William and I headed out sunday to a trail near Rockford. Luten Park I believe was the name. He tells me that it is flatter and more "flowy" then Cannonsberg, but a little more technical. A little? BS. Flatter? BS. Both ride were about 7.5 miles long. Saturdays ride was 500'+ of climbing and on Saturday it was 450'. Both days were way to hot to ride. But dam I had a blast.

I think the best way to sum it all up was done well by my brother. He spoke of the weather: "humid enough today ya gotta chew the air before ya breath it."

So as it would be I am in a hurry to blow out of the office and go riding with the kid. Sure he'll kick my ass. But it's days like these he'll remember while changing my diaper.

I'm outta here.
RoadId

Michigan Mountain Mayhem

What a week end eh? Friday night I was so happy I had been asked to shoot pictures! Cold and rain, not very good riding weather.

Saturday morning came around to the same kind of crap weather. But, as the morning went on the weather got better and better. Roads where drying up and it also warmed up. Just about perfect weather after awhile.

I had hoped for a more riders. Yet, with the weather the way it was and this being the first year of the ride I heard 400+ riders were there! Thats cool. Next year I have to think 400+ more will show up.

I have been to many events, yet I have to say, this ride is the ride of the year in Michigan for road bikes. It's one of those rides where your setting around with your buddies and you open your mouth and brag that you rode it. Deep in their minds they are saying "Yah right" You know their jealous, and they were wishing they could pull that card out. You know, the one that says "I rode the toughest hilliest road bike ride in Michigan". The cool thing is not many buddies can brag about it. I know I can't. Heck I sat at the top of "the wall" with my brother and thought, "How the hell can ANYONE ride up that hill, and to think they all have 50+ miles on up to this point!" Go ahead, see me at the bar, set down and pull out the card. I'll listen in awe, I'll be jealous, I'll know that you were one of very few to ride the Michigan Mountain Mayhem.

See you all next year. Yah, I'll be there, on top of "the wall". Be sure to wave to me, and yell, "Your jealous and I know it."

Ride safe, wear your RoadID.

Hospitals suck.

Hi everyone. I am doing day two of the hospital thing. I am not the patient, just the support. My buddie Joe had some sort of weight loss surgery done yesterday. Today is recovery day. I spent the night here. I find I weird the times that folks come and attack you! Jerimia the blood elf was here at 3:30am. So answer me this......why? 3:30 in the morning? Should you not be getting up to hunt or fish at that time of the day? The surgeon came in and gave us the game plan for the day. Then the PA came in and gave us the same plan for the day. Then the nurse came in and said hi. But still, no blood ferry. What the hell, come wake us up, poke us and then not even stop back by to say "hey!" Your off my friend list pal. I can say one thing, I have internet, I hate hospitals, they drive me nuts. It's not really the building or the people in it, hell this place is awesome. Its the fact that you just can't jump up and walk outside and enjoy life. Your like velcro'd to the bed. Don't move stay there. No worry about that alarm going off, it's just the IV, we can't show you how to shut it off, but, we can't hear it from the nurses station so get use to hearing it, it'll be on all night! UGH. So now I am off, I just was so bored at 8am, that I figured I should update this here blog. Sorry it's not world changing stuff, or something that moved you. but right now I'm just happy to be here, living and breathing. No tubes, no IV's no nothing. Just a room temp Mountain Dew that I smuggled in. That might be tomorrows story. Do they have jails in hospitals???

Remember wear your RoadID, it very well could make the difference in a hospital room or a casket. If you don't wanna wear the ID, no worries, just update your will. Piece

Dusty brains

So it's been over a month since I posted anything in here. I'm a slacker.

At the beginning of March I signed up for a time Trial. The Fisk Knob Time Trail. Don't know what the hell I was thinking. But, a road race is something I have always wanted to do. I guess sometimes the hardest part is getting on line and registering. So one day I got a bug in my ass and did it. I rode the course twice before the race. I compared my 2 runs to the results of 2009. Yep, I had last place in my age group locked in. The best time I had turned was 57:00:. It was the Friday before the race, the race was on Sunday. i pushed and I paid for it. Once I got to the flats my calves locked up, solid like rocks. I stretched them when I got back into the hills and figured two days would be plenty to recover. I was wrong. While in the starting gate on Sunday I was still stretching out my calves. I didn't have much pressure really. All I had to do was finish and I'd be a happy camper. And finish I did. I did it 1:00:59. (I was about 5 minutes slower than the finisher in front of me. 5 minutes is for ever in a time trail.) Slower than I had hoped, but considering I lost my chain once and took no time to train I was mostly happy. next year I'll do better.

Then last weekend my Brother was in a race. The Barry-Roubaix. What a race, started in a park, raced through a small summer cottage village and onto the gravel roads, later turned into paved roads. I wish I woulda rode that ride! But I was happy behind the camera and took what turned out to be 393 "keeper" pictures. All of them are on the web-site. Only trouble with the shoot was the ending. I got stuck behind some riders on a gravel road. Didn't wanna be the typical prick in a car and force them to let me by. So I took my time, passed when I could. In the end it cost me "finish line" pictures of Craig. but I guess it is better than whacking a rider.

Ok, so this here blog takes me of the list of "slacker/blogger" so I will go now. I'll be back sooner, or maybe later.

Ride safe,
Oh ya, Put your dam RoadID on.

Saturday ride with the ladies.

I was finally able to make it to the training ride with the Team In Training team. Got there a little later than I had hoped. But, I was there, and nervous. I mean I had ridden just shy of 400 miles and I was doing my first indoor group ride.

Up until this point I choose my riding partners with great attention. First my brother Craig. Number one in the state in his division a few years ago in Mountain Bike Time Trial racing. Hey, if your gonna ride, pick the best! OK, so i didn't pick him because he kicks ass on a mountain bike, I picked him...well, because he'd ride with me. And I knew he'd take it easy on his younger fatter, more (by a long ways) out of shape brother. So we ride a few times a year. Then I picked Jake, he was a funny partner, we laughed so hard I thought we'd die, and we missed like 3 fire calls on one ride! Besides we rode like 30 miles in about a half a day! We were speed demons!

But now...I was with "The Team". You need to meet these people. Ladies, all of them. And they can ride. I was nervous that I'd stumble into the church with my Trek and walk out in crutches. I was shaking. I got the bike on the trainer and got ready to go. All of them looked at me like they had just planned on how to stomp me into the dirt. I thought about running, leaving the Trek behind as a peace offering. Then I thought, lets see what these ladies got. How could they be that bad? I mean if your crazy enough to raise money to fight Cancer AND pedal your butt on a bike around Lake Tahoe......They gotta have a soft spot somewhere.

The coach had to get some help getting the video to play. We should have had a small child there, it would have been much quicker! But in the end the video was playing. A little bit more and we got the audio going. We were up and running, I mean up and riding. The Coach had an awesome video. It wasn't one of those one where the guy just tells you this and that. This video was of a guy out riding his bike. It was great! We rode hard and had a blast. In the end we rode just over 17 miles in about 45 minutes. It rocked. So now I look forward to riding with these ladies again, soon.

So if your into the bike riding thing and sick of the normal training video watch these..

http://www.coachtroy.com/products/item132.cfm

Oh ya, and like Coach says, once in while, if your good like us, you might have to wait for "Coach Troy" cuz he may have his own videos.....but the don't hold nothing on the "Team in Training" bikers. I have to go now, I'm ordering my training videos next. Be safe, GO TEAM

Happy Birthday MOM

Well, today is/was Moms birthday. My brother and the family took her out last week end, so she got to hang out around the house. Sounds to me like she needs to get a full time job so she can slow down!

Not much happened today in the Team in Training camp for me. Had a brain fart and remember to new names that needed to be hit with an Envelope. So those are off in the mail. Laura and I did out taxes tonight, so no riding for me. Kind of a bummer. I am needing to get rocking. Wish I could stand to ride the trainer for longer indoors. Gets SOOO boring and seam to be harder than riding double the miles outside. I am thinking because the bike is so solid. On the road it will at least give a little with the rubber tires and the wheels give a small amount. Also watching TV is not a "normal" thing to do while riding! But the good news is we don't have to pay the creeps in DC or Lansing any more than they already took us for!

So tomorrow I ride. I need to hang in for about 20 miles. We'll see how it goes!

Have a great night. I am outta here!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/ambbr10/rhayso