Little Ruminations

Porn for the Health Conscious

2012-01-20T22:44:00.001-08:00

Still Smitten with the BBC

2012-01-17T20:47:00.001-08:00

My latest BBC addiction..."Lark Rise to Candleford." It ran for four seasons, and I've now watched three on my beloved Netflix....alas, I don't want it to end! Of course, it has all the fixings of my usual BBC addictions -- small village, quirky characters, loving relationships, and British accents.

The story is told through the eyes of Laura, on the right, the daughter of a poor family in Lark Rise, who moves to the "big city" of Candleford to work for her mom's cousin, Dorcas (on the left), who owns the post office there. Laura is sweet and really sharp, and constantly torn between her small village roots, and her desires to not only educate herself and have a career, but to also fall in love and settle down. Dorcas is inspirational...single, never-been-married in a social world where this is completely taboo, incredibly sharp, and completely content with who she is -- well, most of the time. She is incredibly strong, yet tender and loving to a fault. I can really admire that.

Met this handsome fella first in the modern BBC series, "Coupling" -- across between "Sex in the City," "Friends," and "Seinfeld." So, weird at first to see him play Sir Timothy Midwinter, the squire who lives in Candleford, but is the squire for Lark Rise. He's the "guy-she-shoulda-married" for Dorcas, so lots of sexual tension there in the first couple series.

Thomas is a mail carrier for Dorcas at the post office, and is incredibly pious. But in the most enchanting way. He is married to Margaret, the deceased pastor's daughter, and it took him FOREVER to admit his feelings for her -- to himself, never mind everyone else.

This is Robert and Emma Timmins, Laura's parents, and I adore them. She's a Lark Rise girl, and he was a stonesmith traveling through when she captured his heart. They are stubbornly liberal-minded and progressive, and have an equitable, loving relationship. And are still hot for each other, even after four children...that's cool!

Alf lives in Lark Rise, and is a farmer, raising his younger siblings by himself. He's childhood friends with Laura, and early in the series, he's in love with her, but it's unrequited -- alas, he's in the "friend zone." He plays the accordian and sings songs that get everyone in the tiny village dancing. And he's got a heart of gold.

And Alf loves Minnie -- at least he does at the end of Series 3. I don't know what happens in Series 4, so don't spoil it! She is a maid and cook for Dorcas, who rescued her from the work house. She's naive, always has a twinkle, and is intent on bettering herself -- she's often hilarious.

Queenie and Twister live in Lark Rise, and are the most lovely couple. She keeps bees, engages in earthy, pagan practices, and is always ready with not only natural ways to heal just about any ill that takes you, but is sweet and wise beyond words. Twister? He like beer and whiskey and playing music -- and he loves Queenie fiercely!

And these two! Sisters who own a dress shop in Candleford...gotta love their matching outfits and snobbery-mixed-with-heartwarming-tenderness!

Finally, one of my FAVE actresses USED to be on the show -- Dawn French! She's Caroline Arliss, Alf's mom, but, well, she's in prison. Seriously...love these quirky folk!

Santa-Racer-Chicks, Baby!

2012-01-14T08:44:00.001-08:00

Christmas cards. Love creating them, sending them, receiving them. Pitifully pathetic at sending them. And 2011 was no exception, as the majority of them are still sitting on my kitchen table.

Though the fall semester was ridiculously busy, I did manage to organize my second annual Santa Racer Chick photo shoot with good friends Denise (bike riding/racing/training buddy since the very beginning), Allegra (former-student-now-good-friend and bike riding/training and True Blood-watching buddy), and Felicia (bike and run coach who I'd NEVER be able to train with because she's pro) at Woodward Park so that I'd have pictures to create my cards. And of course, Tomas Ovalle did the shoot. I realize he's not MY personal photographer, but I like to think he is. As he did last year, he made the shoot so much fun, and since I only was able to use three photos on my card, I wanted to showcase a few more here.

So, the idea this year was to highlight our running side; last year, we focused on cycling. My thought was that he'd get some shots of us jogging in the park...ummmm...it turned out a little differently, and certainly way better!

First, we warmed up with just some easy, casual poses. Had to make sure those Santa hats were on all proper and all.

Tomas then tried this "wrap-yourselves-around-Kathie" pose, and he was quickly reminded of how the four of us can feel a little awkward when he's trying to get us to do relaxed poses.

Then we took it to a bench, and things got a little less awkward.

Of course, when he told us to grab our balls, well, all hell broke loose...

We returned to the bench, and as good friends do, Denise, Allegra, and Felicia supported me and leaned on me.

And Felicia couldn't resist pinching me. This reminds me that Tomas's 17-year-old son was there to assist him, and I think we may have damaged him. We tend to get a little racey (pun intended), and there's typically lots of comments about boobs and butts, as four women can't get this cozy with each other without some accidental rubbing and some purposeful grabbing...it just seems natural in this group!

Then Tomas tried to appease my desire for some running shots...we got a bit awkward again...

It finally felt a bit more natural, but then Felicia's hair started fanning out.

She tucked her gorgeous hair in, but you can see how well that turned out.

We gave up on the run, and Tomas had us jump. This was quite unexpected, and though I'm not sure, I believe he probably had to take 157 pics before this worked. We all needed to get our hands up and our legs up, and this took some doing. Denise was a pro from the beginning (what's that about?), Felicia did great on most shots, so obviously, Allegra and I were the most challenged.

Finally, though, success! And Tomas swears this isn't photoshopped.

Then we went back to a little more traditional...

But who could resist this?

So much fun! Merry Very Belated Christmas!

Bob's Christmas Present

2012-01-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

Ok...so Christmas break has come and gone, and I STILL haven't put up any more Scotland photos. Well, darnit! I'm just too busy living life, but I have to say, I DO miss blogging. I'm a little superstitious about making New Year's resolutions (New Year's Resolution=Failure), but I do tend to set goals for myself at the beginning of new years and new semesters. Given that we're in both, I'm feeling like I really want to start blogging on a more regular basis again. No pressure. Just some little stuff here and there. And when I find enough moments, some big stuff, like the rest of that amazing trip to Scotland.

So here's some little stuff...well, big in meaning, but little in blog space.

Bob and I had our first Christmas together, and because this past year with him has been so amazing, I wanted to give him something really special. So I gave him a photo shoot with his daughter, Michelle, in Yosemite, where he was born and raised. I regret that I don't have any nice "father-daughter" photos with my dad, and I wanted Bob and Michelle to have that. Tomas Ovalle did the photos, and I swear he's magic! He did photos for my freelance writing website, and for my last two "Santa-Racer-Chick" Christmas cards (oh, yah, gotta put those up on here, too!), and is amazing.

Anyway, Tomas has put some of the photos up for us, so I wanted to share a few of my faves so far. There are many more to come, as he took TONS. It really was a special day, and I already cherish these shots. See what you think.

Can you say, "Genetically photogenic"?!!!

I have quite the knack for hiding how excruciating the modeling process is, as evidenced here.

Forgot for just a second that there was a photog leaning over us...

I simply love this.

When Tomas told me to get on Bob's back, well, I felt like I'd break him. I momentarily forgot that he's such a "burly-man"! This was fun!

Seriously...have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

I am a lucky, lucky woman. Truly blessed.

Halloween!

2011-11-18T21:03:00.001-08:00

Ok, ok, I know I started blogging about our trip to Scotland back in June, and was supposed to continue that. And I will. But, geeze, it's been a RIDICULOUSLY busy semester, and I honestly haven't had time to organize more of our zillions of pictures yet. I hope to do more organizing over Christmas break in a few weeks. But for now, there's Halloween 2011 to record...

So, Halloween started with some shopping with Bob. I bought this for my sister-in-law's birthday -- which is in November -- because she decorates the outside of Ken's each year, and is collecting a "zombie baby army" for the roof. Bob got a kick out of driving around Fresno with our new baby on the console in the middle of the front seat in his truck, getting some pretty astonished stares. And Halloween was on.

Of course, as has become the annual tradition, we had a Halloween Costume Contest at work in our department -- students, staff, and faculty. The theme this year, set by Katie, was "Heroes," so I decided to be one of the players in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League from World War II. You know, the women who inspired the movie "A League of Their Own." Since Bob is still working out of town during the week, when I got dressed up Halloween morning, I had to take an iPhone self-portrait to text to him. Gotta love my attempt at a 40s hairstyle.

And here I am at work in full uniform when we had the costume contest.

This is Alma, who apparently idolizes The Tooth Fairy. She always has the most creative costumes, as you can see by all her props here...pliers for pulling those "will-not" teeth, candy and rice crispy treats in her hair, a little pouch of teeth (which were really the white tips off of candy corn), a bag of money, and a teething ring around her wrist. She rocks.

Erin is a professor in the Food Science and Nutrition Department (we share our department office with them), and she is dressed as one of her heroes, Temple Grandin. If you don't know who that is, google her....she's amazing.

Andrea works in our department office, and she is dressed as Mia Hamm, who she actually got to meet. In fact, I think she ate dinner at her house. Very cool.

Gary came as Clark Kent, aka Superman. Last time I saw him, he was leaping tall buildings.

Katie picked the theme "Heroes" because she wanted to dress as Rosie the Riveter -- so she and I were both dressed as our heroines from WWII. Doesn't she look great? Since her girls had the day off from school, they came to the contest and were dressed up, too. They didn't all abide by the hero theme, though, which is definitely allowed. Letty is a swan, Ellie is a pumpkin, Gabby is a scary doctor, and Sophie is Junie B. Jones (one of her fave book characters, which makes my child-lit-loving heart melt!). They always look great on Halloween.

And Katie wasn't the only one with her family in tow. We also had Ghandi on hand (Cheryl, our department administrative assistant), his daughter (Kabeljit), and his granddaughter (Lizhu). We made them pose in front of this bust in the Peace Garden right outside our department building. How could we not?

There were also a few students who dressed up, and this is one of them. She dressed as one of her heroes....moms!

Brittany is one of my students currently, and she dressed as a character from the Disney movie, "Finding Nemo." I think her name is Darla, though I've been wrong about that before (see Facebook).

And this is all of us.

Hope you had a great Halloween! We sure did.

Scotland!!!

2011-06-24T09:43:00.001-07:00

'S fhada bho nach fhaca mi sibh!

That's "Long time, no see!" in Scottish Gaelic.
(At least, I think it is...however, I might have just told you there's a hot cup of soup in your car...)

Given my long absence from this blog, I think this is fitting...especially since I've hopefully returned to doing regular entries for awhile, and am starting with this...

SCOTLAND!!!

Though we've been back for almost an entire month already, I think I'm still in shock that Bob and I actually went to Scotland where I ran my first marathon -- The Cape Wrath Challenge! We flew into Edinburgh and drove (well, Bob drove...) up to Durness, which you'll see on the map is the most northwesterly populated village in Britain. I know it's horribly cliche, but it truly was the trip of a lifetime...so amazing, on so many levels. I'll try to share as much of that as I can here, but seriously...you had to be there.

We were in Scotland for almost two weeks, so there is a lot to show and tell. I'll do it one day -- and sometimes one subject -- at a time, so hang on!

We flew out of Fresno at 6:10 am on Friday, May 13...I know. Friday the 13th. And it was Bob's first international trip, so apparently he either really loves me, or he's just incredibly brave. I'd like to think that it's both. His daughter, Michelle, was brave, too, as she brought us to the airport at about 4:30...needless to say, this is not a pic there, as we were too tired, I think. This is us at Newark, just about to board our final flight that would take us into Edinburgh. And it's a self-portrait with my iPhone...hence the very high photo quality.

Such a dork I am, but just so excited that I had to get a photo of the gate sign.

Bob was excited, too, but also already missing Michelle, so he gave her one final call from stateside. And we were off!

We touched down in Edinburgh at 7:55 am on Saturday, May 14, and just as we'd suspected, Scotland knew we were coming.

And look what they had on the way to baggage claim! I've always felt Scottish...well, this had to be proof that I really am!

We figured we better take a picture before we got in the car...just in case we didn't survive driving on the left side of the road, we wanted a memento for our families back home. Bob did all the driving, and though he did great, he was a little nervous about it at this point. Well, more accurately, he'd been getting increasingly nervous since about two days before we left Cali. We had a room booked at the Hilton International, and he was THRILLED when our plane touched down and we spotted it FROM the airport...he only had to drive a VERY short distance to get us there.

Safely checked into the hotel (seriously, Bob did great driving), we sat down to our first Scottish breakfast. This was my plate, with food selected from a buffet, and it includes haggis and blood pudding, Dad's favorite. I'd had haggis before, but hadn't had blood pudding...I was pleasantly surprised that I really like it. I'm not sure I'd like it if I watched it being prepared, however...!

Bob hadn't had haggis, and though he's gonna kill me for posting this picture, I had to document his very first bite. Could nickname him Mikey, 'cuz he likes it!

With bellies full and having flown through the night, of course, we would have liked to just go to our room and go to sleep. We knew we shouldn't, though, in order to get our body's time clocks adjusted as effectively as possible. So, we headed into Edinburgh to do some sightseeing. Once downtown, this was the first thing we spotted -- The Sir Walter Scott Monument. Of course, Sir Walter Scott is the Scottish writer, famous for his poetry and novels such as "Rob Roy" and "Ivanhoe," and though you can't see it from this angle, this statue of him includes his favorite dog, Maida, laying at his feet. The entire monument is 200 feet high and there are 287 steps up to the top...yes, we climbed every one. I know...studs.

Before we began climbing, Bob got this gorgeous shot looking up.

The climb up was fun at first and then, well, got a little scary, as the winding stairway got tighter and tighter. You'd have to share it at times with people coming the other way, and at one point, in order to share with Bob, a woman on her way down completely hug-straddled the big stone pillar around which the stairs wound. I soooo wish I could have taken a picture of Bob's face...but my iPhone didn't work too well inside the dark stairwell, dammit!

We took pictures of the views all around Edinburgh while on our way up, and up top...

...as well as photos of some of the structural detail. There are 64 figures on the monument, all of which are either characters from Scott's books or figures from Scottish history. I don't think this horse counts, but who knows.

The streets down below were pretty crowded, as it was Saturday, and this part of the city is quite tourist-y.

Edinburgh Castle overlooks the city, and our intent was to tour it at the end of our trip when we got back from Durness. We never did make it...but we did visit another castle you'll see.

This is Jenners, and until it was bought by House of Fraser in 2005, it was the oldest independent department store in Scotland. It's on Princes Street (as is the monument), a popular shopping destination.

Though some snaps of us at the top of the monument would have been great, it was incredibly windy (come to think of it, EVERY day we were in Scotland, it was windy...) up there, so you had to concentrate just to keep all your clothes and belongings intact. Bob did manage to get this incredibly sexy pic of me, though.

It was also about this time that we, well, accidentally littered. When he took this pic, I slid our two "I climbed to the top of the Sir Walter Scott Monument" certificates -- to be signed by the guard when we returned safely to the bottom -- under his camera case on the ground without telling him...I forgot about them, he picked up his case without seeing them, and it wasn't until we were leaving that level that I realized they were gone. No sleep...cold and windy....just climbed 287 steps in a freakishly narrow winding stairway...and now NO PROOF to put in my scrapbook?!!! And they wouldn't issue us new certificates at the bottom. Dammit.

And that brings me to an interesting side note about Bob and me....and traveling together. Seriously...we knew when we planned this trip - which would be our first together - that we were taking a risk. Cripes....traveling, especially in a foreign country (even an English speaking one) can be stressful. But one of the best things about the trip was just how easy it is for us to be together. It's pretty darned amazing. We really enjoy each other's company, and even in high stress moments (the only real ones came at the end of the trip -- think "lost in Edinburgh" and "volcano has erupted in Iceland"), we did quite well. Excellent, I'd say. Definitely got a good thing goin' on here. But back to the sightseeing...

I'm not very familiar with Sir Walter Scott's novels...is one of his characters missing a nose?...

So, we made the perilous trip back down those stairs, and spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around Edinburgh, mostly looking in shops and taking pictures. Bob has a real camera and I just took shots with my iPhone, so when you see really nice pics...well, they're undoubtedly Bob's.

And when you see lovely windblown shots of me like this, well, they're Bob's, too.

If you look carefully, you can see a "Jolly Judge Pub" sign on the left side here. My friend back home -- and assistant director at the Joyce M. Huggins Early Education Center where I was interim director the last two years -- encouraged us to go here, as her sister lives in Edinburgh and she shared her fave spots. Ummmm...at this particular point, Renee, I was too tired to even remember you gave me a list, so didn't even make the connection 'til we were in Durness a few days later! And, no...we never went in, darnit!

We did, however, notice this pub sign while under it...

...and we went inside...

...to have these! Our first shots of Scotch, with beer chasers (mine was actually a shandy -- beer with lemonade...yummy!). We toasted to my dad, of course. There were many moments over the course of the trip that were pretty emotional for me, remembering and missing Dad, and thinking about his family's connections to Scotland. I really, really don't care for Scotch, but know that Dad would be happy we did a shot for him. Bob likes it...he's more a Reid than I am that way, I imagine.

This is the ceiling of the bar. Cool history to this pub -- Deacon Brodie's Tavern. Deacon William Brodie was the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's book "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." He was a cabinet maker, a town council member, and a deacon, but he led a secret life of crime to support a night life filled with mistresses and gambling (gasp!). As a cabinet maker, he made keys to access places he worked, but at night, he'd break in with a cadre of partners-in-crime, and steal to support his expensive habits. He was finally caught, and was sentenced to hang. He paid the gallows guy to ignore a special metal cuff around his neck that was designed to prevent complete choking, and allow him to be revived after he was cut down, but it didn't work. He died. Ah, well....at least we got a good story -- and a darned cool pub! -- out of it!

There is a restaurant on the second floor of the pub, so we walked up more stairs to have a great dinner. These thistles were on the stairwell...much less anxiety-provoking than the stairwell we negotiated earlier in the day.

So that was our first day in Scotland...spent tired and jet-lagged, but happily exploring the streets of Edinburgh.

This is George, a taxi driver we met on the first day. This picture with Bob was actually taken on our last day in Scotland, more than a week later, and I'll explain that later. But for now, know that though Bob did a great job driving all week, being all jet-lagged and all, he was a little nervous about driving around the busy streets of Edinburgh on this first day. So, we had the hotel call us a cab to take us into Edinburgh. Enter George. He gave us a great talking-tour of the city on the way to Prince Street, and his friendliness, generosity, and humor immediately won us over. He gave us his personal number so we could call him when we were ready to go back to the hotel -- he picked us up in front of Deacon Brodie's Tavern! -- and we also called on him again on our last day in Scotland. More on that later...there's lots to tell in the meantime!

But for now...
Beannachd leat
(I think that's goodbye in Scottish Gaelic...or perhaps I just told you your
poodle is on fire...!)

The Pefect Sunday Morning Equation

2011-01-30T09:57:00.001-08:00

PLUS

PLUS

PLUS

= Ahhhhhh....

Got My Picture Made

2011-01-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

That's what they say in Tennessee -- you have your picture "made," not "taken," like we say out here on the Left Coast. And in early December, that's what I did. I've only sat for a "professional photo shoot" a few times in my life other than the usual school pics and wedding party photos, and I've never been a big fan. But Tomas Ovalle has changed my mind about that, as doing a couple photo shoots with him was FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

The original shoot, which was supposed to be just one "sitting," was for my freelance writing website. You know....the one that has yet to be created (that's a whole 'nuther story, but the website WILL be born this year -- I've promised myself!). Since thus far I have done mainly sports writing (and mainly cycling), I wanted not only office pics, but some pics of me playing, too -- cycling and running. Here's a sample of what he came up with...see what ya think.

This is my favorite "I'm a sports journalist, and this is how cool I can look in someone else's office 'cuz I usually work at home on my dining room table, and that's not very office-like" pic. We took the office pics in the office of Pinnacle Training Systems -- you know, the owner, Felicia Gomez, is my good friend and coach. The racer-dude in the background is Tim Loper, husband of one of my racer-chick friends, Tracy. I'm pretty sure that this'll make him famous some day.

I also like this one...

We spent a lot of time in the office, as it took a long time for me to feel comfortable enough that Tomas could get some decent shots. Seriously....it has always been a challenge for me to take "posed" pics, and Tomas was so patient, and relaxed.

So, after the office shots, we headed to Woodward Park for some running shots. And I like these two best:

Loosening me up in the office shots took so long that we lost daylight before we could get bike shots taken, so we had to do another shoot over a week later. The first shoot had been such a good experience that I felt WAY more comfortable by this time, and I think Tomas had an easier time getting good ones....and he can really work some magic. We did some stills and action shots, and these are a few of my faves:

I like this one 'cuz he caught me smiling:

And I like this one 'cuz he caught me lookin' a little bad-ass.

I wasn't very good at this pose, but Tomas gave it a valiant try:

These, though, are definitely my faves:

So, by this second shoot, it was almost Christmas, so I got a wild hair, and asked some racer-chick friends to let Tomas take some snaps of us for my Christmas cards. It was FUN, FUN, FUN, and I think I'll have to make it an annual tradition....a different Santa-Hat-Biker-Chick pose each year! These were a few of my faves:

So there you go...a sample of my "photo shoot." Hopefully I'll get that freelance writing website done before I'm no longer recognizable in the photos....!

Some British Animal Humor

2011-01-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

I've been fortunate to meet a lot of great people through bike riding, both in the US and abroad. Pat Perry is one of those people, and I became friends with her through MS Global in 2006 when we rode in Switzerland, Italy, and France for a week to raise money for people with Multiple Sclerosis. The picture above is from the second MS Global we did together, and it's (l to r) another friend, Michelle, me, and Pat enjoying some Stelvio beer the evening after we rode our bikes up the famed Passo Stelvio.

Pat lives in Texas, and though I've seen her a number of times since that first trip, we don't get to see each other enough. However, she does send me some pretty funny stuff through e-mail now and then, and she sent me this link today

Funny, aye? Gotta love my friends.

Such the Anglophile

2011-01-07T00:51:00.000-08:00

I just keep finding BBC series that I love....Just finished watching all of this.

Dawn French is HILARIOUS as a female vicar in a teeny-tiny English village. The supporting characters are also incredibly funny. Though I know next to nothing about the Church of England (other than the fact that Henry the VIII formed it when he split from the Catholic church so he could divorce Queen Katherine (sp?) and then marry Anne Boleyn), apparently this series was created in 1994 at the same time that female vicars were first being accepted by the church, amid great controversy.

Am sorry that I've now watched all of the episodes, and may have to buy the series when I get a chance.

This is a series that is still running, so hopefully I'll get to keep watching it for awhile.

It's from the creators of all of the American Law and Order shows, and it's very cool. Interesting to learn about various aspects of the British legal system...like the fact that there are cameras in many, many public places. Yeesh, in the US, people have a fit just about the ones at stop lights.
Finished watching this series from the 90's awhile ago, and it's also good, but a mixture of drama and comedy.

Hamish is played by Robert Carlyle -- of "The Full Monty" fame -- and he is the constable in a teeny-tiny Scottish coastal village (do you see any themes here? Perhaps I come by my "small-town-mountain-girlish-ness" honestly by having descended from Scottish highlanders...) Each episode includes some wacky (and sometimes downright creepy) crime that Hamish has to solve with the help (and/or hindrance) of the wacky villagers. And his Westie is named "Wee Jock." I so want a Westie now...well, and Robert Carlyle.

It's a New Year -- and I'm Seeing a New Guy!

2011-01-06T10:20:00.001-08:00

Of course, we're not dating...He's my physical therapist. We haven't been seeing each other long, but he makes me do things like this:
And this:

Darned if he isn't just interested in my left knee, as that's where the pain is currently. But I'm optimistic that he'll get me back running again...after all, my New Year's Resolution is to complete The Cape Wrath Challenge in Durness, Scotland on May 21, averaging 9-minute miles.

This new guy I'm seeing better get to work, so he can get me back to this:

I have faith in him. And definitely in all the promise of the new year ahead.

Happy 2011!

I'm No Siskel and Ebert...

2010-11-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

...but this is a GREAT movie. Man, I love my Neflix!

And, in addition to turkey, all the fixin's, and the start of Christmas shopping, Thanksgiving break is also about blockbuster movie openings at the theater, right? The pickin's aren't too good so far this year -- in my humble opinion -- but I did manage to see this...gotta love Harry.

Back to work tomorrow for the last sprint to the end of fall semester....Christmas break is JUST around the corner....deep, deep sigh.

My Favorite Veteran

2010-11-11T21:39:00.001-08:00

Ok, so he might have only served four years. And, though a Navy-man, he might have never stepped foot on an actual ship. And, well, he might have learned to repair a type of airplane that tended to fall out of the sky on a regular basis.

But he's still my favorite veteran. And always will be.

Love you, Dad. Happy Veteran's Day.

My New Modern Love

2010-11-08T23:13:00.001-08:00

LOVE this show.

LOVE this episode.

'Nuf said.

Tale of Two Cities -- Half Marathon, That Is! -- 2010

2010-11-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hit another running milestone today -- only figuratively, thankfully! -- as I completed my first HALF MARATHON. That's 13.1 miles...wow.

Ran the Two Cities Half Marathon in Fresno with Kim, her college friend, Laura, and Ann and Tim from Bridgeport. And, as we had at the Tioga Pass Run back in September, we had our own cheering section -- Missy, Lacey, and Mom also came over from Bridgeport.
The race started at 7:30 am, and Kim and I left the house to "run" there at 7:00.

But, of course, we couldn't take this TOO seriously...

...I mean, after all, a giant banana crossed the finish line before we did!

The course started on Friant in front of Woodward Park, turned up for a short out-and-back on Shepard, then went back out onto Friant to Willow before turning around, finishing in Woodward Park.

13.1 miles, and I was all smiles still, even once back in the park and almost to the finish.

Seriously, I felt great the entire time. Volunteers out on the course called out times at a lot of the mile markers, and I knew I was doing well when they called 9:30 at mile 1...my fastest training time has been about 9 minutes, 43 seconds a mile. Of course, I needed to be sure not to overdue it and bonk before the finish.

Besides having good friend Felicia Gomez at Pinnacle Training Systems coach me, I think running with so many people also helped, as I LOVE seeing people ahead, and trying to pick them off one-by-one...like this guy near the end.

I don't know why it's so darned fun running ahead of men, but it is...kind of reminds me of Little League when some older boys told me, "You throw like a boy!" Makes me all misty-eyed!

I finished at about 1:59:14, which put me just over 9 minutes per mile, though I still need to confirm my actual time. Kim came in shortly after, and did awesome!

Tim got in before me, of course, and we all greeted Ann when she arrived. She WON her age division in a 10K in Bishop just the day before!

Couples who run together, stay together...well, not necessarily on the course, but everywhere else!

The Finish line!!!

Runnin' buds! So glad Kim came over to run this with me!

Gotta get a silly pic, too, of course.

Sa-wheet.
When you know this is waiting at the end, why wouldn't you finish?!!!

A medal AND free beer at the end?! Now THIS is livin'! (Even if it is Lance's beer...eeewwww.)

With the race over, all that was left to do was swap war stories at the beer garden. The pay-off.

Lacey was a trooper, and hung out on Missy's shoes while the stories of all that had happened out on the course just got bigger and bigger.

So I finally found a place to rest and drink my beer.

Hmmmm...now we gotta pick our next race...we hear there's a cool Half Marathon in Vegas in early December...!

Straight No Chaser

2010-11-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

It's true...I went out on a school night...to see these guys.

SUCH a great show! Discovered them last year when I saw this.

They performed tonight in Fresno at the Saroyan Theater...I was in the balcony...awesome.

Get their new album. You won't regret it.

My Halloween Alter-Ego -- Sookie Stackhouse

2010-10-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, it's Halloween again, and as in previous years, there has been tremendous peer pressure in our department at work to dress up. It's Katie and Alma's fault, mostly, but after a couple years now, I'm actually starting to really enjoy it. This year, the theme required that we dress up as our favorite tv or movie character. I needed props...

Spittin' image of Sookie Stackhouse, don't you think? Ok, so I'm not exactly STACKED, I'm about 20 years too old, I don't have that gap between my front teeth, and, well, I haven't attracted a 150-year-old gorgeous vampire named Bill anytime recently...but other than that...spittin' image. And I apparently have retained quite a bit of "tray-toting-muscle-memory" from all those years of waiting tables, cocktailing, and bartending, as I can really flaunt a tray of Tru Blood -- by the bottle, in draft, or a shot. What's your pleasure, Vampire Man?!!!

Katie -- Dr. Dyer -- is one of the main instigators of the Halloween contest, so it's only fitting that she bring her entire family each year. Her girls love it, and are dressed up as Alice in Wonderland (Gabby), a dance hall girl (Ellie), mini-me Wonder Woman (Sophie), and the Goddess of Wisdom (Letty). The other person is one of our students, and I don't know her...great costume, though!

Gary, a lecturer in our department, shocked us all a bit with his tail...we're used to the bow tie.

Hey! Someone came dressed in a box! Randy wondered what would happen when you turned the handle on the side...

Have you ever seen a happier Jack-in-the-Box?!!! Alma is one of the most tender-hearted individuals you could meet, and she gives, and gives, and gives to others. And she is obviously pretty darned creative, too, though she did miss the memo about dressing as tv/movie characters -- likes to think outside the box, I guess...(ouch.)
She and her husband live in a Fresno neighborhood that is FAMOUS on Halloween, and they get HUNDREDS of trick-or-treaters. I love this picture because her love for Halloween -- and all the giving she does! -- is written all over her face here. Priceless.

Our contest brings in celebrities from across campus, as evidenced here by the presence of our Associate Dean, Sandra Witte. It appears she's a bit skeptical about Alma's current attire...she must know Alma taught today.

Of course, students got in on the costume action, too -- after all, there were prizes to be had!

One of Lizhu's Fashion students even brought her son -- she was Betty Rubble, I think, and he was a dinosaur. He won "Best Non-Human." Too cute.

Of course, what's a little Halloween party without some candy on hand.

Ok...Ellie has apparently overdosed on candy. Seriously...is there anyone in a paramedic costume around here?!

And who better to give away the best costume awards than Wonder Woman and Alice? I received the prestigious "Most Scary" pumpkin, and though Katie's girls told me it was because of the vampire bite on my neck, I'm suspicious it was because of the cycling "tan" on my legs. Hmph.

Lizhu -- that would be Dr. Davis, the Coordinator of the Fashion Merchandising program in our department -- brought her class. Now, THAT'S an education I can get behind!

This is the whole CFCS gang who showed up decked out in their Halloween finest -- what a crew! There might be some FSN folks in here, too..I didn't know everyone.

Alas, the costume contest was over, and I actually had to return to work...I have a staff meeting at the Joyce M. Huggins Early Education Center (where I'm Interim Director) every Friday afternoon. Of course, my staff work with young children, so they're fun-loving, too, and many of the teachers dressed up. This is Chamroeun, an excellent preschool teacher who I adore. Of course, I adore all my staff...but she's the only one who asked for a pic with me. And come to think of it, I think she's the only one who's ever saluted me, too...at least, that I'm aware of. Hmmm...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Y'ALL!!!

Celebrating Abbey's 10th at The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-10-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Abigail Lyn Reid turned 10 (yes, T-E-N!) on September 19...can't believe my oldest niece has been with us 10 years already! This year, my big brother Bill (her dad) and her mom, Cathy, have taken each of their three girls to Disneyland for their birthdays! So a couple weekends ago, it was Abbey's turn. She got to go to The Happiest Place on Earth with her mom and dad, and more importantly, without her little sisters. They were there all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We're talking major Disney overload!

Perhaps most exciting to Abbey, though, was the fact that I was there with her, too, on Saturday! Ok, maybe that wasn't the highlight for her, but it was for me. Bill and his family are Disney junkies, and though I like Disneyland, I go about every, oh, 10 years or so. They would go each weekend if they could, I think, and they know EVERYTHING about the place...so I got to experience what it's like to be a Disney fanatic. I drove down after work on Friday night, arrived just as Abbey was drifting off to sleep after spending her first day with Mickey and friends, and I then spent the day Saturday before driving back to Fresno on Saturday night. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Of course! After all, it's so close to Halloween that all the spooky decorations are already up.

Before we even made it into the park, we spotted this big A...for Abbey, of course. The birthday girl posed with her proud papa and mama...

...and with her proud aunt.

We then headed to Goofy's Kitchen to have breakfast with all the Disney characters. They take a professional picture of you as you enter the restaurant; no, this isn't Goofy (it's Pluto), and this isn't the professional pic. They took this with my camera, and obviously were trying to get us to buy the professional one. We didn't.

They gave Abbey a birthday card that all the characters had signed -- how cool is that?!! (Well, when you're 10...)

THIS is what I thought was cool...my pickin's from the buffet. I'm not much of a pancake eater, but I am pretty sure it's against some Disney law to go to Goofy's Kitchen and NOT get a Mickey pancake. I got one just to be safe, as I didn't want to miss any of the rides.

Characters came by the table periodically, and Abbey loved all the princesses -- she's always been a princess-girl.

Her dad liked Snow White and Mulan, too...is it just me, or is he blushing here? Yeesh.

Just before we left, the chef came out to wish Abbey a happy birthday, too. You the man, Goofy!

Of course, there were many picture opportunities, and we captured Abbey posing with a variety of Mickeys...this bronze one...

...this colorful one...

...oops! Too late!

Abbey also posed under this star, and if you look closely, you'll see her first purchase of the day -- a baby Donald Duck. She's just recently decided she likes Donald, so she was on the alert for him all day.

We had to go on the Pirates of the Caribbean, of course...while waiting in line, Abbey and I tried on our pirate faces -- and pirate gun fingers.

We spent a lot of time in stores, as Abbey was very thoughtful about how she'd spend her money. This was her biggest purchase while I was there, and she adored it.

Of course, sometimes she couldn't see anything while wearing it, but she still adored it.

Mid-afternoon, we needed some good healthy food to keep us going the rest of the day, so we got -- what else? -- big, deep-fried, homemade corn dogs!!! They take awhile, so this is Bill and Abbey waiting...

...while Cathy stood in line to purchase them for us. Seriously...these were the best corn dogs EVER. That's why I don't have any pictures of them...we ate 'em too quickly!

After the corn dogs, Abbey and Bill traded hats for a bit. I think Abbey's gonna stick with her Jack-hat.

And what's a trip to Disneyland without going on the Jungle Cruise? WATCH OUT!!!

I hadn't been to Disney in so long that there were quite a few things I had never seen, and a Dia De Los Muertos display was one of them.

Abbey loves Autopia, and I was happy to let her drive me, which is what she's doing here. I've had one too many bad bumper car experiences to take any chances behind the toy wheel.

Bill and Cathy were all snuggled up in the car behind us. I was afraid they'd park somewhere and embarrass us.

Abbey's 10! And it was awesome spending a day at Disneyland with her!

Of course, I don't know how they spent FOUR days there, as I felt like I had a Disneyland hangover for two days after I got back...I wonder what you're supposed to take for a Disneyland hangover?....

The Next Challenge?...Cape Wrath

2010-09-26T21:10:00.001-07:00

When I made my first overseas trip to Dubai and Italy in 2003, I made a commitment to myself to take an international trip each year. And I was successful -- sometimes making two to three in one year! -- until my "year of living dangerously" in Colorado. Since returning to Cali with a bit-o-debt, I have had to put aside my international wanderlust for a bit...but now that I'm back on my financial feet, so to speak, I'm lookin' ahead to my next trip.

Perhaps it's because I've started running. Perhaps it's because I've wanted to go to Scotland for, well, EVER. Perhaps it's because the 1-year anniversary of Dad's passing is in just over 3 weeks...

but I'm seriously considering not only running a marathon (holy crap!), but running one in the most NorthWesterly inhabited place in Britain....that would be Durness, Scotland. And the race is the Cape Wrath Challenge in May.

I know. Perfect, aye? It's on the coast, and from what I've read so far, the countryside is amazing.

I've started looking into flights as well as lodging, and am leaning toward this B&B -- the Aiden House.

One of the very cool things about the Cape Wrath Challenge is that there are four or five days of smaller runs and cultural events leading up to the marathon at the end of the week. And Durness is teeny-tiny -- even smaller than Bridgeport! -- as the population is only 350. How cool is that?

So, this is what I'm thinking...hang out in Durness for five days leading up to the marathon, take in the local sights and events from a nice B&B, and after the marathon, head back down to Edinburgh, and stay another week there. There's plenty to do in the city itself, as well as places that are an easy drive (well, once I get the hang of driving on the WRONG side of the road in the rental car...).

Sooo many adventures to be had. And hell, if I happen to run into Liam Neeson?...well, all the better.

As my pops would say: Here's lookin' up yer kilt!

Movin' On

2010-09-13T22:10:00.001-07:00

Just 9 (yes, NINE) weeks ago, on July 6th, Kim, Ann, and I started training for this. Wow. We were so inspirational after a few weeks of training that Tim, Ann's husband, joined us in our training.

Some other friends -- Erinn and Shannon -- also did the run.

So the big morning arrived...

...and we went through the traditional pinning ceremony (me here with my lucky number)...

...and headed toward this!

Along the way, at about mile 8, our personal photographer, Missy, began taking some snaps of us. I'm running here with Tim. I WAS ahead of him, but when he saw Missy getting ready to take a picture, he pushed me back so it would LOOK LIKE he was ahead...so tricky, that guy!

I was just thankful Tim didn't push me back down the way we'd run...

And we carried on, up around the corner to Ellery Lake, the final of three water stations at mile 9. (Note to self: Remember that it's WAY HARDER to drink a little cup of water as you're running than it is to drink a bottle of water on the bike...I think I ended up with more of it on me each time than in me!)

We even had quite the little fan club going...Missy brought Lacey, Mom, and Denise (who came all the way from Southern Cali to cheer us on!) Here, Lacey was pretending the guard rail was a bar, and she was serving everyone drinks while they waited for us to come by.

And of course, Denise did a little lovin' on Lacey during all the waiting. Though I don't have pictures of 'em, we had other fans, too...Shannon's hubby (and Tim's brother) Scott, and their two daughters; and Erinn's husband, Lance, her daughter, Joey, and her dad, Phil.

When Kim came by the photo op at mile 8, she was still smilin'...I don't think I was.

Just past Ellery Lake, the road "flattens" out, at least relatively speaking, and Scott got this great snap of me and Tim -- with proof of the altitude. See...I told you I was ahead!

The first in our group of friends to cross the line, though, was our resident pro -- Erinn! She rocked it at 2 hours and 18 minutes -- holy burning rubber, Batman!

There was a little time to kill before the rest of us began crossing the line...Lacey and Joey kept themselves entertained near the finish.

Just before the finish line, Tim pushed me back AGAIN...dammit!

And apparently, Tim had other appointments to get to. No wonder he kept pushing ahead of me.

You have absolutely no idea HOW. GOOD. THIS. FELT. Well, when I could actually feel my legs again...

My goal had been to finish in 2 1/2 hours...whoot! And look...I beat a BOY!!! Well, a lot of 'em, actually. Sa-wheet.

Though it took a few minutes to catch my breath, I was able to chow down on some orange sections at the finish line as we cheered everyone else in.

Shannon came across, and this was just warm-up for her, as she's doing the NEW YORK CITY MARATHON on November 7th!!! How cool is that?!!

Kim finished incredibly strong, and after having the flu all week! THAT'S tenacity!

The caption potential here is endless:
"Ok, what are we signing up for next? Boston? New York? Hawaii IronMan?..."
"Did you see the way that finish line judge looked at your butt?"
"At mile 6, some guy asked for my phone number....said his name was Ryan Hall...an Olympian, or something...."

And it was just like the Tour de France when it hits the Alps and Pyrenees...people were camped all along the mountain, waiting for us to run by. See? Jim Mann was even camped out!

Ann crossed incredibly strong, and smilin' to boot!

My training buddies! (Of course, we had to call paramedics to help us stand up after this...whose idea was it to crouch down after running 12.4 miles uphill?!!!)

Thankfully, it was ALL DOWNHILL on the way back. Well, and we were in Missy's truck.

What an amazing experience. Next up? The Two Cities Half Marathon in Fresno...the adventure continues.

Mission Accomplished

2010-09-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

On July 6, I started training for the Tioga Pass Run with Kim and Ann. Tim, Ann's husband, started training with us shortly afterwards. And today, we all tackled the ONE HILL that is the Tioga Pass Run...12.4 miles, from a start at 6700 feet, to the finish at the entry to Yosemite National Park at 9945 feet.

Training miles accrued? 173.
Number of friends who trained with me? 7.
(Kim, Ann, April, Tim, Kat, Felicia, and Toni)
Number of friends who coached me? 2.
(Felicia and Toni)
Number of ice baths taken (because Felicia made me)? 2
Number of family members who cheered for us on Tioga? 4
(Mom, Missy, Lacey, Denise)
Time it took me to finish? 2 hours. 27 minutes.

Setting a new athletic goal and reaching it? PRICELESS

PS Missy took a bunch of pics, and I'll do a more extended post with those once I get 'em. In the meantime, I'm going to sign up for the Two Cities Half Marathon...!

Just a Few Things I Like...

2010-08-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

...about and in my new apartment...

My welcome mat...

Cooking again in my own space, with a fridge full of all MY food...(I'd intended to take a pic of this Spinach and Feta Stuffed Focacia as soon as I took it out of the oven tonight, but got so excited to eat it, I forgot until one serving was gone...)

My clever use of a shot glass in the bathroom...

My closet that's actually big enough for all my stuff!...

My new hanging shoe organizer (and please note the non-flip-flops there, as SOMEONE thinks I live in flip-flops...)...

Well, and this. Mmmmmmm. 'Nuf said.

Eleven Miles...and 20 Pounds of Ice

2010-08-22T22:29:00.001-07:00

Three weeks from today, I'll do the Tioga Pass Run with Kim and Ann. Though I'm now living back in the flatlands of Fresno, I've managed to get in some good hill climbing, sans the elevation.

I've been getting some great coaching from good friend and owner of Pinnacle Training Systems, Felicia Gomez. We kind of have a barter system going...having recently adopted two children from Ethiopia, Felicia asks me child development questions, and I ask her "How the hell do I run?!!!" questions. Here she is with some of her REAL clients, who actually know what they're doing.

Today, though, she sent me on an 11-mile run that was all uphill (for all you Fresno-ites, I ran up the 4-lane and then 2 additional miles up Alder Springs). To keep me from having to run back DOWN the hill, she, husband Gus, and kids Ereste and Begashaw, picked me up in their car at the top. Well, actually, they caught up to me at about mile 7.5 on the 4-lane, and Felicia ran with me the rest of the way.

It was AWESOME!!! I'm still a cyclist first, and probably always will be, but I can't believe how much I'm enjoying running. I'm still so slow that gnats had time to raise their families while lounging on my sunglasses as I ran today, but it's damned fun.

At about mile 5, a hawk started to circle above me. It circled, and circled, and circled...and I got to thinking that maybe it was Dad's spirit looking out for me. I think he'd be proud of this new challenge. Well, and he'd also be lecturing me on being careful running by traffic...but he'd still be proud.

Of course, there's some pain involved in the running, too. Felicia has been helping me with a pain in my left leg -- she could explain the science much better than me, being an exercise scientist and all, but essentially, some of my quad muscles are overdeveloped from cycling, and others are underdeveloped. And I've been straining the ones that are underdeveloped by running. She's given me some stretches to do that are helping, and after my run today, she ordered me to take an ice bath.

Directions: Fill bathtub with cold water. Sit in tub a minute or two to acclimate. Pour 20 pounds of ice into the tub. Sit in the ice water for 15 minutes. Well, and try not to shiver your teeth right outta your head.

Felicia told me I'd hate her for the first 5 minutes or so. I texted her that I didn't HATE her, but that she had fallen way down on my list of friends as soon as I poured in that ice. She texted back a laugh, and told me she'd be #1 on my list in the morning.

I think she might be right, as, considering I ran 11 miles uphill today...my legs are feeling pretty damned good.

Gone...But Not Forgotten

2010-08-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

Can't believe that it was 10 months ago this morning that I got the call that Dad was gone. Still can't believe he's gone...can't believe so much time has gone by...and can't believe life has gone on.

Mainly, though, I can't believe how much I still feel him with me, and how much I still feel our relationship growing.

Love you, Pop.

August 17th, 1958

2010-08-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

Two days ago was Mom and Dad's 52nd wedding anniversary. A beautiful and hard day all at the same time this year, our first without Dad. I had to go back to work today in Fresno, Jim and Missy are in Alaska, and Bill and Cathy also had to be at work, so Mom was in Bridgeport without all of us. Not good. But thankfully, she has GREAT friends who, after being alerted by me that it was their anniversary, kept her busy all day.

On the evening of their anniversary, I went back through all the pictures from the surprise 50th anniversary party we threw for them two summers ago, and picked some of my faves to post here as a remembrance. Though I've made it into my new apartment, though...high speed internet hasn't yet. Couldn't get the pics to load the other night, and tonight, have just managed to get a few before getting too impatient, so I'll just make due.

The party was great, and Mom and Pop were SO surprised. Still not sure how we managed to pull that off in such a small town! TONS of Mom and Dad's friends showed up to celebrate with us, from as far away as Colorado (those Eidsons are DEDICATED!). We got them there -- and dressed in Hawaiian shirts, no less, to go along with the theme! -- by telling them we wanted to take a family picture up at Twin Lakes. Missy loves all things Hawaiian, so we just told them we thought it'd be cool if we were all in Hawaiian clothes for the pic. They both rolled their eyes at this, but thankfully played along. Bill drove them, and pulled off at the Barns and Terrace on the way to Twin Lakes, saying he had to stop by for something...will NEVER forget the looks on their faces and how humbled and happy they were with the party.

Here are a few of the friends who helped us celebrate (of course, I TRIED to load a bunch more pics of friends...): Dougie and Pete (golfing buds of Dad's), PJ (one of Mom's best friends and married to Pete), and Big Tom (a friend who comes up to Bport to fish each summer, and always brought Dad great homemade tamales).

Some of the Fishin' Mission boys even came to help us celebrate.

Bill, Jim, and I each told a few of our favorite stories about Mom and Dad. I ended the talking portion with a toast.

We made Mom and Dad laugh and cry intermittently, but really choked 'em up with the toast. Unfortunately I don't have it written down anywhere...but apparently, it was awesome.

And this is the last picture we have of our entire family together. How appropriate that it was to celebrate such an incredible milestone.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.

Thanks for loving each other -- and us -- so well.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 10: Reconnected with MS Global-ites

2010-08-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

In 2006, I did my first MS Global, a week-long bicycle ride in the Alps of France, Italy, and Switzerland to raise money for MS, sponsored by the Tyler Hamilton Foundation. I did it again in 2007, and that year we spent the entire week in the Dolomites in Italy. While there were too many amazing things about these experiences to ever completely cover in writing, one of the greatest perks was the lifelong friends I've made. And I was lucky enough to see a few of them this summer!

Michelle Leighton and her boyfriend, Dave, came by and had dinner with me at Rhino's last week before taking off on a 5-day backpacking trip from Leavitt Meadows. Michelle had done the 2005 MS Global, and I met her on a THF domestic ride before I did the 2006 Global.

And then last Thursday, Patti and Paul Columbus met me in Lee Vining so Patti and I could ride the June Lake Loop. She and husband Paul were in Mammoth for a few days, and it was so great to catch up with them again, too. Patti rode in both Globals, and Paul came along for support.

I didn't get pics of their visits, really, but it was so fun reminiscing with them that I thought I'd relive some Global memories here and put up a few of my fave pics...these don't even scratch the surface, so if you want to see more, you can scroll back to 2007 in my blog to find more of that second year. I didn't have a blog yet in 2006....!

First, though, it's important to note who I started doing MS rides for...one of my best friends from grad school, Lisa. This is her with her oldest son, Aidan. She was diagnosed shortly after I left Tennessee, and though the disease has been steadily progressive, she is truly one of the strongest people I know. Love her and am absolutely honored to ride for her.

Our first year, we spent some time in a part of Italy that used to be Austria. On one of the nights, a few of us girls went to a Hofbrau, and had AMAZING food! Well...and beer.

This is Patti, and she and I both got a meal called something like "The Barbarian's Feast." And no...we didn't split one. We EACH had one of our own. Hey...we were putting in a lot of tough miles!

On each Global, we had an incredible support staff -- mainly volunteers -- who led our rides, worked on our bikes, gave us massages, loaded and unloaded our luggage each day, and even brought us espresso at some of our rest stops! Natalie is doing that here -- she's married to John, one of the riders, and went on the first Global with us.

The first night in Switzerland in 2006, Pat, Karen (or lil Hudie), Patti, and I were given crowns for being top fundraisers. Larry, one of our ride leaders, just wanted in a shot with beautiful biker chicks.

On one of our first rides in Switzerland, we came across a yard full of what seemed like zillions of lawn gnomes. This one, though, caught my attention.

One of the most amazing aspects of the rides is that we always had riders with us who actually have MS. In Italy the second year, these were all those riders -- Pat, Jimmy D, lil Hudie, and a great guy whose name I have forgotten -- my bad!

Also in the second year, Michelle joined us -- at the time, she was Larry's girlfriend, and they've since gotten married. I LOVED riding with her, and hope we get to ride again at some point. Here, Larry was taking a pic of us, and as you can see, we were having a little too much fun.

We finally got serious. My hand was bandaged on this whole trip because I had an injured thumb.

While we did a LOT of challenging rides (mileage and elevation gained are noted in my original blog posts), this day was the hardest. This was the second year in Italy, and we climbed Passo San Pellegrino (yes, the home of the sparkling water)in the morning, and Passo Fedaia in the afternoon -- with a hellacious headwind the majority of the way. Here, I posed for a triumphant shot at the top of Fedaia with Colorado friend, Jack Irving.

Of course, there were infinite breathtaking views along the way each year, and this was the view that we were rewarded with on the descent down the other side of Fedaia.

Posed for this picture with Tyler on one of our rides in Italy the second year. We were in a beautiful little mountain village...the village was small...not the mountain.

The climbing highlight of the Dolomite year was climbing Passo Stelvio -- 48 switchbacks! Each was marked, starting with 48 at the bottom...this way, you knew exactly how much torture was to come.

Just one of the steep switchbacks on Stelvio. At the top, ride leader John Heidemann had two baseball mits and a baseball. He had told his 4-year-old daughter that he'd bring her back a ball that he'd played catch with up there...how cool is that? And even cooler...I got to play catch after finishing, too!

And what better way to celebrate a successful ascent of Stelvio than sharing some Stelvio beers?

And though it's certainly hard to choose, this is one of my favorite shots -- I didn't take it, but stole it from another participant! It was taken on our first day in the Dolomites that second year, and the weather was frigid, but we still had a blast. The weather the rest of the time was fantastic.

Damn good times. And it was fabulous to see Patti, Paul, and Michelle again, here in my hometown neighborhood, this summer.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 9: Missed Dad

2010-08-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

It kind of goes without saying, yes. I miss Dad every day. Thankfully, the passage of time is helping make the missing a bit sweeter. And tonight? It was more than sweet....it tasted like John Asquaga's Pan Roast.

Dad LOVED to eat, and he loved many different types of food. He and Mom had that in common, and they definitely fostered it in all of us. While there are an infinite number of wonderful memories of Dad and our family, some of the sweetest memories involve the many meals we all shared together, and the many meals we all prepared together in Dad and Mom's house. We even took pictures in the kitchen, like this one a few Christmases ago, as we were preparing Christmas Eve dinner together, I think.

Dad also loved to go out to eat, and years ago, he discovered John Asquaga's Nugget in Sparks (near Reno), and their Pan Roast. It's an amazing seafood stew that he used to order at a bar there, and he loved it. He loved it so much that he talked John Asquaga into giving him the recipe, and he used to make it for us at home. Dee-lish. Tonight, Mom had Jim and me up to the house because she had some shrimp and scallops she wanted to use...so she wanted us to make Pan Roast. Jim made it...and he did Dad proud. It was fantastic. And being with Mom and Jim in the house where Dad and Mom raised us, well, that was, of course, priceless.

Of course, we always have sourdough bread with the Pan Roast. Tonight, though, we had a special sourdough from Boudin's in San Francisco. Missy and Jim ordered Mom a "Seasonal Bread" one-year gift from them for her birthday -- she'll get roughly one seasonally-shaped bread every month or so. June's came today (yah, a little late, but it was obviously fresh!), and it was in the shape of a streetcar. Cool, huh? And tasty to boot.

And since my birthday -- spent this year in San Francisco -- Boudin's has special meaning to me, so that was priceless, too.

I know Dad would have enjoyed our dinner tonight. And I could feel him with us. Gotta love that.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 8: Fell in Love

2010-08-05T21:20:00.004-07:00

I know. Shocking. Shocked the shit out of me, too. It’s so cliché, that it happens when you least expect it, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t true. For goodness sake, though I know this will sound negative (and I honestly don’t mean it or feel it that way), but I truly thought the statute of limitations had run out on the possibility of my falling in love. And though I have worked hard to keep myself open to it happening while building a full life that truly fulfills me, well, it’s just been so long, I had come to terms with it possibly never happening again. It’s been about 24 years since the first (and probably only real time) I ever fell in love, after all. Now that’s not to say that I don’t fall in lust here and there (thank goodness)…but there’s a helluva big difference between love and lust…in terms of romantic relationships, this red-blooded American girl thinks that, ideally, the former includes the latter. For me, though, the latter hasn’t really included the former for, well, 24 years.

There’s some bad news, though. Though I fell in love, at this point, I'm unsure if there will be a relationship. Yah…bummer. With good reasons that I won’t expand on here. What I will expand on are some of the ways I’ve been impacted by this, have grown and learned through it.

First, hell, now I know I can still fall in love. That’s quite the relief. I think that somewhere deep down I thought I might be broken. I don’t know exactly what it is inside of us that allows us to fall in love, but I figured whatever it is in me, was just broken. It’s not. Whew.

I also know that when it does happen, in addition to coming out of the blue, it’s so easy. My God, it’s sooo easy. It just happens. It’s not there one day. And it’s there the next. Big. Bold. Amazing. Mmmmmm. Yummy. I haven’t been a monk all these years, so I’ve dated and lusted and dated some more, and because the “love” thing never materialized even when I really liked a guy and wanted it to, I think I developed the idea that it takes a lot of work to fall in love. Hmph. Not so much. Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to realize it takes work to make a relationship, to keep the love alive and truly fulfilling….but to actually take the fall?...it may only come every couple decades in my life, but, damn, when it shows up, it’s effortless. Again…mmmmm.

People ask me all the time why I’ve never married. Depending on who is asking, and how it’s being asked, the question can be flattering…not really affect me one way or the other…or be just plain insulting. But no matter how or when it’s asked, I never really have a solid answer. One minute, it can feel like there are millions of reasons, and the next? Like there are absolutely no explanations. But another really important thing I learned from falling in love this summer is that I’ve made the right decision by not marrying. That first time I fell in love, at the mere age of about 19, I wasn’t even close to being ready for the type of work and commitment it must take to maintain a strong marriage. Hell, I wasn’t even ME yet (yah…I know…yet another cliché…but true). Maybe we could have made it work, I don’t know. But I do know that the paths that decision set me on have been amazing. I love my life. I love who I am, where I am and what I’m doing, and all the freedom I have to continue to grow wherever and in whatever way I choose. And besides, I haven’t been in love – for real – since then. Until now. That’s not to say that I never will marry. But for whatever reason, it took me a really long time to fall in love again, and I know if I am ever to marry, it will only be for the kind of love I just experienced. It was perfect. Well, except for the fact that it may not culminate in a relationship. Yah. I realize that’s a conundrum. But it all makes sense to me.

And that’s another thing I’ve learned. It only needs to make sense to me and the guy I fall for. I’ve spent a lot of time, not only in the arena of love but in many other arenas in my life, considering what others are thinking about what I’m doing or feeling. I haven’t always been able to admit that to myself (a bit prideful, I am), but have realized through a variety of circumstances recently that it’s the truth. Ummm…now I know…not always so important. Perhaps I’m not giving myself enough credit, though, because if I did worry too much about what others thought, I would have gotten married to the wrong guy a long time ago – after all, women are pretty much considered freaks if we don’t get married. Hell, men are, too, for that matter. (But I think women are considered MORE freakish.) But feeling all the things I’ve felt recently, figuring out what’s possible, what I want, what I need…has made me realize that I don’t need others to understand or approve of my feelings to feel at peace with those feelings. Man, that’s empowering. Don’t worry, I’m not going to become all antisocial and deviant or anything (well, other than maybe never choosing to marry – blasphemy!), but I’m just more at peace with knowing what I want. And I won’t settle for anything less than the kind of love I’ve just experienced.

So, that’s just a few of the things I’ve learned, and a few of the ways I’ve been impacted by falling in love this summer. It all seems good, no? Mmmmm….there’s more, of course, that’s not so comforting. Like, well, it hurts like a mother fucker to fall for someone (and feel fairly certain the feelings are reciprocal) and realize the universe might not be aligned the way it needs to be for the love to get a chance to do more than take root. Like. A. Mother. Fucker. When I think of all of this, the entire progression and context of falling in love this summer within the broader context of who I am and what my life is, I know all is alright…all has happened for a variety of reasons, and has likely even happened to prepare me for something even better to come. But when I think of him…and how he may suddenly. Not. Be. In. My. Life. At. All. Ever. Holy shit. That’s empty. And awful. And so very, very disappointing. Because it felt really, really good to be in his arms, to simply be in his presence. He got Bridgeport (a VERY important thing to me). And he got me. Hell, he saw me more clearly than guys I dated for two to three years…How is that possible? Yah. Don’t know. And don’t feel like I even have to explain or reassure anyone else that it’s true. It just is. I miss him. I miss the reality of us…and the potential of us. Plain and simple.

But again, when I shift my focus back to the broader context of my life as a whole…I know all is alright, and will continue to be so. No regrets.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 7: Ran and Rode Some More

2010-08-02T19:52:00.011-07:00

Though I certainly haven't done it on any regular schedule, I have had a few days this summer when I ran with my fave girls at the butt-crack-of-dawn, and then did a solo ride later. Today was another one of those. I met Ann, Tim (Ann's husband, yes...not a girl), Kim, and Kat (our numbers are getting bigger!) at 6:00, and we drove out to Bridgeport Reservoir.

We parked at the dam, and did a 3-mile run that took us across the dam, out a road toward Mount Jackson, down toward the beach, and then back. It was exhilarating after our 6-mile Tioga run yesterday, and I had more energy than I expected. At Kim's urging, we even sprinted back across the dam to the finish -- awesome! (Of course, remember that MY sprint is, well, most other people's brisk walk!)
After high-five's all around and the drive back into town, I put on my Bella kit and headed out on my trusty Ruby Pro. Initially, I thought I'd climb Conway and then go out and back to Virginia Lakes, but on second thought, decided to go up and over Conway and do the out-and-back to Lundy Lake before returning home. Hadn't done that yet this season. Once I'd turned onto the Lundy Lake road, the views were beautiful all the way, and there was hardly a breeze -- a nice change from early summer.

There are a lot of my favorite trees on the way to Lundy -- Aspen. I've never been up there in the fall, but the colors must be gorgeous.

The lake is 5 miles up, and there were quite a few fishermen around.

The canyon narrows as you near the end of the lake, and there's beautiful rock formations on both sides. This is on the North side, and Denise could probably tell us SOMETHING about how the rocks got there...but, um, I'm not a geology girl, so you'll get nothing from me.

The store is very cool, and I was able to replenish my water and electrolytes. Can't be careful enough with those electrolytes.

Saw this sign in the store...I think we need one at Ken's.

Outside the store is a tree filled with uniquely-shaped birdhouses. Didn't see any birds in them, though. Perhaps the rent's too high.

Walked down toward the lake for a closer view, and then made the screaming 5-mile descent back to Hwy 395, Conway, and home.

Not much summer left, but determined to take advantage of the remains!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 6: Found an Apartment in Fresno (or Finally Grew Up)

2010-07-29T22:45:00.005-07:00

I've had a great two years living with Katie and her girls, and though I'll miss them, I'm looking forward to getting back into my own place when I return to Fresno in a few weeks. So, I went over to the Central Valley for a couple days to look for a place to live.

This was tempting...but I was afraid I wouldn't give the moat the attention it needed.

Of course, I was very tempted by this, too, but I'm pretty sure that just the electricity bill would have put me in debt.

Ummmmm...these aren't real, are they?....

This is one of the actual homes I could afford, but I decided to pass.

Nice and cool in the summer...for about an hour.

Thankfully, I won't have to live in one of these...

...as I did find a really nice apartment! But, no, I'm not posting pics...there's too many weird people on the internet!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 5: Witnessed the Hitching of Joe and Malinda...Well, Kind Of

2010-07-28T22:56:00.026-07:00

Malinda and Joe tied the knot on July 17th! And from start to end, the day was fun and touching for everyone.

As do all weddings, the day started with everyone getting all dolled up...is it just me, or does Lacey look thoroughly bored at the prospect of being in her first wedding? (Disclaimer: Ummmm...Missy took this pic, as I wasn't there before the wedding...well, in fact, I actually missed the wedding by 10 minutes, as I didn't make it back in time from my birthday celebration in San Francisco...had a bit of a hard time tearing myself away. But, of course, I DID make it to the reception! For goodness sake, there was BEER there.)

Wow...do those curlers make everyone look like this?...She's breathtaking! Clearly, she takes after her aunt (on her dad's side)... ;)

Lacey-Buggins was a bit pooped after the excitement (and heat!) of the wedding itself. She took a power nap in the truck on the way to the reception at Todd and Ally's ranch out Sweetwater, and got re-energized.

This is a very sorry attempt at showing how beautiful the ranch is...Perfect for a reception.

Marcus and Kim took care of the food, with the help of some friends. And, damn, if it wasn't one of the best bbq dinners, EVER! Gotta love them garlic-soaked carbs heated up on the grill!

Jim helped with the cooking, too.

Had to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Yup...hula girls on my Hawaiian cowboy brother's shirt. Aloha.

Todd and Larry were in charge of drinking...er, I mean, in charge of the bar. That Crown bottle sure emptied quickly...

Now THAT girl is stylin'! No wonder my niece is such good friends with Cammi...they share the same great fashion sense.

Erinn and Lance's boy took advantage of the grass right away.

Mom and Missy relaxing under one of the easy-ups. Mom was clearly going against Reid tradition by drinking (gasp!) WATER!

It took a suspiciously long time for Joe and Malinda to arrive at the reception... but, hey, they're married now, so it's not like tattlin' on 'em will do any good.

With everyone happily fed, Kim finally got to take a bit of a break from the bbq, and had a few cold ones with Tina. Gotta love the glasses on these girls, too!

Really, can you think of a better place for kids to play than a ranch?....Lots of fence to climb!

The grass felt great on bare feet, but apparently so did the dirt. (This is Lacey's foot, by the way...mine isn't so dainty.)

And what's a Bridgeport wedding without Donna Smyth's cake?!!! Three flavors...ALL delicious!

Lacey BEFORE the bouquet was thrown...

...and AFTER the bouquet was thrown. Awww...Lacey didn't get it, darnit. I think her dad had it rigged, as he'll likely never let her go.

The adults kept up the dancing (well, and drinking) into the wee hours of the night (many even camped out at the ranch!), but little ones started to get a little drowsy as the sun sank. Thankfully, they had good papas like Patrick to provide a comfy resting place.

Malinda and Joe are a GREAT couple, and it was an honor to share in their big day! Congrats, you two!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 4: Went Over to the Dark Side...Running, That Is.

2010-07-26T21:33:00.027-07:00

I know. It's shocking. But after 11 years of cycling, I've taken up running. Well, I'm not sure you can REALLY call what I'm doing RUNNING...maybe walking fast...or "locomoting more than leisurely..." But, whatever the correct term, this summer I'm training with Kim and Ann to do the Tioga Pass Run.

We started running three times a week just after July 4th, and have now increased to four times a week with a long run on Sundays. This Sunday was the first, and we ran to Barney Lake (Ann couldn't go, though, because she hurt her knee, so April was her stand-in). Barney is in the Hoover Wilderness, which borders Yosemite National Park, and begins at Mono Village (13 miles out of Bridgeport). The trail is maintained by the Forest Service (they do a fabulous job!), and starts out with 2 gradual uphill miles that abruptly turn into a final 2 miles of steep switchbacks that bring you to the lake. But, that means that you get to run downhill all the way back...fast, furious, and, well, for a klutz like me, just plain treacherous.

This is April and Kim near the beginning of the run trying to entice me to run faster by flashing a...peace sign?...Really?...A breakfast burrito and a grande cafe mocha would have worked MUCH better.

The trailhead is in a campground at Mono Village, and initially, the trail is in pretty thick trees. It eventually opens up into this meadow that can get pretty darned hot in the afternoon. We headed out early in the morning, though, so it was nice and cool, and even rained a little here and there.

Here, I think April was whispering to me: "Ok, bee-ahh-tch, I can see you want to wimp out and head back, but I got up at the butt-crack-of-dawn to do this because you begged me to, and I'm not about to let you turn back now..."

This was a common sight for me, seeing Kim and April disappear into the distance. I feigned holding back because I was the "photographer," but the reality is that I'm just pathetically slow. Well, and 10 years older than them. Ok, 10 years older than Kim....well, maybe 8. Dammit, I'm just slow.

The foliage gets pretty thick in a lot of places, perhaps more so this year due to the heavy winter snowpack. It was downright gorgeous, though the lack of visibility also made it easy for April and Kim to ditch my slow ass.

This was one of the views off to the south.

There was water running alongside -- and sometimes right on -- the trail in many places. Love the sound of running water...helps block out the sound of me desperately gasping for air.

The 2 miles of switchbacks to the top offer a special kind of painful fun.

Paused for more proof that we did the run somewhere along the switchbacks...I got a little delirious and can't remember where this was. But I do think that Kim might be whispering in April's ear, "See! I told you Kathie's the slowest runner EVER!"

Still somewhere on the switchbacks...Kim was either taking a drink from her Camelback, or singing Karaoke.

And finally....having left our cars just about an hour before, we made it to Barney!!! And we're all still smiling....amazing how fun suffering can be!

I think Kim was whispering to April here: "See? I told you Kathie would barely make it up here. If she goes as slow going down, we'll have plenty of time to have breakfast at Mono Village before she shows up."

Right after Kim took this pic, I pushed April into the lake so I could get a headstart...Dammit if they both didn't still kick my ass going back down!

Kodak moments at Barney captured for all eternity, we turned back for the 4-mile rapid descent. Is is just me, or was April skipping?....We actually didn't see Kim for long, as she took off like a rocket. At one point once back in the meadow, we hollered for her, and she only stopped because she thought one of us was getting eaten by a bear.

Ahhhh...finally made it back to the trailhead, with just a hop-skip-and-a-jump to get to the cars at Mono Village.

Eight miles of rugged-but-well-groomed trail, gorgeous views all around, laughing (while gasping desperately for air) with good friends, saving myself from numerous face-plants, and completing my longest run EVER...
PRICELESS!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 3: Rode with Fresno Friends on the East Side

2010-07-24T20:00:00.021-07:00

What's summer without lots of bike riding?...And with friends, no less.
Last year, Denise came over to ride for a few days with me. Apparently, she liked it, as she came back this year. On her first day, we rode from town up Conway Summit on Hwy 395, and then up to Virginia Lakes from there. That's about 11 miles of solid climbing, and roughly 3000 feet of elevation gain. (Of course, there's also 11 miles of descending on the way back -- at speeds as high as 47 miles per hour on days when I'm not a big chicken-shit.) This is the lowest of three lakes there, and it appears that not everyone arrives by bike. Go figure.

Luckily, they allow spandex in the store at the lake, as we really needed water.

Honestly, Denise can't go ANYWHERE without befriending some four-legged critter. This is Cooper, and thank goodness he already had an owner, or Denise would have strapped him to her bike to take him home. I'm always so embarrassed when she does that...

On Denise's second day, we met up with Mary, another friend from Fresno, and rode the June Lake Loop -- about 36 miles of sheer gorgeous. Mary was staying in Mammoth, so she met us halfway between Bridgeport and Mammoth at the Mobil Station at the foot of Tioga Pass. We rode from there, and this is Denise and Mary just after we turned off Hwy 395 onto the Loop. We were headed to those mountains in the distance.

Just one of the many spectacular views as we made our way around the Loop...and yes, the mountains in the background are nice, too.

Though it's late July, the water is still running high all over the Eastern Sierras. We passed right below Fern Falls...I think.

Finally made it to the town of June Lake -- and here's the proof.

This crazy rock is right at the beginning of the town of June Lake -- right by the Fire/Paramedic station. When I was little and we'd come in the school bus each week to go skiing at June Mountain, I always shut my eyes when we drove past it, as I thought it would surely fall on us.

Almost back to Hwy 395, there's a look-out tower at June Lake -- looking back at where we've ridden from is always cool. Well, and a bit freaky.

Back on Hwy 395, just a few miles south of Lee Vining, there's the Grave of the Unknown Prospector. The Bodie Chapter of E Clampus Vitus (you know...the Clampers...that historical society my dad and brothers belong to that is basically just an excuse to get drunk) dedicated this tombstone there awhile back, and it has the names of all the Bodie Chapter Clampers who've "Gone to the Golden Hills." Wonder if they're gonna put Dad's name on there...He was the Grand Humbug (or whatever the head-dude is called) at one point, so I'd think so. Seriously, the Clampers are cool, and have dedicated a lot of great historical sites around the Eastern Sierras.

After our ride, we ate at the "Whoa Nellie Deli" at the Mobil Station at the bottom of Tioga Pass -- the Carnitas Tacos ROCK! Then, with bikes packed on the cars, we headed to Bodie State Park, as Mary had never been there. Stole these first two pics from Denise -- she's more artsy than me. There are a lot of photography classes taught in Bodie because there are so many picture-worthy subjects...especially when we're visiting.

Really?!! Did you think I could see a bathtub out in the middle of the town, and NOT ask a ranger to take a picture of us in it?.... This is MY idea of artsy.

This is a shot I took through the sun porch of a house that belonged to the Cain family -- one of the wealthiest families in Bodie. I grew up with Jenny Cain whose dad, Walter, was born in Bodie. And her grandma, Ella Cain, wrote some of the most popular books on Bodie -- we have 'em at Ken's, of course. (This was a paid advertisement.)

Mary and me posing at what was the doorway to the bank...I think.

And of course, what's a trip to Bodie without posing at the cross-street of Virgin Alley and Maiden Lane -- the center of the "Red Light District"!

Good times!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 2: Got Despicable

2010-07-23T16:25:00.009-07:00

Lacey goes to gymnastics two times a week, and, conveniently enough, there's a movie theater nearby...so I joined Missy and her this week to see "Despicable Me" before going to see Lacey get her Mary-Lou-Retton on at the gym.

First, though, we got our energy up by hitting Johnny Rockets for some burgers, fries, and shakes. The Chocolate and Peanut Butter shake is ALMOST as good as Lynda's at the Jolly Kone -- ALMOST.

It appears we've started a tradition...Missy and I took Lacey to her first movie last summer -- Up! -- and we took a photo outside by the poster. So...we're carrying on here. However, Lacey seemed to think I was the movie's namesake, as she wouldn't let me hold her...I had to lean in to even be near her!

Lacey didn't think her mom was so despicable, but I have to say...she does look a bit like a rag doll.

And of course, the MINIONS were my favorite part of the movie -- especially when one gets shaken-and-cracked so he can glow and light the way through a dark passageway -- like a glow stick!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Chapter 1 -- The Fishin' Mission

2010-07-22T15:49:00.005-07:00

Now that's not at all what it sounds like...I didn't DO the Fishin' Mission... however, I did hang out with them on their 36th Annual in June, and, as always, there were adventures aplenty.

Steve -- "The Mayor" -- was in charge of t-shirts this year, and it doesn't take a Ph.D. to realize he'll probably never be invited to take on that responsibility again. This picture doesn't do them justice, but, well, they're NEON YELLOW. Yes...the Fishin' Mission were glowin' in the dark this year. A good way to keep from losing each other on those drunk nights at Rhino's and Sportsmen's, yes, but a fashion statement? Not so much.

Ever on the hunt for more supporters for the Fishin' Mission Foundation, Gary -- "The Commish" -- managed to woo yet another organized group of fishermen this year. I don't recall their official name, but they're the "Fish-for-the-Stick" guys: Whoever wins their fishing contest each year gets his name on a little bronze plaque on a walking stick that's kept in the group. The Mission posed with some of them here at Rhino's. Where else?

And, as has become tradition, the hardcore Mission-aries hung around through Tuesday for their Annual Golf Tournament. This year, they surprised us by renaming the tournament after Dad. Here, all the guys posed with the memorial for Dad that is on the first hole at the course in Hawthorne. Note the inscription on the memorial: "Two Ball Billy." I explained how he got his golf nickname in the eulogy I gave at his service in October: "You know how sometimes when you try to hit the golf ball, it just rolls a tiny way?....Dad did that a lot. When he did it, he would calmly stick his hand in his pocket, pull out a fresh ball, and tee up again – as though this were his right. Typically, his second swing would be a good one. He’d then point at the second ball, matter-of-factly look back at his buddies, and say, 'I’ll take that one.' That’s how he got the nickname, 'Two-Ball Billy.'"

After the tourney, all the guys joined us at Mom's house for yet another tradition, my RATPOD fundraising dinner. Ride Around the Pioneers in One Day is the 135-mile ride I do up in Montana at the end of June to help raise money for Camp-Mak-A-Dream, a kids' cancer camp there. Missy and Kim help me cook, and the guys donate money to dine on Hot and Sour Shrimp, Cashew Chicken, Ginger Beef, and homemade Egg Rolls. They donated a whopping $400 this year! I'm so damn lucky to know such great guys!!!

Of course, the cooking isn't all serious business.

While we cook, the guys hang out on the deck, enjoying the view of the Sierras, a few beers, and each other. Gary and Mark are feelin' the love here.

Of course, Lacey provides a little entertainment before dinner, too. Here, Chuck -- "The Professor" -- gets schooled on how to REALLY fish.

Mark and Toni -- "Sparky" -- tellin' lies.

Carm is likely telling OD what a great dancer he is, and how all the girls in Bridgeport can't get enough of him.

Back in the kitchen, Lacey entertained the cooks with a little gymnastics between Grandma Lyn's counters.

And finally, the food was ready! Chuck and Smilin' Jim didn't need to be told twice.

Poor Gary is still bummed he can't have the shrimp. Well, unless he wants his throat to swell up to the size of a blowfish.
\
Larry -- "Here for the Beer" -- gettin' his food on.

And a bunch of the boys finally settled down to eat. It got really quiet.

Another successful Mission. And it appears Gary finally believes it's a tradition that will stick.

Can't wait 'til the 37th!

To Make Chamroeun Smile

2010-05-04T21:01:00.004-07:00

It's Star Wars Day. Really. It has to be true because the guy at Steven's Bike Shop told me. So, I thought I'd throw this little video clip up here to mark the occasion...and to hopefully bring a smile to Chamroeun's face.

A Little Health Care to Laugh About

2010-04-13T21:41:00.005-07:00

Well, I've let forever go by again without any posts. Summer's coming, though, so there'll be more regular posts soon, hopefully.

In the meantime, I've just discovered these Trigon commercials on YouTube...say what you will about the health care debate. These make health care FUN.

"You say spinach...I say Spanish"

"Karate"

"Kids say the Darndest Things"

"Snotty Doctor"

Women Who Snowshoe

2010-01-26T21:33:00.016-08:00

Wow. It's been a long time since I've done an entry, aye? Here's a little attempt at catch-up...some pics from a Women's Snowshoe Adventure up Sonora Pass in early January before I returned to work. If you're one of my Facebook friends (and you know you wanna be!), you've seen most of these, but I've added a few that some of the other gals took.

Having just piled out of the trucks at the bottom of Sonora, we're all ready to go. Left to Right: Debbie, Kim, Aimee, Malinda, and Arleen. I'm behind the camera.

But jumped into this one while Kim took the camera reins. I wanted proof that I 'shoed with these wild women!

Finally heading up the pass. The snow was icy, icy, icy, so there was no sneaking up on unsuspecting mountain lions and bears. Shucks.

Leave it to Arleen to get a snap of me blowing my nose. Yah...like people really want to see that.

We left 108, the main road, and wandered about a bit near Cloudburst. Here, we did a little winter Rockettes pose.

It's true that I might have had a few drinks the night before, but this is not what it looks like. Arleen (again) actually caught Kim and me in an odd-looking pose one second before this was taken, as Kim was having me, well, stare at her boobs so she could see them in the reflection of my sunglasses. I know...but she was intrigued by her sports-bra uni-boob. Really....who designed those?!!! At this point, we were hysterical with laughter.

Once we'd channeled Jeremiah Johnson and gotten serious again, we headed into the aspen. Gotta love the aspen.

With Kim as our fearless leader, we came to this RAGING RIVER that we had to cross...here, Arleen takes her turn. And I must say, those are some STYLIN' snowpants, Arleen! They make you look, oh, 15.

And to think...my students don't believe me when I tell them I can walk on water!

We took a little break at this conveniently located picnic table along the way. We hoped the winter equivalent of some "cabana boys" would show up with coffee and Baileys, but no such luck.

And when we looked up from the picnic table, this is what we saw. Kinda makes you want to live in a nest.

Kim might be fearless, but she forgot here that we needed snow...

...so we just smiled and waited for Kim to find a trail with some of the white stuff.

Malinda made like a mountain goat and headed up into the rocky cliffs to see if it was worthwhile to go straight or whether we should turn around.

We made a loop to get back out of Cloudburst, and headed further up 108. On the way, of course, we had to stop for lunch. Well, and some MGD 64. (Thanks, Kim!)

Cheers!

Celebration of Dad's Life -- In Pictures

2009-11-29T20:13:00.052-08:00

Some random visuals from the Celebration of Dad's Life at the Bridgeport Barns and Terrace on October 25, 2009.

Dad's ashes had the best seat in the house...on an original BUMCO barstool up front. Just as Dad would have liked.Flags were at half-mast all over town, and the one at the Barns was certainly the largest.
Momentos of Dad's life, set on the flag of Scotland.
Some of Dad's favorite baseball hats.
Benny Romero, owner of the Barns with wife Linda, welcomed everyone and shared a few words about Dad before turning it over to me.
I spoke for the family and did a eulogy-of-sorts.
Willard Eidson, one of Dad's best and oldest friends who was with him in the early days of his CHP career, told a great story about their early years together in Ventura.
Diane Evans spoke, too, representing his service as Mono County District 4 Supervisor; she was his campaign manager in his last campaign.
There were a lot of CHP there, including Jim Mann, one of our childhood friends, who is stationed in Mariposa.
Our best estimate?...about 500 in attendance.

Dad would have been so proud of having so many CHP there, as well as sheriff deputies from Mono County and LA County.
Lynda Pemberton and Roxanne Foley arranged all the food and drinks, and our local friends really rose to the occasion and provided quite a spread. We were blown away at their generosity and caring.
What would my dad's services be without a full hosted bar?...Lynda made sure everyone had what they wanted.

All of the dress uniforms were so impressive...here, Sean and Tim Minder, childhood friends of ours, stand with another local deputy.
After the eulogy, the family toasted to Dad with a shot of Glenlivet.
Just after the toast, while Dad's favorite song, "American Pie," played, Missy gave me a big hug. I needed it after doing the eulogy.
21-gun-salute.
The parking lot was full of CHP and sheriff cars.
During the 21-gun-salute, all other law enforcement officers saluted.
Good friends -- Garth, Christopher, Michelle, and Kenny.
More of Dad's fans -- John, Bill, Jason, Tim, Kenny, and Marcus.
No doubt Dad's sitting at heaven's bar with Wimp. I would imagine they're doing some fishing, too.
On behalf of Governor Schwarzenegger, a CHP chief presented Mom with a California state flag that flew over the capital on the day Dad died.
The snap of Dad that greeted folks as they arrived...it was taken in Scotland in February when he was there with Mom, Jim, Missy, and Lacey. A lifetime dream that we're so glad he made come true.
More snaps of Dad -- gotta love his grin -- and a kilt in the Reid tartan that Mom wore years ago. I have a matching one that I wore when I was about 6...it's on a teddy bear now.
Jim with Lacey as we got ready for the toast. She's wearing a kilt they got her while in Scotland.
The CHP chief and Mono County Sheriff present Mom with the State flag.
The weather and scenery couldn't have been better.
Couldn't have a service for Dad without a bagpipe and "Amazing Grace," his favorite bagpipe song.
Me drinking a little liquid courage to get through the eulogy.
The CHP brought in the colors to get things started.
Beautiful.
Flags at half-staff at the Mono County Courthouse where Dad's office was.
John and Jason Pelichowski. Thanks to Jason and Bill Jones for these pictures.
Dad's badge.

Bill Reid
December 31, 1934 - October 21, 2009

Here's lookin' up your kilt, Dad.

Hope I Did Dad Proud

2009-11-22T22:47:00.002-08:00

I spoke for my family at the Celebration of Dad's Life on October 25 -- that's me above taking a few gulps of beer right after starting...figured Dad would appreciate that I needed a little courage.

A good friend of the family's, Jason Pelichowski, put together a beautiful dvd of the service, and I hope to put that up here at some point, but haven't tried yet. So in the meantime, here's the text of the eulogy.

Celebration of Dad's Life

First, wow…on behalf of my mom, Lyn, my brothers, Bill and Jim, their wives, Cathy and Missy, and Dad’s grandkids – Abbey, Alyssa, Emma, and Lacy – I’d like to thank you all for being here. Honestly, we’ve all been absolutely blown away by the outpouring of love and support from everyone since Wednesday morning when Dad passed away.

In thinking about what we wanted to do today by way of services for Dad, we knew one thing for certain: We want to honor his memory by celebrating his life and all that he’s given to all of us here. We decided to do it here at the Barns and Terrace because it was just over a year ago that we celebrated Mom and Dad’s 50^th wedding anniversary here with a surprise party. And whether you worked with Dad or played with Dad, you know that spending time with his family and friends, talking, laughing, eating, and, yes, drinking…were tops on his list. So that’s what we want today to be.

I’m going to tell you a bit about Dad’s life, speaking for our family, and a couple other people have asked to speak. And just to keep things straight, I have not been chosen by the family to do the talking because I’m the oldest – I’m the youngest! I was chosen basically because no one else thought they would be able to speak. Though I know this will be challenging, I wanted to because this is one way I’m like my dad – my gift for public gab is not nearly as impressive as his, but I got a little of it from him, and hope to do him proud today.

We’ll end with a toast – what else? – and then we want to invite you all to, well, party and share your own stories and memories of Dad with each other as you mingle and eat and drink. I am quite certain my storytelling will fall very short in doing justice to all the experiences you’ve had with Dad, so we hope you can take time to hang out and share with each other and us.

New Jersey

Many of you know even though we’ve tried to hide it, that Dad is from New Jersey. We know…shocking, but true. Given his propensity for being a wise guy, though, it seems fitting, as he grew up in and around Bloomfield, where the opening credits for the Soprano’s were filmed. He was quite proud of that.

Many of you also know that Dad had a pretty rough upbringing, and he would have been the first to tell you that not many people he grew up with expected him to make much of himself. He was an only child, and his family was quite poor, not only in financial resources, but in nurturance. But he learned to be, let’s say, resourceful, out of necessity.

For instance, his mom made him take piano lessons from a woman down the street when he was pretty little. Grandma Reid would give him 50 cents to give to the piano teacher each week, and after a short time, the teacher got fed up with how terrible his playing sounded, and started giving him an additional 50 cents to leave without playing…so he pocketed the $1 each week and never told Grandma!

Dad barely made it out of high school. He graduated third from last in his class – something like 325th out of 328^th – and his high school counselor told him that they should only give him half a diploma since he got such terrible grades and was rarely in school.

They almost didn’t let him graduate, but he enlisted in the Navy at 17, and when he showed them his enlistment papers, they let him go – with the whole diploma.

Dad spent three years in the Navy…and never stepped foot on a ship. He was stationed the majority of the time in Corpus Christi, Texas, and was trained as an airplane mechanic.

Dad was in the Navy when he met Mom. They actually met for the first time when he was dating one of her friends, Claudette, who introduced them. Sometime after he and Claudette broke up, Mom was a freshman at Upsala College in New Jersey – she’s from Joisey, too – and when Dad was home on leave, he was staying at a place that she walked by on her way to school. One day it was storming out – snowing – and as Mom was walking by, she saw Dad, as his car was stuck in the parking lot. He was quite the looker back then, so she took this opportunity to re-introduce herself, and ended up helping him get unstuck…and then they started to date. It seems fitting to me, as I think she probably helped him get “unstuck” from a variety of situations in the ensuing 51 years that they were married.

Dad got out of the Navy when he was 20, and still dating Mom, worked for Daich Ice Cream Company, loading ice cream on trucks. He and his cousin Jimmy – the McAlisters helped raise Dad, really – then bought a newspaper delivery service from Mom’s dad. Mom told me yesterday she is still surprised he married her after that because he hated that company!

California

Mom and Dad married August 17, 1958. Dad wanted to get into law enforcement, but, having grown up where they filmed the Soprano’s, he was pretty sure most of the cops on the East Coast were dirty, so he decided to come out to California at the end of 1959. Cousin Jimmy was supposed to drive out with him, but the night before they were to leave, Jimmy called Dad and said he’d – in my Mom’s words – “found a honey,” and would be staying with her instead of going. Of course, Mom was a nervous wreck that he would be driving all the way out by himself. That was also fitting, as he made her nervous with much of his behavior during their marriage.

Mom had forgotten this, but our good friend, Willard, remembers that Dad made it as far as Vegas before he had to call Mom because he’d run out of money. Hmmmmm…. Once in California, he drove up the coast to San Luis Obispo, where he thought one of his Navy buddies lived…but he couldn’t find him in the phone book. He got back in the car, and made his way to Ventura where he – I know this is surprising – ended up in a bar.

It was called The Jet Room, and the bartender’s name was Bruno. I’m sure you’ll also find this surprising – he became fast friends with Bruno, and Bruno sent him down to Arrowhead Water, where Dad got a job driving trucks and delivering water. It was there that he met Willard Eidson – Dad had the Santa Paula route, and Willard had the Filmore route.

Willard had also been considering law enforcement, and he and Dad took the CHP exam together. Not surprisingly, Willard did better than Dad – Dad was ranked 97^th on the list – and Willard got accepted into the Academy in 1961, while, after doing a brief stint with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Dad went through in 1962. He was given Badge #3228, which he tried to get me to memorize so I could get out of speeding tickets.

CHP

So began Dad’s 18-year career as a Highway Patrol Officer. He and Willard were stationed together in Ventura, and believe me, there are stories to tell there! Dad made lifelong friends there on the patrol, including Gene Rhodes – or Granny Goose, as us kids called him.

We’ve asked Willard to tell you one story in particular…

(Willard -- don't have the text of this unfortunately)

Thanks, Willard. They worked together in Ventura for six years, at the end of which Dad was promoted to sergeant and transferred to Merced. Willard said their captain in Ventura – Captain Howard Marsh – said that they were never to be stationed together again, as they’d had a little too much fun being on the same squad – and they never were.

After two years in Merced, Dad was assigned to teach cadets at the Academy in Sacramento – what on earth were they thinking?! – and we moved to Elk Grove.

Bridgeport

In 1972, Dad was again promoted, to lieutenant this time, and we transferred to Bridgeport, where Dad spent the remainder of his career as the Area Commander.

Though Mom was initially miserable when we moved here, Dad loved it right away. You all know he loved hunting, fishing, camping – for a dude from Joisey, he was quite the outdoorsman. And he instilled that love for Bridgeport and the outdoors in all of us, too. Dad gave us a lot of gifts over the years, but my brothers and I would all agree that Bridgeport was one of the biggest gifts.

Over the years, starting with his Highway Patrol friends, he made some great friends here, too…Gentry Pace was on Dad’s squad, as was Jim Jeude, both of whom are here today. I’m sure if you talk to them afterwards, they can relate not only squad stories, but some great CHP party stories, too, as Mom and Dad had some pretty big blow-outs at their house over the CHP years.

And though he was now a cop, Dad still found ways to get himself into hot water. Mom remembers that he went to some CHP dinner function in Sacramento where many of the top-ranking guys in the state were. He was asked to give a toast…and this is what he said: “Here’s to the crack that never heals, the wetter it gets, the better it feels.” Willard figures he must have been a lieutenant by then, because he probably wouldn’t have gotten promoted past sergeant after that!

Early in Dad’s career in Ventura, he had sustained what seemed like a minor back injury. By 1979 or so, that had become a ruptured disk in his upper spine, and he also had some pretty serious nerve damage in his arm. When given the choice to either take a desk job in Sac or take early retirement – though he was ambitious and it was really hard for him – he chose to retire and stay in Bridgeport.

But all of you know that he didn’t slow down. He worked for the Toiyabe National Forest’s Youth Conservation Corps, he did a stint with the California Youth Authority as a liaison between the state and CYA facilities that housed gang members, he and Mom bought the Trails Restaurant and turned it into BUMCO (which Jim turned into Rhino’s later), and he got into local politics by serving as the District 4 County Supervisor.

He was serving as County Supervisor again when he passed, and Diane Evans was instrumental in his campaign, and asked to say a few words about him.

(No text of Diane's talk, either)

Thanks, Diane.

Golfing and Montana

Golf

While Dad was active his whole life, right up until the end, two of his greatest loves were golf and hunting in Montana.

He had a number of great golfing buddies over the years – Terry came along to ride in the cart, Wimp, Pete, Dougie, Cole, Gordon…

Yesterday at the Rhino’s Golf Tournament, Jim and Pete did a lot of reminiscing about Dad’s golfing, and Pete shared a couple of his favorite stories with me.

Apparently, when Dad’s ball would have a “bad lie” – not be positioned well for the next swing – he would casually stand near it, acting as though no one could see him while others would take their shots. When he thought no one was looking, he would kick the ball until it was placed better. Of course, all his golfing buddies saw him do this all the time, so for Christmas one year, they decided to give him a custom golf shoe. They got a golf shoe, glued the back of an old sand wedge to the front of it, and gave it to him. Jim owned Rhino’s at the time, and the shoe hung above the bar for many years.

And Dad got another of his nicknames from his golf buddies. You know how sometimes when you try to hit the golf ball, it just rolls a tiny way?....Dad did that a lot. When he did it, he would calmly stick his hand in his pocket, pull out a fresh ball, and tee up again – as though this were his right. Typically, his second swing would be a good one. He’d then point at the second ball, matter-of-factly look back at his buddies, and say, “I’ll take that one.” That’s how he got the nickname, “Two-Ball Billy.”

Hunting

Dad also loved hunting – deer and elk primarily – and about 20 years ago, he started hunting in Western Montana with Jim, out of a little town up there called Dillon. First trip, he would up in a bar – go figure! – called the Lion’s Den, and quickly befriended the owners, Donnie and Dana, and, well, practically the whole town. Dillon became his “Bridgeport in Montana.”

All of us have spent time up there with Dad at one point or another – Jim, of course, hunting each year, Bill has gone up fishing, Mom has gone up just visiting with him, and I now do a bike ride there each June. Jim has LIVED most of the great stories of their adventures up there, but the rest of us hear them each time we go to Dillon and hang out in the Den with all of our friends there. One that Donnie loves to tell happened a few years ago.

Dad had just gotten a new cell phone (a flip phone) – not a big tech guy. But Donnie said he was really excited about it, showing everyone, and telling them it could “even take pictures,” though he didn’t know how to do that. At some point in the bar one night, Dad made the mistake of leaving his phone unattended, and Donnie got hold of it. He proceeded to have Dana take a shot of his bare ass, and unbeknownst to Dad, they made that the wallpaper on his phone. Shortly after, guess who called? Mom. Dad proceeded to flip open the phone, and was greeted with, in Donnie’s words, “this giant butt.” Donnie said Dad tried to talk to Mom, but wouldn’t put the phone to his ear, so the conversation was a little strained.

Of course, Dad was livid, and tried in vain to get Donnie – or anyone – to take the picture off the phone. After about three days of not having any luck, he tried reading the manual – duh! – and still couldn’t figure it out. He finally resorted to paying Josh, Donnie teenage son, to take it off for him. I don’t know that he ever figured out how to use the camera.

Wrap Up

Today is the opening day of elk hunting season in Dillon…and Dad was supposed to be there – he loved being there opening day to see all the elk come in.

Of course, his passing on Wednesday has come as a terrible shock to all of us. Our family is finding comfort, though, in remembering how he lived his life – he went balls out, right? He always went after what he wanted, he worked harder than anyone else I know, and he played damned hard, too. He loved Mom with all his heart, cherished my brothers, their wives, and his grandchildren, me, and all of you.

Many of you helped us celebrate his and Mom’s 50^th anniversary just over a year ago here.

He’d wanted to go to Scotland his entire life – and he went last February with Mom, Jim, Missy, and Lacey. He talked many of your ears off about it, I’m sure.

He took time to go watch Coleville High School football over the last few weeks, and was more proud of those kids and their big wins this season than you can imagine. He even called Bill last Sunday to tell him all about Saturday’s game, and Dad wasn’t one to call us really. Mom called…and forced the phone on him usually.

And though he missed his hunting trip this year, he took Mom on a late summer trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and then to Dillon – Dillon was primarily his winter place so he rarely went in the summer. We’re so thankful he and Mom got that time, and that he got to see his friends in Montana again.

So, we’re finding comfort in knowing he went the way he would have wanted to – quick, and while living his life to the fullest. And we’re also finding comfort in all of our memories of him, including all the irritating phrases he used to use…

“Bingo!”

“That’s easy for you to say!”

“I always liked (insert appropriate name here) better than you.”

And we hope you, like us, remember how well he admired and/or loved each of you.

Me? I know Dad was proud of me and my accomplishments. Being a “Fox News” kind of guy, he was less than impressed with my liberal leanings, of course, but loved to brag about his daughter, the college professor. I remember though, that before I finished my degree, he asked me one day, very seriously, “You aren’t going to be one of those people who puts Dr. on everything – your license plate, your checks? – right?” And my going to University of Tennessee for grad school definitely put me high on his list, as he loved coming back to go to the Vol’s football games.

Jim? Well, y’all know they were two peas in a pod. It thrilled him to no end that Jim settled here in Bridgeport, and he was sooo proud of what Jim made of Rhino’s and that he has continued the amazing tradition of Ken’s. He would tell you he couldn’t have picked a better wife for Jim, and loved Missy dearly – she could take all his shit and dish it right back…and she gave him Lacey. What a gift he was given that Mom watched Lacey the last few years up at the house, so he was able to get even closer to her.

Bill? Dad used to pack the family up and drive us out into the middle of Nevada for the weekend to watch Bill play high school football – Bill was the best athlete of the three of us, and Dad loved that. He was also very proud of Bill’s career as a math teacher, and was honored over the years as Bill brought so many of his teaching friends home to fish in Bridgeport. He loved that Bill came home so much, and brought Cathy into our lives. Cathy won his heart when he saw not only how happy she makes Bill, but that she can out-fish any of the guys in our family! And she gave Dad his first grandchild – Abbey – who he absolutely cherished, along with her little sisters, Alyssa and Emma.

And Mom? He loved her best, of course. Like the rest of us, they went through rough times here and there, but he loved her fiercely, and wanted more than anything for her to be happy. I know he so admired your strength – he knew he wasn’t an easy man to live with – and he felt so thankful for the love and life that you built with him, and shared with all of us. He credited you with being the heart of our family, and I know he’s proud of how you’re handling all of this.

I know that Dad is looking down on all of us, and is so honored and proud of the tribute we’re paying him here today. He was a man who loved attention, yes, but he was also a man who worked tirelessly for others and was fair-minded and just in all his interactions. He was fallable, but was always man enough to admit his mistakes, apologize when it was warranted, and build up those around him.

Amazing Grace

Dad had a relationship with God, but wasn’t a man who cared too much for organized religion…he felt that your relationship with God is personal and private. To honor that, we’ve asked our bagpipe player to play “Amazing Grace,” Dad’s favorite bag pipe song, and would like to invite you to take that time to either silently pray or just think of great memories you have of Dad.

Toast

I said we’d end this portion with a toast, so it’s that time. Our family is going to take a shot, and if you have a drink, please lift your cup, too. We’re going to set Dad up at the bar, where we’re certain he’d be if he were here in body, with a couple bottles of Glen Livet and some shot glasses, so please feel free to pay your respects, so to speak, by stopping by sometime today to do a shot with him.

So…the toast.

Truth be told, at some time or another, you were a pain in the ass of every person here. And anyone who says you weren’t, missed out on getting to know you as well as they should have.

But beyond the shadow of a doubt, every one here has also been touched by you in ways that are beautiful beyond words.

You were the epitome of a good man – honest, hard working, brimming with generosity, laughter, and love.

You truly were larger than life.

And you will always, ALWAYS be in our hearts.

Here’s looking up your kilt, Dad.

Amazing Grace

2009-11-11T22:14:00.004-08:00

At Pop's service, we had a bag pipe player from Reno who played Dad's favorite bag pipe song. It was beautiful, and I'm confident Dad was smilin'.

Il Divo does a beautiful rendition, too... check it out here.

My Dad

2009-11-04T19:08:00.007-08:00

Bill Reid, Sr.
December 31, 1934 to October 21, 2009
"Here's lookin' up your kilt, Dad."

I miss you.

VeloMuse

2009-10-07T20:28:00.003-07:00

Almost two years ago, I did an entry here about attending USA Cycling's Enhancing Leadership in Women's Cycling Conference at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I was living in Boulder during a one-year leave-of-absence from Fresno State, and covered the conference for VeloNews.com.

I met some amazing women there from all over the country, women who are dedicated to growing the sport of women's cycling at all levels. One of the women I met was Eryn Hughes who, at the time, was the head coach of a high school Mountain Bike Racing Program in California. We lost her, though, to Pittsburgh, PA last year, where she is now working for the city as a Bicycle/Pedestrian Intern.

She is also the creator of a great webzine called VeloMuse, and she included me in a piece she just put up on cycling role models. Check it out here and be sure to bookmark her site! Ok, I know that this isn't the best pic....but it's from the conference, and Eryn is fourth from the left in the front row. And look! There's me, second from the right in the front row, right next to Jane, the friend I do RATPOD with up in Montana, and who is headed to NEPAL on October 17! I'm telling you....I'm blessed to know some AMAZING women!

A Belated Graduation 2009

2009-09-27T18:46:00.012-07:00

Since I've been away from blog-land for so long, I'm going to try to do some catching up, and thought I'd start with some pics from graduation last May. I love graduation, as it not only means summer's coming (yay!), but it's incredibly fun and rewarding to see our students complete their degrees and celebrate with their families.

Festivities always start on Friday with a graduation ceremony just for our college -- the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. And the AgOne Foundation always sponsors a nice breakfast for graduates, their families, and faculty just prior to the ceremony. Our department faculty always turns out in full-force to support our students, and here our Department Administrative Assistant, Cheryl Jackson, enjoys the celebration with lecturers Alma Major and Gary Malone.
Nicole Jensen is one of my students who graduated. She took one of my classes while she was pregnant with her first daughter -- she now has two daughters, and I keep track of their adventures through Facebook.
On Saturday, we attend the University Graduation, which is held in the SaveMart Center on campus. Here, faculty from our department are in line in the "innards" of the SaveMart Center, waiting for the show to begin. (l to r: Katie Dyer, Gary Malone, Alma Major, Sean Seepersad, and Kabeljit Atwal)
Cheryl does such a great job getting us all organized that we decided to give her a mortar board like the graduates!
We love posing for group pics...(l to r, back to front: Ronna Crews, Sean, Marianne Jones, Gary, Kabeljit, Katie, Rich Berrett, Alma, and me)
Another one of my students who graduated, Taryn Porter. She is now a graduate student on campus, and I'm confident she's going places! I talked her into being a student representative on our Student Success Task Force, a university committee I sit on, and look forward to seeing her there.
Eboney Pearson was one of my students last year for the first time, and she's terrific. She's still on campus taking a few classes to finish up her degree.
Marquis Matson was our "Outstanding Student," and she is an exceptional student. She worked on research with Katie and me, and went to the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development last April to help us present it. She is now at USC (please forgive her) working on her master's degree.
Kabeljit, Alma, and Sean get in one last Kodak moment before heading into the ceremonies.
So, a bit belated, but fun to see now as I start a new academic year, as knowing another one of these is at the end will make it easier to get through the challenges!

What I Did....

2009-09-23T20:33:00.002-07:00

on My Summer Vacation.

Yup. Another blog entry I don't have time to put up now...but will soon. After all, it's Furlough Friday in two days.

Furlough Friday and Food for Thought

2009-09-22T20:56:00.003-07:00

If you've been in a cave somewhere, you might not realize that the State of California is in a bit of a budget crisis. At the CSU, we're doing our part by taking a furlough, though paycut is more fitting, as our pay has been cut 9.25%, but not our workload. Well, not in any foolproof way, anyway. Essentially, we take 9 days off per semester, but the students, committees, etc., have not been cut 9.25%. Go figure.

I've got my third furlough day coming up this Friday, and while it's stressful -- trying to fit five days of work into just four and still do a good job for my students and my colleagues -- I'm reminding myself that there are a lot of folks who don't have jobs at all. Or are likely to lose them very soon.

When I remember that, the stress level eases quite a bit...

It's Football Time in Tennessee!

2009-09-21T21:52:00.003-07:00

Went to the UT vs UCLA football game the weekend before last -- in Knoxville! It was awesome...well, except for the loss to the Bruins.

Will post more soon. Need to get some z's at the moment so I can be up in time to earn some money tomorrow for taking trips to places like Neyland Stadium....

Do Unto Others...Please.

2009-09-20T19:16:00.003-07:00

On Saturday, I went for a ride up to Millerton Store (with a little Woogie thrown in for good measure) by myself. On the way back down from Millerton Store, I saw a female cyclist I didn't know on the side of the road, and it was obvious she was feeling sick. I stopped to ask if she needed help, and she was indeed feeling really nauseous. After talking to her, I figured she was dehydrated, hadn't fueled enough, the heat was getting to her, or a combination of one or more of those. We tried to call someone to pick her up, but she couldn't get a hold of anyone right away. I rode back up to Millerton Store to get her some water and Gatorade, and then came back down and helped her get further down the road where she could rest in shade. She finally got a hold of her mom - who was in town visiting - and I waited with her until her mom got there. She was very gracious and thankful that I helped....but wouldn't most people? A lot of cyclists asked if we were ok as they passed, so I'm sure someone else would have helped, too.

But sometimes I wonder....this week at the Huggins Early Education Center where I am the new Interim Director, one of the teachers I now work with came to my office just to thank me for stopping by her room and offering to get her something when she looked like she needed something. She said that in all her years of teaching, no director had ever done that before. She looked like she needed something -- she was looking around while clearly needing to stay at the art table with the children -- so wouldn't someone else just standing there like me have done the same thing?...I hope so.

Today, I locked my keys in my car when I met Allegra for a bike ride. When we got back and I realized it, her husband drove me to my house to try to find an extra key -- which I couldn't find -- and brought me back to my car while I called AAA. I told him not to wait with me, as he had 12-year-old Jack in the car, and I felt bad they were waiting, so he left. And before I knew it, Allegra showed up to let me sit in the air-conditioned car while waiting. It took over an hour, so that was quite nice. Really, there are people who "Do Unto Others," and who pay it forward.

It's really such a little thing.

I'm Baaaack....

2009-09-18T21:49:00.003-07:00

So, I've been gone for awhile...had an affair with Facebook that kept me away. The affair's not over, but I have realized that I'd like to try to make room in my life for some two-timing...Facebook AND blog. We'll see how it goes.

Since I'd developed a bit of a habit of doing little movie reviews, thought I'd ease back in with one, especially since I LOVED this movie! Ah, the joys of Netflix! I'm not much of a slapstick-humor lover, but this movie is HILARIOUS, and I even think I'll watch it again. And I don't watch a lot of movies more than once.

Ok, so I'm back....can't wait to tell Gary.

Whine Flu?

2009-04-30T12:14:00.003-07:00

Ok, I haven't kissed any pigs lately, and I don't think I have the Swine Flu, but I have been sick with a very nasty cold that started coming on last Saturday night. I do feel grateful, however, that though I've been staying home from work, I can do work from home, since it's grading season in university-land.

But come on....get better already!!!

Dana Point Grand Prix

2009-04-28T20:24:00.010-07:00

I was back at the races this past weekend -- the Dana Point Grand Prix, an exciting and scenic crit in the city streets of Dana Point, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This was the third year the city held the race, but its first year on the National Racing Calendar, so VeloNews sent me down to report the action. As always, I didn't get a lot of snaps, but there was some major action, with a big crash in the women's race and heavy hitters like Floyd Landis (who lives just a few miles away in Murietta) in the men's race.

If you want to read all the details AND see professional snaps, you can go to my article here.

As for my amateur snaps, here's a few. This is the women's podium. Webcor Builders took the top two spots, with Australian Nikki Butterfield in the top spot and Canadian teammate, Gina Grain, in second. No Americans on the podium, as the third spot went to Kiwi Cath Cheatley. The gentleman in the picture is handing a construction helmet to Nikki with title sponsor Webcor Builders logo on it. She wore it for a few interviews -- "good-on" Cath for promoting those sponsors!
Winners received champagne, and Nikki immediately opened hers, inadvertantly (or not?!) aiming the cork at photogs. I got out of the way before the bubbles flew -- I forgot that my camera is water(champagne)proof.
There was a little left...
One of the photogs there for VeloNews was Mark Johnson, and he sent me this snap that he got of Gina Grain whenI interviewed her after the podium presentation. His pics aren't up yet on the VeloNews site, but will be added to the gallery soon, but check his business out -- IronString Writing and Photography.
The men's race was a few hours later, and this is their podium. Current national crit champ, Rahsaan Bahati from Rock Racing took the sprint win, followed by Southern California Velo's Jeremiah Wiscovitch. Jeremiah was on Rock Racing the last two years with Rahsaan, and told me after the race that it is exciting to get to race against him now instead of leading Bahati out. In third here is Colavita-Sutter Home's Sebastian Haedo who, like his big brother J.J. Haedo, is from Argentina.
It was a quick weekend, with just the one day of racing on Sunday. I went down Saturday night and met good high school friend, Sherry, and we had dinner with her sis-in-law, Lisa Lowe (formerly Johnson), who went to school with my big brothers. Had a ball telling 'ole high school stories and filling each other in on all we knew about former classmates. I stayed with Sherry and her husband, Tim, on their beautiful 2.5 acre property in Temecula that night. Though the race was fun, it was hard leaving the next morning, so I can't wait to get down there at a time when we can hang out more. And maybe even ride Sherry's horse a bit!

Definitely good times.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T19:57:00.008-07:00

This was the first Easter in a few years that I wasn't with the fan-damily, and definitely missed them -- love to see my nieces going after all the eggs and goodies! But I did have a good day, with a nice casual bike ride in the morning, and then joining Katie and her girls at a park near where we live for a little egg hunting. Lizhu joined us, too, but wouldn't let me take any snaps of her.

This is Katie and her girls after they collected most of the eggs.
Ellie was a bit sad because she didn't get as many eggs as 3-year-old LITTLE sister, Sofie, so even when everyone else was done looking, she was still searching.
She got a little help from Katie, Sofie, and Gabby after awhile.
And I made everyone get in a tree for a quick shot.
Gabby with her loot. I didn't even look for any of the candy-filled eggs, but I'm pretty sure I have about 1/2 pound of chocolate in my belly!
Here's Sofie, coveting a few "My Little Ponies" she got in a big egg.
"Sugar and spice and everything nice?!" Pah! Gotta scuff things up to get at those eggs!

Hope everyone's Easter was terrific!

This time...

2009-04-12T10:41:00.002-07:00

...the cheater didn't prosper. Click here.

When I Grow Up....

2009-04-09T12:35:00.001-07:00

...I wanna be like her.

Really-Late Redlands Wrap-Up

2009-04-08T20:04:00.037-07:00

I got to cover the last two days of the 25th Redlands Cycling Classic in Redlands, Cali for velonews.com two weekends ago. My third year there, and it feels like home!Saturday was the downtown criterium -- beautiful weather! -- and retired pro and former Olympian, Christine Thorburn, was awarded the Redlands Legends award prior to the start of the pro women's crit. One of my first articles for VeloNews was about the level of education in the women's pro peloton, and I used Christine's old team, Webcor Builders, as she's an MD and former teammate Felicia Gomez is a PhD (and my friend!). And on the far left here is Scott Welsh, the media director for the Classic. He's always makes me feel like somebody, which I realize is his job...but still makes me feel like I really am somebody!
Columbia-High Road's Mara Abbott at the call-up for the women's race. She wore the yellow jersey every day last year, but lost it to then-Webcor Builder's Alex Wrubleski by one second from time bonuses the final day. Alex is her teammate this year. Pretty good strategy, I'd say.
ValueAct Capital's Kristin Sanders at the call-up. A little trivia about Kristin -- big NASCAR fan.
My only attempt at an artsy shot over the weekend...apparently my artsy synapses weren't firing.
Team Tibco's Lauren Tamayo and Meredith Miller. Laura's been hitting the podium a lot this season, and Meredith is as much a hammer as usual. Her team camp bbq skills are apparently in peak form, as well.
Alison Powers of Team Type 1, and the current National Time Trial Champion. While there are many incredible women in the pro peloton, I have to say that Alison stands out as being genuinely down to earth and happy-like-a-kid when she wins. Fun to see good souls do well.
Katheryn Mattis of Webcor Builders. Former national champion, and rides with the U.S. National Team in Europe each season, typically coming home with some great results. And her latest claim to fame? Starting the "Cyclist's Recipe Exchange Group" on Facebook. We're all eternally grateful.
I know, the anticipation is building for who won the women's race, but the podium wasn't done until the men's race started. So you'll have to wait so I can keep my pictures in order. This is the beginning of the call-up for the men's race. BMC's Jeff Louder was in yellow -- BMC is doing Paris-Roubaix this week! -- and Bissell's Tom Zirbel is next to him in his team's red and black. I interviewed Tom for the first time at the Sequoia Classic three years ago -- he was sitting down recovering after the race. Why is that significant? Because it wasn't until I interviewed him just before the podium this year -- while he was standing -- that I realized how dang tall he is. Or perhaps it's that I'm so short...whatever.
This is what really happens at the call-up: Everyone adjusts their equipment (as Ouch-Maxxis's Rory Sutherland is doing) and chit-chats while others are called (like Bissell's Ben Jacques-Maynes and a BMC rider are doing).
Andy "The Baj" Bajadali of Kelly Benefits Strategies at the call-up. He was the overall winner at Redlands in 2007. And NEWSFLASH: is currently leading the GC at the Tour of Thailand!!! Very cool!
The men's field as they got final instructions from a USA Cycling official. Yada-yada-yada.
The crowds come out in full force for the crit each year. It's pretty darned impressive that this bike race has been going on for 25 years. It's run completely by volunteers, and they're a great group.
And the women's crit podium...Germany's Ina-Yoko Teutenberg of Columbia-High Road took the sprint (no news here...), followed closely by Colavita-Sutter Homes's Tina Pic, and Webcor Builder's Gina Grain, a Canadian who went to Beijing on their Olympic team last year. Tina has been U.S. National Crit champ about five times.
And the overall women's podium at the end of the day -- Nurnberger-Shoair's Amber Neben, an American who races the rest of her season in Europe and is the current World Champion in the time trial, is in yellow, and Teutenberg's in green.
And the men's overall podium after the crit: Jeff Louder in yellow still, Kirk Carlsen of Garmin's U23 developmental squad in red, and Colavita-Sutter Homes's Kyle Wamsley in green.
Really?!!! With 300 professional cyclists in town?!!!
This was my hang-out spot the next day at the final stage -- the Sunset circuit race. For you neo-cyclists (or never-cyclists), KOM is King of the Mountain (or Queen for the women, but there's rarely a Q). Points are awarded on various laps to the first riders across the line and the winner wears a red climber's jersey. It's likely red after the red-and-white polka dot climber's jersey in the Tour de France.
And I hung out with Sean Weide! He's the media guru for Team Type 1, and a damn good guy. It was our "friend-iversary," as we bonded at the KOM last year when I followed him around like a puppy because he's great at getting about 20 consecutive numbers of racers as they go by.
To kill time while waiting for the racers to come around each lap (women did 9 laps at an average of about 17 minutes each while men did 12 laps at an average of about 15 minutes each) all the reporters/photogs did things like call each other's phones to hear cool ring tones. Kirsten Robbins of cyclingnews.com is sharing hers with us here...it's the song from the Mac commercial (I don't know the name, but it's a great song).
The women's podium back downtown was Alison Powers in first, Kiwi Joanne Kiesanowski of Team Tibco in second, and Aussie Nikki Butterfield of Webcor Builders in third. The race finishes on the same course as the previous day's crit, which has some pretty gnarly chicanes just prior to the final turn into the finish. Alison is a former U.S. National Team skiier, and her ability to make it through tight, quick turns served her well here.
Redlands always has podium girls -- and boys. Gotta love the equity!
And the final women's podium: Teutenberg in yellow, Neben in second (by just one second due to time bonuses....eerily like last year, minus Abbott and Wrubleski), Powers took third, down just 27 seconds, and Colavita-Sutter Homes's Tiffany Cromwell took the climber's jersey.
The women of Tibco took the team classification. I think skeptical-looking Lauren was looking for the pizza I confiscated from the VIP area for the team while they were waiting for the podium.
This is not a good pic, as it's fuzzy and not framed well because I turned too late, but I thought it was cool that this little girl wanted her pic taken with Teutenberg and teammate Kim Anderson while they waited for the podium. Female cycling rock stars and their little groupies -- that rocks! And Ina gave her podium flowers to the little girl -- sah-wheet!
The men's Sunset podium: Matt Damon-look-alike Kyle Wamsley soloed across the line first, followed by Kirk Carlsen, and Canadian Jacob Erker of Kelly Benefits Strategies was third.
And the men's final podium: Louder retained the yellow jersey by five seconds, Zirbel was second, Ben Day of Fly V Australia (who won San Dimas the weekend before) was third, while Carlsen took home the climber's jersey, and Wamsley took the sprinter's competition (the green jersey).
The young pups of Garmin's U23 Development team took the team competition -- pretty amazing, especially given they're all 21 and younger -- and did a little group bonding while waiting for the team podium.
And the team podium. Some happy youngsters. And they were really all smiles when the podium girls were giving them the traditional two-cheek kisses. I think there was a little blushing going on, too.
Another Redlands wrapped up! Posed for one final pic with Sean and his friend, Ed, then met the ValueAct Capital women at one of their host houses for dinner before retiring to my host house to write my story late into the night.
You can see the crit report here.
And the final report here.

Happy Almost Easter

2009-04-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Transition Back

2009-04-05T17:57:00.002-07:00

I know...I never started this blog as a movie review site, and honestly, it's not going to be that. Here's the deal....it's been a really busy, really crazy (in both good and bad ways) semester, and with my discovery of Facebook in November, I've continued to neglect this blog. But, it's Spring Break this week, so I'll be doing some entries -- honest! -- to catch my loyal readers up on Redlands (which I covered part of last week) and my trip to Denver for SRCD.

I just got back from SRCD, and to ease back in to my real life here, I swung by Jimmy John's on the way home from the airport, got one of their great Beach Clubs, and came home to eat it while watching "Bella," fresh from Neflix. It is an absolutely beautiful and incredibly poignant movie. So watch it.
And now that the movie is over, I'm ready to unpack, start some laundry, and go grocery shopping for the week. Yippeeee!

And some additional blog posts will appear over the next few days as I get all caught up with my personal life.

Rockin' Seniors

2009-03-14T23:05:00.005-07:00

It's been a good Netflix week apparently, as I've got to recommend this movie, too -- a documentary that will rock your socks off.

Here's a preview if you're not convinced.

The Poo Guy

2009-03-08T21:55:00.003-07:00

Haven't recommended a movie in awhile, but saw another must-see tonight....it's a mockumentary about a port-a-loo delivery guy in Australia. Definitely two thumbs up...and be sure to wipe.

(And if I can figure out how to download some pics from Dave Maddux's Facebook photo album from the Blossom Ride we did yesterday, I'll do a post on that this week....a real post!)

I know, I know...

2009-03-05T22:31:00.003-08:00

...no blog posts forever! And this isn't even going to be a real one, but just a little place holder for kicks. I saw this YouTube video a long time ago, and just found it again....good for a smile while waiting for me to do a REAL blog entry!

And there's got to be some real entries coming, as I'm doing the Blossom Ride with friends this weekend -- there's bound to be pics and stories. And in two weeks, I'll head down to Redlands to cover the last two days of the Redlands Cycling Classic for VeloNews.com. So, really....some real stuff coming. But until then...enjoy Charlie and his big brother.

Another VeloNews.com Article...

2009-02-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

...is up. Check it out here.

Tour of Cali Comes to the 'Hood!

2009-02-19T21:04:00.014-08:00

Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California steamrolled into my neck 'o the woods yesterday -- Merced to Clovis! That 100+ peloton of spandex-clad national and international cycling superstars rode right over the same roads I've been training and riding on for 9 years now...up around Oakhurst, down Walker Grade, by Millerton Lake, down Broken Bridge, over Friant, to Copper/Willow, and into downtown Clovis. Where they were warmly greeted by me....and bazillions of other adoring fans.
Denise and I rode our bikes to the finish area, locked 'em up, and proceeded to walk around for a few hours before their anticipated arrival time. ESPN radio was there...
...and look who their announcers were!!!
None other than Dr. Felicia Gomez -- friend, colleague, and former pro racer for Aaron's, Webcor Builders, and the Canadian National Team (and who sold me one of her super cool racer-chick bikes recently!).
And Tim Loper, husband of friend and Velo Bella teammate, Tracy. How cool is that?!!
Of course, every person in the Central Valley who rides a bike was there, so I ran into lots of old friends. Here, I'm with (l to r) Terry, Rhonda, Lourie, and Denise. With the exception of Rhonda, we all started riding together about 9 years ago with the inaugural Team in Training program.
New Bella Brittany joined us, too, and we stopped by the "Got Milk?" booth for a little photo op....look closely for our mustaches.
And then I ran into Barb and Chris Grealish, friends from Boulder, who are traveling with the Garmin/Slipstream team this week as their chefs. Chris liked the Rabobank armored truck, so that's where we did out photo shoot. In the evening once they'd fed their Garmin boys, I hung out with them in the motor home they cook out of -- and Barb made me one of the chicken and sweet potato tacos she'd just fed the racers. Dee-lish, and I've got the recipe now to prove it.
The crowds were great, and we hung out at the finish line. Being the shortie that I am, though, as people packed in, I couldn't see a darned thing -- not even the Jumbotron. I had my media pass in my backpack, but didn't think it'd be cool to use it when I wasn't working...perhaps I shouldn't be so ethical. Ah, well, still too much fun, as the energy of the crowd gets you going.
Just like at the Tour de France, you know the racers are coming when you hear the helicopters...
...and the stage podium: Mark Cavendish took the sprint (who else?!), Tom Boonen nipped second, and JJ Haedo was third. Note the cowboy hat on Cav's head...a little Clovis touch.
And Ty Hamilton took the "Breakaway for Cancer" jersey -- essentially the most aggressive jersey -- as he initiated a three-man break that was out all day until they got caught in the last mile or so. Was great to see him there, and poignant since his mom is battling breast cancer currently. He threw his baseball hat and his cowboy hat out into the crowd -- Ty is a really good guy. Plain and simple.

And having the Tour of Cali fly through my backyard?!! Priceless.

Stay tuned, as I'm trying to make arrangements to hit the last stage in Escondido....

Training Camp, Stage 2 -- Tour of Cali Women's Crit

2009-02-15T23:46:00.005-08:00

I'm afraid that I've neglected my blog for Facebook once again, and have put up a large photo album, complete with captions, there...so am now out of time -- MUST GET SLEEP! -- to do a reasonable blog entry. But, thought I'd slap up the link to my VeloNews article, as it's already up, complete with some of my snaps!

And share just a few highlights:

*Getting an official Tour of California media pass -- backstage access, baby! (Am I a total bike dork, or what?!)

*Writing my article in the luxury of the Tour of California press center at the Hyatt...snacks,
video feed of the men's race, zillions of journalists and photogs from around the world, and
JUST THREE TABLES BACK FROM GRAHAM WATSON!!! Really, I'm such a bike geek...

*Seeing people out in DROVES to watch the women's race, even with terrible weather
conditions.

*Getting a note on my Facebook wall from Kat Carroll, now of Team Tibco and also a US
National Team member, thanking me for the "great coverage" this weekend.

*Talking at length to Bob Stapleton, owner of Team Columbia-High Road about his team. His
passion and high regard for this sport and his racers is humbling.

*Talking at length to the director of the women's race, Laura Charameda, who definitely is an
effective ambassador for women's cycling.

*Getting a "Nice article!" from Value Act Capital Lisa "the Huntress" Hunt when she spotted
my story up before I did.

*And of course, arriving home to the MANSION to a very warm welcome from the women of
Value Act Capital, who were in the middle of their team meeting.

As friend Sherry Clark wrote on my Facebook page tonight...I have the "best faux job in the world!" Or did she say "coolest"? Either way, 'nuf said.

Now....SLEEP!

Training Camp, Stage 1

2009-02-14T23:26:00.013-08:00

Ahhh, a day in the life of a professional women's cycling team -- at training camp.

Morning photo shoot.

Time for silly-ness, as team director Lisa Hunt poses with a piece of artwork to replicate a retro Coppertone ad.
Time for the sponsor-inspired artsy shot.
An afternoon ride in the rain. And the sun. And the wind. And the rain. And some more rain.
I drove the "follow-car" and carried extra clothes because of that rain.
Evening team meeting to discuss team strategy for the next day's race. I'd share it here, but have been sworn to secrecy.
After dinner, a tire clinic from team sponsor Michelin reps, Ralph and Monica. You have no idea how fascinating the Michelin man is...as Monica shared with us, he's over 100 years old, started as a smoker, drinker, womanizer, and was overweight, and has now gotten off cigarettes with the patch, stopped drinking, taken diversity training, and slimmed down substantially in the 90's "health boom."
Ralph taught the women of VAC some great tips for mounting new tires on wheels.

Day over, everyone's off to sleep to rest up for the Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium in Santa Rosa tomorrow. Life is good.