Hot ->Cold->Hot

Last Thursday it was 85ish degrees outside in Vermont and beautiful crystal clear, probably one of the 5 best weather days we will have all year. I bolted from work at 1330 and headed out on my buddy Ernie's wakeboard boat for the first run of the season. According to NOAA's readings, the water was a CRISP 50 degrees, a whole 28 degrees above ice! Anyhow, all the sissies wore wetsuits and looked silly flopping about like so many neoprene seals. I was all suave and sex as I glided from wake to wake, arching through the water in a symphony of......GODDAMN IT WAS COLD! Mostly I'm just too cheap to buy a wetsuit, I don't mind being cold and it doesnt keep me from getting in the water. Big props to Nikki as well, she was also sans-suit (wet that is), and still had the stones to hop in and give it a rip.

Back on dry, warm land I suited up and made top speed on two wheels down to Montpelier for the 2009 Corporate Cup 5k. I had been drafted earlier in the week and managed to muscle out a heat stroke inducing 22:35 on the 3.1 mile course. I was not proud of my time, if only my 401(k) appreciated like my consecutive mile rates, I'd be able to run in the Retiree Road Race for People Who Don't Like to Run instead of this Corporate Cup BS. Regardless, I had a fun time, despite the fact that I coupled my two least favorite activities (being hot and running).

Hold Music

I am currently on hold with www.motorcycle-superstore.com customer support because I need to place an order that will probably make me way faster and far more dangerous on two wheels. Actually, mom, if you're reading this, not entirely true: I'm ordering some brake pads for both bikes and a couple of teeshirts. Safety first!  Anyhow, the hold music is seriously intense, like some sort of Viking Opera, building into a frightful crescendo, and then followed by some pretty lame elevator music for the next song. In the motorcycling world that's like the transition from a blacked out Harley to a pinked out Vespa.

Activities

Last night I rode the bike up and over the apgap, grabbed a slice of
pizza, and played hockey (poorly) until midnight. This morning I was
early for work, left at 1, went wakeboarding in the 50 degree lake,
then hauled butt down to montpelier on the bike to run the corporate
cup 5k with a thousand other people and finished with a time of 22:35.
Reapectable for zero training I thought. I really need to fall asleep
now, it's midnight and in the morning I'm going on a worm hunt with a
half dozen 3 year old.

Just a couple days in the life.

Voicemail

Since getting my iPhone, I have not set up voicemail and I cannot tell you how excited I am to have shut the world off from leaving me long, rambling messages. If you need to get a hold of me, either send me a text message or write me an email. If you are important and really need to leave a voicemail, you could call my work phone, it's right next to me, I can see it right now. If you don't know the number, well, you are not one of those people who is important enough to leave me a voicemail, sorry.

Side note: Coffee, when consumed early in the morning and without breakfast, makes me all sorts of jittery and jumpy. I'm going to find myself some belly filler to soak up the caffeine.

A photojournalist I am not

I took this picture yesterday on my way to the Minneapolis airport. I
was trying to get a decent shot and ended up with this.

Hotel Suite

Tonight I am in Minneapolis, smack dab in the middle of the land of
ten thousand lakes and staying at a county inn and suites. People at
the front desk were super friendly, especially after they put me in a
room where some other guy had already unpacked and taken a shower.
So.... Yeah, awkward exchange and back down to the front desk. End
result is a nice big suite with a king size bed. The funniest part is
the bathroom which has to be, according to me counting the floor
tiles, about 150 square feet with plenty of open space. The only
problem is that the shower still appears to be sized for the jockey of
a my little pony. I could host a roller derby tournament in the
bathroom (Wednesday night is kids night!) but I can't turn around in
the shower without clocking my head on something.

I better I post fliers for the tournament, more to come!

Side business

http://www.luxuryautosalvage.com/leadership-team/

Keep checking back for future updates.

So much Power!

So much power!

<img src="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=ru9uLHAGI30j0dIfNDfay7w&oid=2&output=image" />

Aquisition!

The race team made a fine purchase yesterday. The newest addition to
the stable is a powder blue 1986 saab 900. Only 78,000 miles and in
pristine condition! Ok, so maybe that last part is a bit of a stretch
but the car runs and stops just fine. Stay tuned for future Garage of
Destruction updates!

Philosophical Question

It just so happens that I enjoy doing many activities which require the use of head protection to prevent serious injury or death. As a result, I own several (a half dozen or more) helmets and put them to use frequently. Will I live longer because I am well protected for a greater percentage of my day or will the fact that I am enjoying dangerous activities ultimately lead to a life cut tragically short?

It sounded more jovial when I thought about it in my head (currently not encased in a helmet), but reading that again sort of depressed me. Oh well, onward and upward.

Rollover

As in the odometer on my motorbike, to the 10,000 mile mark. Every
single mile that is on the odometer belongs to me and they only date
back to August of 2007. It is almost scary how confident the bike
makes you feel, more an extension of conciousness than bits of steel
and plastic. The best part about these miles is that I can't remember
a single one I regret. They all brought me swiftly and safely to my
destination, even when I was out riding with no destination in mind.
Tonight after my soccer game (3-1 victory) i was talking about bikes
in the parking lot and this kid says he has definitely seen and heard
me around town Street cred +1. Thank you Triumph, keep up the good
work.