Robert Blur Solo.psd

Robert Blur Solo.psd, a photo by Flickr de Julie on Flickr.

I've got a new toy - Photoshop Elements 10. Not the most creative editing, but fun... Here's to hours of fun not spent on Facebook.

Comedian Responds to Ohio Sandbagger

Anyone see the very entertaining post on the Ohio Sandbagger blog about upgrading in the great State of Ohio? Good stuff. If you need a good laugh. A Doug Green says that when considering upgrades, for the few seconds that it takes to open an email, he always sends back a reply email with his denials. Have you ever seen one of those emails? I have. One simply said, "not even close". The other said "no". Wow. This guy should quit his day job and get on the comedy circuit. Thanks to OSB for posting his email - it makes me smile every time I think about it.

I have a stalker...

...he is the father of a NOVICE mountain bike rider. He's friends with a woman who is also just a NOVICE mountain bike rider. All I have to say is STOP stalking me. STOP trying to influence the race director. STOP worrying about me. You are scaring me with your constant obsession with what I do and what category I race. You need to face reality that your daughter is a NOVICE bike rider. And that FACT has nothing to do with me.

I know you read my blog. STOP.

Ode to a Sad Child

She has maroon colored hair,
the personality of a stick,
voice of an infant,
movement like a brick.

Clothes that don't fit,
equipment exceeding skill,
lazy and slow,
no aura or glow.

No one to guide her,
pushed to pretend,
led to believe,
too blind to see.

OMBC MTB @ West Branch State Park 2011

Awesome racing at West Branch State Park. Rode my single speed 29er and had a great, fun ride. Rudy, Tony, Bill, Kyle and Luke and I all made Lake Effect proud!

Lined up with only one other Sport Woman. The 2 other women who lined up are novices who just can't bring themselves to race their proper category. So after some whining to shorten the sport race (NO WAY BABY!), one faked an injury and one was out so long part of the course was already taken down! I won the Sport class on my single speed. The other racer was told to ride conservatively - and she still was 2nd - by more than an hour! Got to say that a freebie bike and zealot parents who inflate their child's ability for their own happiness is very sad. Oh well. That's part of the sport too I suppose.

Women's "A" Podium - NEOCX #3 (Sept 18, 2011)

DSC_8321.jpg, a photo by Gregg Brekke on Flickr.

So proud to stand next to such great racers! But you can see in my eyes that I'm not so sure about the whiskey prize and the shouts to take a swig... Egad. I choose not to drink and a swig could just put me out for a week. I don't want to encourage drinking either. I feel like such a square (yes, the 1950s reference is intentional)... I want to thank Spin for the prize and making such a big effort to make the race special!! Whiskey prizes on Whiskey Island!!

Steve Twining - Team Lake Effect Racer Extrordinaire

DSC_8264.jpg, a photo by Gregg Brekke on Flickr.

This is a photo of Steve from NEOCX #3 - taken by Gregg Brekke.

So proud to have Steve as a team mate!!

NEOCX #2 - Cascade Cross

DSC_6780.jpg, a photo by Gregg Brekke on Flickr.

Sept 11, 2011

Run through the mud bog. Good fun.

4 Ribs to Go...

No, not these kind of ribs. I think the only thing I couldeat in that picture is the tablecloth.

I mean the human, breakable kind. Last Saturday I took out my 29er MTB for the first time at W. Branch. Had a great time riding with my husband. But (and there's always a but), I got a little tooooooooooo confident with my added rock riding abilities that comes with bigger wheels and CRASH on an uphill rocky section. Luckily no one there to see me. Not even Rudy. Handle bar goes into one side of the "chest" (well, where my chest would be if I had one) and then lots-o-pain thank you. Having broken rib numbers 6-12 (not all on one side of the skeleton and not all at once either), I knew it wasn't good. I didn't say anything and even raced the next day at the Thorn MTB Trail Time Trial, even though it was painful and probably not a good call on my part. But if I wasn't going to tell anyone, well then I had no excuses not to ride.

So, it's rib #5 - confirmed by my ortho last Thursday. She was not surprised and didn't have to guess how I did it. So that just leaves ribs 1-4, which I hope never to break for a number of reasons. It's not an aspiration either. Just an observation.

Yes, the Factory Rider liked to take pictures of himself even back in the day...