Time for Lent...and some other stuff

Well it is that time of year where we as Episcopilians and other religions celebrate Lent. The definition is as follows: Lent is the period of fasting, penitence, and self-denial traditionally observed by Christians in preparation for Easter. In Western Christianity, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, six and a half weeks before Easter. It ends on Holy Saturday, the last day of Holy Week, which immediately precedes Easter Sunday. This year, for those of you who know me please sit down at this time, I am giving up one of the greatest gifts known to man...BEER. Yes it is true, but in great Fat Tuesday tradition, I am enjoying a cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with a couple of his brothers awaiting my presence in the beer fridge in the garage. I may be a bit fuzzy in the morning. Don't think I did not prepare with a trip to Greens for a stock up on wine, I might add. This also begins my training period for cycling/racing this year in Cola and the souringing areas. I may be the slowest, fattest, Cat 5 out there, but I will be racing. Stay tuned for updates.

Speaking of racing, I saw our Springfield Pro in his new Jelly Belly team kit on their website, looking pretty good Bradley, have a great season, best of luck.

Now just a few updated pics of the family. Jackson, Charlee, and Tanner are growing like weeds and never cease to amaze me with their humor as well as the things that come out of their mouths. We also participated in our annual neighborhood Polar Bear Plunge. Dressed up as Pirates and took the plunge. We even made the Life section of The State newpaper. Granted the air temp was a balmy 55 degrees the water was only 51 degrees. Let me tell you, 51 degrees takes the boy's into harbination and your breath away. But big fun was had by all and about $10,000 raised for the Childrens Charities of Columbia.

Well enough said, more beer awaits me in the garage. Enjoy the pictures.

Thanks for reading, Y'all tune in again soon.

Clydesdale...

Yep, it is true...I am officailly a big ass Clydesdale Cat 5 wanna be racer. But we, as a family, have joined the YMCA as of yesterday...I can already feel the fat dropping of my big ole new found Southern ass (Terri's cooking is so good and BEER is even BETTER)...It does take a hell of a man to hold onto your 10 month old while walking around the track above the ball court all the while trying to keep up with your wife-Terri, son Tanner (hurry up dad and don't drop Jackson), and Charlee Ann (daughter-why are you so slow dad) around the track...but hell...I am at least moving while carying an extra 25 pounds...on my arm...not my gut...okay maybe my gut...

From the track we decided to hit the pool for a few laps (no Speedo's...But one Sponge Bob swim Suit)...and Jackson and I tried to keep up with the rest of the gang. He was a big fan of the water (albeit quite cold) and especially the female lifeguard. That is my boy! We had great fun! I was even able to get in a few laps by myself. (I must say that I used to be quite the man in the water, just not tonight). Yes I will brag! The only A I had at Mizzou was the Water Safey Instructor Class. This was really a cool class, seriously...the instructor was the old flame of the Original "Tarzan" Johny Wiessmuller! I shit you not! They were old Olympic swimmers together. And out of the 35 students in the class, there where only two "A's"(me one of them...the rest where all D's...she was hard core. ) The even wilder part of the class was that the pool's bottom and sides were all tiled in a deep green color...think about it....standing atop the diving board at 8 feet above water level looking below into a pool that is essentially non-visual below the surface...kind oflike jumping into a pond without knowing what is below....

Anyway...as my Granny Hazel is so fond of saying,

Thanks for reading, Y'all tune in again soon.

Videos

Wow, take an hour or two to organize the pictures and videos from our two cameras and you don't realize how quickly time passes by. Enjoy a few videos. It amazes me how my Charlee Ann and Jackson are growing up so fast. And a big congrats to my friend Jimmy St. Louis, see what you have to look forward to! Just remember, a few cold beers in your system makes doing unscripted spur of the moment things on camera with your kids that much easier. It is all good!



Thanks for reading, Y'all tune in again soon.

Link

For those cyclists whom are interested, especially in racing and wattage check out the links of interest for Sufferfest. I have seen this guy on the road at Fort Jackson...way ahead of me I might add, appears he is buddies with the former DS for Health Net who lives in Cola.

Great cycling here in Cola...y'all come on down. The roads are great, off road even better, camo is king, beaches and mountains are within two hours. Ride on!

Out at night

The still quiet of the evening was shattered by the distinct and all too familiar sound of my left cleat engaging into the long lost and deprived blue speed play pedal, my lungs filled with the cold night air as I inhaled deeply in anticipation of my right cleat hitting the mark to become one with my bike. I exhaled forcefully pushing first with my non-surgically repaired right leg forcing hot air into the lenses of my clear sunglasses, momentarily clouding my vision with steam. My backside moved slowly, on to my Alliante saddle and like an old familiar friend we pushed out into the night sky.

The clouds hung low and heavy with moisture this Carolina night, creating eerie refractions in the flickering gas lights of our neighborhood. Riding at night all you hear are the thoughts in your mind, wandering, thinking, wishing, and dreaming. As you turn your head slowly from side to side you create sounds from the wind whistling through the vents of your helmet and around your ears, a sound that warms your heart like the laughs of children frivolously playing with no cares in the world. Only tonight, this was my playground, I again was the boy with no cares just speed, silence, and the comfort of the dark night.

My body took little time to reacquaint itself with the saddle, crisp white cork tape, and carbon soles. I found myself beaming like a kid at Christmas as I raced through the round abouts in the neighborhood, my own personal crit course where I was attacking and leading the racers, not daring to look back for fear of loosing my advantage over the demons in my mind.

Faster and faster I would pedal leaning my body hard into the turns weighing my outside pedal forcefully down to hold my position as I would coast through the left to right esses back and forth racing again and again through the same turns trying to pick up my speed, my form, and fight off the demons from behind me.

Cold sweat began to form upon my brow, dripping down the clear lenses of my glasses; headlights from passing cars would momentarily fatigue my vision as the light penetrated the salt filled droplets on my shields. But I did not care.

I was once again one with my bike, not a care in the world, fantasizing of form, fitness, speed, and skill. Tonight was my Tuesday Night World Championship, my solo sprint to the County Line sign, my freight train pull for miles as I drag my team behind in my slipstream.

This was my time, back on the bike, back to my passion.

Thanks for reading, y’all tune in again soon.

At the studio

Come on now...everyone sing together. Tis the Season to be tardy, fa la la la la, la la la la, wanted to send out Christmas pictures, fa la la la la, la la la la, just now went to JC Penney, fa la la la la, la la la la, picked up our portraits and damn we look good, fa la la la la, la la la la! Originals in frames to be sent out soon, fa la la la la, la la la la, if you aren't a family recipient just enjoy our Carolina Christmas Crew!

We had these taken a week ago at the local JC Penny at Sandhills for Christmas and Jackson's nine month baby pictures. The solo pic of him in the blue outfit is really similar to one my parents had taken of me when I was about six months old. If you see "Granny Jan" out and about ask her about the pic of Jackson, we look so very similar except for the fact that I had fat rolls down both legs. Hell I looked like the Michelin Man's baby!

Thanks for reading, Y'all tune in again soon.

Part two of Christmas video and pics

Okay it was early this morning when we made that short video clip in the previous post and I said Christmas 2008...not enough coffee and up too late on Christmas Eve...just a big dumb old Elf.

By the way who was naughty or nice this year and what did old Saint Nick bring everyone? We found this little jewel of a beer up at the Connoisseurs Corner in our Town Center a couple of Friday nights ago. Pretty tasty.

Thanks for reading, Y'all tune in again soon.