Oh, the Memories.

Can you believe that it is almost Thanksgiving and I wore SANDALS 2 times in 2 days??? I haven't even seen a sign of snow since BEFORE the big race!?

That was the last day I remember a dark, damp sky. What happened to the snow?

After that big race we went cross racing. Yes, that is where this blog left off. I finished my race in 2nd place. Happy me since the BIG race was the day before. After the race, I raced after this crew for a beverage.

AND... ended up finding a BOOBOO head. Sorry racers if you were scaredy cat of a bear in a tree???

Who is that masked Glen?

Someone had a little more beer than me... 10am on a Sunday standing in beer boxers and Boo Boo head? Why not???

Don't you just LOVE that sign??? Race leftovers made for fun Cross props...

Boo Boo on a bike passing out dollars and beer... again, why not?

Now for some DEER talk. This happened JUST tonight. Someone is VERY happy and so is his tummy and his family's tummies and well, I am wondering how the house will smell when he cooks it? blechk! Sincerely, Anti-venison-eater since the early 90's.. thanks.

I am however ALL about wearing my dad's XLT shirts. Yep... gotta sport the hunter's plaid when wearing sandals in late November. Good grief, WHERE IS WINTER!?

Did you know that I've been working a LOT this fall? Well, apparently my cat misses me. He is actually snuggling on the lap of a virtual STRANGER to him... Jim is one of our fabulous pals, but my cat? This was their FIRST encounter. What was HE thinking? I really need to spend more time with The Willow.


After that Cross race... Glen raced.

He wasn't the cereal killer, BUT he did come close to the winning teammate by downing a LOT of shredded wheat. Ouch.. hurts to think about that...

Broken Barack?!?? Do you think G did this on accident???????? Where is the hidden home-cam when ya need one.


xoxoxo G

me.

Ice Cross'n Sunday Style

Check out 3:36 ... Volleyball court sand? No problem. More fun Ice Cross photos to come... please stay tuned for the Bear, the Beer, the Boxers, & the Bucks.

Oh... THIS is a RACE?

That's how my race went... thank goodness for that girl in the Guiness jersey who demanded that I grab her wheel and THAT Marilyn from Peak2Peak race who found me, passed me, sped away & I just HAD to chase her down. Didn't QUITE hit my goal of being finished in 2:(single digit) BUT, I did shave a couple/few minutes off last year, felt like JUNK most of the race, ended up with belly of Pepto & well, I improved. So, I'll stop crying and post a couple of lame photos later.

Into the Wilderness

	simon and garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

We left the farm...



Packed the good bike children...

Traveled the most beautiful roads in NW Michigan...

To one of the more remote parks in NW Michigan... Where the waves grow big late in the fall & the chill in the air smells of snow...

THAT'S the PLACE!



Pleased to be on the road in our spiffy new hats...



See?



Thanks to the good friends, we acquired a spot in the 24-person bunkhouse...



Complete with SERIOUSLY hot wood burner, concrete floor...



ROWS of bunks!!!



.. and 2 Halloween creepies to hang with!



Oh, and the Right Brain Bob guy...



... and SPOOKY storyteller, Andrew. (aka "mad bear" aka "comic relief snoring man at 1am"... the list goes on... truly, it does.)



He's NOT so scary in the light of day...



Our Sunday hike took us to the anti-porcupine parking garage. Yes Pat, JUST LIKE YOU SAW ON THE INTERNETS! Glen acting a little Porky.



Now THAT is one serious leaf.



We were here, we were there... we pretty much covered EVERY where that day.



Except here... Oh, how I love the thought of wandering off following the blue dots... (in the summer, with lots of food, with lots of protection from scary things, with G, with my mommy... )



Doesn't he look like Tom Thumb? Ask him sometime about the connection between the industrious man and beaver. (He might need a pint first.)




I think it was determined by Jim that this is some sort of braille for birds...



Someone was watching...



Mmmm MOSS. I can't keep my hands off it. fyi, Pat is a self-proclaimed moss napper... "there's plenty!"



Looking UP!



And ... DOWN!



Ewww.... That's G for ya, he loves to eat, eat, eat!



Sorry for that last one, here's a pretty hedge of moss to help you recoup.



I spy with my .....



SQUINT!!



Splendid time despite some rainy season action & pre-winter sleet. Loved the company, food on the hot stove, stories, laughs, surprising HOT showers, corncobs on window ledges, vintage bird hunting jackets, scat in nature, SOAKING bike rides, & the sore glutes from all that walking!

p.s. Really happy to NOT see a bear or coyote on that walk!

Why Do I Like...

Bad Nuts?

	Willy Wonka - I Want It Now
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Misery In Michigan

This started it all... I think?

	Low - Missouri
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Oh, speak to me Adam and Eve Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri You wanted it back, faces painted black Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri What did you get for your dishes and sweat Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri Oh, speak to me Adam and Eve Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri Oh, Missouri A whole lot of NOT biking... added to... WAY too much work.... AND... My own little scare yesterday with this fella... (much better today in THAT dept.)... blended with a little of THIS with The G... Made for a perfect day for a visit to Missouri.

Decisions... Made.

Now I have 2 movies on the TO SEE list....

High in the Sky

So, we went to Kzoo last night to the AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL State Theatre where we got top notch seating to watch Andrew Bird with a full-house of collegic riff-raff (They really weren't riffy or raffy... just trying to make my post-college day self feel a tiny bit superior this morning). St. Vincent was the opener and improved with time... we especially enjoyed St. Vincent band members playing Scythian Empire with Mr. Bird. Nice. Just so nice.



Seriously amazing scenery, musical genius, & company - That G.

I love a delicious theater, this one is definitely divine. Yum.


So, have I told you...? I am in love with Andrew Bird. There, it's in print. G knows... SOME friends know... my deaf cat knows... However, Andrew Bird does NOT know. Hey, we have the same initials. That's gotta mean something? Oh, and he rides a bike. This just in... we were both born in that same glorious year in the early 70's just DAYS apart. Ok, weak connections but hey, I simply melt from my spleen to toes when he plucks, strums, ... ok, gushing like some freaky stalker person is not a characteristic I wish to plant on myself, I quit... BUT PLEASE check this man out. p.s. I think G loves him too. :)

Sincerely,

Sincere Bird Lover since 1997.
Almost a Beruit lover... standby for updates.

That's Right.

Ultimately, this was the reward for the day.

It was a fun day, despite thoughts of this...

or... how I would like to be gazing at this...

or.. partaking in THIS... especially mid lap 3.

I even missed this...

    Lap 1   Lap 2   Lap 4    Total
Me  48:39   50:39   51:49 =  2:31:06 
She 49:11   50:09   51:48 =  2:31:08
PRO 44:51   46:06   49:20 =  2:20:16

So, that's just how it went. My first "expertly" entered race &
I end up battling out 3 laps at Crystal Mountain with a Tc
girlie who just so happens to be really nice & really equally
matched with me. So, as you probably (or not) know,
I really don't like to bore my blog with things such as...
RACE REPORTS. They cause me to drool when I read
them on other pages ... I mean, drool in a bad way
because I'm falling asleep on my keys.
Seriously, race reports are not my thing. However, mindless
babble IS my thing. See how excellent I am at this? Yep,
this is where I feel at home and this IS my cyberish home,
is it not? Ok. I will stop & get to the
dreaded...RACE REPORT only because this race deserves it,
I deserve, YOU (reader 3) DESERVE to drool on your keys.
Let's go!

The Officially Typical Race Report
The day started off mid 30's. What to wear, what to bottle,
what to wear, what to bottle, what to wear...

So, I wore leg warmers, long sleeve skin shirt thing &
short sleeve jersey, head/ear band, heavier gloves with
warmers packed against the skin on the tops of both
hands toe covers, & 2 tall bottles of Hammer Melon.
Yummy. Oh, & 3 gels.

We started with the expert men... all 6? of us women
people. The roll out was not as fast as I expected. I
actually found myself surprised & annoyed that I wasn't
moving faster because MY HANDS WERE NUMB! My heart needed
some action ASAP or I might end up bailing after one
lap due to numbness, inability to brake, steer, etc.

Hitting the singletrack, SHE and ME were tagging
each others wheel while passinga multitude of expert men
who were being a little more chicken than we were. Maybe
they were concerned that it was only lap 1 and we were
going ALL OUT already? yah, maybe that was it. Lap 1 SHE
got me on some 2 track sections, I had her areas
that took a little more push, and she had me on the one
tiny hilly spot. Seriously, it was cat & mouse. Ending
lap 1 I had her by 30 seconds and found myself pedaling
without company most of the 1st half of the lap.

THAT G found me in lap 2 (his wave started a few
minutes behind me) and I was NOT happy with that.
BUT, he only had to do 2 laps and ME = 3,
so that was my reason ahem. EXCUSE not to
chase him around. yep,not because I could NOT do it. ;)

Lap 2 was more insanity of having HER on my tail.
It seems I suck..stink...AM crap at setting a
fast pace for myself. I go into endurance mode so
easily & allow THEM to come up on me. bleh. We ended
lap 2 neck 'n neck....

Lap 3, couldn't shake her. I drafted Mr. Blue Shirt,
I put him between SHE & ME and I just couldn't
escape her. I told her she was killing me, she told me
that the ambulance wasn't out there... YET. oy.
It was pedal fest at its best. Being a flat course,
you have to be ON the pedals ALL THE TIME. I
discovered from following her for a short time
that she has a messier/faster cadence than I do...
well, faster compared to my
"favorite" cadence. So, you know what I'll be doing
this week? Yah, practicing a faster cadence. I believe
pushing bigger gear on the ss is good for strength
etc...  but had conditioned my body over the years
to be TOO slow on the cadence. Or, maybe she's just
fast at the cadence from road riding like a maniac?
Whatever it is... it is and I intend on fixing it.
asap. the end.

Ok, so back to lap 3.
couldn't shake her
blue shirt let us draft - rest
blue shirt tagged a wheel and wiped out
blue shirt found us again
blue shirt let us lead UP THE SKI HILL
ME AND SHE or SHE AND ME battled
battled!
Her in the lead.
ME in the lead.
ski hill
ski hill
ME
SHE
ME
ski hilllllllll STOPPPP PLEASE!!!
SHE
US
US
clicking gears... almost at the top!!
ME
I PUSH and PUSH like never before.
She breathes, I hear her.
I hear her whimper...
!!!
I found the crazy fun downhill singletrack line 1st!!!
BARELY first.
She was on my tail.
I lost her in the woods... BARELY.
Looked back before the final slalom AND...
SHE WAS COMING
I was careful (almost bit it here last year)
SHE YELLED...
"You've got it ALI!!!"
I smiled, I won.
2 seconds later, we hugged.

Sweet huh?
Sweeter = $50
Not so sweet... they didn't have my pre-reg so I paid
AGAIN for this race.
Sweet: We're pals & have a real love/hate relationship now.
Scary: She really wants to beat me.
Scarier: I fear Iceman with her.
So, 2 hours and 30ish minutes of PURE fun, agony,
& friendly competition makes for a happy racer.

G placed 3rd in his age class beating his time from
last year by several minutes!! Yay him, Yay me.

p.s. What is with the PRO MEN? Seriously, they finished
4 laps in the time we did 3?

I want what they are having...

p.p.s. My bike was GREAT. Thanks G for that makeover
last week, fixed brake rub and general TLC for my
bike! I also move the saddle several mm forward
it seemed to put in a much better position. Who
knew I was too far back??? Oh, and I have to
remember to keep raising that seatpost...
seems to slip and makes for misery on
long rides... longer races.

Note to self: 2 bottles = 2 much