Joshs new bike "bowling ball"

Yep we asked Josh the name of his new bike and he just blurted out, Bowling ball. So here is Bowling Ball

first of the year

Well I attacked on the first hill and made it stick

Good to be home

Well last Thursday the camper got all packed up and I mean I packed every inch possible with a week worth of stuff.

Woke up early Friday morning and we were on the road to Phillips, it was a eventless 5 hour drive north plus a few pee breaks and a subway stop for the littles in the back. We found a nice spot at the Price Co fair grounds and set up camp. Later we went down to the beach and relaxed away the 5 hour drive out of my back. Went back to camp made supper and then went on a course pre ride. About 3 miles in I seen some trail workers. They asked me if I just seen that bear run by , I replied, no. They said it just ran right behind me before entering the woods. Glad I didn't hit that thing riding.

Woke up Saturday at 5 am when they were unloading more porta pottys, they get things done early way up north. Took the kids for a walk along the lake and caught a bunch of frogs. Shelly went for a pre ride and she hated it of course, seems these courses are kind of hard. I gave her a good piece of advice and she registered anyways. I went out for another lap with Kris and Bill. This lap was more about attacking and passing then go fast and it payed off. Later Matt and Sherri showed up sao the team was all together.

Well Sunday was race day and I slept great and woke up feeling good about the day. The legs were responding well to attacks on the road during the pre ride. Shelly's race was off and she had a OK start we will have to work on that. I did catch a glimpse of her as my wave started. I sat in about 5 or 6th spot on the lead out planning on attacking the 2nd hill. Well that didn't happen. We hit the first hill I attacked and had a 100 yard gap on the first hill. I didn't shut it down until I climbed the really loose rocky uphill that takes you into the woods. I knew must riders walk the hill so it was important to get there early. I rode the hill and hammered up the next hill. I was right the next guy didn't make it and slowed the whole group down. I had a good race going, during the second lap I was told I had almost a 2 minute lead on the next guy. I lost a bunch of that when I ran into the emergency helps 4 wheeler. My foot hit the front tire and launched me into the trees. I got up ran the next couple of sections and hoped back on for the big grass climb. I reached down and found I lost my waterbottle. not good. I need to thank Mrs Nigh for the waterbottle hand up. Well I end up 1st in my age and shelly was 4th. Time to pack up and head over to Lake Wisstota

So it is Monday And I am not at work, this is great. We went into town to see the Irvine Park zoo and park then the Brewery tour. The park was great for a small city park. They had elk, WT deer, bears, bison and a bunch of smaller mammals. The Leinenkugels tour was fun as well, with free beer at the end. Well, Monday afternoon it started raining so we went and seen Monster house, a kids movie, it was pretty good. We came out of the movie and it was still raining hard. Let run to Eau Claire for supper. During the 20 mile drive Eau Claire received the heaviest rain fall record in one hour, 5.5 inch in 1 hour. The streets on 53 right in town were all 1 foot or so under water. Cars were stranded everywhere and cops had roads closed all over. We made it to Applebees to eat. It help there business that they were on a hill and still had power. The whole mall and southside of town where out of power.

Well Tuesday morning and it appears the camper stayed dry throught all 8 inches of water that fell that day. Well the plans for the day are to walk around Chippawa Falls, do some laundry and eat some ice cream. Did it all even found the library and did some reading with the kids. Guess what ended up at the beach again before diner. Then 11pm woke up to rain again. So another 3 inches of rain Tuesday night.

Woke up Wednesday, things still all dry, way to go little camper, after 10+ inches of rain in two days and still dry as a bone. Time for breakfast and start packing up for the trip home.

Dead simple III and IV and V

I don't have any clue were they keep coming from. I bought some more seed on monday becusae I seen the little rodnets again when I was cutting the grass. I put out a fresh bucket of the last meal on Tuesday 3 chippers, thurday 1 chipper. Saturday afternoon I reloaded. Came home after crystal 6 chippers.

Super ghetto blaster

Well to make this picture in your head work you need to know I work on 25 and state. So now picture this in your head. You hear really load music, rap music coming down the alley. As you approach the alley all you see is a guy walking a kid in a stroller. Still the music is load and the bass is bumpin solid, still you see no cars. Just the guy and the stroller. Now as you get the curb, you see the guy has a battery starp to the strollers foot rest and kicker box strapped down in the seat portion up front and the car cd player wired to the handle. That was the biggest ghetto blaster this guy has ever seen.

Great racing Sunday

The team took home a lot of extra metal this Sunday at crystal ridge. Even two pieces made it home here. Shelly stuck it out with a bike that gave her some trouble and 100 degree heat. She brought home a forth place metal. I had a good start and pegged it for 1:04 and ended up 2 minutes off the first place guy and took second and 11th overall. So it was a hot hot day with some good times had by all.

Odd riding sightings

Well when you pedal the back roads you see some odd things. Last year I came across a couple head of cattle on a busy road. I have seen many many deer and more turkeys that you can shake a stick at. About a month ago I see a bunch of snakes crossing the road. However yesterday was one of days why I should buy a cheap camera. I was riding up a long hill and glanced up to see one of the many road kill. This one was different, it looked like a fresh hit that was still moving. As I rose up closer I seen a massive size snapping turtle eating the rabbit, give the tortoise and the hare story a new spin. Then I came upon many turkey vultures eating another turkey vulture. Boy the things that pop up in 40 miles.

Lady's ride

When to Alpha/CR today and rode at high noon in the heat. The trail is ready and really dry. It apprears the drinking retards are breaking more bottles. Otherwise it is ready to rock and roll.

Drop the "ISSUE" doc ride

Well last night a couple cyclopath riders decided to do the doc ride at 8am . So I got there this morning and the group seemed small. Then it hit me superweek is going on right now. No matter there were two team wisconsin guys on a tandem to set the pace right off the bat. No need to bother with a couple of miles for a little warm up, we turned off of main and it was 25 miles an hour out of the gate. The TW guys on the tandem were doing there best to rip the legs off this ride right away and the others were getting pissy about it. I have never seen such a big bunch of cry babies in my life, no one wanted the tandem to lead and no one wanted to work themselves. But with all the ego in the pack no one would let them go. About 45 into the ride Kevin took a good pull and stared to slow on a hill and some blond bimbo had the balls to yell go faster, never got her ass off her seat to pull. She just wanted kevin to work harder. This happened more than once over the next 20 miles. The next guy told the other guy to go to hell and pulled out of the ride. With a mile to go they all came out of the pack and sprinted to the store like true champs. I will make sure to never join the ego maniac cry baby ride again.

dead simple II

Well I set up the bucket again this morning, 6 more today. I will win this battle against the rodent and take back my patio edges. I had a guy at work ask me if I felt bad about drownding the rats, hell no, the are rats are tearing up my lawn and flower beds, Why would I feel bad. This is part one of American society that makes up all look really stupid to the rest of the world, when some dumb ass decided his family PET, is somehow a member of the family and all animals have some type of rights to huge surgeries and cash to do them.

Kenny

All swelled up and itchy

Well I didn't take the dnf and that was just stupid. At the start I took off and all of the sudden I was a couple bike lengths ahead, I was not going to pull into the wind for a mile so I stood up like a dork 300 yards off the start. Jess yelled at me to pull us past the fence and he will pull after the turn into the wind. Well we had some nit wit day of rider busting his nuts to get in front of us, we made the right turn into the woods and moron locks on the rear brake and we almost wrecked. It pissed me off and shot the rev limiter and I took off and went to the big ring hard. I pulled jess all the way to the big hill in the open. We came into the first singletrack hot and already were catching the 19-29 guys. I went to pass a couple riders and got loose and one guy got around and it was the three of us all the way to the bricked stream crossing. I rode straight over the hump and had a rider step right into me and I fell into the weeds. Today the poison ivy is all over the right arm and leg were I fell. Then 4 riders got past me I got up and attacked up the hill to get another wheel only to catch about a dozen riders. In that ST we just watched the front guys ride away. We passed a ton of guys once we hit the opening. Made our way back to the lap area and started into the lap 2 ST. Just after entering I caught a bad edge and went over the bars hard. Like a idiot I put my hands out to stop myself and rolled the wrist hard. Got up and grab the bike to stand it up and felt the pain right away. So by the end of the lap I could hardly pull in the brake, so I just pulled over to let fast traffic by. I really need to thank the medical help in the tent, that had a good ice pack and some free advice, something about a/c and a cold beer when it is 90 outside. So I took about 1200 mg of pain killers and had a couple of beers, pain went away but not the swelling. Earlier in the day Shelly pulled no punches and fought the heat and finished her race 5th in her age. Her fourth race and 90 degree heat was a real challenge. She is now going to buy a new helmet that fits better then this one