Young'ens Havin Fun

The six youngsters of our family took in the Packers game this last weekend. I must say that I am not a fan of football, but if I were, this would be the team I would follow.  If for any reason at all, it would be because it is a small town football team, rich in history and hardcore fans. Now, on to the IMO part. There is something about the attitude of most professional athletes that rub me the wrong way. The running around holding the number one finger up thinking that said one is the greatest thing ever conceived is nothing I care to watch...or listen to. I am sure there are many things I do that other people do not care for, so I try to hold a "What ever turns your crank" attitude. The half dozen from the north had a goooood time...and that is what it is all about. 

Four of the amigos

A good time was had

These two make a good pair. They have a good time in whatever it is they are up to...maybe MS150 in 2010.

Final score...Packers 48...Seattle 10

I went for a nice cross country ski. We have some new trails cleared on our property and I think they are going to work out nice. Most of the skiing on these trails will be at night after work with head lamps, but this ski was daylight. I was out for an hour and I had forgotten what a nice workout those ski's can be. Oh, and this was the real Cross Country, not speed v'ing. 

Inside again

We hope you all had a good Christmas and are looking forward to some swell things for the new year in 2010. For Christmas this year, we went to Janice's family gathering which started at noon. All the fixin's were there...Turkey, Ham, Taters, stuffing and too many others to mention them all. Colleen and family...if you are reading...you were missed. Can't blame you though with the way the roads have been. From there we headed to my side of the family for the Christmas gathering. Turkey, Ham, Taters, stuffing and too many others to mention them all...you get the idea. All of that put me on this contraption today. 

First time doing the inside thing this season. I haven't gotten the trainer tire on the bike for the trainer, so it was just the elliptical today. Just like a rat in a wheel...run, run and run.

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

We are getting hammered with some snow and even a little rain. These pictures were taken about 10:00 PM last night. It had rained a little and turned back to snow over night and back to rain this morning. As of this morning we have gotten about 12 inches of snow with the last 5 inches being very heavy wet stuff. We had plowed and shoveled 7 inches yesterday and we are debating when to do the next clean up. I would rather clean up more than once during a storm, such as this one that is lasting 2 or 4!!! days, then having to take care of many inches at one time.

We have spent the few days at our family cabin doing the ice fishing, eating and family time thing. It was a very good time. I think many people do not know what they are missing by not spending time with their family and friends. Or, maybe they just don't care....wrappped up in their own thing. The fact is, that they can not know what they are missing, or they would be spending time with said people while they are here on earth, as we know it. Could haves and should haves doesn't mean a hell of a lot. Any one of us...here today, gone tomorrow so lets enjoy our life to the fullest boys and girls.

The roads have been what I would call greasy. On my fixed gear ride, I saw two places that had skid marks, tree bark missing and pieces of plastic strewn in the woods. As my dad would say, "Good ol plastic."

Memorial ride

We had a friend of ours tragically pass away this past Monday morning. He, his wife and two children are neighbors of ours. Very good neighbors. About ten years ago, they moved in the next place down the road from us. We would be walking our trails, biking, cutting firewood, any where he happened to see us, it was good and interesting conversation time. Sometimes I would be miles from home knocking out a ride after work and we would meet each other on the road. The brake lights would come on and it was time to talk. We would be BS'ing and it was always like, "Well I got to get going." But between the two us, it was always much later before the going was gotten. Sometimes when we would split, I was riding home in the near dark. This proved to be a good thing, because it forced me to put the hammer down and try to get home before dark.

He had worked hard to become successful, which allowed him to spend a lot of time around home. I remember he always told me how lucky he had been in life, that he had traveled the world, and it was HERE where he WANTED to live. That, of course, would make anyone feel good about also living here.

While in high school, he played on state championship hockey teams...loved hockey. Had season tickets to the Minnesota Wild. He died of trauma to head while ice skating in front of their home this last weekend at age 49. I know full well that the last minutes before his accident, he having a GOOD TIME.   

Today I had some vacation to use, so I decided to do a Pat Bouchard Memorial ride. He and I one time knocked this ride out in a little under an hour, riding side by side, bullshitting as much as we could the whole way around. I never will forget what he said when we finished up,"Good time, right?" And...it was a good time. Both in minutes and in company. FYI...it took much longer than an hour today on the fixie with studs. 

Rest in Peace Pat.

It is the last weekend of culling the Whitetail herd by rifle, which means daylight riding will return. For me, it has been waiting for dark to venture out on the bicycle for the last three weeks.


TOB....Good Luck in your Birkie training...and this is fitting because it is an old one, lol...If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

We hope everyone has been avoiding the plague. We have been lucky at our household so far.

 

Getting Out

The weather experts are predicting that our area is going to be hammered with snow the next couple days. They are saying somewhere between 8 and 12 inches. It started snowing here about 2:00 this afternoon. When I headed out for a ride about 5:30, I got some words of encouragement from my son. He says, "What are you doing. Going for a bike ride?" To which I replied "Yeah. Why not." And here is where the words of encouragement come in..."In this??? Jesus." It's refreshing to think he was thinking that highly of me. He wasn't surprised, I am sure.

The ride was a gooood work out. I have been around this area for a long time and the snow tonight was heavy enough to where I didn't know where I was at a lot of the time. It is like this...you do not know where you are until you pass something familiar such as a road or an unusual landmark. Houses and cabin's are pretty much non-existent on this route. The best part was the last 6 miles...right into the wind...a snowy, 20 to 30mph wind...and on the fixed gear. Oh Yeah!!!

Brisk

This is a known, not debatable, fact...6 degrees and snow on the roads mixed with 480 carbide studs makes some sweeeeet music. Some may argue, but get over it because as I said, it is Fact.

So far this year, we have had a dusting or two, but nothing to stick to the roads good. Tonight the roads were snow covered and studded tires were not on the bike. With that being said, when I got home from work, on they went. After they were mounted, I left the house at 7:30 pm and went for an hour long ride. It was a nice night to be out. The temp was at 15 above, snow lightly falling and a 10mph SW wind and I was dressed perfectly. It was also nice to hear the crackle of 480 carbide studs making their mark...most of the time in virgin snow. And then there was the snow flakes sparkling in the headlight. It makes me want to ride more just jotting this down, but I must work tomorrow, so I better not stay out late playing in the snow.

Out of the bosom of the Air, Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken, Over the woodlands brown and bare, Over the harvest-fields forsaken, Silent, and soft, and slow Descends the snow.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Big Dance

I have been contemplating whether to apply to the Chequamegon Fat Tire next fall. The Chequamegon is what I would call the Big Dance for me. Some people are better at dancing than others, even so far as having celebrity status. It is only by lottery drawing that I would be admitted...which kind of makes me think if I am admitted, I should be admitted to be committed.

Dancing is wonderful training for girls, it's the first way they learn to guess what a man is going to do before he does it...If he has permission to do it.

Moon Ride

First off, we need send kudos out to CAD. He ran the Gobble Gallop 5k running race in Duluth MN this last Thanksgiving morning, in which part of the proceeds go to the Northern Lakes Food Bank. Not surprising to me, he finished near the top of the list of 972 entrants. Excellent job CAD.

I spent just over an hour on the fixed gear Monday night. The moon was shining so bright...How bright was it?...It was so bright that I did not use a headlight for 59 minutes of that hour. I was only .5 miles from home when the first and only auto I saw came up from behind, so I flipped the headlight on until they got by. I did have my taillight on, you know, for safety. For the most part, I could see quite well.It was 29 degrees when I arrived back home at 7:45 and I nailed the clothing part. I like it when that happens.

Moon shining bright.