before and after

Faye as a young girl. She was about about 12 here. 5 years before the big 1929 Depression.

Faye today. A happy 96. I think the smile is exactly the same.

Happy pansy faces today. Tomorrow will be a sad Orosi face.

Daisy and Minnie. We didn't bring them, and we really miss them a lot.


and last but not least...
Go K.U. and Go Cardinal women.

how cool is this car?

Will "Spartacus" add wins in PR and Flanders to his MSR victory? Can't wait to find out...just a few more weeks.

kitty condo

The kitties can't get up to the top of the Frack loft bed. I thought maybe a kitty condo might help, but Marscat's said "no". In the parking lot of the kitty condo store were these two pugs. One was overweight like Daisy but both were pretty fiesty. They barked a lot and were upset with the other dogs that went by, but they were quite ok with me taking photos. The one dog was a chewing on something. Upon closer inspection, we realized it was the door lock, and the dog could open the little lock. Funny thing and so innocent looking.



Minnie and Daisy. Minnie was bad and peed on the bathroom floor again. It's such a drag to wake up in the middle of the night and go to the bathroom and step in piddle. To our future guests: please remember and be prepared.

Someone asked about Minnie's name. I tell them that Minnie is named after my mom. This evening, Marscat asks me what I called my mom, and I told her that I called her "mom" or when I was little it was "mommie". Then Marscat asked, why didn't you name Minnie Mommie. Then she starts looking at Minnie and saying come here mommie. How weird is that? Maybe, we should have another drink...

pig farm intervals

No 35+ women's field for Orosi or San Dimas or Brisbane, so I might just have to take a road trip here.

i had some easy efforts
in between those easy efforts
i had time to smell the roses
and take pictures

i hate hills and pig farm is a meanie, but from the east, it is easier and prettier

marscat had much harder effforts...so hard, she rode her helmet off her head

Our house is a mess
We're going to have guests
And yes, it really is 3am

I've lived in my current place since 1983, and most people think it looks just like it did then. But lately, I have been strongly urged to consider upgrading some of the rooms/furniture.

So, we went window shopping at ikea yesterday, and it was pretty overwhelming. This is probably the reason why I woke up a few hours ago and am still awake.

We might get one of these.

We need one of these.

La Primavera and St. Patty's day

I hope the big green Thor machine wins this upcoming Saturday.

But in the meantime, here is a sleepy Minnie all in green.

off the radar

I roll into our meeting grounds and there they are. My friends. My buddies, my lifetime pals. But today, they are simply, my masochist trainers.

"Go easy on me, I had a pitcher of margaritas last night".

"Again?" blurts Greg. That's what you said last weekend.

"But it's true!" I can explain.

Guess what?
This wasn't written by me or Marscat.

Don't forget to read about Dana King's fist trick.

Dave Zabriskie launches Yield to Life
By Gary Boulanger, Bikeradar.com

American pro road racer Dave Zabriskie has launched Yield to Life, a non-profit organization devoted to creating a safer environment for cyclists and, by so doing, encouraging more people to ride for their own health, the good of the environment and the well being of society.

"It is my mission to humanize and personalize cyclists to help motorists to always be aware that we are "life" and that we deserve a safe space on the road," the Slipstream-Chipotle rider said. "I love to ride my bike as do my fellow cyclists, but we should not have to place out lives at risk everyday for that enjoyment."

Zabriskie, 29, is the only American to consecutively win stages in all three grand tour races: the Tour of Spain, the Tour of Italy, and the Tour de France. He is the current United States Time Trial Champion and member of American team Slipstream-Chipotle during its 2008 season.

According to Zabriskie, by making cycling safer and promoting the activity as a responsible means of transportation and a healthy means of recreation, Yield to Life can contribute to tackling some of today's major concerns-from such issues as pollution and global warming to obesity and diabetes. In this way, Yield to Life can play a role in increasing the quality of life not only for cyclists, but for everyone-for our generation and those to come.

"Yield to Life will engage in a vigorous awareness campaign to promote positive attitudes toward cyclists and replace any hostility that exists between motorists and cyclists with understanding, respect, and appreciation for all life on the road," he added. "Safety for every cyclist is the top priority of Yield to Life.

"Cycling is a healthy, life-affirming, environmentally-sound activity that adds value to anyone's life. Since cyclists' lives are often in motorists' hands, motorists must understand the vital role they play in a cyclist's safety."

According to the Foundation, Yield to Life's mission will be to:

1) Concentrate on road-rule education programs for motorists and cyclists alike through driver's education programs, public awareness movements and media campaigns in order to ensure a safer and more harmonious environment for all those on the road.

2) Engage in a hands-on educational program with target audiences that range from school assemblies to corporate conventions. Workshops will be created to arm cyclists with tips for navigating through traffic and tools for riding in a safe and responsible manner.

3) Work on a database for cyclists to find the best, the safest and the most accommodating roads for commuting and for recreation.

whack it and move on to summer

and one other thing about spring...i don't really like it that much.


spring non sequitor
please do tell, what is the difference between this...

3/2/2008 cyclingnews.com
The International Cycling Union (UCI) granted Team Mitsubishi-Jartazi 'wild card' status Friday but as long as the Estonia-licensed team does not select Frank Vandenbroucke (who does have a 2008 UCI racing license, BEL19741106), winner of the 1999 Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The wild card status enables the team to be amongst the pool of Professional Continental teams that can be selected to ProTour races. The 33 year-old Belgian has had a chequered past, including personal problems that led to attempted suicide last fall, but the issue for the UCI is his possession of banned substance – Erythropoietin (EPO) – in 2002 while riding for Domo-Farm Frites. He was suspended by the bicycle federation of Flanders in 2002 as a result.

and this...

2/11/2008 cyclingnews.com
Today the UCI Licence Commission has granted 'wild cards' to the following 15 teams, for a period of one year: Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30 (USA). David Millar will ride and be part-owner of UCI Professional Continental Team Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30(also partly owned by George Hincapie). Shortly before the 2004 Tour de France, Millar confessed to using EPO, for which he was banned for two years.

As far as I know, Slipstream has no UCI restrictions on entering Mr. Millar in any of the races they plan on contesting.