I Thought I was Crazy............

I might just be normal! Granted yesterday I felt so bad I didn't do much but stare at the back of my eye lids, for hours on end! Today has been a little better!

I haven't slept as much but I have been watching TV. As I said "I Thought I was Crazy"...

Have you seen the new TV show Preppers! It's on National Geographic.. These people are nuts!

I might have 20 bicycles in the garage but there's nothing to wierd about that. These people are just plain nuts!!

They spend all their time getting ready for the end of civialation! They are prepairing for things like no oil no power, earthquakes! All kinda crazy stuff!

Granted you should have a "plan" especially here in the Carolinas. We do have a lot of hurricanes here and if you remember Hugo, you remember what "can" happen. "Can" being the key word. Yea we went without power for a week and it sucked but it wasn't the end of the world.

You know what, everyone of these people have a plan "to bug out", that means get out of town. Learned that today! But none of them are planning on using a bicycle! Idiots! They all plan on walking or "holing up", that means stay put till things calm down.

Why not use a bicycle?

You can only carry so much stuff if you are walking. If you are going on a bike you could carry more "supplies".

this is someone's garage idiot garages are for bikes

this guy is gonna hide in the ground

this guy only looks like he lives at the dump this is a fortress...NOT...

OK, I have to get back to work! Before I end up at Cosco, they sent out the weekly flier today! I found it when I walked to the mailbox. I have the strange urge to go buy a truck full of bottle water.....Or dig a hole.. 

Might Not Have Been The Beeer...............

I was getting sick and didn't know it! I should have known, but I wasn't paying attention! Karen had been sick all weekend, but I had been feeling pretty good!

Then Monday night came! With a vengeance! I was up about all night throwing up and aching! I woke up at 1am and about 2 Chase was up! Karen was up and down the stairs all night taking care of both of us.

She went to work yesterday and then they sent her home! So many people have been sick at the hospital they won't let you come back to work until you have been without symptoms for 48 hours!

I wasn't complaining, she was here and took care of Chase while I slept all day. So today she is back to work and it's just me and the boy. We are both feeling better and he never even got up last night. I was up a few times but over all I slept.

So anyhow I will get back on the bike and get with the program in a few days. Right now, I think I am going back to bed..............Have a nice day...............

Monday Blues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep I got the "Monday Blues"...

Why, because I had a great weekend and drank to much beer for the finish!

Why, I am not quite sure? It just seemed like a good ideal at the time. Now that the time has passed it doesn't seem like such a good ideal...

My head hurts and I had to go to work. Oh well, you would think I had learned by now, but no I haven't. In my case I seem to forget after a few days of sobriety. I bought a case of beer on the way home Friday and didn't even touch it till last night.

No, I didn't drink all of it but I tried! The only bright spot to that little story is the fact that I have beer for next weekend!

At this point it will be the weekend before I feel like having another one.

So anyhow here's a break down of my weekend: Rode both days and my truck broke down........

How's that for a break down, a broke down break down. Man this is some of my best writing ever!!

Friday & Traffic Court......

What a way to start the day! My lovely wife managed to get a ticket for her tag being out. She says it's my fault but I tend to disagree!

So anyhow because of this over site we ended up in Union County traffic court this morning! You want to know what lurks in the depths of society spend a Friday morning there.

Very interesting!!!! God knows I wish I could have taken my camera, it was funny.

They are very strict on the phone issue, if they catch you on the phone or even texting they will take your phone for 24 hours!

24 hours! Who came up with that rule? I guess if you end up in traffic court you fall into the school kid category!

I got to see people who came in there with pajamas on and slippers! No, combing your hair is not required for court!

Then we have the tee-shirts......Are you kidding me! I saw shirts with all kinds of stupid shit on them! They might as well have worn a shirt that said "I Am Stupid" with an arrow pointing up!

photo courtesy of google.........

Oh well, if they allowed food and drink I swear I would stop by once and awhile for some cheap entertainment......Have a good weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Night Rider.................

That was me last night! On the local club website they have a section to post up for night rides. Every week there is a post for night rides at Beatty, I always look at it and think I might do that this week! But never do!

Well last night I decided to show up. Actually the kids where at church and the wife had a headache, she didn't want to go walk so I took off and went to catch the ride!

I get there and nobody else shows up! I was like "wtf". So I get ready and hit the trails for 2 laps!

Had a great time and enjoyed the ride, the whole time wondering what happened to the group?

This morning I got my answer, I checked the website and apparently everybody bailed at the last moment!

Again "wtf.... The one person who is kinda in charge of this decided since only one other person was coming he decided to just bail.

Again, I never posted up my intentions of coming but damn... Oh well, I will try again next week, maybe the "crowd" will show up!

If not, I will have another good night ride and enjoy the stars myself.. I did see 6 deer last night, that was pretty neat! Oh, I almost ran over peter cotton tail! He acted like he didn't know which way to go!

So anyway I am still on a roll, I have been riding at least 3 nights a week for the last few weeks! Things are good.

One last thing, I don't think I am gonna get the truck. He didn't like my offer......

Getting Back to Normal.................

I must be! It's already Wednesday and I am thinking about the weekend! Seems like lately the weekend sneaks up on me!

So anyhow as I said I did slide down to Cheraw Sunday, yes it was raining!

A lot, and my wipers suck on the little blue time machine! I have no radio and only one wiper! But I get 30 miles per gallon!!

The biggest plus would be no car payment!! I'll take that all day.. Although I did drive the new truck the other day, that felt like I had hit the lottery

No shame in my game! Most people wouldn't drive a car or truck as old as mine, but to me I like dealing with the little quirks of old junk. And I can work on it too!!

Try that with your brand new "whatever".

So anyhow I had the place to myself and I had a good ride, look forward to going back!

On the way home I decided to go the "back way". You don't find many dirt roads anymore, but if you know where to look you can still find them. I like them!

I crossed the state line on one that runs for 12 miles! Nope I passed not one single vehicle!

Cody and I actually ride this road on our road bikes sometimes. I have been this way before when the dust would be unbearable!!!!!

The Rest of The Story..........

As I mentioned yesterday I did meet Kelly and rode Saturday afternoon! I still wasn't feeling good but I had to get out, there was no way I was gonna let a day get by that nice without riding!

So I get home and Cody has the dirt bikes out playing. He likes to ride all of them even the little one! he likes it because he can whip it around and play on it like it's a bicycle!

As I am piddling around the garage I notice I don't hear the bike anymore, not a good thing I am thinking!

I look around and find him sitting in the yard! So I walk over to see what's going on.

He caught a mouse! A very little one, but it was a mouse! That lasted for about 20 minutes and the mouse was free! Yes there was talk of making him a pet...

Not gonna happen....

Then to top off the evening we started a fire in the fire pit and spent the next few hours just watching it burn!

And the wife wondered why I put in that fire pit. Because of that fire pit I spent several hours in the yard with my boys just chatting on a Saturday night......

I can't think of anything better!!!!!

I Am Tired !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I have already explained to someone this morning! If you aint woren out on Monday then you just wasted a perfectly good weekend!

I live and die by that rule, and this weekend was no exception!

Saturday AM I was up and had Cody out of the bed by 8! We loaded the truck with the trash and hooked up the trailer, it was already loaded. We had cleaned up the yard a few days earlier, some plywood and an old slide.

To the dump and back! Then we loaded the truck with some scrap steel Cody had accumulated.



from the rearview mirror!

 On to the scrap yard! He made 80 bucks for his effort, not bad for a 16 year old with no job..

From there we went to Marshville and looked at a truck! Yea I plan to give him the red truck but plans can change! I saw this Friday when I was over that way so we went to look at it.

It's an 85 Chevy short bed truck 4x4. Really nice shape, new motor with tires and wheels. The lift kit was done by a professional compony. It was nice!

Nice enough I think I might buy it for me!!!!!!! Time to make an offer!!!!!!!!!

Oh yea, I meet kelly Saturday and did a lap at Sherman, still sick! That was fun... Then yesterday I went down south to Cheraw and rode in the rain for 2 hours.. Had a blast!!!!

Getting Better................

Yep at least I am starting to get better! Last night I finally slept all night and didn't wake up sweating like a pig!

Of course the weather would be looking like if I want to ride it would have to be tomorrow am! It would be nice if the rain came through tonight, that way I could rest longer.

But no, if I want to ride this weekend it will have to be tomorrow! Sunday it looks like rain all day, the only bright spot would be we might get some snow !

Got my fingers crossed.........................................................

Still Got the Fever !!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the crud! Still no sleep, chills and the sweats! IT SUCKS........

I swear I only get sick about twice a year and I have already been sick once this year. At least I thought I was sick, compared to this time I only had a small cold last time...

Of course I am spreading the wealth and coming to work everyday. You know the rule! "Never waste a sick day on being sick".

I live and die by that one.. Right now I feel like I am about to die but I know it gets better. At this point it can't get any worse!

With a combination of Tamiflu, Naproxen, Delsym and some other pill for congestion I am giving it a hell of a fight!

I hope you understand, with the current state of my head it's been hard to write this week.

Yes I had a good ride the night before but since then I haven't even touched a bike....

I Got the Fever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, really! I have a fever! Felt things coming on yesterday and guess what it's here!!

So to keep it short and sweet today that's about all I have to say.........

I just don't feel like writing..........

Last Post Continued....................

So yesterday after I got off work I went and hit Sherman Branch. From work I can be there and in the woods by 4:30.

In I went!

53min. later I came out! For those of you who are not familiar with the place, that is a damn good lap! No I didn't ride a second lap, not last night.

This weekend I will start doing 2 laps, right now it's hard to get 2 in by dark. They close the park at dark so they like you to be gone! When I can do 2 at that pace I will know where I am at!

Here's the deal, you know that new 29er I bought. I still hate it! I have been riding it the last 3 months and have tried to give it the nod! You know, the seal of approval!

It ain't happening! I can't ride it! I can't make it go! I am tired of trying!

I was on the 26in full squish last night and was tearing it up! I can make it go up the hills and around the turns so much better, it's like I am "on it"...

I ain't trying to take away from the bike, but for me 29er's just don't work! Don't ask me why, everybody else seems to love them!

Obviously it's me but I can't tell ya why.....Want to buy a bike.........

Running Late !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, Running Late with the post today! I have been kinda busy here today, sometimes the job comes first!

Hard to believe but I do get paid to be here!

So anyhow I went to Uhwarrie and put in a sucky lap! That was Saturday and I had Charles with me. I think he gets tired of waiting on me sometimes but he's a good sport, he doesn't show it.

Right now I seem to be stuck in a rut! I am riding a lot but it's like I can't step up to where I want to be speed wise.

I am like right on the verge of where I want to be but just haven't gotten there! I can see it and feel it but it seems to be just out of reach!

I have perimeters, as far as race lap times from when I was on "it". But right now I seem to be just a few minutes off of where I want to be!

It's frustrating, 2 years ago I was on top of my game, I could ride with all my bud's and hold my own!

Then I managed to stick the handlebar in my leg and it took forever to come back from that. Truth is I haven't regained my full strength yet!

With Cody tearing his ACL and having his knee rebuilt he hasn't be able to ride for the better part of 6 months. And I know I can come up with 10 more reason if I need too.

Point is: I am finally making an effort to pick it up. Stay tuned, training sucks!

I guess that's what you would call it! But what I am training for I have no ideal.

Nope! I am not going to Iowa now for various reasons beyond my control! I have been avoiding telling everybody this but now I have. You've been told........

I will find something big to do before the end of the year, and I want to be prepared! I guess that's why I am "training". 

Damn Dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the last 5 years I have heard about the "sheep dog lady". I always thought people were pulling my leg! There's no "sheep dog lady" at Francis Beatty Park!

Guess what! There is!!!!

And the damn dog tried to bite me!

How did it end you ask? Not good! After he growled at me and chased me up the trail I stopped and ended up kicking him square in the side!

Then the dumb ass lady who won't keep her stupid mutt on a leash got mad and started yelling at me!

Not a good time to start yelling at me when I am sitting there trying to keep an eye on her stupid dog and getting a lot madder by the second!

She even threatened to call the cops because I kicked her stupid dog! I am not sure how many kids read this but for the sake of there might be 1, I will keep this PG.

And not tell you what I told her she could go do with her dog and her self!

Up unto that point I was having a great ride and still rode 2 laps at Beatty in 1 hour! That is almost the same pace we end up with in the races..

Now for the weekend! I have been riding so much this week that I haven't even given any thought to what I want to do! That doesn't happen very often! Usually by now I have my whole weekend planned!

I know it will be cold but I can handle it!!!

Have a nice weekend............

On a Roll......

Tuesday night I went riding and only did the one lap, still not sure why I only did one! Well I figured it would probably be Thursday night before I got to go again.

Nope, I got to go again yesterday!

I got home and it didn't take me long to get on the wife's nerves! To my surprise she says "go ride"..

"Are you kidding"!!! That was my first question?

She wasn't! I was out the door before she could change her mind..

Straight to Beatty I went! Two laps in the dark and I felt alot better..

Went home and watched the game. Carolina and Duke..Made me laugh!!!!

Anyhow, got the bike in the back and heading there right after work for a good hour ride, I don't get to many times I can slip off and ride 2-3 times in the middle of the week! In the last 7 days, this will be day number 5!

No Pictures.....

That's right "No Pictures"!! My tongue was dragging to bad to worry about taking pictures!

Met Scott and Kelly at Poplar Tent last night and put in a ride. We meet at 4:30 so I had my ride in before it got dark. They did a 2nd lap and ended in the dark..

Why did I not do a 2nd lap you ask? Good question...

No, I don't have a good answer! As a matter of fact I am kinda mad at myself for not doing a 2nd lap!

It wasn't one of my best rides but I was still hanging in there! They didn't leave me but I was defiantly hurting worse than they where....

It was a little muddy and I think all of us went down at least once! Kelly of course with the most spectacular over the bars endo..... Leave it to Kelly...

So my point is if you are out there and already muddy ya might as well stay and get really muddy...

I won't make that mistake a second time..............

High Water !!!!!!!!!!!

"Hell or High Water"... Yea I said that.. Last Thursday to be exact...

Somebody pointed that out to me yesterday.. I said that about going down to Manchester State Forest over the weekend!

Well guess what, it didn't happen! That's right, I made a plan and didn't stick to it..

You know why? I drank too much beer Friday night and didn't want to get out of bed that early Saturday. Hell I almost missed out on the ride at Uhwarrie with my buds!

I was late for that!

Point being, "What the hell was I thinking"....

Anyhow, I still got in plenty of riding over the weekend, I just didn't go down south! Dammit!!!!

Oh well, night ride Poplar Tent tonight... Be there, or be square

Check this out! I Googled Poplar Tent under images and I found these shots of the infamous "Mudman"..

Old School Weekend...............

When I say, "Old School Weekend". I am referring to a time when it was socially acceptable to ride your bicycle in the rain on muddy trails! Like we used to do!

I took an extended break from bicycles for about 10 years, and when I came back that was one of the biggest surprises for me! The fact that they close all the trails when we get rain. Unless we have a race, but let's not go there today.

Even though the local club now has the Uhwarrie trails to maintain you are allowed to ride there when it rains. Something to do with the it being a national forest. It's always been open because of that.

It was muddy! Which made it a blast!!!

Checkout these pictures, they had been doing a controlled burn over there last week and the connector trail was really cool! I took all the pictures before I ran into my buddies. Once I meet them the camera never came back out. It was hammer down and I was hanging on!

The way they had done the burn was really neat! They burned right up to the edge of the trail but not the trail! How the hell they did that I have no clue!

Sunday I went out and rode the the road bike, of course I had to go over behind the damn for the 1 shot of the year with the water coming over the top!

Now I Am Ready..............

No, I don't know yet if I am gonna get to go south yet. I guess I will figure that out tonight.

But I damn sure am ready for the weekend! I haven't really been in the mood to write today. I try not to be a big wuss but sometimes I can be..

My damn outside tom-cat kicked the buck last night. A dog got ahold of him and there wasn't much we could do. Karen found him when she got home yesterday and we tried to make him comfy.

I am gonna miss my cat. He was cool..

Tough as nails, he was always around. He was my guard cat! He slept in the garage every night and loved the heat lamp!

Ok, now you know why I feel bad! Now I need to ride and feel better!

I am gonna make it south if I have to get up at 6am and go.. Pictures will follow Monday..

Manchester State Forrest, that's my plan............

Thinking................

By this time of the week I either run out of things to talk about, or I am tired of talking!

I start "thinking" about what lies ahead.

ie: The weekend!!!!!

Around my house I usually start laying the ground work for what I want to accomplish on the coming weekend. You know "what you thinking about this weekend baby" that kinda water testing.

That way she thinks she is in charge! As long as she thinks that my life seems to work just fine.

Then I plan around the things she has on her mind! The only time that becomes a problem is when she throws me a curve ball and changes the "plan"..

So here's my "plan".. Or want list, which ever applies...

We have a race on March 4th down in Sumter SC. It's the first race of the Southern Classic Series. I raced down there 20 years ago and love the place!

We used to go down there and ride sometimes, I want to go back!

This weekend!!

Will it happen? I don't know..

I might have to actually go to a movie and act like I want to be there, if I pull that off I can make it happen!!

I Am Such A Rebel..............

That's right, no shame in my game! Hit Sherman last night and did it backwards..

Roller Coaster too! Much to my surprise, and the fact it was dry! I was able to climb all the step short hills on that section too.

Yes I stayed outta the way, right now with all the leaves down you can see someone coming way before you get to them. Nobody seemed to mind, everybody I meet was nice and said hi. Although I made it easy for them, by the time they came by I would be sitting off to the side in the woods..

If you ever get the chance try it sometime! There are only a few sections where you know if you meet someone they will be hauling the mail. Through those sections you defiantly need to slow down and pay attention, besides that it was really neat.

You get a whole new view of the trail.. Enjoy the pictures, see if you can tell where I was.....Yes I rode the long log thing backwards!!! Took 3 times, but I got it.....