Catching Up......

OK, as I said last week, the kids surprised me and showed up to ride with me. This is them at the trail head.

Chase is growing so fast he is gonna need another bike before long! Again!!!

Then over the weekend we had a visitor hanging out behind the house, he was in the pine trees. About 5 feet long! Looked like he was nice and healthy so we left him alone. As long as they stay away from the house all is good!

Let's not forget the new dog, Daisy she is growing like a weed! As of right now she has decided it's not to bad living with us. She has made herself right at home. She likes to swim and loves to play with our other dog Odie.

Also Cody has been getting the boat ready, he is old enough now he can take it to the lake and go fishing so he is spending all his time getting it prepped. My mom is about to have a fit just thinking about him and the lake but he'll be fine. The kid loves to fish so he might as well enjoy it.

Last but not least, I won a set of Crank Brothers Pedals a few years ago and have never used them. They have been sitting on a shelf in the garage forever and I have always used the XTR's. So last night I changed up! We are riding this afternoon so stay tuned for a report tomorrow.

I hate change.......

I suck..........

I took a few pictures for the blog this weekend and then left the camera at the house! Oh well, I can put them up tomorrow.

So my Uhwarrie ride was a fail and my ride in general was a fail. I ended up just meeting Charles at Sherman and going for a ride. I show up with a headache and no energy. We'll leave out the details but I know better than that.

Riding with Charles is like riding with Kelly, you better have your head right. Nope, I sucked and wanted to go to the truck halfway through. I even tried to get Charles to go ahead so I could suffer in peace, he wouldn't. I think he liked making me suffer.

Then spent the day in the pool playing with the wife and kids. Sunday was the road bike and more of the same. The weather stayed right all weekend and we took advantage of it. I hope it's good this afternoon, I want to ride road again.

Plus the fact I decided to try and see if I could make it on the motorcycle today. I haven't riddin it since the mountains. We have been getting so many showers it's just sit in the garage.

Let's Go Riding !!!!!!!!!!!!

After yesterday I need a ride. It was just a weird day for me. Running into "that guy" yesterday am and then one of my good friends father passed away yesterday afternoon, I had every excuse to go home and drink beer.

I didn't, I just wasn't in the mood.

I also went and picked up my mom from the airport, she came home from Philadelphia. That was my highlight for the day. Got her back in town. She went to see my brother and his family. They are doing good, I hope I will see him before to long. I miss having him around here.

So I spent the evening with the wife, we went swimming, the pool water is just wet at this time. NOT cool at all. The way our pool sits it has sun all day ever day. It tends to heat up. At night you can go out there after dark and it's nice and warm. That's fun.

Tomorrow I am getting up early and heading to Uhwarrie, I plan to ride at least 3 hours. I want to do as much climbing as possible. That's the place to do it! After last Sunday at ORAMM I want to get stronger in the hills so Uhwarrie and I are gonna become good friends!

Sunday we will probably have church and an early am ride. Right now we are kinda laying low, we go on vacation in 2 weeks, the beach for a week. So nothing big planned till then. Gotta get the coins in line! I am looking forward to this one, I always enjoy the beach I can get lazy real quick.

No bikes allowed, my choice. If I take them I end up feeling guilty if I don't ride every day so I leave them home and I have no guilt. It's my vacation! I don't need to ride, I do that enough!

23 Years ................

That's it!

I know this blog is in all fun and games, I do it for my amusement more than anything. I have family all over the country that seems to get a kick out of my BS but I really try to keep the blog pretty laid back.

Believe me I could get on a rant about all kinda stuff that I have an opinion about, but everybody else has their own opinions too. So I just like to keep it about me and the kids, our everyday happenings.

Today is different.

Let's start with a story. "23 Years Ago"

23 years ago I was 21 and living at home, I blew everything I made on bicycles and dirt bikes. Racing dirt bikes is really expensive so I took a part time job delivering pizza. I had been doing it for a few months when this happened.

One Saturday night we where real busy so the owners fiance was delivering also. We had these wind socks that lit up and hung from your passenger window. This was a small one store operation so we where all pretty good friends.

I am gonna leave names out of this story on purpose, for one I don't want this post to pop up in Google if someone every was to Google any of these names. Two I don't want anything I have ever written to pop up with this crazy POS's name in it. He doesn't deserve any recognition!

Back to the story, it's around 11pm and I am heading back into Matthews from Union County. I see one of our flag's and the car up in the woods at the Matthews Post Office. Cops are everywhere, I pull in to see if I can help in anyway. I knew it was his fiance's car.

They stop me and tell me to stay away, I ask what's going on, they ask if I am going to the store I reply yes it's the owners fiance's car. They say you need to stay here. They had just sent someone to go get him and didn't want me to be the one to tell him.

Again I ask what's up, they tell me this time. Someone had shot her and she was dead! They tell me to take down the wind sock, I am standing there in shock. They don't know if it was random or what at this point.

I am standing there when her fiance pulls up in the cop car. I saw first hand what it did to this guy when he found out. I can't even begin to tell you how I felt at that moment, much less how he felt.

The next few days are a blur, we close up shop and they have a funeral for her back in her home town. We all go. At this point they still have not made an arrest.

Finally after about 10 days they make an arrest. It turns out it was all over who cut who off. Apparently he cut her off and she was bright lighting him. He motioned for her to pull over and she did. To this day that's the million dollar question? Why didn't she just keep going!

She pulled over and he jumped out with a gun and shot her, point blank range twice through the windshield.

I used to think about that night alot, but as time goes by you tend to let bad things slip further from your mind. The pizza place closed not long after this happened and I haven't seen her fiance in years, he moved back home for awhile up in Statesville. We lost touch, I don't blame him I would have wanted to get away from this area also.

This morning it was like someone poured cold water over my head. It all came right back in my face! The man who killed her ended up getting life in prison. Guess what, that's a joke!

I am at my desk this morning and look up, he's standing at the front counter wanting to know if we are hiring. He's out of prison!

 23 years and he is back on the street, her life ended that night. His should have too! How can that happen?

He gets to start over, when does she...........

Surprise !!!!!!!!!

So now we are back to the normal, my everyday schedule. Of course I am already trying to figure out my next adventure. I want to get back up to the mountains so that is high on my list. So right now I am back to riding as much as possible.

It's funny, I get home Sunday from the mountains and I am thinking about getting back up there and Robert called last night. It's time to start planning the fall mtn. trip. So I thought that was pretty cool. Although I want to go before then. I think I am going to Uhwarrie this weekend. That will feel like the mtn's, I want to climb.

Now for the "Surprise", last night I was gonna ride after work. Kelly was going to be there and that was about it. My kids decided to come and meet me.

Cody is now riding a little more regular and Chase wanted to come. Since Cody can drive now I thought that was pretty cool. Chase hasn't ridin in awhile so it was fun to ride with him. Cody took off and was out in front of us so Chase and I got to chat. I miss having my boys along, it's been awhile so I am glad they are starting to ride again.

It worked out too, Kelly layed around and fell asleep so he never showed. Perfect for a ride with my kids! They both say they want to run the Southern Classic Series next year so I hope we start building for that. Let's hope it works out.

Tonight I am gonna hit the road, I have been neglecting the new road bike, it's time to put some miles on it!

Race Day

As I said yesterday the alarm came early, 5:30! We raided the continental breakfast bar and loaded the truck again. Old Fort 20 minutes later and unload the truck. Kelly and Chris get ready and I walk around and take a few pictures. First thing I see is a monster ambulance! 4 wheel drive and all, what kinda race needs a wagon like that......Hmmmmm.... Made me wonder.. 

The plan is for me to help them at check point 1 and 2. Then I would go back to Old Fort and park the truck. From there I would ride back to checkpoint 5 and ride the remainder of the race with them. So I wasn't even riding till around 1.

the start....

chris on left luke sugar on right...

Start at 8 and they where off. Chris lined up at the front and Kelly fell in a little further back. At the first checkpoint Chris was sitting in the top 20 and Luke was in top ten. Kelly was around 100, which ain't nothing to sneeze at! With 5 hundred people racing I would love to have been in the top 100. Things went well and then it was time to head to checkpoint 2.

I get there and it's around 10:30. Things are going well. Chris comes through and he's still in the top 20. Then he pulls the plug! He's using this race as a training ride for Leadville Colorado. "THE Leadville 100" Yea he made the field for this year's race.

So he does the climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and turns around and comes back to pickup Kelly. He plans to ride the rest of the race with him. Kelly comes through and he was in about the 140th position. After they leave I am on my own.

Back to Old Fort and I park the truck and get my stuff together. I have plenty of time to kill before I meet up with them. About 3 hours. I call the wife and chat a little and head to the store. I get a few snacks and eat then I head out. I have about a ten mile road ride to get back to the checkpoint I am meeting them at.

I get there take a nap and hangout for a little while, they come through about 2:15 and off we go. There's about 15 miles left to go, I have never riddin these trails so it's all new for me. Of course Kelly has ridden the whole thing so he's pretty whacked by now!

Chris has been keeping him in check and he's still kicking. So I get to ride Kitsuma trail and a few others, damn theres a lot of climbing in Pisgah! All the climbing comes with a lot of descending! The fun part !

When it's all said and done Kelly has managed a top 200 spot and finished in 7:29! Not bad for his first time and no training! So we load the truck for the last time and head to the house. I would call that a good weekend, maybe next year I might try it......

Last Minute Change of Plans..........

Sitting around, Friday evening, it's about 8 o'clock. I get a text, hey baby you care if I checkout in the morning and go with Kelly and Chris W to the ORAMM race.

LOL.. That was her first reply, she's gonna kill me when she sees I put that on here. When she figured out I was for real she was cool with it. So just like that my weekend was planned.

I packed and ready I was! Saturday am I went to the car wash and cleaned my bike, came home and lubed the chain. Maintenance was done. 2 o'clock came and on the road we where.

ghetto load job!!!!!

Picked up Chris and to the mountains we went! By the way my boy Chris W. got his pro license last week! He is now full on pro level mtn biker, throw in Kelly and his ability and I was way over my head as far as ability goes! He and I both ride Cannondale's with the Lefty fork. The front wheel doesn't come off like a regular bike with a fork. So loading them with Kelly's bike was a little tricky.

Beer drinking, I have that covered though, they are both light weights in that category. So I had one category covered! No matter what happened I was gonna win something before I came home!

on way to check in....

We get there and they check in Saturday night, that outta the way we went to Buck Creek Campground and meet up with a bunch of other racers for a big dinner. Jeff was the man putting it on and he had a keg of beer to boot! Score, I win.... They didn't want to drink with the race the next day....Losers.....

campground...we had their spot slam full of cars...

So after a good meal and some good conversation we headed to the motel. Kelly and Chris spent time getting their drop bags ready for the race and I just got ready for bed...

Lights out came early and the alarm came even earlier......Race tomorrow.......

Gonna Do It Again...........

It seems I am on a roll. Gonna meet Kelly again for the 3rd time this week, for a ride this afternoon. Yea he's kickin my ass, I am learning just how slow I have gotten in the last few months with my half ass approach to riding.

Don't get me wrong, I am riding but I ain't trying to kill it.

Somehow or another he managed to get into the ORAMM race this weekend. For those not in the know, that would be called The Off Road Assault On Mt. Mitchell. It's been sold out for months but he found someone who wanted out.

This ain't your regular bike race! It's one of the hardest things you could do this side of the Mississippi. 67 miles and 11000 feet of climbing!! No shit, his goal is just to finnish, as good of shape he is in and just finishing would be an accomplishment, I think he'll do better. We'll see...

No need for me to try to get in. Not at this point. But that's why I am riding with him as much as possible. 3 years ago I would have been right beside him with the sole intention of kicking his ass. Back then, when the stars aligned and the moon was right, I could still beat him sometimes.

Now, NOT...........

That suck's. So suffer I will!

You gotta have a goal, so in a way I am racing again. Without paying the entry fee's. All I gotta do is drag my sorry butt outta bed and show up when the fast kids ride........

The "Tour"......

I know I haven't talked about it much this year, but as we all know the tour lasts the whole month of July. In my house that means we watch it the whole month.

Well it ends this Saturday and without mush fan fair. With all the wrecks in the first week the field is so spread out there just isn't much going on with the overall this year. It's still exciting bur in a different kinda way. You really need to understand how the whole race works to get into it this year.

I am enjoying it, but most people are not really paying much attention to it this year.

I was hoping we were gonna get through this year with no problems but low and behold they kick Frank Schleck out yesterday for a failed drug test! Of all people! I never would have though he would have been one for this to happen too. Damn!!

I hope it works out for him but it's rather disappointing! It just gives the sport a black eye again. People who haven't watched the first minute of the race came up to me this morning asking if I knew they had another dopper in this years race.

As an avid cyclist it just makes me mad!

Sherlock Holmes........Not........

Well maybe, I did do my own investigation and figured it out. Most of the time I just roll into the bike shop and make my problem their problem. Sometimes they seem interested, other times they don't.

I think they listen and let out a sigh of relief when I walk out. 

What did I figure out you ask? Well the stem is to long on my new most awesome road bike. It has the old pinch bolt 1" stem on it and it's to long. I need a shorter one.

So I "Google" Dimension bicycle parts. That is the name stamped on the stem I have, see I was using all 3 of my brain cells to figure this out. I end up connected to Amazon.com, 15 pages later I find what I am looking for! Score!!!!

A "steerer adaptor 1" quill to 1-1/8" thread less black". In my Color, now I can get rid of my chrome stem and get back to black.

I figured this out all by myself... Now I can use my shorter stem off my donor bike and get everything back in line.

"Everything".... Meaning my back!!!!!!!! So far that's the only change I think I might make. Total invested $16.50.... Just call me "Sherlock".. 

Let's Just Write That One Off....

It was Monday, it came, it went. I worked, I came home, I watched the rain go over head and the wind blow. It only rained long enough to get the ground wet, then it was gone.

Then I got the weed eater out and did the yard. Yard work is just not making it very high on my "give a shit list" this year. Yes I keep the grass mowed, and it doesn't look that bad, if I lived in a neighborhood with a home owners association I would probably be getting a letter. But I don't and you can't see me from the road.

So it is what it is. At the rate I am going I might have to weed eat 2 more times this year. Although it does look good when I am done.

So no ride and a little house maintenance, what a waste! The to top it off, they are calling for the same weather tonight. So maybe I will get out maybe I won't, will see.

I did pickup the new Bicycling magazine and worked on it last night, it's funny I build up my steel bike and they have an article on steel bikes. Great minds think alike!!!

That Hurt !!!!!

One thing I failed to mention yesterday was a little more information on my ride. My first real ride on my nice new classic road bike.

My first ride,,,,,

Well here's how it went, I take off and take the rough road out. I am just pedaling along trying to get the feel of my new ride. I am about 13 miles into it when all of a sudden I have this chick on a full aero time trial bike come out of nowhere.

She says "good morning, how are you" as she motors right by. We'll I said hi right back and looked down, hell I am rolling along at 18mph. So I am thinking, damn she's rolling, and she is. Away from me! So what do I do, I kick it in the ass and catch her.

So when I get up behind her she is pulling us along at 26mph! I was like what the hell, she's flying! So I offer to take my turn at the front and she doesn't respond. OK maybe she doesn't want company, I offer again, no reply!

OK, I can respect that, you never know sometimes people are training or just having a good ride. They don't want to be bugged.

If you go to the park and go for a walk you don't just walk up and start walking with other people, you find your own groove. So I backed off and let her have her ride.

I end up about 200 yards back and that's where I stayed. For the next 8 miles I stay right there  I get caught by a light and have to really kick it again to get back into sight. It was fun and I got a good workout but damn that hurt. Pulling along at 25-26 by yourself and staying there is harder than it sounds.

Throw in a few extra hard pulls from trying to catch back up and I had a good ride. I can feel it in my legs this morning. Yea I like my bike it has a cool old school look to it, I wonder what she thought when she went by on her high dollar Orbea time trial special........

She probably thought "newbie"........

Random Sunday...........

OK, so it's Sunday and I am ready for the wife and kids to come home! Yes I have enjoyed the peace and quite but now I am ready for the noise.

You know I am bored if I am on here on the weekend! Yesterday I met Kelly and Scott at the trails and got in a good ride. As I have said, they have been tied up working and training for the triathlon so I haven't seen much of them lately. So it was cool to have my partners back out for a ride.

Scott had surgery on his knee recently so he was kinda taking it easy, yep he still dropped me! Gary came and rode for a few minutes with us. He's gonna get there he just needs seat time. We meet at 8am, I am kinda getting used to this riding early. We rode and I was still home by 11.

Then this morning I got up and hit the road for my first real ride on my "new bike". I like it, it's smooth and easy.

One more thing we have going on these days would be the addition of our newest member! Meet Daisy! At first Odie didn't like her but now they are playing constantly......

Old School Cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To cool for school ! Old school rules ! You name it we got it !

That's right, it's done and were having fun !! Aluminum is right, Carbon is tight, BUT...

Steel is real !!!!!!

Damn I am on a roll this morning...

OK, let's get to it. I went to the shop at lunch yesterday and got a new chain and a few more cables, then went home. One hour later I had everything adjusted and on my test ride.

bridgestone rb-2 road bike

Totally surprised, it's been a long time since I have thrown a leg over a steel frame. Surprise it was! This thing rides so smooth, it's weird. You look down and see those little tubes and it's just weird. The frame is 23 years old! No shit, this bike has been around the house or under the house or hanging in the garage, don't forget the 5 years it was stored in the back of dad's wood shop!

It's been around that long..

Well Cody stripped it and put all my good parts on it and I adjusted all of it. Now I am rolling. My first ride was in shorts and only 4 miles but it was on a rough road. You can feel the difference, the flex is there but it's so smooth I swear it makes you glide down the road.

in the process

about to get tape

donor bike..kid was glad to hold it..can't ya tell

the finished product...

Throw in the Brooks saddle and it is one sweet ride. When was the last time you saw a Bridgestone bicycle?

Slow It Goes.............

Sometimes it just goes slow.. At least it does when it rained right before you ride. Yea, I know we weren't exactly politically correct with a ride last night. But hell, they had a race on the other side of town!

I know I have covered this before, but I ain't to fond of the 24 hour rule. Not when we have the summer series even when it has rained.

So I get to Sherman yesterday after we had our afternoon storms. Slow and easy. Every since I tried to tear my leg off 2 years ago when it was slick and a root got me I take it pretty slow when I ride wet trails. I don't want to repeat that again.

It was fun though, Gary and Glen showed up and we took out time and got a little dirty. Definatly wasn't my fastest lap ever but I had ridden hard the night before. By the time we were done some sections had already started to dry, no harm no foul.

The best part of the day was when I got home! I got my Bridgestone road bike back a few months ago and I had planned on building it up. Planned yes but doing no. Well Cody stepped up and did the whole thing for me yesterday!

That's right my kid can build a bicycle! Who needs high school, I am already proud!

He stripped everything off my Motobecane and the Bridgestone. Then he rebuilt the Bridgestone. Now I will be riding a steel frame from the early 90's! How cool is that!!

The bike still only weighs 17 pounds and now I have an old school classic frame with all high end Ultegra and XRP Pro Superlight wheels plus carbon cranks! Tomorrow we will have pictures!

All we have left to do is new brake cable housings and cables. I changed all the shifters cables and housing last night, then adjust everything and I am done.....

Remember, "Steel Is Real Baby"......................

You Don't Get Many..........

Many rides like last night. First off, I should get my Bloggie Camera back before long, it's still in Charleston. I need it! It fits so well in my back pockets on my jersey it's hard to carry anything else.

So I haven't had many pictures lately.

Well last night I hit Sherman at 5:15, that was when I went in the woods. I was riding my 29er, 26 still out of commission. From the start I felt good, knees where feeling good back was right and it wasn't to hot. All I needed was the rain to hold off. Luckily it did!

As I hit the Lake Loop it started to sprinkle a little bit, it didn't last long so I was fine. I usually don't feel like I am going that fast on the 29 but last night I seemed to have it all figured out. Things where flowing and turns were railed!

When I came out of the Roller Coaster Loop at the start of the trail I still felt good so I stepped it up a little and just stayed with it. I haven't had a ride that felt like that in awhile. My heart rate was up and I was breathing hard the whole lap. It never seemed like I was gonna blow up or loose my legs.

All was right in the "riding" universe....

So right I brought all my stuff for today, the wife and kids head to the beach Friday and I have a weekend trip planned for the mountains. So ride tonight and help her pack Thursday.....Gonna be a good weekend.............

Rain Go Away..........

Now that I have my rant outta the way I can carry on! Sometimes you just gotta vent, yesterday I did. LOL

I guess my old school ways just don't match the younger crowd sometimes. Dad would be proud! It used to drive him crazy if he was late to anything.

We had a good ride, I did enjoy after we finally got off the curb. I will meet up and ride with them again now I understand how they roll. My guys are going to be back up and running starting this week so I know I have some catching up to do. They have all been wrapped up in training for a triathlon.

They did it Sunday in Charleston so now they are back on schedule. For the last month all they have been doing is swimming. Now they will drop me, but I know they will be on time! LOL

So anyhow I rode Friday night Saturday and then tried to ride Sunday. When I say "tried to ride" I mean it! After spending all afternoon Saturday in the pool and sunshine I think I had a touch of sun poisoning. I went out and I had nothing, the wind was blowing and that wasn't helping!

After 15 miles I turned and headed home, nothing in the tank! Tonight I will try again. Hopefully the trails will be open and I can head to the woods. We got about 4 inches of rain at my house, but from what I understand it didn't rain a drop 10 miles down the road.....

Damn.......... Just A Little Rant........

I love summer and I love winter! It depends on which time of year I am thinking about the other. I think I like winter better at this time of the year!

Sounds rather fickle but it is what it is....I rode Beatty park Friday evening and then meet a group Saturday am at Back Yard Trails. Right now I am riding my 29er because of the broke frame on my Specialized. As I have said before I am not a fan of 29ers but it beats not riding at all!

I am just faster on the 26 and that's what I like to ride. So Friday was kinda like a get to know you a little better ride and Saturday I figured out right quick, the 29er is not a good choice for trails as tight as BYT!

It was fun but I won't be back there until the 26 is fixed. Lake Norman is a perfect trail for 29 but really tight and technical trails are not what it's made for!

Now for the ride Saturday, I meet with a new group of guys, one of them I have ridden with a few times and the others it was the first time. AND THE LAST.....Why?

Because my regular riding buddies and I understand that when we say let's ride at 9am that means we are riding at 9am! Not "let's kinda get there at 9 and then oil our chain and make water bottles and check shock pressure". All that is stuff you should have done when you get there!

I get there and I am ready to ride at 9, on the bike ready! 2 guys show up at 9 then the other 3 roll in about 10 after, then they want to chat and get ready. By the time everybody is actually ready to ride it's now 9:45! WTF..........

I live the furthest from the trails and I am ready to ride AT 9.... Nobody else is... No offence they where good guys and I enjoyed the ride, but I won't make a point to do it again... Or if I do I will know that 9 means 10........

OK, now I feel a little better I got it out of my system.................

Look Forward to The End..........

The end of the week! That would be today, finally we have a real Friday!

My last two weeks have been across the board. I didn't work the Friday before I went out of town and then I was on Vacation last week then this week being off in the middle of the week. Hell I can't remember what day it is, or if I am coming or going.

I need a regular weekend (2 days), next week I am off on Friday and heading somewhere. So I have a short week again. We will chat about what I have planned next week. Today we are gonna chat about riding!

OK, here it is. Lately I have been riding the hell out of my mountain bike, I slipped in one road ride but everything else has been in the woods. Before I went out of town I hit the Back Yard Trails in Charlotte for the first time ever. I still can't believe how technical they are!

Why I waited I don't know. But I will be going back tomorrow.

Then I went to Lake Norman on July 4th!

What a bang!

Of course I have never been there either, why I don't know. That place is kick ass!!! No doubt if you have already been there you know that, but my dumb ass has never been! Again, why I am not sure. Other than the fact it's so far away from my house.

78 miles to be exact! ONE WAY!! That's a long way, as my wife pointed out I could have went to the beach for that round trip! Add 30 more miles to the round trip and I could've went to Pisgah. I usually camp when I go there so that kinda explains why I haven't been to Lake Norman!

I got up at 6am and got home at 1pm, I did ride ever thing they have to offer, I figured I came this far I am gonna do it all. It was well worth it. The trails are fantastic and flow good. It's kinda like riding in the mountains without the climbs. I will be back!

When, I don't know, but it is a fantastic trail system. I was surprised at the amount of people who use it, well maybe not that surprised after riding there. But when you know the parking lot at Sherman was probably packed and then you go up there and see the amount of people using that place. It kinda makes you realize just how many people do ride mountain bikes!

All I can say is "it's a lot"!!!!!! Which makes smile.....Have a good weekend and I will be back to a normal schedule for at least 4 days next week.........

Second Monday Of The Week !!!!!!!!!!

sycamore cycles....hendersonville

i took a picture of this shirt...good for a laugh

my dream truck......get outta the way........

hail storm at the house

OK, that's pretty much a wrap on my available pictures. I checked out Sycamore Cycles while I was in Hendersonville, yea believe it or not I went to a bike shop. I wanted a shirt from them but all they had were kids sizes.

I found the shirt in a sporting goods store, I liked what it said but not enough to buy it. So I cheated and took a picture of it! My dream truck was in front of Green River Bar-B-Que. Said they use it when they have extreme weather, which isn't often, the guy said it hasn't moved in a few years.

The last picture is a hail storm that came through the other evening. Those white streaks are hail, not rain. Well it was raining too, but the streaks are hail.....Of course it was coming down on my new roof! Damn!!

The point of this post today is the fact I had a great vacation. One with very little to do. We did go tubing and we ate great food, checked out a million neat little shops. All and all I like vacations with a lot of down time. The batteries are recharged and I am looking forward to the next one in August!

August will be the one for the kids, a week at the beach. I will enjoy it, don't worry, it"s just busier. Fun in the sun and fishing in the marsh.

I did get in a great ride yesterday the fourth, but we'll get to that tomorrow. For now it feels like Monday all over again........

A Few Shots..........

So here is a few of the 42 I have. The rest of my pictures are in Charleston..........

view from the front porch

downtown Hendersonville

lunch my syle

the wife asking why I am taking a picture of a beer

because I can !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All Good Things Must Come To An End.......

And that SUCKS..........

With those 3 words I am back in the real world. We had a great time and I have tales to tell.

Pictures, that's a different story! Like a dumbass I left my camera in a friends car while we were gone and now most of my pictures are in Charleston SC where she lives! So I lost the first half of the weeks pictures. Yes I will get them (and the camera) back but it might take a few days.

It gives us a good reason to go see she her in Charleston but with everything else we have planned it ain't the option I can make happen right now. So it looks like the US mail will be my savior.

Then to top it off I forgot my other camera today so now all I have is words.

First, lets start with the Friday before last, that was my first day off. While the wife was home cleaning the house and packing I slipped out for a ride!

I have ridden for over 20 years and never been to Back Yard Trails. That is a trail system off Tyvola Rd in Charlotte. It has been kinda of a "in the loop" system, as in "not official". Well now it is.

Now it's well marked and the local Tarheel Trailblazers club is keeping it up. I decided to go and try it out. Damn it's sweet! Old school all the way! It ain't no race course, you have to pay attention and stay on top of your game!

I took all kinda pictures, and don't have any to show.....  Tomorrow the mountains............