I'm alive and better than ever!

Doing good! Does anyone read this besides spam-bots?

A lot has happened in 24 months!

Here we are at Chez King the night before the KKOTR Challenge 2011!

And Thanksgiving in Boulder!
And making funny faces.
On mountain tops.

Life is good!

New Years and team camp

Did anyone notice that the year ended on a full moon? Or that it was actually a blue moon? Well, if not, that trivia was brought to you by me. And it was brought to my attention by someone who was part of a New Years off-the-grid party, on a cabin on the Dartmouth ski way, where I was with Rudy, Amy, and a bunch of Dartmouth alums aware of such things. I'm hoping it brings good luck for the next decade...and for the rest of my life.

Anyway, we spend a rustic night at this cabin, full of heat, people, and booze, which is an ideal way to do it. Towards midnight we went snowshoeing, sledding and made short work of destroying two perfectly good sleds on the ski runs.

The next day, I skied with Rudy at a nearby top secret location, and then boogied over to Newfound Lake in a snow storm, for a team camp with most of my 2010 IF team. Over many drinks, and games of Scrabble and Blockus, we hashed out the coming year. I'm still trying to prove that "fleecey" is a word. Obviously it is.

The highlight was an attempt on the summit of Mt Cardigan yesterday, from the rugged east side. Although only 3100 ft high, we didn't make it because we lost the trail in the snow drifts, and it was snowing sideways at us, due to the wind was shrieking by at 40mph. And the whole summit was covered in a sheet of ice. So above tree line, we really didn't have any grip, not that we even had much in the woods. But here are some pictures below tree line of the soon to be famous, IF racers.

And just like this blog post, my New Years vacation has come to an end. Happy 2010.

Celebrity sighting

I went on a sick ride up Mt Figuroa near Santa Barbara with Lance and Teddy. They were posing for the camera while I was busy dropping them for the prime. Notice their envy of my IF bike. They're tanner that I am, but I've been training in NH.

In other news, there isn't much. Go Patriots.

brewfest '09

For the first time, I took my bike on a work trip, so I went on a couple ridiculous night time rides. Ridiculous, because who rides around Auburn, Maine at 10:30PM when it's 30 degrees out?

On Friday night I got lost, but used the city lights reflecting off the clouds to at least have a general idea where I was. The best street name I saw was Jackass Annie Rd, in Minot, ME. And that was a real street, not someone's driveway with a vanity sign.

Yesterday I scooted out of work early (early meaning that after getting up at 4:30 AM, I worked from 5AM to 5PM, instead of 7!) to go to the Maine Brew Festival in Portland with Ryan, Melissa, and their friends.

My search for Belgian style beer led me to Allagash brewery, and their Tripel is awesome. Ties La Fin Du Monde, which I wrote about before as my fave. I'm going to figure out how to brew it myself.

The beer was plentiful, so the restroom was busy. Some dude marched into the packed bathroom and announced, "I've got enough piss in me to launch a space shuttle!" Try picturing that.

Jay's putting on another brewers festival in Manchester, NH next weekend, but I'll be flying off to Memphis, from Manchester that day so...I can't think of a better way to get ready to fly.

Anyone have a new Droid phone? I'm very intrigued, but PO'd to hear a report that it will not work with Yahoo email. What the F?

My toe that I thought I broke last Tuesday has turned all shades of crimson and blue, but it's feeling better. And with that non-sequitur, I bid you adieu.

Opportunity of a lifetime

My brother's in Aspen this weekend, and I'm going to L.A. Nice.

Of course, by LA, I mean Lewiston-Auburn. Maine. I'm going for another study visit, and we're working a lot while there, 5:00AM to 8:30 PM, which is indicative of my yeoman's work ethic.

Last weekend he and I watched the Patriots, who throttled the Titans 59-0, in a snowstorm. We dressed like cast members on The Deadliest Catch, with full foul weather gear and hat over several layers of long underwear and other technical fabrics.

If not for a hot Italian sausage which I considered shoving into my mittens to warm my hands, I still would've have been freezing. We had amazing seats, 13 rows off the field, which made our region a prime target for snowballs from the nosebleed sections.

More exciting than that blowout, is the opportunity you have to win a new custom Independent Fabrication frame and fork! My team is running a raffle, with a grand prize of a custom built steel frame and fork, your choice of road, track, cyclocross, mountain, or touring. There are also a slew of other cycling gear prizes: Stan's NoTubes wheelset, Tifosi shades, WTB saddle and tires, Time pedals, Ergon grips, and more.

We're trying to sell 600 tickets, and tickets cost 5 bucks. If you spend $100 or more, you get a special prize from IFMTBing. The drawing is coming right up, November 15. So please buy some tickets from me, or at http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=8526

To get in touch, just leave a comment, or email me, and I'll get you yours. Thank you very much!

I've been tickled pink all year with my IF SSR road bike. The fit, feel, and handling are all exactly what I wanted, and now's your chance to get your own.

On Monday night, in return for a signed jersey, Robert, the owner of La Festa Brick and Brew, in Dover, NH invited Teddy (who invited his family) for a feast you would not believe! I wish I had a picture of it. We got 4 delectable pizzas from the brick oven and NY style, garlic knots, cinnamon knots, excellent beer like Moat Mtn Octoberfest and Dogfish head on tap, and La Fin du Monde, my new favorite, plus others in bottles, a bottle of wine for the ladies, German chocolate cake for all, and huge chocolate chip cookies. It was ludicrous, and the owner urged it, so I've had my lunches all week taken care of! Thank you so much, Rob.

I'll write more when there's news. Thanks for reading, and supporting my IFRacing team.

I was in Charlotte, NC the last few days working, and the biggest reward for working is a killer dinner, but unfortunately I'm on my way to a freshman 15 at my new job. To get a little exercise, I ran up and down the 20 floor hotel stairwell a few times. At the top, I couldn't resist going past the "employees only" sign, through the trap door, and walking around on the roof top. Hanging my head over the edge, like 200 feet up is a pretty crazy view. But then I saw a few people in the office building across the street watching me watch them watch me watch them... Anyway I headed down before anyone reported me to the front desk.

That reminds me of climbing the radio tower with Pete Nelson at Holderness.

Since I'm in no condition to race cyclocross this fall, I've been putting my new mountain bike through it's paces. These days, during this cold snap, it's the best thing going. Running still hurts my knees, even if I just shuffle along, and when I ride a road bike I freeze, so I'm turning into a mountain goat. Plus I just got a sick new light from Wheel Power, about as bright as a car headlight, so early sunsets are no prob. I just need Andy to help me get a set of roller skis, so I can get ready to smoke some ski races this winter.

Other news: I'm working for Ora, and I like it a lot. Great people, good variety, learning a lot. I've been there since right after I returned from Nationals. Did I even blog about that? I got 10th, but it was a saga.

I wrapped up the year pretty well in terms of cycling even though my last few raced sucked. See this.

Tomorrow, Teddy and I are going to Foxboro to see the Patriots. Good times. Hope they are so good I don't notice that it's only going to be 40 degrees and raining!

Mixed bag

I had my last day of work, and of class today. I'm bummed about leaving Wheel Power. That was a fun job. It didn't make me a better cyclist, nor better student, but I had a lot of fun there for three months, so if they'll have me, maybe I'll keep working there in the fall. Or maybe not.

And I had my last day of Human Anatomy and Physiology I. We had our lab final tonight. I was convinced that I bombed my test last Monday. Turns out I got a B, and after the teacher put in on the curve, I got my third 99%. So with that in the bank, I just need a 69% to get an A in the class. I have a hunch I did it.

'Twas another tricky test, as they've all been, but if I know my muscles, nerves, and the other million things we've learned, I did A-ok. Ha. A pun for your enjoyment.

Human A&P II some day in the future, when I figure out where I'll be living, and what my schedule is.

Moving right along: Have any wedding present ideas? Throw them out there. Gracias!

Finally, a face like this should win the race. But it didn't. Next year.