Critical situation resolved...Temporarily. My old stand-by crepe place shut down back in December. A new place just opened up this week across the street from the old. So, on my morning lobotomy, I remembered that they serve Nutella crepes. I wonder if they will sell me just the Nutella. OH...and by the way...Rain-X does NOT taste good with Nutella.
Enjoy the Nutella...
"According to the National Weather Service, Wednesday was Marin
county's 21st day of measurable rain so far this month, with two more days to
go. The previous record was 18 days in 1975, said forecaster Bob Benjamin,
citing records going back to 1947."In Light (or dark) of the weather this winter, I have taken on a new sponsor, Rain-X. Truth be told...I LOVE this stuff. I have taken a bath in it all winter long. It is great. It keeps me seeing straight even in the worst of conditions. I used to just put it on my glasses to shield the rain, but now I just squeeze a few drops into my eyes every morning and voila', I can see clearly no matter the weather.
It seems as if we are experiencing a Nutella shortage here in Marin. I have been to 4 grocery stores now and the view is the same...empty shelves...
True Love.
ALPINE NATIONALS: Daron Rahlves wins super G, his final race with the U.S. Ski Team.
Nothing like going out on top. Nothing but pure class. See you in Tahoe Daron.
"...There are passengers and there are drivers" or so the VW ad reads. I should know, I was in a VW Sharan (Europe model) for the better part of eight days driving around the Alps in Switzerland, Italy and France. I spent equal amounts of time driving and being a passenger as well as a fair bit of time riding my bike. All of which give you varying perspectives of the world around you. A few thoughts rolled through my head while taking in all of the sights and making notes for the MS Global ride this summer.
Somedays you feel like you're riding a stallion, and somedays you just make an ass out of yourself.
As I noted in previous entries, I have spent a fair bit of time traveling around the world but never really appreciating where I was for one reason or another. In other words, I was a driver with tunnel vision. I never was really comfortable being a passenger. It's just who I was. Most of my trips involved some sort of work or racing or both (they still do to some degree). So I had objectives. Wanting to do or be the best I could be, I failed to see the forest through the trees. I failed to really enjoy the ride. 
Most of my trips have been solo so I had to be the driver figuratively and literally. If I didn't, nothing would happen, nobody was going to take me where I needed to go. On the rare occasion where I had traveling companions, it was a treat, though I usually ended up driving. Rarely was it a mutual thing. I sometimes wonder what would happen if I stopped driving...
Way back, I once took a vacation. A true vacation. No work related meetings, no racing, no real agenda. An honest to goodness vacation with sandals, boardshorts, a book and a snorkel. The goal was there was no goal...just relax, explore and enjoy. And that is exactly what I did. I ate tacos at Rossy's, I swam in the pool, the ocean and in the companionship I had on that trip. It was the first and relatively only time I can say I was totally relaxed. It had such an impact on me that I bought a silver bracelet the day before departing as a reminder of the feeling I had. I wear it to this day to remind myself of that trip and how good it felt to relax. I look at it daily and wonder when the next time is when I will feel that relaxed. 
That bracelet has taken on a greater meaning to me now. It not only signifies a desire and need to relax, but to appreciate my surroundings, wherever that may be and those that I am fortunate enough to share time and space with. And without exception, I do this, and it has made all the difference.
One thing that became evident to me while touring around Europe this week is that many beautiful surprises are beyond your peripheral vision and you might need to turn you head and squint to gain perspective. Once I began to catch on to this thought, I started to see many more things than I would normally, and it gave me a much greater appreciation for even the simple things around me no matter how far away they are or seem. Distance is insignificant when it comes to meaningful things. 
By happenstance, I glanced out the window while driving through Montreux and way up on the hill I saw this Chateau. Quickly I grabbed the Zoom camera and snapped off a photo. This became the norm for the trip. The thing that amazes me is while I have new eyes for seeing things that I normally don't see, what about all the things I still miss? I will be in these parts again, and it will be interesting to see how much more I can appreciate the next time. Life I guess is a lot like that, failing, learning and applying those lessons to the next time. I need to work on my squinting...
The THF photos are on Smugmug. E-mail me and I will send you a link to my photos on Kodak.
"Opportunities fly by while we sit regretting the chances we have lost, and the happiness that comes to us we heed not, because of the happiness that is gone." ~Jerome K. Jerome, The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, 1889
I think the travel gods are trying to tell me something... I keep seeing this ad for Cabo on my flights to far away places.
Maybe I will return...till then...
Enjoy the ride.
Annecy, France
We have managed to cover the entire route in car. I have ridden a bit, but it has not been easy. I have been sick and the weather has been...well, let's just say, not so good. Snow has been closing some of the passes...which makes it hard to ride. Despite these minor setbacks, I have managed to really enjoy the sights of all the locations we have traveled.
I have decided to stay in Europe. I love it here. Especially the "smoke anywhere you want" policy. I have adopted the "if you can't beat em, join em" attitude. NOT! I can't wait to come back here. I could spend an eternity here exploring the towns, the people and the FOOD! I can assure you I will be back...wanna come along?
I will have lot's to tell later, but here is my view from the bike the other day as I rode into the Alps on my way to Italy from Switzerland. 
The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. ~Henry Boye
I am returning to foreign yet familiar places for a third period in my life, experiencing it perhaps for the last time or so I thought the time before. That's the beauty about traveling and life, you never really know if you will ever return to places you have been and certainly they will be different when you do. Upon returning, if I am so fortunate, no matter how long it has been since I last visited, I tend to have a much greater appreciation for them. And each time, I can assure you, will likely be the last time, so I best make the most of it. Unless...I never leave...hmmm.
I always make it a point to never leave without saying goodbye no matter how hard it may be, for it may be my last words you ever hear. Life is short, too short sometimes. Definitely too short to hold back from those that matter most. I plan on returning, if I don't fall in love with Switzerland, Italy and France again. So for now...Au revoir, arrivederci.
Always, Enjoy the ride...
I awoke this morning to find not only measurable snow on Mt. Tam, but that New England was warmer than Northern California for the first time that I can recall in the dead of winter. I can already hear it..."it's warmer than single digits in New England AND sunny California is under snow and COLDER. Ha!" (Well...okay, I know it's March and all, but technically, it's still winter and I can call it the "dead of winter" because there is snow in my front yard, which NEVER happens here).
So I loaded up on food, dressed in everything I own and headed out on another four hour journey. Fearing for my life, I opted to stay off of the road bike and the skinny little tires. I have lots of skillz; numb-chuck skillz, bow staff skillz, taking photos from my cellie while descending Mt. Tam AND taking a sip from my waterbottle skillz, but I don't care to test my luck with all of the above on ice and snow on skinny, bald tires. That's a skill I don't think I have mastered...Yet. So Mountain bike it is. 
My plan was to climb to the top of Tam, check out the sights and snow, drop into Mill Valley on some single track, grab some coffee at Peet's, then turn it around and do some intervals back up Tam and return home. I was greeted with some substantial snow about half way up (1000ft). Just when the trail gets a bit tricky, it gets SLICK! By the time I got to the fire lookout at the summit, there was 5cm of snow, and it was good snow. My tires were squeaking on the snow it was so cold. I wish I had some skis.
Just Kidding...
Enjoy the ride!
At 4:00am Saturday morning I picked Nick up to drive us to the airport to make our 6:00am flight. He was not his usual caffeinated self. Dazed and confused, I had to tend to his lack of attention and dozing. I don't think he would have made it otherwise. 
Once we finally made it to the hotel, we quickly unpacked the bikes, and got out for a little spin. I found what looked like a sweet route from the Hotel to the race venue on Google Earth. I also checked out J-Dogs site to see if he was in Austin...and it looks like he was here the week before and took a similar picture to this on on our route to the race venue.
After our abbreviated ride where we made it just a few miles from the venue and turned around on account of time, we arrived at the hotel to find many gifts from THF. Nick and I decided we needed to check out the new threads and see if they might work in a variety of social settings. I think we got the inner-city thing wired, so we're good to go (just not in Austin). Here we needed a big belt buckle and some SH*T Kickers if we were gonna fit in. 
So Sunday morning, we rode to the venue for warm-up. I run over a big ass nail 10 minutes before my start, and I am riding tubular tires...not an easy fix. Luckily, my Boy Scout skills come in handy...I brought a spare tire. I remove the tire and replace it with a spare with minutes to spare. I missed my chance to inspect the course...so I am going into this race blind. I jump into the start chute, and I'm off.
I ramp up my effort and kick it into overdrive on the steepest section, where my strength to weight ratio is to my advantage. I knew I was having a good ride when some of the racers that started ahead of me were cheering for me as I passed them. I spy the finish, dig deep and put in everything I have to finish strong. THF rider, Mike Z is waiting and cheering for me at the top as he went before Nick and I. He had the look on his face like he had conquered the world, and he had...
5 years ago, Mike was diagnosed with MS and wrote himself off. Then he decided he was going to live life better than ever and do the things he wished he had done but never got around to it before he was diagnosed. He has logged more miles on his bike in the Alps and Pyrenees than most anybody I know. He is my hero of the weekend for sure. Helmets off to you Mikey! Don't stop! It's people like Mike Z that that could teach us all a lesson about how important every day is.
So we're waiting......and waiting.......and waiting......for awards (pretty standard for a bike race). When the awards finally happen, I come to find out that second place award is the lovely horse. 
Since I don't think it's going to fit in the overhead bin on the plane, let alone get through security, I decide to leave it for next year...cause I'm coming to win...
If I had won, I would STILL be driving home in this sweet first place ride. I wonder if it has 8 Track???
Nick and I ride home from the venue sans horsey. Along the way, we get to talking about how Austin is supposed to be the live music capital of the world. So we figure we should see some sights along the way and hit the capital building to listen to some of this "famous" live music. 
It must be an off week or something cause all we could find was this guy and his Casio singing some weird song about closing the borders, especially the Mexican border...whatever...
Upon returning to the Hotel, we have a glass of wine and some cheese to drown our sorrows and celebrate me being the first loser. 
At dinner, we find out Dee has never had Tequilla. So we order a round, and then another of some tequilla...
I don't know, but Dinner was becoming a hazy blur to me at this point...and we have to get up at 4:00am for our flight...I'm getting worried. We later find out that Nick has this reaction to Tequilla where he goes ballistic. So this night he thinks he is a either a frog or a base jumper...we weren't quite sure, but by the time we get him home...he is jumping from bed to bed and cackling like a chicken. 
Finally he calms down after a conversation with Clare, his girlfriend, on the phone. I can FINALLY get some sleep, for we have 4 hours till we have to get up and fly.
Monday morning, too bright and WAY too early, we drop Dee off in Denver along the way, and upon landing at SFO, I head straight to work...like nothing ever happened. I couldn't handle it if every weekend was like this...but it sure was fun.
All the way home, the screen in the seat back kept reminding me that there's always Mexico. Maybe I should go...
Austin, Texas King of Jester Hill Climb Time Trial...(Another skinny tire race)
Isn't it strange, the way certainty always comes before shatterings?
I crushed the record time by over 10 seconds and sat comfortably in first most of the day. The race organizer and announcers were blown away. I didn't feel comfortable believing it was over...till it's over. I knew that there could always be somebody, like some local 2002 US Pro National Road Champion to show up and let me know this was their backyard. He tried, but my time was sticking. I started to let it sink in. Maybe for once...I had won. (Fool) 
That is... till a 90 pound, 19 year old beat me fair and square by 15 hundreths of a second....What is this a ski race??? I guess I should have ridden the course before the race instead of the old "Show and Go." I guess this another chapter about Live and learn...
Now I am on a plane home and just have time to post this before I have to listen to that speech AGAIN. Something about oxygen masks and exit doors behind me for a water landing...
I will post more when I don't have to type this out on my phone.
More to follow soon...In the meantime, here are some more pictures
