OPEN-MINDED

ITunes killed MusicLand

2009-09-26T16:21:00.003-04:00

I have to admit, I'm not big on change. And while new advancement and technology makes thinks more efficient and accessible, it takes away from the experience. I have however accepted some things into my world. Disc brakes on my mountain bike is a must. I love my DVR. I don't think I can go without satellite radio anymore.

But buying music . . . . that's where I'm torn.

I am a music junkie and frequent ITunes. I can honestly say that all my music has been purchased and not "shared". It seems like digital music is all but making the music stores I remember (Turtles, Musicland, Peppermint, etc.) obsolete. It is a luxury to be able to sample different music and buy just the songs you want. It's kind of like the Warehouse's micro brew deal - create your own six pack. But sitting at home buying one song at a time dilutes the experience of the music.

When I was going to school in Carrollton, there was a small independent shop that carried new and used music plus imports and rarities. I probably stop by there at least once a week to see if anything new was in. And then there was the shop in Statesboro that would have midnight releases of albums. They'd have beer and wine and blast the album in the store while everyone just partied and waited. At midnight we'd storm the counter to pay for the new album, tear off the cellophane, and spend the next hour listening and reading the booklet. It was part of the experience; a part that is being lost, but I found it again.

Pearl Jam released their latest album several days ago. I love all kinds of music, but if I'm stuck on a desert island with one album, it's going to be Pearl Jam something . . . probably TEN. I've had intentions to pick it up all week but haven't had time. Each day a sense of urgency grew and I started getting a tingle. I'd here "The Fixer" on the radio and it'd just stoke my need to have the album.

This morning I ran some errands and made my visit to the store to actually buy a new CD. The wrapper was torn off as I walked out of the doors and the sleeve was opened before my truck door was opened. I sat in the truck and listened to the first three songs before I ever put the key in the ignition. I listened to the rest of the album while cooking lunch and having a beer.

Long live tangible music!!

BEEN A WHILE

2009-09-25T14:58:00.001-04:00

Yep . . . it's been a long time since I've posted anything. July, August, and September have been slammed. Spent a lot of time on the bike and with the family. Ended the summer with a great trip to the mountains and then an awesome adventure with some of the guys to do the Off-Road assault on Mt. Mitchell. I spent most of the summer preping for that one event. It was nice to have the trip and race go so smoothly - and I actually raced well.

Schools obvioulsy back in session which means chaos. There's just not enough hours in the day to get everything done. Tiff and I could be professional circus performers with the amount of juggling we do. Needless to say, work has taken over, but we're still squeezing some time for play.

Cadence has become quite the personality. She seems to change over night. Her thoughts and vocabulary amazes me. She keeps us on our toes.

The real reason for my neglect is that we've abondoned our team website and shifted to a blog. I've put some serious time into getting it set up and functioning. I think it's a better alternative for our team purposes. Simple is most DEFINATELY better. www.southgeorgiacyling.blogspot.com (if you're interested)

Fall break's coming up and we're heading up for an extended weekend with Clark and Suzy. We're heading up for the annual Helen Fat Tire Festival and 6hr race. It's going to be awesome to drink some beer at Burnt Dog Lodge and get some NGA mountain biking in. PRAY FOR GOOD WEATHER . . . or I may SNAP!

I promise not to neglect my first born blog for so long this time. I'd hate for my three followers to give up on me.

peace

Two Days: Braves, Biloxi, & Black Crowes

2009-06-06T13:26:00.002-04:00

WOW!!! I'm cashed. The last three days were about as much as this thirty-something can handle (without a day to veg).

Wednesday, I met Gene at the shop at 6:50 a.m. for an early ride. We hammered the Prison Road loop and got him back before work. I headed home to clean up and for breakfast.

At 1:30, my Dad, sister, her friend Cali, and I traveled up to ATL for a Braves game. Merritt met us at the stadium. 7:10 first pitch, game went to extras, braves lost 3-2, three hour drive home, in bed at 3:15 a.m.

I woke up at 8:30 Thursday morning to shower, pack, and eat breakfast. Chris, Matt, and John arrived at 9:55. On the road to Biloxi.

Beer, beer, beer, slots, beer, slots, dinner, beer, blackjack, BLACK CROWES LIVE @ the BEAU RIVAGE, beer, beer, slots, bed.

I got back home Friday around 8:00 pm. I don't plan on leaving the house until sometime Sunday.

(SIDE NOTE: The Robinson brothers are back together and were awesome. The Crowes are scheduled to release an album later in the summer. The played a lot of new music that sounded incredible. Nothing beats a big sound in a small venue. Welcome back Crowes.)

UPDATES

2009-05-28T09:35:00.003-04:00

It's officially summer! I ended the school year on a sour note. I sat in Microsoft Certification training for two days; 8:00 - 5:00. The facilitator Nazi wouldn't let us out a minute early either. I missed the faculty golf tournament for the first time in six years. But, I did make it home in time to work a ride in, which ended up being epic. 28mph in pounding rain, bridging to Steve and Gene who jumped off the front six miles earlier. Countering and soloing for the final 500 meters. Warm shower, dry clothes, and Terrapin beer. Excellent start to vacation.

There are two new editions to the Drive Home Sing Along that are awesome. Hunter Jack makes a guest appearance. (Thank you Mr. Buice for continuing the good work.)

The garden is progressing nicely, but the constant rain we've been having has been a little much. We need a little sunshine to dry everything out. On the other hand, my grass is finally filling in.

I've got a list of need-to-dos, have-to-dos, and want-to-dos. Hopefully I'll get around to it all in the next eight weeks.

Party Like it's 1999

2009-05-19T16:30:00.001-04:00

Tiff wasn't feeling well yesturday afternoon, so she gave me the go-ahead to ride. It's a rarity for me to ride on Mondays or Wednesdays. I've been envious of her because they'be been having 18-20 show for rides and we've had 7-8. The rides they've been having resemble the rides we used to have everynight back in the day plus, some of the old guard have gotten back on the bike and have joined the group.

Long story short, I had a blast. No females showed so the testosterone was probably a little higher than the normal monday/wednesday ride, but it was great. At no point did I feel like I, or anyone in the group was "training". We were just riding.

We were missing a few key pieces from yestur-year, but there were enough of us there to recreate what used to be the highlights of my week. (That and the partying we did afterward.)

Sometimes, the way it was . . . is how it SHOULD BE. The only thing I can't figure out is what was the better song of 1999: Genie in a Bottle - Christina Aguilera or I Want it That Way - Backstreet boys?????

(I'm sure Weaver's voting for the Backstreet Boys.)

We Don't Need No Education . . .

2009-05-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

This piece is to piggy-back a post I made several weeks ago. Once again the school system for which I work continues to surprise me with the level of idiocy with which they act.

#1)We have been “strongly encouraged” to sign incomplete contracts. We’ve been told that downtown will fill in the figures and our years of service later. This leads to my second point.

#2)Our moronic financial supervisor is planning on cutting or eliminating our local supplement. He’s also meeting with the athletic directors about cutting or reducing many of the coaching supplements. These decisions are being mad by a man that earns $110,000+ per year to give sound financial advice to our school system. Did I mention that’s he already held that same position for two companies that filed bankruptcy?

#3) I had to justify why 4 of my 89 seniors would not pass my class. Let’s see . . . one student is in JAIL, one of the student’s quit coming in January, one student is already enrolled in Darsey earning a GED, and one student failed 7 out of 7 classes. Should I really have to justify this BULL$h!t????

Oh yeah, our Human Resources director makes $95,000 per year and had no H.R. experience prior to taking the job.

Welcome to Dougherty County. Where illiterate, underachieving know-it-alls with little to no experience can make mad cash and be given decision making power over the truly educated employees. Hell yeah it’s the Good Life City . . . for them.

(I "borrowed" the picture from the Internet. It pretty much encapsulates how I feel at this moment.)

THE GARDEN PROJECT

2009-05-17T21:02:00.009-04:00

I wouldn’t or don’t exactly consider myself a green-thumb, but I do like playing in the dirt and watching plants grow. I have a plan in mind that involves a much more elaborate organic garden, in the mountains, but that’s a story for another time. But, like any dedicated OCD, I have to dabble before I jump.

Two Wednesdays ago, Cadence and I planted some peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. We didn’t have the time or the budget to do exactly what I had planned, but it’s a good starting point that can easily be improved upon. And, not bad for three hours one afternoon . . . if I do say so myself.

A strand of chicken wire and rebar rods is acting as our make-shift fence at this point. It seems to be doing the job. Ladybug has slipped under it a couple of times, but she hasn’t investigated the plants yet. I think she’s just trying to show me that she can go where ever she wants.

The veggies are progressing nicely. I’m a little concerned about the peppermint and rosemary. There is a slight slope at that end and the first time I watered it funneled straight down towards the tomato plants. I’m expecting the herbs to pop up randomly if they pop up at all.

To be continued . . . .

Worth the Read

2009-05-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

Even though I've become increasingly disenchanted with most of the cycling tabloids, out of pure curiosity I still subscribe and read. Well, in most cases I thumb through and pick and choose what to read and thanks to Woolard, I don't actually have to subscribe. I just read his hand-me-downs. Woolard has a magazine problem, which works out well for me.

There is a column and article in this month's Bicycling that is well worth the read. The column is entitled Ride, Don't Train. It's written by The Bike Snob himself. If you're a cyclist and haven't stumbled accross http://www.bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/ yet, you need to. The article is an excellent wording of how I feel about cycling. Screw coaches and power meters. I'm not getting paid to do this shit. It's supposed to be fun. Just Ride!!! (pg 25)

The article is entitled The Anti-Shop. It's about a bicycle coop in Oklahoma that allows people to salvage and build bicycles for free. The tools are there, the stands are there, and used parts and frames are made available through donations and discards. There's something cool about a place where a college student tunes up a $2k bike next to a homeless person building a commuter that may eventually take them to work. (pg 32)

MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

For all you that want to take a non-traditional approach to mother’s day this year, here are my top 5 songs to serenade your mom or wife with.

#5 Holy Mother – Eric Clapton

#4 Moma I’m Coming Home – Ozzy

#3 Moma Said – Metallica

#2 Mother – Danzig

#1 Moma Said Knock you Out – LL Cool J

Stick that one in your play list.
Happy Mother's Day to all you MOTHERS out there.

My WTF Moment of the Week!!!

2009-05-07T21:06:00.002-04:00

Here’s the situation. Students at my school have been given a chance to attend “Boot Camp” for five Saturdays in order to recover credit for missed days. The students attend from eight o’clock to twelve o’clock. Five days of four hours equals twenty total hours. The problem is that some of these students have missed more than twenty days in more than one class. So, a student that misses twenty days in three classes has missed a total of sixty hours. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the math doesn’t add up. Not to mention that part of the educational process is to teach responsibility and accountability. How well will these students perform in the real world if we teach them that “make-up” opportunities will always be available? Let me apologize now to all the business owners who will be tormented by the poor employees and shop lifters we are producing in order to account for FTE and make AYP. WTF!!!!!!!

My Name is MUD!!!

2009-05-04T20:31:00.007-04:00

The second race of the Dirty Spokes 2009 Endurance series was held in Winder, GA at Fort Yargo State Park. The usual suspects assembled for the weekend. This year has been a little slower than last year “race-wise”. A combination of weather, timing, and the economy has kept several of us at bay. This would be my first race of the season, and with half the normal miles and no races to date, I was preparing for boot camp.

We may not be the most organized or glamorous team in Georgia, but we have, without a doubt, the best chef. Clark worked his magic Friday night and we were treated to ribs the size of Chihuahuas. Steve and Josh turned in early. Merritt, Clark, Zaxby, and I stayed up and watched the end of Rocky IV . . . the best Rocky.

The trail was bone dry on Friday, but it RAINED ALL NIGHT LONG. I woke up at 3 a.m. thinking, “If it’s like this at nine o’clock, I’m not even starting”. See, I have this policy. I don’t mind riding or racing in the rain. I actually enjoy it sometime. But I don’t start in the rain.

Good or bad, it wasn’t raining when we woke up. We all did our own race day preparations and headed to the start area.

It was a huge field this year. I think the announcer said 400+ entrants. By the looks of it, I’d say that was about right. We had a primo pit area, right on the corner after the timing area. After setting up and kitting up, we headed to the line for the racers meeting and the start.

I won’t go into all the details of the race, but I will mention this. On lap three, something happened. I think the appropriate term is “deluge”. Full-fledged down pour! If you were going uphill, you were riding against a stream. If you were going downhill, you were riding with a stream. If you were in a flat section, which there weren’t many of, you were riding IN A STREAM. The entire course was water. Let me take that back. The entire course wasn’t water. Some of it was “peanut butter”, as Clark would affectionately call it. It made the next hour of racing very interesting.

The sun eventually popped back out long enough to bake the mud on. Then . . . another down pour; then sun. By the time I finished, I couldn’t read the label on my bike and I had literally three layers of mud; crust, semi-crust, and wet, caked on. I did the only thing you can do it circumstances like those. I jumped in the lake head first, shoes and all. I was seriously considering getting a bar of soap, stripping completely down, and taking a full on bath. The presence of the park rangers persuaded me not to.

Josh won . . . of course. Steve did awesome in his first single-speed endeavor. He finished 7^th or 8^th, I can’t remember. This was the first fat tire race of the year he hasn’t experienced a flat time. Clark and I got 37 miles and 4+ hours of training in. All in all, a pretty good day for the team.

We returned to the cabin for another amazing meal; steak, potatoes, beans, and guacamole dip, not to mention the insane amount of beer we consumed. Suzy, Tiff, and C-Bug came over and had dinner with us. After they left, we hung out with some guys from Tampa, one of which happened to have graduated from Georgia Southern and played volleyball. Small world. We finished the night off around a camp fire. Clark enjoyed it so much, he spent the better part of the night outside. Apparently, it got a little nippy going through the Rockies.

We now get to completely tear apart our bikes, clean, replace, and rebuild. The spoils or racing.

As a side note, my kit, which was completely brown at the finish of the race, looks almost brand new. Special thanks to Hincapie for the awesome new kits... I hope the other guys were as lucky.

Pour Some Sugar on ME!

2009-05-03T21:13:00.004-04:00

A new edition to the Drive Home Sing Along is available for your listening pleasure.

I recieved a message from my buddy Merritt that Mr. Buice has put his foot back on the gas and come back with something hot. It's been a while since he laid down his last track. Will it measure up? Has he fallen off? Has he lost touch with what today's audience wants to hear? Check it out and decide for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/ Drive Home Sing Along #28

(Also, I am perfectly fine with Cletus continuing to multi-task while driving. see previous post.)

You don't MULTI-TASK while you DRIVE!!!!

2009-05-03T21:01:00.003-04:00

I need to take a few minutes to rant. I returned home today from a weekend with the boys in Winder GA. We were at Fort Yargo for a 6hr MTB race, but I'll give more on that later.

On the way home I started keeping track of how many people were doing something other than paying attention to their driving. Here's my tally:

Reading - 3
Smoking - 12 (lower than would have guessed)
Doing nails - 1
Dancing and Singing - 2
Texting - 4
Talking on the phone - Too many to fu@!&NG count!

We've made contact with CLETUS!!!

2009-04-09T06:57:00.001-04:00

It seems that my forum reaches more than the four people that I previously thought. Apparently, the Sing-Along man himself, Cletus T, has been made aware that I was giving him some pub on my page. Having heard that, I feel the need to clarify a few things:

1.) By saying he played on a “not-so-good” football team is by no means a reference to him being a “not-so-good” player. My buddy Merritt played on the same team. (That may explain some things).

2.) I was a little brutal by saying that he couldn’t sing worth $h!t. He’s actually better than most people you hear at karaoke night and I’d almost bet he’d make it through an entire song if auditioning for American Idol.

I am somewhat saddened to hear that he is “pumping the break” a little on the sing along. Apparently things were getting a little hectic and there were just too many requests. Hopefully the hype will calm down soon and we will get a new season of the Sing-Along.

I do have two requests for Cletus. 1.) The next time he’s down south, my wife and I would be honored if he’d join us at one of the local watering holes. 2.) This may be pushing it a little, but if he ever reaches the point or has a need for a backup singer, I’d like to give it a shot.

The Drive Home Sing Along - Clint Buice

2009-04-05T21:47:00.002-04:00

My buddy Merritt was telling me about this guy he went to high school with. He was the starting quarterback of a not so good team and apparently a walking jukebox. A while back he started the Drive Home Sing Along which is him videoing himself singing along with songs on his ride home from work. He does commentary, wardrobe, and yes . . . even requests. He can't sing worth $h!t, but he is hilarious. I'd rather watch him than Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. You can check him out on www.youtube.com as Clint Buice, aka Cletus T.

SPRING BREAK

2009-04-03T21:20:00.008-04:00

Well . . . I'm back. After almost a four month hiatus, it's time to reclaim my forum. Basketball's finally over and several other stressful commitments at work are behind me. It's time to slow down, relax, and have some fun.

My first act of freedom was a fishing trip for spring break. Merritt and I had been trying to plan one for a while, and It was as good a time as any. We made the arrangements and with only a little uncertain weather in the forecast, we were set to go.

We bummed a meal, a drink (several drinks), and a bed from some of North Georgia's finest, and newest residents. It was good to see Suzy, Clark, and the hounds. Emails and phone conversations are nice, but nothing can replace good conversation shared over wine and beer.

Merritt and I met our guide Rex and headed for the water. It was overcast and cool, but a good day to be on the water. I had some luck early and often. I was a little anxious for Merritt. He's new to fly fishing, and I kind of threw him into the deep end (consider it payback for my snowboarding lesson). After a while though, he seemed to grasp the basics and began to hook up on some fish. He hooked two "hogs" that didn't quite make it to the net, but that's fishing.

We had a great day and I had a great trip. I caught a hog and missed two. That just means I have to go back and try again.

THANKS A LOT SONNY BOY!

2008-11-03T21:03:00.001-05:00

Once again, Governor Perdue is sticking it to the people who got him elected. He already has signed budgets that cut a combined $1.6 billion in state formula funding to local school systems. Now, his solution to the state’s budget crisis is to grant a temporary waiver to school systems so they can JAM as many students into one class as possible rather than have to hire additional teachers. So, classrooms that now have 28 or 32 students could have upwards of 40 students.

It’s unbelievable to think that education is so low on the priority list that our legislators continue to cut, and shrink, and cannibalize our budget in order for other areas to prosper. It’s absurd that the same legislators can look educators in the face and expect “No Child to be Left Behind”.

NOSTALGIA

2008-11-02T22:53:00.005-05:00

I stumbled across this picture of Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam. I had this poster on my wall all through college. Looking at this picture now I can hear, smell, and taste a decade gone by. It's strange how images and sounds can trigger so many memories, but it's nice to have them as reminders.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

Cadence had a big time Trick-or-Treating Friday night. We borrowed Mr. Paul's trailor and picked up Steve, Deanna, Marley and Miles; Josh, Lane and Amy; Maggie, Libby, and Nathan and headed out. Cadence ran dragging Tiff door to door. We had to cut the evening a little short due to an "accident", but it was still a great evening. If she had this much fun at Halloween, Christmas is going to be a blast.

PROJECT COMPLETE!!

2008-11-01T23:49:00.000-04:00

We started our kitchen/den rennovation in July and completed it at the end of October. In the grand scheme of things that's not too bad, but washing dishes in the bathtub for four weeks gets old. The pine panneling was painted honeysuckle beige the first time (aka BRIGHT @$$ YELLOW). We repainted and I am much happier. It's finished and we love it. Great rooms to relax in. Now, our living room is feeling neglected.

LONG LIVE FALL!!

2008-10-20T21:06:00.001-04:00

Most people look forward to the first sign of warmth and color. They long for longer days and blooming flowers, trips to the beach, and a skin tone three shades darker. Although I enjoy longer days and a wardrobe that doesn’t include socks, I love that time of year when the greenery begins to wilt along with the days. The chill in the morning air wakes you as easily as the coffee in your hand, which itself begins tasting better and better. Lighter beers are replaced by stouts and skinny tires are replaced by fat, mud slinging, root rolling, gravel gripping tires of a mountain bike.

So unlike Robert Frost, when I come to a point where Two roads diverge in to yellow wood, I will choose differently. I will ride BOTH, and that will make all the difference.

Searching for Treasure

2008-10-20T21:00:00.000-04:00

Geocaching

Pronounced: Geo Cashing; meaning to cache

This summer while Tiff, CBug, LouLou, and I were hiking in the North Georgia mountains, wes stumbled across a container sealed in a large zip-lock bag. Our first thought was that we’d found someone’s “stash”. Curiosity got the best of us. We opened the package. Inside was couple of small trinkets and a log sheet. Tiff realized what it was and explained. Apparently they are called “caches” and they are the treasures of a world wide scavenger hunt.

Basically, the way it works is people hide packages in random locations and log the coordinates on the website with a few hints or clues. Others find the coordinates and use GPS to locate the packages. After a little research I found that there are quite a few in the Albany area and several around Darton College.

Cadence, Tiff, and I loaded up Sunday morning and headed to Darton for our first hunt. It took about twenty minutes for us to find our first cache. (It took fifteen minutes for me to figure out how to use the GPS.) We followed the trail then foraged several yards through the wood. At the exact coordinates, we began to search. It was concealed, but pretty easily found. We opened the container, traded a plastic egg for a small rubber duck, signed the log, and returned the package to it’s hiding place.

We began looking for another cache located on the campus. Our hunt was cut short due to an untimely restroom break by Cadence.

We returned to the truck, stripped the youngan, ate our picnic lunch, and decided to return home for naps. We’ll go back later for the final two treasures.

Geo-caching is inexpensive, a great way/reason to get outdoors, and is available countrywide.

Check out http://www.geocaching.com/ for more information. Type in your zip code and see how many treasures are near you.

Good Will Hunting

2008-10-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across this monologue the other day. It's from Good Will Hunting, one of my favorite movies of all time. If you haven't seen it you should. Robin Williams, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck tell a great story. This is one of my favorite "thought provoking" pieces from the film.

Why shouldn't I work for the N.S.A.? That's a tough one, but I'll take a shot. Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. Maybe I take a shot at it and maybe I break it. And I'm real happy with myself, 'cause I did my job well. But maybe that code was the location of some rebel army in North Africa or the Middle East. Once they have that location, they bomb the village where the rebels were hiding and fifteen hundred people I never met, never had a no problem with get killed. Now the politicians are sayin', "Oh, Send in the marines to secure the area" 'cause they don't give a shit. It won't be their kid over there, gettin' shot. Just like it wasn't them when their number got called, 'cause they were pullin' a tour in the National Guard. It'll be some kid from Southie takin' shrapnel in the ass. And he comes back to find that the plant he used to work at got exported to the country he just got back from. And the guy who put the shrapnel in his ass got his old job, 'cause he'll work for fifteen cents a day and no bathroom breaks. Meanwhile he realizes the only reason he was over there in the first place was so we could install a government that would sell us oil at a good price. And of course the oil companies used the skirmish over there to scare up domestic oil prices. A cute little ancillary benefit for them, but it ain't helping my buddy at two-fifty a gallon. And they're takin' their sweet time bringin' the oil back of course, and maybe even took the liberty of hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes to drink martinis and fuckin' play slalom with the icebergs, and it ain't too long 'til he hits one, spills the oil and kills all the sea life in the North Atlantic. So now my buddy's out of work and he can't afford to drive, so he's got to walk to the fuckin' job interviews, which sucks 'cause the shrapnel in his ass is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids. And meanwhile he's starvin' 'cause every time he tries to get a bite to eat the only blue plate special they're servin' is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State. So what did I think? I'm holdin' out for somethin' better. I figure fuck it, while I'm at it why not just shoot my buddy, take his job, give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president.

W.T.F.?

2008-08-27T17:54:00.000-04:00

My WTF moment of the month comes from the left-wing, bleeding heart state of Connecticut.

Little League officials in New Haven Connecticut have told a nine-year-old little boy that he is “too good” to play baseball. Officials say that they will dissolve the boy’s team and redistribute its players among other squads. At a game last week, the opposing team walked off the field in forfeit when the little boy took the mound. What the HELL are we teaching our kids by allowing them to quit and not face adversity?

This coming from Connecticut doesn’t surprise me. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference adopted a “score management” policy several years back which will actually suspend a coach if his team wins by more than 50 points. Yeah, suspend the COACH if his players do what they’re taught to do. Suggestions were made to adopt a policy like many states have that initiate a “running” clock in the second half to minimize the score. Connecticut rejected that policy because members thought it would unfairly cut into backups' playing time.

So basically, Connecticut wants to produce a bunch of mediocre athletes who feel all warm and fuzzy about themselves and apparently have a bunch of parents who have bought in to the crap. Let’s make sure everyone gets a trophy and no one has his or her feelings hurt. If it seems too hard, let’s make it easier rather than elevate our performance.

China is creeping up on us in every aspect of everyday life because bleeding hearts like these would rather settle for the easy way out. You don’t believe me? Look at the Olympic medal count and compare it to previous years.

By the way . . . what happens if my backup players are better than your backups? Should I pull several of my players off so you can have a player advantage? Maybe we should ask the Chinese to banish one-third of their population to Siberia. Maybe then we’ll continue being able to compete with them.

Brasstown Bald - 25:07:63

2008-07-10T08:19:00.000-04:00

On July 2nd, our last day of vacation, Clark and I left TrackRock campgrounds for Brasstown. It would be my 4th ascent and Clark's first. It was a perfect morning. We started on the bikes around 10:00 am. We took our time as we rolled towards hwy 180. We watched a hawk swoop down and snag a squirrel from the ground.

As we took the left onto hwy 180, the road turned a little rough, the grade turned upward, and the conversation drew to a minimum. Highway 180 takes you up what's known as Jack's Gap, which is the starting point for the Brasstown assault. Jack's is a deceiving climb on the East side. The pavement is a little rough and there are three pitches that feel steeper than they probably are. As you finish the last pitch, you come around the corner to see the arrow for Brasstown, then the entrance sign.

Tiff, Cadence, Lou Lou, and Suzy were waiting on us at the entrance. I fortunately had ridden twice in the past few days, so my mountain legs were steady. This was Clark's first mountain ride of the season, so he was having a rude break-in. I unloaded some extra weight, refilled my bottle, and stretched the legs out a bit. Clark was looking like he was having second thoughts about attempting the monster, but after several minutes of cool down his ego reluctantly kicked him in the ass and got him back in gear. I was feeling surprisingly good. I kissed my peeps, gave Clark an encouraging dap, pushed the button on my watch, and started my assault.

If you've never ridden up Brasstown, you can't understand how much of a mental and physical effort it is. The first pitch as you enter let's you know that "This ain't gonna be easy." I actually glided up the lower section. I was constantly reminding myself to conserve the energy, but the legs were good so I kept churning. Maintenance crews were cutting the roadsides which made it tricky. More debris in the road and trying to pass a work truck with oncoming traffic up a 17% grade isn't real easy.

Around a couple of corners and then the wall, a 200m section that must average 20% or better. As I started I quickly had to drop into my granny gear. I stood up to get some extra leverage, but got to far forward and spun out. My heart rate immediately went up 30 bpm. I could see the power line pole that was the marker for me that signified the end of the wall. I grunted, rocked, and cussed my way past the pole. As I settled back in the saddle, a sense of satisfaction settle in and I started spinning the cranks over. A few turns later I approached the opening in the rhododendrons and gave one last surge of effort. As I entered the parking lot I stopped my watch. 25:07:63 - My fastest time to date.

I cooled off for several minutes and enjoyed the sun and sensation of the mountain. Tiff and the girls were sagging for Clark. Several cars entered the lot, but no Toyota. I began to worry that either Tiff had pulled over and got stuck or the Clark had over-cooked and had to stop. The more I sat the more I worried. I asked a couple who had just parked beside me if they'd see a rider and black Toyota. They said that they had and that the "rider" was catching his breath not to far down the mountain. I decided to roll down at least to the steep section to see if I could see them.

On the way down, a car passed me on the way up and the lady driving gave me a crazy look. A second later I realized it might have been because I was descending without a helmet. It was in the back of the truck. I slowed down and conservatively carved several corners. Just as I approached the wall, Clark was passing the power pole marker. I rode past, circled around, and came up to his back wheel. I ensured him that the hard part was over. We spun together up the final few turns. As we approached the opening to the parking lot, Suzy was waiting with camera in hand. Being the champ he is, Clark took the time to zip up his jersey and give the two-arm salute for the camera. AWESOME!

Two things I love about that climb; one is testing myself and seeing where my fitness and mental levels are and two is being with someone who conquers the beast for the first time and seeing the look in their eyes after it's over.

Until next time . . .

Back from Vacation.

2008-07-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

Tiff, Cadence, Lou-Lou, and I returned home from the mountains yesterday. Here's a preview of how the week unfolded.

Wed - Drove, setup camper, swam in the lake.

Thurs - Hiked to track rock, bought boiled peanuts, swam and fished in the lake.

Fri - Tiff and I rode Craig's Gap and Jack's Gap. We played in the water at Raven Cliffs and finished the evening with a camp fire.

Sat - I rode from camp over Jacks to the top of Unicoi and back. We met Merritt, Clark, and Suzy in Helen for tubing. Clark fixed dinner. Drove back to the camper in the dark and rain.

Sun - Breakfast at the waffle house in Blairsville and fishing at Boggs creek.

Mon - Fished with Clark and Suzy at Waters and Boggs creek. Ate dinner at Burnt Dog Lodge. Went to Anna Ruby falls to view the "FireFox". Nearly hit a bear on the way back to the camper.

Tues - Clark and I rode from camp to the top of Brasstown Bald. (My fastest attempt and Clark's first.) Suzy and Tiff rode while we cooled off. We took Lou-Lou to Rib Country for dinner and finished the evening catching fire-flies around the camp fire.

Wed - Packed up and drove home.

Cadence and Lou-Lou had a morning routine that included greeting the horses and playing with the camp dogs; Sage, Lucy, and Blue-Eye. Sage knocked the girls in the lake one of the mornings. Cadence's favorite thing was playing nude in the stream. Tiff took some great pictures. Will post some when I get a chance.

Hated leaving but glad to be home. I'll be posting a detailed Brasstown report shortly.

I'm SINGLE again!

2008-06-14T17:34:00.000-04:00

19" Giant aluminum Team XTC frame
WTB mountain drop bars
Cane Creek long-pull levers
Cane Creek Terros wheels w/ Bontrager semi-slicks
Saso carbon fork
Wheel Works conversion kit
32 x 18 drive train
Cinelli Cippolini zebra tape for style points

Crank Brothers Candy pedals

I have reverted back to one gear and I'm LOVIN IT! This year long project is quickly becoming an addiction. I'm new to it and there are a lot of intricacies to learn, but the exotic simplicity of it is refreshing. I had a fellow mtb racer tell me that if I went single, it'd end up being my favorite bike in the stable. He may very well be right. Can't wait to hit the single track this week and revisit 1993 - when 95% of bikes were rigid and heavy, kooka meant cool, 8 speed was bitchin, Onza pedals were it, and I hit the trails for the first time.