Tuesday

Feverish night sweats, aching headache and throat scratchy. I'm feeling sick. Woke up, hot shower, and dog walk. Currently I've camped out with Day Quill and hot tea at Dunkin Donuts. Slowly feeling better but I have much to do today before I can get back in bed.

Papers to write, articles for various blogs and need to ride up to UPS to get a light that came in for me during Interbike.

Monday

Oh lovely Monday morning. It was hard to wake this morning. Lack of motivation has set in. Maybe being overwhelmed has also set in. Work to get to, papers to write, dogs to walk.

A lovely voice on the other end of the Blackberry awoke me from my groggy-ness. Finally rolling out of bed to a whimpering puppy in her crate. Shirt, shorts and tennis shoes we were out the door. Two dogs on leashes going down a flight of steps is NOT fun.

Walk to the park, play fetch. Frollick. How I will miss Maddie when Jeannie returns and takes her home. I still believe Fiona needs a playmate but its not the time to get another puppy right now. Plus it will hard to find another dog like Maddie.

Off to work for a meeting. I drove - Maddie can't be left alone for 10 hours like a bike commute and morning meetings would entail. Work until 645/7pm and then home to finish a paper and frollick more with the lovely pups.

Tuesday and Wednesday are days off. I need recovery from my vacation in Vegas!

Sunday

Good day at work. Many bikes sold - even for it being late September! Last weekend of September. Scary feeling how fast life is passing me by. Need to slow down and watch the daises, or is it grass?

Anyways. In my attempt to cut craziness I turned off my internet again. About 4 months ago I went through the phase of not needing it but now I simply don't want it. I have a dunkin donuts 2 blocks away with free wifi. I figured a cup of ice cream 4 days a week is cheaper than Time Warner charges for internet. So here I am. PLUS I haven't been getting any reading or writing done for school or personal. I would get on the computer to write, then I would "check my email" and next thing I know I was on SteepandCheap.com buying a jacket. At that moment I had enough. Time Warner was called and it was turned off.

No car, no tv, and not internet. Some people would shrivel up in my shoes, I feel free!

Friday

Got back to Charlotte early AM (like 6am.) Caught a cab home to take a short nap and catch the bus to work. Did I mention it is pouring out? A very wet commute to and from work led to the want and craving of fenders. I have them, I simply don't want to down grade the width of my tires to fit fenders in there. Anyone know how to retro-fit around the brakes so I don't need to do this?

Thursday

Great show. See you next year. I'm now waiting for a flight out of Vegas to home where there is green, and the temps don't hit 100 degrees in late September. Red eye flight out of Vegas at 10:40pm. For you east coasters that's 1:40am. I arrive around 5:30am. Which means it's a 4 hour flight. I hope that's enough sleep for me. I get home, hopefully around 6-6:30, hoping for some sleep if I can and then getting to work. If I get home by 6:30 I plan on sleeping till 8:30, bust over to the bus and get to work a wee bit late.

We'll see how I sleep on the plane. For now I'm going to write and then nap as I'm 2 hours early for my flight.

Wednesday

Tires, rims, frames, tools, oh my. Colors out the ying yang, lots of walking and talking. Tomorrow I'm trying the iPod to keep me company. Are you here at Inter Bike? Let me know!

Tuesday

Outdoor Demo of the 2008 Interbike is in the books. Constantly I was in shock, between the terrain, dust and tons of bikes I was really in an overwhelmed fix all day long. I've never been to Vegas, I've never been to a desert and I've never been to Interbike. Those three things all at once was a lot to handle. The dust and dry/hot weather was also something to get used to. Constantly sucking down liquids in the 98 degree weather.

So I rode some pretty cool bikes. The Haro Beasley sticks out the most in my mind. Also rode a folder Pashley and a Raleigh CX bike. All very cool but again the Haro stuck out.

Wednesday starts the Big Show indoors so keep your eyes pealed on 650b.com, TheBikeLab.com and BlueCollarMTB.com. Or follow me on Twitter

Monday

Web work and ride planning this morning. Now I'm sitting in this airport known as CLT (do find it as funny as I??) and off to my layover in Chicago. Final destination is land of boos and boobs. Las Vegas.

Sunday

Overcast skies lead me to believe it was going to rain the whole commute home. Sticky yet cool and chilly to the bone. Felt like I was getting sick but I seem to have shaken that. Eating left over Bojangles, Fiona is going to visit Jeannie for the week while I'm away at Interbike.

Saturday

Bus was running behind and the weather was beautiful so I skipped the bus and road to work fully. Commute was amazing, 27 miles one way, crisp air with a little nibble on the fingers. Slowly getting used to it being chilly! More photos from the ride home can be found on Flickr.

Great day at the shop. Shared some thoughts with customers, helped sell some bikes, informed on bike paths, rail to trails and those things.

Started my commute home a bit late, with my trusty Stella in my rack bag I felt confident heading off into the dwindling light. Never needed to put the light on and that is including my stop at Bojangles for a biscuit at tea. (We all have our needs in life.)

Friday

Knee warmer and light long sleeve jersey. It is finally feeling like fall in the Queen City.
Sent via BlackBerry

Thursday

Thursday? Did a week quickly pass me by?

Recap, quickly now.
Friday - fly to MD, enjoy being home and the familiar sites.
Saturday - fly to OH, enjoy family I haven't seen in a few years (since high school.)
Sunday - attempt to fly home to Charlotte. High winds, delayed flights, missed flight connections landed me back in MD for an extra (unexpected day.)
Monday - eat many crabs, nap on my parents couch and recoup. fly home to Charlotte(finally) with friend in seat beside on the plane ride.
Tuesday - scheduled day off from work, food, couch purchasing, walks and laughs
Wednesday - borrow friends car, load couch, move couch, love couch, watch a movie, take more walks and relax

TODAY - Finally back at work after 6 days off, one unscheduled. Playing catch up before I leave on another jet plane next Monday for 3.5 days in Las Vegas for Inter Bike and bike nerdism. That's not too far away. Did I mention today is my first day of being car free?

Now back to normally scheduled programming.

Thursday

Gone for the weekend...

Talk on Sunday night or Monday

Wednesday

You get no photo.

F&*&(*king ANTS!

Tuesday

Boy, what a day. Car fixing, money spent, bus missed and a little bit of rain. Cheers to you, Arleigh!

Monday PM

First Monday night mountain bike ride through Cool Breeze happened tonight. A decent group of folks too! Started off with 9 people I believe. Did both of the Lake Norman loops and had some day light still to offer. Quick couple of slices of pizza from Fuel and it was on the bus to get home.

Other than that great story my Monday was a normal Monday. Tomorrow morning I am dropping off the Audi to get fixed up to go away next week and then meeting with an amazing graphic designer to brain storm for a jersey design for the new mtb team. The team? Trek Bicycle Store Charlotte & Cool Breeze Cyclery. A team for both stores. A very exciting venture. A very exciting time to be me.

OH. Last night I had dinner with Jeannie. No dropped jaws. It was a nice casual dinner at Rock Bottom. Felt nice to be able to sit across the table and talk. Talk about whatever we wanted and not need to bite my tongue about certain relationships that are happening (or not happening.) I've missed her friendship and know I need that friendship in my life.

Sunday PM

Long ride into work. Buses don't exactly run on Sunday to 25 miles away out of town. 19 miles one way. Rolling hills. One speed, rack weighed down with pack and 37mm tires made it a great ride but now I'm zonked. That's a pretty long "daily commute." A full week of commuting by bike/bus is under my belt. Motivation and inspiration is in my legs. Going car less is here now.

The cracked Lemond is morphing into the Salsa. Salsa is getting a full Campy drivetrain, shifting and a short tour is in my future. Can anyone recommend a decent 4 season, light weight, tent? MSR?

Saturday

Friday

One of those weeks. I've stressed myself out over stupid things, forgotten huge things, my coordination is off and I can't seem to keep a train of thought. One thing this means - over training. Sure I'm not really TRAINING right now. But I went from pretty basic first two weeks at the shop, to starting to lift in the mornings, commute by bike, wake up early, and school all within the same time span.

The plan is to back off weight training in the mornings and wake up at 7 most mornings. Continue to commute and after a week start working weight training in every other day or Mon, Wed, Fri.

The other rumor to throw out there is I may be going carless. That is a post in its self that I don't have time for. I need sleep and to not think for 12 hours.

Mom- if you read this in HI, this continent misses you!

Thursday

Did not get to the gym this morning, slept in - it was glorious. Ride in to work, ran into a customer on the bus with his commuter rig. That was a pretty cool feeling.

Not too much tonite. Try again tomorrow.

Wedenesday

Shop talk, CABA meeting, beer with an old friend.

Quality night.

Tuesday

Wonderful daily wake up calls are in full affect. 5:15am isn't so bad when a beautiful voice is on the other end.

Gym early, small nap and then on to moving two apartments in 5 hours. Where did that day off go again? Worn out, sweaty and feeling satisfied with myself I am going to find coffee before class. This might effect my sleeping tonight but I'm doubting it will be for how long the day will be by 10:30pm tonight.

The gym routine is going well. Slowly I am seeing the changes in my body from the gym and riding about daily. Small changes but its something. Soreness is a welcoming feeling for the morning after lifting. Normally 24 hours goes around after hitting the gym and that part of my body is slightly sore. Not painful but a bit tender to the touch. A wonderful feeling. Makes me feel like I'm doing something and makes that 5:15am wake up call even easier.

Progress is often the best motivation in my life. Progress with work, progress with her, progress with the ants being gone from my apartment. Progress. You should try it.

Monday PM

My day got worse yesterday. I don't want to recap but I feel I need to for all you to understand how bad yesterday was. So please re-read yesterday's post and then pick up here...

After ranting on the blog yesterday I go to take a shower and find a train of hundreds of ants going from my shower, out the bathroom, around my bedroom rug, around my bed to Fiona's bed. Now I HATE ant's. I think of all creatures that are creepy crawly I do well, but for ant's. Now there are hundreds in my small apartment. I go to work killing, spraying, cleaning and finding any other spaces they might be. Quickly the apartment is cleaned, moved around and the shower rechalked. I throw all my sheets and a rug into the washer. It gets to the spin cycle and stops working. AHHHHHHHH. Now my washer is busted.

I'm exhausted, give up and get into bed. Waking up every 2-3 hours to check that the ants aren't making another trail to my bed and ME. Peal myself out of bed at noon, check everything, clean a bit more, fix washer somewhat and go for a bike ride. The day is looking better now, bike ride, gym, dog walk, and food making tonight. Sleep by 10:30 to wake at 5:15am for the gym again.

Now I'm done ranting. Thanks for listening.