Air Planes, and SO Cal Officiating - It Rocks!
I need to stop talking about RAAM so much and coughing so that maybe my voice will finally return. My body is finially starting to come back together, I’m still planning on camping, beaching and riding every other day this week before getting back into real training. Still having some lingering physical and mental-focus issue’s…
I flew out to Cali last week. This time I’m not returning via bicycle. Most of the RAAM crew spent the last week driving back to Bakersfield and just got there a few days ago (I can only imagine that it sucked a lot). I’m looking forward to properly thanking them and celebrating. I usually get to write a diary article in the air, but today I have even more time..
The flight I booked myself on didn’t have room for bicycles!?! So I’m booked on a direct flight to LAX, which leaves “in 20 minutes” but the Security guy took 15 minutes to open up the hardshell case, which I’d borrowed from Hackler, and 10 to close it. Once open, he just poked around and didn’t do much of a search. I missed the Plane. Buff.
So they’re calling my name out in the airport — turns out I’ll be traveling via Chicago, and that my baggage did make the flight, and “will be waiting for me” in LA.
The advantage of stopping in Chicago is that I get to spend another hour of “People Watching” in the airport. Except in my case I’m rarely subtle, so “people staring” is probably a more accurate description.
I’m wondering what this Preacher is looking at on his lap-top, he looks over and scowels. He’s realized I’m eating Reese’s Pieces “Tool-of-the-Devil” for lunch. Why is it that preachers always seem to be into wrong doing? If you’re so inclined does that make you gravitate towards preaching, or is there some greater power…
Then this guy sits down beside me and he’s got 5 childern under the age of 5. Dude you’re beyond contraception now, go get cut.
SKIRTS!!! This lady just sat across from me, and she’s wearing a skirt. I can’t help but look at her panties. What is she thinking? What was the inventor of the Skirt thinking? Sure you save a little fabric, but you’ve made a totally impratical garment. It hinders movement, not good in wind or rain. Pain in the ass for sitting in. Even if it was designed by a man to suppress women, it’s still women who are out there wearing it.
(for the record miniskirts on the right application make perfect sense)
It ended up that I didn’t sit near the kids or the preacher, and met coolest “Airplane Buddy” ever. Woo Hoo.
Of course when I go to pick up my baggage in LA, my bike is “in Boston”. G-rate. The cool thing is that in packing I brought my cycling shoes (always) and clothing as my carry on, and packed my real clothing with the bike.
Summary of Last Little While:
‘States Day’:
-Started to change my radiator to find out that I did’t have the right hoses. Yup I was Hosed - Eh!
-Crit in Northampton MA. Seemed like a good idea, but then I realized that I had no sprint, no jump, and once I attacked and got away my “max speed” was in fact quite slow. I also was having issues with concentration and other riders in the field. I spaced out midway through the final corner… ending up in some large shrubbery (no crash, just a dab).
-Watched Diana Krall Concert. I’m not that into Jazz, but we had good seats for the fireworks. I did find it fairly ironic that on America Day we’re all listening to a Canadian Sing.
-Headed out Kayaking in the rain, which Ruth-the coolest-67-year-old-ever-Innes. Fun.
-It took 5h to find the right hose, but my car’s now cooler, and hasn’t featured any white smoke in the past 200 miles of new radiatior
No Gay Inkeepers! The Archbiker and I were supposed to be innkeepers for a month, but somehow it fell through. So for this month we’re homeless. We moved all our gear into the basement of the church on the 1st. Operating at what’s safe to say is half speed. We’ve been squatting in a vacant, unfurnished, (has running water and power, but no mirrors nor chairs) place under the weather of the building inspector and other authorities.
80 minute Crit in Santa Barbara… well I was saying I’ve been having lapses in concentration, with 6 min to go my front quick release skewer came loose. Buff. After deliberating a few moments, I decide not to adjust on the fly. No free laps, race officials were too confused to acknowledge 12 people lapped the field, so even though I didn’t loose my lap I’m not in the top 20. What-ever, I got the C-note prime.
OK I’m off to find a spot to recharge the battery and have a nap,
Random people, friends, and RAAM Crew members can e-mail me: faatnaat at Hotmail.com
