Rode the fixie mtb of river trails last night, and it was a lot of fun. My previous fixed gear experience left me with a new affirmation of faith. I thought that my life was going to end.
I had previously read peoples fixie mtb experiences and heard the claim of being "one" with the bike and all that zen like crap. I attributed that sense of oneness that they were feeling to the sphincter tightening experience I had when I forgot to pedal. But no, once you get going, and are riding something with lots of flow, it was a blast. Changed how I approached logs and obstacles. anyhow it was great fun for big cheif, I even learned how to skid...... even the hobos were impressed
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Getting owned
I got destroyed this sunday in my first ever attempt to race geared cross. I also logged my first ever DNF.....at anything.
I just did not want to be on my bike. It was not one of my finer moments. I also managed to get owned in the SS class. was a fun course though. the wind was brutal though. Gonna go to Boss cross this weekend, though I will not be racing. I am gonna volunteer and cheer, but I need to start saving money and throwing money at these races is a losing proposition in my mind. Especially when I have to drive from Manhattan.
Enough complaining
On the upside I got my tomicog yesterday and managed not to die riding to work this morning. I am gonna try to sneak away and ride the river trail tomorrow afternoon. Considering my lack of fixed gear prowess it should be amusing, at least to the crusty hobos that hang out on the river trails. I am also gonna try to replace a bearing on a TIME ATAC pedal that has a plastic on plastic squeak when turned...... very weird. If anyone has ever replaced a bearing on a Time pedal I am all ears to any tips or suggestions.
Big Al is also home from the Northern Hinterlands of MN, so its time to straighten up or else......
I just did not want to be on my bike. It was not one of my finer moments. I also managed to get owned in the SS class. was a fun course though. the wind was brutal though. Gonna go to Boss cross this weekend, though I will not be racing. I am gonna volunteer and cheer, but I need to start saving money and throwing money at these races is a losing proposition in my mind. Especially when I have to drive from Manhattan.
Enough complaining
On the upside I got my tomicog yesterday and managed not to die riding to work this morning. I am gonna try to sneak away and ride the river trail tomorrow afternoon. Considering my lack of fixed gear prowess it should be amusing, at least to the crusty hobos that hang out on the river trails. I am also gonna try to replace a bearing on a TIME ATAC pedal that has a plastic on plastic squeak when turned...... very weird. If anyone has ever replaced a bearing on a Time pedal I am all ears to any tips or suggestions.
Big Al is also home from the Northern Hinterlands of MN, so its time to straighten up or else......
Friday, October 24, 2008
Smitheville Cross Festival is this weekend, and since Big Al is away I will go play. I would still go even if she was here, but that rhymed and I was feeling poetic. Wasn't feeling so poetic this morning. I have something up my sleeve this weekend and I will let ya know how it works out later. It will be a first for me!
Big Al is up in the northern hinterlands of Minnesota and Wisconsin probably punchin some hippy right in the mouth as we speak (cuz that how she rolls).
Bought tickets to fly into Twin Falls Idaho in January. Gonna go skiing at Sun Valley and visit with Joel and Mandy.
Ok for now
Big Al is up in the northern hinterlands of Minnesota and Wisconsin probably punchin some hippy right in the mouth as we speak (cuz that how she rolls).
Bought tickets to fly into Twin Falls Idaho in January. Gonna go skiing at Sun Valley and visit with Joel and Mandy.
Ok for now
Monday, September 29, 2008
Working out west
Its almost like you can see the curvature of the earth
Big Al likes straight lines so she does the marking
My little Canola plants busting out.
As usual... on the cutting edge of fashion and soil fertility research.
Doing work on Wards whole plant sampling. nothing excites me quite like whole plant nutrient uptake.
How I got like this......
The easy explanation would be that I have had a few too many head injuries. After haggling with insurance companies, the Mayo Clinic, a helicopter and ambulance company for the past year we finally have gotten the total out of pocket owed from about $32,000 USD to less than $4,300.
I sustained a minor stroke following a bike wreck at last years Conference finals Mtb bike race in Red Wing, MN. I got to ride in a ambulance, a helicopter, have a catheter inserted, and get put in one of those tube things that cost about $4 thousand to take a picture of your brain. (Later asked the doc what he saw, and he mumbled, "not much". had I not been restrained his life would have been in great peril)
This experience has left me bitter and thankful to alot of different people, and has changed my perspective on health care, insurance, USA Cycling, and Brandon Bundy. I have health care through the State of KS as a GRA at KSU. There is a specific clause that states if you are training for or participating in a athletic event they will not cover you if you are injured: See below
So After my state heath insurance denied me coverage I appealed to USA cycling and thankfully they covered my ambulance, some of the mayo bills, and most of the helicopter bills. All creditors involved learned a very valuable lesson from this....If Big Al does not want to give you her money there is a good chance that you will not be getting her money (important principle here:whats mine is hers and whats hers is hers) or at least not as much as you initially asked for.
What was left over after USA cycling insurance (the max is $25,000) we applied for low income reductions, and that helped. the economic stimulus package? yeah that went to the helicopter people.
That was great experience (sarcasm). they would not even let me look out the window. I was still stammering away trying to get them to tilt the backboard on its side so I could see out the window. It was not $8K well spent.
I can't argue that I received the best health care available in North America, but the cost of heath care is out of control. I lived in NZ and worked for a university farm, and lost part of my finger in a farm accident. Yeah I had to bleed on a hospital floor for a little while, but it did not cost me a dime out of pocket. I loath Hillary Clinton, but if she came up with a decent nationalized health care system, I might...might.....consider voting for her...but only after she had done it....i feel dirty now.
Insurance is not the answer to our nations health care issues. Insurance is great for the wealthy, but what about the largest portion of Americans that work too hard and make too much for programs like Medicaid, but cannot afford the $600-1000 dollars a month to cover a family of 4 with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance.
Anyway enough with my babbling the thing you need to know is this- If you have insurance through the above company and you get hurt tell them you fell down the stairs.....nothing else.
I sustained a minor stroke following a bike wreck at last years Conference finals Mtb bike race in Red Wing, MN. I got to ride in a ambulance, a helicopter, have a catheter inserted, and get put in one of those tube things that cost about $4 thousand to take a picture of your brain. (Later asked the doc what he saw, and he mumbled, "not much". had I not been restrained his life would have been in great peril)
This experience has left me bitter and thankful to alot of different people, and has changed my perspective on health care, insurance, USA Cycling, and Brandon Bundy. I have health care through the State of KS as a GRA at KSU. There is a specific clause that states if you are training for or participating in a athletic event they will not cover you if you are injured: See below
So After my state heath insurance denied me coverage I appealed to USA cycling and thankfully they covered my ambulance, some of the mayo bills, and most of the helicopter bills. All creditors involved learned a very valuable lesson from this....If Big Al does not want to give you her money there is a good chance that you will not be getting her money (important principle here:whats mine is hers and whats hers is hers) or at least not as much as you initially asked for.
What was left over after USA cycling insurance (the max is $25,000) we applied for low income reductions, and that helped. the economic stimulus package? yeah that went to the helicopter people.
That was great experience (sarcasm). they would not even let me look out the window. I was still stammering away trying to get them to tilt the backboard on its side so I could see out the window. It was not $8K well spent.
I can't argue that I received the best health care available in North America, but the cost of heath care is out of control. I lived in NZ and worked for a university farm, and lost part of my finger in a farm accident. Yeah I had to bleed on a hospital floor for a little while, but it did not cost me a dime out of pocket. I loath Hillary Clinton, but if she came up with a decent nationalized health care system, I might...might.....consider voting for her...but only after she had done it....i feel dirty now.
Insurance is not the answer to our nations health care issues. Insurance is great for the wealthy, but what about the largest portion of Americans that work too hard and make too much for programs like Medicaid, but cannot afford the $600-1000 dollars a month to cover a family of 4 with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance.
Anyway enough with my babbling the thing you need to know is this- If you have insurance through the above company and you get hurt tell them you fell down the stairs.....nothing else.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Gravel adventures and old pics
I am kinda pissed at blogger right now. I wrote a quick entry on Sunday, hit publish and walked away from my circa 2003 laptop.......not wise decision. That post is forever gone, and I have no idea what I wrote about.......such is life as the poster child for attention deficit disorder.
Any how Last weekend saw Dave McLeod, Warren Weibe, Chriss Berger and myself travel to Nebraska for Cornbreads Good Life gravel adventure. A great time was had, even with my attempt to see everything that was 5 miles east of Cortland, NE. I cant follow directions.
Got to meet some awesome people and make some great new friends. We even got to travel in the Weibe Wagon! Anyhow I am up to my eyeballs in work, and will be traveling out west this weekend to put in our fall canola crop in Sterling and Larned. I will bring back lots of pics so maybe some of my family will finally figure out what I do. Anyhow here are the pics courtesy of John Waller
We can safely assume that this picture was from early in the race.
Caption: Hind sight is always 20:20 and that last lap was a poor decision.
Patterson gets a chuckle as big al shares my sentiments.
Big Al is getting Paid.
PS She now has a new ride.....stay tuned.
Any how Last weekend saw Dave McLeod, Warren Weibe, Chriss Berger and myself travel to Nebraska for Cornbreads Good Life gravel adventure. A great time was had, even with my attempt to see everything that was 5 miles east of Cortland, NE. I cant follow directions.
Got to meet some awesome people and make some great new friends. We even got to travel in the Weibe Wagon! Anyhow I am up to my eyeballs in work, and will be traveling out west this weekend to put in our fall canola crop in Sterling and Larned. I will bring back lots of pics so maybe some of my family will finally figure out what I do. Anyhow here are the pics courtesy of John Waller
We can safely assume that this picture was from early in the race.
Caption: Hind sight is always 20:20 and that last lap was a poor decision.
Patterson gets a chuckle as big al shares my sentiments.
Big Al is getting Paid.
PS She now has a new ride.....stay tuned.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Getting our bake on
So sunday saw the rise and fall of many a caraway seed pretzel
Big al made cookies for the upcoming week as we are gonna be having alot of company. Sara Reed is gonna get here, as will the mighty Alaskan fish mongers Pap and Pesc. Joel and Mandy Lou-Who are also gonna roll in on their way to ID. Joel got the job!
The recipe that I used can be found in one of Jeff Smiths Immigrant food cookbooks.
The finished products. These are best served warm with some softened limberger cheese (no kidding...yes it does smell funny but its incredible). And you all thought that she married me for my money.............
Big al made cookies for the upcoming week as we are gonna be having alot of company. Sara Reed is gonna get here, as will the mighty Alaskan fish mongers Pap and Pesc. Joel and Mandy Lou-Who are also gonna roll in on their way to ID. Joel got the job!
The recipe that I used can be found in one of Jeff Smiths Immigrant food cookbooks.
The finished products. These are best served warm with some softened limberger cheese (no kidding...yes it does smell funny but its incredible). And you all thought that she married me for my money.............
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