Wired to whine

With my impending date with a sharp knife looming and everything hurting right now, my motivation to ride is waning a little. It is actaully nice to go out for a ride and just go easy. My legs have been tired and I have been feeling sluggish. Oh well good time for surgery. I missed Humbleton RR, sounds like it was a doozy. Apparently Hernando and the champ were riding together on the back side and the champ was wanting things a certain way and didn't get it. I call it "Old man and the Seer". Anyway champ took 8th OV got 6th I think. Not bad. Sounds like the Bagboys had a good weekend overall. I miss the racing, but cross season looms, it will be nice to get muddy again.

Somebody ran into my truck today, and didn't have the decency to let me know. Great, one more thing I need to take care of. I would like to be pissed off but, what are you going to do. Put my last day in at work for the next two months. It is going to be strange to be off work again. I know there is a lesson to learn in there somewhere. I am just not sure where.

I have had a couple people tell me I should start eating meat again. My accupuncturist and my massage therapist think I would be feeling better if I did. After 20 years of being a carbovore I am not sure. The scary thing is that I am thinking about it. My body feels a bit beat up and if I thought for sure that eating meat would help I might try it. I haven't had red meat in over 20 years. I will have to think about it a while longer. Had some friends over for a BBQ yesterday, and the Niman ranch kabob's looked pretty good. Hmmmmmm......

Well, that is it for now. Impermanence,Impermanence,Impermanence,

Red meat, tofu treat?
Peace,
VJ

A little more love

If you voted for W, if you voted for Gore, Kerry, Dean, Nader etc. You should watch Bagdhad ER. It is horrific, but it is real. If those guys can live through it. Than the least we can do is not hide from it and pretend it does not exist. If you can walk away from it and say that what we are doing there is worth it, than I think you are crazy. I predict that we will look back on this war like we do Vietnam. A waste of young lives, period. You can talk about oil, money and politics, though they are the same, but the destruction of lives and minds is senseless, you will never provide me enough information that will change my mind.

For the liberals I have this for you. What are you doing? Aren't you just like the right, you speak big words, march in the street, but the bottom line, what are you doing? What am I doing? I don't know. We should all pause and reflect the madness of what is happening over there. We should pause everyday and consider at that moment a life is being shattered. The war has gone on long enough over there that the numbers don't mean anything to us any more. Oh yeah, today in Iraq more soliders died, blah blah blah. WAKE UP PEOPLE! The madness is the same today as it was three years ago. If kids make it out of Iraq we are sending them home with a head full of damage. This is not my first blog on this issue, I am not hitting it because it is topical, it's not anymore, that is the problem. Only if you have been in the military can you appreciate what is going on over there in any real sense. Watching a documentry, reading the paper, or god forbid, reading a blog about the war is not going to give you any understanding of the magnitude of the madness there. This is a rant, pure and simple. Will not have any effect, pure self indulgence.

Yesterday, I took my kids to see MI3. Outside there were guys protesting the Da Vinci Code. Now, I have not read the book or plan to see the movie. I am just not compelled. Anyway, one of the guys out there is the one who, every week for the past ten years or so parks his truck with 6 foot tall signs of mutilated fetus in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic. There he is cramming his fictional fundamentalism down the throats of iall comers. Even those just driving by. He is not speading Jesus's love, he is spreading hate. I can't see Jesus spewing that much venom. Its not enough to have a different opinion for him, the difference is his is right. It is all I can take to not knock this guy out. He craves attention though, that is what he wants. So to me, he is the Buddha. He is love, and from him I shall learn. I don't know how else to deal with it. So much hate and intolerance scares me and makes me look within for those same things. If I have that in myself, than that is where I shall start the work.

Going into the basement,
with wrenches and hammers,
VJ

Sittin' on

Well two weeks to go, before I am hop along again. It's kind of funny, I am not planning to race anymore, but I am still training like a mofo. Did the nooner to day. It amazes me how some people ride, I must be getting old. Nobody wants to do a nice little pace line anymore, they all want to make the big "I am on OLN" attack. Then 30 seconds later blow up and get gobbled by the pack. Only to have another fine lad or lass do the same again. If you try to get people going and find yourself on the front you can just assume you will be on your own and no one will pull through. I hate that kind of riding.

Well, Roger Rabbit was out today, some RH villa guy and the rest of the crew. By the end of the ride our group of 30 was now 8ish. Second time up alpine after Bruce pulled us all the way up, Roger made his move. I thought it would be a wise idea to go with him. I was good until the group caught us and then somebody pour gas on the fire. That was it for me. I guess I need to prove something to myself. No wonder I am in therapy, and have been for a while. Hmmmmm.....

How about that president of ours! Yeah, let's put a bunch of National Guard dudes out in the middle of the dessert. Got to protect Mexifornia from all those penniless immigrants. Well at least the guard guys have had their training in Iraq. You know those guys are bummin' hard. I am predicting a serious drop in Guard recruitments. Although I am sure the minuteklansmen will be happy to volunteer. You think Abu Garib was bad. I can't wait to check out flickr for all the photos from the front lines of Mexifornia. Can you say race riot? It is so painful to listen to W. That guy can't even string a simple sentence together. It is like white honkey ebonics. Hope all you Bush voters a happy. Yeah, I remember all the W signs in the front yards and the bumper stickers. Suckers. Thanks. Ha! Four more years. Nothing like giving him a do over. I guess I am little bitter today. It just bums me out how far backwards we have gone. I am not a huge Clinton fan in terms of his choice of women and stuff, but I recall things being a little better then. Why don't we go after the dudes that hire the migrants? Oh no, we can't do that to business, the bosom of the right. Damn, I am starting a rehash now. Funny how good Al Gore is looking right about. He is talking crazy talk, renewable energy, bah! That's Buck Rogers stuff, liberal twinkle toes stuff. Let's go drill in Alaska! Real men use oil!

Happy thoughts, Happy thoughts. God I love this weather, reminds me of.......Home.

Nostalgic orgasmic.
Red Tail Ale,
I am out.
VJ

Flog Blog

Well, things didn't go so well at Cat's hill, the Cat's meow was actually a roar. I tried to grab on to the tiger's tail and got bit. Lot's of reason's, but I broke the golden rule, and that is never be in the back. I tried though but starting the season at Cat's doesn't leave room for shaking off the rust. I felt good, but everytime we came down the hill onto the straight someone was opening a gap, coming around a closing it, then hitting the hill redline will not make for a very long race. Anyway, the loud pop was me coming undone. I can say that at least I wasn't the first and by the end there was a distinguished crowd in the DNF seats.

Bag boys rode aggresive as did the broker boys, but spine seemed to be waiting in the wings. Bag boys were setting OV up, not sure what happened, but that last lap is always a little crazy. Angerman won the sprint over OV, I had my money on OV though. For a minute during the race, I thought "hey I am right next to OV and Myall, I should be okay". Yeah right, that is anerobia whispering in my ear, my ponies aren't quite as big as theirs. The champ rode real well, pick up a 8th or so. That guy always impresses me. I think he was the highest placed 50+ guy out there.

I worked real hard at beating myself up this weekend, called myself a loser many times, but I just couldn't get into the woe is me mode. I think doing my warm up on hwy 9, and Mayberry's advice helped put it all into perspecitve, as well as:

1) - The last time I went down 9 it was in the back of an ambulance, in many piece
2) - "dude, you were at least out there doing it" however briefly, yeah that's true
3) - Watching my 9 year old son finish his run in the "wizard of Oz" made me realize that riding my bike around in very fast circles is fun, but he is still way better at enjoying life than I am.
4) - My daughter doing the 400m on friday getting second and scoring a goal at her soccer game on Sat. Is an awesome back to back.
5) - Lothar is still my hero, last year he was in Iraq eating sand sandwiches, now he doing two races at Cat's hill and killing it every weekend. Chapeau my friend!
6) - I realize how much fear I had to overcome, when you see guys like OV, Caldwell, Nolan, the champ, Martin and on and on, stepping up to the line. I was intimidated, how can you not be. I put all that aside, gave myself a shot though. I learned that they are awesome and they have put alot of time into this sport, that is to be respected not feared. And to be able to line up with those guys is an accomplishment in and of itself for a patzer like me.

Cat's hill is a race where you see everyone you know in the cycling world. Props to Chris for helping out set up the course, and he is not even a Gato boy, see you in cross season my friend. Thanks to the "boss" and Bman for showing up and dispensing the love. The boss always gives out big love and never lets me slink into the shell of me, and dwell in the pity pool.

Serotonin levels must be up, Woo Whooo!

Happy to be anti-depressant free!
Peace,
VJ

1 year ago

Well, one year later and I am still here. That is a picture of me 1 year ago, after an unfortunate, okay stupid, accident with a harley, head on. Lucky to be alive? Yeah. Lucky to be back on the bike. Yeah. Lucky to be back racing this weekend? Meowwwww. It will be interesting anyway. The bag boys will be there to rattle sabres at the stanleys et al. If I make it to the finish line in one piece I will be a happy man. Hell, if I make it to the finish at all I will be stoked.

Funny, I was coming down 84 a couple days ago, nice and easy like of course. Guy behind tells me at the bottom, " hey nice job going down that hill". I had to laugh a tell him I may not be the best guy to be behind in that circustance. Hey went on to speak of his own downhill episode on an un-named alp in France. Ouch, I'll have the hair o' the dog that bit me Lloyd! Anyway, three more weeks till the season is done and it's the knife again, bummer. Then cross season! Bring it on baby, I live for it.

Counting my lucky stars and blessings,

VJ

Me and Mrs., Mrs Juice

We got a thing going on. 17 years wedded bliss. Managed to find some one to watch the kids for the night, went over to Half Moon, stayed at the beach house. 17 hours of wine and roses, one hour for each year. Well we did have some beers at the brewing company. Some chocolate. All went well until Mrs. Juice broke out the Memoirs of a Geisha. Zzzzzzzzzz........ Sorry but that one was not my thing. Anyway. We at least got to sleep in till 8 or so which is huge for us. Woke up with a smile on my face looking out at the ocean and my bride, all was right with the world. Then we had to get up go back over the hill, pick up the kids go to plays, soccer games. Even managed to clean the back yard all in one day. Life.........ahhhhh. What a ride.

Wedding bells echo from a distant past..... cool,

VJ

Gringo de Mayo

Well, happy gringo de mayo, hope you all have your green papers in order lest some minuteklansman will come in and drag your ass back to whatever third world country you came from. If you are from some civilized honky country, well we welcome you, our tired, our wary citizen, just like lady liberty with her outstreched arms and open wallet.

Hope those dudes enjoy mowing their own lawns and paying $8 for a quarter pounder, freaking kool aid drinkers. Kind of funny that we are so intent on "defending" our country, most every county, city and street is in Spanish. Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Mariposa, Avenue, Playa and on and on. I don't know how this became such a big deal all of the sudden. But, if I were president and lots of people were being killed everyday in a forgien country far, far away I would come up with a distraction for the fine people of our country. A nice devicisive distraction to get them stired up and pissed off at each other and not the GOP. Oh yeah, today is the 36th anniversary of the incident at Kent State. What a coincidence. It would be nice to not be old enough to remember it. Well so much for my self imposed news blackout. I think it is important to speak out and this may be the best way, though if you read this you more than likely agree with me, hopefully, not that you have to. Don't get me wrong I am not happy with a bunch of people coming to our fine United State of Kalifornia and sucking egg nog off the teet (thanks OV) of every other tax complainer, in fact if some of those people wern't so scared shitless they would be happy to pay their share. Mostly it is the employers that hire these dudes on the cheap and get away with it. Those are the guys that are making the most money on this whole deal. " But that would raise prices on everything" yeah, well unless you feeling like picking your own romaine lettuce in 100 degree heat you better figure something out. I mean it's not like gas is over $3 per gallon yet, um.... I meant per liter. In fact, I am tottally cool with out of control gas prices. Bring it, cause then people may, though I doubt it, start riding their bikes more, and a freaking Hummer less. We can shut down some of the freeways and open them up to bikes only. Okay I am rambling now. See you suckers in the fast lane. Ahh...... utopia. Well for cinco de mayo here is my utopia. See all you honkys in the fast lane.

Yo quiero bebida mis amigos,
VJ

I'm OK you're OK

I've wallowed around in misery
Poor, poor pitiful me
I've decided, no good can come of that
Somedays you gotta pull it up by the ol' boot strap

Look in the mirror to start a change
Just selfish little me to rearrange
Life starts anew each time the pedal goes 'round
Sometimes the ship just needs to run aground

So, little bird, is today the day?
Is it the last time to see the sun this way?
We never know, I suppose it's a test
Today's the day I will make it the best.

I will gather my friends, give them endless love
Smile at the sight of two flying white doves
Stop, think, and shout to say
I'm okay, I'm okay, if only just for today.