Christmas Wish Lists

Christmas wish list, 4 and 1/2 year old girl:

• Hello Kitty stratocaster guitar
• Wind-up bee
• Hiccup machine
• Stuffed pine tree
• Door knob

Christmas wish list, 7 year old boy:

• Electric motor kit
• Physics solar workshop kit
• Smithsonian crystal growing kit
• Snap circuits JR.
• A maze and marbles
• Remote-control speed boat
• Erector special edition set
• Tag ball dual set with 2 refill kits
• Micro spy set
• Radio controlled shuttle
• HAMMER!
• Camera
• Go traffic light duel slot car set
• Remote-control amphibious hovercraft
• Remote-control mega-X morphibian
• Deluxe metal detector
• Star rocket kit
• Deluxe microscope
• Ultimate gum kit
• Mystery rock
• Khet game
• Boat buddy (This is a powerful squirter used on Colorado boat trips in Utah as you simply can't enjoy a nice float down the river without soaking a total stranger. This is what happens when the beer supply is artificially restricted. --Ed.)
• USB rocket launcher
• Palm size R/C helicoptor
• Forbidden lego
• Green laser pointer (more powerful than the red ones apparently. --Ed.)
• Leatherman wave
• Curiously strong magnets
• Hydrodynamic building set
• Sonic bomb alarm clock
• Air zooka

Another season in the bag

Another cross season is in the bag. The concluding race in Ogden was another epic, with snow and mud, and hard going the entire course. I was not happy with my ride, but it was still a good time.

This was an interesting season for me. In seasons past I've been consistently mediocre. This year I had some good results, and some bad results, and I think it's progress. There are some things to be shored up via training, but I think a big part of it is mental - having the mindset to get after a win.

I think the Utah Cyclocross Series has to be one of the best series around. Lots of great venues, the people involved and the associated vibe makes for a good time. It's also an excellent deal - for 180 bones I got 10 races, and won at least $200 in swag.

Utah Cyclocross #9

Race #9 was truely an epic. With the heavy snowfall packing down into slippery, rutted ice as the race wore on, the race turned into a crash fest. I was in a decent spot towards the front, but as I tried to pull closer to the action at the front, a multiple crash lap put me out of the action. Still, it was a great race, and my hat's off to those who stayed upright and up front.

To everyone I slid into, my apologies. To everyone who ran into me, no worries.

First snow commute of the fall

It was snowing good and hard when I rode home tonight... with the snow piling up on me, for a second I felt like Andy Hampsten... at least until some d-bag cut me off in an intersection.

Of couse, just like in photo, in Salt Lake there'd be a car following close behind, and since it's snowing, want to pass on the right.

Utah Cyclocross #8

Today was a nice day for a cross race at Wheeler Farm. While the temps were cool, the sun felt good, and as always the turnout seemed undiminished by the cold temps.

My race was so-so... I hung for the first lap with the lead group, then paid for it - I seem to dig a deep hole for myself going out too fast. I suffered for most of the rest of the race, but felt better the last couple of laps. The legs were definitely flat this week - the slightest uphill felt like a mountain, and it's tough to let guys go that I beat just 2 weeks ago. I wasted energy with inefficient steering and braking the first half of the race due to frozen fingers.

One thing I was happy about was I fought as hard as I could. One thing that always suprises me is people who want to pass on single track and are shocked when I hold my line and they end up in the brush or having to slam on the brakes. Hey, if you're riding more or less my pace and are in my group, it's called a race, and I'm not going to roll over. Now if you're obviously faster and/or in another group, I've got no problem yielding, and generally the fast guys and gals tend to move through traffic with grace and aplomb.

Cyclocross Tomorow

Utah Cyclocross #8 is tomorrow at Wheeler Farm. It looks like it will be cold and sunny, might not even hit freezing before my flite goes off.

There's been some grumbling about the course set up... not technical enough... not enough dismounts, running, etc. Personally, I'm happy to ride anything the organizers care to put together - it's nice living somewhere where we have a 10 race series. Perhaps those who are doing the complaining will put their own race on.