What a fun - yet long ass day. I got up early and helped my parents painstakingly prune all the trees and what not in their yard. What was to be a one hour task turned into a 4 hour task. But it all looks great. After lunch, I drove to Performance to test drive a few bikes. Now I really want to get a total composite frame....but pricey....Ran a few more domestic errands then drove to Alexandria and did a long 42 mile bike ride to Mt Vernon - back and up to the Roosevelt Bridge then back to Alexandria. The weather was super fantastic. I love that trip - it's pleasant on the Potomac River. The rest of the evening was much of a blur with doing domestic crap. Catching up on things, preparing for other domestic crap to do.....

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Friday, friday, friday - thank goodness. Was a busy ass day at work - too much to do in so little time. Huge deadlines, stress, et al. But got it all done. Then went on a bike ride. It was threatening to storm - and started to drizzle, but never began a full on downpour. We were expecting heavy torrential thunderboomers with hail, tornados, et al. I love those kinds of storms. Just not the heavy rain and lightning (nor hail) when I'm out in the middle of nowhere biking in it.

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Just domestic stuff like errands, helping my parents with a few lawn things - then my bike rides. I'll be test driving some new road bikes tomorrow. Slobberfest....

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What a beautiful day. Period. Work went by real quick - lots of crap got done. Drove to Vienna to meet up with my training partner. We biked about 36 miles or so. Fantastic ride. Perfect weather. Came home. Had some dinner, et al. Tried on some pants tonight - I lost 2 inches in my waist. Sheesh. I feel great though.

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Went on a short 30 mile bike ride tonight to Vienna. Perfect weather. Not too much to say other than that ground hogs are the dumbest damn rodents on the planet. They are funny to watch though. (click on bike to enlarge)Completely slobbering over a new bike. It's schweet, it has:
Double-Butted Alloy Frame w/Muscle Stays
Full Carbon Fork & Internal Headset
Campagnola Mirage & Xenon 9S Components
3T The Stem & Handlebars
Velomax Vista Wheelset
19.3 lbs / 8.8 kilos
and a really cool color.

In my price range - but not available in some places until July...perfect.

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What a borish day at work - yet what a wonderful bike ride this evening. I met my training partner at 5:30 and we did the Sterling to Purceville route - somewhere under 40 miles. It threatened to rain - but then it turned into the most amazing ride. Just a little muggy. There was what appeared to be this dude jogging with his huge great dane ahead - upon further inspection, we realized that it was a huge white tail deer running in front of him. The thing jumped right in front of us. Pretty crack-a-lackan. I'll be training with her on Thursday - we will train tuesday and thurs evenings.

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Where to start. Ah yes, maybe I'll tell this vacation story in reverse - ah what the hell. Today is:

Monday, I was not so enthused about going back to work after being on vacation since this past wednesday at my parent's lake house at Smith Mountain Lake. At least it was a slow day at work (suprizingly after being gone almost a week).

Sunday (yesterday) - was an intense day, I woke up early at the Lake house - finished packing and loading the car for the trip home. The plan was to drive back early, get home and take a long bike ride - (afterall, I was to spend Monday night out with my parents for my mom's 63rd birthday - and Sunday was Father's Day) then cook dinner for my parents on Father's Day - grilled Filet Mignon with carmalized mushrooms and onions, steamed veggies, sweet potatos. Then to clean my bike from head to toe for my tuesday eve bike ride with my training partner. What a mess. I went thru an entire can of WD-40 and a roll of paper towels trying to get that bike cleaned. I stripped the entire bike apart - every chain, pully, spoke, gear, everything - sonic cleaned all the greasy parts and put it back together. Then degreased the parts - then added the new grease/oil. Sparkled like crazy. On my bike ride, I did see an amazing thing - a one legged bicyclist. Seriously. This dude was on his bicycle, huffing up a hill (he obviously had toe clips - he was pulling up and pushing down). It was quite impressive. But a few questions came to mind. Like when he stops, obviously he would unclip his foot out...but what if he accidently leaned in the opposite direction. Or what does he do with the other pedal or shoe?

Saturday - Was a Neiceless/Nephewless day. In fact very gratefull after two solid days dealing with several of my nephews (unlike my neices who are always polite and bearable) who happen to suck the entire life, good mood, patience, and then more. This experience re-ifys why I may not have children. (another discussion) This experience is the best form of birth control. Anyhoo, Sat morn - had breakfast with the parents, ran to the store, gassed up (amazing $1.63 a gallon) and then headed to the Smith Mountain State Park for a good bike ride. Unfortunately, the park was small...but it had good long stretches of rolling hill paved roads. So I did 4 laps - which basically amounted to about 28 miles (very hilly). Came back to the lake house and helped my parents for 3 hours hand this really difficult set of huge venetian blinds over a high vestibule. Afterwards, my father and I took a swim at the pool a few blocks away and made fun of the two new mothers who were at the pool in bikinis - who should not have been in bikinis. These women were both about 100lbs overweight - and in string bikinis. Fat gushing over the strings - and to top it all off....the biggest white trash tawk replete with guns and roses and confederate flag tattoos. It was sad. Came home and I cooked dinner - some linguini with tomato, basil, garlic, oregano, grilled chicken - with leftovers from the week (had to clean out fridge). After dinner, sat out on deck with parents, had a few beers and watched the fireflies.

Friday - Woke up way too early. My Father rented a pontoon boat - large lake cruiser for both Thursday and Friday - for cruising the lake, fishing, et al for all the grandchildren, my brothers and my parents. Was a loose knit arrangement. SO basically, we spent the morning on the boat fishing - not catching anything - we had the wrong bait - it was the wrong time of the day - not to mention, my father's fishing gear was completely archaic. Like 30 years old - and unfunctional. Meaning - you could cast out about 10 yards. but could not reel it back in - because the reel was all fucked up. I felt bad - he felt bad. But it was great weather. I was still suffering from a sunburn from the day earlier. We came back to the lake house and dropped my mother off (so she could meet my younger brother and his wife and family) and my father zoomed back to the marina to meet my older brother and a few of his kids (the wife was at home taking care of the eldest daughter because she had strep throat). We met them - and had to leave - the youngest boy spent the entire car ride barfing. He had a 102 fever. Ungood. We took my neice on a quick 15 minute spin around the bay to make her smile. My poor older brother - he took the afternoon off from work, drove with two of three kids down to the lake (hour each way) to fish, and swim at the pool....then drive home. After all this, Father and I came back to the lake house - joined family at pool. Swam - then ate dinner. Kids finally left. I was soo frustrated because of all the children - sucking any fun I was "supposed to have - and relax" on my mini-vacation. I needed to cool off. So I went on a severe quick bike ride. Came back to the house, and had some coffee and a beer on the back deck with the 'rents as we watched the stars, fireflies and talked about how children take the life out of ya.

Thursday - Woke up early - had breakfast with parents and went to marina to rent pontoon boat. Went on a lengthy tour of the lake in the morning - I stoopidly went shirtless - with only minimal sunscreen. Came back in the afternoon for lunch, picked up my younger brother and his two boys - had lunch on the boat and went fishing. It was threatening to storm the entire time but it did not. My younger brother caught two tiny fish. Came back and headed back to the house to change for the pool. Spent the afternoon playing "Marco Polo!" in the pool and getting burnt to a crisp. I cooked dinner for the family that night - Linguini with a spicy white clam sauce. It was well received.

Wednesday - Woke up early for my 5 hour drive down to my parent's lake house at Smith Mountain Lake. I was looking forward to it - the long solitude of a drive (I had a great book on tape) - and the relaxation and time to spend with my family - sun, boating, swimming, cooking, fishing. Got to the lake around 2:30pm - it was about to rain. My father decided to hold off on the boat rental - as it had been raining all week. So we ran a few quick errands - in the rain. Came back to the lake house - went to the pool for a really chilly dip. Came home and prepared dinner - I was impressed. Mom made a turkey the day before. SO we had cranberry sauce and the fixins'.

Overall.....it was a GREAT trip. I am relaxed, tan, feel healthy (look great in my bathingsuit - all this biking has made me kinda look...iono....well fit). Time to put this novel to bed. (photos soon to come).

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Woweee-wow-wow-WOW!, We need more COWBELL! Back from vacation.....too much to tell, too little to hide...much to show...oh crap...is my schlong dragging on the sidewalk?...more to come......

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