Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert

“The screen door opens and a pathway becomes clear
The smell and taste of yesterday… did I ever care?
The inevitable failure that fear haunts with success
The boy in the bubble…enabled or blessed?”

Decorating for Christmas!

We got our tree on Friday and got it set up and decorated today. Since it's in the ken (kitchen den), the decorations are minimal in keeping with the small space: white lights, Moravian stars, clip-on lanterns, and candy canes. I have my giant wreath hanging in the window. It's a grapevine wreath covered in vintage ornaments and cheap hobby store picks. Each year I add to it. I love looking at it; every inch of it holds a surprise.
This year we went with a live wreath on the front door, adorned with a simple bow.
A pair of small, girl's skates are draped over the back of a chair.
My all-time favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas. Last year I got this 11x17" poster as a Christmas gift and framed it this year in a simple white frame which I decorated with a red and white glittery rope.
And dear boy Gideon got a Tiffany blue neck scarf for the Christmas season.

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

Two of the greatest skateboarders of all time "ripping" the Soul Bowl in Rio a couple of weeks ago. Christian Hosoi with his trademark rocket air, and Steve Caballero with a massive frontside air.

Mongo respects both of the guys immensely...skating talent aside.

Booty Sweat

Every serious road cyclist out there knows that there's no better feeling on your bike than to have your saddle dialed in properly.

Oh, you can have a professional fitting where measurements are taken, angles and positions are set, and money leaves your wallet, but true satisfaction only comes after a nightmarish, OCD obsession, manifesting itself in hundreds of micro-adjustments over an infinite period of time. Until finally...it's perfect!

Mongo affectionately calls this..."A little slice of Heaven." No matter what else is going on with your riding that day, ass problems won't be a factor.

Mongo's been rocking a Specialized Alias saddle for a couple of years. Once it got dialed in, I never had a problem with it. It was the perfect combination of a light race saddle with just enough padding. Then I crashed a couple of times, broke the saddle, repaired the saddle with electrical tape and Macgyver know-how, and eventually lost my "little slice of Heaven."

I've known for a while that I need a new saddle, but I haven't really wanted to drop a hundy on on a new Alias...with times being tough and all. So what did I do?

Mongo, as always, found himself a deal. Being a Masters cyclist, my prostate and my package are always a priority when choosing a saddle. For that reason, I am a lifetime Specialized user. Unfortunately, I am not made of money, so economics always play a factor in my cycling purchases.

I got myself a Specialized Phenom saddle.(Pictured above) It is based on the Toupe, but is marketed as a racing MTB saddle. It is lighter that the Alias, but with cro-mo rails versus the ti rails found on the Alias. The only way to make up for the weight is to remove practically all the padding. This sucker is hard as a rock. My butt hasn't been this uncomfortable since someone slipped me a mickey at Backstreets in '97.

Oh well. As a famous French philosopher once said..."If you ain't sufferin', you ain't cyclin'."

Where's Snuffleupagus?

"Our father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. On earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts As we have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, And the power, And the glory, Forever....Amen."

We Are Blessed

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you reading this now!

Shredtastic

As the only action sports outlet on television, Fuel TV has to be all things to all people. Because of this, the message gets diluted and the product suffers.

That being said, there are a few gems to be found in this pile of rubble.

My second favorite show on Fuel, behind Drive, (W/ Mike Vah-la-lee. Not Va-lay-lee...for all you young punks out there) is Built To Shred.

Jeff King and his crew prove every week that any obstacle can be made skateable, and most importantly, fun.

Rocket Man

Mongo learned something new today. Team Katyusha, formerly Tinkoff Credit Systems, is named after a Russian mobile rocket launcher system.

Though it came to prominence during WWII against the Nazis, many modern versions of the Katyusha have been sold to, and used by, terrorist states and organizations.

I wonder if an American team could get away with calling themselves Team Enola Gay?

And how much did you say it cost to frame a picture??

Good gosh, the cost to have a picture custom framed!!!!! I seriously stood there at the counter, that contemplative look on my face ala Carrie on her computer typing up her sex column — head cocked to the side, eyes upward and half closed, biting a lip — trying to remember which organs I have two of so that I could sell one and still have the other to keep me alive and functioning.

It blew me away. Luckily I had a 50% off coupon, but the framing cost still totaled like a grocery store receipt for a family of 15. Needless to say, this will be Harleigh's big gift this year. I actually bought her the print last Christmas. As she's a huge fan of movies and dress from the 1940's and early 1950's, this print just reminded me of her. She picked out the frame, a rather ornate, gold one, that works so well with the French Provincial furniture pieces she has in her room. I told her that it was a good investment, a picture that she'll hang in her first apartment, her first home.

And yes, I still have both my kidneys.

These Four Guys Are...

A: Just coming back from a Peace Corps mission in Somalia.

B: An under-nourished boy band from Brazil.

C: Members of the Spanish Olympic cycling team.

D: Freakin' starving.

Wedding Photo Clothesline

A photo clothesline is a great conversation piece. It's also an easy, low cost way to entertain guests while they wait for the ceremony or reception to begin. All you need are some photos of the bride and groom and their families, some rustic looking jute string or pretty ribbon for your line and some small clothes pins. You can hang the photos in chronological or random order and even include a caption or short story on the back of each photograph. Be sure to include some beautiful photos from your outdoor engagement photo shoot!

You could include a second line for guest photos or bridal party photos. Ask guests to send in a photo prior to the wedding. The theme could be funny photos, baby photos, guest weddings or photos of the guest with the bride or groom way back when. Your guests will have fun looking at all the photographs.

If you had a photo clothesline at your wedding, email us a photo of it and we will post it here.

You Da Man

Congratulations to "Shady" Brady Rogers...2008 State Cyclocross Champion in the Masters Division.

For an exciting action photo of Brady, click ... Here

Lovely Linens

Found this vintage Simtex tablecloth at St. Vincent de Paul and it was 50 cents. I'm not a big fan of this look — a bit more 50's — but I couldn't resist it for 50 cents. And besides, I really do like the colors.

Then at another thrift store I snagged this Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic pillow for $1. (NOTE: When buying anything fabric at a thrift store, ALWAYS give it a good whiff. There's nothing worse than bringing something into your home that smells of cigarette smoke. Sometimes even washing the item will not take out the smell.)

The Tao

"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy."

(Scott Martin)

The Bell Curve Through Life

Of the many benefits of Mongo's DIRECTV service, the Biorhythm Calculator has to rank right up there. As a child of the '70's, I remember well when this pseudo-science became as trendy as the Pet Rock and Abba.

Here's the deal...I don't necessarily believe in this crap, but... many times when I've had a particularly bad ride or done something really stupid or found myself getting over-emotional for no particular reason, when I check out my biorhythms for that day...my readings are in the toilet.

This has happened far too often for me to believe it's just a coincidence, but I feel like I'll lose some intellectual credibility if I buy into it.

Ouch

As time passes, I'm not so sure anymore how I feel about Floyd Landis. Either he got railroaded by WADA and the UCI, or he cheated outside the parameters of what would be considered "traditional" doping.

Either way, he and his new hip will be back early next year riding for the Continental team formerly known as Health Net-Maxxis.

Let's see what happens...

The Unboundary Feast

The design firm where I work holds an annual Thanksgiving Feast the week before Thanksgiving. It has become one of the most beloved company events that we do. And I have the honor of organizing it every year (two things that I love: organizing and entertaining!). The shindig is pretty much a cookie cutter event, duplicating things we have done successfully over the past 7+ years that we've been having The Feast.

It's a pot luck meal, with employees covering all the standard Thanksgiving fare. And the company buys the ham and turkey. We have favorites that make their appearance year after year, and as new employees join our ranks, new dishes are introduced and added to the annual list of must-haves. In addition to the table as a place to congregate, we've also made a fake fireplace out of foamcore — complete with light-bulb-lit fireplace logs — surrounded by our big leather club chairs. I bring in granny square and colorful ripple afghans from home to throw over the chairs, adding a warm, homey feel to our office space.

My favorite part of the whole thing is that I get to design the table decor. We rent long banquet tables. We have an abundance of these white chairs from Ikea. Our office space is spectacular (a converted train roundhouse) and its sheer size lends itself to doing a long family table. The tablecloths are painter drop cloths which we purchased, cut and sewed to size (same drop cloths I used to make my bedroom curtains). In the past I've done tablescapes using fall themes, but this year I was feeling a connection to home and family. I decided to put to use my own collection of vintage floral tins and go with flowers in all white. Courtney Garvin, one of our designers, has a green thumb, a natural talent for floral design, and access to a wholesale florist. She handles all floral arranging at every Feast. (And as you can see in the one picture, she has also, as of late, been hooked on the PBS series Windsor Castle, where the staff measures the space between table and chair so that everything lines up perfectly.) We usually get a turkey breast, but this year we went with a 20-pound turkey (and you can see we even made the leg frills!) . . . another nod to making the event feel more homey and family.

The tins evoke a sense of going to grandma's. There were lots of comments like "oh I like this one best," that made me think of going to my own Nana's, and my sister and I fighting over which juice glass we'd get or which washcloth was ours for bathtime. The colors of the tins work so beautifully with the white flowers. A very serene feel, perfect for a relaxing meal filled with an overabundance of good food, good company and good conversation. We are blessed.






[Photos courtesy of co-worker and photographer extraordinaire David Naugle]

Move Over Rover

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."
(H. G. Wells )

Rockstar

"No, you can't have any Cheetos...and you're blocking my sun."

You're Embarrassing The Team

The only way Vaughters could look more dorky would be if he was rocking the sweater-vest on top of the kit.

Running Like A Blade

“Live or pretend is the question I feel
What happens when truth is presented
Default to cynics or engage in the moment
Crossing the boundary into personal enlightenment”

This Evening

I stayed home from work today, a little punkish and definitely feeling the results of getting up at 4:30 four days out of the work week. Decided to rest today, what with all the festivities coming up at work . . . The Feast this Thursday, and then the cookie swap and gift exchange both following not too far behind. I've got to be on my game. I ended the evening with a roaring fire, a sleepy dog and a chair in the study with my name on it. Christmas music playing and paperwork to catch up on. I'll be good to go tomorrow.

Birthday Gift for Melanie

For my niece Melanie's birthday, I got her a tshirt with a vintage library card silkscreened on it, as well as a pretty olive green scarf. She loves music — is quite the pianist — and so I decided to wrap her gift in pages from a vintage music book (they're easy to find and relatively inexpensive). I then chanced upon this old 45 record, a recording of Happy Birthday by Toni Waiman & the 4 Cricketones (???). Thought it would make the perfect gift tag. I took some puffy paint (which doesn't show up super well here; had I had a gold metallic pen, that would have worked better) and wrote the TO and FROM directly on the record. Think it makes for a cute package.

Christmas Gift for Melanie

My niece, Melanie, works at a library and loves literature. She is smart, beautiful, and is passionate about the things she likes. I purchased many old library check-out cards on etsy — thinking of her —and have not known what to do with them. I saw this jewelry box at Michael's and it sorta reminded me of an old library card catalog. So I plan on doing a project with this and the cards as one of her Christmas presents. Pix to come upon completion!

Humbling Purchase

Last Saturday I stopped in the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. As I was getting ready to pay for my items, a woman stepped up to the counter, with no merchandise in her hands. The cashier saw her first even though I was first in line, and offered her help. The woman pointed to me and said "no, she was first," to which I replied "no, you go ahead, I'm in no hurry." The woman then proceeded to explain that she, her husband and four children were out in the car and were in need of food. The cashier told her that the St. Vincent caseworker was due at the thrift store soon, but was currently at a local church if the woman wanted to drive over to the church for assistance. The woman explained that they really didn't have enough gas to make the drive to the church, and that she'd wait at the thrift store for the caseworker to arrive.

I then paid for my few items, tossing in a few extra dollars, knowing that St. Vincent de Paul would put the money to good use to help families like these. Why is it though, that I couldn't bring myself to give the woman money right there on the spot? A part of me thought it might be a scam; I've certainly been on the receiving line of those before and felt rather foolish. Why did I consciously look out to see what they were driving and then assess the situation? Why did I question why the husband wasn't out delivering pizzas or doing whatever it took to feed his family? Why did I not feel compassion?

I purchased this little dish and these two religious charms. Perhaps there is a reason that I was there, in that store, that day, buying these items. Reminders of being humble and reaching out to those in need.

If You Have To Wear A Name Tag...

Mongo's choice of riding attire during the Winter months has often been described as Unabomber-like...due to my propensity toward heavy jackets, balaclavas, large sunglasses, and of course, blowin' shit up!...Just kidding about the last part.

After Mongo's near death experience on Thursday, I sent myself to my room without cycling for a couple of days to think about what I had done. I emerged thankful, yet hungry, and deemed myself fit once again to ride.

I did 30 on the mt. bike yesterday when it was sub 50 degrees, and Ol' Lightnin' and I have some hill work to get in today.

Cyclocross Haiku

Fucking craziness

All of my shit got dirty

Which way to the car?

That's What I'm Talkin' About

I'm sure that there's some intelligent feminist statement being made here...But if you're looking to get around in Helsinki Finland, the vagina-bike-taxi is always an option...Made with monocoque construction.

Is there really silver holly and pink poinsettias with gold centers?

I gotta admit that I'm a big fan of glitter and glitz at holiday time. There's something about it that takes me back to the days of aluminum Christmas trees. I still love silver icicles on my tree, lots of 'em. So every year I've got to find one thing that speaks to me. I'm sure that what I find, Martha Stewart could make classy, but I choose to just let what is tacky remain true to what it is.

Dollar Tree Candles

Pretty as can be (but boy do they smell like bad perfume; I'll burn them outdoors come summer time). Can I just tell you how other dollar stores pale in comparison to Dollar Tree?????

Are there some things you just can't seem to part with?

I've had this little stool FOR-E-VER. I covered it and added the eyelet trim, all this when my decor was even more girly than it is now. It was one of the very first "projects" I ever undertook. It involved nothing but a glue gun, about all I could tackle back in the old days. The stool is rather wobbly despite tightening the screws every time I pick it up to give it a once over, debating whether it should go into the donation pile. But for some reason I can't seem to part with it. And so I tucked it under the foyer table. It's a broken hip waiting to happen if you sit on it, but I like it as a reminder of one of my early projects.

Please pass the mashed taters

At our house at Thanksgiving we don't pass the food, we pass the plates, which always resulted in lots of "whose plate do I have?" and "do you want gravy on your stuffing?" And so several years ago I made menu cards which now travel with each plate. It's made things easier, but more importantly, gives us something to laugh and talk about. Laughter and chat at the Thanksgiving table . . . for that, we are always thankful. (And thanks to Gretchen at Bird Nest Cottage for the napkins!!). Click on the image to see the card close up.

You'll notice the wording on the question about gravy . . . "Do you wish for gravy on your _______?" Sort of an Old World charm to it. And there's even a space for Special Requests (in my case, to keep the gravy away from the cranberry salad).