Alpacalypse Now Haiku

It is what it is

How's that working out for you?

Maybe tomorrow

Podium: Big Willy Style*

(*) Upon further review...Fourth.

Maybe Not So Much

Mongo just read that static stretching prior to any intense cycling can reduce power output by up to 30%...Holy S**t!

I have "always" stretched before riding. It's just something I never thought about otherwise.

I'm going no-stretch for the 23/2300 Hammerfest tonight to see if I can tell a difference.

Hopefully, I won't pull a hammy.

Power To The People

"In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the... Anyone? Anyone?... the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?... raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this. Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before? The Laffer Curve. Anyone know what this says? It says that at this point on the revenue curve, you will get exactly the same amount of revenue as at this point. This is very controversial. Does anyone know what Vice President Bush called this in 1980? Anyone? Something-d-o-o economics. "Voodoo" economics."

(Ben Stein: Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

Christmas in March

Sarah and I are friends who, thank gosh, are able to pick up right where we left off whenever we get together. With those words, you'd think we live on opposite ends of the earth. Not. She lives in Grant Park here in Atlanta. We've been trying to exchange Christmas gifts since, well, Christmas. With Molly's shower in Grant Park on Saturday, and Sarah throwing her son Logan a birthday party, I was able to head from the shower over to the birthday party, towing birthday gift and Christmas presents!

Here is what Sarah and family got me for Christmas. These milk-glass goblets. So me. I can't wait to use them next time I host a dinner. In the meantime, they lined up neat and pretty on my dresser in the study, one holding a flower.

Molly's Wedding Shower

The wedding shower that Courtney and I hosted for Molly was yesterday. A wonderfully festive time! I don't have a ton of pictures to share yet (my pix turned out fair to downright bad) and so I'm waiting for Courtney to download hers (taken from a much better camera) so that I can post them.

The picture above is one that didn't turn out so bad. Some background . . . The theme involved cloches, moss, mushrooms, sort of a foresty nature theme. With as wet as it's been here in Atlanta, creating terrarium-like environments for the table decorations was effortless. We knew that we wanted to use cloth napkins. and so using the ol' standby painter's drop cloths — laundered, cut into squares and hemmed (Shaun at work graciously took that on!) — Courtney and I brainstormed how we would go about putting an "H" on them (the initial of Molly's new last name). Using cloth napkins is always a nice touch at a shower, and that coupled with the "H" personalization make them a perfect gift to Molly (launder and iron them after the shower and Molly has 30 cloth napkins in her linen closet to use for entertaining).

We then thought about using Jamie's and Molly's first initials along with the "H" and making a monogram. Blake, from work, came up with a beautiful one and that got us going crazy!

I took a vintage blackboard and we hung it on Courtney's front door using brown satin ribbon. Courtney then chalked on the monogram (we left the chalk on the ledge for a homespun touch) and decorated the chalkboard frame with flowers. We really wanted to start the theme from the minute everyone entered the door.Here is Molly's hostess gift to me . . . a church-inspired birdhouse made of weathered wood. A perfect addition to Chateau Gahan. Thank you, Molly, for making yesterday such a joy. You, your mom, sisters, nieces, Jamie's mom and sister . . . everyone was so grateful and appreciative of all that we did to celebrate Molly's upcoming marriage.

I was sorry to see the day end.

Laura & Ben: St. Patty's Day Kailua Wedding

Laura and Ben got married on St. Patrick's Day at a private oceanfront estate on Kailua Beach, Oahu. Although the weather forecast called for heavy rain, the luck of the Irish prevailed and Laura and Ben had a beautiful outdoor wedding. The ceremony, which included a butterfly release, was attended by about 75 friends and family members. A festive St. Patty's Day theme was carried throughout the wedding from green table linens to the green frosting on the cupcakes from Hokulani Bakery to the flowers in the bride's hair. The table centerpieces incorporated colorful Siamese Fighter (Betta) fish! Congratulations to the happy couple!

Harleigh's Photoshoot with Ali Harper

The day was so much fun. It all took place at our house (or on our street as you'll see when you scroll down to the bicycle pictures). For two of the sessions, Harleigh wore prom dresses that she'll be wearing next month. And for the bicycle shoot, we pulled my ornamental bicycle from the garden, pumped some air in the tires and combined that prop with a fun outfit — a vintage nightgown we pulled out of the dress-up trunk in the attic. Ali was so wonderful to work with; she made Harleigh feel at ease. And her passion for photography had Harleigh feeling exuberant.

Here's Ali's take on the shoot — as well as additional photos from the shoot — at her blog flibberty gibbets.

Five Time Champ

Don't get me wrong, Mongo loves him some Jens Voigt. He is everything I aspire to be as a cyclist. Tough minded, always attacking, never outclassed, and one of the most respected members of the Pro peleton.

That being said...The Criterium International ain't what it used to be!

Not many top riders show up after Castilla y Leon and before Flanders...and the ones that are there use it as training for their real efforts down the road. Winning anything five times as a professional cyclist is a great achievement, but this is the only GC podium Jens is going to see in a stage race.

Mongo is happy, however, to see another homie (Danny Pate) on the podium. 2009 has been, and will continue to be, a very strong year for American cycling.

Don't Choke On The Cheese

LBM wins the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon by sixteen seconds over El Pistolero.

I'm actually more impressed with Dave Zabriskie finishing on the podium in third. He's set his sights on becoming a more complete cyclist and regular GC contender.

Hualalai Resort Child & Family Photography

This family vacationed at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island of Hawaii and contacted me to take family photos and pictures of their adorable little girl. I spent a Saturday afternoon on the Big Island with this lovely family. The little girl was a bundle of energy!

I Prefer A Shaved Dromedary

"We are as much informed of a writer's genius by what he selects as by what he originates."

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

I Won't Prevent Safe Passage Here

"Surrounded by smug conformity

Disguised in commercial rebellion

Engaged to random simplicity

Preserved through noble intention"

My Future's So Bright...

...I gotta wear shades!

World Champion in the Individual Pursuit...Taylor "I got genes like a mofo" Phinney.

U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

Exit Planet Dust

Why is everyone sleeping on Carlos Sastre for the Tour?

The new Cervelo Test Team has already proven that they can run with the big boys. If Sastre can return to his usual, strong mid-season form, and this balanced squad performs well in the mountains, then they have a real chance at beating the Chemical Brothers at their own game.

The Politics Of Dancing

Seemingly one step ahead of the Federales in the ongoing Operacion Puerto investigation, for now, Rogaine Al wins Stage 3 of Castilla y Leon...The top ten on GC remains unchanged.

Good Clean Fun

It feels good to be able to talk about positive things involving American cycling and riders that I don't hate on Astana.

Scrappy Shetland Pony, Li'l Bronze Medalist, wins the 28.2k TT at Castilla y Leon and takes the overall lead on GC by sixteen seconds over Frito Bandito.

Mongo endorsed powerhouse, Garmin-Slipstream, has three riders in the top ten on GC.

Z-man (3rd)...Tommy D (9th)...Vandownbytheriver (10th)

Spring break

Time for the first extended break from blogging.

It's spring break in Oregon and, although we no longer have our lives guided by the school calendar, it's still a good time to break away for some R&R. And, boy, can I use it.

We got the word yesterday that pay cuts, furloughs and frozen pension benefits are all part of our future at The Oregonian, starting in May. Those of us who've poured our heart and soul into journalism -- and that's virtually every one of my peers -- were prepared for bad news, but not quite this big a dose. The pension bit is what will hurt the most, knowing the benefits we'd hoped to lock in with additional years of service won't be there.

This isn't the time or place to lament the larger forces at work here -- mammoth changes in how people want their news delivered, coupled with a tattered economy. But I will say that if ever there were a time and place to appreciate the positives in life, it's now and it's at our cabin at Eagle Lake (above).

I don't expect it will look like this when we arrive. Even if it did, there's no place I'd rather be.

No Sex In The Champagne Room

"Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it."

(Henry David Thoreau)

Arch Nemesis

Watch your back, Snow Bunny!

A Game Of Inches

I wish I had a good excuse. I wish that there was a product I could buy that would change my situation. I wish there was an easy way.

The fact of the matter is that cycling for Mongo has become a metaphor for life. Is it enough just to get by...or am I willing to make the sacrifices and the effort needed to accomplish greater things?

For a big man, I am a strong cyclist. In the world of strong cyclists, I am a big man.

To be an accomplished rider you must be able to climb well and recover quickly. Whatever strengths you have on the flats mean nothing if you can't climb.

For a big man, I'm a fairly strong climber. In the world of strong climbers, I suck!

I need to lose twenty pounds and do more specific interval hill training...Do I have it in me?

The Look

I remember as a teen wanting to look like anyone but myself. If only I had (fill in the blank with any perfect body part of the models in Seventeen magazine, which in my day was THE magazine every teen girl poured over every month) then the boys would like me more, I'd be popular, I'd be happy, my future would be paved with success and dreams come true. That's a lot of good to come out of simply looking beautiful.

Now that I'm in my late 40's I think about my looks in a very different way. My body is simply a housing unit. I take decent enough care of myself, but always take extremely good care of the self inside the walls — my soul and spirit are what I strive to keep healthy, sometimes effortlessly, other times with wavering success.

I came across this picture of Kate Moss the other day, and for once in probably 10 years, I looked at a picture of a woman and thought, "I would love to look like that." Not exactly like Kate Moss, but with some of the ways she's made to look. Sort of Dusty Springfield meets Brigitte Bardot. The tousled up-do blonde hair with the long bangs. The smokey eyes. Light lipstick. Tan. Sexy as all get out. Imagine me looking somewhat like that with the content way I feel inside . . . I dare to think.

Isn't That Convenient

In a brilliant yet unexpected move, Mellow Johnny breaks his collarbone during Stage 1 of Castilla y Leon.

Now he has a documented, medical reason for any "sucking" yet to come...and a standby excuse for not racing the Tour.

A shoutout for teachers

When I signed on to teach a weekend class at Portland State, I figured I would learn something about myself in addition to the subject itself. True enough.

Now that I've gone from one end of the spectrum to the other, a brief recap is in order for "Opinion and the Blogosphere."

Preparation: Begin with the objectives (What do I want students to learn?); develop a curriculum (How will they learn it? Through what combination of readings, discussions, exercises, guest speakers, etc.); get a sense of the class beforehand (What year in school? Why are they taking this particular class?).

Execution: Come in with a plan, but adapt as circumstances arise (Fortunately, no A/V lapses, but there were times when a planned unit ran long or short); try to engage students in class discussion (This mostly took care of itself but ...is it better to let a student sit in silence, not participating, or call on him or her, for the sake of accountability?); remember to end each unit with a recap of what we learned.

Evaluation: Not until the wee hours of this morning did I fully appreciate what teachers go through. Grading the work is easy enough, given the criteria I set out. No, I'm talking about missed assignments that simply weren't turned in. Is it my responsibility to ask students for this or that? If I do, what obligation do I create for accepting late work? At what cost? (Half of the points normally earned?) I've given this one a lot of thought, but for me it comes down to this: These are college students, nearly all of them seniors. Seems to me they should be responsible by now for making sure all their work is turned in.

Speaking of evaluation, the students filled out some standardized forms on the final day of class. I have no idea what they said. I suppose I'll find out at some point during the spring quarter.

What did I learn about myself? Preparation is crucial (not that I didn't realize it before). Executing at a high level involves conveying passion for and knowledge of the subject. Evaluation means being clear about what you're asking students to do and being fair about judging their efforts as well as the work itself.

If I were grading myself? A solid "B" -- which suggests a competent first time out, with lots of room for improvement.

George's Pin Pals

This will only make sense if you read the post below...

My team had a lot of fun today at Hollywood Bowl. Nathan wasn't able to join us, but Levi stepped in very capably. We all snacked on mediocre pizza -- the kind where if you turn the slice upside down, none of the toppings fall off -- but made up for it with some Hefeweizen.

We all beat Barack Obama's score -- was it 37 that he bowled in Pennsylvania? -- and everyone got at least one strike, even if it was sometimes on the second ball...

I bowled 301! Now, if you know anything about bowling, a perfect score is 300. So was I one pin better than perfect? No way. That was my two-game score...

Thanks to Casey Parks, photographer extraordinaire, for the group shot.

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?

If you like your Metal fast and fierce like it's 1988...then be prepared to rock!

This is Mongo's new favorite album.

The Hero...The Rockstar...The Gentleman

Another fantastic photo pinched from here.

Uh Oh...Should've Used Wellgo

I have now broken two Look Keo cleats, including one today, over the last couple of months. Not from walking on them, I use the covers, but instead while unclipping.

In the 3-4 years that I've been using Keo pedals, this is a problem I never encountered until recently.

Hopefully it's just a bad coincidence, because now it's in my head and every time I ride I'm too focused on not breaking the cleat when I unclip.

If I break another cleat for no reason, this is going to happen...Look pedals go on eBay/ Mongo switches to Speedplay.