Diplomacy

North Bend, WA
Sunday, November 25, 2007

The fact that Alaska Airlines flies from Denver to Seattle is not one to be taken lightly, for as of late the weather is, for lack of a better word, salubrious. Wholesome. Fresh…
It comes from the North and doesn’t stop for a biting moment to replenish itself in the scads of warmth along the way. I suppose the dubbing of Seattle as ‘The Gateway To Alaska' was symbolic in that the cold seems to meander its way on down the coast, stopping only in Seattle before it continues its respite to LA where it begins anew nice ‘n warm ‘n breezy. Or, maybe it just stops in Seattle and bides it’s time till the moment of exit commences… exit being back north… or… maybe it trails me as I flee.
At the moment training has begun, and the hours spent by me upon my stead have… proliferated. And will continue to proliferate until the ‘twinkling of an eye’ arrives. Sort of like when the stars align, of which, I’ve heard, can be seen the best from atop Mauna Kea. With time a zephyr will send me to a much more negotiable habitat. SKYROCK best describes the moment.

Mov’n bricks ‘n’ bang’n hammers

Boulder, CO
November 7, 2007 – November 18, 2007

When I heard that we’d have a “get to know the team camp” that was 2 weeks long, I was sure it would consist of an hour a day of team functions and a lot of time sitting in our rooms watching TV… Alas, it was gainsaid by me; for each and every day was so full of meetings it was epic. We sat in meeting after meeting ranging anywhere from 401k counseling to the latest breakthroughs in Zipp Speed Weaponry. When it was time for bed the last thing on my mind was TV watching.
We did make a bit of time for business though, riding some five or six times. Days from the close of the camp I managed to get out on a spectacular ride; up to the little town of Ward where the elevation elapsed at a mere… 9500 feet- which seems appropriate given the little respite from ascent on the way up.
I guess the climax of the camp was the team presentation… which for me was more of a nadir. I’m not one to frolic in the midst of 650 people, much less while wearing a suit ‘n' tie. As soon as we were given the go ahead to escape the limelight I made a hasty escape… and for some reason I was irate, the raison d'être at once was not evident.
Perhaps the most important part of the two weeks for me was when we got to meet up with the directors to discuss the future of the year… and what my race schedule would look like… and it looks good: Tour of California, Paris-Nice, Tour of Georgia, &… the Tour of Italy. The best part of the meeting was that it was in a conference room around a table of some 7 chairs… consisting of me… the owner of the team… and 5 directors… Arguably the most important people in my life. I felt even less inclined to talk than usual.
And then I booked my flight to Hawaii: November 29th to December 16th Hilo, Hawaii. It should be warm and sunny, not cold and rainy.

Café España

Nord Bend
Saturday, November 03, 2007

There’s not much of a difference between sitting in a café in America and sitting in one in Spain. Aside from the fact that the two are separated by this body of water known as the Atlantic Ocean; that which is sought is the same and accomplished through like means. If you amble your way into Starbucks, order a coffee, sit down for a chat, check the internet, read the newspaper or carry on in your own anonymity… you’ve quintessentially been to a Spanish Café… Now you have no need to go, ‘cause that was the only reason you were gonna go anyway, right? Bueno.

Of course there are minor differences that could potentially cause cataclysmic problems… such as spending 4 dollars on a cup of coffee the size of your nose, walking 200 feet, speaking Spanish, having allergies to things over 500 years old… Some people even find the calamity produced by scooters quite charming and feel quite compelled to throw down 1000 bucks to go see it. Others prefer the sophistication of a café filled with smoke & are in agreement on the relatively trivial price of a ticket when compared with the profound affect of café España smoke immersion. I'm not saying it's bad... it's just the same, most natives refer to it as Nord America.