New Costumes

Arrived today for the 2009 season.  Ok, new KITS as they say in Europe.  We picked up some key sponsors this year that will get us through the tough times.  Rudy Project hooked me up with a fresh chrome accented helmet that makes me look deceptively fast.  Hayes is gonna give me some new Hydraulic brakes that would stop a truck, and good old Shimano Bin Laden will be putting an entire new 10-speed Gruppo on D's Titus.  Other than that, Marin will be hooking this brother up with a new single speed at a down and dirty deal.  Aside from the A-holes we occasionally deal with, RRR is a solid club of people with the right intentions, and realistic aspirations of riding for the love of the sport and an occasional photo on the podium.  

I spent all of yesterday getting my nuts kicked in along with the rest of the General Managers in our hotel group.  "Cut there, go after that market segment, slash labor, expand your gift shop, but only if you can guarantee a solid ROI".  Here's the bottom line....nobody gives a flying f*ck about if you are meeting or exceeding your 2009 budget.  What they do give a fuck about is "what have you done for me lately".  Well lately, it's been a whole lotta' diddly poo.  I'm not on the whacking block yet, but come May - all of the prosperity that some of our properties have been lounging in will come to a halt.   The kind of halt you might feel if you crashed a Kia Rio into a parking garage wall at 60 mph.  BAM.  Time to either retire, or go back to school.  I'm too poor to do the first, and the thought of going back to school seems like a bailout.  Come to think of it.....nahhh.  I only have 10-12 more years of mid-pack finishes in me, so I better get to training now.

On a not so good note, my wrist is either healing really slowly, or not at all.  Hmmm.