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.

24 Hour National Championships...

...are in Moab, UT this October.  Anybody in?

I already forgot about the heinous wind, the blowing dust, and the cold night - the course was super fun.

Them gots to be $29 shoes....

I eeked out a 2 hour ride this morning, but, it was a good one. I never got my heart rate over 135, rode with light to no traffic, and it was warm. Maybe Friday I'll hit the 3.5 hour mark I've been looking for.

Can I wear patent leather basketball shoes? I bought some of these yesterday, with red trim, for $29 for another racquetball league that starts Thursday. Is this akin to guys who race pink bikes? If so, I had better win this league again. Dana was expounding on the positives, but then laughingly couldn't get over the patent leather toebox. She was so gracious by laughing under her breath. They had them in yellow too, but I'd have to be lights out at racquetball to pull that one off.

I'm hedging that since 'bargain' is the new 'in', one might overlook the patent material, nod and say "nice shoes".

Response to Mr. "I" in Team

Dear XXXXX:

We manage Red Rock in what little free time we have, and are less than enthused with your attitude about the website and your perception that the clothes would arrive for your individual racing schedule. We’ll gladly give you your money back after we re-sell the clothing that you ordered. Best of luck in finding the “team” you are looking for.

That'll make its way around Flagstaff as fast as the Lumberjack on Crack Boss at my buddy Mark's office where being a moderate performing sales guy is not who you want to be right now.

I got the notice yesterday that we are having a Pow Wow at our Phoenix office. That means expense report beatdowns, and discussing every possible revenue opportunity for 9 hours. I'd rather watch Golf.....and I hate watching Golf. Golf isn't even a goddamn sport. It's a leisure activity that pays well if you're great. Why is it so wildly popular? Because its difficult, you don't have to be in shape to play it, it doesn't hurt, and spending the day on a nice landscape with your buddies drinking beer is, well, pretty fun. In otherwords, it's an everyman's leisure activity. Now I wanna go play 9 holes with The Juanski and have a few beers - after a bike ride of course.

I have got to get some miles in this week on my road bike. Tomorrow I'm slated for a cold AM metric century, and Friday morning - same thing. I'm not even close to being competitive in a 100 miler race yet....66 miles is just fine with me right now. Saturday, a warmer and shorter ride in Sedona, and Sunday - maybe just maybe I'll be back on my mountain bike after work. The connective tissue in my banged up wrist is still sore - so we'll see how that goes.

Base Miles, Tiger Woods, and a Tool Teammate

It's freakin' 70 degrees today. What the? How the? I'm pretty psyched but my spring allergies just went from 0-60 overnight. Whew can I feel the pollen!

So I get an e-mail from a disgruntled guy on our cycling team who says "where are my clothes for the season and I'm not listed as a team member on the series results! You guys never update the website, and I want my money back for my clothes and good luck with your "team"". After I wrote a scathing response that included something like "You're a slow riding douchebag anyway so go f*ck yourself", and the old John McEnroe line "You can't be serious!", I curbed it back and explained that we're volunteers - and only one person in 3 years has stepped up to help the little Board of Directors we so eloquently call ourselves. We do this for camaraderie, good clothing to endure the self-inflicted pain better, and pro-deals on gear we could probably not otherwise afford - and he's a beneficiary of that if he chooses to accept that. Obviously not...he's looking out for #1.

We spent the weekend in Tucson with Tiger Woods. He was there, but we never connected. I even rode over to the golf course he was playing at around 7:00am and nada...he no-showed. Of course everyone else in Tucson was there too and we all had dates with Tiger. My Uncle Andy saw him and said he looked and played great, until he lost of course. You could imprison me or make me watch golf and it would have the same effect. BORING. But when Tiger plays, man, I could follow that guy all day. I got nothing against playing a round of 9 holes with friends twice a year, but other than Tiger - the pros do nothing for me.

Anyway, I got two nice road rides in, some time with the Fam - and knocked out a couple of birthdays for my Sis and Mom. Good times, and more to come in March.

Soapbox Friday

Ain't no TARP funds, no stimulus package, no home foreclosure relief, no withdrawl from Iraq, or no budget cuts gonna' bring this country out of it's depression. You know what will? An attitude change.

In less than 45 days in office Obama has delivered an end date to the wastefulness in Iraq, a raise for US Marines, pending legislation that will help people stay in their homes, and a stimulus package that - like it or not - means action and help. If you aren't on board you may feel a sense of false entitlement that's fading fast. You probably say "but what's in it for me?". Or, your religious prejudices may override your common sense. You could just be a cynical asshole.

Obama's going to set the tone for this nation, and I can only hope that we - as a nation - embrace it. It would mean that a majority of us would live with a purpose other than looking out for #1 - ourselves. If a tone can be set, laws will be passed with throughness and expedience, corporations will run ethically and efficiently, and consumers would buy intelligently and not excessively.

The gluttonous behavior that we - as a nation - have embraced over the past 10 years have put us where we are at, more so than the decisions of scapegoat politicians that we elected. Now we have the right person in the White House. Listen up, because he's gonna light a fire under this country.

And just like that...

Ski season is over. A week of 50-60 degree temps has reduced Snowbowl to a small heap of crusted ice - or as they call it on their website "packed powder". If that's packed powder, then I'm Alberto Contador on the podium at Algarve in the posting below.

My snowboard goes in for a season ending tune-up and then back in its bag. It was a good season.

Time to ride. New costumes arrive next week. Spring has sprung.