Anthony D. Morrow
ADM
http://www.imadm.com/

Cerritos, CA 90703
USA
-

Phone: 562.467.0093
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Backing Up. Stuff That's Bugging Me. PC Arrived
Tuesday, 21 June 2005

I sat down to start typing and was surprised how hard it was to remember what I did today. Then I finally remembered I spent a good portion of the day backing up my hard drive to CDs. I really should back up more often but only get to it every three months or so. That's better than most people, but not good if the HD dies two months and 28 days later. Mostly, I was interested in making sure the photos were backed up. Done.

RANT: Stop sending me spam! I had over 1,000 spam messages in my Bulk e-mail folder that accumulated from Friday afternoon through Monday morning. Die spammers, die!

RANT: Get off the cell phone and drive, or at least learn to drive and talk at the same time. Also, your stupidity and inability to drive does not mean everyone should yield to you when you realize you should make a right turn on the street and you're in the left turn lane. Suck it up, turn left, and figure it out. Or just go away. Please, go away.

El Do was a disappointment today. I skipped climbing beforehand because it was hot today and I didn't feel like suffering up climbs and burning up at the same time. Instead, I went out to El Do about an hour early and did some interval workouts. That probably wasn't the best choice before a fast race, but I hope it pays off later. El Do was disappointing because I was riding well and covering attacks but missed the one that got away and then missed another break of the field. Us losers then found our way down to 24 MPH and it would have stayed there indefinitely but for my sessions at the front to drive it back up to 29/30. We almost got back on the second break but I pulled off (tired) and everyone else sat up like there were points for finishing last. I continue to be frustrated by missing the breaks and not feeling up to par to control my own destiny in the races. How to get over the hump?

In other news, Dell continues to impress by shipping mom & dad's computer quickly. It arrive today. Thanks to the UPS dude for trying to deliver again today after missing them earlier. On my way home from El Do, I stopped by to help them get it out of the box and set up. It's there, it's running, and now they get to go through the WinXP set-up stuff and then be annoyed by all the bloatware I'm sure Dell has pre-installed, as is typical of most manufacturers.

I got home just in time to see the Spurs drop game 6 of the NBA Finals to the Pistons. I want the Spurs to win but don't mind having a game 7. It will be fun. I like Larry Brown but I don't like the Pistons. I'm not a big Spurs fan, but as I've said prior, it's the lesser of two evils and at least they have Robert Horry (former Laker) and Tim Duncan and Ginobli are classy guys. Heck, the whole team is, including coach Pop.

VERDICT: Coke with Splenda tastes like Diet Coke, except I had a coupon to get it free, so it tasted better! :)

RANT: Include the cable! Mom & dad's printer/fax/copier multi-function machine by Brother didn't come with the USB cable it needs to connect to the PC. We knew this because it says on the box, but that's no excuse for not including one! Manufacturers should be able to get cables cheap in bulk so they're creating more angst for consumers by not giving 'em what they need to get the thing running. Who makes these decisions? It's probably answered in a Dilbert cartoon.

G'night. -ADM

Partying is not rest. Rock Never Stops. Kids are not rest. Good Companies & Bad Ones.
Monday, 20 June 2005

Yep, behind a few days again. Here goes...

FRIDAY - Got started on a project I've been wanting to complete for quite a while; I ripped our entire CD collection to MP3s. We've got about 250 CDs or so and about half were already ripped. I went through them and made sure they were all done. Some had to be redone because I prefer 192kbps versus 128, what I was using a few years ago. I used all three of our active computers for the process but it still took several hours. The hardest part was taking the files on three computers, consolidating them, and then reviewing and revising the ID3 Tags to my happiness. I finally wrapped up around 9:30 PM, just in time to get downstairs to join our party in progress.

This brings me to my next topic. Partying is not rest. I took several days off from riding this week because I thought I needed off-the-bike rest. That's fine, but I think I may have counteracted the benefits of downtime by getting less sleep and having drinks. I only had a few drinks on Friday and Saturday but the drinks and diminished sleep seems to really eat into my performance.

SATURDAY - Four hours sleep then up at 6:30 AM for my ride. I went south and joined Velo Allegro on the usual club ride. I definitely didn't feel sharp and it was further reinforced by my struggle at the Hammer Zone. I opted to skip any additional miles and a stop at the coffee shop. Instead, I kept going north on Los Alamitos/Norwalk Blvd. and went home. See ya. Got home, showered, and then crashed out on the bed for a few hours to try to catch up on rest.

We went to a concert at The Greek Theatre in the evening. It was "Rock Never Stops" featuring Cinderella, Ratt, Quiet Riot, and FireHouse. We missed FireHouse thanks to L.A. traffic and tailgaiting delays, but everyone we heard put on a good show. This was my first time at The Greek and I have two impressions to share: 1) Stacked parking sucks (but it didn't take that long for us to leave), and 2) Moving around and bathroom wait times were both good for a venue of its size. The show wasn't sold out and we couldn't decide whether the bands would be disappointed for not selling out the place, or if they're just happy to have any fans left. Final thought here: $35 concert t-shirts suck.

SUNDAY - Happy Father's Day. I slept in. I read the newspaper, had some breakfast, got my gear ready for my afternoon race, and then took nap. Tired. I wasn't exactly looking forward to the Home Depot Center Criterium. Last time I didn't finish. This time, I didn't feel great but figured I'd at least finish. Maybe it was the wrong attitude to take into the race, but it was reality. My parents were both there to watch and I was hoping to put on a good show. Instead, they got to see me play good teammate as I sat up on the pack and let teammate Nate ride away with the break. Some guys bridged across and the break got to about 12. The pack, with few exceptions, seemed content and it became mostly a Sunday cruise. The break lapped us with about 2 to go. I was setting up to lead Nate out but he didn't need it. He got 5th overall, a great job. I was glad to see Nate do well and glad to have helped, but I was disappointed in how I felt and that I wasn't able to get across to the break when others bridged.

After getting home and showering, we joined my parents and my brother and his fiance for Father's Day dinner at Clearman's North Woods Inn in La Mirada. This restaurant is right next to an Elephant Bar we've been to many times, but this was our first visit to North Woods. As you'd expect for the day, there were many people waiting to be seated. Thankfully, my parents were already there for a while and we were seated pretty soon after Jule and I arrived. North Woods is mostly a steak place. The dinner was good but the service was only average. I don't know if it's like that all the time or just because the servers were worn out because of how busy it was. No matter, it wasn't a good first impression.

Gifts for dad: Mr. Clean AutoDry Pro-Series Car Wash Kit, Old Navy sandals, and a DVD writer for the computer that's on its way.

MONDAY - I watched my niece and nephew for most of the day. They helped me vacuum the living room and they played around the house and outside. We took a trip to the nearby bank and grocery store on bike and scooter. For lunch, we met Jule at the Cerritos Towne Center. Just before going there, we drove to Clearman's North Woods to pick up my sunglasses. I noticed in the morning I didn't have them around and then figured I'd left them on the table after dinner. I called and they had them. I was surprised, because most of the time I leave sunglasses somewhere, they're gone. I applaud North Woods and its staff for being good enough to find them, turn them in to their lost and found, and for being helpful when I called and went in to get them. This definitely offsets the mediocre service we got the night before and I'll give them another chance some time in the future and probably when they're likely to be less busy.

After lunch at the Towne Center, I kept the kids entertained by visiting the very cool Cerritos Library and Heritage Park. The library has a giant acquarium and a T-Rex dinosaur skeleton, among other kid-friendly sights. Heritage Park has a New England themed island playground where the kids ran around and got tired out. We made our way back home after stopping at Blockbuster to return Hitch and get Be Cool, and Sav-On for squirt guns. We never got to use the squirt guns, though, because when we got home, their mom's friend Mary was already there to pick them up for the rest of the day. I don't think they'd have lasted long, anyway, because they looked like they needed a nap and so did I!

Jule and I watched Be Cool in the evening. It's the sequel to Get Shorty. Jule didn't think seeing Get Shorty was necessary to enjoying Be Cool. I guess I agree, but it's more enjoyable when you get the subtle references to the first movie. Overall, Be Cool was entertaining but not a great one. Entertaining was good enough for us.

Finally, I want to wrap by giving recognition and razzing to companies I've dealt with recently:

• GOOD: Clearman's North Woods Inn Restaurant - Service on Father's Day was only average but you had my sunglasses and got them back to me. Thanks!
• BAD: Panda Inn - I tried to use a gift card and you said I couldn't because of some system error. I sent an e-mail asking for an explanation and help and you haven't responded yet. Poor customer service every step of the way, so far. Boo!
• GOOD: Mechanix Wear - Got a free pair of gloves at a race and love using em. Sent an e-mail saying as much and they sent me a catalog and stickers. They care about customers and like happy ones, and now I'm telling people I know that their gloves are great. Thanks!
• GOOD: Gourmet Settings - We got three sets of their silverware from Target. I found out a few of our pieces were missing (probably trashed by party guests) and sent an e-mail asking them if I could purchase the missing pieces (rather than whole sets). They were incredibly generous in sending the missing pieces without charge. Thanks!

PC Ordered.
Thursday, 16 June 2005

A while back I mentioned I was helping my mom & dad shop for a computer. The regular retail places never had a good enough sale, and while I'm not a big fan of Dell, they came through with a fair price on a system that included a 17" LCD monitor. We ordered it last night. This process wasn't without it's trouble. I had prepared the order earlier in the day and had it all set up in my cart to process once I got to my parents' place with my laptop. My mom had her credit card ready, but first I couldn't log in, and when I finally got in, I wasn't getting free shipping like was quoted earlier. I couldn't find a way to get it or a coupon code for it anywhere online. Almost two hours and a very useless call to Dell Customer Support later, we couldn't figure it out and my laptop battery died. I returned home and kept working on it, and finally I decided we'd process the online order with the $33 shipping charge and try to deal with it later. Once the order was in, I got a confirmation e-mail that said if I had questions or needed changes, to e-mail Dell. I sent an e-mail changing address info, but more importantly, asking to get the free shipping instead of the charged one. I was shocked that merely a couple hours later in the evening, I got a reply e-mail fixing the address and waiving the shipping fees! Kick ass! Thanks, Dell. Now I hope the computer works out okay.

Cycling Photos. Lakers Re-Philed.
Wednesday, 15 June 2005

I added new cycling photos to my CYCLING section. Check the bottom of the page.

The most important part of a bicycle is the engine.

No ride today. I decided to allow for recovery time since my heart race and recent performance seems to indicate I'm overtrained. And heck, I like riding but I also like sitting around watching TV and reading magazines.

Yesterday, Phil Jackson got re-hired by the Lakers. I'm glad. Hopefully Kobe will become a team player and listen to the guy who knows what's up. The long odds are on Shaq opting out of his Heat contract to become a free agent and re-sign with the Lakers. I wouldn't put even a penny on a bet like that, but I am certainly entertained by the possibility.

State Chump, Broken Friends, MJ Trial Ends
Tuesday, 14 June 2005

Highlights of the last few days...

FRIDAY - A lot of computer/design/website work and no riding. We dropped off "The Aviator" and picked up "Hitch" from Blockbuster but haven't gotten to watching it yet.

SATURDAY - SCNCA USCF State Criterium Championships in San Fernando. I was all geared up to do two races, the 30+ (open) and the Pro/1/2. I was joined in the 30+ by my teammate, Chris, and we rode the race very well. We were in or covering all the necessary moves well. With 2 to go, a Velowork rider attacked off the front. He ended up staying off for the well-deserved solo win. I somehow managed to miss hearing all of the lap countdowns but did hear "1 TO GO!" and was also aided by Chris' push and yell to move up. Coming around the final lap, I was able to advance my position and set up well for the sprint. We came around the last corner and I started winding it up, at one point leading the sprint. However, no sooner had I pulled ahead than I gave the lead right back to two other fast dudes, finishing 4th overall. I was glad to crack top 6 but really would have liked to have been at least one spot better to get a State Championships medal. Still, 4th paid $60 and Chris' 10th nabbed $15.

The second race, the Pro/1/2, was hard and fast, too. Several more teammates joined in for this race and we did great in representing. Chris was off the front for a few primes and Steve also went off the front for some primes. Nate rode strong and aggressive and I hovered at the front watching and reacting to attacks. No breaks stayed off. I started to really feel bad with about 3 laps to go. I was fighting cramps in my quads and my left calf but kept pushing. On the final turn, I got around about 10th position but my legs locked up and I had to sit down and simply pedal through to the finish. Chris got 13th (the race paid 15 deep) and I rolled in 31st. It wasn't the finish I was expecting but given the hard day, at least I rode well for most of the race and finished.

After driving home in stupid L.A. Saturday afternoon traffic, I got home, showered, took a nap, and then went downstairs for our barbecue and drinks with friends. I don't think we had a reason to party except because we wanted to, and that's good enough for me. Salute!

SUNDAY - After the workouts on Saturday and the late-nite drinks, it was a great relief to be able to sleep in since my race wasn't until 3:35 PM. The Glenda Grand Prix course seemed simple enough, three regular corners and one large radius one in a business park. However, even before my race started, it was clear this was a tough one. I pulled up to watch the women's race and saw a few of them tangle up and go down near the start/finish line. It was just far enough down the road I couldn't exactly make out who crashed. A few seconds later, Chris pointed out one of them looked like Heather (Velocity). I rolled over and saw it was Heather, scratched and tenderly holding her right arm and shoulder. I helped get her cell phone from her car as she was tended to at the medical tent. I came back with the phone but then had to go to start my race.

The Pro/1/2 started quick and was dangerous. Potholed pavement in the middle of the road after turn one, a big dip in the road in corner 2, more rough pavement between 2 and 3, and water in the gutter around 4. About 5 laps into it, my teammate Steve hit the turn 2 dip and went flying over the bars. He and a Seasilver dude ate it hard. I saw Steve at the end of the race, still being tended to at the medical tent, and he had road rash all over. I then found out on Monday Steve went to the hospital later that evening where he found out he had 4 broken ribs.

The race continued to be mucho dangerous. There were at least 8 crashes total. No break ever got off. I road convservatively (and safely, thank you!) and was gearing up for the finish. I found a nice spot behind a couple RPM/Helen's guys on the outside. I figured I'd ride their train home. On the back side of the last lap, I got displaced by another Helen's/RPM guy who felt I was in the wrong spot. He grabbed a handful of my jersey and pulled me back as he passed by. Jerk. I was still able to secure okay position and came around the last corner thinking I'd at least be in the top 10. But just out of the corner some crazy stuff happened and I eased up a bit to avoid being hit, and in the process, gave up a few spots and my chance to advance. I finished 11th, first spot out of the money. Still, survival seemed to be reward enough this day.

After the race, as I mentioned earlier, we saw Steve and tried to lend support. At the medical tent, I found out Heather was transported to a local hospital. I went there and found out she did break her arm. Bicycle racing is fun if you can avoid crashing.

MONDAY - I took a timeout during the day to watch the Michael Jackson trial verdict. I had no opinion and no stake, I was just curious. Not guilty x 10. Interesting. It would have been interesting to see how he might have handled prison, but now we won't know, at least not from this case.

Not happy with my results over the weekend, I took it out on myself by doing intervals in the afternoon: Frequent, high intensity spurts to teach the legs to handle the jumps and recover quickly. They went well. When I got home, I realized how much they took out of me when I tried to get up the stairs and barely could.

TUESDAY (today) - After skipping the last two weeks, Brad joined me for afternoon climbing before El Do. I had no strength and he easily handed me a beating up and down the climbs. I felt like crap, possibly from the hard weekend, probably from the intervals the day before, and possibly from being overtrained. When we got back, I raided the fridge and had a 1/3 liter of soda, a posicle, candy, pistachios, pretzels, and a few more things I can remember. The energy made a difference 'cause I felt much better when El Do got going and managed to grab 2nd in the pack sprint behind the 6-man breakaway. Still, I think Brad's right and I could probably benefit from some rest time off the bike, or very low-intensity rides over the next 7-10 days. I'll decide soon.

My Day In Court, Si Ortega, The Aviator
Thursday, 09 June 2005

I blew off riding on Wednesday because I just didn't feel like doing it. Instead, I caught up on a lot of magazine reading and spent some time researching local companies for job opportunities. I'm amazed at the number and diversity of businesses in L.A. Awesome. Who wants me?

We watched "The Aviator" last night. It was okay but it ended with me wanting more. I don't know the story of Howard Hughes and apparently you get a lot more out of the movie if you do. It was interesting to see what would happen next, but in the end, I felt like I wasn't getting the whole story and was a bit frustrated. On the plus side, Cate Blanchett and Kate Beckinsale were delightful to look at as Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. I especially like Cate Blanchett's sassy portrayal of Hepburn, including the witty quips and accent. John C. Reilly was also in the movie and his work was excellent as always.

Today I was a witness in a civil case and had to appear at the Orange County Superior Court. I witnessed an automobile collision two year's ago and was called to recount my recollections of what happened. I was on the stand less than 5 minutes and without cross examination. I figure I either did a great job or I sucked so badly that the defense felt no need to go at it.

I met with an attorney at the courthouse in the morning and was told I would be needed until after lunch. I had ridden out on my motorcycle to lessen the impact of traffic, so when I found out I had several hours to kill, I headed south to Ortega Highway and enjoyed the twisties all the way to Lake Elsinore and back. There were several turns along the way I pushed into hard. I found myself worried about a few of them, thinking I was very close to losing control and flying off the cliff. As you can tell, I kept it on the road and in control.

Tonight's Hughes was a tough one for me. I just didn't seem to have the snap I've had previous weeks. I think it's partly due to the races last weekend and how hard they were. I also think the motorcycle riding, all 4 hours, wore my legs out a bit. When it came time to try and attack the front or stick a break, I could get it wound up but not as fast, and not as for long as I'd been doing. I bridged several short-lived breaks tonight but one had a chance and was crushed from within. There was a group with several junior riders up the road and I got across with another rider. We had a great gap and I was getting ready to settle in for the break effort. Unfortunately, the juniors were screwing around and surging at the front, going from 27 to 31 MPH and causing everyone behind them a lot of discomfort to keep pace and recover. After this happened three times, other people started sitting up and skipping their pulls, and it wasn't long after that the pack caught back on. Anyhow, there were more attacks and counter-attacks and I did well to cover what made sense, but in the end, it was coming down to a pack sprint. I followed the train home in 6th spot coming around corner 4, but as we came around, everyone was forced to sit up because of a car coming in the opposite direction and a tow-truck sitting in the middle of the road. Thankfully, no one was injured. There was also a gap between the first 10 riders and the rest of the group, which was lined out, so everyone was able to safely move over and avoid the cars and not kill each other.

Final thought: Why is a half-gallon of milk $1.89 and two gallons of milk $5? It kills to pay more, on a value basis, for less. I'd love to take advantage of the 2@$5 gallon deal but where am I going to put two gallons of milk and how the heck am I gonna drink it all? It would end up going to waste and I'd probably be back at $1.89 for a half-gallon. Maybe I'll buy a cow.

G'night. -adm

Alumni News & Tuesday Blues.
Tuesday, 07 June 2005

I spent some time today catching up on magazine reading after the very tall pile nearly fell over and crushed me. I finally got to my Spring 2005 issue of TITAN, CSU Fullerton's Alumni magazine. Maybe it's because I came off a bad cycling weekend, but I felt especially underachieved after reading the "Alumni" section where they publish the latest accomplishments of many alumni. I read how well many people are doing in their careers and couldn't help but be brought down by thinking about how little I've accomplished in my career and life. At current, my bio reads something like this: "Anthony Morrow '96 (B.A. Business Administration, Marketing) is currently performing as a househusband and amatuer cyclist, and in which both he has only mild success."

11:24 PM - What a difference a ride makes. I feel better now. I needed a bike ride to clear my head and enjoy life as it's meant to be: outdoors and blazing fast on two skinny tires.

I skipped my pre-El Do climbing ride because I just didn't feel like it and that was fine. I also had some other stuff to do like cleaning my bikes and eating. I left for El Do early today so I could get in at least some extra miles and not be rushed like I usually am to get there. The wind was blowing in the opposite direction of usual; it was a south/southwest wind rather than the usual north/northeast wind. As I headed down the river trail, I first thought I was feeling great but then realized it wasn't my legs as much as it was the wind.

El Do was tame. I covered and was in several short-lived breaks. As is my usual story, I somehow missed the one that stayed away. As is also usual, Jaime Paolinetti led it. I did come very close to bridging it, maybe within 10-15 meters, but just couldn't find the extra juice to make it. Instead, I sputtered back to the pack and recovered. It wasn't long after the break was off that a rider crashed at turn four. I don't know who or what happened, but he was injured enough to require the park rangers and ambulance and fire trucks to respond. This effectively shut down the race. The break kept going but the rest of us sat up and called it a night as the hour of racing has elapsed anyway.

That's it for today. I need to get to bed. Sleep is the eraser to today's white board. I start fresh again tomorrow.

ADM OUT!

Another Week In Review: First They Stole My Dignity, Then They Stole My Clothes.
Monday, 06 June 2005

Before I dive in to recapping the week, I need to add to my list of stuff stolen from me lately. First, there's the wheels that were stolen from the pit at the CBR race a couple of weeks ago. Now, it's my long-fingered gloves and arm warmers from this Sunday's road race. Did I miss the "Feel Free to Steal From Anthony" memo? Since when did it become cool for people to steal stuff? Why me? Don't they know I'm not working and really can't afford to be losing stuff right now? Whoever you are, I hope the bad karma finds you!

Now, usual excuses about missing a week's worth of blogging: tired, busy riding, busy with projects, busy contemplating if Michael Jackson's face will totally fall off if he goes to jail. Whatever. Here's the scoop.

WED - I had a phone call with a recruiter in the morning. He was referred by a former co-worker and turned out to be a really nice guy. I point this out because some recruiters I've run into in the past are a bit brusque. This guy was friendly and actually listened, even when I wasn't saying what he wanted to hear. No immediate jobs are in the works but there's a lot of potential working with this guy, especially if I want to get back into sales in the retail industry.

I went out for a ride mid-day. My goal was to hit three hours of moderate tempo. I road down the river trail and south to Newport Coast. The wind was brutal heading out and I sensed it was changing direction as I neared my half-way point. Instead of stopping for coffee in Corona Del Mar, like I intended, I decided to turn right back around before the wind totally shifted and came at me on my way back. The plan worked and I had a bit of help as I paced back up the coast. I made it to Seal Beach and stopped in at three bike shops in the area to look for a tiny spacer I needed for use with the 10 speed Shimano cassette I put on my wheels. Neither Sandpiper, nor Main St. Cyclery, nor Kings had the darn thing. The previous Sunday, I struck out at Jax-Long Beach, too. Oh well, I grabbed a large coffee at Cinnamon Productions and enjoyed it while looking over the beach and pier. You can't do that in Indiana.

I noticed on the way down Main St. that John's Food King Market had closed. In fact, it not only closed, but the building it was in appears to have been leveled and replaced with a new, two-story one with a coffee shop and some other businesses. I was kind of sad. It was a quaint market, a symbol of simpler times. It also appears several other businesses have been remodeled and replaced along Main St. Obviously it's been a while since I'd been through here. I have my own memories of this area, but one I can easily share with you is that this stretch of Seal Beach was used as the quaint seaside town of Grand Harbor in the film American Pie 2 . You see it when the guys are driving into the town on their way to their summer beach house.

THU - Hughes Park, as usual. Because of the upcoming road races, I sat in to save the legs. A friend got up the road in a break so I sat up and blocked for him. At the end, with one lap to go, I moved up to avoid any problems near the back and to see if I might be able to get a good finish without too much effort. Half way around, I jumped the packed and stayed away for 5th overall (there were four up the road). My reign as Thursday night champion ended but I felt good about how I was able to help a friend in the break and keep with my plan of riding light and still stick it to the rest of the field for the finish.

FRI - Worked on several design-related projects in the morning and also worked on packing up for the trip to Lompoc for the weekend's races. Because I had to finish some projects before heading out, I was out the door late too meet up with Brad to hit the road. I also had to stop by another bike shop, Cycling Concepts in Artesia, to get Brad some rim tape and to see if they had my 10 speed cassette spacer. To my surprise, they had the spacer. I was surprised because this shop never seemed to have what I needed in the past but this thing they did. Maybe it's because it's recently a new name and new owner. I was so pleased to finally have the part but disappointed at the price: $5. It's a piece for which the plastic packaging probably costs more than the cost to manufacture the item but Shimano can stick it to me because I need it and they're the only ones who make it. I don't blame the shop for the price, I blame Shimano. At least my search was over.

I finally got to Brad's. We got going around 2:30PM and hit traffic through L.A. and several places all the way out to Ventura. My bad. He was cool enough to drive his car. Unfortunately, it's a stick shift. Brad got his workout on the way. Traffic finally opened up around Santa Barbara. We got into Lompoc around 7PM, checked into the hotel, had dinner, and prepared for the next day's task of racing.

SAT - SoCal/Nevada State Road Race Championships - Masters. I raced the 30-34 category and Brad did the 35-39. Both races were 72 miles. I thought I had a real chance at winning this race but made a bad call and didn't. Early on, a break of about 8 got up the road. I felt it wasn't going to stick and decided to conserve energy by staying in the pack. Well, the break stuck, and on lap 2, two guys bridged across. I didn't think they'd make it either, so I didn't go with. Oops. It ends up they got across and stayed away with the break which ended up being a total of 5 guys. Frustrated, I sat in the pack knowing the best I could get was 6th. A chase wasn't going to form because the teams with guys in the pack were represented in the break. I won the field sprint in good form and did get 6th, the last money spot, but it wasn't what I set out for. The toughest things to take about how the race went was my legs were good and I should have and could have went with both break moves but simply chose not to. Interestingly, Brad also got 6th in his race.

SUN - We stayed in Lompoc another night to race the same course on Sunday. This time, it's the SoCal/Nevada State Road Race Championships - Elite. My race was the Elite 1-3 and Brad did the 35+ 1-3. Despite the effort on Saturday, I felt okay for the first lap of three (109 miles total). I was a bit weary heading into the middle of the second lap and was definitely feeling the pain heading into the third. By this time, only 20 or so guys remained of 50+ who started. Unluckily for me, it seems like this was when the race really heated up as Thurlow Rogers ('84 Olympian and fast dude) and Chris Walker (2004 State and National RR Champ, also a fast dude) seemed to be working together and launching attacks. Half-way out on, my legs started to fail and I was out the back in short order. It wasn't the climbs that were killing me, it was the 30 MPH speeds into the wind on the downhills and flats. I chose to continue and finish the race instead of turning around. I was joined by a Veloworx rider, Chris, and we made it all the way to the turn-around point into the wind. At this point, I was starting to feel cold and recognized the signs of bonking. I ate some food but it was too late and the body started shutting down. Chris was still turning the pedals okay so I bid him farewell and he rode off. I hobbled my way back, now aided by the wind, but still took forever. Unofficially, I took 18th on the day. It was tough and my morale was demolished.

Back at the finish, I looked for my vest, arm warmers, and gloves that were tossed out at the feed zone but not there when I passed. Someone picked them up, I thought, and they must be around somewhere. After some searching, I got my team vest but the gloves and arm warmers weren't to be found. Darn it! First off, whoever moved my stuff from the feed zone shouldn't have. I was gonna get it. Secondly, wherever it got moved to, someone took my arm warmers and gloves. Why!? They were sweaty, snotty, and they were mine. They were clearly bundled with the vest and therefore mine. Jeez people, have some respect! First they take my dignity in the race, then they take my clothes.

MON - I ate like a pig Sunday night, once I got home, and still felt very tired on Monday. I spent most of the day groaning to myself about my soar legs, knees, and back. I continued to eat heartily, replenishing my body with nutrients for recovery. After bonking, my body goes into a survival mode and keeps saying "eat". I think it's because it fears another effort like the one on Sunday and feels like it must have enough energy. The hard part is satisfying the urge and eating necessary fuel for recovery without going overboard and consuming too many calories. I realized, in my feasting, the cupboards were getting light and it was time to go grocery shopping.

Jule and I went grocery shopping in the late evening. Not to much interesting here except that I noticed an irritating fact about ice cream. For as long as I can remember, ice cream came in half-gallon (64 oz.) packages, either tubs or cartons. Last week, I realized the tub of Dreyer's Spumoni I purchased for a party felt and looked small. I checked the packaging and sure enough, it wasn't a half-gallon, it was 56 oz., 13% less! I thought the smaller size might have to do with the flavor being a "premium blend", but when I checked the freezer case at the grocery, I saw that most of the ice cream tubs were 56 ounces. What the heck! I Googled for more info and found the change from 64 to 56 ounces started around 2003. I guess I never noticed it before but now that I have, I'll be checking closely when I shop for ice cream. I understand the manufacturers have done it in response to rising prices; they either raise prices or keep them level and lower quantity. I just thought it was kind of sneaky how it was done. When they increase quantity, you see big letters and starburst proclaiming, "25% MORE!", but when they killed off 13%, it was awfully quiet. So, shop and compare your ice cream carefully. My suggestion, buy Thrifty Ice Cream at Rite Aid, which, to the best of my knowledge, still comes in real, honest-to-gooness, half-gallon, 64 oz. cartons. I really shouldn't be eating ice cream, though.