Monday, December 30, 2013

2013. Missing in Action.

So much for that post. 

Dirthead Duathlon 2013: A Good Bush is Hard to Find. 

I know.  Terrible title, right?  But still, dear BlogSpot, no reason to erase the whole thing on me.  Only about four hours into it, but I resent the loss.

The Dirthead was just one of many missing posts this year, though. 

Deletion happens.

And, there is the distraction of actually living all the stories first. 

But most of all, there is the sheer amount of butt-time it takes to get even a short story to a publishable state.  Especially when one is simultaneously trying to lose more than an ounce a week.  

So, for the record, as a year end review, here's some BikeEatSleepRepeat stuff you didn't read about in 2013.

January:  Felasco is the big event, of course.  We also took the Florida concealed weapons class - plus archery lessons.  You know, in case of the zombie apocalypse.



Did I ever write about Jason and Josh opening their very own bike shop in Cocoa Village last January?  Nope, don't think I did.  But I should have!


Jason Kraft
Village Cycle Shoppe
Cocoa Village
February, 2013
 
In March we went to FATS and Ft Pierce and learned to grill pizza.  We also had a remarkably large crowd for an Econ ride one Saturday.

 
Some even had enough staying power for WOB after.  Beware boiled Cajun peanuts bought off a truck on state road 520.  Just sayin.



In April I actually took 3rd female overall and some decent loot at the Hammerhead at Santos.  I was going to write about that one too.  Another lesson learned.  Lost the middle chain ring early on, and did better because of it.  

So what happened to writing about the Hammerhead 100?  Oh yeah.  Popeye got slammed to the pavement by a boat trailer in a hit and run the next day, so I wrote about that instead.




I think it was May that Kurt and Mike and I started our Beer Can Scramble.  But somehow there aren't a lot of BCS bike pictures in the file.  Busy riding, I guess.  

Popeye and I missed the Wickham Park Marathon as well.  But I think it's because that was the day we went up to Cocoa to sail home our new - ok, 1982 - Catalina.




Did I write about the century in Tallahassee in June?  No probably not.  Just more super-amazing-roadie stuff.



Helping to hare the Summer Solstice Full Moon Hash last June was an honor and a privilege.   And a total blast!  Thank you, Semi and Cross.

Full Moon Hash
Half Way Hill
Well lit, and well provisioned, if we do say so ourselves.
 
 
July...   Hmm, I did take a trip to North Carolina in July - but to meet up with some old college friends, not to ride.  On that trip I gained back FIVE very hard won pounds in five days, which had to be some sort of record, even for me.  Gain 5 = five days.  Lose 5 = five weeks.
 
Did I have time to write anything in July? 
 
(Have I mentioned we now own a boat?) 
 
Scraping barnacles.
He took port, I took starboard.
Even with the both of us, it took all day.
   
And then you have the moments
- however brief -
that it was all worth the effort.
 
August.  OMG.  There was just no amount of time or space to do it justice.  I didn't even try.     
 
Maine.  Boothbay.  The perfect harbor.  The perfect cottage.  The perfect mix of newly transplanted relatives and old sailing friends from long ago.  29rs for the roots.  My very own Sherpa for hiking back to the boat with a growler in the pack.  Too spectacular for words, even if I had all year to write it.
 
Robinson's Wharf
 
 
  

Monhegan
 
 
Sailing with Captain Arford on board the Friendship sloop, Bay Lady.
Just like old times!
 
 
Ocean Point


    
A tiny bit further Down East...  Camden Harbor.
And way, way in the distance, Spruce Head and White Head,
where my little Chick's great-great-grandfather kept the light.  
 
 
September - wow.  Actually covered the highlights, I think.  Beginning with the joy of 8 Hours of Labor, and ending with the sorrow of losing Mr. Shadow, one of the best pets ever.
 
October -  I did write about the Horsefarm 100, but it self deleted.  Grr.
 
Dear go-fast roadie friends,
Yes, there were horses to be seen on the Horsefarm 100.
Sometimes it takes a mountain bike.
 
 

A new brewery opened in town in Oct - that's always exciting.
 
 
November:  This is Abby.  She is helping us rake leaves at Matt's parent's house in  Pennsylvania. 
 
Fastest road trip ever.  Drive northward for 14 hours, rake leaves, go to Victory Brewing, sleep.  Buy closed-toe shoes, limo to Philadelphia, attend most spectacular wedding ever, sleep.  Drive southward for 14 hours, weirdly unable to sleep.   
 
Abby
 
 
 
Which brings us around to December...
 
And the Dirthead Duathlon at Croom.  Croom - where it is indeed difficult to find a decently secluded Ladies Bush when there's a hundred other runners on the trail.  
 
I am very sorry that post went and deleted itself.  We had fun with that race and we definitely intend to go back.  For one thing, as third male and second female overall, we each won...  hats? 
 
 
Well, ok, hats are good, right?  You can't wear a trophy.  And I got one of those too.  I almost didn't, but one of the organizers followed me into the bike corral.  "Excuse me, but how old are you?  I think there's a mistake on your entry form."  
 
Ha ha.  I wish it were a mistake - but thank you very much.  First Female Master.  Ok, this one is unique enough to keep for a while.    
 
Many, many people blitzed me on the run.
Here I am with one of them. 
The one that counted - first female overall.
  
 
As many hours as it takes to put together a blog post, multiply it by I don't know, a bazillion, to get it together for inviting 50 or 60 friends to come watch the boat parade. 
 
Why do we do this, you ask?   I don't know.  It's just such a cool thing to have right in your back yard on the night of the winter solstice.
 
 
   
Much, much more went unposted in December. 
 
The Beer Can Scramble under a full moon. 
 
Jump On The Bus, Christmas Day 2013 - with The Chick and her Hubby, and all those foster kids.  Most awesome Christmas ever.  Count us in for next year, guys. 
 
Trips to Ft Pierce and to Santos.. 
 
...Right down to tonight's Solar Bears game and the New Years Eve Beer Can Scramble tomorrow night - which will probably also go unposted. 
 
So... 
 
So much for 2013. 
 
Thanks for reading! 
 
And see you next year.
 
 
 

I am a cockroach of the road.

Ok, I just like saying it.   I am a cockroach of the road. A year or two ago an Austrailian study came out where over 50% of drivers sai...