Went over to Danville, in the Far East, and hit Hot Summer Nights with Kat and the Father in Law, Dave. Saw some trick cars, to say the least. Notice the 2007 Aston Martin Vanquish S. A relative bargin at $270k. I'm sure I'll see one in Menlo Park soon.


 

The ankle was feeling better and so I went and raced the Patterson Pass road race, an annual NCNCA event that is sure to rip your balls off. I felt good and went on to win solo. It felt good to finally win a road race in California- it's only taken me 4 years to do it. Second places have become natural for me, but not this day.
The next week I went to Dunnigan Hills road race, a new race that replaced the Winters RR, and took the field sprint for second place. I guess I'm on a roll. During the race my buddy Chris Jones asked me if we (the team) were going to put anyone on the front to help chase the break back. I said, Now why would we do something like that when all of you guys are just going to lead me out anyway? He looked at me, confused, and I said, You'll see. And then it happened.
I'm such a dick.

I'd crashed at the Kenosha stage of Superweek and landed on my left side, somehow doing this to my ankle...WTF? Stupid hot on the way home as well. Yikes! Hey, not wonder it took me so long to get home, I went South!

So, yeah- back home and chilling out in California's wonderful weather. I guess this is why I spend more than 50% of my pay on housing. I missed the terrible heat that baked my apopted state a while back, and for that I'm happy. Wisconsin was El Salvadorian hot, for at least a couple of days anyway, so I got my fill of heat and humidity for a year. Back to dry and 75 degrees!
Went for a proper vacation right after I got home (yup, straight back into the car). Kat and I stayed awhile up in Homewood, up in Tahoe. It was crowded as. Unreal amounts of people. We're usually up there around the beginning of fall, when all the little tykes are back in school and it's super quiet and super mellow. Summertime in Tahoe is all about floating down the river in a rented raft, with your beer floating next to you while you tan your bad tattoos and having the chunky girl in the too tight bikini talk to you because you've got a swell goatee.
Ok, not that bad, but I saw a lot of that when I was spinning down the bike path which winds next to the Trukee river. I tried riding on the road, I do ride a road bike after all, but there was a 5km line of cars trying to get into Tahoe City everyday. I took my chances and rode the path for 2 hours, all the way down past Squaw Valley and over towards Trukee, but never got into town really. 2 hours max, mellow, just what my body needed.
Kat and I did crossword puzzles and read books and went for coffee at the Tahoe House. Best coffee and Scooby Snacks in the area as well as gourmet foods that will dent your pocket but make you saliva- it's a trade off. Kat was fighting another sinus infection so she was tearing through the tissues like they were going out of style, poor thing so we kept a low profile and just chilled out for 5 days then headed back home on Weds.
I went back to work at Chain Reaction, got my hands into the grease and got the legs back to serious training. I began to come around when I raced Fort Ord, but lacked the snap to do anything worthwhile, but Keith Miller rode like a champ and got 4th that day, which was very good for him and good for the morale. I felt like I was just there riding around in circles, but whatever.

I'd post some photos, but I didn't take a single one, but I do have some from Superweek!

Paul, Darren and me at Alterra.



Marco and me inside trying to order...
Miss Ella the wonder puppy.

Senor DZ, wonder cook!

This is Amy, Kaitlyn's friend. This pic is on my blog beacuse she told me not to put it on my blog.
It was Kaitlyn's birthday party that night which would explain the tiara. All other photos from that night are somehow missing...















I did do some bike racing... though not very well.

Jane and Kaitlyn Somers, my lovely hostesses for Superweek...

Our host families hooked us up with a SWEET Pokemon Cake!

This is what I ate when SW was all over... then we filled up the beer bong... Darren before..

...and this happened..
...and this too...

...then Daniel won...

I'm finally home from 7 weeks on the road and this is the photo that sums it all up, really. Tired, legs ache, in desperate need of a shower and a Miller in hand. Pressh-ous!!
There is more to come but I have to digest first.