Mountain Biking at Standing Rocks

The first time I went mountain biking this year was the first time I'd been mountain biking in about five years. I ended up needing six stitches in my right shin. In my defense, there was a large tree branch hidden in some tall grass on the hill at Calumet County Park. I hit it, went over the bars, and kicked something on my bike with my shin. It was a gross bloody mess, but I was fine. Since then, I'd been mountain biking one other time, at the Reforestation Camp in Green Bay. No stitches were needed.

That was several months ago. Yesterday, three friends and I went mountain biking at Standing Rocks, which is about 60 miles west by northwest from Appleton, in Amherst. I've noticed heading west, the further one gets from the Fox Cities, the prettier Wisconsin is. Driving out on Highway 10 we saw beautiful rolling hills, and of course, great fall colors in the trees. As we headed off the main highway and on to the county roads surrounding Amherst, the scenery was just as nice.

At Standing Rocks, the mountain bike trails are top-notch. Singletrack twists and turns through the forest, and there's actually a good deal of rolling hills to contend with. Rocky descents and rooted climbs make the trails super technical. Wisconsin singletrack - and I'm sure much midwest singletrack - is some of the most fun I've ever ridden. It's not the most difficult, but it's not easy either. It's just so much fun. There's so much swooping and carving of turns; rhythm. Standing Rocks is exemplary of this. I really want to go back before those trails are covered in snow. Of course, it doesn't hurt that there's a great brewery just down the road.

After the ride, we headed into Amherst "proper," if there is such a thing, for a couple beers at Central Waters Brewing Company. I hadn't heard of them before I left Wisconsin in '02, but they make great beers. They definitely make the best porter I've had this side of the Mississippi. Maybe anywhere. Their tap room is only open on Fridays and Saturdays at three p.m., so we kind of had to plan the whole trip around getting there about that time. But it was definitely worth it, even if the service blew at first. (I know, we're not locals.) But once we finally got our beers, we drank them, stayed for another, watched the locals, talked bikes, and had some good laughs. Then it was back to Appleton via highway 10 in the twilight.

The Tap Room at Central Waters Brewing Company

Lazy Sunday - Thoughts on the Future

I woke up this morning feeling pretty hung over. I didn't think I drank that much at the wedding last night, so I'm not sure if I felt so tired from that, or because I didn't get much sleep. I was home early enough and pretty much went to bed, but Petar started to make some noise at about three a.m. I got up to ready some food for both boys, but I checked on them and they were both sound asleep. I tried to go back to bed, but I couldn't. I finally fell asleep again about an hour before Rose had to be taken to the air port.

Rose is on her way to San Luis Obispo, CA for a job interview that could net her a very cool job in a very cool city. But, as I wrote before, it's so far away. I would be really, really happy for her if she got this job, but I'm a little worried as she was so rushed to get her presentations together. When they called to schedule the interview, there were several dates available, all the way out to December. Then, almost before she had a chance to talk it over with me, they emailed and said this week was the only date left. The good thing is that she now has an idea of how many candidates she's up against (as many as there were dates, apparently). The bad is that she was really rushed. I really, really hope it goes well. It would be nice to have a choice of where we want to go.

As for me, lately I've been considering trying to open my own shop here in town. Several weeks ago, a rumor started that a long-established shop here was up for sale. Of course that rumor proved false, but it stirred a lot of excitement among those in my social network. Many were interested and many thought I would be, too. And I was. But as I said, the rumor proved false, and trying to start a completely new shop in a town that already has too many seemed like a bad idea. Especially considering we won't have a secondary income here after the new year. I have been considering it though, and working on a business plan. I think it will mostly be an exercise in business plan writing, though.

The more I mulled this over, the more it seemed to me like something I was pursuing on a whim. And one that was not even my own. The thought of opening a bike shop here had never crossed my mind when we started planning to move from California. For one, it takes a lot of time and effort, and with two brand new baby boys, I don't have much desire to put in 60-hour work weeks for five years. I want to see them grow and spend time with them. Two, we had a pretty good idea that this move wouldn't result in permanent settlement. We figured all along we'd be moving on.

I guess what we hadn't anticipated was wanting to stay so badly. It really has been unbelievable here in A-town. A lot has changed since we left nearly 10 years ago, and it's for the better. It seems that most of the people I talk to who left for a significant amount of time and came back really enjoy being here the second time around. Part of me wants to go on another adventure, and maybe if Rose get the job in SLO, I'll be raring to go. But Georgia doesn't seems more like a venture than an adventure, and I'm not sure I want to go there.

This Time of Year

Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships are today in Seattle. For the past three years, when cyclocross season comes around, I reminisce about BicycleNorthwest.com. In 2007 a friend and I started a bicycling website that covered all aspects of cycling in the Northwest. It was one of the greatest things I've ever been a part of and I wish I could do it again. In fact, I've been thinking about doing it again, but here in the midwest.

But Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships was, I think, the event that really put us on the map. It was so much fun covering the race, and I really felt creative and productive and like I was a part of the Northwest cycling community. Had we been smarter about it, and had my partner been a little more motivated, we could have at the very least made enough money to cover the cost of hosting the site and creating content.

I'm not sure if something like that would work here in the midwest, but there are great bike scenes in places like Madison and Minneapolis. I suppose once we know if we're going to stay here, I may give it a go. But for now, I'm feeling nostalgic for that moment in time during which I created something really great that a lot of people seemed to enjoy.

Life

Life is looming. Lurking? We are smashed against a decision that we don't really want to make. Rose has been offered a job in Georgia, just too far outside Atlanta to live there. And just far enough away that it seems to not have any of the benefits of living in Atlanta. Really, we'd much rather stay here, in Appleton, but neither has any job prospects of the sort that could support our family. For now, we're fine both working part time, but if we're going to stay here, we need more.

So, there's the job in Atlanta, and then Rose has an interview coming up early this week in San Luis Obispo. A job there would be great if not for the fact that it's three flights from Appleton, and a three-day drive. But I suppose if I had to choose, I would choose going back to California and a city that we know is great, over moving to Georgia and living in the worst suburban sprawl I've ever seen.

Then there's me. I just applied for a job in the bike industry for which I am eminently qualified. Of course that means nothing regarding whether or not I'll get it, but I feel like I have at least a decent shot. That job may be in California as well, though insofar as it's a writing job, I'm hoping it can be done from anywhere, with regular visits to the company's headquarters. If the pay is decent, that would allow us to stay here.

I'm not putting to much stock in either of our California jobs. I try not to get to excited one way or the other about this stuff. As of yet, there's nothing to any of it. We're just as likely to have to move in with our parents in six months, though I really hope that's not what happens.

Minocqua

This weekend we took the little dudes up to Minocqua and spent the weekend with Rose's parents at their condo. It was relaxing and the weather was absolutely perfect. I'm surprised, though I'm not sure why, how well the buys travel for long car rides. On the way there and back, they needed to be fed, which involved Rose or me crawling into the back seat and sitting between them. No problem.

We brought Betty with us as well. She loves it up there because she gets to go swimming every day. The water is obviously pretty cold this time of year, but it doesn't seem to bother her. She used to swim in the ocean in Bellingham this time of year, too, and that was at least as cold. She loves the water, and it tires her out, too. I feel a little bad for Betty since the boys were born; she's getting much less attention than she used to. So it was nice to spend some time playing fetch with her.

I like having Rose's parents around for the boys. Not just because they can watch them and help out, but I also think they're good influences on them. I sometimes worry that my parents are bad influences, though when I really think about it, I'm off base on that assertion, and it's probably just because I think completely oppositely from them. I do think though, that both of our parents act completely different around the boys, so there getting a lot of different, but valuable social interactions. So being at the condo and getting to see Rose's folks interact with the boys is really great. And of course, it does give us a break. Which is nice.

Today, of course, is Monday, and I'd much rather be staying at home with the little dudes on their most rambunctious day than go to work. Perhaps this is another post, but this job -- while I appreciate to no end that I have it, that it is flexible, and that my bosses have treated me unbelievably well -- now that it's no longer bike season, I can hardly stand it. So, off to the salt mines, it is.

As Happy as I've Ever Seen Them

Last night I took the boys over to my parent's house while I headed off to work. I ended up being able to leave work much earlier than I thought I would, so I was able to spend some time with my folks. As I wrote the other day, Oscar and Petar are beginning to show their personalities. It's great because they're responsive and they interact with Rose and I and whomever they may be face to face with. They smile and coo, and almost laugh. This sets my parents off.

A little longer while ago, I wrote about a picture of my Dad and I that I think about all the time. In it, we're playing with a toy car set in the kitchen and you can tell by the look on his face that my Dad was laughing hysterically and having a lot of fun. But other than that photo, I hardly remember seeing him laugh like that, ever. Maybe he and my Mom were too caught up in trying to raise me "right" to laugh out loud. Or maybe I was just too much of a pain in the ass to let them laugh. Who knows? But last night, with Oscar in his lap, smiling, cooing, maybe even laughing, and definitely farting, my Dad opened up like I haven't seen since the day that picture was taken. He could barely control his laughter. I saw him smile from ear to ear with every muscle in his face; his eyes slits, baring all of his teeth. He threw his head back, and looked over at my Mom and I who were sitting on the adjacent couch with Petar. He was laughing so hard he couldn't even ask us if we were seeing what he was seeing, but you could tell he was lost in the moment and really loving it. It was awesome. I loved seeing it. It has to be good for his soul.

It has to.

This photo is a little grainy, and from another day, but it captures some of what I'm talking about. I have to get more and better photos like this one. 

My Mom, for her part, was a ball of laughter too as Petar, who was in her lap was just as entertaining as Oscar. But I've feel like I've seen her laugh more throughout my life. I think I get a lot of my goofiness from her. She can be as goofy as any person I know. But seeing them both letting loose and laughing uncontrollably is just another reason to add to the already-long list of reasons we want to stay here in Appleton.

My folks aren't getting any younger, and clearly, these kids bring them joy. I don't know how many things I've done in my life that do that for them. And certainly, if there were any, bringin Oscar and Petar into their lives takes the cake. Plus, I want my kids to know their grandparents. As much as my folks and I disagree on things, and as much as we get on each others' nerves, I don't think it's about "me" and "them." It's about my kids having a relationship with their grandparents. And I think that's important.

Oscar and Petar All Dressed Up for Ma and Pa B

Cyclocross

Cyclocross is brutal. Awhile ago, I wrote about having a terrible itch for cyclocross this year. I'm not sure why, but maybe it's because I haven't done a lot of biking in the last five years, and I've really dived right back into it this year. In any case, I did get a bike: A Blue Norcross EX. It's fantastic. I haven't raced it yet, and by the way things are going, I don't know if I will this year. But, I started a 'cross night with some friends at Pierce Park in Appleton, and it's going well. It's Monday nights at 5:30, and I'm getting decent turnouts and some quality 'crossing.

But as I said, it's brutal. My back, which is a near-chronic problem for me, hasn't given me too much trouble all year. But cross? Cross brings the pain. I love it, though, and I've gotten to the point via stretching and various strength exercises where the pain is somewhat short-lived. So that's a good thing. 

This weekend is out for racing, but maybe next weekend will work. I haven't been doing much "training" other than Monday nights; the kids are keeping Rose and I busy. So if I do race, I know I'll get worked, but I'm just doing this for fun, so it doesn't really matter. In fact, it's all for fun. All the riding is for fun. When you get caught up in winning, you become a wanker. Most of the time. But I digress. 

This is the bike:

Blue Norcross EX

Of course, I swapped out those crummy American Classics with real wheels: Mavic Ksyrium SL's. And as I am wont to do on every bike I own, I swapped the stem and seat post out for Thomson stuff. Also, out of frustration at not being able to find chainrings in the size I wanted (38/46) to fit the 110 BCD on that Apex compact crank, I upgraded to a Sram S900 crank with a standard 130 BCD.

This is a fantastic bike. 

A Little Over Three Months

These little men have been with us now for a little over three months. It's amazing. They're now starting to smile, and almost laugh. There's a lot of cooing and vocalizing going on, too. There's been a few times when I've had "coo conversations" with them. Or, at least it seemed that way. It's hard to tell what's interaction and what's coincidence, but it's all pretty damn cool.

Last night, Oscar rolled from his tummy to his back, three times in a row. That was pretty exciting. He's a little mover. They both have the crawling motion down with their legs, but they're not strong enough yet to pick themselves up onto their hands and knees. Their head control is getting much better, though, and soon, I think, they'll be able to sit up right without leaning against something.

Both boys are over 13 pounds, but it feels like 20. I suppose that feeling is just relative to the five pounds at which they were born. Hard to imagine they tripled their weight in three months.

Still no more hair on either of them than they were born with, though Petar's hair looks a little more fuzzy.

Here is perhaps my favorite picture of them, so far:

O & P at the cottage in Minocqua