sorry dear, I'm just not in the mood

I was planning to race in Fairfax today. I was excited about a local race. And I've been feeling pretty good. Erin was going with me but changed her mind a couple of days ago. When the alarm went off at 6:00am this morning I just wasn't in the mood. Not sure what happened. I did all my pre-race prep yesterday -- openers, cleaned the bike, packed the bag, printed my maps. Oh well. Of course, I couldn't seem to fall back asleep this morning so I just got up.

But tomorrow's the Velo Bella race in Watsonville. Lots of Velo Girls racing so I'm excited.

I love my teammates. Racing cross by myself is no fun.

because I can, dammit!

it looks like I need some of these



and some of these



and maybe even one of these



so I can do this on Monday







oh my!

a will for all ages

Shakespeare is boss. Truly. I didn't always feel that way, though. I remember trying to read Macbeth and Hamlet in high school and feeling that he wrote in a foreign language. The words could've been German or French or Italian for as much as I understood them.

I was a theatre major in college, so I got to read my fair share of the bard in my literature classes as well, and I still didn't understand him. And then I worked on my first Shakespeare play live, The Comedy of Errors, and it all clicked! Hearing his words made sense to me. And that's when I began reading out loud. Wow! What a difference that made to my comprehension. And I learned to appreciate that Will was baudy and funny and timeless. As a 20-something, I especially appreciated the baudy. I felt like I was in on a little secret when I figured out he was talking about sex and no one else picked up on it. I felt he was speaking to me, hundreds of years later.

Shakespeare commented on the human condition in a way that no other author had been able to do. His stories weren't always original -- he adapted works by other authors, poets, and playwrights. But he was such a genius that his adaptations are the versions we remember -- the classics. He mocked the government and the wealthy. He was honest about human desire and temptation. And he was able to reach the masses -- not just the wealthy, educated aristocracy. One cool dude.

I went on to stage manage many Shakespeare plays in my almost two-decade career in theatre. Some were good. Some were really good. There's an on-going debate in the theatre world about whether or not Shakespeare (or Mozart opera or any classic) should be set in the period in which it was written. Purists feel that by contemporizing a play, or placing it in any period other than the one it was written in, it loses it's spirit. Of course, Shakespeare, although an Elizabethan author, always set his plays in different periods, so I'd say he'd be cool with it.


I've always been drawn to the story of Romeo and Juliet. The love, the hate, the gain, the loss -- it's so true to the personal and emotional struggles we each face everyday. On a more global level, Shakespeare is telling us that rivalry, war, and hate of a "people" can destroy that which is dearest to us. I wish someone would tell our elected officials that.

I've seen a dozen or so productions of R&J over the years. And then there's West Side Story, probably my favorite musical in the world. The story moves me in a way that no other story ever has, leaves me aching, wanting, crying. It's petty incredible.

So, I just viewed Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. I remember seeing it when it opened in theatres in 1996. I was still working in theatre at the time and I went with my friend, Jen, who was the scenic artist at the theatre where I worked in NY. I remember thinking it was a bit campy and flashy and contrived, but still pretty true to Shakespeare's intentions. The text was exactly the way Shakespeare had written it, which caused a few challenges, but Baz seemed to make everything work. Yeah, they beat you over the head with some of the analogies, like the "sword" brand guns, but remember, Baz was trying to reach out to the masses, many whom have never read or seen Shakespeare before.


The theatre that afternoon was filled with teenagers. I think Jen and I were probably the only adults in the audience. Teens are so "real" in their emotions during performances (stage or film). They talk to the characters, react to the action, cheer on the hero, boo the villian -- they become part of the drama. I think there's something about the anonymity of being in a darkened theatre that allows them to become someone they've never been before.

At the theatre I worked at in NY, we had a handful of outreach programs to bring kids into the theatre. Our audience, like many around the country, was aging. The only way to continue to exist was to develop the next generation of theatre-goers -- youth. We had student matinees (we called them creature features) at 10:00am for all of our plays, followed by a discussion with actors (talk-backs). Sometimes the kids were great. And then there were times we had to stop the performance because they weren't so great.

So when I sat in a darkened movie theatre, surrounded by teens who probably didn't even realize who Shakespeare was, watching one of his most powerful plays, I was moved. And thankful that Baz Luhrmann had decided to bring the bard to the masses.

The film holds even more appeal to me now, ten years later.

everybody's buzzing about women's racing

There's a fun discussion about women's cyclocross and mountain bike racing in the US going on at the Team Estrogen forum.

This morning, Sabine posted some thoughts about women's beginner cyclocross and it's been the hot blog topic of the day.

And yesterday there was another little blip on the radar from one of the men on the NCNCA forum who thinks he knows what women racers want.

Lots of interesting thoughts all around. I guess thinking is the first part of doing and that's what gets more women into the sport, right?

tuesday morning surprises

Tuesday Morning Surprises -- that's the term I use to describe the bruises that appear after a weekend of cyclocross. I usually can't remember where or when in a race I got them, but most weeks there are one or two lovely bruises. On bonus weeks, there are scrapes and scratches, too! I'm actually too conservative when I race, so I don't end up with much of anything these days. Sorry, but I don't like to fall down. But I guess you don't win races if you aren't willing to fall down, eh?



Well, last night I noticed a bit of itchy-itching on my belly. And then my back. Upon closer inspection, it would appear that I picked up a flea (and I'm one of those lucky few who are super-allergic to flea bites). Or I've got measles. At least it wasn't a tick!

Lovely.

wheel kissin'

I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather for more than a week now. I can’t tell if it’s a cold or allergies, but either way, it’s kept me off the bike and out of the gym. But Candlestick Point has traditionally been one of my better courses, so I really wanted to race.

I attended the Sycip clinic on Saturday, not because I thought I’d learn anything new, but really to pre-ride the course with some of the more experienced racers (and check out the cute guys). During my pre-ride, I felt pretty good, but still saw stars when I tried to open it up a bit. I got great sleep on Saturday and had a restful morning on Sunday, so I was ready to race!

The course at Candlestick is mostly flat with a few little power hills, several sets of barriers, a handful of tricky turns, some sandy sections, one longer run-up, and lots of pavement for me to power through.

My teammate, Dani, and I drove up to Candlestick Point pretty early Sunday morning so we’d have time to hang out, ride the course, and prepare to race. We met up with Erin, Yvonne, Jen, and Sarah and put up the team tent. During our first pre-ride lap, the course was nothing like the day before – it was completely sandy and pretty unrideable in sections that I had nailed the day before. Bummer, but that’s Candlestick for you and I’d expected the sand.

At the start, I didn’t get my usual spot on the front line. This week they decided to start the As, wait 30 seconds and start the Bs and 35+ women together, and then another 30 seconds to start the Cs. In my head, I heard a comment from John Funke the day before: “if you don’t belong in the front row, don’t start in the front row.” Now, I’ve always been a believer that I paid my $30 just like the next woman so I had just as much right to the front row as her, but I got a bit intimidated by the Bs and lined up in the second row. Many of the women in the Bs and the Masters really belong in the As – they’re pro mtn bikers, CAT1s and 2s on the road, national champions in many disciplines, and could easily compete with the As elsewhere in the United States. But the As in northern California are an unusual bunch -- Sarah Kerlin, Rachel Lloyd, Barb Howe, Shelly Olds, Stella Carey, Melodie Metzger, Josie Beggs to name just a few. These women are the cream of the crop in US cyclocross -- national champs, national team members, the elitest of the elite. There is just a small group of women courageous enough to toe up to the line with the As, so the rest keep racing with the Bs and Masters. This is one of the reasons I’ve kept racing with the Cs for the past 3 years -- I can't compete with women who should probably be racing with the As.

Once the As started, we rolled forward and the girl next to me snuck up into the 1st row. I was jealous and so I half-wheeled myself between two racers. Big mistake. The whistle blows, I’m not 5 pedal strokes in, and the girl next to me moves left and we kiss wheels – what a rookie mistake! Somehow I stayed upright, but I braked and was off-the-back before we hit the opening stretch, so I’m working hard to get back into the pack. Yup, that's me way back there chasing.....



I’m happiest with my first lap. Women kept going down in front of me -- on the gravelly stretch, at the barriers, on the little twin bumps, in the sand after the barriers – and I was able to change my line, stay upright, and pass folks. I definitely had my head in the race and that made me really happy. While others were affected by the women falling down in front of them, I was able to just ride away. I continued passing women for the first lap and a half until I settled into what was to be my finishing position.

During the second lap, I hear a little voice behind me “Lorri, it’s Jen.” It was my teammate Jen, who won the C race two weeks ago, so I made room for her to pass and then made myself big to block any women who might be chasing her. Shortly after that, Adina (one of the women who rides with us but isn’t on the team) passed me, and then Michiko on her mtn bike (a triathlete who kicks butt everytime she tries a road race, crit, mtn bike race, or cross race). Michiko and I leap-frog for a few laps – I pass her on the pavement and flatter sections, she passes me back on the more technical stuff. She finally gets away for good and finishes less than a 30 seconds ahead of me.

I had passed Katrina Loera (a Velo Bella who’s kicked my butt at mtn bike races) in the first lap, and I can see her behind me most of the race. I was excited (and a little surprised) to pass her in the first lap and half expected her to pass me back but she didn’t. Then, in the last lap she passes me and I chase. I had decided to race with a camelbak (1st time in 4 years) and on the run-up I get my saddle stuck on the straps. I can’t move!!! Katrina passes me, I finally free my bike from my pack, and I chase like a mad-woman. I’m able to catch her on the final stretch of pavement and draft her and another woman. We hit the gravelly section and then emerge on the final stretch to the finish. I sprint like nobody’s business, pull around her about half-way to the finish line and somehow hold her off to beat her by 1 second! I can’t remember the last time I had a sprint finish in a cross race, so this was super-exciting for me.

All in all it was a great race! I’m still not feeling 100%, but I was able to pull off a strong race. I definitely lost time in the fast sandy corners – I’m too conservative and slow down too much. But I was super-strong on the pavement and other flat sections and also did well with the little power hills. Although my result on paper isn’t very impressive (6th of 7 in the masters), my time placed me 6th of 17 in the Cs and 11th of 16 in the Bs – I’ll take it!

Congratulations to my teammates! Jen Jordan won the C race again with a nice margin over our friend, Adina. Yvonne flatted in the second lap but was able to finish the race. Dani, Sarah, and Erin all raced strong to finish mid-pack in the Cs. Oh, and Jen’s mom and sister came to the race with her girlfriend. After the race, Jen’s mom said that she needs a t-shirt that says “proud mother of a Velo Girl” – how cool is that!

Next week we’re off to Watsonville for round 2 of the Surf City series. It’s a Halloween costume race so one of my big projects for the week is to find a fabulous costume!

thinking of dad

Today marks the 9th anniversary of my father's death. It seems like such a long time ago and then it seems like yesterday. I always think about him a lot in October. Besides being the month he died in, it's also a big high school football month. My father was the world's greatest high school football fan (and we weren't even from Texas). He attended all the games when my sisters and I were in school. After I graduated, he and I would meet up on the weekends to attend games in various places in the state. And every Saturday morning when I hear the game at the high school next to my house I think of my father.

He was a great man -- humble, smart (although not educated), loving, hard-working, dedicated, honest, giving, tough as nails, and very sentimental. We were poor as dirt growing up, but my father made sure we had everything we needed and never felt any less than the kids who had money. And he made sure that we would all go to college, because he regretted not having that opportunity. We knocked heads for a few years in my teens, but luckily we became fabulous friends again in my 20s. He's molded me in ways I can't even explain and he's still a huge influence on my life. I weigh each important decision on the "Ron scale" -- you know, WWRD.

Although he never really understood my career choices, he always supported them. When I told him I wanted to be a symphony musician, he drove me to auditions at Eastman and Julliard. When I changed my degree to theatre management, he admitted that he was relieved and glad that I found a new focus. He died just months before my MBA graduation, so I wore his ashes in a locket to commencement.

I moved to California shortly after he passed away, but I'd like to believe he would have approved of these choices -- moving across the country to work at a theatre, leaving theatre to work in high tech, and then taking another turn to become a cycling coach. I'm sure the last would shock him, but I know he'd approve.

When my mother passed away a few years ago, my sister and I faced the daunting task of choosing which family photos to keep and which to leave behind. You see, both my father and his mother were avid family historians, so we have thousands of photos dating back to the turn of the century. I collected the photos we wanted to keep, categorized them by decade, and had intended to make a dvd for friends and family. Except all the photos are still sitting in boxes in my closet. And we don't have a lot of friends or family left.

So today I decided to look through the photos and find a few favorites of my father to scan onto my blog. Of course, my scanner has other ideas and I'm too knackered from racing today to figure it out, so I guess the photos will wait until tomorrow.

I don't stroll down memory lane very often. It's kinda painful -- like walking on hot tarmac or glass. Oh how life has changed -- friends and family no longer of this earth, former boyfriends, ex-husbands (not mine), friends detached and estranged, family homes sold, and smiles.....I noticed I used to smile all the time. What happened? I hate having my photo taken these days and I know I don't smile near enough.

I love you, Dad!

secret sculpture garden

I rode with a friend today who I haven't ridden with in ages. I've been sick since last week. I feel like I've got a cold except my nose isn't running. I'm still under the weather, but I wanted to give it a shot. She's a bit older, late 60s to be precise, and likes to ride slow, so I rode my cross bike with my cross wheels thinking that would put us at about the same pace. Worked pretty well.

I figured I had about 2 hours in me tops. When I rode Arastradero on Wednesday, everytime I climbed something I'd see stars and have to stop and lay down on the ground. I wasn't seeing stars anymore, but I still felt pretty weak.

We rode from my house out to Canada Road. I took her up Polhemus since she'd never climbed it. My friend just returned from France, where she had a lustful affair (her term, not mine). We chatted about France and bike touring and art. We made a quick stop into Filoli Gardens. I thought I could charm the guard into letting us enter, but he wasn't swayed by the fact that I had my jersey unzipped and what little clevage I have was showing.

So we continued south to Woodside. There's a little road off Canada with a hulking sculpture right next to 280. I seem to recall that at one point there were three sculptures. And I also remember that someone told me that there was an entire sculpture garden there somewhere.

So, we turned onto Runnymede Road and headed north. After about a mile, we saw a fenced property with a handful of amazing sculptures on the grounds. A woman was riding a horse and we asked her about it. She said it was private property (the sign said that too) and that we couldn't ride our bikes to the sculptures anyways. There was a gate but it was open. Not feeling gutsy yet, I suggested we keep riding to see where the road went.

At the end of Runnymede, we found the end of the Crystal Springs Trail, another San Mateo County Park trail that doesn't allow cyclists. Turning to the left, we climbed a road called Reymundo -- wow! Farms, wineries, mansions, and 20% grades. I had to stand and huff it up the hill. My friend decided to stop short of the top, but I had to see where the road ended. I hit the top, chatted with a red-tail hawk who was munching at the side of the road, descended the other side, and the road dead-ended at the north end of Huddart Park -- you guessed it, another no-bike park! So, back up the hill and then down to my friend to descend back to Runnymede.

So, as we returned to the mystery sculpture garden, the gate was still open. We interpreted this as our engraved invitation, so we rode right in, half expecting to be stopped by a guard immediately. But there was no guard to be seen. We continued on the road, passed a farm building, a smithy, and another half dozen sculptures.

These are some sculptures. They're HUGE -- probabaly at least three or four stories high. The grounds is filled with towering oaks and the sculptures all seem to be planted among them. My friend is an artist, and knew that these were all works of important contemporary artists. The only one I recognized was Keith Haring. My friend said there was millions of dollars of art on the grounds.

We continued onto a fire road that headed up another hill and then into an open meadow. There were another dozen pieces that simply took my breath away. But still no guard. We passed what looked like a banquet hall with a beautiful pool -- probably a space for special events. And more art!

At this point, I started getting nervous. What if someone shot us for trespassing? Or what if the gate was locked when we got back to the bottom and we were stuck in there? Then what would we do?

So we quietly rode down the hill, past the stables, the English farmhouse, the barn, and some of the most incredible art I've ever seen. I think I glimpsed someone inside the barn as we passed, but no one noticed us.

We rolled to Woodside, stopped for a quick bottle fill at Robert's, and continued on our way. Our plan was to ride south, grab a leisurely lunch somewhere, and probably take the train back to San Mateo. As we passed Larry Ellison's house on Mtn Home Road, we thought about stopping in to see if his gate was open too!

For the rest of the ride, we tried to guess what we'd seen on Runnymede. Was this an artists' retreat? A private residence? What a shame that all of this beauty is locked behind a gate for no one to appreciate. We couldn't stop chatting about our great adventure!

We dropped down into Palo Alto and stopped at Lulu's on Alameda de las Pulgas for lunch. I'd ridden by 100s of times but never stopped. Okay food, nice atmosphere if you like sitting outside watching the world go by. After lunch we rode to the Menlo Park CalTrain station and caught the train home. In the bike car, a woman who I couldn't place waved me over to sit by her. Turns out it was Jen Foxx from the Go Greenbelt ride in April -- small world.

Wow! I'm still fascinated with my secret sculpture garden -- the Runnymede Sculpture Park/Farm. check it out!

do I really look like I've got a meth lab in my house?

I take claritin for my allergies. I'm also a frequent shopper at my Long's since I'm dependent on various thyroid meds to live. They know me. By sight. I stand in line and they pull my drugs from the shelf without asking my name.

So, a few months ago, someone in big government decided to crack down on the meth labs by instituting stricter laws about how you can purchase drugs like sudafed and claritin (which can be used as ingredients in meth). First you had to ask for it behind the pharmacy counter. A month or so later, they required you to show your driver's lisence. Then, last month they implemented this state-wide computerized system that scans your driver's license and you had to fill out a form too!

Well, apparently I get too much claritin. I went into Long's on Wednesday with three pills left. Since I had to pick up another prescription, I tried to pick up my claritin too. No go! Today, same thing. I now have one pill left (for Saturday) and Long's is closed on Sunday. How can this be? I take one pill a day -- how am I over the limit?

WTF! Do I look like a junkie? Or a drug lord? Think about it!

check out my nipples!

I've always been crafty. As a child, I sewed my clothes, embroidered, and did cross-stitch. Oh, and I painted too, but it was a strange type of painting with tubes of acryllic paint that smelled nasty and got you stoned (can't remember what it was called). I knit my way through college. And I dabbled in tie dye during my early 20s.

I haven't had a real hobby since I started riding a bike. Somewhere my avocation (cycling) became my vocation. And no more hobbies.

Before the San Ardo Road Race, I decided I wanted to give each of my racers a little something to commemorate the experience. Yeah, I'm a sentimental sap, but they were an awesome crew. Somehow I got a little carried away and learned how to bead, creating a unique spoke nipple bracelet for all eight women (and myself) with their names and a little inspirational charm.

Well, everyone loved them! So much so that I got a lot of requests to make them for sale. There are other spoke nipple bracelets out there, but nothing very special. Most are just beaded on elastic stretch-cord and don't have anything unique about them. So, I decided to see what the response would be to some jewelry-quality, beaded bracelets with silver clasps and high-quality glass beads.

Introducing velobeads!!!

So, my bloggity-blog friends! Click that link, check out the site and let me know what you think. I'm not giving you any pretty pictures here, you have to click the link. A little QA testing maybe? Check out that paypal link and see if it works. Seriously, before we launch, send me some feedback, k? And if you like what you see, let me make you a little something special to wear on your wrist!

wednesday inventory

Ah, fall! The time of year when everything needs to be done....yesterday. Sponsorship, new coaching programs for 2007, new membership for 2007, new racing for 2007, new clients, new, new, new... I like new, but I like the comfort of old too. I can't wait until December when I've got a minute to breathe again.

I just realized I haven't blogged in a week. I've been writing a lot this week, but most of it over at a certain forum I contribute to. Someone just picked up one of my posts and asked if she could publish it, so that's cool.

Yesterday I met with my web-genius to finally implement the last of the enhancements from our original re-design and also work on some new stuff for 2007. Oh, and he helped me with another little business project I've got in the works.

Julie and I just had a re-fresher Bark Busters session this morning. Seems we didn't practice enough when we first started training in June and she re-trained me to all our evil ways. So, I brought my man, Peter Levy, back in and we re-learned how to communicate. This time I just know it will work.

I'm in week three of lifting and running and I'm finally getting to the point that I'm not too fatigued to do some real riding. Yeah!!! I've missed my long Wednesday rides with Kim. I've been practicing running with high knees and butt kicks because I shuffled up the run-up on Sunday while everyone else was actually running. Maybe I'll get it by December.

Oh yeah, cyclocross. I raced on Sunday at Hellyer. Good fun. We had six Velo Girls racing and everyone did great and we had a lot of fun together. One of my Tri-Flow girls won the Cs in her very first cross race ever (and beat a bunch of the Bs and masters in the process). She's a real natural and I can't wait to see her realize her potential.

I decided to race masters. This was a tough decision for me. I really wanted to race Cs. Yeah, I've been racing Cs for the past three years, but I wasn't winning any races and had some health issues holding me back. But I was getting some flack for racing Cs. And there are always some super-fast girls in the Cs who don't belong there. And there are always some super-slow girls in the Cs who get in your way. I don't belong in the Bs, so I decided to race masters. I knew I'd be at the bottom of the barrel in the masters, but it was fun to line up next to Linda Elgart and imagine for just a second that we were in the same class. She didn't lap me -- that was good!

I actually raced well, and I can see that even though I started my cross training late, I'm still in better fitness than I've been in past seasons. I placed higher than a bunch of women who routinely beat me last season. I think in a few more weeks I'll be kickin it! I finished 9th of 11 in the masters, only about five minutes down from Linda (who won, of course). I can easily see where I could make up at least two of those minutes. And if I'd raced Cs, I would've finished 6th -- kinda bittersweet knowing that. So, I'll keep racing masters in this series, but I think I'll race Cs in one of the other series just so I can win a race or two. And maybe next year, I'll have enough fitness back to attempt the Bs.

rain

Since moving to California, I've thought it unnatural that it doesn't rain for six months at a time.

Dirty.

Clogged.

Unclean.

Swollen.

Like a woman without flow.

But here it is, October, and it's raining again.

As I sit at the computer, I hear the tippity--tippity-tap of the rain in my rain gutter. And it sounds so natural, as though it hasn't been six months since I last heard it.

And then I realize that it's October.

Seems too early for rain.

This could be oppressive.

I need the sun to thrive -- that's why I moved to CA.

La Nina, I hear.

Dinner with the Simpsons

No, not Homer.....Tom and Becky and their two teenage foreign exchange students (one from Germany and one from France).

I love the Simpsons. Tom has been a good friend and supporter since we first met (early in the history of Velo Girls). I remember the day he walked into the bike shop and announced (in his Tom Simpson race announcer voice) that he needed to meet me because he heard I was making history with Velo Girls. A little dramatic, yes, but that's Tom.

Anyways, he's mentored me through the ups & downs of race promotion, dealing with the NCNCA and USAC folks, coaching, running a club, fielding a team, and all the other crap that I do. And he's a good friend.

So, tonight we sat in front of the fire, listening to the rain, while Tom and Becky and I discussed where to go next. They convinced me not to sell my condo and travel the world by bike (at least not just yet).

And somehow, he persuaded me to join him at Hellyer on Friday to whack weeds (star thistle) so all the crazy crossers with our expensive tubulars don't get flats. Fun.



But best yet, I was somehow convinced to be EMT at the race on Sunday morning. I've only been EMT for one race (Coyote Point in December 2002). That was the very first cyclocross race I'd ever seen and I was immediately hooked! I ordered a custom frame right after that, because I planned to race cross the next season.

So yes, boys and girls! If you crash, I get to clean you up! There's something so erotic about scrubbing the dirt out of some random dude's butt muscles. I can't wait. I asked Tom if he had a nurse's cap for me -- he didn't but he did give me a cool chef's hat. Close but no cigar.

ps -- The course is going to be the bomb! I can't wait to ride it.

"If a tree falls in the forest and no one sees...."

So, if a blog is updated but it isn't blog-rolled, will anyone read it?

What's up with that Hernando? The hub is broken and we're all missing each other. You're a vital link in our social chain (or at least your blog-roll is).

Calling All Single Guys!

Velo Girls is bringing back our ever-popular singles rides. Okay, they were great until we had a couple of stalking incidents, but other than that they were a blast. So, we're willing to try again, hoping the creepy guys out there stay home.

Would you like to meet fellow cyclists for romance or friendship? Join our co-ed singles ride this Saturday, October 7th. We'll meet at 10:00am at the Menlo Park CalTrain Station for a 35-mile moderate-paced ride, followed by lunch at Cafe Barrone.

More details at http://www.velogirls.com/calendar.php

Guys, if you'd like to keep up-to-date about our co-ed and men's-only rides, clinics, and events, join our email group at http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/veloboys

my life is complete again

Because I can eat spinach again!!! I eat at least one HUGE spinach salad everyday. I've been doing it for years. I love spinach and the world would be a better place if everyone ate it. Spinach is so filled with nutrients -- it's good for the body and the soul!

As a kid, I remember beggin my mother to cook spinach for me. I was a big popeye fan and was sure eating spinach would give me muskels like him. She would remind me that I didn't like spinach, but I would persist anyways, insisting that now I liked spinach. She'd give in and (of course) I hated it.

Of course, it's been impossible to get spinach since the e Coli dealio a couple of weeks ago. I've been in a panic! I know, I could eat frozen or canned spinach, but that's just gross.

So I've waited. I've substituted greens. And romaine. But definitely not iceburg. Wednesday at Buck's Jamis had added a daily special -- spinach quiche, with a side of sauted spinach, topped with spinach, and a side of spinach salad (or something silly like that). Yes, it was a joke, but the waiter did mention that the source had been found and delivery was commencing to restaurants with grocery stores receiving shipment anyday!!!

And yesteray, lo and behold, a restaurant in SLO had spinach salad back on the menu. It was the best spinach salad I'd ever tasted. And today I was able to pick up some fresh spinach at Safeway.

Hallelujah!

do not use chocolate milk.....

......in scrambled eggs.

I guess I'm still a little tired from the weekend.

Happy Monday!