You Got BURNED

Ok - so, I freely admit that I am a bit of a klutz. Of course, I seem to be less klutzy when on two wheels as opposed to two legs, but...whatever.

So, last week - while prepping for the Special Olympics event and our trip south to Baltimore, I baked cookies. My favorite white chocolate, craisin oatmeal cookies. YUM.

Somehow, in the midst of baking, I managed to tap a 375 degree cookie sheet against my bicep. Yes, people, I burned the UPPER part of my arm with a cookie sheet. Super smart, I know. Fortunately, it is healing rapidly and soon, I will only have a faint scar for my stupidity.

Last night...while making lasagna for dinner, I reached into the oven and, yep...you got it...burned my OTHER arm! OK - so, now I am just a giant walking disaster.

Please save me from myself before I scorch my eyebrows off.

Big Team News on the Horizon

The team has been working tirelessly on sponsors, new riders, and possibly some new threads? I am super excited about the prospects that lie before us as a team. We spent last weekend down on Baltimore for the Special Olympics/Junior's Day Out event. Some of the new recruits came out for the event with us and just spending the day/weekend with them proved to me that this upcoming year is going to be GREAT! We laughed until we cried over our sushi dinner and have been laughing with one another ever since. We all have really strong personalities that somehow blend together wonderfully. And, we all have individual and team goals that mesh well together. Essentially, it is looking like CAWES is going to have a great 2011 season!

I know that I am being a bit cryptic in terms of who these new recruits are, but I can tell you that they include a sprinter, a climber, and a wicked awesome domestique. The identities of these gals will be revealed VERY soon on both our blog and our website - so stay tuned to those channels for more info!

In other, purely random news...I thought that the following thread of stuff from Facebook was funny enough to do a screen shot and post here. Thanks to Alex, Lenore and Rob for helping me make a funny! :)

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Green Machine

So, I've been told that lime green is the new black. I mean, it was certainly a popular color this year in cycling kits - soooo many teams had adopted the "Green Means GO" mentality. Apparently, this has recently been taken up by the car industry as well. My most recent favorite addition to the fleet of cute little hatchbacks like my Vivian is this one...the Mazda 2.

I mean, seriously...how cute is that?! New team car? What do you think, Mazda? You wanna sponsor a wicked crew of ladies in lime?

Me...

I think that I looked a bit like this when I woke up this morning. Minus the yummy noodles. Yep...that pretty much sums it up.

Honestly, I think that I'm pretty cute in the morning. Totally.

Apocalypse Cow

According to the Bible, there are signs for the Apocalypse. These include things like seas boiling, the dead rising from the grave, dogs and cats - living together. Okay, maybe that last one is just a line from Ghostbusters, but did you ever think that certain things happening around you may be indicators of the Great End of Days?

Take my afternoon for example. It's a beautiful day...sun shining, birds chirping, construction guys jackhammering things outside my office, la-dee-da. Then, I make the trek to my lunch truck to nom some delicious dumplings. Without even paying much attention, I walk up to the window and ask for my favorite lunchtime nom and I am told that they no longer have them. It's only then that I peer over at the menu to discover that the entire thing has changed. My beloved truck is no longer the sushi, chinese food, dumpling truck of Spring 2010, but it has become a generic, run of the mill cheesesteak sandwich truck. What the HECK is going on here?!?! No DUMPLINGS? What in the world am I gonna do?!?!

So...I have come to the only logical conclusion...the end is nigh. Yes, I see it on the horizon....it's APOCALYPSE COW!!! Save yourselves, good people!

Back to School

New books, new classes, new students. 176 new students this semester. Ouch. It's going to be a busy year. But, so far...my classes rock. The students are interested and interesting. They are already active online and in the classroom.

I admit that I wasn't entirely mentally prepared to head back to the "office." In past semesters, I've been itching for the first day of classes....ready to get back to a routine after a summer of lazy days and bike rides. This year, while I was not ready for the bike rides to end, I didn't really have the lazy days. So, I wasn't entirely ready to give up the few lazy days that I did have in August. Still, once I got back on campus and things got rolling, I found myself right back where I usually am...excited to have a new group of students to work with, looking forward to department activities, working with the clubs and organizations that I advise, seeing my colleagues...happy hours at the pub!

I feel lucky to have a job that I enjoy and look forward to...even if it drives me snarky once in a while. :)

Back to school...back to school....

2010 Season Officially Over

Well...that's it. My 2010 season has now officially come to a close. I have to say that it's been a great ride this year. What a whirlwind...here's a little recap....

I got to race with an amazing crew of women. While leaving Sturdy Girl was tough, joining the CAWES team was a GREAT decision, and I am so proud to have raced alongside these women. Not only proud, I feel I was LUCKY. Really, really lucky.

I raced and FINISHED the Liberty Classic. WOW. I never thought that I would race this event. I've now done it twice and finished it. It was the most amazing feeling. I don't know if I will have the chance to race it again, but I hope that I do and that I can cross that finish line for a second time!

I got to race alongside some amazing women from other teams!

I did some good breakaway racing late in the season. I hit my highest wattage in my last race of the year during an attack.

I smiled and laughed...a LOT.

That's about it. See you on the road in 2011! :)