NWBP Christmas Party

The annual NWBP Christmas party at The Irish Pub took place on Friday night. I haven't been feeling great the past few days, so I stayed in this week, rested a lot, and prepped myself for the big night. Fortunately, I was feeling much better and was ready for a night on the town! :)

It was a good year. Lots of older faces that I enjoy seeing now and again (outside of Facebook!) and the newer crew of younger folks that I really don't know that well, but who love Chuck.

Here are some pics from the night...

Sara - looking dashing, of course.
Me and Den
Richard and Chuck (it's a bit crazy that Richard was one of Chuck's 8th graders many years ago - they've kept in touch and he came in from LA for the holidays...)
general shot of the pub...complete with a Kev, a Steve, a McGarry, a Johnny Gartonny, and a Fixler...nice.

Me and Billy

We had a nice time. Jim and Jeanne showed up, which was awesome. On the way home, it started to snow. Which brings me to my next post and set of photos!

Green Weekend

I had a very green weekend! And, by green, I do not mean I recycled a lot. I mean that some of my new teammates came up to Philly to visit Alaina and I and ride with our Specialized rep Mike. It was awesome!

We spent some quality time together hanging out on and off the bike, and I am feeling so excited about the coming season. I am going to continue to learn so much from these women, and I know that I will be able to contribute to the team and our goals. I'll certainly miss my Pinkees, but as I keep telling them...I'm not going anywhere. I'm still going to be a part of that group of women, because I really believe in what they stand for.

Anywho...here are some photos from our weekend...

Robin during our Verge fashion show! We spent some time trying on jerseys, bibs, jackets, and vests and trying to decide on a new kit design for 2010. I think we've decided on one that is going to be quite PURTY. :)

Sonja - showing her support for the Philadelphia Bicycle Insurrection!

Robin - fully kitted up for riding in the chilly Saturday morning weather...brrrrr...

After a little mishap with her shifter (the daggon thing broke right off the bike), Robin decided she might switch to this fancy number!

Alaina, Chicken, Sonja, Robin, Mike and Me out on our ride Saturday morning - it was great to have Mike out on the road with us.
Mike, Christina, Sonja, Alaina, Me, and Robin posing with our team moto-pacing bike! hehe!
Wine for dinner at Mike's place. Cycles Gladiator!
Cakes from the Night Kitchen for dessert - Chocolate Super Cake and the Carrot Cake with a Specialized S to make it complete.

Alaina cuddling with Maggie at Mike and Maureen's house.

Thanks to Mike and Maureen for having us all over for dinner and thanks to Alaina and Hoover for putting up the team and to Hoover especially for dealing with all of us clucking hens running around the house! ;)

Absolutely HILARIOUS!

Thanks to Josh for posting this and bringing it to my attention.

Kittehs

Since I know that there are some folks out there (Jackie!) who visit my blog to see the latest crazy pics of our kitty-cat menagerie, I had to upload a few funny new shots! So, here we go...

All of them together on one chair...Cuey in the back, Tuga, Quin, and Elwood from left to right in the front.

Quin is a total attention hog...this day was no exception!

Christmas Time is Here Again

Now that the Turkey has been properly given its respects, Chuck has insisted that we immediately move on to the Christmas season!

The day after Thanksgiving, we put out a bunch of house decorations. Yesterday, we put up the tree, and today we finished the exterior decor by putting up the lights on the tree outside and hanging the wreath on the chimney. We are now officially Christmas-ed out and ready to go. I even have a gift wrapped already! Hehe! Mainly, it's wrapped because it's too big to hide and if I don't wrap it, Chuck will find it and know what I got for him!

Other Christmas traditions have also begun.

1. I got the first (of many) phone calls during which my mom makes every singing Christmas animal serenade me. I got the chicken-clucking version of Jingle Bells, the cow-mooing version of Silent Night, and the really bad Santa singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas in tune-less monotone. It was GREAT!

2. Quin has begun his assault on the Christmas Tree. For him, it's like his very own Mount Everest that he must summit each year in order to maintain his status as the most annoying cat in the house!

3. We have purchased (and consumed) a bag of Christmas candy from CVS. The first of many.

4. I have made my first batch of Date and Nut bread (nom, nom, nom).

That's it for now. More Christmas pleasantries are ahead, I am sure!

They Strike Again!

Those darned Christmas animals have struck again! This time taking things just a bit too far. They attempted to ROAST THE TURKEY!!! What the heck!? Chuck claims that they were just joking around, but the Turkey was none too pleased about being set on a baking pan and set on top of the pre-heating oven!

Note the turkey on the pan and the beaver looking up Roast Turkey recipe.

Mrs. Rat making mashed potatoes.
The Moose making hummus...not sure what hummus has to do with Thanksgiving...

We have WAAAAY too much time on our hands.

Another Animal Surprise

Another incident with the animals occurred when I got home this afternoon....

They were playing Boggle. At least they invited the Turkey this time, he was pretty miffed to be left out of the game the other day.

Amazing how the random shaking of the Boggle letters could come up with such an amazing series of letters that spell out, "Sarah is a Booger." Kinda creepy!

If you look closely, you would note that the Beaver, and all of the other animals, had "Sarah" and "Booger" as their first two words.

It sure is fun around this place.

Manimals

So, Chuck loves Christmas. He loves Christmas so much that he will do anything to begin the decorating process. His most recent aggregious disrepectful act against the Thanksgiving Turkey is to allow the Christmas animal collection to "escape" their Tupperware storage facility. Unfortunately for us, these maminals are particularly rambunctious due to the fact that they have been cooped up in a box for 11 months. They have been sneaking up on us in our dresser drawers, on top of doors, and in the fridge and freezer. The other night, they topped it all off with a card game that got a bit out of hand...note the photos.

What began as a nice evening of poker with a few drinks....

Became a night of debauchery with drunken bears and beavers everywhere. They raided the beer and liquor cabinet, and the result was not good. Now we REALLY have to keep an eye on them!!!

Crazy Quinny

Quin is a great cat. We've been pretty daggon lucky to have a bunch of animals that have great personalities, that like people, and that are generally well behaved. Certainly, they get out of hand on occasion and act like butts, but most of the time they are really sweet.

We have taken to letting them hang out and play in the backyard once in a while. They are supervised and they stay inside the fence, but they do have a good time. Quin loves to chase things, and we found him one day hanging from the clothesline trying to attack the clothespins that were up there. So, the other day, we hung a leaf from the clothesline and took some pictures of him trying to capture the leaf!

Wedding Weekend

I just realized that I don't have a single photo of my cousin from her wedding. Oops! My mom took a few, so I'll have to steal her pics when I get the chance.

I did take a few photos from our whirlwind trip to Cincinnati this weekend. And, it really was a whirlwind.

We were supposed to fly out Friday night around 4:30. Unfortunately, our flight was canceled. They wanted to rebook us on a flight stopping in La Guardia and then heading to Cincy and I said, "no way." We ended up on a flight the next morning. Unfortunately, it didn't leave until 9:30, getting into Cincy at 11. It really sucked to lose nearly 20 hours of time with my family, but at least we got there! See...I'm trying to be nice about it.

We spent part of Saturday with the Dad's side of the family. Some of my cousins, their kids, my Aunts and Uncles. It was really fun to see my cousins and talk about all of the crazy things we used to do when we were kids. Oh, geez!

Saturday night was the wedding. It was beautiful...my cousin was gorgeous and we danced the night away...especially my 84-year old Grandmother. That lady can MOVE, I tell ya! :)

Sunday morning was a brunch stop at my Uncle's and then back to the airport. I swear, it felt like we were barely there. Thankfully, the flight from Cincy back home was only just over an hour, so it wasn't too long in terms of traveling time.

Anyway...back home and back to work. It's going to be a looooong week!

Here are some pics from our trip!

Goodbye, Sam

Chuck's godfather Sam passed away this morning.

He was a really interesting guy who became part of the family after Chuck's grandfather and he were in World War II together. He didn't have much family of his own...no siblings, no children, no wife...just a few distant relatives living in the southern Atlantic area. So, he became part of our family. He was Chuck's godfather and Chuck's Mom's godfather. Sam was essentially a cross between an uncle and another grandfather for Chuck. He remembers fondly growing up with Sam around the house, babysitting him and his cousins, and basically being around at all times.

Needless to say, Sam's great sense of humor, hilarious stories (not that he always meant for them to be funny) and bright eyes will be sadly missed.

We love you, Sam. Rest peacefully.

November?!

Um, excuse me...when did it become November? And don't say "9 days ago." What I mean is...why does time seem to get faster and faster as I get older and older? Geez. It feels like the first day of classes was last week and now, the semester is nearly over.

I keep saying to myself - "oh, this week it will calm down at school and I will get to work a lot on other stuff." This NEVER happens. Ugh. Maybe this week? hehehe!

Weight Lifting

Did you ever have something just sitting on your back and weighing you down? Something that you were DYING to talk about? Something that you really wanted to express, but it just wasn't the right time, you didn't have the ability, or heck - things were really finalized in such a way that you could talk about it? That has been my life for the last month or two.

Yesterday, I was finally able to get some relief. Here's what happened...

I got a phone call around 6:30 last night from Wendy. It was a phone call I had been anxiously awaiting because it was a call that had the potential to have a huge impact on my life. See, Wendy is the President of the CAWES cycling team (Capitol Area Women's Elite Squad) also known as CycleLife.

Last weekend (over Halloween), I (and Alaina the Flying Gurski...but I'll get to that later!) was invited down to Baltimore to visit with the women on the team. It was what we would call a "Meet and Greet" Sturdy Girl ride. They wanted to meet with me, get to know me, ride with me...see if I fit the team. It was a really nice weekend. Wendy put me up at her house. We took Michelle out for a sushi birthday dinner in the city. We hung out and chatted about what we do, riding bikes, our families, etc. I was amazed at how comfortable I felt with them and hoped that the feeling would continue to the next day when the rest of the team arrived and was mutual!

The rest of the team descended on Wendy's house in the morning. We had planned a nice long ride out in the rolling hills of Maryland, but our plan was foiled by a constant, cold rain. We decided instead to set 7 trainers up in Wendy's living room and ride our bikes there while watching a movie! It was actually pretty fun because we could all talk to one another without worrying about losing concentration on the road or moving around in the paceline. It would have been nice to get out on the road with them, but that will come in due time!

After our ride, we sat and talked about the team, our goals (both personal and as a group), the expectations, sponsorship, training, etc. Again, things really felt right as I sat there talking with these amazing women.

So, after getting home on Sunday, I sent a message to the team letting them know that I was still interested in a spot on the squad if they would have me. Last night, the phone call from Wendy was to let me know that I had been unanimously voted onto the team!! I was so excited, I literally hopped around the house!

Then I realized that the hardest part had come...breaking the news to the Sturdy Girls. I called Dana and Sally and George. I really wanted to TALK to them and not have them find out in a mass email. Dana was awesome - as expected! She told me how proud she was and how happy she was and then asked the most important question...."Will you still be able to come to CAMP?!?!?" hehehehe!! The answer to that question by the way is...I certainly plan on it! :)

I actually didn't get a chance to talk to Sally and George (both were out for the evening), but G already knew what was going on and I am certain that Sal has a pretty good idea herself. Still, I plan on talking with them today.

The rest of the team got an email that took me quite a while and a lot of tears to write. I hope that all of you Pinkees out there know that I'm not going anywhere. Not really. I am ALWAYS going to be Pink at heart. ALWAYS. I will always be around for training rides, parties, movie nights, and any other events to which I am invited.

I love you guys.

Halloween

Halloween is October 31st.
That would be tomorrow.

I know that I am stating the obvious, but it seems that there are folks out there who need to be reminded.

There is no such thing as "Trick or Treating Night." More importantly, if there was such a night, it would only occur one night a year, and that night would be HALLOWEEN (aka, October 31st). At no point in time will Halloween fall on October 30th, 29th, 28th, or HEAVEN FORBID, November 1st. Therefore, it is not called "Trick or Treating Night." It is called HALLOWEEN.

When I was a kid, we went out on Halloween to trick or treat. It didn't matter if it was a Saturday, a Wednesday, or a Thursday, we went out to trick or treat on the 31st. That's what you do. You do not randomly assign neighborhoods "Trick or Treating Night." What the heck is this crap? Lately, it has become commonplace to assign these bizarre rules to trick or treating. I'm sorry, but if some kid comes to my door tonight asking for candy, he's going to get what Charlie Brown always got in his bag...a rock. Come back tomorrow, kid.

I suppose that it's just my love of Halloween that causes me to become so incensed with this concept. Thanks for allowing me to vent, most non-magnanimously! ;)

Magnanimous

This is a great word. More people should use this on a regular basis.

"With the help of some magnanimous folks I know."

"You are a magnanimous individual."

"I am magnanimous today."

"That's a very magnanimous dog you have there, sir."

You know...there are a variety of ways to utilize this term.

But, I digress....

Sturdy Girl Party Pictures!

Here are some shots from the Sturdy Girl Party and our Halloween party. :)

Car Doors + Cyclists = Not Good!

Got some very bad news today. When I sent my "text of the day" to my good friend Alaina, I got a rather unexpected response. Our friend Kelley writes back from Alaina's phone letting me know that Alaina was in the hospital with a possible broken collarbone and finger after having a little run-in with a car door.

For a cyclist, the opening of a car door can be a terrifying thing. I've had a few come toward me in my many hours on the road. However, I have not come into direct contact with one before. Tonight, unfortunately, Grizzly was not so lucky. On her way home from work (daily commuter) she ended up becoming intimately familiar with the business end of the door. The latest update from the hospital (thanks, Hoov) is that one doc does not think she broke her collarbone, but that it's just a bad separation. They were currently waiting for a second opinion. Poor Grizzly! :(

Chuck asked me an interesting question about this...who is at fault?

I looked up a few instances and was actually quite surprised at what I found. On the books in Oregon, it is the fault of any driver who opens their door without making sure that there is nothing (car, bike, pedestrian) headed towards their door. If they hit someone, it is their fault.

However, in Madison, Wisconsin, a woman on a bicycle was CITED and ticketed when someone opened a car door in front of her and she somersaulted over the door. The reasoning? According to an obscure law in Wisconsin, cyclists must stay 3 feet to the left when passing a parked car. Now, while I think it makes sense to keep as many feet between me and a parked car as possible - just in case of a situation like this - it does lead me to one major issue.

Ok - let's just say that I am riding my bike alongside a bunch of parked cars. If I am 3 feet to the left of those cars, where am I likely to be? IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF TRAFFIC!!! So, according to Wisconsin law - I would be safer traveling in the middle of traffic then for someone being responsible for LOOKING around before opening their daggon door?!?!??! Now, really...does that make any sense?

Anyway...I'm not sure what the law is in Philadelphia/PA, but I truly hope that it makes more sense than Wisconsin's crazy law. And, more importantly, I REALLY hope that Grizzly does not have a broken c-bone, that she is quick to recover from this, and that she's back on her feet and bike soon! Take care of her, Hoov!!!!

Sturdy Girl Party!

Tonight was our annual end of the year Sturdy Girl banquet. What fun we all have together. The broken record sounds again when I say how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful women! They really are some of my closest friends and my favorite people! They are funny, kind, happy, caring, and beautiful folks.

Again...I will post some photos of everyone soon enough.

An enormous

THANK YOU

to G and Pam for letting us take over your house! You two are the best!!!

So Busy...So Bad

I am sorry, my friends (if anyone is actually out there reading) for my lack of posting of late. It has been a busy time out here in Philly and things have just been keeping me away from my beloved blog. So....here's a little update. I plan to include some photos later, but I have to download those. Yeah, that might take a while!

So, I had a great opportunity to go visit my sister and brother-in-law in Colorado. It was a fantastic trip because we got to celebrate the impending arrival of my new niece! They're due in January (just one week after my birthday, so I'm hoping the little girl comes early)! It's so awesome to see my sister all mom-like! She's got the cutest little belly on her, and I was so excited to get to feel my little niece kicking and moving around in there. Truly an amazing thing.

I totally surprised her with my visit. My parents had gone out a few days prior, and I worked it out that I would crash with them at the hotel and surprise my sis for her baby shower. I flew into Denver and got the shuttle up to Fort Collins. As soon as I arrived, I hopped in the shower. I had made the suggestion that they should call Julie and tell her that they wanted to pick her up and take her to lunch. They thought that might not be a good idea because she was working, so we decided against it. I wasn't in the shower for more than a few minutes and Julie called THEM asking if they could come over and pick her up for lunch.

So...we hopped in the van and drove over. I sat way in the back and when the door opened up and she saw me, I thought she was going to drop! There I was! It was really great. She just kept looking at me and shaking her head saying, "I can't believe you're here!" It was really wonderful! It felt so good to be there with her and Scott and to celebrate with them.

We did a lot of shopping for her (clothes) and the baby (necessities) and also got to go see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt in concert. That was REALLY AWESOME! They were so fun.

I will try to post some pictures of the sister, the family, and the baby's room soon. Only about 3 months until she'll be here in person...can't wait to meet you Fiona-Tallulah-Desdemona-Jane-Ramona-Kate! :)

Sick Kitteh

Oh, my kitteh has the sniffles and the sneezes. Poor little guy. We had to take him to the dreaded Vet's office today to get checked out. He's going to be fine, after a round of antibiotics and some Sub-Q fluids.

Poor little dude really wants to run around the house, but he's just not feeling up to it!

He'll be back to his crazy ways in no time...

Limping Along

Without my stalwart student sidekick, Danielle, I am forced to limp along in a feeble attempt to keep my First Fridays full of activity. Tonight, I head out for the first Fall semester visit to First Friday. It was so much fun when we had a posse! Now, I'm just a lame old Art History prof out walking around and looking at art. Oh, where has my posse gone! On to bigger and better places for sure, but I miss them something fierce.

To the members of what used to be known as the First Friday Flaneurs...please know that you did my heart good. I will miss you this evening, and all first Fridays from now on.

Wow...way too much alliteration in this post! :)