Happy Halloween!

Last night was Movie Night! It was a success, with everyone enjoying the movie and the food and the decorations! Thanks to all that made it out and enjoyed the festivities by arriving in costume! :)

Coyle, Lisa, Pedro, Sara, Kacy and me (I was dressed up as Sarah from the TV show Chuck!)!

Halloween morning started with a gorgeous ride with some great folks! Thanks to Kacy for getting me out of bed and on the road! I'm sure that this little gal is thanking her, too!

I saw this little Downy sitting in the middle of the road as we rode past. I just HAD to stop and turn around and get her out of harm's way! I think that this made for some excellent karma on the ride. The weather was perfect and we had a GREAT day out there!

Hi Mom!

My mom reads my blog. Wanna know how I know this? I got an email this morning that said, "What's with your blog? Been waiting for some stories!!!" Well, we can't possibly let down the mom, now can we?

So...here's what we've been up to.

Halloween preparations....

Of course, the Halloween preparations have been underway for some time now. We went pumpkin shopping a few weeks ago. I crafted some new homemade Halloween decorations with some inspiration from my sister-in-law Cheryl. Finally, Sara and I worked on carving the pumpkins the other night. We made a spooky spider and a kurious kitty pumpkin and I even carved an owl into a fake pumpkin! Sweet.

Chuck and I went to the zoo. He posed with a monkey - I was one.

Just today, we visited the mother-in-law. Well, actually, we visited her puppies. See, of the 9 dogs that she currently has, the smallest of them became pregnant by the newest addition to the household. Now the poor, tiny Rootie Toot is going to have SIX puppies! That's right, I said SIX! Holy Shamolies! These puppies must be so tiny...we'll find out soon, she's due to have them as early as Monday. Groovy.

Shout Out

This is a shout out to my friend Jen who is walking across Pennsylvania this month. That's right, I said walking. With her good friend Geronimo the Mustang turned pack horse in tow, Jen is trekking her way from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh this month enjoying the beauty of this great state and all the people and places within it.

A local Berks County paper got wind of her journey and published an article about her and Geronimo.

If you want to follow her and her four-legged ferryman as they follow the westward sun, please check out her blog!

SAD

No, it's not that I'm teary eyed at my desk or anything, but I fear that my Seasonal Affective Disorder is kicking in again. Ugh. I LOVE Autumn and I LOVE the month of October, but it really does get to me.

I feel a bit like a groundhog prepping for hibernation.

All I want to do is stuff my face and sleep. I'm lazy, I'm a bit grumpy and tetchy, and just basically not very Porkchoppy. :( Zzzzzzz....


I think that I will soon have to visit my dear friend Marnie - she'll stick some needles in me and I will undoubtedly feel much better!

Sushi Ninjas

If this photo is any indicator of the amount of fun we're going to have this season, then we are in for quite a treat. Robin and Ky came up from the southern regions this past weekend to spend some time on the bicycles. Ky and Alaina went out to rip it up at the HillBilly Hustle, while Becky, Robin and I went out to Lancaster for a gorgeous 75 mile road ride with a crew of the prettiest Sturdy Girls I ever did see (and Alex!).

But, of course, before we could ride our bikes on Sunday, we had to stuff ourselves with sushi on Saturday. Hey, even ninjas have to eat!

Yeah...we're a wacky crew...but I love it. Go WASABI and orchid!

Oooh....shiny

The bits and bobs of my new bike arrived with a Badger and a Ramba at my doorstep on Saturday evening. There are, of course, still things to be purchased and a bike frame to build. But, for now, I'm pretty happy pulling the pretty shiny parts out of their boxes and just looking at them every once in a while.

Ooooh....shiny!

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! :)

NJ State Crit Championships

I have been looking forward to this race for some time now. In the back of my mind, this race was tagged as a big one and one that I wanted to win, but I was trying not to get too worked up about it. In the past couple of years, I have finished 2nd THREE times in State Championship races. Twice in the road race and once in the crit. I admit it, I was tired of taking 2nd. Granted, I took 2nd to some wicked chicks, who really deserved the win, but I was thinking that my time had come. I wanted this one.

The race is at my home course at Greentree. YAY. That right there makes it all the more fun for me. After all, I spend nearly every Thursday night there getting whomped and sometimes whomping the boys! So, why not spend a beautiful Sunday morning there with the ladies!

The field was relatively small, with about 15 Cat 1/2/3 women and 3 Cat 4 ladies on the start line. There were certainly some riders of note in the field - Beth Bonilla (who won Medford last weekend and took 1st in the Crit Championship last year), Jackie Paull, Betty Tyrell, Beth Renner and some of the other Riptide gals, and a crew from Montclair Cylery. With two teams of women there, I wanted to make sure that I raced SMART.

Me being smart and letting the Montclair gals chase Betty...who launched on the hill. We got her back just past the start/finish line.

I tried to be patient at the start. I went to the front to set a pace that I hoped would be upheld as the race continued. It worked, for the most part, and the tempo stayed relatively steady throughout the race. Betty, Beth and I all launched attacks early on in the race. I got away at one point, but got reeled back in.

Beth and me on an early attack...

Then, with about 12 laps to go, Betty and Beth launched an attack up the hill on the right hand side. I was on the left side and weaved through a few riders to get on Beth's wheel. I came around her as we rounded the corner and floored it. When I came around the next bend and looked behind me, no one was there. I just kept going. Beth and I had talked before hand and one of our strategies was to get one of us off the front solo and to have the other bridge up. So, I figured that she was going to do her best to bridge up to me. Apparently, there were a few attempts behind me by folks to bridge, but none of them were successful. I was just up there gunning it the best that I could - keeping my pace high and my cadence steady.

This is the initial move that created my break....

I was nervous for a while, even while I was getting time gaps: 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 MINUTE! With about 4 to go I realized that barring a crash or a flat, I was actually going to win this! With 1 to go, I was euphoric! Coming across the line with a massive victory salute about 3/4 of a lap in front of the field was AMAZING! Beth won the field sprint for 2nd, which was also awesome!

I am so happy! And so glad that George and Dana were there to cheer me on! THANK YOU for being there! It was awesome. Thanks to Teresa DiSessa for the photos from the race! :)

Winner, winner, Porkchop dinner!!

Photos Continued

I guess I have finally embraced the digital age. I'm testing out Aperture on my Mac - it's a photo program that helps with digital manipulation of images. I really want to put together a show. Why not, right? I mean, I've been shooting since I was in high school and I think that I'm not terrible at it. Maybe folks will be interested in spending a bit of $$ on some of my work. Maybe not, but, you'll never know unless you try. So...I'm giving Aperture a run. It's a little tricky to get used to, and I'm a total pain in the butt in that I hate watching the videos - I just want to do it. So, it's a trial by fire, so to speak. But...that said...here are a few photos from the trip to Winterthur that I "fixed" up.

A Few More

Here are a few more shots from our photo shoot that I really like...

Photo Shoot

Sara and I decided to hit Winterthur for a bit of a photo shoot a week ago. It looked like it was going to be an awful day and that we were going to get rained out. But, then the miraculous Mother Nature decided to let up and allow us a perfect window of opportunity to shoot some pictures. Though I was hoping for sunlight dappling through the trees, the overcast weather actually made for some beautiful lighting effects and great color tones. So, here are just a few of my favorites from our excursion...

Coooool weather

So, I am certainly not ready for summer to be over. I'm not particularly ready to go back to work, to lose daylight hours, or to prep for snow...but, the cooler weather that we're having today does make me excited for one thing...HALLOWEEN!!!!!

With the temps currently sitting at 70 degrees, all I can think about it Halloween movie night, decorating the house with Halloween villages and cobwebs, and dressing up like something fun! Halloween is the BEST holiday. The only time when you can just completely act like a goofball and pretend to be something you aren't...in public!

We haven't chosen a movie night movie yet, so if you have a suggestion, please leave it in the comments section! ;) I'm leaning towards something on the scary/funny side like "How to Be a Serial Killer" or "Rocky Horror Picture Show," but I'm sure that the man will have other plans!

So...enjoy the end of summer, folks....and start planning your costumes now! :)

Medford Race

Unfortunately, I have been feeling sick since Millersburg. It started out as a kind of stomach thing, where I would not feel well after I ate. Which, of course, made me eat less. I have been drinking a lot of water, but food has not been too appealing of late, so the eating thing has not been so good. I started feeling a bit better mid-week, so I figured that I would still get out there and race Medford. After all, it was being promoted by a buddy, Ken Mills, and I want to support local racing...so....

It was a small field, only 10 riders on the start line. With prize money going 10 deep, we were all in good form from the get. I punched it from the line, wanting to make sure that this wasn't one of those days where we tool around at 15 mph for 45 minutes and then sprint for the line. They surprised us with a few primes while we were out there, which was really nice...although I wasn't really feeling up for chasing them.

The field was small, but strong...Jess Chong was in there, as was Beth Bonilla, Tricia Carnila, and Jackie Paull. In fitting form, the 5 of us ended up breaking from the other 5 and beating the crud out of one another. Jess launched a wicked attack and was away for about 6 laps. Tricia, Beth and I worked our butts off to keep her within reach and then I made a massive effort at one point and caught her. We stayed together for a few laps and then the attacks began again. This time, Jess got out and I was at the front. When I tried to have someone else pull through, I realized that it wasn't going to happen. Right then, Beth launched and bridged up to Jess. DAMN! Tricia and I reeled them in again right before the final turn to the finish, but we were too cooked to fight them for the win. Still, we sprinted our butts off against one another to take 4th (me) and 5th (Tricia)! It was a fun day overall. My health is not thanking me now, and G told me that I was not allowed to race tomorrow, but that's okay!

It is always such a treat to race with women like them. Women that are willing to put their own bodies on the line, willing to push themselves to the limit to see what they can do. Women who are not satisfied to simply sit in the pack and wait for the finish, but who want to mix it up and play, even if it doesn't always work out.

Check out the video on the local paper's website...click here and then scroll down...it's on the right hand side!

Millersburg

Ahhh....one of my favorites...the Tour de Millersburg....

The Time Trial is a perfect race for me and Alaina. Mostly false flat downhill on the way out and false flat rising on the way back. There are a few small rises throughout the course, but they're grinders, which suits both of these ladies. Posting strong times, Alaina finished 2nd and I was just 5 seconds back in 3rd place. We got spanked by Alison Shanks from New Zealand, who finished a minute ahead of us, but the closest person behind us was 30 seconds back, so I think that was really awesome!

With two riders from the New Zealand national team at the race, it was no secret that the Crit was going to be wicked hard. The course was run opposite to 2009, so the course included two right hand turns at the start, a looooong steady drag up to turn 3, and then a screaming descent into turn 4 and the finish. There was literally NO recovery, as we pedaled down and through the start/finish line on every lap. Once we had come down the hill, the road immediately went back up. By the 3rd lap, the field had started to shatter. The Kiwis took turns attacking until one finally got away. The other stayed in the field for a few laps and then countered and jumped up to her teammate. They were never seen or heard from again!

The rest of us launched the chase, which further broke the field. Jessica Chong of Morgan Stanley attempted to bridge up to the Kiwis, but got caught in no man's land. I was part of a three woman chase behind Jess that included Kacy Wander of QCW and Patty Buerkle of Fruit 66. We eventually caught Jess and sprinted for 3rd on the line. I actually WON A SPRINT!! Couldn't believe it! Ya-HOOOO!! This was actually my first podium in a race (non-TT) all year! It felt great to have a good finish....

The Road Race again was going to prove difficult - not even considering the constant rain that greeted us in the morning. I was now in a Kiwi sandwich - sitting 2nd in the GC between the two strong riders. The same tactic was run by the New Zealanders to break down the field. It worked. Unfortunately, both Alaina and I were victims of the wicked legs on these girls. We finished 16th and 13th respectively, but still maintained strong positions in the GC.

When it was all said and done, the Porkchop and the Grizzly stood next to one another on the podium in 5th and 6th in the GC.

All in all, it was a great weekend of racing...not to mention staying with the most amazing Amish family ever...the Smuckers. The family took wonderful care of us during our stay - stuffing us with more bacon than we usually eat in a year, and giving us amazing support when we rode past the farm during the road race. It was so awesome to have all of them yelling and cheering us on as we came past the house!