Hey!

So, let me tell you a little story. (you'll need time, and focus to finish reading this... apologies ahead of time) It involves a theory, and really it's some important stuff so if you think you know, then get on it!
First, I have not been able to sleep in WEEKS. Seriously. Ali will attest. It's pretty terrible. And it's the opposite of being overtrained. I am FAR FAR from being over trained at this point. I am HUGELY undertrained. Can this lead to sleeplessness?
I was just lying down for over an hour, and alas, I am here. Very much awake.
I took some Sleep Aid a couple of nights, with luck, then the other night, I took the same sleep aid, and hoots-pa! Nothing but awakeness. No, I am not stressed, just very much awake. The hell!

In more exciting news...
World Tour 2009 went off... with quite a few hitches actually. Some pretty hefty ones indeed.
The weeks leading up to World Tour 2009 saw me blow the head gasket in Fuhgetta. Bummer. Then, the very week before, down to the wire saw triumph! Replacement of the head gasket in seriously arctic temperatures. I'm talking 8 degrees. 8! I was COLD. The car was cold. My tools were literally frozen. Anyway, you already read about that. I drove the car, it was starting funny, but otherwise, running like a champ. No overheating, no leaks. Kicking huge amounts of ass.

Colby and I depart Burlington, behind schedule (did you expect anything less?) and head south. We were planning on going to:
Talent Skatepark. South Burlington, VT (skipped this one due to late departure)
Ski Market/Underground Snowboard. Boston, MA.
Skater's Edge. Taunton, MA.
Rye Airfield. Rye, NH.
Home.
So, after a super relaxing morning, hanging out with Ali, we get out of dodge. And for 100 miles Fuhgetta, is cruising. Everything is great. Then...

Boom! There is a small mushroom cloud of toxic white smoke spewing from the exhaust of my car. The dash lights up. Alarms are going off. Who knew a 92 Jetta even had alarms. The thing all but exploded. Dam.
Pull over.
State trooper arrives. Promptly too. Congrats NH. He takes my info. I think at this point, in denial, that I have just over heated. He tells me the next service is only 3 miles down the highway. Ok.
It takes me 10 minutes to get the car started again. It's difficult when the cylinders are full of coolant you know.
We roll... take the exit. Stop. Car dies again. Oh boy. Get it started... use the TOM TOM my mom got me for Christmas, life saver on this trip. And head for the highway.
In our infinite wisdom, we decide we will leave the car off an exit and take a rental car for the remainder of the trip because we really want to ride.
It's 15 degrees during all of this. I tell Colby it's ok, I have an emergency blanket.
We stop at a gas station, a phone call goes into the VW master Mr. Sam and advice is taken. Maybe not adhered to, but taken. We start the car again... check out that white cloud...
Back down the road, back ON THE HIGHWAY. Other drivers can tell there is something wrong and they are beeping, waving, yelling... I wave and say thank you. We take the West Lebanon, NH exit, get stuck in traffic and PUSH the car into the nearest parking lot. With some brute force and determination, we push the car behind The 99 and hatch a plan. There's an airport... we'll go get a rental there.
Come to find out there is a HUGE hill leading up to the air port. Think Log Rd for you Rhode Islanders. Think the lower part of Bolton for the VT folks. Think, on a BMX bike. Think 10 degrees now... and think night time. Awesome.
Can't find the airport. Don't ask.
Tom Tom points towards an address that doesn't exist and we decide to go for the hotel we see across the street. An extremely take charge type of lady in her 50's, takes charge of the situation. She makes half a dozen phone calls on our behalf looking for rental cars. Everywhere is out. Rat-a-tat-tat.
That's when we meet "Mike."
Why the quotations... well... some bizarre guy with a suspicious English accent comes up from behind us and inquires, "You're trying to get to Boston? Me too..."
Great, Mike, thanks for telling us.
One last phone call to the Muffler House. Flashes of the Waffle House dance in my head, smothered and covered...
And blammo! They're a Rent-A-Wreck. They have a car. And they're "Leave the light on for us." Here we go.
A deal is struck with "Mike." He'll drive us to the RAW in his nearly dead, no heat having, barely stopping, clapped out SAAB or whatever it was, if we drive him to Boston, and he'll split the cost. Done.
We stash the bikes in the back "office" (it looked like a fight had taken place with the hotel supplies). And jump in the car.
Away we go, Tom Tom guiding us.
We reach the place, it's a sweet Ford Taurus, with toasty heat and cruise control.

Warning... you are only half way through this story... but it gets better.

Back to the hotel, grab the bikes, stuff them in the trunk, stuff "Mike's" luggage in there... and off to the West Leb. airport where Mike is going to leave his car. For 3 months!
Away we go.
On the way come to find Mike has been all over the world, moved here from the UK years ago, his parents live in both Canada AND the UK, thought somehow simutaneously. He flies for Cape Air. He worked for AirBus for the 1 week or so they were in business. And he is on his way down the carribean tofly small planes between islands. Or smuggle cocaine... you be the judge.
He promptly passes out in the back seat. We stop at Burger King soon. I had some KILLER coupons. Buy one get one free Whopper, Double Whopper, etc etc.
Mike wakes up, confused as to where we are.
He eats, then passes out again.
All the way to Logan Airport. We drop him at the Jet Blue terminal, apparently they are a sister airline with Cape. Or as Mike says, it's an industry perk, you can hop on any flight you like, any time, to any where. Hmmm....
He looks through his wallet, I'm convinced we're about to get stiffed, and then he promptly produces a $50.00 bill. Hot dam!
Couldn't have been better.
We part ways and head to Boston's tiniest apartment to stay with Colby's friend Jeremy.
Jeremy's shower has been broken for a month and the hot water has been running the entire time, making the apartment steamy, therefore necessitating open the windows, to let the steam out, but it's still 15 degrees there. Wait...
To a bar down the street with exactly 6 people in it, we're half.
Play a little Rock Band. At the bar.
Wii Bowling. Colby beats me... what!
And then the most disgusting thing I have seen in a long time happened. Colby and Jeremy BOTH get the gross super gross double gross hotdogs from 7-11. Aggh! I settle for a Toll House Cookie Chip-Wich Ice Cream sandwich and some water.
Hey, everyone has their vice.
To the tiny apartment!
BMX videos are watched... pumped to ride! Then National Treasure 2 makes it's debut at roughly... 2:00AM.
We fall asleep at 4:30. Up to ride at 9:00. Road trip style.
Let's fast forward....
We go to Underground... ride the mini ramp, meet up with Greg. I want to call him Boston Greg. Not because I know another Greg, but because he really is a Boston Greg. The mini is dusty and slick as hell. Depart for Skater's edge for the 3-9 ride session. I land a couple 360s into the foam. I try to take it to the ramp... no success.
Olive Garden for dinner.
Sleep.
Awake.
Stop at Greg's house on way out of town.
Burger King for lunch. Coupons!
On the road... to West Leb.

Here's where things get back to interesting. We return the rental. There is another surprise 27 dollar charge... for... I'm still not clear as to what it was. Colby pays. The phone books is broken out and we try to get ourselves a taxi back to my car which is still safely behind The 99. We dropped the bikes and bags at the car already... so it's just us. We're 3 miles away. The 3 cab companies we talk to say they won't pick us up, it's too short of a drive. What?! I have never heard of such a thing. We tell the mechanic owner dude. Oh yeah, this is also the same guy that wanted to fix my head gasket for me. For $700.00+. Sweet. He gets the 16 year old mechanic from out back to jump in the Taurus and drop us back at The 99. For free! Sweet.
Ok... should be smooth sailing. I'll call AAA, they'll scoop me up and away we'll go. There is a minor snow storm at this point. I call AAA, which I am a HUGE fan of. They have towed me many, many times. It's only worth it if you're a Premium member though, keep that in mind.
Any way, I'm on the phone, I'm broken down... I'm stuck. Help me! "I'm sorry you're account has been cancelled." What? "For non-payment." What? The card expires 2/1/2009. It's the middle of January! Lady! It's 5 degrees out! "I'm sorry. You can buy a membership over the phone, but only a standard one, and it's $65.00 and you'll get the first 5 miles of towing free and then after that it's $4.00 a mile." A MILE!!!
Keep in mind that I don't say any of these things to the lady... I'm speechless.
I say I'll call her back. I look at Colby... he says, umm...
I call Ned. The original card was in his name, etc. He calls the branch, they reinstate the card, because it's not clear to me how it was ever cancelled in the first place really.
I call AAA, again. They tell me my account is cancelled. I tell them it isn't. They say it is. We go back and forth a couple of times. I tell them to call my branch, it's all good. I'm on hold for 10+ minutes. It's 5 degrees.
They come back on the line chipper as a fox. Truck will be there in an hour.
Really? That seems suspiciously fast.
Into The 99 for a beer. Or 4.
50 minutes later, an automated call tells me that the truck has been undeniablly delayed and they will come pick me up as soon as possible. Holy hell, good thing I'm not actually freezing somewhere.
Another beer.
50 more minutes later, a person tells me a truck will be there in an hour. Ok. Another beer please. She tells me that they were having a hard time finding someone to take the call, due to the weather. I didn't know you were able to deny calls. Land of the free and all. Shout out to Jay St. Germain! (My cousin)
Anyway... phone rings again, somebody drawls something or other on the line... I assume it's the truck. It's a mother huge truck for my tiny Fuhgetta. 7 ton capacity!
He rigs the car up... Colby passes out in the back seat, and the dude points out where all the folks have been going off the road that night because of the snow. Sweet.
Turns out, he doesn't even more for AAA. But he works for a guy that works for AAA and something like this. Ummm... what?
Drops the car in my driveway and I'm home.
I really enjoy coming home.
Ali and Jenna and a couple of Ali's friends are at the Pub and Brew.
We take the car there an retell the whole story over some more beer and a dam good burger. Better than Burger King is for sure.

Ah yes...


And if you made this far... dam.
Fuhgetta the Jetta is awaiting a thaw, so that I can unbury it from the snow and pull the head out and get it machined because it's either warped or cracked. Let's hope for warped.
Training. Seems to me that everyone is coming along quite nicely. I am without a crankset for my road bike and without a car to go nordic skiing but more importantly than those fixable excuses... I haven't been able to sleep in weeks, which has proved to be the biggest problem to getting this season started.
Shout out to K. Wolfe and Wolverine Lindine down in FL. Holla!
It's going to be a late blooming season for me, but that's all good. Because it's going to be fun as hell.
Team 2009... seriously, we're still on this? For those that must know... things are shaping up and I will have a solid answer about something, or nothing in 4 more weeks. I know I know... it's nearly the season by then. Just know that on the road you will see me on the hottest bike the side of the Pacific. Jersey's and other details awaiting further.... details?
Oh, and the BMX is in full affect. Need to keep those bike handling skills sharp.
Getting a new DH rig for 2009 has been pushed back to probably 2010 unfortunately... due to a reassessment of... assesses.
Ice cream flavor of the month goes to!!!!
Vanilla. I know I know... it's boring, but sometimes. it's so good! With a little Hershey's Chocolate sauce on top. Love it!
And I also found out there IS garlic ice cream. Gross.
3 extra bucks in your pocket!
1st: Buy a 24 pack of your favorite cheap brew.
2nd: Drink brew. Don't forget to share.
3rd: Invite friends over to drink brew. (you can reverse 2 and 3, depends I suppose)
4th: Make sure they leave their cans and bottles behind.
5th: Reprimand those that think it is fun to remove labels from beer bottles. Destroyers!!
6th: Redeem bottles at nearest bottle redemption center. Cha-Ching!

Back to bed...