Hopefully I am back!

I have not been very motivated this summer and have not done anything with the blog since January. I hope after I put this up, I can get the blog caught up before I start school in two weeks.

These are from Reese's preschool graduation and from the All Star Fanfest. I will try to get the last 6 months up soon.

Lots of stuff going on in our lives right now. I will update you later.

Wyman

Snowdays!

Reese decided draw an orange princess on her belly.

Sledding at Carondolet Park.

Just another day added on at the end of the year. I would rather go on these days have days in May and June to ride the bike. I can say that friend and fellow BigShark Dan Young did take his mtn bike out for a ride in Forest Park. My day was spent shoveling the drive and sledding in the park. The sledding was good, but the cold temps didn't allow us to stay out very long. Here are a few pictures taken over at Carondolet Park today. Another day off tomorrow. Cheers

Basketball, Mtn Biking and School

Not much has been going on since I went back to work after Christmas break. I have been reffing just about every night of the week and trying to educate the 11 and 12 yr old population near Antonia, Missouri.

The basketball season had been going well until this past week. I kicked out a couple of fans from Hillsboro during a JV basketball game. I made a foul call with one second left in a game. The kid hit both shots and the other team wasn't happy. I actually call for the other team quite a bit and am somewhat friends with the coach. Life goes on and it is a game, but still hate to see a team lose on a foul shot. I should have let the foul go. Some say a foul is a foul no matter what time of the game.

I actually got in mtn rides this past Sat and Sunday. I went out with a ton of BigSharks on Sat out to Castlewood St. Park. I then went with my neighbor Carey today out to Chubb. Cwood was completely tore up by morons riding thier bikes in the mud while today, Chubb was in perfect shape. I did break my eggbeater today riding with about a mile to go, but other than that, it was a perfect day for riding. Some snow early, but nothing major. I have already ordered some more pedals in hopes of having them for next weekend. I am really enjoying the mtn bike riding. I may even do some serious riding this summer. Snakes and poison ivy beware.

Facebook is cool.

Weimann

Christmas, New Years and everything in between!

It has been a long break, but very welcome. The girls and I got off 16 days this year! Kirsten unfortunately had to work for most of the days we were off. I was able to go for a couple of mtn bike rides in the extreme cold temps. Both days I rode were under 10 degrees. I unfortunately had to officiate down at Park Hills the other days it was nice enough to ride.

We celebrated Christmas at Mom's and had a great time. We were able to see my Grandpa Wyman and all the family on my Mom's side as well. We played tons of Wii and had a great time. It was also nice to go to my Grandma Rapp's house for Christmas Eve again. She will be 90 yrs old this year, so it was good to see she could still put on a party!

We had Kirsten's family over to our house on Christmas Day. She fixed a fantastic meal and again fun was had by all.

As usual, the girls got a ton of gifts for Christmas. Our family is too kind. I got a little bike bling again this year. My mom got me a new Fizik Gobi Mtn bike saddle, Shimano M182 mtn bike shoes, a full Quick-Step kit and a new pair of Pearl Izumi gloves. If you live in St. Louis, pleas don't confuse me with Tom Boonen.

Basketball went pretty good, but I had to call a technical foul on a coach the last day. All the other games went smoothly and my buddy Ryan Eaton and I had a good time commuting every day.

We went to buddy Chris Pleimann's house for New Years Eve. As you can tell, we had a great time. The girls went with us and had fun playing with all the other children.

I have to start back to school tomorrow. I know, you all feel sorry for me.

Wimann

Dang it's cold!! Ridin the trails was a bit chilly today!

Me, Dave G. and Matt and Sally S. met out at Greensfelder park for a nice Sunday afternoon ride. Too bad it was a balmy 12 degrees at high noon! We all layered up and took off for about an hour and a half. I had never ridden out there and really enjoyed the trails. They were in perfect condition. The ground was nice and hard due to the temps and not one person or animal was on the trail. It was negative 8 degrees with the wind chill, but once we got down in the valleys it wasn't bad at all. My toes were the only thing that got cold, but once they got numb, things were fine! A couple of us are going to hit Castlewood in the morning. It is supposed to warm up to the mid twenties.

Weimann

New Plates,Dance and Walts

My new personalized plates finally came in today. I just hated the new Missouri plates and decided to get the really cool Missouri Tourism plate. They should make this the state plate, but no one ever accused politicians(or the citizens of Misery since they are the ones that voted on it) of being intelligent and having any taste whatsoever. This plate has the Arch, a steamboat, a Pony Express rider, a sax, a fiddle and the Route 66 symbol. See if you can figure out the plate. It really isn't that hard to figure out. My first choice was taken, so this is what I got.

The other pictures are of Reese's recital for dance and gymnastics. She did a great job and could look any cuter. The other photo is of our brief trip to Grandpa Wyman' s Farm. Here the girls are feeding Newt a carrot.

Wimen

Oasis Rocks Chicago!

The Gallagher Bros tearing up Chicago this past Friday night. What a great show!!

The one and only picture of me ever officiating a game. Charles Underwood is the other official in the picture. Fellow DeSoto alum and local sports photographer Matt O'Harver sent this to me. This is from couple of weeks ago at the Crystal City Boy's Invitational at the Championship game. This is why I have not posted in while. I have been calling games every night for the past 2 and 1/2 weeks. So far so good this season. Only 30 more games to go!

Kirsten and I also made it up to Chicago this past weekend to see OASIS at the AllState Arena in Rosemont, IL. We had a great time and the band was amazing.

I have some Thanksgiving photos, but will have to take some time to download them.

I have been riding the mtn bike just about every weekend. Some fellow sharks and I went out tot he Chubb over Thanksgiving, while neighbor Carey and I went out and rode at Klondike and Matson last weekend. I hope to put in some miles on the trials over Christmas break.

Here are a few clips from the Oasis gig this past Friday night. Make sure to pause the music player on the right hand side of the blog before watching the vids. The first vid is a collection of songs, while the second one is a great acoustic version by Noel of "Don't Look Back in Anger". The third is "Wonderwall"

Cheers

Skate Night, Halloween and Fort de Chartre Rendevoux

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. I must admit, it has been pure laziness on my part. As you can see we have been busy just about every weekend for the past month.

The first set of photos are of skate night at Antonia Elementary. It was the first time the girls have ever skated, so things were a bit dicey at first. Tatum had the bid girl skates and was very upset at first because she kept falling. She finally somewhat figured it out and then skated for the rest of the night with her classmates. Reese had the training skates and just basically rolled around all night very slowly. She too had a great time. It sure did bring back memories for me of the old Spinning Wheels in Crystal City, Mo.

The next weekend of course was Halloween. We went over to my brother's house and did the trick or treating in his hood. The girls got a ton of candy that they are still eating today!! Reese was Gabrielle from High School Musical and Tatum was a pirate. I sure am glad it was on a Friday this year!

The last set is of our yearly trip down to Fort de Chartres for the Fall Rendevoux. Because of budget cuts in Illinois, the Fort is shutting down indefinitely. This may be the last one for a while. I always remember going down there with my Dad as a kid, and had hoped to keep up the tradition with my family. If you haven't ever been, you should go.

I have only been on the bike once in 4 weeks. I have put on 4 lbs and will start the mtn riding this coming weekend. Family come first and the biking will have to wait. I do need to get back on as I am going mad just sitting around.

Only three more weeks until I start officating games. I will leave in the dark and get home in the dark for the next three months! Joy.

Wyman

It sure is great living in Missouri this time of year!!

As you can tell, it was another splendid weekend here in eastern Missouri. The weather was a bit cold and rainy throughout the week, but it really came through over the weekend. I was able to go down to Johnny's on Friday and eat some scrumptuous wings with a couple of buddies. It had been at least two months since last sampling some of those daddies and they did not dissapoint.

Reese had her last soccer game this Saturday. She seemed to have the most fun at this last game. We got there a little late as she was having a hard morning dealing with what to wear. Hence the teal long sleeve shirt under here soccer jersey. Why the white or black shirt was not good enough, I still don't know? She got to play most of the game and now wants to try it again.

On Sunday we had been planning on going down to Taum Sauk Mountain State Park all week. We were hoping the weather and foliage would be nice and sure enough it was. The leaves are not real colorful this year, and fortunately the ones down south are much brighter than the ones in the St. Louis area. If you not been to Taum Sauk before, you should go. It is the tallest point in Missouri and is located along the Ozark Trail. We hiked down to Mina Sauk Falls and back. It was a little over three miles and the girls did great. It is a very hard trail to hike on due to the amount of rocks. It has lots of uphill climbing as well. The guide book says for experienced hikers only, but the girls did great. Mina Sauk is the tallest waterfall in the state as well. We came back home up Hwy 21 and drove through D-Town for old time sake. It sure was nice seeing the old town again. I sometimes wonder if I should move back and raise the girls there.

Later.

Camping at Meramec State Park

We went camping this past weekend at Meramec State Park with friends Chris and Kim Pleimann and their two kids Riley and Ashton. We got our little pop up out for the first time in three years. The weather was perfect as you can tell by the photos. We went on a nice two mile hike and took in some of the caves in the park. We ate and drank like kings all weekend. Chris brought his smoker to cook up some ribs. We had a great breakfast on Saturday morning as well. The fire came in handy all weekend as it got into the 30s at night. It was in the upper 60s during the day. A good time was had by all.

Wyman

Liz and Tatum's BDay at John D. McGurks

We finally celebrated Tatum and Liz's Bday yesterday. We all met down at McGurks for supper and had a grand time. The food and beer was stellar. I tried some O'Fallon 5 Day IPA as well as putting down some Smithwicks. I had a fabulous ribeye topped with bleu cheese. It was cooked to perfection. We also sampled some whisky bread pudding. Happy 30th to Liz and No 7 for T.

The leg is feeling better, but still looks horrible. I am running out of tegaderm and may have to buck up and get some more. That stuff is expensive!!

Unfortunately basketball season is upon us. I have to go to the rules meeting tonight and then actually start calling Dec. 1. I love basketball, but just hate being gone all week long in the evenings. Basketball is winter for me. I enjoy being involved in the game, just don't look forward to the bitching and moaning of the fans and coaches. Leaving home at 7:30am and getting home at 10pm just plain sucks. I often question whether all the driving and wear and tear on my car is worth the $100. If gas keeps going up, this may be my last season.

I am really looking forward to camping this weekend with the Pliemann family.

Ta

Burnin at the Bluffs

I finally participated in my first mountain bike race this weekend. Even though it is not your standard Norba race, the Burnin at the Bluffs was a good intro into mountain bike racing. I entered into the Burnin Virgin's category along with road teammate Darin Marlow and other Big Shark racer Mark Granneman. It was supposed to be a 12 hour race, but ours didn't last that long. Mark went first and he had three flats on the 13 mile course and had to walk almost 5 miles back to the start. I went second and had a great time. Bad thing was that I crashed on mile 2. I landed right on the same leg that had the road rash from the Gateway Cup and completely tore it up again. It hurt like hell, but I continued on getting a final time of 1hr and 23 minutes. My time on the single lap wasn't too shabby compared to the other times in the race. I had never been on the course going into it blind and am really happy with my performance. I had planned on doing 3 laps in the race, but decided to throw in the towl and get my wound taken care of. I found a ride home from a guy at Wash U. I quickly took down my tent, packed my bags and headed north. When I got home I cleaned the wound and put some tegderm on.
I had planned on having a great time after the race with my teammates and neighbor Carey, but thought the injury was a little more important. I had ridden down early in the morning with Carey leaving St. Louis at 4:45 am in order to make the team meeting at 7am in at Council Bluffs Lake Recreation Area. We missed at turn and got to the meeting a tad late.
I plan on doing some more mtn races in the future and will for sure do the Burnin at the Bluff again next year.
If you would like to see what my leg looks like, just scroll down a bit and look at the photos from the Gateway Cup.
Smell you later.

Powder Valley Nature Conservation Center

Last Sunday was absolutely beautiful here in St. Louis, so went out to Powder Vally Nature Reserve in Kirkwood, Mo for a hike. The trail through the park is about 2 miles and is completely paved. We saw a ton of deer and you can tell in the photos.

My neighbor Carey and myself got in around 40 miles on the road bike in preparation for Burnin.

The Fall Festival was at school this past Friday as well. The girls had a great time.

Norman

Tatum's Birthday

Tatum had seven 1st grade friends over to our house for a sleepover birthday party. It was total chaos from beginning to end. Most of the girls were really well behaved, but one or two of them were very disrespectful and completely out of hand. Kirsten worked really hard to make sure the girls had a good time. While Tatum is a great kid and I love her very much, we will never have that many girls over again. I had to get to bed so I could get up and ride mtn bikes early in the morning. The girls stayed up until 3am screaming and yelling just having a grand ole time. If you are thinking of having a sleepover party for your kid, don't!!!

I got in 15 or so miles with Struckman trying to get in shape for Burnin at the Bluffs on Oct. 12th.

My weekend just got better because...

The Cubs just got swept by the Dodgers. I support only one team and that is the St. Louis Cardinals. I dislike all other teams in America, but hate only one, the Chicago Cubs. I take pleasure in watching them lose. I never argue or say bad things to Cubs fans I know. I just sit back quietly and revel when they choke. I almost feel like I am bringing some bad karma upon myself just by writing this. I go to the Cards/Cubs games and just sit back and listen to the idiot fans cheering and making asses of themselves in our stadium. When I go to Wrigley and watch games, I try to be civil and just sit in my seat and give a little clap when my birds do well. The same thing never happens here. The Cub's fans stand up and slap high fives and just stick it right in your face. That is bad karma and it came back and bit them. I hope they never win another playoff again.

I do want to clarify that I absolutely love the city of Chicago and most of its non Cub inhabitants. I am sure their are some cool Cubs fans out there somewhere, but none of them ever show up for games down here.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!!!!

OASIS--North American Tour

YESSSSS!

I got some great seats in a pre-sale today for the up coming Oasis gig in Chicago. They are actually putting on ten shows, but as usual, Chicago is the closest they will come to St. Louie. This will make my 4th time seeing them and couldn't be more stoked. The show is not until December so knowing the Gallagher Bros, things could change. I had tickets in 2005 for the Indy show an then just before we left I happened to see on the internet that the boys were in a car crash and the show was cancelled.

The new album comes out next Tuesday, so I am really excited. This is the first album in over three years. The first single came out today, but I doubt if anyone in town has it. I am going over to The Loop tomorrow for Tatum's dance, so I will stop by Vintage to see if they have a copy.

D'Know What I Mean?

Le Tour de Sainte Genevieve

This past Saturday was the second, hopefully annual Le Tour de Sainte Genevieve. Cycling buddy and teammate Todd Parker was putting it on again after good start last year. We used the same course this year and had about the same turnout. Many of friends helped out and seemed to be a big success. I got down there Friday evening and started working on things right away. Cousin Scott and I marked the course and had a good time. We swept some corners, picked up some road kill and kept well hydrated. We even painted a few words of encouragement on the last devastating climb. Todd and I then got up at 5am Saturday morning and drove the course putting out cones and signs. The day started out looking a little rainy, but then turned into a stellar day for a road race. The temps reached 72 degrees with not much wind at all. All the races went off without a hitch and all the racers had positive things to say. Perhaps it will go on again next year. I didn't get to race because of my crash at the Gateway Cup. I was lucky enough to drive the pace car for the Cat 3 race. Mom went along with me and kept me company. The photos are of the Cat 4 race I should have been in. DTown friend Cody Nees was in the race and his buddy Ben took all the pictures.

I am getting back on the bike Monday. I got the mtn bike out today and got it in good working order. I hope to do the Burnin at the Bluff in mid October. We shall see. Not being on the bike in three weeks is likely taking its toll.

I spent the afternoon working on the yard as we might be moving in the near future. I will give more details as the process unfolds. I may be moving to the country! Yee haw.

Buddy Hovis stopped by this evening and had supper with us. Condolences to him and his family as Mrs. Hovis' mother passed away this past Thursday.

Chow

I met the Manxta!

Cavendish getting a laugh about signing the Isle of Man license plate.



Cavendish

Hincapie
Eisel

The Manxta's bike

Stage 7 sprint finish.
Reese Rock Racing- Scary face!

I didn't plan on meeting the man from Man, but I woke up this morning and thought I would head down to the Tour of Mo in STL, watch the race and perhaps meet Mark Cavendish in the process. I took along my Isle of Man license plate thinking that would grab his attention if he were signing autographs.

Todd Parker, myself and my trusty sidekick daughter Reese went down to the race around 12:30. We parked right by the Savvis Center which happened to be next to all the team buses and cars. I ran into fellow Shark rider Darin Marlow and his son and then mosied on over to the team buses. We looked at all the cool bikes and saw almost all the riders just hanging out getting ready for the last day of the race. I took some pictures of Cavendish's bike and then headed over to the Columbia team bus and just waited until they came out. Michael Barry came out along with Hincapie, Eisel, Pinnotti and then Cavendish and started signing autographs. I hadn't gotten an autograph since I was a kid, but soon Cavendish made it over to me and I asked him to sign the Manx plate. He got a good chuckle as you can see in the photo. He was surprised by it and seemed real cool while signing it. He even posed for a photo with Darin's son. He then hopped on his bike and rode off.

The race started out with some rain, but soon cleared up making for a great day and good sprint. We were sitting right before the finish with friends Alice and Joe and got a good shot of Cavendish starting his sprint. He started a bit too early and was nipped at the line by Liquigas sprinter Chicchi. I thought he jumped off Eisels wheel too early and I was correct as Cavendish said so in an interview after the race. Winning three out of seven races aint to shabby though. Hopefully we can get Boonen over here next summer!!

What do you think the signed Isle of Man plate with Cavendish's autograph on it is worth?

What a great day!

TOUR OF MISSOURI 2008 and Kenny Chesney

Yes, that's right, Kenny Chesney. Kirsten and I along with friends Aaron and Donna went and caught the Kenny Chesney concert this past Thursday evening and morning. Kenny is the only country music I listen to and he puts on one hell of a show. We saw him last year and for sure didn't dissapoint this year. He came on at 9pm and played until 12:15am Friday morning. He was in rare form playing around 15 covers along with his assortment of hits. By the end of the night, he had everyone from his crew on stage singing. He got so drunk that by the time he sang his song(the song that made him popular), She thinks my tractor is sexy, he forgot some of the words. Everyone had a great time. He played covers with Uncle Cracker and Miranda Lambert. Too bad we all had to work in the morning. We got in around 1:30 and had to be up by 6:15. I was tired until around noon, but then perked up after lunch. If you get a chance, check out Kenny Chesney live in concert!

TOUR OF MISSOURI IS HERE!!!!

The Tour of Missouri has been going on all week and has not dissapointed. My 2nd favourite bike racer in the world, Mark Cavendish has been whooping up on everyone. (Tom Boonen is #1)He just won his third stage today. The Manxta is in the house!! American Christian Vande Velde is in the lead and should win the race barring any wrecks in downton STL on Sunday.

Just like last year, a ton of people went out to Schluersberg Hill in rural St. Charles County to catch the KOM. The climb was packed again. Todd, Cousin Scott and myself made it out there around 11:30 and staked out a prime spot. We qued up some brats, sausages, Nathan's hotdogs and put down some cold beverages. Talked with tons of folks and had a great time. As you can tell, Todd was at it again running with the peloton. How can you miss his Spongebob outfit and his German pigtails!

We hope to catch the final stage in downtown STL on Sunday if Hurricane Ike stays away.

The leg is getting better and the elbow seems to be in working order now.

Tour of Ste. Gen is next weekend. I am not riding in it, but hope to get back on the bike this week.

Luckily Mom came up and took Reese to her first soccer game. She seems to be really fast, so perhaps this will be something she will excel at.

Cheers!

It still HURTS really bad!!!

Yes, I am finally doing some more whining about my wounds from my bike wreck in last weekend's race. I got sewn up and things seemed to be going well on Monday. Then on Monday night my wounds just didn't seem right, so I went and saw my Doc on Tuesday after school. She then tells me I have a staff infection and need more high powered antibiotics. Fine, I just hope it works. She also prescribes some save to put on the wounds that will also kill the staff. Fine, I do it. Then the pain really came. My leg started to swell up and the wounds started to open up, blister and bleed. I call my brother and read the info what came witht suff and realize I am having an allergic reaction. So, this not only caused more unnessary pain, but put off my comeback even further. My elbow is now doing much better, but he wound on my lower leg is very painful to walk on. I guess a flesh wound of that size really pulls on the other skin tissue. It is constantly tingling and swelling some. The Doc yesterday assured me it was healing just fine. The pain was so bad and I was lacking sleep, that I finally gave in and called a sub at 9:30 in the morning on Thursday. I came home and went to sleep. I for sure felt better this morning, but the leg started to really hurt after lunch. I couldn't wait to get home on the sofa and prop that daddy up.

Due to many accidents of other sorts not related to biking and to not so good genes(not blue jeans) I have consider myself pretty tuff and tolerant to high amounts of pain. Pain for short periods is much different than pain 24hrs a day while trying to work with the youth of America.

I can't wait for this thing to get better.

While my cycling buddy Todd Parker was over the other night seeing how I was doing, we took a closer look at my bike. I knew it had some blood on it, but not that much! I don't know if picture like that is good for business or not? What would Big Shark say?

I sure am glad the weekend is here.

Gateway Cup Weekend--Good and Bad

This is why cyclist shave their arms and legs! It is not for wind resistance. Can you imagine trying to clean these wounds with monkey like hair?

Henk Vogels was here this weekend. He will be riding in the ToM in a couple of weeks. He has won a stage in the Giro and raced in the TdF as well
The picture speaks for itself.

Do you think that hurts?

The first two races of this weekend's Gateway Cup started out very good for me. I had tons of friends come to watch Friday night at Lafayette Square and I didn't want to let them down. The race was good and for the most part, wreck free. I came around the last turn saving some for the sprint and ended up 9th out of 95. I got paid for 9th and it felt good to do well in front of a big crowd. The disapointing thing is that I should have started my sprint sooner and I would have placed in the top five. The race was 22.6 miles long and averaged a really fast 26.3 miles an hour.

Saturday was another good day as a I felt great throughout the race. I kept well hydrated unlike others in the race and it showed on the final few laps. I came out of the final turn in a great 6th position only to have two guys go down in front of me causing me to go wide around the carnage, basically killing my sprint. I did get going again and still finished 12th getting paid again. It was disapointing as I was in the exact spot I wanted to be in. In the photo you can see me stretching trying to get a higher place. All those guys were behind me at the last turn, missing the crash keeping their momentum and I still almost caught them. Frustrating, but a good race for me.

The next day at the Hill was not so good. I was caught in a crash about 5 laps in. I didn't go down but had to chase the group down after unclipping. I was then spent. Then about 20 minutes into the race, still with the main group I decided to get a drink on the flat stretch between the first and second turns. I had a bottle in one hand and then all the sudden, the bikes in front of me slowed down. I couldn't react in time with one hand and hit the guy in front of my and then hit the pavement going around 23 miles an hour. It hurt like hell. My elbow was in severe pain, just gushing blood. A guy from Hub went over his bars over me fracturing his wrist. I'm sorry dude. I ran back to the ambulance with my bike were the EMT immediately said I had to get that sewn up at the ER. My brother Todd drove me to the ER while my Mom took the girls home. Todd pulled some strings and got me into Barnes Jewish really quickly. They took pictures called the bone doctors and assessed that the arm and elbow were not broken. The joint was not damaged either. That would have required surgery! Todd sat with me the next 6 hours until we got out around 10pm. Luckily we had the fast treatment! Some people were outside waiting that were there when we got there. The docs were cool and treated me well. Now I am a world of pain with 16 stitches in my elbow and two huge road rashes on my right side. Take a look at the photos and imagine the pain. I took a picture with my cell phone before it was sewn up that I hope to post someday. It was really nasty. If you play, sometime you will pay. When crit racing, it is not if, but when!

Mom, the girls and I went up to Ucity to watch the last day of races and show my support for my teammates. They did well yesterday and today, with Dave G. taking first yesteray and Trent taking first today and 2nd yesterday. Jordan and Daring got paid as well. Good job guys. I am lucky to have good teammates as they were all concerned about my wreck. Thanks again for helping me out Mom and Todd. It is good to have family around.

I am now off the bike for a week or two. Luckily the bike is still rideable. Luckily I wasn't running my new Mavic Sls.

Ouch!

Wyman

Todd Junior

Similar genes, but not mine. Cute kid though!

Wiemann

Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park

We had a great time today at the Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park! The park itself is really neat, but the events and food made it even better today. They had food, dance and goods from just about every country you can think of. I had Ethiopian food for lunch and the girls had Polish. I couldn't tell you what my food was, but it was pretty good. I am still tasting it 5 hours later. The girls had a polish sausage sandwich and an excellent potato cake with apple sauce and sour cream. They also did some sculpting with clay as well as watching some Scottish Highland games, face painting, a top spinning master, and lots of dancing. We saw Ozark clogging, Congo dance and Hungarian dancing. The weather was in the 90's but not too bad in the shade.

I got in miles everyday except Tues and Wed this week. I rode the Ste. Genevieve roadrace course on Saturday getting in around 40 very hilly, hard, hot miles. I felt great, just not used to so many hills with high gradient. The second to last climb tops out at 22% for the last 30 yards, while the last climb of the day is a little longer than a half mile at a continous gradient of 9%. My new Mavics made a huge difference. They feel awesome and are as smooth as butter. I still don't think I will race them next weekend at the Gateway Cup, even though the 11x23 would give me a nice sprint advantage. I don't feel like ruining a new set of rims a week after I bought them!

A full week of work ahead.

tchuss

1st day of school. Only 172 to go!

Tatum and I started school this past Thursday. All went well and we are both glad to be back at it. She is in first grade now and has Mrs. Bonastia. I think this is going to be a great year!

I finally got my new cassette for my new Mavic sl wheels . I went with a 11-23. I have been riding a 11-25. I am riding the new wheels tomorrow in Ste. Genevieve. I am riding the race course with friends Alice and Joe Wright. With those hills I should probably keep the 25!

While riding today I had a complete blowout about two miles from home. The Hutchinson tire ripped completely out making a gun sound as it exploded. I put in a couple of dollar bills to keep the tube from busting through and then quickly rolled home. I made it to BigShark in time to get and new Continental Tire, tube and nitro cartridge. Let me say that good bike tires are starting to be as expensive as auto tires!

Met buddy Hovis and his new friend Shawn at Sybergs for a few brews. Old stories about DTown were told and a good time was had by all.

Cheers

The last day

With one last day off before school really gets going, we decided to go to the St. Louis Science Center. We went to the Omnimax to see Dinosaurs Alive. It was a really good movie and the girls and I both learned a lot. It was only 45 minutes long which was good for Reese. If you get a chance, take your kids to go see it.

We had planned on renting a paddle boat at Forest Park, but the weather was a bit warm for that. Both girls were complaining how hot it was, so we went over to BigShark to pick up the new cassette I had ordered for my new/used set of rims. After looking at the cassette, they realized they ordered a 10 speed. I need a 9. Yes, I am still riding the ancient 9 speed Shimano. So, they will have one for me on Friday.

School in the morning. Good night.

Birthday dinner, Track racing and Suson Park

We finally got to go out for my birthday dinner this past Friday night. Mom took all of us to the St. Louis Gasthaus down in Laffeyette Square. We had eaten here a few times before, but it had been a while. The place is never really busy, so we had the place to ourselves for most of the evening. The food was pretty good. I had spatzle, weisswurst, rouladen, schwieneschnitzel and some kartofel. The beer was good as they had Paulaner Heffe on tap. Thanks Mom.

On Sunday I headed out to Penrose Park up in north St. Louis for the Missouri State Track Cycling Championships. The velodrome is outdoor and has recently been repaved after years of neglect. It is in one of the worst neighborhoods in St. Louis as well. I believe it was built in the 1950s when that area was much nicer. It is not too far from where Sportsman's Park was located.

On Monday I started back to work. The students come Thursday, so Kirsten had one more free day with the girls. They had gymnastics and then met friends Lynn and Dayle out at Suson Park in south St. Louis County. They had a picnic, played on the playground and pet the hogs and horses.

I got in a ton of miles this last week. According to the Garmin, I was at around 180 miles. I have been feeling pretty good. I even went down to Ste. Gen on Saturday and rode the race course. Those are some good hills! Should be a fun race. I am taking Tuesday off and then back at it the rest of the week. Tuesday will be the first day off in 11 days. Gateway Cup is less than two weeks away.

Later

Bad day, good day?

The day started off really crappy as Kirsten was involved in an automobile accident. She was hit by a guy that ran a red light at 270 and Manchester Rd. I had the Subaru towed to Webster Groves to see what kind of damage was done. It has a little bend in the frame(this really sucks) and it needs a new bumper, hood and front driver side quarter panel. The guy that hit her has Alzheimer's and insurance(good). (Alzheimers is not good, but the insurance part it is.) The interesting thing is that Kirsten was the second car through the light. The guy was so late in running the light that he hit the first and second car through. The old man was given a ticket and now I am forced to deal with the idiots at the guys insurance company.

After the crash I had to hire a sitter to come watch the girls so I could take Kirsten my car and then ride my bike home. The ride was nice from west county and I even rode into the city and had a pint at O'Malley's on the way back. Luckily Mom has let us drive her truck until we get a rental. Nice---- 10 miles to the gallon in a 98 Z71 pickup. Imagine driving that rig for the next month averaging 60 miles a day. This sucks.

The good news is that we got to go to Busch Stadium tonight with other season ticket holders and watch the Card's game from the Champions Club with all you can eat and drink. We then got a tour of the Card's locker room and then got to go into the dugout and onto the field. The Card's won making the night even better.

This is me again the next day and things are much better. I deleted all my bad post in regards to the insurance company. They came through today with a rental and will be getting my Subi going Friday. I did stay on them like stink on dodo today, so perhaps that had something to do with it. I was very kind and polite and that seemed to get them motivated. I was overly nice and understanding and things seemed to move quickly today. Mom's truck was doing fine, then just quit. The alternator went out and left me at Todd's house. We had to get the battery charged and then I drove it up to the dealer to get it fixed. Enterprise met me with the rental there and then I came home and got in 30 miles on the bike.

bye

Nice weekend !!!!!

Nothing major going on this past Friday and Sat. Tatum and Reese had their performances at COCA on Friday morning. Tatum's Circus class performed all the stunts they had been working on the past two weeks. They did a great job. Tatum really enjoyed this class and has informed me that she wants a pair of stilts for her birthday. I have found some online and will try to get them for her. She deserves them as she is a great kid always working hard and listening in school and at home. Reese's class called Tigger and Pooh did a little song and dance and then were done. She originally didn't want to go, put really seemed to like the class by the end of the two weeks.

On Sunday we had the annual Karcher Reunion over in Dahlgren, IL. It is held at the farm where my Grandma Rapp was born. The house she was born in is still standing, so it must be around 90 years old. We got over there early and were the first ones to arrive. We made a special effort to beat my brother Todd as he always has a smart comment about how late we are to everything. We beat him over there by nearly thirty minutes. When we got there, the first thing we did was put out all the tables and chairs under the tent. We then had to start digging as the sewer in the old farmhouse was backed up. The weather was perfect only in the low eightys, but I started working up a sweat digging a hole to find the sewer pipe. We kept digging and eventually got the problem solved. The girls had a good time running around with all the cousins and were competely wiped out by the end of the day. As far as I can remember, I have only missed one reunion over the past 35 years. The only one was 10 years ago when Kirsten and I got married and we were on our honyemoon to Montana. This year was somewhat dissapointing as Todd and I, my Uncle Don and Aunt Millie, and my Mom were the only ones from my Grandma's side to attend. I know people have things going on, but how hard is it to plan for this one Sunday out of the year? I only see these people once a year and really enjoy talking with them and catching up on the old times. If this keeps up, I am afraid the reunion will not last much longer. I have some very good memories going over to Dahlgren as a kid. My cousin Scott and I would go over with Grandma a week in advance. We would play indian ball, ride our bikes, the four wheeler, fish, pull weeds in the fields, and ride with Uncle Jerome all over Hamilton County in search of the perfect peach. People would go over the Saturday before and go to church and look at old photos, and just have a good time. I remember sleeping upstairs in the old farmhouse on the feather bed listening to the oil rig pump in the background. Scott and I would talk for hours and listen to Def Leppard. Breakdancing at my cousin Chad's house. Man those were simple times that I wish could last forever. Going over to this reunion I feel is the least I could do for my Mother and Grandmother. They have done tons for our family and the people in our family should respect that and make an effort to support this reunion. One day out of the entire year folks!

The girls then went home with Mom so we could celebrate our ten year Anniversary. We ate supper Sunday at the Stable and then went home and watched a grown up movie for once. We watched The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It was good, but had some cheezy and expected moments. It made me think of my Dad and his battle with cancer. I wish he could have made his bucket list and done some of the things he wanted to do before he passed away. He knew he was going to die and yet he had to spend his last days in a hospital. That is the one regret I have about watching my father die. I wish we would have taken him home those last few months and let him pass away there. If you have lost someone to cancer, perhaps you should rent this film. It was good enough as Morgan Freeman does a good job. I can do without Nicholson as he is very overated as an actor. Solid, but overated!

Monday morning we got up and just relaxed. We slept in drank some coffee and then headed out for our massage and pedicure. I got the sports massage and Kirsten the pedicure. It was great as my calves seem to be a bit better and the shoulder pain has gone away. If I were indepentently wealthy, I would get one every week for sure.

After the massage we went to supper up on The Hill at Cunetto House of Pasta. It is not my favorite place or the best place on The Hill, but it was where we had our first anniversary dinner. It was good as we both had carbonara. We had a good bottle of Washington State Reisling. The spumony ice cream was good as well.

After supper we headed up to Plaza Frontenac to catch an indie film called American Teen. It was a documentary film that followed four teen in a small Indiana high school. They were all seniors and had different ways of looking at life. The film was very good and if you get a chance rent it when it comes out on dvd. It is only showing at a few theatres around the country.

We slept in again today and then headed our for a nice lunch outside. The temps were in the low eigthys with no humidity. Kirsten went down to Imperial and picked up the girls why I prepared for the Tuesday Night World Championships. With the Gateway Cup just two weeks away, I wanted to get in a good workout. This week went much better as I did not flat. I did get caught in a crash, but didn't hit the blacktop. I got back on the next lap, but never got going again and finished at the back of the peleton. I didn't have the legs this evening and am not feeling confident now going into the Gateway Cup. I did have a goal of a top ten in each race,but now I am not sure.

I am taking Mom's truck back to Ste Gen in the morning and then riding my bike back. Looks like a stellar day weather wise and should get in around 75 miles.

Only four more days before I have to report back to school. School starts with kids next Thursday. Most schools around here start this Thursday, but I am not complaining.

The other photos are of the girls getting a manicure and pedicure. They had a really good time at Grandma Nita's house. Thanks Mom.

Hope and Glory

Yes, another movie review. This movie was released in 1987 and was another of my favorites that I got a chance to watch this past week. It takes place in London at the beginning of WWII. It is the story of a 10 yr old boy that deals with the Blitzkrieg as well as other strange happenings during a time of war. His father joins the Army while the family deals with hard times and back luck. It was up for Accademy Awards and is well worth the rental. It is based on a true story.

I had to take Saturday and Sunday off the bike. I have a sore right calf and lower leg as well as a bad saddle sore. I will be back on the bike Monday and hope to race Tuesday night. I know,too much information.

Karcher Reunion Sunday.

TNWC = Crappy tyres

I did the TNWC and didn't have a great race. I flatted 10 min into the race and didn't get back in. Mike Weiss, the owner of Big Shark gave me his bike to ride, but didn't really feel like crashing a full carbon LOOK 585. I rode it over to my house and picked up an older tyre and put it on in time to the do the C race with buddy Matt Wilkins. I led my two laps in the B race and felt great, but the crappy Vittoria Diamante had a hole and had to drop out. Matt gave me a tube and I put on a three year old Hutchinson in hopes of making it through the C race. The C race was slow and didn't have many guys as the weather was turning very ominous. We got in 20 minutes and then was called. I led 12 minutes of the twenty and pulled out on the sprint as I am not able to contest due to my category. So I was told, but who knows. Matt did a great job for his first race. I think he will do well if he sticks with it. I got home just before the storm hit.

Got in 52 miles today with Adam Thacker. We rode down to Antonia and back. He had a flat, but no worries otherwise. I averaged right at 19 mph. Lots of hills, but the weather was stellar. Picked up the girls and took them to Kirsten' parents and then went to Johnny's and Cards game with the brother's Hovis. Kevin turns 36 on Friday. A good time was had by all.

Karcher reunion is on Sunday and then one week left before I have to report.

Chow.

Wyman

Is it hot where you live???????????????

EMPIRE OF THE SUN- I feel like this is one of the best movie posters of all time.

By far the hottest day of the year in The Loo! I was dumb enough to get in 30 miles today at 3:30 in the afternoon. The temp in the city was 102 degrees with a heat index near 120 degrees. I went through four bottles and lost 3lbs. I felt fine as I didn't push it because I am planning on doing the B and the C race at Carondolet Park on Tuesday evening. I just went out Grant's Trail and around JB and then back home. I really thought I would have the trail to myself because of the extreme weather, but surprisingly their were quite a few people out. Most of the people had no clue about how to hydrate and stay alive in such conditions, but who am I to judge. I took three bottles, two with water and one with Cliff shot. Most people I passed had no water and of course were not wearing a helmet. The runners win the idiot award. I didn't see one runner with any water. In the seven mile stretch from Orlando Garden to Kirkwood their is only one place to get water. I even saw some people wearing longsleeves and pants. Do they think they will lose the weight faster that way? I applaud their dedication to get themselves into shape, but their is no need to kill yourself!

Again this weekend I had a chance to catch a couple of films. One was new and the other was classic that I hadn't seen in a few years. With school starting up in a couple of weeks, I have to get all my film watching in. I usually stay up late and watch them by myself since I don't have to work in the morning!! I like watching films with the family, but really enjoy them by myself so I can take in all the details.

1. IN BRUGES

This film stars Irish stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson(Harry Potter films). It of course takes place in the Belgian city of Bruges. I went through Bruges quickly when I was 24 yrs old, but my Mother says it is one of her favs in Europe. If you see the film you will agree. It is an obsolutely beautiful place. Back to the film. If you like Pulp Fiction, I think you will like this film. It is a darker comedy about two hired killers and their jobs in Bruges. Their is killing, drug use and tons of foul language and I loved every bit of it. Go to Wikipedia.com and read the full synopsis if you want to know more. I think you will like the film, so rent it and give a chance. Let me know what you think. I like Colin Farrell and feel like this is his best work ever. He actually gets a chance to play something he is good at in real life. A drinking, smoking, cussing, drug using Irishman!

2. THE EMPIRE OF THE SUN

This film is an absolute masterpiece! This is one of Steven Speilberg's best films most of you have never heard of. Made in 1987 starring Christian Bale(yes the same guy in the new Batman film) as a 12yr old, it was up for six Accademy Awards and won numerous other awards around the world.

This is a brief synopsis from Fandango. I could tell more, but really don't want to ruin the film for the few of you that may go out and rent it. I think the film would be good for kids ages 10 and up to watch. It is historically acurate and quite riveting. I remember seeing this film as a 13yr old myself. It was a film that stuck with me all these years. Then again, I am a bit different when it comes to films, especially anything dealing with WWII. I know you will like this film. Rent it soon.

Based on J.G. Ballard's autobiographical novel, Empire of the Sun stars Christian Bale as a spoiled young British boy, living with his wealthy family in pre-World War II Shanghai. During the Japanese invasion, Bale is separated from his parents. With the help of soldier-of-fortune John Malkovich, Bale learns to survive without a retinue of servants at his beck and call. By the time Malkovich and Bale are tossed into a Japanese prison camp, the boy has picked up enough street-smarts and developed enough intestinal fortitude to regard his imprisonment as an exciting adventure. The story ends during the 1945 liberation: on the verge of manhood, the 13-year-old Bale will never again be the pampered, privileged brat whom we met in the early scenes.

I will let you know how the races go.

Stay cool!!!!!!!

Another busy weekend

Leslie, Me and Tara
Me and Leah

It all started Friday night when my neighbor Cary and I went down to the Stable for supper and a few drinks. I was joined later by old friend Mark "Lumpy" Mountford. Lots of old stories and good times were had by all.

Saturday was another big day as I had to go to the wedding and reception of a former student. Leah was in my first class at Antonia 12 years ago. She is now 23 and doing wonderful. I also had her sister Leslie. Both girls come from a great family and I am glad we have stayed in touch over the years. They are both very succesful and surely have a bright future.

The wedding was down in Soulard at a Luthern church and the reception was at the Franklin Room just up the street. It is a really cool place that is well over a hundred years old. It is an old theatre that is now a banquet hall. The food was really good and the spirits tastey as well. Thanks Ma and Pa Volmert. I was lucky enough to sit with old friends Kathy and Fred Marquart. I had their son Dustin in my first class as well. Great people that we always have a good time with. They are good left thinking people as well. In fact after the wedding reception we headed up to the Stable for a couple. Fred and the crew are into good beverages, so this was the place. I owe you Fred. I got to talk with a few other former students at the wedding as well. I ran into Brian Maag, and the Green family of Tara, Laura and Jordan. It was nice to see all of them.

Today was somewhat of a lazy day. The girls headed to the mall to take advantage of the tax holiday for school items. Tatum took advantage coming home and giving me a fashion show of all her new digs.

While they were gone, I headed out on a quick ride through the city. I went up out through Jefferson Barracks Park and then back down Broadway down by the stadium. I then headed back up through Soulard, up Arsenal to Morganford, then to Bates and then home. It was around 30 miles in the STL heat mid afternoon, but not too bad. I averaged around 19mph.

I also bought some new hydration drink. I have been using PowerBar energy drink, ice tea flavor. I orderd some more online because Big Shark doesn't sell it. I did however have to buy some other stuff while waiting for the PowerBar to show up. I stopped in at Big Shark on Friday and picked up some Cliff Shot Cran Razz. Stuff is not too bad, but doesn't have caffeine. Yes, I like caffeine for a little extra boost.

Then tonight we went to the Cardinal game for Build a Bear night. The girls each got a little stuffed bear, while I got to sit and sweat for 3 hours. We actually had a good time with the girls lasting until the 7th inning. As I write this they are getting beat agian as the bullpen gave up another lead in the 8th inning. 28 blown saves will not win a darn thing!

Two more weeks until I have to go back to work. I know you all feel sorry for me.

Chow

THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES

I had tons of stuff to do this evening, but nothing seemed as important as watching one of my favorite westerns of all time. The other one that is in my top five films of all time is Dances With Wolves. I don't consider it in the same category as this film. Outlaw is a true classic western with lots of killing and shooting. Dances has more to offer in regards to history of the US and Native American peoples. Outlaw does a great job portraying Native Americans in a positive light as well.

If you have never seen The Outlaw Josey Wales, then go rent it now! Adapted on screen in 1976, it is the greatest western of my time. A Missouri farmer during the Civil War loses his whole family when they are murdered by Kansas redlegs. Josey then goes on a rampage all over the West seeking revenge on those who killed his love ones. The film has tons of good actors, but no character is better then Chief Lone Wanie. 80 yrs old at the time, Chief almost steals the show from Clint Eastwood. I won't give more details about the film, hoping that those of you who do read my crazy ramblings will check it out.

My favorite quotes from the films are:

Josey tells Chief that people he likes don't seem to hang around that long. Cheif precedes to tell him, people that Josey doesn't like don't seem to stick around that long either.

The other is when Josey tells Sandra Lockes character who is from Kansas that they have three suns in Kansas. They have sunsets, sunflowers and sons a bit**es. Classic.

I don't know when I first saw this film. I was born in '73, so it must have been in the early eighties when I first caught it. I believe I saw it with my Dad. I know he liked this film as well. I am sure it was played on WGN or TBS quite often back in the early days of cable.

Honorable mentions for westerns would be: Silverado, Tombstone, Unforgiven, Pale Rider, Young Guns and my favorite Australian Western- The Man from Snowy River- Rent this if you have never seen it!

I need to get to bed.

Later

Weird thoughts and observations while riding today.

I went for a quick 30 mile ride this morning before picking the girls up from COCA and had a few quick thoughts while out on the road. I don't ride with an IPOD or any other device to take my mind off the road. I like to ride without anything, so I can think about what is going on around me and what is going on in my life. I try to almost meditate while out on the bike. Sounds strange, but some of you guys that ride know what I mean.

#1
I have brought this up to a few friends in the past and it was brought to my attention again today. I ride quite a bit in South City and South St. Louis County. I frequently ride in the middle of the day or in the morning between 9 and noon. I will ride down to the Arch on Broadway and then up Arsenal through Tower Grove over to Forest Park and then back through Dogtown and up through St. Louis Hills. I am absolutely amazed at how many people(particularly males between the ages of 16 and 50) that don't work! I often see the same people and I am sure they are asking themselves the same question of me. How is that guy able to ride his bike everyday and pay the bills? As many of you know, I attempt to be a school teacher. My neighbor who is Croatian still can't grasp the fact that I get paid during the summer and don't lift a finger. He just doesn't get it, therefore it makes me laugh. Soo, do you think all these people are school teachers like me? Do they work nights? I really don't think so. I understand times are hard right now and jobs are tough to come by, but don't you think they could be doing something constructive besides sitting on the front porch smoking a cig? Any of you guys that ride in the City ever think of this?

#2
Two days a week I usually make a run up Grant's Trail to get in some sprints. The length of the trail is right at seven miles. On the 14 miles I ride, I probably pass 90% of the people still not wearing a helmet. I pass guys like me riding nice road bikes without a helmet. It just makes me think what an idiot. Does he think he is too cool to wear a helmet? Even more aggravating is when I see young children riding with parents not wearing a helmet. Or better yet, when I see the parents pulling a trailer with two kids without helmets. I see parents riding with kids not wearing helmets and yet their kids are. How does that make sense? I know when we were young we never wore helmets. WE WERE LUCKY. I have seen a helmet save numerous people from head injury, so please wear them.

Last summer while out on the trail, I came up on a woman completely knocked out bleeding out of her mouth. She was with her husband riding mtn bikes without helmets. She was in her forty's just out enjoying the evening on a bike when she it the rear wheel on her husbands bike. Bamb, down she went, out cold. I called the police and the ambulance came and picked her up. I am sure she was alright, but it could have been prevented by wearing any cheap helmet. You can pick a good one up for $40 or so.

#3
Have you all noticed all the alive and dead wildlife on the roads this summer? Back in June, I would see at least 2 or 3 live black snakes and usually one or two dead ones. One day while riding in Ste. Gen County I came across four black snakes slivering across the road at once. As some of you know, I hate snakes. That is why my mtn biking is limited to the fall and winter months. I have also seen a ton of skunks, dead and alive. And just today while doing some laps out at Jefferson Barracks I nearly got ran over by a doe. I got within five feet of a pretty good size doe before she turned and ran the other way. I was going at least 20mph when she came walking out of the woods. I had to stop in the road and make some noises to get her to even notice me. This is not the first time, but just happened today. Last year while on Grant's Trail I would frequently see turkey and deer. I even saw an albino fawn last year near dusk.

#4
How many of you have seen the movie "Victory"? It was the Brit movie of the week this past Sunday evening. It was made in 1981 and stars Michael Cain and Sylvester Stallone. It is about a soccer team being put together from an Allied POW camp to play the Nazis during the end of WWII. Even though it has some cheesy moments, it really is a decent film. Stallone is the lone American on the team and of course he saves the day. If you get a chance, rent it. If you love soccer, buy it.

#5 The most important thought of the day while riding.
Thursday is my 10 year wedding anniversary. Yes, I found a woman to put up with me for the last ten years. I couldn't have met and married a more wonderful person. Without Kirsten in my life, things would just plain suck. She is an awesome Mom and even better wife. She puts up with my cycling, my mouth, my crabbiness and me going out with friends without any complaint. Thanks Kirsten for a fabulous ten years. I love you very much.

Cheers

Forest Park and Science Center

Johnny's in Soulard. Best wings in town!!! The fried Provel cheese triangles are awesome.

Boating at Forest Park

The girls along with Cousin Natalie from Oklahoma had a big day on Monday. They went to Forest Park and rented a paddle boat for the afternoon. They paddled all the lakes and had a blast. After that, they went to the St. Louis Science Center. After the Science Center they went to the Boathouse for supper and then on to the Muny.

I had the afternoon to ride my bike and then met Hovis at Johnny's to watch the Cards game and of course sample some most scrumptuous wings!

Weekend in SG

The whole Rapp Family minus two cousins.
Brother's Rapp. DRE Soundsystems did a great job at the wedding. If anybody knows electronics and loud music, it is Don Rapp. Contact me if you are interested in his services.
Sister's Rapp

Cousins- Amanda, Angie, Stephanie, Lindsay, Tyree and Natalie
Bride, Mother and Maid of Honor

C-Dog, Liz and Big T
2nd cousins feeding the hogs out at the Huber Farm in SG County

Heartbreakers to be

More photos from the big weekend

Me and Amanda
Todd, Me and Scott
Me, Scott, Stephani, Todd and Cody

Me and Reese

Kirsten and Reese dancing

Stephanie and Doug's wedding in SG

Reese and Clayton

Stephanie and Doug
Kirsten and Reese
Doug, Stephanie and Grandma

Big weekend in Sainte Genevieve!

1st cousins Scott, Amanda, Me and Tyree celebrating my 35th Birthday at Twister's
Me and Cousin Scott
Me and Kirsten jamming with Nothing Sacred
Kirsten, Tyree and Amanda
My Liam Gallagher impersonation!



The whole family made the trip down to Ste. Gen this past weekend for my cousin Stephanie's wedding. We went down Friday which happened to by my birthday as well as the rehearsal for the wedding. Reese was the flower girl so we had to go to that and then to the dinner at my Aunt Joyce's house. After the dinner, Kirsten, Me, Scott, Amy,Tyree and Amanda headed up to Twister's to see Nothing Sacred. We had to go out of our way to get there, as Hwy 55 was shut down due to some yahoo holed up in a trailer with a gun shooting at people. The trailer happened to be located right on Hwy 55. We finally got there around 930 and preceded to have a good time!! Amy drove as she is pregnant, so everyone made it home in good shape. Needless to say, we were all tired the next day.

The wedding went off without a hitch Saturday evening. Stephanie and Doug were married outside in Ste. Gen. It was a bit muggy, as summer in Missouri can be. Reese was the flower girl and she did a fantastic job. She was dead set against it all week, but when it came time to perform, she was perfect. She let the stylist do her hair and everything. Way to go Reese!! After the wedding, we headed down to the K of C Hall for the reception. The music was good and all the youngsters had a good time. We all danced, ate, drank and were all around merry! Needless to say, we were all tired the next day as well.

The best part was I was able to put in 30+ miles Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It was hot, but had good legs all four days. I had planned to race tonight, but it is nearing 100 degrees around 4pm and will just stay inside and fix supper.

The girls have COCA camp for the next two weeks in the morning for 3 hours, so I will be able to put in some quick miles before picking them up. They are also taking swimming lessons in the afternoon down at school, so I will be running them down there as well. That gives me an hour or so to do some work in my room.

Ta

Wyman

Here's the deal

As I type I have just turned 35 years young. I suppose I should thank my Mom for having me! In all reality, I physically feel much more superior than when I was 25. I am in the best shape since I was playing basketball my senior year of high school. No matter how much cycling I do, I will never be in "that" good of shape again in my lifetime. Coach Davis and Coach Hayden had me in the best shape possible. Damn those 20 in two!! I could still make it, but not near as fast. 40lbs will do that to you. Ya that's right, I weighed 140lbs when I graduated. I am near 185lbs now but I don't look like I am from a third world country in Africa! I think my wife digs me better with some lbs.

So you ask what is going on for the Birthday? The whole family is headed down to Ste. Genevieve, Mo to my cousin Stephanie's wedding this weekend. Reese is the flower girl although she claims she is not going to be in it! I really doubt she will walk down the aisle. She has a mind of her own. We are headed down today and then home Sunday. I am taking my bike and hope to ride all three days. It looks like some serious rain on Friday, but Sat looks good and Sunday a chance of rain.

We are headed up to Twister's Friday night to watch Nothing Sacred play. My buddy Chris is the lead singer and guitarists. If you get a chance, go check them out. Saturday is the wedding and then home Sunday after a trip to the wineries. Like I said, I hope to get in at least 35 miles all three days.

I rode all week, but did not get to race Tuesday or Thursday. I was feeling a bit under the weather and had to go to the doctor on Tuesday. All seems to be good to go now. I put in 40 miles on Sunday with my neighbor Cary and then 30 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. I did the miles Thursday in the rain. It was actally very nice with the temps in the low 70's with just a slight drizzle. The bike was dirty and wet, but I actually enjoyed it. I was cranking for some reason averaging 21 mph. I was planning on doing the Dirt Crits out at Castlewood,but that got cancelled due to the weather. You would think the toughy Mtn bike guys would like to get out and play in the mud!

The Tour de France took another turn this week as well. Carlos Sastre from CSC made a huge effort on Alp Duez to go up on Cadel Evens at nearly 1 minute 30 seconds. It is possible for Cadel to make it up in the TT, but I really believe Sastre will hold on to it. He seems to be a decent guy who has been around for a few years and will finally get the win after being close a couple of times. American hopeful Christian Vande Velde is in 6th place down nearly 4 minutes. He has one bad day, and it really cost him a shot at the win. I look for him to make upu one or two place in the TT as well. He should be considered a threat for next year for sure. Seems like a genuine guy as well. I say genuine,because like Armstrong, Lemond, and even Leipheimer seem to come off like assholes at times. I like all those guys, they just don't seem like guys you could sit around O'Malley's and have a pint with! Cavendish- yes, Vande Velde-yes. Bob Roll for sure! I will let you know how things worked out on Sunday.

I hope the Cardinal bullpen doesn't blow a fifth game! The true birds are starting to show their colors. If you were drinking the cool aid, you now know the true contenders in the league. I said all along it would come down to Milwaukee and Chicago. I love the Cards, but you can only count on Wellemeyer, Pineiro, Looper, Isringhausen and Franklin so long. Please Mr. DeWitt(Ebenezer Scrooge) spend some money on some decent pitching.

R.I.P. Elias the Cat

Sad news around the Wyman household today. Our family cat Elias passed away last night at the age 14yrs. I got Elias my junior year of college while living in Cape Girardeau, Mo. I bought him for $75 from a lady living near Perkins, Mo. He was supposed to have been a Siamese, but I am sure he had a little of something else in him. He was a very good looking fellow. He lived with me on Park St. in Cape for a few months, but then had to take him home because my roommates were teasing him and being mean. Perhaps that is why he was so mean at times to strangers in the house. At that point, he became my Mom and Dad's new house cat. He didn't come with me when I got my new house in 1997 because my parent's had become attached to him. In his older age he had become much more mellow and was a good friend to my Mom, especially since my Father's passing in 2002. I know Mom is quite sad at this time, but I know things will come to pass. The girls and I went down to Ste. Gen today to bury him. Mom bought a nice rose bush to remember him by. Thanks for the memories Eli. You will be missed.

Bryan

Dang it's HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did lots of riding over the past few days. I met my neighbor Cary down at Antonia Friday afternoon for a 25 mile ride in the north Jeffco Hills. We rode out Moss Hollow and down to the Sandy Creek covered bridge. The ride is ver scenic, but the heat at 5pm was almost unbearable. It was in the low 90's, but the humidity was in full Missouri, July mode. We stopped at the covered bridge and cooled off and filled our bottles. We then made the mile plus climb up Old Lemay Ferry. The grade never gets above 13%, and has some level spots, so even though it is long, it is not too back breaking. Cary of course beat me up the climb, but I managed to catch him on the down hill down near Wedde Rd. I know my clock didn't go below 30mph on the 4 mi chase. I love that part of the ride! You can really get cranking especially when the wind is at your back.

After the ride, I headed up to Kevin's house, took a shower and then we headed down to Johnny's for some stellar wings and brew. My college buddy Chris Pleimann and his wife Kim joined us later on. We then headed up to O'Malley's and then onto The Stable. They have added O'Fallon Wheach to their assortment of never heard of beers on tap. Love the Wheach!

The girls and I took it easy Saturday cleaning and watching the Tour de France. Nothing exciting happened although Cavendish did not start today. He won four stages and is now heading home to train for the Olympics track races. He is a favorite in the Keiren.

A lot of attacks happened in the Alps today. Frank Schleck is now in yellow while Evans slides to third. American Vande Velde is still holding his own in striking distance down only 38 seconds. It is going to be a battle at Alp Duez on Tuesday. I can't wait!! I know, I am a bike dork, but that stuff is awesome to watch. Wish I was there!!

Today, Cary and I headed down to Antonia around 930 am. It was already hot, but went ahead anyhow. I punctured in Kimmswick, so we had to stop and change my tire. My spare tube had three holes in it, so I had to use one of Cary's. My CO2 was spent, so I had to use Cary's as well. After all that, we decided to head back since we had no tubes left between us and one CO2 cartridge. We stopped and refilled twice, downing nearly 6 bottles each on a 40 mi ride. It is the hottest day of the year according to the weather guessers. It is supposed to reach nearly 100 degrees in city.

Headed to the Card's game with Hovis on Monday. Reese and Mom went today. These are some photos Mom took. They stayed for 3 innings and headed home.

DANG IT IS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am doing the Tuesday Night World Championships on Tuesday and then hope to try the Dirt Crits out at Castlewood on Thursday. I will let you all know how things went.

Cheers

The Man from Man!! 4 Stage Victories!

If you could give a rat's hind end about bicycle racing, then just ignore this post. Mark Canvendish from Team Columbia is by far the fastest sprinter in the world. All my cycling buddies know my favorite is Belgium's Tom Boonen, but this guy from the Isle of Man is tearing up the Tour de France. Once my main man Boonen got excluded from the Tour because of a positive test for cocaine(so he was out partying with some babes), Cavendish has been the guy on the top of my list. For only being 23yrs old, he is absolutely amazing. He will be around for a long time and everyone is going to hate him because he can out sprint everyone in the world except for Boonen!!!!!!!!!

He has now won three stages in this year's Tour.

Who do I pick? Boonen or Cavendish? Piss off if you have stupid comments!

Cheers

WALL-E and Tuesday World Championships

The girls and I went to the theatre today and caught the Disney/Pixar movie, WALL-E. It was a pretty good film. Tatum really like it while Reese was just ok with it. For a film that had no real talking that was an hour and half long, I would give it a three quarters thumbs up. The graphics were excellent and it did have some funny parts, but just wasn't super like I expected. Kids 5 and up would like it.

I was also able to do my second Tuesday Night World Championships this evening. Todd and Liz came by and watched the girls so I could go up to Carondolet and race. I started out in the front right off the bat. On the second lap of the race, their was a terrible crash and the race was stopped so the carnage could be cleared. Luckily I was in the front and stayed out of the mess. I am sure that no-one was seriously hurt, althought one of the female Big Shark racers injured her wrist and completely mangled her bike. It looked like one ICCC guy was down for a while as well.

After the restart the race took off pretty fast. I stayed near the front for the next 30 minutes or so. I have ridden 6 days in a row and 9 of the last 10. My legs felt good except for the pain in the right calf. On the second to last lap, a group of Sharks went to the front and really broke up the race. Normally it is a complete clusterF, but the guys really put the hammer down and left the pretneders in the back of the pack. I was about 2 bikes off them and then caught on the last uphill. I finished with a decent sprint and ended up 13th. It was a hot one with the temps in the low 90's around race time. Luckily the humidity was low. My gps said that I averaged 24.2 mph. It is a little slower than normal, but that was fine with me this evening. My goal is to finish in the top 5 at all four races at the Gateway Cup over Labor Day weekend.

I have also started reading a book by Mark Twain entitled, Life on the Mississippi. It is one of his earliest writings about working on a steamboat on the mighty Miss. The orginal copyright is 1883.

Budweiser - No more

Not that it really mattered to me or affected me at all, but in case most of you have not heard, the world famous Anheuser-Busch has been sold to Belgian brewing giant InBev. I have friends that work at A-B, so I have been following the possible merger for a while. I really had hoped that A-B would not be bought out, but I figured it would happen all along. As folks have said since money was invented, it talks! The rich just get richer. I don't drink A-B beer that much, but I just hate to see more of Americana go away. While most of you may think I am crazy, I blame much of this on the current Busch administration. The dollar has become sooooo weak the past eight years, why shouldn't the European beer maker take advantage and gobble up their biggest competitor? The United States government has borrowed so much money to fight this useless war, we are owned by many foreign countries. I just hope most of the people keep their jobs. The Post reports that 850 white collar, salaried people are the ones to go first. Most blue collar guys will still have work. Talk to me in three years to see how thing go.

The shirt I bought last week no longer has use.

Budweiser has not been saved!

Amazon Kindle- Have you heard of it?

I just came across this device while buying a book on Amazon.com.

It is a device that allows you to download books from Amazon and then read them. You can read it and download it anywhere. Their are no monthly fees or cell costs.

The video is a little boring, but it explains the device.
I gotta get one of these. Too bad it costs $350!

Wyman

Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKUKQ7QqOHw&feature=related

Staind, 3 Doors Down and Hinder

Kirsten, myself and friends, Chris and Tara went Wednesday night to watch the three above mentioned bands out at Riverport in Mayland Heights, Mo. We had seen Staind once before at the Pageant and had front row seats. We all had also caught Aaron Lewis on his solo accoustic tour last fall as well and had second row seats. We are all fans and thought the outdoor show might be good as well. Well, it wasn't. We had lawn seats and then Aaron claimed to be sick. They played about 9 songs and then off they went. He sounded pretty good, but still didn't play all their best tunes. He did a great solo cover of the 1973 Bob Seger song "Turn the Page". Other than that, nothing special.

3 Doors Down played for about an hour and a half and sounded good. I am not a huge fan of theirs and we left before the encore. The place was about half full and had lots of families. We didn't have any problems getting out of the place and got home around 1130. Not one of my favorite concerts and would not reccomend seeing the show if they come to your town.

I called my weekly basketball games last night at Ladue High School. That place is nicer than the junior college I went to. If you think all kids get the same education in America, go check this school out over off Warson and Clayton Rd. Unbeleivable! The games were easy as all the teams are horrible. I was home by 730 with cash in hand. It paid for the night before at the show .

I have been putting in some good miles on the bike. I have been averaging about 30 miles a day. I am planning on doing the Mo State Time Trial next Sunday. I don't have a TT bike and none of the sleek now aero bars or helmet that would make things easier. I will get down in the drops and do it the old fashion way. The course is supposed to be 40k long and mostly flat. I did my 30 miles yesterday with hills and stopping averaging 21.2mph. I really think 24mph is a possibility if the wind is not too bad. The only TT I have ever done was in a biathlon and I averaged 23mph over 15mi.

If you haven't caught any of the Tour de France, start watching. It is on Versus everyday about 5 times a day. Sprinters Cavendish and Hushovd are looking strong in the sprints. Kirchen, Valverde, Evans and surprising Vande Velde of the USA are looking strong in the overall. What a great three weeks!

More 4th of July pics

Ste. Gen to me. The first thing you see when you come into town are the ominous smokestacks. The worst job I ever had was at this miserable place.
Farm out on Lime Kiln Rd. near Zell, Mo
Trestle in off Lime Kiln Rd.
Time to start bailing some hay.

4th of July ride

The water is up over Main St. in Ste. Gen. This is the levy gate. You can see the water is about 4ft up on the wall.

Farm out on Industrial Dr. in SG.
Creek Rd. in near SG.

I always liked this house on 4th St. in SG. It is the Hubbard House built in early 1800's. I like the design on the shutters.

4th of July ride in Ste. Genevieve County

Zell Rd in Zell, Mo
Hwy A, Zell, Mo
Bolduc House, Ste. Genevieve, Mo

Before we headed north to Chris Pleimann's party, I wanted to go on my 30 mi training ride from Zell thru Ste. Gen and back. I realized that I am always riding as hard as I can, looking at the computer trying to push myself to the limit. I forgot what I liked about cycling in the first place. If you are going to race, you do have to push yourself everyday while training, but I need to remember what cycling is about. It is about seeing the countryside or the city in a slower manner. Really looking and seeing and smelling what is around you. These are things you cannont do while driving in a car at 60 miles an hour. I am always thinking while on the bike. One thing I think about is what a good photo that would be. So on the 4th of July I took my camera and my time while riding. What are the things that make me proud to be an American. What is America about to me? I have traveled all over Europe and the US. I have been to 22 foreign countries and 42 states and nothing can compare to home. We have some of the best scenery right here in Missouri. These are some of the photos I took on my two hour ride in Ste. Gen.