Clear Lake Kite Festival

We went to the mighty municipality of Clear Lake last weekend. On the way we stopped to see Great Grandpa and Grandma Thompson in Belmond. I wasn't smart enough at the time to take pictures of the girls with them which is something I'm regretting now. I won't forget next time. It was a nice visit. I hadn't been to their house in Belmond yet. It's a perfect house for them and I'm glad they found a place that works well for them. Now to get all of their stuff out of their condo. That's going to happen in March and then they'll be all set.

From there we headed a little further north to Clear Lake. We had a good time visiting on Friday night. Dad made escalloped potatoes and ham and it was gooooooo-ooooood.

One of the highlights was the new set of bunkbeds in the room we shack up in. That was a hit. I'll tell y'all right now, if there's a time when Mara and Ellen aren't slated to sleep in those beds for a family gathering, y'all are gonna have a fight on your hands. Just sayin.

Below are some pics from the weekend:



Mara on the beach.



Ellen on the beach sportin her flower shades.


Stacey and Cuddy. Cuddy with his snack dog.
(make your jokes about this pic, I know I would).

Cuddy is an old friend of our family. He's been around for as long as I can remember. He and his wife Kim live in Clear Lake as well and we see them almost everytime we go there. It's like another set of aunts and uncles.



Dad and Stacey taking a pic of all the kites in the air



Stacey and I :)






Later on, we decided to get lunch and a beer at Sips. Turns out they had chocolate cake on the menu as well. Ellen and Mara were most pleased. Stacey didn't mind either.



Mara pondering where to begin.

If you're wondering where Gramma K is in all this mess, she's in the thick of another tax season so she was working most of the time. I keep playing the hot lotto every wednesday as it seems that might be my only hope of her retiring. If any of you are capable of exerting pressure that will lead to that happening without me winning the lottery, I would be grateful if you could gracefully do so. After all, this life is a one ticket trip.


I'm supposed to be in Des Moines right now riding the CIRREM gravel grind. However, the possibility of inclement weather has kept me here in Marion. Gonna put together a little gravel grind of my own later today. So plan on the next post being heavily bike related.

Have a great weekend y'all.

Snow Riding, Wood Fenders, and Harry Baals

Based on the title, well the first part anyways, you'd think this post were about me riding in the snow. But alas, it was Mara and Ellen who after being stuck inside for days due to frigid temps were ready to get outside last weekend. And what did they want to do, 'sniff, sniff', ride their bikes. Who am I to say they can't?

Get out of the way Daddy!!

This is fun!!!

Yee Ha!!!

What can I say, I'm crippled.


Next up came the Superbowl. Stacey is pretty particular about who she watches games with. She wants no part of being a typical wife when the game is on, any game. She loves football. Now, if the Bears are playing, look out. She's cut way down on the F bombs and for that I'm proud of her.

Rather than go to or hold a superbowl party, we had one of our own. Snacks and munchies all around.

Having snacks and being silly.

This weekend was sooooo nice. Despite my bum shoulder, I had to get out on the bike. I rode 24 leisurely miles. The shoulder is very week and tender but the acute pain is gone. Somehow, my wrist seems to be worse than my shoulder. I'm a little worried about that but I go to the doc tomorrow so I'll have him give his input on that.

When I got home, Ellen was chomping at the bit to get out on her bike again, so I stood outside with a beer while she tooled around. Never seen a girl wearing a sparkly skirt, moonboots, riding a bike? Here's your chance.

Oops. No boots in this pic, but she put them on later.

Mara joined us outside a bit later for some much needed air.


Stomping in snow and puddles is good dirty fun.

Now, on to a product plug. My buddy and his brother are making bicycle fenders. Out of wood. Sounds crazy, but ask any cyclist how solid their plastic fenders are and they'll tell you how shitty they are. (Not to mention, the shittiness of my now ex-fenders are approximately 9.76% to blame for my shoulder separating crash two weeks ago. The rest is operator error.)

These bad boys are made out of solid wood by a cabinet maker in Greene, IA. Since my most eventful crash to date, I have been furnished with a pair either out of sympathy, product exposure, and/or I'm giving them a hand on their shipping and packaging side of things. Regardless, these bad boys are custom fit, beautiful, and solid-solid-solid. I rode my 24 miles today on some nasty roads. I got home as clean as when I left and these things didn't budge, rattle, or creak the whole way. I love them and hope many cyclists out there check them out. They're not cheap, but man, the difference between these and the Planet Bike version is exponential.

Check them out at http://www.mkfenders.com/. Made right here in Iowa by a guy I've shared a few beers with. Can't beat that.

And finally, the funniest thing I have seen in a long, long, time.

How that news anchor keeps a straight face is a testament to the profession of journalism. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so immature, but what fun would that be?

Shoulder Progress

Although this isn't my shoulder, my Xray looks similar. In fact, the clavicle, the bone on top sticking up there, sticks up a little higher on me. Things are healing well and quickly and happy to report. On Sunday I was wondering if I'd ever be able to lift my arm again. Today, I'm typing with great fury and even drinking whiskey with my right hand (got my Templeton Rye in a Tennessee Squire tumbler. Raise em up and take a sip for Roy Ritter RIP).

If there's one thing I've managed to do in the last 5-10 years it's learn from the mistakes of my friends. I don't do shots (well, except for that one time in Ames last year which is a perfect example of why I don't do shots. I'm not embarrassed about the dancing, but I don't like puking). I don't go to strip joints and lie about it. I have never cheated on my wife. And I listen to doctors orders. Regarding the latter, it proved beneficial for my vasectomy, so I'm hoping for the same results on my shoulder.

Gotta hit the gym though. If I had to guess my weight increase, I'd guess it at 20lbs up from summer time. Not cool.