Damn good week

I guess I can start with today and work backwards. I wish I had a bunch of pics. I have some, but this post ends with my camera bouncing off some black label trail and that's all she wrote. A little pissed off about that.

After a few late nights at work and play this week, on Friday I as done for and in bed by 10pm. Good thing too since Ellen was up and at 'em at 6am. I was wide awake so I let Stacey sleep in. Sometimes Ellen gets up that early but is still clearly not ready to be up. This was not one of those mornings. So we got up and played and just kinda hung out. I was determined to keep the TV off for the day, so no cartoons. We ate some breakfast and all that stuff. When Stacey got up, I got outside right away to get my yard taken care of. I was in rough shape and took me most of the morning to get it mowed, weed wacked, and all that stuff. After that, I went to the compost center and made a stop at goodwill where I picked up some new digs for $6. Then it was to the pool. The girls played HARD at the pool. Ellen played so hard she was wiped out when we got home. The temps weren't too bad, the crowd wasn't bad at all, and there was a little scenery at the pool. Plus, I made myself a little cocktail in one of my waterbottles to take the edge off being in public with a bunch of screaming kids. After we got home, we threw a pork loin on the grill. I made the rub from some seasonings from work and it was excellent. Had some sweetcorn, and some potatoes. Delicious all around.

Friday was a day I was glad to see come. I love my new job, but I was ready for a weekend with the wife and kids. We didn't do much. Just grilled burgers and hung out. Everybody went to be early including me. One thing we did do was go to Fareway all of us together. I normally am not invited on such ventures anymore due to my behavior in public, and that's just fine with me. But Stacey wasn't having it Friday night. I got one of those, "you're going and shut your fucking mouth about it" looks. So I nodded, smiled, and off we went. As good fortune would have it, by normal practice these days, I checked the liquor aisle for Templeton Rye in case miraculously they had it stocked on the shelf. Prayers were answered and five bottles were sitting there for the taking. My stash is and was in good shape right now, but that didn't stop me from alerting friends who are not so fortunate. Went back there today for a friend and grabbed a couple bottles.

The week itself was pretty much a blur. Work, work, more work, Mara taking spanish at summer school, Ellen having fun at daycare/summer camp. Stacey pretty much just tolerating the rest of us at this point of the summer. Hot as hell, blah, blah.

Last Sunday I got out for a good gravel grind. Left the house after it had finished raining. MTB trails were too wet to ride, so on the road we go.



At the corner of our street near a drain. Lot's of rain in a short time.



Storm moving North West now.




Got into some mud on a Level B. Good stuff. Put the MK Fenders to another test.

Rode through a 1/2 mile of mud and ended up with clean legs and no bacon stripe.

On to the solitude of a windy gravel road. Good stuff.

Old River Road. Cedar River on my left.

Mooooooooo.

When I left the temps were marvelous. By the time I reached Ely I was out of water and hot. Odie's usually isn't open on Sundays. Suffice to say, I was very pleased to say that they have a new business plan since the Cedar Valley nature trail now goes all the way to Ely. Steam was coming off the roads at this point. So I stopped to cool off, get some water, and I figured I may as well have a beer while I was there.

My Old Faithful Surly CrossCheck feeling at home in front of a bar.

After that I headed home on the nature trail. At one point on the trail in a canopy of colorful trees, fallen leaves from the rain, and steam on the trail a great photo opp came about. I pulled my camera out of my pocket while riding. Something I normally do with ease. But my hands and gloves were sweatier than normal and the camera slipped out my hands. As if in slow motion I watched it bounce off the black surface of the trail and that was all she wrote. The SD card was intact, thus the photos up until that point, but no more camera. Looks like I have to go shopping. Bummer cuz I hate spending money on that kind of stuff.