Best Christmas Present Ever!

Oh HAPPY DAY! I got the best gift for Christmas! A stainless-steel coffee press! No longer will I have to worry about breaking my beaker! This thing is awesome! (note: I'm only displaying it on the stove -- it's got a plastic bottom). 

 It pours beautifully! It keeps the coffee hot! It makes me happy!

New Mexico is Friggin Gorgeous

Emo album art?

Team Exergy News

Here's the latest from Team Exergy:

First off, we've received some nice press from the Boise Statesman:

Boise-based cycling team going pro in 2011

Second, the gear fairy has started to work her magic, dropping off our new Bont shoes! Check it:

Third, if haven't already, be sure to "like" the Team Exergy's facebook page, and to follow Team Exergy on Twitter -- they've already given away a tee-shirt giveaway, and I'm sure there will be more goodies up for grabs in the future. Don't miss your chance to get in on some sweet Team Exergy gear.

Truchas New Mexico

So Krogg get special opportunity: ride bike from Santa Fe to Taos and then get car ride back home! This great for Krogg -- Krogg always want to ride those roads, plus weather being very cooperative at the moment. So Krogg start voyage. Aside from mild head-wind on frontage road to Pojoaque (pronounced poe-WHA-kee), things go smoothly at first. Krogg pass by famous Camel Rock and have to suppress caveman urge to huck spear at camel -- think how much meat! 

Then Krogg get slightly lost. YES, Krogg have Giant Pigeon in Sky (GPS), but GPS not exactly well-versed in the labyrinthine, canine-filled, nettle-work known as Pojoaque. GPS offer this suggestion for taking shortcut:

Pojoaque offer this as counter offer:

Yes, Krogg get caveman blood flowing rather quickly when dogs approach with teeth bared, and make bid for caveman ankle. Fortunately, Krogg have excellent kicking reflexes, as well as excellent sprinting reflexes. Finally Krogg find road that take high-route to Taos. Travel through beautiful new mexico countryside.

 Finally Krogg arrive at Truchas. Truchas at 8,000 feet. Damn that not a lot of air for caveman lungs.

 Krogg climb climb climb up to snow covered mountain pass, and take picture of bike in snow.

 Finally Krogg pass through TAOS, just as sun setting. Friggin gorgeous time of day in New Mexico.

Here Krogg Garmin file. Zoom in on town of Nambe (near bottom of map) to see Krogg's failed attempt to take shortcut through Pojoaque. 

Giveaway Winner

Drumroll please.....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2010-12-26 16:39:58 UTC

Congratulations to "Ian!" Not only did you take the cake for having the most impressive and extensive giveaway entry (a sprawling haiku journey through the human heart), but the gods of the random integer generator have smiled upon you. Congrats! Send me your address, and you'll be sporting your Smith Optics hat in no time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS BISON!

KROGG LIKE TO WISH YOU VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Floyd Landis IS Jack Bauer

Floyd Landis is not who you think he is. To the unobservant, Floyd is simply the bicycle racer we follow on the news. He rode for Lance, then struck out on his own. He won the Tour, and then got busted for drugs. He floundered in the US, and then dropped "the big one" by accusing pretty much every major US racer of doping. Then, just this week, we get this story:

Landis reported to have worn wire in meeting with Michael 

Ball

That's right: Floyd Landis wore a friggin wire like a secret agent. He had meetings with Michael Ball, and used his secret spy camera to record images of Ball's fridge full of dope! He was working with the feds the whole time! Who is this guy?

Well, as some of you remember, I happen to be one of Floyd's closest friends in the whole world. We have a very extensive history. We first grew "tight" at this year's Cascade Cycling Classic, when we spent countless minutes (roughly twenty) riding our dropped asses to the top of McKenzie Pass, and our friendship has only gotten stronger since. So when this news story first broke, I couldn't believe my eyes. I had to know -- who is Floyd Landis really? I called him up and we decided to meet at a nondescript public place. Starbucks, we met at Starbucks, and we had a little heart to heart -- only what I didn't tell Floyd is that I wore a wire to our meeting! AND THUS THE DECEIVER BECAME THE DECEIVED! Here's a transcript of our conversation:

GliderBison: What's up gangster? how's it hangin?

Floyd: Bro-chacho! Long time no see! 

(Floyd and GliderBison exchange a solid man-hug)

GliderBison: So what's this I hear about you wearing a wire and busting Michael's balls?

Floyd: Oh yeah, that. Dude, I have something to tell you -- I know we're really good friends and all, but I haven't been completely honest -- I'm not actually a bike racer. Well, I am a bike racer, but I'm not just a bike racer. I'm also a secret agent. I'm trained in espionage, forgery, assassination, jujitsu, and seduction. I speak eleven languages, and have nineteen identities -- one of which is that of a professional cyclist. My time spent bicycle racing was actually an elaborate set-up. I needed to obtain top-secret secrets from the French military, and the Tour happened to pass by all my target military outposts. The whole "bike racer" thing was actually just a convenient cover for my true objective. 

GliderBison: Whoah -- dude -- you are totally blowing my mind right now. 

Floyd: I know bro. That's not all. I'm just getting started Tiki-Broha. You know Jack Bauer?

GliderBison: Like from the TV show 24? The guy who likes to torture the bad guys until they give him the code or whatever? 

(Floyd reaches up to his upper lip, and slowly peels off his mustache and goatee)

GliderBison: NO FUCKING WAY!!!!

(Floyd nods slowly)

Floyd: Believe it bro. This shit's real. Sorry to just lay that on you like that. So anyway, how's your mom? I heard she's been cranking out some beautiful pottery lately.  

(The conversation spirals off towards the nuances of opening a seller account on Etsy.com)

Yeah, so that's totally true.

GliderBison Giveaway!

Here you go GliderBisons -- a sweeeeeet Smith Optics cycling cap. World Champ stripes. Brand new. Stretch fit (one size fits all).

Here's how it works.

To enter: comment on this blog post (not on facebook -- on the blog only), and leave a name. Entries in the form of haiku are highly appreciated. One entry per person.

To win: check back here on Sunday morning (12/26). You'll be assigned a number based on the order that you enter, and I'll let a random integer do the actual selecting. If you win, e-mail me with your address, and your prize will show up in the mail! Easy!

SWEET HAT PEOPLE!

Glory Be Praised -- A Real Ride!

Thank the heavens above -- the roads have cleared, and bike riding is back on the menu! Check how beautiful New Mexico!

Killer ride I tell you! KILLER!
Then, to finish, I stopped at Santa Fe Baking Company, and ate THIS:

To some of you that might look like a brick covered in blood and dinosaur boogers, but to a true-blooded New Mexican, there's no more appetizing sight: a breakfast burrito (with bacon) smothered "Christmas" style. HALLELUJAH!!!

Thanks to my Garmin Edge 800, I didn't get lost once (ok -- I did take a wrong turn at one point -- but it's not the same thing). I rode through the little towns of Lamy, Galisteo, Los Cerrillos, and Madrid (pronounced MAA-drid). Check out my little loop:

Things That Blow My Mind!

Google, how you never cease to amaze me! Just look at you -- just when I think you've settled down, content to simply provide me with e-mail and search -- you go and bust out this:

http://bodybrowser.googlelabs.com/
(you might need to download the latest version of your web browser, but if you like anatomy, I'd highly recommended it). Google Body Browser is basically Google Maps for the human body. You can view the body from any angle, in full 3D, and peel pack the anatomy, layer by layer. Just like on Google Maps, you can turn the labels on or off, so you can know what you're looking at....or simply explore our crazy anatomy. I've seen really good anatomy drawings before, but nothing has helped me understand how the body is put together like this. For instance, as you might remember, I injured my PCL in a crash. I knew what the PCL did, and roughly where it is in the knee, but until I explored the thing on Body Browser, I really didn't understand how it worked. I was able to click on the ligament (thus highlighting it and making everything else slightly transparent), and then move the body around in space so I got a full, 3D understanding of how the ligament interacts with the femur and the tibia. I felt the same sort of fascinated wonder as I did when touring the Bodies exhibit the last time it came to Seattle (and without the $20 entry fee).


Next up is the new Google Maps for Andriod phones. The buildings are in 3-friggin D! Granted, not every city has awesome 3D vector-based buildings (Santa Fe, with it's towering 5-story tall El Dorado Hotel, didn't make the cut), but for the cities that do have it -- it's unreal. Check it:

GOBBLDYGOOK

LOTS OF NEWS!

NEWS #1: 
So I didn't even know that she was planning on doing this, but my mother just opened her Etsy.com store. You can now order some of my mother's beautiful ceramic pieces! GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS! GO!

NEWS #2:
Samwell never picked up his prize from the last GliderBison Giveaway! Sorry Samwell, you snooze you lose -- that means the new winner is.....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

5

Timestamp: 2010-12-20 00:36:18 UTC

Nice work June! JUNE FROM MINNESOTA -- E-mail me your address, and I'll send you your cycling computer!



NEWS #3:
Looks like they posted my profile over on the Seattle Velocity Blog. Pretty cool stuff. Thanks Seattle Velocity Blog! aaaAAAAOOOooo-GA!


NEWS #4:
Some of Exergy's sponsors are getting some nice press. I can't wait to slip on (and then heat-mold) a pair of Bont's latest road shoe, the Vaypor. See the review on Cycling News.

And, these shall grace my TT bike next year. Can you say "bling"? Thanks FSA

Next year -- looking better and better every day.

Gotta Brag About My Mom

Ok, so I know that it's normally the job of parents to brag about (and thus embarrass) their children. Well haha mother -- how the tables have turned! I wield my blog however I choose -- and I choose to brag about my mother's pottery.

Just over two years ago, my mother had never touched a piece of clay. She took the beginning ceramics class at the community college. She started out throwing things on the wheel. Here's her first (successful) thrown piece (notice how thick the walls are, i.e. thick enough to carve 1/4 inch gouges in for decoration):

 Here's another early attempt:

Early on, mother clearly showed her knack for decoration. These aren't the best thrown forms, and probably weighed five pounds a-piece (sorry mom) but they're still beautiful:

Well it's been a mere two years, and look at what she's making now:

I know -- jaw on the floor, right?

So there mom.