The MOP jersey is FOR SALE

Please visit this link!

You heard it here first!

The official "The Mop" jersey worn by some lame cross racer this fall will go on sale Thursday morning. All proceeds will go to The Human Fund's Save The Mops campaign. Please go take a few minutes to liberate some funds from your wife, piggy bank, spare change from the sofa or take up a collection so that this piece of history can be yours!

Link to follow as soon as the auction opens.

Head rush = Clench !!!!

I went for my follow-up appt this AM after my tilt table test a few weeks ago. Since then the light-headedness has been manageable. Next time you get a head-rush, clench your butt cheeks together for all you are worth and it will be gone like magic. Seriously.



When I got there I picked up the latest New Yorker and was enjoying a story about how doctors think and the thought processes that can lead to misdiagnoses. Interesting; perhaps they should learn to think like engineers? Regardless, I get called and the nurse takes me to the BP station where I register a wopping 106/58! Then she tried to find my pulse and after a couple of attempts, she determined it to be about 54. She seemed to wonder how I was alive with such low vitals. Then she left me to some more reading and Dr. Fowles came in--he is the man by the way. We chatted a bit and he took my BP sitting and standing--112/60 and 102/52. He told me to let him know how things go when I start racing again this summer, but I am hopeful that extremely high sodium diet will help. I have never eaten so much jerky in my life! I have also been tempted to try putting salt in my coffee and oatmeal.

In other news, I finally finished my PhD application with MSU. I should hear early next month, but the real issue is going to be funding. More on that later.

Off to get a ride in the current--and temporary--warm temps!

da Bears

My cousin Nikki brings up and excellent point in a comment below. I am happy to cheer for da Bears as long as I don't have to endure this. [Though apparently we do have to endure it if we choose to visit Nikki's blog. edit ]

Bring back the Fridge! Didn't they actually make him a running back in the 1986 Stuper Bowl? Hard times...

Ain't the internet great!?! Thanks Al Gore!

Life goes on and it is good!

Well the Pat's lost. I actually watched almost the entire game--well kind of. I am reading Jill Fredston's Snowstruck and had that in front of me most of the time with the game on in the background. The link is a recent interview given by her to a local public radio station. Anyway, she and her partner have done a ton toward better understanding avalanches--something I am quite interested in. She is giving a talk here in SLC on Friday evening at REI for anyone interested. Also, a friend from back in the day Alison Gannett will be giving a talk at Alta on Saturday evening. Alison was one of my first ski coaches at the ski area we both learned at in NH. I must admit I had a crush on her when I was in about 6th grade.

In other news, Magnum PI has begun a comeback. Utah's 24 has episodes on Mon, Wed and Fri sandwiched between two episodes of Hawaii Five-O at 8PM. It is like totally awesome dude! Click below to enjoy and tune in to relive the days of good television shows. Now if only MacGyver, Simon & Simon, and Hardcastle & McCormick were on too...

Go Pats!, school is starting and playing bikes

StevenP--cross racer extraordinaire and the guy that married Anna and me--has got to be pretty psyched with the way the Pats beat the Jets yesterday. I have a song stuck in my head that goes something like: Once your a Pat, your a Pat all the way. It is always good to beat any NY team. Anyway, StevenP has a cool hat that he has had since the Pats logo was:



In other news, classes start today. I am heading to Detroit next week for my first presentation of my research. So far the amount of testing has been limited, but lots of logistics to discuss. I can't say the word logistics without thinking of Office Space.

Finally, riding has been going well. Good to be on a program again. Feb is likely to see me head to Phoenix for some early season racing with the boys. The new team bikes with sexy carbon fiber parts are in and can't wait to get on mine. I am really liking my position from my fit at Canyon Bicycles.

brrrrrr, stick 'em, ha ha ha, stick 'em

For those interested, the whole syncope thing was explained away with some tests this morning. I did a tilt table test which involved me being placed at a 70 degree angle until I almost passed out. Apparently, due to increased capillary volume and improved heart performance I am prone to syncope because of low blood pressure. So I get to drink a lot more and increase my sodium intake--time for some jerky and chips!

As for today's title, we recently came across an old favorite:

Happy New Year!

We had a fun New Year's Eve last night. A&S came over and joined the household plus one for dinner last night. After eating an elk roast complete with gravy and potatoes, we sat around the table and played some games. We tried train dominoes, but couldn't figure it out. So then we moved on to Uno and eventually Bull$h!t. This was fun and we even made it until 1130 before calling it a night.

In other news, Nikki has finally updated her blog while trashing Sandy at the same time. Good work!

Window shopping for solace

Anna got me the new Matisyahu as a present. It is quite good and I especially like the Message in a Bottle cover. This was one one of my favorite songs growing up; I vividly remember The Police albums my sister had. When I first heard him, I commented that I thought he was heavily influenced by The Police so to hear this cover is pretty cool. The dub versions included are quite good too. It also came with a DVD of a live show in Israel. For those not familiar, Matisyahu is a reggae/hip-hop performer who also happens to be an orthodox Jew (Hasidic). His lyrics often express his relationship with G-d (his spelling, not mine), but even more so he is into peace and unity. The boy can hoop it up too!

The Joy of Festivus is abound!!

I was surprised to get gifts on the doorstep this afternoon. There was no note, but the second I saw what it was I knew who it was from: The Mop!!!! Here is what he had to offer:













Apparently, he wants some people to get fat so here is Sandy chunking-up:




























Perhaps Tbird is putting on some weight too. Invitations will be going out shortly for the 3rd Annual Festivus Party. Grievances will be aired to let you all know how much you have disappointed us this past year. Frank Constanza would be proud!