2-24-07
Hello from Kabul!
We finally made it! It's 6:45pm here, 9:15am there -- yea it's a weird time zone apparently. We basically didn't sleep last night but we finally got up at like 4 and made our way to the aiport only to be told to wait until 6:30 which turned into 7:15 but the attendant got us on the flight. We had to pay extra for being UNDER the baggage weight -- yea, UNDER!Funny thing is Jamison had more weight than I but we had to pay the same amount - it was basically a "screw you American tax" we think because we were the only ones to pay it. Anyway, the flight was nice --I got to sit in 1st class! Well, the big leather chair with more legroom was about all the difference it was on the flight but I'll take it.
The Afghan landscape is amazing. The mountains are tall, bigger than the Rockies, and they totally emcompass the city of Kabul. In the airport this morning we met some others who work in Kabul and have for 3 yrs, and another guy working security for another outfit. I got some good information from the other two of things to watch out for but also found out from Deana, an Aussie lady, that Sunday and Wednesday are salsa nights, Monday is trivia -- they had to make sure we knew the important stuff! I sat next to a Bulgarian banker on the flight and got more info from him.
Once on the ground in Kabul, you quickly realize you ain't in Kansas anymoreToto! Soldiers running drills just off the runway, soldiers greet the plane, soldiers shuffle you through passport check and baggage claim -- all the while looking at you in a very intimindating manner, even though they're not packing guns. This one lady US Army Capt. almost got herself in trouble. She was packing heat, as was her partner, and they were waiting for some folks on our flight. Well, she kept trying to come inside the terminal and the UN guy kept telling her she wasn't allowed inside with her guns. It's stuff like that which makes ya wonder what we think as Americans sometimes. Why did she persist? There was no reason and all it did was upset the local police who are trying to maintain the rules.
Outside the terminal, our security force was not there. We carried our bags past several guys with guns and other folks were getting shuffled by their security teams into SUV's. I met a guy from SOC, another security detail, and he let me call our guys. Apparently they had called to find out when the flight was coming in and were told 12:30 so they were shocked that we got here at like 11:30. Anyway, it all worked out. One of the locals came up and talked with us for a bit. He works with the tourism board and with airport security and was not pushy but very nice. Once meeting our security detail, they all seem very nice and take their job VERY seriously. They're carrying AK-47's, dress in plain clothes, and drive Toyota 4-Runners -- they like to keep a low profile. The other security details are all in military dress with vests full of shell slings trying to be all bad. Our guys are mostly Scottish, turns out, so I'll likely come home with a touch of Scottish accent!
Even with the unsurety at the airport, it's not really an uncomfortable place. It's really below the poverty line, though, but that doesn't stop folks.Everyone is out buying and selling and playing soccer and doing things, not staying inside or cowling about. That says a lot about the people and their motivation to make this a better place. There's mud everywhere right now because of the thawing in the mountains. Our road is nothing but mud and holes bigger than our SUV! There are "improved" roads but not in the neighborhoods yet.
Tomorrow we'll head over to Camp Eggers and get some briefing over there about our work and the lay of the land there. Apparently that's where we grocery shop and such as well. I'm gonna head downstairs and watch some rugby with the guys on the satellite TV. I guess England's playing Ireland so it ought to be a good game.
I'll get some pictures up tomorrow or Monday. Thank you all for the emails and prayers. I appreciate them very much!
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
2-23-07
Well, since we were given an extra day in Dubai, we decided to make the most of it. It's about 3:15pm here and already we've taken quite a stroll about town. We walked to the Naif Souq (spice market) where we went last night, then went for a water taxi tour of the Creek before grabbing lunch. Before departing for that little venture, we tred to track down the Kam Air office only to learn that since today is the Arab world's version of Sunday, the office was closed. The bellhop here at the hotel got us in touch with the Kam Air people via their cell numbers and they had no idea of the situation in Kabul, saying their flight left this morning on schedule. I asked them about getting on the flight tomorrow and the guy just told me to show up in the morning and we'd have seats. Well, that's what we hope to do, but it means tonight is an early night for us, like we thought last night would be. We have to be at the airport by 6:00am, so hopefully this will work.
When I left the States, I knew that one word would have to define this journey: flexibility. Well, we're taking it in stride and trying to make the most of our little break here in Dubai before jaunting off to Kabul, for once we arrive there I'm afraid we'll be in a totally different world, even though it's only a two hour flight from where we currently sit.
Enough with the jabberwocky, here are some pictures from last night and today.
Look -- It's a painted camel, like our painted cows. Apparently all peoples are more similar than we think! I wonder what they were raising money and awareness for.
Here's a sampling of the bicycle that most folks ride. It's a Hero cruiser but the interesting thing is....there are no cables on this bike! That's right, click on the picture and look at the brake lines -- they're s/s metal rods. The owner of this bike tried to sell it to me for 150 AED, which isn't a bad price, but it would cost me much more than that to get it home!
Here's the Naif Souq (spice market). Really cool little place.
Appetizers on Al Rigga Street!
We must have passed this fountain every time we went somewhere. I'm convinced it's like the Big Chicken -- all directions are given from here! "Well, ya get to the pyramid fountain and go...."
Ah yes, dessert!
This was from the boat tour on the Creek. If they call this a creek, I'd hate to see what they call a river!
Dubai Skyline
Well, since we were given an extra day in Dubai, we decided to make the most of it. It's about 3:15pm here and already we've taken quite a stroll about town. We walked to the Naif Souq (spice market) where we went last night, then went for a water taxi tour of the Creek before grabbing lunch. Before departing for that little venture, we tred to track down the Kam Air office only to learn that since today is the Arab world's version of Sunday, the office was closed. The bellhop here at the hotel got us in touch with the Kam Air people via their cell numbers and they had no idea of the situation in Kabul, saying their flight left this morning on schedule. I asked them about getting on the flight tomorrow and the guy just told me to show up in the morning and we'd have seats. Well, that's what we hope to do, but it means tonight is an early night for us, like we thought last night would be. We have to be at the airport by 6:00am, so hopefully this will work.
When I left the States, I knew that one word would have to define this journey: flexibility. Well, we're taking it in stride and trying to make the most of our little break here in Dubai before jaunting off to Kabul, for once we arrive there I'm afraid we'll be in a totally different world, even though it's only a two hour flight from where we currently sit.
Enough with the jabberwocky, here are some pictures from last night and today.
Look -- It's a painted camel, like our painted cows. Apparently all peoples are more similar than we think! I wonder what they were raising money and awareness for.
Here's a sampling of the bicycle that most folks ride. It's a Hero cruiser but the interesting thing is....there are no cables on this bike! That's right, click on the picture and look at the brake lines -- they're s/s metal rods. The owner of this bike tried to sell it to me for 150 AED, which isn't a bad price, but it would cost me much more than that to get it home!
Here's the Naif Souq (spice market). Really cool little place.
Appetizers on Al Rigga Street!
We must have passed this fountain every time we went somewhere. I'm convinced it's like the Big Chicken -- all directions are given from here! "Well, ya get to the pyramid fountain and go...."
Ah yes, dessert!
This was from the boat tour on the Creek. If they call this a creek, I'd hate to see what they call a river!
Dubai Skyline
More skyline
and yet another....
Look at those tower cranes! There are no fewer than 20 tower cranes within 10 minutes of our hotel. That means lots of construction. We didn't make over to the Jumeirah area, but that's where the 7-star hotel is and the Palms and where the new world's tallest hotel is being built. There's a lot of opportunity for construction folks over here ;)
Well, that's about all for now. I hope you've enjoyed your little tour of Dubai today! Hopefully the next pictures you see will be from Kabul.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
2-22-07
4:22 pm EST / 1:22 am 2-23-07 local
We just received word from Kabul that our flight is to be rescheduled for arrival to Kabul on Saturday. Apparently the 23rd is Afghanistan's Independance Day so they're inthe middle of celebrating there freedom from Russian rule and all the airports are locked down. HMPH! Seems like our folks would have known this before we got on airplanes, but I don't mind getting to spend another day in Dubai. It's really nice here and there's a lot of construction going on so I may go job hunting tomorrow! HA!! The people are super friendly and the driving is nutso! If you think Atlanta has bad driving, you ain't seen nuthin' yet! However, I've only seen one car with any dents or damage. It's a very controlled chaos.
We found a nice little market and did some shopping in the little time we had before dinner. I have some pictures that I'll post tomorrow, but given that it's 1:30 am here, I'm off to bed!
Oh, I'm told not to be concerned about the lockdown, it's just a security measure. I'll know more tomorrow but hey, we may end up with another two days in Dubai, who knows?!
Cheers!
4:22 pm EST / 1:22 am 2-23-07 local
We just received word from Kabul that our flight is to be rescheduled for arrival to Kabul on Saturday. Apparently the 23rd is Afghanistan's Independance Day so they're inthe middle of celebrating there freedom from Russian rule and all the airports are locked down. HMPH! Seems like our folks would have known this before we got on airplanes, but I don't mind getting to spend another day in Dubai. It's really nice here and there's a lot of construction going on so I may go job hunting tomorrow! HA!! The people are super friendly and the driving is nutso! If you think Atlanta has bad driving, you ain't seen nuthin' yet! However, I've only seen one car with any dents or damage. It's a very controlled chaos.
We found a nice little market and did some shopping in the little time we had before dinner. I have some pictures that I'll post tomorrow, but given that it's 1:30 am here, I'm off to bed!
Oh, I'm told not to be concerned about the lockdown, it's just a security measure. I'll know more tomorrow but hey, we may end up with another two days in Dubai, who knows?!
Cheers!
2-22-07
Greeetings from the Renaissance Dubai Hotel!! My coworker, Jamison, and I got into Dubai last night and it was a pretty standard arrival into town evening. Got our luggage -- yes, it all made it -- got checked in at the hotel, then grabbed dinner. You know how it is, you want to try new stuff when you're in a new place and we heard this Cuban band playing in one of the hotel restaurants so that's where we wanted to eat. However, since we changed out of our traveling shoes -- literally-- and put on flip flops, we didn't meet the dress code for that one! Oh, it's so warm here which we are surprised at given that the weather we were expecting was supposed to be in the 50's. (I'm gonna have to learn the C > F conversion so I can understand the weather around these parts!). So for dinner we ended up at Harry's Place, an American styled restaurant / bar complete with am Asian band singing American pop tunes, and they did a relatively decent job with them too!
Not long after dinner it time for a shower and bed. I'd been up since 7:00am EST Tuesday and got to bed last night at like 4:00 p m EST, which means I'd been up for.....33 hours (is that right?). Now, the hotel is nice, but these beds -- WOW!!!! I've never in my life laid on something so much like a cloud! Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to pass out. I woke up a few times just being in a strange place and hearing weird noises, but when I finally looked at my watch and saw it was 3:30 pm local time, I freaked a bit because I'd just lost an entire day -- my first full day in a foreign country and I want to go see the place!
As we traveled to the hotel last night, we passed this place that had a showroom packed full of fully restored classic American trucks -- Chevy, Ford, Dodge -- and Jamison and I both went crazy at the sight! It was most wonderful to see so I'm sure we're going to go there at some point today or tomorrow before we leave. It's actually kind of funny to see the only cars on the road are all American companies. We rode in a Chevy Venture taxi van last night and the Dubai taxi company uses all Chevy and Ford.
Well, sorry no pictures yet. I didn't want to be a silly tourist snapping pictures of airports and the plane we flew on, and the front of the hotel at night then again in the morning. I may get a picture of the bed I slept on, however, because THAT was worth a picture!
I appreciate all the emails and encouragement. Know that you're all in my prayers and thoughts. Time to go see the city!
Greeetings from the Renaissance Dubai Hotel!! My coworker, Jamison, and I got into Dubai last night and it was a pretty standard arrival into town evening. Got our luggage -- yes, it all made it -- got checked in at the hotel, then grabbed dinner. You know how it is, you want to try new stuff when you're in a new place and we heard this Cuban band playing in one of the hotel restaurants so that's where we wanted to eat. However, since we changed out of our traveling shoes -- literally-- and put on flip flops, we didn't meet the dress code for that one! Oh, it's so warm here which we are surprised at given that the weather we were expecting was supposed to be in the 50's. (I'm gonna have to learn the C > F conversion so I can understand the weather around these parts!). So for dinner we ended up at Harry's Place, an American styled restaurant / bar complete with am Asian band singing American pop tunes, and they did a relatively decent job with them too!
Not long after dinner it time for a shower and bed. I'd been up since 7:00am EST Tuesday and got to bed last night at like 4:00 p m EST, which means I'd been up for.....33 hours (is that right?). Now, the hotel is nice, but these beds -- WOW!!!! I've never in my life laid on something so much like a cloud! Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to pass out. I woke up a few times just being in a strange place and hearing weird noises, but when I finally looked at my watch and saw it was 3:30 pm local time, I freaked a bit because I'd just lost an entire day -- my first full day in a foreign country and I want to go see the place!
As we traveled to the hotel last night, we passed this place that had a showroom packed full of fully restored classic American trucks -- Chevy, Ford, Dodge -- and Jamison and I both went crazy at the sight! It was most wonderful to see so I'm sure we're going to go there at some point today or tomorrow before we leave. It's actually kind of funny to see the only cars on the road are all American companies. We rode in a Chevy Venture taxi van last night and the Dubai taxi company uses all Chevy and Ford.
Well, sorry no pictures yet. I didn't want to be a silly tourist snapping pictures of airports and the plane we flew on, and the front of the hotel at night then again in the morning. I may get a picture of the bed I slept on, however, because THAT was worth a picture!
I appreciate all the emails and encouragement. Know that you're all in my prayers and thoughts. Time to go see the city!
Friday, February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
2-15-07
So I figure I'd post a few pictures of the dogs that I've taken in order to make the blog a bit more inviting. These were taken this past weekend. Enjoy!
I'll be leaving these guys behind while I'm gone but they'll be in good hands.
Here's the doggers sitting in the backyard on Saturday night. Gus on left, Mollie on right.
The pictures below were taken Sunday at the dogpark in Marietta. Gus is the second picture and Mollie is the third. This was not long before they both decided to be punks and start fights with the other dogs! Can you imagine these two sweet pups being mean? HA!!!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
2-13-07
T minus (7) days and counting! Money...check. Bible....check. Passport....check. Visa.....Visa.....Visa......hmmmm. Let me get back to you on that! That's one of those things my company is taking care of so let's just say "CHECK" in the hopes that it really IS taken care of (even though I've not heard anything yet). Let's see, what else is there? Oh yea, shots! That's on the schedule for tomorrow. I'm told by the company folks that none are needed -- right!! That's why it pays to have friends at the CDC!
I've had some folks ask me if I'm scared or what will I do if I get shot or any number of 'what if' scenarios. Well, it's easy to answer actually. If I get shot, well, I'll go to the hospital at Camp Eggers. If something lethal happens, then it's okay. But here's the kicker -- I'm not really scared about any of that. I know I'm going and will be covered by the wing of the Lord of Creation so not much else matters. Does that relinquish me of paying attention to my surroundings? Nope. Does that mean I can walk down the street and not care about the loaded down van that just passed me? Nope. I still have to do my part and pay attention to the information I'll be given in the security briefing. No matter what, I know that the Lord has ordained this trip and I just need to depend on Him to provide. We all know that's not as easy as I make it sound, but really, it's not as difficult as we make it sometimes either.
Something struck me last night while listening to a story from a friend that really put some things into perspective. If I say I want to live by the Word of God and that I want to follow God's will and calling then I should probably pay attention when He speaks and ask questions along the way. There've been a lot of things in my life in the past couple of years that I've done where I didn't ask the one important question: "God, is this something you want me to do?" Sometimes we just know, like we KNOW God doesn't want us dealing drugs or shooting someone. But what about driving 10 mph over the speed limit? We KNOW it's wrong, but do it anyway. What about not treating someone as though they're valuable and just seeing them as a means to an end or a way to fill a desire for that moment? What about blowing off a bike ride to spend time helping a friend? HELLO?!! The most important thing in our lives is serving others and not ourselves.
So in that light, I'm off to Afghanistan. My company thinks it's for their work, but I know it's for something entirely different! Even if it's just to allow the Lord God to change my life, then that's better than getting in my car and driving down I-75 each morning with no purpose.
Here's some light reading if you're interested:
Heb 12:1 (you might want to peruse Heb 11 first!)
Psalm 37 -- there's a whole lotta good stuff tucked away there
I gotta go....more things on the to do list to check off. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!
T minus (7) days and counting! Money...check. Bible....check. Passport....check. Visa.....Visa.....Visa......hmmmm. Let me get back to you on that! That's one of those things my company is taking care of so let's just say "CHECK" in the hopes that it really IS taken care of (even though I've not heard anything yet). Let's see, what else is there? Oh yea, shots! That's on the schedule for tomorrow. I'm told by the company folks that none are needed -- right!! That's why it pays to have friends at the CDC!
I've had some folks ask me if I'm scared or what will I do if I get shot or any number of 'what if' scenarios. Well, it's easy to answer actually. If I get shot, well, I'll go to the hospital at Camp Eggers. If something lethal happens, then it's okay. But here's the kicker -- I'm not really scared about any of that. I know I'm going and will be covered by the wing of the Lord of Creation so not much else matters. Does that relinquish me of paying attention to my surroundings? Nope. Does that mean I can walk down the street and not care about the loaded down van that just passed me? Nope. I still have to do my part and pay attention to the information I'll be given in the security briefing. No matter what, I know that the Lord has ordained this trip and I just need to depend on Him to provide. We all know that's not as easy as I make it sound, but really, it's not as difficult as we make it sometimes either.
Something struck me last night while listening to a story from a friend that really put some things into perspective. If I say I want to live by the Word of God and that I want to follow God's will and calling then I should probably pay attention when He speaks and ask questions along the way. There've been a lot of things in my life in the past couple of years that I've done where I didn't ask the one important question: "God, is this something you want me to do?" Sometimes we just know, like we KNOW God doesn't want us dealing drugs or shooting someone. But what about driving 10 mph over the speed limit? We KNOW it's wrong, but do it anyway. What about not treating someone as though they're valuable and just seeing them as a means to an end or a way to fill a desire for that moment? What about blowing off a bike ride to spend time helping a friend? HELLO?!! The most important thing in our lives is serving others and not ourselves.
So in that light, I'm off to Afghanistan. My company thinks it's for their work, but I know it's for something entirely different! Even if it's just to allow the Lord God to change my life, then that's better than getting in my car and driving down I-75 each morning with no purpose.
Here's some light reading if you're interested:
Heb 12:1 (you might want to peruse Heb 11 first!)
Psalm 37 -- there's a whole lotta good stuff tucked away there
I gotta go....more things on the to do list to check off. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Well, I know it's been awhile but winter has been a rather silent period. Yea, there's always Christmas to keep one occupied, but my day job has kept me pretty tied up too. Okay, well, maybe I've just enjoyed too much of a social life but no matter the reason, I've not been riding. And ya know what? I'm okay with that. I've been in the gym, but I just have not had the time on the few nice days we've had to actually get outside. Take today, for instance, it's a beautiful sunny day, but I'm about to leave one office, go get a passport photo taken, then go to another office location deliver that with a visa application then go run a couple other errands for work before 5:00pm then I have choir rehearsal tonight at 7:00......
Passport photo? Yes, I'm off on a trip oversees. I was asked Monday about going to work in Kabul, Afghanistan for (6) weeks. I head out on February 20 and won't get back until about April 7. Alas, I'll miss the great early season fervor of the breaking weather and riding and I won't get to do the Cohutta 100 as planned, but I'd rather go on this trip than be wrapped up in one thing in life. That said, the next two weeks are filling up quickly with logistics and packing and shopping and trying not to panic. I was okay yesterday, but today I'm a little freaked. There's much to do and most folks plan trips like this over the course of months. Fortunately, all the travel arrangements are being made by my company....WHEW!
It should be a nice trip, actually, that I'm looking forward to. I have a great confidence that the Lord has opened this door and I'm just trusting Him to take care of the details and of me. I'm comfortable with the protection level that we'll have from our security force and since we have folks there presently, it's not like I'm going in to this totally blind.
I'll try to post while I'm gone and maybe get some pictures up to make the reading more enjoyable. I'll see you at the Cohutta 100 race, but don't look for me to be riding, I'll see ya at the SAG stops =)
Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Passport photo? Yes, I'm off on a trip oversees. I was asked Monday about going to work in Kabul, Afghanistan for (6) weeks. I head out on February 20 and won't get back until about April 7. Alas, I'll miss the great early season fervor of the breaking weather and riding and I won't get to do the Cohutta 100 as planned, but I'd rather go on this trip than be wrapped up in one thing in life. That said, the next two weeks are filling up quickly with logistics and packing and shopping and trying not to panic. I was okay yesterday, but today I'm a little freaked. There's much to do and most folks plan trips like this over the course of months. Fortunately, all the travel arrangements are being made by my company....WHEW!
It should be a nice trip, actually, that I'm looking forward to. I have a great confidence that the Lord has opened this door and I'm just trusting Him to take care of the details and of me. I'm comfortable with the protection level that we'll have from our security force and since we have folks there presently, it's not like I'm going in to this totally blind.
I'll try to post while I'm gone and maybe get some pictures up to make the reading more enjoyable. I'll see you at the Cohutta 100 race, but don't look for me to be riding, I'll see ya at the SAG stops =)
Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
11-27-06
Thanksgiving Report
Like most, I look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday with all the eating and hanging around the table with my family. In recent years, a couple new traditions have developed for our Thanksgiving celebration:
1. The men go play golf on Thursday morning
2. I take my niece(s) for a mountain bike ride.
One is not neccessarliy as fun as the other. Golf, for example, is not my idea of a super fun time. I've played a grand total of 36 holes of golf in my entire life, both on Thanksgiving Day. Now, I don't mind the driving range and I don't really dislike the game of golf. I respect those who can play it well because I understand the difficulty of hitting that darn round ball and doing so with finesse. For most of the round, I was hitting the ball straight down the fairway. My tee shots were typically long and in the fairway, but my 2nd shots sucked! I almost always topped the ball and couldn't get under the thing, so although it would still go straight, it would only go about 20-50 yards. Then if I did get under it, I'd launch it past the green about 15 yards. My putts got better as the day progressed, but the greens were so fast, we might as well as been putting on plywood.
Taking my niece(s) for a mountain bike ride -- now THAT's fun! I have 3 nieces and a nephew who are all into different things. The oldest niece, Catie, loves riding her bike and I'll be darned if I won't support that! I started this new tradition last year by offering the choice of some present from a department store for her birthday or going out for a ride. She much prefers and anticipates our rides. This time, her sister, Becky (second oldest) wanted to tag along. So on Friday afternoon, off we went. Bikes loaded, brakes adjusted, Camelbak full. For Thanksgiving, our family usually hangs at my parent's house in Macon, GA. Now, I can't stand riding in Macon because the trails are only 4-5 mile loops and they're just neverending technical puzzles that afford no opportunity for the REAL fun of opening up the throttle and letting loose. I've gotten so spoiled with the mountains of North GA, TN and NC that I just don't like the trails in Macon. But my nieces, well, they don't know any better and a 4-5 mile loop is a good ride for them.
We rode for about an hour, but started by playing around on some dirt jumps that OMBA (Macon chapter of SORBA) has built in the field at the Thomson trails. You'll recognize that name, Thomson, because it's likely on your seatpost or handlebar stem! Interestingly, when I lived in Macon and was working for an industrial supply house after high school, LH Thomson Company was a customer of mine. When I discovered that they made these really sweet bike components, it was nice to have something to be proud of come from Macon! The dirt jumps were fun for the girls and I showed them how to roll over them. They kept wanting me to jump them, but given my last jumping incident that resulted in a titanium rod in my right arm, I played it safe and just gave them a quick bunny hop over a large log. That quieted the requests for jumps and off we went to the trailhead.
Here are some pictures from our ride:
1. Catie & Becky preride
2. Catie on the dirt jump
3. Becky on the dirt jump
4. Catie on trail
5. Becky post ride
Thanksgiving Report
Like most, I look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday with all the eating and hanging around the table with my family. In recent years, a couple new traditions have developed for our Thanksgiving celebration:
1. The men go play golf on Thursday morning
2. I take my niece(s) for a mountain bike ride.
One is not neccessarliy as fun as the other. Golf, for example, is not my idea of a super fun time. I've played a grand total of 36 holes of golf in my entire life, both on Thanksgiving Day. Now, I don't mind the driving range and I don't really dislike the game of golf. I respect those who can play it well because I understand the difficulty of hitting that darn round ball and doing so with finesse. For most of the round, I was hitting the ball straight down the fairway. My tee shots were typically long and in the fairway, but my 2nd shots sucked! I almost always topped the ball and couldn't get under the thing, so although it would still go straight, it would only go about 20-50 yards. Then if I did get under it, I'd launch it past the green about 15 yards. My putts got better as the day progressed, but the greens were so fast, we might as well as been putting on plywood.
Taking my niece(s) for a mountain bike ride -- now THAT's fun! I have 3 nieces and a nephew who are all into different things. The oldest niece, Catie, loves riding her bike and I'll be darned if I won't support that! I started this new tradition last year by offering the choice of some present from a department store for her birthday or going out for a ride. She much prefers and anticipates our rides. This time, her sister, Becky (second oldest) wanted to tag along. So on Friday afternoon, off we went. Bikes loaded, brakes adjusted, Camelbak full. For Thanksgiving, our family usually hangs at my parent's house in Macon, GA. Now, I can't stand riding in Macon because the trails are only 4-5 mile loops and they're just neverending technical puzzles that afford no opportunity for the REAL fun of opening up the throttle and letting loose. I've gotten so spoiled with the mountains of North GA, TN and NC that I just don't like the trails in Macon. But my nieces, well, they don't know any better and a 4-5 mile loop is a good ride for them.
We rode for about an hour, but started by playing around on some dirt jumps that OMBA (Macon chapter of SORBA) has built in the field at the Thomson trails. You'll recognize that name, Thomson, because it's likely on your seatpost or handlebar stem! Interestingly, when I lived in Macon and was working for an industrial supply house after high school, LH Thomson Company was a customer of mine. When I discovered that they made these really sweet bike components, it was nice to have something to be proud of come from Macon! The dirt jumps were fun for the girls and I showed them how to roll over them. They kept wanting me to jump them, but given my last jumping incident that resulted in a titanium rod in my right arm, I played it safe and just gave them a quick bunny hop over a large log. That quieted the requests for jumps and off we went to the trailhead.
Here are some pictures from our ride:
1. Catie & Becky preride
2. Catie on the dirt jump
3. Becky on the dirt jump
4. Catie on trail
5. Becky post ride
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
10-31-06
Double Dare Report
The quick and dirty review: I raced with Kirstin Reff, adventure racer who was outta shape this time around -- bad girl! That's okay, she got her fair share of the big hurt. Truth be told, Kirstin's a tough rider who (for some reason) has taken the last couple of months off from mountain biking and has just been on her road bike. Great training, but not for Pisgah. Our game plan: enjoy the ride! Use this for training going into the winter months. I'm planning to do my first off road century in April and I just wanted two good days in Pisgah.
Day 1: Mandatory CP at Farlow Gap. We took off from White Pines and headed to Fish Hatchery where we picked up Cat Gap Loop (yes, we hiked it) and took that to Butter Gap. Butter Gap to Long Branch to Glouchester Gap to Farlow Gap. I was having chain issues and my only climbing gear was 2-1 so I was turning a 34-34. Not bad for the Farlow climb, but I had to fix that little problem before Day 2. We found out on the way up to Farlow Gap that there was a bear hunt in progress with dogs on the run. Since the informant didn't advise of any danger to us after having advised him of our potential route, we rode on not giving it another thought. Besides, we had a headwind up to Farlow that was our main concern at that moment.
Once at Farlow, we refueled the bodies and took off down FS140A. At the bottom, Kirstin took a swim in a little pool of VERY muddy water. That's what ya get when you don't stop in time! We gave a group of bear hunters something funny to break up their day. We found out that the bear was about 400 pounds and coming around the ridge not far behind us - now they tell us! After a brief attempt to get the CP at Courthouse Falls, we decided things were getting sketchy with hunters and bears and ensuing nightfall so we turned our trusty bikes towards FS 5003 back to Glouchester Gap. At the intersection of 140A and 5003, we picked up a dog that had been left and since we knew there were hunters on the other side of the ridge, where we were headed, we took the ol' boy with us, hoping to find one of the hunters rounding up their lost ones. We got to Glouchester and got ol' boy a ride home after which we turned our wheels towards White Pines. Downhill all the way!
Day 1 total: 3 CP's, ~40 miles and about 10 hours of riding.
Day 2: Up for the rider meeting and to get the passport for the day, then it was back to the tent to review the day in my head. Kirstin was a bit difficult to get stirring but I made the most of the morning by getting some hot oatmeal and stretching the legs a bit. We left camp about 9:40am with the plan to get the mandatory CP at Turkeypen Gap swinging bridge, while obtaining the CP at the intersection of Black Mtn trail with Turkeypen Gap trail on the way. This was not our best day at all, but we made the most of it.
Day 2 total: 2 CP's, ~25 miles and about 7 hours on the bike.
Here are the pictures: Day 1
Kirstin's handstand at Butter Gap
Me at Farlow Gap (finally)!
Kirstin, just after her swim in this muddle
Me at the intersection of FS 140A and FS 5003, on our way back to Glouchester Gap
Day 2 Photos
A couple from the intersection of Black Mtn Trail and Turkeypen Gap Trail
Here's the WaltWorks trailside on Turkeypen Gap Trail
And here we are at the swinging bridge near Turkeypen Gap. We were a little drained!
Again, a great weekend even if we weren't in the running. It was nice to meet Mike Brown and it was good to see folks like Brado, Zach, MUM, Peter, and Eric again.
Thanks again, Eric, for putting on a great race that is atypical and by far, not the norm! Each race of yours reminds me why I really got into mountain biking in the first place.
Double Dare Report
The quick and dirty review: I raced with Kirstin Reff, adventure racer who was outta shape this time around -- bad girl! That's okay, she got her fair share of the big hurt. Truth be told, Kirstin's a tough rider who (for some reason) has taken the last couple of months off from mountain biking and has just been on her road bike. Great training, but not for Pisgah. Our game plan: enjoy the ride! Use this for training going into the winter months. I'm planning to do my first off road century in April and I just wanted two good days in Pisgah.
Day 1: Mandatory CP at Farlow Gap. We took off from White Pines and headed to Fish Hatchery where we picked up Cat Gap Loop (yes, we hiked it) and took that to Butter Gap. Butter Gap to Long Branch to Glouchester Gap to Farlow Gap. I was having chain issues and my only climbing gear was 2-1 so I was turning a 34-34. Not bad for the Farlow climb, but I had to fix that little problem before Day 2. We found out on the way up to Farlow Gap that there was a bear hunt in progress with dogs on the run. Since the informant didn't advise of any danger to us after having advised him of our potential route, we rode on not giving it another thought. Besides, we had a headwind up to Farlow that was our main concern at that moment.
Once at Farlow, we refueled the bodies and took off down FS140A. At the bottom, Kirstin took a swim in a little pool of VERY muddy water. That's what ya get when you don't stop in time! We gave a group of bear hunters something funny to break up their day. We found out that the bear was about 400 pounds and coming around the ridge not far behind us - now they tell us! After a brief attempt to get the CP at Courthouse Falls, we decided things were getting sketchy with hunters and bears and ensuing nightfall so we turned our trusty bikes towards FS 5003 back to Glouchester Gap. At the intersection of 140A and 5003, we picked up a dog that had been left and since we knew there were hunters on the other side of the ridge, where we were headed, we took the ol' boy with us, hoping to find one of the hunters rounding up their lost ones. We got to Glouchester and got ol' boy a ride home after which we turned our wheels towards White Pines. Downhill all the way!
Day 1 total: 3 CP's, ~40 miles and about 10 hours of riding.
Day 2: Up for the rider meeting and to get the passport for the day, then it was back to the tent to review the day in my head. Kirstin was a bit difficult to get stirring but I made the most of the morning by getting some hot oatmeal and stretching the legs a bit. We left camp about 9:40am with the plan to get the mandatory CP at Turkeypen Gap swinging bridge, while obtaining the CP at the intersection of Black Mtn trail with Turkeypen Gap trail on the way. This was not our best day at all, but we made the most of it.
Day 2 total: 2 CP's, ~25 miles and about 7 hours on the bike.
Here are the pictures: Day 1
Kirstin's handstand at Butter Gap
Me at Farlow Gap (finally)!
Kirstin, just after her swim in this muddle
Me at the intersection of FS 140A and FS 5003, on our way back to Glouchester Gap
Day 2 Photos
A couple from the intersection of Black Mtn Trail and Turkeypen Gap Trail
Here's the WaltWorks trailside on Turkeypen Gap Trail
And here we are at the swinging bridge near Turkeypen Gap. We were a little drained!
Again, a great weekend even if we weren't in the running. It was nice to meet Mike Brown and it was good to see folks like Brado, Zach, MUM, Peter, and Eric again.
Thanks again, Eric, for putting on a great race that is atypical and by far, not the norm! Each race of yours reminds me why I really got into mountain biking in the first place.
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