Weekend Reflections

Little Man in the Mirror!

Daddy rode his bike again this weekend, go figure. There was a team ride Saturday morning and the Seattle Cyclocross series kicked off on Sunday. Perfect weather both days, in the 70's! After the ride, Annie, Bugaboo and I headed down to Renton to visit the Peterson's (Marlin and Christine) and our mutual Swiss friends who have been traveling in N. America for the past 4-months.... with their three kids ages 4, 2.5, and now 5 months! Inspiring stuff. I've got a great story of coincidence, you should hear it.





I was setting up my tent at a campsite near Grindlewald in the Berner Oberland of Switzerland back in the heatwave of '03 when some nearby campers who were also traveling by bike started chatting it up. When they heard that I was from the Seattle-area they asked if I happened to know anyone in Renton. Ha, yeah right, I knew one person. No kidding, they knew Marlin too! And the story continues. But not here... maybe over at DougNog.




Next weekend is my flex and so we're leaving Thursday night for the Methow Valley Mountainbike Fest, a "family" tradition since about 1993 when I first attended. Jeff and the gang started going at about that same time if not sooner, and now its become one of those unspoken entries on everyone's calendar each year. We used to bivy in the parking lot and race our brains out. Then we started camping at the KOA and a few years later of a few us even moved into the cabins there at the campground. Then a few more girlfriends and too many real jobs later and we were renting 8-room upscale cabins in Mazama.

We almost never race anymore but we ride the heck out of our bikes: 4-6 hour rides are the staple, can't wait. That is if the tequila bottle didn't get passed around too hard the night before. But this year there is a new first: warnings of crying babies and baby gates littering the rental unit. Roger & Malia's little Oliver is about 6-months old so Kian has a little bro while we are up there. The Tortuga will be making the trip again and that's where we'll stay, plugged in. Kian is still too fussy and I want to keep on the invite list for future outings.

This will be Kian's first camping trip, sort of. Stay tuned!