8's

deeps thoughts and cold beer.

the ebb is building. chatter is increasing and workouts and huntin are being attended with quicker steps and larger crowds. fact is, fitness is finding us without discrimination. whether joined up or solo, our little group is getting it done. kongathon, quad bitch, mckenzie. they all mean affirmations and larger numbers that add up to a quiet confidence that helps us to believe we are capable of going beyond where we have been. mostly, it just feels good to be on the path.

moment of clarity came while flowing back down the mckenzie river trail. i popped out onto buck bridge and found a large group of my mountain biking friends in the middle of a regrouping. slaps and neck pops for the bro's, knuckles for the douchebags, smiles for the ladies, chin scratches for the pooches. i realized that not a single pang of jealousy was coursing through me at the thought of missing that trail ride with them, and i love mountain biking. i was wet. cold. tired...and absolutely loving it. splashing through puddles and swooping turns. gliding up hills and moving with the flow of the trail. i share the mountain biking. this is my own. this time. this flow. i thought it fitting when i halted at the end of the trailhead to a break in the clouds. warm, bright sun and steamy asphalt. the scene reflected my mood and my spirit. not even the smile reflected back at me from the puddle can capture the words.

oh, and the steel you see above? more on that, later.

99

i knew i was in springfield when the clapped out camaro narrowly missed me by a whisker and i felt the cigarette butt hit my shoulder and fall to the wet pavement with a hiss. two wheels get very little love on this side once you cross under i-5, i contemplated throwing the car a double bird, but that would be as cliche as their juvenile act. i went ahead and did it anyway, then executed a well timed drop into a park to get to the spot. i was on extended lunch time hookie to meet with a couple of bro's about a project. backside gate entrance, bypass of the old guard dog who doesn't have much to say anymore and i lean the whip up against the shop space with the others. mid day coffee, steel tubing, geometry, dropouts, voodoo donuts and punk rock on vinyl make up the next hour of talking. all while standing trying to find a comfortable place to lean in a space filled with lathes, mills and presses. to say the crowd was knicker rich would be an understatement. it was like you had to be cut off just past the knees just to get into the clubhouse. there is some good stuff shaking out and the vibe was very good when i dipped back out the gate and back to the friendly confines of tracktown usa.

late edit: (98) tomorrow lewdogg, ticer and i are embarking on my first spring epic long run of the training season. last year for me, it was the triple bitch, this year it comes a month later in the form of a path mostly travelled before on two wheels. what a pleasure it is to be able to do this, much less be excited about the possibility of doing it. the barn is empty and i still have lots of hay to lay in.

loud

evidence of a rebellious youth spent. unlike so many other things in this place, the paint does not seemed to have faded over time.

i realized today that i miss far more than just the trails of the south. sweet tea, pulled pork, fried ocra, black eyed peas, collards in vinegar and, of course, hushpuppies...

pause (108)

coffee, blue grass and dash lights. loaded the whip under the cover of darkness with a plan to catch some fresh pow pow up at the pass. shriek of the kettle for the chemicals caused a sleepy head raising from the kitty, other than that, escaped with the bombshell in tow. sleet first, then snow before we even got to the res. quiet tones and careful driving. making early tracks on the roads as the sun started to rise showed me we would be one of the first. blew through two towns not yet awake and i knew it was on. up the lift i managed to start my day off by snagging my jacket on the lift chair during dismount. i got low scores for the crash landing, but went on undeterred. the float of freshies on the new board took a moment to get used to, but soon it settled in. Got in a solid few hours before others helped the slopes get tracked out. found several pockets to carve shin deep and then boosted out onto the groomers for some high speed quad tenderizing. sun and snow flurries the entire day, another gift from mother nature on our little hill.

Post Mountain found me in town for continuation of a beautiful sunny winter day. Temp was 38 but not a cloud in sight. shoes and funny hats for a run around town with friends both local and afar. gentle banter and footfalls. "what if's" and "what the fucks". it's amazing to me how easy a couple of hours can pass on foot.