The 5-Boro Bike Tour

Today goes down in history as my first lengthy pedaling endeavor via pavement. A few months ago when I saw a subway ad for the Five Boro Bike Tour, I thought to myself: self, this might indeed be an interesting way to get to know your neighbors. All 8 million of them. So, The Little Mule(that's what I call my two wheeled commuting compadre) & I signed up.
This morning at 8 am, 31,000 of my closest friends and I were cut loose on the streets, highways and byways of NYC to complete a 42 mile bike tour of Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn & Staten Island. See map & Info Link below.
http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/fbbt/

As riders rode past the starting gate, they were asked to shout where they were from, while the event chair announced them over the loudspeaker: "India, Greece, Australia, Italy, China, and Reno," to name but a few worldly locales...Now the event participants ranged from groups of friends employing silly themes (the sombrero wearers were my favorite, although the group dressed as flamingos was a close second), families with kids, team riders/racers, and of course, the rest of us who fall somewhere in between.

Anyway, the tour was great and I had a blast. It was fun to roll The Little Mule for such a long journey, and she did not disappoint (though my leg power did about mile 35). I had fun, avoided being in the midst of the many frightening collisions I was unfortunately privy to witness, and even kept up nicely with Team Saucy-Neon-Pink-N-Green-Spandex on my single speed. All kinds of people lined the streets and front yards encouraging us on, kids handed out candy and water, cheerleaders were, well, cheering, as well as the occasional street corner music group doing their thing.

Also, I have to commend The City for putting on a well organized and safe event. They had all the roads blocked off and NYPD on every corner. There were ample rest stops with free food and water, live music & a festival at the end. Not too shabby! I will do it again next year, though I have decided to recruit some willing friends to come with. Pony up folks. I have also decided to acquire a real road bike (since there seems to be a striking absence of mountains out here) and shoot for a century race this fall.

I have some great race shots on my camera phone, but haven't worked out how to download them as of yet. I will post an addendum once I figure it out. But now, as my weary bones are ready to drift off to sleep, I will leave you with some highlights from my own personal winner's podium:

Little g's congratulating Big G


Ready for a slice & a Pabst


Eye of the Tiger (like the Survivor song, you know?)

Derbyriffic in NYC

Well, not everyone can be as shining an example as The Colonel himself...but if there is one thing we have in common, it's to enjoy a fine specimen of equine gallantry. I am, of course, speaking of The 134th annual Kentucky Derby, not biscuits and Cole Slaw, lest you should be confused.

One can, however, invite a few fine folks over to celebrate the big day at Churchill Downs with Mint Juleps, Derby Pie and maybe an itsy-bitsy wee little betting pool...well, we ARE from Nevada, you know. We put a warning against the evils of gambling here for you kids to read...

My bride, not a Kentuckian by nature, decided to christen our first NYC Derby Day by inviting friends over for cordials. As you can see in this photo, she is about to serve up our interpretation of the state beverage...not that alot of hard research was conducted. When in Rome and all that...

Our neighbors arrived looking mighty "Rico Suave" for the occasion...perfect!

And, here is the rest of the party, conducting themselves in ways becoming of young Southern Genteel folk...

Even The Dudes joined in the fun...

A grand time was indeed had by all; wish you could have joined us! Salutations from your hostess...

Luck be a Lady

In the spirit of our unseasonably warm weather (80 degrees today!) we decided that as self-respecting New Yorkers, we should pay a visit to one of the icons of our great nation! No, it wasn't the Pope (who just happens to be in town), our beloved Senator (don't really know where she is, but just follow the mudslinging), nor even our self-liberated Governor (God bless his cheatin' heart)...

It was the real deal, Lady Liberty. And, we discovered that for about $100 a family of four can enjoy a nice harbor cruise with spectacular views of Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. Or, you could do what any self-respecting New Yorker does...and take the Staten Island Ferry that basically follows the same route, for FREE!!! Keeping along the cheapskate lines, here is a miniature travelogue of our adventure:
Hold me close up, tiny dancer...

If you build it, they will come. Or go. You know. Whatever.

Jessie & Wyatt lovin' the Lady.

All jest aside, no matter what politics you subscribe to, she won't be denied...

Team G enjoyin' the ride.

We stopped to sniff the Tulips across the street from our house and, Wham! These two cute kids came outta nowhere and stole the show!

Home again, home again jiggity jog.

Welcome to the Jungle

So our first Broadway experience was not a Broadway version of a Guns n' Roses montage, as the title may suggest(though who wouldn't love to see the Broadway rendition of Axl, Slash & Co.)?
Tsk, tsk. No heavy metal concerts for the lads just yet(guess we were a bit premature on the leather pants purchase). Just a little good old fashioned Disney fun with "The Lion King:"

http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelionking/

Who doesn't love a heartwarming tale of patriarchal birthrights, deep loss and surprise reformation? An age old tale fit for, well, at least Team G. Grammie Connie was kind enough to treat us to a bit o' The King on her recent visit and we gave it two thumbs up; the costumes, stage management, lighting and choreography were all outstanding and breathtaking. The music itself was, well, almost as if it had been written entirely by Elton John...

But, the Broadway experience was in and of itself worth going. Again and again. The twins were on the edge of their seats the entire time, and I must say the adults also found the performance quite riveting. The sheer amount of time, effort, money and money that must have gone into a production of this magnitude is phenomenal. The stage management was seamless, dancing & choreography detailed and intricate, and the costumes incredible. We would recommend going should you be in town, and who knows, we might be talked into joining you! Thanks again to Grammie Connie for the tickets (and, of course, trekking all the way to New York to accompany us)! PS--I chose this picture because of the look on the little goofball on the right's face (closest to Mary). Priceless 4 year old charm...guess we're not ready for those kiddie model headshots yet.

Empty Calories & Full Lives

Ahhhh. Remember the carefree days when we could ingest trans-fat, polysaturated fat, palm kernel oil, and even (Gasp!)partially hydrogenated things? Before Oreos, Hostess, &Lil' Debbie had gone the way of the dodo and were replaced with funny little guys called edamame, flax seed, & acai berries? Well, here is a salute to those who once celebrated the fine epicurean merit of good-old-fashioned fat. Hat's off, and pounds on, to the clever ad execs who came up with these ones. Now, if you have been feeding your brains with lots of lard (and I don't just mean political ad campaigns), can you determine the relationship between these two ads? Hmmmmm. Now that's what I call a think-tank approach...

The Vermont 50 MT Bike

Here is a shout out to my mountain biking peeps coast to coast. In an effort to gain a more intimate relationship with my newfangled East Coast Roots, I have decided to enter what I understand is one of the best rides/races this side of the rockies. Not as gruelling or intense as the Leadville 100, but still a challenge and should be quite fun. 50 miles in under 12 hours. Should be do-able, right? We are going to make it a family camping and cheering on affair from Sept. 27th 2008 until Sept. 29th 2008. Click here for more info:

http://www.vermont50.com/index.html

I know attendance at this race for most of you is highly unlikely, but just thought I'd throw the invite out there in case you want to come view the fall foliage. You can ride it, run it, relay it, or drink beer on the sidelines and cheer me on. I will be needing all the support I can get, trust me (and if you want to help push me up the hills, I wouldn't complain).

Anyway, I'm super excited about it and am throwing any and all excuses out there for potential visitors! As motiviation for this event, I would like to leave you with this pearl of wisdom:

She's All Growed Up...Sniff...

I know, I know. More bike stuff. Some might call it a bit obsessive. I like to think of it as more like, a deep and unabiding affection. Of course, that's also what Tanya Harding probably said about Nancy Kerrigan. Well, either way, the Silver One (I have been in such awe, I haven't had time to find a proper name) is about 75% finished. Replaced the bars, seat and seat post on this outpatient visit. The next overnight stay will require a more invasive procedure to replace the stem, headset, cranks and bottom bracket. In her new Carbon Fiber gear, she is sure to look hotter than David Hasselhoff in a Speedo.

As if.

Check it out: