A MAN A PLAN A CANAL PANAMA

That is: AMANAPLANACANALPANAMA. It's a palindrome, and one hell of a one at that. Kind of like RACECAR, only much cooler.

Anyway, I have a plan now. Sort of. That is, a training plan. Harlen is letting me in on his little secrets of advice, which is awesome, because I've got determination and dedication, but I tend to lack direction. So instead of riding myself into the ground all the time this season, I'm going to ride myself into the ground scientifically. I'm excited. And he's not really making me take rest days, just a couple days of easy spinning around town. Alex said to just ride around with a cup of coffee, so that you can't really get out of the saddle or sprint or anything, 'cause then you'd spill your coffee. That's a pretty good version of a PowerTap, I think.

A couple weeks ago was Race #1 of the 2009 season, which I tend to still write as 2008, which I think is a widespread problem. I think people generally get the hang of it around mid-February. But in the mean time, it's Jan. 16, 2008. Fuck. 2009. Right.

Snake Creek Gap, part one of a three part series. It was awesome. Held somewhere around Dalton, GA, the course was super, with lots of singletrack, and good climbs, and fun traversey sections, and a good crowd of people. I raced my singlespeed, because that's all I have right now, and despite what everyone said, a 32-17 turned out to be ok. I think it'll be even better for Part 2 and Part 3, you know...when I'm a little more in shape and such. Fatty McButterPants here, all winter-styled out. I think I got 2nd to Carrie Lowery, if that's how you spell her name, who is one of those awesome, badass, professional women that I look up to. So that's ok. The weather was in the 50's and it was all misty, so that was even better than ok, it being January and all.

I rode most of the 34 miles with Doug [I never know if it's appropriate to use peoples' last names without their permission, so I'll leave this one out. If you know him, you know him...] who is one of those awesome, badass, not professional at all men that I look up to. He usually has a wad of chew in his mouth and a bottle of wine in his hand directly following the race. He's cool. Also, all the Yazoo guys were there, and the NC version of Yazoo, the newly formed Pisgah Brew Crew, so it was pretty much a good party scene as well. Good race, good post-race...I'm already rediculously excited for the next one.

Last week there was a classic group ride out of the Fish Hatchery. I hadn't been on a group ride with kids my own age for over a month, so I was hurting for one. And this group was 75% Floridians, which means it was awesome. Dan Guiness Ennis and Chris Janaeskiwekiskzie97838kdisk and that guy who rides La Ruta six times a year, and Alexis and Nate Dog (not Dawg) and Thomas and such, and it was great. Followed by El Chapalas, and the wondering why it's El and no La Chapalas, and it turned out to be a great day. Oh group rides. So good for the soul.

Not good for the soul is temperatures below 25, which is what it is today, and what it was yesterday. Yesterday I rode Bent Creek and whined, today I townied all over the place with, like, 4 sweatshirts on, and it was fun. Tomorrow, I'm going to make people go ride Laurel with me. I'm going to go fast up it, and try to clear Pilot. Which won't happen.

In the meantime, I'm trying so hard to find a stupid job. Which is really, really hard, and really hurts the ol' ego being rejected all the time, and I really do dislike not working. I'll keep trying, and keep hoping that Obama creates some sort of neo-CCC thingy, and employs a bunch of healthy youngsters like myself to do pointless things like move big rocks from here to there. That would be sweet.

Otherwise, just waiting for spring. Three more weeks til our Homebrew is ready to drink (a Nut Brown, yum...) and a couple more weeks and we'll start some plants indoors, and then there's 12 hours of Santos mid-February, which will be like a Pseudo-Spring, and then it'll be almsot Spring here, and Landscaping places will be hiring, and daylight will last forever, and so will smiles.

Word.

A man a plan a canal. Panama.