Aye!

Okay, so I haven't been posting. I know it. You know it.
I offered to someone that I would post more if she would take over all my other duties. No dice.

I have some photos of my recent trip to Colorado (and some video!) and of course, pretty much everything else I've done since May! I'll make a concerted effort soonly.

Hope y'all are enjoying your summer. In the meantime -- check this out:

1) You all (and the rest of my community) ROCK! I raised $5,500 for NCAC 2010. We're about to do our check giveaway next month and I can't wait!

2) NCAC 2011 is already up and running (riding?)! You can register or donate here.

3) NCAC changed its name to NorCal AIDS Cycle. It's nice that the name gives a hint of what we do. Stay tuned for a brand new website coming SOON!

4) In Fall of 2010, we're going to host a 1-day ride with a Metric century, a 30-miler, and a 15-miler -- family friendly! Great fun. Mark your calendar for Oct 9 and get ready!

5) A friend is gearing up to ride in 2011 and raise $40k for his 40th birthday! Check out his progress and help him out here. See his blog over to the right there.

I think that's it for now. Thanks for all your help in supporting NCAC 2010 -- exact amounts to be given out not determined yet, but I think we had a great year! Looking forward to the next.

Guess what??

No. You'll never guess. I'll just tell you.

After three years of trying, after watching EVERYONE else have success, even if they didn't intend to, and after almost giving up, I have real, live CALIFORNIA POPPIES in my backyard! It's a miracle! Right up there with walking on water and virgin birthin', I tell you whut.

I've been watching this plant grow with some curiosity for the last several weeks. It bears close resemblance to a prolific weed in my backyard, but I was willing to wait. Granted, this is the only thing that's flowering after I dumped a whole can of wildflower seeds out there, but I'm so tickled about this one little plant, I don't care. I wish I knew how to keep it alive! Any tips?

NorCal AIDS Challenge 2009 -- looking back

Success!

Not really my success per se, but there was definitely some success had this morning. I've been teaching some classes at the new West Sac Rec Center for a while now. There are 3-4 people who have been coming to classes since January, and 2 of them used to be in my cycling classes, so I've been working with them/working them for almost three years. Over the past 4 months or so, they've been making some great strides, and I tell them so. Stronger, more endurance, more fit, noticeable changes. They do not respond to my accolades.

This morning I said, "You know how sometimes you sort of notice a muscle and then remember that you're sore and what you did to make yourself sore?" And one of them said, "Sometimes I reach my hand up to my shoulder and I notice there's a muscle there! All those push-ups, I guess." The others chimed in: "oh yeah, I feel (this) muscle or (that) muscle." Someone said that people have commented on her arms and calves. I of course asked if they noticed her fabulous glutes.

Sometimes this gig gets frustrating and I wonder why I do it and whether all the time it takes it worth it. Sometimes it's really quite rewarding. And sometimes I get little notes thanking me for the time and effort I put into it (and the mind-power it takes to learn everyone's name!), which is also very cool. I'd quote from the note, but I'm guessing the writer is reading.

So anyway -- subtitle of this post: Women Over 50 (60?) Own How Awesome They Are!

Day Three, NorCal AIDS Challenge, 2009

May 16, 2009
Mileage: 87.43
Total: 283.08
Camp: Woodland, CA (Pioneer High School)

Day Three. Day three has some of the most beautiful riding of all four days. It also has the longest hill (not the biggest, but the longest), the most flat, most interminable orchard-covered miles, some of the most demoralizing miles, and by far the best of the three camping sites.

My mom said it's not fun for her to know what goes on in my head, so this post will be a little lighter on the self-revelation, and heavier on the ride descriptions, lest I get even deeper into the proverbial dog-house. Hi Mom! I also won't be talking about max speeds (only 33.4) or wanting to ride into traffic just to mix up the horrible droning of the orchard-miles (only once).

The morning starts in Colusa, with a great breakfast, a quick tent-tear-down, and for Bronwyn (of the recent bar-passing fame), a big hangover. I was glad to be leaving, and glad it was cool, as triple digits were expected later. I love the morning jitters -- seems like no matter how many days we wake up and ride, everyone is all aflutter before we start off. Joaquin does his thing where he tells us what we're in for (a big long hill and road construction), people yell this and that across the group (usually "where is so-and-so?!" and so and so is usually still eating breakfast or discovering that he has a flat tire), and then we can't hear much of anything as the Sisters start revving their engines.
Starting off:

One of the most amazing parts of these four days has to be Jerry Mitchell. Here's Jerry on Hawaiian shirt day:
Jerry made a bunch of signs that he and Steve held up as riders passed. A lot of them said something about "heroes." Jerry is a firm believer that everyone who supports this ride and puts themselves through these four days is a hero. He might be right (he might be wrong, I suppose), but seeing his signs and his big smile pop up on the lonely, empty farm roads . . . it's like a subtle reminder that we're all out there together, and for one reason. If he's not a hero, I don't know what is. (Click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see the signs)
Slingshot and Bronwyn hanging out at KC and Bronwyn's fancy ride. Slingshot is one of the Sisters and a fabulous person, to boot. And look at Bronwyn, still standing.


Should have gotten a photo while I was wearing my Rosie jersey from day two!

Close up:
Oohhh -- show us your stuff, Slingshot. Ann was on sunscreen patrol. If you didn't want to be coated with chemicals that had an spf rating of 30, you really had to run from Ann at some of these stops. Notice Ann's corsage. Today is Prom King/Queen day.

After that rest stop, we turned a corner to head up the big hill. It's 6-8 miles long (can't remember which), and just keeps going and going steadily upward.
Here I am climbing (a flattering shot).
And here's Amber and the McCalla brothers cresting the hill. Good job, folks.

Generally, the point of going uphill is the promise of the downhill. Generally, after climbing this hill, there's a fantastic downhill. Generally, there's no construction.
On this particular day, though, lots of construction. Here are the signs warning us that the downhill is not going to be as fun as we'd thought.A group of us got to the intersection where we were to turn left, and there was a looooonnnng line of cars waiting with a flagger holding a STOP sign. Only one lane was open, so cars in one direction had to wait while cars from the other direction crept by. After about 10 of us showed up (riding past all the stopped cars), the flagger switched his sign to slow, stopped all the cars that were dying to get the heck out of there, and let us all make our left turn, warning us that we were about to ride over about 100 feet of gravel. Skinny tires + loose gravel = danger. I took it slow and focused hard, and thought about the amazing trip down cache creek ahead.

My camera doesn't pick up the amazing colors and peacefulness and comparative fabulousness of this stretch of the ride. Try to imagine though.

Helmet-Cam! here are the folks coming up behind me -- Ron's at the lead.
Jeff looking back as the valley floor opens up.

Lovely!After this great stretch of road, we pull over for the Cache Creek rest stop. I'm pretty sure this is the same place I went camping about a gagillion years ago -- we got tubes and floated down the creek. It's a great place to hang out for a few minutes (and a weekend, for that matter).
Thug and Zephyr can attest to that:I love this shot. Emily struggling with Whit's car, doing whatever she's doing.
And then Jeff walks up, and he's certainly helping, but it's also like he's thinking, 'look at me, I'm a big strong man and I'm helping this young lady with her car. Here, young lady, let me get that for you. I'm a big strong man. Heh heh.' Love that Jeff.

So on we go. Emergency rest stop ala Darci, who has ice and lots of patience.
BIKE EVENT! Alas, these signs were all for the Davis Double Century. But at least they inspired some bike-awareness in the motorized vehicles.
Cache Creek Casino!
This part of the ride is HARD. Really hard. Coming off that amazing road with the lush greens, and the hills, and the, water . . . just such a great ride. And then it's flat and hot and the roads go on forever, and it's windy. Actually, you can bet right here that we are not riding into the wind, because when we were riding into the wind, Mindy offered to "pull" (that is, ride out in front so we could all tail off her), and as soon as we would turn and she would come up to the front to take her position, the wind would not be coming at us. This is usually the yickiest part of the ride for me, and doing for the third time, I was just counting my blessings to be among great folks.

Another KC Original. Lots of her photos, I don't know what she was thinking. Actually, lots of my photos, I don't know what I was thinking. This one, however, is no mystery. Here's why she took a photo of the Branigan's Turkeys Sign: About three weeks before Thanksgiving during out first year of law school, our Contracts professor paused for a moment to say that Thanksgiving is coming and recommended that we order our turkeys from Branigan's as they have the best turkeys around. KC must not have tuned this out, even though she does not eat turkeys and would not be ordering from Branigan's. It's pretty hard to tune out Prof Imwinkelreid, come to think of it.


Post-lunch ride -- Roger and Marion are the prettiest people to ride behind!

Dr. and Mrs. McCalla.Jim McCann and "Super Dave."
Ha. This is probably a common site. Heather in riding gear putting on lipstick. Joaquin's look is priceless, though.

Another emergency road-stop. Emily, Hali, Allison, and Janelle. We had JUST had a pull-over by Whit, Emily, Bronwyn, and KC, so we just waved at these kind folks and kept going.

The last few miles were longer this year -- we stopped at the fairgrounds in previous years, but this year, we went a few miles down to the road to Pioneer High School. And aren't we glad we did! Air conditioning that works, no swampy showers, a fabulous host, did I mention the A/C? We also had a huge gym at our disposal, where lots of folks opted to sleep so that they didn't have to set up their tents.
Here's Jeff, Amber, and Rick rolling on the foam-rollers.
Lots of people say they do the Ride for the food. I would't go that far, but the food was quite good this year (meaning: lots more vegetarian options and on this last night they had ice cream. Mmmm).
Ann on Prom night. Her husband Joaquin was not her date this time around. I guess he finds that funny. Doesn't she look lovely?

I guess I didn't get photos of all the prom dates. Oh! But I do have this great photo of the incomparable Jim McCann.
Here's the same Jim McCann telling funny stories at the evening program. How can you not love this guy?
Jonathan, Ken S, and Cornell Bernard. Not the greatest photo, but how cute are they??
Emily's evening program. She was more than exhausted and had to get up at 4 a.m. or something crazy, but she still sang for the folks who gathered.

Including Kelly! Always wearing or riding Orange, Kelly is. We met on my first ride in 2007 and we've been buds ever since. Even though Coral stole her away and I don't see her as much any more. I mean really, who goes to Hawaii with their girlfriend instead of hanging out in Sac with me? Psh. :)
And so ends the final night of NCAC 2009. There's only one Night Three and the exhaustion and questioning and relief sort of floats through the air as the sun mercifully sets. And on to Day Four, where we celebrate ourselves in a way that is only possible after such a journey.

The Fever Done Gone and Passeth

What do May 12, July 6, July 11, and July 17 have in common? They are all days, in 2009, on which I saw the Indigo Girls. Sacramento, Boulder, San Luis Obispo, and Grass Valley. Before I left yesterday for the WorldFest in Grass Valley -- which is still going on and won't wrap up until Monday -- I looked at the tour schedule. There are still tickets for tonight's show at the Saratoga Mountain winery (anyone want to go?). Then drove up into the Sierra Foothills for a big ol' hippie-fest. Or part hippie, part neo-hippie-fest. There was no order to the camping and no campsites: just find a place for your car and put up your tent. I did not have comfort or aesthetics in mind, knowing I would just listen to the music, get a little smitten, and then try to find my tent to sleep for a bit before driving home. The cute boys next to me were all about the commune and were there for the duration -- saving spaces for their more employed friends.

It's a bird, it's a plane. No. It's a drum circle. Go figure. One of many, actually.
I got to the main stage about 4.5 hours before the show, thinking I'd save my seat and go meander. Here's the scene I came across:
All these chairs are other people saving their seats -- but many of them have been saving since Thursday. You can go up, put your chair there, and leave it there for 4 days, coming back to see the music when you wish. There was no one there when I got there, so I did a little squishing and scootching and put my little crazy creek on the edge of the third row. Then I walked around to look at the dread locks, organic cotton, and dirty children. There was music playing all the time on any of the many stages around the fair grounds. Some of it better than others. Lots of impromptu drum/flute/spoon sessions. Lots of vendors selling things no one needs, but that look pretty dang fly in a haze of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and marijuana smoke.
I mean, who doesn't need a hand-painted lightbulb?
I thought these folks were kind of neat-o. I'm not sure if the wagon is to bring their instruments around the fairgrounds, or if they hook it to one of those bikes and travel that way. There's a band that does that, but I hope that their wagon-mechanism is a little more evolved than this.

First band up -- Del Castillo. I think that's Spanish for "Latin Machismo Incarnate." They were selling part-music, part-sex, and they had an air about them that made sure everyone knows that they know that everyone wants to have sex with them, and they are not choosy, but will have to finish their set first.

It took me a minute to figure out why I took this picture. But if you'll look in her right hand, you'll see that she's waving around a lit stick of incense.
You can tell a lot about people by their shoes.

And their white-boy dreads.

The folks above showed up for this band:
Apparently they've been playing together for over 40 years. It was interesting how the crowd changed with the bands.
This woman was rocking out and using her belly as an effective prop in her dancing.
Finally the sun went down and Indigo Girls came out of hiding from their bus:
And took to the stage. Truth be told, this was not my favorite among their shows. And I speak from experience. But Amy was digging that the people on the edge of the crowd were up and dancing -- she commented on it a couple of times and came over to 'our' side of the stage to rock out with us. Myself included. It was liberating to be at this concert, outside of my comfort zone, among a bunch of strangers, with no friend or companion or external-check. I danced like no one was watching. I know some of you know that I don't dance, but I kept reminding myself that whatever my inhibitions are, it didn't matter much. What did I have to lose? I looked like an idiot? I sang too loudly? I have no steps or rhythm or coordination or grace? So what! I was standing in the dirt with a bunch of people who were certainly not interested in what I was doing. Except for the man who gave me a talking to ("I have a ruptured ear-drum and you're going be the last straw to make it go." I don't even know what that means, but I guess he didn't like my whooping). And the girl who thought I was too tall to be in front of her.I think it was the only time I've been to one of their concerts and the audience was packed with a handful of people who were singing every song, a larger group of people who were into it, but just because it was good music, and a still larger group that didn't get what all the fuss was about -- and actually left early.
Oh, so the point. After all this. I decided that driving down to the South Bay for yet another concert on my own is too much. Though I would have liked to end my summer of the Girls at a better show, I think it's enough now. Enough.

But there are still tickets available. . . Aye.