Happy happy

New Year's Eve 2006

Yes, happy holidays and happy New Year. Heck, happy belated SolChrisHanZaa.

Quite a switch from my whinging and moaning last Thursday when I had to ride the bus to work (again) because our street was a skating rink (again) and I had to leave the bike parked at home (again). How is anyone supposed to get any base miles in the weather we've had the last three months? If frozen roads are the result of global warming, STOP DRIVING YOUR CAR so I can ride my bike!

Ah, but then there was the gift of New Year's Eve to lure me into forgetting recent weather transgressions. 93 blissful miles, in the sunshine, on the tandem. Who needs training camp in California or Arizona? It doesn't get much better than the views we had today of the Cascades AND Olympics, the bald eagle perched above the Sammamish Slough, the snow geese flying over the fields at Carnation Farms, the snow under the trees (and on the edge of the road) up at Snoqualmie Falls. Wintertime perfection.

And I learned a new dimension of something familiar. Being a tandem stoker is a lot about trust. I've learned to trust my captains in crits and in 60+ mph descents. But this weekend I had to trust my captain on icy roads. I am overly cautious when it comes to riding in wintery conditions, so it was tough to sit back and let someone else watch the road and decide what to do. Yeah, yeah, tandems have better traction. But ice is ice, and sliding and falling sucks. Happily, the riding was uneventful except for the beautiful scenery, some tough climbing, and great company.

In retrospect, the weather in the last three months has done a lot for periodizing my training. There were some forced rest days and weeks, and some shorter-than-I-wanted miles. But today was happy happy stoker miles. I've forgotten why I was whining last week.

Stoked I am

First day of winter 2006

It's a long sleigh ride to Eugene and back, but there's nothing better that Santa could've put "under" my Christmas tree!

Happy belated birthday

Thursday, 21 December

Sure enough, I moved on to black, in honor of .n.'s birthday earlier this month. No more hats for a while, I promise!

Crafty

Tuesday, 19 December



.black. is next.

New landscaping

Friday, 15 December

During the windstorm last night, the top of one of the madrona trees just south of us came crashing down onto our house, slid across our roof, and landed just outside our back door (note that the trunk landed conveniently in the yard waste bin). Somehow, the snoring next to me went on without interruption. Daylight will tell whether there was damage to roof or gutters, but I had to come to work where there is light and heat....and internet!

Knitting up a storm

Thursday, 14 December

I'm not the only blogger promoting...um...knit crafts. PruDog is in wool sweater mode. But I see that his pattern doesn't make small sizes.

Hats off

Wednesday, 13 December

I've given away 3 hats now, with a few more going out for Christmas. This softie (it's chenille yarn, with some really fuzzy blue trim left over from my scarf-knitting phase) might be the last one for awhile because I've got to move on to a baby blanket for a coworker.

Team issue

Thursday, 7 December

On a roll

Monday, 4 December

Anybody need a hat? I made this one during the second half of the Seahawks game last night.

Warm hat week

Sunday 3 December

After being thankful for my warm wool hats this week while I waited interminably for my bus (bike commuting being impossible, thanks to Mother Nature), I decided it was time to vent some pent-up energy by making Christmas presents. The kind that mad aunts make for their young nieces.

I've never made hats before and was pleased that the final version of this first one only took about two hours (never mind that the various beta versions brought the total up to more like ten hours). My nieces are twins, so now I have to make another one (brother dear, you are sworn to secrecy!). Better than watching the BCS selection on TV....