Rise and Grind

So after 2+ weeks of rolling out of the rack whenever my eyes opened, 0600 was a cruel, cruel, unfunny joke this morning.
Junior Management looked like this...

I told them to go to bed last night, but NOOOOOO...they stayed up, whispering back and forth.
Not missing much today, nor tomorrow, anyway.  The weather is LOVELY out my office window right now.  Varying shades of gray.  Nothing more.  At least I don't have to leave the house...

Good, albeit cold, ride this weekend.
Friday, Il Prof and I rolled out into LR for some miles in the sun.  Yeah, it was sunny...and 35 degrees...with a 15-20mph wind out of the North.  We rode for about 2.5 hours, which was approximately the same amount of time it took for normal function to return to my hands once back at Service Course.

I didn't bother Saturday, as The Boss had plans for a little family adventure.
We loaded up and headed out to Kensington Mansion, out in Eastover.  If you live close by, and haven't been, it's worth the trip.  Big slices of American, Southern, and SC history are served up.
I can say, I'd been out there several times, but never in the house itself.  My college roommate's family owned the property for decades after WW2, and actually used the house as a barn of sorts.
They sold the property in the early 80s, and the house was restored to it's former glory by Union Camp Paper.
It's a little bit of an evocative place.  Go out there...stand on the grounds.  You can hear the voices of the past echoing through the Live Oaks.

Sunday, we met @ Hand,and rolled out into LR again.  40...cloudy...chilly...but dry.  Well, dry for a couple of hours at least.  We rolled around for a while, then the rain started.  Going from conversational pace, to a pace that could only be considered "less comfortable" didn't feel great.  Never does.  42 degree rain sometimes forces suffering upon you.
We got home, and we're better for the effort.  The Ridley however, was a hot mess. 

Christmas Break is over.  So good miles were had over the 2-1/2 weeks.  Regardless of weather, it's nice to ride in the daylight!  Guess that ends this week...

WC CX from Rome.  Full coverage, including the end of the Women's race.



Trek went first in the Women under Katie F'n Compton, and third in the men's under #svenness.  Welcome to the party! 

I guess Sven likes the Boone, as he trained 160km on it Friday.  Notice the lack of disc brakes...

As we know, I eschew "pro" bikes, but the new Belkin Bianchi is purty.  The New Movistar Canyon ain't too bad either...

 That being said, I covet Griepel's scoot.

I'm down with all of these...

Yes, that IS pink chrome.  And yes, All day...Every day...

And so the search for a new CX frame is further muddied.  Having trouble getting past the discs though...

Oh...look...blue sky...the weatherman was wrong...again...
Temps should fall all day today, until bottoming out tonight at 15-18 F.  Yeah, not cold by Upper Midwestern standards, but enough to make parts of my Southernized self draw up tight against my body...

Guess I'm on the turbo tomorrow night...(puke)

First Monday of 2014.  Get back to work!!!