The happenings between Bubba in the Dark and Sate Cross...and now for that matter

I was doing so well at updating this turd... well, I guess I can't be perfect at everything. There has been some cool stuff happen since the 16th of November. Most notably, Thomas and Micah came to visit for Bubba in the Dark. Micah came to race, Thomas came to heckle; they both came to rock out!

It was cold as ballz the evening of the Night Bubba, but Micah and I were packing embrocation, and Thomas was packing no fewer than 3 beers on his person, and a loaded flask to boot! We were also warmed by the many spectators; I am proud to say 15 of which were members of my personal fan club. I had a bunch of buddies from school come out and freeze their tails off to watch quite possibly the craziest thing they have ever witnessed on two wheels.

A handful of the crew came back to the house to celebrate w/ chili and buffalo chicken-dip galore. After dethawing a bit, the real party started. By 1 am, the Logan crowd had retreated, K and the dogs had passed out, and then there were three. Thomas hung strong until 3:30 or better, but quickly retired after pounding several liters of water. Micah and I were in awe of THIS little device I picked up earlier that day. Three bottles of wine and a sunrise later, we finally passed out at 6:45. Unfortunately, Micah had borrowed a bike, so we had to get it back to the fellow (Thanks Claw, you are the Man!) before his race. This was 11am. I am not the greatest w/ math, but that isn't much time for the liver to do it's magic and metabolize the sinful substance we had drown ourselves in just hours before. So, Thomas drove, Micah and I acted giddy, and the good times continued.

There are some pics of the race on stlbiking.com, but none of them are of me, so why would you even bother? This pic was taken early on Saturday. Thomas had an entire crab stuck in his throat from the airport; this is my valiant attempt to retrieve it.



My visit w/ the dudes was awesome! I wish it could happen more often. One day when we are wiping our butts w/ dolla' dolla' bills, we can fly all over to hang out for random weekend fun.

K and I cashed in on a little retreat as well. We kind of traveled back in time to a place that doesn't matter if you turn your assignments in on time or attend the weekly meeting. Our cabin and breakfast were amazing; traveling through wine country w/ 25 degree weather is interesting however. I didn't seem to mind too much, but it wasn't K's idea of a great time.



This was our retreat...pretty rustic huh?



This isn't so rustic;)



We had the fire roaring all weekend which made K happy...I just liked the crackle of a real fire. Our gas fireplace is nice, but to smell the seasoned wood, and hear the fire interact w/ it's surroundings is meditative.
If you didn't notice from the sweet pic of T and I (and K and I... see how smart I am? I refer to everyone by the first letter in their name!), I was sporting a pretty phat beard. This was a product of the 2008 edition of No Shave November. This season brought a new spin to the buzz phrase: charity. The founding fathers (Steveo, Cam-boy, and I) took NSN school wide and took donations. Seeing that we are the Logan Llamas (hey, our mascot will spit on your mascot!), we only found it appropriate to donate a llama to a needy family in South America. I think we actually raised enough money for two llamas. If you think I am joking, or just plain rediculous, go HERE ... you see, the llama is like a membership to the jelly of the month club; it is the gift that keeps on giving!



Founding Fathers...and their sweet T's.



The camera loves me



We started a transportation service called Stache Charters...who wants a ride?

And then there was State Cross: I will let the pictures speak for themselves



Just a note, this was the first lap...what the hell was I thinking?



At least my facial expressions are consistent.

All in all, the race was a top-notch event. Jeff Yeilding did an amazing job as usual. The course was fun as it was brutal, and the fans on the stairs were very much appreciated (and needed!).



We recently discovered Paola is a closet case drunk. This is good news for me, because I was trying to rationalize all of the empty bottles around the house. Turns out I am okay, but the kitty begins AA meetings later this week. Do you think she subscribes to "a bit of the hair of the dog who bit her"... I can attest, she certainly does!

We are starting finals at school...Yay! I love exams. Actually, I love what comes after exams which in this case is a trip to Florida.

Other quick items to address:
- K received the Master Teaching Award and is slated to speak in Vegas for the acceptance of said award...I am going to try and go too!  Thomas, where was that magical elevator again?  I am super excited she was nominated (silently) and proud she won this award.  It is kind of a big deal...

- Happy birthday Brian Dziewa

- Turkey Day was good, we hiked, we ate, we slept.

That is all... see how much easier it is to update weekly? Yes I do.

Bubba @ Suson

Quote of the season "I am going to spoil all of childhood memories of my favorite St. Louis childhood parks". I can remember going to Suson often as a child, to visit the animals, climb around in the playground, and run around on the open grounds...well, we did plenty of "running around" on open ground today! Honestly, I wanted to vomit the first 5 laps... finally I got into a groove.



The course was good: soft, but good. Lots of twists, turns, ups and downs. This week did not feature the infamous "Stairs of Death", but it did feature an uphill barrier-->180-->reverse 180-->uphill that killed me every lap. I was actually good until we got through the start/finish area. The network of twists and turns featured extremely soft ground, which drained the battery power out of my legs as each lap card fell.



More pre-killer 180 hill craze pics. I really began losing spots in laps 4-6 or so, but made a little come back. This is my second worse finish of the year, but I don't like soft ground or hills, so back off!



I finally got my legs back, but they continued to tire each lap. Not even the cowbells could resuscitate me.



So, here I am sitting in my compression hoes trying to recover from the brutal rape and pillage my body received today. I am calling JASON OZENBERGER out to come race next weekend. It is supposed to be warmer, and you and Alicia will have more baby sitters than you could imagine. So, rum and coke...do it, DO IT!

On another note, have you ever noticed that every other country in the world dies from diseases of deficiency... lack of good quality food, good water, poor healthcare, and lack of understanding. Why is it that every disease in our country is a disease of excess? Diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, alcoholism, emphysema and others. Seems a bit unbalanced, huh? Of course, if we just tried to balance out the world's health by sending them more food, our health care (or illness care), and what we believe we understand, the planet would go to hell in a hand basket. Sorry, not hating on our country, just the bone-head people in it that eat, smoke, and drink themselves to death... literally. "Oh, heart disease runs in my family...ohh, my mom and dad were both Type II diabetics...my entire family is fat; I guess those are the cards I was dealt." In the words of Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds... "bu bu bu bullshit!" Get off your duff, begin eating better, decrease --> eliminate the toxic substances you cram down your pie hole and quit doing things known and proven to kill you! It is sad that we have to make caskets the size of a 77 Cadillac to accommodate some of the fat-asses that pass away from choking on a chicken bone, when our "brothers from another mother" in a less developed country gasp their last breath of air hungry, dehydrated, and desperate.

I do not lack empathy, I just absolutely despise helpless people...sorry if I offended anyone. K made me watch this episode on the tv about the fattest people in the world...bet you can't guess where they were from:)

Crossin' it up

So, in this edition of cross race-STL, you basically ride around in circles just like any other race. Here you can see me taking a pull w/ my buddy Jay...Jay and I have seemed to find each other the past two weeks and work our way through the field together.



This was a major difference in the other cross races so far...there has been many nicknames given to this beast (that one may work too), but I like to call it the moveable mountain.



Ok, so it isn't as tall as Everest, but after a few laps, I bet it is close to the demands of the Asian wonder of the world. This is me ascending the stair-case.



And preparing for descent... notice my landing gear is not attached. You see, the flyover (aka platform on top) was not very long, so you had to remount immediately, put your feet in the vicinity of your pedals, and get off your seat as quickly as possible in order to clean the transition at the bottom of the down ramp. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the ground, snapping a fork, or the day's favorite... destroying a seatpost. The stairs claimed several victims on Sunday, thankfully I wasn't one of them.



As Josh came around me, I dug a bit deeper and tried to hold his wheel for a bit. I kept him in sight for about a lap, and with his help I moved up a little. I was beginning to fall into a little groove; Jay and I were closing in on a few peeps. Jay crashed or mechanicaled (wow, what a word...almost as cool as bikleing) and I pulled away for just a minute or two. He caught back on in the sand pits and we began rocking again. Next lap I dropped my chain just before the pits, which was the pits, and I had to get off my bike to fix it. Come to find out a lap later I had kicked my front D and couldn't shift into my big ring... that made the chase very interesting.



A lap or two later (mind you we only have 3 to go at this point) I really began closing in on Jay, spinning @ 200+rpms... he held me off through the pits, the start/finish, and the barriers, but I caught him and passed him on the asphalt climb on the backside of the course.



I kept on the gas and managed to hold him off, unfortunately it wasn't for much...9th place is all I could offer my efforts. This is a good peak at the sand pits in the closing laps.



The good:
- I am feeling better each week
- my riding is getting a bit better each week... I am sure Josh would argue I use my brakes too much still, but I am working on that. When I get my tubies back on, we will start talking no brakes!
- I get stronger throughout the race

The bad:
- my starts still kind of suck; I need to change this before state, as I got myself a sweet starting spot.
- I am on the brakes too much, and not pedaling enough... hopefully the tires take care of that.
- my back is still pretty weak. I better get that in check before Herman too!

All in all not too bad. K and I kind of hunkered down over the weekend and chilled around the house. We had a gang of leaves to rake, which I may have some pics of somewhere. This coming weekend we are staying in a cabin that my siblings and nieces reserved for us last Christmas... should be fun. It is in the heart of wine country out off Hwy 94. Suson is next weekend, so that should be good as well. I haven't been to Suson Park since I was 9 probably.

I am really boring these days. Maybe if I didn't stay up so late studying this eve, I would be wittier.

Bubba # 3, Mucho Gusto e' Mucho Better!

This edition of Bubba was much more enjoyable for myself. I must have really been "off" last week, because I felt like a new person. Maybe it was my top secret race mods I made to my bike the night before...I still don't have everything together for that, but I am working on it. I really liked the Faust course last year, and this year proved to be just as painful w/ a few different arrangements. The course featured many of my favorite elements of cross...costumes, bull-horns, cow-bells, and boozers!

This section was crazy...I never did get the hang of this double 180, and it may have cost me a spot or two. Better gearing would have helped, but when you play bike shop late the night before, options are limited...lesson learned.


Much of the course was tortuous and bumpy, but I enjoyed this particular section as I had a dense (and by dense, I mean K, my buddies Steve and Cameron, Parker and Payton) cheering section. Cameron attempted to moon me, but couldn't get his belt down in time...it is a shame, because I was actually watching...and waiting:)


It doesn't get much better when you find two pics from the same cross race and both of them you are grinning ear to ear.

Oh, I almost forgot...Halloween was fun too! If you remember from my Nov 1st-ish post of 2006, I am technically supposed to still be grounded from All Hallow's Eve...I decided to go against my own punishment and have a good time.

This is my pal Steve and some guy I really don't know. He was kind of creepy.


A pic of the dudes before we hit the party...well, we were partying already, but you know what I mean.


K was a lady bug, and she must have been flying around all night, because I haven't seen a pic of her yet...if I come across one, I will post it up. You can't tell, but I actually pulled a costume switch-a-roo...I am now Tom Cruise from Risky Business...I had the dance down and everything. But then again, what dance do you not have down at the end of an evening such as this? This pic is kind of like "Where's Waldo?" except I like to call it "Where's Weirdo?" Can you pick him out?

Yeah, amazing I as even able to race cross on Sunday...consequently, we had originally planned on racing in Columbia on Saturday. I bet you can guess where I was;)

I updated my link bars just a bit...just for you! And me, it will save me precious Internet surfing time!
That's all for now...the less I promise, the more I deliver!

Qucik Catch Up

Not much new in the life of the Kippenbergers...a few mid term exams, some dog running, some bikiling, and a little hanging out. I raced last weekend, and got absolutely slaughtered! I am not sure what happened. I have been feeling pretty decent on the bike, but I felt like a pile of poop @ Spanish Lake.







None of these pics officially demonstrate the amount of pain and agony I felt, so I guess my poker face is still pretty solid. I crashed twice for no reason...I assume I was fighting fatigue and it got the best of me. Regardless, I had fun; I am heading to BoCoMO for more pain tomorrow, then back here to STL for Faust Park CX.

I did some top secret race-mods to my steed last night (which kept me up way too late), so I am hopinig that helps out a bit. That reminds me, I need to glue a tubular as soon as I get home, b/c on my last lap at the cross ride last night, I ate shit going up hill and rolled a tubie! How is that even possible? Micah?

Well, that is about it. I have finally touched base w/ Micah and Thomas...still playing a game of phone tag w/ the Teej...Lance, if you are reading this entry, lay off my boy a bit, so I can get my fix!

Lost and Found

I have certainly been a stranger lately to many; however I have not been lost. I believe preoccupied may be a better descriptor of my life. As per usual, school is blah, blah, blah and work was blah, blah, blah...now, on to our not so regularly scheduled programming.

I remember promising a certain picture dump of all the things of new around the house...well, that day will come possibly sooner than later. Who am I kidding, you will never get to see that. I do have some pics for your viewing pleasure, so without further adieu:



- State track was amazing! I learned a lot racing w/ the likes of Tom Brinker and Russ Murphy...there were some fast cats from Australia as well, racing for the newly updated Lindenwood Cycling team.

- Pic of Tom and I in the points race maybe? I am not sure.




- We headed down to the river in July to show all the kids from Logan a good ol' fashioned Rolla good time...I think I managed to have the best time on the river period!





See above caption for description...yeah, I really did have the most fun.





This is my buddy Steve and I at Chiro Games...think of it as the Chiropractic Olympics. I ran a 5k and a 5 mile race...yeah, that is right, I ran. I held a pretty decent pace for the 5k, and finished in 18:39...my 5 mile on the other hand kind of stunk, as I came in @ exactly 35 min. Bummer. Maybe next year I will actually run more than a few times and see how that pans out. The top 3 were pretty much pre-decided...I took 7th, and probably could have trained well enough to take 4th. Something to shoot for, if you are into running.





The Logan Boys @ Castlewood. We get out when we can. The mountain bike and cx bike have been the steeds of choice since track ended. I am still running a bit too. Yoga rounds off my workout regimen...I may even start lifting again?!?





This was the best part of the Tour of MO...standing across the finish from this guy...look at that sexy biatch!


Speaking of sexy, look at those Chops! K looks ok too...ok, K upholds the sexiness, and my chops are a very close second:)

So, that is what I have been up to. I have some pics of the house, some bike stuff, winery visits, and BBQ's yet to load up. Those will come.

This week is the famous SORSI homecoming. I will be in seminars from Wednesday to Sunday. Saturday night, we get all fancied up and go to a banquet and dance. Maybe I will take some pics of that too. Anyway, I would really like to post on this thing more often, so Email me and heckle me about it ever so often.

Thanks

Well, it has been a while

They say the first post back is the most difficult. Well, here goes nothing.

Needless to say, much has happened since April. Probably too much to add to this one blog post: there has been a little bike racing (mostly track), a little working on the house, a lot of schooling, and nightly dog wrestling.

Track season has come and gone w/ out a single solitary post from myself...shame on me. I had an absolute blast. Track has stolen my heart as my favorite form of bicycle racing. Cross seems to be a worthy second, which is just on the edge of the cliff. Maybe I will post something about cross before Froze Toes 09...only time will tell.

I have many projects that have commenced here at the house, however, none are 100% finished. I will post some pics, and hopefully finish some of these projects in a relatively timely manner.

School: where do I begin? Nothing has changed here. It is still the same kick in the pants it always is. I am still enjoying what I am doing, but this past trimester I think I developed seniorosis (read this for the difference...if you don't care, skip to the end of the parentheses--New research has lead medical professionals to realize that in the majority of patients (about 90%)who come in with "tendonitis" the problem is no longer tendonitis, but tendonosis which is a degenerative condition of the tendon.
Tendonosis is characterized by degeneration of the collagen fibers in the tendon (the fibers that provide the tensile strength), tendon weakness, abnormal growth of unhealthy blood vessels through the tendon, and most importantly no inflammatory cells. Basically the nice straight strong fibers of collagen become a tangled mess of strings with little pockets of "jelly" and small weak blood vessels. If you look at pictures of a healthy tendon it will be white and glistening, tendons with tendonosis are dull and brownish. Keep in mind that this is not an inflammatory process, so there is no reason for anti-inflammatories or injections.
Tendonosis is a more difficult problem to heal with only an 80% chance of resolving. Typical tendonosis can take anywhere from 8 weeks to 9 months to resolve depending on how long you have had the problem. There are quite a few treatment options out there right now but the best protocol seems to be: Relative rest, ice, friction massage, and exercise. I will go over each of these steps for you...
-Relative Rest: What this means is do NOT stop using the injured tendon - disuse leads to the tendon losing more strength - tendons need load on them to maintain and gain strength. You should decrease your activity level though, and try to avoid activities that severely irritate the problem.--that's right, not senioritis...I am such a dork!) So yeah, I am kind of burnt out. Along w/ the class load, I hosted 2 seminars, took part in 4 others, raced some weekends, worked on the house others, and only had one weekend completely to my (our) self(ves) this past trimester. So, this is the eve of my last day of break...ever; that is, until I graduate. Crazy huh?

TOM begins tomorrow; Thursday a group of us are heading down to St. James to party w/ the big wigs. We will likely catch the St. Chuck and STL stages as well. Should be great.

Well, I am going to quit while I am ahead. Maybe, just maybe you will see some posts from me in the near future. As usual, do not count on it!

New Additions

There are new things happening around the Kippenberger household once again. We have been gingerly working on our downstairs bathroom; originally we were going to plop a claw-foot tub to make a little nostalgic centerpiece to our basement. However, after the demo began (and after we already bought a claw foot tub), we found a little treasure...2 66x36 shower pan, already prepped, plumbed, and drained.



So, we took advantage of that and began hanging the necessities to make it a functional shower. We are now thinking of a zen-spa theme. Originally, we had planned on creating a full redwood shower, treating it w/a marine grade sealer, and having a truly unique escape from reality...that didn't work out, but we still have something cool up our sleeves.



Stay tuned for pictures of the finished product soon!



This was the beginning of making our house more "Zen"...not really, we just like green, and our porch was super cluttered.



Almost finished product...I have already eaten, studied, and drank wine in this cozy little corner.



So, this is probably the biggest change in the house...meet Payton, Parker's new little bro. He is a pretty good little guy, but he has been a little butthole too!



They pretty much took to each other immediately, and the kitty doesn't seem to mind him either. They have taken over our couch, and I am watching them reverse spoon right now as I type this.

Payton was supposedly kennel trained...well, after two sleepless nights (and I really mean that...six hours of non-stop howling), we created this little situation. We took all of K's shoes out of her closet, laid down some foam, put this handy dandy gate up, and viola! K gets to come to bed after midnight, if she has been nice to me that day;)

That is about it right now. I am in the middle of finals and hating my life. My skin disease was almost completely gone, when all of a sudden it popped back up this morn. I must have ate something w/wheat in it. Oh yeah, I have been going through this elimination diet, and wheat is certainly one of the culprits. Go to www.deflame.com if you have any weird issues that seem undiagnosable/unresolved. Great website. Anyway, obviously I am still trying to figure out what the HE double hockey-stick is wrong with me. It may have been a little sugar induced outbreak...I did eat about a 1/3 of a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I almost forgot, I raced at Tilles over the weekend, and I rode my bike over 100miles last week! Better watch it, I am coming back fast! I got to see the Teej, which was good. He is riding really well right now...another guy who is riding well is the cup of coffee himself, Brian Java. Congrats to him for soloing away from the field, and riding in for victory. More posts very soon. I will have nothing else better to do other than ride, play on the internet, and watch movies very soon!

Thank the Lord!

Well, since I really don't ride bikes any longer, I have decided to begin ranting on a regular basis...so, here it goes.

To all the parents out there: take a peak at THIS link. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article: "Fevers, or elevated temperatures, are good. Fever is the body's mechanism for fighting infections-speeding up metabolism to increase heart rate and blood supply where it is needed, producing more white blood cells to devour pathogens, and increasing antibody responses to infection. Fevers should not be suppressed with fever-reducing medication (antipyretics). Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin have no place in the home treatment of fevers below 105°F (40.5°C). A child with a fever higher than 105°F should be under medical supervision because a serious infection such as meningitis may be the cause, but only fevers beyond 108°F (42.2°C) have been known to cause brain damage. If your baby under three months of age has a fever or seems sick and lethargic, see your medical provider."

This goes back to a few posts ago...see my rant about immunizations. People get really bent out of shape when they start getting a hint of a cold. What people don't realize is that when you start manipulating a fever, supressing a cough, or taking NSAIDS to reduce aches and pains, they are actually prolonging the process of healing. Sure, tylenol has been shown to reduce fevers, but it most certainly doesn't provide a vehicle for the "bad bugs" to be removed from the body.

These are the kind of articles I think people should be issued at every Dr. Visit. I feel like the health care industry does a poor job educating their patients. There is a wealth of resouces available regarding health, illness and disease, but many practitioners fail to deliver this information. Anyway, I guess I am suggesting for people to inform theirselves, because your care-giver will likely speak over your head, leave you in a state of fear, and treat you for the same thing over and over again (*note, I am bashing my own profession too!)

- The Colonel

BTW, though I haven't been riding, I am not just sitting around getting fat. I have been running and doing some core stuff still, and working my tail off around my house...pics coming soon!

Quickie

I am beginning to recover from the lashing I took only a week ago (seems like an eternity, and probably will until I get my scores); I have dusted off my road bike and began riding again...better watch it, signs of the tan lines are already emerging. I rode 3 hours on Thursday w/ a buddy from school (and his buddy from Ohio) through the lovely urban countryside of St. Albins. The roads are great really, and the drivers are actually courteous. All of the roads are one lane, twisted and hilly. I cracked at 2 hrs and 15 minutes (moving up in the world!) and we crawled back in. Just after showering, we all headed (K met us there) to an Irish Pub called Clancy's. The food was good, the drinks were better, but the service was kind of off. They were out of virtually everything, including TP in the ladies room...if you don't already know this, you should never mess w/ a woman's TP.

We headed down to R-town for Easter festivities, which commenced w/ a ride abreast Dr. Peterson. Keith and I did about 4 horus, which I began to crack at about 2 hours, but sat up and soft pedaled through it and was able to pick the pace back up in the third hour. Keith went on ahead of me for a little bit while I pussy-footed around, and then we rode it back in together. It was really nice to get some sun on my legs! I love this time of year, when you are comfortable in shorts and arm warmers.

Saturday began cold and lazy...I can't even remember what we did really, but I do remember going for a short hard run right before dinner. I think it was just shy of 4.5 miles, but I only ran for 28 min...that isn't fast by a runners stand point, but it almost made me throw up so back off!

Here are some pics of K's new car...


Yeah, that's right...sliding rear door, 3rd row of seating, and enough compartments to store 100's of dead ba....wait, I mean to store stuff. Anyway, she is a soccer Mom w/ some pizzaz. No, we are not pregnant...that has been the first thing out of everyone's mouth in response to the car.

Three weeks left until break...I can not wait!

This is what happened to me today

Damn you National Boards!

The hype about flu shots

So, I started this about a month ago...a few days late, and a few bucks short, here is my February Rant

It is that time of year again, when we are all couped up indoors and sniffleing and snotting all over each other. There has been a lot of chatter about flu shots, and what they do for you during this wonderful time of the year. Here is my insight:

I am not sure how many folks out there are "deficient" in the flu virus, but I am pretty certain that we all have the little critters all over us at any given point in time. It seems as though many people are excited to add the little virus to themselves via a vaccine. Why aren't we sick all the time? Most of the time, our bodies have the ability to cope with a little flu bug. There are common misnomers that people get sick from being outside while it is cold, or they get sick because they are around others when they are sick...well, that is just not the case. I can attest to doing 6 hour bike rides in temps less than 20 degrees out on the road on a windy day and remaining completely healthy (Micah can back me up on this one). The problem is not what we are surrounded by, but rather what we surround ourselves by. If you eat junk, sit on the couch, feel sorry for yourself all the time, and put yourself in the situations listed above then you will probably get sick (among many other things). Poor diets, lack of exercise, high stress lives, and a chemical-based environment all lead to immunosuppression. When our immune systems are depressed and we are then exposed to the "bad little bugs", then we have a higher chance of becoming sick. So, don't be suprised if you don't take care of yourself, then go get a flu shot to take care of the flu for the year, if you get sick...because you are still exposing yourself to harsh conditions.

Maybe you don't understand what is in a flu vaccine...the intramuscular injection hosts an inactivated (aka dead) virus strain, you will also find a plethora of heavy metals. Of these, mercury seems to be the most popular with the press; mercury has been dubbed as a potent neurotoxin, which has been linked to many cases of autism (not to mention ADD/ADHD). There is another treatment; this time with a "weak" virus (live attenuated) strain that is inhaled through the nostrils...yummy! Are dead viruses injected into our bodies better for us than live viruses outside our bodies??? At least the live viruses have to fight to get in; the dead ones (who still release toxic burdens to our bodies...ever been sick after a flu shot?) have a "Get out of Jail Free Card, pass GO and collect your 200 bones!)

What ever happened to the good old chicken pox parties? The Simpsons even did an episode on the subject. Oh yeah, they came up with a vaccine for that too. This article shows just how much control our government has over our health...or illness. It is a shame the CDC and FDA do not implement more wellness/prevention programs. Some of you may say that vaccines offer prevention; I couldn't agree more when considering nursing home residents. They do not have a chance with the conditions in which they live. Dormant, close harbored, and sickly conditions (not to mention awful food, lack of exercise, and poor sleep) is enough to give even the healthiest person a little fever. BTW, fevers are bad?!? Wrong, this is your body's first aggressive line of defense against invaders. So, why do we take fever reducers when we have a little bit of a temp? I couldn't even begin to tell you. Another example: last February, I got hit hard with something nasty (evidently, chiropractic school is a lot like a nursing home; you stick a bunch of people together for a long period of time, stress their immune systems to the max and you get sick). So, 104 degree temp for a two days...102-103 for another and then back to normal. No fever reducers, no cold medicines (which wouldn't have helped anyway); just a ton of rest, a lot of water, a little elderberry, and a lot of love from my wife (and my pets). Thankfully my sickness began on a Friday, school was canceled for snow on Monday, and I was recovered by Tuesday. Now, I realize that I had an ideal situation to recover, and not everyone has the ability to take 4 days of bed rest...however, 90% of the time taking the common cold or flu medicines wouldn't have you back in the ring any sooner. Sorry, off my tangent.

Moral of the story: eat well, sleep well, live well = being well (most of the time). Consider your lifestyle as a preventative, rather than an injection or inhalant. Each day you are exposed to "bad bugs", your body builds up a little larger immune barrier towards them (so long as you are not immunosuppresed to begin with).

Rant is off: sorry, back to life. I have been studying my a$$ off for boards which are coming to kick me in the nutz on Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th of March. I am not sure I have ever studied so much in my life (aside from Biochem part duex). I feel like I have been ran over by a really big truck, followed by some little kid riding up and doing a bunny hop and landing right on my head. Good news: it will all be over @ this time next week (it is March 9th, contrary to my post heading).

Other things are well; K loves her new job and her new car (which I still need to put pics up of). We have began a new project: a spiffy bathroom rehab for both the upstairs and down stairs is on the horizon. Parker may be getting a new playmate soon. We should find out in a few days if we were chosen for an adoption/rescue.

I am really excited about the weather making a turn around. I hope it dries up soon, so I can go mountain biking. I have really been craving some saddle time; I have been running and getting my core work on, but I am hankerin' for some bicycle practice. Lots of other stuff has happened too, but it is not like I am any good at filling people in anyway.

Until next season

-the Colonel

Wow, it's feakin' cold.

Today I made a wonderful and absolutely awful decision today; my buddy Brennan and I went mountain biking. Actually, all things considered (0 degree wind chill, 30 minute drive, trip to the grease-pot after), it was a great experience. Riding in freezing cold weather really makes you feel alive.

So, we rode for a little over 2 hours @ the SIUE trails, then met some buddies over at Fast Eddies for some gub and drinks. After stuffing ourselves to the max, and a few Makers Marks, K and I headed back to well, right here at home. I know you are about to fall out of your seats with anticipation and exhilaration, but that is all I have.

I haven't had the chance to take the pics I promised yet, so I will attempt to get those up tomorrow. Stay tuned for another stupendous post!

Back in the grind

Well, I am back in class and actually not doing all that bad. Usually by this point, I am already crying for mercy. However, I really enjoy the the classes we are being subjected to this trimester...even though there are 34 credit hours, and like 38 hours in class per week.

So, I took a little sabbatical from the bike. I began doing yoga again, with some core work and a little running. I will try and ride Friday through Sunday, but I have came to appreciate Anne's Philosophy on riding. I will still ride the rollers ever-so often, but probably not religiously. I would prefer to run most days of the week, rather than sit in front of a TV on my trainer. The mountain bike and cross bike have been the steeds of choice, and will probably remain that way at least until I pick up another track bike. I have some pics to get up, and should do so over the weekend.

With regards to racing, I have decided to leave the Mercy team. It hasn't been fair to other riders that I received the same treatment, and put forth a fraction of the effort. I have had a great time racing for the program, and enjoyed the company I had. I may one day return to Mercy (and have the assurance that is a possibility), but for the time being I will be riding with the Columbia Bike Club. I have a good core group of folks I have ridden with for a long time, and we are all in the same place in "bike life". Should be a good time.

That is about it for now. TJ is in Texas...butthole! Hopefully you are having a good time.