It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The first weekend of sleeping in was AWESOME after a crazy long racing season! I spent Saturday morning shoveling the side walks and rewarded myself with a tasty pot of coffee and jammie time on the couch with my boys.

Once the laziness waned, we hung out with some friends and quickly retreated to the sofa for more rest. It was splendid. Come Sunday morning, I actually decided to shower and put on makeup and headed out for my sister, Megan's place for our 2nd annual cookie bake.

Megan, one of the strongest people I know, just finished 4 months of Chemo treatments in her fight against Hodgkin's Lymphoma. With exhaustion and struggle tapping at the door all day, Megan marched forward as the hostess with the most-est as usual and never looked back. Sure, it took every ounce of my father's strength not to tear up when she talked about her struggles, but it was my role and I breathed deep and carried on.

And it was worth it! We turned her kitchen and dining room into Willy Wonka's friggin' Chocolate factory!

It was another great and extremely exhausting 6 hours of baking and I loved every moment. Sure, the mimosas always make the fingers less tired and the stories twice as funny, but it's the time with the girls that makes it more memorable... though I honestly don't need all these darn sweets during the off-season, but they sure do taste good!

Feeling the holiday spirit,

Kristy Kreme

All Growns'd Up

Yep, my lil brother had proven he's all grown up. On Sunday Jay and I joined my mom, Randy, Lulu, Zach, and 2 buds in a farewell dinner for the three boys. Monday morning they were sworn in and flew off to Air Force boot camp, ready to take on the biggest journey of their lives.

Courtney, Zach & Jason

It was so very bitter sweet, but a ton of fun none the less. It's hard to think of my baby brother taking on such an endevour. And yet, at the same time, I'm overflowing with how proud I am of him to take on so much responsibility.... Zach, I love you and I am so proud to call you my brother!

Mom, Zach, and Lulu

In true disfunctional-family form, though, we couldn't help but dial it up to 11 with our antics and loud, inappropriate conversations in the middle of a 'nice family restaurant'. Seriously - who's family jokes by calling their mom a sex offender? Or about sending nudie mags as Christmas presents? Yep, you guessed it, mine. And I love 'em for it! We laughed so hard there was no room to cry or be sad that he was leaving.

Dude, I wish the server would have warned me about Jay....

Sure, I bawled my brains out later that night. Wouldn't you? I have three houses to celebrate every holiday at.... and with Zach in boot camp over Christmas, that meant all three houses would have an empty seat staring back at us. All three homes with a small void. A space left empty in our hearts. But at least Zach will be out there to protect us - one of the most caring people I know, giving himself for others. Kid, I am so proud to be your sister.

Yeah, I'd just driven 5 hours for this hug. I love you, McGuyver!

I'm thankful for people like these three young men who are willing to step up and defend the rest of us. Godspeed and my angels stand at your guard.

Missing my baby bro,

Kristy Kreme

Jingle Cross Rock'd Our Asses

Where to begin? Was it the 2 1/2 extra hours of driving to get to Iowa City in a ice storm that made it unforgettable? The uber tasty Thanksgiving dinner? A talking dog? Purple unicorn?

Nah, it was another great weekend in my home away from home that made this holiday weekend so memorable. I won't deny that it was a tough weekend - the first Thanksgiving without Father Bob... wanting to be home with my sister who's fighting her own battle.... wanting to spend time with my brother before he leaves for the Air Force.... but it was a weekend set in stone months before this all unravelled and we weren't going to allow that to sway us.

Jay and I drove through the ice, rain, and snow to make sure Dorothy had family with her this Thanksgiving. Lucky for us, Ken & Lou took in Smokey while we spent the first night on Dot's floor. It was great to see her again, and at the same time I couldn't get over a feeling like Bob was only in another room....

To pass the time, we helped Dorothy with her to-do lists and decorated her home with oodles of Christmas cheer. And, when that was done we took a moment or two to do what else? Race our bikes, of course! People from all around the US joined us for some killa racing at the Jingle Cross Rock. It was awesome! I didn't step onto the podium, but I had a rockin' 4th and 7th place finish amongst some amazing women and that was enough to finish my season off proudly with.

Jay had a stellar season-send-off with an awesome 3rd place finish Friday night and top 10 finish on Saturday - way to go baby! You've raced like a champ this year! Jen Fisher also came out for her debut Jingle Cross, trading places with me over the weekend with a 7th place on Friday and bitchin' 4th place on a freezing cold Saturday morning. Awesome, Jen!!! Welcome to CX, Iowa-style! Dana and James Buddenbaum also killed it on Saturday and Sunday, flying the colors along with Todd Bauer and his son Jake, taking on his first CX race ever! I love our team! We have the best riders, the best people, possible! I love you guys and I'm so proud to race with you.

Photo courtesy of Jimmer C

Not to mention the rest of the MN crew - Linda Sone, Jeannie Fleck, Dan Casper, Jordan Cullen, my if-I-was-20-again crush Jack Hinkins... it was so much fun losing my voice while cheering you on! You make me push myself to be better - thank you!

Heck, maybe the best part WAS cheering on the racers. Shit, there's a whole collection of youtube videos to prove it! Here's my favorite summary of the weekend - can you find me and Hwood?

Jingle Cross Sunday-2010 from Keith Walberg on Vimeo.

Some of my fave youtubes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFAIXXKs80k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6j0dT9eJO8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgUHNdy7nkA

Don't understand the whole prime biz? (pronounced PREEM) According to SportsDefinitions.com a "Prime" is: A prize or bonus given to the rider who is the first to pass a certain point during a race. In cyclocross that also applies to dollar bills and Peeps in the mud, sticking out of beer cans, not to mention ass cracks and sports bras! Yeah, we were having a ball! Thanks to all my favorite girls who think goofin' off is just as fun as I do!

After all the fun and excitement, we picked up Dorothy for a fabulous dinner and good company. Once we dropped her off, the night was still far from over. We hit the local bar for the official JCR after party, put on our dancing shoes, and cut loose.

Lisa, Kenny, Wandoola, and me

I love these peeps!

The ladies love H.W. Cool Jay

Great food, great fun, great laughs ... it's what makes life worth living. It's too short and way too fast to take life so seriously, so I am extremely happy to have so many wonderful people in my life to goof off with. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for all my family and friends. For those no longer with us, I am thankful for the way they touched my heart and my my world a better place. For those I hold dear, thank you for loving me and for sharing this rollercoaster ride with me. I am thankful for my health, my home, my job, and for a wonderful husband who fills my days with love. And I'm thankful for my bike that resurrected the spark of light in me I almost let die out.

Satiated on life,

Kristy Kreme

Surly Jones and the Roller Girls take Mpls

As if dinners and movies weren't enough for one week, we followed it up with some frigid afternoon racing on Saturday, a mini nap and a warm shower, then dolled up again for the MN Roller Girls and Surly Jones' half-time show!

STELLAR! Absolutely stellar! It was my first time seeing the roller derby ever and it was impossibly hard not to hunt down the person in charge and sign up. Ultimately it was the girl on crutches that finally made me realize it wasn't worth doing if it meant time away from my bike. But man was it awesome to watch!

Then, to make it better, Surly Jones rocked out the most bitchin' half-time show ever! The floor was packed and the band was on fire. I don't know what happened or when, but four of my most favorite musicians found a way to turn it up to 11!

It was like watching videos of KISS before they had branded everything from Tshirts to pinball machines.... Surly Jones was out there playing to the crowd as if their life depended on it. And every ounce of desire and passion that dripped sweat on the stage permeated the crowd and pulled the words right out of their throats as they sang along to every song.

And, as if roller skates and rock n roll weren't enough to allow this girl die happy, Surly Jones finished their set with my favorite song on their set-list.... Fat Bottom Girls by Queen. Starting it off all acapella, the band toed the front of the stage and got the crowd singing along instantly as they harmonized and rocked out the first verse.

I have followed them along as much as my travel schedule has allowed and THIS show was by far one of the top three they've ever put on. As if I've never said it before, go see SURLY JONES! You'll not regret it! Next up is a pre-Turkey show, followed by a super rockin' gig at the Star Bar Friday night - can I say it's my favorite of their show posters ever??

Droolin' for the next installment of Surly Jones,

Kristy Kreme

Warm Bellies and Ringing Ears

Aside from all the great racing to be had lately, Jay and I have had a bunch of wonderful quality time with friends. Last week we joined Teri & Randy for dinner at Burger Jones for the first time. The staff was totally fun, the drinks spectacular, and the food was delicious and guilt-ridden all at the same time. Beef, salt, cheese stuffed in beef, root beer in Guinness, cheese curds, 4 types of fries with 4 different dipping sauces.... WOW!

And, if that weren't enough grubbin to keep a hibernating bear satisfied, the boys still found room for over-priced treats at the movie theater after dinner. Full bellies and all, we donned 3D glasses to test our intestinal fortitude at Jackass 3D. Not 20 minutes into the movie, I'd laughed so hard I burned off all of the cheese curds I devoured and began working on my tasty burger.

I had watched Jackass, the tv show, when it was on but never one of the movies before. It was HILARIOUS! All I can say is I wish I could have been watching the "High-Five" skit in real life. Sure, there was more vomit than I needed to see, but it was so much fun. With all that life gives us to stress or worry over, this was the perfect way to escape and laugh until I cried.

Thanks Randy & Teri for getting us out - it was AWESOME! Can't wait til our next date! Oh wait... we can never too long without seeing you again!

Two nights later we joined Teri, Kaity, Ralan, and Lon to celebrate Kim's birthday with pizzazz! Her son and some family helped us surprise Kim with dinner for 11 at Wondrous Azian Kitchen in DT Minneapolis. The speed of the meal was slow but it fit the the mood perfectly - allowing us more time than ever to laugh and enjoy ourselves on a Friday night.

The food was delicious and well-presented. Jay's caterpillar roll was one of my favorites ever, with eyes and all.

Then, to complete the meal, we had a fabulous banana egg roll..... hey, who rearranged the plate to look like a......

After the meal ended, the crue headed out for some fun at Spring Street, but Hwood and I were too tired to party on. We headed home to snuggle with the puppy on the couch and relax on a Friday night. It was the perfect ending to a crazy workweek for sure.

Kristy Kreme

Goodbye Homie, HELL-O Foamy!

Video killed the radio star in the 1984...

A mountain bike magazine killed Homie Fall Fun Fest in 2010.....

Homie, the place I first got the guts to kiss my now-husband on the cheek, leading to our first kiss later that night...

Homie, my first time on a mountain bike.... first single speed (tricycle not included).... first Bacon & Peanut Butter Donut.... first time hanging with the 612 Mafia...... first time I opened my eyes into a new world I never thought I'd be a part of....

Love you Homie! So sorry the magazine article tainted your underground persona and forced you to hibernate for an unannounced amount of time. BUT, I have to thank you tons for sending your cousin Foamy to keep us in-the-know folks entertained during your sabbatical.

For those of you outside the know peeps, Foamy was a fabulous single speed mountain bike gathering on a cool, beautiful fall afternoon in the city. Tucked just a few feet off the bike/walk path, we gathered for beer, comraderie, and some awesome feats of strength for yet another year, Homie's death n' all. Costumes, homemade spiced wine, and some crazy treats (my fave is the Wild Turkey balls) make the rounds in the group as we ride, drink, laugh and have fun. And this day didn't disappoint.

Jay trying to take out Wheels by ghost-ridin' the Tomac

Me & B-Rad

For me, a year's worth of mountain bike racing was the best prep work I could've had - giving me the skills (on top of the liquid courage) to make it to the top half of the Miss & Out Derby ... one I rarely make it past the first lap of. SO FREAKIN' RAD!!!

Considering we had rocked out for 8 hours straight the night before, we couldn't stay til sundown, but we were fully satisfied to return home early and order a pizza with Wheels & MSH.

Full bellied and with tired legs, we ambled off to sleep in preparation for another day of racing.

Lovin' Fall,

Kristy Kreme

Another Awesomely Surly Halloween

This year was an even more-rockin' Halloween than last year, just as promised. Even though the last two years spent at the Surly Halloween party were AWESOME, this year grabbed the proverbial dial with gritty hands and turned it up to 11! The grub, the decorations, the music, and of course the costumes were exponentially better than ever before..... it was a fabulous 8-hour rager!

Without Kaity & Teri organizing the rest of us riff raff, the hosting aspect would have never come together so splendidly. We carved pumpkins, made sweet "bloody" sheets to cover the furniture, hung Kaity's ass-kicking umbrella chandeliers, and loaded up the tables with homemade yummy's. Couple that with booze and adults with years of costume inspiration and incomes to fund their imagination and you've got yourself a warehouse full of Halloween goodness.

The deco's were amazing - down to the bloody sheets - and no one could've pulled this look alike off even if they tried!

My favorite part of Halloween, you ask? Costumes, baby, costumes! If there was a reason to dress up in costume every month, I'd be all over it... er, wait..... is that what I do 40 hours a week at work? Dress like a corporate employee rather than a goof? :O) Yeah, Hwood had fun (I hope) helping me get all tat'd up to pull off my most favorite costume ever! Kat Von D, baby!!!

It took 2 hours to do two full sleeves, my back, and her signature stomach "Hollywood" tattoo with temporary tattoos! But it was worth it. To top that off, I got to pair them with my two new loves in the world... bitchin' red platform shoes with a 5" heel! Yum! I'd wear them to work if I was sure I'd still be employed by the end of the day.

Hwood as David Lee Roth with me as Kat Von D

Aside from all the costume follies, the music was the main attraction, kicking off the night with D.N.F., Hollywood's band of hard-rocking buds. With crazy antics and kicks galore, D.N.F. lit up the faces of the buzzing crowd with their eclectic songlist full of speed-punk, grunge, and 80's rock. Even though it was only their second show ever, they only had to pull through a couple derailments brought on by a blown fuse or too many pre-gig shots, but they did so with a smile on their face and kept the crowd's attention as they brought it back to rockin'.

CrashMatic followed it up with some quality skills, but much less high kicks and Oh Yeah's. Sad to say I had to miss most of their show, though, so that I could ensure my hard-rockin' hubby got some food in his belly to soak up some of the cocktails. But it was the most amazing thing seeing how much joy and light illuminated his face.... to see someone you love live out a dream is one of the most awarding things I've ever been blessed enough to be a part of. It was splendid.

As the darkness outside our little House of Zombie stumbled on, Surly Jones took the stage to keep the party moving and the energy high. Another AMAZING performance from my favorite local band. Headed up by Garth Vader, the crue rocked out the best Halloween show yet with some awesome new song additions and more energy than ever before. Way to go, I love you guys!!!!

Can't believe we have to wait a whole 'nother year before we get to do it again. By quarter after 2:00 in the morning, the music was still bouncing of the exposed brick and the bar was still tended. We were supposed to be up by 6:00 the next morning for a birthday bike ride (Jay made it.. I slept), so we relunctantly headed for the door.

My ears were ringing and my legs were exhausted from dancing, but I was too wound up to sleep. Jay and I hung out with lil Smokey for a bit just to wind down before we finally stumbled off to bed, fully rocked and totally entertained after another UNBELIEVABLE Surly night with friends.

Thank you all for the best Halloween memories EVER!

Kristy Kreme Von D

Having fun burning both ends of the candle....

After a raucous night at the Hank III show, I was exhausted. But there was no time to rest and way too much fun to be had to think of taking a nap.

Friday night was Tiff & Tainter's wedding. It was a gorgeous night and the ceremony was breath-taking, set in the back of the Mill City Museum. I'm a sap for weddings, so I won't deny that I got choked up time and time again during the ceremony. Once the champagne was poured and we toasted the bride and groom, it was all business. Party business that is.

The food was great and the band dialed it up as the night went on. As Timmer, Lynnette, and I waited patiently by for our cue to raid the chocolate cupcake display, Hwood proudly popped out of the darkness with cupcakes for all. Knowing it wasn't yet time, we talking him into hiding them.

After a while, we couldn't wait any longer so Jay hailed the elevator and the four of us made a mad dash for our private cupcake-devouring getaway. We inhaled delicious frosting flare as we laughed hysterically and tried not to choke. I have never had such a great ab workout while eating!

All high on chocolate and frosting, I hit the dance floor with Mario to goof off and keep the fun going. Yeah, I know I can't dance - hence the phrase 'goof off'. We partied until the batteries ran low and returned home for a lil cat nap before the next adventure.

The beautiful Sarah and I

Hwood keeping it clean

Once the sun rose, we hit the road running, grabbing the puppy and the Scamp for another weekend of racing. We started off at the Jackson Meadows CX where I blew my own expectations away, finishing 4th and beating a handful of amazing women riders. Hwood doubled up in the SingleSpeed and Men's 1/2 race and had just enough juice once it was over to get us to a lil bar & grill for a late lunch with Stick and Elise.

We headed home with full bellies, but we were no where near done. We hit up a Home Depot for some last-minute materials to make 'bloody sheets' for an upcoming Halloween Super-Bash and some quality time at a pumpkin patch to pick out some great carvin' pumpkins.

From there, we buzzed by the Tainter casa to say hi & congrats again before retreating home for some much needed rest. As the sun woke us the next morning, we loaded up again for yet another day of racing. The course was tough and my legs wanted nothing to do with climbing snowtubing hills after the previous day's race. But, like any other day of racing, we toughed it out and rode it through.

With the remaining energy we had, we headed out to the Surly Jones practice studio for some quality pumpkin carving fun with the crue. It was a blast! Halloween is my favorite holiday by far! If only we could take a whole week off and play.

Jay went with a Mountain Dew inspire design that cut straight to the point...

And I couldn't help but sport my Surly alter-ego....Dazey Jones....

Reeking of pumpkin slime, we finally headed home to close out the weekend and get ready for another week of Go, Go, Go! I was uber excited to toss off my jeans and snuggle up on the couch with my two favorite boys in my sweatpants. Another great run-around weekend on the books.

Counting down to Halloween,

Kristy Kreme

Square Dance in Hell

Hwood & Timmer took me out last night to First Ave so I could get my first dose of Hank III, the hellbilly son of Hank Williams, Jr. The stage was lit up in red, the air was warm, and the place was packed. It felt like it had been ages since my last show and I was instantly entranced... the sounds, the lights, the hands in the air... it was mesmerizing, as it always is. (why I never went into the music biz is beyond me)

The crowd was awesome - a psychodelic blend of urban cowboys, punk kids in skinny jeans, gals in hoodies with guys in camo trucker hats, chicks in plaid mini skirts, and a guy that looked like Jay (from the duo Jay & Silent Bob) in a backwards cap, long hair, and denim overalls.... awesome! They all sang along at the top of their lungs, thrusting fists in the air, and slamming into each other when the pace increased.

Then, roaming the room with my eyes, I settled on the reddened stage to find a crue of musicians, hard-driving out every song with a fury. I couldn't help myself from closing my eyes and riding the bass line as Hank strummed the guitar strings in a blur.

Hank lit up the stage with his firey lyrics, gritty country voice, and electric stage presence. To add to the energy, Assjack was amplified beyond imagination, getting the crowd jumping & fist pumping in unison.

The square dance turned a page and entered the gates of hell with screams and testosterone blasting our ears as sweat flew from Assjack's face and Hank let down his hair and rode shotgun. Around midnite, though, us old folks wrapped up the party and headed out, generously satiated on rock n roll.

It was ridiculously awesome! And I can't wait to see Hank III again! Thanks for a bitchin' good time.

Ears still ringing...

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture #5: Sugar Bottoms & Family Time

Jay and I took lil' Smokey & the Scamp to Iowa this weekend to visit Jay's mom. It was another great weekend away, enjoying this beautiful fall with the most amazing husband & puppy in the world.

We didn't get in til midnite on Friday, so come Saturday morning, we were ready to hit the ground running. We kicked it off with breakfast at the v.i., lucky to get sat right next to Jim & Lisa, two of our favorite Iowa peeps... so what did we do? Crashed their booth, that's what! It was awesome! I didn't know if I'd get to see Lisa this weekend since the trip was so short, so it was a great surprise - not to mention tasty food and nitro coffee.

Afterwards, we took Dot.Mom out to get some shopping done. Most dangerous thing for me... helping someone else shop... I can't help but buy things... but at least I was being practical and buying dog food and mouthwash when I found it cheaper than I find it here. Well, that and very sensible and seasonal pooch apparel...

After the bags were loaded into the car and we returned home, Hwood and I snuck out with our buddy Tom to hit the Sugar Bottom mountain bike trails. It was so friggin' RAD!!! I truly wish we had a trail like this near home - I'd be there every day. Jay was enjoying himself so much, he couldn't help but film the fun. Stay tuned to the end and you'll see why friends don't let friends film and ride....

Afterwards, we returned home, played with the puppy a bit, and enjoyed some quality family time in the Scamp.

Once we got all of our extra energy expended, we headed inside to join Dorothy and her apartment buds for some tailgating and big screen action to catch the Iowa Hawkeye - Penn State game. All decked out in our black in yellow, we snuggled up in the movie room and cheered in unison as the team charged their way to victory. Go Hawkeyes!

Tired as can be, Hwood and I returned to the Scamp after the game to snuggle with the puppy, watch a movie, and fall peacefully asleep. Come sunrise, we were up and raring to go yet again, taking Dot.Mom out to brunch before we loaded up and headed home.

All in all, it was another wonderful weekend. Five weeks with the Scamp, and five fun adventures. We're running out of places to go before it gets too cold - we may just have to leave it hooked up and drag it along wherever we go, just for fun. :O)

Sleepy in my sweats,

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture Quatro: Bikes & Bites

Last weekend, Hwood, Smokey and I Scamped in St. Cloud for a dual Mtn Bike / Cyclocross weekend of racing. The weather was wonderful as usual, and the riding was awesome!

Saturday was the Single Track Escape mtn bike race and I got out the ole single speed MUSS to compete in the State Championships. I hadn't ridden the ole Bologne Pony for a year, but we were quick to get reacquainted and rip up the trails. I was flying through single track faster than I ever have before - I don't know what came over me. But you better believe I was the happiest 6th place finisher ever! I rode out of my mind and had no problems finishing where I did. :O)

When I finished, Jay was there to congratulate me - it was so sweet. The mood changed, though, when Jay started asking all the people around us for super glue. When I asked what it was about, he said "Smokey got bit, but I think I can super glue it shut." WTF? "No, you are not super gluing the dog shut! What happened?" Jay let me know that Smokey got in Disco's face (who he'd spent the summer playing with at every mountain bike race), and Disco wasn't in the mood and nipped his face.

We couldn't tell how deep it was, so I quickly changed and loaded up the puppy with directions to the nearest pet hospital and kissed Jay for luck before his race. At first examination, they were talking sutures or staples, but we were lucky after they cleaned and trimmed the area that he just needed some TLC. We left in a much more relaxed state with antibiotics and pain killers in hand and returned to the race.

We got back in time to see Jay's final lap and I left Smokey curled up in the camper to relax after an eventful day. After a long, hard effort, Hwood crossed the line completely drained like I'd never seen him before. We loaded up our gear, headed off to drop the camper at Kyia's, then went to grab a bite to eat and bring Jay back to life. Once satiated, we returned to Kyia's so Jay could nap until her Retirement Party.... at which we proceeded to party it up all night long!

Hey Sandbaggers..... Sheila wants to talk to you.....

The next morning we headed down the road for the Porkchop challenge cyclocross race. This is my first year as a Cat 3 (which here means you race against the Cat 1 & 2 women), and I was a little nervous. The field was small but full of very talented women. The first lap was fast and I was sitting in fourth as the pace settled in. I don't know how or why, but for some reason I was feeling great and moved into third. I never let up, and has crazy excited to retain my position on the podium. Just another wonderful & fun weekend of racing!

After some tasty brew and grub, we loaded the Scamp up one final time for the weekend and headed home. Lazy and tired, we threw on our jammies and retired to the couch until bedtime.

Perfect.

Now the question is, where to next?

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture #3: Short, Fat, and Happy

Still loving our lil home away from home, Jay and I loaded up the mountain bikes into the Scamp, grabbed the puppy, and headed north for the 2010 Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Jay and I raced in the Short & Fat together, a 16 mile sprint of a mountain bike race. For Jay, a 17-time Cheq 40 racer, it was his first appearance in the Short & Fat, and my third.... the last one was 2 years ago on my single-speed that got a rear flat a mile into the race. Let's just say I had some redemption coming my way after spending 2 hours and 14.5 miles riding my flat tire.

We set up camp at Dale's beautiful piece of land in Cable, WI - one mile into the race, right on the course - it was perfect! Eight acres of untouched land with a utility pole and fresh water - we just pulled right in, opened the door to the Scamp, and made ourselves at home as the rest set up tents and Dale got his trailer up and running.

Scampin' in Style

Jay munchin' on our Tequila Chex Mix (chex the macrame owl!)

We had a great time, inviting Crossmax, Tim, Dale, Caveman, and Mark into our camper for our first batch of spaghetti on the Scamp stove, beers, wine, and good times! With hard races ahead of us all, we called it a night sometime after eleven and tucked ourselves in for some bikey sleep.

Come sunrise on Saturday, I battled my stomach and tried desperately to keep my coffee down. Jay was ready and able, filling my head with ideas of speed and agility, and all I wanted to do was puke. Crossmax set us up awesomely before the sun peeked out, getting our bikes on the front line as we got ourselves ready to ride. Although our ideas of the outcome varied, we geared up and rode to the start, watching our breath escape us in the cold fall morning.

When the gun went off, Jay and I were right there, sucking exhaust from the back of the ATV, getting ready for all hell to break loose. Once they split off the road, the speeds soared and I was quickly out of gears, tearing down Randysek Road at 33 mph! The intensity remained high for the first 5 miles, never relenting, fighting my screaming lungs and struggling to remain at the front of the race. Anna & Zoe caught up to us and moved in front as I worked to keep my wits about me and I switched into pursuit mode.

Jay and I bridged up to Zoe before we hit the Berkie trails and we were riding strong. A slip of my rear wheel on Big Bertha cost me time and forced me off my bike near the top. Within those few seconds, Zoe and her dad were out of sight. We tore through the trails faster than I ever had before and it was amazing! I was riding so far outside of my boundaries, I didn't even care where I finished, since I knew I was riding as well and as fast as I could.

With 4 miles to go, Jay and I were riding a great pace with 4 other guys, just hammering our way to the finish. Jay and one of the guys got to talking - he was racing with his son and they were having a blast. Jay mentioned that next year I was going to move up and do the full 40 mile race and the guy asked "Is she going to be 17 already?" .... Ha! .... Jay replied with a smile, "No, that's my 30-yr old wife".... I guess the braids take a few years off. :O)

Jay rode off on his own with one mile to go, and I was stunned as I crested the final climb to hear one of the volunteers tell me I was the third place woman. As the thought set in, the pain in my legs and back faded as I charged through the last few turns and crossed the finish line. I was shocked beyond belief when they stopped us at the line and herded us into the winner's circle - WTF?? I couldn't stop smiling. Now, instead of fighting my stomach, I was fighting back tears.

As I got interviewed after the race, I was completely floored yet again when I saw my dad walk up smiling! He was there to see me get on the podium and to see my name in lights! So freakin' awesome!!!!!

If it weren't for all the support, time, and patience Jay has had for me as I've learned to be a better mountain biker, I would never have found myself on top of that podium, looking back at my sweet hubby, my dad, and my friends as I felt light as air.... thank you babe, I love you more than you'll ever know. And my dad, who taught me never to give up.. thank you! And to my super sponsor Hollywood, making sure I'm always ready to ride, Party On!!! And to all my friends and family wishing me luck and believing I could have a great race - Thank you!!! I love you all!!!!

It was an awesome evening of hanging out with friends and celebrating an amazing finish. Once the sun set and the temps dropped, Hwood and I retreated to the Scamp with lil Smokey to cozy up and watch a movie til we all drifted off to sleep... this is the life!

Come Sunday Funday, we were both exhausted but amped for another day of having fun biking. Jay and I both did the Crit Cross, each making it to the finals to battle 4 laps of mtn/cross bike fun. Hwood road his brains out for a 7th place finish, and I surprised myself by finishing third. To get the most out of it all, though, we made sure to join the other events.

Skinny ole Jay DESTROYED the bike toss, winning with a 55' toss of the old clunker! And I impressed myself with a win in the bike limbo, getting my crossbike diagonal to sneak under the pole at 39"! It was fun for all and I am so glad we were there to experience it all. Gary and his team put on one of the best races around! Thanks to all the workers and volunteers who made this weekend perfect.

Jay was sweet enough to let me take a mini catnap for the first half hour of the drive, then I happily took the helm to get my boys home safe. With the Scamp safely behind the cruck and me at the wheel, Jay and Smokey sawed logs in unison as we made our way home. Now, happily in our jammies, we snuggle on the couch, contented with yet another awesome weekend of Scamping and riding... in love.

(He's never without a Dew, is he?)

The happiest girl in the world,

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture #2: Smokey's Maiden Voyage

After the Hamel Time Trial on Saturday, Jay and I took Smokey and the Scamp up to Cable, WI to pre-ride the Cheq Short & Fat course and get some quality family-camping time in.

The morning started out rough - I fell of the trainer on my bike, the dog peed on Jay's pillow, and with 4 miles left in our crazy windy time trail (the 4 TAIL WIND miles none the less), my shifter broke, leaving me in my 2nd easiest gear after a hill climb. I spun my brains out in the tail wind, averaging only 22-some mph, desperately trying to repair my shifter with any latent Jedi powers I had yet to tap into. It didn't work. Yoda didn't appear as some ghostly image in front of me to calm my racing heart and show me how to shift my bike with my mental powers.... Nope. I spun like crazy and bounced in my saddle as I crossed the line.

Lucky for me, I was still able to pull a second place finish and since it was the last TT of the year, my super mechanic hubby can worry about it another day.

After a few tours of the Scamp given (Bonnie, I like your idea of cover charges! Ha!), Jay and I grabbed the lil puppy and headed to the great north woods. I was surprised, after this week's frost advisories, that there weren't more fall leaves to look at. Small splashes of red hid within the trees, peaking out only as you just happened to stop hunting for them. But, when it comes down to it, I don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye to summer yet.

We had an awesome hook-up on some very untouched land, blocks from the forrest trails, and one mile into the course. Jay pulled the lil Scamp onto the property and we set up our lil home away from home. It was total heaven. We took Smokey for a walk before we took our TT-tired legs out on the mountain bikes to check out the course. Smokey had a blast tearing through the Scamp - onto the bed, under it, onto the couch - it was rad!

The trail was great too, and any time Jay and I can get away and ride together just for the sake of riding, it's awesome. And sadly, it's pretty rare between April and December, so we took advantage BIG TIME this weekend.

Spent as heck, we bailed on the course early and returned to the Scamp to start planning out dinner. We hit up Lakewoods for some tasty grub and returned to the camper for some quality time snuggling in the warmth of our camper and watched Pineapple Express with the puppy. The old married couple we are, we had the lights out before midnite, but rose happily as the sun filled our windows to wake us for our next ride.

Thanks to all the help Pete gave us last week, I was able to start the morning off with my very first cup of Scamper Java! Oh, the simple pleasures in life.

With coffee in hand, we took Smokey to the canoe landing to explore (and for Jay and I to use the public outhouses). :O) It was beautiful!

And Smokey had a blast - toeing the edge of the river, smelling mushrooms and rolling on the shoreline, it was the most splendid way to start off my day.

So, once Smokey was tired and ready for a nap, we returned to our lil Scamp, dressing in our cycling clothes, and mounted up the ole bikes and hit the trail again. Today was a perfect late-summer, early-fall day. Cool temps, beautiful sunny skies, and great wooded trails to enjoy it on. If there weren't so many darn races, this is what every weekend could be like, eh? Too bad we like racing so much! ;O)

Well exercised, we returned to pack up camp and head home. Within a few hours, we were happily home and vegging out on the couch. Quietly enjoying the outdoors is so rejuvenating, and yet exhausting at the same time. Although I can't wait for the next adventure, I am happy to be home with my sweet hubby and puppy, lazily watching football as the sun approaches the horizon.

Loving & Living Life,

Kristy Kreme