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...
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
1 comment:
Now that's a prime piece of ass!
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