Life with Lil Smokey

In the past couple weeks, I've really seen how many lives Smokey impacted by the huge outpouring of love we've received from family, friends, and even perfect strangers who'd been forwarded a video of Smokey, or shared memories of watching him in the shop window. It's been so heart-warming to feel everyone's love and to soak in the knowing of what amazing friends we have. Without each of you, these last couple weeks would have been so much darker. Thank you for sharing our memories and love of Lil Smokey.

I know I didn't do a good job of explaining what happened - it was just too hard to type it out. Smokey was playing in the front yard with Jay and wandered down to the side walk next to the road. He didn't listen when Jay called him back and, when the lady across the street came out with her dog, Smokey darted across the street to say hi. The driver never saw him jump out from between the parked cars. He was struck by the bumper, but missed each tire. Jay was by his side immediately, and laid over him as his last breath escaped his little body. He never felt any pain.

I heard the indecipherable screams from inside the house and immediately knew what happened. I ran outside to find them, and the sound of the earth shattering filled the air. The next few minutes were a blur of pain. A couple neighbors we'd never met had come out to help - one calming the young, distraught driver, and the other redirecting traffic as we laid in the street with our lil puppy. Without their caring and assistance, I really don't know how we would have gotten through the situation. Thank you so very, very much!

Even though that was one of the worst days of our lives, we both look back on those last few days with hearts overfilling with love and joy. We had an amazing camping trip with Lil Smokey down in Mankato just days before. It was so much fun watching him explore the fields, climb a huge dirt pile and rail down it like a downhiller, and the single track riding was awesome!!!

In the morning on the day Smokey passed, Jay said it was impossible to leave him. They snuggled and played all morning as Jay resisted going to work. He gave him kisses and told him he loved him and fought the clock for extra time until the last possible minute before reluctantly leaving to open the shop.

When I got home from work that day, Smokey was chillin' on the couch watching music videos. I was beat, so I laid down on the couch and he immediately went to my feet and slept with me. I only needed a catnap to reset my day and was joyfully surprised when Smokey licked my face after a 1/2 hour or so of napping, trying to wake me up. If you've seen me when I'm tired, I'm not the most pleasant person upon waking against my will, but this day was different. It was so sweet to be woken with kisses, and I turned it into a game... hiding my face playfully, and popping up out of the pillow for Smokey to steal a kiss and jump back. His tail waged as he bounced back and forth to give me kisses. It was wonderful.

After our game, we got up and went for a quiet walk around the neighborhood on the most beautiful evening in weeks.. just they day prior, it was 103 degrees and we weren't able to take Smokey outside until sunset because of the heat. But he still had a great time in the pool with the other puppies as we sat outside with all the neighbors and their dogs when the heat & AC overload blew the transformers in the area for a few hours that night.

After our walk, Smokey played on the bed as I folded laundry. He laid on my sweatpants that had just come out of the dryer and wrestled with the balled up socks. When they came unballed, I'll roll 'em up again and toss them into the air for him to play with.... it's those simple delights that mean the most to me, and I'm so glad I got to share each and every moment of those with him.

Life will never be the same thanks to Smokey. Luckily, I have had a wonderful family that has taught me the pleasure of truly unconditional love. When I met my husband, Jay, my heart learned an entirely new type of love, and he's never hesitated to share that love with me every day. And when Smokey entered our lives, we found out what Dr. Seuss meant when he wrote about the Grinch's heart growing '3 sizes that day'... both of us learned how to love a lil monster with every ounce of our being, and enjoy the way he highlighted our life.

Not only did he teach us how to love, but he showed us how much we loved taking care of him. I don't know many people who planned out vacations for their pet's pleasure, but it was so enjoyable planning out camping trips with entertainment we hoped he'd enjoy. In his last few months, we took him to 4 different states, camping and hiking and running around wherever our paws would take us. And all of those adventures, the whole reason we ever got the Scamp, it was all thanks to Smokey, and our love for spending time with him.

I love you lil buddy... I will hold you in my heart forever, and never forget the time we spent snuggling... the lil moans that escaped those lil black lips as you slept... your guy-liner... your cute lil butt... but most of all the way you looked at me. I love you, Lil Smokey! I hope you and Bob are having fun up in heaven. Save a place for me.

Proud to have been loved by Lil Smokey,

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture 14: Appetite for Bikes

Before hitting the road for another Scamp-venture, Jay took me out to Hell's Kitchen to catch Adler's Appetite, Steven Adler of GNR's new band playing the full Appetite for Destruction song list as well as some new tunes. After watching Steven's benders on my sinful "Celebrity Rehab" slumming I did one season, it was funny to watch him live. I don't know what the program was, but he was on some Happy pills for sure, smiling away like a church camp counselor behind the drums as the rest of the band tried to look 'cool'. None the less, it was a sweet venue and a fun show - thanks Randy & Kendra for gettin' us out!!!

Saturday morning came early, though, and we loaded up the car & Scamp in a sleepy fog, just hoping we hadn't forgotten something important for the latest weekend Scamp-venture. We headed out to St Peter for the State Time Trial Championships and, for the first time in years, it was HOT and sunny, with temps in the 80's and humidity on the rise.

A Houdini-ish wind played tricks on us by staying away from the parking lot we congregated in, yet appearing on the course as a headwind that you weren't sure was there. The wind was so deceivingly strong that my return was 5 min. faster than the way out! Top that off with getting stung in the ear by a bee (plus finding a way to get it out of my aero helmet w/o skipping a beat) plus a leg cramp 6 miles from the finish, and you can imagine how happy I was with my time. It was my 2nd fastest time there ever, but it still wasn't a PR... nuff said.

My lovely & talented husband, on the other hand, had one of his fastest times EVER, winning the 40+ State Champion title! He's riding so amazingly well this year, it's wonderful to watch. He did the full 25 mi (40K) TT in only 54:41!! I am so proud of you baby!!!

With Jay elated & me still licking my wounds, we loaded up the bikes and kept the train moving on to Mankato for some quality time with the Scamp and a Sunday mountain bike race. The heat was intense and we were exhausted so, when we arrived at Mt. Kato, Jay pulled the lil Scamp under a shady grove of trees and we lazily worked on some remodeling projects as the puppy wandered around and chased butterflies.

Three mountain bikes, two TT bikes, and a pair of trainers and spare race wheels....Nice pack job, Hollywood!!!

I had ripped out the 1960's yellow carpet a few nites prior, so Jay used it as a stencil as he installed our awesome new, black carpet. A little later in the day, we saddled up and took a loop of the course to prep for Sunday and try to spin out the legs a bit. Even Smokey joined in the action!!

Single Track Smokey Episode 2 - Mt. Kato from Kristy Henderson on Vimeo.

The sun dipped low and the lightning bugs came out to greet us later that evening. We sat around a 'table' Jay built out of a bike box (for Sophie's bitchin' new TOMAC FLINT 29'er!!! -waaaahh!) and enjoyed dinner and beers with Caveman and his boys, and made new friends with Dana & Eric & their dog, McKinley. It was a perfect evening for camping with temps in the 60's, we left the windows open, and fell asleep to the sounds of crickets chirping away. We slept until the sun work us the next morning and lounged comfortably under our canopy of trees as the racers gathered and the heat climbed back into the 80's.

I pride myself on my 2nd-day racing legs, but this weekend just wasn't my weekend. Saturday's hard effort and leg cramps coupled with Sunday's heat and humidity turned out to be my kryptonite. From the get-go, my legs refused to cooperate and, as the sun beat down on the hillside, it became impossible to keep myself hydrated. During my 3rd lap, the goosebumps came out, the sweating stopped, and I started losing the ability to control my bike... so I reluctantly pulled myself out of the race. It was one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make, but i knew my health and safety was more important than riding 4 more miles of trail.

Even though the weekend's high temps had their way with me on the bike, it was still one of the best ever. It was so absolutely wonderful camping with my family this weekend, that I cannot wait to do it again. How did we go this long without a Scamp before?!

Jay, I love how you love to go on adventures with me!

Road-worn and cheery,

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture 13: Another Memorable Memorial Wknd

Jay, Smokey and I loaded up the car & Scamp and headed to Iowa for the long Memorial Day weekend to spend some quality time with family, friends, and our bikes. Although Saturday was a bit gloomy, we filled our day with errands and shopping with Jay’s mom - it was a ton of fun and we finally found new carpet for the Scamp (technically, it was an area rug, but who’s counting?). Top that off with an early birthday present from Dorothy & Jay, and you have one happy Scamper.

After 9 hours on the go, we retreated to Dot’s place with tired legs and empty bellies, ready to relax and begin dinner. Jay’s homemade fajita burritos were just what this gal needed, and the temps were perfect for a comfortable night’s stay in the Scamp.

Sunday morning came early as we prepped to race the Melon City Criterium in Muscatine. As I warmed up for my race, the tornado sirens began to sound. The MC announced that our race would be delayed until the storm passed... luckily we brought the Scamp to the race, so we had a cozy home to ride out the storm in.

An hour later the MC called us to the line (cold legs, lightning, thunder, and all) with a 10 min. heads up on the race. As the lightning continued to light up the sky and the rain soaked us as we stood, the race began with a sprint off the line. It was only my second crit in the rain ever, and I was instantly nervous... 30 ft. off the back of the pack by the time we reached the speed bump at the bottom of the hill. Climbing back up the hill was a breeze, and I picked up riders each lap, getting faster and faster as I got more comfortable with the course. After six laps, however, they called the race due to the crashing thunder and lighting.

I retreated to the Scamp with Jay and the puppy, cold and soaked through and through, huddled on the floor in a towel so not to get the new cushions wet, and ready for a nap. I'd moved up in the race significantly, but highly doubted my desire to continue the race. After a 1/2 hour, we heard the MC call us back to the line to finish our race and I resisted the urge to skip it. I went out, finished the race in 15th of 32, and was happy as a clam to get out of my wet clothes some three hours after putting them on. That was by far the longest crit I've ever done.

Jay followed it up with a fast 6th place finish. Exhausted from the delays, racing, and rain, we headed back to town to prep for another installment of the local wine ride - my favorite! We brought the Scamp over to Ken & Lou's and gave tours to all our friends. Come Wine Ride time, Jay had me jump on the back of one of Ken & Lou's tandems and made our way out to the park for some tasty vittles and good times. It was another awesome night w/ the crue!

Then, on Memorial Day, Jay and I took his mom out to the cemetery to visit Bob and lay some roses at his headstone. The time we had with him was definitely not enough... but the weather was beautiful and Bob would have been happy to see us.

The drive home was crazy with a 20+ mph tail wind push all the way into the cities, saving us a 1/2 a tank of gas, even with the Scamp in tow! Yowza! Just another bit of icing on the cake after a wonderful weekend on the road!

Warm & Fuzzy,

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture 12: Scampin' in Sconny... again

Hwood, Smokey and I spent another weekend in Sconny to open up the 2011 mountain bike season at the Cable Off-Road Classic. Luckily, we have a number of friends with cabins in the neighborhood, and our buddy Rick let us pull the lil Scamp into the driveway and sleep until race time.

As we prepped the Scamp for sleepin' as the evening hours waned, Jay hung out in the garage with Rick and Wade, working on bikes, as Smokey roamed the woods with a bike blinkie-light hooked to his collar. Once I got him back to base camp and hooked up to his chain, Rick clued us in on the large black bear that hung out on his deck the evening before... 20 yards from where we set down our anchors. Uh.... guess there'll be no mid-night potty runs! I warned Jay that I'd be peein' in the puppy's litter box if I had to. Don't need a half awake run-in with a black bear in the dark!

Come bed time, I locked the Scamp door (who knows if bears can open caravan doors!), and crawled into bed with Smokey and my hubby, ready to snuggle in before the big race. We were so comfy on the new cushions, we never woke when the bear strolled up to the deck again to snack on the donuts that Rick left out for it. Yowza! Probably better off that way... I may not have been able to get back to sleep if I'd seen it... but you better believe I had my camera sittin' out just in case.

Come race time it was wet, windy, and the temps hung in the mid-30's. The start was blazing fast and my legs wanted NOTHING to do with it. I watched a number of riders pass me on the beginning mile or two, but luckily none of them were women (other than the three that started in front of me). We got into the single track and somehow I was ON! I navigated the rocks and roots better than I've ever ridden before - it was awesome! Sure, it was cold, wet, and crazy muddy, but I was riding phenomenally.

At the half way point, I came upon Jay waiting for me at a feed zone. His race wasn't going as well as he desired, so he hung out and waited to see how I was doing. He was impressed to find me sitting in fourth place, and happily followed me along the trail to see what I've learned since last year. With Jay on my wheel, we tore through the course. At the final feed zone, with 10 miles to go, we were elated to know the end was in sight.... but somehow lost contact with the course. 30-40 of us missed a turn somewhere and wound up doing 3 miles off course, trying to figure out where we went wrong and how to correct it.

As we headed back to the feed zone after multiple stops and discussions with the group, I started to bonk big time and wound up losing control of my bike in the mud and flipped over the bars. When I finally got up, I realized that my bars were no longer perpendicular to my wheel.. they were parallel! DOH! As tears filled my eyes and my emotions flooded passed my race tenacity and straight to the surface, I cried as Jay wrenched them back into place. There we were, lost, tired, and muddy... but Jay still took a moment to hold me as I let it all out and tried to get my head back on straight.

He gives great hugs! And even though my body ached not only from fighting the agonizingly slow and muddy trails, the crash, the top-tube-impacted bruises on my legs that hadn't yet surfaced, I found a way to keep going. We stumbled on the trail and turned into the single track, hoping we were going the right way. Unfortunately, it looked just like the beginning of the race, so we turned around again. Once we ran into some other racers who had NOT missed the turn, we found out we were on the right trail, but going the wrong way... so, we turned around yet again. 10 miles to go, and a half hour of time just wasted away....

We settled in and finished it out as fast and as hard as we could. I finished 8th... but that was by far the LONGEST and TOUGHEST mountain bike race I've ever done. It was truly bitter sweet. And to have my husband behind me, encouraging me all the way to the finish, was amazing. Love you, babe!

Exhausted and freezing cold, we hurried back to Rick's cabin to snuggle up with the puppy in the Scamp for a midday siesta. It was GLORIOUS! Even though it was a lil dreary, we decided to stay another night and ride in the morning before coming home. We cozied up in the camper for some dinner and a movie with our favorite lil traveling buddy.

Rick tipped us off to the Makwa Trail out of Seeley, WI so we packed up the caravan after breakfast and headed out of town.

The trail was AWESOME! Super sweet flowing single track! When you race as much as we do (10-12 months out of the year), it's a rare and wonderful pleasure to ride together just for fun. The sun was out and the 60+ degree temps were just what we needed to clear out the legs before coming home.

When our ride ended, Smokey was anxious and waiting for us. I think he's finally figured out that the snow is gone and it's safe to go outside again (knock on wood). So, what do you do with a mini dachshund when you've got the best trails around at your fingertips? Take him single track riding, duh!

It was a blast! We had so much fun this weekend, the return home just flew by. I just couldn't wait to get home and look at our pictures and videos and relive it all. If I haven't said it before, I love our Scamp! It's the perfect 4th member to our lil family. :)

Road worn, weary, and on top of the world,

Kristy Kreme

Scamp-venture 10: ColoRADo, the perfect 10

Hwood, Smokey and I headed west last week for some much needed R&R (riding and rockin!). Five days of riding the canyon roads and rockin' out was the perfect way to unwind after a very trying winter.

To kick it off, we headed south to Des Moines to catch 1/2 of our favorite band, the Supersuckers, playing some small Hopkins-ish bar on a Wednesday nite. Eddie Spaghetti and Metal Marty rocked our asses in an intimate accoustic show, allowing us to call out song after song until the wee hours of the night. Once the show ended, we jumped back into the car for the all-night drive to Boulder, Colorado. My super husband, Jay, got us almost all the way through Nebraska while I slept, allowing me to rest and prep for the final drive into town. You can only imagine how disappointed we were to drive into a snow storm on our spring vaca.... oi! Luckily, Colorado knows how to melt it all off before lunchtime.

Our buddy Pike was ready and waiting for us when we pulled into his drive with the Scamp in tow, and we started our stay in Boulder with some tasty grub with Pike and his girl. We spent our day hiking with Smokey, updating our 1960-ish Scamp, and made sure to get some quality riding in. With only a couple hours of sleep under our belts in the last 36 hours, we kept the first ride low-key, staying in the foothills at a medium pace.

Come the next morning, though, we took on the mountains. Hwood and I took to the bikes early and headed into the mountains, off to check out Left Hand Canyon and see how far we could go. Little did I know that we missed the turn Jay had planned on, and we found ourselves climbing for 20 miles into a small mining town. The temps were near freezing by the time we found a handful of locals filling water jugs at a spring, and stopped to ask for the fastest route back... "go back the way you came".... not what we wanted to hear. Lucky for us, they had some old newspapers that we could stuff our jerseys with before our 10 mile decent back to the missed turn. It was SO COLD! There's nothing like descending like a madman when you can't feel your hands around your bars.

Once we were able to make it back to town and thaw out, we continued to relax and update the Scamp. Out with the old yellow trim tape and curtains. Hello to white trim, black curtains, and zebra print couch! Bitch please! Now we just have to replace the old yellow carpet and we'll be set.

Come the next morning my legs were toast. We had planned on another epic ride, but after the hour spent climbing our first pass, I new I wasn't ready for a mountain-century. So, we kept it chill and rode into Jackson. The sun was warm on our backs and it was a beautiful pass to ride.

Other than riding in the beautiful 60's & Sunny afternoons, we made sure to get out on the town and experience the local excitement. Pike took us up into the mountains for some crazy ass 4-wheeling. We climbed and passed through a number of mining towns along the way, slowly moving along and checking out the scenery as the temperatures dropped. Little did this fear-of-heights-chica know that the descent back to earth was via a dirt road only as wide as the Blazer with stunning views of the cliff edge outside the window. I can't wait to check out the videos Jay took - especially since I spent most of the descent with my head on the back seat of the Blazer as the two boys marveled at the view.

Come Sunday evening, what better way could we begin to close out our trip but with dinner and a show in Denver. The four of us loaded up the cruck, bound for Casa Bonita, a restaurant Jay hadn't been too since he was just a little tike in the 70's. It was like a Vegas theme restaurant... people everywhere, mariachis, a mini show every fifteen minutes.... oh yeah, and friggin cliff divers in the middle of the restaurant! It was awesome!

Once we filled our bellies, we headed out on the town to catch Eddie Spaghetti and Metal Marty again in Denver! The show was even better than it was in Des Moines. Not to mention, Eddie put us on the list and got us in for free! When we were in Des Moines, we had told him about our road trip and plan to catch him on our return, and he was super awesome to get us in - thanks, Eddie!!!

After the show, we curled up for a final night in the Scamp to prep for the long drive home. We battled a headwind for 15 hours, driving through all hours of the day and night to limp home and fall into bed utterly exhausted. Although it's great to be home, I already miss the sunshine. Why did we have to come home to snow?? WTF?

Anyways - awesome trip, fabulous riding, and amazing friends! Thanks to Pike, Melina, Eddie, Marty, Smokey, and the Scamp who made this trip awesome!!!!

Ready for summer,

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

Smokey Rules

Our lil puppy rocks!

Smokey, at 6 months, playing with Freaky



Puppy luvin,
Kristy Kreme

Spring is here, sleeping in has gone away....

There is no doubt anymore that spring is here. Aside from the beautiful sunsets and fresh green grass, the new season has become very apparent in my lack of time in a day... and the absence of sleeping in has taken over my weekends.

Seven races into the season and no end in site has given me a crash course in fitness and brought back all the energy that took a nice ole snooze during the winter months. Now, every day is filled to the brim with bikes, the puppy, and all the fun goings-on that you neglect in the winter like bonfires, outdoor happy hours, walking the dog... throw in work, laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping, and there's no time left for sleeping.

Oh well.

The latest Kristy Kreme Adventures have centered a lot around the wonder pup, Smokey, and there's no denying how freaking cute he is! Can you imagine how hard it is to tear yourself away from him to get things done? Sheesh! He's such a good dog - what a score. The best part is, he's ready to party and always willing to go along for the ride! We've redone the rear of our Cruck just to suit the little monster as we hit the road each weekend for races.
Other than that, spent an afternoon last week w/ 30 of my co-workers volunteering at the Emergency Foodshelf Network boxing meals to be sent to local foodshelves. In 3 hours, we boxed enough food to feed 1800+ people! It was so much fun - if you've never done it, I would totally recommend it. But plan it out early - they're booked out 3 months ahead!!! What a wonderful sign of people really giving back even when times are tough.

I've also signed on to do my best to help promo Surly Jones to the world! Watch out for my crazy tanlines in retro short-shorts rolling down the sidewalk in these badboys, promo'ing an upcoming show......shoot the duck, B1tches!

And to add to the fun, I'm hoping some hand-made earrings, Surly-style, might find a home on the merch table after the show.

Now I just have to find some time to finish the last bits of last August's living room and bathroom remodel before we have friends in from Iowa in mid-May. Yep, a couple last minute items that never got completed - but hey, when you're racing April - December, there's little time (or energy) for ripping out entry way carpet and laying tile. What was I doing in January to prevent me from doing it then? Sleeping, duh!

Blah blah blah... anyways, there's lots of races, rock shows, and mini-wiener adventures to come this year... now I just have to get better at writing about them. It's just so hard.... I have to live vicariously to have something to write about, yet I have to get away from the computer to live vicariously.....

Lovin' the eccentricities of life,

Kristy Kreme

Adventures of S-WooD: the Gentle Dogs

As we have for years, Hwood and I ventured to our Greg & Jodi's for some riding, dining, laughing and hanging over Easter weekend. Lucky for us, their super dog lovers, so Smokey got to participate in all the fun.

Greg & Jodi raise Bluetick coonhounds, so the dogs were all instant friends - the only difference was the length of their legs. Add that to a great, spacious yard and wonderful spring weather, and we had a ton of fun entertainment to relax to as the sun neared the horizon.

Smokey, the ever sweet baby, was happy to submit to the three larger hounds - Sailor being the closest in age at 10 mo. old. Sailor, just a large puppy, loved to run from Smokey to keep the fun going.



Then, once the ladies joined in the afternoon fun, all four dogs romped in the yard as we bathed in the sun.



After we tucked the dogs in for dinner, we enjoyed a great meal at Meister's on the lake. We returned to G&J's for some dessert and bevies after dinner, and snuggled up with the puppies until bedtime.

Once dawn broke, Greg, Jay and I were on our bikes headed for Jodi's mom's house for Easter lunch, 40 miles away. The boys rode me into the ground, but I got my coming-out-of-hibernation drafting as if your life depended on it crash course on. There was a couple times the glue started to melt, but we made it there in less than 2 hours with 10-20 mph head/cross winds.

Jodi, Smokey, the rest of the fam & tables of food awaited our arrival and kept the beautiful day going at full speed. It was awesome! Can't wait til the next slumber party!

After lunch, we skipped town and headed to my dad's house to help write thank you cards to all those who came to show their sympathies for my grandmother. Though a somber whisper hovered around the room, it was wonderful to see everyone and to be their to support my family. I love you!

Thanks for another great Easter Greg & Jodi!
Kristy

Smokey thinks he's a big dog

Jay and I spent a week out in Iowa just a couple of weeks ago, visiting his parents, bro and our fave Iowan friends. Though the wind was a min. of 20mph each day, we made sure to treat our bikes to some spring lovin' outside.

One of the best parts was being hosted by Ken and Lou! They set us up in their spare bedroom for the week, so we had all the comforts of home. To top it off, they had 3 huge dogs for Smokey to play with! Did he really know he was 115 pounds smaller than them? Nah! But didn't matter... he had a blast. Ridley loved playing with Smokey so much, we had to give Smokey a bath each night just to wash off the slobber before he crawled into bed each night.

On the 2nd night we were down, Ken & Lou hosted their Chili Cook-off, and we had the awesome fortune to attend. The best was the 'dog-fight' in the garage! [NO - I don't condone dog fighting - as you'll see, they're having fun]. Though a number of people worried about the size difference, Smokey was having a ball. I'm pretty sure he thinks he's a big dog too!



And what better way to come up with dozens of "Weiner" t-shirt ideas than by mixing adults with home-brew and chili?! Some of my faves (which you should be able to hear on the vid..)
"See my weiner? It gets bigger"
"Want to touch my weiner?"
"The ladies love my weiner"
"I've got a 6 lb. weiner"
yeah, it was a good time. Abby, you missed John's awesome Weiner monologue!

Thanks Ken, Lou, and the rest of Iowa for such a damn good time!

Party on, can't wait to you make it to our house!
Kristy Kreme, Smokey & Hwood

Adventures of S-WooD

Smokey got out on the open road and enjoyed the wind in his face with H-WooD.

Just can't help myself....

Smokey is awesome!
He's got down Sit, Stay, Hula dance, & Come at 4 months old, but so much more to learn! Man, being a first-time dog owner is a ton of fun. Can't wait to get him out to the races - he loves bikes!

Spending time w/ my lil pal,
Kristy Kreme

Puppy Love

Yeah, if it were a baby person, I'd be gushing about cooing and sleeping through the night.... but Lil' Smokey is WAY cooler. We are absolutely in love with our new family member!

Smokey is just under 3 months old and already he knows his name (after 5 days!), plays fetch, goes potty on command as of today, and is uber intelligent!!! And FUN! I know he picked us - but how could he have known how perfect he was for us?!

Gotta do it....

How big (er...small) is he?


How smart is he? He was playing fetch his first night home!


And how much fun could he be?


And the best part is that, not only has my heart completely doubled in size to make room for Smokey, but I've felt an undeniable closeness to my wonderful hubby Jay that reach all new levels. It's as if the joined caring for another living creature has deepened the love we have for one another...and I couldn't be happier if I tried.

Totally smitten with both my boys,
Kristy Kreme

Best Bike Swag Ever!

Yesterday, Hwood and I rode out to the lake to take on the 2nd edition of the Penn Cycle Ice Loppet. The temps were in the mid twenties and the wind mild, but we had podium-visions dancing in our minds.

Earlier that morning, we realized it would be better to get a puppy now, rather than April at the start of racing season and made a pact..... we were gonna ride for the podium prizes and take it straight to a breeder for our lil dream puppy.

Jay was the first to mount up and, from the sound of the horn, never looked back. Jay took the hole shot as always and attacked all through the woods and already had seconds on the field as he dropped back on to the ice. As other men manuevered through the shicane, Hwood attacked at full speed, never letting up.

Half way into the race, his lead was solid, but never did he let up, nor did the fans relax. If 2009 taught us anything, we all knew it could be lost at any time. For those of you who don't remember...Hwood held a magnificent lead in the race of '09 and got a flat 1/2 way thru the final lap....allowing him to get caught during the final spin through the pin-wheel-of-death, and struggling to maintain a podium spot in 3rd. As he wound around this course yesterday, that memory haunted our thoughts and whispers as something we feared to acknowledge..... none of us wanted to be the jinx that caused a repeat upset.

So with fervor we cheered, and silently chastised ourselves for thinking of flats, as the minutes slowly counted down. With just one lap to go, the crowd held their collective breaths and screamed in exultation when Hwood crossed the line with arms raised!!!

With seconds to go until my own race began, I wasn't able to congratulate my AMAZING husband, so I focused on my mission ahead. Hollywood Cycles riders won every category thus far, plus sealed a second and fourth place as well....I was the last to do whatever damage I could. Surprisingly to me, the ladies wound up being the main event as hundreds of fans lined the start/ finish area, and hid in the woods and around the course to keep the energy high as we suffered through the effort.

When the horn sounded, I knew my only shot at the title was to be first into the woods. I ground the Frankenbike thru a few gears as I charged out in front, listening to the fast breaths and crunching tires in my ears. Per Hwood's advice, I kept it pinned til we dropped back onto the ice, and focused on railing through the curves without relenting. I held on to the lead as long as I could, but Danielle P. came around me earlier in the game than I would have wished.

With Puppies on the mind, and Hwood's "Puppy Power" encouragement through the mic, I knew I couldn't give up. Before I knew it, Kristi O. came out of left field and came around the pair of us with fresh legs and a whole lotta spunk. The three of us held the pace throughout the race, and the lead role changed multiple times.

The fans were screaming, keeping us on top of our game, and I knew I had to work for my goal. Though I held my place in third, I finished just a second off of 2nd place. I've never ridden harder for a mtn bike race in my life!!! And I've never been a happier third place finisher!!!!! Holy frijoles!

By the time the podiums were mounted, the whole crowd was aware of Hwood and my goal to win money for a puppy.....so, after some wicked large checks were dispersed, where do you think we went????

Hwood and I fought the mid-day snow and drove north to check out a breeder we found. There were four puppies for us to meet but one definitely fit the bill. He was a gorgeous red mini dachshund that was full of energy and was itching to learn as much about us as we were of him. After just a couple hours, we knew we were in for good and couldn't leave without him.

So, we didn't. Meet Lil' Smokey, the latest and greatest of the Wood family (and best podium prize ever). Also soon to be known as S-WooD.


Proud new mamma,
K-WooD