A little bit of sum'n sum'n

I still can't post photos so I'm gonna just move on for now and get some of this gobbledy-gook out of my head.

Thanksgiving is coming right up and I'm thankful for all of you blogger friends. You've really added a fun new element to my life and I think you're the shnizzle.

That pinched nerve in my neck is 50% better so I'm slowly getting back to establishing a base level of fitness in what is now my off season. I've been doing a couple spin classes a week, some weights, and yoga. Feeling a bit better and looking forward to starting IM Canada training in January. My mom said she might be in Penticton on race day. How cool is that? I'm also looking forward to Tri Camp in Italy in late March.
And, get this, I just had a call from a buddy who wants me to come to Costa Rica in February for a week of surfing in 80 degree water. Oh darn, I hate it when that happens.

My other mom died 2 weeks ago. Judy was the mom of one of my life-long friends and she passed away after having Pick's disease the past few years. When I got the call from Davey, I was heart broken and had to really control myself until I hung up the phone. My guts were twisted up badly and I wept for a damn long time. The memorial service was yesterday and it was one of those services filled with remembrances of the many fun times at the MCC, McCuskey Country Club. That's what we called their house on the lake. I lived there as much as I did at my own house. It was always good times there and Judy was the reason why. She was an amazing woman. More on her in later post.
I was also thankful to catch up with many of my buddies and exchange new contact information so we can once again plan some outings to the MCC and get Dave Sr. all riled up again. He is quite a polarizing figure himself.

There are a few changes coming up soon in my job situation that are giving me some angst. I may have to relocate for a short time to manage 2 of the options that are on the table. Nothing new for me. That's the nature of my biz. I'm an environmental prostitute and I'll do what I get paid for...environmental protection. Go ahead and call me slut if you must, I'll wear the title proudly.

What is it with this warm weather? Global warming I suspect. Back in the 80's, there was enough ice on our neighborhood pond by thanksgiving for hockey games and by Dec. 1st, I was packing down the xc ski trials through the woods behind my house. Right now, the pond is still liquid and there is no snow in the forecast. People are still riding bikes and motorcycles all over the place. Stop the insanity.

Last Friday was the Midwest Events Tri Night 2007 Awards Night and I got to co-host the Peoples Choice Awards and give away a bunch of free stuff. We packed the banquet hall with 300 people and had a really good time. I didn't leave until 3:30 AM the next morning and made it to a spin session at 8:00 AM. Yeah, I took a nap at noon.

Y'all be well and be all you want to be.
And call your kin just to let them know you're thinking about them...you are now aren't you?

Page Not Found

Arrrgh.
I have 3 different posts sitting as drafts .
Why are they sitting as drafts?
When I attempt to add a photo, I get Page Not Found.
Something has gone awry and I can't add photos to my post. Grrrrrrrrrr.
This has been a problem for 2 weeks now. Dag nab it.

It's just not enough without a photo.

Stay tuned.

All is well today

Thanks tons for the comments on my last post. I didn't expect anyone to acknowledge my whining.
It's so nice to know I have many "moms" out there concerned about my health an well being. Right back at you.
Our club spin was early in the morning so we set up on our trainers at the shop and followed a Coach Troy Jacobson Spinerval for 70 minutes. The outside temperature was 32 F (0 C) so we were all in agreement that it was a tad too chilly outside for a group ride. And my neck was fine with that.
No bad pains and my man card is still intact.

Oh, and congratulations to all the IMFL finishers. Great job, "YOU ARE AN IRONMAN"!

I hope you all have a fine weekend and you're able to enjoy the great outdoors.

Pain in the neck and double booked

The pain in my neck flaired up about 6 weeks ago and has just now started to feel mildly better.
A little history. About 20 years ago, I was hit by a car while on my bike and got pretty messed up. The first part of my body to contact the car was my head/helmet and as a result, I had a concussion and whiplash. Besides a few other broken, shattered, or cracked bones, the rest of my body was mostly intact.
Now. Every few years, the nerve that comes out between the C5 and C6 down to my right shoulder gets pinched and then my neck muscles, trapezoid, and deltoid have a sympathetic response and tighten/cramp up. I have a good chiropractor that takes care of this problem and usually relieves the pain after a few adjustments. But this time, it's being a bit stubborn and the pinch has continued for the past 6 weeks. I seem to be fine while laying down and sleeping is fine too but after a few hours of being upright and supporting my head in normal daily fashion, intermittent pains bother me for most of the day. I've only been on my mountain bike for a few short coasts through the neighborhood to run my dog. I went down into aero position last night at a spin class and yeeeeow! Don't go there. And this is a weird thing, if I run on a downhill, I'm almost pain free. Running on flats and up hills is a bit painful. But, I block out the pinch as much as I can and continue.
So here's the deal. My tri club is starting "off season spin sessions" tomorrow at the bike shop but if the weather is nice, we'll ride outside. No biggy if I'm spinning on the trainer cuz I think I can sit upright enough to avoid really bad pain. But aero position? I don't think so. The forecast for tomorrow is sunny and 50. I'm a bit anxious.
My mtn bike teammate, Thick, called me about a trail ride tomorrow morning. I think I'd be OK with the more upright position on the mtn bike but the jarring on the trail may be more than I can handle.
So here I sit trying to decide what to do. Road ride or trail ride. Maybe I could use my mtn bike for the road ride. I'd be more upright and likely pain free but I'm guessing I'd get dropped in the first 1/4 mile. The alternative to both of the riding options is that I go to the YMCA and spin. But that's indoors and with a forecast of sun and 50 on a crisp autumn day, the Y is very unappealing. I want to ride outside so badly but I'm not sure my neck can handle it without some pain killers or an epidural and a setback in the healing process.
Arrrrgh, I hate being a pain in the neck.