On the importance of chamois creme.

Yesss! Benny got a jobby job! I was just non-chalantly checking my email last night and BANG! Presto employo.

I'm pretty stoked about it. The timing works out great. I get to collect my severance package AND have uninterupted income. That makes for a nice little nest egg.

And by "nest egg" I mean "cyclocross bike". And perhaps a few other special treats?

Today was an interesting thanksgiving. It was our year to spend with Junebug's mom, but she wanted to head to the Cape for the weekend, so she, Paul, and Nellie stopped by for breakfast. Which was cool, because even though we didn't get the traditional turkey gorge-fest, we had a really relaxing day. We went to a movie. I got a lot of my off-season training in (peanut butter M&Ms) and then we went over to Larry's to play Wii.

II wiish II could say thiis wiithout braggiing, but II kiick ass at Wii.

And by "kiick ass" I mean "suck".

But it is almost as much fun as riding my Yeti thirty miles on tight, technical single track in 40 degree rain. Which reminds me! Tomorrow is the annual Turkey Burner at Lake Massabesic over near Manch-vegas. Last year's ride was a death march. That's not true. Ok, it is true. I mean, I loved it, but it was cooold and wet and exhausting. It got to the point where I just wanted to burst into tears and cry out "Please, God! Why do you hate my raw, chafed, red butt? Whyyyy?"

So, of course I'm considering doing it again tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be a repeat of last year. Awesome.

Speaking of muddy, difficult rides, I'd like to tell you about my first Cyclocross race. No really. You're going to like it. I mean, what isn't entertaining about a bunch of grown men wearing tights and riding their bikes in circles, jumping off them from time to time in order to awkwardly hurdle over man-made obstacles?

Anyway, my "friend" Evan "The General" Patten lent me his single speed 'cross bike. Thanks, pal. The race started out by sending all 30 or so starters through a 30 foot long, 6" deep puddle. Ok, good. That answers the question about whether or not I would need to pack my stuff in garbage bags for the ride home. The course proceeded to wind through a grassy field, then a tight turn over a stone wall and into the woods with a huge muddy hill to run up. Then some double track through the woods, back into the field, back into the woods, back into the field, and then back into the woods. With me? Then a slippery, muddy descent into a mud puddle so that we were positioned to climb back up a muddy hill, through a barn, then over some barriers and around again through the mud. See what I mean? It all makes perfect sense.

Lap one wasn't too bad. I think I actually rode up the first muddy hill. By the second lap, though, my knees wanted to explode from trying to mash the gear (as much as I wanted to type gears, there was only one gear) as I was trying to ride through the field. I am ashamed to admit that I had to PUSH the bike up the slightest uphill because the mud was so deep. This hill was easily only 1/3 as steep as your average wheelchair ramp. Yeah. I'm not kidding.

By the fourth lap I was in a euphoric daze and was no longer able to send or receive feedback to my legs. I don't even know if I rode the bike at all on the last lap or if I just ran the whole thing.

The good news was that I gave my teeth a mud facial (that's good for them, right?) and I fell in love with psychocross. I think I finished 9th in the Cat 4 race, which was respectable.

Conspiracy

There are at least three things conspiring to make the clock actually go backwards today.

1. I am working at a place that is shutting down in a few months (have I mentioned that yet?) and I have a severe case of the "F*&@# Its".

2. It is the day before a 4 day weekend that will be filled with delicious food and quality time with my beautiful bride.

3. I have been forewarned of an impending job offer, but prolly won't receive it before the day of giving thanks.

So, those three sichee-ations are adding up to today being excruciatingly long and tough to muddle through.

To lighten the mood, let's think of a few things to be thankful for in preparation for tomorrow, shall we?

First, I am thankful that JB and I spent a solid 1.5 hours each working on our clothes situation. Not only did we have a pile of "clean" laundry the size of Mount Kilimanjaro in our guest room, we also took some time to sort out the stuff we don't wear anymore. This was both freeing and distressing (dis-dressing. Get it?! Ha!). We had to be brutally honest with each other that some of the clothes that we've been wearing since, oh, high school have served their time, but need to die. I got rid of some t-shirts that I've known and loved for a very long time. So, there were some small victories, but there were also some disappointments. I don't think I was able to eliminate a single stretched-out, pilly, faded pair of JB's yoga pants. Not one. Mind you, she has about 30 pairs. Still has 30 pairs.

I digress.

Second, I am thankful that I got to spend time with my family this past weekend. We had great fun celebrating Libby's first year of life. I am also thankful that we will spend time with my MIL and Sis-In-Law tomorrow morning without having to drive to the Cape to do so. Not only that, but we will be participating in a rousing competition of Wii Fit tomorrow evening at my FIL's. It will be Team Goss vs. LD^2. Better bring my A game.

And Thirdly, I am thankful that writing this blog has brought me 20 minutes closer to the end of this neverending day.

PSA: Nail clipping

Public Service Announcement
It is inappropriate behavior to clip your nails while working in a quiet office environment. If your boss, who has an actual office with walls and a door, can hear you clipping your nails in your cubicle 20 feet away you need to cut that crap out. Seriously. Don't do it.

Thank you. This has been a public service announcement.

Baystate CX.

Hmmmm. To cyclocross, or not to cyclocross. That is today's conundrum. My buddy (a rep for Scott Bicycles) is heading down to the Baystate cyclocross race this weekend. I kinda want to go, but I'm also getting pretty deep into my off-season training schedule. Racing would be fun, but I'm really feeling good about the momentum I have going with this training regiment. And by "training regiment" I mean quality time on the couch eating M&M's, drinking beer, and cuddling the pugs to stay warm.

See, if I weren't so darn competitive with myself I would just go and not worry about where I place or how fast I go or any of that other meaningless stuff. But, instead, if I don't do well then I'll beat myself up for starting my lazy season much too early and not doing what I say I'm going to do every year: stay in shape over the winter.

B'ah!

Still reading? Really?!!

Ok, well maybe you'll find this interesting. Tonight I'll be going to yoga and my beautiful bride is going to be assisting Jonas for the first time. I get to be her dummy, which is a scenario we're both pretty accustomed to. I will say that the one good thing about the off season is that I get my yoga on. It's good and restorative after a season of upper-body neglect and lower-body abuse. It sort of gets me all equalized again.

Holy crap it is hard to come to work these days. Knowing that they are shutting down the place in a few months makes it virtually impossible to care. It's not that I don't have things to do, because I do. A lot of things, actually. But I just don't care anymore!

E I E I Eolian

Friday was an interesting day because I had a second interview at a pretty sweet little Architecture/Engineering firm in downtown Portsmouth. I made a good connection with the owner. He seems like a pretty cool cat. He's a sailor and a skier, so dat ain't bad. The interview felt more like we were relazing at the coffee shop, which was cool. Oh yeah, so the reason Friday was weird though is because after the high of a good interview and the prospect of continued employment, we then went to an Irish Wake to mourn the end of my current job. I was sort of expecting a little more fanfare, but alas. Nothing. It was alright, if you consider the free beer. Other than that though, kinda lame.

Anyway, had a great Saturday with a nice and easy 42 mile ride with McWrath and some new friends. Then a celebratory drink with some close friends who are recently engaged. We did some scheming for a possible 5 day adventure to Costa Rica on the cheap. Pretty pumped about that. Then a little b'day soiree Stark Street style. Sunday brought coffee, frisbee, balsa wood airplanes, and a family shindig complete with sheet cake. Killer.

Today I had an "informational interview" which is just code for me having to buy someone else lunch in order to grovel for a job that doesn't even exist. But, the guy was nice and at least paid lip service to 'keeping in touch' as the business grows. The company sounds really cool, actually, and the guy was really nice. They develop wind farms which isn't quite as sexy as designing bicycles, but pretty close. (Sadly, I'm not even kidding.)

I don't have any cool pictures from my bike ride, the family shindig, or any of the other fun stuff I did this weekend. But I do have a picture I took late last night with my phone. Check out these cool customers:

I like Fiona's squinty eyes. She looks like she should be hanging out at a jazz bar, don'tcha think?

And word is born

This is attempt numero uno for creating a blog. I generally can't even think of anything interesting to post on facebook, nevermind creating an entire blog of readable stuff.

Aaannnnnddd begin...