A Bad Blogger's Look Back at 2011

I keep saying that I am glad that 2011 is over.  So far, 2012 is looking pretty darn good, even if judged simply by weather standards.

2011, The Good
The kids are growing like weeds, and each started new grades in school.  For Eli, it was his first year of school, as he started Kindergarten.  Tyson and Hanna started 5th and 6th grades, respectively.  And just like every good parent, I tell everyone how smart they are. 

Deanna started with US Bank and is going along very well.  She says I can't have a Lamborghini just yet but I'm holding out for early retirement.

I was graciously tasked with the position of Manager at Big Shark's new West location in Chesterfield Valley.  It has been the best work experience of my life and I'm thankful for that opportunity.  I can see big things for the store in the near future...hopefully very near because, as stated above, retirement should be just around the corner!  

2011, The Bad
The year started out pretty badly with both the beautiful Mrs. K and I having medical issues.  For me they are ongoing and I pretty much struggle every day with stomach issues.  I feel petty complaining about it, because I know so many more people that live with so much worse.  Nonetheless, it's made for a very challenging year.

We lost our wonderful friend, Rocky.  He's been a huge part of our family, and it's still tough.  At the same time that Rocky became ill, Rosco began having stomach trouble, probably sympathy pains for me.  He still struggles with bladder problems, but we have requisitioned  Grandma's dog Carmel to keep Rosco (and us all) company.

Going Forward
We have a lot to look forward to this year.  Hanna is on a select volleyball team, Tyson is playing basketball and will play baseball in the spring as well as do a few mountain bike races.  Eli...well, Eli has nothing but good things ahead.  Deanna is doing a half marathon in April, and she and I are going to France for a week long riding tour of the Tour de France bicycle race.

....and, I hope to be a better blogger, whatever that means.

Christmas Eve 2011

 Eli and Hanna were very chummy tonight.  She with her new iPad and Cookie Crisp cereal, and he with his shaggy hair.  Not much under the tree, as this was before they went to bed.  She still had on her dress from the Christmas program at her church.

This is the tree AFTER they went to bed.  Lots of carefully wrapped (by the beautiful Mrs K) presents await the kids.  I wrapped a few of them, and I am glad that Christmas wrapping paper is torn off so viciously by children so that no one sees just how bad I wrap presents.

Merry Christmas, everybody.  Remember, it's not how nicely the gift is wrapped, it's who wrapped it.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Cliff Cave with the Dogs

After much housework and chores, the weather dictated that we do something with our day that didn't suck.  And that something was Cliff Cave.  Last year, Deanna, Eli, and myself took Rocky and Rosco to Cliff Cave for some hiking.  I did 99.9% more riding than hiking, but Eli and the dogs had a smashing good time.  This year, our dearly departed Rocky wasn't available, but our dearly borrowed dog Carmel came along.  The first photo shows Eli and Carmel catching some unsuspecting biker on the bluff side of the trail.  I rode the new Hei Hei full suspension bike, and despite my 21 hour day Saturday that culminated in the infamous Sharkmas Xmas party, I had a great ride.

Rosco just loves a good hike.  Especially in the winter.  Carmel loves hiking, too, and he showed his border collie roots by bounding up and down the rocks. Eli took the beautiful Mrs K on quite an adventure by climbing up some of the rocky walls that lead up to the bluff side.  The dogs clambered up with them.  Apparently it was epic, all ending with the dogs resembling canine mud wrestlers.

This is now Rosco's default position, much more so today after the grueling hike and the subsequent bath.  Not a bad place to sleep, I guess, but would not have been my choice with the super soft dog couch across the room.

Later, the dog couch was put to fantastic use, as much stronger sleeping methods were called for. Even super dog Carmel could not hold his eyes open any longer after his bath.  Nothing that happened in the house for the following 90 minutes after this photo was taken could shake the dogs from their slumber.

All in all, it was a great day.  I even braved Craigslist to get rid of some junk to compliment the newly cleaned garage.  And tonight, I parked the Mustang indoors. 

Christmas Tree!

The beautiful Mrs K. does a bang up job with the tree, eh?  The kids helped.

1987 Lamborghini Countach

Ah, father time.  It waits for no man.  It waits for no car, either.  In 1987, I was bedazzled by the Lamborghini Countach.  What teenager wasn't?  It was the stuff of legend.  Just how fast WAS it??  It didn't matter.  Most people thought it was the biggest, baddest, fastest car ever to grace public roads.  And the feeling it gave all that it passed by was lust.  Car and Driver, in mid-summer 1986, tested the then-new Quattrovalvole (four valve) Countach at 5 seconds to 60mph and a top speed of 179mph, 184mph without it's optional wing.  Not the fastest ever...and it didn't matter.  I lusted after one, but at over $110k, it would have to wait until I worked for more than minimum wage.

Now it's 2011, and the Countach, while still outrageous looking, appears a bit dated.  And V6 Mustangs and Camaros are nearly as fast.  The march of time has relegated the Rambo of cars (dubbed Lambo by Car and Driver) to museum status.

But I still want one.

Read what AUTOBLOG has to say about this model that up for sale on Ebay.

Yeah! 8th place!

It may sound petty, but I'm pretty proud of my 8th place in the Bubba Cyclocross series.  The results were posted today and I see that the line judges gave me the sprint finish for 9th on Sunday, which was the difference between 8th and 9th in the series.

I'm pretty proud because with the exception of Faust Park (my one DNF), I finished top 10 in every race, which for me was only 6 events (8th, 8th, 6th, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 9th) and I did not do the State Championship race in Kansas City, which was double points.  I was nothing if not consistent.

Onward and Upward.

Spanish Lake Cross Race

I snagged this dollar running over the barriers at Spanish Lake on Sunday.  It was one of three attempts, and the only successful one.

I was pretty happy to end the 'cross season yesterday.  Not because I'm tired of racing.  There are just too many barriers to racing, including the fact that I don't like the cold.  Despite being mostly a power course, me and the ol' mountain bike pulled out a 9th.  Maybe 10th.  I didn't stick around after my sprint finish with Rock Wamsley to see which one of us won.  I was excited to have a race come down to a sprint, even though it was for the minor placings.  That makes me top ten for the series.

I am so totally shooting for a top 5 next year.

A little Christmas Cheer

Deanna and I spent the better portion of the day on Saturday putting up Christmas decorations.  I think it turned out pretty nicely.  We're not done yet, but it's a great start.

I've never been one to celebrate the winter holidays.  I know, I know.  I sound like the Grinch.  Or Scrooge.  It's just been more of a depressing time of year for me, what with the cold and all.  However, the beautiful Mrs K is much more into the holidays than I am, and it's hard not to be infected by it.  So, gradually, year after year, I get a bit more excited by it.  One day, I may be driving Santa's sleigh.

Nah.

I can't make this stuff up

I was cleaning Eli's room today when I came across this pile of stuffed animals...and one sleeping dog.

My three babies

I think this was photo was from a couple of weeks ago at Bandana's.  They are all so completely different, but all so completely goofy at the same time.  Tyson is winning the battle for goofiest at this particular moment.

Kona Hei Hei 29er

The Hei Hei is pretty much finished.  There are some tweaks to be done, but nothing major.  I still have yet to decide if I will hook up the Pop lock, so it's dangling for now.

Eli and I rode our bikes together for a little while, and he gave the Hei Hei a BIG double thumbs up!

Yamaha Y125 Moegi

It's not often that a motorcycle can catch my attention.  But some do.  This is a Yamaha concept bike shown at the Tokyo Motor Show.  Click here to read about it on Autoblog.

Jefferson Barracks Cyclocross Race

 Not nearly as muddy as Mount Pleasant last weekend, the race at Jefferson Barracks was not a course that played to my strengths.  It was mainly a power course, with long, slow, sticky straights and rather easy technical sections.  I dismounted in "the pit" every lap but the last one.  It just seemed like it took too much energy to pedal out of than to jump off and stretch the back.

I started like a monkey on crack (thanks, Pat Collier!) as usual, narrowly missing the guard rail at the end of the first straight.  After that, the power left my legs and I figured out how to lose 14 places in a 1/4 lap.  Wow.  That was my worst implosion yet this year.  I found my climbing legs half way through and got back up to 9th place.  My cheering family was the difference, I think.  They can yell like no one else!

Thanks to Chris Creed for the photos.

Mount Pleasant Winery Cyclocross Race

Somewhere in Augusta, Missouri there is a hillside that wants it's mud and grass back.


It's so typical of me to bail on a rainy, cold day of racing.  I mean, I don't have anything to prove anymore and I can take all of the jokes and jabs my racing peers give me when I don't show up for events like today.  However, I really, really like Mount Pleasant and I just turned my brain off and went to the race.

The cross race there is on a killer hillside.  The course winds back and forth, up and down, and even goes up a flight of stairs and through a wine bar!  Normally, it's fast, bumpy, and ripe for my mtb skills.  And I thought that today's muddy and wet conditions might also play into my hands.  It did, sort of.  But there was a slickness there today that I haven't witnessed in a decade or more.  Literally, pedaling in a straight line was no assurance of grip.  I had great pride while going up the final tricky incline that I had not fallen...then I fell.  It was a slow motion, frictionless fall and a slow motion, tractionless recovery.  Other than that, my bike, clothes, and shoes were covered in mud, and I couldn't shift anymore by the last lap and had to settle for 6th place.  Not that I could have caught Anthony Dust, with whom I had battled for laps and laps.

Ah, well.  It was the first muddy race of the year for me.  Only two more 'cross races to go, and I might just get by without anymore mud.  Then again, maybe not.

All hail Kona!

I've been dying for a full suspension 29er for a while now.  I tried one brand three years ago that was not ready for prime time, but I was still blown away by the control.  Since then, they have become more common and much better overall machines.

I'm pleased as punch to be on the receiving end of a new Kona Hei Hei 29er.  I am shifting almost all of my racing focus to using off-road bikes (Tuesday night crits notwithstanding) and this is going to be my main cross country machine.

Kona Hei Hei 29er Supreme

I'm eying every UPS truck that drives by Big Shark West to see if they are dropping of this goodness.  So far, nothing yet.  I'll keep you posted.