Jolie and Pitt

Jenette and I planned on helping Angelina out with her kids this weekend in Chicago but her hubby surprised her with a much needed visit. Thank goodness because we wanted to blow off the kid-sittin' thing and race in Downers Grove in the pouring down rain. Yeehaa! Ice skating in August on a technical course with brick-lined pedestrian walks and construction barriers.

For me - the racing was a bust (dnfs both days) - oh, well. Although, we had awesome hosts, a beautiful suburb, fabulous breakfasts (egg Benedicts and crepes @ Dali's Cafe on Main), loads of coffee and scones and four loads of laundry in two days, that's bike racing for you.

It was just tough spending my hard earned money to deal with the crazy PHL and Midway airport security, fees for flying a bike, delays and vacationing families. No, I really do not want to talk to you. I am so sold on my nano ipod. I barely know how to use it. It drowns out the noisy engines, loud talkers and screaming babies. My one teammate is right, you can save a lot flying SW but you put up with a lot of hassle with the other travelers - it is like the Walmart of airlines.

One of my experiences while I was socked in at Midway because of the weather - People would walk up to the counter and expect the attendant to help them as a long line wound around the gate. Hello. There is one attendant where there SHOULD be two. Do you think she is going to jump from one gate counter to another to help YOU standing at the empty counter? Arrogance. Then the people mouth off as they walk away about how rude the attendant was. Excuse me?! She was just telling them that here is a line of people. They all have questions, too. Please go to the end of the line. Thank goodness my other experience killing time at the airport was a pint of beer and a greasy burger with fries, all while watching re-run sports because of the rain delays or canceled games. Mmmm. Beer.

Birthday Month of July

I like to stretch out "it's all about me" day throughout a month. I do the same for Brad but poor guy only gets 28 days, maybe 29, I 31.

I am all about spending time together, eating out and spending little on gifts. I seem to never know what I want for my birthday. But ask me another day, I want, I want, I want.

I used to laugh at the silly stories friends would tell about the husbands buying them toilets, brooms, ladders, etc. as birthday or Christmas gifts. Now, that is what I want the money spent on, practical items. We will buy fluffy, lovy stuff any other day of the week. Yes, I DO NOT celebrate Valentine's Day. Anyways, here is one of my birthday gifts. I bought this 1940 GE fridge at an auction for a DOLLAR. It cost all of Brad, Barb and Doug's blood, sweat and tears to get it in our basement last year - and have it not work. It is so cool (well now it is as it got fixed for my birthday) with the old glass-topped bins, old metal ice cube trays you pull up a handle to break the ice and nothing plastic. Another practical gift was two cases of Hoegaarden (thanks mom-in-law, Nancy!)

Grandview Heights Criterium

I give up - I had this post in draft as I wanted to flip this picture (and another one for a future post) but it was not happening. (Oct 8th - I figured out how to post vertical pictures - I need to use the modified folder.) Now time has passed that reporting on this home town race that goes right by my house will be brief. Basically, Hub Racing raced aggressively the whole race and lost "going all in". Leeanne was able to take that chance on the final lap and she got caught with 200 meters to go. My head was in the clouds trying to figure out what to do and it was too late. We came up with 5th and 6th. After our noontime race, Dale rode the trainer for 2 hrs watching all the people come in and out of our block party. I ran around trying to find my evil kitty that escaped with all the people at the house and everyone else partied. The minute I made those silly "lost pet" signs and posted them all over Grandview Heights, Mochachino was spotted in the basement hissing at my teammates. He never got out, thank goodness because pissy cat would not have survived.

Did I mention block party? Janet Avenue has the most cycling-friendly neighbors minus one (The neighbor that stole my cycling shoes last year. That is another post for another day). Brad and I compete both on and off the bike for this race. We have great neighbors 3 doors down that compete with us off the bike. We both have the most people hanging out drinking, eating and cheering on the riders but I think they are more enthusiast about cheering on the racers. We get tired and just eat, drink and watch. The last three years, the promoter of the race actually gave out prize money to the top three houses that cheered the most during the pro/1/2/3 race. I thought that meant partied the most - so we always did it up right with food and drink and cycling noise makers. We won some cash the first two years but came up empty handed last year. I should have rented that manikin again. So this year I got a grocery store to let me borrow the below item. And I pasted one of the best riders in PA on the Nascar guy's face!! No prize money for spectators this year. I guess he was a little short on the cash. Oh well, we still have a great time ringing those cow bells and tempting the pro/1/2/3 with beer feeds.