Ride bikes be fabulous!

Thankfully the riding bug has finally hit me again.  I have had a whole week of successful good riding...and all week I have ridden with different gals!  If you told me 10 years ago that I would have a lot of different women to ride with, I would have laughed.  When I started riding bikes, there was a very limited amount of gals who ride.  Now, it is a pretty popular sport.  

I am also seeing a lot more people starting to commute.  I ride everywhere when I can and I can only hope people will see me out on Kingston Pike and think to themselves that they too are capable of doing the same.  

Tonight is another Sundown in the City night.  I think it may be the last, so Smap and I are heading down there with our friend Missy via our commuters.  Missy told me they have bike lockers downtown where you lock your entire bike into a locker.  This was very exciting news to me because we ride down all the time and it is a pain in the butt sometimes lugging around the helmet, etc when we are in bigger crowds. 

That is about it.  This week has flown by somehow!

Later.

Introducing Anna Finlay Apking

As promised, I have a few photos of my little niece. She is beautiful. I took over some

baby girl clothes and such because up until Anna was born, they did not know the sex. Jay and Leslie just had several yellow and green things to put her in. I have decided as one of my roles as one of her favorite aunties, I will buy her cute clothes on a regular basis (if my means can afford it of course). I did not stick around to see little Anna in one of my new pink things I bought her, but my mother-in-law assured me that she looked precious in her pink. Marshalls and TJMAXX are my two favorite stores in the world. I love the stores even more now that I know I can buy baby clothes there for a fraction of the price as compared to even Target!

Back to baby Anna....she didn't do much while I was there. I basically watched Leslie feed her, and then held her for about an hour just looking at her cute little face. We had a false alarm and thought we needed to change her diaper, so at that point I got to see her little skinny legs, her long feet, toes and fingers. She will probably end up being a super model....just a biased aunt.

These are just the first photos to come of my little sweetie!

Cheers.

Baby, Biking, Paddling, Frisbee Golf, in that order

Leslie getting ready to relax in the delivery bed!
Jay and Leslie together for one more pregnant photo.
I always have to get in the one shot of myself. Here I look a little confused...like why am I sitting in a hospital for so long when I am not even the patient? Well, I was so anxious to see what the sex of my new family member was going to be! I just knew it was going to be a little boy, but just like Smap always says, I am always wrong!
Lindsay, Suzie, and Leslie...the three BFF's. At one time the three were all part of the Gypsy Hands belly dancing troup together. Suzie is the owner of the World Grotto downtown. Smap and I love paying her visits when we are at the Market Square Mall. She usually lets us in free which is really cool too!
Kate, Jay and Barbara patiently waiting for Leslie to be hooked up to the Pitocin (the inducing drug).


Thursday, my sister-in-law's water broke. She did not go into active labor until @ 1 the next day because her baby just didn't want to come out. Leslie and Jay wanted the baby to be born at the Birthing Center, but due to having to induce they were moved to St. Mary's where Lindsay was able to be the birthing nurse. Jay (Smap's middle brother) conveniently married Leslie, who is one of Lindsay's best friends. Lindsay and Tim are two of Smap and my best friends as well, so we always have a great time hanging out together.

I got to the hospital around noon on Friday. I blew off the bike shop to sit in the hospital with most of the local Apking natives. I was really hoping the baby would be born while I was there, but that was not the case. Leslie didn't deliver the precious baby girl (Anna Finley(sp?) Apking) until 7pm that night. Smap and I had made plans several months ago to camp, so I had to leave.

I am going to see the baby today, so I will have some good shots of her and proud parents later.



CAMPING at TSALI! FUN times with the Grants and the Greens. Smap, Ippon and I drove over for a weekend of fun in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. We haven't been there to camp since we got married (we drove over the following weekend to camp with Chuck and Peg after we got married).





We arrived at the campground around dark on Friday. Smap and I quickly made camp with Chuck and Peg, then began to relax. Saturday morning Smap, Chuck, Nicole and I got up and did some mountain biking. Smap and I rode both the Mouse and Thompson loops. They were okay....not technical at all....very quick riding basically. It was something different though, so we enjoyed it. After we got done riding, we at a quick lunch and headed to the Nantahala river with Chuck and Jeff (Nic's husband). This was a "learning experience" on the river for Jeff...his first time in a boat I think. Jeff learned the hard way about staying away from down trees (strainers) on the river. Thankfully he was okay and still wants to get back in a boat. Smap and I paddled on where I took out at Surfing Rapid....the rapid use to be a lot better....boaters use to line up to surf the wave. Saturday, there were dudes in duckies lined up to surf. It just wasn't the same. The river has changed so much in the last ten years since I first started paddling here. I got out at this rapid because the car with dog inside was waiting for me here. Plus, the water was so cold, my hands just wouldn't take it any longer. I picked Smap up at the bottom of the river and he too was ready to get out due to frozen hands syndrome.


An old Dagger canoe transformed into a planter down at the Nanty...

Smap is heading down to the last hole just below the "NOC" as some dude called it on Friday. We totally made fun of the term for the rest of the weekend... Below are my two boys in the water. Ippon loves the cold water of the Nanty and he LOVES being in the water with his dad.

Smap and I discovered there is now a bar/pub over the old Relia's restaurant across from the river. For several years they closed the restaurant, but it is open again along with the pub upstairs. The bar has a lot of old sketches and notes from William Neeley. William Neeley was a great artist, outdoor enthusiast, and writer. He use to map out all the rivers he would paddle and he would cleverly draw and illustrate different holes, rapids, etc for people to read and learn about the rivers being paddled. I luckily was able to meet William Neeley and his wife Holly at an Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake in 2000. Dagger had flown the two of them out to sit in our booth to autograph books and meet our dealers. I ended up drinking several beers on a daily basis with the duo and Teri Lee. Unfortunately we got word the following summer that William took his life. It was a very sad day and such a sad loss.

Anywho, Smap and I got back to camp and Smap cooked everyone's steak and corn. It was a delicious meal. After dinner I just couldn't keep my eyes open, so I "fell asleep". My fellow campers had a little fun with me as I slept....

On Sunday, we packed up and said goodbye to Jeff and Nicole. Smap, Chuck, Peg and I headed over to Fontana Resort with our dogs to play the Frisbee golf course there. It was tough. Chuck lost a frisbee on the second hole. Lost of trees and green made it extremely difficult to even see where it landed down the hill from the tee off. It is by far the toughest course I have played/seen (I am not really a big player).

Smap and I finally made it home and I got a shot of what he looks like when he "falls asleep". I wanted to put something on him like he did me, but it wouldn't have been as funny as the shots of me he took....the one I am showing of myself is the only one I can really show.

Cheers!

Plane stuff...another post for today...

I published a post a couple of months ago showing an article written about my mom and Sam's plane they are building in their garage. Last week I called my mom and they were putting the engine on the plane. It was pretty cool to watch them take one step closer to finishing their enormous project!

The garage is filled to the brim with all kinds of stuff. Here are the wings and in the back of the photo (the pink things) are the engine covers (I want to say these are made of fiberglass, but I have no idea).

Mom and Sam's neighbor Joe from across the street was on hand to help as well as another fellow who is a pilot with a cherry picker. Mom's pilot instructor, Charlie, was also there to cheer them on as they carefully maneuvered the engine onto the body. I pretty much just got in the way with my big wet dog.

Here is a shot of mom with a picture of the finished product. They are going to have some really cool paint job that they are still undecided on. I am sure whatever it will be, it will be really cool. A view from inside the garage. Ippon is trying to help. Nope, he is asking his grandma for a toy so he can play. Ippon loves going to mom's because he loves the pool. I can't blame him.

What a cutie...in mid shake. I love this dog with all my heart.

It will be really cool when this plane is complete. We will be able to fly to the beach in no time. Mom and Sam are planning to fly westward to see my brother Josh where ever he should be living (right now it is Lake Tahoe). Smap is hoping to jump on the pilot train at some point to get his private license as well. We have way too many things we want to do, but one of these days we'll get them all done.

Later.

Tim's surprise party!

Happy Birthday TIM.

The birthday boy and his lovely wife Lindsay.


Tim and Peter sitting outside enjoying the nice weather.

Last night we celebrated Tim's 43rd birthday out at Lindsay's dad's perfectly placed casa. It was a beautiful night with good food, good drink, and good friends. Tim had NO idea either which made it even more special. The house is located directly across from Carl Cowan park (see photo of Tim and Peter above), so Lindsay's brother Peter carted us all across on the pontoon boat. We had to race out of the bike shop to get to the dock in time because Lindsay was stopping by the house with Tim around 8. To Tim's surprise, we were all standing downstairs with beverages in hand to toast his day.

We all chipped in and got Tim a really nice portable frisbee golf goal. (in the box)

Chuck, Dennis and Tim Buxton enjoying the atmosphere.

There was a beautiful full moon last night. Smap was taking all these photos of me in front of it for some reason. I think he was trying to be artsy, but it didn't really work. My arms were getting tired and I was complaining in the shot below. He took several shots like this that didn't turn out. Let's just say I had to drive home.

Smap and Buxton in the pontoon on our way back to the dock. Tim was the only commuter last night. He has hung up the keys and has been riding everywhere.

Above is Peter navigating us back across the cove to the parking lot. Too bad the party couldn't have last all night, but a lot of folk had to work today. We'll have to have another party soon...Smap's next!

Spot-lighting a friend...Dave Holmes!

I just had to steal this photo off my friend's blog....shout out to Dave Holmes, a member of Fisher's 29'er team. Dave, even though you had a couple slower races, you still rock! You have to have a few bad ones to really appreciate the good ones. Plus, you kicked ASS at Cohutta and many other races!

Anyway, you are the ONLY one who can say you did 5 laps on Sunday in that painful heat! And, you did them all on your RIG. Spinning down Old Edgemore on one gear is NEVER fun (I did it at 12 hour last year too), and the first part of the race course was insane with all that killer climbing (which I had to push up). Anyway, good luck the rest of the summer. Smap and I are always there if you need us!

Cheers!

Haw Ridge Mountain bike race

Haw Ridge Race photos of friends: Jen Smelser, Abby Chandler, Alan Carnell, Bill Turner

Yesterday, our bike shop's club (Knox Velo) put on a race at my favorite place, Haw Ridge.

Smap and I helped the race director (John Rhyne) on Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday was a very long day especially because I ended up racing in the middle of it all. I had a pretty good race considering the fact I was the only gal out there on a single speed. The first part of the race was racing up Old Edgemore into Soccer. Having only one gear made this tough. Then the course followed Soccer up to the Ridge trail. This was one long hike a bike part of the race. This was intentionally put into the course to break it all up though. I didn't mind too much. I still was able to get 3rd overall in W's Sport and first in my age bracket ;).....I was the only one in my age bracket and there were only six women in sport ;) . It was a good time though. For most of the race, I was with one of my BFFs Jen Smelser. She decided last minute to ride her gears. I think I would have sucked major butt if I had riden my gears because the last time I rode gears out at the ridge, I was getting ready for the 12 hour. I only rode gears because one gal on my 12 hour team insisted on me trying to race gears because she thought I would be so much faster...nope. I ended up racing my single speed and having faster lap times than she did on every lap. I just hate to shift!

So, that was our weekend....at the RIDGE almost 100% off the time. No complaints at all because my dog was there, my husband, good friends, and a lot of laughs. My dad even came out on Father's Day to cheer on his oldest daughter (blobby photo of me racing yesterday in my new Gary Fisher kit).