Cold and Chilly Weekend

First - GO PACK!!! Woo hoo! 37 to 3. ha ha. Work is going to be fun tomorrow with Mgr back from Hawaii! YEAH!

Man, has it been chilly lately. Seems even colder right now with Wieser once again with DA. This time if he comes back home, he stays here and there are no more nights like Friday realizing he's not here to snuggle up with. Sometimes trying to be nice just sucks.


Perdy misses Wieser too.

Friday night was a bummer packing up Wieser again. Called it an early night. Saturday was busy. Got up and got a work out in (yeah!) and then figured I should really attempt some yard work. Of course the lawnmower wouldn't start. As a last resort I called DA and he just made me feel worst. I will learn. I really will. So the grass didn't get cut and the leaves just got moved around, but many of the plants and such got cut back/down like they needed. I would still really love one more nice weekend to get more done but that would be needed in December as the next couple I am up in WI.

I woke up this morning to a pretty sore back but looked forward some fun Cross. Called Nads on my way out to find out she was still chillin' with her Dad and Kim. Of course I can't blame her for getting in as much of a visit as she can. Gave her some crap and told her to get in the shower and drive quickly. She missed the 3's but hung on in the cold until the start of the last race. Such a trooper! Afterwards we chilled and watched Transition 2. Good stuff.

Quick minute to drop a shout out to Brad Huff! Nice win today! That following his win of Stage 3 the other day. Way to go! The Jelly Belly guys have been racing the Tour of Hainan in China this week and have been doing pretty well. Kiel got a top 10 the other day too! Keep it going guys! Just 3 more stages to go.


The cross race today was down right chilly. Started out pretty nice (considering the day seemed colder as it went on). There was some good sun, just a light wind. Then the sun went away, the wind picked up, and it snowed! The snow didn't stick until tonight on the ground and was just flurries during the day but still. I'm not sure I'm ready for this just yet.

I've checked the site but there aren't many results up yet. There's a chance Mike got a top 10 again. That would rock with as flat as the course was. Last week he got his 1st top 10 in the 3's and you can read his write up on the team site.

Here's a few pics:


Greg making it look easy down the middle.


Mike chooses to run as he passes the guy who tried to ride the pit.


Run Eileen - Run!

My flickr account with more pics.
xXx Racing Team Site.

Chilly Cross and Fun

I have no idea where this weekend has gone but it was at least a fun weekend from start to finish. Fun game night Friday night with the gang. Got my ass kicked in Scene It and realized I held my own during the 80's movies and failed miserably with the more current ones. Oh well. The rematch in December is so on!

Saturday was great getting to sleep in a bit. Saturday night was just what was needed with a visit with some old friends and some good wine. Maybe a bit too much wine but very worth it. Not sure what I was thinking though as Friday everyone was at my house and I didn't drink a drop yet Saturday night I had like 5 glasses of wine. Oops. At least I sobered up before I drove home.

Today started way to early for my slightly hungover self and it was flippin' cold. Headed out in search of some caffeine after picking up Nads for the Cross race and then attempted to prepare for some mind over coldness to cheer on the riders. It wasn't too bad at first but it took no time to realize the wind was going to chill us to the bone. We headed over for the hill after saying hi to Mike and wishing him some good lucks. It was chilly today to say the least but wasn't too bad out of the wind. Or we got numb and it didn't matter. Not sure which. I cracked up laughing at how bundled up Nads was but she enjoyed the last laugh as my cold fingers opted for less picture taking to keep the hands a bit warmer. Still a good fun time.

After we left the race we headed to warm up with some lunch and then went to say hi to Theresa and see little Ryan. Such a cutie. Both Ryan and mom are doing great and he's already up to 8 pounds. Yeah! After that it was a trip to Nads and we watched a Cross video. Looking forward to the next one with a few more riders that I know. That first wasn't bad but not as interesting only knowing 2-3 guys in it.

Here of course are a few pics of the day with the link below for some more.

Rebecca taking the corner.

Heck leading Parker down the hill.

Jeff tackling the stairs.

Matt tries to scare Mike around the corner and almost lost his footing.

My flickr account is here and xXx Racing is here. Enjoy!

Stay warm this week and have some fun!

GO Nads GO! ha ha ha!

Another fun weekend has come and gone. Such a bummer.

Spent most of the weekend de-exing the house which was way over due. Certainly feels good with the progress made in the basement. For now there are several boxes out in the garage awaiting pick up on Tuesday. Still a few more things than need to be gone through but the progress made was pretty awesome. Thank god for awesome college roomies that know me better than I know myself sometimes. With out them I am not sure how the past couple years would've turned out. Huge thanks to Ames and Nads for sure. :-) Love you both!

Dizziness is still a bit of an issue. Latest from the doc is that I have to do my best to hang on for another couple weeks. Apparently the labrynthitis can stick around for 6-8 weeks. I'm just ready for it to be gone but the meds are keeping most things in check. Saturday's cleaning certainly set things off a couple times but never too badly. Blood work done earlier in the week has all come back and there's still signs of inflammation but good news was the iron was finally in check so I'm down to one of those a day, and after a month, I get to go every other day. Good news for sure. I hate those things.

After all the work yesterday it was some fun time today. Nads and I headed to the Cross race and we had the best time today. We usually don't stay for all the races but we were there until the end. Since she couldn't watch the Packer game, she was all for staying so we did. And we're glad we did. It was a lot of fun and tons more people were there through out the day.

Below are some pics so enjoy!












Of course more can be found here.
And Newt's got a fun write up on the team site.

More Wind. More Cross. :-)

Another fun day at the races. :-) Today started out pretty nice. Sun was out, mid 50's, races to watch. Then the wind picked up and yikes! It was windy today but a lot of fun. We met more riders (probably way too many in one day) and had another fun day. I think we've got the names but putting them back to faces will be interesting next weekend for sure. This afternoon we watched it rain/snow(!?!?) while we watched a movie. It was a quick shower but man, it's not even November yet. I'm so not ready for the cold snow stuff yet.

Here's a couple pics from today...

There's more out on Flickr and make sure to check out the xXx Racing site for more.

Got home tonight and had a message from my Aunt. Mike is off at boot camp in San Diego and we're heading out there for graduation in January. His dates kept moving back but now graduation is going to happen the weekend of my birthday and I'm thrilled! It should be a great weekend. It looks like we'll fly out Wednesday and be there until Sunday. I am already looking forward to the sun and the anticipated break. Winters are chilly here and work is already picking up so a long weekend seeing Mike graduate will be an awesome birthday present. I can't wait! I got to read his letter and letters his way are welcome along with goodies but no candy. Power bars are okay. I think I might try sending him some Jelly Belly Sport Beans. Ha!

Things this week were pretty quiet. I was sent home early everyday to make sure I didn't overdue things. Monday included a flickering light above my desk which drove my head insane. Tuesday they wanted me to head home way earlier than I thought was needed. Apparently I was looking rather "white" so it's no wonder I went to bed early. The week got better for sure but this dang virus thing is still hanging on. Tomorrow it's a call to the doc. I'm all for letting a virus running it's course, but over 3 weeks? Really? Hopefully it's nothing but since the light headedness and dizziness came back after the meds were gone, it's worth checking out - again.

This next week is going to be packed. Work is starting to pick up and the small lull we had the past couple months looks to be gone. Month end at the end of the week and Mgr leaves for HI so there's a lot to tie up before he heads out. Very jealous and I have only myself to blame since Tim is there and a visit would take nothing more than a phone call and a plane ticket. We also have our volunteering afternoon on Tuesday. We're headed over to the Chicago Food Bank to bag food and help out. Always a feel good day when you can get out and help someone.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!!

Another Fun Cross Day

Another week has come and gone and I have little idea where to. Checked in with the docs again a couple times through the week and now we are on a high dose of meds which seem to be eliminating all of the symptoms of the dizziness but what a roller coaster. The meclizine makes me pretty tired and I'm on 150mg of that and the predinsone pretty much wires me up and I'm on 60mg of that. The kicker is that he has me on it for 5 days and then off cold turkey. I'll be calling him on day four as I know the med well enough with all the years of my dad being on it that it is not one to just stop taking, even if for only a few days. But in the meantime I just wait to see which one hits me first through the day. I'm either wired to go and running around doing stuff all over the house, or I'm snuggled up with a blanket wondering if I should take yet another nap. The good thing is that at least now there are no spinning rooms, no dizzy spells, and I went the entire day today with out feeling light headed or feeling like I just lost my balance. So that is great.

After not sleeping much last night (took a dose of predinsone too late and it stayed with me till the wee hours of the morning) I was running later than I wanted to today. But, still got up to see the Cross race in Carpentersville. It was another enjoyable day outside and it seems like every week we are meeting a few more people and we're having fun cheering on Mike and the xXx Team riders. After the race Mike came over and he said he finished 10th. Great stuff. He moved up to Cat 3 a couple weeks ago and it seems each week he's moving up in the placings so that is cool. We think it must be with the help of the cheering of course. :-)

A couple pics from today...

The guys were going along the side of the hill giving it full gas to the flatter part of the course.

There were two lovely barriers to hop over on the way up the incline.

Mike fully exerted himself with this climb. ha ha!

Fun sand pits. Kids playing on both sides cheering for mom's and dad's as they rode through the play area.

More pics can be seen HERE.

After the race we grabbed some lunch. Jane and I both thought pizza sounded good so pizza, with a salad for our appetizer, it was. Good stuff on a chilly day. From there we went baby clothes shopping and headed over to say hi to Theresa. The "IBS baby" is still in the hospital getting well enough to come home but Mom & Mike were both home and doing well. The baby's room is painted and cute and tons of planning is being worked on. Nothing like being told you have IBS and then go into the ER from pains and getting told you're having a baby - today. He is a cute little thing and we can't wait to meet him when he gets home and they all get a little settled. Huge congrats Theresa on the cute little one!

Spinning Rooms and Cross Fun :-)

It's been a few weeks since I've updated the blog but I've racing and life certainly hasn't stopped, which is a good thing. :-)

Just over a week ago, I ended up in the doc's office suffering from extreme dizziness, headaches, loss of balance, and unreal nausea. The doc called it labyrinthitis but I say it is the worst hang over feeling in the world. And as I joked later in the week, the worst might just be, never getting to enjoy the party that might lead to such a hang over the night before. It sucked.

I spent several days just hoping the spinning rooms would stop moving and that I might be able to eat a lunch versus sticking to shakes as at least those I knew I was keeping down. I feel for anyone that's had vertigo and I really feel for those that have it over a week. It hasn't been any fun. All the doc recommended was sleep and Bonine. Thanks. I ate 2 boxes of the motion sickness pills over three days in attempting to keep the spinning to a minimum. It helped but never took it away. And for sleep, I think I slept more in the last week than I have in the past six months - seriously. I generally don't sleep much for many reason so to find myself sleeping close to 20 hours in one day was off to say the least.

Things have been getting better everyday but things still aren't "normal". I'm finally able to watch TV, be in the computer, and I'm sleeping more normal hours. I still have some bad dizzy spells and I get bad headaches following it but laying down seems to help it go away. I've been off work a week and will be working from home for a day or two. When I last spoke to the doc she said it could be a few more days. I'm hoping it just goes away.

Last Sunday, with out realizing how bad things were, I headed out to a Cross race with GG and Theresa. Woke up and waited for the dizziness to stop and then I was feeling okay so I figured why not. :-) We headed up to DeKalb for the 2nd Chicago Cyclocross race. We got there and unlike a majority of the road races where I've met great riders like those from Jelly Belly and Garmin, we knew no one. So it was a little odd. We cheered on the riders but GG and Theresa were not having quite the fun I had hoped they would. Between races we were walking around and I saw one of the riders from xXx Racing and he looked somewhat familiar so I went up to say hi. Turns out he was at Downers and that's where I had seen him before. It was fun meeting Mike and it now gave us someone specific to cheer for so GG and Theresa had much more fun during the 2nd race we watched. And it didn't hurt that Mike came in 2nd in the race so that was exciting too. :-)

Mike avoiding a fallen rider on a down hill section at DeKalb.

In a rare event, I handed over my keys after the race for GG to drive as I was just not up to it. There were a few times during the race that if someone didn't know me, they might've thought I was drunk. The whole balance thing started to give me issues and just a step up or down a hill bothered me. I was ready to be home. We stopped for a bite to eat and headed back to GG's where I laid down and slept for awhile. When I got up I felt good enough to get home and that's what I did. Went home and straight to bed.

Once I got my pics uploaded into my flickr account I dropped an email to xXx to share the fun of meeting Mike and cheering him on and to let them know I had some pics they were welcome to. Luke emailed back and so did Bob. I also got an email from Mike and I shared that with Theresa and Jane. It was fun to meet a rider to cheer on and the girls had a good time and we planned future races to check out.

This weekend Theresa was busy but Jane and I were looking forward to going again. So we headed out to Hawthorne. In the email from Mike, and per his entry on the team site, he was moving up to the cat 3's so we went earlier. We found a spot near the nasty ass hill the riders had to go up twice on each lap for pics and cheering. As Mike came by he had a huge "Hi Nikki" which was fun that he knew us. We cheered him and the team on and then moved up to the top of the hill and cheered for even more riders as the hill wasn't easy. The view from the top was great as we got to see them come up twice and could see the whole course. On a beautiful 80 degree sunny Sunday, it doesn't get much better. :-)

The dreaded hill the riders had to go up twice each lap.

Almost to the top for the 2nd time, after jumping the barrier at the bottom.

Of course I got light headed before too long so we left a little earlier than planned but still had a good time. As we drove out I saw a rider with an xXx tee on and tonight, per his email, it sounds like the good luck Jane shouted to him as we passed, it was Bob. His first Cross race today and he said he lost it in the mud pit so we are bummed we didn't check that part of the course out. :-) All good stuff and xXx Racing has new fans for sure as thus far, starting back at Downer's when I met John and Nico, the whole team seems very friendly and fun. We look forward to meeting more and cheering them on at more races. I love the guys I've met this past year and to now be getting to know a local group is just loads of fun. No reason for the season to end when we have some many fun people to meet and cheer on. :-) Check out the pics I've shared at the team site. They're on flickr and on the team's main page. Good stuff.