other things we did on this saturday.

(Rachel took the photoz, yo)
1) Rachel took us to the shop she works at, Clever Cycles. Ben rode this bike called a Bakfeit with me in the front and completely dumped me on the street. Thanks for that, babe. Then he rode a Workman with me on the front, and that went better.
2) Went to the beer store, Belmont Station. Somehow managed to not spend my entire paycheck, but did find this, which was hidden behind the counter and had a 2 bottle per person max. Yummy. We bought 10 bottles of wintry beer yummyness.
3) Oh, yeah. There was this bike race thing, the US Grand Prix of somethingorother. Yup. Rachel joined me in the pit and we had a good time. It went like this... nothing happened, then Ben brought the A bike in complaining of shifting problems. We washed it and i tried to shoulder-tune it. Barrel adjuster bottomed out and it still wasn't going where it should... the cables had stretched too much. Crap. I didn't wanna open the bolt and pull more cable in the middle of the race- what a mess- so I took it to Jose at the SRAM neutral tent. Who, of course, got it up and running. God bless him. Sent the bike out, and things were going well.
I've started to realize that being next to the fastest guys' support in the pit means they'll be gone by the time Ben rolls in and nobody will be in the way, so I parked our camp next to those from cyclocrossworld.com support. What nice guys! I mean, I've been in the pit with them before, but they were super friendly today- tips, help, generally just friendly. Shout out to them for that... it was really great. Ben came in on one lap and said his tires "felt like basketballs." The whole cyclocrossworld crew joined us in trying to figure out what that meant. It took a Park Tools pump to figure it out in the end, but it was a great puzzle to occupy us for a lap. Later, Rachel asked where we'd go after the race, and I said, 'if this keeps up, straight to the bar." Stu laughed. I really badly wanted to tell him I saw him in that 9 ball movie, but I didn't, since I guess that wouldn't be PRO. but who am I kidding? I'll tell him tomorrow.
Ben was in the mid-30's.
3) Before Ben's race I went into the bleachers near the pump track to say hi to cyclocross magazine's chief, Andrew. (check the live update from 2:19) In front of him were three very drunk people. "Are you with Ben Popper?"
"Yup."
(yadda yadda) "I hear his wife wrenches for him. Is his wife hot?"
"Um, not sure, but I think so."
"Yeah? Is she brunette or blonde?"
Then, one of the three, Keith, pukes over the edge of the bleachers.

PDX. (we might not be coming back.)

so, yeah. got in by 8pm, rolled to Rachel and Matt's place. last night, drank the best beer ever for just $3 a pint. woke up and rolled to Stumptown for tasty coffee, picked up the bikes at the Union Station - lovely - and then stopped to get Ben's Voodoo cock n' balls donut. While we built the bikes Rachel made the tastiest french toast ever. How much better does it get?

This time, we might not be coming home.

OK, so that's completely not possible but I think both Ben and I are getting to the point where we've had it with Chicago - the weather, the lack of good coffee, the lack of training areas/hills/trails, the weather, the weather, the weather. Last night, snow and single digits in Chicago but fifty degrees here. It's not like we're in a position right now where we can cut and run - damn you economy! - but I think we're both finding it really, really difficult to come to a place like Portland and see all that we're missing.

Oh, yeah, and there's a race today too. We saw folks in kit in the Stumptown downtown. Races here are big. Like, 5 times the size of Chicago races big.

awesome.

As you probably figured out, Ben and I won't be at Montrose for the IL state cx champs this weekend. BUT I highly recommend you go.

At 2pm, after the Men's 1/2/3 race, Half Acre Cycling will be presenting the first ever Illinois State Cyclocross Awesomeness Champion award. It's pretty awesome, and it's going to be awarded to the person or persons who did the most to make cx in Illinois awesome this season. I'm not allowed to show a photo of the trophy that Ben, Audrey, and I made yet, but let's just say it incorporates tire tread, camo, and Lance. woot. Be there.

Also, please don't forget that Turin's holding a food drive at the race. Bring some mac & cheese for the people, eh?
...
Running sort of didn't work so well this morning, and though I was on pace, it just felt off, so I stopped at 3. I'm really, really bummed about the situation with trying to sell my condo- it's been on the market since May- and it's getting under my skin and I'm losing sleep. I tried to pull myself out of the grump with a stop at Mr. Greek Gyros with a $1 cup of crappy diner coffee this morning, and the scene made me happy. It was like New York with its mix of newspaper sellers, cops, bus drivers, and schmancy office folks, just trying to stay warm. I'm loving my diner coffee, especially since I'll be 'stuck' drinking fancypants coffee in Portland all weekend.