Remembrances

He was the one at the bar who said hello to him. He was the one who wore a tattered t-shirt and baggy shorts. He was the one who smelled like cigarette smoke mixed with gasoline. There was a pause from him before recognizing that he was once the boy who knew him best of anyone. Memories rushed in with such clarity, as if they were old movies playing for him on the silent TV up in the corner. So many happy memories of being high and laughing in the sun, of cutting school to play wiffle ball in the park, of swimming at the lake in the summers. Then the memories turned to fire. The kind of fire that burns nostrils then drips down the back of the throat. The kind of fire that burns in tin foil and plumes enticing smoke. The devil lives in fire, he affirmed to him, who the smoke scared. That was the last they saw of each other, until now at the bar. It would have been inappropriate for him to show the love still in his heart. How's your mom doin'? She's ok, and yours? Yeah, same. You take care. Yeah, you too.

So I'm thinking...

I was telling Mrs. Banks about Merco/McLane and how it was such a competitive field with great riders coming from all over which led me to thinking about nationals. Sure would be nice to tell Mrs. Banks that I was in the same field as the national champion.

So how do we get the national champion to our ncnca master races? Well, doing our best to ensure that he comes from the district sure would increase the odds.

But how do we do our best to ensure the nation's best master comes from our district? Well, we send an all-star team to nationals. I know on my team participating in nationals isn't a sponsor requirement and I think it's that way across the board. If a sponsor objects to ncnca masters joining together for nationals, I suggest using a rising tide lifts all boats argument. If we can bring back the stars and stripes jersey, our stock as a district rises and the teams in the district will have more prestige and prestige is always good for sponsors.

Now I'm not saying this is a great idea and we should start right away organizing an all-star masters squad for nationals. However, I do think this idea could possibly work, but it needs thoughtful feedback and further refinement.

The first obstacle to overcome is how to fund this venture. I'd kick in $250 and if I could find 29 other like contributors that's $7500, which should be enough to buy some kits, give the squad gas money and some coin for hotel rooms. If a squad member wants to bring friends or family with him, it's on his dime, but he'd still get an equal portion of the contributed funds. I'd need help finding 29 other contributors.

The next obstacle to overcome would be selecting which category to race: 35-39 or 40-44. I'm leaning towards 35-39 since, I believe, the 40-44 year-olds can race down in age but it's not visa versa. Besides, from what I've seen, the all-star caliber masters in our district who are 40 and over can easily compete with 35-year olds.

Now onto the nuts and bolts... how to select the squad? I propose:

1. Giving one vote to all the ncnca masters who finished in the top 3 of any 2006 masters 1/2/3 event.
2. Voters would submit 10 names to an election official. Then the official would tally the names.
3. The top eight names from the vote would be on the team.
4. I think we should send nine masters to nationals and since the electorate might leave a deserved someone off the squad, the eight elected members would vote on the ninth.
5. If there's a 4 to 4 tie, the top vote getter from the first vote would have two votes toward selecting the ninth member.

So I'd be among the voters who submit 10 names. I'd have to scour last year's results before listing all 10, but with just these names below, I'd really like our district's chances at bringing back a jersey either in the RR or crit.

Michael Hernandez
Dan Martin
Jeff Poulsen
Michael Hutchinson
Dean LaBerge
Kevin Metcalf
Nathan Parks

So there it is. Critique, deride, support, but please remember its just a thought.

13hrs in county wearing bright blue spandex, chapter two

So Gish pulls me up off the ground and begins marching me to the squad car. With his one hand on my handcuffed wrists, he rudders me along from one side of the intersection to the other. I'm not looking up to see what the TV news crew is doing, or what anyone else at the scene is doing for that matter. I just clickity-clack along in my cleated bike shoes, embarassed, towards the black and white.

The first noticeable thing about the back seat of a squad car is how little room there is. It's such tight quarters that if you exhale too much, you'll fog the plexiglass separator. Long after my spandex clad jail adventure, I asked an officer who gets more room back there: a human or police dog? He said the dog.

Another thing about the back seat is it's entirely made of plastic. The floor and backside of the front seat are covered in rubber material. I wasn't expecting leather, but I figured there'd be at least cheap vinyl upholstry. The officer who told me police dogs get more room also explained that canines get cushioning and upholstry since they don't get drunk and puke.

Following the handcuffing, I resigned to not saying another word. So I'd been sitting quietly for a long time before a flatbed tow truck came on the scene. Apparently this frees Gish and his partner for the trip to jail. The partner hops into driver's seat and pops the trunk. I see Gish rolling my $4500 bike toward the car. Crash! Clang! Thump... Thump... Thump.... I turn around and there's Gish dropping the trunk on top of a bicycle part protruding from the compartment. Thump... I turn forward in silent rage. Gish leaves the trunk ajar.

The trip to jail began with a U-turn, exactly the same manuever I pulled that started this mess. My spandex covered rear end doesn't grip at all on the plastic seat and I have to dig my cleated feet into the rubber floor to prevent from crashing into the side door.

On the way downtown, Gish sees two homeless looking guys riding clunker bikes on the sidewalk.

"It's illegal to ride on the sidewalk," he loudly admonishes them over the cruiser's loudspeaker. "Get off now!"

I just shudder.