Papa Aube and Grandma Bep pose at their 50th anniversary party with the YD girls in January.
My father-in-law, Mike, is in need of prayers. He underwent an angioplasty today and the doctors could not finish the procedure because his arteries were blocked.
The means he will be back in the hospital a week from today for either a triple (or possibly quadruple) bypass surgery.
Less than a year ago, he and "Grandma Bep" (as the girls and I affectionately refer to her) celebrated 50 years of marriage. I have never referred to them as "in-laws" as the term is often associated with something negative. Rather, I consider them to be my second set of parents and I love them like I do my own mom and dad.
The bridge was busy Monday night, the first full day it was open.
It's been a long time in coming, but the pedestrian bridge (officially the "Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge" is now open. How long? Well, I had to dig through my photo archives to find the photo at right, which was taken at the groundbreaking in October of 2006. Yes, I was on hand - and still have the commemorative pin to prove it. It was a windy, chilly day with grey skies that threatened rain. The ground was saturated (read: muddy) and most of the people on hand will probably never walk across the thing.
Here are two more pictures from the groundbreaking:
Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey was one of several speakers.
Posing with Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan. So what was it like today? First, the bridge was fairly crowded. Lots of walkers, a running group and several cyclists. Lots of picture-taking (myself included) and many people who apparently never walk a trail regularly (they were drifting all over the place.
The view from the bridge itself is pretty breathtaking (the view above is looking south). Although I will readily admit I am scared of heights, I wasn't scared at all. There's little chance of falling - unless you make an effort to climb the railing - but it can be a little unsettling to feel the bridge sway and bounce, particularly in the middle.
The bridge spans about 3,000 feet and ends in Playland Park in Council Bluffs. There is a trail there that heads north and south, though I don't know how far they stretch. That will be a future ride. I also didn't see the emergency call phones that are on both sides of the bridge, as well as the middle. (Though I did read on another blog that they are in place, but not yet functioning.)
You can see a live image (still camera) of the bridge by clicking here. This will be a handy link when someone decides to jump from the thing (and I'm sure there will be a few).
There I am (on the far right in white gloves) last December, trying to catch up with national cyclocross champion Katie Compton.
No fewer than two full-length documentaries are coming out this fall showing an event I worked in Kansas City last year.
I was the on-site media director for the National Cyclocross Championships, which took place in Wyandotte County Park, near the Kansas City Speedway. I plan to purchase both the "Zero Traction" and "Nine Ball Diaries" films, if only to preserve the memory of the four days of racing in ice, mud and snow.
If you have never seen a cyclocross race, watch one of the two trailers I have linked to above. You might be surprised to see what these guys (and gals) endure.
One downtown Omaha hotel is making it look festive at night.
So there's a lot of work to be done between now and tomorrow morning. But my mind is on the girls - who will be with me all weekend. We have a lot of fun things planned and the weather should be cooperative.
I had a scary exchange on my bike today when a large truck (some type of industrial storage container-type vehicle) came up behind me and honked his horn. It startled me, especially since he was so close to me. I turned around and thought to myself, "sure, I heard - and see you."
But the guy tooted his horn again. Then again. And even longer this time. I turned around and waved my arm and yelled, "what's the problem?"
At that point, he started gunning the engine. So I slowed down. Way down. He did, too. Then I sped up. He sped up, too. And then ended up going by me. I still don't know what the deal was, but I'm just thankful he didn't take me out. I did get 26 miles in, which was nice.
The photo above kind of says it all. I secure as much publicity as I can for the two professional bicycle racing teams who employ me.
Seeing Tyler Hamilton on the cover of VeloNews is probably one of the biggest "gets" I have to my credit. Sure, I didn't win the race. And he certainly deserved to be on the cover after winning one of the biggest one-day races in the United States. But there was a lot of behind-the-scenes work done to make this happen - and it is satisfying to know I played a part in it.
So when I told Julia how hard I work at my job, sharing a copy of the magazine with her was certainly a satisfying moment. And it made me proud to be her dad.
So my dad is home from the hospital. And I am so glad. Although he is not 100 percent (more surgery lies ahead), it's good to have him sleeping in his own bed and home with mom to take care of him.
I went up to the hospital this morning with the intent of being with him all day (I even took my laptop), only to find out he was being released "soon." Well, the "soon" was more like four hours later - but that was OK. It was interesting to meet the doctors and nurses and listen to the things that he will need to do from this point forward.
Stacy (pictured at right) was dad's nurse Wednesday and said he was her "best patient ever." So we took a picture of the two together before leaving. I also remember Sarah, who was his nurse on the Thursday night he was admitted. Bridget and I cracked some pretty funny jokes with her, which lightened what was a pretty tense situation.
As for the picture of Jon (below), the two of us went to eat at Petrow's earlier tonight. I hadn't been there in awhile, and the World-Herald had not given it a favorable review recently. So I wanted to scope things out myself.
As it turned out, the service was terrific, the food was delicious (large portions) and the price was just right. I got the special: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, salad; Jon got the French Dip (which also came with a salad). Lara was our server and she made quite the impression - calling us "honey" and "dear" and even winking at Jon. And she couldn't have been more than 25 years old. (Note to other servers: this stuff really does result in higher tips. It's a proven fact.)
Anyway, tomorrow I will be picking up the girls from school. Now that the cycling season is over, I have a lot more time on my hands. So it will be great to see them for an extra two hours or so.
Girls: We'll have to save up some money so we can make a stop there this weekend. Jon and I wanted to get malts (they are "buy two, get the third free") but we were stuffed!
Lauren bailed out of this picture at the last second.
We celebrated three birthdays on Sunday: Veronica's (which was actually Sept. 19), Bridget's and mine. The actual party took place at the hospital, since dad was still there.
The day was a good one. We all went to church together, then ate a quick lunch at Wendy's before rushing off to the "dollar" theater to see the new Indiana Jones movie. Veronica slept through most of it, but the girls really enjoyed it. We opened presents and cards at the hospital, then ate pizza at Zio's.
Dad was looking much better when I saw him Saturday morning.
Being the procrastinator that he is (and that I am, too), it should come as no surprise that my dad ended up in the hospital Thursday. He had a blockage in his colon - the result of which had him not eating for at least a week.
So when my mom and Bridget finally dragged him off to the doctor, it wasn't long before he was checked into the hospital. Thursday night was a rush of tests and a surgical procedure that temporarily got things going. But more surgery lies ahead - and it will be at least Monday before dad gets out of the hospital.
The power of prayer is amazing - and if you didn't realize that, this is a perfect example. What could have been a very grave situation has turned out to be not as bad as we once thought. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and thoughts. It also meant the world to my dad to hear from the girls and Danielle. Your voices brought a wide grin to his face when he relayed the story of speaking with you by phone. Thank you.
I've had these things for months and had never worn them.
London - Where did I leave off?
Was it before or after the hotel with the tiny rooms? Or was it the day a three-hour transfer turned into five?
Somewhere along the way – in the final days of the Tour of Britain – everything caught up with me. The long days, the string of hotels with Internet suddenly turned into Wi-Fi-less places that were simply locales in which to hold up for the night.
The days that had already begun to blur into one another were suddenly flashing forward. Had I not taken photos, I’d be at a loss to remember what I saw or where I was for Stages 6, 7 and 8.
I’ll try to do my best. Here is my final ramble on the Tour of Britain:
“Quid” is the slang term for the pound. Much like “bucks” are dollars.
A “lift” is an elevator. But maybe I told you that a couple days ago.
Getting used to driving on the left is one thing. Stepping out to cross traffic on foot is another. I nearly got killed Monday when I looked left, saw nothing coming, and started crossing. From my right, a massive truck just about took me out. Wow. My guardian angel was working overtime on that one.
Don’t order beef in England. Don’t ask why. Stick with the chicken.
The “tube” is the “London Underground” train system. At first, I thought Paul was telling me we were going clubbing when he threw out those unusual names. Fortunately, it only amounted to a 45-minute ride in which he related the story of how the train system map was created.
The most inexpensive thing in England – when compared to the U.S. – has to be postcards. I purchased six of them for less than a pound.
The town of Blackpool is a cross between Coney Island and Daytona Beach. And I only saw it during the daytime. Kind of scary to think what kind of creatures come out at night there.
Liverpool and London – by far – attracted the largest crowds of the entire Tour. Each was estimated to have fan turnouts of more than 100,000. For a comparison, the largest single-day crowd on the most popular U.S.-based stage race (the Amgen Tour of California) attracted about 75,000 on its biggest day.
The bride who cut me a piece of her wedding cake in the wee hours of the morning stands out in my memory. I said a prayer that her marriage is a long and fruitful one.
I could not have managed on this trip without team photographer and good friend, Paul McKelvey. A through-and-through Irishman, he knew his way about England and was never afraid to ask if he didn’t know something. His sense of humor, incredible work ethic and awesome picture-taking was a daily inspiration for me to do my best, too. Thanks, Paul.
My other special friend on this trip was Abby. Always one to help out in the “press room” (which was really a super awesome motorcoach for seven of the eight stages), she also put up with my wisecracks. Abby, I’ll see you again – at the Olympics in London in 2012, if not before. I’m sure you will be running the show for the British Cycling Federation by then.
Harrods – which I originally confused with “Harrah’s” casinos in an early conference call – is a massive, block-long, six-story high facility that is a throwback to the big department stores of the 50s and 60s. Kind of like “Brandeis” only much, much, much, much (I could go on) bigger.
When the Rock Racing arrived for its autograph signing Monday about 45 minutes behind schedule, there was no rushing. No, this is Great Britain. We had to first sit down and have a cup of tea. (Grandma Bep would be proud!)
Somewhere along the Tour, the announcers began referring to Rock Racing as the “Rockin’ Racing” team. I also found out that if you want to really roll your R’s, just turn the “o” in a word to a “u” and you’ll suddenly sound like a Brit.
A word of advice: despite its name, the “Premier Inn” is far from a first-rate facility. Internet that didn’t work, air conditioning that was broken, TVs with picture break-up, doors every 50 feet in the hallway that made it seem like we were on a ship… I could go on and on. Believe me when I tell you to avoid this chain that made our final two nights in Great Britain pretty much a nightmare.
It was hard saying goodbye to everyone on the Tour. People I had spent a week with – either as part of the Rock Racing team or as part of the race organization. The list is a long one, but here’s a start: Abby, Peter, Paul (though not Mary), Lisa, Letti, Marco, Alicia, Rich, Les (our motorcoach driver) and even the reporter who asked me if he could get an interview with Tyler Hamilton so he could let him “confess” to doping. (Sidenote to that story: That particular reporter will go down as the first person to add me as a Facebook.com friend.)
Souvenir shopping for the girls was a lot of fun. I spent a lot of time looking around this week – and remembering what kinds of things made big impressions on me when Aunt Jean used to return home from her global trips. Girls, I hope you like them. I even got your mom a little something.
The plane ride from Chicago to London is a blur. As I type this on the flight home, I’m beginning to wonder if this is going to be one of those nightmarish journeys where you can’t sleep, don’t feel good, just want to get off, etc. Hopefully not! (I’ll let you know in tomorrow’s entry.)
I’m not sure who took care of this, but when I logged on last night to check seat assignments, I noticed that I had been upgraded to first class on my flight from Chicago to Omaha. Wow. I’m going to have to do some investigating because that is certainly a nice surprise and will be much appreciated after the nine-or-so-hour flight across the Atlantic.
The British people were very, very cordial (Memo to Aunt Jean: times do change – and sometimes for the better). By the end of the trip, I was starting to pick up some of their nuances. Like being extremely polite (I usually try), not being in such a rush all the time and appreciating the little things.
I never did find a Catholic Church to attend. I did see one that we drove by one day. I certainly hope that watching mass on YouTube counts for something. I tried. Seriously.
Did you know police in England wear “stab vests” because knives, not guns, are most prevalent? The officer I spoke with in Blackpool was kind enough to explain just how heavy her stab vest was and show me a few things she carried (like pepper spray but not a gun). Weird.
Here are a few links to videos that you might enjoy:
Finally, working on-site for my job is certainly a nice change of pace. But it also makes you take stock of what you have – and what you should be thankful to have – in your life. My five beautiful daughters mean everything to me. My family has been extremely supportive of me throughout my life. I couldn’t ask for anything more from them. The many friends and colleagues who read this blog are so much appreciated as well. I missed you when I was away, too. Thank you, God, for keeping me safe.
Paul McKelvey of Vero Image shot this overlooking Friday's start.
Glasgow, Scotland - It's "half past" as they say in Great Britain as I write this.
That's just one of the British terms I have picked up in the short time I have been in this country. Many of them have come from my friend, Abby, who manages press room operations for the Tour of Britain.
Here's a sampling of some others:
- "Brilliant" is a favorite expression. It means "awesome" or "excellent" or "very good."
- "Cheers" is a typical way for the Brits to say "goodbye."
- In many parts, the "o" in a word is pronounced like a "u." So "Rock Racing" becomes "Ruck Racing." Say it aloud with me ... "Ruuuuck Racing."
- "The lift" is the elevator. And despite being an eight-passenger at most locales, it is very small. Perhaps it would fit eight people the size of Olivia comfortably.
- "Half past" (30 minutes after the hour) and "quarter past" (15 minutes after the hour) refer to specific time periods. Also, military time is referenced most often. Many of our races have ended at "14 hours, 30" or "14 hours, 45."
- If you have a room that's in the 100s, you are on the second floor. If you have a room like 201 or in the 200s, you are on the third floor. Weird.
- Asking for a pop has resulted in me receiving soda water at least once and a blank stare about a dozen times. A better way to ask for one is the phrase, "Do you have any Coke?" - even though I might want a Pepsi or another soft drink.
- The area where we are today - Scotland - features a very "rough" sounding voice for many females. Sure, they might look nice (see the new bride in my photo gallery), but once they open their mouth, you'd think you were talking to a pot-bellied sailor - with their husky, gruff voices. Paul warned us about this so we wouldn't laugh. I still did.
I also managed to swing the hotel where we are staying into letting me do the team's laundry. It kind of happened by accident (I didn't understand Lettie, our soigneur) but it worked out in the end.
Little did I know my evening would be capped off with a wedding reception. The groom wore a kilt and the bride was having to cut the cake (at least my piece of it). See today's photo gallery).
The ride to the hotel from the stage finish was absolutely brutal. Try five hours. That's about as long as it took us to fly across the ocean. UGH.
Taking notes at the finish of Stage 5 at Dalby Forest
Darlington, England - Today was one of the most scenic days on the Tour of Britain, and probably one of the most relaxing as well.
The finish line was located in Darby Forest, a combination of Vala's pumpkin patch and Fontenelle Forest (for those of you familiar with those Omaha-area attractions). And like yesterday, a huge crowd turned out.
I've lost track of where we are and what day it is, but the nice thing is that Rock Racing had a good result Thursday: fourth place on the day.
Other than that, I'll let the pictures do the talking. There's quite a few today.
Note: I wrote this about a week ago as a review of the new Rock Racing uniforms. Unfortunately, I forgot to make it an active post. Enjoy!
There’s never been a professional cycling team like Rock Racing.
So that might explain why I have never worn a kit (cycling’s term for a “uniform”) quit like the one that arrived in the mail in late August.
Right out of the box, I could sense something was different. It might have been the visual clues at first: a rubberized tag protruding from the side of the bib shorts and side of the jersey, the elasticized cuffs on the jersey sleeves, the way the inner jersey fabric pattern resembled nothing I had ever seen before.
Or perhaps it was simply the out-of-this-world eye-catching design of the kit itself. In my case, I would be putting the team’s famed “Crucifixion kit” on display to Omaha, Neb., residents who are used to a more traditional all-one-color-jersey look (combined with staid black lycra shorts) when it comes to seeing recreational cyclists out and about.
An official Rock Racing kit is not complete without the matching gloves (there’s no Velcro closures on these $45/a pair accessories) and socks. And with the latter came another first – “L” and “R” letters to tell me which sock would optimally fit which foot.
So, with the eagerness of a new bride searching for that perfect wedding dress, I “kitted up” and sucked in my stomach before taking stock in the bathroom mirror. Sure enough, I was no Mario Cipollini, but perhaps someone would mistake him for me once I got on board my bike. The dead giveaway might be my helmet – which, despite matching the red-white-and-black kit in color, was not the team’s official LAS-sponsored lid.
As I carried my bike down the stairs of my apartment, I began to notice a few other features of the jersey and shorts that were not immediately apparent. Like the longer-cut sleeve on the jersey. So that’s how they make sure the Cadillac logo is displayed so prominently and with hardly a wrinkle. And the feel of the soft, well-padded artificial chamois in the shorts while walking (normally the first giveaway that the feel in the saddle won’t be a good one) was an indicator of comfort still-to-come.
Perhaps my only balk was with the gloves, which seemed tight at first. Squeezing them on was a bit of a chore. Now I put them to the real test. Too-small gloves will quickly numb the fingers and knuckles and leave your braking power in question.
Rather than type, “the day chosen for my test ride,” I will simply reveal that I went on a ride about as quickly as I could get the kit out of its plastic bags and the elaborately-crafted custom tags (completely with rubber skulls) cut off). That meant being at the mercy of the harsh afternoon winds that blow across the Midwest plains. Locals plan accordingly, as a ride begun into a headwind does not always guarantee a tailwind upon turnaround two hours later.
So as I cut into the teeth of a 20 mph headwind, I realized my effort was being helped along by the cuffed bottom of the jersey and the aforementioned elasticized sleeves. There was no wind wrinkle from flapping in the stiff breeze. Even the shorts felt fast – stretching nearly to my upper knee. Cutting through the win with such aerodynamic efficiency reminded me of wearing the one-piece “skin suits” that cyclists prefer to wear for time trials – timed events run alone pitting competitors head to head in grueling races that prove who is the fastest over a certain distance,
I wondered whether I would be mistaken for the likes of Freddie Rodriguez or another one of the racers. Or more likely, fellow cyclists probably believe I am just another “groupie” who is kitted up like a pro. Well, there’s nothing bad about that. And if you’re a motorist who takes notice of a cyclist’s colorful or elaborate outfit, that’s a good thing. If they see you riding, the danger of them hitting you is significantly reduced.
Can you spot me supervising Tyler Hamilton's interview?
Not-Sure-Where-I-Am, But In England - It's Day 4 of the Tour of Britain and the longest one for me so far.
Between sponsor relations, managing other tasks and reporting on the race, I barely had time to unpack my suitcase (at 11:45 p.m.) and re-pack it (at 7 a.m.) before it was time to get back on the road Thursday for the start of Stage 5.
There was plenty of good news today: Santiago Botero of Rock Racing was in the break today, the hotel was very nice tonight and the weather was sunny and warm.
On the flip side, I was running around after dinner to coordinate an interview for the official one-hour TV recap program. Things got a little tense at times, but it seemed to come off fine in the end.
Following the stages at the Tour of Britain is unusual in that I don't hardly see any of the race. There's no (live) TV coverage, so it's a matter of following the race on Twitter. Then, I provide my own commentary and information on Rock Racing's Twitter feed. I do it all from the press bus - no, there's no press room - which is actually a nice motorcoach parked at the finish. (Stop me if I've written this all before - it's been a long tour!)
Let me have the pictures do the rest of the talking. (Special note to Julia: I'm documenting all the restrooms in England just for you!)
Newbury, England - My life passed before me. More than once.
That's what happens when you offer to help out. I thought I would be carrying bags from the third floor to the team truck this morning. Instead, they told me to go fuel up the team car. Uh-oh.
Driving on the left side of the road is bad enough. Then there was dealing with shifting (it's not an automatic) with my left hand. And looking out the rear-view mirror, trying to figure out which side of the car the vehicle behind me was going to pass me on (I was only going about 45 and it was rush hour traffic on a Monday morning).
I made it to the gas station - and back - sweating profusely. I felt like a student driver all over again.
A couple of quick observations and comments before going to bed:
- You can purchase a commemorative Rock Racing kit online for about $470. But in England, it'll cost you a lot more - about $600 (when you convert pounds to dollars).
- Serena Williams won the US Open, huh? I saw her being interviewed live by SkyTV at about 12:30 a.m. my time. When is the men's final being played? Wasn't the US Open supposed to be wrapped up by Monday (originally Sunday)?
- I got in a 24-minute workout at the hotel's "mini gym" tonight. It amounted to 20 flights of stairs, 550 calories burned and a watt output close to 850-900 the entire time. I was dripping in sweat (second time today).
- There was no live TV coverage of the race today. So I watched a Twitter update on the press bus, then typed my own account. Memo to race organizers: Don't leave your audience hanging. The guy doing the updates typed "Garmin is on the front" with about three miles to go. Then nothing more. Yep, he left everyone hanging while he jumped out of his follow car to watch the finish.
- I spoke to one of the race commissaires today appeal a ruling on behalf of the team. I knew the answer I was going to get before I even asked the question. But it was worth asking. And I found out that international commissaires know the rules as much as I do.
- The news that Lance Armstrong is coming back dropped a lot of jaws over here, too. And many of these guys know Lance and have raced with him.
And finally, some pictures to close out the night:
London - First, let me say I'm glad that I don't have the cold that our photographer, Paul McKelvey, has come down with recently. He's coughing and wheezing his way around England. And that makes him the plague as far as the riders are concerned. If they get sick, it's all over for them. So I might have to get him a surgical mask to wear.
Today's opening stage of the race went fairly well. Rock Racing placed a rider in the top five and no one crashed or lost time. Media interviews went fairly smoothly, too.
By the way, if you don't know about Twitter (mentioned in the story), it's a way to receive short message updates. Cousin Barb is a Twitter fiend. Check out the Rock Racing Twitter feed here (you don't have to sign up for anything by clicking on it.).
As for the slideshow above, here are a few details (girls, pay attention, there might be a quiz):
- Because our media shuttle could only travel 60 mph, the police escort we had left us in the dust. This made us arrive in London much later than we had anticipated.
- More than 100,000 people lined the five-mile route at today's race that passed by Big Ben, the House of Parliment and hugged the River Thames. (Lauren, I did not see the hospital that's in your book. Sorry!)
- Finding a Catholic church - with a mass at a time I could attend - proved to be an impossibility. So I did the only thing I could think of to make up for it: watched a 48-minute (singing) mass on Youtube.com. This had better not happen again next week.
- My dinner partners enjoyed a meal at a place called "World Giraffe" that had the world's largest collection of child seats. The funny part was that there were no children there - and only three other customers.
- The elevator in our hotel (or "lift" as they refer to it here) stopped working yesterday. So I'm going to spend tomorrow morning helping move baggage and equipment from the third floor out to the cars.
- There's a large motor coach that serves as the press room for the race (sorry, no picture yet). That's where the restroom photo came from in the slideshow.
- I hope few motorists noticed when our bus stopped on the way back to the hotel (a two-hour drive) and the U.S. Criterium Champion relieved himself by the side of the road. (Not a PR person's best situation.)
- Fortunately it did not rain on today's stage. But we are bracing for some route changes later in the week due to severe flooding.
- When we returned to the hotel from dinner at 10:30 p.m., U.S. Open tennis was on the TV in the lobby. I don't know if it was live.
- I am quickly learning to pretty much double the price of an item to determine its "real" cost. In other words, something that costs 4.5 pounds (the English currency) is nearly $9 in U.S. currency. So while everything seems relatively inexpensive, it's not.
Finally, a few photos from Paul at Vero Image. He's always kidding me about my camera phone. I don't know - do his pictures really look better than the ones in the slideshow above? *GRINS*
Our motorcycle escort ... before it left us.
Tyler Hamilton and a familiar-looking guy walking to his left.
A great shot of the scrum of media and fans I deal with daily.
Milton Keynes, England - It's the eve of the Tour of Britain and that made for one busy day. And through it all, the rain kept falling.
Actually, I did see the sun twice today - for a total of about 20 minutes. But otherwise it was overcast and sprinkling or just an outright downpour. For most of the Rock Racing training ride, it was the former. And that's good when you're trying to get a few miles of training in on a new bike you have never ridden.
Also, I learned that this city, Milton Keynes - which is a suburb about 90 minutes south of London - has the most roundabouts of any city in the world. What makes this great is that we only saw one stoplight in our four-mile drive to the race hotel. Those things are confusing, but they keep you moving.
The highlights of my day (it's 12:45 a.m. Sunday so I need to keep this short):
- Coordinating an interview and photo shoot for GQ (Italy) magazine.
- Making my first purchase (in person) with my British pounds.
- Seeing a Burger King (no, I didn't eat there).
- The desserts at the team meal tonight. They were motivation for my nearly hour-long workout (one that was cut short when they closed it down at 10 p.m.)
- Getting first class treatment by the race organization at team check-in while at the same time being stared down by every other team.
Here's what I am dealing with on the media front. This is from a British publication, The Sporting Life: Elsewhere in the Tour of Britain field, there is the usual mix of the sublime and the unwelcome.
Falling into the latter category are the Rock Racing team who have named a five man line-up including the American Tyler Hamilton - returned to racing after a two-year ban for blood doping - Spaniard Oscar Sevilla and Colombian Santiago Botero.
All three were named in Operation Puerto, a Spanish police investigation into organised doping, and although no criminal charges were brought against them, success for any of the three ought to be hugely embarrassing for the Tour organisers and their sponsors given their presence is not necessary to the success of the race.
Nice, huh? Well, they are expecting a half a million people to line the race route tomorrow and I'm guessing a lot of them are going to turn out to see what this "Rock Racing" team is all about.
Here's a few more photos from the guy who can really shoot, team photographer Paul McKelvey of Vero Image:
The special commemorative bike - just for this race.
This photo looks distinctly European.
The team has had all of its support vehicles "wrapped" with signage.
Buckinghamshire, England - Nearly every time I call home when I am out on the road, I get the question, "Where are you?" from the girls - followed by a number of inquiries about my hotel and hotel room.
Julia, in particular, asked me to take pictures of my hotel room - and the lobby. So I'm going to try and do that over the next nine days - that see me in seven different hotels. Some days will be harder than others, understand, because I might only be there a few hours. In the case of the Hilton, we are here the first three days.
In the slideshow above, I point out the little keyslot near my door. Without the key in the slot, I have no power for the lights, for the bathroom outlets or the TV. Kind of strange, I know. I have a feeling I'm being charged for the electricity...
In the case of those outlets and adapter plugs, one of the team mechanics (John Sessa) helped cut off some of the plastic around the end so I could fit my cell phone charger into the plug. I have two adapters that I switch off between my laptop, sleep machine and two cell phones. By the way, my Razor phone (for Team Type 1) is not getting service. UGH.
The other unusual thing about my room struck me the minute I walked in: the window was wide open. Apparently there is no air conditioning in this hotel. (Not that we would need it because the temperature is only in the 60s - or about 15 degrees Celsius.) But having the window open last night also allowed me to hear two guys having a fight over a girl in the parking lot. Both were attending a wedding reception here at the hotel. I'm just glad when I looked out that it wasn't two of our riders...
Milton Keynes, England - So much to write, so little time to do it.
First, is it "Great Britain" or "United Kingdom" or "England"? I've found it listed all three ways in various drop down menus, etc. What a pain.
That's little compared to the trouble I had when I first arrived here. First, my flight was delayed (see previous post), so I arrived in the third "wave" of Rock Racing personnel. But instead of just hopping on a shuttle, I spent about 90 minutes looking (and waiting for) two riders who ended up already being at the hotel. But it was nice to catch up with Tyler Hamilton and meet one of the team's soigneurs from Europe, Letti Kemp (no relation to Mike Kemp).
Once we got on the road, it was a 90-minute drive to the hotel - in pouring rain. It's been raining here 12 days and counting. On the news, there are flood warnings everywhere. It's supposed to continue to fall through Thursday. Nice.
The hotel where we stay is modern. The elevator is "Otis" and it's listed as an eight passenger model, but it must mean eight YD girls because it is small. My room is nice. But I couldn't figure out why the lights didn't work. Or the TV. Or the light in the bathroom. It took a trip to the front desk to let me know I have to put my room key in a slot by the door to make those things work. Crazy!
Another crazy thing is the outlets. But I'll save that story for tomorrow. Suffice it to say that I can power everything I need - just not all at once.
The guys went on a training ride today and it started off as quite an adventure. Rich, the team's chiropractor, pointed out to the riders that they should "stay to the left!" as they rolled out of the parking lot. Tyler Hamilton just about got run over - and then scoffed "that guy needs to learn how to drive" before Rich reminded him that he was in England and should have been on the other side of the road.
The British press is having a field day - and that's going to make my life pretty difficult over the next couple of days. They're calling for Rock Racing to remove three riders from the race. Here's the article. It's shades of what happened at the Tour of California back in February.
It's 12:25 a.m. here so I need to get to bed. Girls, I miss you. I hope you enjoy the slideshow!
Chicago - Back in the day, girls, you could purchase flight insurance right there in the airport. Yep, if you thought your plane might crash and you wanted to leave your loved ones a big sum of money, you would fill out a little form, put some money in an envelope and then deposit it in a bin at the airport.
If you didn't make it to your destination, those couple of dollars would turn into a swimming pool, a new house, or a lifetime of vacations. But if you arrived safely, it was money well spent (and never to be seen again).
So this is my travel insurance that will ensure nothing happens to me getting there and back. If I leave each of you a note, I'm sure it will not be the last thing I write to you. Kind of an "insurance policy" without the money or the little form.
So here goes:
Emily: Hey Boots. You've made me proud. I could not have dreamed of an oldest daughter who was more of a role model for her younger siblings. Keep making me proud.
Lauren: Little Lo. Your size belies your intelligence and creativity. You are truly my gift from God. Never give up. You can achieve anything.
Julia: If there ever was a female version of me, you are it. From sitting with me on the bench at basketball games, to listening to my stories about bike races to having a super awesome memory ... you bring a smile to my face - especially with your infectious laugh.
Olivia: Dear Liv: First, I hope you are feeling better. I hate to see you sick. Thank you for being my girly-girl and reminding me every day why I am so proud to have five beautiful daughters.
Veronica: Tiny, I miss you already. You are growing up too fast. If I could reach across the miles, I would give you a big hug. Don't ever stop trying to keep up with your sisters. They're worth chasing.
The GOP Convention is on the TV at my gate at O'Hare.
Chicago - The girls had all kinds of questions about my trip today when they spent the night at my apartment. One of the things I promised them would be to document my trip as much as possible (and to find some good souvenirs).
Emily asked about seeing how I get on and off the airplane. So here we go in pictures (click on them to enlarge):
Left: The "jet bridge." Right: Boarding the plane. Left: Inside the plane. Right: The jet bridge exterior.
The jet bridge makes it seem like you aren't even going onto an airplane. Rather, it is like going down a hallway. So when you reach the part where you actually go onto the plane (the photo above with the "United" logo on the side of the plane), you don't see that you're about 12 feet off the ground.
The jet bridge (see exterior shot, above right) moves away from the plane after they close the door. If the plane isn't parked in just the right spot, they can't extend the jet bridge (which has happened to me a couple of times).
Fortunately (or unfortunately), my flight was delayed by weather in Chicago. Like lots of rainy weather. But we didn't find out until we were on the plane and in our seats. Only then were we told that it might be up to a four-hour delay. Fortunately, it was more like 90 minutes. So I'm typing this out at O'Hare Airport as I await a flight out at 9:31 p.m.
One request I might not be able to fulfill on the way to Great Britain is the photo Emily wanted of the ground. I haven't had a window seat - and I don't foresee having one for my international flight. However, they did upgrade me to "Economy Plus" (more legroom) and I'll be on a much larger plane (a Boeing 777). As you can see from this video, it's a big plane.
That's a lot of pounds. But just how much are they worth?
Did you know you can get foreign currency at several First National Bank locations in Omaha? I did not.
But my "Personal Banker" didn't do me any favors by neglecting to inform me that I could only change currency in the lobby - meaning that trip to the 132nd & West Center Road location at 8 a.m. was pretty frivolous (the lobby doesn't open until 9). So I ended up going to the 16th & Dodge location.
I'm all set money-wise. Now it's just a matter of finding the time to do all the rest: pack, pack, pack and rush to the airport.
ROAD Magazine decided to videotape me Sunday night.
If you haven't been a regular reader of the original "YD Cafe" blog, you might not be familiar with Neil Browne of ROAD Magazine and his unusual videos. For me, it started with the Tour de Georgia and this video called "One Minute With Sean."
So when Neil approached me about doing another video, I was able to put him off for about three days - only to have him find me in my room the night before I was heading out. He will not be at the Tour of Britain.
Don't get the idea I am bagging on Neil, though. He's a great guy. I just don't like the attention (seriously!). He did give me a shout out on Twitter the other day that made me blush (see below). After all, it's about the riders. I'm not the one out doing all the hard work pedaling miles and miles.
So my unexpected trip to the Tour of Britain bicycle race is less than 24 hours away. I'm still rushing around to get everything ready, but I do have the most important part - my passport.
Who would have thought you could get a passport in less than a week? Not me. But there are ways to do it - and it has to do with how much you are willing to pay. And you have to be willing to mail your birth certificate on to someone you don't know, along with a good chunk of change. So there's a little bit of a leap of faith involved.
Before I take off, I get to see the girls! They are coming here tonight and I can't wait to see them. Plus, I have some wonderful souvenirs that I pilfered on my trip to Greenville, S.C.
Jerry berates his band leader on this year's telethon.
The Jerry Lewis MDA telethon has been a part of my Labor Day Weekend since my early childhood. The funny part of that is that my mom never liked Jerry Lewis. (So why did she have the telethon on every TV?)
Our Labor Days were literally that - hard labor. We would scrub the windows, remove the screens, clean our bedrooms, etc. Kind of like a "fall cleaning" spree in one day - right before school would resume.
Over the years, I have tried to catch bits and pieces of the telethon - which is 20 hours long. In Omaha, though, the local affiliate no longer shows the start on Sunday night - choosing instead to begin coverage at 7 a.m. So those marathon sessions of pleading with people to pick up the phone and pledge at 2 and 3 a.m. are gone.
Other favorite memories of the telethon include: staying up all night in 1979 to watch all 20 hours (I ended up taking a nap in the afternoon); making a hole-in-one at the fishbowl at Crossroads to win a case of 7-Up in 1980; Dr. San Guinary and his appearances; taking the girls to the fishbowl in Ralston (2001?).
This year - like the past three - I rode my bike out to the fishbowl. This year it was in the parking lot of a grocery store at 108th & Maple. I saw Ryan McPike and Bob MacDonald - two former co-workers of mine at KMTV. I also donated a dollar in each of the girls' names.
The beauty of the telethon these days is YouTube. I can catch all the highlights - and lowlights - online. So the snippets of it I caught in my hotel room in Greenville (which DID show the very start and all-night coverage), really didn't have me missing anything.
Check out this link to watch all the gaffes and wise-cracks and politically-incorrect jokes Jerry did on this year's telethon.
How often do you see this? Not a soul at airport security.
So just how quiet was the Greenville airport Monday morning? I might have just used the women's restroom (inadvertently), but no one came in while I was in there - and I only realized the mistake (I might have made) when a slow-moving woman was heading my direction as I exited. (So perhaps it was my mistake.) Put it this way: I didn't see any urinals, come to think of it.
I am normally O.J. Simpson when it comes to airports. Rush, run, hurry up, etc. But even though I left the hotel later (7:20 a.m.) than my originally-planned departure time (7 a.m.), there was NO ONE at the Northwest check-in desk. So as I walked by a restaurant, I checked the time and decided to sit down to a nice breakfast:
The other nice thing about Greenville's airport is the free Wi-Fi. I'm guessing that Detroit will not have the same - and I probably won't be there long enough to find out. Another nice benefit to this morning's trip is that I am flying west. So I am gaining time as I get closer to Omaha.
I rushed to take a couple pictures this morning. First, my room was a deluxe king that I was upgraded to for free. Not once did I pull back the sheets. I'm guessing the maid loved that. I did sleep, mind you, just not under the covers. I found a blanket in the closet. Come to think of it, that is what I have grown used to at my apartment - sleeping with a blanket on a cot or the bottom bunk of the girl's beds.
I also took an "airplane" picture for Julia. No, it's not of the restroom. It was from my seat over the wing of my Northwest Airlines flight as we landed in Detroit.
I ran two blocks to catch up with race winner Tyler Hamilton.
Greenville, S.C. - The pictures will have to tell the story for this post because I am absolutely crazy busy. Tyler Hamilton of Rock Racing won the national road race championship - by two-thousandths of a second (that's 0.002). And you thought Michael Phelps's race was close.
Here's the front-on view of the sprint. Tyler is on the right.
The photo finish camera confirms Tyler has won.
There I am on the right (red shirt), collecting quotes.
Afterwards, fans were asking him to sign all kinds of things.
The woman in the blue shirt in the VIP tent just sneezed.
The photo above is the VIP tent where I spent most of my day. That's because the press tent had no power and no TV. It turned out that the TV wasn't an issue because the Internet/TV service shooting the race for broadcast had all kinds of technical troubles. We didn't see video of the race until only 35 miles were left to go (of 115 total).
My laptop was on my lap for six hours.
The podium hostesses, Rachel and Ashley, were ready backstage.
My friend, Tom Vinson, was on hand to congratulate Tyler...
...who was all smiles at the press conference afterwards.
My father-in-law, Mike, is in need of prayers. He underwent an angioplasty today and the doctors could not finish the procedure because his arteries were blocked.
This photo looks distinctly European.
