California Driving

Video for the girls of me driving in California.

The Inn At Morro Bay

There's plenty of water at Morro Bay – not including this fountain.
When part of your job is to write things, writing on your personal blog seems to be an afterthought. But halfway through training camp, I am making a real effort to weigh in on a few things.

The BMC Racing Team training camp has been tremendous so far. But things really heat up this week with photo and media days on Tuesday through Thursday. I'm still working through the logistics (something I should be doing right now), so this will be short and Morro Bay-centric.

The Inn at Morro Bay is the hotel where we stayed Sunday night. Very swanky and right on the cusp of the Pacific Ocean. My room (as you can see from the photos) is very nice (they have all been nice, by the way) and the lobby has free wifi – always a good thing.

Today we will be continuing our trek down the coast. We'll pass through Santa Barbara, where I hope to pick up some videotapes I loaned to Shelley Verses a year ago. You'll recognize that name if you're a cycling fan from way back. She was the first female soigneur in professional cycling – kind of hard to believe nowadays, huh? And that was only 1985. More on Shelley in a later entry. Now to the photos:

I still can't figure out what that big mound is behind me.

Nice sunset, huh? Very picturesque, as I am fond of writing.

My room, complete with TV over the fireplace.

This is the sink at the Hyatt the night before. Huge.

Button on the top is to flush. Pretty cool, huh Julia?

Crossing The Golden Gate Bridge

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on our way down the coast.

Arrival In Santa Rosa

A rare view from my seat in first class upon arrival in Denver.

My first trip of 2010 began at 6:40 a.m. Wednesday from Omaha's Eppley Airfield. No, George Clooney was not there. If the first flight is any indication of how travel is going to go this year, I'm off to a good start. The flight attendant came to the back of the plane (I was in the second-to-last row) and said she needed six people to move to the front of the aircraft to counter-balance the weight in back. So I got up, walked all the way into first class and sat down in an empty seat. (They said the "front of the plane," right?) No one said a word.

What followed was a flight from Denver to San Francisco and a two-hour ride on the Sonoma County Airport Express shuttle. The latter was enjoyable – save for getting carsick from using the free wifi on the bus. Here's the day in pictures:

The expression on my face is, "I hope I don't throw up."

Getting ready to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Soigneur Graeme McCallum picked me up at the bus stop.

A peek inside the BMC Racing Team service course...

...which is not fully stocked, but will soon be.

Tim Farnham and his wife, Emily, invited me out for dinner.

Emily admires the jerseys on display at the Riviera restaurant.

My room for the next 10 nights at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel.

BMC Training Camp: On My Way

A final photo to show the scene in Omaha the night before my departure.
So I left early Wednesday for my first trip of 2010, headed to California for the BMC Racing Team's training camp.

I have been to Santa Rosa, Calif., three times previously: all during the stages of the Amgen Tour of California. Here are my memories of each trip:

2007 (working with Toyota-United):
First memory: that the press room was about a seven-block walk from the finish line. To this day, this is the farthest I have had to walk from finish line to press room at any race. Ever. I will also not forget how packed the stage finish was for this race. How packed? I had to use my whistle to cut a line nine-deep at the finish line just to get across the street. And I also made the mistake of not being on the right side of the street (one I have never made again) for the finish of the race. Course marshals cut off access to crossing 45 minutes before the race arrives. I didn't know that and got stuck on the side of the street opposite the media tent.

So I was left to try and look over the heads of people as the peloton zoomed by for the first of three laps on a finishing circuit through the downtown streets. After the first pass through the finish line, some people left – apparently thinking the race was over. Oops. Good for me, though, as I got to work my way up to a spot about three-deep from the barriers. This was the year that a massive pile-up ensued and I seemed to be the only one who took a time on the gap between the crash and the leaders. It proved to be a moot point in a situation that has since become known as "The Levi Rule."

I also recall staying that night at the "Pink Flamingo" hotel, where I got sick overnight. I was a little concerned I would not be ready to work the next day, but everything worked out and I have yet to get sick at any stage race since (knock on wood).

2008 (working with Rock Racing):
A post-race autograph session is my memory of this year. It was a bit cold and damp after the long, tiring stage. But the Rock Racing riders didn't complain one bit as they signed autographs for about an hour after the race. (The crowds were huge.) This also marks one of the most memorable stages for me for all the wrong reasons. While I was walking back from the media room, cutting through a parking garage and mall, when I received a call that my Uncle (Arch) had died. I was stunned. And I also couldn't talk at length to the person who broke the news to me because I was in the midst of a bit of crisis management related to the autograph signing. It was not a good day.

2009 (working with Team Type 1):
Cold, wet, damp. Those are easy words to describe the stage. Thankfully, Team Type 1 had Joe Haddad and his motorcoach to help keep the riders (and me) warm after the race. I recall Phil Southerland and Fabio Calabria, after being excused from riding the finishing circuits, riding up to the bus. Fabio was so cold he crashed trying to hop a curb. It was a miserable day. By the way, Rock Racing won the stage (a completely unexpected result) and we (then Elevation Sports & Entertainment) did not have a PR person to facilitate the finish line and post-race protocol.

The YD Girls In 2009: A Look Back

Playing in the snow is a favorite activity at my apartment.
I am cleaning out the photo queue on my Blackberry today, in anticipation of another season of traveling. Here is a look at some of the photos I had been collecting but had never been posted.

One of my favorite pictures of Veronica of 2009.

Veronica sports a bit of "bed head."

Veronica was thrilled to get a new shirt from dad.

Emily usually makes faces. Here's one of the few where she is not.

Julia also liked the new shirt I got her.

One of the better photos I've seen on my phone (of Lauren).

Veronica and I pose for a close-up.

Veronica wearing my hat at Bag 'n Save.

The first in a series of photos playing at our old house.

Julia and Veronica.

Emily has definitely out-grown the swing.

Aunt Jean bought this for us. The girls still love it.

The beautiful potted plant from my friends at VSP Vision Care.

From One Extreme To The Other...

The nearly six-foot high snow drift on my balcony.
My friend, Erin, shared this shot of Thursday's sunset in Hawaii.

And here's a video of me driving in the snow:

Who Comes Up With This Stuff?

My buddy, Bob Cullinan, never ceases to amaze me. Thanks, Bob.
(Click here to view it in a larger window.)

Opening Presents

Julia (left) and Lauren show off their new mugs.
Santa Claus left the girls a little something special. Custom picture mugs that they can enjoy drinking hot chocolate and tea out of this year. Veronica also got a fire truck book.

Strangely, Emily and Julia did not receive any other presents like Lauren, Veronica and Olivia. But a few days later, Dad found their presents out on the deck amidst that massive snow drift. Apparently, Old Saint Nick dropped their presents when he was trying to make his way through the patio door. Thankfully, the presents (books) were not damaged.

Veronica enjoys her new fire truck - and red marker.