Annoying weather guy!

(photo missing of "Big Mig" Taylor, Jeff Bigger and Rick Olsen)

All right. It's almost June isn't it? If I told you that it rained most of the day, the wind was blowing between 25-35 MPH with gusts to 40 MPH yesterday would you even believe me? Well I am (telling you) and it was (what I just said about the annoying weather). If I hadn't been so darn busy doing stuff yesterday, it would have really been depressing!

Sydney and I went to work at the bike shop in the morning. A very tall familiar face walks into the shop. Anyone who knows me knows that if an incredibly tall guy (or girl) walks by, I notice. It's because I've been so vertically challenged my whole life, and I figure if I can't be tall, I can surround myself with tall. Anyway, I haven't seen Jeff Bigger for about 4 years and I only met him once when he came to visit Mike at Palo Alto Bicycles years ago.

So while the rain just dumped outside the bike shop, Dave (Horstmann=bike shop owner) made a pot of coffee (and Dave only buys the best!), and we all talked (and worked!) the morning away. In fact, time passed so quickly that Jeff ended up being there from morning to lunchtime, when his brother-in-law Rick Olsen (he's the corporate pilot for Schwan's, and one of Mike's dearest buddies; they've known each other since they were like 6 years old or something ridiculous like that) stopped by to go out to lunch across the street at Hunan's (think "Jing Jing's").

After work I headed home to put dinner in the crock-pot (I love this invention!) and then went to meet my Minnesota Dad to try and figure out his GPS device. We were able to "mark our spot", name it, and then we drove out to the small hound's field so she could play in the rain) and then let the GPS guide us back home. It worked! So now Dave can go fishing and mark the spot where the fish are "exactly" and then find his way back to the fish when he's in the boat. Since he's catching all those fish for me, it was the least I could do to make his job easier!

Sydney and I went back home and I had work to do on my wedding, plus a bunch of housework (I sound like a housewife...yikes!). I was keeping my mind off of a bike ride pretty well. 40 MPH winds will do that, even if the rain did quit. Mike's hardcore though. so when he got home, he suited up and shortly thereafter, Jeff and Rick rode up (it's a "man" thing --"I am tough guy...I ride in 40 MPH wind"). You can see from the photo above that they were dressed to the gills---even if it is almost summer.

I guess Mike has had his "athlete's" reputation all his life. Rick said Mike was as mentally tough in basketball as he is on a bicycle. They all talk schmack (in private to me) saying "Taylor's lost his cycling edge". I run home and tell Mike though (of course). I said, "come on T, put the hurt on these guys next time!" He just smiles. I told him, "they think you've lost your touch!" He said he didn't care what they thought. However, after their last ride, he put the hurt on just enough to keep them quiet...and he won every city limits field sprint! He did that to keep me quiet probably.

Well, the sun's out...but it is very windy. A windy ride on the prairie---the weather guy is "off the back" but I am getting used to the wind...and with my wedding day countdown to look forward to, well, I'm still smiling!