Something that is chapin' my ass

Something really bothered me this week. Actually it has been bothering me for years now and some people know that it bothers me others may not know it. So I am going to give my opinion on the issue, and that is what it is an opinion.

"What is it" ? says you.

It is the sad sad state of what is called "country" music today. I guess it was sparked by the recent CMA awards. In which Taylor Swift won entertainer of the year. I am not degrading the talent of some of the names I will mention like Swift. As a matter of fact it is not really there fault its the sanctioning bodies of country music for allowing them to call there music country.

Ever since the early 90's country music has been heading south with the likes of people who's music really belongs on top 40/pop radio, but some how they found a way to sneak it in and it has progressed over the years. So I did some research to see who has won entertainer of the year since they started giving the award. Here is the list of winners since the beginning from the Country Music Association. Here is the list from the Academy of Country Music which is not quite as well known as the CMA's. Check out the lists. So Kenny Chesney, The Dixie Chicks, Shinia Twain and others have been given the same award as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr., George Strait??? That cant be right, think of it like this:

You just got the award for smartest person alive for 2009, and next year in 2010 they give it to the idiot that cant tell you what today is. So now the awesome award that you got last year isn't worth a wooden nickel because there willing to give it to anyone. George Jones who is awesome had some interesting things to say about the same topic here. He has put in his time so I think he can pretty much say whatever he wants. I could go on and on about it and rant and rave and probably argue with some people.

In closing lets just quit calling it country music, play it on 93.7 and be done with it, these people are talented just not at country music.

I'm out, I am going to listen to some Waylon Jennings on some vinyl. Think about it.

1-2-3 Dodgeball

Soooo, we got entered into a Dodgeball tourney a couple weeks ago. Don't remember how a bunch of guys out of high school for years got entered into a high school tournament but we did... We had a practice the night before where we played a few game and felt good about the next day. So it was game day being anxious I showed up a little early, as I was backed into a spot in the gym listening to NPR and waiting on my team I had a thought-

"Larger male, beard, sunglasses, looking older than high school age, backed into a parking spot in the corner of the gym lot" "I am willing to bet that I look pretty damn creepy right now"

Quickly I make some calls to see if my team was on the way so I would feel a little better about myself, and shortly they arrived but not before I was getting uncomfortable with the decision I had made to show up early.

One to the game, it started well with a very exiting game that we won with 5 sec. left in the game. Then we won 2 more games, and in the semi finals lost to last years champs. No big deal, on to the conciliation round. The plan would be to win 1 game then beat the champs twice for the tourney win. Well it did go like that as we got beat by the Rosman baseball team, with some questionable calls from the Refs. Oh well. So what did we do, El Ranchero of course to discuss it over corn, flour, meat, cheese, more cheese, and a recovery drink, you know your workout is not complete without a recovery drink.

Other than that life is pretty normal, riding, working on the house, you know just livin the dream. I have been digging a ditch around my garage lately to fix some drainage issues. I will try to get some pics of that pain in the ass up and I encourage anyone with a strong back to stop by the house, you know just to visit. Riding is pretty sketchy right now with the mud and leaves but that's ok, they will be cleared off soon enough. I am switching my I9 wheelset between my 2 bikes because the stock ones are for sale. I have set up a fund so that I can pick these up asap. So when your over helping me dig the ditch, and you finish, you can make a donation. Sounds like a good deal right??? It would make you a better UHmerican.

Treeshaker Propaganda

check around the 3:50 mark you may just see someone you know

Racers trying to pedal fast and keep good form because they know there is a camera

Livin' the Dream

So, its a good time of year here in B town. Fall= cool weather, leaves, camping, and biking. We did some camping up on Black Balsam a couple weeks ago which was pretty awesome and we woke up early enough to catch the

then we just chilled at camp for a while and had a nice

after that we headed east to the Moose Cafe for some breakfast, which was the heat. The next adventure was a little backpacking on the foothills trail with Kell and Wilmurrpuss. It was pretty fun even though it pissed the rain,

it did stop during the evening though so we were able to build a nice

So the evening was pretty enjoyable as we just ate some supper, chilled and did some laundry

and tried to dry out the

Since it was raining so hard when we woke up Sunday morning we headed back to the truck instead of continuing to our original destination, so I think we are going to try and finish it up another time. On to this past weekend we traveled to Charlotte for the

We had a pretty solid team consisting of a 3 man team, a Duo, and a Solo racer

it all went pretty smooth as Mr. Dickerson got us off to a lead and we started off with about a 6 min. lead and extended it to about 32 min. by the end of the race. Wes killed it hovering around 40 min.. laps. Kell brought his A game and was around 42/43 min. and I stayed 45/46 ish all day. It was a pretty solid race for all of us and we took the win. Derek showed up to race completing 13 laps and taking the win. That's right 13 laps @ 8 miles per lap, you can practice your multiplication and do the math on total mileage. Matt Wells and Wilmur held it down in the Duo category taking 3rd place to some very strong teams. So you could say that we represented Brevard, Pisgah, Sycamore Cycles, and The Pisgah Beard Society rather well. Thanks to Erica and Katie for working the pits and doing a excellent job at it.

that's right, look at all those "big" guys on the top of the podium (referencing the comment made to Wes at the race about the "big guys" he brought to the race).

Good times, the seasonal trails are about to open, the Swank is coming up, and I have been married 1 year next weekend, so things can only get better. Hell yes for living the dream, and if your not completely satisfied and happy with your life right now take a look, it might be your fault, because hey its true it could always be worse!

I hope it is true

The most badass movie in a long time

No blog in over a month, been pretty busy doing some house stuff, camping/backpacking, and pinning the new stumpy

(thanks for being on point Specialized and Wes D). We got the Tree shaker 12 hr race next weekend so I will get some pics from recent activities and the race and give an update for anyone who cares.

Keepertweenthaditches - CB

The trek to Robbinsville

My buddy Jim has a cabin in Robinsville, actually 11 miles past Robbinsville almost to Smowbird. So for some odd reason he thinks we need to ride bike there from Brevard???? Foolishly I join in on the notfun (similar to fun but not). We left B town a little after 7 on Saturday morning and headed up 276 to the BRP hung a left and climbed up past Black Balsam, back down to 215 then up again to the highest point on the BRP. Here we started the screaming descent down to Balsam Gap. We met my brother here for a food and drink stop, then the hellacious climb back up to the rest stop and back down to hwy. 19 we hung a left here and descended into the wild and wonderful Cherokee. That road sucks bad and riding bikes through the town is just as bad, however I did see my first moon which was pretty funny. So we keep rollin and we come into Bryson City, this is about mile 85 and this is where I was over it but we still have about 4o miles to go.... Ouch. So we had to get on the 4 lane at this point and that pretty much sucked. HOT, TRAFFIC, DEAD COYOTES was the theme of this 10 or so mile stretch. Then we hit the final climb at about mile 100 which compared to all of the earlier climbs was not that bad, but hey its mile 100. On through Robbinsville and to the cabin. 123.3 miles. 9:45 total time, and 11,898 ft of climbing, and a hell of a tan line (see creek pics). Upon arrival I got a recovery drink and went to sit in the creek for a while, followed by dinner, drinks and a fire. Oh and we rode in cars home! Ye

For you viewing pleasure:

ORAMM rundown

So picture a big ass decepticon with an ORAMM body Kitsuma and Heartbreak for legs, curtis creek rd. and shit tons of gravel roads for his 2 arms. Now picture me ( an autobot of course) getting my ass kicked all over Pisgah by him. Not really, it wasn't that bad-but it wasn't good either. My first ORAMM event started out around 8 o clock with that mass start in the bustling town of Old Fort and we took of up to Old 70 up to Kitsuma. I probably pushed it a little much on this climb but I was trying to get out front a little to avoid the cluster, mission failed. People falling, pushing, running, carrying???? WTF. At any rate I made it up the switchbacks to the peak of the climb and started the decent and again people falling, getting off and walking?? I was very surprised at the people that were pushing sections on all of the descents. I finally made some passes and got with a group that was going my pace and stuck with them to the bottom. We then hit rest stop number 1 and I grabbed a few things and headed out. We hit a short climb in another cluster, and that is when the cramps started! Thats right mile 18 of 63. So I took it down a notch or two, hit the next descent, chilled on the forest service road to star gap and then pinned it two the 2nd rest stop, this would be the last time I saw Julia obviously she was on a mission. This is were the before mentioned Curtis creek started. A 9 mile gravel rd climb to the BRP. This climb will BREAK your SOUL!!! You will question why you are alive, where you are, and any way to end the pain. Some how I made it to the top, I would sit and spin until the hamstrings cramped and then stand and crank until the quads and calves went. I arrived at rest stop 3 which was very reliving, the hardest climb was over. So I take off in good spirits and Tokyo drift the gravel road down to the campground just in time for the road to turn up again back to the BRP. I know, I know it sounds dumb to get to the parkway go down just to come back up, I agree with you! Leg cramps forced me to push about 50 ft of gravel rd before the 4th rest stop, I almost fell over and that would have been embarrassing. I grabbed some potato chips hoping to get some salt in my body to help the cramps (lost cause). Off on the BRP, climb about a mile and then the hike a bike up to the top of Heartbreak ridge. This was a awesome descent, I made up alot of places (maybe 15) on this downhill and I only gave 1 or 2 of them up on the last climb. I dabbed my foot in on of the switchbacks at the bottom, leg cramped, fell down the hill and wallered in the dirt for a couple minutes, and finally got back on the trail and on my bike (I am glad no one saw this). Hit rest stop 5 quickly as I was OVER IT at this point back to Kitsuma and down getting a few more spots and then hit the pavement with a short and fast spin to the finish line.

In closing:

I finished

Its ok to get chicked

I will do it again

I will do better

I will probably still get chicked

People need to learn how to go down hill and

I need to learn to climb

HEED makes me want to puke

You can view ORAMM results here
You can view pics here