My Special Talent

We all have innate talents. For most people, their innate talents are fairly moderate. However, for a rare few their innate talents are so extreme that they rise above all the rest. Now typically I am not one to brag about such things, but today I must admit that I am one of the rare few with an extreme talent. Yes I know it's hard to believe, especially if you've met me, but it's true - it really is true. So what is this extreme talent, you ask? Here it is!! I can get lost more quickly, more easily, and more completely than anyone else on the planet. I know! It's hard to believe I can be so talented, but there you have it. It really is true.

Take today for instance. Susie and I went for our ride in Concord. I did this ride with a bike group just last week AND I had it programmed in my GPS. (It's an absolutely gorgeous ride, by the way. That is if you can find it.) All was great! I was just following the pretty purple line on my GPS that was telling me where to go, chatting with Susie, and watching the scenery (but obviously not very closely) when Susie says to me, "Danni, I think we've been here before but going in the other direction." And, damn, if she wasn't right!!! We WERE on the same road going in the opposite direction. How in the hell did that happen?!!!!!

Luckily my talent is so extreme, that even though we followed the wrong route and never made it to the most beautiful part of the ride, we still got our mileage in since we had to ride around for miles figuring out where the hell we were!! Thankfully Susie was in such awe of my amazing talent, that even though we didn't manage to get to the right place, she still had fun just basking in the aura of my greatness.

We will be attempting this ride again next Wednesday at 1:00pm. If you feel you have the strength of character to withstand being in the presence of such extreme talent, it would be great to pedal around aimlessly with you somewhere (anywhere) in and around Concord!!

Danni

Concord Ride - Wednesday 9/29

Weather permitting my friend, Susie, and I will be doing a ride in Concord on Wednesday, September 29th at 12:30pm. We will be meeting in the parking lot behind the cemetery on Keyes Road in Concord Center. We will do a relaxed paced 21 mile ride. After the ride we will have a drink at the Walden Grill. If you would like to join two attractive, intelligent, witty, athletic, outgoing, charming, competent, (yet humble) women, we would love to take you for a ride. No wait. That's not it. Let me try that one again. How about this? We would really enjoy riding with you. Yea, that's it. I'm sure that's what I meant to say. No, really . . .

The route can be found at:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ma/concord/280128550734993006

I hope to see you on Wednesday,

Danni

Hello From Spain

Scott Calling,

Finally, internet access!
Lets make this short. The riding here is tougher then tough. Everything you can imagine and then some. The colors in the rocks are unlike anything I have ever seen.Some have 5 differnt colors and look as if someone has painted them.
The trail changes constantly. From mud to sand, Clay to stone. Baby head sized rocks to deep holes that make you need to bring the bike down in speed so we dont crash.
We did however crash yesterday, Slipped on clay in the rain and down we went. Barb cracked her helmet, but is fine.
The food has been great for the most part. We has a 8 fish dish yesterday for lunch with frys and mayo. The beers could be bigger, but we have learned to just order another.
We miss you all. I only hope to be able to add to the blog as we go along but if you dont see any new postings, please know it just because we are indeed in the middle of no where. True.

My Favorite Mailbox

On this first day of Autumn, I went on a ride to visit a good friend of mine. I met this friend in the Spring when I first started getting back into cycling. At the time, I was on my old hybrid. I was seeking an ever growing bike route around my home as my leg muscles strengthened and allowed me to ride further and further. During one such route extension, I encountered the hill on Morse Road in Sudbury for the first time. It is a deceptive hill. The first part is not very steep but goes on for a good distance, at the time, completely taking my breath away. After a very short flat section, nowhere near enough to catch my breath, there is a short but (at the time for me) extremely steep section which absolutely killed me. The first several times I did this route I had to walk my bike up the hill. Eventually, I got strong enough to ride up the hill. It was then that I met my good friend - the mailbox at 135 Morse Road. Once I got to this mailbox - I knew I made it.

I then decided I was enjoying cycling enough to buy a 'real' bike. I talked to a friend who recommended getting a recumbent. I did my research and decided that a recumbent was definitely the right choice for me. However, with my new recumbent, I was once again walking up to my favorite mailbox. I eventually became brave enough to try clipless pedals for the first time ever. Determined that I could make it up the Morse Road hill now that I had so much more pedal power, I refused to 'unclip' before the hill. I got most of the way up before losing momentum. It was in the process of trying to unclip when I jerked the bike too hard and fell, splat, onto the pavement. (I think this was the second time I broke my mirror. There have been several other times but that will be a story for another post.) It took a while for me to get up that hill confidently and the mailbox at 135 Morse Road was always the goal.

Today I did my ride again after having been riding my recumbent for over four months. I no longer give even a little bit of a thought about whether or not I am going to be able to pedal up to my favorite mailbox. Instead, I make bets with myself on how fast I can do it and in which gear I'll do it in. (It's amazing what a season of a lot of riding will do.) But still, when I get to the top of that hill, I always smile fondly at what has become my favorite mailbox of all time.

If you ever do my route, and I hope that you will, give a nod to the mail box at 135 Morse Road as you ride by. And then, I wish you no cars in either direction and enough chutzpah to take the steep S-curve that follows without hitting your brakes.

Woooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooo!!!

On to a new season of biking adventure.

Happy Fall!!

Play Ball!!

A more virtuous person would be writing today about the amazing ride she had yesterday. Unfortunately, as those who know me best will most certainly attest, virtue is not my strong suit. So I had just decided, while reclining on my recumbent at the Grist Mill, that nobody was going to be joining me for my ride and I'd be going it alone when my phone rang. My friend asked, "Danni, I have box seats for today's Sox game. Would you like to join me?" Now given that my goal for the next three weeks is to channel Scott Chamberlain as best as I can while managing the blog in his absence, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that there was only one appropriate answer to give to this question . . .F#@k Yea!!!!!

I can't imagine a better day to have gone to a ball game. The weather was perfect, the seats AMAZING, the people around us were very friendly, the peanuts had just the right amount of salt, the beer was the perfect compliment to the salty peanuts (though, alas, not Belgian), the Sox hit two home runs in a shutout game, and I had 100% faith in the two young boys sitting next to me to be able to catch any of the frequent foul balls that came our way before the balls could connect with my person. It doesn't get much better than that even for somebody like me who isn't much of a baseball fan.

I hope your Sunday was as wonderful as mine!!

Happy riding!

New Blog Site Launched.

Follow Barb and Scott as they travel North through Spain, off road by Tandem Bicycle.

The trip starts this Sunday and postings will be done where there is internet access.

http://caminoadventure2010.blogspot.com/

Sudbury Area Ride on Sunday 9/19

It's me, Danni. The gal with the gall to take over the blog!

Fall is here and it's a beautiful time of the year to ride. However, just as we are all ready to enjoy the cooler temperatures, the fall colors, and the wonderful smells of the season - our esteemed leader decides to leave the country for a three week trip abroad. Acceptable? I think not!

So what's a girl to do - ride alone during this lovely time of the year or take over the blog while Scott slacks off? Obviously, I am not the sort to sit idly by while somebody else is having all of the fun. So since Scott didn't invite us to join him in Spain, I say we should just ride without him while he is away.

To that end, I will be doing my standard 28-ish mile Sudbury area ride this Sunday, September 19th, starting at the Wayside Inn Grist Mill at 10:00am. (The Grist Mill is just west of the inn itself. For more info go to http://www.wayside.org/) Anyone who would like to join me would be more than welcome. After the ride we could enjoy a beer together at the Wayside Inn pub.

The route I take can be found at http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ma/sudbury/489128473050991468. If you think you are interested in joining me you can reply here, email me at danni.emriss@gmail.com or, as is typically the case with Mr. Chamberlain, just show up! (However, if you opt to just show up and you are running late - I won't know to wait for you.)

Hope to see you on Sunday!

The Gal in the Photo Above

I got a letter the other day asking if I would like some help with the Blog.
My friend Danni is a super person, No one I know would have asked to take the torch and run with it. She will be working along with me to add content and organize rides in the beautiful time of year. I'm sure here work will be GREAT! Thank You Danni!