Well shit...

What a week/end. I just got back from Florida. The sunshine state kicked my pale-non-bike-tan parts with a healthy dose of UVA and UVB rays. It's amazing how bronzed my arms and legs get every year, and how grossly pale I am everywhere else. Now I'm pinker than Serguei Gonchar's jersey:

The similarities end at the pink torso. Another guy of note in this year's Giro is Ivan Basso. First off, he's sitting in a healthy 3rd place overall and can ride with NO HANDS:
More importantly, he's the rider in the pro ranks with the hottest sister:

And just to attract more readers, here she is topless. Sadly I think her boobs are fake:
The results from 12 Hours of Lodi Farm are up, looks like we finished 11 out of 19. Not bad considering we raced one category harder than we had to - click here and look for the Square Wheels in "sport 3".

Gary, from www.eighteenpercent.net, was kind enough to provide me with these two pictures of me at the stream crossing:

Gary's full index:
http://www.pbase.com/gmr2048/12_hours_of_lodi_5_7_2006&page=all

Pictures of the campsite:
http://gallery.halfdimension.com/thumbnails.php?album=5

And my pictures are up here:
http://www.forty15.com/photo/lodifarm/

So I was in Florida for the 86th annual Cordage Institute meeting. It's a bunch of people dedicated to improving rope technology - and moving that industry forward. It was cool on the level that I met some people who have made their passions their work. First off were the brains behind Pigeon Mountain Industries makers of climbing and life safety rope and equipment. Basically a bunch of climbers, spelunkers, and rescue people who wanted to make kickass rope and have made a living out of it. I also met the guy who invented Spinergy's PBO spokes. He's pretty badass - invented the spokes at 14, sold the business to Spinergy a couple years later and grew the business, now he's used the money to start a new non bike-related business. Serious inspiration to live how you want to live and let the pieces fall where they may.