24(ish) hours of bad luck

What could be causing this?

Thank you, O mystical Google Image Search.

Here is a list of everything that happened on my not bueno "day":
4:00pm Tuesday - Flat at the Greenbelt, you know about this already

9:30am Wednesday - Middle of a review, middle of a sentence, my reviewer announces "break time!" We come back and after I re-talk about my project, they pretty much ignore me and talk about the project next to mine. Eventually they did say a little about mine...

1:00pm Wednesday - Group decides we need to change our approach to a project and it will now require me canceling all of my afternoon plans.

1:45pm Wednesday - Riding back to studio to meet with the group, the strap on my computer bag slips and it falls onto my back wheel and makes me "crash." (It was slow enough that nothing happened besides my pants getting dirty, but still...

2:15pm Wednesday - The group decides not to inform me of any decisions that have been made without me. Then they leave to do who knows what without inviting me. They come back like 20 minutes later and continue to not inform me about what is going on.

3:45pm Wednesday - I tell the group I'm leaving. They still hadn't included me in anything that was happening.

7:00pm Wednesday - Eating dinner (sitting on my bed) I knock over my water. I jump up to avoid it, forgetting that my plate is on my lap...

8:30 am Thursday - I'm getting ready to go to class, and can't find my keys.

9:00 am Thursday - Found my keys. I think that ended the bad luck, because I've been good since then.

@$*%

Its 80 degrees outside and sunny.
I just got out of class.
I've been excited to go ride since I woke up this morning.
My group for Construction decided we needed to change our approach to a project to one that involves working all afternoon today...
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate group work?

Its only flat on the bottom...

I really think someone is trying to tell me to stop training. The last three times I've ridden (excluding races) I've gotten a flat. twice on my road bike, and today on the singlespeed. And of course today was also the day when about the time I got down the stairs I realized I hadn't grabbed a tube and I said (read: thought) "Eh, I never get flats, I don't need to go back up..."

And the story goes: I rode down to the Greenbelt, and about three miles in notice that the back end seems a little squishy. A quick stop revealed that it was indeed low, and I turned around to make it as far as I could before riding wasn't an option anymore. I got about a mile.

Thirty minutes of walking later I was back at the trailhead. I weighed my options, and decided that before I walked to Austinbikes and tried to get a new tube on the promise I would come back and pay tomorrow, I would make some calls and see if anyone could come pick me up. Luckily, Chris rates me higher than homework, and took a break to come get me. Thanks man!

I got home, took a shower, and decided to take advantage of the first night I haven't spent in studio in a week or so by changing the tubes on my road bike and singlespeed (it had like 7 thorns in it...) and watching some TV. Dodgeball was on. Lance's cameo in that still makes me laugh.

7:49

So funny story, this morning I had my alarm clock set to go off at 8:00 so I would have plenty of time to get to studio by 9:00. It went off, I got up, took a shower, and (since I've been out of food for a week and a half and haven't had tome to go to the grocery store) made a stop by Einstein's to get a bagel and some coffee. The clock tower rang the x:45 about the time I got to studio, so I was thinking I timed it out pretty good.
I sat down, opened up my laptop, and looked at the clock. 7:49. Thinking it was somehow an hour off, I checked my phone. 7:49. My alarm clock is set to the right time (I checked), the alarm is set to 8:00 (this too), yet somehow it went off an hour early. Normally I would be fine with that, but on the day after I race and then stay in studio until 3:00 am to finish a project...
Needless to say, I've been tired all day. As much as I would like to go to bed now though, it's finally grocery store time!

Walburg and Pace Bend Weekend

Both races were as typical as they could be -
Walburg was cold, rainy, and windy.
Pace Bend had perfect weather.

As per usual, I made the first lap of Walburg without too much difficulty, but soon after it started to seem like I was going slower than the little chase group I was with. (The pack had already splintered into several groups of about 10.) Then they were further up the road than I was. This was soon repeated with the next group back. about that time I realized that if I turned around it would be a tailwind all the way to my car. That sounded way too good to pass up. All but about 25 people in the group must have made similar decisions because they were all hanging out in the parking lot before the race was over too.

Today I faired much better. I spent the first half of the race chilling around midpack, then decided that it was probably about time to get up to the front. After moving up, I thought about trying to get a break going, but realized it would be futile, because we were bringing anyone that tried back with no problem. I ended up chilling some more and waiting for the sprint. The finish was on an uphill right after a descent with a slight corner between the two. Judging by every other lap, I figured everyone would try to cut to the inside, and pretty much assumed that someone would be incapable of going around a corner and make everyone crash. I lined up to go to the outside of the corner and avoid all of that nonsense. It was a good call. I avoided all of the nonsense (both times) and even though I had to jump off the road for a second, Will was nice enough to let me back in, and I was able to sprint in for a 19th.

Shout out to Joseph who raced for the first time in like 18 months today! He beat all of our expectations too - good to have you back man!!

WTF, mate?

Supplementary Picture Post

I actually had a few pictures to post last night, but just like a title, I guess I forgot about them. So here they are now!

First off, this new sandwich place opened down the street, so some of us went and checked it out for lunch:

You probably can't tell because of the crappy AWESOME cell phone picture, but the ingredients are Cheesesteak, bacon, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, french fries, and barbecue sauce. I think it was one of the more conservative choices.

I originally hadn't planned on riding yesterday, but after eating that I felt like I really didn't have any other choice. It was a good ride too, so I guess it all worked out in the end.

Also, just for the record, the first 3/4 of it was pretty good, but after that it started getting old pretty quick. I'll go back, but it may be a while.

Since this was supposed to be a picture post, I'll get back to those now...

I bought a bag of those heart candy things. I remember back in the day they said things like "BE MINE" or "YOU RULE." I guess times change, but seriously?!?


Finally, check out the sweet architecture-y "Sailboat on Rough Seas"


Captained by none other than Captain President George Washington!!

I got some good riding in the today and yesterday. With an off day tomorrow and an easy ride Friday, I think I'll be ready for Walburg and Pace Bend this weekend.

On todays ride, I got a flat literally two minutes after we (Me, Joseph, and Brandon) pulled out of the parking lot. I opted for the giving Joseph my keys and having him take my wheel back to my place and bringing me a different one approach to changing the flat. Of course he brought me a Zipp so I could look cool on the ride. Thanks bud, glad you look out for me like that!

In other news, I made a Twitter account today, so go check it out and hear about my life on yet another website. You know you want to! Link here

Eating Out

I have compiled a list of every Austin restaurant that has either at some time been recommended to me or I've seen and said "I need to go there sometime..."
Current count:
10 down
21 to go
Stay tuned for further updates.

Another Midnight Post!

Today on my "not going to Terlingua" schedule was "epic Cameron Park ride day."
Joseph called me yesterday and said he wanted to go, but then I called him this morning to tell him I was on my way and got a "efhbibefwfSTILL ASLEEPbbebveGO WITHOUT MEjkbkvjk." So I went by myself.

3 laps
lunch
2 laps

I wanted to get six in, but my legs said no mas after 4.5, so I finished up the fifth and headed back home and to studio.
Speaking of, I need to go up early tomorrow to get some last minute work in... Goodnight!

P.S.
Cancel out part three of the last post. k thnx bai