Dennis on the Road

No Sleep in Brooklyn

2008-08-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

It's been ages since I've written anything on this blog. Sadly, I've been writing very little, and Facebook is where my pictures go these days. With little travel and no racing, the primary topics for posts, the inspiration hasn't been there. (I really should be writing about education, but I don't think a blog is the right place for that.)

But coming to Brooklyn has given me the spark of inspiration to write this post that few will likely ever read.

I'm nearly 40, and sadly, this is my first time in Brooklyn. It's exactly the paradox I expected, at once inviting and friendly, and simultaneously hard on the newcomer. If my first hours here are any sign of what is to come, I'll be experiencing both extremes in spades.

From Laguardia, I began testing my navigation and transit skills. With lots of questions, I figured the bus, two subways, and walk to the hostel recommended by Yuji and Momo. After dropping my stuff off, Yuji, Momo, and Youme came to pick me up for a late dinner.

Yuji wins the prize for one of the most interesting people I've known. Two summers ago he pedaled up from LA on a piece of shit Huffy most folks wouldn't ride around the block. He ended up staying w/ me for over two weeks and was adopted by the Oakland cycling community. With everyone's help, he rode away on a bike suitable for the journey he would undertake, riding up to Alaska and taking a right turn to cross North America. He arrived in NYC intending to stay for a couple weeks. But he fell in love with Momo, settled in, and 6 weeks ago Youme Pace came in to this world. (Yep: the name is a contraction of first and second person pronouns with the middle name being the Italian word for Peace.)

We walked to the restaurant where they were both working when they met. For most of the friends there, it was the first time meeting Youme. We were greeted like rock stars and fed what is, by far, the best food of this trip so far. The night was wonderful and would be reason enough for this journey. It also helped to balance out the hell of the next couple hours.

I walked back the the Glenwood Hotel. The website promised a quirky, basic, but "safe and clean" hostel. At $30 a night in Brooklyn, my hopes weren't high, but I figured I would only be in and out for some sleep and shower, so the budget route was the way to go. What I found was hell! As soon as I walked to my "room" (in quotes since it was actually a partitioned 8'x5' box in a huge room taking up the entire floor. The "walls" of the rooms were about 8 feet high so every sound of a warehouse of people, all of whom seemed awake and talking at 3 AM would come in.) There was no window. No fan. The temp in my space approached 100 degrees in the middle of the night. Being drenched in sweat was no fun. The prospect of showing in the one communal stall shared by the 50 or so people sleeping on that floor was gross, but the bugs were the final straw. Not just one or two, but a whole army of little critters, came out when the light went off. I turned the light on, picked the bugs out of my leg hair, went on line to find another place, went to the street, and hailed a taxi. A 3 AM escape. While searching for a new hotel on-line, I jotted a quick review of the Glenwood.

Like another reviewer... I wish I had read the reviews posted here. The only good thing about this place is that it has wireless so I can write this. It is 3 AM. I am dripping in sweat. There is no fan, no air, no breeze, only humidity and noise. TV's and conversations are loud enough to render my earplugs useless. DON'T COME HERE. I came here to save money, but now I would pay anything to escape (which I will tomorrow.)

After sleeping in late, my adventure began again. My 1 mile walk from the hotel to the restaurant where Yuji now works was exactly what I had pictured Brooklyn to be. The day was already hot, guiding me to what ever side of the street had the most shade. I stopped in a friendly neighborhood cafe and picked up the Village Voice. Such a simple pleasure, but thoroughly enjoyable, especially w/ a good education section.

This was followed by another delicious Japanese lunch and an even longer and hotter walk, finally taking an air conditioned break near in a cafe near Prospect Park to write this. Now it is on to Sydney and Deberah's house for a Wedding Eve celebration.

Scraper Bike

2007-08-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I've been so bad about up-dating the blog over the summer. Many of you know that I've taken on an exciting and huge new responsibility as the founding principal of the Alternative Learning Community. As a result, I've had to retire from racing. I especially appreciate the support of my BPG/Montano Velo teammates and sponsors in this transition.

Meanwhile, don't give up on this blog: despite the long silence, I haven't.

So... It looks like I'll be trading in my Cervelo for a Scraper Bike.

Sachi's up to it again...

2007-06-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

I've posted my friend (and former housemate) Sachi's work here before. And like her other films, this piece about a reading program for Nepali children living in poverty, is inspiring and insightful. Click here for the link to this PBS Frontline World short documentary.

She would kick ass in bike polo

2007-06-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Proud to represent the BPG!

2007-05-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

This month’s Velo News features a full page article about the uniqueness of our team’s title sponsor, the Berkeley Patient’s Group. Although it is filled with innuendo and cheap jokes, it begins to make a point. (Plus it’s great to see our picture in VN!) We’re happy with the press.

But here’s the genuinely heroic story of our sponsor. Etienne believes in the cause of sick people having legal access to marijuana so much that he nearly lost his own liberty and a lot of money. This is why I’m proud to race for BPG as my title sponsor. Etienne fuels my motivation to take a stand on this issue, although I’m sure there are some who think that in my profession I should just keep quiet about it. If you don’t have time or inclination to read the whole article, scroll down to Etienne’s testimony.

Quinn again

2007-05-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Ain't he cute? New nephew Quinn w/ his Great Grandma Guike.

What the Heckman!?!?!

2007-05-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Way to go Mark!!!! Always good to see one of my Grand Rapids oboe-jammin homies at the top of the podium!!!

Quinn represents

2007-04-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

My newest nephew, Quinn, representing The Town!

RIP Ru-dog

2007-04-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

I heard the sad news today that Rufus passed away. RIP you crazy dreadlocked pouch. I'll miss you.

Every dog has his 15 minutes of fame (nice blurring of cliché's, huh?). Here is Rufus'.

Bike polo on the air.

2007-04-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

This is a must-hear! Whether you've experienced bike polo or haven't a clue about it, click here to hear a Northgate Radio piece about what I do most Thursday nights. (Forward a few minutes into the program, past the news and the piece about recycling scavengers, for the piece on bike polo.)

Post your thoughts.

The Principal rides on!

2007-04-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

It was a few years ago when I was struggling to simply finish the brutally hilly course at Nevada City, that Michael Hernandez (or one of his other drunken buddies) started cheering “go principal”! Somehow the nickname “The Principal” stuck in racing circles, even after I left my job as school director to travel and later returned to the classroom.

Well, now I’m back in the front office. I’ve been hired to be the founding principal of the Alternative Learning Community, a middle school with an outdoor education focus in the Oakland Unified School District. It’s exciting work… and there is a lot of it (which, of course, has taken a bite out of my training time.) Of course we will have an on-site cycling program.

I hope you’ll check out the ALC website at www.alcOakland.com. There is a place on the homepage where you can add your email address if you want to be in the loop of volunteer opportunities, special events, and up-dates. (No spam. I promise.)

Meanwhile, even with the intense work load... The Principal rides on.

1 Weekend: 3 Victories!

2007-04-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

BPG/Montano Velo is on fire! In order of occurance, Brian Buchholz won Wards Ferry (w/ Andy/Jesse Mendonca in 4th), Elliot Jaramillo claimed victory in the Cat 2 race at Brisbane, and Andy capped of the weekend wins with his hands raised at the Tuolumne Crit. Meanwhile, I'm useless, fighting a nasty cold. Good work, boys!

2007 Team Photo

2007-03-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Earlier I posted the unofficial version... Here is Mark's final cut.

Land Park Plagiarism

2007-03-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

If I could write like this, I would... Here's Michael Hernandez's write up about his Land Park win... Good race, Mike.

For immediate release

2007-03-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Grand Rapids Community College Alumni Sets Record for School’s Top Cycling Result
Berkeley, California
March 25, 2007

According to Dennis L. Guikema, Grand Rapids Community College alumni, Sunday was supposed to be a day of catching up on paperwork, eating lots of food, and recovering from a hangover, but all that would change with a surprise phone call.

“I was polishing off my second plate of food at the Thai Buffet when I got the call,” Guikema reported. It was his former teammate Alden Tanaka telling him to get his ass to the University of California Berkeley campus as quickly as he could. There was a collegiate race, including a field for alumni of any college or university.

An admitted adrenaline junkie, Guikema hurried home to change into his cycling kit, put on his race wheels, and time trial the three miles to campus. Aldan had already filled out all but the signature on Guikemas' release, and Guikema had just enough time to pin on a number and get to the start line as the official finished giving prerace instructions.

“The field was small, but quick,” Guikema said gasping for air shortly after the finish. “Throughout the race my hangover was pounding the inside of my skull, and I felt that I would puke reconstituted Thai food across the streets of downtown Berkeley, but I had a job to do and my community college to represent.”

Guikema astonished all by winning many of the primes in the race, taking home armloads of really bad tasting recovery drinks, socks for his girlfriend, and “Belgian Butter” for his ass.

Like most cyclists, Guikema was full of excuses following the finish. “I would have won it if....” (ed. note: the next half hour of tape was accidentally erased, loosing Guikema’s very well articulated reasons for victory alluding him.)

Guikema was honored to represent Grand Rapids Community College by splitting the podium of the current collegiate national champion team, UC Davis. Guikema’s former teammate, Judd VanSomethingorother took the win while another Aggie, racing in a suit and tie, earned the bronze.

“I would never have had this great result if not for the support of my BPG teammate Uthman Rey and my girlfriend Trish Hylton, cheering me on,” Guikema announced on the podium to the cheers of hundreds of thousands of fans.

Proof....

2007-03-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

My off-the-front move in the Merco Road Race a few weeks ago didn't produce the desired roll-of-the-dice effect of falling into a break-away.... but at least I got this cool shot of me off the front of an NRC race. Thanks to Larry Rosa for the photo.

A worthwhile break....

2007-03-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

I like to promote the art and work of friends... at least when it is this good. Check out this photo journalism piece by my friend Jakob Schiller who is living and working in New Mexico. It is about an underdog girls' basketball team from a small town of 550 people that makes it to the top despite the death of their coach during the season. (Sounds like a Sherman Alexie novel w/o the humor.) Good stuff. Well worth the 10 minute break you'll get from doing things you really should be doing. Click HERE to watch.

Hot start to the year but a cold photo shoot

2007-03-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

The 2007 season is well underway, and it has been a great start for the BPG/Montano Velo Cycling Team. The biggest news is that our team is the highest-ranking NRC amateur team in country after three weekends of National Race Calendar events! Brian Buchholz gets the lion's share of the props for these results!

Meanwhile, work has been busy, and I would rather be training than blogging, so there haven’t been many entries... I’ll try to change that. But at least I can offer some shots from last evening’s team photo shoot at the Port of Oakland. It was chilly. Thanks to Mark Estes for taking the official photos and to Etienne for these sneak previews. And props to Etienne, Martin, and Steele for the delicious sushi dinner!

Welcome to the newest Guikema!

2007-03-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Quin Henry Guikema is in the house!!!!! My brother Tom and his wife Janel had a baby boy last week. Don't ask me his weight, height, etc... I don't care about the stats... I just know he is the smartest and cutest baby on the planet. (Actually he's in a 3-way tie w/ my sister's two kids.) See for yourself....

Zooming into '07

2007-01-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

So 2006 was fast, and 2007 should be even faster. It was just anounced that for 2006 RHVilla/Montano Velo Cycling Team was 2nd in the Best All-Around Team competition for Northern California/Nevada. (We did this with half the riders and a quarter of the budget of the team that beat us.)

In 2007 we've added a new title sponsor and are now BPG/Monatano Velo. (Proudly sponsored by a pot club, a Jamaincan villa, and the dopest bike shop in the Bay Area.)

And in the first training race of the season, the January 7 Fremont Early Bird, we lit it up. In a field of 100 we organized a strong leadout train and took 2nd. The top spot on the podium is just one step away, and you should see us there often.

For the details, check out the last two entries I put up on the team blog.

Blurry and Blissful Birthday

2007-01-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

All I can say is that I’m glad that my birthday falls in the off-season. Jamiel, Christian, Martin, et. al. threw me the best belated-birthday party I have ever had. I guess that means no more complaining about how awful January 2nd is as a birthday since no one wants to celebrate in the shadow of the holidays. This crew was frighteningly fresh when it came to partying. The pictures here hint at the debauchery. (Consider that your warning and my disclaimer… click at your own risk.)

The night started off with a delicious dinner at Ichiro in downtown Oakland. The table was packed with about 30 folks. After collectively consuming more sushi than I have ever seen, more sake than I can recall, and a delicious birthday cake (thanks Jamiel!), the bravest dozen of our crew walked down the block to a karaoke bar. We were the only ones in the house when we arrived, but when the staff saw the degree of our obnoxiousness, they hustled us into a private room the minute other customers appeared.

Here’s Matt opening up the mic. If you dare to share in our eclectic range of tunes, click on any of the links below. Thanks everyone who came out for making this such a fun and memorable evening. I’m honored.

Martin is not a 'tard

BPG/RHvilla/Montano Velo theme song

Anarchy in OakTown
99 Blurred Balloons
Would Sharona really choose this?
The 50 Cent Choir
Jamiel Dogg

Secret training camp video

2006-12-15T23:19:00.000-08:00

A behind the scenes look at the BPG/RHVilla Cycling Team's winter training camp.

All I want for Christmas...

2006-12-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

The New Kit

2006-11-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here is the front view of our 2007 kit. Most folks reading this will only see the back side live... way up the road... suckas! (The bragging is really insecure cover-up of the fact that I'm way down on my pre-season base miles.)

Look closely for the added floral design. For 2007 we have a similar cast of sponsors, but Berkeley Patients Group has stepped up to the title role. (Thanks Etienne!) Press release soon to follow....

Congrats Trish!

2006-11-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

Congrats Trish for completing the Treasure Island Olympic Distance Triathlon over an hour faster than you predicted! Even more impressive is the fact that you raised over $2500 to fight leukemia and other cancers. I'm touched that you did this in honor of my mom and others affected by cancer. Now I need to follow your lead and get off my ass and start training for next season! I’ve posted a gallery of pictures here of this epic event.

A soldier mourns his brother's death and speaks against the war

2006-10-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a powerful short piece written by a former soldier in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kevin Tillman, whose brother, Pat Tillman, also in the US Military, was killed in duty. Both of these brothers went to high school and were friends with my friend and teammate Jamiel Danesh.

Crutch on YouTube

2006-10-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Although she got no part of the recent $1.6 Billion YouTube/Google deal, my housemate Sachi had a short cut of a feature documentary she is working on featured on the front page of Youtube today. Good work Sachi! Turn up the speakers, push play, and enjoy the next four minutes.

Teaching + Cycling = Bliss!

2006-09-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I have the chance to combine my passions of teaching and cycling. (If I added any other passion to the equation it would be illegal!) Thanks to the support of Trips for Kids, I am able to bring my Oakland students to the trails of Marin County for a wonderful day of exercise, fresh air, community building and FUN!

This time around, we were joined by a camerawoman and reporter from Channel 7. The coverage was GREAT! Here's a link to the video and transcript.

Everyone can check out the great pictures posted here.

Thanks to Marilyn, Michael and the TFK volunteers. Huge props to Les, Nargis, Jamiel, and Lorri for sharing your day, car, and love with us last week! And if any of my students have stumbled across this blog, congrats (both on your cycling ability and web research skills… now quit being so nosey!)

Go Trish! Go!

2006-09-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of 2001 I was emerging from 6-months of hell. Shortly after my mom passed away from leukemia and my marriage dissolved, my dear friend Skeeter reached out and signed me up to train for a half Ironman triathlon with Team in Training. (It was a mandate, not an invitation.) I did the race in honor of my mom, and I used the training to springboard my return to bike racing after a 12 year hiatus. It was a transformative experience. My life is in a very different and much brighter place now. Friends, like Derike and Nargis, who I met through the training five years ago, are still close in my life.

When my girlfriend, Trish, mentioned that she was considering joining Team in Training and participating in the Treasure Island Olympic Distance Triathlon in November, I promised to offer all the support I could. And... part of this support is to encourage (or shame) you all into supporting this important cause. The money donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training goes to fund cancer research and to support patients and their families.

Any size donation is welcome and meaningful. You can donate by clicking this link, or email me and I'll let you know where you can send a check.

Although Trish never had the opportunity to meet my mom, Barb Guikema, she is honoring her memory through her training, fundraising and participation in this triathlon... and that means the world to me. I would also like to congratulate/encourage Alex who just completed an Ironman with Team in Training and Deborah, who will be doing a marathon with TNT in December!!!!

Stolen! Rock Lobster

2006-09-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

Sad news: my bike was stolen. Saturday, September 23, 6 PM, from my home in North Oakland near the DMV off of Claremont near Telegraph.

This photo is of team bikes w/ the same paint and logos (only 10 made).

Here's the 411:

Rock Lobster road frame. Custom made. Tall. White with black letters ("Rock Lobster" on the down tube; "RHVilla/Montano Velo Cycling Team" on the top tube). Frame defect/repair visible at the back of the chainstay.

Mavic Ksyrium wheels with Vredestein tires.

Easton stem, fork, seat post.

Campagnolo Record grupo (10 speed, converted from 9 speed)

Crank Brothers pedals

This bike is my baby... I would gladly offer a reward for the return.

Frankie 'fesses up

2006-09-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to hear that Frankie Andreau, a fellow Michigander and pro cyclist, used EPO, but I have a lot of respect that he broke the code of silence and confessed to it. Here's the NY Times article from Tuesday.

Pictures from the Carrera de San Rafael

2006-09-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

photo: Trish Hylton

I've never had so much fun going to a race that I didn't even finish! The celebrations outside of Big Red was the perfect capstone to a great season. Thanks to everyone involved with RHVilla/Montano Velo Cycling Team!

photo: Myong-jae Kim

A Big Red RV + kick ass team + keg of beer + boomin' sound system = one hell of a block party! Check out the rest of the pictures here.

More good photos at AbbiOrca.com

Sadly... another cyclist killed

2006-09-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sadly, another member of the Bay Area bicycle racing community has been killed by a motorist, this time by a drunk driver (already toasted by noon when the rider was hit). RIP, John Peckhman.

Here is a memorial page from John's team, Alto Velo.

The final race of the season + team vanity

2006-09-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago the mighty RHVilla/Montano Velo riders and sponsors gathered in front of the camera. Props to Jay Ganadan from Jay Studios for taking such great shots and for being so much fun to work with!

Here are a few links to...
the gallery
a team photo
and a rider/sponsor team photo

Also...

Saturday is our last race. (Both a sad fact and a welcome break!) The whole team will be there and we'll be bringing our rolling party, Big Red. More info here.

Catching up...

2006-09-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

I’ve been away from blog-land for a while, and I’m not going to invest much time right now catching up… but there are a few things that I’ll let you know about real quick.

1.) I’m teaching again! I missed it. After two years of being out of the classroom, doing everything from racing my bike in the Caribbean to being a founding principal of a charter school, I’m back. I’m working at Ralph J Bunche High School, an alternative public school in West Oakland. More on that down the road.

2.) My team’s website is finally coming together. Check out my bio page… just as corny as you would expect. From there you can follow links to the rest of the site.

3.) Finally I have some very sad news. Earlier this week I learned that Nicole Tucker, a student from my early years of teaching at Merritt Middle College High School became a victim to the rash of violence that plagues Oakland. She and her boyfriend were murdered, becoming the 94th and 95th Oakland homicides this year.

Nicole was a student in my class all four years of her high school career. She loved English class, especially working on projects. She was well liked and will certainly be missed. RIP Nicole.

cycle graf

2006-08-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this near the San Jo Airport

Another cyclist killed

2006-08-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have already heard that cyclist Ed Weiss was killed on Skyline Blvd. in Oakland a few days ago. A speeding motorcycle, crossing a double yellow line to pass a car, struck Ed. This death ended a month in which my friend Pat was killed while cycling in San Ramon (see below) and Thomas Colby Maddox, the father of my friend Heath, was struck and killed on the Peninsula. (See his obituary here.) Ed's death hits very close to home. Although I didn't know him, he was hit on a stretch of road that I ride several times each week.

Here is an Oakland Tribune article about the accident and a website started by neighbors in the area of the accident who are petitioning for safer roads for all users.

Also.... I just got this in an email from my teammate Aaron, about a life-threatening accident in the Penninsula

Yesterday I made a trip to Valley Medical Center, after getting a message that a close friend of mine had been in a bike accident with a car and had been in a coma for eight days. I don't know if any of you know him. His name is Braden Sanchez. He is a father, friend and awesome bike rider. Last wed. he was riding down HWY 9 toward Felton when a car pulled out in front of him. He struck the car. Braden suffered head trauma, fractured vertebrae in his neck, punctured both lungs, and broke more than a few other bones. One lung has come back so far and is working and the swelling inside his head has subsided. So he is improving and all there is to do now is wait for him to wake up, They know he is not paralyzed, but can't rule out brain damage until he is awake.

Finally... from my friend Heath (whose father, struck and killed in July, is mentioned below)

a good friend of my cousin was run down by a Range Rover on Mt. Tam and paralyzed from the neck down

Dopers' Excuse Quiz

2006-08-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

As an avid cyclist, I'm frequently asked about the doping habits and excuses of my colleagues in the higher ranks. Now you too can become an expert on the subject by honing your skills with this (very entertaining) Dopers' Excuse Quiz.

Family time

2006-08-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

July was book-ended with terrific family time, first in Michigan and later in California. Trish and I flew to Detroit to visit with her family on the East side and mine on the West. Both families welcomed us in with open arms, making the first family meetings not only painless, but lots of fun.

The highlight of the week had to be the actualizations of my dad’s crazy Christmas gift: certificates for three generations of Guikemas to go gliding. Two gliders took turns taking each of us into the sky, pulled by a small airplane to several thousand feet, and then released to quietly soar back to Earth. Grandma Harriet, at 87, was certainly the most adventurous of the bunch. At Christmas, when the gift was given, she exclaimed, “This is right up my ally.” When asked by the pilot if she was interested in taking some exhilarating turns, she let him know, “The wilder the better.”

July closed with a visit from my brother Tom and his wife Janel. Brother Josh came down from Arcata for a week as well. The trip opened with a Manu Chao concert in Berkeley. (Incredible show!) Then we were off for a camping weekend in the Anderson Valley. We stayed at the small (10-site) Indian Creek County campground, our tents just specks below the towering redwoods. We visited Esterlina Vineyard for a wine tasting to beat all wine tasting. (Where do I start… there is the incredible view, the kindness of the Sterling family, the delicious wine, and the very generous pours.) This was followed by a hike along the Navarro River in the Hendy Woods State Park.

The pictures tell the story better than my words. Here are the links to the glider photos and a link to the California family visit.

Pat's memorial

2006-07-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday 250 riders met in Walnut Creek and rode to the Juniper Lookout, at 3000 feet, near the summit of Mount Diablo to remember Pat Caurant. Despite the hot weather, the day was perfect. At the lookout there was a ceremony. Pat’s father said words that brought most of us to tears and poured champagne to remember Pat. His sister scattered ashes. After the descent about 75 of the participants went to Geri and Steele Willinger’s home nearby where they had prepared an amazing spread of food. In the shade, on a 100+ degree day, we looked at pictures, laughed, and compared stories of the many chapters of Pat’s life that we have collectively experienced.

In his short 28 years on this planet, Pat touched so many folks as a son, brother, friend, teacher, and teammate. The memory of Pat inspires me to reach out further with kindness and candor in the warm yet straight-forward way of Pat.

Here is a link to pictures I took of Pat’s memorial ride.

R.I.P. Pat Caurant

2006-07-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

My friend, fellow teacher, and former teammate, Pat Caurant, passed away Saturday (July 8) from injuries sustained in an accident July 1.

Pat with Levi Leipheimer in April at Sea Otter. (Photo courtesy of abbiorca.com)

Several years ago, as teammates, Pat leant me a hand after a crash in the circuit race of the Solano Stage Race. I had gone down hard in a pile up of several riders. Although bloody and with an injured bicycle, I tried for ten miles to chase my way back to the peloton. When I finally gave up, I found Pat in the feed zone. He offered me a ride back to the start/finish and as he lifted my bike to his car’s roof rack, the carbon fork snapped in two in his hands. We laughed a frightened laugh, knowing how narrowly I missed crashing again, likely much harder.

In cycling and in life, there are so many moments of fate, luck, and providence. I would do anything to give the little bit of luck that I had that day to Pat, so that he could have saved it for July 1, 2006.

I have read all of the 100s of on-line postings that have been written by those whose lives where touched by Pat. Silly things bring me to sudden tears, especially the comments from his students. Although I never saw Pat in the classroom, his students paint a vivid picture. There is the student who dressed as Mr. Caurant for Halloween. Another who would appear to be daydreaming, but could still get the right answer when called upon, inspiring Pat to coin “The Rachel Zone.” There is the ritual of the “random question time” at the end of class and funny nicknames, like the Brine Shrimp Buddies. Reading the students pleas for Pat to hang on, letting him know how excited they are to have him for their homeroom teacher in the coming year, choked me up. In the words of one student, “I've been praying to God to help you get through this. You know what I tell him all the time? I tell Him that you're a pretty good guy and a great teacher. I tell Him that you're not done teaching and shaping futures yet, and that's why he needs to let you live. I hope he listens to me and considers it. But if He doesn't, then i'll miss you Mr. C.”

At the end of August, when I return to teaching, I will dedicate this school year to the memory of Pat Cuarant.

Pat: I am honored to have been touched by you. I am a better person for having known you. I miss you.

Pat and I snapping pictures of each other at the SF Grand Prix.

Ironically, in Pat’s death, he has likely saved several lives. His family’s decision to donate all organs possible has prompted me to register as an organ donor as well. It is my wish that when I hop on Pat’s wheel for a leadout to the finish of the final stage, that my organs be donated. If you are considering this also, you can find out more information and register here http://www.donatelifecalifornia.org/

There is a memorial ride scheduled on July 22. Soon information will be posted on the Team Spine website.

July 23rd's Albany Criterium is going to be renamed in honor of Pat.

Here is an article in today's SF Chronicle. And another article in the Santa Cruz Sentinal. And another in the Contra Costa Times.

Some pictures of Pat. More pictures.

Pat Caurant

2006-07-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Trish and I are in Michigan this week visiting family. I've been out of touch by email and phone, and just heard the news today that my friend, fellow educator, and former teammate, Pat Caurant was involved in a car accident and is currently in a coma. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Here is a link to the website with up-dates and a guestbook.

Get a life

2006-06-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

"Bicycle projects in San Francisco, from the ambitious Blue Greenway initiative to new bike lanes to the simple shared-lane arrows, or "sharrows," that have been painted on some roadways, have been shut down by a preliminary injunction that Judge James Warren signed as one of his final actions before retiring.

The ruling is part of a lawsuit brought by Rob Anderson, a 63-year-old dishwasher, blogger (whose District 5 Diary regularly blasts the "bike nuts" and "anticar activists"), and failed District 5 supervisorial candidate."

I think I've discovered the world's most irrational person…. although a close second would be the judge who sided with him.

Rob Anderson would be easy to laugh off as a nut case if he were not grinding cycling safety in San Francisco to a halt.

Here's the full article in the SF Bay Guardian that is quoted above.

Here's the link for the nut case’s blog. Leave him a comment. We'll see if he leaves one here..

Lance: quit punking my heros

2006-06-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

Lance was, without a doubt, a phenomenal athlete, but I like him less by the day. He, and his team of thugs (from his sugar daddy Thom Weisel on down) are continuing to piss me off by stomping on some of my true cycling heroes. Greg LeMond says that Lance threatened his business, his life, even his wife! And now it turns out that Lance has been punking my Michigan homeboy Frankie Andreu and his wife. Lance... fess up... we know you want to be the governor of Texas some day, but don't worry, we've already proven, here in California, that an arrogant performance-enhancing-doper can win an election.

10 reasons to love/hate Tour de Nez

2006-06-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

Top 10 reasons to love/hate Tour de Nez (in random order):

10.) One of the most beautiful road race courses I have experienced (beside snow-capped mountains and Lake Tahoe

9.) The promoters love what they do (and humbly annoint themselves with job titles like "Supreme Commander" and "Event Goddess.)

8.) A really bad live metal band and very drunk fans on the crash-prone final corner of the Trukee Crit.

7.) A terrific host housing hook-up... complete with a 20 year old, Satan-possessed cat.

6.) Free BBQ, beer, and mint juleps!!!

5.) Dangerous hair art done w/ clippers in the hands of Sukie and Aaron

4.) Tying up vacationer traffic for hours, fighting to stay “in the envelope”, topping 60 mph on the decent, and having a fleet of CHP motorcycle cops opening both lanes of the highway for us to roll though unhindered in a 108 mile road race at elevations over 6000’!

3.) The crits are fun to watch... even if I end up watching the later part from the sideline.

2.) A level of competition that is humbling for an old man like me.

1.) Being on a strong (and fun loving) team that held its own among the power-houses of US cycling.

A view of life in Palestine

2006-06-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Jakob Schiller recently traveled to Palestine and created this “Portrait of a Palestinian Town” for PBS’ Frontline World. I hope you take a minute to see his “week in the life” of a small town that has faced tremendous challenges and is about to be dealt a major blow when an Israeli “security wall” will cut its residents off from their jobs and commercial center.

Both the written story and the narrated Flash presentation are well worth the few minutes it will take to gain insight into the lives of the residents of Wada Fukin.

Excellent work, Jakob, I’m proud of you

BBQ June 12!

2006-06-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Many folks reading this already know ~ by email, evite, or personal invite ~ that I'll be BBQing on Monday June 12! The guest of honor is candidate for US Senate, Todd Chretien. Go to this evite for more info or leave a note in the "comments" by clicking below.

All are invited, but please RSVP. I hope to see you there.

Here's Todd's website. (The video of him on the Bill O'Reilly Factor is quite entertaining.)

Floating the Russian River

2006-05-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

We had a recipe for disaster. A 3-night/4-day canoeing trip in a boat we had never used; Trish was completely new to canoeing and it had been ages since I had last paddled; tbe camping equipment hadn’t been unpacked in years; and the directions we were following were posted on-line in 1997. But everything miraculously came together to become one of my most memorable weekends ever.

Less than a week prior to our launch, I asked teammates a post race dinner if anyone knew of a canoe we could borrow. Josh led us to Rich who led us to a canoe that was not just available to use, but to keep. THANKS! Three days later we were driving home from Tiberon with an aluminum canoe hanging several feet over the front and back of my Honda. Wednesday we went to Wilderness Exchange and REI to get the remaining items on our camping checklist. And Friday morning we were packed and off. We drove two cars to Jenner; dropped Trish’s off at the mouth of the Russian River; and took mine to Cloverdale (stopping for a couple wine tastings, of course!)

Our out-of-date directions led us to a road that was closed over a mile from the river. So we drove around until we found the tiny Cloverdale Airport, whose clandestine runway seemed custom designed for drug running. We talked to a haggard German skydive instructor who tipped us off to a 2-track path, barely drivable with the Honda, that got us within 50 meters of the river. Thank god that post-911 airport security hasn’t caught on in Cloverdale yet.

With our canoe and gear finally riverside, we launched into a series of Class I-II rapids. Immediately we felt free, carried swiftly downstream, and relieved, noting that our canoe actually floated. Due to the late start, we paddled for less than two hours before finding a desolate beach where we set up the first of several idyllic camps. Trish proved to be a master fire builder (pyromaniac?) while I worked my magic over the camp stove.

Prior to the trip, I imagined that we would spend much of our time bouncing off of an armada of canoes unleashed upon the river by throngs of Memorial Day Weekend yahoos. But by noon on day two we had not seen a single person. This stretch of the river is completely undeveloped. Inhabited by every kind of bird imaginable, but no people. In the evening hundreds of swallows would sail from their riverbank nests, just above the surface of the water, coming directly at us before a dramatic last minute swerve. We regularly saw blue herons, osprey, red tail hawks, even bald eagles.

Day Two saw our only near catastrophe. A sudden bend in the river and a fast rapids, sent us right into a strainer (a tree down in the river). We paddled furiously for the bank, but had no choice but to go right into the tree. I was picked out of the canoe by a branch while Trish ducked and rode it out. For a second I was pushed under the canoe and tree but resurfaced at the front of the canoe and somehow managed to grab the bow and swim the canoe out of the strainer and to shore. We took in a lot of water, but miraculously didn’t tip. We learned a lesson and took all blind corners much more carefully, sometimes even pulling over to walk ahead to survey the river. In the next couple days we saw several canoes that never made it out of such snags, some severely bent and twisted by the current.

After a full day on the river, we found an even more impressive campsite, this time at the confluence of the Russian river and a babbling stream.

Day Three was our longest day on the river. As we neared Healdsburg we saw our first signs of development and river traffic. We passed a canoe livery, but were just ahead of their holiday throngs. By early afternoon we reached a crowded beach at Healdsburg where all day-paddlers end their trip. We had to portage the dam. Unfortunately, the gate to the portage path was locked and the lifeguards at the beach, although trying their hardest to be helpful, could not locate anyone with a key. There was actually an easier way to portage than the official route, but it required passing threatening signs and walking beside a fish ladder in an area that was strictly off limits. We were told that we could not do it. When I asked what other options there were, the only one the lifeguard could think of was to portage our canoe and gear over the bridge and about five blocks away to a beach downstream. This seemed nearly impossible and completely unreasonable compared to the 50-meter illegal portage ahead. So, of course, we went for it. Just as we finished reloading the canoe, Trish said in a panicked whisper, “Here comes a park ranger.” We pushed off and made a narrow escape. An hour later we were again far from any sign of humanity. We stopped for a late lunch and a skinny dip. First we heard, then saw, a helicopter flying low, tracing the river. Assuming it was a sightseeing tour, I mooned them. The helicopter did a 360 immediately above us, and as it banked into its turn, I could read “Sonoma County Sheriff” on the side. I’ve never put a pair of shorts on so fast. After a moment of panic, Trish and I spent the next several minutes laughing so hard we could barely breath.

Back on the river, we paddled until within an hour of dark, moving from a remote stretch of the river to one that had many more homes on the bank. We found another deserted beach, and except for the fact that we could hear cars on a nearby road, we enjoyed another idyllic riverside campsite, a crescent moon, and a sky full of stars.

On our final day we were on the river by 9:00 AM. There was a canoe livery with hundreds of stacked canoes just up-stream from where we camped, but we beat them all to the river and had another peaceful morning of paddling. The scenery had become more dramatic. Rather than distant hills, we now looked up at steeper slopes that rose from the river shores, covered by towering redwoods.

Our plan had been to make it to Jenner this day, where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. But the wiser choice seemed to bail earlier. By 1:00 PM we passed Guerneville and were nearing the homes of our friends Skeeter and Alex and Janice and Bill. With the pressure off, we made the final hour of hour journey the most relaxing. We made a cheese plate, opened a bottle of wine, and sat in the center of our canoe atop all our gear.

Janice and Bill not only saved the day, they made it even sweeter. From their place, we pulled the canoe out and brought it across the street to its new home at Skeeter’s. While I drove with Bill to retrieve Trish’s car from 15 miles down the road, Trish and Janice stocked up for a steak dinner to celebrate Trish’s birthday. There was plenty of wine, great food and wonderful company. The perfect end to a perfect journey. Here are the rest of the photos.

Temescal

2006-05-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a catchy new short video about my hood. Temescal rules... just don't tell too many people. Parking is hard enough to find and I don't want my rents to rise.

Good press for the team.

2006-05-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here's an article about our team's victory on Saturday at the Modesto Criterium. Four RHVillanis rolled to the line, and all of us had an agresssive and smart race. Kudos to Jamiel for getting in the winning break and lighting up the sprint.

"A muddled breakaway led to a close finish in Saturday's professional race of the Modesto Criterium, with Jamiel Reza Danesh of RHVilla.com/Montano Velo winning by milliseconds."

Another team's rider comes across in a much less favorable light in this article.... but you'll have to go there to read it for yourself since I don't want to start slingin' mud.

The perfect weekend

2006-05-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be hard to beat! It certainly is the current top runner for best-of-the-year.

The fun started at noon on Saturday. Trish and I drove to the infamous Cat’s Hill Criterium.

Aaron, Rob, and Shelly were hosting a post race party at their pad, only a few blocks from the course, so that is where we warmed up… kegs in sight. The Cat’s Hill course has never suited me well, but this year I managed to finish the race for the first time. Although my contribution to the team was minimal, I was able to step up a couple times, covering the front of the field on the first ½ dozen laps, and after a restart with only two laps to go (due to an ambulance on the course to clean up some blood), I was able to get to the front and slow down the first two corners so that Josh and three companions could maintain their 24 second gap.

The teams' results were strong, and everyone rode very well. 51 of 101 starters finished, including all eight RHVilla/Montano Velo guys. Christian spent most of the race in a break and took eighth. Josh escaped near the end and took ninth. Good job, ya’ll! Here are some great pictures that I can’t copy but can link. Thanks to Chris Patterson for these great shots!

~ me charging the hill
~ again
~ will this race ever end?
~ Paul is the king of Cat's Hill!
~ Aaron & Paul represent!
~ Christian is Cuchulain on a bike!

As much fun, and much less painful, than Cat’s Hill, was Cat’s Swill, Rob, Aaron and Shelly’s party. Those cats know how to throw a hell of a BBQ, including a bonfire two blocks from downtown Los Gatos. As if that wasn’t enough, Trish and I joined another crew of bike geeks for Matt Fritzinger’s “house cooling” party in the pad he was moving out of after a decade of residence. Many thanks to all the party hosts!

As much fun as the racing was, a day of adventure off the bike was welcome and overdue. Sunday morning Trish and I rejoined her friend Karishma and others, who were also at Matt’s shin-dig, for brunch at the Berkeley Thai Buddhist Temple.

We then ventured off to the beach, via an idyllic drive over Mt. Tamalpais. We loaded up on some lunch with a quick stop to the co-op in Bolinas and then drove to a trailhead at the South side of Point Reyes National Seashore. The hike was bliss. Within the first mile, we stopped for a cliff-side picnic. Two miles later I was naked and swimming in the chilling water of Bass Lake. Then we ventured further on the Palomarin Trail than I have ever been to what this trail description, aptly terms “waterfall nirvana”.

The Alamare falls has several cascades, the first few between three and twelve feet in height. The final one is certainly most impressive: a three-story drop to the beach! The fact that a nine-mile round-trip hike is required to get here, keeps this place quite and a mystery to most… Although I’ve lived in this area for twelve years, it never ceases to amaze me how many magnificent, natural, and peaceful places are just beyond our urban density.

The hike back included a cliff-top vantage of a near-perfect sunset, and a lot of handholding and kisses!

The final stop on the drive home was the Pelican Inn at Muir Beach. A stop in their pub is like stepping into a page of Chaucer. A small group of travelers gathered to share soup, a cheese plate, conversation, and several pints.

Perfection.

There are more pictures of the hike here.

I go Citgo

2006-05-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

I have a small sticker on my Yakima bike rack that says "god grant me the courage to sell my car." Well, I haven't done that yet, nor traded it in for a biodiesel or hybrid. But I have made a recent choice to buy my gas almost exclusively from Citgo.

There are countless reasons to be outraged at US oil companies: their support of the war on Iraq; price gouging at the pumps; $13 million annual CEO salaries; or Exxon Mobil’s recent quarterly earnings that were larger than any company in history.

Contrast US oil companies with Citgo, the US-based oil company owned by the nationalized Venezuelan company PDVSA. As a nationalized resource, oil profits fund dozens of "misiones", or efforts to better the lives of Venezuelans. There are programs that drastically improve public education; offer free university education; provide full access to integral health services; make accessible basic food items to the poor; encourage citizenship and voter rights; seek to end unemployment; honor indigenous people; and even lend a hand to US citizens living in poverty.

When I'm paying $_____ (fill in the blank w/ today's price) per gallon, I would prefer for it to go to the citizens of Venezuela than a Texan CEO.

There are fewer Citgo's than Shell's around, but you can easily find the nearest one to your house here.

If we can't fix it...

2006-05-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

Bicycle racing is so much more than going fast on two wheels. There’s the tactics, team dynamic, and of course the adventures of being on the road nearly every weekend.

This past weekend the RHVillans headed off to Madera Stage Race. Jesse/Andy ventured out on his own with his girlfriend while Aaron, Christian, Josh and I, joined by Cal Giant’s Patrick Briggs, set sail in Big Red, the bastard stepchild RV of the team. All was going as planned until ½ way from Oakland to Madera, Big Red started making sounds you never want to hear coming from a vehicle you are counting on to deliver you somewhere. That was immediately followed by a smell of the same description.

We pulled over at the next exit: Central Turlock. (There doesn’t seem to be enough of Turlock to designate any part of it “central”.) Demonstrating the voracity of our team, we quickly sprung into action. Patrick began inspecting the engine. Christian was on the phone to AAA. Aaron was researching where the closest Uhaul center was. Within a half an hour Tiny (who, as you would expect, was far from small) showed up in a tow truck, guided us around the corner to Toby’s Auto Center, and drove Christian to get a Uhaul.

We hustled to unpack the bikes and gear from Big Red. From the Uhaul we called ahead to Andy. “Please beg Velo Bob (the promoter) to let us start the time trial late.” After all the drama, we arrived to the start of the race as the final riders were heading off. Since the first race of this 4-stage competition was an individual event against the clock, it was possible to give us the time we needed to get ready (although without the essential warm-up). I assembled my bike, including the $900 carbon disc wheel set I was borrowing from our team manager, and slipped into my arrow-dynamic kit, only to discover that my cycling cleats did not make the transition from RV to Uhaul. Since stage races require the completion of each stage in order to continue competing in the later stages, I had no choice but to mount my sleek TT bike with sandals, heading off for the slowest 20-mile ride of my life.

Since all categories, other than our Pro/1/2 class, started racing the following day, we brainstormed how we might get my shoes to Madera without having to drive to and from Turlock ourselves. Christian suggested his friend Steve, who would be driving down early the next morning. He agreed. We called Toby to see how the transfer of shoes could happen, and he gave us instructions to climb the fence. I still can’t believe that I asked a guy I didn’t know to climb a fence of an auto yard at the crack of dawn in the center of the Central Valley to fetch my shoes… and that he said “yes”. It turns out that my friend MJ was with Steve and showed his support by imitating the barks of rabid auto yard mastiffs once Steve hopped the fence. Here he is delivering the shoes before the 2nd TT the next day.

After Friday’s fiasco, I was ready to show what I could really do. I put in one of the best time trial efforts of my life and took 4th place in the stage, although I would remain hopelessly at the bottom of the GC (General Classification).

Meanwhile, back in the Bay Area, Elliot, our teammate and Big Red’s proprietor (i.e. he was the one who found her for free on Craigslist and has paid for her with endless hours of labor), was devising his plan to save our asses. He got Toby on the phone and somehow convinced him to work on Big Red on Saturday. Elliot drove to Turlock and worked side-by-side with Toby, finally delivering Big Red back to us by the third stage, the criterium, Saturday afternoon. Elliot, and Josh’s friend Rich did a late night run back to Turlock with the Uhaul while the team debriefed some tactical screw-ups that resulted in the loss of the podium by only one second! (By the end of the last day, Andy ended up in 4th place, while 3rd place was literally only one second faster over 150 miles of racing.)

Although we nearly weren’t able to race, and we faced a million challenges, we pulled off a decent weekend. RHVilla/Montano Velo Cycling Team took 4th and 7th in the GC, and in total we had 6 top-ten stage placing. As we set off on the trip back to the Bay Area, we started Big Red up with her keys attached to a new key ring from Toby’s shop. In addition to the name, address, and phone, was Toby’s slogan: “If we can’t fix it… Fuck it!”

Before and After

2006-05-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

Along with warm weather and sunshine, Spring cleaning came a bit late this year... but seems to finally be here.

More pretty pictures

2006-04-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I up-loaded the photos from the trip to Oregon and the Lost Coast. Click here to find them.

Dr. J. iPodding her students

2006-04-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Dr. Janel Pettes-Guikema (Dr. J.), has received some recent press for her vanguard work using iPods as a tool to deliver foreign language instruction. Here is an interesting article about it. (They had better have Serge Gainsbourg loaded on to those iPods, or they will have lost all credibility with me!)

On the road with Pops

2006-04-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

It has been a fun and eclectic week.

My dad came for a visit. It was only the second time he’s been out here to see me in CA, and it was great to hang out with him. Here he is looking for a lift before I decided that I would let him back in the car….

We visited my brother Josh, who is living in Arcata, and we traveled to a stage race in Eugene, Oregon. The Willamette Valley Classic went well. My teammate, Jesse/Andy, took 9th overall and I had two top-10 stage finishes. Not bad considering that the two of us were our only team support. The local Eugene paper featured an article and this picture (I'm in the front in red) on the front page. Here’s a link to the article.

On the trip back down to Oakland, my dad and I took some time to explore the beautiful and aptly named Lost Coast. It was my first time in this area and I was amazed. In addition to the scenery, a highlight was our stop to talk with a small group of local ranchers who had rounded up the most recent batch of calves for branding, shots, and (ouch!) castration. This scene seemed as though it came from another era, considering that most ranches are now factories. This, however, was the real deal.

More photos from the weekend will soon be posted here.

Creativity

2006-04-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

When I started teaching at 24 years old, I figured I would be in and out of the career in a couple of years. I never thought that twelve years later I would be reading emails from former students across the country who are several years older now than I was then. Some have families, some are in grad school, most are actively pursuing their dreams. I’m proud of every one of them and honored when they touch base.

I’ve been inspired by tremendously talented and creative students. In turn, I did what I could to create a space that would foster and constructively challenge that creativity while advancing the goals and standards of my high school English classes.

I am excited to see that so many of my students have continued to pursue creative endeavors. Although I haven’t become an active user of MySpace (yet?) it is becoming a great way to keep up with the always-evolving music, art, and personal philosophy of some of those whose influence shaped my teaching practice and impacted my life. Here’s a few (just click on the link to go to their websites)…

In high school, Kirby’s creative energy flowed like the rain did this winter! While teachers are prone to complain about grading, I always looked forward to reading his work. I’m very happy to see that Kirby continues to pursue his music, under the moniker Koshen.

Maya, AKA Ms. Balance, was also in the same class as Kirby. Her singing and dancing were inspiring, and like Kirby, she possessed a golden pen. It should be no surprise that these two would find each other, be married, and now have two children who are already actively studying music.

A musical partner of theirs in high school was Jermaine. Jermaine has also married his high school sweetheart, Lakisha, and he continues to pursue his music as Maine Attraction. Jermaine has followed a spiritual calling, which is the direction his music, through Turf Ministries, has taken.

There are many more… but I’ve got to turn back to today’s work and away from the stroll down memory lane.

Denny & Levi

2006-04-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

If I hadn't flatted yesterday at Copperopolis, I certainly would have beat this little guy.

Happy Easter!

2006-04-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

In other news... I'm sorry I haven't up-dated this blog in ages... I'll get to it some day soon... I promise... Meanwhile, I've been using this blog as a place to promote a bicycle tour of Oakland we are doing on April 20 to support Oakland public school teachers who will be striking that day.

Blogging Katrina Clean-Up

2006-03-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Traci Todd is currently volunteering for Habitat for Humanity near New Orleans, helping to tear down the damage of Katrina, paving the way for rebuilding that is still a long way away. She is a great writer and provides an intimacy the media has a hard time delivering. Check out her blog at http://neuborne.blogspot.com/

Here's a couple excerpts:
Each of the houses is marked with an X. In the top V of the X is the date when the house was inspected. In the left part the X's are the initials of either the inspector or the organization for which the inspector works. I don't know what the letters in the right part of the crosses mean, but it's what's in the bottom V that will haunt me for a long time. There, the inspectors recorded the number of dead found in the house.

The pantry is deep. Everything is ruined, of course, but the things in front seem to be relatively in tact. It's when I reach for things in the back that my thumbs go through packets and boxes of I don't know what. Everything back there is rancid, waterlogged, and the smell has heat. I can smell the rot and ruin even through my mask, taste it somehow as I inhale. It's horrifying and makes me gag. The sludgey remains of the food that was stored in this pantry pool at my feet and I keep slipping. The liquid seeps through my gloves--I really have no idea what I'm touching, except that whatever it was was once dry and now it's very, very wet.

Reappearing soon...

2006-03-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

OK... It has been a while... but I will be getting back to up-dating this (per the request of several of you.)

Meanwhile, here is a great way to spend the next four minutes... Click here.

(I thought that this was Willie Nelson getting on the Brokeback Mountain bandwagon... then I found out he wrote and recorded this in 1981. God bless gay cowboys and gay people everywhere.)

Two Thousand Six

2006-01-01T01:42:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

My NYE plans got rained out. I was going to head up to Skeeter and Alex’s place near Guernville, but the Russian River is on the rise and there is a mandatory evacuation. So instead I got some much needed cleaning done, worked out, hung out for a bit with my neighbor Emily, and enjoyed a fun and relaxing midnight in with the company of Scott, Patrice and Fikele. In other words: it was a perfect day.

I began my workout indoors, on my trainer, watching Hell on Wheels. (Highly recommended, not only to cyclists… It shows an amazingly human side of the people in the sport.) But, even though it was a great film, the fact that the sun was shining for the first time in two weeks drew me outside. I pushed pause, then I rode up Tunnel which was covered with mud, one section with a landslide that coverd the entire street: even walking around was difficult, and very dirty. I paused on Grizzly Peak to watch a beautiful sunset, pale through the haze. I cried. I don’t know what that was about, but it was the release of something I didn’t want to take into the new year. I also reflected on this past year, one of many changes, travels, and blessings. 2005 made my Top 10.

I actually have a few resolutions for 2006. I want to keep my home neater and my life more organized. I want to stay on the path of learning and discovery that I traveled last year. I want to nurture relationships with those close to me. I want to continue knowing myself better. I want to be a more active ally with those that society has cast out: with the hungry and homeless; with those whose countries ours has and/or continues to bomb; with those who ancestors, gender, and/or sexual orientation have and/or continue to face discrimination, hate, and ignorance. I want to write more: I have something worth saying in print.

death defying christmas adventures

2005-12-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

Murray, at 14.5 years old, feeling youthful in the snow.

There was a moment at the very beginning of my Christmas journey when I was afraid that I would make the headlines but never make it back to Michigan. “Pipe wielding madman slays holiday traveler.” I hadn’t even made it to BART yet, to catch the train to SFO, when a reckless driver took a sharp right into a parking lot, forcing me to jump out of the way. My memory of it is much more graceful than reality, but since I’m telling the story, imagine it as a scene from The Matrix. I’m Keana Reeves. And while leaping to save my life I connect a solid kick to the rear side panel of the car. Beautiful, wasn’t it?

My dad, brother, and I on the Rouge River in front of Tom's new pad.

Of course this pissed off the driver who I could hear yelling through the window of his car… and a moment later could hear yelling much clearer and closer to me. I turned around and there was a very short very angry man wielding a foot-long metal pipe. I slowly backed away, feeling much less like Keana now. I dropped my carry-on suitcase to free my hands. Angry Motorist Man continued to yell at me, but instead of striking me over the head, redirected his physical anger to my suitcase. He kicked it a dozen times and then began to beat it with the pipe. Perplexed bystanders began to gather… at a very safe distance of course to watch a defenseless piece of luggage be pummeled. Finally a friend of the crazy guy appeared, dragged him away, and ordered me, in a thick accent, to “get your shit and go.” Which I did.

Noah & Abigail (nephew & neice) with my Grandma and Grandpa Herrema in the background.

The rest of the trip was smooth and enjoyable. I actually like flying and hanging out in airports. I get shit done. I caught up on emails, did some reading, and even applied to be the director of a summer youth program in Cape Town, South Africa. At every opportunity I volunteered to get bumped. It happened once. I was rerouted through Atlanta, got in to Grand Rapids an hour later, and netted a $400 travel voucher (and 7 bucks for lunch).

Me with the Grandparents

I don’t remember the last time I spent Christmas with family. I’ve been out of the country for each of the past three holiday seasons. I’m really glad to be back here (for a week). I’m blessed to have three living grandparents, in their mid and upper 80s. All are sharp and active. Grandma Guikema is on fire. We hung out on Christmas Eve after she worked a full day at the jewelry store. She was overflowing with energy, and when my dad gave her a Christmas present of a certificate for a glider ride, she smiled widely and in her sweet Midwestern accent said, “Heck, that’s right up my alley!”

I've posted a file of Christmas pictures at my photo site. They start with the bash I had at my apartment on the 16th... then on to the wild and crazy 11th annual Skeeter's ornament exchange party... and then on to reams of family photos.

2:30 AM with sisters Amanda and Staci at Yesterdog!

Goodbye to Good Friends

2005-12-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

(This is the final Venezuela blog that I wrote on the flight home but am just now posting… Sorry about the delay.)

10,000 meters above the Caribbean and the past three months seems like a dream. I’m equally as confused about where I’ve been as where I’m going. One thing I’ve learned from travel is that the lessons of each trip are rarely immediate. I have no idea what the value of this trip will be, and I won’t likely know for years.

I’m equally as up in the air about what is ahead. I don’t know what continent I’ll be living on in the coming year, who I’ll meet, which roads I’ll travel or what influences will effect the course of my life. Exciting. And scary as hell.

The Leon family and friends. My adopted family!

I woke up this morning at 5:30 and once out of the shower I turned on my iPod to shuffle. Waren Zevon’s Keep Me in Your Heart for a While was the first song. Leaving my close friends in Caracas was tough, but made easier knowing that I’ll be back. What amazing people. What incredible generosity, kindness, love, and sincere friendship. Five siblings, spouses, kids, et. al. where over for dinner (and of course some rum). Lots of laughing and goodbye hugs. I already miss them and I haven’t even flown over Cuba yet.

Reflections on Chavez & Venezuelan Politics

2005-12-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

(I wrote this in Venezuela but am just getting around to posting it now… Sorry)

One of the greatest things about this trip is that I’m NOT in the US right now. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country, but I think that everyone needs an international perspective, especially in these times.

It is amazing how blinded we are to what is happening in the world and what the roll of the US is in that. For example, how many times each day do you think about the fact that we are at war. Does it feel like it? Do you experience it? Can you imagine what it means that well over 100,000 Iraqis have died?

As I’m sure you can imagine, the perspective of the Venezuelan media of the US and US/Latin American relations is very different than Fox News. There was a lot of coverage of Bush’s recent trip to Argentina. Chavez was there too, and he packed a soccer stadium with socialists and progressives. Chavez does not hold his tongue when speaking about “Mr. Danger”, who is universally disliked in Venezuela. Even the most fiercely anti-Chavez Venezuelans I met didn’t think for a second before answering “¡absolutamente no!” when I jokingly asked if they wanted to trade presidents.

It barely made the news in the States when Chavez offered to help the victims of Huricane Katrina (which Bush, who was famously slow in his response, refused), or when Chavez unveiled a plan to help poor Americans in urban centers with far-below market oil for heating their homes this winter.

In an interview with Ted Koppel in September, Chavez said, “We do love the people of the United States. We want to be brothers and sisters of the people of the United States, independently of their government.” The two months of kindness and generosity I am experiencing on this trip is evidence that Chavez was sincerely speaking from the hearts of his people when he said this on US Television.

After traveling throughout Venezuela, a lot of conversations, a bit of reading, and a lifetime of leaning left, I confess that I am a “Chavista.” I like the man’s bravado, but more than that, I appreciate his vision for Venezuela and beyond. The US would do well to study some of his “misiones”. For example, there is Mision Mercal, a government-owned chain of grocery stores in poor communities, with fresh and healthy food that is far less expensive than commercial stores. Contrast this with the fact that the poorest communities in the US are served almost exclusively by liquor stores with real groceries nowhere in site. Then there is Mision Robinson, a nationwide adult literacy campaign. The woman who ran the small posada where I stayed in the Andes, hours from a paved road, was learning to read for the first time in her life. It seems simple, but seeing her write a note for me to take to a friend, slowly and carefully sounding out each word, really touched me. There is are misiones to open new universities that cost next to nothing all over the country and to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education in the poorest areas. In another mision, Chavez has brought thousands of doctors from Cuba to establish clinics in the most needy areas, and with Mision Milagro he funds all expenses for those needing cataract surgery to regain vision to travel to Cuba for the operation. The slums of Caracas, crudely built houses that seem to be piled one-upon-the-next on the hills above the city, attest to the fact that an overnight about-face is impossible, but I believe that a course has been set in the right direction. To get a glimpse of some more of the programs Chavez has introduced, skip to the second half of this article in the LA Times

For the few of you who have actually read to this point and are not yet bored with political discourse, I suggest these links to keep up on news in Venezuela.
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/
http://www.vheadline.com/main.asp
http://www.zmag.org/venezuela_watch.cfm

Super Tourist!

2005-11-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

I just returned to Caracas from what seemed like a two-week long nature documentary…. The beauty of the Caribbean, Los Andes and Los Llanos was so rich that almost every moment felt like a page from National Geographic or a scene from the “travelogues” my mom used to take me to see at Calvin College.

Plaza Bolivar in the quite and historic village of Choroni

The trip began with another weekend in Chorni: my third trip this year to this idyllic historic pueblo, with 500 year old plaza, iglesia, and narrow streets in the middle of a national park forest, two kilometers from the beach.

From there I took an overnight bus from Maracay to Merida, the coldest bus ever. I woke up in The Andes. Although most of my time in and around Merida was rainy and cold, I loved being the mountains. Merida was different from any city I’ve seen in Venezuela, not only because of the temperature, but the overall climate was very relaxed. There is a large student population, very little crime, and more foreign tourist than I have seen anywhere in Venezuela.

The road (if you can call it that!) to Los Nevados

After a couple days of wandering around the city, I took a four-hour jeep ride, often on cliff-hanging roads, to the small mountain village of Los Nevados. This village has only had electricity for about 15 years and still feels like it is in a different century. The rain and cold kept me inside, sometimes under four layers of blankets, even during the day, for two days. (I ready 240 pages of a novel in just one day!) But finally the weather broke and I was able to take the five-hour walk I had planned on an Andean trail from the pueblo to a station of the telefericó, the highest cable car in the world. Each step of the hike was beautiful, and although the day was generally overcast, occasionally the clouds would break for a moment and treat me to spectacular views.

The Village of Los Nevados

Back in Merida, I signed up for a tour… the only tour I have ever taken as a participant rather than a guide. It was a good decision, since the guide took us to places that would have not been likely discovered solo. Although only a half day’s drive, the contrast between the Andes and the pancake-flat and hot Los Llanos was absolute.

Piranha fishing!

Our group of eight slept in hammocks in a thatch roofed shelter at a rustic “Hato”, the Llanero name for a ranch. Each day included several adventures. I wrestled an anaconda out of a swamp; caught piranha (and then swam in the same river); viewed dozens of bird species, from eagles to macaws; saw toninas (fresh water dolphins), crocodiles, anteater, and iguana. I’ve got some great pictures from the trip here (in the "Los Llanos" file). For more about Los Llanos, check out this website

Catching (and later releasing) an anaconda!

If you go to Venezuela and are looking for a tour company to get you into the outback or mountaintops, I recommend Gravity Tours, who ran the trip I went on.

A picture is worth...

2005-11-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

... many more words than I am going to devote to this entry. I just returned from a wonderful two weeks in the Andes mountains and in Los Llanos. I've posted the best pictures on my photo site (folders 13 & 14 are new.) I'm not taking the time to blog right now since I'm heading off in the morning for 4 days at the beach! I fly back to the states on Wedensday and I'll be back in Grand Rapids over Christmas, so I will be seeing many of you soon!

Merida

2005-11-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

There is a lot to like about Venezuela, but the greatest thing about this country is certainly its people. Several times each day I´m treated to surprise encounters with wonderful folks of all ages and all walks of life. I just ducked into a cyber cafe to jot down this blog entry after one such experience that began with an offer to taste calamari ice cream.

I just left la Heladeria Comoto, an ice cream store that is in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest number of ice cream flavors. I opted for a combination of flavors made from Venezuelan staples: the first scoop was Malta de Polar, a popular non-alcoholic malt drink, next was Ponche de Cafe, a popular highly alcoholic liquor, and finally platano. I even requested a sample of caraota (black beans). All of them tasted great, unlike the calamari that was offered to me by a much braver ice cream conosieur. While I almost gagged on the flavor, it was a great entree to a conversation with a group of very fun-loving students from Maracaibo who were skipping out on a session of a conference they were attending. Within a few minutes we were laughing and posing for pictures in front of the placards listing the 1000 falvors.

This is my second day in Merida, and I´m loving it. I went out last night for the first all-nighter that I have had since Trinidad. There are more Americans here than I have seen throughout my entire trip thus far and even more Europeans. I struck up a conversation with Brian, who was wearing a Cal hat, in the first bar we headed off to. It turns out that his mom is the prinicpal of the high school in Mendocino. He introduced me to a group of Venezuelan friends, and while he went home, I joined the others to close down two bars, ending up at an all night Arepa stand at 4 AM, not returning to my bed until 5. I don´t often let loose on the dance floor, but I had a blast jumping around to Manu Chao and a broad mix of Latin and English language music. The incredibly cheep beers (I bought a round for 6 people for US$2.50!) led to some pretty excessive drinking, and I´m paying the price today.

Merida is high in the Andes, but it is not just the cooler climate and scenery that is different than other cities I´ve visited in Venezuela. The pace here is very relaxed, and the large university gives it a very youthful feel. The city is small enough that it is easy and safe enough to explore by foot. It is a very active place, boasting that it is the ¨ecoturism¨capital of the country. I´m going to be adventuring out starting tomorrow to explore more of the mountains and later Los Llanos, vast planes teaming with 4 meter-long boaconstrictors, pirana, and anteaters.

Isla Margarita

2005-11-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

I’m feeling a bit restless in Caracas. It has been a long time since I’ve traveled for this long of a period, but I recall from other trips that there is an inevitable lull in the excitement of being on the road. There comes a time when communicating in a foreign language is no longer a fun challenge but a pain in the ass. A time when one misses the little things at home that were once taken for granted: sitting with a cappuccino at Peaberry’s; enjoying a spontaneous conversation in the kitchen with Sachi. This morning my blues moved from my subconscious to my conscious: I was on my bike weaving through gridlock traffic, listening to Coltrane’s Love Supreme on my iPod, feeling as grey as the sky. The movement of the blues from my soul to my mind was liberating. Once the feeling was rational, I realized it would pass and that I have power over circumstances that control it. In the next couple days I’m going to look into a longer excursion to the Andes in my final weeks here.

An Isla Margarita sunset

It has been a long time since I’ve blogged, and a lot has happened in that time. The highlight has been a week on Isla Margarita. My friends/hosts in Caracas are originally from Margarita and have strong family roots there. Rafael, Damaris, Marianela, and I drove to Puerto Cruz to take a ferry to the island. What should have been a four-hour drive and a few hours on the boat took 24 hours. We got a late start (partially my fault) that was slowed further by horrible traffic leaving Caracas. Once out of the city, we thought we were in the clear, until two hours later the traffic mysteriously came to a standstill in the middle of nowhere. After two hours of crawling, we discovered the source of the back-up: in a small village a semi-truck of Pepsi products had tipped sideways. Everyone in the village, from the smallest children to the oldest grandparents were carrying cases of soda to their homes, some by the wheelbarrow full. Less than an hour later, in a maze of potholes, the bad road finally got the best of Rafael’s skillful driving. We plowed into an infinitely deep hole that blew out a tire. The change was relatively quick, but shortly before we reached Puerto Cruz Marianela discovered that her wallet was missing and she was certain that it was on the ground where we changed the tire in the pitch black. (It was later returned by a family that lived in a bamboo shack on the side of the road.) By the time we arrived to Puerto Cruz we had missed our ferry by hours. The silver lining was that we stayed with a very friendly cousin of Rafael and Mari. The next morning we had a further disappointment when we discovered that the AM ferry was booked. We wouldn’t be able to leave until 4:00 PM. At least this gave us the chance to drive into the mountains above Puerto Cruz and explore a beautiful pueblo.

The Beach at Zaragosa

Finally on Isla Margarita, we stayed at the home of Rafe and Mari’s father, Benjamin, and his girlfriend, Isabel. They own a large house in the small city of Juan Griego, but they rent that out and stay in the small two-bedroom apartment behind the house. The night we arrived, Rafe & Mari’s brother, Gollo, and his wife and two children were also staying there. There were four people in each bedroom while Benjamin and Isabel slept in a hammock in the kitchen. We were packed but amazingly comfortable.

An inland village on Isla Margarita. Proudly painted with the colors of the Venezuelan flag.

Over the course of the week in Margarita we explored a dozen beaches, from developed resorts to remote national parks. We drove around and across the island, visiting dozens of uncles, aunts, and cousins, and seeing some lovely small villages. I had two favorite beaches. One was Parque Nacional La Restinga. To get to the beach, we hired a small boat that traveled through a lagoon and a maze of mangrove channels. En route our driver stopped, reached to the base of a mangrove, and picked off dozens of oysters. They were the best I’ve ever had. The waves at the beach were perfect for bodysurfing. I love the feeling of being shot across the water and being tumbled by the sea. Beyond a small cluster of huts, the seashell beach stretched undeveloped as far as I could see. Idyllic.

Oysters on the way to the beach in Parque Nacional La Restinga.

My other favorite beach memory was the small beach of Zaragosa. Isabel’s family has a home right on the beach where we ate fish caught only hours ago and played numerous rounds of dominos.

With my Venezuelan family at the Zaragosa beach on Isla Margarita.

There are plenty of photos on my photos page (file 12) that do much more justice to this experience than my words could.

a pirated view of Caracas

2005-10-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge

More from Venezuela...

2005-10-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

¡Young Chavistas!

On a bus to Maracay last weekend, I jotted a short list of the things I love about Venezuela on a blank page in the back of Love in the Time of Cholera. The list only scratches the surface, but here are a few things… many more to be added in the future.
* Everyone, from the youngest kids to grandparents seem to know every word of every song on the radio and will sing them anywhere ~ on busses, in the streets, at home ~ at full volume and usually out of key.
* Family, friends and community are valued above all else. Venezuelans are overly social and warm and generally travel in packs. There is little solitude or privacy here, which I sometimes miss… but it is worth sacrificing for the authentic connections that are so quickly made.
* There is lots of laughter!
* Grosarias: Mild profanity and humor are staples of most conversations. Expressions that if literally translated in English would be quite offensive here are standard vocabulary.
* The countryside, and even the city to a lesser degree, is green and lush.
* Fried plantains are served with everything! And I still can’t get enough of them.

My home base here has been the apartment of Marianela and Josefa (sisters) and Estrella and Aliana, students who are renting rooms. Their generosity and hospitality is incredible. I finally had the chance to offer something to them by preparing a large Italian dinner last night with two different pastas and sauces, insalata caprese, antipasti, and wine. One of the things I miss while traveling is cooking… It felt good to be back in the kitchen.

Last weekend I took a side trip to Maracay to visit a family I met last year in Choroni. Six people, of three generations, live in their modest house and made me feel a part of their family. Aquiles is a baseball fanatic. I went with him to three of his softball games over the weekend, where the beer drinking would begin as early as 9:00 AM. Their four-year old daughter, Seliuqa, is adorable and incredibly smart. She beat me in a memory card game, not once, but four times! The whole family is die-hard “Chavista” and loves the fact that I’m a fan of President Hugo Chávez. It is a novelty that was mentioned nearly every time I was introduced to a family friend. I’ve up-loaded some pictures of this weekend here in a new folder, and have also added some more photos from Caracas.

On the cycling front, this week I’ve returned to daily training and it feels great. I was happy and surprised to discover that Venezuela’s national sports complex is only a few blocks from where I’m staying. There is a velodrome, offices of the national cycling federation, facilities for dozens of other sports, and residence for hundreds of international-caliber athletes. In my first visit there I met Cirio, a para-Olympian with one leg who has competed (and won) all over the globe. He introduced me to daily rides that leave from this area every morning. Today a group of about ten of us headed up into the mountains to the West of the city, weaving through clogged traffic until escaping the city.

I’ve also been exploring work possibilities here and might teach an English class for employees of a company once a week to gain the experience. I’ve already had an offer for full time work, including a tempting opportunity in the Amazon to teach English at a big mining camp for a few months, but I’m enjoying being on vacation too much to take on a work commitment, especially since the pay is horrible. It would make more sense for me to return to California to work for six months while living frugally and then travel for six months.

Tomorrow I'm off to Colonia Tovar and nearby beaches for the weekened to celebrate the birthday of my friend Rafael!

Back to the Bay for a Minute

2005-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest joys I had while teaching was taking the learning outside of the classroom. My greatest ally in this had to be Trips for Kids, an organization that takes urban youth to the trails of Marin County. I was asked by their founder, Marilyn Price to write the lead article for their annual newsletter, which was recently published and is now available (in PDF format) at this link. Check it out if you have a minute.

Alex's Ironman for the Leukemia Society!

2005-10-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

In 2000, when I was going through the most difficult period of my life, on the heals of my divorce and the death of my mom from leukemia, my dear friend Skeeter resurfaced and offered several avenues to healing. First she took me skiing every other week and then she convinced me to participate in a half Ironman triathlon, raising money and awareness for the Leukemia Society while getting fit with their Team in Training (TNT) program.

The experience was much more than I could have imagined. It both helped me to cope with my mom’s death (in a way that she would certainly appreciate) while moving on in a very healthy way with my own life. Although I’ll never do another triathlon (hopping into a lake with a thousand swinging and kicking limbs is not my idea of fun) this experiencing was my path back into cycling… and you know where that has led me!

This morning I read an email from Skeeter’s wonderful sweetheart/partner Alex who is beginning her training for Ironman Canada in August 2006. She will be raising at least $7500 for the Leukemia Society. I will be helping out with that and would be most honored if some of my friends would also chip in, even if you can only donate a few bucks in memory of my mom or someone close to you who has suffered from cancer or to honor someone who is currently fighting that battle. Go to http://www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/AWalterspiel and you can donate any amount you like. Thanks!

arepas, fitcar, y el avila

2005-10-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Preparing arepas in Caracas

It is great to be back in Venezuela! I’m back “home” in the apartment of my Venezuelan family. It’s been a relaxed first week here… a lot of eating and some exploring of Caracas. Highlights include a visit to a huge tourism festival, Feria International Turismo de Caracas (FITCAR). Perfect timing for this preview of all there is to see in this incredibly geographically diverse country. We arrived too late to see most of the exhibition, but we caught an amazing performance of two-dozen dancers and an outstanding orchestra. The music was a mix of flamenco and Venezuelan music with the theme of the country’s history with a post-colonial perspective. Beautiful, fascinating, and very professional. The flamenco vocalist was especially inspirational, and I have never seen anyone play the harp with half the passion of their harpist (who in the finale, when he wasn’t playing, danced with his harp over his head!) The group just returned from a stint at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

A view of Caracas from Parque Nacional El Avila

Yesterday my friend Clement took me to Parque Nacional El Avila, a massive national park that boarders the city. (Check out the park's excellent website. It is amazing how accessible such a beautiful park is to the city. A metro ride and a short walk brought us to the base of the mountain and the start of a system of over 200 km. of trails. The path we took was very popular with folks getting their afternoon exercise. The views of the city were spectacular.

Tomorrow we’re off to the beach at Morrocoy!

¡venezuela!

2005-10-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm safe, sound, and very happy in Venezuela. I arrived Tuesday... I'll be writing more one of these days...

Barbados race report, photos, press, and ....

2005-10-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday’s racing at Ride Barbados was everything but boring. (The boredom was exhausted with the pre-race briefing Friday night in which the organizers arrived an hour late and then spent over an hour presenting ten minutes worth of information while trying to fix problems with their PowerPoint.)

Stage One: On the wheel of Herve Arcade, the overall winner from Martinique, with World Champion Franco Marvulli at the back.

The first stage was an 80 km. race around a 2 km circuit with one steady climb. I felt great and the course was well suited for me. The attacks began early and I made a break with four other riders including Franco Marvulli a two time world track champion and Olympic silver medalist from Swizerland and Herve Arcade from Martinique winner of this year’s Tour of Martinique and the bearer of the yellow jersey for three stages in Tobago. With about ten laps to go, we lapped the field and shortly after that two of my teammates, Phillip Clarke from Barbados and Guy Costa from Trinidad, also lapped the field which now included ten riders who were a lap ahead. I had a lousy sprint, finishing sixth but fortunately Phillip was ahead of me for forth (by far the best placed Bajan rider) and Guy was on my wheel for seventh, giving us three riders in the top ten.

Cosidering how poor the organization of this race is and how strange some of the characters running the show are, Stage One somehow went off without anyone getting hurt. Imagine a rule change made at the line one minute before the start redefining the definition of the divisions, sending five riders from one field to another; or the official starter with a cell phone strapped to each wrist waving a starting pistol carelessly in the faces of the riders while screaming at us to stay behind the line that we were barely touching. This is just a sample of the insanity of this race organization.

Stage Two: Although it ended, it never finished.

Stage Two was scheduled to start at 2:00 PM under the baking sun. Around 3:00 it was announced that the schedule would be changed and that instead of racing both divisions on the same course, they would race Division Two first and start Division One later. It was 4:30 by the time we got to the line. We were called up before the last Division Two riders had finished, causing them to sprint into a field of waiting cyclists. Absurd and dangerous. Finally we were off, but in the first 100 meters I heard the terrifying sound of cracking carbon fiber, a sound that is usually followed by a quick trip to the ground. This time, however, I lucked out. I looked down to see my handle bar cracked enough that with one good bump it was destined to split in two. Fortunately, Mark, one of my Rafmon/Mecalfab teammates who didn’t earn any points in the morning race, offered me his bike. Miraculously he is the only other person I’ve seen in the Caribbean who has the same pedals as me and his inseam is identical to mine. His gesture to offer me the bike was generous and professional and another example of the tremendous support that I’ve received from everyone involved with this team. The circuit was just over 1 km of shear danger. The road surface was horrible and cars entered the course nearly every lap from driveways and parking lots. It was hard to appreciate the view of an idyllic beach only a block from the course when my life was constantly in peril. I never rode further back than fifth wheel, not to guard the front, but to have a clearer view of the obstacle course of hazards. Shortly after midway through the race on a headwind section with a brief stretch of decent pavement, I was tucked in behind the rider in front of me when suddenly I skimmed past a videographer who was crouching on the yellow line. I looked behind me to see riders swerving to both sides of him. Then I looked to the side of the road where I could see the look of shock and fear on the faces of our support crew immediately followed by the horrible sound of a crash. The next time through we slowed to go around the cyclist on the ground and when I saw that he was badly injured I had had enough. I was second wheel as we passed him and I sat up and yelled to stop the race. There was no argument, and by the time we reached the next corner the entire field came to a halt and protested to the chief commissar that we would not have our lives risked by such poor course planning and marshaling. I was livid at the utter disregard for our safety that both the promoters and the cameraman displayed and feeling very sorry for the downed local cyclist who broke both of his wrists, which will keep him from his profession as a chef for many months. My suggestion to the promoter that he change the name of this event from “Ride Barbados” to “Die Barbados” was not well received.

Fortunately Sunday’s race had an afternoon start, because I needed the morning to get a new bar to replace the one that cracked yesterday. Again, the kindness of folks in Barbados shown strong. Mr. Taylor drove straight from church to open his shop only to sell and install a new bar for me. The greatest support, though, came from our hosts. Throughout the entire trip the Chandler/Cozier family has been tremendously hospitable: housing, feeding, transporting, and supporting us during the races. Thanks a million for everything and the generous open door offer to return any time!

We showed up to the line a few minutes after the scheduled start of the race, not at all worried about missing it. We were pleasantly surprised that the start was only an hour late. The race was a 100 km. road race that covered much of the island. Rolling through town we had our first short rain shower, which turned the roads into the slipperiest surfaces I’ve cycled on since my days of winter training in Michigan. Early in the race there were two separate solo attacks. An Italian rider was given the wrong directions and ended up actually having to chase to catch the field. A Guyanese rider was given the correct directions while the rest of the field cut the course following incorrect directions. He never caught up.

The day was mostly sunny, but when the rain came down I was frightened and immediately dropped to the back of the field, especially when going around roundabouts where the diesel fuel was spread over the tarmac. I took the same precautions on the decent, but by the base of each climb found my way to the front. About twenty kilometers into the race a two-man breakaway escaped: Giuseppe Atzeni, the same Italian rider who was misdirected in an early break, and a guy from the Martinique National Team. Heatwave organized a chase and Guy, Jason, Chris, and I put in a good effort, but there was little support from the rest of the field. Fortunately Guy called the chase off about 5 km before the biggest climb of the day. American Michael Norton set a fast and steady tempo from the base. Herve Arcade, in the yellow jersey, was on his wheel, and I glued myself to Herve’s wheel. It was the perfect climb for me: never too steep, but long and fast. By the top I realized that there were only two other riders with us, Franco Marvulli and a Guyanese rider. The next decent was the harriest of the day with an unexpected sharp curve near the bottom. Realizing that I wasn’t going to make the turn, I hit the breaks early and skidded off the road, resting softly on the dirt embankment. I wasn’t even scratched, the bike was fine, and the guys in the break honorably sat up until I rejoined. On the same corner, in the field behind us, Guy crashed and broke his bike frame. Fortunately he was OK. Our group worked well together until with less than 10 km to go we spotted the two leaders. Since each of them had a teammate in our group, our muscle and motivation waned. Fortunately, though, as we slowed, Phillip Clarke, my teammate and a local Bajan, caught us with less than two kilometers to go. In the end, Phillip pulled out a good sprint to take third in our group and fifth for the stage while I had a lousy finish to an overall very strong race, finishing seventh in the stage.

Following the race, the mismanagement and disorganization continued. First the officials said that Phillip was disqualified for going off course, which he did not do. (He was one of the few that actually knew where we were going!) This was the final straw for the Heatwave. We were fed up with the incompetence of the organization and the petty issue that the organizers seemed to have with Phillip, a Bajan, racing for a Trini team. Tempers and tongues (and nearly fists) were flying. Finally that issue was sorted out, but there was no announcement about the overall placings and not a penny of the prize money had been paid. It was not until less than an hour before leaving for the airport the next morning that we received a return call from our messages telling us where we could pick up our prize money. We also found out our final placings. Phillip earned forth overall, an outstanding result! I earned 8th. Somehow the Guyanese rider who was misdirected was given a higher placing in than me, although he did not finish ahead of me in either race. Not surprising, the money from the second stage was never redistributed and most likely when right into the pockets of the promoters, their reward for putting on a life-threatening race.

The always subdued and tranquil Heatwave Cycling Team and supporters.

Despite the chaos and shitty sprinting, I had a great time at the race and rode very well. As you will see by the pictures, the highlight of all the racing in this region has been the folks that I’ve been racing. Big up to Rafmon/Mecalfab Heatwave Cycling Team. You all have been wonderful teammates and have become close friends!

P.S… I’m in Trinidad just for a night and fly to Venezuela in the morning!

P.P.S. There are some great pictures from Barbados at my photo site. Plus here are links to mediocre articles about the race. Stage One (where they slaughtered my last name: Goizana”) and Stage Two.

barbados!

2005-09-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

I’m two days away from my last race of the season and four days away from South America. This week in Barbados has zipped by as fast as their flying fish. Hot and unexpected are the two words I would use to describe the experience thus far.

Once again, doors have been opened to me and I’ve been blessed with kind hospitality. The trend of outstanding food also continues. Raquel, a professional trained Japanese chef prepared a four-course dinner last night, culminating in a sushi roll that brought Barbados closer to Japan than one could imagine: flying fish with island spices rapped inside seaweed and Japanese rice. A yummy cross-cultural fusion.

I’ve been reading a lot since I’ve been here. I’m savoring Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera. Although I’m a ways away from the Colombian setting, the heat and Caribbean bring a texture to the book that I can’t imagine it having in the States. My goal is to reread it (or something else by Márquez) in Spanish at the end of this journey. I’ve also been reading V. S. Naipal’s Miguel Street. While I enjoy the uniquely Trini dialog and the reference to places that have become familiar in the past month, his craft, especially beside Márquez, leaves much to be desired.

The riding here has been good. Barbado’s favorite son seems to be the track cyclist Barry Forde, whose family is promoting this weekend’s race. Barry won a silver medal at this year’s World Championships and is back home from Germany. He brought a collection of Euro-trash sprinters with him for a training camp plus this weekend’s racing. We can’t ride a kilometer with Barry without a wave, horn beep, and folks shouting his name. The island is small enough that he actually seems to know half of those who recognize him.

The Forde’s also organized a day-cruise. In the three+ weeks that I’ve been in the Caribbean, it was my first day of playing tourist and the only time I’ve been in the ocean on this trip. We sailed along the coast and anchored to swim with turtles, snorkel at a shipwreck site, and eat a delicious lunch. All the while the rum punch was flowing. The beaches and water here is so beautiful that it seems unreal, like swimming through a postcard.

Meanwhile, in this tropical paradise, immersed in the surreal world of bicycle racing, amongst a lot of white folks in a black and brown region, I feel a long way away from the social justice and education work that has been a critical part of my entire adult life. While I guess that a break is good, and may be refueling, I feel like a sellout at times. I get occasional news of the never-ending war on Iraq and emails of education issues or political actions at home and I am well aware that I’m silent on the sidelines. I have a feeling that I’ll be jumping back in soon, however.

Pictures, A Win, Zen, and Going down the Islands

2005-09-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

There are a ton of photos taken by a dozen photographers, from three cameras and several websites, that I’ve up loaded to the photos page. Check them out!

Awaiting the decision (Trinidad's Brown beat USA's Chavez)

The past three days have been a blur. We went to the Women’s World Championship Boxing match Friday night. In addition to five bouts, there was also music and all sorts of entertainment. The most entertaining aspect was the fans behind us, a group of young folks who were friends with one of the boxers. “Knock she gold teeth out she mouth” was just one of the things they shouted. The main cheerleader for the crew was deaf, but he rallied his friends to cheer none-the-less. Non-stop comedy. The evening was running on Trini-time, so the final fight didn’t finish until 1:30 AM. Good thing that the next day’s race was in the afternoon. I slept in until 11 and woke up refreshed and ready to race.

Newsday Classic, Port of Spain, Trinidad. 1st Jamiel Danish, 2nd Glen Rendell, 3rd Dennis Guikema

The Newsday Classic was a criterium around King George V Park, only a couple miles from my hosts’ house. A good field assembled and the Rafmon/Mecalfab crew showed up in strength and numbers. From the gun we were aggressive. Not a single break got away without our guys in it, and we won every prime! About midway through the race, Glen Rendell, a Canadian with two current national championship titles on the track, and Jamiel opened up a gap sprinting for a prime. A lap later I followed the wheel of a Team Trek (Trinidad) rider who attempted to bridge the gap. Once he opened up enough of a gap between the two of us and the field, I put in effort so we could join Jamiel and Glen. Our four-man break opened up a wider gap with each lap. Starting with three laps to go, I put in a couple attacks, but couldn’t get away, so in the final lap I wound it up and gave Jamiel a blazing leadout. Glen is not easy to beat in a sprint, but Jamiel dug deep and took it at the line, while I was able to keep my momentum for third. Behind us in the field sprint the team faired very well, and we took five of the top ten places!

"Whining" Trini style

We celebrated Saturday night by going out to Port of Spain’s hottest nightclub, Zen. Although I’m accustomed to seeing the sunrise as we head out on our 6 AM rides, this morning we saw it rise on the way home from the club.

Going "Down the Islands" with Shivana and Raffy

Five hours later, I woke up from a bang on the door, a blast of light, and Raffy’s loud announcement. “Get ready. We go down the islands in 30 minutes.” Jamiel, Jason, Raffy, Shivana and I went to the marina, took out a boat of a friend of Raffy’s, and headed out to a chain of islands. The weather was overcast and later rainy, but we had a great time, swimming and meeting up with friends of Raffy’s at vacation homes and on anchored boats.

Today (Monday) I’m flying to Barbados. I’ll be staying with friends of the Figuera family (my hosts in Trinidad) and will be doing three races this weekend with the team. Next Monday I fly back to Trinidad for a night and then off to Venezuela!

girls that could kick my ass!

2005-09-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

This trip has been full of nonstop surprises. If told before coming to Trinidad that I would be going to a World Championship boxing match, I would have been skeptical. I wouldn’t have believed it at all if told that I would meet both of the fighters in the title match.

Our friend Shivana took Jamiel and I to the weigh-in and press conference this afternoon. Shivana’s dad was the top doctor in the international boxing federation and she grew up around the sport. Her inside stories are fascinating and won’t be published here.

American cyclists with Trinidad's Lisa "Bad News" Brown

I expected a lot of meanness and machismo, even amongst women boxers, but I was shocked at how friendly they were. We first met Lisa “Bad News” Brown. She talked a little shit when the news cameras rolled, but behind the scenes was congenial and kind. Although more reserved in public, Jackie Chavez was also very friendly. We were introduced to her as professional cyclists here for the Tobago and she asked us for our autographs!

Jackie Chavez kicks Dennis Guikema's ass in preperation for tomorrow's World Championship bout.

Tomorrow is the fight. I’ve never had an interest in boxing, but now I can’t wait to go!

Although it hardly seems like the same day, earlier, after our daily 6 AM ride, Shivana took Jamiel and I to the Asa Wright Nature Center. The drive up into the mountains through lush rainforest was remarkable. A downpour kept us from exploring far from the car, but the flowers, forest, and birds (including a toucan) that we saw were remarkable non-the-less.

Flowers in Asa Wright Nature Center

Tobago Press

2005-09-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

If my race synopsis and the team photos I’m posting aren’t enough, here are some more links to info about the 2005 Tobago International Cycling Classic.

An article from the Trinidad Express.

Final results

Photos from the official race website

Tobago Int'l Cycling Classic 2005!

2005-09-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Jamiel reminded me today that in a few months we’ll be camping out in Motel 6’s in the Central Valley, racing in the February NorCal rain. Now, we are truly a world away. I’m writing this post on my laptop inside the perfect beach villa, listening to the waves lap the shore, looking past the outside bar, the pool, and the moonlit bay to the lights of the small town of Scarborough. Tobago is absolutely lovely, but the riding has been harsh as hell.

The team house in Tobago!

Stage One was a 20 km individual time trial. The first rider was off at 6:00 AM, by which time it was already hot. I had an early start time and was borrowing Rafael’s top shelf TT bike. The course started with a series of climbs, then rollers, then a tailwind flat stretch. From the start I felt great: arrow and comfortable on the bike, powerful on the hills and turbo on the rollers and flats. Midway I was feeling that I was having the time trial of my life… and just then the dreaded phssst phssst phssst. Rear flat. Due to a mix-up and a last minute arrival to the start line, there was no rear spare in my follow vehicle, and I lost over four minutes just waiting for another team vehicle to pull over and kindly give me a new wheel. I was disappointed, but much more upset about how dangerous the course was. There were police marshals only at intersections with traffic lights, and those were so congested that I had to slow down and pass between cars. The traffic only worsened for the later riders as Tobagons took this main artery to work or to drop their children off to school. At least two riders were hit by cars. This poor planning and disregard for rider safety is inexcusable.

The Rafmon/Mecalfab Heatwave Cycling Team! (both division 1 & 2 riders)

Stage Two started at 1:30 the same day. At the start line I had the first chance to take in the field. It was small, fewer than 70 riders, but it was powerful. Charles Dion (2-time winner of the SF Grand Prix) was there as was Ivan Stebic, a Serbian who has been tearing up the US pro circuit this year; two pro teams from Germany and one from Austria; national teams from Martinique, Grenada, and Aruba; and other pro and cat one riders from the states and Canada.

We rode 10 circuits, a total of 125 km. By this time the island was a furnace. For the first half of the race I helped to control the front of the field for the team. I made a half-hearted attack, gained 30 seconds, and flatted again. It was quite comedic. I had my wheel in my hand as the field passed, all of us laughing. Our team’s follow motorcycle was right behind us, I got a quick change, and soon I was back with the field. Unfortunately, as I rested at the back of the pack, there was an attack that became the winning breakaway. The heat made the race feel a lot longer than it was and split the field significantly. I ended the day somewhere in the middle of the field, and quite a ways down in the GC due to the flat in the TT.

Me after Stage Three

Stage Three was the next day at 8:30. 135 km over 6 circuits, including a significant climb. The attacks began soon after the start and our first time up the climb was incredibly aggressive. Lap two eased up a bit but the attacks resumed on the 3rd lap’s big climb. On the 3rd climb I dangled at the back of what was left of the field and couldn’t quite reconnect over the top. Descending by myself was crazy. The course was poorly monitored and every corner and intersection presented potential dangers. Imagine flying down a hill into a 90-degree turn onto a one-lane bridge with two deep potholes, a dog, and a car all competing for space. Again, I finished mid-field. Two of our seven riders abandoned on this stage.

The field on stage four (with me on the left in orange)

Stage Four was by far the hardest of the classic and one of the most difficult races I’ve ever done. On paper, it doesn’t look that bad, only 105 km. But the five circuits took us up a mountainous climb that nearly cracked me. Thank god for the tremendous support: Family, friends, and teammates of the Rafmon/Mecalfab crew were everywhere with cold water and Gateraide. The outcome was nearly the same as the day before so I won’t bore you with more details.

Climbing on Stage Five

Stage five was epic. We started with one loop of stage three’s course and then embarked upon a huge loop that circled the island. Somehow through the sweat, I was able to take in the views of the lush jungle and pristine beaches and bays. There were three seemingly eternal grueling climbs. One nearly broke me. Fortunately I once again had the support from the team. This time Rafael and Jason (who raced in Division Two that only had 3 stages) and Jamiel (who had to abandon on an earlier stage) followed in a truck. Ice cubes down the back of my jersey, music from the truck, and cheering kept me motivated. Those guys dealt with a very grumpy cyclist very well. Even after telling them to shut up and barking orders for the drinks I wanted, they stuck with me to the end! They also had the camera and captured a ton of great photos from this stage. All the climbing was rewarded with a fun and fast decent. The final 40 kilometers were rolling hills along the coast, my ideal terrain, and non-stop beautiful scenery. I soon caught two riders and the three of us put in a strong effort to finish.

The final 40 km. was along this beautiful coastline.

The finish of the final stage was exactly as I would stage it for a movie about a Tobago race. The line was in front of a local bar in a beach town; there was a steal drum band with about a dozen musicians playing; and a cold beer was in my hand the minute I clipped out of my pedals. Despite the exhaustion of five stages in extreme heat and mountains, having survived some of the most dangerous courses I’ve experienced, competing against a world-class field, I was on top of the world. Again, I finished mid-field (which continued to get smaller... even Charles Dion dropped out today) and 22nd overall.

And like every golf course has the infamous “19th hole” our race had the 6th stage. At our idyllic villa on the sea, we celebrated Carlos’ birthday (my host and father of my Trini-teammate). Rafael made a huge vat of curried duck for our whole team and supporters as well as other racers, friends and officials.

The rewards of racing in Tobago!

more band launch pictures

2005-09-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Some photos of our crew showed up at Triniscene.com while we were in Tobago. I've added them to my photo site. (Go to the "02 Band Launch" folder.) We're planning another night out Saturday!

it keeps getting better!

2005-09-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Band Launch

Sunday night we had a taste of what Trinidad is most famous for: Carnival. Although Carnival is only officially two days in February, the festivities stretch throughout the year. In Carnival different “bands”, groups from 20 to 10,000 people walk, dance, and drink through the streets of Port of Spain. Each person who participates (which is nearly everyone I’ve met) buys a costume from a particular band, which entitles them to march with that group. Food and drinks are all inclusive.

Around this time of year, the larger bands have their band launch parties. Sunday night we went to the launch party for one of the largest bands, The Island People. I’m guessing 5000 people gathered in the stadium parking lot, turned party zone. The Island People presented their costumes for the 2006 carnival, which were magnificent. Folks said they were the nicest they’ve seen: colorful, ornate, and of course very skimpy. There were even guys on 15+ feet stilts (moco jumbie... a tradition with African origin). Immediately following the costume presentation, actually with all of the models still on the stage, Machel Montano (no relation to Jason and Fred), the nation’s most famous contemporary calypso artist, took the stage. Everyone was dancing, jumping, and waving bandanas. The air was charged with more energy than I think I’ve ever felt at a show. The dancing (“wining”) is very sensual, full contact, with either strangers or friends. I had every size butt thrust against me. After Machel, the DJ kept the crowd moving, even as the rain soaked us more than our own sweat already had.

Small World

The island is small enough that the country’s most famous cricketer blocked us into a parking space for a minute; I went to a concert with a well-known anchorwoman; I’ve ridden with a former world record holder and a former Olympian; and after only one week, I run across people I’ve met before daily.

Pictures, pictures, pictures!

I have two files of photos on-line. The first is of week one, including cycling (most photos taken on a 100+ mile ride with temperatures nearly that high!); my wonderful hosts; food! and a bit of scenery. To see the photos, click here and then go to the first Trinidad folder.

A second folder is all from the Island People Band Launch I wrote about above. Warning... these are some mighty spicy photos!

Fame!

I love racing in a small country! The photo here is from last night’s TV news: we made both channels. Here is a link to the article in this morning’s paper about the press conference yesterday.

Off to Tobago

The team will be going across to Tobago early tomorrow and returning after the race on Monday. I don't expect that I will have email access until Tuesday.

stan' pipe laugh

2005-09-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

A friend emailed the other day and asked how my Spanish was coming along, thinking that Trinidad is Spanish-speaking. I replied that my Spanish was alright, but that my Trini-English needed a lot of work. When we are out on morning rides, the accent reaches it’s peak and the language is spiced with as many colloquial sayings and words as the food is packed with flavor.

To help out, Rafael got me a copy of Cote ce Cote la, the Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary. It was there that I got the definition for “stan’ pipe,” which is a public water source where we fill our bottles on longer rides. A “stan’ pipe laugh’ is a “loud, raucous laughter associated with crowds around a stan’ pipe”. Fortunately the public water here is good, so I don’t have to “stan’ up on mi ches’”, which of course is indigestion. After each ride, we swing by a coffee shop, where I have to fight off the generosity of these guys to “stan’mi han’” or pay for a round.

By the way, here is the website for my T&T team, Heatwave Cycling Team.

bright and chirpy... two wheel adventure seekers

2005-09-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I found this in a Trinidad & Tobago tourist brochure….

"We’ve all seen them happily exerting themselves in the wee hours of the morning going God-knows-where decked off in spandex shorts and colourfully designed helmets. We may wonder how they could be so bright and chirpy so early in the morning… These creatures are none other than cyclists. Cycling enthusiasts. Two-wheeled adventure seekers. And if they’re that happy, they must be on to something."

only 2 days here and i'm already brought to the police station!

2005-09-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

The photo is of a rugby game with the Trinidad and Tobago National Criterium Championship in the background (taken Sunday)

So right after I posted my last blog there was a bustle and some obvious worry buzzing through the tile store my host family owns. I grabbed my computer and Rafael and his dad and I jumped into the car. It turns out that Rafael’s brother, Ramon, was in police custody. He was pulled over for having excessively tinted windows and he gave the cop some excessive lip. His “what if I don’t go with you to the police station” was replied with “then I’ll have to take you by gun point” which by the time it reached Rafael and his dad had become a tale of a gun actually being drawn.

Fortunately by the time we got to the police station the situation had already calmed considerably. Ramon bitterly peeled the stubborn tint off the window while Rafael and his dad talked to the cop about mutual interests in motorcycle and boat racing.

~~~~~~~

I’m in love with the food here! For lunch we ordered roti with everyone in the office with beef, chicken, and shrimp dishes, along with rice and dal. Damn! For dinner Rafael did wonders on the grill. Ox tail and ribs were marinated in delicious local spices. Eggplant was also grilled, plus there were potatoes, greens, and black beans. Delicious! Some top shelf rum made me even happier.

~~~~~

This morning I was again up at 5:30 AM. Today’s ride was a hill workout. We rode out the “North Coast Road” where we did hill repeats followed by a gorgeous ride to a lookout of the splendid coastline. I love how the team rides together daily… and laughs a lot. Check out the Heatwave Cycling Team website, or suck salt!

Trinidad & Tobago arrival

2005-09-05T09:29:00.001-07:00

Normally the first day in a new country can be disorienting. But coming to Trinidad had a strange feeling of coming home. I had contacted several folks though Hospitality Club before arriving, including one woman who I later found out works for T&T Immigration. Through an email we discovered that I would be arriving while she was working. With my bright green t-shirt and being a tall white guy, I was pretty easy to spot. Before even officially entering the country I hear, “Dennis”. And I’m waived over to one of the booths. There is the person I’d emailed. A smile, a stamp of the passport, and a cell phone number so we can meet up some time during the week.

The baggage arrived quickly and in tact. Outside of the airport Rishi and Heidi found me… now even easier to spot with the huge bike case in tow. We drove directly to the Trinidad and Tobago National Criterium Championships. The masters categories were racing when we arrived and I had time to meet my new teammates before the elite race began. Except for the temperature, the palm trees, and a significantly more racially diverse field, the race felt like a small-town Midwestern, with a tight group of friends, families, and cycling fans cheering on the field as it circled a park while a rugby game went on in the in-field. There was some drama in the final laps and allegations of an intentional crash caused by an opposing team. After the race two riders were nose-to-nose in argument and later a protest was filed. Ahhh… feels just like home.
Rafael, my Trini teammate and host, saying a few words to Gene Samuel, former Kilo world record holder on the track.

I’m staying in the home of one of the team’s sponsor, whose son is on the team. They are warm and generously hospitable. We ride early here, both to beat the heat and traffic, and so that everyone can get off to work at a reasonable hour. We were on the road by 6:00 AM (which was 3:00 AM on my internal clock. I am still making the adjustment to this time zone). About 9 of us did a two-hour ride, most of it flat, out past the airport with a climb at the end through an area called Santa Cruz. The roads here are narrow and cars pass in seemingly impossible places, but it feels strangely safe. That’s the way people drive here, not anything rude or reckless. I feel respected on a bicycle. This is a country that loves it sports. Saturday Trinidad beat Guatemala in soccer and the country still seems to be celebrating.

Trinidad is by far the least “foreign” feeling (from my perspective) Caribbean country I’ve visited. It is not simply that it is English speaking (I’m still only understanding 80% of what is said as I gain an ear for the accent) but even the Supermarkets, interiors of homes, and fashions are not far off from what I would experience in Oakland or Miami.

I love the racial diversity here. There is a large African and Indian influence, and it seems that everyone is mixed. Even my “white” teammate and host, whose Scottish genes appear dominant, is 1/4 Indian and all of his cousins are black or Indian.

the blur of leaving

2005-09-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

yesterday was a complete blur. up early to pancakes and coffee. off on a team ride (pictured here). frantic packing and preparing the room for subletter. hustle to BART and SFO. redeye to miami. (thanks a million for the Valium, S. it was the gift of 4 hours of solid sleep!) i board the flight to port of spain in 30 minutes. yeah!

adorable!

2005-09-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

So… while I am playing hooky from a semester of school, my niece Abigail just completed her first week. Here she is on day one. Before we know it she’ll be a PhD!

going... going...

2005-09-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I'll be on a plane tomorrow! Thanks to everyone that came over last night for the going away BBQ. Damn, that was fun! You can check out the pictures by clicking here. Then click on the first folder. (I should have heald out for the blackmail money... Some of these pictures would certainly fetch a pretty penny!)

jason in the news

2005-08-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

my friend/sponsor/bike guru, jason, is featured in this article.

"After you get done with a four- or five-hour ride, it gives you the gift of an empty mind. You can enjoy things as they are. To me, that's powerful medicine."

happy birthday mom

2005-08-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today would have been my mother’s 61st birthday and is about a month and a half since the fifth anniversary of her death.

I miss my mom a lot. Those who knew her will understand why. Those of you who know me, know a part of her that is alive in me and my brother and sister.

I spent a couple days this week with my dear friend Skeeter, who also became close friends with my mom. One of the things that saddens me about not having my mom around is that new friends won’t get the chance to know her in that way.

I woke up this morning at 5 AM in Pacific Grove. Preparing a pre-race breakfast, I felt the strong presence of mom. In the foggy coastal pre-dawn, I was reminded of how much she supported my racing (or at least eventually did… I had to run away from home for the day to compete in my first race.) On the drive to Santa Cruz, we crossed some roads that I cycled with my mom when I joined a group of her friends during a tour in this area.

Generally on significant mom-anniversaries, I’ve had some of my best races. I won my last Cat. 3 race a few years ago on Mothers’ Day and this year in the same race took 7th in the pro field. This summer, on the anniversary of her death, I took fourth in the last masters’ race at Superweek and sewed up my 2nd place overall for the series. Today, however, the hills of Santa Cruz were even too much for mom. But I sure appreciate you cheering me on, mom. I miss you and I love you!

R.I.P.: Barbara Jean Herrema-Guikema: August 28, 1944 - July 16, 2005.

big up to scott & tommy...

2005-08-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

A quick congrats and kuddos to two friends who are releasing disks this month:

Give them a listen...

My friend Tommy's band run return is putting out a disk later in the month.

Scott's band The Lovemakers has been gettting a ton of radio play and just put their first major lable disk out on Interscope.

my kick ass hapa hommie

2005-08-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Most of you know, whether you’ve met her or not, that I’ve got an amazing housemate. Sachi and I both been traveling so much that we’ve only seen each other a few times this summer. (Somehow we manage to still get our rent paid on time.) We shared breakfast this morning and caught up on gossip and travel tales. In the year & 1/2 that she’s lived here she’s been to China, Afghanistan, Puerto Rico, Phillie, NYC, and LA. In two weeks she’s off to Finland. She makes even me look sedentary.

I’ve been privileged in the time that we’ve lived together to see the evolution of a couple documentaries that she is creating. One has just been published on PBS’ Frontline World website. It is a 14-minute video that I’m assigning all of you to watch! It is beautiful, interesting, and inspirational. David kicks Goliath’s ass in this one. (Leave a comment on this weblog… I’d be curious to know your thoughts.)

The story is currently on the front page of Frontline World. Here is the direct link to Sachi’s piece that should remain active even after a new front-page story goes up.

pat robertson = satan

2005-08-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

Less than a month before I travel from Trinidad to Venezuela, Pat Robertson, the leader of a US Christian organization that claims 2-million members, former US presidential candidate, television commentator, and friend of the current US president publicly called for the assassination of Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez. I’m disgusted by the hypocrisy of Robertson and the US Right that have demonized Chavez, Venezuela, and much of the rest of the world, while their words and actions display the terrorism that they pretend to decry. When will we stop bullying the rest of the world? When will we pull out of the illegal war in Iraq? When will we forgive debts that enslave most of the 3rd World? When will we reverse the move toward a greater divide between rich and poor at home? I’m pissed!

Robertson Calls for Chavez Assassination

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Page A02

Pat Robertson, the television evangelist and Christian Coalition founder, has set off a diplomatic fracas with Venezuela by calling for the assassination of its populist president, Hugo Chavez.

"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said Monday on his Christian Broadcasting Network...

already thinking about racing in 2006

2005-08-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Several members of my team have been working hard to seek out more suppport for the 2006 season. While an outstanding year for our team comes to a close (RHVilla.com Cycling Team is ranked 2nd in Northern California and we have had impressive results in several states!) we are looking at an even better year next year. We have a solid core of returning riders and several impressive prospectives. I'm really impressed with the work that has been put into shaping this team for next year. Check out this pdf file, a two page prospectus for potetnial sponsors. (If you know of any one that you think might be interested, please pass on their contact info.)

"crazy-ass English teacher"

2005-08-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

What a way to start my morning. I’m in a little café across from Dolores Park in SF. I just got my oatmeal and cappuccino (I still need coffee to function) and powered-up my laptop. Received messages. And I read, and reread, the first email. I’m humbled unspeakably humbled and touch by this.

The message below is from Kirby Garcia. He and his wife Maya Cox were two of my most memorable students. Their creativity, drive, and old-soul wisdom fueled my teaching practice. It has been seven or eight years since I’ve worked with them and many years since we’ve talked. Yet those two are often on my mind. Experiences that we shared were at least as formative for me as a new teacher as for them as students. What a wonderful surprise to get this message.

Reading and rereading this, I’m reflecting on what good teaching is and I’m feeling motivated to return to the practice, seeking out an environment that will foster and challenge the spirit and body as well as the mind.

Here’s the message…

Dennis,

That's alright! You got some exciting things going on there. I knew you were up to something of that nature. You've always been that outgoing, spontaneous, adventurous dude.
Maya was very excited to hear that I got in contacted with you, and we are both looking forward to talking to you as well.

We moved to Phillie because we liked it here, after visiting twice, about three years ago. We've always wanted to travel, ever since high school.

There was this really cool, crazy ass English teacher, who for some odd reasons, took a liking to us. He tended to always challenge our abilities. Being two very competitive individuals, Maya and I took on all challenges. As rewards for our success, this crazy cool guy, gave us the "traveling bug". Yep, he sent me to a beautiful country, called Belize. And Maya, to a number of places.

Since high school, we've gotten married with two kids and still have not lost the "bug"! We planned this trip to Phillie for two years. We sold our home in Oakland, packed up the Camry, and the Garcia's drove across country. Man! Our family and friends thought we were "crazy" just like that ol' English teacher, back in high school. lol…

What led me to look you up? Well I've tried a couple of times, but obviously the wrong email address. To answer your question, You!!! See, in life there are certain people, places, and things that gets stuck into you mental hard drive. Once recorded, it just stays there. Whether the reason is a good or bad or both, just know that you are a great one.

I also looked up Khalid, of Noble Mentors. He was very shocked to hear my voice over the phone. I am looking for Drependba, if you have any contact on him please let me know. I'm just checking in with all the good folks! Who supported, believed in me and respected me.

family time, california

2005-08-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Amanda-Panda-Pudding-Pie-Pooh-Bear has been living only three blocks from my house for a year... and I'm embarrassed to say how little we've seen of each other. It didn't help that we were both working a ton, she in the evenings and me during the day, and that on weekends I would take off and race while she would usually take off to the mountains or ocean. Even so, it was great to have her around for a while and to have family on the left coast. Meanwhile, the other youngin' in the family is out for a visit. It has been great hanging out with Josh and Amanda. I sure am blessed with a great family.

In other news, I've posted a bunch of new photos. (Click on the green text to see the photo. Click the "back" button in your browser to return to this page.)

I found a bunch of good photos from Superweek and have created a new folder for them. (Note, I'm bustin' copy write laws with this post.) Sorry if the multiple clothes and bikes cause confusion. (I was racing in RHVilla.com kits from this year and last and I was on two bikes due to a terminal illness in my shifter.)

I've also posted a bunch of new photos from the summer ventures in the humidity drenched Midwest. Start here and click "next" 18 times to see what is new.

Not too camera shy at start of Arlington Heights Crit in IL. And another from the same race.

Finally, here is a great shot from last Sunday's Timpani Crit near San Jose that showed up on-line.

Hiroshima 60 years ago. Iraq today (still).

2005-08-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reflecting all day, the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, on the horror of war and the addiction that our nation has to it, in all it’s forms (overt/covert, nuclear/conventional, star wars/cold war). I feel as though I need to do more to throw a wrench in the war machine. Any ideas? What can/will you do?

I can’t stomach the images and stories of war (and neither can our media which shields most of them from us, keeping Americans ignorant to the blood on our hands, paid for by our tax dollars). The thought of war and the pictures linked below are a depressing contrast to my happy-go-lucky-travel-rambling on this blog, but I feel we must view them to understand the enormity of what happened then in Japan and what is continuing now in Iraq and elsewhere. Please take a moment to view, reflect, and plan action. It is absolutely unjust and unfair to continue to enjoy our privilege uninterrupted while this degree of atrocity continues.