Monthly Archives: November 2013

TGIF

This entry was posted in Just Life on by .

Thank god it’s Friday. I’ve never really had to think that. Actually, yesterday, I wasn’t sure if it was Wednesday or Thursday. When the weekends don’t keep me on schedule, I tend to lose track of the weekdays. I’ve been losing track of the weekdays a lot this season, which is not a good thing.

The last few days I’ve been repairing a window over at the Walberg’s house. It’s a huge oval window in their bedroom. It was rotted on the sill and was leaking water into their wall, then onto the ceiling to their garage. Catherine couldn’t get anyone to come out to fix it and the replacement cost was astronomical, like 5-7K.

I’ve got lots of different types of epoxy that makes the wood better than new. Better than new for this wood for sure. The whole issue is the sills were made of separate pieces of wood that were glued together and they warped up, thus creating a small lake by the window, eventually rotting the woods. Plus, the windows themselves are junky, allowing water in and rotting too.

Anyway, it was going pretty good, then winter came to Topeka yesterday. A micro ice storm came in after drizzling all day yesterday. The epoxy doesn’t harden good enough to sand if it is cold, so I’m hoping it was warm enough the last couple days to allow me to go over there and sand it today. It is only supposed to be in the lower 30’s for the next couple days.

Keith flew out to Seattle yesterday for a job interview. He is flying back here tomorrow and then driving, Jerry, their dog out to Seattle. He flew with their two cats, Millie and Inky. I raised them as kittens and they are cousins to some of our cats. I guess the plane trip went smoothly and the cats are happily on the ground in Seattle.

I’m not really feeling that bad. I go through waves during the day, but generally don’t feel that bad. I’m going to take it pretty easy, exercise-wise, for a little bit. I figure it is not a bad time to rest a bit while I try to figure out what I’m going to do. I’m not so much in control of that just now, so I’m not going to stress about it.

It is weird that it is almost Thanksgiving. I baked a couple pumpkin pies this week. I was going to cook them on convention in the oven, but chickened out last minute. I like convection ovens. It makes so much sense to cook things more even and faster with the air movement. I just haven’t figured out the right time and temperatures yet. I probably should get a convection oven cookbook. Right now when I use a cookbook, it is a 1950’s Betty Crocker cookbook from my grandma. The recipes are great.

Okay, that is about all from here this morning. I didn’t write a web post yesterday because I slept in and then wanted to get working on the window. It sort of stressed me out for some reason. I’ve never felt this to be an obligation, but might have to rethink that now. It was good to think about, which is always nice when you’re doing manual-type labor. I plan to ride today, unless it is just too wet. I’m not much into riding in wet condition when it is in the 30’s, especially when I don’t really need an excuse to not train.

Warmer a couple days ago when I started.

Warmer a couple days ago when I started.

Window was a mess.

Window was a mess.

Epoxy before sanding.

Epoxy before sanding.

New sill.  I didn't use very good wood.  I actually got it from the moving guy that was building crates for pictures and glass.

New sill. I didn’t use very good wood. I actually got it from the moving guy that was building crates for pictures and glass.

This is some of the epoxy I use.  It works great.

This is some of the epoxy I use. It works great.

Just take equal parts and knead until uniform in color.

Just take equal parts and knead until uniform in color.

Weather tight now.

Weather tight now.

Moving van leaving for Washington State.

Moving van leaving for Washington State.

It's easier to make two pies at once.  It's a 3 meal a day food.

It’s easier to make two pies at once. It’s a 3 meal a day food.

Chicken to turn the fan on.

Chicken to turn the fan on.

Inside page of the Betty Crocker cookbook.

Inside page of the Betty Crocker cookbook.

Millie and Inky in Seattle.

Millie and Inky in Seattle.

“I’m serving a self-imposed life sentence.” – Rick Crawford

This entry was posted in Comments about Cycling on by .

Rick Crawford did an interview with Cyclingnews talking about his situation with the sport of bike racing and his participation in procuring doping products for athletes he “coached”. I’ve already written a post about this. But, it still pisses me off to no end.

There should be no statute of limitations for a “coach” that distributes doping products to athletes. He should have been charged criminally as a drug dealer.

At the end of the article linked above, Scott Mercer, former Postal Service rider and Crawford’s boss at CMU, was quoted “I will say this though: I read a tweet from Danny Pate a while back and I think it said that ‘a half-truth is the most cowardly of lies’.”

I agree with Danny’s reasoning. And I think it is appropriate to apply it in this situation. I think Rick Crawford is telling half-truths. I think he is protecting other athletes he “coached”. Like I said below, what are the chances that he supplied drugs to only two guys that happened to get caught later on in their careers? Very small. Rick got one thing right and I agree with him on this quote – “I do believe I deserved a lifetime ban,” Crawford admits.

Here is my first post, from nearly a year ago, in whole.

Whatever – Rick Crawford

You know, nothing really surprises me much anymore concerning doping in the sport of bicycle racing. This Rick Crawford thing isn’t a surprise at all. It was so apparent. It stunk so long ago that it doesn’t smell all that bad now.

Rick Crawford isn’t a bad guy. Whenever I’ve run into him, he is super nice, super friendly, a real hard worker. But, that doesn’t offset the issue that he supplied drugs to guys to race bicycles. Plus, he sat on that information until he got busted, thru testimony, from USADA.

Racing bicycles and taking drugs to do so is one thing, but supplying drugs to the athletes that you train is something completely different. There are no peer pressures there. You’re just not trying to keep up with the other guys that are taking drugs. You’re in it for notoriety and money. Can’t be for any other reason. So, he’s a complete asshole, in my opinion, and shouldn’t be allowed to do anything in the sport ever again. Sorry, but there are plenty of knowledgeable people out there that can help our young riders progress, but Rick Crawford shouldn’t be one of them. He had his chance and threw his chip in. When it comes down to it, Rick Crawford is/was/whatever, a drug dealer.

I find it very hard to believe, nearly impossible, that Levi and Kirk O’bee are the only athletes that Rick supplied EPO to. Obviously, he didn’t have any problem or moral issues with supplying drugs to those athletes, so I don’t understand why it would stop at just two out of ?????, maybe 100′s? Isn’t it so convenient that Rick would “come out and volunteer” the names of two athletes that he helped dope. Levi, the guy that probably ratted him out to USADA, and Kirk O’bee, a rider that has already been suspended for life. He probably should have thrown in Phillip Zajicek, Nathan O’Neil, or even Dewey, to add credibility.

I personally know a lot of guys that Rick has coached. So now, even to me, their names and results seem much more suspect than they did before. They can all thank their “coach” for that. But, in reality, all our results are suspect. It is one of the very bad by-products of this whole doping issue.

I’ve already written about Tom Danielson. Rick was the guy at Fort Lewis when Tom rose to stardom. I know that Rick swears he had nothing to do with Tom. I know Tom confessed, and it is to no ones benefit here, to have Tom’s and Rick’s testimony to clash. Even USADA doesn’t want that. But, come on, seems pretty coincidental. Maybe it’s not related at all, but it seems screwy.

Anyway, Colorado Mesa U* is sending a very bad message keeping Rick around. Hopefully, USAC will step in and give Rick a nudge towards the exit. Maybe, legally, the statue of limitations have expired for any sanction by our sport, or legally, but I’m sure that the head guys at our governing body have enough pull to help set a standard here of no tolerance. Especially by the guys/coaches supplying drugs to the athletes.

Here’s a post Rick made on Facebook a few days ago. It is such a shame he didn’t act previously like he is talking now.

Interesting that no one is talking about what happens to a young American rider going to Astana, a team rife with lots of sketchy history w/ Vino and Bruyneel etc. Do we want our young riders on this path… NO! Evan should be in college still, maturing, learning, developing a wisdom base, and racing. This fast track has been the doom of many a prodigy. And we need to examine the entire devo system. There is a fine collegiate cycling establishment… it’s clear to me this is the future. It’s more important to develop good educated citizens than to put our young people in lucrative contracts before they are mature enough to make good decisions with absolutely no safety net. I’m sure Evan is super ambitious, scared, and excited… he’s in the frying pan now. This development path needs to be more structured with the well-being of our youth in mind, rather than the tool of a corporation and/or corrupt gov sponsored team.

*CMU did eventually fire Rick Crawford.

Rick and Lance.

Rick and Lance.