All About Mick's World

I Am Not…….. I am not an athlete, so I was told. By someone with WTC, the Ironman Company, so she ought to know, right? No, make that Corporation, not Company, I think of “companies” as friendlier entities than “corporations”. If you're one of the few who haven't yet been bored to tears by my telling and retelling of this tale, grab a drink of your choice (as will I) and I'll fill you in. Go ahead, I'll wait... Ready? Okay...here goes: PART ONE It was a sunny early Friday afternoon in Madison, WI, September, 2011. As has become a tradition for me, I was accompanying a few of my triathlete friends to the Ironman there. They were there to compete, and I was there to support, cheer, assist in any way needed, and generally have fun. We'd checked into our rooms downtown, and I joined the iron people as they headed to the convention center to check in. By the time we arrived, the line for this check in was already snaking its way from deep in the bowels of the buil...

Pumpkin Pie Ride, 2013 ride report: I find myself sitting at a bar, in my underwear, electric blues playing on the stage. I try to not draw attention to the fact that the beer in front of me is Bud Light, while the guitar is belting out a sweet solo, loud, louder and louder still. So loud I'm starting to  hunch over and cover my ears, and suddenly...I'm awake. Interesting dream. Love the GLT blues on the weekend, but that was a rude awakening. Time for a quick weather check, the forecast for the Pumpkin Pie Ride had been iffy. It looks acceptable, so I hit the shower to wake up, and shave the legs. I pull on my BCF kit, and head into the kitchen for a bowl of cereal and some coffee. Turning on my phone I see that neither of my riding companions, Jenny Keen and Thursday Gervais, remembered my address. I send that info out quickly and open the garage and turn on the lights so they can find me. Three people, three bikes, rack room for two. My wheels need to come off and Maude...

This promises to be a difficult post to write. In fact, I was so unsure of whether to even write it or not, I asked the advice of friends from both sides of this particular fence. A young, good friend (my muse, if you will) finally convinced me that it was indeed worthy of an effort. If you're easily (or even not so easily) offended by another's religion, or lack thereof, you might want to skip this altogether. While I do apologize if you find this offensive, I do not apologize for my own personal beliefs. My intent is never to offend, but this subject can sometimes have an offending affect on some. Please, don't read between the lines, there is nothing there, implied or otherwise. I'll write this in two parts, separating belief in one or more deity from religion. While the two are intrinsically intertwined, they are, in my mind, separate parts of one subject. BELIEF. So, how to begin...I'll just blurt it out here and go forward from there. I am an atheist. The...

Maude: The Trilogy Forward This trilogy is the saga of the naming of my newest bike. It was originally "published" on Facebook in three parts, in a group to which I belong, the Spokeswomen. (Yes, I am a Spokeswoman, you got a problem with that?) I enlisted the aid of this wonderful family of ladies with whom I bike in naming my ride. I thought I'd share this experience with a wider (figuratively, not literally) audience here. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. For the sake of anonymity, I've edited some of the comments, and removed the names from them. Many of you reading this may recognize yourselves and your friends herein. Read, and enjoy! PART ONE : The Call for Names Ladies, I have noticed that many of you have named your bikes. As you may or may not know, I am riding a new bike, and she is sadly anonymous. Since you all are so talented in naming your bikes, I'm asking for your assistance in naming mine. A few details that may help you...she...