ICC and Things...

So what's been going on since the Graduation post; let's see...

Our 'visitor' has come and went as planned since it was only a two week placement. Until we find a youngster available for adoption who is a fit for us (and visa versa) we are helping foster kids with 'emergency placement' which in a nutshell has us as a 'holding area' until a long-term foster placement is made. Both Deb and I went into this knowing we are not a good fit for a long-term/revolving foster home and our main focus is to adopt. Folks ask are asking 'how is it?' and pretty much Deb and I's replies reflect an odd feeling in that it's a stranger living with you and you protect yourself from bonding too much because you know he'll be gone soon, but on the same hand it's so important to support and provide structure so they don't feel too isolated and alone; odd deal, but one we'll keep doing. The boy with us was a good kid in need of some structure and attention and we (the whole family) gave a good dose of that while in our home and luckily he was placed in a good long-term home. Now we wait for the next call and look through kid profiles.

So Ian had a gap of a couple weeks between baseball sessions, but has filled his time playing up with a 5th/6th grade basketball team; almost funny how small he is compared to the others. This past Monday (their last games) he scored 9 in the first game and then went off for 23 points in the second! He was on fire and probably had nearly 10 assists. He also attended the Bolivar High School camp for 3rd/4th graders and had a great time with his friends. The HS coach has asked him to attend the 6/7th grade camp next week to which he is looking forward.

Baseball kicked back up and last night they split their two games. He had a walk and a strike out in both games.

Jake took off last Tuesday with a buddy and cruised 1,432 miles being kids with no particular place to go. They started off a couple days in STL, jumped down to Memphis for ribs one afternoon, spent some time in Hot Springs, AR, hiked to Hemmed in Hollow near Ponca, made a quick trip to Eureka Springs before returning home 5 days later. He and Cody had a great trip and his prize possession was a samurai sword (full metal) found in HS, AR (hilarious, but fitting for him).

He is now activity waiting for someone to hire him as he put out tons of applications a couple weeks ago (please someone put this kid to work!).

So for the past several years Deb has wanted a storm shelter and a month or so ago she ordered one and it was installed in our garage last week (good timing, eh). I didn't think it was that big of a deal and was primarily looking for keep the ol 'if mom's happy then everyone's happy' thing going, but I have to say there is sense of peace knowing that thing is in the garage and super accessible if needed.

This past weekend Ira and I teamed up for the Indian Camp Creek (ICC) 6hr team race and earlier in the week I was really looking forward to it as I had a solid week of riding leading up and I was curious how it was to race alternating laps with a little 'breather' between. Thursday I woke up with an uneasy feeling in my belly and to keep it simple let's say things were moving thru me pretty quick; I felt horrible. Friday was the same and by Saturday I was feeling somewhat better, but just drained. After talking with Ira I figured what the heck and would give it a go, but if I would have registered as a solo I wouldn't have even thought twice and would have stayed at home in bed. Frustrating, but what can you do...

Loaded up bright and early Sunday and drove to northwest STL; easy 3:45hr drive. I still had some of the bug and wasn't feeling too good on the way up and we decided Ira would start us off and hopefully get in any extra laps if needed (race rules dictated alternating every lap). Ira and I primarily ride our mtb's in SS mode and even though the course was described with little climbing and flowy we opted to keep it SS and do what we could knowing there would be some 'hoss' teams lining up. Ran into Mark G and Jeff Y and ended up sharing a canopy with these two beasts (Mark - 6hr solo and Jeff - 3hr solo; both finished 2nd in their class). We pre-rode the lower portion of the course and it was all pretty much straight forward flow in tacky dirt (hard to ask for better conditions).

Loaded field in the 6hr Team and not a good feeling of energy level had me hoping for the best. Ira knocked out his loop while I waited and then took my turn. The lower section was fun and flowy and the 2nd half was more the same with light elevation changes thrown in. I was going ok, but had absolutely no 'zip' or 'punch' in the legs and knew I had to regulate my efforts to make it thru the 6 hrs (even only riding every other lap). Ira and I had decent first laps, but while Ira was on his 2nd run out of nowhere my stomach started hurting (that flu type nauseous type) and I started hurling! Todd Holtman, race promoter, made sure I was doing alright, while I was trying to get some fluids and substance back in me. I shouldn't have raced as I was not over the bug, but too late then. Ira hands off and I am energetically flat the whole loop and can't get things going even though my stomach is feeling much better. Ira has a tough lap 3 (while I am eating and drinking trying to still refuel) and asks if I feel like going again; why not we are here... I take off still flat, but actually feel a little better (not saying much) on the 2nd half of the loop. As I come in to exchange with Ira I tell him I am done and he says this is his last lap also and as it played out a storm moved in during his 7th loop and they called the event due to lightening at around 5:30hrs in. We sucked and got 6th out of 7 teams; nothing I could have done different, just one of those days.

Mark asked me afterwards what I thought about 'team' racing and my take (and it has no bearing on how bad I raced Sunday or having Ira as a teammate) is I don't think I really care for it. I didn't really like the time waiting and found it a bit hard to find a rhythm when I was pedaling after being off. **The below was a new thing having the ol' feet up in the middle of a race***

The drive back was pretty uneventful except for the news coming from Joplin about the tornado (tragic). Deb checked with our church and community and hopefully we can get a day over the long weekend to go down as part of a team and assist with cleanup/recovery in the Joplin area.

Up next for me is the Down and Dirty mtb race on May 5th in Warsaw then the MO State MTB Champs the following weekend in KC. I am opting for State race over Tulsa Tough as I am kind of in a mtb groove right now and liking it.