alleycat strut

Rode a fundraiser alleycat for the guys doing the SXSFixed fixed gear ride to Austin next month. I came in 16th place out of registered 21 riders (and I am pretty sure at least three or four dropped completely). Only the enormous, Santa-looking fellow came after me. My position was not for lack of physical effort but instead on my unknowing of the backroads of Fort Worth (if it wasn't for the aforementioned Santa-looking fellow--Abe was his name--I would have probably ended up in Amarillo or something). So, my placement was not for fault of endurance...yeah, I am going to go with that. Actually, Bernie told me I could have shaved about fifteen(!) miles off my chart had I gone certain, more efficient ways. Oh well, I needed the workout--my gut doesn't look so hot, at all, in a size medium cycling jersey. And, in the end, I earned a prize (even with my lowly ranking) from the Trinity Bicycle crew for finishing: a pretty damn nice forty dollar light set.

Just got back from Cowtown Diner with a reward dinner from Leah. She'd been in the library about as long as I was tearing up the streets and she was ready to hit the town as well. Downtown was busier that usual, it seemed, and I filled my gullet with Cowtown's heavy, creamy smoked chicken mac and cheese. Just the ticket after today's near forty mile jaunt. Oh, as we were leaving some table ordered the famous nine-pound chicken fried steak which several servers brought out on an enormous pizza pan, obnoxiously banging a cowbell, and yelling at the top of their lungs: "the whole bull! the whole bull!" Only in America.

Time to upload my meager photos (still not used to the fact I am carrying a camera on my person), change into my fat pats, and chill with McAleer in front of a DVD.