First Ride With the Garmin 305

Today I rode the All About Bicycles Bagel/Doughnut/Muffin ride and used my Garmin 305 for the first time.

Here is a link to the activity and a snapshot summary of the ride.

Vacation

I figured I would spend more time writing while I was on vacation, but I have kept away from the computer more than I thought I would. Also, our cleaning/organization plans have not been as swift as I had hoped.

One reason is the fact that we spent the day after Christmas bargain hunting and setting up Christmas gifts.

One gift I received was an XBOX 360 and some really cool games to go along with it, including Call of Duty - 2, Gears of War, Need for Speed - Carbon, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six - Vegas and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - Double Agent. Brian is amazed that I had the patience not to set it up on Christmas day. The reason for my patience was the fact that Best Buy had some amazing deals advertised, so Julie and I returned to the store Tuesday morning to take advantage of the specials. When all was finished, we left Best Buy about $90 better off. After leaving Best Buy, we went to pick up Brian so he could "assist" in setting up my new toy and help me make sure it all worked properly :)!

After playing for a while, we all headed up to Cadence 120 to finish installing one of my other gifts. A friend of mine gave me a new Garmin Edge 305 with Heart Rate and Cadence. This tech toy is super cool. With this, I will be able to upload my ride data for everyone to see at MotionBased.com. No more entering my ride data in my posts...I will just put a link to the data at MotionBased. How cool is that?

Another unexpected project was taking the car in for a brake job. Coming home from Brian's, the car made the most horrible noise when the brakes were applied. I took the car in to Big 10 Tires on Wednesday morning and learned that it was time for a brake job. Now nearly $500 lighter in the wallet, the car stops like a champ...a very quiet one at that! Next up for the car is new tires. They did not have the tires I wanted in stock, so they have ordered them for me and they expect to have them by next Tuesday.

Finally on Wednesday, we resumed cleaning and organization of my room. As we were putting the finishing touches on it, Julie decided she wanted to re-paint the room. She finished prep work tonight and the room should be completed tomorrow.

Last Sunday's Ride

Sorry I have been so slow in getting last Sunday's ride stats posted.

18.17 miles - Average Speed 12.6 mph - Average Heart Rate n/a - Max Heart Rate n/a - Calories Burned n/a

Today's Ride

Only about 17 people for today's ride. A bit on the chilly side, and the last weekend of shopping before Christmas may have attributed to the lower than normal turnout. Due to the heavy traffic on Schillinger Road, I opted to hitch a ride back from the shop with Eric.

33.56 miles - Average Speed 14.2 mph - Average Heart Rate 144 bpm - Max Heart Rate 181 bpm - Calories Burned 2,779

Holiday Time Off

Time off from work during the Christmas Holidays! This is something entirely new for me. In retail, this is the time of year that you do not take off of work. And for 15 years, I worked my tail off to help many people have a wonderful holiday.

This year, both Julie and I had vacation time available and at least for me, my customers (retailers) are likely too busy to want to hear from me. Since Christmas and New Years day are both on Mondays this year, I took five days off which ends up being 10 days of no work. I don't know if I will be able to handle it!

We have decided to spend some of our time off going room-by-room, organizing and cleaning. We started yesterday with my bedroom. Since I have lost so much weight, most of my clothes no longer fit me, even newer clothes that I have bought throughout the summer. I have a pile of nice clothes as high as my door handle that will be going to Good Will next week. I guess this is a good thing. I just am not looking forward to buying more clothes. I am going to hold off as long as I can because I have a goal to loose another 15-20lbs.

Mobile Bayfront Ride

With the holidays upon us, most people must have other things to do besides ride their bike. Today only Don and I showed up for the beginners ride. We decided to go a little farther since there were no beginners in attendance.

We went East on Halls Mill Road to Duval and then South on Michigan Avenue around Brookley Field to Bay Front Road. The weather was perfect for a ride.

We went South as far as we could before returning to Dauphin Island Parkway, just North of the Dog River Bridge. We went over the bridge and then went West to Rangeline and then back to the North to Halls Mill. We cut through Crestview to return to Government and our finish at Lenny's Sub Shop.

All in all a very nice leisurely ride. Don is headed back home for the holidays so he will not be attending any more rides here until after the first of the year.

29.47 miles - Average Speed 12.7 mph - Average Heart Rate 116 bpm - Max Heart Rate 150 bpm - Calories Burned 2,137

The FINAL SOLUTION!! for the IRS & Income Tax Problem

50 Reasons I Support the FairTax

How many reasons can you give for supporting the present obsolete IRS & income tax system?

1. It allows you to keep 100% of your paycheck, with nothing withheld for Social Security and Medicare payments.
2. It eliminates the regressive payroll tax that hurts the poor. Currently, every one of us is taxed a minimum of 7.65% on our first-dollar of wages up to $90,000, if we earn that much.
3. It assures that the wealthiest Americans will be voluntarily helping to fund social security with every last dollar they spend above the poverty level. Today, earnings are subject to payroll taxes only up to $90,000. The wealthiest Americans therefore do not pay into the system above that amount. If their earnings are from investments, no earnings fund the Social Security system. Under the FairTax, a single purchase (regardless of the source of the earnings) can result in greater contributions to the Social Security system than would be paid by an individual under the payroll tax of today.
4. It provides funding for Social Security and Medicare at a level equal to or greater than at present, with a stronger and broader tax base.
5. It secures the future of Social Security and Medicare because all spenders fund it and not just the workers.
6. It eliminates all personal income taxes, payroll taxes, corporate income taxes, gift taxes, death taxes, and capital gains taxes.
7. It eliminates the income tax and the IRS. Members of Congress and the public overwhelmingly agree that the current internal revenue code is cumbersome, intrusive, coercive, and inefficient.
8. It is revenue neutral with the present income tax system, funding the federal budget at current levels.
9. It will remove an average of 22% of the cost of American made goods by removing the built-in payroll tax (the other 7.65% of earnings that employers pay) and other business taxes that are now passed to consumers as an “embedded" tax of approximately 22% due to the cascading of income and payroll taxes paid by U.S. employers, at every step of production, to the U.S. Treasury.
10. It doesn’t tax used items – clothes, cars, homes. Only new items are taxed when sold by a business to an individual.
11. It is progressive, a “prebate” of the tax amount up to the poverty level is given to everyone. This means that those spending below the poverty level have a net gain because the “prebate” exceeds the amount paid in taxes. (Under the present system they pay the payroll tax even if they get a full refund of income tax withheld.)
12. It eliminates 90% of the cost of compliance. American families and American businesses waste an estimated $250 – $600 billion per year doing the paperwork necessary to comply with the tax code. That is roughly $1,000 – $2,000 annually for every man, woman and child in the U.S.
13. It creates an opportunity for our products to leave this country costing an average of 25% less, thus increasing our exports, lower our deficit balance of trade, and increasing employment at home.
14. It encourages investment in companies located in the U.S., thus providing a home for money already in the US and attracting more. The U.S. will be the most attractive tax-free haven in the world for doing business. American companies will return from offshore and overseas.
15. It encourages repatriation to the U.S. of money held by U.S. individuals and companies now in foreign countries, with no tax consequence.
16. All 290 million Americans and 51 million visiting tourists fund Social Security and Medicare with their purchases. Today only 110 million workers fund these programs via deductions from their paychecks.
17. The broader tax base includes the ten percent of our economy, an estimated $1 trillion, that today is underground or under the table. Under the FairTax, the illegal drug dealer will pay his tax just like the rest of us when he buys his sunglasses, BMW, and other items, as will those who do business for cash.
18. It allows families to save more for home ownership, education, and retirement. An average family making $50,000 will have $7,500 more spendable income.
19. It makes educational tuition a tax-free expenditure of tax-free income.
20. It makes American products more competitive overseas by removing the embedded tax from them, thus lowering their prices, which compensates for low foreign wages.
21. It makes American products more competitive at home by removing the embedded tax from them, compensating for the low cost of imported products not burdened by taxes imposed by exporting countries.
22. It removes the need for formal 401-K’s, IRAs, HSA, etc. Anyone will be able to set up any kind of savings or investment account without regard to taxes or the government.
23. It frees churches and other non-profit organizations from the expense of filing tax returns and paying their half of Social Security and Medicare payments for employees. There will no longer be any 501.c.3 or 501.c.4 non-profit tax status, because there will be no more tax to be exempt from.
24. It restores to churches and non-profit organizations the 1st Amendment right to engage in free speech, without fear of losing their tax-free status.
25. It gives individuals and businesses the right to donate as much as they want to in a given year to charitable causes.
26. It restores the 4th Amendment, protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures, from which the IRS presently is exempt.
27. It restores the 5th Amendment, which guarantees the right to due process. Under current systems the IRS has their own courts with their own set of rules not included in the 5th.
28. It cleans up a major flaw in campaign financing, eliminating campaign donations for "tax favors".
29. It eliminates wrangling in Congress over tax cuts, the tax code, and who is or is not paying a fair share of the tax bill.
30. It encourages work by letting workers keep 100% of their earnings and giving a rebate, to boot, making the notion that the more you work, the more money you have, a reality, unlike the current system where welfare is lost when you go to work, so your first dollars earned after taxes just offset what you were currently getting in welfare, making you no better off.
31. It allows more of the lower income families to become home owners by allowing a second job income above their current income (all tax free) to be applied to a mortgage. Money for down payments for homes is also saved totally tax free so that it will accumulate faster.
32. It allows families to retain farms and businesses in the hands of those who built them through the elimination of the death tax.
33. It allows families to help each other out tax-free, by eliminating the gift tax.
34. It encourages individuals to self-insure, making the health system more direct pay (no 3rd party pay), thus bringing costs down.
35. Without FICA to pay, most states, counties, municipalities, and school districts will see a large increase in their state budget revenues, additionally lowering the overall tax burden (State & Federal) for most Americans.
36. It assures that no American will find, at the end of the year, a need to get a loan to pay taxes as an alternative to penalties, interest, or cheating.
37. It restores individual privacy. The government no longer needs to know where you work, what you are earning, and what you are doing with it.
38. It eliminates the need to have a "marriage" clarification declaring who you live with, as that has no bearing at all on a state or federal sales tax.
39. It eliminates the need for courts to decide which divorced parent gets to take the tax deduction for children.
40. It reduces production costs for farmers and other subsidized businesses, leading to a reduction in subsidies, thus reducing the federal budget.
41. It eliminates the administrative costs incurred by states in collection of state sales taxes because states will piggyback the state tax collection onto the national tax collection, for which they are compensated by the FairTax ¼% administrative cost give-back. [Doesn’t this go to the retailers?]
42. It results in a windfall profit for many of those holding taxable corporate high interest bonds at the time of passage of FairTax, since they will not be taxed under FairTax. (A higher interest rate is usually paid to entice investors to buy the corporate bonds rather than go with the lower interest, but tax free, municipal bonds, now.)
43. It shifts the tax to consumption, which consumption tables over time show is more stable than income, therefore the tax revenue stream is likely to be a more stable and predictable amount.
44. It results in Federal Reserve rates being based on current consumption, which is rather stable, instead of future earnings, which are less predictable, resulting in surer inflation prevention.
45. It allows for better planning by businesses, because they no longer have to consider tax implications for everything they do.
46. It makes higher employment or better compensation possible in the small business sector where today it costs approximately three dollars in compliance costs to pay one dollar in payroll and income taxes.
47. It moves many now providing tax preparation, advice, accounting, planning, and records maintenance into an expansive economy where they will be producing goods and services. There they can add to the standard of living of all Americans and likely earn more than they do currently, instead of shuffling paper for the government (and not contributing anything economically to society).
48. It relieves citizens of the risk of facing the shift in burden of proof that is so common with the current system, i.e., the taxpayer is guilty unless innocence can be proved, when even IRS staff sometimes give conflicting interpretations.
49. It’s simple, unambiguous, and certain, the opposite of the current tax code.
50. It’s good for the environment. It reportedly would save about 300,000 trees a year that are needed to produce the paper for the IRS compliance and tax forms, enough to reach around the equator placed end to end 28 times. Also, since it taxes only new items, it would encourage buying tax-free pre-owned cars, clothes, furniture, houses, etc. Reuse is good for the environment, too.

Disappointing Experiences

Is it possible that having worked in retail for so long has caused me to expect too much from those I do business (or try to do business) with? I am constantly amazed at the lack of good service around every corner.

Taking care of my customers was always my first goal. The customer is always right (even when wrong). I suppose I may have read too many books, such as "Customers for Life" by Carl Sewell and "You WILL Be Satisfied" by Bob Tasca.

Maybe it boils down to work ethic. It is rare to find these days, a person with good work ethics. It seems most "employees" and surprising sometimes proprietors of a business are only there for the pay check. One of my favorite quotes come from a former sales rep I did business with at the bike store. He had reserved a rental car, and when he went to pick it up there were problems that the counter person either couldn't or wouldn't help resolve. The rep in question told her "I know two things...you don't like your job and I am getting tired of talking with idiots!" That about sums up my feelings with many that I come into contact with.

During a recent dining experience at Stix, a Japanese Hibachi grill, I believe I had the worst server I have ever had from a server. Julie and I both order appetizers and entrees. Julie's entree included soup and salad, and both of our entrees included our choice of steamed, brown or fried rice. I can not stand onions, so we asked if we could have the fried rice with no onions.

After finishing our appetizers, our entrees were brought to the table. the fried rice was full of onions, not to mention that it is kind of odd to receive your meal before your soup and salad. When we were finally able to flag a warm body down to inform them of the problem with the rice, we were told that the fried rice can't be ordered without onions.

To give this perspective, Stix has two separate dining rooms, the hibachi side where your food is prepared on a grill right in front of you and another room that is traditional dining. Julie and I typically have always dined on the hibachi side when we go out with friends because it is an entertaining experience as well. I know for a fact that they have rice, without onions pre-mixed, because I have watch them make it for me before my very eyes.

Our waitress finally came to the table and apologized that they "couldn't make us any rice without onions because the kitchen has already prepared all of the fried rice for the evening." So much for fresh, made to order food! She also apologized about not bringing the soup and salad and wanted to know if we would like her to box them up to take home. We declined, but asked that our bill be adjusted for the food that was not delivered as it should have been. She said that the soup and salad are part of the meal and could not be removed from the bill. Maybe she should have thought a little out of the box and removed our appetizer or drinks from the bill or at the very least offer us free desert. I, for one, did think out of the box, and deducted the soup and salad from our bill...right out of her tip!

Another issue is that our house is in need of some wood repair and a paint job. I received two estimates, and had a better feeling about the higher one, even though it was double the lower estimate. One thing, the higher guy came by reference from a good friend that had used him and was pleased with the work.

When I finally contacted the painter to get added to his schedule, he said it would be about three to four weeks before he could fit us in. That was in early October. When I hadn't heard from him by the first of November I called him to check on his schedule. He informed me that his brother had recently died, and he has gotten behind schedule because of things he had to take care of. He told me it would be a couple of weeks.

Two weeks later, I tracked him down again. He told me he was finishing up a back porch addition for a client and had one more job to do after that before getting to us. Nearly a month later I am still waiting...aren't people interested in working?

Today's Ride...a Bust

I suppose this is what I should expect hosting beginners rides. A total no-show. If the temperatures are low, the more seasoned riders will show up for their rides. They have the correct gear to make the ride comfortable. Beginners probably do not yet have all of the winter cycling apparel needed for days like today.

There is a great saying I love to speak: "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." So for those of you who didn't make it today because of the below normal temperature, head on over to your favorite bicycle retailer and ask them for advice on what clothing you should buy. Or if you prefer, here is a link to some information that may help you on Cadence 120's website.

2.6 miles - 12.6 avg speed - avg hr 119 bpm - max hr 150 bpm - 229 calories burned (I need to find another way to burn off those homemade Belgian waffles I ate this morning)

Great Pricing On Adidas Cycling Apparel

I usually try to refrain from promoting any sales at any of the local bike stores, but this one is such a fantastic deal I had to mention it. Brad at Cadence 120 scored some great deals on Adidas cycling apparel. He received a large shipment that he has priced on closeout...35% below suggested retail! He also has a coupon on their website for an additional 15% off the purchase of Adidas cycling clothing, including clothing that is already on sale or closeout. The coupon, combined with the great pricing on Adidas results in a jacket that is normally $94.99 ending up only costing you $52.48. What a great deal!

Retailing Thoughts and a Different Route Today

Today, we started the beginners ride with only three riders; me Cindy and a guy named Josh that bought a Giant OCR Composite 3 like Julie's back in September.

Even though I am no longer in bicycle retail, I enjoy listening to people talk about their shopping experiences. Josh had made his purchase decision in part because of two things:

The time that Brad spent with him compared to that of other retailers he shopped with.

Cadence 120's 30-day Risk Free Promise.

The second item makes me feel really good since I was one of three retailers that helped pioneer this for the members a national co-op of retailers, YaYa! Bike.

Today's ride was a bit chilly at the start, but it warmed up as the ride progressed. For a little change in scenery, after our typical ride through Riviere du Chien, we headed over to Crestview to explore its potential for riding loops. This neighborhood is quite extensive, with some surprising hills on its northern side. I think this will be a great place to do Tuesday and Thursday evening loops.

25.24 miles - 13.2 avg speed - avg hr 128 bpm - max hr 164 bpm - 1,872 calories burned

Beautiful Day for a Ride

What a great day for a ride. Around 60 degrees for the start and in the lower 70s for the end. Only five riders today though...perhaps people were out of town for the holidays.

29.79 miles - 13.6 avg speed - avg hr 111 bpm - max hr 146 bpm - 2,076 calories burned

Huge Group for Such a Cold Morning

I counted at least 36 riders at the 7:00am All About Bicycles ride this morning. David Field's computer showed 44 degrees at the start of the ride. I just hope tomorrow morning is warmer...I have run out of clean cold weather cycling gear! Maybe Santa Claus will bring me some long sleeve jerseys :)

46.02 miles - 14.0 avg speed - avg hr 137 bpm - max hr 178 bpm - 3,546 calories burned

Gobble! Gobble! Ride

Went on a nice leisurely ride this morning. Julie and I drove over to Ben and Felicia Beth's for a west Mobile ride. It was really cold. Luckily, I had forgotten my gear bag so I had to go back home to get my shoes, helmet and gloves. This bought a little extra time to let the sun warm up the air a little.

During the ride, Julie was interrupted multiple times by the guests that were staying at the lodge. All in all we had a good time.

16.62 miles - 12.8 avg speed - avg hr 119 bpm - max hr 149 bpm - 1,285 calories burned

Now I can't wait to get to Brian's dad's for a great Thanksgiving meal!

A New Mountain Bike In My Future?

It has been a little over a year since I had left my position at Cadence 120. One perk I certainly miss was the opportunity to ride a new demo bike every year. I had not owned a mountain bike since 1990 when I sold my '89 Specialized Rockhopper Comp.

Before I had made the decision for a lifestyle/career change, I had already ordered my new 2005 mountain bike demo, a Giant Reign 1. It was at the store a couple of months before I left, but hadn't been ridden since I had not yet sold my 2004 demo, a Giant VT 1. Unfortunately, the bike I had ordered was not a hot, desirable model for the Mobile area, so Brad was stuck with it for a while. Every time I came into the store he said he had a bike that would be perfect for me. I told him as soon as I had enough money saved up, I would be in to purchase the bike.

Well the time is near, and when I was in the store last, there was a customer picking up his new 2005 Reign 1. Brad had finally sold the bike. I guess that means I am off the hook on that one and can buy what ever mountain bike I desire now.

With the cooler weather here, it will certainly be more enjoyable riding in the woods than out on the roads in the brisk winds of the season. I hope to see you soon on the local trails!

Another Chilly Ride

Another cold morning for our Sunday beginners ride. We still had five attendees...not bad considering the weather. To change it up a little, we road down Halls mill Road toward downtown. Nice stiff headwind most of the way. As a reward for the pain and suffering, we took a break on the way back at Krispy Kreme.

What a let-down. They were out of hot chocolate. At least they had hot glazed doughnuts to satisfy Julie's craving!

19.34 miles - 11.9 avg speed - avg hr n/a - max hr n/a - calories burned n/a

Recovery Ride

Today's beginner's ride had two new participants. They both seemed to have a good time. This ride was a recovery ride for some of us. Yesterday I had ridden 127 miles, Terri rode 80+ miles and David rode 72 miles. It was nice and relaxing after yesterday.

15.47 miles - 10.7 avg speed - avg hr 104 bpm - max hr 131 bpm - 1,351 calories burned

LAMB Ride

LAMB Ride today...cold windy finish. Current temperature 55 degrees, RealFeel temperature 46, not counting wind chill added by bike. Current wind speed 18 mph from the NNW. More later. Gotta go eat and then go to bed!

127.74 miles - 15.9 avg speed - avg hr 152 bpm - max hr 185 bpm - 8,121 calories burned

Beginners Rides

I forgot to post last Sunday's ride info. We had a great group, and afterwards, ten of us ate lunch together at Lenny's.

18.57 miles - 11.1 avg speed - avg hr 105 bpm - max hr 158 bpm - 1,372 calories burned

Now for today's info. It was a little chilly this morning, but not as bad as yesterday morning. It was so cold in windy yesterday morning, I decided to stay tucked away in my warm bed and sleep in a little longer.

We had a new attendee this morning. Don is new to the area working here on assignment with FEMA. He was already experienced, so with his, and the others blessing, we rode a little farther than our typical Sunday morning ride.

25.15 miles - 13.1 avg speed - avg hr 132 bpm - max hr 218 bpm - 1,747 calories burned

Largest Group Ride Ever in Mobile?

Saturday's ride was the biggest group ride I have ever seen in Mobile and possibly the biggest ever. The Mobile Bay Bicycle Club's 1st Annual Over-Under Ride attracted 132 riders.

This is terrific considering the short notice to the public as well as the bad weather. The short notice was due to the fact that this weekend was originally going to be the National Senior Games Championships in Mobile. Several weeks ago, the national committee pulled the plug on the event, mailed all of the entry fees back and told all registrants the event was cancelled.

Since the Club had already worked with the City and the Alabama Department of Transportation to gain access to the Bankhead Tunnel, they decided to figure out what to do. The Club decided to host a group ride to promote cycling awareness and got the word out less that two weeks prior.

Now the weather...can you spell W.I.N.D.Y.? The ride started at Battleship Park at 8:00. I decided to ride the 17 miles from my house to the ride. A quick check of the weather when I awoke at 5:45am revealed that the temperature was 58 degrees, not too bad. I rolled out of my house around 6:30 and started my northeasterly trip to downtown Mobile. One thing I did not check were the wind forecasts. It was a pretty stiff cross wind all of the way to town. Once downtown, I turned north and went through the State Docks. When I hit the rail yard, which is wide open landscape, I couldn't believe the wind that I encountered. I checked the weather when I got home and the wind was steady at 21 miles per hour for most of the ride, not including gusts. I was riding as hard as I could, heart rate at 178 bpm, and only moving at 11 miles per hour. Once I climbed the Cochran/Africatown bridge and headed south on the causeway, it was much easier.

I couldn't believe the number of riders, and all from Mobile and Baldwin Counties at that. The West Florida Wheelman didn't make it and we still had that good of a turn-out.

For the ride, you could choose to do 20k or 40k. I wanted the miles so I can get ready for my LAMB ride in two weeks, so I chose the 40k. It was easy cruising across the causeway and even up Spanish Fort hill, due to the tail-wind and the draft of so many riders. Once you rounded the scenic overlook and headed back down HWY 90/98 to the causeway the wind was back in your face.

It was tough going all the way back to the battleship. The cross wind off of Mobile Bay was really severe. It was difficult to keep your bike in a straight line. It seemed as if you were actually steering to the right to stay straight. Every now and then there would be a break in the wind from the growth along the shore and you would actually end up steering to the right because of the posturing you were doing to stay straight in the wind. Even the little bridge just before the battleship was very difficult. The causeway turns a little more north-west just before this bridge. I was only able to achieve about 6 miles per hour up this small bridge.

Once at the top of the Cochran Bridge, I usually like to coast down and try to achieve the most aerodynamic position I can to see how fast I can go without propelling myself. I can typically break 40 miles per hour doing this. Today, only 13 miles per hour. I couldn't even shove off like normal, I actually had to pedal to get going.

The trip back to downtown through the rail yard and the docks was a pleasure with the tail-wind. The best part of the ride, completely sheltered from the elements, was through the tunnel. In a car, you do not realize how long and how steep the tunnel is. It is about 3,000 feet long, and the grade is pretty steep. I achieved over 40 miles per hour going down to the bottom, even with its bumpy, uneven surface.

I had originally planned on riding back to my house, but I did not want to fight the wind again, so I took David up on his offer to give me a ride and I helped him pick up all of the "Bicycle Event, Share the Road" signs.

43.47 miles - 14.4 avg speed - avg hr 150 bpm - max hr 179 bpm - 3,063 calories burned

This Weekend's Rides

Today was another washout. It rained most of the night and all morning, but ended up being a beautiful day. Due to the wet roads, this mornings ride was cancelled.

Yesterday though was another story. Julie and I had a great ride. This was the first time Julie has come out on the Saturday morning ride. I am really proud of her progress on the bike. She has been really well. It was a little chilly at 7:00am when the ride, around 25 - 30 strong, rolled out of All About Bicycle's parking lot. Mark was in attendance this week, and as he promised, it was a no-drop ride. I had a chat with him about last week's ride, and he apologized that the ride ended up the way it did.

This week there were two new attendees, Will and Cindy. Cindy had just bought a new road bike from AAB and this was her first ride. She did fantastic. Will was new to group road riding and I helped him with encouragement and direction as far as group ride etiquette is concerned. He plans on going either to Cadence 120 or ABB to get fitted properly to his older Trek.

32.39 miles - 13.7 avg speed - avg hr 135 bpm - max hr 168 bpm - 2,306 calories burned

No-Drop Ride...not so much...

I awoke this morning to a cold dark sky. When I hopped on my bike this morning it was still dark outside and the temperature was a balmy 41.3 degrees. Surprisingly, there were still 23 people in attendance for the no-drop ride. Mark, one of the leaders of the ride, that typically stays with the slower riders was not in attendance. He was on a separate training ride preparing for an upcoming Ironman event.

For weeks I have been encouraging folks to attend this ride because of its friendly style of riding. It has been a no-drop ride not only in pace, but Mark has even shortened the route to accommodate newer riders.

I asked Scott, the other leader of the ride, who was going to ride with the slower group in Marks absence. Scott told me he would. This was a good thing, because one of the riders I convinced to attend today did show up, but I was not planning on completing the ride all of the way back to the store, so I knew my friend would be be taken care of after I turned off.

I have family in town from Tampa, so I was going to turn off and ride over to my sister's house to spend some time with them. The only problem is that after the first couple of miles, we never saw Scott again. He didn't ride back to check on us like he said he would and for this I am really disappointed. My friend ended up riding to my sister's with me and we had to drive him back the store so he could get his car.

35.16 miles - 15.2 avg speed - avg hr 139 bpm - max hr 175 bpm - 2,321 calories burned

A Week of Celebrations

This week has been a busy one for me. Not only am I still trying to play catch-up at work since Interbike, but Wednesday was Julie's birthday and today was our wedding anniversary.

Because of all of the expenses we have incurred lately because of our dogs, we agreed not to do anything or buy gifts for each other this year...but I couldn't resist, I love to surprise Julie with something unexpected. I wanted to take her to a nice dinner for her birthday and I wanted it to be somewhere unique.

I had seen a restaurant near Cadence 120 that had peaked my interest, but I guess never enough for me to go there. Over the years, I hadn't even heard anyone mentioning that they had been there. Well I have to tell you, Blu Bistro was a hit!

For starters, we had Potato Gnocchi and Shiitake Mushrooms with Dry Cured Ham and Parmesan Cream and we also had Fried Green Tomato with Herbed Goat Cheese and Shrimp Remoulade. Of course I had to have a Caesar salad too. For dinner, Julie had a Seared Fourteen Ounce Center Cut Ribeye with Potatoes Lyonnaise, Paprika Onion Crisps and Herbed Butter and I had Fresh Red Fish, Blackened with Sautéed Jumbo Lump Crabmeat. To end it all, we split a Key Lime pie.

During dinner, I gave Julie her gift from Hayes Jewelers.

I had no special plans for our anniversary today, but I did have another surprise for her from Hayes.

No-Drop Ride - New Time/Place for Sunday Ride Coming Soon!

What a beautiful day. The temperature was in the 50's when I started my ride to the &:00am ride at All About Bicycles this morning. I broke out the knickers and a light jacket for the ride.

The nice weather helped to achieve another great turnout for this ride. I counted +/-36 riders. As always Mark stayed back with the slower group while Scott rode off with the lead group. I suggested to Mark, even though he is riding in the back with us which is enough for it to officially be a no-drop ride, that Scott should put a cap on his speed. Everyone is told at the beginning of the ride that there is a slower group and a faster group. Well, it's human nature that not many people will want to hold back if they don't have to.

The only problem then is that those that ride off with the faster lead group may eventually get dropped. I suggested that once a predetermined pace is achieved in the front group, Scott should pull off and maintain that speed even though many in the group will push on. There will certainly be others that are appreciative of that gesture.

39.43 miles - 14.3 avg speed - avg hr 147 bpm - max hr 181 bpm - 3,285 calories burned

Starting Sunday, October 15th, my beginners road ride will be on Sunday at 9:00am from the new Lenny's Sub Shop at 4052 Government Blvd. After the ride, we can relax and enjoy some great sandwiches!

Zachary Thomas Clark...

...my new nephew...born at 4:58pm on September 27th, 2006. Weighing in at 7 lbs 5 ozs and measuring 21.5". Check out some photos here.

Interbike 2006

I just returned from a week in Las Vegas. I flew out on Monday the 25th to attend Interbike 2006, the annual bicycle industry trade show. I am so happy that when I made a career change last August that I was able to stay within the bicycle industry. My new career allows me to attend the trade show where I can meet my customers face-to-face and also to see old friends.

One other benefit of attending the trade show is being able to hang out with my co-workers. Since most of us work remotely from our homes, this is one of the few opportunities to get see each other face-to-face. The hotel we stay at has a "Manager's Happy Hour" every evening. This is typically where we all meet up after a busy day at the show.

On Friday evening, we have a company night out. Last year we went to Fast Lap Indoor Kart Racing. It was such a great time last year that we returned there again this year. We start off with a couple of practice races, then it is off to qualifying. Once qualified, there is a Championship event that consists of 20 laps of racing. Last year I placed third..this year I placed first!

Saturday's "No-Drop" Ride

An early start for me on Saturday. I was up, had breakfast and was on the bike by 6:15am to meet David in front of my house. He and I were going to ride to the 7:00am group ride. It is amazing the difference in the amount (lack) of daylight at 6:15 in the morning this time of year. I am glad David showed up because when I was getting my bike ready, I noticed my taillight was not working. I put new batteries in and it still did not work. Since he showed up, he could ride behind me with his taillight flashing.

It was a great turn-out for the ride at All About Bicycles. The group was 15 strong, despite the forecast bad weather. The cloud cover helped keep the RealFeel temperature down and the humidity didn't seem too bad either.

At the end of the ride, the store provided fresh muffins and drinks. David and I headed back to my house. There was light rain now. As we neared Knollwood on Grelot, the bottom dropped out of the sky. I don't think I have ever ridden in rain that was this bad. That didn't bother me too much so we kept on riding. I began to worry though when severe lightning started popping from the sky. We decided to take shelter at Bicycles of Mobile on Cottage Hill Road until the storm passed.

I learned later while watching the news, that a house off of Knollwood was struck by lightning and received severe fire damage.

40.5 miles - 13.6 avg speed - avg hr 139 bpm - max hr 175 bpm - 3,040 calories burned

Last Sunday's Beginners Road Ride

We had to cut the ride short because of approaching rain. Julie and I got soaked on our ride home from the ride.

13.02 miles - 11.6 avg speed - avg hr 105 bpm - max hr 138 bpm - 914 calories burned

RSA Tower Gets Spire Installed Today

We had plans of riding the NSGA 40 k RR route today which takes you from USS Alabama Battleship Park east to Spanish Fort, west back across the causeway, over the Cochran Bridge, through the train yards next to the Alabama State docks, through the Bankhead Tunnel and back to the battleship.

Our plans were changed when the city closed downtown Mobile this morning. That's right...downtown Mobile was closed. Why would they do such a thing you ask? Today was the day to install the spire on top of the new RSA tower. Not only is this now the tallest building in Alabama...it is also the tallest building on the Gulf Coast from Naples, FL to South Padre Beach, TX.

We had a great ride anyway. Felicia Beth and I left my house at 6:15 to meet up with the Amsouth group on Cottage Hill Road. They were headed to the battleship for the 8:00 ride. When we arrived at the battleship at 7:55 I was amazed to see nearly 40 people that had come out for the ride. Shortly after we arrived, another group that had started at Carpe Diem arrived. In all, we had 45 riders.

It felt great cruising down the causeway at 25+ mph. I hung in there until about 2/3rds up Spanish Fort Hill and I just could no longer keep the pace. That was ok though, as the group had splintered off into several groups. When we arrived at the top of the Cochran bridge, the helicopter lift of the spire base began. Several of us stopped to watch. Hundreds of people had gathered at the battleship and around the perimeter of downtown to watch. Afterwards, Felicia Beth and I rode back to my house.

56.6 miles - 15.5 avg speed - avg hr 139 bpm - max hr 184 bpm - 4,354 calories burned

Sunday 09/10/06 Ride

Beautiful weather was enjoyed by all that rode my beginners ride last Sunday.

16.55 miles - 12.2 avg speed - avg hr n/a - max hr n/a - calories burned n/a

Great Ride Today

I had a most enjoyable ride today. It was a "no-drop" ride that started at All About Bicycles on Schillenger Road. The ride was not as long as I would like to do on a Saturday so I rode to the ride. There were 13 people in attendance. We all had a great time. I planned on riding the ride again next week, but I just realized the ride on the National Senior Games Association 40k course is next Saturday. The City is even closing down the tunnel for us from 8am-Noon. Even though I enjoyed myself today, I will likely do the 40k ride. There are not many times you get the opportunity to ride in the Bankhead Tunnel.

40.48 miles - 16.1 avg speed - avg hr 141 bpm - max hr 192 bpm (Note Below) - 2,659 calories burned

Max HR note: This occurred at the end of the ride. AJ Beach and myself were side by side at the front of the group. He stood up and said let's go...He got the jump on me as I was in the small ring just spinning. I shifted and picked up momentum. AJ had the lead on me and I was sure he would get to the store first, but I kept digging in. The grade was slightly uphill and I kept gaining on him little by little. I finally edged by him near the end at a HR of 192 and max speed of 32.0 mph. It felt great to do that...thanks AJ!

Labor Day Ride

We had a group of four for our Labor Day ride. We started a few hundred yards from Mississippi and rode across the state line. There are some back roads there that are fantastic...fresh new blacktop, nicely shaded and very little traffic. Julie is enjoying her OCR.

30.46 miles - 12.9 avg speed - avg hr 107 bpm - max hr 238 bpm (not sure about the accuracy on that one) - 1,935 calories burned

Today's Ride

Another fine beginners ride today. Julie and I were there and the group totaled nine.

15.28 miles - 12.3 avg speed - avg hr 111 bpm - max hr 195 bpm (not sure about the accuracy on that one) - 1,241 calories burned

After the ride, several of us met at Callaghan's for brunch. It didn't seem to be as good as I had recalled it being from last year. Dick Russell's is definitely a better value!

This afternoon, Julie wanted some ice cream, so we decided to head down to Old Dutch. Our back-fence neighbor, Norm, was home alone, so we invited him to join us. On the way home, we decided to get some dinner (sometimes it is best to have desert before your main dish) so we went to Lenny's Sub Shop.

Tomorrow, Julie and I plan on doing about 30 miles on the road bikes. Our intentions are to ride into Mississippi and enjoy some scenic back-roads.

September is here...where has the year gone?

Sorry for the delay in posts...it has been a pretty hectic time lately. Alex and Gracie have has domination troubles lately. They have fought over treats several times and on Friday morning, August 25th, they got into it pretty bad. Julie and I had to rush Gracie to the vet. We had to leave her so they could take care of her wounds.

Four stitches in her left front leg and over $300, we picked her up and took her home. Over the following weekend one of her stitches broke and the gash on her leg opened back up a little.

That Sunday, Julie and I attended our beginners road ride. Our friends Brian and Jeri came out as well. The night before i helped Brian install "slick" tires on their mountain bikes to make the bikes more efficient for road riding.

I have had a busy time at work for the past couple of weeks as well. We have had a lot of new clients sign up for our services. The days have seemed to fly by!

Thursday, Julie's company was displaying at a local trade show so she had taken the car downtown. After I was finished with work for the day, I went out into the back yard with the girls. It was a beautiful evening. Gracie was feeling better and more playful after her incident from the week before and she and Daisy were rough-housing a little.

A problem arose when Daisy's growls and barks sounded like she was in distress, even though she was not, and Alex decided she needed to protect her litter-mate. Alex charged into Gracie and they got tangled up in the biggest fight yet. I tried to get them apart by soaking them with water from the hose, but that didn't even slow them down. After what seemed an eternity of wrestling with them, I got them apart.

Gracie was hurt pretty bad, and being without a car, I called my friend Brian to come and take us to the vet. While waiting for him to get here, I changed into dry clothes and then took Gracie out front to wait for him.

We arrived at the vet just after 7:00 pm, so of course it is billed as an after hours emergency visit. Julie and I picked her up Friday afternoon. She now has one of those cone head collars to wear so she won't lick her wounds.

I have called a dog trainer that was recommended to me so we can try and resolve these issues. We love all three of our dogs, and they seem to love each other as well, but this occasional fighting must stop...for the dogs health and the health of our checking account. We spent over $1,000 on vet bills in eight days.

Julie's New Ride

We had a great turnout for the beginners road ride today. Julie took her Giant OCR Composite 3 out for the first time this morning. Nancy rode today, also on her new road bike. She bought a Giant OCR 3 yesterday from Cadence 120. She even went with a pedal upgrade. She got Speedplay X series pedals with a sweet pair of Shimano shoes. We had a new guy show up on his new Felt F90, also from Cadence 120.

Ben and Felicia Beth also rode today. After the ride, Julie and I joined them for breakfast at Dick Russell's BBQ in Tillman's Corner. They have got the best bacon and fresh made biscuits!

16.36 miles - 11.3 avg speed - avg hr 105 bpm - max hr 131 bpm - 1,520 calories burned

Me and My Harem...

...that's the name they gave themselves. Today's ride, I was the only male. Along for the ride were Debbie, Felicia Beth, Marian and Terri. Not a bad deal being able to ride with four women for several hours. It was hot today, even though we started out before 6:30am, we couldn't beat the heat. By 9:00am the RealFeel forecast was supposed to be 100 degrees...and it sure felt like it was when we were in the direct sunlight. Luckily today's ride to Presley's Landing in Mississippi had plenty of shade to ride in. All-in-all a darn good ride!

54.83 miles - 15.5 avg speed - avg hr 135 bpm - max hr 166 bpm - 4,540 calories burned

This afternoon, we picked up Julie's new road bike, a 2006 Giant OCR Composite 3. This bike is a beauty and I really hope she enjoys the ride. It is exciting to get her out on the road with me.

Hot One Today!

I was sweating like a pig before I hit Cottage Hill Road. You would think with the days getting shorter that it would be getting cooler as well. I did my typical Thursday USA loop. Eric and Christophe were on hand, and after a lap and a half, I saw that David and Terri were just finishing up. Hopefully Saturday's ride will be a little cooler.

20.92 miles - 14.8 avg speed - avg hr 136 bpm - max hr 170 bpm - 1,722 calories burned

Flat Tire King!

Flats...they come in groups...last September I had several flats on several rides, but then it stopped...no flats from October until this past Saturday. As you can see in my post about last Saturday's ride, I had three flats that day.

Today, I went out for my typical Tuesday USA loop ride. Christophe had a flat at the start of the second lap. As he and I were headed back home we were sitting at a very long red light trying to cross University Blvd. at the Mitchell Center. When the light finally changed and we started rolling, I heard a strange sound coming from my rear wheel. It was my rear tire going flat.

We were near Christophe's house, so I opted add some air and try to make it to his place so he could drive me home. Why waste a CO2 cartridge if you don't have to, right?

17.33miles - 14.4 avg speed - avg hr 138 bpm - max hr 233 bpm(I think this is an error, David, Eric and I had one hell of a sprint up Stadium Drive, but I doubt my HR got this high) - 1,357 calories burned

Nice...Easy Ride Today

Today we had a total of six people on the ride. Ben and I are starting to feel a little outnumbered, as he and I were the only men. Marian, Nancy, Felicia Beth and Nikki from Colorado rounded it out.

Nancy was on her comfort bike, while the rest of us were on road bikes. Even though this ride is for all riders of any ability, she is outclassed due to her machine. She has been enjoying the ride though and says she is going to look into getting a road bike.

17.05 miles - 11.2 avg speed - avg hr 107 bpm - max hr 142 bpm - 1,718 calories burned

Mississippi Bound

Today I decided the ride should take us west, towards Mississippi. Marian was at the start when I arrived and just as we were about to depart, a nice woman named Nikki, from Golden, CO, arrived for the ride as well.

The ride was not uneventful. About 3 - 4 miles into it, my rear tire blew out. After replacing my tube and shooting it full of CO2, we were back on our way. Around mile 15, my bike felt a little squirrelly going up a small ride. I looked down to see my front tire was nearly flat. No more CO2, so I patched this one and pumped it up the old fashioned way.

Either my patch didn't hold or I didn't find all of the holes, because a few miles further and the front tire was going down again. I sprinted ahead at around 20mph to try and make Dee's corner off of Dawe's Road before it was completely flat. At the convenience store, Marian loaned me a spare tube and I fixed it right up.

We continued on out Fort Lakes Road. It was fresh new blacktop and road great. We passed a group of four riders that were headed back toward Mobile. A few minutes later, we came upon 30 or so riders that were also headed back toward town. After they passed, we decided to turn around and try to join up with the group for the ride back.

I was doing at least 25mph and sometimes up to 30mph trying to catch up with them. My heart rate eventually hit 179 and I couldn't sustain it for too long. I closed to within 100 yards of the back of the group when they passed the store at which I told Marian and Nikki I would wait for them.

The heat (and humidity) was taking its toll on Nikki, so we eased back into town.

42.44 miles - 15.1 avg speed - avg hr 132 bpm - max hr 179 bpm - 3,742 calories burned

Not Comcastic...Continued

Friday 08/11/06 - I awoke early for the arrival of Comcast...and wouldn't you know it, my connection was just fine. I showered and when I returned to my office, I was off-line again. They finally arrived a little before 9:00am and thankfully I was still off-line. This tech decided to re-wire from the house to the poll. Since I had no idea how long I would be off-line, I decided to go on and take a day off of work.

I got on my bike and went on some much needed errands. I felt good on the bike, but it was really hot out. I stopped at a traffic signal at one intersection and when the light finally turned green my Speedplay cleat had sunk into and left an impression in the asphalt.

I met my friend Fiz for lunch at Lenny's Sub Shop, which has the best sub sandwiches on the planet. Afterwards, I road on home and relaxed the rest of the day.

13.88 miles - 13.6 avg speed - avg hr 139 bpm - max hr 168 bpm - 1,325 calories burned - Not bad for a day of commuting!

Not Feeling Very Comcastic

Thursday 08/10/06...not a good day.

It all began around 11:20am when my internet connection went down. It was back on around 11:40am and Shortly there-after, I took a lunch break. When I returned from lunch, my connection was down again. I called Comcast immediately, as I had been having trouble for several weeks. Everytime a tech was dispatched to my house, when he arrives my connection is as strong as ever, so they haven't been able to find the issue. By 5:30pm, I had not seen or heard from a Comcast tech, so I decided to head out for my Thursday ride.

USA loop ride - I had no energy at all today and I felt like a slug.

17.26 miles - 14.3 avg speed - avg hr 133 bpm - max hr 162 bpm - 1,305 calories burned

When I returned home, my connection was back, so I assummed a line tech must have addressed the issue while I was gone. A sales rep I dealt with when I was at Cadence 120 came to town and he and I were about to head out to dinner when the phone rang. It was Comcast saying they were running a little behind today and they wanted to know if I was still at home so they could come by. Considering my connection was on (I did't tell them that though), I didn't think it would be beneficial for them to come by tonight, let alone the fact that I was hungry. I told them that I was leaving for dinner but I expected them at my house first thing in the morning. They promised to be there between 7:00am and 9:00am.

USA loop ride - Tuesday 08/08/06

No ride - bad storm.

Recovery Ride

08/06/06 - Sunday morning...my beginners ride day. What a relief after the effort I put in on the bike Saturday.

16.94 miles - 12.6 avg speed - avg hr 111 bpm - max hr 140 bpm - 1,446 calories burned

Steelwood Country Club

Saturday night, Julie's boss, Jennie, was in town staying at the lodge. Jennie invited Julie and me to dinner at Steelwood Country Club. I have to say that the dinner ranked among the best I have ever had. Julie shared her filet with me and it was definitely the best filet I have ever eaten. I had pan seared grouper over crayfish rissoto.

Dauphin Island Ride

08/05/06 - What a great ride! I woke yesterday morning and read the AccuWeather forecast of the day. It was not too encouraging. The RealFeel temperature was supposed to reach 112 degrees. There was a lot of severe thunderstorm activity at the mouth of Mobile Bay, moving in a southwesterly direction, so the storm wouldn't be an issue.

We had seven people total for the ride, Terri, Marian, Ray, David, myself, and a really nice Coast Guard couple from St. Petersburg, FL. As we got closer to the island, the headwind got more severe and the cloud cover was getting heavier. Kind of odd, considering the storm was supposed to me moving away from us.

We stopped at a store at Alabama Port and learned from the cashier that her marine radio had warnings of the storm moving from the south. We decided to turn around and head back to Mobile. On the way back, the weather kept deteriorating and when we crossed Fowl River, a large piece of sheet metal was blown off of the marina sign to the ground. We decided to take shelter until the storm passed.

The storm did not last long, so we were soon on our way. We had a stiff tail wind. Coming up Rangeline Road, I decided to go all out. I was moving at a steady 28-29 mph all the way up Rangeline. It felt great!

Back near our starting point, we thanked the Coast Guard couple for joining us and the rest of us decided to head downtown to the waterfront to try and reach our original target mileage.

65.60 miles - 16.3 avg speed - avg hr 146 bpm - max hr 173 bpm - 3,322 calories burned

Thursday Ride USA Loop

Today we had a total of six riders. I had a great ride over to the campus. I feel a lot better on the climbs, though I still need to work on technique and form. During the ride we discussed this Saturday's ride destination. We are planning on riding to Dauphin Island and back. Should be around 60 miles or so.

23.55 miles - 14.7 avg speed - avg hr 140 bpm - max hr 170 bpm - 1,838 calories burned

Today's Ride - USA Loop

Today we had a total of four riders. I was a little late arriving, as I got a late start from the house so my milage left a little to be desired. On the way to USA, the University Blvd hill between Grelot and Airport seemed harder than usual today for some reason.

18.00 miles - 14.6 avg speed - avg hr 133 bpm - max hr 172 bpm - 1,497 calories burned

Breakers Criterium

No ride today...instead, I lended a hand as a race official for the Breakers Criterium. Their original race official backed out at the last minute and they were in a bind to find another official, so with the encouragement of my former business partner and the race promoter, I renewed my official's license.

It was really hot this morning, with real feel temps over 100 degrees by 8:00am. A welcome storm rolled in to cool things down by lunch time. A good time seemed to be had by all in attendance.

Today's Ride

Today we had a total of four riders. We decided on the Downtown-Whistler-Lott Road-University loop.

33.34 miles - 14.1 avg speed - avg hr 134 bpm - max hr 161 bpm - 2,246 calories burned

Update:

It has been a while since my last post. I will work to do better in the future.

Since my last posting, I have been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. The good news about this diagnosis is that I have attended classes on how to control and manage this disease.

The biggest thing I have gotten out of it is that it is not what people eat but how much. Portion sizing is a great way to help control your diet, whether you are diabetic or not. I still get to eat many of the foods I enjoyed, just in smaller quantities. I still eat out, but instead of eating the whole meal at Carraba's Italian Grill, I eat half of everything and box the rest to take home for lunch the next day.

I have also been prescibed to exercise more. Oh darn...I have to ride my bike more. This is great! I have been riding consistently every Tuesday and Thursday after work, and Sunday mornings I have been leading a beginners road ride. I have helped encourage several others that I used to cycle with to get back into the action as well because of this easy Sunday ride. We leave no one behind and only ride as hard or as far as the "newest" rider.

I also went to a sleep study and was prescribed CPAP therapy. I have not missed a night of therapy since my CPAP machine was delivered. I no longer feel tired when I wake up and the difference in my alertness is huge. Since I get such a good nights sleep now, I have started a Saturday morning LSD (Long - Steady Distance) ride that departs at 6:15am. This means I am getting up at 5:00am to have breakfast and get preparred for the ride. I would never have done this on a consistent basis prior to CPAP therapy.

The results of all of this have been astounding. On the nighty of May 19th, my blood sugar reading was 313 and the following morning my fasting reading was 209. My current average readings are:

• 7-day 95
• 14-day 99
• 30-day 104

My weight when I left Cadence 120 last August was 240lbs, in May it was in the 220's and this morning I was down to 210. My target is to get back down to 185lbs. I will update my progress as I go along.

FairTax Rally a Super Success

On May 27th, one of the largest papers in the country, "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution," stated, "...John Linder (R-Ga.) may have birthed a political movement when their Fair Tax Rally, emceed by guys in suits, drew a rock-concert attendance. ..."

Click here to participate in this historic movement by contacting the president: http://www.fairtax.org/actionalert.html.

Thousands of your fellow FairTaxers have faxed, e-mailed or called the White House to ask President Bush to support enactment of the FairTax. Please join them today, if you have not, and help us raise a national voice of true citizenship in getting our government back on track. Only our combined effort will turn Washington around and replace the income tax with a common sense tax system. Now is the moment for this message to the White House: http://www.fairtax.org/actionalert.html.

The FairTax Rally at the Gwinnett Convention Center in Georgia just wasn't big enough for the supporters of the FairTax. 4,500 people filled the seats and the walls within the convention center Wednesday night to show their support for the FairTax! The packed house caused thousands of supporters to be turned away. Fire marshals had to step in, as they had to stop admittance due to fire code capacity. Congressman John Linder addressed the audience and joked about the lack of room for all the supporters, "We're sorry," Linder said. "Next time, we'll get you a bigger building."

Herman Cain and our own FairTax Communications Director, Ken Hoagland, had people coming out of their seats as they talked about how to fulfill the Founding Fathers' promise that this can be a government "of, by, and for the people." The passion in the room was electric. The crowd also heard from popular TV and radio personalities such as Sean Hannity, Clark Howard, John Stossel, and Neal Boortz. Boortz went on radio station News/Talk 750 WSB an hour before the show was set to start to tell supporters who were on their way that there was no more room. WSB broadcasted the rally live as thousands of supporters who couldn't get in listened just outside the convention center.

Linder informed the crowd that the Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert (R-IL), has set up a meeting with President Bush for Linder to have an opportunity to pitch the FairTax legislation. Linder acknowledged the large scope of this project. "Big ideas take time," he said. "But we've started to move the country, and they will start to move the Congress." The FairTax grassroots team from the national headquarters office in Houston and the twenty plus volunteers from as far away as the state of Utah worked diligently to keep up with the thousands wanting FairTax T-shirts, DVDs, and all types of FairTax materials. WSB had books going like hotcakes! T-shirts and DVDs were gone within 20 minutes of the doors being opened. The event was truly a grassroots extravaganza. We collected nearly 2000 petitions and nearly 5 percent of those were from out of state. This would not have been possible without your support!

Thank you for all that you do!

Leo LinbeckChairman/CEO
Americans For Fair Taxation

Americans for Fair Taxation

Julie and I attended a meeting in Niceville, FL on Saturday, April 1st, to learn more about the FairTax bill and how to promote it. We first learned about the FairTax bill from one of my sales reps over dinner last summer. He told us about The FairTax Book by Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder. I was interested in learning more so I bought the book the next time I visited Barnes and Noble.

What is the FairTax plan?
The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a rebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar revenue neutrality, and the repeal of the 16th Amendment. This non-partisan legislation (HR 25/S 25) abolishes all federal personal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment, and corporate taxes and replaces them all with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax – collected by existing state sales tax authorities. The FairTax taxes us only on what we choose to spend, not on what we earn. It does not raise any more or less revenue; it is designed to be revenue neutral. So it is also cost neutral – the final cost for goods and services changes little under the FairTax. The FairTax is a fair, efficient, transparent, and intelligent solution to the frustration and inequity of our current tax system.

What is Americans For Fair Taxation (FairTax.org)?
FairTax.org is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to replacing the current tax system. The organization has hundreds of thousands of members and volunteers nationwide. Its plan supports sound economic research, education of citizens and community leaders, and grassroots mobilization efforts. For more information visit the web page: www.fairtax.org or call 1-800-FAIRTAX.

In summary, the FairTax was created by first asking the American people what they wanted out of a tax system, and then having a team of respected economists design a tax system that met those demands. The FairTax replaces the income tax and all other federal taxes with a national consumption tax. The FairTax is levied only once, at the point of purchase on new goods and services. The simplicity of the FairTax frees Americans from our current overwhelming tax code and unshackles the U.S. economy.

The FairTax:

• Abolishes the IRS
• Closes all tax loopholes and brings fairness to taxation
• Maintains our current Social Security and Medicare benefits
• Brings transparency and accountability to tax policy
• Allows American products to compete fairly
• Reimburses the tax on purchases of basic necessities
• Enables retirees to keep their entire pension
• Enables workers to keep their entire paycheck

We are Foster Parents!

Julie and I have decided to volunteer with the Animal Rescue Foundation. We met with Marian, a former customer of mine and a long time ARF volunteer, this morning at the ARFanage to learn more about ways we can help out. One way was to volunteer to be Foster Caregivers. We decided to give it a try.

We picked a beautiful Shepard mix to bring home. You can see a picture of her on our website. Gracie seems to still be quite young, but she is taller than our two four-year old labs. On the way home we took her to pet groomer and had her "detailed". During our lunch break, we went to the pet store and purchased a kennel and pad, dog bed, dog dishes, and a few toys and treats for Gracie as well as for Alex and Daisy.

So far the first day with our new arrival has gone really well.

Beautiful Weekend

Julie and I have been married for a little over five years now and we are finally able to enjoy weekends together. She had been working in the catering industry as an event planner for Naman's Catering and I had been working in retail for over fifteen years and co-owned my own business, Cadence 120 Bicycle Works.

Both jobs not only kept our weekends full of work activities, but our schedules conflicted with each others and we didn't really see much of each other. Last July, Julie began working for Meet Your Market and in August I began working for SmartEtailing.com. Both of our new careers allow us to work from home, so now we see each other much more than we did in the past, some of our friends even suggested that seeing so much of each other after having barely spent much time together may be a strain on our relationship.

I think the fact that we both work from home has been beneficial, in that we both enjoyed working face-to-face with people, and transitioning to working from home with no personal face time with people would have been very difficult. Now every few hours, one of us will walk across the house to the others office just to see how things are going.

Today we spent the moring at the park with our two labradors and our best friends with their two sheperds. The dogs had a great time. Later in the day, Julie and I decided to take a drive over to Mississippi and look at the recovery progress since it has now been six months since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.

You can see it on TV many many times, but nothing can give you a sense of the destruction unless you see it yourself. We drove down US HWY 90 from Biloxi to Pass Christian. When we turned north in Pass Christian, we were blown away at the amount of damage that extended not just blocks, but miles north of the coast. We took some pictures that I will post to our website. It will be years before they are recovered over there.

My First Blog Post

I am Jon Jeffress, and I, for myself and on behalf of my wife Julie, want to welcome you to the Jeffress Family Blog. I hope to utilize this space to provide information to keep our family and friends aware of what is going on in our lives. We also now have a website, to keep everyone in the loop as well!