Thursday, October 11, 2007

First leg of trip complete!

I am typing you from The Coffee Depot in Warren, Rhode Island. I'd include photos but i forgot the cable to connect the camera to my computer. Photos will come later! It's a really cute coffee shop with real WIFI, not the kind that is somewhat free, only if you already subscribe to their wireless service.

My host housing is GeWilli . He and his family (erin and kids kailey and lindsay) are great! The kids keep me thoroughly entertained while Geoff and Erin have been making sure that my needs are met - feeding me incredibly tasty organic vegan meals, etc! I am so truly lucky - and full!

Leading up to this trip, the past few days have been so hectic with packing for Gloucester, MA (the gloucester link is to a video of the race) races, for Belgium, organizing sponsorship stuff, doing PR stuff (very , very part-time job), saying goodbye to friends, making deadline for writing gigs, doing a couple of email interviews, etc that i only finished packing at 1:30am wednesday morning - and that's with the ULTRA_MEGA SUPPORT of Don Juan, my friend who houses me while i'm in California. After a 1.5 hour nap, i was up at 3 to head off to the airport. It was at 11pm that night that i finished unpacking and got on the trainer for a few minutes to decompress from the trip. Ugh! Travel sucks. Just can't wait till the Star Trek - beam-me-up, scotty- days are here!

After sleeping for THIRTEEN HOURS, I got up, had my oatmeal (thanks GeWilli) and went out for my first training ride in Providence today - in the rain. It is so dark and dreary outside - good preparation for my trip to Belgium next week. I have a feeling i may not see the sun until March when i am in NYC for a week. Be strong, peanut, be strong. HAHAHA. Actually i'm pretty over it already. Once i made the decision to be a cyclo-cross racer, I quickly came to the realization that sunny weather and tanned skin are not part of the package.

Anyway, tomorrow is another day to relax, then my first race of the season is Saturday! I am quite nervous but excited! My goal is to do everything right - correct breakfast, correct warmup, get to start line early, etc. The result is not so important compared to doing everything right - considering it is my first race AND it's against a bunch of strong women who already have multiple races under their belt.

Oh, and i hear there is a vegan lunch party to be held tomorrow in my honor! Wow - that really is an honor! I'll take photos of all the folks AND of course the food that we eat.

OK, i gotta go home now before the "sun" goes away. I left some vanderkitten stickers behind in the coffee shop. I wonder where they will end up!

13 comments:

Sustainable Hardwoods said...

Great Coffee Shop!!! We went there during CX Nat's last year. Good luck this weekend.
Jason
De La Paz Coffee

Anonymous said...

Enjoy GeWilli's pizza!

Eye Candy

Jen said...

Best of luck to you in Gloustah!

Anonymous said...

Vegan dinner! Yummy!

Good luck!

PEANUT said...

Thanks! I am now typing from The Kutler Market also in Warren. Gewilli's brother is one of the owners. They too have vegan cookies - and a cafe with FREE coffee today (a promotion.)

Little_Jewford said...

Good luck in your VK debut....represent!

Anonymous said...

...my best for yer gloucester week-end...one of the truly lovely regions in america (motif #1)...

...this ex-pat canadian, who's lived 40yrs in marin, spent a ton of childhood vacation time in that area of new england...part of my heart is always there...my mom was a painter & it was her wish (hope i'm not being maudlin)that her ashes be scattered off of 'bass rocks', east gloucester...
...give a shout out to the old gal, she liked independent thinkers & you qualify, peanut...

...ride smooth, ride smart, ride strong...

Anonymous said...

When are you racing? Schedule has:

Schedule:

9:00am - Cat 4 Men; 40 minutes
10:00am - Cat 3/4 Masters 35+/45+ & All Masters 55+; 40 minutes
11:00am - Cat 1/2/3 Masters 35+/45+; 45 minutes
12:00pm - U19 Juniors/U15 Juniors, Cat 3/4 Women (start @ :30); 40 minutes
1:00pm - Cat 2/3 Men - 45 minutes
2:00pm - Course Inspection
2:30pm - Elite Women; 40 minutes
3:30pm - Elite Men/U23; 60 minutes

Anonymous said...

...i see a 7th on saturday...good start, stay on it !!!...

Anonymous said...

...n' a 10th on sunday...large fields, so considering it's yer first weekend back, i'd say a great start...now, say goodbye to the sun & best of luck in frites-land...

Justin said...

it was great to meet you this weekend! thanks for all the advise :)

if you could email me that article on asthma, that would be super!!

jjziemba (at) gmail (dot) com


thanks!!! -justin

PEANUT said...

THANKS for your comments! JJ i will email you the article by wednesday or so if that's ok. AND THANKS bikesgonewild for your support on my first two races. I am always so hard on myself so it was good to read your comments.

PEANUT said...

Oh, and tonight is payday for me - gewilli is making the pizza that he owed me when i came up with photo proof that eye candy does exist!!