1.) I committed my first crime at the ripe old age of 4, while living on Little Rock AFB. The bratty next door neighbor boy and I got the grand idea that we should sift through people's mailboxes on our street and steal the free sample packets of Sea Breeze lotion. We took the lotion packets, ran off behind our houses where there was a ditch that we often frequented during backyard playtime. I guess we apparently opened all the packets and smeared the lotion all over us, or at least that's the story my mom liked to tell when she wanted to embarrass me in front of high school boyfriends before jetting off to the prom. I do remember being in the ditch, seeing my mom's face looking real mad and being scolded. I'm pretty sure I got a spankin' for that one!
Side note: check it out - here's my old neighborhood there. You can still see the ditch in the satellite map image! 104 Montana Circle
2.) I once met a complete stranger on the internet and flew 2000 miles away to be his date at his fancy med school party. Okay...before you get any strange ideas in your head, let me explain the details. I was 21, a senior in college, and the vice-president of the Chico State Cycling Team. Anyway, the dude's name was Eric. He was a cyclist, med student, and he posted on the usenet newsgroup rec.bicycles.racing. I met Eric during my junior year when I got involved in a topic about sexy women who race bikes. Trying to be funny, I responded with a post that said "well I don't know about you guys out there, but I think I'm pretty sexy....!!! hee-hee!" So I got a bunch of responses to that (99% positive), some that went to the newsgroup, and some that went straight to my personal email. Eric replied with a comment that really chapped my hide. He was basically trying to flirt with me like a 4th grader does, you know, by pointing out things about me that were not so nice - and then relishing the attention I gave him in return. We ended up emailing each other for months, then talking on the phone, and he even sent me a birthday gift when I turned 21. Even though he knew about my long-term, long-distance relationship with my boyfriend back home, which was rocky at times, he never confessed to liking me, always pledging to just be my friend. So when he asked me to be his date because he couldn't find one, I said sure, why not. The only problem? I was a broke college student and I couldn't afford a plane ticket. No worries, he paid for my ticket - I remember being a tad scared upon arrival at the Peoria, IL airport, fearing that he could be an axe murderer, but my worries were relieved when he turned out to be a normal guy. He was the perfect gentleman during my visit. I slept in his bed while he slept on the floor, he took me to visit Chicago and I met his parents, and he didn't even try to hold my hand or anything during our real date to the med school party thing. We remained email friends after that for another year, but then lost touch.
3.) I have truly hitch-hiked three times in my life. Once in Chico during college: when I got a flat on my bike ride home from the University Farm, and I didn't have my pump with me for some stupid reason. I was going to be late for work if I didn't get home soon, so out went my thumb. Some nice, old farmer guy picked me and my bike up and dropped me off at my apartment. The second time was during my summer home in Vacaville when I was working as a swim coach/instructor/guard. I didn't have a car then since I'd totaled it in an accident early on in the summer. I was at work, but had a break and I needed to go to the doctor for some reason. The Kaiser clinic was just down the road, oh, I don't know, about 3 miles away. I was in great shape then, so I ran there, saw the doc, then ran back. But the trip was taking longer than I had planned. I looked at my watch about halfway back to the pool - I knew I'd never make it back on time to teach my next lesson. I didn't want to be late, so I stuck out my thumb. This time I was picked up by a minivan full of men who were stinky, construction worker-type guys. My 3rd time was just last year, when I was taking an anatomy/physiology class at NC Central. I was at the bus stop on the corner of Highway 98 and the street I live on, North Adams, waiting to catch the bus to school. This average-looking guy in a nice SUV stopped and asked me if I knew where Taylor Street was. While I was recalling to him where it was, the #13 bus whizzed by us, and I said, "CRAP! That was my bus!" So he offered to give me a ride, if I showed him Taylor Street along the way. Along the way, he asked me if I'd agree to go out to lunch with him sometime. I smiled, thanked him for the compliment, and told him that I was married. His last comment to me, as he dropped me off in front of my class was "Tell your husband he's a lucky guy!" (If my mom reads this, I know I'm gonna get a verbal spankin')
4.) I was a Girl Scout for a few years during elementary school. One time, we had a special event planned for a lip-sync/dance presentation. I was a mix between shy and outgoing, depending on the situation and who I'll be performing in front of. My mom helped me pick out the "oldies" song Lollipop, she dressed me up in a cute outfit with ribbons in my pigtails, bought me one of those giant lollipops that was all rainbow colored, you know, the ones that took you a week to eat... I practiced every day for weeks before the big event. My mom and brother were my audience during practice sessions, but I remember being scared about the big day, thinking that I'd mess up and everyone would laugh at me. In the end I performed it very well, and all I can say is, thank God this wasn't saved on a video camera. I remember doing that finger-in-the-mouth POP! sound as part of my performance! I'm getting red-faced just thinking about this.
5.) My last few races as a collegiate cyclist: This is a pic of me during one of my last collegiate mountain bike races in 2000 - this was taken by mom in Chico, as she had come up for the weekend to celebrate my birthday with me. This was the first bike race she'd ever watched, so it was real nice to have her there cheering me on.
A few days after this pic was taken, I drove up to Sandpoint, ID with 2 of my teammates, Brooke Henderson and Aren Timmel. The site of the Collegiate Nationals race was the Schweitzer Mountain ski resort. I wasn't in the best of shape that season, as I'd decided earlier that summer that I wasn't going to race my final year. I was tired of all the time my training took up, and I felt like I didn't have any extra time left over to just be a college student and experience the things I felt I should be experiencing. But in September, when school started and I'd met Brooke, I felt like I couldn't give up what I'd started, and Brooke would be a great training partner, so I changed my mind. Unfortunately, since it was my last semester in school, and I was only taking as many credits/courses as I needed, that meant I wasn't in school the full 12 credit hours that the NCCA requires for National racing eligibility. I think I was taking 9 credit hours. Anyway, I went up there to be race support for Brooke and Aren and the few others from my team. Once up there, I remember a conversation I had with our conference director who knew me from my participation in the past annual WCCC meetings I'd attend. He asked me if I was racing and I said no, and then explained why. Then he left, schmoozed and pulled some strings with the national director. The end result was that I was allowed to race, as they decided to make an exception for me. Yay! The next day I pre-rode the course, and hung out, cleaning and talking bikes with my teammates in our super-posh ski-lodge townhouse that we shared with a couple of other teams from around the country. Finally, on race day, I lined up with 60 other women, including my teammate Brooke. The race started and we took off. Over the next 24 miles, I climbed that steep fire-road ascent 3 times, cried in pain over my aching/sore arms and pinky fingers as I grabbed 8 fingers of brakes almost all the way down...and crossed the finish line almost 3 hours later. I don't remember the exact finish time, and I can't find the results anywhere online! It was one of the hardest races I've ever done. I ended up placing 42nd, just 1 place back from Brooke. I remember seeing Aren and the other team boys cheering for us as we were finishing, and looking back now, 7 years later, I think I will remember this as one of my best overall collegiate experiences. I did one more race the week after getting back home - the Stanford race - and I DNF'ed because I was just so dang tired, emotionally and physically tired from the driving, racing, studying, and lack of recovery time between the 2 races.
Hmm, this trip down memory lane is making me sleepy... I guess that means it's time to get up and get moving. I've got a staff meeting to attend in a little bit anyway. Wow, I love Sundays!
Dang - here comes the part of the blog where I have to "tag" 5 others to write their rendition of their 5 Random Things. I don't know too many people who blog, so here goes:
1.) Old friend from college days, Scott Pon
2.) Newest friend of mine, organizer of the Raleigh Rides group, Jennifer Lewis
3.) Friend and avid bike commuter in Durham, Phillip Barron
4.) Coaching friend of mine, who I admire a lot, Greg Earhart
5.) Some dude I went mountain biking with on Labor Day up in Michigan, Alden
Have a super day! I know I am.
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