Icestorms and Liquor at the Bikeshop

So, since this is my first post and I have quite a lot to talk about I'm going to ramble on for 5000 words likely not making any sense or saying anything interesting. To start, never take a bus to Texas. I was treated like a serial killer at the border and had all of my shit ripped apart and my oranges taken from me in the end. Real shame about the current orange problem in America. The only really decent thing to come of the 3 day drive, with 45 stop-overs in the greasiest bus stations imaginable, was the drive through NYC. I was sitting beside a nice lady from Harlem who informed me of each area we drove through(The Bronx, Harlem, Yankee Stadium etc.). The same lady also said she would pray for my safety during the rest of my travels which was nice. By far the scariest part of the trip was the 1.5 hr stop-over in the NYC bus terminal which is full of beggars and a crackheads, one of whom I watched scream profanities at one man and then try to steal another man's luggage before security intervened. I stayed huddled to my 2by4 ft. bike box with all of my bags on top and my wallet in my front pocket the entire time. I got super lucky, though, as by chance there just happened to be this great fella going from NYC to Dallas and he ended up driving me from Dallas to Frisco saving me a few bucks.

I've been here in Frisco for a week and a half and am still sort of getting settled. The apartment doesn't quite feel like home yet and I guess that's to be expected as I'm pretty much cut off from the outside world with no phone and no computer. The freak ice storm knocked out power last night scaring the shit out of me and leaving me reading lord of the rings in the dark with a flashlight and eating pop tarts for supper. On a more positive note, though, the apartment complex I live in is baaaallin. There's a hot-tub, fitness complex, 2 pools, and oddly enough theres rabbit running around everywhere. On top of all of that the gas station up the road makes a mean batch of cookies.

Riding has been great aside from the first day possibly being the worst of my life. After waking up to a beautiful 20 degree day and getting some breakfast and coffee into my system I put the bike together and headed out the door. I first noticed the chilly 45km/hr wind and soon after the 60psi in my tires as I had no pump and no idea where the bike shop was. So, I'm moving along at a blistering 15km/hr just suffering and terrified as I'm on this 6 lane road when this sweet girl leans out her window and yells "Get the fuck off the road!". Fiesty one she was. Aside from all of these problems I got lost more than once and ended up spending 3 hours in the saddle on day 1. Not a great start but I was happy to put some time in on the bike either way.

Things have gotten 100% better in the past week, however, aside from the recent shitty weather. I'm getting to know the area, making staying off of the main roads possible and haven't had anymore motorist related troubles. I still get lost daily, but am finding it easier to get back on track with every ride. Pedal strokes feeling a lot better, too, as the flat roads are great for working on efficiency and whatnot. I met up with a church ride group while riding Sunday and they were kind enough to show me to a few quick, steep hills which was a nice change and it felt great to finally hammer for a bit and get the hr up briefly.

As for bike shops...Frisco covers both ends of the spectrum. The first one I was directed to was a treat. I roll up at 2pm on a Wednesday and buddy's shutting the place down for the day. I asked him if I could get some air or buy an adaptor so I could head to a gas station, and nice guy he was, opened the shop up for me. I was a bit surprised as to the left theres a wall lined with coolers full of booze, in the center isthe inventory of bikes, and to the right he has his extensive vcr selection. He kindly sold me an adaptor and set me onto a road which promised to be less busy. Later that day I found the Richardson Bike Mart, which happens to have been Lance's first sponsor. The place is absolutely amazing. They almost have the entire 09 Trek line in stock along with a bunch of ballin Specialized whips. The staff are great and the guy working the counter gave me a bunch of rides to do.

Well, I guess a bunch of other stuff happened in the past weeks but I'm rambling and am craving a burrito something awful.

Stevie