While the cat's away...

On Saturday, while I was in St. George, Samantha called to ask me something. After talking to her, I asked to talk to Shawn and she told me he wasn't there because he had gone to the bank to get some money to buy a new bike. Huh? Really?! So, I called Shawn to get the story. He has been looking for a cyclocross bike for a couple of years but hasn't had any luck finding a good one within a reasonable price range. He decided to hit the ski swaps Saturday morning and someone happened to have one there that met all the criteria: right size, good bike, good price, so he decided to get it. OK.

Well later in the afternoon, I am texted this picture:So he buys a cyclocross bike in the morning, goes to his first race in the afternoon and lands on the podium. Seriously?! Why am I not surprised? If that doesn't help feed the beast I don't know what does.

Apparently, he had a great time. Here are a few more photos from the race.

Yep, there are lots of places where you have to dismount and carry your bike in order to get through. Sometimes it's through sand, sometimes over obstacles.

That's him in the back, getting ready to make his move.

Does he plan to go back next week? Absolutely. And here's the culprit.

I was thinking about this time last year. Shawn was coaching an age group swim team, a Master's swim team, assisting with the high school swim team and doing the prep work to teach skiing, while entering into his busiest season at work as well. This year, he has dropped all of those things with the exception of coaching the high school team every other morning (and the busy season at work.) So I guess he was looking for something to fill all his extra time. So cyclocross is the next phase in the crazy life that Shawn leads. It should be fun to watch.

And he did spend the entire day before doing the fall yard clean up. I wish I had before photos because all of the gardens were overflowing with weeds bigger than our kids. To say the yard has suffered some neglect the past few weeks would be an understatement. Flower beds cleared out:


and pine cones cleaned up:

We should have a barbeque or something to celebrate. Just don't know when we will fit that in.