Look ---- there are all those presents under the tree and other than Red Rider who hasn't been seen since Midnight (Still out riding I should think) None of you are up yet!!! 11 am and I am off to my Eldest daughters to see what she has managed to Burn for dinner. Might have to have a few drinks to get ready for the onslaught of her cooking. So see you all this evening.



Edit- Merry Christmas.

re-edit

4pm and dinner almpst finissshed. 3 bottles of absolutely superbberbubble wine and just been out to the celar to sort the wine to go with dessert. Don't think I caN survive much longer without a ride on the Trainer. Hold on- I don't have tyrainer so must be the head going round.

Hope you are enjoying the christmas festiviyoes- cos I am.

(Why won't this keyboaqrd spell properly.)

I'm here.

Christmas Eve is the traditional big night for my wife's family. We had a feast last night with a superb standing (aka 'prime') rib roast cooked by yours truly.

Today it's off to my family's house.

Give us Yanks some time to show up. It's still Christmas morning here as I write this.

Only cycling related present so far is a Timex HRM from my wife.

Merry Christmas, all!

I was here! I even posted! Leaving in an hour and killing time.

Had our usual feast of Gumbo at a friend's last night. Got up a little late to make the club ride this morning, have to leave in 15 minutes to make it, don't think it's gonna happen.

No ride last night or this morning yet -- a sign of our age that we're slower to get going. We'll wait for our kids to wake up before we open gifts. Then there's the food issue to discuss -- daughter is a vegan, son an ovo-lacto vegetarian, and we're omnivores. So aside from the turkey on the rotisserie and pecan pie (for after our ride ), our Christmas Day menu is still to be discovered.

Merry Christmas!

We did her families X-mass last night and it was quite nice, our kids started in at 4AM, but we made it to a more regualr AM-ing with my sister and her kids here for breakfast and then off to my step Dads this afternoon. My wife gave me the registration for my favorite century as one of my gifts so I even had a cycling related gift this year

The family will be arriving around noon so I have a few moments of peace and quiet. Some of my kids in-laws will be joining us this year so I'm going to have quite a house-full.

My daughter and I spent Christmas Eve preparing things for today. We also did our traditional lunch out to watch all the last minute shoppers rushing around the stores. I'm one of those who has everything done early so I can relax a little during the holidays.

I won't have time for a ride today but I'm hoping to get out there later this week. They're predicting decent weather and hopefully the winds won't be too bad.

A Big Santa Ana wind started blowing at 2:30 am so I have been up since. Darn, my one morning to sleep in!

Oh well got all my chores done early. Am off with my special friend to visit his sister and family for Christmas. No riding today, I rode Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday and am sore in all the wrong places. 'sides 60 mph winds are vlowing right now! Back to work tomorrow and then off Friday. Hope things are less tender by then. I have some more riding planned.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to y'all! Enjoy being with friends and family.

I'm waiting for the family to show. Erin, 17, is trying to sleep so she won't go nuts waiting for her brothers to arrive. The presents under the tree look our way, wanting attention, but first, CHRISTMAS PANCAKES!

It is Christmas morning and Velodiva and I are home having breakfast waiting for the temperature to warm up to go for a Christmas ride. Merry Christmas

So are we. It can't warm up fast enough for me.

Hi,

Been awake for a little bit now. Opened the few presents that were under the tree and am puttering around cleaning up a bit for the company that's coming later today. Also going to try to get in a short ride in the warm weather -- it's almost 60 degrees F and it's supposed to hit 70.

Everyone have a great day or evening.

We'll be leaving later today to spend Christmas in San Francisco at my sister's. Probably no time for a ride; I'm catching up on wrapping gifts. Merry Christmas, etc. to everyone!

I need to find out what kind of bubbly Stapfam is enjoying!!

Walked 18 holes of golf yesterday pm. I got to try out two new clubs courtesy of a gift from Callaway from a tournament I played in a couple months ago. In-laws came in last night and we went to the 10 pm church service. In bed around 1 am and back up at 7 am. We enjoyed my wife's traditional Christmas breakfast with sausage balls, sticky bread, pineapples and sausage casserole. With multiple college tuitions for several years we're doing Christmas "lite" this year......it's so refreshing so just a few presents for the kids. Refocuses the inner spirit on the season for me anyway.

The extended family comes over today around 1 pm for lunch. We're ready!!!

Plan to ride 50+ miles over to the In-laws house tomorrow. More golf Thursday and the final 100 mile ride of the season on Saturday......if the legs will hold up one more time!!

A very Merry Christmas to all and safe riding to those where the weather agrees!!!!!!

Had close friends over last night (Christmas Eve) for a goose dinner...Lots of champagne, merlot and chardonnay. My 21yo daughter is home and we will open presents soon. Later, it's Christmas dinner at some other friends. Hope I squeeze a ride in here some place...I have some extra calories to burn.

Everyone have a Happy Holiday.

I did a Christmas Eve ride yesterday down here in central Louisiana. The cold weather followed me down here from northwest Arkansas. Temperature just barely broke 40 yesterday. Total ride was 38 miles along backwoods roads and the bayous. Last night we watched several different Christmas music presentations on the tube.

We opened goodies this morning. Santa was attentive to my request and delivered a copy of Zinn and the Art of Roadbike Maintenance He also left a GPS device which will do everything except pedal the bike. It will take me a week just to learn how to turn it on

Weather looks reasonable for today, so there may be a Christmas day ride in the works.

The eating binge which commenced last week at work has not subsided; in fact, it's getting worse... Mom's fudge, the wife's home made Texas Millionaires, chocolate chip cookies, peanut brittle, glazed pecans, peppered pecans, pecan pie...

Merry Christmas!

Too much wine, cheese, shrimp last night. Nueske's ham in the oven right now (bettrin' Honey Baked!!!). Biscuits rising, Broken Glass cake setting up in the 'fridge. Green beans ready in the steamer, ingredients for gingered rice ready to go. 2 home made pumpkin pies already done (before the afternoon ride ystd in 50+deg weather). The remnants of my twin 11 y.o. daughter's Christmas scattered about the family room as I headed to the office to check in with this crowd before finishing dinner preparation. Where else would we be???

Up at 7:00 opened the goodies. I got a new jersey with Mt. Rainier graphics from REI and 2 planet bike superflash blinkies

We slept in, had Christmas festivities with the kids kinda late, got the turkey in the over late...now it's 3:20 and we're still waiting for dinner!

I'm thoroughly enjoying my new Pat's jersey...#50, Vrabel. Won't ve very good for riding, but everthing doesn't have to be for the bike!

Have to admit that I may not be riding tomorrow.

Started with a Pink Champagne- demi- sec of 2004 vintage- That was just for starters. Then we had two similar bottles- a 2002 Cote du Rhone that I bought 3 years ago for keeping and a 2003 Votes Du Ventoux that was recommended to me by a Cellar in Calais. That was when I decided to let you know I was enjoying myself and the It was as well that I did. A St. Emillion that I bought in 1999 from the bordeaux region in France was next and it is 10 years old this year. The perfect age for drinking so we finished off the last two bottles. It was Superb. The next one was another special that I had saved from one of my Trips to France- 2002 Montbazillac and it was the last bottle I had of this one. The perfgect wine to go with dessert and ---I can't remember much more after that.

So 6 Superb bottles of French wine between 4 of us and I could remember every shop I bought them in and I am just glad that I had saved them for such a special occasion. The last christmas of both my daughters being single. One gets married in a couple o fweks and the other in September. Just wish I could remember more of the day. Oh And I got no Biking pressies this year. Have to buy my own again.

Glad to see I'm not the only one eating like mad today.

Started with the family gathering at my parents' house last night for shrimp. Not so much a meal, but more than a snack. Along with my parents, my older son was there, as were my sister, mother-in-law and of course my wife, younger son and me.

This morning, after exchanging gifts between my sons, my wife and me, the same crew as last night came by for breakfast prepared by me and the boys. Grits, eggs, bacon, 4 kinds of sausage, biscuits and hash browns. Delicious!

Then, after a few hours of assembling the kid's basketball goal and checking out his new bike, it was back to my parents for more gifts and an enourmous Christmas dinner.

Although it was perfect riding weather, there was no time to ride. I'm planning a MTB ride tomorrow and a 55 mile ride on the Silver Comet Thursday to get started working off some of this indulgence.

That's what I miss most about living in the south...........breakfast.

I thought the same thing! Mmmm, mmm, mmm...

I am here house sitting for friends of friends in Tasmania, responsible stuff. So just a few beers and a jam sandwich for me.

Got the bike a new chain and fitted that too.

Just another day in the office!!!!

george