Sad Night

      I would like to say it was a great night but I would do so with a heavy heart.  Was it a great 2 hour ride?  Yes.  Was Ian's beer nice and cold at the end of the night? (thanks by the way)  Yes.  Was Ali's barbequed food awesome?  Yes.  Were there the usual funny moments on the trail?  Yes.  However, all that was difficult to enjoy as we mourned the loss of Jay's "Turner".  Jay's bike went down due to an unfortunate "stick in the derailleur" which snapped off at the frame.  Jay was forced to walk it out (amazingly, he did that faster than Ali rode out).    
      Once out, he called the only person he knew who would come and pick him up...... Matt.  Matt who hasn't been heard from since allegedly having to return his borrowed bike, was only too glad to leave his family to help Jay out.  Because of this it was voted that Matt earned a half point attendance.
     Weather is still looking good and riding is going strong.  Thanks to Ian tonight for going out of his way to supply a sombre group of riders (ok, just Jay) with beer.  And thanks to Ali for the awesome food.  Liam is up for beer next week.

Thanks Mark!!!

     What could be better than a beer after a 2 hour, 32 km ride???  Only a Jacques night (minus the pool).  We finished off the leftover hamburgs and sausages from the Michigan game.  I really missed the shrimp though.  Thanks for cooking that up Mark.
     Great ride tonight!  Perfect weather and good crowd out.  Highlight of the night was definately Jay's endo off the plank at Morton.  Wish I had a camera for that one.  Also, another newcomer.... Jim H.  He has been talking about riding with us all year but finally made it out.
     Beer order!!!!  Next up is Ian, Liam, Craig.  Ian, if you can't make it, let us know.

First Rainout of the Season

    Last night was the first ride all season that was cancelled due to rain.  And it couldn't have come at a more crucial time for some riders teetering on the brink of the attendance abyss.  I could have swore as I drove home from work that I heard rain chants coming from the area around St. Patricks.  Or was that as I passed the Green Shield building?

The Football Gods Were Smiling On Us

      The football gods work in mysterious ways.  Take Notre Dame for instance.  The sun came out just in time for us to take advantage of our free tickets and a fabulous weekend.  Yesterday, the gods worked their magic differently.  Possibly the nicest October 9 in history.  Tailgating was stellar as usual.  We were treated to many "interesting" sites (thanks Ali).  However, tickets were nowhere to be found.  Even at game time as we worked our magic out front of the stadium, there were no tickets to be had.  Unless of course we wanted to pay $350.  So back to the golf course where we snuggled up to a TV with some Spartans and Wolverines to watch a Michigan State blowout.  The gods knew that we would have wasted our money.  All in all, another great day!
      More photos can be found at my dropbox account.

What a Ride!

     Wow!  Great ride tonight.  2 hours of riding covering over 30 km.  Riding Morton backwards in the dark was like riding a completely new trail.  Although our numbers were somewhat small and diminished as the ride went on, those that came out enjoyed a great ride almost completely in the dark.  Thanks goes out to Liam for that "nail in the tire" trick to get us a rest at Malden.  Thanks Liam, I needed it.

     A couple of notes, Rob finally brought the beer.  He claims he has no recollection of anyone telling him it was his turn.  Read between the lines.... he doesn't read his email.  I don't know if Upper Canada Lager was an attempt to buy us off but as per Article 6.4 of the constitution if a rider "forgets" he is required to bring 2 weeks in a row.  More on this to follow.
     It was also nice of Ali to show up.... oh wait, who was that in the middle of Morton all by himself?????  Ali.  Apparently Ali doesn't understand that 6:30 is 6:30.  Nor does he listen to our plans for the ride.  There was some debate about his point but in the end we gave it to him.
     Another week with big shakeups in attendance.  Matt has really dropped and it doesn't look good for his overall attendance.  Jay, with another weak excuse, is going down the standings faster than a bum after a ham sandwich.  The top three look untouchable but after that it is a free for all.
     It was nice to see a new face out riding with us, Jason.  Hopefully, all the farting and disgusting talk will not scare him off.
     As for the beer order, it looks like we will get through a complete three times for everyone.  No beer is needed for next week.