Drove up to Heber early yesterday for race #2 in the Utah Cyclocross Series. The forecast had called for overnight snow, but when I woke up yesterday morning the ground was still dry … where’s our snow???

Going over Parley’s Summit, it started snowing fairly hard, and I had high hopes for the rest of the day, but it wasn’t to be … it was snowing for the first race, but not terribly hard, and actually started clearing up later.

The new schedule seems to be working for people; there was only one issue of someone warming up on the course during another race, and that was only because the rider involved was wearing headphones and didn’t hear the announcement that the course was closed.

Terrific battle between Chris Pietrzak and Ali Goulet in the Men’s A race until the last lap, when Chris pulled away. Bryce Young, who dominated the singlespeed race earlier in the day, rode to a strong 7th place (IIRC) finish, still on the same bike.

In the women’s A race, Dayna Deuter pulled away from Kris Walker and Tiffany Pezzulo for a brilliant solo victory, while Jennie “the Firecracker” Wade threw down an explosive sprint to take 4th place against Chantel Thackery.

Field sizes in the first race of the day are still making getting accurate results on the first go around challenging. We need longer and more technical courses, to string the field out a bit more …

After tearing down the course, I headed over to Mama T’s for some homemade chicken soup, yummy pastries and cakes and cornbread, fabulous wine, and good laughs.

Then back through blinding (but not sticking to the road) snow conditions over Parley’s Summit on the way home … I managed to stay awake for a couple of hours after I got home before crashing for 10-hours of blissful sleep, interrupted only by the 5:00 am alarm that I forgot to turn off last night … and awoke this morning to the blanketing of snow that we were supposed to have yesterday.

Winter is coming; we will have more opportunities for races in true CX conditions.

No, I didn’t forget.

ARS POETICA

A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit,

Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb,

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown—

A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.

*

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs,

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind—

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs.

*

A poem should be equal to:
Not true.

For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf.

For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea—

A poem should not mean
But be.

  — Archibald MacLeish (1892 - 1982), American poet, professor, and political activist.

Looks like the southern part of the valley has a new little service-oriented bike shop, owned and operated by veteran mechanic Alan Greenberg.

Alan was the first person I met when I moved to Utah back in January 2002.

I had visions of being a winter bike commuter … little did I know just how nasty the winters in Salt Lake can be for a cyclist, especially a cyclist from California who is used to being able to ride 365 days per year.

The day after I arrive, I’m reassembling my cyclocross bike in the living room of our apartment, and somehow shear one of the crank bolts. The only bike shop in the neighborhood was Canyon Sports, which tends to be more known as a ski rental shop (especially now that they’re out of the bike business completely). I call the shop and talk to Alan to see if he can do a bottom bracket swap same day … he tells me to bring the bike on down, and he’ll take care of it.

While we were talking we had this little exchange:

• “Alan … I really appreciate you taking care of this and helping me out. In California, it was often customary for clients to tip a six-pack of beer when a shop helps them out of jam, but this is Utah … I’m not sure what’s appropriate.”
• “Well … my last name is Greenberg.”
• “Beer it is!

I stopped by the State Liquor Store across the street from the shop, and picked up a six-pack of good San Francisco Anchor Steam, and we’ve been friends ever since.

Alan’s new shop, Cottonwood Cyclery, is located in Cottonwood Heights, on Bengal Blvd., just a block or so east of the Cottonwood Rec Center … stop by, say “hello” and throw some business Alan’s way; and be sure to tell him that Steven sent you.

FEBRUARY: THE BOY BREUGHEL

The birches stand in their beggar’s row:
Each poor tree
Has had its wrists nearly
Torn from the clear sleeves of bone,
These icy trees
Are hanging by their thumbs
Under a sun
That will begin to heal them soon,
Each will climb out
Of its own blue, oval mouth;
The river groans,
Two birds call out from the woods

And a fox crosses through snow
Down a hill; then, he runs,
He has overcome something white
Beside a white bush, he shakes
It twice, and as he turns
For the woods, the blood in the snow

Looks like the red fox,
At a distance, running down the hill:
A white rabbit in his mouth killed
By the fox in snow
Is killed over and over as just
Two colors, now, on a winter hill:

Two colors! Red and white. A barber’s bowl!
Two colors like the peppers
In the windows
Of the town below the hill. Smoke comes
From the chimneys. Everything is still.

Ice in the river begins to move,
And a boy in a red shirt who woke
A moment ago
Watches from his window
The street where an ox
Who’s broken out of his hut
Stands in the fresh snow
Staring cross-eyed at the boy
Who smiles and looks out
Across the roof to the hill;
And the sun is reaching down
Into the woods

Where the smoky red fox still
Eats his kill. Two colors.
Just two colors!
A sunrise. The snow.

  — Norman Dubie (b. 1945), from Selected and New Poems, published by W.W. Norton & Co., 1983. Copyright © 1983 by Norman Dubie.

Utah Cyclocross News

Online registration is now open for the Last Call Cross and Utah Cyclocross Season Awards Party and can be found here:

https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?item_id=2123.

Spread the word and PRE-REGISTER with no additional fee. We need everyone to pre-register so that we can get an accurate count for the caterer. You can register day of, but that will cost you an extra $5, and we won’t guarantee food at the party, and you’ll have to sit at the Kiddie table. PRE-REGISTER!!!

The Last Call Cross, January 5th is on at Wheeler Farm.

• 11 AM: C Flite (C Men, B Women, Juniors)
• 12 PM: B Flite (B Men, A Women, 35+ B)
• 1 PM: A Flite (A Men, 35+ A, Singlespeed)

Please note that there is one less flite, and the start times are different than the Series races. No Series points will be awarded for this race.

$20.00 all adult categories, $5.00 Juniors, $8.00 for 2nd race.

Online registration at www.sportsbaseonline.com will open in the next day or two. The flyer can be found there.

There is no additional fee to register and your race entry includes admission to the 80s Theme Awards Party at 5 PM that same night. We are STRONGLY encouraging everyone to pre-register for the race and/or the party, so we can get an accurate count for the caterer for food at the party.

Day of race registration will cost you an extra $5, and we will NOT guarantee food to those riders at the party. Party-only registration is $10 and will also be online at www.sportsbaseonline.com.

What does your $20 race/party charge get you?

• The usual fun at Wheeler Farm, except on ice!
• Jon’s Pre-Party Instructions and Final Call Up
• Dinner at the Williams Building at Research Park, 295 Chipeta Way at 5 PM
• Live 80s Cover Band and DJ

The Matt Ohran World Famous Raffle to include:

• Cannondale Caad 9 Frame and fork (For riders who did 7 races or more)
• Scott Cross Frame (For riders who did 7 races or more)
• Fuji Cross Frame for anyone who used Sportsbaseonline to register during the season or for the party.
• And much, much more!!!

Must be present to Win.

You will be given a ticket at the door. Anyone who has 7 races or more will be given a separate additional ticket. If you have 7 races or more you can have a representative register you at the door if you cannot make the party. That person will be responsible to collect your prize if you win.

• State Championship Medals will be awarded at the party
• Utah Cyclocross Series Individual Awards and Team Trophy Presentation
• Best 80’s Costume Contest: Best Male, Best Female, Best Junior

To be judged by: Matt, Jon, Steven and Steven. Winners will recieve full Winter Training Gear from Cannondale.

In order to get an accurate count for the party EVERYONE must register at Sportbaseonline by Jan 2nd.

Options are as follows:

• Party only: $10.00
• January 5th race which includes the Party: $20.00
• Additional Guest: $10.00

Anyone who registers day of gets into the party and we will feed you if we do not run out, but you’ll be last in line! PRE-REGISTER!!!

Toward the Winter Solstice

Although the roof is just a story high,
It dizzies me a little to look down.
I lariat-twirl the cord of Christmas lights
And cast it to the weeping birch’s crown;
A dowel into which I’ve screwed a hook
Enables me to reach, lift, drape, and twine
The cord among the boughs so that the bulbs
Will accent the tree’s elegant design.

Friends, passing home from work or shopping, pause
And call up commendations or critiques.
I make adjustments. Though a potpourri
Of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and Sikhs,
We all are conscious of the time of year;
We all enjoy its colorful displays
And keep some festival that mitigates
The dwindling warmth and compass of the days.

Some say that L.A. doesn’t suit the Yule,
But UPS vans now like magi make
Their present-laden rounds, while fallen leaves
Are gaily resurrected in their wake;
The desert lifts a full moon from the east
And issues a dry Santa Ana breeze,
And valets at chic restaurants will soon
Be tending flocks of cars and SUVs.

And as the neighborhoods sink into dusk
The fan palms scattered all across town stand
More calmly prominent, and this place seems
A vast oasis in the Holy Land.
This house might be a caravansary,
The tree a kind of cordial fountainhead
Of welcome, looped and decked with necklaces
And ceintures of green, yellow, blue, and red.

Some wonder if the star of Bethlehem
Occurred when Jupiter and Saturn crossed;
It’s comforting to look up from this roof
And feel that, while all changes, nothing’s lost,
To recollect that in antiquity
The winter solstice fell in Capricorn
And that, in the Orion Nebula,
From swirling gas, new stars are being born.

  — Timothy Steele. From Toward the Winter Solstice (Swallow Press/Ohio University Press, 2006, www.ohioswallow.com).

It’s so nice knowing that there are people in Utah who love their alcohol of choice as much as I do …

In this case, it’s Dr. Cross, and his non-definitive (but still pretty thorough) guide to Scotch Drinking for Beginners; and I can’t think of a more expressive quote from than this:

Wine people who I agree with think that the first requirement of wine is that it be red. If you disagree, then you probably won’t be a Scotch drinker. If you think Pinots are superior to Cabernets, then you’ll probably stick with Highland Scotch (not a total loss at all). If you liked the movie “Sideways”, you’re a hopeless poseur; but I digress.

Now that’s a man with an opinion, who’s not afraid to express it.

What brought this whole post about was a question from me … in general, I’m a vodka drinker (Ciroc, please), as I’ve expressed a number of times in the past. When it’s really cold out, sometimes I like pouring myself a little Jameson Irish Whiskey, or Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; usually on the rocks (yes, I’m a wimp, I admit it), but occasionally mixed … one of my favorite wintertime cocktails in San Francisco was called a Warm Creamy Bush; essentially an Irish coffee, but with Baileys Irish Cream instead of whipped cream.

Of course, since I prefer Jameson to Bushmills, I generally went with the Warm Creamy James variant … needless to say, that prompted a lot of giggles in San Francisco, which kept me ordering it, as I love to be entertaining.

But as I’m growing up and growing older, I feel like I should at least explore other options for adult beverage choices. To that effect, I’ve been redeveloping a palate for red wines, thanks to my good pal Scotty of Bottleneck Wines & Spirits, as well as some good old-fashioned, “let’s buy a bottle of this and see how it is” experimentation.

Currently, my favorites are Rodney Strong (both their 2004 Alexander Valley cabernet, and 2003 Single Vineyard) and the 2000 and 2001 Judd’s Hill Estate (a cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc blend).

In any case, if you haven’t already read the Doc’s post, hie thee on over to his blog and do so … now!