Punch the Golden Ticket for Thom P!

If you aren't familiar with the above pinnacle in gonzo-blogging go to Thom's blog and check it out and then come back. Ok back? That my friends is the single greatest example of what the internet is for. Gonzo journalism. Hunter S Thompson would be proud...real proud. In a nutshell Thom's wife and friends used the Breck Epics Blogger grant contest as a way to torture Thom. That post is what he did to get into the race. That alone should be reason enough to send this man to Breckenridge.

But that was all a ruse. The REAL contest is taking place now. The Breck Epic has a facebook poll going on right now. Thom is in the lead thanks to some serious viral social networking but let's be that last Yop that takes it over the top ok? Go to the poll http://www.facebook.com/TheBreckEpic?v=app_20678178440 Vote for # 8 ie Thom "Rocky Donizetti" Parsons and make some magic happen.

The premise of the contest is to see who has the best blog. Now I know we all are special little snowflakes and all our blogs are great. But Thom's is better than all of ours combined. And Thom actually does stuff instead of just blog about maybe doing stuff. He was the one who got me to join NEMBA and do a trail day at Cutler park recently, he does countless Bike Rodeo's, coordinates bike donation days for kids who don't have bikes, and is one of the geniuses behind the greatest cross race in all of New England...do I need to even speak its name? Fine. I'll spell it out for you...Ice Weasels. Hands down Ice Weasels is the best cross race in New England and Thom is a big, big part of it.

So take a minute go pop on facebook. Vote for Thom. Think of it as a vote for Thom is a vote for all of us bike freaks in New England. Thom will get out to Breckenridge and rock it. If he pulled a "being Kimbo Slice" just to get to the Breck Epic what shenanigans do you think will unfold on the interwebs once he is out there? I for one cannot even wait. Do it...

This Gentleman's race was not so gentle..

Rapha sent out a tweet late Friday night giving some hints as to what the Rapha NE Gentleman's race was going to be all about. Attached was this pic. The text basically said the above header. This was going to be brutal. 116 mi, 40% gravel 15 teams from NYC, BOS, Philly & Penn. It is a 6-person TT format. Leave with 6 riders, 2 check points on the road. All six have to sign it at both check points and ALL six have to come back to the start finish together! No easy task. Obviously the biggest freak out at dinner was the 40% gravel business. Was it gravel or dirt? Couldn't be gravel? Gravel is like rocks right? Dirt is dirt. Battenkill doesn't really have gravel perse...just dirt road. And certainly not 40%. I did Battenkill two years ago and that was a walk in the park compared to this.

We all met up at Mohawk Ski resort in CT. It was so amazing seeing all the Boston cool cats rolling in. The Seven van, the IF van, Geekhouse, Pedros/Svelte, on and on. Rapha really outdid themselves. It was so well organized and the route was so thought out. Hats off and a huge Hup thank you to Carey, Jeremy Dunn, Slate, and the whole crew on the ground and who made this happen. The checkpoints were spot on, the rolling support crew were fantastic and the post race bbq was so awesome! But on to the day. My brain is fried and I don't really do "race" reports but I will try as this was something special.

So we cued up to staging with 5 minutes to go from our 9:45 time slot. We got lots of compliments for our Blanco. The team was Scott ie Rosey, Mark, Mike, Sara, Murat and me. We had 4 riders in Hup blue and Sara and I were in Blanco. Blanco gives me wings so for me it was the perfect choice! We staged up in a covered wood bridge and rolled out! We took a hard right onto tarmac leaving the staging area and then started climbing, and climbing, and climbing...dear god they weren't kidding about this being tough. My body was hating me. No sleep, 3 hrs in a car, not enough food and asking my flatlander body to climb the Galibier? Body was not liking it. We dug deep and just motored. We got caught by a team pretty early on. I forget the name but they were from NYC.

We let them get a gap and let it build thinking our legs would wake up and we'd get them up the road in no time. Not to be a jerk but they just didn't look dangerous. They kind of pedaled in triangles, didn't seem overly Type A. But we were so wrong. It wouldn't have made a difference. No one caught them They rode an amazing race. From out of the gate all the way back they road strong and won it with panache!

After that team spun away from us we hit a dirt road and started catching people. We caught IF, Seven and Bilenky. It was all I could do to not slow down and talk with Graham and Jeff at length. I did sit up a bit and chit chat a bit as I love those guys and they are a big part of Hup they just were riding different colors on that day. Next we caught IF and we said hi to Leigh and the crew. We are sooo lucky in Boston. There are so many amazing and cool riders. I could go on and on about how amazing and classy each and everyone of these riders are. We were on a roll keeping it real tight when we had our first flat of the day. It was a long change maybe 7 minutes. And the three teams caught and passed us back.

We got out on the road and started making good time again. We passed the tree teams that caught us and got into a groove. This area of CT, NY and touch of western Mass are sooo beautiful. I didn't even know places like this existed in NE. It felt like being back in Norcal with big wooded alpine descents and massive grinding climbs. We hit so many dirt sectors. At first they were sooo much fun. Really nice smooth dirt. Then we hit some beasts! The worst was at about mile 60 or so. We got caught by Cort and David Chiu and the Pedros/Svelte squadra. Man it was sooo nice to see them. Dave and Cort both gave me a nice smack on the ass. It stung a bit but in a good way. We were almost all road kill as we were tearing down this tarmac road at about 25 all in a group when we had to take a hard right onto a real gravel road! Thankfully this is not a cat 4 road race. People are PROfessional. The ones who could make the turn did and the ones who couldn't just held their line and over shot it a bit. We all regrouped and started climbing a NASTY gravel road.

Our fearless and peerless leader and finder of water Rosey

This is where things started to unravel for me a bit. I was pretty nervous going into this. I am not an endurance rider. I am a cross racer. I am trying to become a mtn biker. I did do some endurance work in anticipation for this but still it was the unknown. I have never ridden 120 miles in my life. Ever. So the legs started telling me bad things. Cramps started firing off all over the place. In some very uncomfortable places. I didn't panic just pedaled. This is why its a team event and why our team kicked ass. Murat could tell something was up and just told me to be calm and relax. Rosey came back to see what was up and handed me a pill...haha I am not kidding. I think I said something like will this get me down the rabbit hole? It was a salt pill obviously. But wether those things really work or it was a placebo effect I shook off the cramps and was able to get my groove back on. I took a bunch of those Hammer salt pills and they really do work.

SBZ ie Sara Bresnick-Zocchi looking badass in Blanco

We popped out of the gravel and partook of some of the most thrilling yet equally horrifying descending in my life. We probably were going about 45 miles an hour down some insane switch backs. At one point Rosey had to do an outrigger to not totally overcook a corner. Markie Mark at one point totally was screaming in my ear...."Chipper holy shit do you know how close that car was to killing you!" Yes Mark I did. I felt the sidepanel on my sweaty thighs but it was not my day my brother! We had some moments as the last sentence would elude to. The incident in question was complete BS. We were flying off a mountain like an avalanche. Again we were probably topping 45. The speed limit was 25. Why would a car choose to pass 6 bikers with a double yellow in a blind corner at 50 mph when the sign says 25? Asshole. What happened? Well of course as he gets half way down the paceline motherfucker sees a car coming at him and comes back in right next to me. What are you gonna do? I just had to keep my shit together not freak and touch my brakes and we lived to ride another 40 miles.

Vitamin G rest break! ie waiting for my cracked apart soul

The few incidents that occurred were a small price to pay for the mind blowing day on the bike with great friends and teammates. We rode so well together. Everyone brought so much to the day. After descending for what seemed an eternity we had to pay it back. Each and every time. It hurt but it was so worth it. I love descending like that. Sara was hands down a rocket on the descents. There were times where I just had to let the other five go as bad thoughts would creep into my mind and I'd have to chill a bit.

We hit the two check points and refueled all the time. Rosey was just amazing. At one point we were totally out of water in the middle of nowhere. He all of a sudden splits off and rolls up someone's driveway. In the best impression of a Southern Gentleman he busts out in the best southern drawl possible "pardon me Mam I hate to bother you but could we possibly get some water from you even out of the hose in your garden?" She bit hook line and sinker. She was soo nice. 6 dirt bag bikers roll up as she is gardening and she topped our bottles off bid us good day and we were back in the game. This is how you survive these things. Operate like a seal team. Live off the land. Be resourceful.

I received one hilarious Karmic bitch slap at one point. We were on gravel again this time sort of on a roller coaster. Drop down, quick riser up. Super fast but it had big chunks of rock/gravel. One of the NY teams was crushing us. They'd fly past us. Then they'd flat. Rinse and repeat. They must have done this three times. The third time I saw them by the side of the road I kind of chuckled and made a comment. Not that they could hear me I am not a dick. But Sara heard it and said don't be laughing you'll jinx us. She was right no less than 100 yards later..pffttt. Front flat. I did a quick cross dismount. Badabing bada boom. 2 minute change and we were back in the game. Thank god for co2-- pumps are for suckers.

All in we had two flats, two dropped chains, and no major problems. Just a hard, incredible day on the bike. In a huge twist or fate or what not, the last climb was called Everest street. No lie and it was brutal. I was weaving like a drunk sailor to make it up it. We crested the rise and saw the Mowahk resort! We just started yelling and pedaling like we hadn't just been on the bike for 8 hrs! We zipped up our jerseys and rolled in 2 tight rows! We came in 3rd place out of 15 teams! We went right to a fantastic bbq hugged our friends and just reflected on an incredible day! Thank you Rapha and everyone involved! I am going to have dreams of flying for weeks after that incredible descending. But today I can't even get off the couch I am in sooo much pain. The worst of it is the arms...All that vitamin G took its toll!

Needham Bikes!

Needham Bike dot org popped up about a year ago. They seemed really unhip, didn't even seem to get cycling, were digging up an archaic town bike plan and frankly were picking the worst possible routes as the "bike routes" for Needham.

But you know what? They got shit done! The routes may be wack but their heart is in the right place. The signs kick ass, they have a full schedule of bike to work week related activities for this weekend and I applaud them.

I am going to learn more, see if I can help or just appreciate what they have accomplished it's impressive to say the least in the land of the burbs where not just the car is king but the big f'n SUV and mini van are king and queen of the apocolypse

Spidey Sense

My Spidey sense was going nuts this morning...I just assumed it was wayyy too much coffee or just the usual stress bomb that is my life. I drove up 128 at warp speed to meet up with SBZ and the crew for a Thursday romp through Bedford and beyond and was just buzzing. SBZ is pretty used to my bouncy off the walls act at this point but even she was like "dude chill out what is up?" Weird she didn't offer me any coffee?

I had no clue why I was just geeking out...then as I was crouching down in front of my Sola locking down my sidis it all made sense. The answer was right in front of me. I had a HUGE sidewall tear in my brand new rear Schwalbe Rocket Ron. F'me that tire cost like 75 bucks!

I have ridden it about five times tops. But thank god I noticed it. The tube was bulging through just waiting for that first rock garden to make it explode and make me be "that guy" on a group ride. No one wants to be that guy trust me. I certainly don't So my friends the lesson here is always listen to your Spidey Sense...Always.

Yes that is blood on my crank arm. Fresh blood. But man what a day. I had such a cheshire grin the entire ride. We rode some insane trails. I crashed lots. Most of my crashes involved me crashing into my friends or my friends using their bodies to keep me from breaking bones. Thanks Thom, Jane and SBZ you all are the best. And thanks to the SBZ SSC Maxxis tire! Yes back to the whole point of this post. We did the quickest tire change on the planet in large part to Sara having a basement full of PRO mtb parts! I will also say I like the tire a lot! Way faster than my big fat Schwalbes...and probably a lot cheaper too!
Noir B Sample is in the Haus and it sooo badass! I am going to be living in this kit 24/7. I am beginning to feel more and more like a mtn biker everyday. A few signs that I am becoming a mtn biker are I get sooo annoyed when I have to get off the bike to hike-a-bike! A mere month ago I would be off the bike so fast and up and over an obstacle in a nano-second. And be happy about it. Now its a total defeat when I can't clear a climb or hop a log...I still ride like a Bull in a China Shop but its getting better each and every ride. My fear of wood bridges has also subsided to a deep respect of the elevated planky monster...I might even say I kinda dig the rollercoaster feel of a good wood bridge at this point. Another sign I may be becoming a mtn biker I think about 24 hrs of Great Glen...A Lot...Lumens I need Lumens...

Sir No Name

It was a toss up for titles of this post between Sir No Name and Tuesday Night Worlds smackdown. But frankly TNW smackdown is boring. This is not that type of blog people...you should know that by now. Anyway I am not going to lie to you. This is gonna be a seat of the pants, mostly lies, endorphin filled drunk dialing of a blogpost. I haven't done Tuesday Night Worlds in at least a year. I am sooo over group rides. I like my rides tight and with the illusion that I am actually a strong and fit biker! Ha! That's easy when you are riding a gentlemanly pace with your pals.

Tuesday Night World's will kick you in the nuts and steal your lunch money so fast all you'll have time for is the crying. But I digress. Anyway my usually slacker schedule got all blown to hell today. What was supposed to be a bucolic ride through country roads with a good friend turned into a last minute scramble for a ride. When and why my brain fired off "Tuesday Night World's" like that was a good option I will never know? I still have no idea and my brain will be punished severely for this...but my ADD is like that. A thought pops in my head and like a dog chasing a squirrel up a tree it is on. No reason, all care for pretense and image go out the window. It didn't hurt that the new Hup Noir called B sample just came in...it is the most badass kit on the planet...seriously and yeah I kind of wanted to show it off. So I kitted up rubbed some gentlemen's blend on for some sheen and a bit of warmth. Put my happiness is charm in my back pocket for good luck and headed out the door.

Ok so in a kind of biological passport kind of way I will be honest with you. Some things have changed around here in the last year. I am taking a wolf pack approach to my biker life right now. A wolf pack is badass. They hunt together, play together, fight together. I am old, uncool, slow, and without a shred of style. My friends are fast, super smart, talented and have more style in their pinky than anyone I have ever known. They know more about bikes, training, racing, bike setup..well you are getting the point. Just by being in the pack I have gotten stronger, faster and more stylish...well ok 2 out of 3 isn't bad. I will never be stylish. I've documented all the help I had getting the road bike built up. And I pretty much was standing on my soapbox saying to anyone who would listen "my cross bike is the best road bike I have ever owned!" BS. I formally retract that previous statement. My Sycip road bike is the best road bike period...
Ok but the devil is in the details and here is the rub. I hated this bike. Hated, hated, hated it. You know why I hated it? Because it wasn't set up correctly. I have never been able to get in the drops. It felt slow. It felt twitchy. Had to be the bike. Wrong. Sara Bresnick-Zocchi is a fit guru. No lie. She is the coolest most down to earth person you will meet so maybe guru seems bold. But when someone can take a bike that didn't "work" for you and turn it into a rocket ship that says talent and skill to me. I'd even be so bold as to say art. What amazed me was just how different the bike handled. And mind you. She fit me last week. I rode it for 45 minutes between then and the Tuesday Night Worlds. The 45 minute ride was your typical princess in a pea ride. Ride. Stop. Adjust. Really all I did was rotate up my bars a little higher as I like them pointing pretty sky high.
To be honest the other great thing about a wolf pack is you trust the people in your circle. I trust my friends. That is how you can go into a crucible ride and not worry about the machine. So after all this blathering here is the straight dope. The bike was faster. Yeah I have said that a bunch. But why was it faster? SBZ would know that I don't. But I was able to do some subtle things that I have never done on that bike. When you are going 28 mph 4 riders across a busy road with 60 guys all around you riding like maniacs its the little things that keep you upright. Using your thighs to move the bike instead of steer. Holy crap. It was like my mind said move over a touch to be safe, just a slight thigh movement and the bike moved over a scouch. Amazing. And the drops! So that's what the drops are like. I have never been in the drops in my life. That is not an a false statement. I just assumed I wasn't a drops guy. But there was a moment where I had to be in the drops. The tail of the group was three bike lengths away. I knew if I didn't reattach it was over. I got in the drops and dug deep and was there! Back in the group.

What a great night of riding. It was sketchy as hell and don't know if my heart can stand doing this every week...but maybe. It might become fairly addicting I suspect. Going that fast and hard and literally flying at warp speed with a group of riders is like a drug. Ok so wtf? why is this called Sir No Name? I was locked into the group about 4 rows back just flying along when I feel a hand on my back. No big deal in a group like this letting people know where you are is really important for safety. I look over and its Rosey! He is astride a blacked out carbon road bike called No Name. I was sooo stoked to see him. Admittedly a bit too stoked as we turned onto Glen Street and he moved forward and I followed his wheel. He went straight through everyone and got on the front with the Threshold boys and laid it down. Staying on Rosey's wheel up Glen Street was one of the most painful experiences of my life. But I got over Glen Street with the group which was a first! And I thank Sir No Name for that...

Ain't no rest for the wicked

Rest Weeks Suck....I mean really suck. I get that they are a necessary Evil I really do. Coach says rest I rest. Does it mean I like it? Nope. N.O.PE. Riding keeps the demons in my head at bay...literally. Wether its my ADD or whatever during rest weeks I just lose my shit. Its always when the most drama creeps into my life, maybe its my capacity to deal with the drama is what changes-- to top it off I always get sick during rest week. Never fails. I am like a shark and need to keep moving to be happy, healthy and sane. I have no idea how sedentary people don't just go postal. I got in 1.5 hrs of riding this week. That is a horror show. I hated every second of not riding. Thankfully, rest week is over...and frankly, I may never take another rest week again in my life...Like Hellboy I am going to need to take out the hacksaw and cut my devil's horns off as they grew pretty long this week.

I won't lie I did use the week for some good. With a lot of help from my friends I finally got my road bike built up! I still stand by the fact that my cross bike is the best riding road bike I have ever owned but I am tired of the looks. People just can't help giving me shit for rocking the cross bike on the group rides etc. And the reality is my road bike is a really sweet machine. Jeremy Sycip outdid himself when he built me that frame and I am stoked to have it built up again. Plus it is getting old pulling the superdomestique bit and carrying all my water bottles in my jersey pockets..cross bikes should never have water bottle braze ons. Ever. But it does limit ones water carrying ability.

So this rest week became a mission to get the Sycip rolling again. The Friday before rest week I went up to Wooosssstahhh and picked up a campy 11 groupo from Zank! It was sooo great seeing Mike Z and his new workshop. His shop is clean!!! It is so organized and tidy and well thought out. I was very impressed to say the least. It is also like a museum/shrine that has all I hold sacred. You can start with steel. That would really be the starting and ending point. The boxes and boxes of columbus tubing spoke of so much potential. The one box labeled PergoRichie made me pause. I am going to need to have Mike dip into that stockpile and build me something out of that...not sure what. Maybe a bike for D2R2? Hmmm that sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Ok so step #1 was complete! To build a bike you need parts. And Campy 11 is a damn fine place to get started.

The next step in this mission was getting the bike built. Time was of the essence so I turned to my good friend David Wilcox. He is part owner of the Broadway Bicycle School in Cambridge and one of my all time favorite people in the universe. I've been dying to take a class with David. I knew we wouldn't have time to have him teach me anything as we were trying to get the bike built in the few short hours that my youngest was at preschool. Failure would mean the DSS and my wife would be coming after me. David is a professional and had that bike built up in a blink of an eye. It was pretty much gonzo bike building at its best. He did a thorough and PRO job all while working on a totally unrealistic time frame and with an ever more freaked out client standing right next to him. David has nerves of steel and is one of the most patient people I have ever met. Watching him work was mind boggling. I learnt so much in those 3 hrs it wasn't even funny. BBS is like the shops I used to love in Northern California. It just has so much soul and character. Go in there and check it out seriously. Take one of their classes they really have a unique thing going on. I bid my good friend adieu and made it back to pick up Syd with seconds to spare!

Those shoes look real sexy don't they? Yeah they are awful pretty but they are torture devices! Seriously. Steps #3 & 4 took place under the tutelage of my good friend Sara Bresnick-Zocchi. Noticing a theme yet? Damn I am so lucky to have such good friends. And not just good friends but hugely talented and generous ones. Sara has been awesome. Not only is she teaching me how to ride a mtn bike like a real mtn biker she has been helping me through a myriad of bike issues. Least of which are those horror shows in her hand in the picture above. I love sidis. Am I a slave to fashion? Pretty much. But don't hate me for my sexyissimo footwear. I hear the angels signing every time I open a box of fresh sidis I swear I do.

But last year the hot feet became unbearable. Sara has been working with Bill Peterson founder of Foot Fitness which has made orthotics for so many of the legends of our sport. She suggested I try a set and see if that would help. So I got the full foot scan work up and in two weeks I will have my orthotics! So sweet. That was step 3 in this fit/set up. #4 was a totally thorough evaluation of my position on the bike using a great combo of old school and new school fit techniques. Lazers, plum bobs, cleat placement, we spent hours I don't even know maybe 2.5 just dialing it in. Well Sara did all the hard work I just tried to look PRO (that is impossible..) and not fall off the bike each time when getting off so she could move the saddle up a touch here, move the saddle forward a touch there. She is a perfectionist and intuitively nows where a rider should be on the bike in relation to their body.

So how did it all work out? Bellisimo! The bike felt like a totally different bike. And yes for all you bike geeks out there she did slam the stem. But realistically its not that much drop. But back to how it rides. Just fast and comfortable. Crazy. Bike fit is everything I am sorry. I get the argument it is the rider. And I guess if you took Julien Absalon and put him on a huffy yeah he'd still crush. But for average riders (which is what I am average on my best day) like myself and most the rest of us it makes a huge difference. I can't wait to get the orthotics and see just what a difference those make with the shoes. Its really the last chance for the sidis. Either the orthotics fix the torture racks or they are gone. Doesn't matter how damn sexy they are.

Monday its back to the same Bat time same Bat channel. Time to get back on the bike and be "normal" again...

Foto bomb for the weekend!

There is sooo much going on right now. Noir B sample is dropping next week and we are going to celebrate the coming of our new kit in a big way. Not totally sure but I have some ideas doing back flips in my head right now and its gonna be fun. The form is coming around. The bike practice is helping sooo much. The ante got taken up a notch this weekend and I have to say I was pretty nervous that maybe I couldn't answer the call. We all throw around the term "smackdown" ride with such regularity it almost doesn't even have meaning anymore. But this one I was pretty sure was gonna be tough. SBZ doesn't mess around and when she says something is going to be tough you better strap your helmet on tight cause its going to hurt.

Not to beat a dead horse but I am trying to embrace the "ride to the ride" concept that so many of my friends live every single day on their bikes. SBZ showed me a great sneaky sneak route from weston to Lexington so I built an extra hr into the ride and rode to meet up with the group heading out on a fast century. I had to rock Blanco as the weather was promising to be summer like. I was happy with my choice but a few of my ride mates seemed a tad perplexed. Blanco you either get it or you don't. And if you don't I feel sorry for you I really do.

I had huge hopes of grabbing a quick espresso at the Ride Studio Cafe but it was not to be. Looks like they open at 8 on saturdays and I had a date with some serious pain in ahhhlington so had to be on my way.
I timed it perfect as they were just leaving and heading up Mass Ave. I did a quick 180 and bam it was on! The ride was the fastest I have been on in a long time. Basically I took a hammer and smashed every single weak muscle fiber in my quads and replaced them with hardened steel! Ha it was a good ride! Thanks for everyone who included me on the ride I hope I get invited back as it is a good group ride. Tight to say the least! Got a total of 5 hrs on the bike and got home with room to spare. Dog Haus avoided for once!
On Friday I took a trip up to Zank World HQ! That really got the weekend started and set the stage for one of the most kick ass 24 hrs in my biker life in a long time. If you don't know Mike Z you should. He is hands down one of the nicest men on the planet. A Mike Z hug is worth its weight in gold. And I gave him a good bear hug when I saw him. It was like visiting Mecca or Valhalla I stood in awe and snapped photo after photo...his shop is surrounded by so many icons and sign posts of all that I hold sacred it just blew my mind. I stayed wayyy longer than I had planned just because I basically didn't want to leave. We talked about cross (of course!) we talked about bikes (of course) I geeked out on all the tubing....what I really should have done was left him some cold hard cash for a PegoRichie tubing winter bike. That may seem bananas. Why would my winter bike be so high end? Because I ride my winter bike all the time and it needs to be more than a one trick pony...I need to talk to Mike Z asap.
While I was at Mike's shop I picked up the 11! OMG after mulling about what to do and being heckled by everyone for still being on my cross bike in May! I bit the bullet and am building my road bike up this week. I am doing it with a ton of help from my friends. Mike Z HOOKED me UP! with the Campy Chorus. Friends don't let friends ride sram. Especially friends who are campyphiles. I have a few friends who are on campy. Is it a coincidence that they are some of my closest friends? I don't think its a coincidence at all! So Mike has me covered with the parts. David Wilcox is building it up Tuesday at the Broadway Bicycle School and Sara is working her magic Thursday and fitting me! Damn I love, love, love my friends.
I leave you with this shot of Mike Z's handiwork! The man is an artist plain and simple. I need to do a full on profile/interview one of these days. Hopefully sooner than later. He has been getting a lot of love in the press and he had a great NAHBS but he is one of the next gen of great craftsmen that our sport is sooo lucky to have in our midst. I hope all your weekends were just as fantastic as mine was. I left the weekend stoked, sunburnt (it will turn into a savage tan in no time don't worry!) and shattered but soooo happy.