Caution: the following story is not fictional!

I met Angela three years ago during my first year of cycling. She was helping the leader, Joyce, develop a women's cycling team. She was very inspiring - especially to someone like me, who was super eager to learn everything and anything about the sport. Angela had gotten into the sport later in life, similar to me, and had run with it from the gun. Three years later she was on a pro cycling team and attending NRC events. I thought she was amazing.

Well as it turns out, over the next three years of my cycling adventure, I would find out more than I wanted to know about Angela. At first I didn't see that she would use people to better herself in any way she could - I thought she was genuine and was in it for the affect you can have on new comers. But then as time passed, and the rumor mill of the peloton grew, so did Angela's reputation. I got straight up first degree burns from this a couple of times - as did other people who fell into her spider web of me, me, me talk.

The reason I bring this up - out of the blue she contacted me yesterday. She keeps a blog as well and I regularly check it to see what she's up to lately. As far as I knew she was gone to Europe and was going to be there a while. Funny, I received an email from her. Here's what it said:

What's up? How are ya? Jeremy said he saw you last friday. Were you racing? How is it going? Are you racing this week?

I have a huge favor, if you have time. I am wondering if you would be able to help me w/ timing. I am doing a 3k effort on Wed and need lap times. I'd like to do it before everyone shows up for racing.

I'd be happy to burn some of those WC Cds in retrun for this great favor!!! And, I'd be happy to return the favor any time.

Well, let me know what you think, I hope it's not asking too much.

Later Tater

Innocent enough - but I did not fail victim to her prey. Simply put, I'm busy today and don't want to make an unnecessary trip to the track. Sorry Charley, but it's time you found another sucker.

Note to self: Never join a board again!

Giving back to the community is important. It lets the society around you know that you care and want to establish something that will hopefully last a generation or two. But sometimes you run into a grumpy old fart who shouldn't be a part of something and they just need to severe their ties and call it quits.

For example, I'm on a board. We contracted some duties to be done through this grumpy fart who gets paid a pretty penny to do nominal tasks. He often complains that he's over worked and stretched too thin. He has a hard time delegating and thinks that every volunteer associated with our organization will in some way let him down. He has some serious control issues and yet is unwilling, now, to put in the time necessary to complete any of the tasks he is getting paid for. Yet, he hasn't performed at all on the short time I've been on the board and I'm wondering why we're paying him?

Rereading my post - I just had a light go off in my head. I've been able to avoid dealing directly with him up until this point and knew better than talking with him. Well suddenly he has thrown himself into my path -and I'm reacting to his negativity. I just need to remind myself to stay the hell away from his grumpy ass and all will be better.

Last week he announced he's stepping down. Suddenly, things started to get a little brighter. The gloom will be gone and we'll actually be able to start functioning without a constant pessimistic presence. Fantastic. We'll see what evolves as time goes on. My buddy thinks that the grumpy old fart won't be able to cut his ties and will come back to haunt us in some shape or form. Let's hope not.

Where's the team in I?

With great remorse I decided to be the one person out for the team time trial happening in a few weeks. I don't know why I did but no one else was willing to budge and I can't stand waiting in turmoil. Sometimes you have to take one for the team I suppose.

The more I think about it, the more pissed I am. WTF was I thinking?

Rant: nothing to rant about!

Apparently my life is going pretty good right now because I have nothing to bitch about. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Nope.