When my moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...that's Amore!

The Mrs. and I just returned from our summer holiday and 5th wedding anniversary (which is why I haven't blogged recently). We spent 2 days in Missoula, MT and then 7 in Sun Valley, ID. It was good times and fun. It is nice to be married 5 years to my lovely wife and to celebrate this little milestone with a vacation. A few noteworthy items from our trip are as follows.

1. We met someone who is almost famous.
2. We met someone who is famous.
3. I almost died.
4. I accidentally mooned someone.

1. We met someone who is almost famous. Sun Valley is a resort town with miles of biking trails, snow skiing galore, and really really expensive and boring shopping. It is a fun place to hang out. It is historically known as one of the favorite places for the Kennedy family and Arnold Schwarzenegger to vacation as well as Warren Miller, tons of ice skaters, musicians, writers and other famous people (like me).

On one particular evening we were hanging out by the swan pond and struck up a conversation with a few people near by us. The woman we talked with the most is George Nethercutt's sister. This is why I say we met someone who is almost famous. I know George Nethercutt (R) of Washington state and long time friend of the city of Spokane. However, I did not know that he had a sister (although it isn't too much of a stretch to think that his parents wanted more than one child). This whole meeting was fun but rather anti-climatic. To say you met someone almost famous is like saying "I almost got hit by a car". There really isn't much story to tell. No one will ask for a book deal or the rights to make a TV mini series because nothing of consequence really happened. Yet, it seems to be human nature to pass on these exciting tid bits of non information (and who am I to break with human nature).

2. We met someone who is famous. On one of our numerous bike rides, we were cruising along when we pedaled around a corner in the bike path and saw a man and his dog walking. He gave a quiet command and his beautiful dog obediently sat and waited for us to pass. As I got closer to this man, I noticed that he was probably 40 years old but dressed like he is 18. Therefore, using my wife's excellent deductive reasoning, he must be in a band. In fact, I know he is in a band. I recognized one of the tattoos on his arm and then when I saw his face I had no doubt. We met Chad Smith (drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) walking his dog on the trail. I had one of those overwhelming urges to turn my bike around and go chat with him but he looked like he was at peace and I didn't want to disturb him. Also, I was wearing my spandex triatholon bike shorts (which leave little to the imagination) and didn't think I could have a normal conversation with the man in my compressed-flesh outfit. It wasn't until 5 minuites later (when my brain returned to my body) that I remembered that he is the member of a band which wears only a strategically placed tube sock on stage. I have nothing to be embarrassed about in my spandex (seriously, I am a hot chunk of man chicken who can stop traffic with a single flex).

3. I almost died. There is a hill that goes through a neighboring community that is steep. This of course is the ideal place to ride a bicycle at top speed. I rode this hill several times throughout the week and averaged 37MPH on my plunge to the bottom. However, on our last ride of the week, I wanted to see what would happen if I really got after my bike and pushed myself. The picture tells all. It isn't the fastest I've ever gone on a bicycle (52mph) but it is the fastest I have gone over an unseen manhole cover that was sunk 3 inches into the road. Yes, I almost donated my organs to science but luckily, at my pace, the bicycle hit the edge of the hole in the road and took to the air. I probably landed 30 feet further down the road and continued pedaling for a new land speed record. How would I describe the feeling? Let's just say that I almost did something involuntary and messy. It was fun...although a little anticlimactic.

4. I accidentally mooned someone. At an intersection of the bike path and a road, I paused my pedaling to allow an SUV pass. The driver of the SUV waved me through the intersection. I quickly stood up on my rolling bicycle to clip my feet into the pedals. When I did this, the horn of my bicycle seat caught the back of my Spandex triathlon shorts and pulled them down as I scooted back onto the seat. There was a pedestrian behind me. I don't know anything about the person behind me because I simply stood up, pulled my pants up, and rode off without looking back. I think I know the pedestrian's thoughts though.

"Oh my sweet Moses, that is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I'll bet you could park a bicycle in that."

I, of course, edited out all of the pedestrian's swearing and spontaneous vomiting. As well as the searing sound when their retinas were burned out of existence. I guess that is what happens when you encounter such physical greatness. "Chiseled" is probably the best adjective to describe this entire event.

until next time....

greekSPANDEXman