Old Lady Turbo is 12 now (two years behind Indy, who turns 14 in May). She’s been slowly losing her hearing, and, in the past two days, I can say, in my unprofessional opinion, she’s almost all the way deaf. Normal speaking/yelling/noises get no reaction from her, though she’s still twitching her ears around a little when there’s a lot of incidental noise going on around the house… without really honing in on anything, though.

I’d like to teach her to come when “called,” but I haven’t been able to find an appropriate training collar yet. I need one with a vibrate function (really, it could only have a vibrate function), but all of the ones I’ve found go in to “sleep” mode when the dog is inactive. She does a fair amount of sleeping/laying around staring into space, so ideally, there’s a collar out there that will still buzz even if she’s doing old dog stuff.

She’ll be going to board at the vet’s office for the weekend since I’m heading off to Syllamo with Matt for the IMBA Trail Care weekend, and Ryan is going to the Marx-Bensdorf team party camp. She’s due for a yearly checkup, anyway, so I’m going to talk to the doc about whether her deafness is just age, or if there’s a possible underlying cause. She’s otherwise in good shape for an old lady…

Yeah, so the desk-jockey chest cold ended with me getting bronchitis. After spending two days basically on the couch, miserable with a fever, chills, and deepening cough, yesterday morning, I woke up feeling worse and coughing up nearly solid chunks of phlegm (mmmm, hopefully you’re eating breakfast right now). Already physically exhausted from the two previous days of germ-fighting and poor sleep, I had the feeling that my immune system was struggling with a secondary infection. So, after a little internet searching, I found a minor medical clinic that was open on Christmas day.

Luckily, we seemed to get there before the waiting room filled up. My fever was 101.2 and resting pulse was a crazy 85 bpm (for comparison, usually when I walk outside with a bike and turn my Garmin on, my walking/standing around pulse is somewhere in the 60s). The doctor did the usual look/listen and said that my symptoms were indicative of bronchitis and gave me a prescription for antibiotics.

Once we were home, I had some tomato soup and took my first dose. Within hours, I could feel my fever fade and everything start to swing in the right direction. By evening, I felt well enough to move around the house a little, ride in the car with Ryan to my parents’ house to pick up Christmas gifts from Granny & other relatives, and carry on conversations with more than one-word sentences. I was hoping for a good night’s sleep, but alas, some of the antibiotic side effects (restlessness, terrible bitter taste in my mouth) kept me awake much of the night. I’ve gotta call this morning and see if I can’t get something else.

Despite another night of poor sleep (that’s 4 now), I’m not drawn to laying on the couch and moaning today, which is promising. We’ve postponed the trip over to Syllamo until tomorrow. Right now, I’m feeling as tired physically as if I were on day 4 of a stage race, so I’m taking it slow and steady. I may not ride as much as I’d planned, but the getaway from the confines of my house will be a welcome one. I also sleep like crazy any time I’m at the cabin, so, epic rides or no, I’m looking forward to it.

Stuff is happening, albeit slowly, on the sponsor front. I’m expanding my effort to go local/regional wherever possible (which isn’t always, but more often than not)

First, the renewals-

Gu Energy -Their support last year made a significant impact on my budget/ability to race all over the country. Not only that, but they also make some delicious (and effective) energy products as well. Two words: SALTED CARAMEL. Gawd, and the peppermint stick… it tastes like white chocolate peppermint bark.

Nimblewear Custom Apparel – Based out of Collierville, TN (a suburb of Memphis), the quality of their clothes is excellent- right up there with the top of the line stuff from any other company that makes custom stuff.

ProGold Lubricants – Atlanta, Georgia. Their stuff just works. Also… Who can argue with Bruce Dickman?

Outdoors, Inc. – Local bike shop and outdoor retailer. They’ve been there for the past couple of years, and I love representing them.

Maxxis Tire – Suwanee, GA. I’d never want to go with another manufacturer based on the Ardent alone, but turns out, their other tires are great as well. If you ride road and want a treat, check out the Cormet- freaking butter.

Industry Nine – Asheville, NC. If you’ve never ridden a hub with 120 points of engagement (that’s one “click” every 3 degrees), you’re in for a game-changing experience the first time you ratchet and heave your way through a technical section of trail.

The New Guys-

Cysco Cycles – I like supporting regional/small companies whenever I can, and, if you live in Memphis, these guys over in East Tennessee are close enough to call just that.  They’re making my road bike, and, in the near future, we’ll start hashing out the details on a hardtail mountain frame. Chris and I really click… from our dislike of certain bike parts to our teen-like giggling at the phrase “THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID.”

Urban Fitness Kickboxing – I mentioned starting some Mixed Martial Arts classes, and, John Trent, a local cyclist, owns this gym. If you’re looking to get in better condition from any level- whether it’s off the couch or off the elite MTB circuit, check out what they’ve got to offer (it’s not all fighting). Personally, I’m taking the Body Focus class (circuit-style resistance training) along with the MMA class. The prices are very reasonable compared to other gyms in the area, and class comes with a lot of one-on-one attention. I’m confident that the cross-training is going to help take my next season to another level of awesome.

Of course, all of those renewals are a result of you guys who read/follow along at home, going out and purchasing products from the companies listed here, based on the fact that I told you to do so. I’ve said it before- I don’t have any sponsors here that I wouldn’t recommend if they had nothing to do with me. All of their products/services are solid… a prerequisite to me asking anybody for sponsorship. Hopefully, I’ll have a little more to post about soon. Also, with the finalization of sponsors comes the excitement of a brand new kit design. It’s gonna be Dirty South-a-riffic!

The Tennessee High School Mountain bike league is racing at Herb Parson’s Lake on October the 27th (including our local team from Collierville High School).

I’m trying to round up a few helpers for the weekend (October 26th and 27th). They need volunteers on Saturday starting around 8:00am to help with setup and course marking, then 8:00am on Sunday for course marshaling, time-keeping, etc. As an added bonus- everyone who volunteers will receive some free stuff from Gu Energy Labs!

If you can work any part or either/both days, please send me your name, phone number, and when you’re available via email: andrea at brickhouseracing.com so I can put you on the list.

I’ve had a a host of weird dreams lately. I don’t remember much about any of them, except last night, my dream involved my 11 year old Malinois, Turbo:

In my dream, I was desperately trying to hide Turbo, because the Police were trying to find her and take her to jail. I think I was trying to get her across the border to Canada, or something. Why in the world were the police after my dog? Well, she’d robbed several banks, and I’m pretty sure she’d injured or killed several people in the process. It was terrible.

…but at least it was the sort of terrible that you wake up from and laugh. It’s probably a sign that I should race this weekend and win some money.

If you’ve been around here very long at all, or you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know that I have (among other pets) a little old terrier named Indy. Last Wednesday, after I played ball in the back yard for a few minutes then ran to the grocery store, I came home to find Indy limping around the house and holding his left foot up (sympathy pains for Momma and her bad left foot?) I decided I’d give it a day before I took him to the vet, but, by Friday, it wasn’t any better. So, we went to see Dr. Speth at Germantown Animal Hospital.

One X-Ray later…

(note the “two piece” bone in the left foot)

Dr. Speth took him to the back again, and, when he came back, he’d splinted Indy’s little foot, and Indy was quite upset about it.

Once we were back home, Indy was pretty stressed. I gave him his anti-inflammatory medicine and sat with him on the couch until he passed out

Fortunately, dogs have their own great way of adapting to physical hardship. Over the next couple of days, Indy started figuring out how to negotiate all of his usual activities with his little peg leg. He started clopping around the house enough that we put part of an old inner tube around the end of his splint because he was wearing through the outer wrap part.  Now he actually acts like he feels better than normal- I’m thinking because he’s on a regimen of Rimadyl, which may be making any of his other “old dog” aches & pains go away. Good thing, too, because he’s gotta wear it for another week and a half!

Back before I left for Idaho, I was in No Regrets, and Joe was working on a long-term tattoo project (a dotwork half-sleeve on my left arm). There was a guest artist in the shop, and he didn’t have any appointments. So, I told Joe that I’d be willing to set something up with him, but that I didn’t really have any ideas for what I’d like. Something on my right arm/shoulder? It ended up that the guy went home early, and I didn’t get anything at the time.

While I was driving out to Idaho, I started thinking about what I’d want if I were to get a right arm tattoo. What I came up with was a play on popular doping-related tattoos from pro cycling. Back during the “heyday” of drug use in cycling, several cyclists had black/red devil tattoos on their shoulders, and, according to rumor, it was to hide bruising from injections of performance enhancing drugs.

(example: Andreas Kloden)

Now, Adam Myerson and others have started a Clean Athletes movement, which involves a “clean” bar of soap tattoo.

I think it’s cool (read into the website, and it’s definitely a cause I could get behind), but, I was thinking something more original, and I was already set on the upper-shoulder spot, anyway (if you see the “clean athletes” rules, your tattoo needs to be victory-salute visible). I started searching around on the internet for other symbols of cleanliness/purity, and came up with a lotus flower. So, as I drove, I filed that idea away in my head for future use.

Fast forward to the drive back on Monday. I had another tattoo appointment set up for Tuesday. Joe called and wanted to know if I still was thinking about doing something one-session-able on my right arm. I told him my idea, and, 24 hours later…

Joe does gorgeous work! I’m hoping in the future to add to it, but, for now, I’ve got plenty of other unfinished stuff to get worked on.

I promised a multitude of people at Trans-Sylvania, “If I finish top 5, I’m using the prize money to buy my friend’s scooter.” I’m a woman of my word, and, as of last week, I am now the ecstatic owner of a 50cc Yamaha Vino.

It has a top speed of about 42 mph (downhill, with a tailwind), and sounds a lot like a leafblower. I’ve put at least 300 miles on it since then, because it’s incredibly fun to drive, so I take the “scenic route” wherever I go. Sunday afternoon, I went to the grocery store that’s about a mile from the house, and somehow ended up here- about 15 miles in the opposite direction…

I basically go everywhere on the scooter as long as it’s not raining or I don’t have to carry something large with me (like a bike, unfortunately). I have quickly figured out the art of packing the trunk and bungee cording stuff to the rack, though.

Just prior to that last photo being taken, my dad had rallied the scooter around the pasture behind his house. Without a helmet. Speaking of, I’ve taken this opportunity to add to my helmet collection with a POC full face. I figured that at the relatively low speeds of the scooter, it offers plenty of protection, and, though it’s not a “cute” little brainbucket that a lot of people wear, it’ll keep my face cute if I ever wreck. Bonus- I can wear it if/when I go downhilling again on a bike.

(bonus kitty in the helmet shipping box)

I can definitely say that I’m enjoying it as much as I expected. I’ve found that since I’ve spent many hours on a road bike that I’m habitually looking out for drivers who don’t see me. It’s saved me once so far. It’ll only be a matter of time before the weekend motorpacing starts.

In knee news, as of yesterday, the bruising is healed enough that I can ride normally (though I have to exercise some caution in riding because if I bump my stitches, I’m likely to bleed a lot). So, I’ll stop wallowing around on the couch feeling sorry for myself and get back to my normal training schedule.

In more important news, Turbo, my Belgian Malinois, had surgery a week ago.

Over the Thanksgiving at Syllamo, I’d found a suspicious-feeling lump under one of her nipples, and I took her in Monday morning to have it checked by the vet. He wanted to remove it and send it off for biopsy, and ended up doing Mastectomy surgery later that afternoon. She came home that evening in a cone of shame and has been recovering well since (I know the picture makes her look pitiful, but, as I type this, she’s out back in the thing, chasing after a squirrel).

Friday afternoon, he called back with biopsy results. The news wasn’t the best or worst- it was a malignant tumor in her mammary glands, but it’s wasn’t an aggressive form, and didn’t seem to have spread to anywhere else where one would expect it to spread. Apparently, there’s no such thing as a dog mammogram, so Turbo will get weekly breast/lymph node exams for the rest of her life to make sure that nothing is coming back. For now, she’s doing fine and getting extra neck scratches (the cone of shame seems to make her neck itchy) as well as the extra bite of food off of my plate.

I love dogs.