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True grit
March 31, 2015 § 13 Comments
The first time I saw Charon Smith in a race he was sitting down in the middle of the asphalt with a hundred bikes flying by, his shorts torn and his wheel ground down from where he'd rolled his tire.
"What a wanker," I thought.
That was back in 2007, I think, at the El Dorado Tuesday night crit, and since then he's won countless races, state titles, stood on the podium at nationals, and I've pretty much won nothing. So, we know who the wanker is.
This past weekend at San Dimas, however, Charon really and truly took it to a whole 'nother level. The rap has always been "Yeah, but he's just a sprinter," as if beating out a hundred crazy people in a death rush to the line is, you know, a piece of cake. Funny thing about that rap, it's been wrong from the beginning.
While it's true that over the years Charon established himself as the fastest masters finisher in SoCal, he's worked hard each and every year to add new weaponry to his arsenal. Last year saw him tackle the San Dimas stage race where he snagged the green jersey in a hilly, tough road race and then said "Adios" to all comers in the final day's crit.
With another off season of focus and preparation on the non-sprinting aspects of his race game, Charon showed up to play consummate teammate at the hilly Boulevard RR, where his team efforts resulted in victory for their designated road guy, and he showed up again at San Dimas. This time, however, he raced with the kind of toughness and smarts that you only find in the most hardened of road racers.
When the winning break in the road race rolled up the road, Charon bridged solo to a field that included the Who's Who of masters racing: Phil Tinstman, Rudy Napolitano, Mike Easter, Derek Brauch, and Mark Noble, to name a few. When the break came back, Charon continually found himself OTB on the climb, only to repeatedly claw his way back on.
With everyone melted from the speed and the day's withering heat, the remains of the peloton hit the finishing stretch wrung out and beaten to a pulp. Charon reached down deep and kicked hard, so hard that with "only" 900 watts he cleared the line first. So much for the "He's only a sprinter" thing.
True grit is more than what happens on the bike, though. A mentor to junior racers, Charon is vitally concerned with what happens to those coming up in the ranks. Showing young riders how to obtain good, credible results through hard work and dedication is something that he does as a matter of course.
And in cycling, as in life, it's the little things that reveal the bigger ones. Charon's inclusive — he brought Prez onto the team, for dog's sake — he shares what he loves, and he's got time for anyone who has time for him. Stands up when people introduce their wives or parents, and opens the door for you. Those little things, which really aren't so little after all.
No wonder that he's built a team of devoted and dedicated followers who are making competition miserable for everyone else.
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Team Quitter
March 30, 2015 § 28 Comments
How do you know it's a shit day? When the Belgian Hardman winner from 2012 swings over to the side of the road and swipes Uber.
But there were so many little hints that Saturday's 2015 Belgian Waffle Ride unofficial practice ride was going to be bad, little hints that, when added up, reached a disturbing conclusion: Failure is more than an option. It is a likely outcome.
Eric, Dan, and I had had done all the pre-ride preparation perfectly. We had woken up on time. We had eaten a hearty yet healthy breakfast. We had washed and oiled our bicycles. Most importantly, we had pretended not to have any cash so that Eric would have to pay for the gas to drive us down to North County San Diego.
We had opted to forego the local 50-mile Donut Ride and the 3-day San Dimas Stage Race because experience and common sense told us that knowledge of the BWR course would be vital to our survival on April 26. It would also give us some much-needed practice riding on dirt roads. The only part of our otherwise perfect preparation that we had left out was actual fitness.
This became apparent on the first dirt section. Unlike in years past, the 2015 BWR gives you a brief warm-up on paved roads and then plunges you down a 200-yard steep sand ravine that does a vicious 90-degree turn onto a lovely dirt track in a scenic valley. Several people chose walking the first section over certain death.
The pretty valley crosses a pretty stream and then rears itself up a long, endless, nasty climb that is a couple of miles long. Whichever rear cog you brought, by the last quarter-mile it won't be enough. We regrouped and offered various excuses, each rider's more innovative the the one before.
"Wrong wheels today."
"These are totally the wrong tires."
"My rear cog is the wrong one for this."
"My cranks are too long."
"I should have brought a compact."
"Wrong chain rings."
No one mentioned the obvious, i.e. having left the right set of lungs, heart, and legs at home and showing up with perfect conditioning for a 40-minute crit.
The ambitious 102-mile jaunt was scaled back after the first couple of dirt sections because we kept stopping for, um, me. Then my front tire fell into a paving crack and came within inches of sending me onto my face, and then MMX did the same thing just to show that he could almost kill himself more violently and recover better than I could, and then there were more flats, and then we had used all our CO2, and then Canyon Bob took out his mini floor pump and got us going again, and then Surfer Dan's derailleur spring shot out into the bush and the rest of the assembly lodged into his rear wheel, and then Eric flatted, and then out came the mini floor pump again, and then I was THAT GUY at the end of Lake Hodges with everyone pissed off at having to wait, and then Baby Seal flatted, and by now Canyon Bob's forearms had swollen to the size of huge pencils, which is big for a roadie, and then the group shrugged and said "Fuck you guys" and rode off, including that girl who we'd helped fix her brakes several times, and then Paul B. said he could take us up to Cougar Pass where the group was going, but we thought he was talking about a geriatric whorehose and declined, and then I told Eric he could do whatever he wanted but I was going back to the truck even though we'd given the keys to Surfer as he swiped for his Uber ride back, and then Eric TT-ed all the way back and we had a great hamburger but not before we scooped out the peanut butter sandwich mush from our jerseys and ate it like it was both tasty and food.
Next, we sat in three hours of traffic and got home at 6:30 PM, and Eric checked his Garmin and said we'd ridden 55 miles, five more than if we'd stayed and done the Donut Ride, and when it was all factored in we figured that we paid a total of $175.23 for those extra five miles.
Glad I didn't have any cash.
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The enemy among us
March 28, 2015 § 59 Comments
[An earlier version of this post incorrectly attributed the quote below to Patrick Brady, when in fact it was written by someone else and posted as a guest editorial on Red Kite Prayer, Patrick's blog. I've corrected the mistaken attribution and edited the post accordingly.]
Some people never cease to amaze me. Even so, I was amazed to read this editorial posted on Patrick Brady's blog, Red Kite Bore. The author thinks that a helmet law in California isn't worth opposing. Whaaaaaat?
According to the author:
Bike advocate groups might consider what others see when they see us. They see people who run stop signs, weave in and out of traffic, ride in packs, take up a lane, and so on. It's not a pretty picture. Sure, most of us are wearing helmets as we bend rules and traffic laws, but that's not what the pissed off drivers see. So when they hear cyclists are opposed to a helmet law, it only furthers their belief that we are selfish, unpredictable and dangerous. Maybe we let this one go. Let the lawmakers and drivers have this one without resistance. We got our 3-foot law in California, we can put up with a helmet law on the books. Pick your battles as they say. This is one fight we can easily walk away from.
Presumably, the editorial is endorsed by Patrick and RKP, as it fits hand-in-glove with the kind of writing for which RKP is infamous. And this one is a real howler, especially the last two sentences, as if Patrick or RKP has ever picked a fight with anyone, anywhere, for the benefit of cyclists. In all of the advocacy I've been involved in, I've never seen Patrick show up for anything, even when there was free beer and pizza. Never seen him at a council meeting, never seen him on a "Take the Lane" protest ride down PCH, nothing, zip, nada.
So to hear the guy who gave rave reviews to the latest Bell helmet put up a guest post supporting the helmet law speaks volumes. Unfortunately, the author, Mike Hotten, is a friend and an accomplished cyclist. But he's completely wrong when he thinks that the solution is to "let this one pass."
But what's most reprehensible is the description of cyclists and by implication himself as someone who is a complete asshole on the bike. While I wholeheartedly agree that his description fits Patrick, it hardly describes most riders who in terms of numbers are simply people using a bike to get from point A to point B. Even worse is the rationale: People hate us, so let them force us to wear helmets because if we oppose the helmet law they'll hate us even more. Glad that RKP wasn't selected to fight for a seat at a lunch counter in Alabama back in the 60's.
Patrick and the RKP forum are as far from zealous cycling advocacy as it gets. He has zero racing cred, belongs to no club or racing team that I'm aware of, and has never shown his face at any local bike race I've ever attended even though he kits out in the fanciest stuff and yet pretends to be a commentator on bike racing. He's the same guy who gave a descending clinic to new riders at the defunct PV Bicycle Center, and a year later crashed very badly descending Las Flores when he hit a rock or slid out or just fredded his way off into a ditch. Yeah, that Patrick Brady.
My personal experiences with Patrick have been that he is condescending to riders who are wearing the wrong stuff, riding the wrong stuff, or don't know the secret handshake. Of course he's also the first guy to get shelled when we start climbing, or to get shelled in a hard paceline, is as tough as an under-baked cupcake, and is referred to as "Nancy" behind his back. When people talk about the cliquish, condescending, snooty attitude of road cyclists, the epitome of that stereotype is Patrick Brady.
For this clown's publication to tell us we should roll over and accept a bad law because they're too lazy to do anything about it is pathetic. The real problem is properly analyzed by Bike Snob, and it's analyzed well. Try not to giggle too much at the photos he posted of Patrick as he models his aero goon helmet with the go-faux-pro Assos jersey.
As for the 3-foot law, the article says "we." I'd love to hear about Patrick's and RKP's particular role in that legislation. And while they're at it, show us some statistics to demonstrate it's had any effect on accidents or deaths, any at all.
In short, the helmet law sucks. You should oppose it. And don't listen to Red Kite Bore when it comes to helmet laws when their sole means of subsistence is the sale of advertising space to people who make bike junk, not limited to helmets.
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SoCal bikes 'n stuff
March 27, 2015 § 25 Comments
There's a lot going on this weekend.
On Saturday, leaving RIDE Cyclery at 8:00 AM in Encinitas, a gaggle of those who dream, pretend, hope, or are just flat out terrified will take flight for a practice ride over much of the BWR 2015 course. The ride has already been engulfed in innuendo and non-controversy, as various wankers carp on chat boards about the "secrecy" of the actual route. Although it's never fun to deflate the psychoses of conspiracy theorists, the actual ride route hasn't been posted because county authorities haven't approved it yet. Saturday's ride will, however, cover 100 or so miles of the real route, allowing debutantes and veterans alike to get a taste of the pain buffet that's on offer for April 26.
On Friday some riders will compete in the San Dimas Stage Race, one of SoCal's marquee race events that is likewise eliciting some controversy. Some refuse to race it because of last year's shortened crits, one of which was pared down from an already too-short 40 minutes to actual race time of about 30. Others won't do it because for the most part the race is decided by the uphill time trial, with nothing but scraps left for days 2 and 3. I'm not sure about this argument, because it assumes the doubtful proposition that bike racing has anything as a reward but scraps. My favorite take was the rider who said that it's a bike race so if you like racing bikes then you should probably go race your bike.
On Facegag a huge discussion ensued about the proper age categories for masters racing after the 35+ category was mostly eliminated in 2015. One guy came out swinging, saying that there should be "Two categories: men and women. If you are old and slow then you don't deserve to win." Others moaned about injustice, inconvenience, or floated complicated age-category formulas that would take into account flatulence, degree of Alzheimer's, and the number of Depends changed per day. No one bothered to ask about the best way to get actual young people into the sport or to wonder whether or not this preoccupation of old farts with the proper "age categories" was completely bizarre. You know that look you get when you tell normal people that you're 50 years old and still riding 400 miles a week so you can win a ribbon and stand on a plywood platform in your underwear? Yeah, that look.
The Wanky Kimchi Diet is baaaaack! Although my conversion from 10:00 AM weekday drunk to all-day-long craft water sipper has had many positive side effects, leaning up isn't one of them. I've declared war on the embarrassing pot belly that hangs above my waist like a gigantic goiter by carefully analyzing my food intake and realizing that the removal of alcohol carbs has been good, but replacing them with giant slabs of butter, endless loaves of Mrs. WM's freshly baked bread, and massive bricks of dark chocolate is like swapping out a leisure suit for saggy jeans that droop below your crotch.
Have a great, safe weekend, whether you're riding, racing, posing, or surfing on the couch.
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Ex-NFL doping public masturbator to challenge Froome, Contador
March 24, 2015 § 35 Comments
The cycling world collectively shook in fear when retired NFL tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr., 32, announced that he was going to begin competing as a professional cyclist. Cycling in the South Bay met up with Winslow after his Tuesday meeting at Mast-Anon.
CitSB: So how's your training going? I understand that you're up to a whole 50-60 miles per day?
KWJ: Whatever it takes. 50, 60, even 70 miles at a pop, don't mean nothin' to me.
CitSB: And it sounds like you're already seeing some good results?
KWJ: Good results? I'm killin' this shit. A first and two seconds in my first three Cat 5 races, and a sixth in my first Cat 4.
CitSB: That's impressive.
KWJ: Damn straight.
CitSB: How long are you giving yourself to go from Cat 4 to the pro ranks?
KWJ: I plan on doing it real methodical-like, I ain't in no hurry. You gotta take time to make time. So I'm giving it six months to make sure my body fully adapts.
CitSB: What kind of adaptations are required to go from being a 10-year NFL veteran to a pro bike racer?
KWJ: The biggest thing is changing your body. My playing weight in the NFL was 245, that's big for a pro cyclist. So I've had to lean up, drop a lot of upper body weight. I'm down to 215, which is really small, you know? Once I get down to 200, 205, I will sign up for the Tour de France.
CitSB: Sign up?
KWJ: Yeah. That's how I entered all my races so far, with the online sign up thing. Pre-registration saves you, like ten bucks. Why I'm gonna give ten bucks to the promoter? This is all part of being a professional in any sport, planning ahead. You plan the work and you work the plan.
CitSB: So you have a bit of a history with doping bans and the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs. Do you think that will be a problem for you in cycling?
KWJ: Me? Naw. That was a set-up. I don't know anything about that. It could have been anything, something spiked in my food or something. I use a lot of supplements to get fast, everyone does. And sometimes the manufacturer puts things in your supplement and you test positive, see? And if that happens to me racing bikes, well, it's not the end of the world. What's four races?
CitSB: Sorry?
KWJ: Yeah, what's four races, especially since they have several races in a week, or some races you can like do two races in one day.
CitSB: I don't follow you.
KWJ: Dude, I got some bogus positive test in the NFL and they suspended me for four games. That's a big deal in the NFL when you're getting paid $50k per game. So I get some bogus positive test racing my bike and get suspended for four races, that's not the end of the world, like I said.
CitSB: Gotcha. The old "four race suspension." Now what about this public masturbation thing?
KWJ: Aw, man, that is old stuff. Why are you bringing that shit up?
CitSB: Well, according to the police report …
KWJ: Fuck the police report. What do you think I am, a pervert?
CitSB: It said you were whacking off in a Target parking lot with two open containers of Vaseline on the console.
KWJ: That's just bull. I'm a K-Y man, anyhow.
CitSB: Okay, well, is there anything else you'd like to add?
KWJ: Yeah. How do you fill up these backpack water jugs in the Tour de France?
CitSB: Your team director will probably handle that for you.
KWJ: Okay, cool.
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Sandbag while you can
March 23, 2015 § 28 Comments
Before the race I saw Dave happily siting on his top tube.
"You racing with us?" I asked.
"No," he said firmly and happily. "Masters 35+ 4/5." Dave had won the Masters 35+ 4/5 sandbagger race the week before in Merced and was licking his chops, noting that none of his competition came anywhere close to his 400 weekly training miles.
"When are you going to upgrade? You're a beast."
He looked at me very seriously. "Oh, no I'm not. I'm still learning so much about racing. And the 40+ group is way too fast."
"Let me know when you've learned everything you need to know about racing," I said.
Our race was going to be whatever is worse than terrible. You would think that a bicycle race where you had to be at least fifty years old to enter wouldn't be that hard, but you would be wrong. On the start line were Thurlow a/k/a The Hand of God a/k/a THOG, Konsmo, the Parksie Twins, G$, Mark Noble, DQ Louie, Jaeger, Pomeranz, and a whole host of other guys I'd never beaten, and wasn't going to beat today.
The course was a 27-mile out-and-back. We were supposed to it twice. The total elevation was about 5,500 feet. Going out, the course had a series of punchy rollers that led to the bottom of a 1-mile climb. After a 2-mile descent, the road continually ascends through a valley with a half-dozen short climbs and a few false flats until you reach the turnaround at the 13 Mile point.
Then the road descends into a headwind all the way to the base of the 2-mile climb, which pitches up, flattens briefly about 2/3 of the way up, then crests and drops you back to the base of the rollers. The race finishes on a 1-km climb with a moderately steep final 200 meter "sprint."
Less than a mile into the race I was fully occupied with Mr. Crash Magnet. He's the guy I get behind in every race and every race has one. Crash Magnet was so scared that his arms were shaking and his entire bike was wobbling. The smart thing in these cases is to get away from Crash Magnet ASAP, but he's called "magnet" for a reason.
In the Wrinkly Prostate Division, although most of the riders aren't good at holding their water, decades of racing have made them masters at avoiding crash magnets. So there is a race-within-a-race: Get away from the magnet. And since I'm the worst bike handler after whomever the crash magnet happens to be, everyone slides and jostles and positions so that I'm the one stuck on Crash Magnet's wheel.
I dashed off to the left and got ahead of him, but to no avail. The deck reshuffled and there he was again. After the fourth reshuffle I resigned myself to the terrible accident in store if he hung around much longer. This is one of the great freeing experiences of bike racing. You are in destiny's maw.
Robb came up next to me after we'd crossed the first four rollers. The bottom of the big climb lay ahead. "This is gonna hurt," he said.
"Why," I asked "are you using the future tense?"
About that time I edged around Crash Magnet just as he made a beeline for the shoulder, hit a rock, shimmied his handlebars, and launched himself headlong into a soft bed of cactus and ocotillo. As I sprinted away, wondering how badly he was hurt, I noted that THOG & The Co. from Hell had moved to the front. I slotted in behind him.
Now here is something that everyone who's been dropped on a hard climb in a hard race surrounded by much better riders can relate to, but ordinary intelligent people who play golf and happily drink beer from the back of a golf cart cannot, and I call it the lighting of the fuse. It happens in stages.
- Terrible feeling of awful dread as you anticipate at the bottom of the climb.
- First acceleration at the bottom where you think, "I can do this."
- Second acceleration shortly after the first where you think, "This is going to be hard."
- Grit teeth as the pace settles in.
- Feeling begins somewhere in your calves, the feeling of give-up-and-quit.
- "I'm not quitting" + excessive teeth gritting. Brief look around to see that the group has halved.
- Third acceleration midway up the climb where you think, "Fuck you cocksuckers to hell."
- Fuse burns up into lower quads. Pain however is no longer localized to legs and has spread to eyeballs.
- Fourth acceleration where the group halves again. Konsmo, who is leading the charge, is on the tops and doesn't appear to be breathing. "Fuck you, Konsmo, if we ever stop I will kill you," you think, or something like that.
- Almost at the top the fuse reaches the bomb and you explode. Body shudders, head droops, prostate deflates.
- "Quit gapping me out motherfucker!" is roared from behind.
- Race effectively ends.
When we reached Stage 11, I leaped onto the last rider's wheel and latched on as we made it over the top. There was hardly anyone left. The pain immediately receded and all of my attention focused on why I'd chosen to try and ride with the leaders instead of doing the logical thing, which would have been following Crash Magnet face-first into the cactus bush.
At the bottom of the valley G$ took over. The pain returned and riders continued to pop off. At the base of each mini-peak G$ would punch it hard, but by now the people who had made it this far weren't going to be dropped so easily. I looked up and saw the lights of the motorcycle that was following the 40+ field containing Mike Easter, Derek Brauch, Matt Carinio, Tony Manzella, Jon Flagg, and Chris DiMarchi. They had left five minutes earlier but the vicious climbing speed of Konsmo and G$ had devoured the time gap.
They were neutralized and we roared by, which led me to wonder this: Could someone please explain the biology behind how a group of riders, some of whom were in their mid-50's, were riding faster than a group of men some of whom were fifteen years younger? Or maybe it was just mirrors and we had lighter wheels. But then I remembered that weight doesn't really matter.
Whatever it was, we sped by with our teeth plastered to the stem as the 40+ pre-geezers stared over, insulted and slack-jawed. Shortly past the turnaround the butthurt 40+ field took matters into their own hands and came flying by us, proving the superiority of youth and better medical care. We never saw them again.
Before long our greatly reduced herd hit the base of the big climb. The fuse was re-lit, and burned all the way until shortly before the short flat. I was sitting on Mark Noble's wheel making that last-gasp cry that lobsters make when you throw them into the boiling water, when I exploded for good. Race over.
With Chris Hahn, Scott McAfee, and Bald Tim on my wheel, we chased madly through the rollers, eventually picking up DQ Louie, who had inexplicably been shelled. After a few more miles of unutterable misery that left Scott and Bald Tim adrift, I dragged Chris and Louie back to the leaders. Of course we reattached at the bottom of the big climb, the fuse was lit, and it mercifully skipped Stages 2-11, going from Stage 1 to Stage 12 in about fifteen seconds. Louie and Chris happily pedaled away, the sorry bastards.
Left to wallow in my own misery, I slogged up the hill, was caught and dropped by teammate Andy Schmidt who had been stoned and chased out of the 40+ community, and was then overtaken by a mongrel group of 40+ and 50+ shellees including teammate John Hatchitt, and assassin/arch enemies Pomeranz and McAfee. I slunk to the back and struggled along to the turnaround, back down the valley, and to the bottom of the big climb.
This time I did something different, though. I put it into the small chain ring. Realizing that I'd been doing the massive climbs in my 53, it occurred to me that perhaps it would be easier if I used a smaller gear. Wow! Who knew???? Climbing is easier in a 39×28 instead of a 53×21. Gawrsh!
McAfee attacked and one by one our group reduced in size until there were only six of us. Hatchitt attacked, caught and dropped McAfee. Then after the false flat Pomeranz attacked, leaving me with a couple of 40+ racers who had no interest in or need to chase down guys who weren't in their race.
With 1k to go I hunted down Hatchitt and McAfee. Hatchitt went early and blew. McAfee went a bit later, but I was able to sit on his wheel until the very end and throw myself across the line, beating out a couple of 40+ wankers and looking less like Mark Cavendish winning MSR and more like a fish whose bleeding mouth had been ripped from a hook and thrown mercilessly onto the rocks to flip, flop, gasp, and die.
After the race I saw Dave, who had sandbagged his way to another awesome win. "Good job," I said, filled with bitterness and envy as I contemplated getting my downgrade for 2016.
Wankamodo snapped this immortal shot of my last-gasp lunge for a top-40 placing in our 40-man field.
50+ Leaky Prostate Category Race Notes:
Mark Noble played a smart waiting game, stayed out of the win, and smashed the four-man leading of group for the win, edging out Bennie Parks, Thurlow Rogers, and Jeff Konsmo. Race activator and head-banger Greg Leibert finished sixth behind Todd Parks, with SPY-Giant-RIDE p/b GQ6 teammate and 2014 winner David Jaeger coming in 8th.
My ride chauffeur, Derek Brauch, got second in the 40+ race behind winner Mike Easter. SPY-Giant-RIDE teammate Jon Flagg put on a display of incredible strength by bridging to the leaders and finishing fourth.
Emily Georgeson got a bronze medal in the women's state championship road race, confirming again that this is her breakout season.
Other people in other races finished, or didn't, with some going faster and others going slower.
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Thomas Dekker hangs up cleats, enjoys new-found independence
March 21, 2015 § 13 Comments
Thomas Dekker retired from the pro peloton yesterday, bringing to a close one of the most illustrious potential careers in professional cycling. Cycling in the South Bay sat down with him on the park bench next to the one he normally sleeps on to talk about what's next.
CitSB: So you've decided to retire?
TD: Yes. It was a really hard decision and I agonized over it for a long time. It was so tough to make up my mind but eventually I knew it was the right thing. Sometimes when you're turning something over in your mind for a long time, seems like there's no good answer, then bang–the answer presents itself.
CitSB: Couldn't find a team, huh?
TD: Oh yes, that was huge. You can't imagine how tough it is to ride as a professional today without a team.
CitSB: Pretty expensive?
TD: Super expensive. Then there's the whole thing about getting your own bottles, driving your own car as the DS, giving yourself massages, and of course being your own domestique and lead-out train. It's very hard to do.
CitSB: You're still not that old compared to, you know, real bike racers like Jens Voigt. Why do you think your career ended so soon?
TD: I'm older than Andy, remember. He quit at age 29.
CitSB: True, but he has a bike shop he's going to open. So that was probably extra motivation for a former Tour de France champion to go ahead and retire. You're not opening a bike shop, are you?
TD: No, but I think the main difference is that guys like Andy and I were from a different generation.
CitSB: How so?
TD: We grew up using massive amounts of drugs from an early age. Devoid of natural talent, work ethic, or drive, we were picked early by our federations' sports-industrial complex and earmarked for success. Sheltered, pampered, overpaid, and feted, we grew up thinking that bike racing meant cranking out good numbers in a lab and winter training meant withdrawing oxygenated blood in December for later use in July.
CitSB: And you mean that there was more to bike racing than that?
TD: Not initially. Come on, we crushed it before they started cracking down on Lance.
CitSB: What was that thing with the hour record?
TD: I was hoping that someone would see how fast I was and offer me a contract. Simple. Kind of like Horner signing on with that junior high development squad and only doing the local CBR crits. I like that guerilla marketing stuff. "Grand Tour champion sprints for water bottle prime." Freaking cool. Some big team is gonna snap that guy up soon.
CitSB: Surely some teams showed interest?
TD: Nope.
CitSB: What do you chalk that up to?
TD: As Jonathan Vaughters said a couple of years ago, I'm sort of an immature asshole.
CitSB: I think his words were "arrogant prick" and "hugely insecure guy."
TD: I think that's pretty close to "immature asshole."
CitSB: Fair enough.
TD: So yes, that probably had something to do with me not getting another ride.
CitSB: What are your plans for the future?
TD: (Waves hands at park bench) This is the future, mate.
CitSB: Wow. These steel armrests must be pretty uncomfortable to rest your head on at night.
TD: Yes, but you know what? My whole life up to now was dominated by cycling, but I do not want to depend on my form, my equipment, my team, anyone or anything any longer. My cycling career was beautiful, ugly, intense, and edifying. I'm ready for a new step. Without my bike.
CitSB: That's pretty noble, but as my dad used to say, how are you gonna eat?
TD: Could you lend me five bucks?
CitSB: Sure.
TD: Thanks.
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text:
A full moon in Taipei. (Photo/Chen Yi-cheng)
Stargazers can see a full moon at its smallest this year on Nov. 28, when it passes the farthest point from the earth, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said.
The celestial event will take place at 10:46 p.m. that day, with the moon's location being pegged at a distance of some 406,000 kilometers from the earth, the museum added.
Even though observers might not be able to tell the difference in the moon's size with the naked eye, the museum said, the moon will actually be about 10% smaller than its size earlier on May 6 this year, when it passed the perigee to reach its roundest.
Astronomy buffs might need to go southward to get a clear view of the moon as rainy weather had been forecast in northern and eastern Taiwan.
full moon, Taiwan, smallest, size, astronomy
Wang Jun is the director of China's State Administration of Taxation. A native of Henan province, he was born in 1958 and joined the Communist Party ...
Copyright ©

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Compact reversible switch allows a 15° offset of the box end for clearance of obstacles.
- "Five-degree" ratcheting design for versatility and ease of use in tight spaces.
- Polished chrome finish for superior corrosion resistance.
- Precision heads for accurate fastener fit.
- Hardened for durability and longer life.
- Exceeds ASME/ANSI specifications.
- Lifetime limited warranty.
- Note: This is not an insulated tool.
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$705—$1,395 1—2 bed 4512 Blue Tee Court #103, Tampa FL, 33613
Previously Listed: from $705 1—2 bed
4512 Blue Tee Court #103, University, 33613
Commute to Downtown University
This apartment is in University. Nearby parks include Varsity Tennis Courts, Soccer and Track Stadium and University Area Community Park.
Fairway Oaks Apartments has a Walk Score of 25 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so most errands require a car.
Our attractive community is landscaped with many grand old oak trees and a multitude of mature shrubbery. We are located across from the USF golf course. You can walk, bike or hop the Bull Run Shuttle to the USF Campus. We cater to those who are selective and truly care about where they live. Many of our staff reside on property which allows us to give our valued residents prompt emergency service.
Danya L
Nov 04, 2014
Parker Posey
Sep 19, 2014
I've lived in a lot of places and this by far is the best place I've lived. Its not overly amazing in terms of how old it is. You're not going to get stainless steel appliances by any means but what you do get is nice and its so affordable compared to everything else in the area once they start tacking on all their crazy fees. Here I pay for my water, trash and electric and nothing else. I love my neighbors, I love how quiet it is, I love how fast maintenance comes to fix things when they say they are. I really have enjoyed my time here. I will be leaving soon because I got a job in Orlando. I hope I get half as luck the next time around.
Nimmagadda Sri Krishna
Sep 04, 2014
I would never like to live in this place again.
Megan Knox
Jun 09, 2014
If the management was better this would be the perfect place to live. It is super close to USF and the Bull-Runner bus makes a stop here. It is close to everything you could possibly need, Target/ Walmart/Publix, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. The apartments are spacious, the neighbors are nice (and super diverse! Which is great!), the neighborhood itself is very beautiful and relaxing. We have lived here for over 2 years now and it seems that we keep experiencing disappointment after disappointment. It saddens me to write this review because this is definitely a great place to live, just the management ruins it. They "reconfigured" the community code to add hidden (and unnecessary) fees. DO NOT MOVE IN HERE IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO PAY $100-$250 FOR AN "INSPECTION" FEE WHEN YOU MOVE OUT (On TOP of the security deposit, I might add). We have had to file several maintenance reports to get simple things done. For example: 1. Our stove burner sparks when turned on (filed report 8 months ago, someone came to look at it, never fixed it, never returned). 2. Our master bathroom bathtub's drain stopper does not work i.e. I can't take a relaxing bubble bath after a 10 hour shift. (Filed report 5 months ago, someone came out and look at it, never fixed it, filed ANOTHER report last week, someone came out, looked at it, still didn't fix it). 3. Our toilet is constantly getting stopped up and will run continuously. This has increased our water bill significantly. (Filed a report 2 weeks ago, someone came out, looked at it, didn't fix it, haven't returned since.) 4. Our lock on our door is very old and probably needs cleaning or replacing. (We filed a report last week, someone came out, looked at it, never returned). I mean, we pay almost 900 dollars a month for this place, ON TOP of utilities. This is definitely not the best deal in the USF area, but we chose to stay here because of the location and quiet neighborhood (and because we are too busy to move). The least they can do is be on top of maintenance. I really hope the management staff gets it's act together, or else they are going to have a lot of vacant apartments.
Jesse Rocket
Apr 24, 2014
Lived there for a year and that was about enough for my liking. The apartments are pretty roomy and comfortable, except the bathrooms which are tiny. The people who live there are a good mix of students and working families and generally seemed nice enough, and there's plenty of parking. Students at USF can ride the bus to school so they don't need a car. It's not high end by any means, but it's decent. On the down side the windows are terrible and let in all the cold in the winter and make the electric bill insane in the summer. They also let in every noise from the parking lot. Instead of fixing them they apparently spent all their money repaving the parking lot for some stupid reason, instead of giving people decent windows. The main problem was the manager, who's one of those really unpleasant office lady types. Has some seriously weird priorities about how to keep the place nice. She'd throw a fit about people drying their laundry on the patio like it was some kind of super posh place, but really it's not. Apparently clean laundry is unsightly, unlike the recycling dumpster which she allowed to get so overfilled it didn't close, and left like that for days at a time without calling the people to come empty it. She should really switch jobs and work at a condo for old people or something, because they're the only ones who care so much about petty sh*t like how people dry their laundry.
University, Florida, 33613
Most errands require a car.
It is possible to get on a bus.
Flat as a pancake, minimal bike lanes.
Score Details
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from Fairway Oaks Apartments.
Fairway Oaks Apartments has minimal transit which means it is possible to get on a bus. Car sharing is available from WeCar and RelayRides.
Bus lines:
57 Uatc - Temple Terrace - Netpark
0.2 mi
6 56th Street
0.7 mi
Car shares:
View all University apartments on a map.
Popular apartment searches include pool, fitness and furnished.
Find a University real estate agent who knows walkable neighborhoods. Links will open on our partner site Redfin.com.
Fairway Oaks Apartments is in the city of University, FL. University has an average Walk Score of 45 and has 41,163 residents.Learn More About University


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Discussing: help with a made-up Sindar name
help with a made-up Sindar name
Message: 44514
14 Sep 05 1:24 PM
Original Post
General Audience
I need a made-up name for a character only mentioned once in a ficlet I'm polishing - so don't drive yourselves crazy over it.
I wanted a name that would mean something like 'Storm'. The name is for an animal, so I created Gwaelion; which I'm hoping means "wind-son". Should it be Gwaehion instead - I have only a poor grasp on the concept of lenition, and was vaguely using Gwaihir as a model, and ended up liking the sound of the name. Can I get away with using it, or will those readers who actually have a good comprehension of Sindarin be snickering at me?
Re: help with a made-up Sindar name
Message: 44520
14 Sep 05 8:16 PM
Reply To: 44514
General Audience
According to my sources, Gwael is gull – probably not quite the meaning you are looking for here. Gwaew is wind - so Gwaewion might be OK. Some other masculine endings are –dor (lit. –tor with t > d), –dan, –dir, and the older Doriathrin ending –on. You could probably drop the 'w' at the end if the suffix starts with a consonant.
You might also consider sûl (= 'wind') with either –ion or another masculine ending (ex. Súlion) and then there's the attested Alagos which means 'storm of wind'.
One of the above mentioned endings is actually already lenited. I don't understand all the intricacies of lenition in word building, but it seems to me that the letter 'd' doesn't always lenit in such uses, at least it doesn't in Haldir, so I'm guessing it would be OK without lenition in the above cases.
Hope that helps,
Ithildin *(
Re: help with a made-up Sindar name
Message: 44521
14 Sep 05 9:09 PM
Reply To: 44520
General Audience
Thanx much, Ithildin! Súlion sounds good - that is Sindarin, isn't it? Or should it be Sûlion with the circumflex over the u? I can't tell if that mark you wrote is a circumflex or an accent....And I can't figure out how to change font sizes here, much less color.
Re: help with a made-up Sindar name
Message: 44524
14 Sep 05 10:50 PM
Reply To: 44521
General Audience
You are most welcome, I am glad you found one you liked.
I used the circumflex on the Sindarin root word sûl and the acute accent on the coined name Súlion. The way I understand it, the circumflex denotes 'extra-long' vowels which are mostly found in one syllable words. So, when a word is changed to become multi-syllable, the vowel becomes shorter. It may be that no accent is needed in the final word (especially if it falls on an unstressed syllable) but I think it is correct to use the acute accent here, as the first syllable will still receive the stress. An attested example might be dûn - 'west' (with circumflex) and dúnadan – 'man of the west' (with acute accent).
The difference between the acute accent and the circumflex may not be all that important anyway. In Tengwar both 'long' and 'extra-long' vowels are marked alike. I have read that Tolkien used the different marks only when Sindarin was transcribed into our Roman alphabet, presumably to help (us poor, non-native Elvish speakers) with pronunciation.
As for the colors and fonts, I admit I formatted in MS Word; then pasted it in. On the forum reply toolbar the little color palette icon lets you pick a font color but I don't see any options for actually changing the font or text size. I do like the 'magnifying' symbol picker for writing those accented elvish letters – very handy!
Ithildin *(
Re: help with a made-up Sindar name
Message: 44530
16 Sep 05 12:26 AM
Reply To: 44524
General Audience
I don't have MS Word; just MS Works and Notepad. I can't access the palette icon.
I appreciate your help. Súlion may be a very minor OC in a ficlet I'm working on, but I like my use of Tolkien's languages to be credible even for spear-carriers. Well, he can't carry spears; he's a hound (I decided that Huan the Hound's sire and dam should be named ), but for personal reasons I wanted him named something vaguely stormy...
Hmm. Now I'm getting plotbunnies that want me to do more with Súlion. Darn pesky nuzgul! I already am up to my neck in Faramir-nuzgul (which sounds vaguely pleasant); I don't have time for more!
It's all your fault. You named the critter too well.
Seriously, thanx much!
Re: help with a made-up Sindar name
Message: 44535
16 Sep 05 12:17 PM
Reply To: 44530
General Audience
I know the feeling. You could probably download Open Office 1.4 though and achieve relatively the same result. There's a free download available at FF.net if you're interested.


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New to Typophile? Accounts are free, and easy to set up.
Sorry if this is completely inappropriate, but I'm needing to sell an extra FontBook I have. I bought a copy and then won a copy in the same week (imagine that). It's brand new, unopened, and on eBay (http://tinyurl.com/38ufye).


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Etymology 1Edit
See reif.
Alternative formsEdit
- (now chiefly dialectal) Spoil; booty; plunder, especially plunder from robbery.
- (now chiefly dialectal) The act of practise of robbery; spoliation; depredation.
- (now chiefly dialectal) The act of carrying off, abducting, or devouring (another).
- (now chiefly dialectal, Scotland) Rapacity; greedy desire for plunder.
- (now chiefly dialectal, Scotland) A thief; robber.
Etymology 2Edit
reaf (plural reafs)
- obsolete spelling of reef
- 1834 August 2, Niles' Register, page 384:
- A large number of vessels continued to be wrecked, and a vast amount of property is lost on the Florida reafs.
- 1891, H. A. Moriarty, Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean, Westward of Longitude 80° east, including Madagascar, page 124:
- The largest ships may pass between the outer reafs and the Black rocks.
- 1834 August 2, Niles' Register, page 384:


text:
DET@KC: Rondon hits triple digits numerous times
DET@KC: Rondon hits triple digits numerous times
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text: POPSUGAR Fashion Must Reads Coutorture Community's Morning Must Reads 5/22 Coutorture Community's Morning Must Reads 5/22 by coutorture 5/22/08 0 Shares Like us on Facebook How closely do you pay attention to fashion when you're on vacation? Learn about fashion all over the world and more in today's Must Read posts from: Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains brings us a taste of New Orleans street fashion. She's A Betty has fallen in love with Marcello Toshi shoes. Betsy Ross' Journal introduces us to her thread buddy. Beauty and Personal Grooming finds value in beauty drinks. Perfume Posse reviews Burberry's The Beat. Read More Must ReadsBeauty Beauty 10 Model-Approved French Beauty Brands You Can Snag Stateside Kylie Jenner Spends 40 Minutes Doing Her Famous Lips Every Day Your Friends Will Thank You For This DIY Spa Trio You Have to See How Stunning Diane Kruger's Skin Is Without Makeup Get chic with our daily newsletter Enjoy street style trends, runway looks, and the best in celeb beauty in your inbox. Beauty Tips Celebrity Style Fashion & Beauty News Street Style Sign up with What's Your Reaction? Thanks for your reaction Don't forget to share this with your friends! 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Reactions Link Love Meet Cara's Insta-twin, Olivia Herdt — Lucky 19 ways to dress like a New York City gal — Who What Wear And Kanye West's latest fashion venture is . . . — Racked This video forces you to think about diversity in fashion — HuffPost Style Buy Stuart Weitzman heels, fight cancer. It's a win-win — The Cut Avoid all wardrobe mishaps with these essentials — InStyle A stylish belt to DIY — and it won't break the bank — Man Repeller Are live-stream cameras about to change Fashion Week? — Style.com The new ring we can't stop obsessing over — SheFinds


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"Fast Money" traders looked at how to play Yahoo, Sandisk and other technology names that made headlines on Thursday.» Read More
Take a look at some of Mondays morning movers.
Take a look at some of Thursday's midday movers:
Discussing tailwinds facing Netflix, with the FMHR traders. Meanwhile Facebook reaches 1 billion users. Nicholas Carlson, Business Insider, weighs in.
NEW YORK-- Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:. A Citi analyst maintained his "Buy" rating on the homebuilder's stock and raised his price target to $25 from $19 on margins.
Stocks posted modest gains in volatile trading Wednesday, lifted by a batch of better-than-expected economic reports, but ongoing worries over a global slowdown kept investors on edge.
LOS ANGELES-- Netflix Inc. shares rose Wednesday after an analyst said customer satisfaction is on the rise following the price hike last year that irked subscribers. Internet users, including about half that either had a Netflix subscription or are currently subscribers.
Take a look at some of Wednesday's midday movers:
U.S. stocks advanced on Wednesday after stronger-than-expected employment and service-sector data in the United States. But a gloomier outlook in China and Europe weighed on commodity prices and hit energy and materials shares. **SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS INC, $41.60, up 177 pct.
U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday after stronger-than-expected employment and service-sector data in the United States, but a gloomier outlook in China and Europe weighed on commodity prices and hit energy and materials shares. **SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS INC, $40.65, up 171 pct. **HEWLETT-PACKARD CO, $15.67, down 8.4 pct.
**SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS INC, $40.19, up 168 pct. **BIOLASE INC, $2.11, up 27 pct. The company said health regulators in Europe and the United States approved its laser device for use in soft tissue surgery, teeth whitening, and pain therapy.
Oct 3- Citi Investment Research stood by its "buy" rating on Netflix Inc despite several risks surrounding the online streaming video company's growth prospects. "Netflix remains one of the most controversial stocks we cover," Citi analyst Mark Mahaney said in a research note to clients. "
The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.37 percent. **SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS INC, $30.30, up 102 pct. **INTERMUNE INC, $9.74, up 10 pct.
It's an issue of math when deciding who gets to carry its video content, Lionsgate Films Vice Chairman Michael Burns said Monday on CNBC.
Could Netflix have the same kind of growth potential as Amazon? Michael Burns, Lionsgate vice chairman, discusses how major entertainment companies are positioning themselves for accelerated streaming content growth.
NEW YORK, Oct 1- Investor Whitney Tilson has changed his mind and touted video rental company Netflix. After double digit losses in 2011 caused in part by being wrong-footed on Netflix, Tilson's T2 had a strong first quarter. Now Netflix has grabbed his attention largely for what he said should be strong global growth. "
Stocks snapped a four-day rally Monday, pulling back from Fed-fueled multi-year highs, amid fresh geopolitical worries and following a drop in oil prices.
Enticing consumers to buy the new Nintendo Wii U game console for their living rooms comes down to unique content and an innovated user experience, Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America President and COO, told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Friday.
Heading into 2013, one analyst is moderately bullish on Netflix. TheStreet.com reports.
Two Accenture execs write that established firms saddled with legacy systems are in danger of being outmaneuvered by emerging challengers. Armed with new and better technology, infrastructure and organizations, these companies are better positioned to meet ever-more demanding business needs. But it does not have to be this way, they caution.
Consumers are facing a 'cloud runaround,' reports a contributor from TheStreet.com. It's the big technology debate of our time, and the winners stand to profit, she says.


text:
Launching the DataStax Community AMI
After creating the security group, you can launch your AMI instances.
If you need more help, click an informational icon or a link to the Amazon EC2 User Guide.
Launch the AMI using the links in the following table:
Amazon EC2 offers a number of geographic regions for launching the AMI. Factors for choosing a region include: reduce latency, cost, or regulatory requirements.
Region AMI HVM instances (Hardware-assisted Virtual Machine - see Amazon documentation.) us-east-1 ami-ada2b6c4 us-west-1 ami-3cf7c979 us-west-2 ami-1cff962c eu-west-1 ami-7f33cd08 ap-southeast-1 ami-b47828e6 ap-southeast-2 ami-55d54d6f ap-northeast-1 ami-714a3770 sa-east-1 ami-1dda7800 PV instances (Para-virtualization) us-east-1 ami-f9a2b690 us-west-1 ami-32f7c977 us-west-2 ami-16ff9626 eu-west-1 ami-8932ccfe ap-southeast-1 ami-8c7828de ap-southeast-2 ami-57d54d6d ap-northeast-1 ami-6b4a376a sa-east-1 ami-15da7808
In Step 2: Choose an Instance Type, choose the appropriate
The recommended instances are:
- Development and light production: m3.large
- Moderate production: m3.xlarge
- SSD production with light data: c3.2xlarge
- Largest heavy production: m3.2xlarge (PV) or i2.2xlarge (HVM)
- Micro, small, and medium types are not supported.
When the instance is selected, its specifications are displayed:
Because Amazon updates instance types periodically, see the following docs to help you determine your hardware and storage requirements:
- Planning a cluster deployment
- User guide in the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud Documentation
- What is the story with AWS storage
- Get in the Ring with Cassandra and EC2
Click Next: Configure Instance Details and configure the
instances to suit your requirements:
- Number of instances
- Network - Select Launch into EC2-Classic.
- Advanced Details - Open and add the following
options (as text) to the User Data section.
Option Description --clustername name Required. The name of the cluster. --totalnodes #_nodes Required. The total number of nodes in the cluster. --version community Required. The version of the cluster. Use community to install the latest version of DataStax Community. --opscenter [no] Optional. By default, DataStax OpsCenter is installed on the first instance. Specify no to disable. --reflector url Optional. Allows you to use your own reflector. Default: http://reflector2.datastax.com/reflector2.php
For example: --clustername myDSCcluster --totalnodes 6 --version community
Click Next: Add Storage, and add volumes as
The number of instance store devices available to the machine depends on the instance type. EBS volumes are not recommended for database storage.
Click Next: Tag Instance and give a name to your DSE
instance, such as workload-dsc.
Tags enable you to categorize your AWS resources in different ways, such as purpose, owner, or environment.
Click Next: Configure Security Group and configure as
- Choose Select an existing security group.
- Select the Security Group you created earlier.
- Click Review and Launch.
- On the Step 7: Review Instance Launch page, make any needed changes.
Click Launch and then in the Select an
existing key pair or create a new key pair dialog, do one of the
- Select an existing key pair from the Select a key pair drop list.
- If you need to create a new key pair, click Choose an existing key pair drop list and select Create a new key pair. Then create the new key pair as described in Creating a key pair.
Click Launch Instances.
The AMI image configures your cluster and starts Cassandra services. The Launch Status page is displayed.
- Click View Instances.


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Please recommend clumping bamboo for Calif. desert?
Is there such thing as sun loving, drought tolerate clumping bamboo? we are near Palm Spring, California. Sandy soil, warm winter and super hot/dry summer. Plenty of sun and not much water.
Ideally, the bamboo should max out at 12 ft tall or so and dense foliage.
Any recommendations?
Bamboo typically are not drought tolerant: they like lots of water. Unless you are prepared to water it or provide dripper irrigation, you are not going to be successful. Do you see any of your neighbors who are successfully growing bamboo? If so, I suggest you ask them what species it is and how they maintain it. Or you could ask a local nursery.
I wish I could be more helpful, but what you describe is not an ideal situation, and I don't think it would help you by suggesting any plant names unless you want to alter the watering situation on you property.
Mexican Weeping Bamboo.(Otatea acuminata ssp. Aztecorum).


text:
We maintain five Thames bridges including the world-famous Tower Bridge and iconic Millennium Bridge
Sir John Cass Primary School - one of the leading primary schools in the capital
The City is the world's leading centre for international financial services and business
Leading the way with urban planning
Find our green spaces in London including Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches and over 200 parks and gardens in the Square Mile
Golden Lane Sport & Fitness is one in a range of leisure options available in the Square Mile
Our libraries offer a wealth of knowledge and a place for the community to meet
Two new primary academies have been approved by the Department of Education: one located in the City-Islington border area and another in Southwark
Discover all the City of London has to offer this Easter with something for everyone
Applications for the Lord Mayor's Dragon Awards, rewarding excellence in corporate community involvement, are open until 18 May
The zebra crossing has been replaced by a new pedestrian crossing. The trial will last up to a year and will assess the impact on both pedestrians and road users
The City thrives because it's open to global talent: Don't pull up the drawbridge
Sculpture in the City 2014 wins the 2015 Civic Trust Awards which recognise the very best in architecture, urban design, planning, landscape, public realm and public art. Find out more...
Find out what's on this Spring - writing workshops, guided walks and family entertainment and more…
Read about the latest road closures, etc.
We aim to plan proposed works carefully to keep disruptions to a minimum.
Sign up to receive our monthly email about what's new and exciting in the Square Mile.
Find out about events in the City of London


text:
Ikelite SD10 Housing
There are no off-the-shelf housings for the Sigma SD9/10 DSLRs. Such a housing could not be cost-justified, given the volume of sales and the profile of the user-base In researching the options, it very quickly became clear that Ikelite would be the only reasonably-priced choice and for all practical purposes, the only choice. After some discussion with Ike and a review of the camera by his staff, it was determined that a custom housing could be done from their standard digital mold.


text:
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Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


text: Education CrossCurrents - Roaring Fork School Facilities Plan By Carolyne Heldman • Oct 15, 2014 Today on CrossCurrents, Roaring Fork School District is holding a series of community meetings throughout the month to discuss the RFSD Facilities plan. Guests are Dr. Diana Sirko, Superintendent of RFSD and Shannon Pelland, Assistant Superintendent in charge of the Facilities Project. http://www.rfsd.k12.co.us/ Students, Parents Tackle College Questions at Fair By Elise Thatcher • Oct 5, 2014 Elise Thatcher On Sunday, October 5th, Aspen High School hosted just under three thousand students and parents from Lake City, Durango, and other far flung Colorado towns. They quizzed University representatives and took workshops as part of the Colorado Western Slope College Fair. It's been around for years, but this time, the focus was on helping students with the details, like essay writing and affordability. Colorado Mountain College: K-12, employer training new focus By Elise Thatcher • Sep 16, 2014 Elise Thatcher Colorado Mountain College is turning its focus to what kids are learning before they walk in the door. Right now more than half of incoming students are severely lacking in certain subjects, usually math and English. So now the community college… the largest such network in the state… is working on finding a way to improve what kids are learning in elementary, middle, and high school. It's part of a larger effort to better serve mountain communities. Preschool Program Focuses On The Brain By Marci Krivonen • Sep 16, 2014 Kate Lapides A growing education program in the Valley is teaching preschoolers how their brain works so they can focus on learning. The "Focused Kids" program is being taught to low income, mostly Latino kids, in a unique preschool. As Aspen Public Radio's Marci Krivonen reports, this new program is happening inside a school bus. Inside El Busesito, a small group of students and teachers are playing games on the carpeted floor. It's a comfortable space that doesn't look at all like a bus. The seats have been removed to make way for books and toys. State Of Colorado Developing Marijuana Education Campaign By Marci Krivonen • Sep 5, 2014 Marci Krivonen On Thursday we told you about how the Aspen-based Valley Marijuana Council is working on educating people about retail pot. Today we'll explain how the State of Colorado is using tax money from marijuana sales to create an education campaign of its own. The Colorado Department of Public Health is planning to roll out television commercials, radio spots and billboards early next year around how to use marijuana safely. Western Slope Lawmaker Carried Independence Pass Measure By Marci Krivonen • May 27, 2014 Creative Commons/Flickr/Mike Johnston State Representative Millie Hamner carried three times the number of bills this legislative session, than she did in the previous session. The democrat, who represents several Western Slope counties including Pitkin County, chairs the House education committee. She told Aspen Public Radio's Marci Krivonen that she's most proud of two measures that bring hundreds of millions of dollars to Colorado schools. Final Legislative Session A Wrap For State Senator Gail Schwartz By Marci Krivonen • May 9, 2014 gailschwartz.org Snowmass Village democrat Gail Schwartz wrapped up her career as a state senator this week. The lawmaker is term-limited after spending eight years under the gold dome in Denver. Her impact on issues like education, healthcare and water have been felt around the state, including here in the Roaring Fork Valley. Aspen Public Radio's Marci Krivonen reports. On the last day of the 2014 legislative session, Schwartz's colleagues saluted her service, including Senate Majority Leader Rollie Heath. Lessons on Ducks, Snow; Environmental Education Expands By Marci Krivonen • Mar 17, 2014 Marci Krivonen Environmental education is expanding in schools across the Roaring Fork Valley. The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies grew its teaching programs over the last two years to include schools like Basalt Elementary and Carbondale's Crystal River Elementary school. As Aspen Public Radio's Marci Krivonen reports, studies show schools with environmental programs score higher on standardized tests. Environmental educator Melanie Poole instructs a group of kindergarten students plopped down in a semi-circle. Today's lesson is about duck adaptations. CrossCurrents - School Calendars & Youth Initiative By Carolyne Heldman • Mar 12, 2014 Roaring Fork School District (RE-1) is considering a change to the school calendar. Superintendent Dr. Diana Sirko discusses the process and the next steps along with John Bennett from Aspen Community Foundation's Cradle to Career Initiative. CrossCurrents - The Aspen Challenge By Carolyne Heldman • Mar 5, 2014 The show is about The Aspen Challenge at Denver Public Schools with Natalie Travers, Program Manager of the Aspen Challenge, Will Palmquist, a junior at East High School in Denver, and Solicia Lopez, the Student Board Director at Denver Public Schools. http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/challenge/denver Pages« first ‹ previous 1 2 3 next › last »


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Grand Southern (Start Los Angeles) » Review by Jelly_Bean
The most fun I have ever had. Justin Camarda was an excellent tour manager, so relaxed. The best way to see so much in so little time!
Review written Oct 2010event 0.3
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LeBron James injury
LeBron James says he is day-to-day with sprained ankle
Jan 13, 2011, 2:45 AM EDT
In the fourth quarter of the Heat's loss to the Clippers — yes, the Heat lost to the Clippers, you read that right — LeBron James attacked the basket and after a missed layup rolled his ankle as he landed and he tried to keep weight off it as he ended up 10 feet off…
In case you were at all worried, LeBron James looks just fine
Oct 19, 2010, 1:11 AM EDT
The Miami Heat have been racking up injuries this preseason like an NFL team so far, including LeBron James missing some time with a tight hamstring. If you were worried that hamstring was going to linger, worry no more — James moved well, had his jumper going and had 33 points on 10 of 17.…
LeBron leaves game in third quarter with leg cramps; will sit Wednesday
Oct 12, 2010, 10:49 PM EDT
That noise you heard around 9:30 tonight was just the sigh of relief coming from Miami. James left the Heat's game against CSKA Moscow with 3:21 left in the third quarter showing a pronounced limp. He went back to the locker room and word spread that it was a hamstring injury (the same thing that…
LeBron's elbow to have another MRI, tweet about it
May 5, 2010, 9:55 AM EDT
LeBron James' is having a second MRI on his elbow, and there is nothing funny about that. Unless you're reading LeBron's elbow's twitter account. Seriously. First the news part of this post, because how can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat? LeBron is having a second MRI on his elbow today…
NBA Playoffs Cavs Celtics Game 1: Elbow this
May 1, 2010, 10:41 PM EDT
Everything was going so well for Boston. Shaq missing chippies. Rajon Rondo dominating. Kendrick Perkins protecting inside. Kevin Garnett playing as well as he has this season. A lead, in Cleveland, and just a quarter and a half to close. Plus, LeBron's elbow was making him timid. Elbow this. (Click here to see PBT's first…
NBA Playoffs: LeBron's hurt elbow is a delightful joke
Apr 29, 2010, 1:21 PM EDT
Make no mistake, LeBron's elbow strain, while not serious, is pretty serious. Not necessarily in the degree of the injury, but certainly in its potential magnitude. The Orlando Magic are a tough out even for a fully healthy Cleveland team, and the Boston Celtics aren't exactly slouching these days, either. That makes LeBron's elbow an…
LeBron says he's worried, but fans shouldn't be
Apr 28, 2010, 11:19 AM EDT
About that elbow… Relax. Nothing to worry about. Oh, sure, it's some random thing that nobody knows what it is but his arm just goes numb at times, but why worry about that? What is wrong with you people. Don't take my word for it, here are the words of LeBron James himself. There…
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Fund Raising
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Falling in love with Hanoi the second time around
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Review: Harolds Hotel in Cebu City
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Latest News & Announcements
Win a Free Mortgage Payment
In honor of National Homeownership Month this June, TSAHC will be paying a month's mortgage for five new homeowners.
Disabled Veteran Receives Donated Home in Kingwood
On Tuesday, December 16th, Arthur Thomas, a disabled veteran, and his wife Charlene received a mortgage-free home in the Kingwood neighborhood of Houston. The Thomas's are the latest family to benefit from TSAHC's Affordable Communities of Texas Veterans Housing Initiative (ACT-VET).
Wells Fargo Housing Foundation Awards $10,000 to TSAHC
This grant will support a week-long training for housing counselors as part of the Texas Statewide Homebuyer Education Program (TSHEP).
Latest from Our Blog
Which Type of Home is Right for You?
You've decided to buy a home—congratulations! But which type of home should you buy? The choices seem endless. Should you buy a newly built home in a brand new neighborhood or an existing home in an older, established neighborhood? TSAHC staff has done some research to help you make your decision.
National Study Finds High Rents Hurting Millions of Americans
In its recent study The Rise of the Renter Nation, the national Homes for All campaign reports that there are currently 43 million rental households in the United States and that nearly half of these households are paying more than they can afford toward their rent.
The Social and Economic Benefits of Homeownership
For many families, there are financial benefits to owning a home, including tax deductions and building wealth through home equity. But did you know that there are social and economic benefits to owning a home as well?


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Barry Diller's IAC Beats Quarterly Earnings Expectations
Barry Diller's IAC bested expectations when it reported Tuesday that revenue rose 23 percent to $799.4 million and adjusted earnings climbed to 95 cents per share in the second quarter. Net earnings rose 35 percent to $58.3 million.
Analysts had expected the company to earn 83 cents a share on revenue of $781.6 million.
IAC said growth was driven by Match.com and smaller, similar sites like Meetic and OkCupid, as well as its "search and applications" unit.
New-media studio Electus also performed well, as did digital video platform, Vimeo.
IAC is comprised of a portfolio of some 150 brands, including Ask.com, About.com, The Daily Beast, CollegeHumor.com and Citysearch.
Shares of IAC rose two percent during the regular trading session to $52.63 and and were up one percent after the closing bell.
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The Uncensored, Epic, Never-Told Story Behind 'Mad Men'
Justin Bieber Roast: Ludacris Speaks Out About "Over the Line" Paul Walker Jokes


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World's Coolest Staircases
Wendy Connett / Alamy
Las Pozas, Xilitla, Mexico
Built by eccentric English poet Edward James in 1962, this Surrealist sculpture garden took more than two decades to complete and covers 80-plus acres of Mexican jungle with groovy structures like the "Stairway to the Sky," a winding staircase you can climb up several stories—but that leads nowhere. Las Pozas also has natural waterfalls and pools. —Briana Fasone


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3 Items Found
- Ch Mourgues Du Gres Les Galets Rose 2013 Product #28835 (In Stock)
A rich but crisp and herabal pink from the South of France to enjoy with hearty food (or just on its own).
"Mostly syrah, with a bit of grenache. Bright orange. Ripe red berries and cherry on the nose, with a dusty mineral overtone adding vibrancy. Offers chewy bitter cherry and berry skin flavors and hints of anise and blood orange, with a touch of white pepper adding refreshing bite. The cherry and mineral notes echo on the nicely delineated finish."International Wine Cellar 89 points
- Dom Bunan Mas De La Rouviere Bandol Rose 2013 Product #28359 (In Stock)
Classic Bandol heft and complexity here with plenty of ripe fruit and herbal accents.
"Savory and tarragon hints are followed by notes of white cherry, bergamot and bitter orange, with a lovely mouthfeel. Stays graceful and lacy through the finish, with a lingering echo of strawberry that expands with air. Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Grenache. Drink now."Wine Spectator 91 points
- Ch Les Valentines Rose Cotes De Provence 2013 Product #28487 (In Stock)
Simply the best rosé we'll offer this year, this is the kind of rosé that will delight fans and convert pink wine skeptics. It's a blend of Grenache and Cinsault from 30 year-old vines in certified organic vineyards just a few miles inland from Saint Tropez that offers both classic Provençal freshness and enough heft and body for amazing versatility at table. Buy a couple of cases – one for summer and the second to enjoy all Fall, Winter, and Spring long!
The color of this wine is a showstopper – such a delicate, shimmering, pale pink that it's hard to believe there could be any weight or flavor at all. But then rich and powerful in the mouth with notes of strawberry, cranberry, fresh herb and anise all clean and crisp and creamy. The finish is a bit insane, going on and on and on.
"Obviously a wine to drink on February 14, this is brightly fruity and crisp while showing some good dense flavors. Red fruits push through the citrus and grapefruit acidity to give a full-bodied, ripe wine."Wine Enthusiast 90 points


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Want to give someone tomato seeds :)
Hey ya'll! My name is Angela. I've been reading different posts on the Garden Web forums for about the past month now, but finally joined up. :) Now, as to why I'm posting. I have a dilemma.
I plan to get some tomato seeds from Tomato Fest. I put all the seeds in the cart, but alas, I only had $10 in seeds, and you need to have a $15 minimum purchase. I tried to get some random thing, like potting soil since it was cheap, but it takes me to another site. So I need to buy more tomato seeds.
So, since I can't fit any more tomato plants in my raised beds I'm gonna make, I was wondering if anyone wanted some tomato seeds from Tomato Fest. I can spend another $5 or $6, so I can do two cheaper packets of tomatoes, or one more pricey and cheaper, etc. I'd buy some and give them to my father-in-law, who loves tomatoes, but he only buys the plants already started, and so I figured to maybe give some to people who would appreciate it. :)
Although I'll give the two packets for free, if someone might wanna trade me for the Sun Gold cherry tomato seeds, I'd be eternally grateful! That's the only one's I was gonna have to order from another site.
If anyone's interested, please write back! I'd like to have my order placed by this Wednesday if possible. :)
Actually, ralleia, I'd LIKE some, but if people don't have the Sun Gold F1, that's alright. :) And to BioTomato, I have an idea. I was thinking about getting a roma, and growing a row of it, but I didn't need a whole packet's worth. Since you want a same type as me, there's 30 seeds in a packet, does it sound good if I take 15 and give you 15? :) And I'll e-mail you this as well, should you read your e-mail before this. I'm so glad some seeds will get to someone who will appreciate them! ^_^
Knapps Fresh Veggies and The Sample Seed shop (Google, both online) sell small packs (15-20seeds) for less than $1.25 each. Shipping is reasonable and both have a good reputation. I have ordered many times from both, and there is no minimum order. Also, keep in mind tomato seeds stay viable for a long time. I still start seeds from 2003-2005. Good luck, LInda
Hi Angela,
I always try to grow Sun Gold, and this year my favorite local place is ordering seeds just because I asked, so I almost feel obligated to buy more than 1 package (well, I'll see how many seeds are in a pack). Anyway, I would be happy to send you a few Sun Gold seeds for an equal amount of seeds, your choice, whatever you have extra of. How many were you thinking you wanted?


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I'm so glad I went ahead and bought these shoes! They are really cute on and they don't hurt my feet. However, there was a slight discoloration on the back of the right shoe. Something like a scuff mark.
These wedges were just what I was looking for. Cute for work with skirts, dresses, capri-length pants, and suit shorts. The bows add a nice feminine touch.
I used this shoes twice. Thought I could wear it much longer since it looked like it had a more elevated platform that would help me feel comfortable wearing it but not really. On the plus side, it added 4 inches to my height which was awesome but my toes kept sliding out of the peep toe holes as they are wider although the're suppose to be medium width. I just kept it and plan to give it to my niece who has wider toes than me.
The wedged booties are comfty!!Love them. Will also purchase them in black!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very cute shoes and comfortable.I would not say it high quality shoes but for that price i would recomend.Also what is really matter a lot to me that i was wearing this shoes arround 4 hours and it did not hurt my feet.Only becouse of that i rated it 5 star
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The Price of Tracy Anderson Studio, aka Gwyneth's Gym in New York
Gym Gossip: Details on Tracy Anderson and Gwyneth's Gym
Last January when asked if you would want to join Gwyneth's gym she was planning to open with her trainer Tracy Anderson, most of you were not swayed by the celebrity affiliation.Well, the inner workings of the gym have been revealed, and for starters it is not a gym — it's a studio. Let's start with the cost of joining the
Unfortunately, Anderson will not be taking on clients at the Tribeca studio. She splits her training time between the two stars that made her famous, business partner Gwyneth and Madonna, whom Tracy and staff refer to as M. However, members will receive personalized attention from her staff. Every member receives a customized program every 10 days, which is good since it is recommended that you work out at for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 60 minutes, six days a week. Whatever you do, don't supplement Tracy's work with yoga. Tracy wants your undivided attention, and has forbidden her star clients to practice yoga.
If you cannot make it to the Tracy Anderson Studio, you can try her method with a free mini webisode. Since the gym is out of my budget, I think I am gonna head out for a run. What about you?
- Best boozy drinks if you're watching your weight — Cooking Light
- Diminish saddlebags with these 5 moves — Women's Health
- If you do intense workouts, you'll totally relate to these hilarious GIFs — Fitness
- 4 ways to make working out fun (and not a drag) — Real Simple
- V-ups are your abs' best friend — Health
- Drew Barrymore on accepting her body after babies — POPSUGAR Moms
- Are calorie counts really accurate? — Greatist
- How to find the perfect sports bra for your ladies — Self
- Is it bad to use expired protein powder? — Shape


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AMERICA/UNITED STATES - Archbishop Gomez looks for support among those who do not agree on the immigration reform
Los Angeles (Agenzia Fides) - The Archbishop of Los Angeles, His Exc. Mgr. Jose Gomez, known for his efforts in favor of immigrants and support for the immigration reform (see Fides 14/01/2014) met leaders of civil society that are opposed to the reform of the law, yesterday at the Town Hall in Los Angeles, to submit his proposals.
He also mentioned the many speeches by Pope Francis in favor of immigrants.
For each question on behalf of those present, the Archbishop responded with clarity, honesty, and in a decisive manner. "The questions helped us to understand that this is a very complex issue and we must find a solution", said Archbishop Gomez without losing optimism despite the harsh criticism.
Manuel Pastor, professor at the University del Sur of California, said: "Those who today oppose immigration reform are not aware of the benefits the approval of the law would bring to the country. There is a positive impact of immigrants on the economy of California, and there is no competition between African-Americans and immigrants".
At the end of June 2013, the Senate approved the law which provides citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States before December 31, 2011 and who have no criminal record. However, due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans, a date for its discussion and vote has not yet been set. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 15/01/2014)
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- 2015-03-20 - Bishops of the diocese on the border: enough with violence and more attention towards the youth
- 2015-02-06 - The young engaged with migrants write to the Pope
- 2015-01-07 - Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service
- 2015-01-05 - National Migration Week 2015: "We are one family"
- 2014-12-18 - Bishops: not only diplomatic relations with Cuba, but also cooperation in various fields
- 2014-11-21 - The Church on the measures for immigrants: "We have a long history of welcoming..."
- 2014-11-20 - 2 and a half million children live in shelters, on the streets or in cars
- 2014-11-18 - Letter of the Bishops of Texas and Ciudad Juarez: "We invite the Pope to come and visit the border area"


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Sources: Ga. Tech, USC players failed NFL Combine drug test
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FOXSports.com has learned the two biggest names for 2010: Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer and Southern California tight end Anthony McCoy.
Dwyer tested positive in February for amphetamines, but this appears unlikely to hurt his standing as a late first-round/early second-round selection in this week's draft. A source said the positive test was triggered by a prescription medication that Dwyer has NFL clearance to use for a pre-existing condition.
"The NFL knew this going into the Combine," the source said. "Every NFL team is aware of the medication he takes and the confirmation from all the [NFL] doctors involved. Some NFL players take the same medication."
An early-entry junior with a pounding running style, the 5-foot-11, 229-pound Dwyer rushed for 1,385 yards in both the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
McCoy, who is projected as a second-day pick, tested positive for marijuana
A source told FOXSports.com that McCoy's representatives (Priority Sports and Entertainment) revealed the positive test to NFL franchises several weeks ago to give teams time to perform due diligence as part of the scouting process. Such honesty paid dividends in 2005 for Priority client Luis Castillo, who admitted to failing a steroid test at the Combine well before the official results were given to NFL clubs. The defensive end was still selected in the first round by San Diego and hasn't failed a drug test since.
As a senior, McCoy caught 22 passes for 457 yards and one touchdown while struggling with an ankle injury for the second half of the 2009 season. Besides his receiving prowess, the 6-foot-5, 259-pound McCoy is regarded as one of top blocking tight ends in this draft class.
As first reported by FOXSports,.com, Minnesota wide receiver Percy Harvin failed a drug test for marijuana at the 2009 Combine. He was still drafted in the first round and was voted the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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NFL Headlines
NFL Insiders: Dolphins name Dennis Hickey new general manager
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Browns to interview Bills' Pettine with Broncos' Gase out of running
NFL talking to 49ers about sideline hit vs Seahawks in NFC title game
Falcons hire former Chiefs GM Pioli as assistant general manager


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Fiberglass for roof valleys
Can anyone tell me about the use of fiberglass for roof valleys? I've only heard of using copper or galvanized metal. There's a long (over 35 feet) and deep (about 1 foot at the start) section where the two sections of my roof meet. Unfortunately, I wasn't home when the roofer inspected the project and wasn't able to ask questions. I can't even picture what the material might look like.
The roof itself is steep, but I don't know the specifics. The 35 foot valley between the two roofs has very little slope.
Why is fiberglass roll roofing a poor choice? Could it be possible that he's talking about that corrugated material that you see on the sheds and sunrooms?
We think that the valley was originally part of a rain water collection system that emptied into a cistern that was (and still is) inside the house. Sounds crazy, I know.
Two steep roofs can't intersect to form a low sloped valley. Perhaps you are talking about some other part of the roof.
Asphalt coated fiberglass roll roofing is thin and brittle. If a valley is low sloped it can have Ice & Water Shield as a base flashing and then the asphalt shingles can weave back an forth across the valley or one side can extend over the valley and the other can be cut back near the line of the valley.
You should talk to the roofer. He was probably talking about something else.
I'd have to take a photograph to make the situation clear, but there is almost no slope to this valley--imagine two houses joined together side-by-side and a valley in-between where they connect. The valley goes from the front of the house to the back.
It's a family-owned property and someone else already gave the roofer the go-ahead. I wanted to get some independent opinions before I put my two cents in.
Thanks for responding.
The roofers ended up leaving the corroded metal flashing and roof roll that I had put on as a temporary measure three years ago. On top, they applied Hydrostop. Macv, do you know anything about that product or system? I know it's too late to change anything, but I'm curious.
It's a liquid acrylic waterproofing material that is applied over a non-woven polyester fabric. It's primary benefit is that it can go on top of old roofing which makes it a favorite of budget-minded owners.
The roofers probably think the polyester reinforcement is fiberglass fabric and that there is some kind of resin in the waterproofing.
This stuff was originally called "Cool Roof" in the 80's for DIY roof patching. I used it and thought it found it to be worthless. After the company was sold maybe someone figured out how to make it work. If they gave you a warranty keep the paperwork in a safe place.


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Wilcox Trailhead
This Trailhead has 1 toilet facility, unloading ramp, 3 hitch rails, 3 picnic tables, 3 fire rings. The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail can be accessed from this trailhead. Travel East on the...[more]
From Tonasket, take the Havillah Road (County Road #9467) for 15 miles to County Road #4662. Drive County Road #4662 for 3.5 miles to Forest Service Road #3525. Drive the Forest Service Road #3525 for 3.5 miles to the Wilcox Trailhead road on the right. This will be the first road on the right after the Forest Service boundary sign. Travel .8 mile to the Trailhead.
Additional InformationWashington State Tourism>Washington State Road Conditions>
Weather InformationNational Weather Service (NOAA)


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We stayed June 29,2013 in a large King room. Surprised at the Senior Rate for a great Hotel. They were great at check in and the room was large and comfortable. We stay at the Holiday Inn Express usually, but this large full service hotel was wonderful. Clean comfortable and very affordable. It was just off Hwy 81 which made for ease in finding the location. Highly recommend
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Welcome to the newest hotel in Virginia's famed Shenandoah Valley. Holiday Inn Historic Gateway, located just off I-8 in the heart of Winchester, VA, is close to the area's historic sites and modern corporations. Our Winchester hotel understands the needs of the business traveler so we offer high-speed, wireless Internet access, a 24-hour business center and excellent meeting facilities. Our hotel is minutes from Shenandoah University, Trex, American Woodmark, Kraft, HP Hood and Rubbermaid. Leisure travelers appreciate our hotel's Winchester, VA location because it allows them to easily visit the Valley's top attractions such as Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Luray Caverns and Skyline Drive. With a central location for Civil War sites, museums, wineries, and golf courses, we're the ideal choice of hotel in the Shenandoah Valley.Our hotel amenities make your stay a terrific experience. There's an indoor pool with an outdoor sundeck, a well-equipped fitness center and a 24-hour convenience store for snacks and sundries. You can dine on American cuisine at Kem's Restaurant & Bar. We'll be happy to create a golf package for you to play your choice of nearby courses like Rock Harbor or Virginia National. Our professional and courteous staff welcomes you with Southern hospitality and a warm smile. You can relax when you stay at our Holiday Inn Historic Gateway hotel in Winchester, VA. ... more less
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- Also Known As:
- Holiday Inn Se Historic Gateway Hotel Winchester
- Holiday Inn Winchester
- Winchester Holiday Inn