Satiday!!!!!!

My neighbor (government scientist) created a nuclear powered air conditioner. However, it was captured by the local terrorist cell and turned upon the unwitting citizens of Hood River County today. So, despite the brilliant early autumn weather, the Saturday Morning Ride rolled out to meet the day accompanied by the sucking sound of 6 pair of testicles finding refuge in the gastric cavities of the Gorge's dumbest riders.
Despite all the Christmas cheer, we found ourselves ripping each others' legs off as we clawed our way up (Southbound) toward Parkdale and thence to Cooper Spur.
This leads to the story of the day:
About 5 years ago, I hauled my fat (really fat) ass out onto my old road bike for the first ride in about 5 months. I rode to Rowena and back, which at the time was a true epic for yours truly. Why was I even riding? Racing was a distant speck in my past, my job sucked, I was probably clinically depressed, we were experiencing a typical gorge midwinter gloomy day and I weighed about 240. Cigars and scotch were a regular part of the daily diet, as well as various other unhealthy things.
I was returning home, climbing up "The Wall of Shame" in downtown Hood River. I was caught by Luke Pennington and his dad and we worked our way up Serpentine Way together. Needless to say, those guys threw down and my jiggling posterior was left sucking for air to supplement my collapsed lungs and burning trachea.
Well, friends, today I hung with Dr. Pennington all the way up to Cooper Spur Lodge! That, rather than all the other good results I've had this season, proves I'm no longer a complete tub of goo!
To top if all off, I had a great ride with both offspring on the Kingsley irrigation canal trail. The boy is riding without training wheels for his second day. He's doing astoundingly well on some deep ruts and loose sand. All that EPO mixed in with his formula in 2003 is paying off!