DClog

M&D@V

Mack & Dan at Violette Restaurant. I think this photo was taken by Erin a couple of months ago.

Ruth's Hiawassee Photos

Here's some photos from Ruth's camera taken at the Hiawassee Festival of Arts.

Week In Review

I made it, sorta. It was a very busy week, both playing music and training...

• Monday : Dan Coy Trio at Eleven50 - Cool venue!
  
• Tuesday : Dan & Mack Duo at Waterside Restaurant at Cuscowilla - Good party.
  
• Wednesday & Thursday : Dan & Mack Duo at Violette Restaurant - Home.
  
• Friday : w/Mack, Rita, Eric & Marshall at The Covington Square - Classic Americana.
  
• Saturday : w/Kodac, Sean, Count M'Butu at the Variety Playhouse opening for Joe Ely - Smokin' show!!
  
• Sunday : Dan & Mack Duo at Hiawassee Festival of Arts - Mountain Jazz.
  

More Photos from Johns Creek '05

Here's some more photos from the 2005 Georgia Criterium Championships at Johns Creek.

Photos 2005 GA Criterium Champs

Found some photos online of the Aug 13, 2005 Georgia State Criterium Championships. Photography by Kent McCorkle.

Here's some photos from the Masters 40+ event

The rider that looks like a red blur -- moi.

Georgia-Cross.com

This is my fifth year being webmaster for the GA 'Cross series. I finally got around to purchasing a new hosting package for the 2005 Georgia Cyclross Series website. Naturally, I had to reassign the DNS (Domain Name Servers) for the domain name and relocate all the website files and message board, as well as post a re-direct page at the old location. Everything appears to be working fine now so watch for the more content and updates as the cyclocross racing season nears.

Georgia-Cross.com

GA Criterium Championship

My GTC teammates, Gerard and Marshall, did the Masters 40+ State Criterium Championship today with me. Gerard worked hard chasing breaks and Marshall hung in for most of the race. I played all my cards on a 2-man break with three laps to go, but got caught before the last lap. I managed to hold on for a Bronze medal in my age group.

After the criterium races Gerard, Wojtek and I went over to Fort Yargo State Park to ride around the October 16 cyclocross race course.

The Georgia State Park Systems accepted my contract/agreement for the event, now I need to apply for the race permit from USA Cycling, get some prize sponsors, hire an official, line up volunteers to help with registration and course marshaling, design an event flyer, arrange for online pre-registration... oh yeah, and finalize the actual race course.

Fifty-Fifth Birthday

The clan gathered at the new Kani House Japanese Restaurant and celebrated Bev's birthday with sushi and hibachi hijinx. The food was yummy and a good time was had by all.

Replacements

By mid-season the stuff just wears out. Here's what's new:
Sidi Genius 5 shoes
Speedplay Zero pedals and cleats
Maxxis Xenith Equipe Legere racing tires
Shimano Dura-Ace 10-Speed Chain

Fiftieth Anniversary

The duo has actually played more than few of these events, and we often learn songs from the 30's & 40's for the happy couples. Jim and Joanne requested "I Married an Angel" from the Broadway play and 1942 movie of the same name, because it was their "First Dance" at their wedding. It was an honor to be part of this event and thanks for sending the photos.

"A" Group Rain Ride

With no races going on this weekend, I organized some of the "A" riders from GTC and we did a "hang, or get dropped" ride in the rain this morning. Well, it wasn't totally brutal, I did allow a re-grouping after the two big climbs and attack zones. It was mostly fun for me because I felt strong, but the conditions were wet and a bit sketchy at times.

Some of the riders are experiencing really good mid-to-late season fitness, others are coming back from a mid-season layoff and will be ready for the end of the road season or the ramping up for cyclocross season. Doug, who arrived too late for the photo, is one rider who has relatively good fitness now and found himself in rather elite company most of the time, but couldn't quite hang with the front group on the big climbs.

Dan, Stephen, Carlos, Wojtek, Tracy, Theron, Marshall

All Kinds

This wedding we played at last night was top-notch; catered by "Affairs to Remember", located in a mansion in the Chastain Park district, 300+ guests, DC3 providing the music, it appears the bride's father dropped some serious coin on this reception.

The young bride was surrounded by her friends, family, sorority sisters and associates. Noticeably absent was the groom's friends, family and even the groomsmen. What was up with this? Even the Best Man, who only hung around long enough to give a brief toast, talked about the groom as a guy who only cares about making money and even has his daily schedule on an Excel spreadsheet, including a 9:00 PM bedtime.

I kind of felt sorry for the young man, but both he and the bride seemed happy. I guess she just needs a guy with a big income, and he just needs somebody to spend it on.

Mack & Keith, keys and drums

Cyclocross Course Creation

With the Gainesville College venue no longer being an option for my cyclocross race this Fall, I'm now looking at Fort Yargo State Park for race course options.

Yesterday I met with the Park Ranger, who was enthusiastic but doesn't know what cyclocross racing is. They have had successful triathlons, mountain bike and adventure races out there but no 'cross racing. So he said just ride around and figure out what is needed and he'll try to accommodate.

Last evening I rode around with Tracy H., who lives a few miles away from the park and knows all the trails. She showed me some course options but nothing that was really perfect, still too much single-track.

This morning while riding around the park with Doug, teaching him some basic off-road biking skills, I found a few more course options but still not the perfect loop.

I have found a good paved start/finish area, pavilion for registration, grassy field for the barriers, a short section of overgrown dirt road and even a sandy beach with a steep hill climb out of it. There are two sections that connect it all which I am still not sure about.

Mountain Storm

There is something magical about the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Cashiers-Highlands area of western North Carolina is known for cool summer days and beautiful mountain vistas, as well as numerous private clubs providing high quality event facilities. Just down the curvy mountain road from this "Roof Garden of the Southeast" (3 miles from Cashiers), is the village of Sapphire NC.

Last Saturday night we performed at a reception in the new Country Club of Sapphire Valley. The reception folks enjoyed the band and the management was impressed enough to hire us for their New Years Eve bash. So the gig went well and we will be going back. However, around midnight, when it was time to make the two hour drive back to Atlanta the weather had turned absolutely torrential. The narrow, twisty and steep mountain roads turned into a nightmare for tired drivers.

I phoned Coy HQ (home) and Rachel gave me the storm tracker info from the regional radar and mapped out an alternate route out of the mountains. I might need to get wireless internet through my cell phone so I don't have to wake up my family in the middle of the night the next time this happens.