Tyler Talks

Tyler Hamilton's most recent journal entry is about the Olympics, cheering for others, and his upcoming ride in the Tour of Spain.

My Idea of a Present

Just in case anyone has some extra change this has been my wish for forty years.

Numbers from the vacation poll

Beth asked for the numbers from the other poll. Not as many, 11, voted on this one. I am not sure why no one voted for Uzbekistan--maybe I should have offered Tazjekistan since it is so much more of a tourist destination.

Hawaii  9% 1
Uzbekistan  0% 0
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico  9% 1
Siberia  9% 1
France (anywhere the T de F goes)  9% 1
Cozumel, Mexico  18% 2
Tuscany  18% 2
Greece during the summer Olympics  0% 0
Austin, Texas  0% 0
Australia (Tour Down Under)  27% 3
11 votes total

If we really wanted to try for a family reunion on foregn soil, I would pick Mexico. There are some nice places that are easy enough to get to and perhaps our time-share would be an appropriate starting point for us all to stay. I would love to go to Australia, it is just so far to go. Maybe some day.

You said it wasn't too early, so...

Here's my list. Remeber, you can always choose to give me money, and I will put it in the fund for a nice bike for the future years.

Tour de France Centenary (book about the Tour de France's history)


Images of a Champion (the life of Lance)


2005 Calendar


I would also like a pair of slippers size eight and a half. Light, no fuzz.

What happens when a cyclist...

What happens when a cyclist is forced to fit a family dinner into his schedule to win the Tour de France?

Jane and Doris at the Hollywood Bowl

Do you think anyone could have been having a better time at the Bowl last night?

Some numbers

35 votes were counted in our little non-scientific poll. All other votes were thrown out because of hanging chads or the fact that they just didn't please the counters in the back room. The two votes for Kirsten Gum are being contested. The supreme court may declare her the winner.

Who is your favorite TdeF staff on OLN?
Votes
Kirsten Gum  6% 2
Bob Roll  46% 16
Phil Ligget  40% 14
Paul Sherwen  9% 3
Al Trautwig  0% 0
35 votes total

Did you like this? Let me know your ideas for our next poll.

umm.....

is it too soon to start christmas lists?

Julich's Strange Rings

These chainrings are made to optimize the dead spot in the pedal stroke.

...And Ekimov gets the Silver

Tyler Hamilton, 34 years old, was 18 seconds faster than the defending champion, Vjatcheslav Ekimov of Russia, a teammate of Lance's (on USPS) and a mere thirty-eight years old. Bobby Julich, 3rd place in the Tour de France in 1998, was 26 seconds slower than Tyler and got the gold. Lance was in Texas celebrating his 6th Tour de France victory with 30,000 other fans recently, so he wasn't there.





Read more here.

I am finding it strange that the swimmers are so much younger than the cyclists. The Phelps guy is only 19 and already has a world record, world championship and at least 3 gold medals. In cycling you wouldn't make it to the pro ranks at that age because you simply would not be able to keep up with the rest.

Hamilton and Julich medal

Tyler Hamilton won the Gold and Bobby Julich won the Bronze in the Olympic Time Trial. Dede Barry of the US won the Silver in the Women's Time Trial. I am sure that Daniel will share the details.

Remington Arrival

The Remington's arrive at LAX, almost on time, last night. They report that the trip was uneventful.

They are enjoying a breakfast of poached eggs and oatmeal. Sam is watching them carefully.

Note on Blog commercialization

From the comments on my previous post on Clif Bars, is seems like there may be some confusion. I will let Rob and Beth work out their own duel o' typos as they wish.

In the meantime, I have signed up as an affiliate at Amazon.com. So if anyone uses the links that I post to buy products from Amazon, I will get a very tiny comission that I will use to support my blogging habit--actually, I will pay the fee that will make the ad banner at the top of the page dissapear. But, mostly its just for fun. If you buy any product from Amazon, use one of the links on our page, go to your product, when you go to check out, remove the product you linked through, unless you want that. We'll see what happens.

Cindi thinks that either of these would be nicer than the Clif Bars (yes, they do spell it on one el, I don't know why--probably learned to write and read phonetically).

Brianna gets earrings

Here is a picture of Brianna with her new earrings.

Paolo Bettini takes the gold medal

On a very hard course with crashes, 90-degree turns and extremely steep roads, Paolo Bettini won the gold medal in Athens for the men's road race after being in a two-man breakaway. Sergio Paulinho earned the silver and Axel Merckx took the bronze when he broke away by himself in search of the leaders, and maybe to show his dad ("The Cannibal" Eddy) he can do something he couldn't (getting a medal in the olympics).





Read more here.

The women's road race was won by Australia's Sara Carrigan.





The time trials are on Wednesday, which Lance Armstrong will be competing in.

PS. I am putting the captions on the pictures (when you put the cursor on the picture, the caption should come up). If you liked it better the other way with the captions there for you to read surounding the picture (like it was before), please let me know by commenting. Whatever works.

I've been trying to publish this for a long time, but Blogger hasn't seemed to be working lately. I'll give it another go.

The deal on Clif Bar

I can't fugure out why my grocery store can't sell Clif Bars in a box for a good price. Ralph's single bar price is $1.35 each. Amazon.com has them for $9.49 in a box of 12. And, if you purchase $25 or more of merchandise, you get free shipping.



Then, I have to buy Purefit bars and Coach's steel cut oats online.

I have an idea: someone should build a shelter in people's neighborhoods, they could buy all this food, have it shipped to this central location, and people could come and buy it conveniently when they need it. What do you think? Original?

A real cute kid

Rob at four months. His mom says he is still just as cute.

Brianna at 20 Months

Here is a picture of Brianna at twenty months old. She is using more language and loves the pool. She loves the water and is fearless. Her and Beth could live in the pool in the summer.

What Next For Lance?

What's next for Lance? Will he try for number 7? We still don't really know, and not even he knows for sure, but he did say that he will ride the Tour again. It may not be in 2005, but he'll ride it sometime. He also plans on riding the Giro d'Italia sometime i suppose. This uncertainty is partly because he wants to spend time with his kids (a son and 2 daughters).

Photo Album Fun Trip

Left Minneapolis at 7:01 on Sunday morning and landed at LAX about 9:00am, in time to get to church and nap. I attended the Creative Memories annual convention Wednesday - Saturday night. It is always a top notch event and makes me proud to be a part of it. Of course, it takes all kinds of consultants to make the world do albums. Someone actually wore the new PJs she bought at the convention for the awards program...which is semi-formal. She proudly marched across stage for recognition of achieving leadership.

Lots of great, new products were announced for completing albums and organizing years and years of photos. CM is commited to making it easier all the time. I really enjoy helping others get rid of the guilt of envelopes of unidentified, unorganized photos. I had fun with my colleagues, too. I attended four breakout sessions and got some excellent training to continue building my business. The top person in the company --- top consultant ---earns an average monthly commission of $30,000 --- a month! One leadership level below her (the level my "upline" is) earns an average of $180,000/year. The levels are consultant (where I am now), senior consultant (3 in your first line...I have 2), unit leader (where I was a year ago and plan to return in time to attend the Leadership Conference in November...6 in first line), Senior Unit Leader, Director, Senior Director, Executive Director, and Sr. Exec. Director. I want to become a Director by 2010.

I got a CM website now, too. Please visit: www.creativememories.com/cindipeterson

I'm sleepy today. Can't wait to try the new PowerSort system to get some boxes of photos in order and stored in an organized, photo-safe box. I enjoy business travel like this convention. I traveled once a month when I was Public Relations Manager before teaching. So, CM gives me a taste of that again. Glad to be home, too.

New cover on Bob's Book

Bob's book, the companion to the T de F has a new cover. I am glad I didn't buy it yet. The cover shown now is my favorite image from 2004--I think it is Daniel's favorite too--he laughs whenever he sees it.

What if a Texan became a pro cyclist?

What would he do with his boots?

Seventh Round of World Cup

Today the Clasica San Sebastián was won by a lesser known rider, Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero, outsprinted the favorite and winner last year, Paolo Bettini. Davide Rebellin still leads the World Cup (a competition based on points awarded for top placings) after his win in the Amstel Gold Race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne, above 2-time winner, Paolo Bettini.

Guess who's blogging now

Sign Petition

Do you want to be able to watch the 2004 Vuelta a España like you watched the Tour de France? Sign this petition and hope to make an influence on those fishers at OLN.

Hawaii

Steve had a great time in Hawaii. There was time for play and time for psychological stuff.
My friend Kirk Schneider invited me to fill in for an ill speaker. That allowed me to talk about my work with children. I was able to attend two workshops, one on psychotherapy with males and one on psychotherapy with couples. Both were helpful and validating. It is nice to be reminded that you know something and that others are interested in your sharing. I value these experiences very much.
I enjoyed the time in the ocean and at the beach. Audrey asked what was my favorite part of the trip? I first thought of all the things we did and tried to decide what I enjoyed the most. What I realized later was that it was having time for such a trip. Having time for myself, Beth and I, or with family feels like it is in such short supply. Much less than I like. So having the time for myself, Beth and family was the best part.

more hawaii sites

Hilton Village from the Beach.

Dancers at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Wind swept ladies at Pali Point overlook.

Visiting the Battleship Missouri.

Visiting the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

Hawaii

Here are a couple of pictures from our trip.

The ladies on arrival.

A view of a rainbow from Beth's and Steve's room.

Hunauma Bay where all four of us got wet and Steve, Beth, and Audrey snorkled.

oh yeah, i tried to put my picture in my profile, but failed. am i allowed to do this blog masters? and if so, how can i make that happen?

r.i.p. ozma

today, after work, i spied a three day old piece of meat in the fridge that was begging to be cut up, and joined with a tortilla to become a burrito. i gladly, guiltlessly obliged, and it was pleasing to the lord. however, later in the evening, glen and cindi (my landlords) returned home from puppy bootcamp with the apparent goal to consume leftover foods from the refridgerating unit. in a sad turn of events, it turns out that i had eaten glen's intended supper! the guiltless glee that had filled my tummy quickly turned to shameful sorrow. glen had to settle for a nasty frozen pizza instead of a steak dinner. for this, i am eternally sorry, from the bottom of my cold, black heart. i'd like to buy you another london broil glen, if i may.

i like telling sam "down" after he's already decided to lay down. it makes me feel accomplished, and fulfilled.

i got a postcard today from my pen pal in hawaii. it was beautiful, and made me jealous, and proud all in the same instant. can't wait to hear more stories.

looks like you can download speeches from the d.n.c. for free at itunes music store. i'm thinking of downloading them, and playing them when i've already tried counting sheep at night, in order to induce sleep. (yawn)

peace

Puppy Wars

Sam II goes to his fourth puppy class tonight. I have been doing "down" with him all week with little to no success. Sniff, sniff. I tell him down and wave my hand appropriately and all that. He looks at me and doesn't move. So, I go to level two...pull his paw out and roll him gently to that same side. Then I get big results. He resists, pulls back, and nibbles my hand. I wrestle him to the ground and say "Good dog." What?!! Yes, I've battled him to the ground everyday this week for the sake of "down."

Is Sam testing me? Am I doing something confusing to him? Does it normally take more than a week to "get down?" And dear, sweet Ashley. She's come on the scene a few times. Sits promptly next to me when I tell Sam to sit. Goes down with grace and beauty in perfect Olympic form when I tell Sam to do the "down." Ugh. So he figures if she's got it, he's off the hook.

Glen, oddly enough, observes from a distance and just laughs. With me of course. Well, I leave for Minnesota on Wednesday. He'll have the bulk of the training time this week. We'll see how it goes. This week's command will probably be something easy like "leap on the sofa" or "chomp on an avocado" or "look sincere" or "beg for an ice cube" (his new treat of choice).

Livestrong. Laughstrong. Downstrong, please.

Popovych signs for Discovery

Yaroslav Popovych signed for the Discovery Channel team (US Postal next year) for 2005-2008. "I'm really excited to get Yaroslav on the team," said team director Johan Bruyneel. "He's a young rider who has shown his talent on numerous occasions. ... I'm sure he still has a great margin of progression (to make), and I see him as a future contender for the Tour de France in a few years. It's great to have a big talent like him joining us. He really believes in our program."

"Riding for the Discovery team in 2005 has been my ultimate dream," Popovych said. "It's a team in which I believe in and a team where I'm sure to receive the proper education from directors such as Johan Bruyneel and Dirk Demol to become a three-week stage racer."

The team is also trying to get American Levi Leipheimer to sign, but no results yet.



No OLN?
OLN won't be showing the Vuelta a España as much as usual. They said, "Our current plan is to air a one-hour highlight show of the Vuelta on October 27 at noon Eastern time." Bummer. At least we shouldn't miss Lance because of it because he has never ridden the Tour and the Vuelta the same year.

Lance's fan club website, thepaceline.com, says that the interview continues today on OLN. I was wondering if the OLN people (Glen and Cindi) know about this at all and when it is.

Welcome new blogger

The PWWCR blog welcomes Jeff Barneson who has responded to the invitation I sent for him to join our blog. I hope that he will weigh in on the Lance mania and other bicycling chatter here. AND, I hope he is inspired to produce his own brilliant blog.

I told another friend about the blog, he got inspired and blogged about his recent trip to Cancun.

BlogStrong; LiveStrong

Race Coverage

Stuart O'Grady won the HEW Cyclassics Cup race in Germany and just beat last year's winner Paolo Bettini.