spokes ‘n spurs 2008

yesterday i rode the spokes ‘n spurs ride in liberty hill, texas. the funds raised for this ride are used to support the spirit reins foundation which provides support & healing for troubled children. this was my first organized ride of 2008 & outside of the 30 degree temperatures it was an awesome ride with great course support & sponsors.

the spokes ‘n spurs ride course was for the most part the same course that was setup for the rip roarin ride i did last year with dave & laura. i recall that rip roarin ride being a tough one too – i did the 108 mile coarse & there were only like seven other dudes going the full distance (other distances included 20, 40, 60, & 80) & the course support near the end was basically non-existent. i recall coming into the finish area & 95% of the cars in the parking lot were gone.

the t3 team was representing at spokes ‘n spurs & while the longest course was 62 miles (100K) we added an additional 25 of our own. it was quite motivating getting to the end & turning back around & passing by all the other participants (many of who were just riding the 40 mile distance) that were still coming in knowing that you were adding another 25 miles to your ride. on top of that, t3 had us scheduled for a 3 mile run after we finished our 80+ mile ride. the good thing about the run at the end is that the sun finally started coming out & for the first time all morning i could feel both my hands & feet!

my thanks go out to lara bar who was out sponsoring the race & handed out those perfectly sized trial bars that i love & which work so well while on the bike – i wish they would sell this size. accelerade was there sponsoring too & they were handing out full sized bottles & there were plenty of ‘em. while i have mixed opinions about this product & i go back-&-forth between using it – yesterday it was nice to have one. lastly, a HUGE thanks to all the volunteers who were out supporting us. many of whom were out there before & stayed out there longer than most riders. these volunteers were so cool that they even prepared PB&J sandwiches on wheat bread - while traditional wheat bread doesn’t come close to super healthy (& pricey) hemp bread that i’ve become accustomed too, they still looked damn good.

oh, & congrats to carlos who enjoyed his first road ride on his new bike. also, thanks to dave & laura for making the trip out there too. while we didn’t get to hang out or ride together it was just nice knowing that friends were out there on the course with me.

democrat for a day

i noticed a number of blog posts today from friends who noted that they voted. would anyone actually blog or announce to the world that they didn’t vote? maybe there should be stickers for non-voters - "i'm a slack & did not vote." we are all like little kids walking around with our “i voted” stickers. actually i was sporting one too until it blew off my shirt during my run home from the voting spot i'm assigned to. why was i running home from the voting spot you wonder? well it was freezing this morning in austin – 36 degrees out when i woke up (note: it is supposed to reach 80+ degrees tomorrow – texas weather for ya). anyhow, i was supposed to swim this morning but i couldn’t bare another morning of getting in/out of the pool with weather that chills you to the bone. so instead of swimming i hopped on the trainer for a hour & a half at the house & then i journeyed outdoors for a 30 minute jog in the neighborhood. on my way home from my run i swung by my voting spot (elementary school 3 blocks from our house) to vote for obama. yep, i was the only dude standing in line in my workout clothes – luckily it was still a bit chilly outside so i hadn’t really broke much of a sweat.

it felt good to finally play part in our democratic election system. i’m 30 & admitting to all of you that this is the first time i’ve ever voted. not only was i voting for the first time, i declared myself as a democrat for the first time too. it’s exciting here in texas – it’s been a long time since our vote has mattered. this election is very important for a lot of folks & with the election being so close between clinton & obama our vote will most likely decide who the democratic nominee will be.

in texas we have both a primary & a caucus – sort of confusing & actually a bit frustrating because you have to vote first in the primary & then show up to vote again in the caucus. your vote at the caucus is supposedly the one that really matters for the presidential election. as i approached the desk filled with sweet ole 60-somes i was asked to declare myself as a democrat or republican. i laughed & said (for the first time ever) i suppose i’m a democrat. just like that i was branded. a sticker then spit out of this machine with my name on it & in BIG bold letters above my name read DEMOCRATIC PARTY. wow, just like that & i’m a democrat… all my life i thought i was a conservative republican & now as i vote for the first time in my life i’m a democrat.

i was then handed an invite to tonight’s caucus (see pic) & then directed to head over to the “machine” to place my ballot. i quickly selected obama for president (fingers crossed – no clinton please) & selected “no selection” for all the local positions. i can vote for obama, but to vote for more than one democrat in a day would have just put me over the top :) baby steps right?

standard presumptive value

have you ever bought or sold a used car & when you go to write up the bill of sale you tell a small fib regarding the actual purchase price of the vehicle to avoid paying a higher tax on the vehicle you just purchased? if it’s something you’ve done before don’t bother trying to do it again in here in the state of texas.

standard presumptive value (SPV) relates to used car buying here in texas. it's a new law that was passed in late 2006 that places a regulation on how your vehicle’s value is determined. rather than going by what is written on the bill of sale for what you paid for the vehicle, state will evaluate your vehicle's value & based on their determination of your vehicle’s value that is the dollar amount for which you will pay in sales tax.

no more “tricking” texas on this one.