A great birthday - thanks

Thursday's training saw a great bunch turn up at the track. It being a fairly windy evening, everyone was more than willing to allow Phil and Clayton to power along on the front for well over half-an-hour without any assistance being offered by the group. Grant and I were next in line but decided to get up to some skulduggery quietly agreeing not to follow through to the lead when the leaders pulled over. When changeover time came and Phil and Clayton pulled over, Grant and I declined to go through to the lead causing utter chaos amongst all those following. Talk about laugh out loud. I thought Phil's stunned look of surprise that we could be so lousy as to decline our turn on the front was just the most amusing thing I have seen in a long while. All their hard work and we couldn't even take over. Well it must be my perverse sense of humour I suppose but I just couldn't stop laughing. It was Tim who came to the rescue when he raced up to the front where I joined him still laughing like an idiot. Thanks Phil and Clayton. The rest of the workout was conducted on more normal lines even if those working on the front did so for shorter efforts. But great efforts never-the-less. Bruce Edge had his new cyclocross (Jamis) bike there complete with disc brakes. It's quite a bike and even with the considerable extra weight, Bruce still managed 50+kph sprints. I say that's pretty nice work and I look forward to Sunday's CX event at noon at Nundah. While we were all out having fun on the track, Michael was setting up for the post training event including Chilli con Carne/bread sticks and beer. Shows the benefit of riding for a catering firm. It was really great to catch up with everybody. Steve Finnimore and sticks turned up (broken hip after encountering a very negligent pedestrian). I was reliably informed by Phil (Steve's brother from Singapore) that the sticks were there to generate sympathy. Well probably not as Steve will be out of action for a couple of months. With around 25 mouths to feed and "hydrate'', it was all work for Michael so thanks for his generosity and hard work. I think everybody had a pretty good time, I sure did.  It wasn't cold and there were no mosquitoes.Thanks also to those who turned up after work - not easy having to push your way through the traffic after a long day's work. See you all soon and don't forget the cyclocross at 12 on Sunday. Should be fun even for the spectators. I'm not a spoiled sport but I hope it buckets down. It will make it even more fun for the riders. I will view the event under cover in the new shelter shed provided by the City Council through the efforts of our very own Councillor Kym Flesser. Anyway thanks for the birthday wishes everyone and see you soon.

Paul.

Heya Paul. Nice post as always. You said:

I was reliably informed by Phil (Steve's brother from Singapore) that the sticks were there to generate sympathy.

Yes well, what can I say, he's my brother. He's lucky he hasn't been tested on the "he ain't heavy' bit  

It was great to catch up with you guys and thanks again to Frosty Boy for the generous supplying of CCC and beers - oh, and sticks (bread and others).

I have only just recently got to see the steed for the first time post-prang. More distressing than the broken hip - the handiwork from my recent first attempt at bartape wrapping 101 (self-assessed - pass conceded) is destroyed:( 

I am well on the mend but itchy to be back on the bike. That will roll around soon enough I guess. In the mentime, see you at the coffee shop!