Cross-mas

      The end of 2018 was relaxing with some fun riding. I attempted to start a tradition with the Christmas Light Night Ride. Dina and I did the first one. We invited others, but nobody came. The ride started just after dark a week before Christmas. We cruised the local roads around Pleasant View in search of Christmas light displays. It was a fairly warm day, but the temperature dropped quickly and made for a chilly ride. The city posted a Christmas Light Driving Tour map on Facebook that we used as a base for our ride. We found some good displays, but I think Dina saw more than she wanted. We ended up out there for over two hours and came home cold with drained light betteries. I loved it though and I hope we can do it again next year.

Santa is riding a chopper at this house

A very bright, yet clean light display

One of the bigger displays in town, complete with music.

Looking across a pond at a yard full of lights and decorations

The Grinch thieving some lights

Video: Some footage from the first Christmas Light Night Ride

     The final week of the year was spent in the yard doing some cyclocross. I have now accumulated enough course tape to set up a course that feels like real cross. The yard was looking legit! We had some freeze-thaw the night before the first of our backyard fun races which helped make things slick and challenging to ride. There were several run-ups and off-camber sections that had me off the bike on my feet. It was a tough course, but fun, even for a chunky guy in my current poor state of race fitness.

Backyard tape maze

Taking advantage of the dam that forms the pond seperating our house from the neighbors.

Off-camber slickness

     It was cross training camp at the Greer's, resuming the following day with another fun race. While some of the family joined on day one, I was alone on day 2 as it was cold and nasty. I added in more climbing today and it turned into a tortuous route on soggy grass. It was a cold slog, but again, plenty fun.

Day 2 around the back of the house

Running the PVC barriers and entertaining the neighbors

The off-camber was even more wet and slick today. It was great!

Running the dam again today.

    We took a break from cross for Christmas Eve. I rode up to the family dinner. It was a short, but eventful ride. It seemed as though every dog in the entire area was out in their yard. I got chased more times than I could count. One dog was the biggest dog I have seen in a very long time. He was a huge pitbull and was standing in the road when I came around a corner. He had the upper hand so I turned around as there was no way I was getting by without actually stopping and fighting this dog. He ran back to the house, thinking he had done his deed for his family and ran off the bike rider that was threatening his territory. When he got to the house, I took a second run. He saw me and started for the road. The good thing about big, musclehead dogs is that they are slow. If you get the jump, you can easily outsprint them. It was like a scene out of "The Sandlot" as this frothing giant came at me, but I got by before he reached the road and sprinted away. I'm not much for running away from dogs, but fighting this one would not have ended well. He would still be chewing on my bones right now as I right this.

     Christmas morning we had breakfast at Dina's house with some of our family. My grandmother bought me a pink bunny suit just like the one Ralphy wears in "A Christmas Story." I have no idea why. I never even really like that movie. She claimed I told her years ago I wanted the pink bunny suit. So, she waited until I was 32 years old and then she got it for me. Strange. I guess it goes with the whole onion she cooks for me at Christmas dinner that I hate, but she is convinced I look forward to each year. I have had to resort to throwing the onion out when she's not looking so I don't hurt her feelings.

     After Christmas breakfast, it was more cross, this time over at my parents' house. I set up a giant spiral kind of like at the Cross the Harpeth races, only I made mine square. I was alone on a dreary day, but the spiral was super fun. The next day was better weather with some sunshine and 54 degrees. The whole family came out for this one. Everybody loved the spiral. We had the whole family out there winding back and forth through the field. It was a fun few days as I got in four days of cross out of five.

     We visited Shannon's family in Indiana a few days after Christmas. I took my bike and trainer, but did not get in any ride time. I got a sore throat right as we left and it only worsened while we were there. I spent a lot of time sleeping and most of the awake time watching college football as I didn't feel like doing much else. Shannon woke me up one day when I was napping the Sudafed sleep. She told me to come outside. I get out there and everybody is ready to take a family picture. They were all dressed nice. I was in jeans and a Smith & Wesson hoodie. Oh well, it just goes with the way most of the family thinks about their Tennessee redneck in-law.

We made a stop at the Indianapolis, Indiana Temple on the way up to Elkhart.

The Toney family portrait. Redneck on the left.

     That wrapped up 2018. I was glad to see this year go and was ready to charge into 2019 upon our return from Indiana. A stats post is coming soon, then the adventures of 2019! With 2020 being quite dull with quarantines and cancelled events, it'll be a good time to write about 2019.