skillz

When I was younger & dumber, I never had any appreciation for any kind of music other than the genre that I was currently infatuated with. Now, I'd like to think my ears are more open. I can tell you one thing: Sammy Davis Jr. sings the crap out of this song & Paul, Will, Anton & Sid do a tremendous job of emulating a lounge band, and a very good one at that.

Schnoctobeerfest 2008 Recap

The slideshow was up yesterday, so here's the recap. Saturday morning, the weather was cold, damp & foggy. In other words, perfect wool weather. The Merckx was already at eDBiLLy's house, outfitted in full CiTy BiLLy trim (note the 666 number plate). We had a meet & greet before the ride & I met a Hopluia & a Coors Light. 10 am arrived & we assembled for a group shot. Upon departure, I immediately went down the other branch of Greteman's driveway, because it's a slightly shorter route (you know you're in trouble when you're trying to cut 30 feet off a 57 mile ride). Once on the road, everyone started to go at their own pace, which means I was on the back. We had a rather uneventful first 15 miles, save for eDBiLLy & I getting separated from the group at a train crossing (I'm not Tom Boonen, so I'm not going to sneak under the crossing arms). But, being the good natured group that BiLLys are, the whole group waited for us. We arrived at Nickerson, where we had our first beer stop (yours truly had a 24 oz. Miller Lite). Next stop: the KerNeL's parent's house, where we gratefully devoured zucchini bars & brownies. The ride from Fremont to Valley was a slow slugfest, being hindered by a quite strong headwind. Upon arrival in Valley, a stop at the bar was in order. This bar was truly a typical Nebraska watering hole: on the wall, was a sign that said, "The Witch is in", with the "W" crossed out, replaced with a "B". One of the BiLLys order a Boulevard, and was told that the bar didn't serve imports. The bartender then informed the thirsty cyclist they did have Corona! Once we had a few rounds at the bar, it was decided that it was time to get back on the road. The rest of the ride went quickly, with everyone salivating for the keg of Hopluia & MeGBiLLy's awesome Lasagna that was waiting at the end. After supper, it was time for the beer buffet, and after a grueling sampling session, the following awards were granted: Best Import (eDBiLLy) Paulaner Oktoberfest, Best Domestic (Kenyon) Anchor Steam, Best Label (DiRk) Coney Island Lager, Wild Card (Lee) Homebrew Irish Stout. The film "Road to Roubaix" was screened & was a perfect end to a wonderful day. One of the last discussion topics of the day was next year's Schnoctobeerfest: there was talk of a new course, complete with cobbles! Everyone departed, with one of eDBiLLy's brilliant Schnoctobeerfest shirts. Join us next year!

Schnoctobeerfest Recap

I'll be posting a slideshow in the next couple of days, along with a narrative. My dumb butt isn't patient enough to edit a very long post.

It's a Wrap!

Schnoctobeerfest-it was cold, damp, windy & a total blast! I'll write up a more detailed recap when I get some pictures (BiLLys- could you please send me your photos?). The beer judging was fun, with everyone trying beers they'd never tasted (including two of Lee's homebrews). So thanks go to eDBiLLy & MegBiLLy & family for their spectacular hosting job! Thanks, also go to the riders: K-BiLLy, Laura (the first lady to ever fully ride a City BiLLy ride), Kenyon, Lee, DiRk (with his pimpy Langster). KeRNeL, T-BiLLy, B-BiLLy, eDBiLLy & yours truly. Plans are already being made for Schnoctobeerfest 2009, with a possible route change to include a cobblestone section & a date change so the bike & beer buffet doesn't interfere with pheasant hunting (MusCLe, you were missed).

Schnoctobeerfest Happenings

The shirts are now printed- eDBiLLy & I finished them last night. I'll try to post a "spy pic" tomorrow. I just wanted to take a moment & wish everyone safe travels. The weather is even looking stellar! Get ready for an epic day!

Vacation: Day One

I decided to take a well-deserved (at least I think) vacation this week, culminating with Schnoctobeerfest. I have a grueling schedule set up for this week: riding, beer drinking, wrenching on my bikes, some bottling & oh yes, beer selection for Schnoctobeerfest. The picture I've posted shows two different CiTy BiLLy jerseys: the KerNeL is sporting a short sleeve woolie, while yours truly is wearing a very rare item: an actual Schnoctobeerfest jersey, hand- screened by eDBiLLy. As for today, it's 8:45 am, I've already snuck in a fixie ride, am drinking a Spilker & am going to watch a Cyclocross race from Belgium (the motherland). This is truly going to be an epic day!

Don't Just Stand There-Sign Up!

So far, about a dozen people have indicated they want to ride CiTy BiLLy's Fall Classic, Schnoctobeerfest. It's not too late to register! Just drop me a note, you can pay your $20 the day of the epic. What do you get for your $20 (plus a six pack of beer)? You'll get a supported ride, with fine sag stops, such as the one pictured. You'll get a wonderfully tasteful handprinted Schnoctobeerfest shirt, along with our beer buffet, complete with prizes (details). Prizes will include some rare CiTy BiLLy schwag, along with some of Spilker's finest (there will also be a keg of Hopluia for post ride refreshment). We will be screening the new film Road to Roubaix, along with a surprise. We will be taking pre-orders on short sleeve CiTy BiLLy wool jerseys. A great time will be had by all!

Weekend Happenings

I rode my bike this weekend! eDBiLLy & I went to Octaginta in Lawrence, Kansas & had a ball. We ended up only riding the 41 mile route, but with a 4 hour drive, & a wind that was absolutely howling by 2 pm, we both felt good with our decision. In Schnoctobeerfest news, the t-shirts are going to be "Old Skool" white with tattoo blue images. I have seen the drawings & these shirts are going to be very schweeeeeet! We made the decision to go with safe for work shirts for everyone, unless you drop me a note, and say otherwise. Briman is the only one that has requested a NSFW shirt. It's not too late to register! We'd like to have everyone signed up by this Saturday, October 11th, to enable shirts to be made. Join us!