That's Mr. Momo to you

I was brainstorming with Zack for new kitty names last night. The thought of something Johnny Cash-ish was going through my head since he wears all black, but there are 2 rules in pet names:

1) It has to be 2 syllables, and

2) It has to be cute enough to make other ridiculously cute names out of.

Johnny and Cashy just didn't meet those criteria. I noted that on the way back from Mud Bay Saturday picking up kitty's supplies I had walked by a Buddhist temple I never knew existed in that neighborhood. So onward went the brainstorming for Buddhist or Tibetan-derived names. That led me down memory lane thinking about our trip to India and how many momos Zack must have inhaled in Darjeeling (although we all did eat our share), and our trip to Santa Fe where his Tibetan friend, Tsering, also recalled how much Little Zack enjoyed momos when growing up at Project Tibet. It came to me that quickly. The tale of the delicious little dumplings filled with goodness continues...and so Mr. Kitty is hereby known as Momo!

Mr. Kitty

I've been promising myself that after a few episodes of travel I would get myself a fuzzy companion of the 4-legged kind (Zack is already the original fuzzy companion). I spent last weekend at PAWS and the Seattle Animal Shelter checking out new little friends. I wanted to adopt someone older since those kittens are so damn cute and are easily placed. I had my heart set on one girl, June, who had been brought in with her friend Benny, but someone took Benny without June even though the shelter suggested they be adopted as a pair. How sad! She was mostly white with a big splotch of black on her face like she'd dipped her face in chocolate sauce. However, I was off to San Diego this week for a conference so I couldn't take her and then ditch town for a week. If she was still there when I got back I'd adopt her. But she was gone.

Enter Mr. Kitty. This handsome fellow was the only one awake when I went to the shelter yesterday afternoon. He jumped out of his cage and into my arms and up my shoulder and was instantly purring and rubbing up against my head. I checked out his history. He was a stray hanging around a neighborhood and someone took him in so he'd be safe, but she had plenty of pets already so she brought him to the shelter. He's so affectionate and good with people he must have had a good home at one point, but perhaps got lost.

When jumping into the world of pet adoption, you never really know what you're getting yourself into so I said what the hell, he's as good as they get after a 10 minute interview so I signed his release papers and busted him out. His jailbird name is Martin, but that just not gonna work so I'm waiting for him to tell me his new name.

So far it's been a good affair. He's definitely the affection whore and follows me around like a puppy. I can click my tongue and he'll come over to me. He loves my balcony and all the plants. He enjoys sitting up on the railing 4 stories up and making me very nervous. He discovered my pot of catmint and has found kitty ecstasy. He hates his dry food, but devours the wet stuff. In his eyes I'm not allowed to eat, read, or type when I could be spending more quality time petting him. He kept me up most of the night crying for whatever reason. When I'd call him over he'd just land on my chest and cover my face in his talons so I'd push him away and we'd start the whole crying/feet-in-my-face cycle over again. Speaking of feet and talons, he doesn't mind his feet being handled so I nipped those talons off this morning. Wonder how he likes lavender baths?

Only divot in the new relationship so far is that his litter box is still dry. I don't let him out of my sight and I haven't detected any strange odors.....but they usually try to cover that kind of thing. Hopefully he'll jump into the world of proper litter box use soon or I'll have to see if Mud Bay sells diapers.

Update: I moved his box to the humans bathroom and he used it right away! It was like he was thinking "Damn mom, I've been holding it since yesterday, 'bout time you got a clue." My kitty is now perfect.

Time for an intervention

I really hope the mountain has the last word.

China plans highway on Mount Everest

BEIJING -- China will build a $20 million blacktop highway on Mount Everest as part of the route for the Olympic torch relay, state media reported Tuesday.

Xinhua News Agency said the construction would turn a rough, 67-mile road stretching from the foot of the mountain to a base camp at 17,060 feet, into a paved "highway fenced by undulating guardrails."

Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, is 29,035 feet tall.

It said construction would start next week and would take about four months and the new highway would become a major route for tourists and mountaineers.

In April, organizers for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics announced ambitious plans for the longest torch relay in Olympic history - an 85,000-mile, 130-day route that would cross five continents and scale Mount Everest.

Taking the Olympic torch to the top of the mountain, seen by some as a way for Beijing to underscore its claims to Tibet, is expected to be one of the relay's highlights.

China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially an independent state for most of that time. Chinese communist troops occupied Tibet in 1951 and Beijing continues to rule the region with a heavy hand.

Breaching baby humpie and wind surfers

Finally, something totally not bike related. Some of the people I work with were involved with the injured mama and baby humpback whales who made their way up the Sacramento River last month (and finally made it safely back out to sea!). Alas, I was not called upon to map the whales' progress.

A good reminder that heaven is the lingering scent of salt water on your skin.

No really - DFL

Showed up for my second night of track racing yesterday. I thought I'd be far better off than when my head and lungs were under siege by the phlegm goblins 2 weeks ago. I had great energy, warmed up well, and most importantly I had the vision in my head of kicking some ass, until....

....the chicks in the pack took off like starving cheetahs after a baby gazelle on the very first lap of the night. Have you ever seen your life happen in slooooow motion....you see it happening right in front of you and it's kind of an out-of-body experience where you're looking at it like, "Hmmmmm...this can't really be happening, but I guess it is....and there's no way I can stop it....whoa....this really sucks". Yeah watching those skin suits take off and me and my bike basically standing in place was a lot like that. "They're 3 meters away....now they're 10 meters away....wow look there they go.....now they're 100 meters away....holy shit how did they get all the way over there?"

I ended up riding the rest of that 8-lap tempo by myself watching my heart rate beep those Zone 5 numbers out in a steady rhythm. As I cooled down it was very weird having to rationalize what just happened. I don't have a cold any more....I've been riding....I was beating these girls just 3 months ago....last year when I came back after being sick I clobbered everyone. WTF? The rational me said that tonight there are two Cat 2s, two Cat 3s, and the "elite 4s", all of whom have been racing non stop since March. They were all hellbent on getting their upgrade points and running everyone else into the ground. That could be why, but......I'm supposed to have super powers, dammit!!!

The next 2 races were much of the same. The pretty skinsuits took off in slow motion.....I dropped anchor and watched them from the other side of the track. In the last race, a 4x4, I finally pulled up track and just let them come underneath me so I could catch on the last few laps and not have to suffer the indignity of being alone. I was LAPPED. I've never been lapped. I'm the one who's supposed to be up front winning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Each time I came back to the infield I texted Jane, "DFL!", then "DFL again!". At least I could see a little humour in things. The other girls were really sweet and kept saying that I'd be back in condition in a few weeks and they've all been through it before, you just have to be patient. Hopefully this patience pulls through before I decide to sell all my gear and move to the mountains with my goats and green roof.

My lungs still hurt today. I rode to work and was pooped. I wisely decided not to do the stage race this weekend. I'll take any dosages of humiliation more locally, plus my "racing into shape" theory isn't the smartest thing I could do. I talked to Dr. Peter this morning and he said not to go all out with the racing now that I feel better, but to gradually get back into intervals and listen to my body and watch for signs of getting sick. Sounds like a good excuse to eat, ride, and drink a lot of wine this weekend. Antioxidants, you know.

Jumping back in

A bunch of us Starbuckies went down to the Ballard Crit yesterday to watch the races in the rain and revel in not racing by enjoying a few liters of wine. Some girls spent $$ in Portalis while I enjoyed my street-value wine in a pink nalgene bottle. Not only was it way cheaper than a fancy wine bar, but oh so portable.

Now that I'm supposedly clear to begin racing again, I joined a few others on a ride today through Redmond and the Carnation Valley to check out my fitness. They coaxed me into the ride by saying it would be a nice Zone 3 tempo ride, but evidently my teammates are LIARS because the only time I stayed in Zone 3 was while leaving the Marymoor parking lot. Overall it was a good reminder that I can't eat a full plate of pancakes an hour before an intense ride (yes I kept it all down, thank you), and that I've got to keep the gluten and wheat at bay less it trigger my asthma. My hill prowess is notably gone and the legs felt like lead, but it was a good shakedown before the Methow Valley races next weekend that I've talked myself into doing. Going to test this "racing yourself back into shape" theory and finally pop my criterium cherry (That's right, my first one. As if you didn't already know, Cat 4 racers with brakes TERRIFY me. If you see me there, pat me on the head and please stay a mimimum 10 ft away, for both my safety and yours). I haven't done a ride over 30 miles in 2 months, let alone with climbs or at race pace, but at least it's beautiful out there and I'll be able to chat with the cows at my leisure without worrying about taking down the pack.

So pos-i-tive!! But I find that when you go in with zero expectations you can only be surprised by what you can actually accomplish.

You handsome devil

My baby came back to the States for a few weeks and it was pure heaven to have him back. My parents came to town for a few days also and met him for the first time. My mom later wrote to me that he's "a fine young man, and cute too!!!" Yes, that's my mom using 3 exclamation points. I don't know whether to be flattered or grossed out.

He's on his way back to India now. Well, almost. A minor hiccup has ensued because everything related to India has to be difficult as all hell. But I'll have him back soon, in 2 months, when I'll be stuck to him like a seat post rusted into a seat tube over the winter.