Thirty is the new awesome

Posted on by Lindsay
I turned 30 on Halloween. Sometimes I'm still astonished that I'm old enough to drive and buy alcohol and eat as much dessert as I want, but then I think about being 30 and realize that teenagers would consider me old. Teenagers are stupid. Get off my lawn. My birthday was so enjoyable and reminded me how fortunate I am to have such wonderful people in my life. I don't feel young or old or concerned about the number at all; I just feel pretty damn lucky to be where I am right now. [caption id="attachment_5564" align="alignnone" width="600"] The result of a night of pumpkin carving with Dad, Andrew, Mike, bottles of Scotch and wine, and several pints of Ben & Jerry's. Yo dawg, I heard you like pumpkins, so I carved a pumpkin into my pumpkin.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5555" align="alignnone" width="600"] These are my parents. The family resemblance is undeniable.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5568" align="alignnone" width="600"] When my mother presented ...continue reading.

Hasta Luego

Posted on by Lindsay
Late one night in October of 2012, Andrew and I stopped at a Mexican restaurant in Vienna for a drink. I'd read about the place a few weeks prior, but our visit was just a random answer to the question of what to do that evening. The bartender (who had been called "surly" in the review I'd read) was friendly and made good drinks, so we decided to come back again soon and have dinner. Our next visit was equally enjoyable. The food was great and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. We became regulars, stopping in at least once a week, and gradually came to know the staff and other frequent visitors. Fernando, the bartender and manager, became a good friend. Andrew had a dish in the restaurant's computer named after him and I stopped having to ask for guacamole because it would appear shortly after my arrival, along with a glass of wine or ...continue reading.

Acknowledging marital bliss with rancid food

Posted on by Lindsay
Happy anniversary! We made it through our first year of marriage without killing each other, so let's eat some really old cake and see if that does it instead. [caption id="attachment_5505" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nothing like Harris Teeter sheet cake fresh from a year in the back of the freezer.[/caption]

Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner

Posted on by Lindsay
This past weekend was the TD Bank Mayor's Cup in Boston and the official end of my racing season. Normally at this point I’d do a recap of the year, but I’m not interested in looking backwards. The first half of the season was a disaster; I struggled badly on and off the bike and considered quitting racing entirely. I never want to feel that way again. After the Intelligentsia Cup races, I asked for permission from Colavita to race independently for the remainder of the season. It was a sad moment but also a huge relief, like taking a 300-pound crap. I raced the Chris Thater Crits on my own and was overwhelmed by the warmth and support from the rest of the women’s peloton. Fearless Femme’s director Arounkone Sananikone asked me to guest ride for their team the next weekend at Gateway Cup, and after Gateway they asked me to stay ...continue reading.

In Which My Father Parades

Posted on by Lindsay
[caption id="attachment_5213" align="alignnone" width="600"] My father was in a 4th of July parade as part of his senior role in the Knights of Columbus. Somewhere around fifteen THOUSAND people came out to the event. Things I never thought I'd say: "I'm here because my dad is in the parade."[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5217" align="alignnone" width="600"] Just because he had to be serious and sword-wielding (he's the one behind my extremely white exposed shoulder) didn't mean I couldn't photo-bomb the moment.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5216" align="alignnone" width="600"] Fun for the whole family! We're really proud of my father for his accomplishments with the Knights and also for not passing out after standing in the sun for hours in a tux, hat, and heavy cape.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5215" align="alignnone" width="600"] I told my mother I'd give her $100 to run off with one of these star floats. She was thwarted by the fact that they were firmly tied ...continue reading.

Hail Queen Julia

Posted on by Lindsay
So I got an email this morning: I understood the TRL reference, but I did have to Google it to figure out how one does a TRL-style shout-out. Apparently this is what it means to be old. Next I will be confused about The Facebooks and then start asking people to chew my food for me. I wanted to fulfill her request, but needed a picture to go along with the post, so I Googled her name. A Twitter handle popped up (@MsJuliaSteele...NSFW) along with an assortment of related results. And WHOA. THAT IS NOT MY SISTER-IN-LAW. My sister-in-law would describe herself in many amusing ways, but it is likely that none of them include the description "ASS WORSHIP QUEEN OF ATLANTA!" But because she is my favorite sister and because she joined me in laughing recently when our waiter described a steak preference as "warm and pink on the inside", this may have ...continue reading.