To My Dog

Posted on by Lindsay
Dear Scout, When I first met you, you were tubby and fluffy and covered in filth, trotting down the driveway of the family that was giving you away for free on Craigslist. Some guy had gotten there first and was taking you home, and even though we'd known each other for about fourteen seconds, I knew you needed to be my dog. I followed the guy's truck as he drove away with you, flagged him down into a parking lot, and offered to pay an inordinate sum of money if I could have you. Then you vomited and pooped in my car. We were off to a great start. You were quiet and reserved when you first moved in, spending a lot of time in the armchair with your back to us and peeing on the corner of the bed so often I had to buy a new one. I ...continue reading.

Reunited and it feels so good

Posted on by Lindsay
Life here in Tucson is great! I'm just sitting here at the kitchen table, stress eating and waiting for the locksmith to arrive. My car keys are missing and after ransacking the house and dumpster diving the neighbor's rolling trash can (try to look dignified while doing that), I've resorted to calling a professional. The $46 fee is spent at this point, so now I'm really hoping the keys are locked in the car. If not, I will be devastated that my keys are still missing because I will have no way to go buy the alcohol required to move past this. Other than the obvious, things are good. I did the famous Shootout group ride on Saturday morning and while I wanted to die a million deaths during the ride, my first thought after it ended was that I couldn't wait to do it again. Sunday was a sufferfest up Mt. Lemmon, noteworthy for the glorious ...continue reading.

Things my dog thought would be helpful this week

Posted on by Lindsay
1. It is cold outside, so I took off half my fur and spread it around the floor so we can all be warm. 2. You might not know that the Comcast technician is here since he just knocked on the door, so I will howl and growl. 3. Did you know that he is still here? I know. I will bark incessantly to make sure you know, too. 4. I have been barking and howling for twenty minutes and you do not seem to notice, so I will poop on the rug because then you will notice that the Comcast technician is still here and I have feelings about this. 5. I've seen you regularly inspecting the hole I've picked in the carpet, so I have made it bigger just for you. 6. You have brought out the vacuum and this is a bad thing, so I will whine ...continue reading.

Cramming several weeks of joy into <1,000 words

Posted on by Lindsay
Hello friends. Sorry to be light on posting lately, but things have been busy. I just had a delicious and healthy dinner of vegetables and lean meat and it was SO satisfying that I'm basking in a smugly nutritious glow while trying to figure out whether I'm going to eat chocolate, cheese, bacon, or all three. I've also thought about making another batch of scones, but the last thing I need is that gastric ballast before tomorrow's intervals. Although my body seems to have developed a method for coping with food mid-ride: Breakfast is my favorite meal, so having it several times isn't so bad. Riding is going well. Team Colavita training camp begins on March 2 in Borrego Springs, CA and I can't wait to meet my teammates and kick off the season. We've paired off to handle cooking meals for the team and staff on assigned nights and ...continue reading.

Dude! Something other than cycling!

Posted on by lindsay
While this blog might lead you to believe otherwise, once in a while I stop riding a bicycle. Some long overdue updates: The Dogs. To make a long story short, Scout got cancer, Scout got cured of cancer but brought home fleas, the fleas made me lose my mind for a little while, I got the furniture cleaned and banished the pets to the floor, and felt guilty for kicking Scout out of his armchair so I bought him a fancy bed. Then Kobe refused to get out of the bed, so I got another one and now both dogs have taken up permanent residence in the beds. As in, I have to physically peel Kobe out of the bed to get him to go outside. The good news is that Scout made it through the first November in three years without developing any serious health problems, which would be ...continue reading.

Uncharted Terrority

Posted on by lindsay
Dog #2 has cancer. The poor guy cannot catch a break. First, he went blind in one eye in November 2009. Then, at the end of last year, he started to go blind in the other eye and had a few months of regular vet visits and dozens of daily eyedrops and pills, followed by a surgery that ended the ordeal but left him totally blind. He has adjusted well to this, other than the part where he gently ricochets off everything as he navigates the world, but now he's been dealt another kick in the pants. The problem seemed minor at first. I took him on a walk to 7-Eleven on Monday and, as I was crossing the street in bright daylight, I noticed the skin under the fur on his tail looked irritated. I bent down for a closer look and was appalled to see the skin was red, mottled with spots, and oozing ...continue reading.