In my myopic world...the most awesome race ever starts today in Alaska!!!!!

Go Bill Shand
Go Lance Andre
Go Jeff Oatley
Go Racers...Go Brave Men & Women....so Cool! so Impressive!! so Inspiring!!!
Note: see link "The Great One" on the right hand margin of this site (scroll down a bit under "interesting and timely links") and follow this race of attrition as it plays out along the barrens of the Last Frontier...this is not an ordinary cycling race!

A Man needs a plan. It helps to write out one's goals. Einstein said, "One cannot really understand his/her thinking until he/she writes it out."

What I am looking forward to and working to achieve in the near future...Core races of which I will build the upcoming season around...

1st "Priority A+" Peak Race of the Spring is April's Trans-Iowa
2nd Peak Race: Almanzo 162 in May
3rd Peak Race: 24 hours @ 9 Mile in July
4th Peak Race Heck of the North in October
5th Peak Race; December's super long Tuscobia 200
6th "Priority A+" Peak Race will be the Classic Arrowhead 135 in early February of 2012

The Rationale: Two races on Snow (my favorite medium); Three races on Gravel, my second favorite kind of "turf"; One race on awesome single track, my weakest flooring material. Plus they are nicely spaced to allow me old bones to rest...
Muse: If I had the power to pick the two races that I really want to "fly" in they would be the Trans-Iowa and the Arrowhead 135, for these two events tend to bring out the best that I have left to give...

Muse: My future goals are to participate in the Alaskan Invitational and the Great Divide Race. Note: Also this summer I want to scout out a potential route for a future Tour of the Northern Latitudes of Minnesota with the 47th latitude as a focal point or point at which I would craft a loop with the 47th as the approximate line that divides the loop (half the route below it and half the route above it)...Essentially, some kind of a 300/400 mile oblong gravel/dirt loop starting/ending in Duluth...

The 2010 LIST is HERE! (with a revised few additions)

Sure itz been cold and even tough to motivate to get out on the bike…so in an effort to inspire…

Here is the greatly anticipated, long overdue, Top Ten List of MOST IMPRESSIVE CYCLING EFFORTS of 2010…

Disclaimer 1: Only old and stressed, albeit “impressive” people are allowed on THE LIST ‘cuz itz easy to do extraordinary things on a bike when a guy is young and fancy free. The older you are the better your chances. So if you are a guy under forty years-of-age without sore knees, a wife, or polyps on your colon, or scars on your shoulders or if you are a young fella without any snotty-nosed kids yanking at your pant-legs or getting’ in trouble at school, or if you are without a hyper-active dog that is constantly “on-the-lam” and/or if you are without a high mortgage payment, or an angry boss, or if you are not given impossible tasks to do at work, or if you are not surrounded by incompetent workers or if you are without exorbitantly high student-loans, or diabetic cats (or the like) then you would have really had to do something incredibly special in cycling in 2010 to make this LIST. A youngin’ that rides hard, eats right, don’t drink, and then goes home to sleep at his parent’s house with nary a worry in the world, of course can do great things in racing!!! Guyz that make The List are under the gun in their day-jobs and in their everyday lives…To them training “aint work,” training is a way to escape reality, to feel FREE! And the actual racing part is easy, itz the after racing part when ya gotta go home and take the dog for a long walk, coach a youth soccer team, or take the kid to hockey practice that really tests these guyz endurance. They don’t dread training, they look forward to training. Most of the time, they have to train at all hours of the day, super early in the morning or late night, if they are gonna “get one in.” These guyz do it all, plus they are darn good cyclists as well, and thatz why they made THE LIST!

Disclaimer 2: In order to make The List, not only do you have to be over 40 and stressed, you also have to have done a really impressive thing in a race that The List-Maker has knowledge of or experience with…and since he is too slow and awkward to do the shorter races, chances are that you won’t make The List if you only do WORS or MNSCS races. Of course these short fast events are dominated by the youth and so it is to some extent a moot point. The List rewards longevity in the sport and the fact of the matter is that the longer one stays in the sport the more likely he/she will be drawn into the longer, more obscure events. Veteran riders are drawn to events that provide more race time for the buck and time commitment for obvious reasons.

Disclaimer 3: This year’s List is configured in a different fashion from years past. This year’s List is based on specific Categories whereas in year’s past I placed riders in a hierarchical listing--

Disclaimer 4: If you don't like the List or if you feel like you were left off the List unfairly or unjustly, send the author a case of Bell's Hopslam Ale with a note and he will get back to you. Otherwise, if you are too young, thatz your fault.

Most Impressive Overall 2010 Results; Winner- Tim Ek wins WEMS and places high in many gravel road classics. Eki raced more “hard races” in 2010 than anybody else in “my world.” Runner-up-Sara Kylander Johnson, with babe on hip, has an amazing season winning many podium finishes in most of the big time Midwestern races including Ore-to-shore, Iceman Cometh, and Chequamegon.

Most Impressive Snow Race Effort; Winner- Sage Dave Pramann’s effort @ the 350 mile Alaskan Invitational; Runner-up; 40+ Jeff Oatley barely is beat by youthful Pete Basinger @ the same race. Winner did it in 3 dayz, 9 hours and 18 minutes; while 50+ Pramann took 5 dayz and 57 minutes.

Most Impressive Gravel Road Race Effort; Winner- Cornbread of Nebraska crushed a strong field @ Dirty Kanza 200 in the kind of heat that would make the Devil sweat, Runner Up- Tandem Team Eppen impresses @ Almanzo 100

Most Impressive Multi-day Race Effort; Winner- Jeremy Kershaw rides for 88 hours to complete 627 mile Trans-Wisconsin with aged malcontent in tow. Runner-up- Joe Meiser, who would have won the Trans-Wisconsin by at least six hours+ had to pull the plug at Hayward (near the finish) due to fatherly duty…

Most Impressive Effort in a Mountain Bike Race under Three hours; Winner-Family man Scott Cole’s (46) amazing effort at the Chequamegon, where he earned a 22nd finish; Runners-up-Jim Bell (47) from Saint Cloud finishes in 33rd position at the same race and Aaron Swanson of Northern Wisconsin in a top 40 finish…both very impressive!!!

Most Impressive 12 hour mtb race effort; (All involved Levis race)Winner-Jason Buffington @ Levis 100; Runners-up-Trevor Rockwell and Charly Tri. Rockwell and Buffington won at Levis on single-speeds whilst Tri won the geared class. Buffington has at least ten years on Rockwell and Tri and three kids to Tri's one kid, so do the math…Buffington wins, but Tri and Rockwell were impressive indeed!

Most Impressive 24 hour mtb race effort; Winner-Jason Buffington @ 24@9Mile. Buffington took second in the single speed division losing to a top Wisconsin rider and third overall; Runner-up; Danielle Musto @ 24Hrs@Afton. This is an incredibly hard course and she was right there with the winner for the full 24 hours!!! So impressive…but she is young and yet so impressive…

Most Impressive and Generous Race Director; Winner- Chris Skogen for the amazing Almanzo; Runner-up; Kershaw & Buffington Clan hospitality at the Heck of the North.

Overall Most Impressive Win of 2010; Winner- Oatley out-sprinting Basinger and Pramann at the Arrowhead for the win! Runner Up-; Cornbread’s win in Kansas.

Miscellaneous Honorable mentions…

Most impressive non-cycling performance of 2010 (snow-walkers included, runners and triathletes excluded); Winner- Greg Hexum’s 4th place effort at the National Snowshoe championships (he has won it twice before), Runners-up; Tim Roe and Matt Maxwell at the 2010 Arrowhead 135

Most Generous Act of 2010; Winner-Rich Hendricks picks up two wasted finishers of the Trans-Wisconsin at a muddy remote Lake Superior beach @ 2:00 a.m. in the morning amid a rain storm. Runner-Up; Jim Reed’s daughter drives Trans-Wisconsin contingency from Duluth, MN to the border of Wisconsin and Illinois.

Company most in-tune with the needs of the DBD Adventure Society; Winner-Salsa; Runner ups-Man-Diaper Inc. & Bells Brewery of Michigan.

Nicest guyz in the snow and gravel peletons: Winners-Lindsay Gauld, Jim Palmer, Bill Shand, Jim Reed, Ari, the Braun Brothers, Chris Finch, John Kurth, Dave Simons, Jason Novak, Dave Gray, Greg Ames, Pat Long, Jason Giddings, Chuck Linder, Nick Wethington, Troy Kruse, Mike Dietzman, Rich Hendricks, Drew Wilson, Tim Andrews, Todd McFadden, Adam Blake, Ben Shockey, John Hatcher...
Funniest guyz in the Peleton: Winner-Josh Peterson; Runner-up: Lance Andre

Best Man-servant of 2010: Winner-Andy Lockery’s handling of Mr. Gauld at the AH 135; Runner up- Rick Mangen’s daughter’s work at the Heck of the North.

Good Samaritan Award: Prairie Peddler Bike Shop, Prairie du Chien, WI. If you are ever in the area stop by as they are the bestest, most nicest folks ever...really helped me out of a jam during the Trans-Wisconsin

Best Bike Shop: The Ski Hut in Duluth, MN...The Epicenter of Cycling. .

Most Impressive Bike Club: COGGS of the Northland.

Most Secretive Cycling Society: The Slender Fungus

Most Covert and Misunderstood Adventure Society: The D.B.D.A.S.

Wherez my stuff? Teetchers and all dim union adgeetaters hav had it to gud fer to long...Everybodee iz hirtin'

Exxon Mobil profit nearly doubles
By Ben Rooney, CNN staff reporter. December 29, 2010: 12:29 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Exxon Mobil Corp. reported quarterly earnings Thursday that easily beat analysts' expectations on higher crude prices.
The world's largest public energy company reported net income of $7.56 billion, or $1.60 a share, in the second quarter, up 91% from $3.95 billion, or 81 cents a share, in the same period in 2009.

Earnings for the first half of 2010, excluding special items, were $13.9 billion, up 60% over the first half of 2009.


Halliburton doubles profits
Source: Guardian; UK. January 15, 2011

Oil services company boosts revenue despite 'systemic failures' in Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster.

Halliburton boss Dave Lesar was 'very pleased' with the results.

Halliburton, the oil services company once run by former US vice-president Dick Cheney, doubled its profits in the last quarter of 2010, even as the US government tarred it with "systemic failures" in the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster.

My life is sooooooooo important to the State of the Union

So much on my plate…here’s what I need to do in the next few weeks:
• Craft and publish the long over-due and highly anticipated Top 10 LIST OF IMPRESSIVE CYCLING ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2010. __Clean Pugsley.
• __Initiate a non-violent “people’s revolution” using only the Morse-code via telegraph, preferably in a Scandinavian country. __Try and rescue Julian Assange... __Also get Ross @ Ski Hut to fix me Gunnar. ___Order a suspension fork as I am too old to go rigid for another 24 hour race.
• __Craft and publish the long over-due and highly anticipated Top 10 LIST OF Novel and Innovative advances in the field of cycling for 2010 (Man-Diaper is odds on favorite for Number One position). __Buy up the rest of the Bell's Hopslam Ale with daughter's lunch money. __ Write up a recap of recent most excellent trip to BWCA w/the family Evavold.
• __Have my people “touch base,” “do lunch,” and "crunch the numbers" with big-time industry playaz including Specialized, Oakley, and Trek execs.
• __Submit candid reviews on several books that I have recently read including two top notch books about the history of cycling, a new hero-worship work about Lance, and a couple classics including Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (which is simply amazing).
• __Get my Lake winter-cycling boots back from Kershaw or see Wm Gates to draw up plans for war
• __Have new puppy neutered and counseled __Check on getting Berlusconi neutered.
• __Formalized race schedule for spring/summer 2011 w/boss (aka lovely wife); so far…priority races include:
o Ragnorak 105 (entry fee: free)
o Trans-Iowa (entry fee: free)
o Cheq 100 (entry fee: free)
o Almanzo 162 (entry fee: free)
o Dirty Benjamin (entry fee: free)
o Levis 100 (entry fee: reasonable)
o 24hrs@9Mile (entry fee: resaonable)
o Heck of the North (entry fee: free)
These entry fees are a sure sign that the country is falling to the Communists!!!

Durkheim revisited...

Durkheim’s notion of Organic Solidarity, the Zatopek Effect, and a novel method for Men coping with Hyperhidrosis.

The following is a quasi-pseudo-academic effort at conjoining three vague, misunderstood concepts with recent events surrounding the running of the 7th annual Arrowhead 135…Note: The author is delusional and ill-equipped for serious contemplation, but does NOT present a danger to himself or others unless forced to go without ingesting well-crafted ales for significant periods of time.

Part I: Emile Durkheim, the noted sociologist and consultant to the DBD, is a major proponent of structural functionalism in all forms of bike racing. He shuns runners (and especially triathletes), calling them dysfunctional “dandies” and the like. Thus, in his view, snow-bike racing, in its purest, most elemental form, is a holistic, decidedly organic phenomena whereby each participant is caught up into a vortex of forces, many of which are beyond his or her control. Think to what extent a gall bladder has control over a reckless larynx? In other words, Durkheim, after a few hearty stouts and a Cuban cigar, maintains that snow-biking at its essence is an occurrence attributed wholly to the event-at-large, rather than being limited to the specific actions of individuals. He holds that the individual is a kind of specific organ made up of differentiated cells within an interrelated, complex, and organic mother-board (i.e. brain, heart, lungs, think “vital” organs). Furthermore, Durkheim submits that in a long race of endurance, rather than speed, such as the Arrowhead, the racers are relegated to integral parts of a single functioning organism whose job is to finish the 135 miles in some semblance of the original "self." Or in other words, the goal is to get the most important part of the whole (the Vital Essence of the Organism or "the self") across the finish line. In a race exhibiting this degree of interdependence amongst the participants, its cohesion and integration comes from the homogeneity of individuals—people that feel connected through similar passions, educational and religious training (clarity through suffering), and affinity for beverages derived from fermented grains and self-sacrifice. The author agrees with Durkheim’s assessment, but only insomuch as to the part about the gall bladder feeling helpless in itz efforts to control a rogue larynx. In other words, being exterior to the individual person the overall “organism” can exercise coercive “peer-like” power over the various peoples composing the racers. Just as the epithelial cells compel the reluctant brain to ingest grain alcohols, the faster, more motivated, more fit riders exert their will over the less inclined riders. Durkheim called this tangled web, “anomie.”

Such is the events leading up to the first checkpoint of this year’s Arrowhead…Not unlike the comprehensive human body, when stressed beyond the normal parameters of homeostasis, the “Organism” may be compelled to sacrifice the less vital aspects of the body for the sake of glory, eventual accolades in the form of improved breeding opportunities, sponsorships, bragging rights, and expensive local brews, etc... Such is the reasoning behind the ebbs and flows of the “lively” peloton during the recent Arrowhead. The peloton is a perpetual filtering system designed to reward both mental and physical prowess, whilst casting off the weakened and diseased parts, think of it in the same way as one thinks about the liver after a long night of libations. The Organism “sheds” the less fit cells in a purely amoral, biologically indifferent, rational gesture. The author was one of these less fit cells, cast off (with others) as The Organism sped onward from the Gateway Store. Such is the way of things, nature’s plan…As the living, breathing organism left me to my inevitable fate I smiled as I knew that I was part of the plan…the overall scope of things. I was part of the elimination phase of the “Circle of life!” This thought buoyed me as I rode the remainder of the race alone with my thoughts. Content in my place within the scheme of things, my thoughts turned to the late great Emil Zatopek.

The Nihilists would have you believe that this is all nonsense, and that it matters not and yet you continue to read— such is the inherent tragedy of our brief interlude together here on terra-firma!

Part II: Emile Zatopek was famous for intense training day after day, all the while laughing and smiling, whilst his training partners quietly wept at the pace and intensity. Killing himself progressively a little bit more with each ever more intense training session was the hope of his competitors and partners alike. He did not believe in training slow. In fact, he is often credited with being among the first endurance athletes to train with very intense intervals day after day. This apparently helped to propel him to 18 world records and five Olympic medals. In the 1954 Helsinki Olympics he won the 5000- and 10,000-meter races breaking the Olympic records at both distances. Then he decided at the last minute to run the marathon, which he had never done before. He also won it, again breaking the Olympic record.

In 1950 he was training for the European Games when he became seriously sick shortly before the competition. He was hospitalized and spent several dayz flat-out in bed. Two days before the Games, which then were second only to the Olympics in status, he was released from the hospital. Against the advice of his doctors, he raced both the 10,000 and the 5,000 meters. Despite having not trained for several weeks he won both races, lapping the field in the 10,000 and winning by 23 seconds in the 5,000. In each race he ran the second-fastest time ever recorded for the distance. And this was four years before his career peak.

In a similar manner, I’ve known of athletes in a variety of sports to develop a slight injury, a roaring hang-over, or become sick (or all three) days or weeks before a competition and yet have a personal-best performance. They were forced to rest. This physical anomaly has been coined the “Zatopek effect.” Sometimes the body must say “enough” in order to regain form….a forced rest can produce a fully rested competitor ready to perform at a peak level.

During the first annual running of the Tuscobia 150 miler last December, the author became incredibly sick, injured, and hung-over (and unloved) and thus was able to only train at a very limited volume leading up the Arrowhead 135. His much better than anticipated finish at this year’s Arrowhead can thus be partly attributed the “Zatopek effect” as well as his astute understanding of Durkheim’s work (supplemented with copious intake of Bell’s Hopslam Ale). But enough about this bit player, the real practitioner of Zatopek Dogma is the writer’s training partner and second place finisher at this year’s Arrowhead. He simply does not train slow and he does not rest (ever) and all the while, he maintains the most amicable of temperament. It is both maddening and delightful to behold. To be honest, before coming to understand Durkheim’s work, the essayist secretly held out hope that the youthful Zatopek-like zealotry would backfire on his training partner, that the full-throttled approach to training would bring about a cataclysmic bonk and that such an end would provide a lesson to the zealot, that the older, feeble one could lecture the stronger on the importance of rest and tempered training schedules. But alas some organs are “more equal” than others, some organs are destined for greatness while others are used for elimination purposes. Yet there is comfort in knowing one’s place in the universe.

The Nihilists would have you believe that this is all nonsense, and that it matters not for we are all doomed, and yet you continue to read, such is the paradox of our existence!

Part III: How the Man-diaper saved the life of a North Dakotan. Men drink and Men sweat. Excess moisture invites the cold and even more troubling, chapping in the nether region that houses the naughty, albeit hyper-sensitive bits. Whilst drinking is evolutionary perfection, sweating and chapping are flaws in the Darwinian system. Men of intellect attempt to rectify flaws in nature. There are basically two camps of intellectuals that attempt to counteract these flaws in nature; 1.) the unfeeling, robotic scientists that are committed to concerted protocols based on methodology; and 2) the North Dakotans that are motivated by the commercial production and application of the sugar beet. As alluded to above, Durkheim proposes that we are just differentiated cells interacting, and at varying degrees, dependent upon each other in order to achieve a holistic organic mission (i.e. at least one rider finishing the Arrowhead). He does not hold that this organism is in perfect harmony or that we are to be expected to sit back and take it all without a fight. Although the Nihilists would have you believe that it is our collective duty to contend with chapping in the nether region (even invite and celebrate chapping), Durkheim (and the author) believe ardently that it is our job as creative beings to attempt to alleviate chapping. Thus the innovative Man-diaper was designed to take on this fatal flaw in nature. Winter racing in Northern Minnesota is a challenge, especially in terms of regulating heat and cold and sweat. The eyes freeze, the toes freeze, whilst the crotch and back are hot and sweaty saunas. The man diaper rejects conventional “scientific” thinking that one should shroud himself in hi-tech breathable material. Instead the man-diaper accepts the flaw of nature, the brilliance of the sugar beet, and works with the sweat produced by the cyclist. As the racer races, the sweaty fluids (filled with electrolytes and other vital minerals) are captured/absorbed into the heavy cotton liner, gravity forces the performance-enhancing fluids downward into specially designed receptors at the base of the diaper, tucked comfortably (and out-of-sight) in the nether region. Once the receptors are filled to the brim, the competitor simply squeezes the fluids (as a manservant squeezes a bar rag) into his/her camelbak (or the like), supplementing and enhancing the hydration process. One can “cycle” through this process indefinitely.

When Durkheim was invited to witness the product-in-action, he wept tears of joy and then proclaimed, “My work has finally been applied to the betterment of mankind!” Such is the basis for a new kinder world…

An unencumbered muse...did I spell "unencumbered" right?

I'm pumped...like I was when Guy, Mike and I approached the summit of Mt. Logan way back in the day!!! That was in the early 90s and I am still using most of the gear I used then, today...including my Patagonia Ninja top, my J-Rat hat, my Dachstein wool socks, and my Granite Gear mitts...Good gear is worth it, don't skimp, buy the good stuff and abuse the hell out of it...The Pugsley was spot on and I suspect that it will hold up for years and years to come.
A completely spontaneous, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale-aided muse with no rules of order, grammar, or focus or continuity…just whatever is on my mind right now…Note: A concerted, calculated written effort to follow, once me brain clears…
Lindsay Gauld and Andy Lockery are two of the most fascinating people I have ever met, if I can even come close to emulating them, I shall be a happy man on me death-bed. Among so many other interests, endeavors, and pursuits, they put on the RED ASS 300 which is still one of the best races I have ever had the pleasure of participating in. I knew that Mary and Dave Pramann would do an amazing job with the Arrowhead 135; they are simply the epitome of what is great about AMERICA. The Arrowhead 135 to my way of thinking is an extraordinary "should-not be missed" event, if you have not experienced it, your life is unfulfilled, so save up, buy a clown-bike and do it in 2012!!! Dave and Mary put on a top notch race and give any extra $$$ to a great charity. The whole weekend is a fascinatingly fun time filled with esoteric characters from all over the place...NOTE: Don’t be scared of the runners (or skiers) for they are harmless. This is the kind of race that should be on everyone’s “TO DO LIST.” I knew Dr. Buffington had it in him to ride with the Great Jeff Oatley, I knew it! To be able to hang with Oatley for 115 miles is a great accomplishment and speaks to the kind of motor Oatley has in his arsenal. I also knew that Jeremy Kershaw would finish high up in the running division (even though he aint no runner), but I did not think that he would finish in second place, which to me is almost as impressive as Jason’s effort, but I should have known it, I should know better than to ever have doubted his ability, but he is a rather humble guy, but tough as nails, still I am so impressed w/ both Buffington and Kershaw. No really when a guy really is forced to think about it, Kershaw’s effort is just as impressive as Buffington’s effort (both efforts confound me and I am in awe!). Of course, I think, itz hard for me (and all cyclists) to empathize with the geeky runners (not that I consider Kershaw or Reed to be runners, per se), but still 135 miles in those conditions on foot is most impressive (methinks that a REAL DBDer should walk it at least one time in one’s life time? Next year I may try and “jog” the damned thing!)... I also knew that Jim Reed would finish because I know him and he don't quit...it aint in him, I knew Greg Ames would do well because of his inner-strength and great personality and I knew Dave Simmons would finish because he does everything right from work to family to adopting the revolutionary Man-Diaper…I didn’t care if Rick finished because hez a good guy no matter what and thatz what really matters when itz all said and done. I knew that Charley Tri would either finish in the top three or that he wouldn’t finish, hez got a medical condition that would keep 99% of cyclists out of an event like this, but he still tried and in my book thatz HUGE!!! I know that Josh Peterson is a great mountain biker, but he surprised the Hell of me with his amazing effort. I continue to be impressed with the Alaskan, Jeff Oatley. He is a really nice guy and he has a really impressive wife, Ms. Best, that also impressed the HELL OUT OF ME!!! I accept Lance Andre as a man of great determination and zeal, he is a talented cyclist, I like him a lot, and I want him to stop being so hard on himself! Lance is one tough cookie and look for him to be in the top four in Alaska. He wanted to win this one and he gave it is all and to my way of thinking; thatz all a Man can do... I am pumped for Bill Shand because he is Bill Shand and hez Canadian and Canadians are cool, and hez great guy that loves his family and yet still is always out-there pushing it to the limit of endurance. I really really like Jason Novak because he is the son that I never had and I knew he would finish, just like I knew that Tim Roe and Maxwell would finish and how I knew that John Storcamp would win the running division. I knew that I could not beat Dan Dittmer or Ben Doom and I suspect that if they stick with the sport they will come to dominate it, but not before Buffington wins it next year unless we see Pramann's return in 2012, then all bets are off!... They are young, strong, and good fellas! It is always wonderful to see Dave Gray and his totally cool Dad every year at this event. Team Grelk was the model of helpfulness as were all the volunteers including Pat Susnik, Matt Long, and the nicest guy ever from Milwaukee. Team Linder from Warroad gives me hope for the future of this great nation. Don Clark will finish the 2012 Arrowhead 135 on a puke gold Pugsley. Cousin J, Kurth, and Finch are essential elements that make this event “so gosh-darn fun.” I am sure that I missed some guyz that should have been mentioned, like for example Pat White and the other top-notch guyz from Nord-dacoeta but they will forgive me cuz they always do….I know that Mike S. of Duluth is bummed about not skiing it, but he has already skied it and thatz more than the rest of us can say, 'cept Kershaw, Maxwell, and Roe. more to come...and again please forgive me if I left you off this rant...I'll make it up to you...Phil Jemaleeta (or something like that); I still owe you a beer! I'll get that done next year in I-Falls....

AH135: Buffington & Kershaw performaces bring smile to otherwise stoic Queen...stop...

.....stop... a renewed Farrow is cautiously allowed into DBD Club House, albeit through the service door...stop...Full report to follow....Pramann's version of AH 135, a resounding success...all appendages of worth in place and functional. ...stop...Man-diaper saves North Dakotan's life as temps fall to 30 below F on the trail...stop.