The Natchez Trace

Kristin, Tuck, and Elizabeth are on a journey... The Natchez Trace... 400 miles... on a bicycle! I will be posting periodic updates on their trek right here!

Day Ten: A lazy day in Natchez (courtesy of the early finish)... here are a couple of photos from the journey:



Day Nine: 90 miles and an early FINISH!!! Instead of breaking up the last two legs with an overnight, Elizabeth and Kristin busted a move and made it all the way from Ridgeland to Natchez. (Part of the motivation was the less-than-stellar hotel in Port Gibson!) Tuck opted to ride with Liz in support due to the aching wrist. After the finish the whole gang, including Mr. Barnes, Jack and Neil Rejman, sipped scotch and then crossed the state line into Louisiana for a feast of frog legs, catfish and shrimp. Everyone was in great spirits for the end of the Natchez Trace!

Day Eight: Our crew spent the day relaxing and seeing the sights in Jackson, including a visit to the 'old' state capitol. Good weather, good food, and Kristin's talking like she going to move there! Tuck nursed his wrist after the slow-motion tip over at the end of yesterday's ride. (All you riders out there with clip-ins know what happened.) Elizabeth's family made plans to fly in a day early (tomorrow) after picking up Mr. Barnes in Indiana.

Day Seven: 68 miles! First had to drive to "Country Cookin" for breakfast - and apparently decaf isn't a common order... Tuck and Liz hit the outskirts Jackson to fix his shoe, while Kristin and Elizabeth braved the poor roads in the first two hours. Gorgeous sunny day ride, with a scenic lunch spot (i.e., not just trees)! Tuck and Liz also hit a craft fair and added to their eclectic metal animal collection. Had an excellent dinner at "Katherine's" for a bit of local flair and live music! Tomorrow: day off!

Day Six: 45 miles! A cold one for the crew - Kristin said she had to sprint to shake the bone chill. Everyone finished the distance in grand fashion, but we've had our first equipment failure: Tuck's shoe apparently caught on his pedal and he tore off a cleat. Thankfully, it happened at the end of the day. Plans are for Tuck and Liz to skip into town to find a repair while Elizabeth and Kristin hit the first leg in the morning...

Day Five: 59 Miles! Our intrepid crew experienced beautiful weather (surprisingly) on their way to Starksville, MS! Kristin says that they are all in fine shape and settling into a groove. The group had to out-run a swarm of black flies at one point, but spent most of the day admiring the flowers on either side of the road. The traffic, with one blaring exception, has been very accomodating (whew!). As an interesting side note, apparently the most popular way to ride "The Trace" is in the opposite direction, from Natchez to Nashvillle. Perhaps that explains why the majority of other riders they've seen are going in the other direction! All three are looking forward to a relatively short ride tomorrow...

Day Four: Day off riding. The group spent the day in Oxford and Tupelo, MS, the birthplace of Elvis Presley. The also visited the campus of Ole Miss, and took in the final round of the Masters warm and dry in the lobby of the hotel. But just to capture the mood, here's a photo from the road! Enjoy!


Day Three: 70 miles!! Kristin reports very cold weather for the first half of the day, but then after a PB&J lunch, the weather was beautiful. In fact, so good that she finished the entire length of their longest day of riding. They had a great time at dinner with a 'local,' Mark Yacovone. Go see his picture at dinner on Facebook! Everyone is in good spirits, and they are all excited to spend tomorrow in Tupelo, AL, the birthplace of one Elvis Presley.

Day Two: 50 miles! Narrowly escaping a HAIL storm, and documenting Armadillo road kill, our intrepid trekkers are sleeping soundly in Florence, AL. Kristin was in great spirits as she reported that both Elizabeth and Tuck are enjoying the ride as well... even though today was much chillier. They dined at O'Charlie's tonight and plan on a big pancake breakfast before doing the BIGGEST day of travel tomorrow: 70 miles!!! Wish them luck!

Day One: 59 miles! From Nashville to Hohenwald - and the report coming in is one of soreness, tiredness, and complaints about a certain 7 miles at the end which seemed "straight uphill." Great weather to kick off the trip. Wish our adventurers well!!! Tomorrow: another 60 miles, with rain showers in the forecast!

Hey Check It Out!

Kristin recently updated her business website - we're pretty proud of how it came out! Of course, there's much to improve, but it's a 'fresh' take on her original site. Go check it out: newangleconsulting.com

For those of you willing to take the plunge, I recommend Kristin's brand new podcasts! You'll find them on the Water Cooler page. The podcasts are home-brewed right here in front of this computer. Kristin's trying to start an on-going series on business related issues. In fact, we're hoping someday she's known as the "Water Cooler Coach."

Until then, enjoy the sonorous sounds of my wife's vocal cords without having to go to a church!

The Facebook Craze

Hard to believe Kristin and I have only been on Facebook for less than two weeks! We've 'reconnected' with so many people - although I can hardly claim a deep connection. It's marvelous to resume a sort of social conversation, awareness, and amusement with the people I cherish.

I truly love hearing how my friends are doing - even the smallest thing.

Kristin and I are also heading (too rapidly) to our 20th High School reunion this summer. Seems like yesterday we were attending our 10th! Should be wonderful to see old faces, smiles.

Near and far, close or distant - keep up the status updates!

Happy New Year!

Holy cow! It's been a half a year since I posted last? Seriously, shame on me. Well, part of the delay is the craziness of the end of last year. Kristin and I were traveling a lot, and everything seemed on-hold. Of course, time ticks on regardless of how much attention you pay.

Now, fresh with the turn of the year, I'm back on blogspot! Here's a quick update on our lives:

Kristin and I recently joined Facebook - friend us!

Mark is (still) writing a book about his Uncle

Kristin is getting into radio

New Angle Consulting posted it's best year yet in 2008!

Both of are planning on attending our 20-year High School Reunion in the Fall

Our niece Rachael turned twelve last week

Everyone's excited to celebrate my Mom's birthday-milestone with a Mediterranean cruise in the Spring!

Warm, warm, wishes for you and your families as we begin the New Year!

-Outdoor- White Elephant Martini Bingo

Yessir! For the first time ever, Martini Bingo was held outside on our patio! All our prayers and dances to hold off bad weather worked in spades - we simply couldn't have asked for better.

And once again, our Martini Bingo enthusiasts made the evening wonderful. It's a riot to look up from the Bingo tumbler and see all our friends trying to focus on their cards without spilling! You guys bring great stuff as well - what was that alligator thing? Someone said it was a birdfeeder? A special tip of the hat to Lissa Sharp for sharing her decadent Lemon Drop recipe. --No less than 4 tsp. of sugar in the 6 oz. glass!!!!--

Here are some photos of the event:

We worked hard to light up the patio!

Ray, Bill, Ann-Marie, and Lauralyn share a laugh!

Ash takes a turn a callin'.

Can you believe it? Rob won the Zippy round AGAIN!

This year's winner of the pot: Toni Marie! Yay!

Tipsy hosts!

Very special THANK YOU to my sister, Jen, who helped setup in the frantic hours beforehand, AND helped clean up in the tipsy afterhours. Couldn't have done it without you!

See ya'll next time!

Steve and Jen are Hitched!

On a small private beach off the coast of Cancun...


Amongst family...


Two beautiful, glamorous people we dearly love tie the knot...


Warmest, most joyous, congratulations!

See all our photos here.

New Casa!

So long since our last post - but we've been busy! Say hello to our new abode in Denver. Kristin found this gem and we pounced. It's our first home after having been renters for longer than we care to admit. And we couldn't be happier.

We'd like to thank our parents for being so supportive and generous - and for sharing our enthusiasm. Here are some details: The home was built in 1942, but updated with new electrical and air. It's on a 'double' lot - so we've got some room to grow. It faces South - with warm and cheery sunlight through out the day. We're perched on the corner of a city park called Harvard Gulch. The park comes complete with a community swimming pool and - get this - an executive 9-hole golf course!

As new homeowners, we're learning things every day. Take for example cleaning out the gutters: It sucks. But buying new furniture is fun even when you don't both agree! And in recent days, we're learning about the term 'refinancing.'

For those of you in the Denver area, stay tuned for a house warming event. For those of you who aren't, we have a few photos of the place during and after the move. We can't wait to pour a you glass and give you a tour when you're in town.

http://www.geocities.com/marksalada/OurNewHome

Once again, both Kristin and I want to thank everyone who helped with the move - but especially Joan, Tuck, and Liz. Now, off to figure out why the toilet is refilling so slowly...