Sunday, September 9, 2012

John Grosz





















What else is there to say, the camera loves him.

Raced in both the masters Cat4 race and the SS Open race (both on
his Waterloo built trek steel single speed) and had the most positive
attitude of anyone out there. Which is saying something because he
just subjected himself to an hours worth of hell and CX people are
usually pretty positive to begin with!

Jess Braun.





















With the largest single-person cheering section of the whole event
(2 people), Jess managed to take third place (PODIUM!!) in her first
ever Cat4 Women's CX race.

Repping Trek Midwest Team hard!

T Breezy.









































Even after falling down and playing in the sand a little on the first lap,
Travis still managed to take home his first Victory in the SS open
race.

Ben Coates.



















With only 15 minutes between Cat4 Elite Mens and Single Speed
open, Ben managed to make a bike change as well as a Skin Suit
change.

Sneaky!

Chad!


















Promise Kept. He ruled the day!

Getting Pitted.



















Started in the back. Finished in the Middle.

All smiles the whole time.

What Cyclocross is to Me.




















Cyclocross to me is a good time. It is scenic parks, goofy people,
excruciating pain, awesome terrain and family.

Without a doubt, one of the most spectator friendly sports around.
People come out and cheer you on regardless of talent level.

It is just plain fun and that is why I do it.

Rope Swing







































We found it.

Picnic Point





















On labor day, Kelly and I went hiking through picnic point and
attempted to find a mysterious rope swing. We came across quite
a few scenic vistas around the coast of lake Mendota.

Family Portrait.

















The finest family around.

The Return of the Mable Clark.




Last weekend I retuned home to Detroit to visit with my family for
labor day and catch up with as many friends as possible. Every time
I am able to make it home, I make sure that I am able to make some 
time for Brendan and Cassie as well. Brendan has been my hetero-
life mate since freshman year of high school and Cassie is his long
term lady friend. I had the pleasure of living with them in Brooklyn
back in 2009 and I always cherish the fleeting moments we have 
to check in with each other. 

But that was not the story behind this picture. No, it's something far
more interesting than a meeting of friends. See, back in college, I
discovered this restaurant, Eph's Delicatessen. A deli that made the
most tender cornedbeef that would, without fail, knock you flat every
time you had the privilege of consuming a sandwich adorned with 
the meat. Eph's moved out of Corktown and into primetime. Right
on the southern tip of Campus Martius, just west of Jefferson/ the
spirit of Detroit statue. However, it would soon begin experiencing
business troubles and it would open and close almost at random. The
hours were less than consistent and it would eventually go out of
business completely while I was living in New York. 

A new chapter of this story opens up when Nick Hagen discovers
that the restaurant that opened in its place, Grand Trunk, retained
some of Eph's staff. Namely, the cook and the guy that orders the
raw materials. Grand Trunk would even call out on their menu that
they offered "Eph's Sandwiches" and as luck would have it, the 
Mable Clark (my favorite) was one of the few items to survive the
cut. Once this news was relayed to me, I knew my next trip home 
to Detroit would include a stop at Grand Trunk to rip into my long
lost love, the Mable Clark. 

The day comes when I plan to meet Nick and his lady friend down
town for some delicious corned beef. I arrive to heartache. Because
the Detroit Electronic Music Festival is taking place across the street
at Hart Plaza, Grand Trunk has a "Festival Menu" that does NOT
include my favorite item. I beg and plead with the waitress, but the
thumping techno music makes it hard to talk and I end up settling 
for reuben. I could almost hear my own heart breaking over the 
Dubstep.

Never one to stay down, I return home this last weekend, as discussed
earlier and ask Brendan and Cassie if they want to meet at Grand
Trunk for lunch. They accept and I fill with excitement once again.
I put my Eph's t-shirt on, fire up Stella and bomb down I75. I get 
there only to find out the JazzFest is taking place and the dreaded 
"Festival Menu" is in effect. However, this time, I could not be 
deterred. I didn't even look at the menu, when the waitress got there
I brazenly ordered a Mable Clark. When she said that it was not on
the menu, I explained how much I loved Eph's. How I wear the 
t-shirt all over Wisconsin and how I have driven 450 miles one way
twice, just to get a Mable Clark. I asked her if she wanted me to drive
home again disappointed and I got a, "I'll see what I can do". 10 minutes
later, she approached the table with a mountain of irish meat, coleslaw,
thousand island dressing on a kaiser roll. She had delivered me what 
I had craved for 3 years.

I tipped her 100%. 

Brookfield Wheel and Sprocket Ride.



















Look how happy everyone is when they ride their bikes in neighborhoods!
I am going to go do some of that right now!

Mickey and the Packers pre-season game.
































Not much to say about this photoset other than
we went out to dinner at a sports bar to watch the
packers play. We drank some things and the photos
got a lot weirder as the night went on.

Mickey and the Glock 19


















Mickey (finally) came to visit me in Wisco, so the first
thing we did, after touring Trek's headquarters was find
a shooting range and let off some steam. After living in
metro Detroit her entire life, she had never shot a gun.

That is no longer true.

She seemed to really enjoy it, aside from getting hit a few
times with hot shell casings.