Strength Training Continued...

OK, since I couldn't let Suzy get too far ahead on me in the strength training, I went hardcore today, doing intensive 12oz curls on the beach.

I even got enough energy to cross train - those tri-athletes got nothing on me! You can't go to the beach in January and not test the waters. Those first two shots are pictures of what used to be the public beach access in Destin before the hurricanes wreaked their own special magic on it last year. Yes, that's the parking lot, or what is left of it, and the public bath house just sticking up in the air on pilings. There used to be a wonderful boardwalk with multiple beach access ramps leading to the water over majestic dunes. Now it appears that high tide water laps at the pilings under the bath house. Pretty awe inspiring to see Mother Nature's wrath in person, especially since this area is right across the street from the condos we like to stay at. This isn't the only activity we got in today, we also managed to drag ourselves to the heated pool, hot tub and sauna as well. I'd write up more of my adventures, but hey, I'm off to drink more beer and eat some fried blue crab claws dipped in drawn butter...

January Strength Training

To be a strong bike rider takes extreme discipline and continued training, even in the cold months of the off season. Here is Suzy's secret to being an ass-kicking bike rider revealed for the first time here! No, it's not long, grueling miles on the bike in the cold, it's about refueling and refilling the stores needed to get through the upcoming year of riding. Here is a rare photo of Suzy at her winter training grounds - Mellow Mushroom in Destin, Florida. That's right folks, the secret to strong bike riding is pizza and beer!

Celebrity Poker Night

Well, we had our Texas Hold'em poker party last Saturday night, and as you can see, we had some celebs sitting in on our table. It's obvious by the sunglasses that they didn't want to get recognized, so they were in disguise. We had a great time, had some of my famous margaritas, I grilled a ton of chicken for chicken soft tacos, Rue and Shannon both brought tasty desserts, Fred brought some awesome home-made salsa, and that was the highlight of my evening - the food. My cards sucked. Royally. I mean it. I didn't win a hand the whole evening, and my best hand was my first hand, which was a pair of 7's dealt to me - too bad nothing turned up on the table to help them out any. It was still a great time, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series, I think some of the Tifton crowd that was in attendence will be the hosts for our next attempt.

Bonnie the Bone Chewer

Yep, who knew the little starving greyhound would love bones and rawhides so much? She just walks around with them in her mouth, not wanting to put them down. She takes her sweet little time, savoring every last bit of goodness out of them. This sometimes causes a bit of strife for the others in the pack, as they firmly believe in the "eat it all now, Mommy might give us more" mentality. 

MAL Day, or Cheeseburger, Glorious Cheeseburger!

Well, while all of the rest of the world was celebrating MLK, Jr Day, we here at Regency were celebrating our version of it. MAL Day is celebrated every January in honor of Mallory's birthday. Since we don't know the exact date of his birth, only that he was born in January 1994, we have chosen this day as his official day. And no MAL Day celebration would be complete without Checker's Cheeseburgers for the birthday boy! So, Happy observed Birthday Mallory, you are looking quite spry for being 11 years young! 

New Year, New Day...

Who is this girl and why is she on my blog? This is our friend Rue, who lives in Tifton. She was kind enough to invite us to her house for New Year's Eve, and we had a great time ringing in the New Year with her and a bunch of our Tifton friends who ride bikes with us. We played Texas Hold 'Em with 12 people - that was a challenge! Suzy had never played before, but she managed to come in in the top 3 and won a portion of the pot. A little of the old beginner's luck! Since I had fronted her buy-in, I managed to recoup my losses as well.

We had so much fun in Tifton, we decided to host a poker party ourselves, so expect an update after that happens. We'll see if Suzy can continue her lucky streak Saturday night against everyone clamoring for a re-match. Me, I'm just looking for an excuse to fire up the grill for a bunch of folks and not have to worry about having to drive home after some cocktails. At least Fred stepped up and was our DD on New Year's. I guess we are growing up after all!

Suzy and I went mountain bike riding on the Flint River trails last Sunday, and had a great time. Well, Suzy had a great time until some mean old tree roots kicked her to the ground, but you can read about that on her blog. I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year! Until next time....