Finally!!!

I somehow manged to post Casey's picture!! Meanwhile, I posted a pic of Alan and Tom at the Tour of MO 07. You have to look at it sideways....this is when I wish I had a computer geek around instead of so many cats!

 

Where's the picture?

I thought I moved a picture of Casey and me to the blog. Obviously, I lost it somewhere.....

Me and my Marine

One more opportunity to see Casey before he is deployed. I'm so proud of him.

Downer's Grove US Pro Crit Championships

Okay, first I need to say, the recruit is a Marine now. I have to get a pic downloaded. It takes me so much time to figure out the hows and how-to on the pictures, it might be at least this weekend before I try.

What a great trip to Downer's Grove!!! The weather was perfect. I met my newest Chicagoland friend, Nikki. She loves bike racing! Janann came from Iowa, and Cat came both days, and even brought hubby on Sunday for the Pro race.

Jelly Belly felt like they were being stalked, I'm SURE! I wanted to meet Brad's new teammates, and Danny is a pretty cool guy for a boss. Funny too. Brad looked great, and Nikki surprised me with an 8x10 pic of Brad and I (autographed without telling me....I was getting pissed, the girls left me forever.....I knew Nikki had been up to no good while I was enjoying the race, and wondering what was going on that I was being left out on!!! ( I don't know if that sentence is properly written...but I hope it makes sense.)

We met a lot of racers, some from teams we didn't know anything about. Great guys. I also met 2 guys from Team Type 1. They looked important to me, knew what they were talking about, and invited me to visit the Team after the Pro race...I didn't make it, damn. And they are not going to be at the Tour of MO. Found out that they will have a women's team next year! And Ian Macgregor is having a great season. I love the mission of the team.

I met Christian VandeVelde!!! So cool. Got my picture with him too! Such a sweetheart, and a hero in American Pro cycling. Of course I scared him to death when I found him over by Jelly Belly, trying to get ready for the race. I did the typical "Theresa meets one of her favorite riders" welcome, which consists of screaming his name! Poor guy...but he took it well.

And then I went to wish Brad good luck. And he said, "it's gonna be a crapshoot." Boy, did that turn out to be true. He was racing with wings! Brad in the best shape, I've ever seen him, and keeping a good position during the race. Then before the 8th corner on the final lap, his chain jumps off. I had no idea at first, but I knew something happened, when he finally passed us going to the team car. I did not follow.....he looked like he needed his space. I may be a crazy fan, but I'm not totally insensitive!! We really didn't find out what happened till we got back to the hotel room and checked VeloNews....but the email response from Brad and his blog post told the real story. Shit happens; that's bike racing. That's what they all say. But it's a bummer. He really wants that jersey back!
But since he finished rehab on his knee, he has had the greatest, winning season! And I do believe he made a little money along the way, with the winnings, and podium placings!
I can hardly wait to see him here at home in the Tour of MO. I'm going to be at every stage this year! All the starts and finishes, and KOM on the way to St Charles! It's going to be great!

Well, if I can get thru my pictures and Nikki's pictures, I'll try to make a Photoshow.

This weekend taught me more about racing and how much I love this sport!!! What is wrong with the majority of the American people...they are missing out on the best athletes we have to offer on the domestic teams...I'm glad I found the secret club; the best sport EVER!!!

The Marine (Recruit)

Well, on April 14th, Casey, my cousin, left for boot camp in San Diego, CA. When he first told me about it I was afraid for him. But, as I thought about it and talked to him, fear turned to pride!

He's a cousin, not a nephew. His Grandmother was my Aunt. My Mother's sister. And his mother, an only child, my first cousin, 5 yrs younger than me. She died in 1996. Leaving behind a small boy, to be raised by his grandmother, the best way she could. His father had died when Casey was still an infant. He didn't like being an orphan. I can't say that I blame him.

He and his grandmother came to Springfield to live, in June 1997. They had spent 6 months or so with my sister in Kansas City. That went badly. So, I moved them down here. Helped them set up housekeeping next door to me. That's how I found another good reason that I am not a mother.

He is very intelligent. And could find the damnedest ways to get in trouble. He could manipulate his grandmother, easily. And she was eager to make him happy anyway she could.
Me, he just pushed my buttons!

I didn't meet him til Aug of 1996. I guess he was already 9 yrs old. He was a hyperactive kid, with anger issues, and abandonment issues, also. But, he was very lucky, that when his grandmother died at Christmas, 2000, a family that he had made friends with in grade school, wanted to give him a home, and family. They provided stability for the first time in his life, and he was able to go back to the same school, with his friends, and teachers. Within months, he was a different child. I was amazed.

I know that I could not have done that for him. I've always been sorry about that, but I knew that I was not parenting material.

So he graduated from high school, and was working at the family grocery store. The Kauffmans were comfortable enough to provide for him, and his social security checks when into an investment account. That's how he got his first car. And that's how he and the Kauffmans oldest son bought a house together.

But, somewhere, he decided he wanted more. He wanted school. He wants to run his own grocery store. And, at some point, he decided he wanted to be a Marine. His recruiter told me that he didn't pass the test the first time he took it. But, he showed up after work every night to study, making an even longer day for his recruiter. That took a lot of drive. Something I never saw in his mother, but then we weren't that close. It reminded me of wanting college, and then pharmacy school.

I don't take tests at 8am on Saturday mornings well. So, my scores on my SAT and ACT where not that great. Now kids take classes to prepare for these tests. I just rolled out of bed, and tried to be awake and on time for them. When I got into the University of MO-Kansas City in 1969, it wasn't that hard to do. But when I decided that I wanted to go to Pharmacy school, everyone looked at me like I was crazy. My counselor ( you know--the person that is supposed to give you guidance in picking classes, and heading in the right direction) said; "You can't do that! Look at your scores on your SAT math section." Hey, that doesn't mean squat....I was barely funtioning during that test...geez. But, I showed a backbone, ( hey, who knew?) and said, I didn't care, and if he wouldn't help me, then I'd just do it by myself. And I did.

And I graduated. So, I kind of have a idea of what Casey was thinking. And I know he will complete the process. He says in his letters that he LOVES it. Loves Boot camp! What a kid. He's 20 yrs old. He'll be 21 on July 9th, before he graduates from boot camp, and becomes a Marine. I can't go to San Diego to see it. I have previous plans with someone, I didn't realize that he was going to do this, earlier in the year, when I was making vacation plans. Besides, the Marines kept changing the time he was supposed to leave for boot camp. Originally, it was supposed to be Feb.

We have an uncle that was a Marine. He was involved in Korea. Casey, didn't remember, or had never been told about this. He's named after that uncle. So my sister and I dug through Mother and Aunt Lorri's pictures, looking for the evidence of Uncle Rich's time in the Marines. We send some very special things with him to boot camp, to remind him of the other Marine in the family.

I am so proud of him. I really didn't think he had it in him. But nobody thought I had the drive to accomplish something I really wanted either. I'm sure he'll succeed, and it gives me something else in common with this kid, that I thought,I could never connect with.

High School

I have some good memories from high school. But I feel like I spent most of my time just surviving it. Being a teenager is tough. But last night on Facebook, I found a friend that I graduated with in 1969. Ted was one of the guys I admired greatly. He was so smart, and achieved so much, while I felt like I was just holding on by my fingertips. Well, he has continued to use his gifts, and I found out that he thought I was cute!!! Isn't that neat!?? I had a fun IM session with him.

I'm still quite happy with were I am in my life. Hey, I just upgraded my bike, new shifters, new wheels and rear cassette; Man, it's like a different bike....makes me feel like a better rider! But, connecting with Ted gave me something special. A perspective of myself from long ago. And it was great fun "talking" with someone that I knew from school. I plan on staying in touch with him, but I promise not to forward stupid jokes or chain letters....my sister does that to me! I hate it!