Now the frog is jumping a bit higher today. It is true we are in Silver City and at a high high altitude, but that is not why. Leah won the first stage of the Gila Monster Race!!! WAHOO Not only that but Marni was in the break of two where she did a tone of pulling and more pulling. Not only that but Emily was off the front more times then I can count, mainly because I am typing and can’t use all ten of my fingers. And not only that but Sharon was tenth up the gigantic moutain.

So, yep the frog is jumping a bit higher. Now it isn’t jumping really really high because it is still getting used to the altitude. But if it could it sure would.

Tomorrow is another big day where the wind is sure to be blowing 800 miles/hr again. Probably at our sides again, which means a line-up in the gutter. For a second I thought I was in Holland, but then I saw a hill in the distance and felt my lungs burning so knew this wasn’t in fact true. Not because my lungs were burning, but because there was a hill in the distance followed by a moutain.

We are now at a internet cafe in downtown Silver City. It is getting late and time to head soon so I should check my two emails and pack up. Actually if I don’t check it for a week or so, sometimes I have five or six and it becomes hard to get through them all. That is mainly why I came down. No I am just kidding I got three today.

Oh yes, the swimsuits. I agree we should put them on and see what happens. I am just not sure if I want someone patting me down in it if I get one of those SSS on my ticket.

K, time to go

Have a good night,

:)Chrissy

 It has been a while, a long long long time in fact… but it is in fact true. I got a computer yesterday Wahoo!!! And now I am hanging out in Texas waiting for my oh so late plane to get here so we, being everyone waiting, can head to El Paso.

Now it hasn’t been a long time since I have been in an airport… and when I think I have managed to limit the things I bring with me on the plane I realize there is just no hope.  Then I have to convince the airport security person that everything will fit into two bags as soon as I put all my clothes back on, lotions in my bags, computer back in its bag, everything around my computer back in the same bag, belt on, and shoes on my toes.

I actually wonder what they (being the security peeps, as in people…) would say if someone showed up in their swimsuit and flip flops. It sure would sure make the security line a lot easier. I would do this, but then I wouldn’t have an excuss for all my scattered things on the belt…

So after riding through hail so hard I couldn’t see to warm wonderful weather all while in Bend for a little over a week, I am off to race the Tour of Gila where the oxygen is limited and the moutains are big (yes, I would say mountains not hills) with Emily, Marni, Leah, and Sharon.

Alright so the good news is I have a computer, but the bad new is… Now my camera is MIA (missing in action). So instead of using everyones computer according to message schedule I will have to use my teammates cameras and put pictures up accordingly.

Alright I should head to my gate and make sure it didn’t decide to show up on time and leave. I am sitting by the yogurt stand so I can get one of those first…. yum yum

See you where the oxygen is limited if you are going to be there,

If not, have fun breathing

Cheers,

:)Chrissy

Oh my word, the drummers have finally left and I can’t tell you how excited I am… actually I think a few cymbals were mixed in there too.

Yes in fact this started along with the fever, aching, and just down right sickness what seems like a month ago, but really has been close to two weeks. I can’t even remember the last time I have been this sick… The worst part was the pounding head which felt like everything and I mean everything was going to explode. I am not even joking about this part.

I am in Lucca, Italy right now with the national team, who is off racing all over Europe, while I am hanging out inside mostly on a couch watching a lot of sword fighting, water polo, even pool, and when I am lucky a bike race will be on. Other then that I just sleep and sleep some more, that is now. A week ago at this time I couldn’t even sleep because I felt so bad… This only meant one thing. Phil wasn’t sleeping either. Thank goodness he is here… I am not sure what I would have done without him in a foreign country feeling like eight hippos ran over the top of me…

It has been a crazy couple of weeks… I can’t even remember the last time I went to the hospital and I have visited it two times and been to the Doctor’s once in the last week or so. And let me tell you… Each time has been an adventure. They, being the Doctors, are all super nice but we don’t really understand each other so the visits mostly consist of a lot of finger pointing. Lucky for me they let me use my cell phone in the Italy hospitals so I am able to call Phil (he was gone for all the hospital adventures) to translate.

In fact after the second visit and the pain meds had kicked in I was able to use my skype phone while I waited to get an MRI on my head. I am pretty sure they were worried my brain was so big and powerful (hence the pain), but I might have lost some of the words in translation so can’t be 100% sure that is what they were worried about. Mostly I heard “???? Amercano ?????” , the question marks noting what I did not understand, followed by the one word I did understand, followed by more words I did not understand…

Needless to say without Phil I am not sure what would have come of me. Jim and the girls have been super nice too! Lauren and Carmen adventured with me to the hospital for the first visit. This was very nice considering they were leaving for Belgium the next day…

In fact if you haven’t heard, which I am sure you have, Kristin Armstrong is kicking butt over here. She won a race last weekend and got 2nd in Flanders. Also, Lauren got 6th in the 1.1 race yesterday. Carmen, Alison, Brooke (who had the stomach bug), and Megan have been racing strong too! And Emily, who raced with the girls last weekend, is racing now in France with Melissa I am sure kicking butt.

And before any of this happened…

Phil and I were living in the Fanni castle here in Lucca. In fact I have been looking for the dragon that must live in the castle but have not been able to find him. A touch bummed because it would be great if he could warm up our room on the chilly mornings. However, we have replaced out propane heater with and electrical heater and all is good now… Like him, being the dragon, I would be sleeping right now while it is still raining and a touch chilly out.

On Tuesday I am off to the states to make sure I am all better and get ready for the rest of the season. I am a little bummed, but I know it is something I should really do. So I will be in Bend until I adventure back across the Atlantic to race L’Aude in the middle of May. Then I am back to the US for Philly, Nature Valley, and the Austin Crit. After that I will be back to Europe for some more racing.

Well, now I should go see if more sword fighting is on TV. Living in a castle you never know who you may have to fight off and like I said I haven’t seen any dragon so someones got to be ready.

:)Chrissy

ps… I am all cooped up, but lucky for me in a nice place. We have been staying at the SRM place which has been nice. But I have not really been outside in a long time. Soon though, soon. I am just happy the drummers have departed from my head and I am starting to feel better.