Plano, TX - Home of the "Fappachino Addicts of America"

     Starbucks - The fuel of the fire which is Plano. I moved here after a summer of living in the outlying rural parts of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. To say the difference is slight is grossly understated. Plano, unlike many other places I have been, has deservedly earned its stereotypes of the Suburban Soccer mom to the Frappachino driven middle school cheerleader. Starbucks is ground zero of it all. I picked up a job there to earn money, but got a little extra bonus. I was placed into the loop of what is known is Plano, of which I had just been an outsider up until that point.

     It's amazing how you can live somewhere, but not really every really be there. That is what I did for the first months I lived here. I went to school, rode the same roads, and stayed in my apartment, never aware of what was beyond my door. It took the seclusion of week in my apartment from a cold to get me to leave and venture to a Starbucks for a hot drink. He I saw a curious sign saying, "Were Hiring" and thought I would give it a shot. This is the day I began to live in Plano. I was in the loop.

     The people here are of the most interesting of any you will meet. Everyone who has lived here has a past and seems to be very open to telling you about it. I find very little to be taboo in subject matter between peers. Plano is a good place to visit if you are a listener. You just strike up some small talk, find a common subject of interest and you never know where things will go after a couple of minutes. I have know people years and found out less about some of them than what I can and have learned about the people here in one night.

Early Season Racing - "An old friend, Mr. Pain, returns"

     The weather has been unseasonably cold and wet for Dallas area. This has lead to very sporadic training and a many worries about my early season form. Pace Bend, the first road race of the TXBRA schedule and the beginning of my season. An 80 mile race over a 6.2 mile race with over 61 Pro,1,2 riders showing up, including Mercury/Vitale rider Chann McRae. It was a hectic rush to the line after arriving to the race only 10 minuets before the start. We surprisingly went at a leisurely pace at the start for warnup and were into full on attacks after only lap.

     The race was face paced and saw many riders fall from the protection of the pack. The winning break went early on lap four and stuck, only to have a few bridge to it and many to fall from the intense speed. I eventualy place 19th of 61. Not to bad. The race was well run and signified the return to the glory days of early season racing and memories of the Tour of Texas. The new TXBRA organization has done what it has set out to do, bring back the quality of racing to Texas. Guess what, its back. Lets hope its to stay.

Well that's all for now…

Caio,

Gregg