The Power of the Birthday Ride

There is truth in the saying, "strength lies in numbers". Everytime we have a birthday ride, it confirms my belief in the strength we gather when amongst friends. Our favorite Carebear, Mark, celebrated his 47th birthday on Saturday and called a celebratory ride at Rich Mountain.

Now, mind you, Rich Mountain rates as one of the most difficult rides in our area, if not THE hardest. Even though we have been riding this trail for 20 years, it has never gotten to the point where I take it lightly. Rich, or Stanley Gap (it's other name), deserves the utmost respect. The mere mention of its name in a crowd will elicit groans, ooohhhs, aaahhhhs, tales of horror, and even somber silence.

The ride had originally been planned for Saturday, but as usual, the rains foiled our plans. The ride was postponed till Sunday, and we prayed the weather would cooperate. January has been an unsettled month, to say the least, in regards to the weather, and we are all getting antsy, cranky, and eager to get out and ride.

In the midst of our despair, the skies cleared Saturday afternoon. A quick call was made, and we rallied around for a spontaneous Carebear Birthday Road Ride.

We were all so happy to be out on our bikes, that it did not matter whether we were on the road or mountain. I was also honored to be riding with Millhouse for the first time on the road. I am used to chasing his singlespeed down the dirt trails, not pavement. His lovely wife, Kristen, has been diligently attending spin classes all winter, so I look forward to having her join us on some rides soon.

Carebear, Tweety, Robb, Millhouse, Speedy, Regularjoe, Raja and I enjoyed a leisurely ride through the nice roads of Alphatucky taking care to save the legs in preparation for tomorrow's big ride.

On a side note, I was honored to meet Lauren this weekend. Lauren is the first (and only) female in the Cherokee Mountain Bike Club. How refreshing to see teenagers engaging in a worthwhile discipline, thanks to the leadership of their coach, Stephanie! I look forward to seeing these young riders out on the trails. Having been the only girl cyclist in my group for many years, I am especially rooting for Lauren.

On Friday, I was joined by The Caminator and Rlaz for a few hours on the road to jump start my system. After almost 12 days off the bike due to an injury, I was dreading that feeling. You know the feeling. Dead legs, no strength, no power, can't breathe, the horrible realization that you're starting over. The longer I put it off though, the more I would prolong the agony. After 2 days of riding to shake out the cobwebs, I was ready to head North for some Rich Mountain Fun.

Sunday morning looked promising for the drive up to Cherry Log.

As much as I love to encourage riders in their conquest of a new trail, I confess I am always a tad nervous with first timers on this particular route. You never know if their mental skills are up to the task and if all will emerge unscathed. Sure, Milma and Tibbs are mutha's of a trail, but they're only an hour or so of suffering. A Rich Mountain ride ain't over till it's over, and there's never any promise that all will end well.

Regularjoe conquered Rich last August on his 2nd attempt, and he was on hand today in case our first timers needed coaching. The morning air was cold down in the valley where we started, but we would warm up quickly. The ride starts with a mile climb up a gravel road leading to a 3 mile singletrack climb.

Ony was not afraid to take on the challenge of Stanley for the first time!

Another first timer was The Power of Cheese!

Emil, Clogger, and Speedy rounded out the First Timer Group. Speedy was lovin' the singletrack!

The singletrack climbs relentlessly for 3 miles cutting through the side of the mountain covered with the barren trees of winter.

Occasional clusters of rock covered in moss line the trail and brown leaves cover the frozen earth that will be mush once it thaws in the afternoon warmth.

Our tires were able to get perfect traction on this half, but it was another story once we headed back down to the pkg lot. For now, we climbed in ignorant bliss having no clue as to the slop awaiting us on the return.

I enjoy this trail the most when I get in my own little zone, not concerning myself with other riders or trying to keep pace. It seemed to also be the MO for everyone else. I like to look back on the trail and see each rider in their own little world making their way up through the trees. How many cyclists can you find in this pic?

RaceyTracey has ridden Rich a number of times, and she has no problem holding her own against the guys. We were the only female contingents in this sea of males, but we're used to it. That's why we're so tough;-)

Just when you think you cannot climb anymore, the top finally appears. Victory, for now. Ony was stoked over making it to the top of Stanley Gap. A few more climbs to go, but first, some nice long downhill.

The Downhill! There's plenty of downhill at Rich. This is what Raja lives for cause he has a need for speed. The Fox rp3 had just been PUSHed and was getting a test run today. I was hoping against hope that this would make him happier with the MotoLite. It certainly didn't slow him down. Nothing does.

Our roadie friend, Brian, had called at the last second to see if he could catch a ride with us. We were thrilled to have him join in, and he wowed us with the ease at which he flew down the hills (and flew UP the climbs).

Tweety is a diehard downhiller, so he brought his Santa Cruz Bullit for the ride. He never even felt the first rock or root, I'm sure.

Robb was sporting a new Rocky Mountain Slayer.

This was the latest in the lineup of bikes he is reviewing on his website, Mtb Trail Review. Whenever I asked him how he liked the bike, he would grin and say "I love it, everything about it is great!" Judging from how he was flying down the hills, he was lovin' it!

Everybody was riding in top form, and no crashes were to be had. Thank goodness! Rich Mtn can dish up some nasty spills if you get in over your head. Regularjoe has come a long way from where he was almost this time last year when he rode here for the first time.

We continued on down towards Deep Gap before heading off to the Flat Creek Loop. Paul is no stranger to Rich.

Neither is cRASh. Although he did not live up to his name today, fortunately!

As we started the climb up to Flat Creek, the rest of the birthday crew joined us. Carebear's Dedicated Athlete teamates, Brian, Shane & Tim, rolled up on their singlespeeds, barely breaking a sweat after chasing us up and over Stanley Gap. Millhouse was happy to have SS company, and we all secretly called them freaks behind their backs. These guys are crazy!

Brian Bell took off up Flat Creek with the Dedicated Athletes right behind him. Somehow, I found myself riding behind them and decided to enjoy being in their presence while it lasted. They weren't going all out race pace, but I still had to focus in order to stay on Flatfender's wheel. I reminded myself that their bikes were feather weights compared to my 28lb MotoLite. I was also carrying a loaded camelbak AND 3 lb camera on my 115 lb body, while they had nothing on their svelte muscle chiseled bodies. Well, all that was supposed to make me feel better about my lack of physical fitness, but it only made me more aware of the small child I was carrying on my back.

My motivation was to be with them once we hit the downhill. Flat Creek's downhill is super rocky and technical and lots of fun when you have good riders to chase. But the real mystery for me was to see them pull off this descent on hardtail/rigid bikes. Insane, I tell ya, downright crazy. These guys ain't right;-)

At one point, the trail is basically a creek bed of large rocks and water. With the cold temps, it was now a trail of ice. The ice was beautiful and I wanted so badly to stop for the great photo op this would be of riders coming through the rocks and ice. But I did not dare break stride and lose the train. I was having waaaaay too much fun riding behind Tim and Shane, watching them pick their way smoothly through the rough trail. NOW I was really appreciating my 5" travel Titus and the fact that my eyes were not bouncing out of my head. I could hear Tim shouting out comments; something about having a hard time keeping his eyes in their socket.

At the bottom of the long downhill, the trail takes a left turn to lead you to singletrack climbing back out.

This climb is relatively short and one of my favorites. It's beautiful. The racers took off, and my wasted little legs did their best to get me to the top. Carebear was keeping a fast clip, and I could not catch him. None of us could! But we were still enjoying being out on our bikes on the dirt.

Back at the trailhead, we congregated to discuss our options. Raja was ready for more, but my legs were fading. The loss of muscle over 2 weeks was sorely showing, and inwardly I was questioning my ability to get back up and over Stanley Gap. Most of the group was still eager for more, so I dared not back down and show any weakness. I was pleasantly surprised at everyone's eagerness to keep on exploring. The power of the Birthday Ride was starting to kick in.

We crossed Aska Road and climbed up Green Mountain. Once at the top, we descended down to the Long Branch trail and flew down that at warp speed, eventually dumping back onto Aska Road. A nice mile long climb up Aska, and we were back at Deep Gap pkg lot.

All we had left was a 3 mile climb up Stanley Gap and then a nice 4 mile descent back to the cars. Sounds so simple. My legs were killing me, and had no umpf in them. I was envisioning having to hike-a-bike the entire 3 miles.

As we plodded up the gravel climb to the trailhead, I started whining to Regularjoe. Well, bless my soul, instead of whining back, he began to dish out the tough love speeches I have been preaching to him over a year. He reminded me of some things I had told him that were of help in tough moments like this. "I said that, really?" It was a nice splash of cold water in the face, and I swallowed my own medicine as we made the turn up the steep climb.

And just like Regularjoe said, things kicked in, I dug deep and found something somewhere to keep my legs going round. One pedal stroke at a time. It was slow, but I made progress. In fact, I was surprised to round a turn and realize this was the top. Thanks, Joe. The power of the Birthday Ride in action. You give a gift of wisdom on one ride and it keeps going round to be used over and over again.

Clogger and Carebear had long since dropped me on the climb, but I did not mind the solitude. I was enjoying being out on the trail, lost in my own little world, focusing on my pedal stroke and breathing. Once at the top, Clogger was waiting. I told him to go on and I'd wait for the rest of the crew. I know all to well how mental one can get when on a new trail for the first time. Being alone for too long is not always good when you don't know where you are, and I wanted to be their connection back to civilization.

I made sure to wait at the top of the climb, so I could holler down and assure any riders that the top was just ahead. The last pitch is a bugger and really steep. I've only made this climb twice in my lifetime. Today was not one of those times.

A few nasty roots were the only thing standing between us and the last downhill.

Millhouse is a rock star in my book. Anybody that does Rich Mtn on a singlespeed deserves a medal, or psycho analysis. (I'm just jealous I can't do it)

By now, the ground had thawed and created a nice sloppy trail for us to descend. Things were tricky and a few riders had some unplanned dismounts, but nobody was hurt. We survived the entire ride only to get muddied up in the last few miles. But we sure had a blast!!!

A treat of homemade Rocky Road Bars were in order. We rode 22 miles and climbed 4100'. And we did it with a little help from each other. The power of the Birthday Ride is strong!

I am very proud of the first timers! Rich Mountain is a toughie, and you have to be real tough to stick it out. Well done Emil, Brandon, Ken, Ony, and Mike!

There is strength in numbers, at least amongst us. I ride with a fine bunch of folks.

Happy Birthday, Carebear! Thanks for sharing the Power of the Birthday Ride!

As The Wheel Turns.....

Finally, I have figured out how to cash in on Raja's obsessive, compulsive bike demo disorder, or BDD, as referred to in medical terms. Listen to my pitch I'm presenting to the big heads at Fox Talas TV for a new reality series:

"Fox Talas TV is proud to present our newest reality series, As The Wheel Turns. (credit goes to regularjoe for the title) In an effort to reach out to the athletic viewers, our original series, The Bachelor, has been revamped with some new twists. Our single male in search of true love has been replaced with SherpaMan, Raja, in search of The Perfect Bike.

Sequestered deep in the trails of North Georgia, our Sherpaman will be forced to choose one bike from a cast of many. Each week, he will ride and critique a 5" travel mountain bike, eliminating them as they fail stringent tests until there is only one remaining. Will Raja be able to resist eliminating them all? Will he be able to pick one lucky bike with which to spend the rest of his mountain biking days? Will the bikes be able to stand the pressure of his relentless demo rides? Find out the answer to these questions and more on, As The Wheel Turns."

I do not have a technical bone in my body. Therefore, detailed bike geek writing does not come naturally for me. I know ya'll would rather read some in depth analysis, but I just do not have the time to put it in writing the way you want it. There is a line a mile long outside our door of folks wanting to know Raja's thoughts on such n such bike. So before the masses get too out of control I better put up something.

Raja can do alot of things, but his one shortcoming is a lack of typing ability. Coupled with the fact that we rarely have a spare moment together at home with him by my side telling me what to write, I leave the techno talk to Robb and other sites. Therefore, we'll have to settle for the fluffy, touch on the highlights version of "Raja's BDD Test Results".

When reading any assessment of a bike, one must always consider Who the assessor is. A beginner mountain biker will not necessarily be looking for the same thing in a bike that a Professional Downhiller will. Many of you know Raja, but for those of you that do not or have not ridden with him, let me introduce you to our Sherpaman, BDD extraordinaire. Knowing the Judge may influence whether or not his opinions will have sway in your opinion. Much of it is subjective and based on personal wants.

At 5'9", Raja weighs in at 182 with quads that are solid as a rock. He has more of sprinter's build than a boney climber. A few weeks shy of his 48th birthday, a plush riding bike now takes priority over the responsiveness of a hardtail. He may not be as nimble as a 30 year old, but he has decades of experience riding mountain bikes and dirt bikes. Highly regarded and respected by his peers for his excellent skills, he prefers his trails on the skinny twisty side without too many large boulders or drop offs. Hucking comes easier for him on a dirt bike than a mountain bike. His strength is zipping through tight singletrack and bombing fast downhills. He likes to take on steep climbs and can usually clean vertical crap that no one else can. Raja likes long rides of 3 hours plus and he loves to go fast in the singletrack. What is the perfect bike for his riding style and ability?

Ellsworth Epiphany:
Raja had a brief flirtation with the Epiphany, but ownership lasted only a few weeks. It more than exceeded his standards for a plush ride and it climbed well without the need for propedal. However, the long wheel base made it difficult to maneuver as fast as he'd like through the trees on a tight trails. He rode one for a week in Moab and Fruita where the trails are rough but wide open. It was the perfect bike for those conditions, but here in the woods of North Georgia on fast tight singletrack, it did not give him the same satisfaction. Its heavy weight was a real negative, and could really be felt when trying to accelerate.

Titus MotoLite:
Raja just recently rode the MotoLite on the VanMichael trail at Blankets. Very plush ride over the small to medium stuff. Easy to jump and lands well. Light rear end makes it easy to flick around. Climbing is okay, but to get the best out of it you must put it in propedal. Too harsh with the square edge hits. Didn't not like it, but didn't love it. (I am still very pleased with my MotoLite)

Trek EX 9.5 Carbon:
Has ridden the Trek at Big Creek, Bull Mtn, and Pinhoti. Great climber, plush on the downhills, acceptable weight, excellent braking with the fancy brake pivot. Overall great bike, but he just cannot get it to rail through the turns.

Sultan 29r:
Did a Competitive Cyclist Demo with this one. Rode at Pisgah and Big Creek. It rolls beautifully over any obstacle, and is stable on the downhill. Certainly a comfortable ride, but with the larger wheels, too much flex is felt and they are slow to accelerate. Would have to buy high dollar wheels to combat the flex. Biggest turn off for him though is he's not able to quickly change directions in the tight singletrack.

Santa Cruz Blur:
He has not actually demoed a Blur because there have been no opportunities. But the LT is too heavy for his weight test and the XC only accepts a 100mm front fork which won't cut it. Cockpit is too short for his very picky measurements.

Yeti 575:
Very quick and nimble bike. Climbs like a hardtail and rails nicely. But it is heavy and too harsh of a ride. We both rode the Yeti in Fruita and both made the same observations (which is unusual since our styles are different). I cut my demo ride short so I could get back on my MotoLite because the Yeti was beating me to death. However, I bet it would make a good ride for Georgia trails.

Pivot Mach 5:
The Pivot accelerates nicely without the use of propedal. It jumps well and is stable on fast downhills. However, it is slightly harsh for cruising along fire roads, smooth singletrack, and on the rocky rooty downhills. He wasn't thrilled over its weight either. The Pivot was tested at Bull Mtn and the Van Michael Trail.

Ibis Mojo:
This contestant comes close to being the perfect bike if it were not for 2 issues. It climbs well, rails, and is extremely comfy on the descents. But it seems to have an inherent problem of chain suck, which is not acceptable. And when the rear suspension is deep in the travel, the chain rubs the front derailleur. Pedal strikes also seem to be an issue. The cockpit measures in at 22.5 which is a bit too cramped. Testing grounds were Bull Mtn, Big Creek, and Blankets.

Specialized FSR:
He has not tested this to any extent because it doesn't seem to jive with his measurements. Never felt "right" on it.

Which brings us to the Gary Fisher HiFi:
Simply because he wanted a plusher ride than his RacerX for our recent ride at Rich Mtn, he got his hands on the Cycleworks demo HiFi. This bike surprised him! It seemed to check all his boxes; very plush, easy to zip quickly through tight singletrack, corners well, and not too heavy. It needs Propedal to climb well and the chain slaps the underside of the chainstay, but thats about all of the negatives.

He's already called me to report on the price of the HiFi. Who would of seen this coming? Of course, he has not actually purchased a bike, so don't get excited. This time last week, I thought he was going to order a Pivot.

So, you have to stay tuned. Things change on an hourly basis As The Wheel Turns!

Note: As we speak, he's at his "2nd job", as I call it. You wonder how we get money to pay for all our trips? He makes more at this 2nd job than I do at my day job. Analyzing cars and test driving. Researchers are picking his brain right now. If we could just get the bike industry to get in his head like the car industry does.....

The World's Pickiest Bike Tester

When it comes to bikes, we all have different standards, varying levels of what is acceptable and what is NOT. As long as the wheels go round, the gears shift, brakes stop, and the shocks work, then I am a happy camper. Turn the corner 180 degrees from my standpoint, and you have the total opposite. Meet Mr. Bike Tester Extreme, Raja. (that's The Captain pictured above, but he sure looks picky there, doesn't he?)

In the Southern dictionary, the word "Raja" is listed. It is a verb. To Raja is to put a bicycle through the most stringent of diagnostic tests, to analyze and compare to the 110th degree, to measure and weigh every component and then repeat those steps 10 more times. That is what it means "to Raja".

An extreme bike tester does not let something silly like his Day Job get in the way of testing the latest bike. Wednesday, Outspokin was having a Titus Demo Day at Blankets Trail. The Raja was there. Since I do not take my day job seriously, I was not about to miss out on seeing the Master in Action. Already being a proud owner of a purdy Blue MotoLite, there was no need for me to demo any of their offerings. But Raja wanted to put the 5" sofa to his test.

We have very different riding styles. He's aggressive, I'm not. He has a need for speed, I have a need just to survive. He likes to fly downhill, I like to look at the pretty flowers. Something told me the MotoLite would not pass his test. He wanted to ride it anyway.

These Demo Days are the best thing since sliced bread. Before when you wanted to buy a bike, you were at the mercy of whatever the local bike shop had in stock. Sometimes, we would drive to North Carolina just to be able to see a bike in which we were interested. Now you can go to your local trails and put practically any bike to the test without having to clean it up afterwards. What a great marketing idea!!!

With the help of the knowledgeable Rufus, you can get set up with your own pedals and whatever settings you prefer. It is the perfect way to truly compare different bikes in a real riding situation, not in the parking lot of a shopping mall. This is how Amy was able to pick out her nice new Specialized.

Of course, we had our own Tester along to make sure all measurements were within Raja Range. Robin also wanted to ride the MotoLite, so Raja knocked Rufus down to take over the set up for her.

I love it that Raja knows every measurement known to man. He can spout out stats in inches or millimeters depending on what language you speak. At first I did not understand his detail oriented mind when it came to all this bike stuff. But now I realize it is how his marvelous brain is wired and it serves a wonderful purpose. He's like a walking handbook for everyone to consult. "Raja, what do you think about thus and so?" "Do you think these tires roll fast enough?" "How do you like those new blah blah brakes?" Ah, the bike industry has no idea how much it could influence the consumer's buying power if they got a hold of him.

When he decided to purchase his first "real" mountain bike, it was going to cost us a whopping $1000. "Well, you'll have to sell your dirt bike in order to come up with the money," which he did. I thought he had gone stark raving mad when he told me of his plan. To top it off, he would have to assemble the bike himself. Yea, he's lost his mind for sure. At 25 years young, I had yet to fully understand how this quiet Einstein mind operated. Now I adore, respect, and revere him for it!

Raja isn't picky for the sake of being picky. He's super sensitive to every nuance of a bike and enjoys analyzing all the bits and pieces that work together to make a ride enjoyable. It's not that he's being critical because he thinks he's so smart. From my experience as a sponsored rider, I could not be truly honest with constructive criticism. You have to say what they want to hear, and that does not help anybody. (That's why I don't have any "sponsors" on my blog as of yet). Raja just wants to make the experience the best it can possibly be.


You know those obnoxious type that like to hear themselves talk with impressive technical language? He's not like that at all! Far from it. In fact, you have to listen closely because he does not say a whole lot. But when he does, everyone listens. Remember the old EF Hutton commercials?

Hanging around the parking lot waiting for a medium MotoLite to be available, we met some new faces. Buster recognized us from pictures and we got to meet a fellow Sorba Lurker.

We also met Pam, the Veterinarian. Pam and I actually rode together last January, but with my frail memory I had forgotten. She reintroduced herself for the 2nd time on last week's Wednesday night ride. Today for the 3rd time, she said, "I'm Pam, the girl you've met a zillion times. Will you please act like you know me." Well, she didn't say that, but I know she thought it. Robin invited her to join in our Test-a-Rama Run. Pam was testing a RacerX, Raja's current bike dujour.

With Raja and Robin on yellow MotoLites, me on my Litespeed singlespeed, and The Captain on a silver RacerX 29r we headed out for a run on the Van Michael Loop.

Everybody has their own riding preferences. It would be a boring world if we all had to ride what Raja deemed The Perfect Bike. With different body builds and riding abilities, we cannot all ride the same bike design. Raja knows this, but it still doesn't stop him from determining what the perfect bike is for his style.

The Captain was crazy in love with the 29r. I kept hearing him going on and on about it. Then he tried to appeal to my generous soft side. Finally I had to set him straight. "No, I won't loan you the money to buy you this bike."
Robin was not having the same warm and fuzzy feelings that Cyclesmith was having. "I can't turn this thing." Having a 140 Talas was definitely a different experience for her, and Raja dialed it down for her to see if it would help.

We regrouped often and compared notes. My bike wasn't shifting, oh yea, I was on the singlespeed, never mind. Robin's wasn't turning. Cyclesmith had to rethink his strategy for maneuvering his 18 wheeler, and Raja was rather ho hum. What do ya'll think?

So far, The Captain was the only one with a thumbs up for the 29r. Raja was undecided on the MotoLite, Robin was a big thumbs down, and I needed a bike with gears. Time to switch-a-roo. Back to the drawing board.

Raja was going to give the 29r a test since Cyclesmith was so exuberant. He and the Captain switched bikes, while Robin got her Turner, and I retrieved my MotoLite. Round 2.
Robin was a happier camper on her Flux, as I was on my Blue Sofa. Kevorkian Pass was made with much greater ease on familiar rides.

In fact, the first time through on my singlespeed, I wigged out and bailed. The terrain looked so much steeper and the rocks were wet and slippery. I am glad that Robin got to see the weak side of me. As I berated myself for not doing it and complaining about the line, she said "And this coming from the girl that always stands there saying Look Ahead, Look Ahead." Pretty funny, eh? Just plain silly I suppose.

But now on my MotoLite, the terrain was flattened as I remembered it and I motored up following Raja's wheel easily. Shew, I wanted to conquer that fear. It seemed so different on my singlespeed, and I've done it many times before on the Litespeed. But with the wet rocks, all my mind could compute was a slipping tire and me plummeting to my death. Definitely a different kind of riding altogether, the singlespeed.

But today was not supposed to be about me overcoming my irrational fears. What did Raja think of the 29r?

Well, that's no surprise. Actually, it's the big flexy wheels that gave it the thumbs down for him. The Captain wasn't crazy about the marshmallow ride of the MotoLite and was secretly coveting the 29r. Raja and Cyclesmith switched bikes mid stream and we finished the loop with happier faces. As we rolled out of the trail, we ran into an impatient cRASh. He was waiting for the MotoLite to appear for him to take on a test run. Some quick changes were made, and we went out for a 3rd run.

With The Captain on his singlespeed, the rest of us were on our usual bikes. cRASh and Pam were the only ones putting a bike to the test. Raja, Robin, and I were riding just for fun, all testing aside. Well, Raja is always in test mode, even when he's on his own bike.

How come The Captain can do Kevorkian Pass on his singlespeed with such ease? Guess that's why they call him The Captain!

By now, we were all getting exhausted. Testing takes alot out of a rider!

I was tired, but happy to have my marshmallow cush MotoLite. It gets the thumbs up from me.
Today was a Pivotal day for Raja. It wraps up months and months of testing many bikes, and perhaps brings him to a turning point. With the test results in, he might be ready to make a decision on his next bike. I am going to try and submit a real post with his thoughts and musings from some of the top picks he's ridden recently. But in the meantime, I wanted to introduce you all to the pickiest Bike Tester Ever.

Riding all these bikes is tough dirty job, but somebody has to do it!

Stay tuned. Test Results will be posted soon!
PS. Congratulations to SinglespeedAddict on his new addition, little Riley, born August 9th! Great to see you! And good to see Chris too! I love going to Blankets. You cannot go without seeing a dozen smiling familiar faces:-)