New Hampshire is pleasantly brisk this time of year, provided riding a bike is not on your agenda. Well friends, riding a bike IS on my agenda this week. In fact, it is the core of my daily routine, crammed conveniently between gorging myself on holiday goodies and trying to see everyone whom I know in Nuevo Hampshire (that's "New Hampshire" to the non-Latino demographic reading along today). Alas I simply must make do. I logged the first two days of training upon returning to the Granite State in the garage doing two-a-days on the trainer. Fun? Nah dude, but like I said, I made do. Christmas came and went - and of course was checked off as receiving the superlative: Best Holiday of Teddy King's 2008 - and then I decided that riding outside would be wise. I've had four days outside and they've all been pretty awesome. From frigid and dry temperatures, to the damp and dangerously chilly, I've seen it all in just a half week.To the uninformed readers (namely those living in Arizona, southern California, and Florida), the trick of riding in the winter is that you have to deal not only with the weather, but also with the road conditions. Today, for example, was a beautifully sunny day by 4pm when I was calling my ride a wrap, but the roads were still spewing up salty winter road barf, which is the second fastest way to frostbit toes (closely behind walking across Antarctica sans footware). So what did I do you ask? Yes, I made do. But not only did I make do, I also made a fashion statement that would make most cyclists blush... and gag. It is with great pleasure that I unveil unto you, from the makers of TUSB, the Gaiter-Under-Neoprene look. Oooooh la la! Sooooo oh-nine!

Look closely and you'll see that I not only have tights on, but I then put on a pair of super sleek water-proof gaiters, slapped on some toe warmers, and topped it all off with some neoprene full coverage booties! I'm such a style hog in this handsome set-up that I was fending off the paparazzi with my ice-encrusted fender. But with all style comments aside, I am happy to say that I was warm as toast the entire ride and twice as dry. Butt-er.Being home the past 8 days has been nothing short of awesome. In this fairly short time home I've celebrated two holidays and have one on the horizon tomorrow, came THIIIIIS close to skiing, and seen a ton of people. In some semblance of order of appearance I've had the pleasure of hanging out with Tom, Katie, David, Janet, Ruth, Decia, Kristen, Sarah, Jenny, Rebekah, Justin, Robby, Billy, (and their respective families), Matthew, Heather, Stephanie, Cathy, David, Ben, Kristin, Katie, John, Eric, Bob, Billy, Mayo, Eliza, Chris, Heids, Gehn, Pete, Annie, Nobu, Scott, and Amy... whom I just met, Betsy, Tom, Ryan, Suzanne, Sven, Brian, Corey, and probably a handful of others. You see, my mind works much like the employment status of an aspiring fledgeling amateur cyclist: in spurts. So I'm sorry if I've seen you AND you're reading this AND you're not on this list.

I am now tired of typing, so I will abruptly end this post. But not before bidding you adieu with a picture of Robbie gazing off in the distance on my first and only snowshoe trip of the year on Mt Pawtuckaway.