Alicia's heading to Italy!

Alicia is heading to Tuscany, Italy on Saturday - she'll be gone for 2 months - then back here for 2 weeks and then gone again for the rest of the summer. She landed a job as the team masseuse for the US Women's National team. It's a sweet job - all living/travel/meal expenses paid plus salary. I'm sure she'll be working her a$$ off - but I know she's up for the task and am sure it will be a great experience.

She has recently making great headway in her pursuit of her Architecture degree - even having the highest grade on a recent test and setting the bell curve for the other 200 students in the class. ;) But school will always be there and this is an opportunity of a lifetime. She dropped her classes - rented out her house and got every thing ready to be gone for a while

Since CU is so close by my house - I've let Alicia use my house anytime she wants. Once she was using my house and saw some "Red Chile Raspberry Jam" and my (formerly mentioned) "Naturally More Peanut butter". Both jars were unopened - but since I said make herself at home - she did and I noticed when I got home someone had opened these items.

So for a little going away present I got her some to take with her.

I for sure will miss her. We've ridden a few times together in the last couple of weeks. She taught me some road techniques and makes me push myself really hard. On Tuesday we did some NCAR intervals (the 1st ones of the season) and I was at exactly the same wattage as my 5min peak of wattage power from last July(the fittest I was all season) 6 watts off of my peak for 10 minutes. I'm not sure I would have gone so hard if she hadn't been chasing me up the hill. Still it was exciting to see my power is so good (for me) so early in the season. But I was wasted after those intervals and the girls on the Tuesday night ride were waiting for my slow ass later that evening.

I have more pics from Alicia's going away party here. It was fun - except for we were the last to leave and ended up paying for mine, Dave, Alicia and half some else's dinner. jeesh - you'd think Dave and I would learn our lesson and not be the last to leave. But it was worth it to give Alicia a good send off.