Take One Bike Ride and Call Me In The Morning

I find it simply amazing, how the power a bike ride has to bring me out of a funk, and help me put things in prespective.  Lately I have felt a little down about some personal matters that quite frankly, I have zero control over.  I want these things to conclude themselves so that I can move on with my life.  Today I was really moving sideways, shit, I couldn't even make a smoothie without managing to dump the blenders contents in the sink.  I became angry and frustrated, feeling like I could do not one thing right.  Of course I wasn't making it easy for myself, letting my brain race and move from thought to thought makes it hard for me to concentrate on a task.  As the day went on, I got more down.  However, I was able to see what I was allowing to happen, I knew that i needed to make a change in my way of thinking and to help spark that change, I needed to ride my bike to clear my head.  But there in lies the rub - when dealing with depression, knowing and doing are two different things.  I procrastinated, stayed upset and let the day go by until I finally dragged my ass out of the house and onto my bike.  An hour and a half ride is by no means a great physical feat, but did it ever do wonders for my soul!  I was able to clear my mind and focus on one task - pedaling my bike.  After a while, my thoughts returned to my situation, but with a different perspective.  I remembered what learned as a patient at Lakewood,  I put my problems to the sanity test.  Can I control whats happening? No!  So don't catastrophize about it.  I am going to focus on the things I can control and not allow the other things to fill my mind with negative thoughts.  I am human, things will still make me mad but I will not let these things infect me like a plague.  The bottom line is this: I have a lot of things going for me and I am going to be smarter than my problems, and exercise patience.  Oh, and I will maintain my sense of humor!

Taking the Time to Stop

By now, if you know one thing about me, it is this – I love to ride my bike!  Today however, I felt embarrassed to be associated with some of my fellow cyclists.  Twenty seven miles into what was a great group ride one of my fellow cyclists, Ty Mader, had a nasty crash.  He stood up to accelerate and as he did so, his rear derailleur had a catastrophic failure; breaking of and going into his rear wheel.  He fell hard and slid into the curb at about 24 miles per hour.  I was just behind him and managed to steer left to keep from hitting him.  I stopped immediately; concerned that he might have suffered a head injury.  Ty was quickly on his feet and getting off the road and out of the way of traffic.  At this moment I realized at of the 50 or so cyclists on the ride, all were riding by as if nothing had happened, save one.  Jim stopped, saw that Ty was going nowhere on his bike, and decided to go and get his vehicle.  I told Jim I would stay with Ty and make sure he was ok.  Ty and I began cleaning his wounds with our water bottles and chatting to pass the time.  I told him I was mad that no one else had had the decency to stop and help. What if he had suffered a brain injury?  He very well could have been in serious trouble.  I would bet that in the group of riders, at least one was a helth care professional.  Karma has a way of comming around on you and I have a feeling that for those that rode past, Karma is going to kick them in the ass!

 Moments like these are an opportunity to reflect and understand the bigger picture in life.  It’s not all about us!  We have all been guilty at one time or another of getting so wrapped up in our own lives to not notice when someone needs a little help.  It shames me to admit that there have been times when I felt stopping to help someone was  an inconvenience; so I didn’t bother to do so.  The situations are many when we can do something to help our fellow man.  True, we can’t do everything for everyone; but we can do a lot more than we do.  I am asking each of you to consider this and take action.  At least once each week, if you see someone who might need a hand, stop and ask if you can help.  You would be amazed at how much it will mean to that person and I believe it will give you a feeling of personal satisfaction. 

As for my friend, Ty, he is fine.  A lot of road rash, but he will live to fight another day!

A Little Help From My Friends

A Step in the Right Direction

I’ve posted quite a bit about the things that make me happy, but part of being a genuine person is telling the whole story; and tonight I am writing about a subject that is heavy on my mind – divorce.   Let me begin by saying that I do not take this subject lightly.  Being in the midst of this process is by far one of the most difficult experiences of my life.  However, I know that its completion brings with it relief and the chance to move forward with my life.  Experiences like these reveal something about who we are: are we able to behave in a manner that is dignified and respectful?  Can we stay true to our values and sense of what’s right and wrong?  Or will we give in to anger and resentment and allow ourselves to behave in a manner that is base?   

My main concern is the welfare of my son.  He is such a great kid, and it pains me that he has to know a life where his parents did not stay together.  As hurtful as this is, the alternative is far worse.  I firmly believe he will be far happier without his mother and I under one roof, fighting, behaving badly and in a state of unhappiness.  A secondary concern is to see this matter through without having to lawyer up and drag it through court because of litigation.  Here in lies the necessity of compromise and I guess to some degree, the willingness to give in.

My wife is going to maintain custody of our son and I am to have rights for visitation, holidays and time in the summer.  I will not contest this because I want my son to have stability; in that sense, his happiness far outweighs my own.  Money is a painful and hotly contested item in divorce.  It is usually here where we lose sight of our principles and act out of greed, spite, and maybe a sense of entitlement.  Child support is a given, it is our responsibility as parents to take care of our children and I take this very seriously.  Spousal support is an entirely confusing subject for me.  How we determine the amount to be received, if at all, and the duration it will be received is baffling.  If the divorce is a “no fault” case, then why is alimony even justified?   If both parties are able to work then why in the hell should either party be required to support the other?  In my case, my ex-wife is entitled to 50 percent of my military retirement pension.  I do not begrudge this one bit.  She did the time as much as I did.  She stayed home taking care of business while I was off playing hero.  She earned it, period!  Where I go a little sideways is the question of alimony – it is quite possible that I will have to pay her a significant amount of alimony despite the fact that neither of us works and we are both students.  Go figure!  When all is said and done I could walk away from this for at least a few years, taking home less than a third of the money I receive for my military retirement and VA disability pensions.  Let me be honest, I don’t think this is fare in the least. In fact, it’s bullshit!  My choices are few, I can give in and accept this or I can contest the issue and in so doing, lawyer up and go to court over it.  As crazy as it may seem to you – I don’t think I am going to choose to go to court over this.  I conveyed to my wife what I believe to be a fare distribution of the money I earned, but beyond that, it is up to her to decide how to go forward.  If she gets what she wants I won’t be able to pay my bills, will more than likely have to file for bankruptcy, and for a while, be screwed in a financial sense.  The thing is its just money!  If that is what she needs to make her feel better about things then she can have it.  No matter what happens, I will not be bitter. My happiness and sanity are so much more important than this.  Yesterday reminded me of this simple fact.  I had a fabulous meal with some really great friends we talked, we laughed and we enjoyed each other’s company.

  I am truly happy with where my life is heading and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let this situation get the better of me.  For me, fighting this means getting mad and dragging this where I don’t want to go.  You see, I feel as though I have one foot forward and the other stuck behind me.  I need to move forward.  I can adjust my plans to accommodate this setback.  What I will not do is go backward, because I have started a new life for myself.  I have great family and friends who mean the world to me.  They stand by me and they support me, and that’s all I need!  I believe there were four guys with funny haircuts who said it best, “money can’t buy me love”; and that’s me – poor in money, but so very rich in love.

Can't Buy Me Love

I'm Back

Last Saturday I competed in my first bike race in six years, and holy f****** S****, I did great! When I took the start line I had mixed emotions about the outcome.  The work had been done, training and getting myself back in racing shape.  But you never know until you actually compete whether or not you still have it.  To be fare, this was a small early season race that only around 35 or 40 category 1, 2, and 3 racers competed in.  That said, a Cat 1 is a Cat 1.  They are fast bike racers.  It was a 25 lap event totaling around 27 miles; a very easy criterium course with one little hump a a hill on the back side and only two turns.  Of those, the last turn going into the start finish was a 90 degree fella and slightly down hill, which made for a fast corner.

My goals for the race were simple: race smart, be safe, and finish.  I had some additional pressure in that I was racing in kit for the U.S. Military cycling team.  My biggest fear would be to get dropped in the first five laps, knowing that it would make me feel like a complete jack ass!  The Bring it on Race, as it is called is one of the first in the Florida racing season, and is located in Alachua, Florida.  About 80 miles southwest of Jacksonville, and about ten miles from the University of Florida.  Race morning I awoke early to get my shit together, pack some food, and mentally prepare for the day.  I ended up having everything I needed packed and loaded in the car by 8:00 am.  With an hour and a half before I had to leave, I was left with a ton of nervous energy.  What to do? I cleaned my house.  I moved around, I began talking aloud about the fact that I was prepared and ready.  My mantra is "I have as much as I need, for as long as I need".  Meaning I will not tire, and I will not be dropped.  I began saying this loud, then louder.  As if to convince myself of this truth.

I deliberately arrived early to the race so that I could take my time, get a good warm up and try and relax.  I saw some familiar faces from the Jacksonville riding seen, and we spent the time warming up together and talking about what bike racers talk about, bike racing.  We talked about where the good places to attack the race, where the headwind  and tailwind were, and what we were hoping to achieve today.  After registering and paying my 15 dollar entry fee, I went back to my car and had a fellow racer pin on my number.  Then it was a little more warm up before the start.

On the start line, I lined up in the second row, just where I planned.  On the whistle we started, clipped into my pedal easily without fumbling around.  We got up to speed quickly.  I settled into about twelfth wheel and went about trying to get into the flow of the race.  It took me a few laps to get my feel for criterium racing back,  At first I was a little hesitant going through the fast 90 degree corner, over breaking and leaving to much of a gap.  This in turn made me play the accordion game whereby, I would have to sprint out of the corner to get back on the wheel in front of me.  This was burning up my energy, as well as the riders behind me who were forced into extra exertion because of me.  Then I started to relax and let my bike do what it is good at.  I hit the corner, leaned in, weighted my outside pedal, let my inside knee point to the ground to lower my center of gravity and I started to fly through the turns.  About lap four a break of eight riders rode off the front, and this would turn out to be the winning move.  Had this happened a few laps later I believer I would have felt good enough to follow the move.  Instead, I worked with five or six guys to try and bring them back.  The gap hovered around 10 seconds for seven laps, but we started to loosed them and when it became apparent we weren't going to pull them back, I started to work less and conserved my energy.  Since I was starting to feel good, my plan was to attack and try to escape with five laps to go.  In the mean time, I stayed out of trouble and rode smart.  The logical place to attack on this course was the hump on the back, and on lap five I made my first attack.  As soon as we started to hit the hump I swung left and jumped as hard as I could.  I got a gap, but one of the Velo Brew riders was on my ass and he wasn't going to work since he had two team mates in the break.  I sat up and let the pack catch us.  My guess was they were going to be to attentive to attack on the back side.  Next lap I got a little creative, I waited until the last quarter of the course.  As we got about 30 yards from the fast 90 degree turn, I swung out to the right and sprinted from for riders back, got a gap and flew through the turn really fast; I could feel my wheels trying to loose traction, but I kept it upright.  I immediately had a gap of about 30 yards, I put my head down and went for it!  This is where the reality of only four months of training set in.  I started to tire and the pack started to catch me.  they caught me with just less than two laps left.  Sat in and tried to regain some freshness for the sprint.  Mind you, all the money was already up the road as the payout was only for five places.  So this was all about pride.Coming through the back of the course I went up the hump in 5th wheel.  as we entered the first turn a rider accelerated and I wasn't very quick to respond.  I fell back about five places.  We hit the last turn and it was on.  I didn't pass anyone and I didn't get passed.  Tenth in the field sprint and eighteenth overall.  Not to bad!  Best of all, I was racing my bike, attacking and not just pack filler, sucking wheels and contributing nothing to make the race.  I achieved and surpassed all of my pre race goals.  Not to bad!

Until next time,

Keep the rubber side down.

p.s.

When passing a cyclist, always leave at least three feet when passing, and only pass if you have room to safely do so.  Thanks, you will save a life!

10 Things to Love about Riding Your Bike

As I write this, it’s a cool and rainy day here in north Florida.  I’ll be reduced to riding my indoor trainer to complete my days training.  Blehhh! I would much rather be outside on my bike.  Instead, I’ll be sitting on a steal creation that delivers none of the enjoyment normally associated with riding; but instead delivers self-inflicted pain.  Much as man is meant to walk upright, so to, man is meant to ride his/her bike outside.  Lying in bed early this morning listening to the sound of water hitting my roof, I was thinking about how grateful I am to be able to enjoy this sport and as I did, I compiled a short-list of some of the things I enjoy so much.  If you love to ride as much as I do, then you probably can relate to some if not all of these.

Putting on cycling kit is a ritualistic and enjoyable experience.  The process of getting dressed for a ride gets you focused and for me, a little giddy like a little kid as he anticipates getting outside to play

Clipping in to the pedals signifies the start of the experience, and when done, well is a graceful thing.  Of course when we fumble to clip in, trying to find that damn little pedal, we feel clumsy and awkward.  But that’s just being vain.  But still, I love the feeling, as if I’m starting out on an adventure.

Socializing on group rides is so much fun.  Everybody has something in common and the conversation comes easy.   Talking passes the time, you learn a few things, and grow to appreciate your companions in the pack.

Snot Rockets are a guilty pleasure I love.  The act of leaning over, pinching one nostril, and then launching a stream of snot out of your nose is so cool.  Before you get all disgusted, consider that being a “Snot Rocketeer” is a requirement.  When you ride your body tends to open up, blood circulates, you sweat, and your sinuses move mucus.  Hey, it’s got to go somewhere and better out than in!

I think of the risks and rewards of cycling as being like karma.  To throw a leg over a bike and ride comes with the possibility of being struck by a car, having a wreck, dogs running at you, enraged motorists; so many things that it can be scary thing.  However, the rewards far outweigh any of the risk.  I firmly believe that no great thing is ever achieved without risk.  Cycling is that: a great thing.

Track Stands are cool!  Arriving at a red light and coming to a stop while balancing your bike without unclipping from the pedals is the bomb.  Yes it is a bit of a show-off, “hey look at me” thing to do, but every time I do this I feel like I am cheating gravity and the laws of physics.  Einstein didn’t know crap about riding a bike

Passing cars in traffic, super sweet!  You have to love weaving your way through traffic that’s at a standstill, all the while, the drivers glare, as if they’re saying “you rat bastard, I wish I was on that bike!”  It brings a smile to my face every time.

Tail Winds, enough said.

Too many times I’m riding fast and making myself hurt, or I’m in a pack seeing nothing but rubber and asses.  I end up not seeing the beauty around me.  I love my easy rides when I can take it all in.  It reminds me that it’s okay to slow down and take it easy.  This applies to more than riding a bike.

The physical connection I feel when I am dialed in to my bike is awesome.  Feeling that I am part of my bike, one unit that responds to what the road throws at me without thought or hesitation.  It’s a thing of beauty.   

That’s it, my ten things I love about riding my bike.  What are yours?   If you are having trouble thinking of your own list, you obviously haven’t been on your bike enough.  My suggestion is to get outside, and ride your bike like you stole it!

Putting the Past in the Past

Putting the Past in the Past

I am coming off one of the best weeks I have had in, well, I don’t know how long.  Being selected to race for the U.S. Military Cycling team, getting in some great rides, seeing my fitness improve, and spending some time with a really cool person; it all added up to a great week.  Since the new-year, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the past and looking to the future.  Where have I been?  What have I done?  How did I get here? Where the hell am I going?  These thoughts have been on my mind as I struggle to put things in perspective and try to move forward in my life.

You see, I have invested a lot of time trying to forget my past so that I can move on.  What a stupid idea that is.  I now understand that that was an impossible undertaking.  The memories we acquire from our experiences are not soon forgotten.  Come to think of it: why would we want to?  My experiences, both good and bad, have shaped me into the person I am.  Granted, some of the things I have seen and experienced are terrible and they come with unpleasant feelings: fear, anger, guilt, and mistrust are but a few.  For a long time I have been very numb and not able to feel much of anything, except for that is, the above.  In an effort to stop feeling bad, I tried to forget the past, ignore the bad feelings, but in so doing, the only thing I was able to get rid of were the good feelings: joy, happiness, laughter, love, and empathy.

Climbing back on my bike, riding and experiencing just how awesome it is to once again be doing something I love has slowly chiseled away my fear and with it, all my bad feelings.   I reached this realization shortly after Christmas when I got sick.  I was off my bike for about nine days and toward the end, I was not very happy.  I thought about it: why was I unhappy?  Was it solely because I hadn’t been exercising?  No, that wasn’t it.  So what was it?  It was being around people, socializing, and interacting with them.  I started to ponder this thought.  Why did being around people make me happy?  It’s the process of talking to new people, sharing my story, listening to theirs.  These interactions forced me to open up, to make myself vulnerable.  I have discovered that I like this experience and all the good feelings that come along with it.  In the end, it’s about making friends.

Let’s get back to this week:  all the things I rediscovered prepared me for my experiences this week.  A couple of months ago, there was no way I would’ve had the courage to put an application in to ride for the U.S. Military Cycling Masters team.  I would have been afraid of being turned down, might have thought I wasn’t good enough, or been afraid of having to travel to races.  When my brother called last Saturday and said “what are you doing boy , because a friend is in town and  she is bored, and would I like to go and hang out with her?  I would have instantly had about a thousand things to do, and would have staying home like a damn hermit.   It was so weird, I thought, hell yeah, that sounds fun!  It was the best decision I could have made.  For the first time in about four years, since I left for Iraq, I was able to completely relax and have fun.  What a nice experience, talking, drinking some beer, listening to some live music (even if the first band was not so good), eating some great seafood, and best of all: being with a really cool person that made me smile and laugh! 

So what does the past have to do with all this?  The answer is easy:  for a long time I felt as though I couldn’t move forward unless, I was able to forget about all the bad stuff.   Bad relationships, people who tried to do bad things to people I had the responsibility to take care of, and what felt like my own shortcomings and failures.   I know it’s impossible to get rid of these memories and I accept this fact.  However, I can keep it all in perspective, learn, and grow.  I also realize that everything bad that’s happened is not all my fault or doing.  I accept responsibility for my mistakes, and I forgive myself and others.

Today, when I was driving, the song “Southern Cross” by Crosby, Stills, & Nash came on.  As I listened, it struck a chord with me. The lyrics summed up where I’ve been, and where I’m heading.  I may not have much left of my previous life, really just the memories.  Much like in the song where the lyricist states: ” I have my ship And all her flags are a flyin' She is all that I have.”, and my “ship” is my memories; and that’s okay.  I’m moving forward and finally putting the past in the past.

Until next time, keep the rubber on the road

Southern Cross  By: Crosby Stills & Nash

Got out of town on a boat
Goin' to Southern islands.
Sailing a reach
Before a followin' sea.
She was makin' for the trades
On the outside,
And the downhill run
To Papeete.
Off the wind on this heading
Lie the Marquesas.
We got eighty feet of the waterline.
Nicely making way.
In a noisy bar in Avalon
I tried to call you.
But on a midnight watch I realized
Why twice you ran away.
Chorus
Think about how many times
I have fallen
Spirits are using me
larger voices callin'.
What heaven brought you and me
Cannot be forgotten.
I have been around the world,
Lookin' for that woman/girl,
Who knows love can endure.
And you know it will.
And you know it will.
When you see the Southern Cross
For the first time
You understand now
Why you came this way
'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from
Is so small.
But it's as big as the promise
The promise of a comin' day.
So I'm sailing for tomorrow
My dreams are a dyin'.
And my love is an anchor tied to you
Tied with a silver chain.
I have my ship
And all her flags are a flyin'
She is all that I have left
And music is her name.
Chorus
Think about how many times
I have fallen
Spirits are using me
larger voices callin'.
What heaven brought you and me
Cannot be forgotten.
I have been around the world,
Lookin' for that woma/girl,
Who knows love can endure.
And you know it will.
And you know it will.
So we cheated and we lied
And we tested
And we never failed to fail
It was the easiest thing to do.
You will survive being bested.
Somebody fine
Will come along
Make me forget about loving you.
At the Southern Cross.

Best Lube Ever

I have to say: Rock-N-Roll lube is the best lubrication ever made........for your chain!  Hold on a minute, you thought I was talking about another kind of lube.  Come on people, this is a bicycle blog so, get your minds out of the gutter.

Here is what makes Rock-N-Roll so good:

1. It goes on wet, you wipe it off, it dries, and your done.  That easy.

2. It puts a barrier between your chain and road grit.  The debris has no chance to stick you your chain. Instead, it falls off to the ground or collects on the chain stays and down tube, which is easily wiped off at the end of a ride.

3. This stuff makes your drive train whisper quiet.

4. The directions.  Any directions that state "Wipe off the excess lube, all of it (you can't wipe the chain too much, so really wipe it down good.)"  I don't know what it is, but I just love that

So that is my bit on chain lube.  If you want to keep your chain running smooth as a new-born baby's butt, then use this stuff.
As for other types of lube made for different activities, I couldn't tell you.

Have a Merry Christmas and enjoy yourself.  As always, keep the rubber side on the road!

Riding Strong

Wow! I am proud of myself.  This was my first Saturday group ride since starting back and I felt certain I would be dropped .  When my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. I though about staying in bed and riding later, by myself.  I am so glad I didn't stay in bed!.

Often, we are faced with moments of difficulty and uncertainty.  How we react, whether or not we succeed, depends on our mental outlook.  If you see yourself failing or doing poorly, you probably will do just that.  A positive outlook that Incorporates self confidence can lead to successes you thought unachievable.

I started back training seriously about four weeks ago.  Since then, I have done a lot of base mileage, riding mostly by myself.  There were times when I was out for three hours going at an 18-20 mph pace and all I wanted to do was put it in the "big ring" and go fast.  But I kept to my plan and I think it is starting to pay off. Riding base miles is boring!  However, accumulated miles lays the foundation by which future successes can stand upon.

This week I have done a hard block of training, I have ridden a lot if miles and for the first time, I have added work designed to build power, speed, and acceleration, or "kick".  These are my first hard efforts, but they are already showing results.  Although, without all the long boring miles in my legs, I feel the hard efforts would not be doing me much good.

Lets get back to today's ride- it was a 40 mile group ride at a fast pace.  Here is what I did to succeed: I adopted a positive outlook.  I set goals for the ride: get to the end of this road, then the next, and so on.  Before rolling out, my over all goal was to make it to the half-way point, Fruit Cove. Beyond that, everything would be a bonus.  Well, I finished the ride with the group.  the pace stayed around 24-28 mph with surges up to 32 mph. I got in the red a few times, but I was able to float and not get dropped.  I positioned myself well, kept close to the front but not on the front.  I Payed attention for accelerations and reacted early. The only thing I didn't have the legs for was the sprint at the end.  In the last kilometer the strong guys surged and I was not able to follow the 15 or so guys that took off.  But maybe next time!

 I feel that today was a personal milestone.  I stuck it out, maintained confidence in myself, and used my experience to make up for my lack of top-end horsepower.  My base miles are giving me a good foundation to build upon.  I am truly enjoying my bike and being tn the moment. Keep it up Joe, you're doing great! 

That last part was not meant to brag.  I have learned that positive affirmations are a good thing!  Stay true to what you believe in and as always: keep the rubber side on the road.

Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope this day finds each of you happy, healthy, and optimistic. I am away from my family, but I am feeling happy.  I am having a Sci-Fi nerdathon! I am watching all my favorite science fiction movies: Star Trek, the Matrix, Star Wars, and maybe Battle Los Angeles.

Got some worrisome news yesterday: My grandfather, Richard Albaugh, fell and broke his hip and femur. He also sustained a mild concussion.  This morning he successfully underwent surgery to repair the damage.  My Grandpa is a tough old guy, and I hope that I can be so healthy when I am 93!

The past week has been full of injury for my family.  Last Saturday I was on my way back from a ride and had a little crash. I was attempting to make a U-turn on Sunbeam Rd, when my front wheel lost traction. I took a hard fall on my noodle and in the process, bruised: my sternum, both knees, and left shoulder; hyper-extended my right shoulder, and suffered a mild concussion.  It could have been much worse in that, I was able to turn my head before impacting the road.  If I had not, I surely would have lost my teeth and my nose. I went to the hospital to get checked out and all was good.  I was sure everything was, but I wanted to make sure.  After all, I do get free care at the Naval hospital.

I have started keeping a training log so that I can keep track of my weekly mileage, , kind of workout, ride distance, and how I'm feeling.
                         

I think that is about it for today.  Be good to each other, and keep the rubber-side on the road!

Breaking Dawn..........Shoot me already

I know some of the ladies out there will disagree and get in a huff, but lets face it, Breaking Dawn sucks.  The latest installment in the Twilight Saga continues to portray vampires as "metro-sexual" girly-man blood suckers.  

Lets be serious, do these guys really scare you?  I would only be worried about getting hair products on me while I was kicking there asses. I would go so far as to say, Sesame Streets' Count is tougher than these poser Vamps. The vampire movies I saw as a kid did a better job of representing the night dwellers.  Well, maybe with the exception of the Lost boys.  But at least they had the two "Cory's"  Go ahead and like it if you want, but I am taking this one to the Grave.  That's it for me. I'm out. Gotta go find a girly vampire to slap around. And make my B***h.