It’s funny because even after I think that my busy week is over, I am still flooded with all of these images, and have to take time to update my blog.  I’m constantly busy.  Today is also the second farmer’s market!  Luckily, the weather is going to be fantastic.  Sunny, but not hot!

Sunday July 5th was the downtown criterium, which is probably the best Longsjo race for the city, because it’s so fun to be hanging around downtown.  Things were even more exciting because we knew someone in the race, and we had someone to cheer for!

Mike was kicking butt - he was in the break away pack, and during several laps, he was IN THE LEAD!!!  I don’t care that he didn’t get first in the race, because he was kicking ass for so long during the race. (Trevor and Larry said “but that’s not how it works” - but I don’t care.)

Dad had wanted some great pictures of cyclists in front of the Boulder, and I happened to get these two pictures of Mike and the Boulder!

I asked Ed, the director of the Longsjo, where the best place to be placed for pictures of the finish, and he set me up on the one side with the press photographers, on the wrong side of the roped off area! I got this great shot of Mike finishing, and my dad!

Mike finished in 6th place in the downtown criterium, and 12th place overall.  He was amazingly awesome, and made the race fun for so many of us who were cheering him on.  There was a family of four in front of us, mom, dad, and two little boys, and they heard us cheering him on.  The wife asked me his name, and she said “I think I just saw some movie about him!”  She had seen the documentary Blood, Sweat + Gears:  Racing Clean to the Tour de France.” Mike is featured in the film just as he qualifies for the Olympics.  The family in front of us starting cheering for him, too!  We also had a lot of family friends join us, and we were all cheering and very excited.  I had asked Mike in the morning what I should yell, and he said he would answer to “Mike”  “Meatball” and “Garmin,” so I switched between the three of them.  It was fantastic!!!

Trevor handed Mike a celebratory beer, and said “I had no idea how famous you were!”  After Trevor saw people shouting to Mike and asking him for his autograph.

Dad and Trevor having a fun time at the Boulder.

Mom, dad and Mike.  Mike gave us a signed jersey (that he raced in that weekend), and dad wanted to try it on.

It looked much better on me! My favorite part was the pockets.

I took over 200 photographs over the weekend, and we all had a great time.  The Longsjo Classic is definitely a lot more fun when you have someone to cheer on!

Mike Friedman’s nickname is Meatball because he looks like a meatball while riding (or something).

The Fitchburg State Circuit Race on Friday went really well - except it kept pouring intermittently.  But I got some great pictures. Luckily, we were standing under a tree and didn’t get too wet.   I was able to take some great photographs.

Yesterday, after he and his father left for the Mount Wachusett race, I came home from the parade and saw our green and white cooler in the kitchen.  I opened it up, and all of his water bottles were in it.  I immediately called him and left a message: “Mike, did you forget the cooler?”  While debating with my dad on if I should bring it or not, Mike called back, and yes, he DID need the cooler.  His dad was about to leave to go get it, but I offered to drive it up.  I could get there in half the time, and the race was starting in just 15 minutes.

I ended up getting to the feed zone before Mike’s dad (he was stuck somewhere else around the course).  Bram (his dad) gave me instructions on how to feed him (which is holding out a water bottle or food for the cyclist to grab), and if the pro men ride by, I need to stand out for Mike to recognize me, and feed him.

I ended up feeding him about five times (they fed nine times), and it was very fun.  The very first time, I was very nervous and asking other feeders how to stand (Bram had said “at a right angle” and I didn’t know what that meant). I saw the black Ford with flashing lights, and that was my cue to get ready to feed.

The very first time, I had a bit of a panic attack.  My heart was racing, my fingers were numb, and I had to sit down.  After that, though, it was fun to see Mike up close, and have the experience to be involved in the race.

Jason was there with me, and got some great pictures!

Me yelling “MEATBALL!!!”  Mike says it was more like “Here Meatball Meatball Meatball.”

Mike says the fact that he’s not even looking at me or the bottle is a great thing.  I did very well feeding him.

It looks so relaxed here:

And. . . . release!

Very fun and exciting.

I gave Mike the URL of my blog, so he’s probably going to read this and roll his eyes  - heh.  (Hi Mike!)

Mike Friedman is the Longsjo cyclist who is staying at our house.  He arrived earlier today, and came with us to dinner at the Armory for the Longsjo fundraiser dinner. While at dinner, I found out that he was in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.  Seriously.

Then, he came back to the house, and appeased me on my birthday by playing Bananagrams with mom, Dylan, and myself.  Trevor came in halfway through with dad and helped me kicked their butts in our second game (Dylan won the first).

He also met President Bush, and was invited for a fancy dinner there.  There’s a hilarious story about the President asking him, “Do you have a sweating problem?”  But you’ll have to read it for yourself here.

This is Mike on the left.  (Dork.)  But he’s not that dorky in real life.  I think he just wants people to think he’s a dork.

I showed Mike my extreme level of dorkiness by bringing out my to-scale diorama of my mini house.  He thought it was just going to be a drawing, and then I brought out a large cardboard box.  I think he thought it was pretty great, though.

Mike also said that he was going to make us a fabulous breakfast one morning of greek yogurt, homemade granola, and fresh fruit.  I bet Megan wishes she were here for this!

After we had our awesome game of Bananagrams, which included many of us swearing and being loud (and finding out that my grandmother and his grandmother grew up in the same small town in New York) - Mike said that he couldn’t have asked for a better host family.  He would have come over last night, but it was late (9:30), and he didn’t realize how awesome we were.   (were those his words?  or my words?  I can’t remember - but he DID say he couldn’t have asked for a better family, which is very nice of him).  He also invited Megan, Mac and me to go to Spain to visit him in Girona while I’m over in Europe!  Sweeeet.

He’ll just have to remember us and come stay again next year.  That is, unless Emiliano books a room at el casa de streb first!