The Bike Wife 1.0: Waiting so patiently...

Friday, June 15, 2012

Waiting so patiently...

First things first. Today I was facebook stalking myself (dont even pretend you dont do it. What do I look like to someone else? Hmmm.... I should delete that drunk-ass picture of myself....) and I stumbled into our NZ pictures. God that was amazing. The funny thing is, we didn't go through our pictures and have some big bout of nostalgia that prompted our decision to move. We were just ready for change, and not change of the diaper-changin' type. And we kinda said, well, should it be New Zealand or Oregon? How much can we actually handle? And we decided to dive into change, head first.

But as I looked through pictures, I remembered. I remembered how truly awe-inspiring every stop was. From ocean to rainforest, high desert to mountains. This playground of land and water and birds is going to be our home. We're going to have the opportunity to go back to this one little B&B that I cant stop thinking about. We're going to get to ride those amazing, stunningly scenic trails. We're going to be friends with the friendliest people.

I know I'm all hearts and flowers right now, and I know it really wont be easy (at all). But I am so damn excited.

Bungee-ing. Serious NZ past time. Look at that water.

Us in Alexandra. I'm not sure why, but we have serious love for this town.

This is what a completely random hike looks like. Daily life.

Mountains, glaciers, rainforest.

And a bit of awesomeness: We have completed stage 2 of 2! The New Zealand Nursing Council contacted me on June 2, and informed us that they received our application packet, cashed our check, and we'd been processed to stage 2. So I contacted the Board of Registered Nursing, and they'll be sending a verified copy of my license to NZ ($60 for that piece of paper). And I got my Chico State transcripts together, brought them to the dean of the School of Nursing, who was actually super helpful, and she filled out her portion of the paperwork. That whole packet was sent off on my birthday (June 11). So now we wait. Somewhere between 4 and 12 weeks, and I should have a license. Which means I will get a job. Which means we will have no problems getting visas. Which means we go. Live. In. New Zealand.

Sweet As.

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Bike Babble

Here's a list of terms to help decipher what the #@&*! I'm blogging about:

Berm - a turn in a trail, usually built up with hard packed dirt, or sometimes wood/rock. A berm's purpose is to allow/withstand the weight of a rider making an aggressive turn.

Chamois - the padded spandex shorts worn under loose mountain bike shorts, and never, ever on its own. Also, should never be worn a minute longer than absolutely necessary. Like a condom.

Clapped Out - and old, well used bike. It may have been nice at one time, but is now a POS.

Clipless - bicycle pedals that clip in to one's bike shoes, thus making the human and the bike into one cohesive unit.

DH - downhill; as in DH bike (more travel), or DH trail. Downhill mountain biking is gravity assisted decent down a mountain, usually with technical features like jumps, drops, and rocky sections. DH races are very technical, usually no climbing, and are only a few minutes in length.

Enduro - A multi-staged race that includes both climbing and descending, and can also include being shuttled to the top of a trail or mountain. Timed stages are usually downhill, un-timed stages uphill.

Fire Road - a large, wide open trail, usually the width of a 4-wheeler or truck, typically smoother dirt or gravel. Preferred by roadies who are trying to mountain bike.

Fork - the front end of the bike, below the handle bars. The fork compresses (see "travel") anywhere from 2-8 inches on a mountain bike , depending on the type, to allow for more aggressive riding.

Free Riding - a broader range of mountain bikers; generally used to describe individuals who build their own trails, use natural features as stunts, are creative in trail/jump building. Will hike-a-bike for good DH trail riding, will put blood, sweat, and tears into good trail building.

Full Suspension - front and rear suspension on a mountain bike: the fork in front, and a rear shock in back. Contrasts with a hard tail (a mountain bike with suspension only in the front) or a road bike or cruiser (no suspension at all).

Gap - the distance between the take off and landing of a jump or drop, ie: the spot where you and your bike are in the air.

Hucking - to commit to a very large jump, drop, or gap, usually a very large stunt.

Loamy - soft, highly organic dirt. Desirable. Not rocky. Think Oregon and Washington conditions.

MTB - Mountain Biking

North Rim - A local Chico trail that is extremely rough and rocky. Quite steep in some places, less in others, but a steady climb for several miles. There are barely any trees, and it is the bane of my existence.

Shred - to ride vigorously, synonymous with "ripping" and "killing it".

Shuttle - the means of getting up to the top of a mountain/hill where a downhill trail starts. Usually in the form of a truck, or "shuttle truck".

Single Track - a narrow trail that is approximately the width of the bike. It is frequently smooth and flowing, but it may also exhibit technical rocky sections and may be criss-crossed with tree roots. Considered the best type of trail on which to ride mountain bikes.

Super D - a long downhill race with some climbing. Not nearly as much climbing as in XC, or as long of a race. Usually Super D has more technical downhill features, and lasts 20-30 minutes.

Travel - the amount that the fork is able to compress, thus, the larger amounts of force the bike can withstand.

XC - Cross Country, as in XC bike (less travel) or XC trail (uphill & downhill). XC racing is up and down hills, and courses are typically several miles long, and can take 2-4 hours to complete.