Squirrel

Happy 2009!

2009-02-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

Let the season begin! I was lucky enough to attend training camp with the MedPlan girls! I talked a lot of strategy and was able to use my newly acquired coaching knowledge from the winter off. I was also placed in a new home and she said she may want to help me update my blog so all the Squirrel groupies can stay current on my whereabouts. Her name is Nancy Jones!! See you all on the racing circuit!

SOS!

2008-08-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Molly was nice enough to inform me of this article about squirrel hunting season. It has begun, let me repeat, it HAS begun in Tennessee already and they are touting it as a "relaxing and enjoyable" activity! Please follow the link for more information:

http:www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_133454.asp

Mr. Squirrel

Namaste my good friends!

2008-08-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Namaste! I am sorry I have not posted in a while. After reading "Eat, Pray, Love" and making my own flute out of wood, I was inspired to go to India and stay in an Ashram to learn another culture and freshen up my yoga skills. I stayed there a couple weeks, then I came home via China and got to see Walsh and May play a few beach volleyball matches. Besides the cheerleaders, my favorite part of the trip was learning how to kinesio tape my shoulder! After injuring it learning to headstand, Walsh inspired me to tape up before trying it again!

Even though I am male, I tried a "Bhindi" on my forehead to see if all the hype is true about how it helps with energy. I recommend trying it in your next race.

Look. No hands! This is a very advanced headstand...not to be bragadocious.

The bridge!

2008-07-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

Squirrel was amazed with the Golden Gate bridge.

O-Squama!

2008-07-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Squirrel is in California for a couple days...and look what happens.

This girl was "butchering" Whole Foods. On Your Left! We totally beat her to the register. (See video in video bar)

A box, a plane, and 4 hours later....California!

2008-07-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Good morning from California! I have a few pictures from yesterday to share from my trip out here! I have never been on a plane before, and it was actually not too bad considering I had to sneak into the bike box. When the department of homeland security opened the box I played dead and they didn't ask any questions. Whew!!

This is the box I came in...

California is supposedly wine country, so I perched myself on this tree and had a glass. They chose a house with a bedroom for me...this tree on the porch! How sweet!

They woke me up to morning coffee overlooking the Marin Hills. Can't wait for this week to start!!!

Board (Squirrel & Bugsy) Meeting...

2008-07-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is my new friend Bugsy! We were both allowed to attend the family business meeting this past week... AND we sat at the head of the table! Mande said that is part of the perks when you are in business with family who don't really care if a squirrel attends meetings or not. I added a little blurb about "squirrel away" to see if they wanted to invest. Bugsy was the only one to second the motion.

I love the Gulf!

2008-07-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

My first day was uneventful. Went to meet some family members and another cute dog named bugsy, we were instant friends! Mande took me to the beach this morning early to see what Dolly brought in! First thing was this huge cliff Mande called a "little ledge". I hiked all the way to the top!

We found this awesome pice of driftwood! I did a couple yoga poses and paid Homage to the Gods of the Gulf. My hands are in prayer position, you just can't tell.

Then I found this piece of wood and whittled this flute to play some tunes for Mande.

Our self portrait!

This was not a funny joke. Mande put me really close to the edge of this pond and then told me there were two alligators in there the day before. She knows I can't run fast!!

Heading South!

2008-07-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Good Tuesday morning! I am alive and well, no more cold! I hope you girls don't mind, but Mande is taking me to Florida for a couple days. I'm hoping to cruz the strip and get an airbrushed t-shirt that says "On Your Left"!! I was ready 2 lattes ago to leave, I'm SO excited. I'll be posting from down there, so check back if you want.

Outa Commission!

2008-07-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

You may have all wondered where I have been this week! I hope you were not too worried. I have been a little under the weather. Caught a little bug from Mande and we have been layin' low.

My new best friends are: Nyquil, Puffs Tissue, and Lemon Lift Tea!!

Today, Cally and I sat on the porch for tea time. It was a little too hot for hot tea in the middle of summer in Atlanta, but the conversation was good so we toughed it out. She is my new best animal friend. I think I'll be back on the bike by this afternoon! Good luck to all my teammates who are racing this weekend in Huntsville and NC! Go MedPlan!!

Georgia Games!!

2008-07-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

It was a wet day for the Ga Games. I had to leave after the Cat 4 Mens race because Mande was my ride and she was actually cold and wanted food and some dry clothes! But... the Womens race was all good, thanks to me once again. I didn't bring a ton of luck, no podiums, but the girls had no falls in the rain and they finished (somewhat) together almost.... :)

This is me playing some sweeeeet tunes during the warm-up.

I have all kinds of great advice before a race!

I like to try and get really close to the pedal stroke just to scare myself enough for a little adrenalin boost!

I needed it so I could gain some courage for the trix I perform on my BMX'er.

Bringing the girls in....for 4th and 5th place! Team MedPlan has the best looking kits out there!! No doubt!

Thanks Trish!

2008-07-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Trish took some great pictures at our group ride! I'll include the link. This picture is one of my favorites.

Junky Squirrel...

2008-07-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

Don't get the wrong impression! I had to send this to A&E for a reality series they are doing called "intervention". We all know drama is what they are looking for so I had to be in character. I can't stop looking at this picture, I look so bad ass!

Little do they know, I'm actually addicted to cycling! That should be a first for their show!

Team Ride!

2008-07-06T05:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our team ride out at silk sheets! It was great to have all the girls together again! I can't wait until the next race!!

I was giving Lissy some super secret race strategy tips!

I'm Changing!! Can't a squirrel get any privacy around here?

Happy 4th!!

2008-07-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

My first 4th was great! I was in charge of holding the onions for the hamburgers. So for those of you who think it is all fun and games for me...here's proof of me working.

My friend and teammate, Beth...I was so upset about her getting hit by that car! We talked at length about it, and I let her know there are several therapy groups in the area for traumatized squirrels that have been hit. She let me sign her cast!!! I was honored!

The 4th would not be complete without a 420 and a hot deck to sit on!

Zipper!!!

2008-07-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

My name is Zipper. I love squirrels, not to eat them, just to play with them. We are new friends. Thanks for letting me post on your blog, mr. squirrel. We are going to watch fireworks now....later!

I have got to try this!!

2008-07-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Why did everyone keep this a secret from me?

Photo Courtesy of Gene Alba from the scuba cat collection: "Cousteau's got nothing on me".

Modern Squirrel

2008-07-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed my new template! Minimalism is my new middle name. I really don't need more than a chair, some nuts, and a bike to be happy! Ok...and also a computer so I can blog about being a minimalist.

It's almost July 4th! And I am in the best city for this holiday I've heard. Someone offered to get me a peachtree road race number so I don't have to hop along on the telephone wires. I'll be going to the Peachtree Park neighborhood to watch some explosions with some other squirrels for the grand finale. And for the perfect end to a perfect holiday weekend....some of the MedPlan girls are coming to town to ride!! Can't wait!

Monday Mind Sharpener!

2008-06-30T08:06:00.001-07:00

Since it is Monday and we are all ready for the holiday weekend to be here, I thought I would try and give you guys a little puzzle to solve, "where's waldo" style, to keep your brains sharp! Try to find me in each of the pictures below and if you can tell me where I am, I'll personally give you free hula lessons.

hint: I'm the one with the smallest eyes.

hint: I'm on a jett.

hint: I could hang here all night!

This picture is dark...but I am in it with my friend Stephanie. We were pointing out martian clouds and tug boats.

Luau'n Squirrel

2008-06-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

I made myself this leis and asked Mande to pleeeease take me to a Hawaiian Luau. And she delivered. I was welcomed with open arms and even learned a little dance I can teach all you MedPlan girls next time we are all together again!!

My arms don't move to the side, but I was still dancing....trust me.

I was whispering my number in her ear, she wants me to take her on a date later this week!!

This is my new friend, Gidget!

There are very few squirrels I know that can hold sparklers and not totally freak out!

Bloggin...

2008-06-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

The life of a blogging squirrel is very busy. I have been running around town with Mande helping her with all sorts of things. But today, I am taking my camera on a photo safari around town. I want to go see downtown and the tornado damage all my squirrel friends told me about. I'll post more pictures later from my day.

This was from the other night after the Braves game. I got a lesson on all kinds of "Al" names, because we were at the "Albert".

Raaaaaaaar. Bear Squirrel. I'm always smiling in all my pictures, I wanted to try and look mean....and tall.

Movie Night!

2008-06-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Road Trip!

2008-06-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

Cally and I took a road trip to LaGrange to watch Joe race on Saturday. We played car games the whole way. I spy......A Hazmat Spill.....wtf?

So we had to wait on the highway for about an hour for the cleanup crew to do their business. We missed the 3 p.m. race so Joe decided to race at 5...I'm sure he did that so I could see some racing. I was really needing a fix.

I'm a source of great motivation while warming up.

Cally and I cheering on all the cyclists!

Braves Game!

2008-06-21T07:49:00.001-07:00

Tonight I went to watch the Braves play the Mariners. The Braves got killed, but the game was so much fun! The security on the way in said he had never seen a squirrel come to the game before, said it was a first for him. He searched me and everything, I felt so loved. I even had my own seat and ticket, so they couldn't deny my entrance.

Go Chipper!!

I tried to make friends with this guy, but he was busy texting...so rude.

Dippin Dots??? Ok...perfect size for me!

We left a little early, but watched some plays on this screen. Complete strangers were taking pictures of me like I was a super model or something. I love this city!!

A busy Friday so far!

2008-06-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well I decided to wake up early today, at 9:30ish, and head over to Val's house for a latte. She has a Francis Francis espresso maker and I was super psyched to learn how to tamp and all that good stuff. She must be an early riser, because she was already at work!! No answer at the door. I am hoping for an invite sometime this weekend to play with the other squirrels in her yard and to also have a latte with her.

After leaving Vals house, we drove to lunch at FIGO.

Joe is so nice to me. Fed me bread and bought my pelligrino orange drink!

And for the grand finale....A real live police chase complete with helicopter. Awesome! Police cars and Vans racing down Collier. What a great day so far. Tonight we are off to the Braves Game! I'm bringing my mitt hoping to catch a foul ball and get Tim Hudson's autograph!

Inman Park Pool Day....ok!

2008-06-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the pool to learn to swim with my new friends David and Ryan. It was such a nice day out I figured why do anything responsible. I'm retired anyways!

This looks weird....

I never knew this!! Interesting.

No Diving.....for humans maybe!!!!

Meeting more family members!

2008-06-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

This is my new friend "cally berry". She is Mande's dog and she loves squirrels. I play jokes on her all day long and call out "squirrel" and she runs to the back door to look. She doesn't know I'm a squirrel because I'm brown. She even gives me sweet kisses like in this pic.

We rode at the brewery with Mande's mom and some of her friends!

I am learning a new trade while I am here. Bike Mechanic.

Lefty, Stephanie and Greg's dog, took me on a date to "Treehouse". There were times when I thought he might have played a trick on me and actually wanted to eat me for dinner. So I kept a close eye on him all night and he had to show me where his paws were at all times.

PC Beach or Bust!

2008-06-18T20:00:00.001-07:00

After the taste of the Mazda Miata, I decided to take it on a road trip! PC Beach baby! Surely you have heard of it....Panama City?? I hear it's called the "Redneck Riveria". And after buying this no good umbrella, I can see why. I am SO sun burnt. Maybe by tomorrow I'll be golden brown!

Dinner at Nancy G's!

2008-06-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

I got to see some other cool Med Plan girls!! I held a meeting about race strategy and they were all ears!

After the meeting, I ate some sweeeeeet potato fries!

Drank a little beer. (Val was shocked at how much I can drink)

And Stephanie took me for one heck of a ride in the parking lot. Donuts and all!

Happy Tuesday!

2008-06-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone! I didn't make it outside too long. So primitive out there. I am much happier with a nice pillow and no bugs. Mande woke me early for another latte!!

This afternoon I heard her talking about a ride tonight, so I jumped into my kit and hoped she would let me ride. Best way to see Atlanta is on a bike!

She had to end up wearing the kit, but she put me in her back pocket and we rode like the wind! Thanks to Catherine, she pulled most of the way so the guys wouldn't catch up. I kept a close eye out and called out pot holes and "car back".

These are two of my new riding buddies. Joe and Rich.

Just Kidding!!!! I wanted people to think I was road kill....I'm such a jokester!

Good night!

2008-06-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

I am going to try and sleep like other squirrels tonight. Really get a taste for the city. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Ciao!

My first Day in Atlanta!!

2008-06-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today we drove around a good bit. That's what Mande said people do here. She even let me drive some on 17th street! Exciting! The thrill of traffic on the inside of the car is way better than dodging it on the outside.

Then we went home and I surprised her with a little note from me...I'm so sweet. Plus, I love my cycling team!

The group ride was supposed to be "recovery" pace...but my legs are way too short to keep up. And I can't really reach the handle bars.

Mande let me ride her bike. I liked it, but I was really missin' my steel bike. Didn't have the heart to tell her. And Val, I'll definitely take you up on those bike handling skills. Someone called me "squirrely" tonight on the ride.

Pizza at Fellinis and a 420. Sweeeeeeet.

Racing at Edgar Soto & Heading to Atlanta

2008-06-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend was my team race in Nashville, TN. My new friend Mande got to take me home until the next race. She has been very good to me so far. She lets me eat human food and drink my favorite water....Aqualibrium!

Yummy... This drink was called an iced latte. Not sure what that was but whooooa was I energized! All Strapped in and ready to go to Hotlanta.

My new friend Rickies. Do cats and squirrels usually hang out together?

I slept great, woke up early and had another latte, this time....hot. And now I am ready to hit the streets with Mande. We'll post more later.