It's pouring outside on this beautiful Berkshire morning, any time it's raining and I don't feel like riding bikes I become productive. In this case my productivity is taking the form of blogging. The semester just ended and I've been insane busy writing papers for weeks straight. I finally have some time to breathe in the morning, enjoy some french press coffee, and reflect on where my life has gone in the last few months since my previous blog. 

               School has been crazy this semester, I just finished up over 100 pages of writing. I have been racing bikes and training like a mad man this season! I have been racing every weekend since mid March and becoming consistently faster and stronger. I took 2nd place at the Wayne Elliot memorial race when Dan Ouellette made a super hard hard move on the last lap when everyone was tired (including me) I jumped up, sprinted as hard as I could and followed him, we stayed away on a long straight away, took a hard right into a long climb and just took turns on the front hammering as hard as we could. It felt amazing to see the group behind us getting smaller and smaller. I was so excited when I realized we broke away, I was yelling YES YES!!! Dan yelled at me to calm down and I did. We caught 2 guys who had broken away and we worked together till the end where Dan took me in the sprint, but I took the other 2 guys and rolled away with 2nd place and some cash in my pocket. It felt good to make money doing something I love!!! 

              Since Wayne Elliot I have done a handful of other really fun and painful sufferfests of races. I did my first stage race ever up in Vt. at the Tour of the Dragons and finished 15th overall and snagged a couple upgrade points. I was content with this finish but I know I can finish stronger in a long stage race. I have another coming up this weekend in Killington Vt. It's a 3 day stage race. I will blog about that next week. 

             I am being featured in a documentary called "A Small Good Thing" directed by Academy Award winning Pamela Boll. She approached me a few months ago and when I heard from her I was very skeptical. After doing some research I found out Pam won an Academy award for the movie "Born Into Brothels" so this was no joke. After meeting with Pam, Kerthy, and Paula I knew right away I wanted to be a part of this project. All three of them are amazing people who are really trying to tell peoples stories and shine a light on the things this country needs more of. Anyways we have done a few filming sessions and Pam and her crew are legit! I thought it was going to be her and maybe one other person working on it. The morning of filming at my place she rolls up with 3 vehicles and an entire crew rolls out!!! It was insane, huge cameras and sound and lighting equipment! They have been following me around riding bikes and filmed me dancing with my family at a powwow. This summer they're flying me and the crew to Alaska to film me, my uncle and grandfather in ceremony and my uncle is teaching me the traditional way of brain-tanning hides. I have been trying to get out there for the last few years and now I have my chance!! Awesome stuff. 

                That's all for now, I will be updating my blog this summer until classes start up again and I have no time!!!!! As usual I am super grateful for the people in my life and for living a simple life of bike riding and community! 

Heres a link to an article that Mary Arata wrote for Nashoba Publishing about the powwow this past weekend. http://www.nashobapublishing.com/ci_20676126/iraq-war-veteran-fitchburg-native-filmed-at-devens

Oh and on another note I chopped all my hair off. I hadn't cut it in a year and a half and it was about 14 inches long!!!! The dirty hippie look has (somewhat) disappeared.