VACATION

The best thing about going on vacation is: IT'S VACATION. For example, did you know there's something called "sleeping in"? It's true. This is a state by which you awaken in the morning WITHOUT AN ALARM CLOCK. It's amazing. Also on vacation, THERE IS NO BROWN LINE. This, too, is amazing.

Team Power Love's official summer vacation is taking place in the balmy locale of Chicago, Illinois. It was a scheduling nightmare to get into this ritzy resort, but because we are world famous and very, very rich, we had only to drop a few names, and VOILA! Access.

The goal for this vacation (one must always have goals, even on vacation) is to do only things one wouldn't do in a typical week. That means, I'm currently training for a hot dog eating contest. Which I think should possibly be hyphenated, but since I'm on vacation, I'm not going to consult The Chicago Manual of Style. However, if someone else wants to do that and let me know, that would be cool because no doubt that will bug me until I know the answer.

BUT NO! We are all about relaxing this fine week, SO WHO CARES ABOUT GRAMMATICAL ERRORS? (Me.) Onward:

Awesome Vacation Experience #1: Bike Ri-ace.

As every serious cycler knows, a bike ri-ace is a combination bike ride/bike race. It's a phenomenon in which I race and the others around me ride and wonder why I'm breathing so heavily. It's great. As every serious cycler also knows, it takes much skill and cunning to plan a strategy to win a bike ri-ace. For example, here we see Brian discussing our strategy to attack the peloton, two minutes into the 60-mile ri-ace.

According to my plan, I was going to whip out a trampoline, Brian was going to roll on to it on his bike, and then pounce off, jettisoning himself over the peloton and across the finish line.

The only problem with this strategy was that there was no finish line. Also, I didn't have a trampoline. Instead, Brian rolled up to the front of the group and, as you see here, a win! Alert Power Love reader, do you see how clever and intricately woven my tactical racing plans truly are? I am telling you--it is pure genius.

As decreed by the gods, bike riding is the awesomest thing ever in all of everland. There are many amazing things about riding a bicycle, the top two of which are:

1. Flying down a hill on a bicycle

2. Riding with friends

In addition, it does not hurt to be able to ride with friends who just so happen to have legs so gorgeous they could be works of art.

I love vacation.

We rode to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Did you know they have STORES in Wisconsin? THEY DO! The stores have food and hydration. This is always a good thing when you are strategizing bike ri-aces.

Food of the gods.

A giraffe made out of Legos. I don't know why.