Well, I dropped my camera about 2 feet the other day, in Houffalize, and now it will not turn on.  Awesome.  It's pretty much what you want to have happen, while in Europe, for 5 days, between races, with no particular team related duty that can be performed other than blogging.  Yeah, it's just fine that I can't post any photos or lifestyle stories now.  Sheesh.

I guess when it rains, it pours, although the rain here is more like 200% humidity.  It doesn't so much pelt the ground as saturate the air and earth simultaneously.  We were walking the course the other day, and some German riders rolled up to look at the same section we were looking at, and one of the women was like, "Hey the forecast for Sunday is dry, so I think it will dry up by then."  And I was like, yes, it must be nice to be high all the time.  I should try that ...

No, seriously, all is not as bad as I like to make it sound.  I just had to catch you up on the last 3 days, which were in fact as gray and dreary as I've ever seen Europe.  Today actually is sunny, dry, and nice ... perhaps mild optimism is not so out of line as I thought.  I'm at a cafe/bar with free and fast internet -- something you would have thought was ubiquitous in Germany, but is not.  Sue rode the course and came back with only a few mud splatters, not nearly the 4" gunk layer we expected.  SO, despite the fact that we are here on business, the business of racing, things are going better by the day as it dries up, warms up, and we get to know the local layout.

We drove to Germany on Monday, slotted in to the Gasthaus Renate Meier in Ebersweier, and since then have been just kind of in limbo waiting for the racing to go off.  We don't have internet at our house, hence the daily visit to the cafe.  English language TV is limited to CNN and BBC, so I know as much about world news as I could care to ...and I'm almost finished with my one book.  It's about the slowest my life has moved in 3 years.  But, you know, I'll take it!  And now that the sun is shining, things are looking up!  Riders are training, bikes are tight, and all is well.  We picked up credentials today, tomorrow is registration, Saturday is managers meeting, and Sunday is GAME THE HECK ON!!!

wish us luck and continued blue skies!