Category: XCFeeds
-
2009-2010, SEASON START
The birds fly south, the retired migrate to Florida and the skiers pack up their duffel bags to chase flakes in West Yellowstone, Montana. This is November; the season of location change.br /br /Although my ski team comes darn close to immediate, it has been almost a decade since I have had Thanksgiving with my family. This year, we race on the eve of the feast as well as the two days following so the day of thanks will be filled with eating and resting!br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PPMeqZXka1Y/SwoKVgzWw_I/AAAAAAAAAqs/F36-HEh43NM/s1600/IMG_1817.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 368px; height: 400px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PPMeqZXka1Y/SwoKVgzWw_I/AAAAAAAAAqs/F36-HEh43NM/s400/IMG_1817.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407145667310568434″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”span style=”font-size:85%;”Colin, Sophie, Mikey – North of Ketchum, the week before Westbr /br //span/spandiv style=”text-align: left;”span style=”font-size:100%;”A year ago this Friday I raced the first event of the season and tore 2 and bulged 3 disks in my lower back. This time around, things will be better. The classic sprint on Wednesday is a qualifier (roughly a 1.5k race)/span. Friday is a 5k skate with a 10k classic to follow on Saturday. These are three races that I am excited for, confident about and ready to do. Let the games begin.br /br /Ferritin update: From 11 in September to 20 in October, I am now at 30! Continuing my treck back up to 60, where I was in ’06, I am headed in the right direction. hopefully a really encouraging post to come on Wednesday! `katebr /span style=”font-style: italic;”/span/divspan style=”font-style: italic;”/span/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4299718529371785873-977825854409266762?l=in-the-arena-kate.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
-
New from SOLDA
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://www.webskis.com/uploaded_images/F40FastWax-727968.jpg”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 226px;” src=”http://www.webskis.com/uploaded_images/F40FastWax-727966.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” //abr /br /br /What’s New from SOLDAbr /br /Just like ski companies, wax companies find themselves in a very competitive business. It is not enough to simply produce a product that enables skis to glide well when other producers are working to improve products and help skis go even faster. Since 1934 SOLDA has been a leader and innovator in the production of superior ski wax. This year is no different especially with the Olympic Winter Games in 2010 in Vancouver, BC. br /br /Our customers also want to know what is new at SOLDA, so this summer the owner of WebSkis went to Italy to find out. Here is some of what we learned from the good people in Monte Belluna who make the wax we use and sell. br /br /The highest level of fluorination is found in F40 Special. This wax comes in F40 Special Green, F40 Special Violet and F40 Special Red. When will we see F40 yellow? The chemists have been able to successfully bond the same fluorocarbon compound from HP05 and HP06 with the Green, Violet and Red F40 waxes. The combination of F40 Red and Fluor 100 has proven to be more difficult to make a hybrid hard wax that will give the same superior gliding properties as the technician application of F40 Red and then using the Fluor 100 powder or spray. Luciano has set this as a goal for the near future. For now in warm temps (snow -2/-6, air +2/-2) and plenty of available moisture, use F40 Red and finish with Fluor 100. br /br /SOLDA has a new wax that has tested very well against other waxes in conditions found at the Olympic venues. In testing in Europe and Canada with conditions of 50%-100% humidity and snow temps 0/-9C this wax has proven superior to any other wax tested. The staff at SOLDA continues to test this in different snow conditions. It should be available next year. SOLDA will not release the wax until they are absolutely sure it is what they want to carry the SOLDA name. Watch for some very fast skis for the Italians and other national teams that get a chance to use this wax. We should have it next year. br /br /A fluor Gel is being tested and used with success in some conditions. Look for this in the next year. I have a little sample I will be trying this year. br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://www.webskis.com/uploaded_images/image.php-735468.jpeg”img style=”float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 85px;” src=”http://www.webskis.com/uploaded_images/image.php-735467.jpeg” border=”0″ alt=”” //abr /br /In the training wax line SOLDA has added a Performance Green to the highly successful Performance Red and Performance Yellow. These are economically priced low-fluor training waxes. The Green is a hard wax for cold training conditions. In prepping skis for a cold snow race with low to medium humidity, this would be a good choice as a first layer followed by F15 Blue and the appropriate finish of F30, or F32 or F40 Green and HP06 if it is more humid. br /br /Some have asked about the plastic in the Marathon Water Belts and if it is BPA free. Luciano says, yes. This plastic should pose no health issues. br /br /If you are headed to the West Yellowstone Ski Festival I will be there with my SOLDA Wax table and hopefully answers to your questions. br /br /Hope to see you, and have a good one.br /br /Bertdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6589659500745667109-6296964235080995639?l=www.webskis.com%2Fwebskisblog.html’ alt=” //div
-
2 Months on the Road
div style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”I left Hayward on November 12th and will return, at the earliest, over two months later on January 25th. The travel plans include: /span/divdiv style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”br //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”West Yellowstone, MT/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”Bozeman, MT/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”Silver Star, BC, Canada/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”Methow Valley, WA/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”Anchorage, AK/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”Methow Valley, WA/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”Minneapolis, MN/span/divdiv style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”br //span/divdiv style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”I do get a chance to go ‘home’ to Washington for Christmas, so it really isn’t two months on the road./span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”br //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; “/span/spanspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M9ps8F85nS0/SwoNUlRqE2I/AAAAAAAAAkE/xAVNbP5EVC8/s1600/Yellowstone+019.jpg”img style=”cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M9ps8F85nS0/SwoNUlRqE2I/AAAAAAAAAkE/xAVNbP5EVC8/s400/Yellowstone+019.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407148949866419042″ //a/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”I packed only have 5 shirts, but the 12 pairs of skis keep my bags full./span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”br //span/divdiv style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”I am in West Yellowstone, MT right now for the Yellowstone Ski Festival. ‘West’ is know for dependable early season snow and over 3,000 skiers take over the town to celebrate skiing, snow and the start of winter./span/divdiv style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”br //span/divdiv style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”‘West’ is also like Christmas for many ‘pro’ skiers with the arrival of new skis, boots, poles and the latest colors and styles for hats, gloves, jackets, pants, and tights. /span/divdiv style=”text-align: left;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”br //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M9ps8F85nS0/SwoNUlRqE2I/AAAAAAAAAkE/xAVNbP5EVC8/s1600/Yellowstone+019.jpg”/a/spanspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=” ;font-family:Georgia, serif;”img src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M9ps8F85nS0/SwoOVTMvLxI/AAAAAAAAAkU/Oxn6xWLuSos/s400/Yellowstone+017.jpg” style=”cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407150061705441042″ //span/span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”Enjoying Blue Skies and Fresh Snow in our new Vertical Limit Gear/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=” ;font-family:arial;”img src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M9ps8F85nS0/SwoNVLG10UI/AAAAAAAAAkM/PvJ00b-UQL8/s400/Yellowstone+020.jpg” style=”cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407148960021598530″ //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”Filling up the tub for a little ice bath after a hard week of training./span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”br //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family:arial;”The first race of the season is Wednesday./span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M9ps8F85nS0/SwoNUlRqE2I/AAAAAAAAAkE/xAVNbP5EVC8/s1600/Yellowstone+019.jpg”/a/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8083254037538554650-1559836905525697832?l=in-the-arena-brian.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
-
Thule Box Repairs – The Don’ts
This picture exaggerates the damage quite a bit. We had to break/tear the broken pieces so they would fit in the car while we took them to a dumpster. The initial break was only in two.
-
Thule Box Repairs – The Don’ts
This picture exaggerates the damage quite a bit. We had to break/tear the broken pieces so they would fit in the car while we took them to a dumpster. The initial break was only in two.
-
On the Road Again
Whoa, it is nice to finally be on the road! The past week has been a whirlwind in preparation for leaving Sun Valley for the next 2 months! Despite the business of getting all the odds and ends finished before leaving, I was able to put in some final, quality workouts. My third ski of the season was a 13k skate time trial. The lack of snow and the compact trail made it a little difficult to get stability, but I tried to focus on staying smooth and relaxed. Now that I have been on snow a hand-full of times, I am beginning to feel more comfortable with the longer skis and adjusting to the balance.br /br /In addition to getting some quality workouts in last week, I enjoyed spending my last couple days with the kid’s at the YMCA. It is hard to believe that I won’t see them for 2 months! We had fun playing in the bouncy castle and the second grade girls surprised me by hiding the lockers!br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/Swnkb5D4OgI/AAAAAAAAAgU/6o7hKayZmI0/s1600/ymca+pic+09+001.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/Swnkb5D4OgI/AAAAAAAAAgU/6o7hKayZmI0/s320/ymca+pic+09+001.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407103995459680770″ border=”0″ //abr /I am currently in West Yellowstone with all the other cross-country skiers in the country! We are enjoying the new snow fall and the great skiing. The energy is high and people are anticipating the first races of the season! With the Olympics just 2.5 months away, you can tell people are more fit than ever.br /br /Our race schedule looks like this:br /br /Wednesday, November 25- Sprint Qualifierbr /Friday, November 27- 10k Skatebr /Saturday, November 28- 5k Classicbr /br /Stayed tuned for updates!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5903545846797966075-1252141692654140690?l=in-the-arena-nicole.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
-
Ostersund, Sweden
Travel from home to Ostersund was smooth and easy. Unfortunately, I arrived to little snow and weather only a tad bit cooler than our recent warm November weather. Reserved snow from last season has helped to thicken the snow base on the race course and skiing is supposably OK. Regardless, it is nice to be back in Sweden, now a quite familiar place, and in final preparation for the upcoming competitions. Photos and more to come.div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1362992899157556571-4565937004537623498?l=comeskiwithme.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
-
On Snow!!!
A haiku:
Gliding on white stuff
suddenly I remember
that skiing is funA limerick:
There once was a team from Vermont
That went to West Yell. for a jaunt
they skied on the snow
and as you all know
they wrote home the snow for to flaunt -
First day on SNOW!
I spent last week in Park City, acclimating to the thin mountain air. I also had a trip to the doctors last Thursday because a few weeks ago I had a pretty bad rollerski crash that dislocated both of my thumbs in the distal joint. I didn’t think it was such a big deal, and that they would heal up pretty quickly… but my right one still seemed pretty messed up. So I had a doctor X-ray it and it turns out I had smashed it pretty good. The cartilage is gone because the end of the bone is shattered and now the joint isn’t lining up right. To fix this I would need a bone graft to put the cartilage back on the end of the bone and i would need a pin put in for 6 weeks (and then taken back out) to line the joint back up. The good news is though, that as long as I can live with the pain, it isn’t a surgery that needs to be done immediately! So it looks like I will be spending this winter skiing with a broken thumb, and this spring I will get it fixed…
So onto some great news… Today was my first day back on snow for the season!
We (Morgan Smyth, Noah Hoffman, coach Pat Casey, and I) packed into our van yesterday afternoon and made the drive from Park City to West Yellowstone to start off the ski racing season! We rolled up to our cozy little house for the next week or so, and Lindsey and Dan Dehlin were there with a hot dinner waiting for us. NICE! And then this morning we went on our first snow ski of the winter… We missed the kick a bit, but it was still a great feeling to be on the white stuff! -
Adventures in Air Travel
The airlines punished me yesterday. After years of flying and never losing baggage (I admit that I rarely traveled with skis), after years of hearing woeful tales of missing boots and borrowed poles, my luck finally ran out. My boot bag, which was filled with far more than just boots, never made it to Bozeman. Instead it floated in airport limbo, maybe in Detroit, maybe in Minneapolis, hopefully not in Burlington, but definitely not in Bozeman.
In retrospect, I think it was punishment for the crude comments I made about Detroit to Matt as we were landing. As a Bostonian, I don’t have much love for the Motor City. It all stems from a Celtics-Pistons rivalry I was far too young to experience firsthand. But it happened, and since I love the C’s, I hate the Pistons. What has Detroit really done for America anyway? Prince? Yeah, okay, so he’s the man. Ford? Okay, I guess, but Henry Ford was an anti-semite. Isaiah Thomas? Bill Lambeer? Eminem? Don’t even get me started. One redeeming name out of a list of 5. Pathetic.
But, for all you Detroit-lovers who are clenching your fists, I got my just deserts. When I stepped off the plane, my carefully-packed Rossignol boot bag, which I had gracefully agreed to gate-check in Burlington, was nowhere to be found. The baggage man said the it was on the tarmac, but since it had no legitimate baggage tag on it and the gate-check tag had been ripped off, I was not permitted to be reunited with my possessions until my final destination. And we all know how that turned out.
So, to Detroit I say, “Touche, you got me this time.” Hopefully I’ll never have to enter that backwater again. But if I do, I’ll be sure to settle the score … somehow.
(Addendum: my bag is now en route to West Yellowstone, so all will be well in the world. As soon as I get it back, that is.)
-
Quote Of the Week: Excuses!!
Stolen from a Winning High School Coach:divbr //divdivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-size: x-large;”bExcuses are like Butt Cracks/b/span/divdivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-size: x-large;”bbr //b/span/divdivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-size: x-large;”bEveryone has one and they all stink!!/b/span/divdivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-size: x-large;”bbr //b/span/divdivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-size: medium;”Top Ten All Time Excuses to Follow at a predetermined date./span/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6647112093689702615-2744752912842492819?l=www.jackedupoldman.com’ alt=” //div
-
Portable Bridge Construction: Day 1
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGv58J7iI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/bGOX4QWHhrM/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGv58J7iI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/bGOX4QWHhrM/s320/IMG_0151.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406578772735028770″ /div style=”text-align: center;”br //div/adivdiv style=”text-align: center;”Kikkan after her best distance skate race ever./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGvvvsswI/AAAAAAAAAQw/ipIT0HSlstk/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGvvvsswI/AAAAAAAAAQw/ipIT0HSlstk/s320/IMG_0147.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406578769998426882″ /br //a/divdivdiv style=”text-align: center;”The morning we woke up to. Sun!br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGvN-WnUI/AAAAAAAAAQo/-l-5TsJ7iVM/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGvN-WnUI/AAAAAAAAAQo/-l-5TsJ7iVM/s320/IMG_0157.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406578760933088578″ /br //a/divdivdiv style=”text-align: center;”XC Ski fans toasting marshmallows on the side of the race.br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGuyLu5xI/AAAAAAAAAQg/rhEq_tDTQSM/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/SwgGuyLu5xI/AAAAAAAAAQg/rhEq_tDTQSM/s320/IMG_0156.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406578753473013522″ /br //a/divdivdiv style=”text-align: center;”A few Swedish fans and their blow up doll!br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divSome days will not go as you planned. In fact, most days will look a bit like Swiss Cheese, full of things that are unexpected. What I have always done is simply try to avoid the holes as best possible, so as not to fall in. However, what I should be doing is building a portable bridge that I can put down as soon as I see the hole and carry it with me to help get over the next one. Today, I began constructing my bridge. Today, I discovered a hole 1:30 before my race that I let myself fall in and once I was in, climbing out became even harder than missing the hole entirely would have been. Let me explain.div /divdivWe have been training in Beitostolen for 2 weeks now, and exactly one week ago we raced the same exact race that we raced today. However, today, we woke up to a much different day than we have been used to here. The tracks were icy, downhills fast, corners sketchy, uphills tough to get an edge on, but this was race day and this was a hole that was unplanned, as there almost always will be. I skied scared and tentative and all of that overtook my head, so that the simple act of going as hard as possible was even blurry. So today, I start building my portable bridge. This is one race in the bag, one race to learn from, one race to motivate me. /divdiv /divdivOn every day there are those who persevere and those who don’t. Today was Kikkan’s best distance skate race ever. That is something to smile about. Ben Sim cracked the top 30 for the first time in Australian xc skiing history (I think). They will be jumping in the air for sure tonight. The winner of the men’s race today is a biathlete and his tears of joy were enough to take your mind off of your own race, good or bad. Watching the men race after my own effort out there today was inspiring and a reminder that good days or bad, the sport that I picked is one that I love. There will be more holes, and when I have built my bridge, I may need to build a rope tow to get over an unexpected mountain that may emerge in front of me. Adversity is a given, learning to push through it must be the goal./div/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8313858291794282393-910589078789238983?l=lizhstephen.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
-
Versus TV Coverage
Last weekend Versus was in town to cover the final World Cup of the season for speed skating. Tyler Jenema and I went out for a Sunday morning roller ski. Apparently we got in the way of the Versus coverage and ended up on the national broadcast of the World Cup. For as many hours as Lindsey spends out training, somehow I always end up with the coverage. Check it out, Tyler even stayed on his feet!
-
West day 2
I was so excited to ski again this morning that I woke up at 5 am!
Ok, the real reason I was up that early was because of the 2 hour time difference but still. So when 9:00 finally rolled around I waxed up my classic skis and hit the Deja View and Rendezvous trails. Dan skied with one of our good friends from the U.P. Mike Keenan while I got to know the race course for next week. There were a few more people out skiing than yesterday including the CXC team and the US biathlon team. Within the next few days more and more people will be arriving. Its always fun to see so many people cross country skiing!
Mike Keenan and I before training this morning. This guy just turned 70 and skis 3 hours a day!!
The ski trails of West Yellowstone
![Not the ending we'd hoped for](http://braytonosgood.com/images/308.jpg")
