Midnight in Napa...

Spent New Year's Eve swilling beer and socializing at the Outlaw's place in the quiet town of Frederick, MD. A good gathering of people, mostly cyclists in one or another capacity. Brewed libations ranged from all manner of micros in the fridge to four Corney kegs chilling on the back patio: Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale and Holy Sheet Über Abbey Ale (courtesy of SSOFT-sponsor Clipper City), and the Outlaw's own Bukowski's Breakfast Stout and Bad Santa Holiday Ale. Tasty, tasty, tasty, all.

After most of the partygoers headed out post-midnight, a small group of us remained, huddled around our laptops in the Outlaw's living room to while away the time until that other magic hour: 3:00 a.m.

That's midnight, Cali time. It's also the time when registration opened for the Single Speed World Championship '08, to be held in Napa on August 23 and 24. With the big hand on 12 and the little hand on 3, we sent several registrations through the air with hopes that we would all somehow beat out the other 1,000+ people doing likewise at that very moment.

Now, it's all in the hands of Aubrey McFate. Good luck to all who responded (even if I don't really mean it, ha). Seven to ten days is gonna feel like an eternity...*

Be always drunk.
That's all there is to it--
it's the only way.
So as not to feel
the horrible burden of time
that breaks your back
and bends you to the earth,
you have to be continually drunk.

But on what?
Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish.
But be drunk.

And if sometimes,
on the steps of a palace
or the green grass of a ditch,
in the mournful solitude of your room,
you wake again,
drunkenness already diminishing or gone,
ask the wind,
the wave,
the star,
the bird,
the clock,
everything that is flying,
everything that is groaning,
everything that is rolling,
everything that is singing,
everything that is speaking. . .
ask what time it is
and wind, wave, star, bird, clock
will answer you:
"It is time to be drunk!
So as not to be the martyred slaves of time,
be drunk,
be continually drunk!
On wine, on poetry, or on virtue as you wish."
                         —Charles Baudelaire, Be Drunk

*UPDATE: Hmm...seems that if you DON'T make the registration cut, you receive an email saying so, to wit:

From: SingleSpeed World Championship

Thank you for your interest in SSWC08. Unfortunately registration filled up prior to receiving your form. We had over 800 people interested and only 350 spots to fill. We hope you will still consider coming out to Napa, CA for the race festivities and to cheer on your fellow single speeders. There will be various rides around the Bay Area the week leading up to the race and afterward too, so it should be a lot of fun. We will be posting a blog soon to keep everyone up to date on what's going on. Thank you.

SSWC08 Team

As of yet, I have received no such communication. I excerpted the above from a board over at The Bike Site.