Eat the Fruit!

This last weekend was the Cascade Cream Puff. What is it, you ask? 100 mile mountain bike race on some really fantastic trails in central Oregon. We went. I rode 85 of those 100 miles before I decided to save my knees. I don't really think I've ever been that far on a mountain bike in one day before. I was in the saddle for 12 1/2 hours and felt really great for about 9 of those hours. Yeah, I suffered, but not too bad and I'm actually considering doing it again. The watermelon at the aid stations saved me from myself. At some points of the day, it was all I could think about and what eventually got me to the next check point. Not too much to write about just yet. I'm still processing the whole day and waiting for my legs to stop hurting. They are a little sore to say the least.

Race Update

3rd out of 19... not too shabby.

Oh Happy Day

There was warm sunshine in Leavenworth this weekend. After several cold, really wet and totally miserable days here in Kirkland, the blue skies were a welcome change. Why were we in Leavenworth, you ask? For my first mountain bike race in more than 2 years. This weekend was the Bavarian Bikes and Brews Festival and it's one of my favorite places to race mountain bikes. In an effort to get prepared for the Cascade Cream Puff, NB signed me up for this race on the east side of the mountains. Thanks NB! It was to be C & NB's first mt. bike race ever and they peppered me with questions for most of the 2 hour drive out there. C wasn't feeling good and there was some question as to whether she would start. NB, however, had every intention of kicking some butt and I was just hoping to get the first race under my belt and not be the last one off the course.

We got there the evening before and had just enough time to set our camp up in an organic strawberry patch and head out to pre ride the course. I had forgotten how much fun Freund Canyon is! 4 miles up on some fire road and single track. Just when you think you can't take anymore, you reach the top and start the descent. What a descent it is! 4 miles of bomber, no brakes required, balls out adrenaline pumping fun. It's so fun in fact that when you get to the bottom, you get total amnesia and suddenly become willing to drag yourself back up the 4 mile climb just so you can come down one more time.

Strangely, I wasn't at all nervous for this race. In the past, I got so nervous before each race that it was hard to eat breakfast without throwing up. It only hit me moments before we headed to the start. I told NB I didn't really want to race today and he called me a 'total wuss' and firmly stated I was going to the start with him. And so it was...

Apparently NB missed his start by about 40 seconds as he was far back in the mob waiting for instructions on the coming to the start line. He had to push his way through the mass and chase to catch the group. I guess he caught the lead group as the fire road turned to single track.

The girls went off a few minutes later and it was a different start than I remember in previous years. The starts used to be so fast and I would go into oxygen deprivation just trying to stay upright on the bike for the first quarter mile. I'd watch everyone ride past me and I'd have to concentrate on finding a pace I could manage. Eventually most of the group would slow down and I'd start passing girls on the down hill and technical sections, picking them them off one by one. The longer races were better because I had more time to move up into the lead pack. This race was different. They sent us out and no one rushed to the front. In fact, I was sitting second position for a lot of the climb. Weird. A couple of girls did come through which is fine because I knew if I kept them close, I'd have no problem catching them going down. Which is kind of how it worked itself out.

Finally at the top, I prepared for the descent. It was hard to get relaxed enough to let the trail flow. After flying sideways into a swooping washboard right hand turn and hearing a group of spectators yelling "yaaaayyyyy! Did you see that????" and then remind me to relax and have fun, I wondered what the heck I'd been thinking these last 2 years. Racing is fun...

I knew I still had another lap to complete and I settled into rhythm of the trail. Even the down section was eventful with trying to get past other slow-poke racers, running over a lizard which I thought was a flat tire, seeing a guy who'd crashed and looked to be in really bad shape, and passing NB who'd flatted at the top of the hill and had not packed a spare tube into his pocket (apparently this bit of info was assumed on my part. I mean who mt bikes without tools and a spare tube?) Anyway, I got near the bottom of the first lap and suddenly was stuck behind this girl who would not let me through. She was on her brakes the whole time and all I could think was "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" She finally did just as we ripped out of the trees and back onto the fire road to start the second lap. I was relieved to see a few more of the girls right in front of me.

We headed back up the hill trading places and I put the bike in an easy spinning gear trying to save enough energy so as to not completely blow up before getting to the top. After all, this was a training race. The second lap was hard and I tried taking my mind off my legs by listing animals you would find in Alaska... bears, caribou, geese, eagles... that worked for a little while and got me to the top. The guy at the water station yelled "It's all down from here! GO!"

And I went. This time much more relaxed and way faster than the previous lap. But the slow girl was in front of me again... sigh... I asked her to move aside when it was safe so I could come through. She decided she wanted to talk about it and asked, "When do you want to come by?" "Now!" was all I could come up with. She still wouldn't slow up to let me through and I finally blasted past her when the trail opened up a little. The medics were taking the injured dude down on a backboard. He was strapped down with an oxygen mask on and completely bundled up in a blanket and neck brace. It didn't look good. I hope he is alright. I was then stuck behind a guy who was going pretty good and I kept thinking I should try to get past him but he was going really fast in the straight sections and only slowing a little in the turns. I decided I probably wasn't going to catch anyone else before the bottom so I just hung out behind him. We came off the trail and sprinted for the finish, although it wasn't quite wide enough for me to get past him.

That was it... the dude I had come down with stopped long enough to congratulate me on a fine sprint to the finish. As I was waiting for C & NB to come meet me, the slow girl came through the finish. I apologized for being so aggressive with her out there and all she could say was, "Wow! You are really fast going down. I mean, really fast."

We left before they posted the results, but it doesn't matter much. I had a great time and I'm relieved to know the first race is over. Now onto bigger and better things...

Bring on the Famdamily

This weekend is the much awaited uBRDO grand opening party. Everyone is in town for the event and it's going to be interesting to say the least. After 9 years the 2 Dad's are going to be in the same place at the same time. These 2 are about as different as cats and dogs... I'm sure everyone will behave themselves, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if one of the Mom's sparks some conflict 'cause she thinks it will be funny to watch them fight. What will it be? Politics? Religion? Environment? Immigration? Not being biased or anything, my Dad just happens to know mostly everything about everything. There's really no use in trying to argue with him because his competency in all these subjects is mind boggling to say the least. Case in point: He can trace the current debt crisis in this country back to the middle ages, making points as to who changed what along the way and what conditions triggered particular schools of thought, why they stuck, and how it all got modernized. See? Mind boggling.

Both these guy's are wonderful people, if not a little whacked in their own special way. It will be fun for them to commiserate about mustaches gone by and... well, that's probably all they have in common besides their kids.

Puna Vika! a.k.a. Miss Barks-a-lot

Our new puppy! She is a 9 month old rescue and she is so sweet, smart, and strong! We learned yesterday she barks a lot and really loud. The rescue people failed to mention that fact when they were deciding if we'd be a good match for her. She loves ice cubes and is now starting to calm down since we got her a few toys to play with. She requires a firm hand but is great on a leash if no one else is around. As soon as there are people or other dogs, she goes crazy. It's going to take some time to get her trained to handle all the goings-on in the shop but we have no doubt she will be a wonderful shop dog.

Vika is showing some good search & rescue traits as well. She likes to sniff everything, is very attentive, and learns fast. Last night we were tossing some toys around the yard and at first she liked playing the keep away game until she figured out I wouldn't come and get the toy from her. It then became much more fun to actually bring the toy to me. See? Fast learner.

What To DO?

These people are moving into a new house. Don’t worry, you don’t know them. They are excited as they now get to get a dog, not have to deal with the daily disappointments of apartment life and get to enjoy a great yard. It’s an old house presumably with problems that commonly plague old houses like plumbing issues, mildew, and appliances that have seen better days. Even so, they are gung-ho to give it a go.

The first week they move in a foreclosure notice shows up on the front door. The landlord is contacted and a meeting is set up to discuss the situation. It turns out she is a victim of fraud and all the equity in her property had been pilfered out right under her nose by an ex-boyfriend with the help of his local Posse. The bank is aware of the situation but the lending side of the bank is having a hard time communicating with the fraud branch. Apparently it is being sorted out. Not to worry… Lawyers are involved.

Only, the story goes on… The ex-boyfriend is currently in jail for violating a restraining order and is due to get out anytime now. The landlady will be disappearing for a while during this time due to the fact that this nut-job has made several attempts on her life, raped her best friend, and apparently was involved in giving another one of her friends brain cancer (he survived but just barely) after threatening his life. The nut-job apparently works for the Gov’t in the capacity of undercover agent able to pull off plenty of unsavory deeds with no repercussions for his actions. He’s above the law, or below it as the case may be. The local cops are involved and looking out for her and everyone in town supposedly knows what’s going on.

The question is: Do these new tenants stick it out to see how things go down? Deal with the funky old house that has great light, is super quiet, and will put up with a new puppy? Or do they get out of Dodge ASAP? Is the possibility of living inside a freaky psycho thriller movie worth all that quiet?

Brave New World

So I just recently stepped down from a management position at a very large corporation to take on a new industry in bicycles and try something completly different. First, just let me say, this may have been either the smartest thing I've ever done or the most stupid. It's early in the game yet, so I'm taking the wait and see approach. Needless to say, I'm in the thick of it now. The Independent Sales Rep world is a weird and wacky place and I have just spent the last two days of my life in a sales meeting. Here's what I know so far...

1. Everyone is crazy.
2. I'm the only female.
3. Alcoholism is a way of life.
4. Old, white men sell bike stuff and drink a lot.
5. It's a small world and the connections to Santa Cruz, (the city) are still alive and strong.
6. I'm tired and slightly hung over.
7. Another night of drinking and talking to people I don't know is out of the question.
8 Bikes are cool.
9. I'm going for a ride today that is going to kick my ass.
10. Today is the day I prove myself as a viable, verifiable, bike nut.

I hope they like my bike...

Mom Says...

My Mom always used to say, "I will not kill a tree for Christ." So, we always had live Christmas trees. Little tiny ones that couldn't hold all the ornaments we'd collected over the years. As an adult, I think my Mom had it right. But I can't help wondering about all those pre-cut trees. I mean someone should enjoy them, but if we buy cut trees then they'll keep cutting trees. It's a problem I can't quite wrap my head around. Every year, the whole process of obtaining a Christmas tree is fraught with this anxiety. What do I do? Where do I put my foot down? Last year we waited until the last minute and ended up with a Rosemary tree, which was very nice until it died. An atheist buying or even caring about a Christmas tree is kind of a weird spot to be in the first place.

Big Fatties

It's a snowing right now. Yes, as we speak... I get a sort of giddy, child-like attitude when it snows. You see, I grew up at the ocean and it never snowed. So, it's deffinitely still a wonder to me. Big fat snow flakes floating down. Each one unique from the rest. Yeah, no two alike. I like that. Ah, it's snowing. Right now. Yay for snow.

So...

So I changed my settings for comments to only allow registered users in the hopes of keeping spammers off my blog. Not 2 minutes after posting the first post that I have put up in months, the post gets spammed. I love it. Ah yes, I'm back...

Welcome Back to Me

I'm welcoming back myself to my blog. WELCOME! After a long hiatus from the whole on-line diary/log thing, I think I'm ready to jump back in the water. Seems that this is the theme in my life right now. After being quite literally checked out from most everything, including work, friends, and family, I'm getting back in the game. It seems to me that there are too many crazy things going on in the world right now not to make some sort of comment. So, here it goes...

An article out of the year-end issue of Adbusters sparked my imagination, and I started thinking about how out of control the media is when it comes to reporting actual facts and how screwed up the American psyche is from trying to figure out what is really going on in the world. It's just too much to deal with, which is why most people have given up even trying to get it straight.

Scenarios like the white house "planting" a fake reporter, (a republican blogger with press credentials and an alias so no one would know who he really was), during it's press conferences to call on when the President was being asked questions he didn't want or couldn't answer by actual reporters. Or the situation with journalists being paid large sums of money to promote the white house agenda in their columns. Adbusters says, "The payoff was so blatant that the General Accounting Office -an independent federal agency- condemned it as 'covert propaganda'." This is what our hard earned taxes are going to? Oh my God! You really can't believe everything you read. In fact, you can't believe anything you read. I may be a little behind the times on these particular stories, but it is outrageous none the less. We're being lied to and manipulated every day of the week through the media and the kicker for me is that we are paying for it. How is that for irony?

Even the so-called 'Liberal Media' is bought and paid for by huge corporations, who's best interest is the bottom line. Outlets such as NPR and PRI are underwritten by giant agricultural and pharmaceutical company's that the president is actually working for. It totally freaks me out that only bits and pieces of real stories slip onto the radar screen. Even with only those tiny bits, Americans should be outraged by the deception of a white house that is willing to go to any length to promote it's agenda of hate and war and general caos. I guess they figure if no one knows what's really going on, then they are free to do what they like, which is pretty much what they are doing. So much for our democratic system of checks and balances.

From what I can tell, the silver lining is that the white house may be getting themselves in a little deeper than they can handle. Opinion polls are starting to show a growing opposition towards the whole gang of thugs up there on the hill. Trust is rapidly slipping as more juicy tidbits of damaging information seem to be oozing into main stream every day. Hopefully, the media will have some dignity, get off the band wagon, (or is that ban-wagon?) and actually do it's job. I, for one, would like to know what is really going on.

Spammy Comments

No more spam in my comments! You now must be a registered user to post comments on my blog...What a disappointment to think someone is actually reading my blog, only to find out the comments are junk. Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't be to suprised. I mean really, it is the internet after all.

Cyber Space! It's been Fun...

My love affair with blogging has subsided... Sigh. I don't know if it's just my crazy life lately, or trying to get healthy after weeks of being under the weather, or simply the novelty of ranting and raving has worn off. Whatever it is, blogging has not been high on the priority list as of late. So, until inspiration kicks in again, this is a dead blog. I won't ask anyone to take it off their links list, beacuse no one reads it anyway. Plus, the Tour is starting this week and there's going to be plenty more TV to watch since we have to upgrade the cable to get OLN. HA!

It was fun while it lasted, but the internet doesn't need me, my rants, or my seldom raves...

I SPY...

A few observations about So Cal...

A lot of friggin' cars!

We are really white! (those of us from the NW)

Nobody walks. Sad.

Everyone wears a suit! I think it's the O.C. uniform.

Two days is the most amount of time anyone should ever have to spend there.

We should all be so lucky to turn 90!

And, if you've never seen 91 candles all lit on a cake, it's a sight to behold!

YARRR!

Sunday, this guy asked me if Starbucks trained us to smile at the customers. Whaaat? Slightly dumbfounded, I explained that I hired people who naturally smile and have pleasant personalities. He seemed disappointed at my response.

I am so sick of people.

... and what the hell is wrong with everybody, anyway?

Power to the People! (enthusiastic fist in the air)

While replying to Mandi and Bodie's posts about the current state of United's bankruptcy and the dismal outlook of the CA school system being able to actually pay for the life-time health care it promised to it's employee's, I started thinking about Unions and strikes.

When I was 9 years old, the bus company that both my Mom, Dad, and later my Step Dad, and my Uncle worked for wanted to keep paying and compensating it's employee's as little as possible. The bus drivers opted to go on strike. We lived near the bus yard where the strike took place and our house was the command post for the whole operation. Having to strike 24 hours a day, our house was where people would come to eat, grab a couple hours of sleep between shifts on the line, and hang out.

This being Santa Cruz in the early 80's, the bus employee's had the full support of the community and the media. We effectively shut down all bus service for a solid week until management came to their senses and negotiated a rockin' deal. Our life before the strike was decent but after, our lives improved a great deal. We suddenly had health care for the whole family, wages high enough to own property, paid vacation, and good pensions.

The experience of being able to use lack of manpower to negotiate better compensation and ultimately a better life was an invaluable lesson for this 9 year old kid. There was no way the community would tolerate the hiring of "scabs" to keep the company operating during the strike, as the "scabs" were the community and no one would show up and cross the picket line. Back then, the community understood what was trying to be accomplished and showed integrity by supporting the workers.

I roller skated the picket line with our dog, Rosie, who wore a stike t-shirt and made it into the local paper. It's not everyday you find a dog on a picket line. I ran messages back and forth from our house to the line and helped people feel at home while they were not at home. It was a pretty long and intense week all the way around and an experience I will never forget.

These days, it's becoming increasingly hard for workers to organize and exercise their right to strike for a better deal or even to maintain their current contracts. Half the time, the company cries foul and gets a judge involved to decide if the employee's can leagally strike in the first place. They want us to cow to their every cut in wages and compensation, thanking them for the opportunity to be screwed yet again. It's mind boggling that so many people are so against Unions and the worker's right to organize to seek out a better life. We've collectively been brain washed into accepting as little as possible from the company while being expected to work harder, longer, and in worse conditions than ever before.

Seems like a pretty fair deal... for the corporations.

Picket and go to jail.

Beautiful Mud

After wanting terribly to forget the first two races of the season, we headed out Sunday to Whidbey Island for the "Mudder" race. I was determined to race as hard as I could and somehow still manage to have fun. The course was set on this guys private property and was a 2 mile loop that zig-zagged through 10 acres of forest. Apparently the guy races moto, (dirt bikes), and the trails were nicely banked in spots, tight, twisty, and yes, muddy. The course description stated that it was very technical, which to me means rock gardens, lots of logs and roots, boulders, and steep descents. This trail was none of that. If you could keep your pedals moving through all the turns then you were good to go on a beautifully flowing ride that honestly would make you dizzy if you weren't careful to watch up the trail a ways up. Kinda like if you spin yourself around and your head is following instead of leading, then you end up on the ground ready to throw up. It's a technique dancers use for turns.

Anyway, the race format was a set ride time instead of a set amount of laps. Originally, we were suppose to race for 2 hours then get the bell lap and do one more. I went on Saturday to pre-ride and they had cut the time back to an hour and 45 min. and by the time we made it to the start line the time was an hour plus one lap. Fine with me.

Most of the trail was in really good shape except for one section that literally was about 30 yards of 2 feet deep mud. Here's how it went down..., you ride through a drainage ditch filled with water, then jump off your bike and run it through the knee deep mud hoping not to lose your shoes, jump back on your bike and try to clear the mud from your cleats and get clipped back in before getting run down by the Pro/Open guys that are lapping you. Yeee-haaaa! Everyone was having a blast. There was not the usual bickering on the trail and everyone was positive and encouraging. The trail was so tight in places that you could hear riders cheering each other on all over the course. Picture a maze where you are going in one direction and on the other side of the wall, there are people in the same spot going the opposite direction. This gave lots of opportunity for conversation and camaraderie amongst the racers.

I did have one really good crash on the second lap. A large rock appeared out of nowhere and stopped me dead in my tracks. Momentum propelled me over the front of the bike landing me square on the top of my head. Luckily, it was a slow speed crash and after extricating myself out from under my bike, I was able to shake it off and keep going. I think I need a new helmet as the foam is showing signs of compression. The thing I can't figure out is how I never noticed that rock during the pre-ride or on the first lap. That is the joy of Mountain Biking - every lap can be a totally new experience, even when you know the trail well.

So, how did it all turn out? Well, I'm not really sure. When I came in, the score keeper told me I was in second place, but that can't be right. The girl in front of me apparently failed to get checked in by the score dude and did not get her last lap recorded. I'm sure they ended up figuring it out and that would put me in 3rd place - out of 3. But, that's o.k. with me. I had so much fun and I picked up 3rd place points for the series, which is great. There was also some confusion about when the racers should stop racing and how they were actually placing riders. Everyone had their own version of how it was working. Some told us that once the first rider came through in your class, then you were done when you came through the finish area, which makes no sense to me because I got lapped by Anna Knapp, (a world class pro rider, so I don't feel bad about being lapped), and would have come in first if I'd stopped when she finished. Instead, I did one more lap because that's what made sense to me at the time. Scott assures me that in timed races like these, it doesn't matter how many laps you do, it just matters where you are on the course when the leader finishes. Weird. I guess this is how Crits work on the road, though I really don't understand it. The results won't be posted for another few days due to all the confusion, so I don't really know how we all did.

Placing and points aside, it was a great day. There was so much mud, it took me a good two hours to clean my bike. Everyone had huge mud covered smiles on their faces coming through the finish line. One guy in bright yellow baggies and a bright yellow jersey, grabbed my hand and shook it furiously while congratulating me on a race well run. He was so happy that I couldn't help feeling his enthusiasm. That guy was a kick in the pants, talking a hundred miles an hour about what a great time he had out there. And really, that's what it's all about. If you win or lose and don't have the time of your life, then what's the point?

Just Asking...

Why do people put scarves/bandanas on their dogs? It does make them very cute and all, but does it serve some sort of purpose? Aren't most dogs cute enough without them? Why don't uncute dogs get scarves? Wouldn't it make them more cute? I'm picturing a pit bull or a rottie with a bandana on. Poor things.

And how do the dogs feel about it? Or are most just not smart enough to notice or is it one of those things where they are just playing it off? Maybe they're really saying, "Geez, not the scarf again!!! All the other dogs laugh at me and I don't have any thumbs to get the knot out. Maybe if I play really hard and roll around a lot, it'll come off! Oh, is that my tail?"

Just wondering...

Wax On, Wax Off

I'm waxing philosophical about my waning racing career tonight. After replying to a post on the local mt. biking list about racing, my brain wants to spew about why I race. I think I'm trying to talk myself into the impending race this weekend and not doing a very good job with it. After moving into the Expert category this season and getting my head handed to me in the last two races, I'm starting to wonder WHY I continue to torture myself in this manner? If it's sooooo much fun, why do I care if I win or lose? And if I don't care if I win or lose, then why do I bother to race at all? You see, it's viscous cycle, (no pun intended). So, I'll list what I love about racing and in no particular order.

1. The process of doing something very hard and finishing.
2. The added benefit at becoming a better mt. biker in general.
3. Hanging around people who love their bikes the way I love my bikes.
4. Adrenalin, endorphins, and the woozy feeling you get when a physical effort makes it impossible to see straight.
5. Discovering and exploring places I've never been.
6. Having Scott, family and friends as my cheering section, mechanic, and race support.
7. Eating lots of heavy carbs and protein. I do love pasta.
8. Being outside.
9. Winning.

This last one is the rub. I don't win. In 3 seasons of racing, I've won exactly one race and that was a fluke. Some dude ran head long into a tree on the course and we all had to get off our bikes and hike through a bunch of high brush to get around him and the medics, which essentially started the race over for all of us girls. We were all back together again and I was able to get a good position once we got back on our bikes. The girl who should have won flatted out and walked off the course. So, it seems that as much as I like winning, I really haven't got there yet.

Here are my excuses for not doing as well as I think I should:

1. I work too much.

O.k., my one excuse, but it takes over my life. There's no time for training and what extra time I do have, I'm just too exhausted to get any meaningful miles in on the bike. What this comes down to is motivation or lack there of. I have none and racing Expert requires at least a little. Yes, sad to say, I've been skating by these last 3 years. Putting in the minimal amount of effort to stay competitive and eking out a series win last season. I suck.

So there you have it. I love racing for a lot of different reasons. I think, usually, I'm just too tired to really give it everything while I'm doing it. I'll probably end up going to this next race by myself. Scott is working a billion days in a row and can't get away from the shop. I'm not looking forward to going by myself, but it is a new course for me and who knows, it might still be fun. I resolve to ride the whole race as fast as I can and have fun doing it. NO more settling for the finish. It's just not me. My whole childhood and into my 20's was spent being focused on competition and I won a lot back then. My brain is having a hard time figuring out if racing is worth it if I'm not winning. I've spent the last 3 years justifying my mediocre performance in one way or another just so I can get myself to the next race. Is that really the way to race? I have gotten better, but I keep talking myself into racing because I hope to surprise myself one of these days.

It's weird when you've been operating in a way that is not right, but you don't know it. The one thing you do know is that something is out of whack. Then, frustration settles in and you are forced into trying to make sense out of the wackiness. Hopefully, the fog clears and you end up in a better place than where you started. See, now I really am waxing on....

Ouch!

Last night I took a spin up Grand Ridge to do some exploring on my mt bike. After a somewhat grueling climb, I made it up to a section of the trail I have never been on before. So, I'm thinking that the trail is wrapping around the back of the Highlands and is going to dump me out at some park. My plan was to turn around, reap the fruits of my labor, and ride back down the way I came. NO such luck. At one point the trail went from being really nice, open, and swooshy fast to almost no trail at all. The foliage just closed in and the trail became a giant boggy mess with logs littered every few feet that were unridable. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I kept going. I just had to see where that trail ended up.

I did eventually make it off the trail, but not until I had to hike through a huge thicket of Stinging Nettle (pictures included). My legs took the brunt of it and it felt like getting stuck with very hot needles. Not at all like acupuncture. The worst of it is my hand. It feels numb, like when you've sat on your leg the wrong way and you've put it to sleep, but WAY more annoying. Apparently, it's going to take a few days to go away. Very annoying. So take from me - stay out of the Stinging Nettle.