quality of life issues

The progression of time continues constantly consistently although it may or may not be moving linearly people say they’re moving forward and for almost all intents and purposes I agree however I like to keep one lazy eye busy looking retrospectively always aware of what’s behind me and not because I wear one of those cheesy helmet-mounted mirrors but because I have a pretty good memory and the future is sometimes seen through a viewmaster of the past

                               happy birthday Steve 

it's easier to see what it is, when you can see what it isn't

to shed some light on the negative space

not just looking on the bright side

don't get me wrong...                          

Have a Great Weekend! 

It’s thanksgiving which means a lot of things to a lot of people but one thing it means every year is a Detroit Lions game and for the past 20 years that’s meant Jason Hanson, the kicker, kicking on TV, on pace to be the all time greatest kicker in NFL history. If the Lions didn’t suck for so long he’d be the statistical leader in every category that he isn’t already leading. His robotic consistency (600 of 608 PATs) and clean cut image are respectable and admirable and being a place kicker from Spokane I hold a special place for place kickers from Spokane. That and that and that being said, I think Sebastian Janikowski is a bit more interesting to watch, both on and off the field.  He is the NFL kicking leader in DWIs, he’s emotional, he can make a tackle and I’d want him on my team when the shit goes down.  

Happy Thanksgiving

The assassin carried a quiver full of arrows, a strip of jerky, and rode the shadow of a stolen bicycle.  --Paul Fattaruso

If the bicycle squeaks, that means something is trying to kill it, however patiently.   --Paul Fattaruso

Once a day, the sun shines to the bottom of the well, and with a carefully angled mirror, you can glimpse down to the decaying bicycle. Try to look directly and your head will cast an obscuring shadow.   --Paul Fattaruso

Like an angel, the bicycle is born with an innate choreography, which it cannot fail to understand.    --Paul Fattaruso

 ***

All of those words are plucked from the book BiCyCLe by Paul Fattaruso.  If I had time I’d retype the whole thing here for you, but that would take away from the experience of picking up the book. The smell, the feel, the taste, of words printed on real paper.

Somewhere between prose and poetry, the book is all about bikes in a way that says bikes are all about everything. Perfect for cyclists and or those with short attention spans and vivid imaginations. It even has a few illustrations. It’s right up my alley. Seriously. Literally. Sincerely. For real. Really.

somebody is 8 months old today

what's the P for?         2007  

Ask me about sleep deprivation

and its inverse proportional relationship to hand-eye coordination and then we’ll talk about decreasing temperatures and the resulting buildup of condensation that do point to dew point getting deep into the late calendar pages the steadily increasing chances of precipitation and finally    finally    I can see clearly now the window to the soul needs a new set of wiper blades.

Quirky quick release

Skewed skewer askew

Not quite tight      aka loose

Noodling soft pedal Q-factoring

Bottom bracket behind the scenes laboring

Resonating Chris King pawl ring singing

Self-inflicted free wheeling

Reoccurring down hill chilling

like Chris Murray said, registration for RAGBRAI XL is now open.

The 40th anniversary ride is sure to be a special route and have a huger than huge turnout. 

Don't worry about shopping days until Christmas, there are only 248 days until RAGBRAI.  

Richard Sachs is one of the people in my realm of awareness that I can truly say without question “did it his way” and that is one of the reasons I think he’s a badass. He is a role model for craftsmen, artists and small business people everywhere that struggle with a way to make a living making the product they make the way they want to make it, shooting themselves in the foot with their refusal to sell out or compromise or conform to the wishes of outside investors or business advisors. He makes a fine steel bike by hand by himself from start to finish. No outsourcing. No mass production. No bullshit.  

Lane Kagay of CETMA racks and cargo bikes is well on his way as well. He is running a one-man show in Eugene making cargo bikes and racks.  I’ve admired his products and business plan for years. Soon I’ll be sitting on the saddle of a CETMA cargo bike taking my daughter to the park and grocery store and library. But that’s a whole other story that you can share with me someday soon. 

Dave Schneider of Schneider Guitars is another guy to take a closer look at. Being my cousin he’s oh-so-close to the pilderwasser heritage and family tree literally and figuratively being from and working in Cincinnati. I’m not a musician but  I know that Dave is “the man” among men in the guitar restoration world and unusual instrument construction. Solo start to finish. By hand.

Cory Bennion of DANK bags is one more guy that’s on the right track right here in Seattle. He’s often referred to by me as “one of the guys down at DANK bags” but let me remind you he is the only guy. He’s a one-man operation, start to finish, one of kind, one at a time.

There’s a Steel Wool song that says “I’m a simple man, I like to work with my hands” and if I could find it online I’d take you there because I am and I do. 

I like to silkscreen things onto T-shirts and hoodies and thriftstore merino wool sweaters. People sometimes would ask me to make them t-shirts with specific designs and logos on them for alley cats or special events and I used to say OK. But now I say these are the shirts I make and you can take them or leave them. A Hobson’s choice. A pilderwasser choice. Order any foo-foo espresso drink you want and I’ll smile and serve you up a cup of black coffee. It was never about making a living or making a profit it was about making a shirt I would be proud to wear.

word words word

or Wednesday or whatever day it is 

you may find yourself at 1201 2nd Avenue and you may say to yourself this is not my liquor store 

riding home in the dark is the new black

variations on the theme du jour

the real deal really for real until the real rings ready