I thought that I had dodged this meme after it recently made its way though the bike blogs that I read regularly, but Nadejda from Pan-Dan (an excellent design blog by the way) tagged me last week. OK, I have already put it off for a few days, so here are 6 somewhat trivial things that you probably didn’t know (or care to know) about me.
1. I love to buy used books. Usually I go for design, architecture, history, nature, or bike books. I pick them up at thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, library cast off sales, or wherever I can find them. My wife is not always happy when I bring home books that smell like they spent a few years in a dank basement, but she is pretty understanding.
2. I don’t like to wear shoes. I never wear them in my house and usually not in my yard unless it is really cold. At work, I prefer clogs so I can slip them off under my desk. I usually wear shoes on the bike. Lately I have really started liking my SPD compatible sandals for mountain biking.
3. I like to watch cartoons when I am riding my trainer. Sure, I know I could be watching those bike specific training DVDs, but I prefer to watch old episodes of Woody Woodpecker or Bugs Bunny. I used to just watch PBS shows, but I found myself slowing down or stopping so I could hear the TV. The cartoons are just visual stimulation so I can look at something while I spin away and daydream.
4. I have a hard time letting go of my old bike stuff. I have 7 complete bikes, several framesets and wheel sets, and boxes and boxes of old components. I have been selling some of my old components on Ebay, but every time an auction closes I find that I have a hard time packing up the old stuff. Items like old Cook Brothers cranks, or XT thumbshifters may not be doing me any good stored away in a box, but I always look at them and handle them for a while before I finally can bring myself to ship them out.
5. I don’t have, or want, a cell phone. When people ask for my cell phone number and I say I don’t have one, they always look shocked, like I said that I don’t have electricity or running water. It is not that I am antisocial, but I just have no desire to carry around a phone. I do think cell phones can be useful in some situations. My wife has one in case of an emergency and I have taken it on long rides before just in case. So far, thankfully, I have never needed it.
6. The little troll pictured here has been ziptied to the stem on one of my different bikes for the last twenty years. He currently resides on my single speed and probably could stand to have that faded orange hair washed one of these days.
OK, that’s it. So who is next? I know Graham, Fritz, and Gene already did this recently, so I’ll go to the b-list and pick a few blogs that I like:
Bike Hugger
Neil at Road
Carolina Triathlon
Foldable Walter
Cycling Shots
And the b-list originator Masiguy
No pressure to play along of course, but why not? It makes a nice filler post. Have a good weekend everybody.
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