I am sitting on an airplane right now at 30,000 feet. I’m having a bad scotch after finishing an even worse sandwich, and I am starting to think about what makes me the way I am. Now keep in mind that I travel a lot for work, and largely this time is spent alone. All this time inside your own head lends itself to self-dissection, self-deprecation, hell…even self loathing. Mostly, it just makes you evaluate where you are at in life.
I am a cyclist. For eight months out of the year, I drink, eat, sleep, and breathe cycling. I obsess about bikes, bike parts, races, and training. When the racing season is over though…I always turn to all the other interests that I have in my life that have been neglected over the past ¾ of a year.
I love music, watches, fashion, food, wine, sneakers, art, etc. The common thread that pulls all of these things together is that I only like the hard, even impossible to get. The more “limited” the better. Limited release, limited production, limited edition, a good vintage. Is this to say that I covet? Yeah, I guess to some degree, I do covet. If a friend of mine has something hard to get, then I’m super happy for them. I don’t want their stuff. I want my own version. My own end to the hunt. All I know, is that if I can’t have it, I want it that much more, and it sets the wheels in motion to find it. The hunt is on.
A few examples come to mind. I like guitars. Acoustic or electric doesn’t matter. My playing ability is just OK, and half of the guitars that I am looking for I don’t deserve in the sense of musical accomplishment, but who cares. Mostly I look for hard to find Fender Stratocasters. This one in particular has always gotten to me. It’s a Stevie Ray Vaughn Signature Edition. I have always looked for a 1996, because it was the Stratocaster Anniversary edition. It is no different than any of the others, save a tiny hidden sticker on the back of the headstock. But that’s the one I want. You don’t see them that often. Largely I look for these things on Ebay, and last year I found one. I botched the bidding, and got outbid at the last minute. I didn’t sleep for a week. The last one a saw before that one was about 3 years ago. Then I just couldn’t afford it. Now, I can, and low and behold, there is one available. I’ve got it all worked out, a good price, all the specs are good, and the guy will even end the auction early to sell it to me. Now…my interest is gone. Now I want the first production year of this version…the 1992. I must be fucking sick. Sure, I’ll find a ’92, and then I’ll only want the ’92 with the Brazilian Rosewood fret board. So goes my life. It’s the same for clothing…It always has to be unique. Hard to get, and sneakers…don’t even get me started on sneakers. I could be called a closeted sneakerhead. Oh yeah…Limited Edition Nike Dunk, LE New Balance, Alife, BAPE, you name it. The crown jewel has been a pair of VisVims, and yes I just found them today. In Italy. I paid way too much for them. But they are cool, thereby making me cool. At least that’s the rational. Stupid I know.
So there is the question. What makes some people completely happy once they reach a certain point? A certain job, a certain amount of money or stuff, a certain woman? And more importantly, what makes people like me constantly search for the next best impossibility? This I do not know. It is the question that keeps me up at night, and it’s the answer that keeps me looking.
Yesterday was the last CRCA race of the year...The infamous Turkey Race. It was a normal CRCA - Central Park Race...6:30 AM start time. 6 laps, the only difference was..you are racing for Turkeys. Top 15 finishers got a turkey. There was a great turn-out...I would say 75-80 people started..44 degrees..good times, good times.
I was there with two teammates, David Wiswell, and Mike "Margaritaville" Margarite, and all of the usual suspects showed up. I had gone out the night before with my friend Karl who rides Axis, and he had an attack planned in his head, so I was keeping an eye on him and his teammates Molloy and J.Lo waiting for something to happen. I chased down a few attacks...really for no reason other than to ride faster. (Lets keep in mind I have been traveling for 6 weeks, during that time I might have ridden my bike 5 or 6 times) Gabe from ReMax was kickin it at the front, and Mike Sherry and Ken Harris were mixing it up too. Jeff King wins the prize for "off-season attitude"-He showed up after only 3 hours of sleep, with a football jersey on and a 16oz Budwieser King can in his Bottle cage...well played Jeff.
About two laps in, som Upper East side bitch let here little cocker spaniel off the leash, and of course the fucker ran right into the peleton. The dog was immediately squashed. Bikes went flying, the owner was screaming like someone took away her credit cards, and all you could smell was burning break pads. I grabbed a handful, and narrowly missed running dead into one of the bodies strown all over the pavement. I looked around just in time to see Karl sliding across the street on his ass. We regrouped, and I checked with the Axis boys to see if they wanted to go back and get him..nope, and off we went. 
Anyway. J.Lo, and Mike Sherry made a hard effort with 3 laps to go, and got a good gap. I was casually chatting with Molloy, when I saw Ken Harris out of the corner of my eye. He was hard charging up the right hand side, and so I jumped hard to grap his wheel...I got on with Molloy in tow, and we brought the break back fairly quick. (I should NOT train more often...I was feeling pretty good!) So it was to be a sprint. Not my forte. I picked a strong wheel, and spread out to hold it, and just waited. Wiswell was in good position on King's Wheel with Molloy behind him, and mid sprint, some guy botched the line, and Wiswell and King had to sit up to miss him. Meanwile, The Visit Britain boys were out...Ricky Lowe got first, Anthony second, and Kevin Molloy just got the Evil Matt Howard at the line for third. As for me...I think I just made it in turkey range of top 15 or so. We didn't wait around..Me and the Axis boys went for breakfast, the yardbirds that we didn't retrieve would be donated to the local homeless shelter. So there...we did our deed. West Side Jackson Hole, #10, eggs over easy, and yes...we need more coffee.
Full results and more pices here: http://www.nyvelocity.com/content.php?id=1139
This is the superluminova markings in the dark...
