Living For The City

Now, Robbie may be runnin’ around town saying that this blog sucks eggs… maybe he’s right. He also thinks that people want to read more about sharks, culinary adventures and the culinary adventures of sharks than they do about the life and times of The Rennick… he’s probably right on that one, but I’ll bet my sweet patute that he’ll change his tune when he sees what old Matty got in the mail today for him.

PS I’m aware that I referred to myself in the third person not only once but twice in this post – The Rennick doesn’t mind.

PPS Three.

It’s been a good long while since I’ve owned a geared road bike and I recently told myself that if anything worth buying came up I’d snag it and build it up over the winter. I’ve always hated tinkering with derailleurs and such so it’s about time I taught myself how.

Well, this weekend I spotted a classic lugged Columbus SLX Gardin with mostly Dura Ace and Ultegra components for a really good price so I snatched it up but good!

The story I got on this bike is that it originally belonged to Mike Barry‘s son who won it many years ago but it never fit him properly so it ended up in the hands of then messenger, now ad agency IT guy Jason who sold it to me. It’s been sitting wheel-less for a little while now so he figured eventually that he’d part with it – seems like a nice fella.

Once I got it home (and let me be the first to tell you, riding home with this thing slung over my shoulder wasn’t a whole lot of fun) I noticed a tiny bit of surface rust at one of the headtube lugs next to what may be a hairline crack and a reasonable amount of flaking on the inside so I’m cautiously optimistic that the frame can be ridden safely – I’m going to disassemble and clean it up before I form any conclusions. Beyond that, it’s actually in really great shape which is why I was surprised to have noticed any of these potential boner shrinkers after the fact.

I really hope that the frame is in good shape because I really, really like it. It’s got a lot of nice little details that make my girly bits tingle just a little. Edit: I’d like to add that Jason didn’t know anything about any of the rust when he sold it – the headtube stuff isn’t noticeable at a glance and the flaking didn’t happen until I rode it home – I guess all the rattling around rustled it up.

I also swung by Bikes On Wheels in the market who was having a bit of a clearance so I was able to pick up a bunch of winter gear for next to nothing.

All of a sudden I feel like I know what Ryan O feels like every day.

While I was at the shop, a woman came in to replace her lock because the key had seized. She bought a new one and left the old one there; I took it home with me, squirted some lube in it and it works perfectly. Free lock? Giddy up!

Speaking of locks; I’d like to put out an All Points Bulletin on my Kryptonite Evo Mini which went missing at some point last week. It’s got Hot Water Music, Fabric Horse and Adrift stickers on it and I’ve got all the keys so it’s not even useful to anyone… If any of my friends see one kicking around their places and don’t know where it came from… well, it came from me.

I think the real score of the day goes to my main man Spark who is leading by example when it comes to top notch bicycle safety. Number 1, buddy. Number 1.

Tonight, while on our way to see our friends in Metz play a group of us were riding along College and a cab pulled over in front us – seeing that there were three dudes in the back I yelled ‘door’ and looked back to see if any of my friends were going to get the door prize. Well, that door did swing open as my buddy Sean was rolling past – fortunately he saw it coming and rather than getting got he got while the getting was good – put his foot out and kicked that fucker closed! There was much rejoicing.

Don’t want to take a window in the face? Don’t swing your door open into traffic without looking – it’s actually that simple.

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I think the boys might have a little inside bet going on how long it’ll take my lazy bloggin’ as of late ass for me to post up some pics from the other night’s OG Freedom Haters Bicycle Club ride out to Tommy Thompson (at night, kinda sketchy!) and whether or not Killen will beat me to it. Sorry buddy, the race is over and I’m still #1! The king might be sick but he ain’t dead yet!

Both my gal and my mother will be happy to know that I proudly wore my helmet on this ride. Amongst other things…

I like old stuff – I generally feel like things were built better in the days of yore and I’m always happy to find old stuff and make it new. A couple of weeks I found this here little parts box at a garage sale in Sudbury for a whopping 50 cents!

Its too bad that I don’t have any use for a buttload of different types of sheet metal screws which would make useful the chart on the inside which is one of the things that I think makes this little treasure so rad…

…but it’ll be perfect for storing the buttloads of little odds and ends I have cluttering up my place like these here p-clamps…

…that I picked up for an upcoming winter bike project.

In other news, my creative director Yan and I went on Friday at lunch and picked up this nice little Masi for him.

The office space Criterium series begins in a couple of weeks so we’ve all been training very hard – he was nice enough give me a promotion on Friday afternoon so I guess I’ll have to try not to spank him too hard but at the end of the day bike racin’ is bike racin’ and spankins gotta get handed out so bring your a game ladies and gentlemens – the Rennick has got his wooden spoon at the ready.

Our boy Okapi left to go home to Japan yesterday. I may not have gotten to know him incredibly well in his time here but I already know that I’ll miss seein’ his smilin’ face on the streets. Travel safe, my friend.

On the way home from work yesterday as I was whipping along King street a guy pulled out in front of me after looking right at me which is nothing new and I had to skid to a stop which is nothing new but as I pulled up with my right foot I felt a significant amount of give and thought… hmmm, that’s new. So when I got home I flipped Lucille over and just as I’d expected…

Fortunately for me I’ve broken a fair share of toe clips in my day, usually one at a time but I buy a new pair at a time so I usually have a spare or two kickin’ around. Thirty Helens and One Ben agree – if you’re going to ride a fixed gear bike, proper foot retention is crucial.

When riding a bike in the city in general, but especially riding brakeless; little equipment failures could have catastrophic results so it’s really important to maintain your bike properly to increase your chances of getting to where you need to go safely. I’ve been unusually busy so maintaining the bikes hasn’t been at the top of the list but I’ve been hearing some clicks and creaks lately so last night when I got home from another Dirtballs! victory I decided to put on some risotto and get the old gal in the stand for a good jammin’… I mean poundin’… I mean cleanin’ / tightenin’… Yeah, that’s the one.

I guess because things deteriorate a little at a time you may not noticed the drop in performance but after giving your bike a good tune up you really notice how sluggish the ride had become – even something as simple as maintaining tire pressure will improve the quality of your ride tenfold! I took ‘er out last night and this bike runs so smoothly and quietly now it’s like the first day I built ‘er up. Moral of the story? Get a stand, get some tools and keep on top of your bike – it’ll thank you for it.

Be sure to check out Robbie’s new weekly feature: Gourmet Sunday aka Chow Hounds aka I’m A Huge Fatty

…and Killen’s daily feature: Buds

This Monday morning my boss limped into the office and made a crack about needing crutches to get around after tearing a muscle quite severely while water skiing up north. Well, not long ago when my lady received the illustrious Door Prize we purchased a set of crutches from the hospital (they no longer lend / rent them, what the bloodclot?!) and they haven’t been getting much use as of late so I figured I’d pick them up and bring them into the office to give her a little ease of mobility and give myself a few much needed brownie points. *wink. *wink. *nudge. *nudge.

The only problem is that I ride a bike and crutches are long and awkward to transport.

I do normally carry an extra pair of nylon toe straps with me as they’ve come in handy in the past but still…

Fortunately, Dexter Benjamin figured it out for me.

I am a picture of road safety.

Heal well, Andrea.

While in Collingwood for my friend’s Mike & Annette’s wedding (photos coming soon) Steph and I had the opportunity to check out a few projects that she’s worked on including this beautiful barn inspired home (obviously in construction) that she designed atop a hill in the a nearby town.

It is a truly wonderful custom home; there literally isn’t another one like it in the world and it blows my mind to think of the talent, skill and the vision required to conceptualize and design every little detail of such an amazing structure.

It’s more than large enough to be extremely open and comfortable but small enough that the neighbors aren’t likely to drive by wondering who the rich asshole who built the mega mansion in their quaint little town is. The proportions are perfect, the view is incredible and if it’s finished as it’s been designed it very well may become my dream home.

As an ‘interactive media designer’ I can appreciate the thought that goes into designing anything but I rarely have the opportunity to truly experience my work in any sort of meaningful way as so much of it remains on the screen for the entirety of it’s life*. Steph has the opportunity to not only see her ideas built into something tangible but something that will provide actual people with shelter and comfort. They will interact with their home and it will grow old with, and even outlive it’s inhabitants becoming a permanent fixture on the town’s the landscape. I’m very proud of the work she does and can’t wait to see this particular project completed – it’s going to be truly incredible.

*Don’t get me wrong; I do enjoy the work I do and do see value in experiencing things digitally but let’s not pretend that playing a game on an iPhone is anywhere near as cool as designing a home that people will live in.

When I realized a short while ago that my childhood dream of having a hole in my head (just like my dad) was slowly but surely becoming a reality I decided that I’d have one last hurrah and grow my hair until it can’t be grow’d no mo’ so when I got back from Europe I just stopped cutting it altogether. With the Wonger‘s wedding coming up on the weekend I figured I can’t show up lookin’ like a total skid. I mean, a little skidly, sure, but you can’t go from a G to a Gent and not expect to take a few inches off the top.

Now, I’ve had precisely two paid haircuts in the last 6 or 7 years; one about a year ago that cost entirely too much money and one last Thursday – I normally just go at the old noggin with clippers and believe you me, I cut a mean fade but becoming a hair farmer is not without it’s problems and unfortunately for me saying goodbye to the days of the DIY haircut is a now necessary evil. At the recommendation of my good friend Chris I decided to check out my main man Roger at Blood & Bandages*.

The 97 square foot shop on the north side of College, just east of Dovercourt has just enough room for the two chairs** and a buttload of cool old photographs and interesting vintage nic-nacs. For those fellas that are looking for a nice, affordable, local barbershop with a classic, comfortable feel – I definitely recommend checking out Blood & Bandages.

*My girlfriend is cooler than me and took the time to look up the meaning of the name.

**One of those chairs is perpetually empty as Roger is looking for a second barber so if you’re into it and qualified, inquire within.

Congratulations to the Missfits softball team for their double overtime victory over arch rivals Annette for the big W of the season!

I just got back from a nice little ride around the city with my pal Ben who just got back from NYC. The kind folks at King Kog were nice enough to lace him with one of their new fangled winter riding jackets; just for bein’ one hell of a swell guy.

Of the very few universal truths; one of the most powerful is that team jackets are totally boss so either I’m going to have to get one of these pink gorillas for myself or we’re going to have to design a team jacket of our own. Hold that thought…

Just one of many reasons why Sarah Palin will make a great vice president*.

*just a heartbeat away.

Growing up my family had a seriously bad assed pop-up camper and each summer we’d pile into it and hit the open road. By the time I’d hit my early teens and become entirely too cool to vacation with my parents (teenagers are assholes, don’t ever have one… seriously) I’d laid my head to rest in all but two provinces. A couple of years ago I made the trek out to The Rock to visit my good friend Dave so once I make my way to the greatest whitest northest north my duty as a true son of this nation will be complete. In any case, I feel very fortunate to have seen this country from coast to coast and to have picked up little pieces of the rich history that I so often take for granted.

See, my family has been in Canada for long enough that when asked “what I am” I say “Canadian, I guess…” as if I don’t really have any real cultural identity of my own to speak of. Sometimes it takes stepping outside of my little bubble and spending time in less cosmopolitan areas of the country to really appreciate what we’ve got here and despite some obvious transgressions, take some pride in the cultural identity that we’ve build for ourselves over the last couple hundred years.

Now, I’m sure that I’d been to Sudbury before (your worstest nightmare? can you confirm?) but I don’t remember it at all so it was nice to spend the weekend there, enjoying a nice little slice of Northern Ontario. My family is originally from Haliburton, a little town about 3 hours north of Toronto, so there is something very comforting and familiar about small town Ontario that I don’t necessarily long for in my every day life but dearly miss when I leave it behind.

The 5 hour drive home in the pouring rain (literally, the entire trip) was pretty nerve racking but the trip was well worth it’s while. I’ve been putting in some pretty serious hours at work (one of a few reasons for the lack of updates) so getting away to recharge is truly golden.

I’d like to extend a big thanks to our generous hosts who have inspired me and reminded me how insignificant some of the things that have the potential to divide really are. It’s amazing for a guy like me to realize that I’ve got a lot more in common with with folks who who shop at Bass Pro Shops than 90% of the assholes that shop at Whole Foods.

This one’s for you;

In a couple of weeks my dear friends Mike and Annette are going to jump the old broomstick so we figured we’d get all the boys together for a little fun before the big day. Sparkles and I went and picked up this beast bright and early and headed up to Mike’s place to round up the troops.

Now, I may have my own feelings about animal based entertainment in general but this day wasn’t about me and we decided that a day at the track would be just what the doctor ordered for just such an occasion. Gambling, beer, powerful animals; you know… grown man business, right?

I don’t think any of the fellas lost their shirts and a couple of us even won on a couple of races. I came out a whopping $6.90 up on the day! Dinner is on the Rennick, boys. Dinner is on the Rennick.

We made our way back to the Wonger’s place for a killer BBQ and were super stoked when we got there and found out that Mike Muir was in the house but the dude threw a hairy and left when we ran out of Pepsi. Go figure.

The rest of the night? Well…

There were a lot of incredible moments but not that will eclipse this little prank we pulled on Spark on the way home from the track.

A little while ago my Creative Director sent around this little snippet of Aaron Draplin talking about the current state of design in America. I can think of at least a few more reasons why America is actually ‘fucked’ but I do appreciate Aaron’s passion and think that he’s a talented designer and seems like a generally funny character.

On a totally unrelated note; Rob likes Sharks

This evening while at the grocery store picking up some olive oil for my world famous spaghetti sauce (yeah, that’s right. world famous!) I was asked at the checkout if I’d like to make a $2 donation to Trees Ontario. Sure, I thought, why not?

Well, I made the donation but when the girl handed me the little piece of paper to sign I had an answer to that question. Why not? Because I think it’s absurd to make a donation to an organization devoted to responsible forestry and be handed something so f’n useless that is made from the very resource they aim to preserve. What the bloodclot?

Now, I’m aware that it’s probably made from recycled paper, printed with soy based inks (hopefully, anyway) and I’m aware that having people sign these pieces of paper and hang them in the store raises awareness for the cause but for anyone who is actually thinking about it, it’s actually a bit insulting for a few very basic reasons:

1) It costs a lot of money and uses a lot of resources to design, print, die cut, ship and dispose of these types of promotional materials so I have to wonder how much of my $2 is going towards the planting of trees.

2) Seriously, it’s made of paper! I mean, I buy a lot of products that waste paper and I probably waste a good amount of paper myself but I can’t possibly be the only one who sees the irony here?

In any case, I recognize that their aim is good (or maybe not? could it be a paper industry shill? Quebecor? Domtar? Hello!) and the fact is that they’re running an organization that is devoted to sustainable and responsible management of forests which is obviously more than I’m doing but I’m afraid the delivery is a bit off.

Not sure if it’s the smell of the pulp mill or if it’s the ironic paper giveaways but god damnit, I feel a Gas Face coming on!

On a totally unrelated note; what in the sam hill happened to Rick The Temp‘s voice? Am I the only one that’s noticed this? It’s creepy weird and he needs to fire his voice coach.