I Am The Law.

A few years ago I lost sixty pounds. I’m six foot four so it is usually a bit of a shock to a lot of people that I had that much to lose. Except of course for those rare gems that asked if I had AIDS or cancer. For the record, no comment. That’s what ya get. Anywho, one of the things I’ve noticed the most since dropping that weight is my tollerence to heat has greatly increased. When I was young I was riding all the time - I’ve been cycling pretty seriously since was eight years old and by twelve was doing one or two metric centuries a month through in the decent weather - so I was pretty fit but it didn’t get this warm this often then. When I moved to California, I really felt it. Especially the summer I decided to drive through the desert in a car with no name… err.. A/C. It was only the middle of summer, at around noon that I passed through death valley. I was in my underwear and was having blocks of ice balanced on my head by my lawyer. All true. Except the lawyer part. So here I am riding my bike through the city on a heat and smog advisory day, laying down to get my chest hammered on by forty-five needles at once for several hours. The tattooer who has been doing my chest/arm for the last five years - we just realized over a few pints at the pub - is Rob Coutts down at Bobby Five in Parkdale, a much finer tattooer than my arm or chest can tell you, but I’m extremely happy with the work he’s done. You’ve no idea how hard it is to find someone who’s even interested in spending that much time tattooing solid black. And Rob did it and made the whole thing a great experience. Even laying in what felt like 45°C whilst slicing my soul with his lazor needles. That’s right, laz-or.

On the weekend my buddy Dan Halen took me way the eff out to… well I have no idea where - you’ll just have to click this link to find out - to see one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen; Bicycle Specialties. Like a nineteenth century apothocary, it’s antique wooden drawers and glass cases really emphasized that the place was dripping with class. Of course having a world famous bicycle maker - amongst many other things - present doesn’t hurt either. Lots of pics on the Flickr feed. As for all the other madness in my life lately, I’ll talk about that another time. Maybe…?

Oh, and one last thing. I’d like to pay tribute to and thank Pearl for all of her incredible contributions to the intertubes.

She will be missed.