omgomgomgomgogomg

today i have to decide if i want to buy this from Spy optic, my sponsor/team for 2012:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6...41d5d3f1_z.jpg

for 2500 (msrp 7500). at first they wanted 3 grand, and i told them that i couldnt really justify spending more than 2g on a bike right now, to which they counter offered 2.5. im considering it.

If purchased, I would immediately part it out (literally everything) and put together a steel bike (thinking soma smoothie) of lesser value to offset the dent in my accounts. I'm at a point in my life right now where I value longevity in my assets so what I need is a durable frame and wheel set that is race worthy. Prob a smoothie with some kinlin xr300s and novetechs or something.

In 6months-1yr from now I will likely put together a dedicated race rig, but I don't need to worry about all the fragile carbon bits on my daily driver right now, or the damn creak this thing makes sometimes.

I wouldn't bother, not worth the time if you're not going to keep any of the parts.

Today I:

Wake up to the reality that yesterday my wife lost the job that we moved across the country for. Spent our life savings on that freaking move. So now I'm broke, living in a neighborhood I can no longer afford in a city with which I've got about 6 months of familiarity.

So...what's a cool, affordable neighborhood in Seattle? Gotta be non-driver friendly since we need to sell the car to pay the rent (and to not have a car because we hate them).

Beacon hill, rainier beach, most places south of I-90 but not close to Lake Washington.

OR you could go way north, but I prefer the south, less white people.

Boom, good location actually, if the place isn't a dump.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/3459817384.html


Save some money by doing all of your grocery shopping in the international district, but not at Uwajimaya.

Try Lam's Seafood, great prices on produce, fish and meat. I always fill my basket and think it is gonna be crazy expensive, but it often comes out to around $20.
http://www.lamsseafood.com/

Also try Viet Wah, there are a few locations.

I also hear there is a cheap produce market on Beacon Hill, but haven't tried it.

People who say the cost of living here is high are the rich white people going to PCC or the CO-OP.

i need to find somewhere to live too. hm.

i'm thinking somewhere north of lake union so traffic won't destroy me coming back from everett every day, but i don't want to live as far north as where i lived during the summer (greenwood/northgate).

ya i would literally sell the frameset, wheelset and groupset... i think i should just bid snipe on ebay and put together the rig I want for a similar price.

just suck it up and live in everett


Note: Most of the people I know that work in everett live in wallingford (ewww)

Wow, thanks for the info. What you're describing is right up my alley since I've spent my entire life shopping at small produce shops and corners stores owned by (gasp!) ethnics. Safeway's nice if you only shop once or twice a month. Don't even wanna start with this co-op business.

Sir, I like the way you think.

nooooooooooooooooo.

but wallingford, maybe.

fremont/ballard/green lake/phinney ridge? i'm not sure what real estate is like in those areas though.

no not ballard!

For real though, you would have to drive across the city before even getting on I-5, that would suck balls. Phinney might be alright, wallingford or fremont are probably better than the others you listed, unless you push a stroller around more than you bike.

yea, i really like the fremont area so far... so i guess i'll start there and see what i can find.

there was just nothing to do in northgate and if i wanted to do anything i had to ride 8 miles downhill to downtown, which meant an 8 mile uphill ride on the way home.

and if i live on phinny ridge i have to do that climb up fremont every time...

Finished my finals. Last final was a random 3 part group presentation where we reworked a known logo. The guy who was last pretty much used my entire presentation that I presented last week, but added a 20 second image montage reel. I hope the professor gives him a gives him a bad grade for it, since the class basically watched my presentation twice.

Gotta love group projects.

fremont is alright i guess, the brewery and add-a-ball are there. it can get pretty ******-saturated on weekends

Edit: didn't know the french word for shower is a bad word, oh well

Keep pushing the envelope. If they ask you what you're able to pay, say "free".

Anyhow, as good as a deal it seems, I wouldn't do it. Let bygones be bygones. Not worth the time and trouble, not to mention even with such attractive parts, it's hard to get back $2500. Trust me, I've had a buddy be able to snag a former team issue von dessel rivet w/ ENVE fork for 5 bills on CL.
If you're going to drop that kind of money on a bike, it's what you want and not what spy optic wants in between your legs.

weekends are for riding bikes~

ftfy

Today I:

-am enjoying the success of our most recent launch. You may have heard of it.
-found out I got a raise and a better-than-expected bonus.
-decided that, instead of doing Death Ride 2013 fixed, I'm going to plan a trip to France for the 100th Tour de France.

Today is shaping up to be a great day.

The worst ever. Always get stuck with deadbeat stoners.

Finished one class today and i was the shining example of my classmates, got the green light for a recommendation letter from my prof for my transfer into F.I.T.

sweet.

edit: jandro i want to hug you and everyone involved in that.

thanks man thats good advice.

will be browsing CL and ebay for deals

hmmmmm...

That's a hell of a bonus if your plans changed that dramatically. How's working for google? They recruit on campus here a lot (Cornell) but I don't know anyone that's interviewed for a position.

I highly recommend doing a long bike tour in France. Don't follow the tour route or any **** like that, they often take larger roads that I would not bike on. Seriously, France is the best country for riding narrow country roads with nearly non-existent traffic. I miss it dearly.

The weather is sunny and 50, so even with the wind, I'm going to put some miles on. All kinds of stoked with this weather

Today I met Muffin Man's dad. Hot stuff.

One was not necessarily caused by the other. I would have found a way to do it regardless of the increase from what I thought I was getting, to what I am getting.

Google is an amazing company to work for (obviously). I feel pretty lucky to be here and make sure to work my ass off.

;)

Serious migraine. Had to leave work early.

BUT I did pretty well on an exam for work and my iPad gets delivered today. /silverliningfeelsgoodman

Feels bad man. Some of you may remember a couple of my recent posts about being hit by that car. Today, I got crappy news. Went to the doctor for my first post op checkup. I'm having another surgery in three months to remove the hardware. That means three more months, it has already been 1 month, of not using my right arm for anything, which means no cycling. Then the recovery period after that surgery, which if everything goes well, haha, I'll be able to ride by summer. Now, one thing that could be an obstacle, last week I experienced a pop and extreme pain in my shoulder. I find out today that was my clavicle deciding to be a dick and re break (one week after my 1st surgery). Now if this doesn't heal naturally, come my next surgery when they remove the hardware from my shoulder, they'll have to put even bigger **** in my shoulder. All this **** I have to deal with because a lady doesn't pay attention and hits me at an intersection.