Much like this bike I saw recently, events in my life currently seem locked at cross purposes to any writing, posting, or even reading efforts. This is just a quick note to say that I hope to be back to regular posting again soon. I sold the Great Satan as planned and have been riding every work day, so I have lots of video I would like to work with as soon as I can find a little time.
Perhaps my man Mordecai can help me realign my work/life/blog balance. Until then, take care of your centres of kindness and know that I wish I was here more.
I just wanted to thank whoever was kind enough to pay attention to my email and posts. 2 weeks? It got changed in 2 weeks? In municipal government terms, that is outstanding. It almost makes me wonder if I'm not the original cause of the sign change.
In any case, I'm really happy with my City's transportation planners right now. People in positions like theirs are often inundated with requests and general whinings about this and that, I'm sure. Some of us (myself included) are often quick to criticize and slow to praise... this post is about my being as quick to praise as I was to complain. Well done, City planners!
You know, people start blogging for all kinds of reasons. Some people find it theraputic. Some have some sort of agenda or message they're trying to promote. Some just enjoy writing so much that they just do it for fun. All of those reasons apply to me to some degree, but my real reason for blogging for over three years now has been something else entirely. FREE STUFF.
I hadn't been reading BSNYC and Fat Cyclist for very long before I noticed that bicycle companies were sending them FREE STUFF to review or whatever. I wanted FREE STUFF for myself and so began writing this blog. It has been a long road, but I Have Arrived.
At first I thought it was too good to be true when I received an email from a VP of a company who has had its products written about here on Rantwick.
From his email:
Thanks for the post on ___ _____ ______! Always interesting to get a new pairs of eyes looking at our product.
Would like to send you off a couple of samples...
That was on May 2. Yes, those words shone like gold on my computer screen. I was pumped, but suspicious. Would they REALLY send me FREE STUFF, or were they just getting my address so they could send me the legal papers necessary to sue me? Or, worse, send hired goons?
The tone of the email was friendly and I was confident that all would be well. Still, I resolved not to write of it until the FREE STUFF had actually arrived just in case. Brothers and Sisters, that time has come!
I've had a really bad cold the past few days and was at home when the package arrived; nice because normally we have to drive out to a pickup place.
Medium sized box. Whatever might it contain?
Some of you may recall a post from a couple of months ago about Maple Syrup and Bread Crumbs. That's right, the good people from SunPac Foods sent me 6 (6!) tubs of Bread Crumbs and a dozen bottles of various Juices! Suck on that, BikeSnobNYC. Eat my dust, Fat Cyclist. You enjoy all your free bike stuff (italicized with a sneering tone) and I'll discover a great many ideal uses for bread crumbs while enjoying chilled juice that may help with my cold.
Please brace yourself for a bit of content shift here on Rantwick... I'm thinking that now it will be mostly about beer and Maseratis. If you're thinking "Maseratis? Why not uber-racing-bikes?", I get you, but I also know I have at least some chance of making a Maserati perform at its best, if you get my drift (pant, pant, wheeze).
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K
PS - Steve A left a comment on the first Bread Crumb post which read "Are bread crumbs merely uncooked croutons or are they something more?" The dude who emailed me had this to say in his email: "And….Crumb is very different than croutons!" So there you have it, Steve. Ball is in your court. Learn what those differences are, man.
PPS - If you have some sort of recipe in which bread crumbs play a large part, please send it my way. I just might make it and post about making it here on the blog. Now that I'm a BIG DEAL in the bread crumb world, you would be made famous by association!
PPPS - I wasn't being honest at the beginning of this post. I didn't start writing this blog in order to get free stuff. Am I insane, or does the fact that when I do get free stuff it turns out to be bread crumbs seem kind of fitting somehow? I mean, the way this blog is and everything? Bread crumbs are perfect, don't you think?
PPPPS - I don't really have a PPPPS. Just looking to set a new record.
R A N T W I C K 
