V E L O = L O V E

Servus!

"How can I convey the perfection of my comfort on the bicycle, the completeness of my union with her, the sweet responses she gave me at every particle of her frame? I felt that I had known her for many years and that she had known her for many years and that she had known me and that we understood each other utterly." - Flann O'Brien



I've mentioned my love affair with the bicycle before, haven't I?

;-)





The bicycle has meaning here in Europe. Is is a legitimate form of transportation, used by millions every day. If you live in a large city, a bicycle is ideal - no problems with parking, no poisonous emissions, and you can transport a small amount of cargo, more than what you could by bus or streetcar. Should you be so bold as to ride your bike to work, you are not immediately labeled as a environmental freedom-fighter or super eco-freak. More likely that you are trying to keep fit and want to spend a little less on fuel every month.





I am attracted to the duality of the bicycle: it is both simple and complex at the same time. Most people don't consider the engineering that goes into a bike, the geometry, the mathematics, the physics that allow a bike to function and stay upright. They only understand that if they pedal fast enough, they won't fall over.





No other machine is so well distributed. There are roughly twice as many bicycles in the world than automobiles. Many of the technical developments for bicycles have revolutionized industry.





The bicycle has helped alleviate poverty in many countries. It has been a force in the emancipation of women. It is a common connection between generations and it serves as a catalyst for personal freedom around the world.

Try that in your Ford.





Things that happen via bike that you probably didn't know about:

Mail delivery
Pizza delivery
Police patrol (I did this back in '94-95)
Paramedic Response
Bicycle Infantry






The bicycle, in a word:



Aren't we all looking for some?

With that, I bid you all Peace and say "Go change the world. Ride your bike"

Jake

Where have I been?

Servus!

Some of you may have noticed that there is a rather large hole in my postings since April.

I'll try to get you caught up...


Sometime around the end of May, I turned 40. As much as I had expected that this day would herald in a new era of my life, that I would somehow feel transformed, it was another day just like the rest. The party was great, even if the weather wasn't. Oh well...


We moved house.

We found a duplex in a village about 5km away from our apartment. 4 bedrooms, garden, lots of space, 3 rooms in the cellar, etc. Really nice. Quiet. Just what we wanted.

This was a major undertaking, involving huge amounts of equipment and time. It is still amazing to me how much stuff we had accumulated as a couple in a short five years. Even more amazing is how we were able to fit all of this shit in our tiny apartment!

Another exciting event was moving our 180 liter (50 gallon) aquarium. 5 people, technical support, and countless buckets filled with fish and plants. We did it though, with only one loss - one poor fish got sucked into the filter. :( Amazing that everything lived.

As you, dear Reader, can imagine, we are still in the process of unpacking and organizing the house. It seems like every time we empty a box, two more appear in it's place. There's still so much left to do...


So, all in all, the only excuse that I can give is that I've been lazy. It's not like I haven't been grilling or cooking great stuff - things have been going great. I've still got tons of ideas, thoughts, etc. I just haven't expressed them.

More coming in the near future.

I bid you Peace,
Jake