http://www.ridefetish.com/blog/1146/maximumsmashism/4/17/2008/2-sides-of-the-same-coin Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:30:24 GMT http://www.ridefetish.com/blog/1146/maximumsmashism/4/17/2008/2-sides-of-the-same-coin It was Friday and I got out of work early. Earlier in the day, I’d gotten the IT guy to install ITunes for me. I’d spent most of my day tying up lose threads and talking MMA with a buddy. When my girl got home, we drove to Iron City to deposit money for a friend who was buying a Crosscheck. The owner gave me an x7 front shifter for free cause it had a little crack in it. We went to east end brewery for growlers. They had a new one –wheat hop. It was lemony and sharp. Initially it tasted bad, but it was so intriguing and original, I wanted more. I imagine it would pair well with shell fish, sweet sausage or grilled mushrooms. My friend Damon came. We drank beers and talked. I got 2 growlers which pushed me to 10 on my little card so I got an additional one for free. We decided to go to an Ethiopian restaurant we’d never been to before. It was good to see my girl getting along with one of friends. the food was incredible. We split a growler of Big Hop which matched perfectly with the pungent earthy flavors. Amazing meal. We headed over to Kelly’s and stayed for a few more hours debating music and art. My buddy Jeff came too. It wasn’t smoky. The barmaid busted balls in a friendly manner and only charged us $10. I went home and ate some tater tots and fell asleep. Saturday I overslept and woke up very hungover. i could hear my girl throwing up in the bathroom. The bank closed at 1 and it was already 12:30. I crawled to the couch and fell asleep reading. The other bank closed at 3. I got there at 3:05. went to kraynick’s and bought housing and cables. An old friend was performing at 9pm so I had a few hours to finish building up my bike and hopefully do a lil riding. At 8 I quit. Top pull bottom swing derailleurs defeat me. I mistakenly thought I had a 185 mm adapter. My allen wrenches were all too short. The cable cutters kept making ragged cuts. Since I hadn’t made it to the bank, I had to borrow $20 from my girl. I hate doing that. I was riding to the show with a buddy and he announced that his wife was going as well. She is a beautiful intelligent normal person and I always feel like a subnormal weirdo around her. We got to the bar and there was a cover charge. We got a table and I realized I’d already lost my $20 somewhere. Most of the people there were former coworkers whom I have avoided for the last 2 years. My ex girlfriend showed up and began texting me. Former coworkers came over to gossip. Lot’s of saccharine sweetness and hugs from people I don’t like. Lot’s of being called Bro and chest thumps. Lot’s of people who stopped talking to me when we broke up affirming that we were still friends, right? Everyone wanted to know why I was hanging out in the back. My friend played. I love the guy and he is supremely talented, but I hate his music. I was there for support. Anyways, I snuck out the fire escape. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:42:16 GMT http://www.ridefetish.com/blog/show/1146 jconnolly@thebradleycenter.org