Greasy Fingers

I used to come home at night with wet hair, dry skin and the stink of chlorine radiating from my body. I now come home with dirt under my nails and the leftovers of bike grease on my hands. And it's the best!

I've been working at the bike shop for a week now and I've already sold a pretty pricey road bike. I've also sold some kids bikes and some other random stuff. And I've learned HEAPS. Yes, Heaps. The kiwi version of "shitload". In other words, really really really a lot. And there continues to be more to learn. Frame sizes, wheel sizes, tire pressure, front derailleur, rear derailleur, Shimano vs SRAM, front suspension, full suspension, Hayes Sole, Hayes Nine, hydraulic vs cable, and that is just the beginning. It's like school all over again, except everything is so fricken cool!

But enough about the immense amount of knowledge I need to import into my, as of late, anything but studious brain. How about my co-workers. Yeah? So cool. It's like, hellooooo niche! Nine months in and I finally found you. Woohoo. It just fits. And yeah, I'm making shit money. And yeah I'm not entitled to full benefits yet (which is sooo not cool in the bike industry) but whoa I'm stoked to get up in the morning and bike to work (it takes a full nine minutes IF that). And hey, I'm cool to wander the city streets on my lunch hour, meet my man for a quick bite or get a movie for later from my fave vid store (which incidentally is just about next door to my shop). And I call it my shop, not because I own it (OBVIOUSLY) but because I feel like it's, well, just me. I've already begun perving at a sweet little piece of eye candy known as the KONA Caldera. Let's see if i can get the owner to budge on my employee discount just this once. I'll bat my eyelashes and be all sweet....the guy looks like he'd give into a daughter-type. Hell, he made the guys clean the bathroom bc there is now a "lady" working in the store. He clearly has me read allllll wrong. Ha.

Regardless, I'm happy. I haven't enjoyed work this much since...dare I say? The park. yeah. But now I don't even miss it. Not one bit. Not the drama, not the cold. Ok Ok, I do miss the sun. I'm pasty as a pastry right now. Although pastry aren't really pasty at all...just sounded good. but you get the point. I'm happy, I'm learning, I'm improving on the things I've wanted to improve on. Maybe that little shop in Colorado may be possible someday. Nic's Cycles. Has a nice ring to it. Ah well...first things first. Need to get those student loans paid off, earn about $200,000 and then we'll see.

-NMK