one of those days...

messengers all over the world will understand this. ever have one of those days where the flats just keep coming? actually, i guess cyclists in general will understand this also but when you make loot on your bicycle it makes the flats that much more annoying. yesterday the temps were in the high 30's low 40's? so it wasn't anything crazy...well, if it wasn't for the rain that started around 1030 and didn't end till four o'clock and started up again around 1730. i gotta give it to the crew out there...it rained on them all day.

well...lets make a list of things that sucked yesterday...

1.rain
2.still cold
3.still slow, well, the rain made it seem like we were busier
4.flats

...when i came into work the other bike dispatcher had already had a couple of guys go down with flats. not a huge deal...they were able to fix them and get rocking again. then one by one they started to get flats again...6752, 6706, 6721, 6718, and maybe a couple of others. twenty-one had multiple flats. o-6 had to do the ol'dollar bill trick...i don't even know how the hell that dollar didn't rip up with all the rain. five-two couldn't find the damn leak...i hate those type of flats. he had to take it back to the shop and see if they could figure it out. eighteen...well, lets just say that he still might be angry...

6718...eighteeeeen!

j.dot...what up?

6718...fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu*k!!! i got my sh*t caught in my chain. i was frozen in the middle of the f*cking intersection. im standing there like a f*cking idiot for like 15 minutes. my chain came off and now i have a f*cking flat. whats worse...i gave my last f*cking tube to twenty-one...aaaaahahhahahaa!!

j.dot...well. you're no good to me all pissed off. let me take that last package off of you and get out of here before it gets worse. if it makes you feel better...twenty-one caught another flat on his way out...ha!

...all he could do was laugh. it was one of those days. our guys just couldn't win against the flat-Gods. everyone and their mama went down. the good news...they all got the work done on a horrible day. so while the God's were doing everything to beat my crew down...they still came out victorious. thank you to all who came out to play yesterday...peace.

shameless non-self promo...

as some of you may know...i have talked about an ex-messenger who is also a theater and tv actor...anthony flemming(aka t-bone). word on the street is that his big debut will be tonight for the show "the beast"...i don't have cable so i can't watch it but it doesn't hurt to spread the love...it's on A&E 10/9 central...peace.

are we slow?

my crew isn't slow but the messenger industry is. messengers all over the city are feeling the hit. i figure companies are cutting costs and are running packages themselves rather than have one of us take care of it...not good. well...maybe not literally themselves but a receptionist or mailroom worker...ha! im forced to dispatch one at a time...does anyone know how angry messengers get when you do this to them? im forced to send cats crosstown for one at a time...this really ticks messengers off. it's not that my dispatch skills are going out the window...well, maybe a little(ha!) but i just have to spread the love...

1168...are we really that slow?

j.dot...yup.

1168...well, don't forget the rules of seniority.

j.dot...i think in times like this those rules don't apply. anyway, head over to 205 east randolph for one.

1168...(he reads his pager)geez! i just did the math with the order numbers...we are slow.

...see, if you don't believe me just do the math. we have no work and i know for a fact other companies are struggling...why? cause cats come in to apply for work from other companies hoping we're busier. all this being said...i have faith that it'll turn back around. after all im a cubs fan and cub fans never lose hope...right? yesterday we had a sign of hope...

6721...say, where is this package going?

j.dot...umm, let me...233 north michigan. right across the street.

6721...you won't believe this but the package is a coke can.

...if people are willing to pay us to deliver a can of coke then things are definitely looking up...peace.

austin, new york, and chicago...

i am well aware that many have seen these videos but i figure it won't hurt to repost...



saw this vid over at downtown austin...i can't remember how i got to that site. my favorite part of is around minute 2:40 when they make the package switch...has anyone actually made the switch that way? i like the ocean's 11 music playing in the background...nice.



i saw this vid over at callejeronyc. is it me or did i hear the lady saying..."even the most educated people are looking into, a bike messenger"? are people serious?! how many times must i tell cats?! the messenger industry is filled with talent and intelligence...oh wells, the beat goes on.


look at the four star cats...you're gonna tell me these cats aren't intelligent? as you can see...im still angry at the new york lady...peace.

i don't usually do this...

lyle over at cognition caps has been keeping secrets from me...well, i just haven't been paying attention the way i should. he told me/us about the cap he made...



the pic above was seen over at trek bikes...i immediately contacted him and told him i needed a bears cap...





why the bears? well...im not too happy with my cubbies at the moment and am waiting to see how this year is gonna shape up before i keep jumping the gun. btw...he does have a cubs cap ready for when i decide that they are worthy enough for me to wear them again...ha! check out cognition caps but don't be afraid to contact them for some custom made madness...you will not be disappointed. btw...also check them out on flickr for more examples of their sport themed caps...peace.

final stage...

reading is fundamental...

i can't say i'll be there but just in case anyone is interested...mike morrell and the chicago cuttin' crew are putting together a "cyclist book club" of sorts...


First meeting (at which a book will be chosen) FEBRUARY 19TH, 7 pm, Mercury Cafe (1505 W. Chicago Ave.)

according to wikipedia...

Adults who read literature on a regular basis are nearly three times as likely to attend a performing arts event, almost four times as likely to visit an art museum, more than two-and-a-half times as likely to do volunteer or charity work, and over one-and-a-half times as likely to participate in sporting activities.

my suggestion, now hear me out on this, is "the immortal class: bike messengers and the cult of human power" by travis culley...hahahahahhahahahhahaha!! im a jerk...peace.

reminders...

seems like the site for 0-9 worlds is beginning to take shape...



not much info yet but it's only a matter of time before it's filled with all the info we need...cmwc'09-tokyo.

the 2010 worlds site isn't far behind...



at first i wasn't thrilled by the logo but it has since grown on me. thank you simon for the heads up on the new logo. as some of you know...my parents are from guatemala and i will definitely be in attendance for this event...cmwc'10-guatemala.

just one more thing to add to your event calendar...something a bit closer to home. the ever popular milwaukee messenger invite(mmi) is coming...



nope...you don't have to be invited and no you don't have to be a messenger. im planning on attending...mke never seems to disappoint...peace.

the 21st is stacked...

not that anyone cares but on the 21st is stacked for me. i have to attend my cousins little boy's baptism. then later that evening im off to the engagement party for 6721. now i find out that cog magazine is having a 1 year anniversary party?! man-oh-man...this is going to be rough. the good news is that it all happens with just enough time in between all the events to rest...wait, did i forget to mention that it is also the weekend my mother-in-law comes to town? btw...i've seen two different versions of this flyer...one says it starts at 3 and the other at 6? if anyone knows which one is correct that would make my weekend planning much easier...see you cats around...peace.

move your body...

being that i have the pleasure of dispatching both boards i figure why not...anyway, this might go over the heads of many that read my silliness but some cats might recognize this cut...



what?!?! thats right...chicago house. man.o.man...i used to listen to house music like i was getting paid for it. this cut brings back memories. not of going out to clubs...too young for that, but of dancing in our living room. now, why would i post this particular cut? two words...curtis mcclain. the man was a great driver for us...he rocked whatever. he was pretty fast also but had to leave us. don't know why...just the way it is sometimes. anyway...he's in this cut. i heard him singing once at base and i gotta say...the man can sing. so a fellow co-worker did some research and found this cut...too nice.

just goes to show...all the talent that walks in and out of our doors. i've seen many talented cats...musicians, artists, actors, and so on. a good friend and ex-bike messenger anthony fleming(aka t-bone) was in the first season of prison break and is currently a theater actor...you can mainly find him at the looking glass theater.

t-bone is the cat on the right...

maybe it's a way for them to escape? maybe they put up with so much silliness as a messenger that they look for ways to express themselves? maybe they can't pick up a gig so they pick up a "for now" type of job? maybe im reading too much into all of this and messengers are just inherently talented cats? in any case, keep up the good work...peace.

hot sex...

ira put some of chicago up on the kinky llama through chifg.com a while ago. i kept meaning to post it for those who didn't know about it. anthony mikrut has decided to bring bike delivery to his sex toy shop...by any means necessary to satisfy the customers...



read the article and check out the vid here...

"We figured you can get pizza any time of night," he said. "Why can't you get [sex] toys?"

...the only part i don't agree with is the delivery within the hour...come on, we all can do that? well...maybe not all of us and maybe not sex toys...ha! good luck to anthony mikrut and good job...peace.

999...

it was about 1745 or so when i picked up the phone...

customer...i would like to place an order.

j.dot...no problem. where is it going to?

customer...999 north lake shore drive.

j.dot...wait, are you sure? umm...i don't think that address exists. lake shore drive buildings run along the west side of the street. that would mean it needs an even number as an address.

customer...believe me. i've checked it and i looked it up but yes...it's 999 north lake shore drive.

...i was so frustrated. i could not believe it. for one, i thought i knew so much about this city that there was no way she was right. i looked it up and sure enough...



if we play by the rules this building should literally be in the lake. it's right in between 990 north lake shore drive and 229 east lake shore drive. lake shore is a funny street already cause it goes north to south except for about a block stretch where it goes east to west...wtf?! that wasn't enough to screw with us...they had to throw in the triple-nine address. i wikipedia the number 999...nothing on there makes sense. we talked about it at work and decided that someone probably did that for good luck. why? cause it's triple-six upside down...as we all know, the triple-six number actually carries some weight in history. the building is probably one of those chicago buildings that doesn't have the 13th floor...thats another bad luck number. oh-chicago...how you keep me guessing.

coming home...

well...just got back from philly. i guess i shouldn't say philly but i was close enough. i did venture into the city once and i also visited the bada*s aquarium...it's not really in philly. i think it's new jersey? anyway...got to see some sharks, got to pet sharks, and saw some huge hippos sleeping underwater...holy sh*t! who does that?



anyway...on my way in from the airport here in chicago i got a phone call. my boss called me to see if i could come in earlier. scott, the other bike dispatcher, will be out and i need to cover. no problem. i stroll into work and im greeted by 124 packages sitting on a desk...wtf?! i completely forgot we had a bunch of work that needed to get done on this day. the board isn't so busy so i grab all the work and go through what seems to be already separated. this wasn't the case...or at least i didn't like the way people made the sets. i changed everything up and by the end i had about 8 sets going out. thats about 15 a piece...not bad. so now what? i have to decide who to give the work to...sh*t!

the decision was made easier by people showing up late...ha! i had work to cover in the loop and it was piling up a bit. as they checked in...if they checked in the loop i kept them there to help cover the board. if they checked in on their way in i had them stop into base...too nice. of course...it always doesn't work out this way but this day was just flowing right. i did have a couple guys rock stuff out in the loop before bringing them into base to pick up a set.

around one o'clock things started to simmer down but the car board was getting slammed. although it was cold and windy out i had many of my crew help out with whatever i thought could be handled in these conditions. 1141 who is used to car work hasn't had a decent set in a while cause of how slow we have been but i was able to hook him up pretty decent...

j.dot...forty-one.

1141...go ahead.

j.dot...say, umm...feel like doing distance today? i know it's pretty crappy out but...well, what do you say?

1141...what do you have in mind?

j.dot...alright, i got three at the mart going west. west chicago and hubbard. i got one at 325 lasalle going on wolcott and a 19 lasalle going on wolcott. you in?

...i don't even know why i asked if he was in. five car runs are rarely, if never, denied. he rocked all five and i caught him out west...

j.dot...yo, yo. i got a west lake bringing you in.

1141...perfect. it's been a while since i've had a car set. feels good.

...1141 had me angry on friday for a silly reason. see, the man denied some packages i needed help on because he would have to take his helmet off at the pick up. i was super pis*ed...i mean, how can anyone deny work? especially right now...especially solos!! then i walked outside to get home that night and remembered that it's cold and windy out. thank you to my crew for helping me out yesterday...it is much appreciated...peace.

3rd stage...

...peace.