Saturday, May 12, 2007

SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT

{words by carey}

If a man with one eye can have colorful visions of bulbous glass, then I can certainly ride my single speed up that burly hill!

We have changed coffee shops these days: All City in Georgetown has become our haunt. Georgetown is one of the last little pockets in Seattle's industrial area that hasn't been taken over by the "lofties." It's gritty and skeletal, with vacant warehouses standing tall on the edge of Airport Way, making you feel like you're riding through an urban canyon. Every little establishment that exists in this district is specialized (coffee shops, record shops, bars (9lb hammer), chopper shops, pizza joints, etc.) and filled with unique locals. All City coffee exists amid this raw grittiness and this is what I love about it. The other day, I was sipping an espresso in the sun when a Boeing jet flew so close over head that I was able to read the numbers on its belly; the sound was magnificent.

I bring this all up because affixed to a newspaper box outside All City is a sticker of Dale Chihuly with the words "SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT" stamped over him. Though I'm not a huge fan of Chilhuly's work (or glass as art in general), I do respect him and his craft. What I liked about this sticker was the fact that the words "SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT" were juxtaposed with someone that is extremely successful. This is a subject (perfection/imperfection) I love to discuss and it was awesome to see it stated so simply on a sticker. This blog, I believe, exists as a "slightly imperfect" venue of ramblings, stories, and images. It's an honest expression of our obsession with bicycles, riding, and life. The bicycle is a PERFECT machine and we the riders are the words "slightly imperfect" stamped upon it. But this is great, because it's the imperfections (the fatigue, the challenges, the flats, the crashes) that keep us striving for that perfect ride. It's the perfect ride we crave (and it happens a few times each year), but if we rode our PERFECT machines PERFECTLY everyday, I think we'd loose interest pretty quickly. So, thanks to all who read this blog - good luck in attaining your perfect ride.

And...for those who like numbers (and have read this past posting), our commuting team for the month is doing rather well. Out of 800 teams we keep swinging between 8th and 14th (yes!) and that is only with 8 riders, while our other competitors have 10. Click here to check out our personal stats and click here for over all team stats.

Enjoy.

4 comments:

Tim Jackson said...

Carey- Great post! I love the idea of our worthy steeds as "perfect" and we riders as "imperfect". It's a great image.

The neighborhood you describe sounds wonderful. I love those places too.

BTW- Loved the mention of you and Reed in BRaIN, on your epic tour. I have gone through many of those over the years. Great fun!

BF kemyooter said...

Hey Tim,

Welcome back from Big Bear.

Thanks for the words. The write up in BRAIN was definitely a curious ride that ended up being a blast. We were surprised to see the write up.

Industrial landscapes are incredibly intriguing to me; as much as I hate them from a pollution stand point, I also love them visually and the historical auras that surround them. To be able to ride my bike through these atmospheres on my way to work is a real treat for me. I hope to slow down one of these mornings and capture some of this industrial life in images.

Cheers.

Dr. Logan said...

great post. keep on bikin'.

Anonymous said...

I'm late in finding this post, but I'm really excited that you totally picked up my point with the "Slightly Imperfect" sticker. It's not a heavy statement, and is meant to be taken exactly as you've stated.

Anyway, I'm just glad you explainted it the way you did. Perfect!

Ryan
www.stataicinvasion.com (for more)
www.myspace.com/ryancrase