My wife is a big Jimmy Fallon show fan and the part that she likes best is when he reads his 'Thank-you notes". Here's my cheap-ass framebuilder inside-joke pathetic version. If you haven't seen the show, don't worry.....it's just more irony for you.1. Thank you, cyclocross....for being a sport where even the last place guy gets cheered on .
2. Thank you, team skinsuit......for holding my gut in on race day.
3.Thank you , Don Walker.....for successfully herding the cats and creating the handmade bike show. Maybe its time to stop trying to herd the cats......
4. Thank you , insecurity and self loathing......for giving me the psychological makeup for being a 'Rock-star frame builder".......not my words.....
5. Thank you faithful customers , Cyclocross magazine and U.B.I. for making me feel like I'm somebody.
6. Thank you disgruntled customers and Gary Mathis for reminding me that I am really nobody.
7. Thank you Bruce Gordon ....for being able to out 'dark-side' me any time.....there's the imitators and then there's the real master.
8. Thank you, frame building.....for providing me a way to not have to be worrying about my retirement..........there won't be any.
9. Thank you, stainless steel lugs........for giving me something to loath.
10. Thank you, regret.........for giving me something to come to grips with on a daily basis.
11. Thank you , blogger......for providing me a no-charge outlet with which to vent and annoy people.
12. Thank you, cheap Chinese medals that I get every once in awhile.......to help fuel my rise to mediocrity in cyclocross racing.
13. Thank you, hobby frame builders who spend 300-400 hours on a masterpiece.........so I get to see what I thought I was going to build back in the late '70's.-Bravo!
14. Thank you , mega-bike companies.....for not building the sizes and types of frames that my customers want.
15. Thank you, my racing team.......for showing that a guy in a shed can make you bikes that don't hold you back when you want to go fast.
16. Thank you, my own race bike.......for not complaining when it is I who is holding you back from going fast.
17. Thank you mail man.....for not going 'postal' on us.
18. Thank you ,all the people who comment on this blog.......proof that somebody is actually
reading this...........dang !
19. Thank you, internet......for allowing anyone who has a computer and internet access to become the new expert on bicycle frame construction , even if they are a hopeless idiot.
20. Thank you again, cyclocross......for being a sport where a small builder's work can still be seen in the peloton.
21. Thank you, Giant bicycle co. .......for copying my 'wavy gussets' a few years ago.....then later discarding them as a waste of time. -I defer to your expertise......
22. Thank you, Joe Bell......for terrifying me into my best work when I send a bare frame to you to be painted. Ever wonder why you don't get many of them ? -I'm too scared !
23. Thank you, Kurt Cobian......for creating a sound track for those angst filled afternoons at my previous shop. I'm sorry you aren't around any more....really sorry.
We are going to have a fun interview this week! :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, ya- you betcha !
ReplyDeletePaul, you'll always be a 'rock-star-framebuilder' to me! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paul, for building rigs that pulled my head out of my ass and made me realize some of the best bikes in the world are built in my backyard.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paul, for teaching Josh (probably more than) a few tricks over the years, as he is currently building a touring frame for me and it's gonna be awesome.
Thank you, Paul, for being a rockstar in the world of bike building, while still being approachable enough to visit and talk about cycling and the world in general.
You're a community resource.
Love this! And Paul thank you for rocking so hard! Seriously. Keep the blog going it fantastic and keep fighting the good fight. The kids need to know what time it is.
ReplyDelete