hello, 2009!

I’m back in Boston.
Back from the land of anorexically skinny girls, equally slight boys, and faux fixed gear bikes with freewheels but only one brake.
Needless to say, I didn’t do much while back at home. I did mentally review the never-ending goal of losing five pounds while I stuffed my face with food and stopped exercising (I don’t have a bike at home and I don’t like to run, okay?). It did occur to me how monstrous I was going to look when I was suited back up in my Underarmour but I don’t think I cared.
But if it this makes me look slightly less lazy, I at least got something done:

Here’s to a new year, a new site, new hats, and hopefully fulfilling new year’s resolutions of not being a total waste of life...at least, not all of the time.

snow party

(Apologies for the blurry picture...)
I lost my [riding fixed in the snow] virginity yesterday.
And like most good things, I'm totally hooked on biking in this snow. Sure, I did it last year on a freewheel but this is a whole new level of awesome.
To make today even better, Open is having another Boldsprints & party event.
I can't wait - the perfect event to let me stay up all night before I fly home to Tokyo. Which is why the store will be closed for a while; but I'm coming back with more hats and a few more tricks...stay tuned!

poker face

I'm terrible at poker.
I think the last time I played, the best hand I had was a pair of 2s. I folded almost instantaneously.
And while I tend to play my hand close to my chest when it comes to life in general, I ironically cannot keep a straight poker face.
So it was with a stupidly happy smile on my face that I met Joshua and Zack of Open Bicycle a few nights ago at Herrell's in Allston. I handed over to them my first full custom job for the Royal Flush Pokercat & Boldsprints event this Sunday. I was so excited, I even did a fair share of giggling.
And while the cards are stacked against my attending this event - a fact that I've been upset about all week - this is going to be awesome. Not only because one of my hats will be a prize, but who can really turn down 100 free burritos at 10pm after an alleycat, boldsprints, and a few beers?

[And with the exception of a particular law student with an Environmental Law final from hell on Monday,] no one, that's who.

little [pink] presents

I've been on a mission since this past summer. A mission to pink out my bike.

It's kind of an odd combination - a dark green Bianchi San Jose with pink handlebar tape, pink bottle cage, pink chain, and even pink toe straps. A watermelon bike.

Don't get me wrong, I've never really been into pink. I'm not the type to pink out everything because, well, I'm not 13 anymore. But on my bike, it's totally acceptable and appropriate. Because I said so.

So when I went to the best bike shop ever to get a brake lever installed, my jaw almost dropped to the floor to come back and see that the incredibly wonderful mechanics had given me pink brake cable ends. Front and back.

And to sweeten the deal just a little bit more, I even got a pink valve cap, "ripped off an old tubular from the 80s."

Nearly a week after I had my brake installed, this still brings a goofy smile to my face. Hey, it might be freezing outside - and windy! - but my bike is awesome.

expecting the unexpected

I had a post all planned out. It wasn't about hats, or even biking, really, but there was a plan.

And then this happened.

I wasn't really surprised though. It had been about 4 months since I last crashed, which meant I was about 4 months overdue for one of these.

The weird thing is that it didn't hurt that much until I got a real good look at what a mess I was. But I guess I was expecting that too. That and the burn of bactine and picking pieces of skin off the inside of my bloody, ripped up underarmour leggings.

My impatience is already creeping in. This better not take more than a week to fix itself.

excuses, excuses

This is what I've been doing lately.

I've been buried under piles and piles of papers. I even spent a good five hours of Halloween in the library (but hey, there was candy corn).

And it's been getting cold - maybe a little too cold for hats that don't cover your ears. Which is why I might be posting other stuff besides hats up here. I have lots and lots of ideas...now if only that pile of papers would stop dominating my life...