That Burning Smell is Me Thinking…

I finished my first week of class and it is everything I thought it would be. I am really enjoying school, I fell like I am doing something I should have done a long time ago. I am glad that I really have no other life commitments holding me back. I am able to go full time and completely concentrate on my studies.

It looks like my days as a bike mechanic are over because I injured my right hand. It may be carpal tunnel, arthritis, or tendinitis; I don’t really know, it just hurts and I am adjusting to doing fewer things with my right hand. I have to hold drinks in my left hand now because I will randomly drop things. I also switched the brake levers on my bike, so the left lever is the rear and the right is the front. If it wasn’t for ibuprofen, I would be really unhappy!

I am slowly organizing my room. Since the move, things have been shoved under the dresser and couch and randomly piled into my drawers. It got really bad this week, so I vowed to get organized this weekend. So far it is taking shape, I found a metal box to keep important stuff in and I am getting some shelves put up on the wall.

So, yeah, life sounds boring, but I am really enjoying it. Things are quieter and more orderly, the way I like them.

I got a new bike. It is brand new, not just new to me. It is the first aluminum bike I have owned. I wanted a bike that will do most anything, from commuting to touring to fast weekend ride to puttering around.

I got a Specialized Sirrus. Mine is gray and black. I like the look of the bike having all primary colors, it is not too flashy and less of a target for thieves. I decided to get a Specialized because they are building them better than anyone else for the equivalent money. In my experience maintaining a bike rental fleet this summer, the Specialized bikes held up the best.

I have been working 4 days a week, 10 hours a day. I have also been taking a 6 week course at Truman College on my days off. My final grades will be posted Monday, I think, but I know I got an A, so far.

I feel an amazing sense of accomplishment. I really enjoy school and it is giving me a chance to exercise my brain and really work on my writing.

Before I decided to go back to school, I had a dream one night that I was wondering around in a dark neighborhood and I came upon a college. One of the students let me borrow his student ID so I could study in the library. I remember feeling so comfortable with my laptop and a pile of books open on a table in the school library. I woke up and realized that I should consider going back to school.

So my plans to go to Romania didn’t work out. I now see in hindsight that that was a good thing. The people who I would have been working for are going through rough times right now, and the ministry I would have been at now has an uncertain future. I am so glad God has everything under control. If I would have forced it to happen, I probably would have been stuck in an awkward situation.

When I decided to go to school, I wanted to go to Texas. That didn’t work out either. When I decided to stay in Chicago and enroll at Truman, the doors of opportunity flew open. I found a job and I was able enrolled in a class the school was offering for free. I have all my tuition and books paid for next year, and I am moving into a great apartment with some cool people next week.

I knew I had to leave JPUSA. I know my time there was at a close. I had a growing feeling of dissatisfaction with what I was doing there and I couldn’t alleviate the heavy feeling I had; it felt like I had a pressure on my heart all the time. I know now that was just stress from the anxiety I had about going out into an uncertain future.

My faith in Divine Providence has been strengthened. I am more sure of the direction I need to go. The future is still a murky fog, but I know I am exactly where I need to be.

Last night after class I went downtown to attend an employee meeting for work. Afterwards, I walked around downtown. Here are some shots from the Wilson El Platform and the Chicago River.

I have been snapping a lot of pictures on my phone. I am growing to like the crappy quality of the camera, it challenges me.

I have seen more fire trucks in my neighborhood lately. I was sitting outside eating when I started smelling something burning. At first I thought my laptop was catching fire, but then I heard a bunch of fire trucks and they sounded like they stopped nearby, so I hopped up and went to investigate.

There was an apartment fire in the building behind me. So I took a picture of the fire trucks.

I have been busy with a new job and enrolling in school. I just finished reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and now I am reading On the Road.

I am realizing that I really like Chicago, I just hate the winters here. Maybe I will learn to embrace the winter, but until then, I am going to enjoy the summer. I have a job working outdoors and I love it. I maintain a large fleet of rental bicycles in downtown Chicago four days a week. I am working my ass off because I love it. The rest of the week I hang out and enjoy life.

Here is something I saw on the way to work the other day,

And I realized that I didn’t post a full picture of my 1971 Schwinn Racer so here it is,

I bought something red. It is a 1971 Schwinn Racer with shiny chrome fenders and it’s in really awesome condition.

On the way home from my new job today, I saw this:

Did I say New Job? Why yes I did. I am working as a bike mechanic for the summer. I get to do something I love and go outside every once in a while, so it is really cool.

I see many random things. Here is a box of broken glass. Enjoy!

Someone posted a message on a bulletin board asking anyone to explain the appeal of fixed gear bikes. The following is my response (slightly edited):

Fixed gear bikes are not for everyone, they are for people who want to experience being one with the bicycle, it’s a very pure form of riding. It is one of those things that has to be experienced to be understood.

I rode bikes regularly for several years before trying one. At first it was scary but as I got used to it, I came to prefer it. I ended up selling all my other bikes.

The fixed gear bike is elegant in its simplicity. There are no extra bits on it to distract from pure and simple riding; it is basically two wheels, a frame, pedals, chain, cogs, a seat and handlebars; nothing more (I added a front brake for emergency stops).

I liked it because there are fewer things to break, so maintenance is quick and simple. I called my fixie my Maintenance Free Bike. I also found that the flywheel effect of the pedals moving with the drive train made it easier to ride in strong headwinds. I also had an incredible amount of control due to being directly connected to the back wheel.

There is also the challenge of learning to ride a fixie well. The goal is not speed as much as it is grace and flow. One challenge I had was to make a trip across town without putting my foot down. I learned how to anticipate traffic, how to slow down for an intersection, and how to anticipate the changing of the traffic lights. I became more aware of my surroundings and I even felt safer on my fixie.

I recently sold my fixie, and I am currently riding an old English 3 speed (built like a tank and ugly). I will probably get another fixie before the year is over because I am starting to miss it already, but it was a little hard on the knees. Writing this makes me want to get another one!

Some people ride fixies to be a part of a crowd, kind of an elitist thing for some, but I rode one because I like simplicity.