Busy week list-post

[flexagon]

Another week of my life. Here's what happened when I WASN'T just trying desperately to pinch-hit for all three of my tech leads being out of the office:

• Found out I can't do a trio acro act in the fall student show, since my trio-mate has to be out of state on the day in question. Boo. (But we decided to keep developing the act anyway.)


• Had dinner with my Favorite Coworker of All Time, promised to ask around to see if Zillian has anything locally that he'd be interested in.


• Saw Luzia with the bug and the Lions on Friday; wow, that contortionist, huh? An excellent show, which I liked almost as much as Kurios, and I bought a T-shirt.


• Learned that it will be almost impossible to ship my bicycle anywhere -- it's too big for FedEx Pack & Ship stores, and too light for FedEx Freight.


• Had a surprisingly great open studio yesterday, in which I actually worked on everything I meant to and succeeded once at all the tricks I seriously practiced. That basically never happens. It might be fun (for my future self, not necessarily for you) to recall what these are/were and that I used to do this stuff on a Sunday:
  
  
  
  • Step down from croc to handstand on the floor, on both sides (only my 2nd time succeeding on my off side)
  
  
  • Cartwheel onto canes, bent-arm press down to so-called shoulder stand without falling
  
  
  • Backbend kickover -- not just once but 6 or 7 times
  
  
  • Hand-to-hand on baby base Calendar, a few times
  
  
  • Loop-de-loop with successful exit with J. We think we've figured out the trick to this, which is that it's brute strength on my part as long as she just holds on.
  
  
  • Front-back splits on both sides, NBD but I put in my time.
  
  
  
  


• Went to see my favorite PT guy, who's been offering free 30-minute sessions for old clients in exchange for seeing how well his treatments have stuck. He was very happy about my hamstring, which is good now, and gave me clues about my recent not-awful shoulder tweakage, and did some random ab activation work on me that could have interesting repercussions for my press.


• Got the recipe for my favorite cocktail from my favorite restaurant, after trying to replicate it at home once (which was fun).




Back at work now and had better dive in.

Comments

[silentq]

I've looked into bike shipping before, it only becomes worth it for very favorite/custom/high end bikes or long trips where it isn't better to rent on arrival.
There is a bike store that will rent hard sided cases, and lots will pack it for shipping for you in cardboard boxes. But it comes down to priceand convenience.
Adventure Cycling recommends https://www.bikeflights.com

[flexagon]

Thank you! This might be a high-end bike ($1400 new), but the main issue is that it's not a standard American racing-style bike so none of the typical bike boxes work. This one is big and heavy, and the reason I might like to ship it is to sell it to someone in Las Vegas (or at least open up the ebay listing to anyone in the continental US, instead of local shipping).

I tried bikeflights just now, and got "Oh Snap! Your packaging exceeds our size/weight restrictions." So, sigh.

[silentq]

Oh, rats, sorry that wasn't helpful! I was exposed to bike shipping via long distance cyclists who mostly have custom workhorse bikes starting at around that price, but most of the bikes were sub 50lbs packed so could go as airline checked luggage *just* under the super expensive weight limits. I'd be leery of splitting the bike up with wheels, seatpost, handlebars, pedals shipped separate from the frame, but it might be an option (or the seller might have components?). Shipping/traveling with sports gear is troublesome. :-/

[drwex]

Interestingly, we bashed our heads on the "how do you ship a bicycle anywhere?" problem because Thing 1 is off to college in a week or so. Eventually, on advice of a pro, we gave it up. There are, apparently, no good solutions unless one has a lot of money to throw at the problem, or unless one does one's own transport.

[flexagon]

I have a lot of money to throw at the problem, but I also have a non-standard bike. I guess I just fail, which begs the question of how bikes ever get anywhere to begin with... I'm baffled. :-/

[drwex]

What we tried was talking to a bike store (cycle loft) which offered to pack the bike for us for a large sum ($75 iirc). That gets it into a box that you then can take to UPS or FedEx. If you have the skills/tools on the far end you put it back together yourself; otherwise, you take it to a comparable cycle shop where you want it to end up and pay them to put it back together for you.

Where you live there are more bike shops to choose from so you may find a more helpful one than out here. If you bought the non-standard bike at a shop you can reach I would talk to them about what they recommend. Ours was bought at REI who flat-out told us they don't deal with shipping them.

Giant. Pain. In. The. Ass.

[flexagon]

Yeah, I wish that solution would work for me, but standard bike boxes won't do the trick for this Dutch beauty. I bought it at a specialty import bike shop that no longer exists, so there's really nowhere to turn.

Which is okay, I can stick with local pick-up for my ebay listing.

[silentq]

I have a friend who bought a Dutch bike in Amsterdam and got it home via airplane, but it was probably via KLM who are Sensible. I'd vote for sticking local for your e-bay listing. *resists urge to ask for link* I need a folder, not a bigger bike than I have now. :-)

[coraline]

That is many things! Hooray for circus successes.

I'm curious about the cocktail!

[bolson]

Yay good open studio day! I'm curious about the loop-de-loop exit. I'm sad I wasn't there to see it, but if I had been there I might have distracted you with other things you might not have tried it, eh?

[flexagon]

Haha yes, if you had been there we'd have been practicing our usual bolson-assisted exit! But we come out the same way we go in. I just lean farther than feels safe, then hamstring curl as hard as humanly possible, and it lifts her back up.