Pedal for the Pantry

Last night I managed to get over to OTB for a bit of dinner and an adult potable (or 2) I needed to do something to life my spirits. I have ridden since the midle of Janurary and to tell the truth I'm starting to get a little twitchy. It seems my goals for the year are mocking me and all I do is work and sleep.

It is taking its toll on me. Mentally and Physically.

When I walked in a pretty girl smiled at me from behind the bar, a friend of mine was sitting at the bar, and the seat next to him was open. The gods were smiling. A snowmelt and tandem later and I could feel the tension leave my body. My friend, we will call him Paul (because that is his name) is putting together a great ride for the beginning of april. The ride is called Pedal for the Pantry and it will benifit the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. This is a ride and a cause that I am firmly behind. In my younger, married, father of four life places like the food bank made a huge difference and I don't want to imagine what that part of my life would have been like without them.

So this is more than just "A ride" to me.

I felt like I had to do something more. That still small voice inside was pushing me. As we sat and talked about everyting that needed done and all the companies that had donated prizes that still small voice nudged me again. I hate it when he does that.

"You know what you have to do." Said that voice inside. He sounded cocky but he usually does, he's usually right.

So I sponsored a prize. I'm not telling what prize I sponsored (you have to show up to the ride to find out), and Im not writing this to brag since what I did really is no big thing. I'm writing this to first off, let you know about this great chance for you to get out, have a good ride and possibly change a person's life. Secondly, I'm writing this in hopes that others will read this and decide they want to do more, to step outside of themselves. If so I would strongly encourage you to head over to the Pedal for the pantry website or the facebook page and get in touch with Paul and find out what you can do help. Somethings I can think of off the top of my head:

• Go on the ride
• Sponsor a prize (even if it is 25$ gift card)
• Donate food (more on that later)
• Spread the word

I know a lot of people who are saying "Terry I don't even own a bike, I can't go this 'RIDE THINGY'" Well that's ok because you can always bring food to the event. Here is a list of the Most needed Items. You can bring them the Over the Bar bicycle cafe 2518 east carson between 1 and 4 on the day of the event.

So step up and step outside of your comfort zone and reach out to those less fortunate.

Volunteer

Photo Credit: Google Image Search

Well today was a really good day. I got up early (for a day off) and headed out to Bike-Pgh to volunteer. I didn't know what to expect and I sure wasn't expecting to spend an hour stuffing envelopes

Note: I am not saying anything negative about envelope stuffing, I had a good time doing it and it was something that needed done.

What I was most excited about was getting to meet all the great people at Bike-Pgh, including one man who was dressed as a pirate (truthfully all I could think of was steve from dodgeball) Arrrrrgh. Still I went and worked for an hour stuffing envelopes over at Bike-Pgh and talking with the guys (and Lolly). I even got to tell my tale of biking, A tale that I thought I had included here but when I try to go and look for it I see that it isn't there.

I will have to rememdy that soon.

Let's get back on target, I have always volunteered for things but many times I volunteered out of a feeling of guilt, a feeling of 'fine! I'll help out' many a time I was just a square peg in a round hole that was hammered in to just fill the hole. Lately it has been different, I have been excited about the idea helping.

I hope the fact is that I have found my passion.

Or perhaps it is just that I have decided to be passionate about something.

The world may never know, but then I'm pretty sure the world doesn't really care. (But I do)

Hands

Photo Credit: Moff

This is something new to me. I'm not really that used to being dirty, at least not on the outside. I have a white collar engineering job that keeps me clean, cool, and inside (barring the very rare trips to the field) for the most part. So it came as a bit of a shock to me when I found myself not only getting covered in grease and dirt from working on my bike, but also looking for chances to do the same for others.

I have found in myself a great joy in working with my hands, in engineering I have designed many a machine that I never actually got to see built and working. Doing the design and making the drawings was always enough for me to be satisfied (at most I would build a 3D model). Now the idea of actually tearing apart a bike for my 'Evil Project' and building it back up as something else has evolved from something I dreamed of doing, gone past something I think I can do, and made it all the way to something I can't wait to get back to.

I made this realization on Saturday as I volunteered at Free-Ride. I spent the time helping people fix their bikes up. I also learned quite a bit about parts of bikes that I didn't know. Knowledge that will serve me well in the future when I have to make similar repairs. When I left Free-Ride I was hot, sweaty, greasy, tired, and well worn. I was also happy, fulfilled, at peace, and feeling like I had, in some small way, made the world just a little bit better.

Free Ride

Photo Credit: Richermcm

On Tuesday night I left work and with a Google map clutched tightly in my hand I headed out to Free-Ride for Volunteer Night. I had no idea what I would be doing, I had no real idea who or how many people would be there, and I really wasn't worried. I just wanted to find out more about what Free-Ride really is.

What Free-Ride really is, is bikes, lots and lots of bikes. The amount of bikes that are in this confined space is truly staggering. I have to admit I was starting to feel twitchy from being surrounded by so many bikes. About twenty people showed up to help out.  Some were fixing bikes some (myself included) were sorting through wheels (hundreds of wheels) sizing them and sorting out the bent ones (an interesting job for someone who has just enough OCD to drive those around them totally insane).  I even saw several people cutting up old shirts to use as rags.

So with music playing, and surrounded by a group of interesting people I was happy to find myself having the time of my life. At one point, while I was working, I looked up at the roof and was surprised to see even more bike frames hanging from the rafters. I learned several things from my time at Free-Ride.

1. Some people have no idea how to take a tire and tube off of a wheel.
2. These people invariably end up sorting through the wheels and stripping the tires and tube off.
3. I so need a repair stand. (those things rocks)
4. My OCD goes totally nuts in a place like this.
5. Being "Fat Guy", I totally stand out in this crowd (Im pretty sure I weighed more than 3 of any other people there)

I am really looking forward to the next time I can go down there and help out. (At least I didn't hurt myself)