It was heartbreaking, but I decided to not get my new root beer single speed smoothie due to a combination of no money and technical specifications (the new 51mm offset forks are cool but limiting). So as a therapeutic measure I scraped up a couple hundie and pro-dealed a new chrome accented Rudy Project helmet and new RP shades. This new helmet has three chrome finish points – so I’ll look faster when I lumber by in the middle of the pack – maybe some punk will think I’m lapping the field, and you can be sure I’ll embellish my effort to make it look like that is the case.
Why didn’t I save the two hundie for retirement? - my financial planning father would ask. Oh, Dad, that’s because in two months I’ve lost 1/3 of the value of my IRA that I have been putting money into for 19 goddamned years. I’ve got a word for retirement and it’s spelled F-U-C-K-E-D. No, I’m not pulling what’s left out of the mutual funds, because I’ve spent a lifetime playing blackjack the same way….Here’s my strategy: stay at the same freakin’ table when you go on a losing streak, out of spite, thinking you can win it back, when in fact I’m bleeding cash with horse blinders on because I keep saying ‘one more hand’. Great strategy huh?
It worked once in 1998, and as I did a death spiral down to my last $10 at Circus Circus in Vegas – I fought back to being up over $500 in about 10 minutes. For some reason, I always remember that a lot more than the 234 other times where my last $10 evaporated into the dealer’s bank and I just walked back up the room and slept it off.
What to do?
If my savings goes down another third, I’m seriously considering taking the remainder and putting it on black. Always bet on Black.
This afternoon I’m going to take my old frame, and my old fork, and my old brakes, and my old wheels and snazz ‘em up with my new helmet and shades on the Flagstaff singletrack. Knowing I made just one smart financial decision by not buying a new bike makes that chrome sparkle….even though I know that shimmer will fade. For now, today, at 4:00pm sharp, I get to go ride in the woods – life is good.
Dont worry about your retirement, Obama will take care of you.
ReplyDeleteBet he'll even buy you a new bike. We'll sell it to him as green friendly recreation. Oh wait, you emit carbon dioxide, that can't be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI keep eye-balling new frames. CX, skinny-tired and 29er ss. Would love all three. In the past, you know as well as I do that I would have ended up with 2/3 of the wants. There are no needs there and I've pretty much decided that the money is better elsewhere. I still have my hopes up for 1/3 of them, but internally I know the better thing to do. We'll compare old shiny chrome this spring and summer.
BS- You need a cross bike... A Steel one... Machined from one solid chunk.
ReplyDeleteI need some Root Beer.
ReplyDelete