Some days are just lost to the mundane...typical of the last three.
The unfortunate truth of being a one man show in the framebuilding arena is that you have to do it all; customer contact, design, fabricate, paint, build, ship, schlep, change the toilet paper, etc...
I spent the last couple of days doing the real work of a frame shop...renewing my insurance, paying my LLC fees to the State of Ohio, shipping product and updating the shoe box that serves as my bill file :) Right now the system is...when the lid no longer goes on the shoe box, it's time to pay bills. Some times I think I need a bigger box
NAHBS was very good to me in from a business viewpoint; I had 5 new frames and a couple of fork orders placed post show. But perhaps the best by product of the show was of a personal nature.
Growing up, my cousin and I would spend a few weeks every summer at each others homes, immersing ourselves in the best of boyhood; climbing trees, getting dirty, and of course, riding bikes. It was the closest I've ever had to having a brother and I cherished our relationship. Unfortunately, our families suffered a terrible loss and each member of the family dealt with it in their own way. Our relationship suffered and contact was lost...another dark outcome to an already sad situation. My cousin went on to find his own path but could not shake the need for cycling. This is where the story gets good...while browsing through the links to the exhibitors pages, exploring options for a new road steed, he came across my web page and decided to drop me a line. Time does heal and I'm thrilled to have my cuz, heck, let's get mushy, my brother back...Chris, thanks for making the effort. Despite your admonishment, if I have the privilege of building your next frame, the work is on me :) (that way you can save your pennies for the new Dura ace kit...it aint cheap!)
Anyhoo...on another subject, I really enjoy black and white photography, it has such a simple elegance to it. I had Mike Sherrick of Sherrick Photography come out and shoot some around the shop in preparation for the show. Now some of his artistic shots are available online. So, if you are a lover of the bicycle fabrication process and want something a little different to hang in your home, check out his offerings...
He's a heck of a photographer and works too cheap...order a print or two today!
Next week I'm going to hit the renovation of the paint booth hard. A new filter system, better lighting, and a dedicated air brush station are all planned so that the work I produce continues to please you. I know I'm looking forward to having it all sewn up and working smoothly. I've got a lot of repaints to do in March so I need to bust my bum and get'r done :)
cheers,
rody
1 comment:
you forgot to wish me a happy birthday!! I got number one and two taken care of on your list of things for Cackalacky, will work on the third one:)
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