The blizzard is officially on its way. Not a snowflake has touched the ground, but all of MA is officially in a state of shut-down, emergency, running around stockpiling food for a month because 24" of snow might just fall Friday into Saturday. If we don't get at least 24" of snow, I'm going to be disappointed. I have big plans for the huge shutdown. I will be working (so as to keep people caffeinated) and having fun getting out in the storm. Staying home would mean missing all of the fun. Snowshoes are at the ready, but I doubt they will be necessary. Weather forecasters must enjoy watching people scurry this way and that based on their predictions. I would say they are playing God, but clearly, they don't since the weather never ends up as they say it will. God, on the other hand, must enjoy watching us try to avoid the weather. Sheesh, it's winter and we're getting snow. Maybe we'll stop and appreciate nature a bit. Parents, take your kids sledding. While you're there, borrow the sled and hit the hills, too.
Today was a good day in the accomplishment category. There are many bikes in for service and for new spring parts right now. All sorts of parts and pieces are on their way and like-new bikes are going home next week. The trend is people are upgrading components to Dura-Ace 11-speed and SRAM Red. Dura-Ace 11-speed, aside from it having too many cogs in the back (my opinion) is a really good kit. It's lightweight and works very well. Customers are drawn to it. There's just the right amount of work and number of service bikes around considering it's likely our mechanic won't be able to get to work Saturday. Got a few website updates done and a Facebook post up. Those are always fun and I look forward to doing them. Oh yeah, even Twittered, something I have a hard time justifying time-wise when other things need to be done. But I'm guessing few businesses will be open for the storm and it's something that sets us apart so I like to advertise that.
Tonight we hosted Next Step Living which is an energy efficiency company that performs energy audits on homes. I stayed to barista the evening during which the company explained their services to attendees. Not bike or coffee related but a good thing for residents. One of the guys on the Lexington bike committee is part of the organization and he's the one who contacted me to do the event so there's the tie in. More people showed up than I expected, but this is the land of huge, old homes that probably cost more to heat than what I pay in rent every month. Events like tonight's are easy since I don't have to worry about their logistics, marketing or food. Other people get to do the worrying, I serve drinks. Nice to see some attendees checking out the bikes and being curious about the shop.
Conversation of the day: Someone wanted to know if his Merlin bike could have fender mounts welded onto the frame so he could turn the bike into a winter bike. I showed him some options for fenders and suggested he check out a bike made for winter riding. We have a few options of perfect bikes for this very thing on the floor. The man told me that he's in his seventies and has 3 bikes so that is quite enough. I didn't know how to respond. 3 bikes considering his age and circumstances sounds like there is plenty of room for more but there is absolutely no way to have that conversation. I hope he thinks about the winter rando bike for awhile and comes back. These bikes grow on a person so much. The different functions of each really do allow for quite a few in the stable without duplication and with a proportionate increase in quality of life.
For now, I am dreaming of riding my winter, studded-tire bike tomorrow and hopefully Saturday, too, through the snow. Until this out-blizzards the Great Blizzard of 1888, I refuse to freak out about the changing of global weather patterns and the newness of super storms, though I acknowledge the existence of each. It's winter and we're getting some snow.
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