Sunday 22 April 2007

Paragon Of Delays

20 and 21 April – Despite previous day’s battering didn’t feel there was too much restraining me from heading in.  The only real issue was the gouge on my spine which was tolerable with careful positioning of the Chrome bag and the only real distance ride I had was out to Ultimo where I delivered a pillow (I’m pretty sure it was a pillow) that was lodged directly behind the folder making it rather comfortable followed by a t-shirt to Strawberry Hills which was also provided some half decent padding.  The Paragon did his usual annoying lifting but recovered a job as I passed the Citibank – finally got a chance to trick him at the end of the day by flipping Frangelica over to fixed – unfortunately did a rather sloppy job of it and left the chain lodged between the sprocket and the wheel making it moveable but unrideable and by the time he eventually decided to head back my way to trade her for his broken Rocket Ship all the other couriers had left and he didn’t have a 15mm spanner to flip her back.  It would have been hilarious if I’d done the flipping properly but as it was it meant him missing another chance to give her back.  I would have felt guilty had it not been for the fact that he could have swapped her on Thursday night when he was over at my house recharging another battery and what self respecting courier doesn’t carry around a 15mm spanner?  What if he’d had a flat the silly boy>  Sedate and pleasant dining in Newtown was followed by other activities (ah, Redfern) and an early start to head out to Cheeky in the morning for some Zen and the Art.  Despite getting an assurance that he’d be there at 10am sharp and speaking to him before I left the house and then calling him periodically throughout the morning the wretched messenger didn’t turn up until midday.  With various bits of assistance from a battered Cheeky John (Thursday was not a good day for courier-car relations), Cheeky Dave, Flash and even the Paragon took Frangelica to the next step of the evolution – switched brakes to American style and tuned them up a it and beautified her with some very nice synthetic white bar tape.  A stunning chromatic machine she is.  Most of the rest of the day was wasted working which is not weekends are about followed by a small amount of drinking and a night in with a couple of half decent fillums which kept me up till the wee hours.

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