El Capipain

10 July - One of the long term Vancouver couriers, Emory, will be making a move to Toronto later this week so she saw fit to organise a worktime scavenger hunt and race to celebrate. Registered early on with my fiver and can of beer but was distracted from doing proper completion by the inevitable work that interrupted the event. Events included stealing pens from receptions, a flat tyre fix race (couldnt be at the checkpoint for that one so missed out, probably a good thing because it takes me freaking ages), courier style test (are you wearing lycra shorts, jersey, gloves, skullcap, socks, bike shoes, do you shave your legs? For some reason wearing a helmet was left off the list ...), collecting underwear from receptionists (??? I'm far too much of a professional to ask such a thing but it was surprising how many of the couriers managed to get some - although I would guess that most of the underwear came from the Winners seconds store), individual time trial event (half way around the one block course my rear gear came off my hub - have no idea how it happened but as it happened on Robson St I ran off to Simon's to get the tool to fix it and by the time I eventually returned the checkpoint was abandoned so as far the timers were concerned the clock is still ticking - kind of reminded me of my last marathon attempt), sudoku and crossword competition, open mic cycling rap or poetry standoff, draw a picture that shows how cool a courier you are, and a bunch of other random things. Didn’t do nearly as bad as some but came nowhere near winning - Legs won by virtue of stealing 33 pens, at 10points a pop, it pretty much meant that she didn’t have to do any of the other events. Work wasn’t too busy throughout the day - did get the famed talbot mediation run, which was kind of nice but for the most part was just doing ECOs in the morning and afternoon. Nothing terribly exciting - had more blackberry issues - went through three fully charged batteries throughout the day - I think that there may be somethingwrong with my particular device. Angry Chris, my old dispatcher, came downtown and he seemed as bitter and offensive as ever, but it was good to see him - he certainly has a nevil reputation amongst the couriers for his temper but he is supposed to be the best bike dipatcher in the city - even the old timers vouch for that. After celebrating the end of the event down at pub 340 I teetered home where I was welcomed by my replacement gamera - the giant tortoise in the form of a picture taking device - would have been nice to have it on the weekend and if hp/ups (they're one and the same when it comes to fixing cameras under warranty) weren't so incompetent I may have had it. This time i'll be much more carful with it - wait a minute, I was carful with it last time - this time i'll be suthat my friends are more more carful with it, yes.