Josh and I are becoming Unics!

(Unicyclists, that is.)  As many of you many not know, we picked up
our first unicycle this last Friday, and spent all day Saturday and
Sunday working on it.  We are almost masters after last night's run to
the top of a parking garage.  (Well, we can get on about one in five
tries and ride about ten feet.)

So what next, you ask?  On Sunday as we fell along the parking lot, a
dude in a truck whipped over and showed us how it was done.  After
wowing us with his incredible prowess, he proceeded to tell us of two
used Schwinns at his used sporting goods store.  We jumped right on
it.

Now the condition of our current cycle is very important to this
story.  Our unicycle's seat was destroyed by the numerous falls.  It
was bent in all directions, and the seat cover was held on only by
huge wads of tape.  The crank was loose.  It was a cheap Taiwan
machine to begin with and it had seen a SERIOUS beating.

We examined the used Schwinns.  They were rugged, sturdy, solid beasts
with really nice seats and even a white-walled tire.  We knew what to
do.  We taped up the seat for the last time and zipped over to the
shop when we knew that the unicylist's BROTHER would be running the
store.  We offered him $50 and our NEW CYCLE (new, but very used!)
that we had paid $100 for.  The schwinns were $65 and $75.  He thought
about it while we grumbled about the various details that would need
work on the Schwinns.  At last, after a quick exercycle sale, he went
for it.

We are both waiting for an angry call from his brother, but boy are we
set for now.  My formative years of garage sailing at work!  Wheeling
and dealing... dealing in wheels... you get the idea.

OK new update (since this letter was first scribbled) : we are now
riding completely around the townhouse parking lot.  Yesssss!  We can
do speedbumps about 1/4 of the time.  As you know this is all in
preparation for Burning Man:

http://www.jedi.net/~kai/burningman.html

...so if you are going, put down those roller blades and accept the
new challenge!  Only three months to go!  (Speaking of Burning Man,
the esteemed Ed Burns will be making an appearance with his own group,
and he already knows how to play the didjeradu like a grandmaster!)

Send me the word on y'alls thrilling lives!  Ruined relationships!
New hair!  New tatoos!  Sun burns in hidden places!  Accidents that
happened during thrilling, life-threatening sports!

Sooner,
Kai

P.S.
Kuk Sool Won belt test is tomorrow night, so wish me luck!

--------------------------------.-------------------------------------
 Kai Mantsch                    : I'm not so much into starting 
 kai@jedi.net                   : controversy as stopping people from
 http://www.jedi.net/~kai       : telling me I can't.   --Kai Mantsch
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