Looking for an interesting subject

I got to thinking the other day, when big boy "Justin" at Ballwin Cycles mentioned that I hadn't updated my blog in a while and that he missed reading it. I said, "hell, I am busy, and I didn't realize that you read then damn thing". I get this a lot.

I have gotten a couple other hate mails as of late. Fact is, I need somebody interesting, sombody complicated to figure out, explore and expose in a light where people take interest. At the end, and when all is said and done, ideally folks will ultimately admire the subject. I suppose Being Lewis Greenberg captured that. People are so interesting. There is a golden nugget buried in everyone, no matter how complicated or unappealing their lives appear to be. There are people who brighten others days without even knowing it, by simply being them.

These humble vignettes of life need to be captured, bottled and drank into an understanding of personal spirit making.

Case in point...

Justin, the tie died Ballwin Cycles teenager. In most ways very smart and mature for his age, different from other kids. He has moxie in his ability to communicate with adults and has a confidence that allows for the give-and-take of shit throwing. The kind that comes a long with jobs like being a bike mechanic in a shop, the hierarchy of bike mechanic-ing. Justin has a memory recall that startles the hell out of you when it comes to autos of yesteryear, parts and components of...stuff of all kinds. A very smart guy right? Hmmm, what about the case of oranges that he bought for 35 dollars out of the trunk of door to door sales scam?

I role in to the shop after a ride one Saturday to buy a tube or two and I noticed, sitting on the floor, was a box of aging "juicing" oranges. Juicing oranges don't look so good on the outside so they typically make their way into he supply chain of juice makers rather than grocery store ambient food merchandisers. They are used for orange juice.

I was told that Justin had just purchased the oranges from a salesman who "happened by" with oranges tasting better than "mothers goodness..." or something like that. After the dude cut a piece and made him taste how good it was, Justin scampered out the door to get to the ATM, before somebody else bought his box of juicing oranges! Two weeks later the oranges sit molding in a box next to the cash register. A reminder and lesson on supply chain economics tatooed inner cranium for Justin. I came in while Justin was out getting 35 bucks to pay the sales guy. The box of oranges was worth 9 dollars.

He'll be off to Colorado soon to fulfill his educational goals in Greely, close to the front range, outside of Boulder somewhere. I say it is a good idea for him to get out of town, he was getting a moving violation per week by the Ballwin cops after turning 16. But they had it out for him, according to Justin. Justin has "old (Ballwin) money" we think.

The dude just put together one of the blingest Waterfords I have ever seen. It looked like a scaffold, not a bike, the wheels dwarfed by the frame, custom made for his body type. He is 6'8". I think it is a perfect thing for him to do, ride this bike and attend college in Colorado.

I plan on taking a ride with him to send him off with a message: old guys are good resources when you return from school--that at 17 you have a lot to learn from others--that street smarts combined with logic are key. I suspect he knows the value of a dollar now. Justins a good kid with a big heart. And a rotting box of oranges.

Hotel Gambling and Dinner

I am not a big fan of sitting at machines, sinking money in, drinking and pushing buttons like a large percentage of my fellow Americans do each day at any number of casinos throughout the country. Hell, yesterday I was in a PetroMart in Terra Hautte and there was a line of draw poker machines along a counter, a very freindly middle eastener at the checkout looking rather dapper. Surely they are there for a reason, I don't even know if there was a pay out, but likely there was. I said "no ted you beddy mud" on the mini casino, paid for my double resces cup and got the hell outa there.

Keno can be played now too, in a bar in Missouri, part of the "lottery". Most of the time, when I find myself at a casino, I actually try and waste the money I have left in order to, yess, get the hell out of there. Not the case in Blackhawk CO the other day.

I had business in Denver last week, one of my senior living accounts. I love going to Denver, because it is an easy flight on Frontier Airlines, the best as far as I am concerned. I usually get the same plane, with the same crew. I also rent a car from St. Louis based Enterprise Leasing, they always have the best looking "just graduated from college and don't want to go to grad school" kids working. Always a good experience.

On this trip I was with Russ Hunt, my procurement guy and Pfoodman family member and big papa guru. Russ is like a brother to me. We really enjoy each others company because we go way back, he is as loyal to me as I am to him. I couldn't ask for a better way to work with someone. I wanted to show him the mountains, as he had never been up there, so we came in a day early and went up to find a hotel and get a "peak" of the snow and mountains.

Well, Russ likes gaming a bit, penny slots, nickel slots, nothing over the top. Who wants to play for more? Not me, not going to waste a ton lining the pocket of the native American casino machine. BlackHawk is an old mining town owned by the indians, quite the spectacle of a place.

I noticed how Russ was playing winning a bit here and there, moving around. I did the same thing, one big on a .02 slot, 21 bucks! I moved over to the nickel slots and next thing you know I have a balance of 278 bucks. I had moved without knowing to the five dollar slots and started hitting. I cashed out and spent a hundred and twenty bucks on dinner. Ah, yes.

Bikes have changed, 6 years

Arrival at Mountain Bike Series by Majestic Standards

Dirt under the fingernails

This is why the early season chaps me. No not because it wrecks the trails, because it doesn't really. But this years winter training has been a bit of a wash out, literally. Barring the fact that I am now back at it and it is only March 9th. I find the early races a bit of a pain in the ass. I am never ready, the pain is bad and I end up looking like this. Even though the picture below is well into summer.

Out Take on Racanelli Radio Add (oh my)

http://www.box.net/shared/qq56q1wzog

Funny Stuff

Racanelli's New York Style Pizza Expansion

From the St. Louis Business Journal.

A pair of local restaurant businesses, Racanelli's Pizza and Pfoodman Holdings, formed a joint venture to open a restaurant in University City's Delmar Loop, called Racanelli's Bar and Trattoria.
The joint venture company, J&R Pizza Ventures LLC, plans to spend $1 million to create a prototype restaurant at 6655 Delmar Blvd., where Racanelli's has its original, pizza-by-the-slice location. Racanelli's Pizza and Pfoodman, an onsite catering management company, also have reached an agreement that calls for Pfoodman to supply restaurant administrative services for Racanelli's planned expansion.
John Racanelli, owner of Racanelli's Pizza, said he and Ralph Pfremmer, chief executive and owner of Pfoodman, plan to expand the pizzeria business, and if the prototype restaurant takes off, expand that concept as well. Racanelli said the new trattoria, expected to open in July, will include a wood-burning pizza oven, an expanded menu and seating for 85.
Racanelli's opened its first pizzeria restaurant here in 1994 and now has five company-owned locations. Racanelli's plans to franchise its sixth location -- scheduled to open March 15 at Mid Rivers Mall in St. Peters.
John Racanelli's separate general contracting business, Rebar Food and Beverage Inc., provides build-out work for his pizzerias and will build out the trattoria. The combined Racanelli operations have a staff of 65 and generated $3.5 million in revenue for 2007, he said. Racanelli said he expects revenue of $4.5 million this year.
Pfoodman has 300 employees and grew its annual revenue to $9.6 million last year. Pfoodman's clients include Lindenwood University and St. Louis College of Pharmacy.
rdesloge@bizjournals.com

Assorted News

Ok!....never mind (sigh)

Notice the new ride. I know, cliche by most standards, the "burnin" orange has been way played out with racers the like of Crocker, Macnamee, Schuck. Heck I just can't get enough of the beauty. I did indeed do a ride on Sunday. Three hours in fact. I know I am fat, but this is my new weapon. Looking forward to getting my ski belt from around my waist. It has been a hard winter.

These dudes are looking at the plans of the new DelMar Loop Racanelli's. Quite the project really. A new facelift for the loop, a rockin good food joint for Pfoodman Group. Looking forward to having all of my Schalfly drinkers help out with the crowning, as with the last one in Webster. Much more on this later.

This is Hawkins before the meteor hit the house next door. He can't buy a mullet now. Seriously folks, this pic was sent via cellphone from our boy Jim Sullivan. If you look real close you can see the McDonald's logo. I am thinking this guy is going to nail a couple big macs, superdupersizefried.