Check it. I've been alone in my BMX projects for the last five years, and I've had trouble explaining to people why i love working on bikes, especially early 80's BMX.
So far, the only satisfaction has come from finding the bikes I wanted when I was a kid is keeping em for a couple of months after cleaning em up, then giving them to friends. I can't ride 12 bikes at once, and it's completely ridiculous to try to keep them all in my house, so I could give them to friends and still be allowed to work on them without having them in my living room.
I loved it when they would call me up and say three "old" dudes stopped them on their way home and asked, "Where did you GET that," or "I used to want one of those SO bad when I was 12," or "I'll give you $500 bucks for that right now."
Now, all those friends are scattered around the country (thanks, Katrina), and so is my "collection". I only brought my '84 PK, my pimped out Mach 1, and my wife's ELF to memphis.
I miss: Katie's Kuwahara, Jeff's Silver Streak, Josh's GT cruiser, Megan's Pro Performer (oh god, pink with white mags...) and all the beaters...
Right before the Hurricane, one of the bartenders at One Eyed Jack's wanted me to tell her why her boyfriend was obsessed with "Rad" and why he always wanted to ride my bikes around the Quarter. He didn't even have a bike, but she knew she couldn't go to Wal-Mart and buy him one.
It's not something easy to explain.
She enlisted my help to build him an 80's freestyle bike for his birthday in September.
Monday Aug 29 - Saturday Feb 11: Levees break, people die, friends relocate, new jobs in new places... Then 5 months later I think of the bike I was supposed to build.
What's wrong with this picture?
I think my priorities are screwed. But I think if there's anyone that can understand, it's ya'll.
Holla at ya boy. Seventh Ward Soljah. Out.
(but not before i express my distaste for this "looking over the fence" tag)