THE INTERNET ISN’T A DESTINATION

I love this bit from Jaime Derringer, who created Design Milk 18 years ago:

“The Internet may no longer be a place I want to frequent.”

Back in the 90s, I remember riding my BMX bike and looking forward to getting on mIRC later to catch up with some friends on #pasxe (if you know, you know).

The point wasn’t to be in a chat room all night; it was to find out what shows were coming up or if we were meeting at a diner later that night.

The internet was a tool, not a destination.

ONLY SO MUCH TO GIVE

Maybe it’s because I just turned 48. Or I ran nearly four hours in the last two days. Or maybe I’m just fed up with everything. But man, I’m wiped out.

It’s never good to write when tired, like you should never go to the grocery store when you’re hungry. But eh, go buy the cookies and chips and ice cream. Life is short, have a snack.

I’m going to hit 80 miles running this month, which I haven’t done in a LONG TIME. I have a half-marathon coming up in two weeks. That’ll be fun.

Evenings not spent running are spent walking around town with my camera. I am so stoked to put together two of my favorite things – walking and taking pictures. It’s made even better with this new camera (a Nikon ZFC). It’s digital, but has full manual control dials, which means taking a photo means stopping, making adjustments, and being mindful of light, and movement, and angles. I love it so much.

Taking photos is like running for me – I might be slow, but that just means more time outside.

TINY CREEK

Love this little creek scene I found while hiking in Palmerton, PA a few weeks back. Oops, you can see the windscreen “hairs” at the top of the video – lesson learned!

REMEMBERING EZRA CALDWELL

I had an interview with Ezra Caldwell published in Urban Velo back in September 2007. You can read it here.

I was living in NYC then and (of course) was getting into fixed gear and single-speed bicycles. Ezra invited me to his place in January of 2006, and gave me a spare wheel he had lying around, and even installed it for me.

“On the upper west side of Manhattan lives Ezra Caldwell. A wiry little guy with a stable of bikes, an inviting smile and a wrench. He’ll adjust your brakes over coffee, then tweak your chain line and take you around the block. This is what Ezra does.”

We went out for a test ride, and I remember doing a “track stand” and Ezra saying something like, “Wow, you figured that out quick.”

To which I simply replied, “Well, I’ve been riding bikes for a while!”

God, all these years later, I remember how arrogant that sounded. I was in my early 30s, so that makes sense.

We weren’t close; we were just two people who met because of the internet.

“The internet in general has made wild things possible,” says Ezra. “I’d say most of my friends at this point are people I’ve met on Flickr.”

I woke up on May 18, 2024, and for whatever reason, thought of this seemingly insignificant interview I did 17 years ago.

Ezra passed away on May 24, 2014 after a battle with cancer. I can’t believe ten years have passed, and then this weekend I thought of Ezra for the first time in forever.

We’re in each other’s lives to varying degrees, and then we’re not. I only had a fleeting few moments with Ezra all those years ago, but reading some posts here and there, he touched a lot of people.

Hug your friends. Do cool shit. Life is short.