Cali Livin' and Vegas Trippin~

Just booked a flight to Vegas for a few days mid month. Home life has been a bit of a stressball and Im burned out on it so to relax for a few I figure a 72 hour Vegas retreat should balance me out a bit. The homie Carla been going through it with some job shit, so I figure we can be the misery loves company pair LOL. It aint nearly as bad as I may make it seem but its definitely a credible excuse to go soak in that 702 sun. Been getting the chance to hit fridays at the track again and pleased with how quick I got back into "fair" shape, been really debating on trying to shred and get fast again but it definitely takes up some time and I am thinking I care more about stacking up cash right now. But thats a swaying thing so I can see some more race trips in the future and a sprint program of sorts, time to get back to the glory days LOL. Thats all for now not too much to blog but had to keep the loyal few who read entertained.

Hmmmmmm

I find myself in a bit of a pickle this week. Ill try to explain this as simple as possible but likely nobody will understand but thats ok cuz only 3.5 people read my blog anyway :) So my favorite rapper Killer Mike has a hasthtag he uses cuz he is pretty vocal about things that matter to him and it reads #killyourmasters which means basically in a sense kill the people oppressing you. Someone keeping you down kill that shit. Its an aggressive stance but to some like myself think it isn't an aggressive stance at all just a necessary step in some situations. Am I going to kill anyone? Of course not. Now on the flip side Im a huge fan of Robert Greene who wrote 48 laws of power and rule #1 is to "never outshine the master" It's a great chapter in the book and it basically explains my situation perfectly. You can google and I highly recommend you read that book anyway cuz its great. So onto my situation and Ill try and give background briefly. 5 years or so ago I wanted dirt jumps at my skatepark, I email my big boss Cindy and she says let me see what I can do. I line up a meeting with Cindy and the director and get the ball SLOWLY rolling. Fast forward and here we are about 3months from the build. It has turned into a mess of a project but whatever Im glad its getting done either way. I attend a meeting last week with the same director and he is asking for a volunteer to start marketing and making stuff happen, at first I wanted someone else to take that role because Im so busy, nobody bit at the chance so I emailed him later that night and told him I was up for the task. Then the next day he declines my offer? Even though he asked for a person which was weird but here is where it gets odd. My immediate boss and his boss and then one level above him "supposedly" have issue with me emailing my director without CCing them or getting their permission... Like ummmm wtf? If I have built a relationship and email this guy for stuff and work related nonsense all the time why should I now include you or ask your permission for decisions? I dont feel that is necessary and its downright silly. So now I am at the point where I  either say fuck all the "authority" figures and keep doing shit my own way. Or take the route of going the route of me doing all the work CCing them and letting them share in the fruits of all my labor and work? The city has whored me out for years and has never assisted me as far as Im concerned so what would even be new at this point? But I guess since it's just obvious I should be doing this stuff that it's hard for me to swallow that I wasnt given the thumbs up from the start? IONO. Someone solve it for me because Im not sure which way Im going but I def know its going to get ugly at some point. I say if it is going to get ugly might as well be while I steer the boat right? LOL

#killyourmasters but "never outshine them either"

Paying it forward...

First of all this is NEVER to toot my own horn or ego stroke or any of that bullshit by any means. Its just my observation and my thoughts on stuff. Being thankful is for some a moment, or a fleeting thought, or a single gesture. For me its a mindset. Ive been fortunate enough to literally be given more than I could imagine from and through BMX. I am so thankful for the situations and opportunities provided to me that its my mental obligation to not just give back to make sure that I give back and push forward so that a future generation of kids get the same opportunities. Somebody asked me this evening what I was doing and I explained to them that I was ordering up a few bikes for some camp kids that I knew. I wasnt paying for them the parents were but I was helping out by passing along a discount and making it possible. Sure I dont "have to" but in all seriousness I definitely HAVE TO. If it takes 20-30min of my time to research bike sizes and what not, and I have to email a bit with the parents its all irrelevant because I owe it to the future. Someone did things for me at one time and I will definitely leave my mark going forward for the kids behind me. I could only imagine if I were to win the lottery or something what kind of crazy things I would do for the kids coming up. Im setting up a little scooter comp right now for my local kids at my city job and Im super stoked on doing custom acrylic awards for them. I know for me its memories, friendships, and lots of stuff that you take away from these golden years and a dope trophy thats a one off is always a cool thing to have around to start a conversation and spark hopefully the next wave of someone paying stuff forward. So for those who wonder why I work my city job and why I still do the random things like that when I clearly dont have the time hopefully you see why. It isn't for my benefit but its simply something I owe for the people who did it for me, now imagine if everyone did that kind of thing in some sense. As the world gets crazier and crazier we all should help the next generation and raise them up right. #payitforward

Straight Outta Where?

Watchin' Straight Outta Compton with Nate on the most bootleg copy ever. Screen so fuzzy I feel like I might be drunk lol Started the great BMX comeback this week which means basically I will be riding my race bikes for a week or so to get worked at Reno and then retire them until Vegas in January :) Wish I had the time or the schedule to be able to put more effort into that riding again and be quick at the track but just not in the cards right now. All that being said 31-35 cruiser should be fun, hoping the other guys are just as slow as I am LOL. Did bike party last Friday and it was a blast, 21 miles of pedaling and just listenin to random tunes and people watching. Wish that was a bi weekly thing cuz I really do enjoy them. Something about just zoning out and pedaling with nowhere to go and no time to be there. Even though Target scammed me for a $27 hoodie it was all good. Scooter contest Im planning is coming along well and flier should be done soon hopefully. Throwback photo-

Reno

Just figured out that Im 95% going to hit up the Reno race in a few weeks. BMX cancer  still has me infected and the draw of a miserable 3 day race in the armpit known as Reno is just too much fun to not attend LOL. After getting murked on my 20" at Vegas I figure I'll ride the vagina bike the 24" one and see if im even remotely close on that bike. Ordered some new shit from the homies at S&M to get my bike back together after it sat outside for a solid year if not longer lol, need some pedals still too and I think Im good to go after that hehe. Work life has been eventful, from calling out people for talking shit to trying to see what the short term future holds its all a bunch of fun these days. LCRSP BBQ on Friday courtesy of the parks department should be chill and see some faces I dont normally get to see. Excited about work being slowed down finally and now I have the chance to pick and choose what stuff I want to work on which is way better than just taking all things thrown my way, definitely not complaining though! Pictures of my rejuvenated bike coming soon, where is the damn UPS man?!

2015 camps is done!

After 10 weeks of camps it's all finished for summer 2015 and as always im glad to wrap it all up but I will definitely miss getting to meet and hang out with a new crop of kids every week. From the stories they tell to the bad knock knock jokes and just seeing what they are about and interested in at such young ages is always a fun time. Did a good bit of talking with the kids and hopefully helping to shape them into awesome people for the future and as they go back to school the teachers they work with daily will continue that and the kids will keep learning and aspiring if all goes correct. Shoutout to all my little groms from not just this year but every year and cheers to you guys for making my "job" that much better. I always tell people that the city work doesn't pay the bills by any means but it's definitely my way of giving back to my community so until 2016 starts up you kids have a blast and enjoy school and learn!!!!

See ya.

Walking away. Quitting. Leaving. Ending. All these words and terms are in a sense foreign to me. Sure I quit stuff on the daily and Im sure everyone does but it really gets under my skin depending on the “why” and the reasoning behind me leaving something. This past few weeks I’ve watched the writing on the wall get more and more vivid that this new camp I created just was not going to work out to my standard of camp. Sure you can drop your kid off and I am going to hang out with them and we going to ride some BMX and things are going to be ok. But that’s not me. See BMX didn’t give me an average experience so I will never be content with letting what I give someone in the form of a BMX memory an average one either. I want you to remember it and remember it well. From every aspect I want it to be complete best and then some. I want you to leave empowered and confident and just thrilled that the camp was the best decision ever type scenario. And quite frankly that just wasn’t happening for a few reasons. I will even take the blame somehow for not knowing more going in about the situation, I basically trusted MY camp in the hands of someone else who knows nothing about the situation. Not to say that person cant go on to do great things and be a miraculous person in their own right, but the fit with me just wasn’t working and showed signs early. So to that person youll never see this but best of luck and I hope you learn and build from this. And to whomever else just hang tight as always because I have more up my sleeve always and might finally explore some options that Ive considered over the years as far as camps and recreation stuff for kids. Until next time people- Nick