I've said it before, but for the sake of killing space, I may as well say it again.

I sometimes get alot of mail and as such, when I neglect my computer for a day or five, upon my return, I find myself a little overwhelmed.

I have an increasingly difficult time finding room and creating suitable segues from one item to the next, for the wide array of topics that find their way into my eye holes. Plus, coupled with the limited room and matching limited attention span, (mine, not yours) Ive decided that I'm simply going to turn the inbox over and see what sticks.

It seems only right that I might display the more dimensional of the two forms of communiqué here first, as those are my favorite kind.

After a long and tiresome journey back from the Great White North, I stumbled into my abode and found packages large and small awaiting my letter opener.

First to experience my wrath was a package from my old friend Jen. Long ago, she and I worked at neighboring bike shops for a while, then for a time we worked at the same bike shop, and then after that, we worked at neighboring bike shops again. During one of the seasons I was on the road with the NORBA mountain bike circuit, she was as well, wrenching for downhill and duel slalom powerhouse, Lisa Sher. Around this same time we were also house mates- we rode bikes together, drank beer together and she was one of the damn crackingest bike mechanics you ever laid eyes on. Hell, for that matter, I'm so inspired by the reminiscing that I dug out an old snap shot of her to use as a visual aide;

Eat your heart out, Corey Parks.

Anyhow, the first package was from Jen;

That there is a whole lotta love. Some KISS incense, a stack of CDs, and a letter suggesting that I had certain oral services preformed on me by Danzig, but there were no cameras, or witnesses that night, so as far as she's concerned, it's pure conjecture.

The next up was a package from Sparrow containing the first and the latest issues of Cog Magazine;

And the last was an envelope of Pentabike stickers from none other than 685 himself;

It should be noted that 685 has begun the preliminary steps for production of Pentabike emblazoned goodies, and can be reached at pentabike@gmail.com for the full skinny.

Then as I arrived at the warehouse early Tuesday morning, I was met by a package in my favorite color combination from our homie in Texas, Jenna. It seems that young Jenna is a bit of a gourmet, and hopped on to the fast track to our hearts with a box of homemade chocolate and toffee;

Hell yeah.

I also was the lucky recipient of a package from The Captain containing a few assorted items of Evil, not the least of which were my Budweiser socks that I forgot at his house after a night of debauchery and fleshy sins;

Of course this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what was in my email inbox, but truthfully I don't have the energy to get into that right now. I think I'll put that stuff into my virtual Parmesan shaker and give you a dusting every now and again for the next several weeks, but for now, reflect on the images and the sheer tactileness (my blog, my words) of the packages contained herein.

Your duty, should you agree to undertake it, is to assemble a package of badassness of your own, and shoot it off to someone you know. You might be surprised as to what possibly will transpire because of it.

You might not get immediate payback, but eventually, the more you give, the more you'll get, and soon enough we can all cast away (most of) the shackles of the hum-drum world of email and get back to creating something for our friends and acquaintances alike.

I can almost promise it.

That is of course unless your friends and acquaintances are all flakes, and if that's the case, then like Flava Flav says, "I can't do nothin' fo' you, man."

It's Friday, and as I've imparted many, many times before, each with more fervor then the last, roll up your sleeves, roll down your socks, and get busy, cause it's the only two days that The Man allows.

We'll all be getting rad in unison.

Oh yeah, by the way.. and though it doesn't have anything to do with mail, it has everything to do with getting rad. Here you go..You can thank me later.