Yesterday morning I had some email conversations with some people at BikeTalk Dot Org; a streaming radio program about bikes that can be found where people find such things
in our email chat I asked if they were going to be in town for The National Bike Summit... they said no... I was like... bummer - it would have been nice to catch up
then the email response was like "do you want to head down there and do some interviews for BikeTalk?"
a few years ago... I met Nick from BikeTalk at the National Bike Summit... Nick interviewed me about The Intro to Alleycat\Allecyat 101 event that I was hosting in conjunction with the National Bike Summit. After that meet up... Nick and I talked about me being a contributor to BikeTalk from this region... I accepted the idea... but never followed through... I had blogged and I had photographed... but I had never done any Radio style interviews
but here it is a few years later... I am involved in The Gwadzilla Podcast... so... Audio\Video and the person to person interview is something that I am starting to get the hang of... so I accepted
went along my day doing my Dog Walker tasks... got home... gathered some equipment...
for interview purposes I would use my Handy Zoom Mic that I got off Buy Nothing and I would bring my Insta360 X5 incase I had any messenger interview opportuniites
not time for much else than changing clothes... changing bikes... and loading gear and I was headed downtown to find this happy hour
it was not clear where the Happy Hour was being held... 5th Floor was the vague directions... 5th Floor at the MLK Library where much of the event is happening or is it at the hotel on F Street where people stayed and events were hosted several years ago when I hosted the Alleycat event
well... there was some SPACE EVENT and the words National Bike Summit did not ring any bells at the hotel so I looped a block back to the MLK Library
upon my arrival I could see a corral for Bike Valet and clusters of cyclists that may not be local commuters moving about
I approached two woman on bikes... asked if they were in town for the National Bike Summit... they were... I asked who they represented and then if they wanted to be interviewed for BikeTalk Dot Org... they did... so I started my interviews at The National Bike Summit
I gave my prepared question that I would not record - "Can you introduce yourself - tell what organization you represent and then tell me what you hope to get out of your visit to Washington DC and The National Bike Summit"
the Q&A went smoothy...
unsure how to do things...
I had my Zoom Handy Recorder set to record and would pause between interviews to try and keep things to one file... as per usual... trying to limit the edits
parted ways with the women from Durham and pointed my way to the Bike Valet at MLK
interesting but not shocking
this same Bike Valet company that did bike parking at the Bikes and Bowties event I attended earlier this week were handling free bike parking at The National Bike Summit as well
so... as said...
I was straight out from work... straight out from work without much rest and also with nothing to eat... I had had a banana and coffee at breakfast and a Cliff Bar and an apple at lunch... but no real food to speak of... so little things were already starting to build tension...
I had been slow out of the gate leaving home... that classic effort to not forget anything caused that ADHD delay... I was not late... but I was not as early to the event as I had hoped... the Happy Hour was in full swing... but there was not much time for interviews before Jeff Miller's DC Concierge Monument Night Ride
into the MLK Library and onto the elevator
a minute in the elevator with a few other people
OUT OF ORDER
quickly across the lobby to another elevator
had to wait for the other people
when I asked them to hurry up... they were not amused...
I was not amused that I had waited for them for the first elevator and now again
as said... tension was building...
hunger being a contributing factor
up a few flights of stairs
there it was... Bike Summit People on the 5th Floor
there was food... there was drink... there were people
I immediately got on task and gravitated to some familiar faces
years ago I attended the New Belgium Bike Summit
bicycle advocates from around the country would be volunteering at New Belgium's Tour de Fat gathered in Fort Collins to learn how to be better bicycle advocates and how to promote and host the Tour de Fat in their hometowns
without removing my jacket I made a B Line to Jimmy Halliburton formerly of a The Boise Bike Coop
we exchanged hellos and I got right on into the interview... WOW! Jimmy is a FORCE! Founder of The Boise Bike Coop to Boise City Council Member! GO JIMMY GO! Jimmy gave a great interview - then onto the next one - it was getting late and I needed to catch people before the evening was done
from the lobby onto the outdoor patio
I grabbed a beer
eyeballed the spread of food
another old friend from The National Bike Summit was present - it was Steven Hardy-Braz - I had not seen Steven since his accident - accident is not the right word - I had not seen Steven since he was run over by a car - I was pleased to see Steven with a walker instead of a wheel chair - we talked - I interviewed him - Steven then took on the task of gathering people for me - unfortunately - his people were very North Carolina based = what was my interview? The North Carolina Bike Summit?
I did more interviews...
the RECORD and then PAUSE system seemed to be working
BUT!
and that is a BIG BUTT!
but, there were some glitches
I did not bring my readers
WHAT!
Wallet - Keys - Phone
OUT THE DOOR
Forgot my Readers
that should have been
Wallet - Keys - Phone - and Readers then out the door
I could not see the display screen on my recording device
there were some times when the device flashed
there were some funny moments
Funny - Not Funny
those little glitches were a tad frustrating
as I interviewed Anna Kelso of The City of Fort Collins we had a laugh with TAKE ONE - TAKE TWO etc... Anna did wonderfully on each take - but she gave the answers we needed on Take One
so... the Happy Hour crowd was getting thinner
time had passed
it turns out the departure for the Night Tour of the Monuments had already happened
dang - more frustration
figured I would catch another interview or two before tried to catch the monument ride
went around the room
saw a few people from The League of American Bicyclists
I approached them - they were done - they should have left - these two EMPLOYEES at WORK - essential on the clock at the MOST IMPORTANT event of their organization's year and they were done and not interested in my interviewing them
well... the exchange did not unfold well
I was triggered - I have my triggers - non cyclists bike advocates can be a trigger for me - these to did not look like cyclists - I rubbed them the wrong way - they rubbed me the wrong way - it devolved
I guess I did not expect the refusal to be interviewed
also - the way that they backed out - the explanation of fatigue etc.
as said... this is the day for them to perform - this is the day for them to earn their check
I stepped away - they seemed interested in continuing the conflict
they did what they should have done at the onset
they should have immediately pointed me to another person from the League of American Bicyclists who they felt could appropriately answer my questions
instead of unloading their emotion of exhaustion and fatigue
I approached Caron Whitaker the Deputy Executive director of the League and got the interview I needed for BikeTalk Dot Org
ah... done...
it was time to chase down the bike ride
I left out
did a loop of some of the monuments
ACTUALLY found the ride at the Jefferson Memorial
but - I too was fatigued and exhausted
was not sure if I had the patience for any more interviews
being hungry and having already displayed being hangry
I waved to all the passing cyclists on their monument tour and pointed for home
in my head I thought about my interview efforts with the two LAB employees who had no interest in being interviewed
in my head I thought about some questions I could have asked them
What kind of cycling are you into? Do you race? Do you tour? Bike Camp?
How long is your bicycle commute to and from work?
How many bicycles do you own?
or other such questions
as - they did not seem like cyclists
the classic non cycling bicycle advocates
what is my trigger?
years ago... for years and years...
I would apply of jobs in Bicycle Advocacy
rarely getting any consideration
never - and I mean NEVER - getting an interview
so - when I see the type of people that they employ
rather than be amused I am agitated
being hungry
upped that emotion
I felt bad about the interaction
I got home and still felt bad about that interaction
this morning I felt bad about the conflict
a bit of that had to do with my not eating anything
on the ride home I hit up McDonalds
tonight I may head down to another Happy Hour
if I see those two
I will try to make good
no devils advocate
just a hello and sorry
explaining - just as they were tired I was hangry
if their behavior was acceptable
my behavior was also acceptable
although I would prefer that I had not been so grumpy in that moment
