My Fun New Hobby

I've been attempting to promote my new kids picture book on all the socials. I created a new profile on most of them (pcnugnugs) so I could shamelessly plug my book without bothering my friends.

Thanks to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and AI tools, the world is AWASH in kids picture books and people trying to sell them. Makes it very difficult get noticed, so I'll just have to wait and see if kids and parents enjoy it enough to get more copies or tell friends.

On my promotion Facebook account I've joined a bunch of kid lit author groups hoping, like everyone else, to get noticed. This environment of naive first time authors is like fish in a barrel for schemy types. Some like to direct message you, praise your book cover and eventually try to sell you promotion services. So long as they're upfront about it, that's okay. Others, however, are impersonating the authors of very successful books. They send you a link to their bestselling title and eventually offer to get those some kind of numbers on Amazon for YOU!

My fun new hobby is to engage on facebook messenger and see if I can confirm for myself what they're up to. Then I tweet the legit author on X directing them to the likely hoax facebook profile's link. It is very satisfying, and who knows, it might result in a little goodwill among the legit authors. Even if not, it is pretty fun. That is all for now, be well and enjoy Spring.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

CURSE of the NugNugs: A Camping Story

Well, it seems obvious that I've pretty much stopped posting here or making videos; I'm sorry but I guess I've been distracted by new things, one of which was writing and illustrating a children's picture book. I have no intention to take this blog down or anything - I mean, there's so much wisdom here that I feel I must maintain it!

Who knows, I might feel the writing or video itch again, and I'll need somewhere to scratch it!

Anyway, since the blog is still here, I might as well use it to plug my book. It is called CURSE of the NugNugs and was spawned by memories of being scared to go to the outhouse alone when I was little. That seed turned into a silly story I told my kids on a road trip. Now, 15 or so years later, that has turned into a book:

Check it out on Amazon or get more info at NugNugs.com

Thanks So Much,

R A N T W I C K

Review: Mountain Warehouse Adrenaline Cycling Jacket

I got a new jacket a couple of months ago and I love this thing! Video covers everything. Links to amazon below video.

Link to my jacket: https://amzn.to/3wqEqKw

Link to other similarly reflective MW jackets: https://amzn.to/3ZNqHex

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Encounters with Rantwick, episode Twenty Nine: Possum!

I had a really nice commute a while ago thanks to a few nice things happening. In this case I ended up recording myself telling the Rantwick clan all about it, and insodoing discovered I'm much more child-like in my enjoyments than I thought. It's all good though - being a little simpler can often result in being a little happier I think.

I hope you enjoy some of my newly minted rantwick family avatars; they were fun to make and work with. Here's the vid:

Wishing you your own simple delights,

R A N T W I C K

2022 King of Autumn

As my interactions with this blog seem to dwindle despite my best intentions, I still circle back when I have something good to post. A tree in fully furious fall foliage remains one of my favourite things. The King has been tricky this year, displaying a wide variety of colours. As is often the case he chose bright yellow underpinnings and a fierce reddish orange overcoat, but also stayed a little green a little long in some spots. I took these pictures weeks ago, but here they are, better late than never I hope.

Winter is pretty much here in London Ontario Canada, first decent snow fall came yesterday. I hope it provides me with some great video or at least inspiration to make me post some more. In the meantime be kind to yourself and others and if that is difficult, maybe hug a tree.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Silverback Gorilla Foils Bike Thief!

Hello, long time no write, right? Not much writing in this post either, just a video to share. The video has all relevant info in it, so here:

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Encounters with Rantwick, episode Twenty Eight: Rampaging Unleashed Dogs!

Hello! I've been like most people lately, just keepin' on keepin' on. I have not been enjoying the feeling of being sort of painted into a corner in which one feels angry at some people pretty much all of the time, and sort of obligated to be so as well. So I have decided to stop. Before all this polarizing stuff started I was firmly of the belief that most people are good. I still hold that belief, no matter what side of current social divides a person lands on. I want to stop criticizing and judging others for a while. Misguided and misinformed (by one great evil or another) or not, I like to think we're all trying to do our best in a shitty time. So I have taken all my bad feelings towards other people in both hands and packed them into a big dirty snowball. I then placed said snowball of badness on the ground to melt in the sun, got on my bike and rode away. While riding, I encountered some unleashed dogs:

Remember that hokey snowball zen thing? It is not really my style to engage in such visualization stuff, but in these uncommon times I am finding some small comfort in it, so fuck it, y'know? A different but similar thing I heard on CBC radio (a national treasure, btw) has been fun too: When something makes me smile I stick my index finger in the air and say aloud "delight"! Self-help nonsense for sure, and yet it kind of works to lighten my mood. After meeting those dogs I stuck my mitten (and concealed index finger) in the air and softly proclaimed, "delight"!

So what's my point ? I don't know. But I do know there's a world of difference between a dog who has escaped his leash and a dog who doesn't require one. I am aiming to be the latter.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

P.S. Foul language is also helpful in soothing my troubled soul, so take your offense and ...

This Morning's Bicycle Commute - London ON Nov 8 2021

That is all.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

2021 King of Autumn

There are 3 blog posts between this post and the King of Autumn post from last year. All evidence points to my pretty much stopping with this blog. However, I still have a great deal of affection for it and the people I've met* through it.

I was late getting this year's photo because my commute hasn't taken me that way in a great while due to seemingly never ending road work.

Anyway here's the king:

While I in the park taking this photo, some guy walking his dog told me that I must see a red tree doing a fun colour change from the top down a couple of blocks away. Not one to ever turn down a good tree tip, here's that one:

I didn't want to let Autumn go by without keeping my tradition of posting the King, but I must admit I'm not pleased with this half-assed effort. No matter what I'm doing or not doing with the blog, I will endeavor to catch the King at his best next year.

One reason I'm not writing as much is that my creative outlets have shifted into more guitar playing and singing (which was difficult after my brain thing but is still getting better all the time) and making things out of old bikes. Remember that Trek 520 I painstakingly documented the building of? There was something up with the fork or frame that I was never able to properly correct, but made it ride funny. As a result I later converted it into wind chimes and a lamp, of course. I posted the chimes on etsy and they sold almost right away for a fairly high price, which has led to me trying more stuff. My efforts are sometimes clumsy or crude or misguided, but I'm just learning as I go, having fun and trying to sell the stuff anyway. If you're interested, take a look at my store on etsy here. 

Have a spooky good Halloween!

R A N T W I C K

*in a correspond or reply to on the Internet sense; I have never made the effort to actually meet people in person. I know some people use their online lives to strengthen or make more exciting their real existence. Not me. I kind of like keeping those things separate.

Sexuality and Cycling

Bet that title brought you in. Now you just get to see this listing from kijiji:

That tube does not believe in all these stupid labels we put on everything. Good for you, tube.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Winter Cycling Sausage Party

I am truly at a loss for words with this one. Enjoy:

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Brave. Fallen. Failure. Hero.

Hi all, hope yer brains are holding up. It ain't easy, I know. My workplace is considered "essential", so I have been going to work every day, which is a slightly scary blessing compared to staying home for me. Speaking of blessings, being a winter cyclist is a great blessing in these difficult times, as I  am sure many of you can attest.

We finally got a nice amount of snow a few days ago, and the kindness of strangers prompted to make the following video. Hope you like it!

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K