23 April 2009

What can brown do for you?

The U.P.S. guy walks up to my desk a couple of days ago, I think his name is Chris. He knows that I am a pretty active rider and he just bought a Honda CRF450 and likes to share his experiences and ask me questions............I try, the best that I can, to answer intelligently.

At any rate Chris walks up to my desk with a smirk on his face and said, “You looked pissed!”
Confused, I reply, “What are you talking about?”
“I found your blog, and the picture of you on your profile, dude you look pissed off!”

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to place a picture in my profile, I don’t know why, to be friendly I guess. It never occurred to me that I appeared brooding or sullen. Truth is I took that picture last summer at the tail end of a 14 hour ride that took me into the Idaho wilderness in 95 degree weather. Go ahead, you spend 14 straight hours in the saddle of a KLR and step off grinning. I always thought that the picture was a look of contentment, what do I know.

It had been about a week since the U.P.S. driver made that observation about my picture and every time I came over to my little blog here, I thought of what he said. “What can brown do for you?” Well it can give you a little bit of a complex, if you let it. I decided that I should do something about it, lest you folks think any less of my brooding mug shot. I loaded the camera on the bike this weekend and took off into the Palouse to get a picture of myself that was a little more apropos to my personality. I’m really not a bad guy.

So here you have it Chris, a self portrait, Mr. Thomas in the flesh himself. I hope this mug doesn’t scare you off. I think I’ll beat U.P.S. to the punch and say that I look Sanguine not Sullen. I’m not exactly a pretty face so this is the best that your gonna get, and yes that is my girl in the background waiting for me.

Mr. Thomas

Ride Well

E.T.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Mr ET:
Finally, glad to meet you. I think it is a hard job to take a self portrait to look personable. Perhaps we should take a page from Mr Riepe's style of photography. Take a photo of you while you are observing a top-less waitress pole dancing. I'll bet that'll get rid of that smirk on your face.

bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin

Allen Madding said...

Its all context. If you were standing in the pits of a race track in that picture, no one would think twice as you look determined and contemplative. If however you were standing in the middle of say Chuckie Cheese, someone might call the law :)

When I was throwing all my expendable cash (and some not so expendable funds) into a race car, the sight and sound of the big brown truck usually put a smile on my face as it meant new parts aka toys for the race car.

Now if he wants to see the picture of a man pissed, we need to find a picture of me after sliding down GA 400 in commuter traffic and watching the bike bounce 5 or 6 times. I'm sure I looked a little less than amused. But all is well that ends well.

Good Riding.
-Peace

following Bobskoots shameless plug:
http://allenmadding.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Allan:
I was only following Steve's "Scooter in the Sticks" shameless plug. It was his idea

bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin

fasthair said...

Personally I don't see anything wrong with the profile picture. Other then possibly needing a shave you look perfectly content to me. What does Brown know anyway? He is just a rookie anyway. I kid of course. Welcome to the world of motorcycles UPS guy.

fasthair

Charlie said...

OK I can't help myself anymore.......Earl, you are one sexy man! And to answer anyone's question; yes I am one of those confident heterosexuals.

Lady R (Di) said...

You guys are all funny! No one can ever tell me it's just a girl thing! (self portraits... looking good!) LOL!

bikerphoto said...

Any guy that spend 14 hours on any bike is my kind of rider! I just found your blog. It looks great. I'll be visiting again!

Touring Motocycle Tires said...

I now have a face to place on your bikes! I don't think you look bad. The picture is nice. You had done yourself injustice in the previous photo. You go a 14 hour ride and then take a photo? Definitely you would look,not even sullen but dead! But this one is great.