Friday, April 25, 2014

A winning bid!

Sometimes you can't catch a break.

Most times, things just bumble along all OK-like.

And then there are the rare moments when things go really sidewise, or they come out unaccountably well.

Never in a million years did I imagine I would own a limited edition Modern Vespa patch.

Then that whole Limited Edition MV Patches for BitCoin thing cropped up and there was a narrow opportunity to get my hands on one.  The so-called Italia patch screamed "Buy  MEEEE!!".

And, against all odds, I did!

Alas, the seller has since gone incommunicado, inexplicably, and has yet to deliver.  How disappointing and frustrating.  I feel like the odd-man-out kid in the school yard who gets picked to play... and then the missing cool kid shows up and it's all "... Nah, don't bother, we're fine now..."

I'm sure my BitCoin Italia patch will eventually show up, as soon as the seller decides to take an interest in completing the transaction.  I truly do believe he's good for it and that he will deliver.  He just lost interest in the MV scene, momentarily, since March, after posting more than nine times a day since he founded the forum.  The truth is, I hope nothing is really wrong.  Like a health crisis.  Those who know him say not to worry.  So I'm trying not to worry.

And then the law of averages kicks in, and someone with real class strides your way.  Someone like Tom Jaszewski.  And lo and behold, it's not just the Italia patch that might come your way, but the entire MV collection, the whole shooting match, every single year-patch ever made, and every single limited edition.  The only catch is that it's a silent auction.

Never for a moment suspecting I could table a winning bid, I bid anyway.

Whadda ya know?  Hot-damn! I'll be hornswaggled!! I WON!

I never win anything.  Except a Peter Rabbit book when I was four (though technically my mother won since she entered my name in a contest on a popular kids' radio show).  That was in the time few of us remember before all broadcast entertainment moved to television.  A long, long, long time ago.  More than half a century ago.  Man, I'm   old   young at heart.

And then last month I bought a lottery ticket so Susan and I could fantasize about spending 48 million dollars on loved ones, dear friends and colleagues... and I won... $127.90.  Still, a win, is a win, is a win.  And $127.90 will go a fair way to a romantic dinner in Venice next month.

It's starting to look like I might be on a roll.

Look at the bounty that came in the mail yesterday.  Just look at it.  Look at that coveted Italia patch!  And it's here in time to be sewn on my jacket for the Tuscan Loop.  Oh joy!
I know it's silly.  But Tom and I, we appreciate these patches.  And I know I'm a serious guy, and I know Tom is a serious guy.  We have accomplished stuff.  Amazing stuff.

All to say that beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder.  I really feel blessed.  So I don't have to apologize over much for being blown away by a bunch of patches that came in the mail.  Snail-mail.  From Minnesota. Wow.

16 comments:

Canajun said...

Congrats on a winning streak! I must have missed the original bitcoin post but I thoroughly enjoyed it today. I too am fascinated by the whole bitcoin methodology but am still having difficulty separating it from the latest ponzi scheme. I know it isn't but I expect that the early adopters (not me) will have made out like bandits while the rest of us lose our shirts as the market bounces around - likely more down than up. If I wanted that kind of stress I'd be investing in penny mining stocks - which I don't do any more either..

RichardM said...

I was really curious on the outcome of the whole bit coin transaction. Too bad the seller dropped contact and didn't conclude the whole transaction. Congrats on your winning streak. Only a little while longer before the adventure begins.

SonjaM said...

I am still figuring out that bit coin thing.
Glad, you got what you wanted. I like the target one with the Italian Tricolore in the middle best.

Trobairitz said...

Congrats David. A well deserved win on those patches, always sweeter when unexpected.

TDJ said...

I fitting end to my Vespa decade. I'm thrilled they cam to be yours. As soon as I find the original unsold, first ever MV patch, it's your too. No bids, yours because you are just the sort that deserves it. YOU are the sort of rider that makes MV work.

David Masse said...

Dave, I share your view. I was in and out of BitCoin in a minute or two, so I had no stake in the value fluctuation.

I believe strongly in the math. The issue with BitCoin is storing the value for any period of time. If your private key becomes lost or corrupted, bye-bye BTC.

The other sobering thought is what we recently saw with SSL. Again, it's not the math that's the problem, it's crappy implementation. In the case of Heartbleed, the whole issue was basically an implementation mistake that opened the door to a buffer overflow in the server heartbeat feature that caused the affected server to do a memory dump to the connected device.

Those kinds of esoteric problems are the plague of all systems. It's also going to be binary scenario: perfectly safe, or leaky, with no way of knowing if the system's sprung a leak with your vital data, until it's too late.

David Masse said...

Richard, I'm really getting excited. Now I've got some sewing to do.

David Masse said...

Sonja, the limited edition patches are beautifully executed, well worth the $25 MV charged for them. The regular ones are excellent quality, but the limited edition ones are really exceptional.

David Masse said...

Tom, that's so kind. I am really truly appreciative.

David Masse said...

Brandy, my only wish is that my recent good fortune continues to roll for another little bit. I've got some really important stuff going that I'd like to see end well.

VStar Lady said...

Way to go David ... sounds like part of the good Karma included Tom. May the force be with you =D

Unknown said...

David:

this couldn't have happened to a better person. Keep the luck flowing. I hope your luck spills over to everyone you touch . . .

bob
A weekend photographer or Riding the Wet Coast

Unknown said...

David congratulations on the collection. Hope too see them sewn on your jacket this summer. Howard

David Masse said...

Thanks Bob. From your lips to God's ears! We could all use some luck.

David Masse said...

Howard, we'll make that happen.

Dave (MV fledermaus) said...

David, That's awesome! Not one to lust after patches (though I admit to buying a few....ahem), but very happy for your good fortune. Sad to see Tom ending his Vespa days, but nice that these things are moving on to good folks.

Hope your luck continues!

The copyright in all text and photographs, except as noted, belongs to David Masse.