Samuel, Anne, Luke, Hannah, Jonathan and Becca would like to welcome Alexa to Tenspeed Hero. We first met Alexa at our favorite coffee shop when we spotted her wearing a Tour de France t-shirt she picked up at the 2010 tour. Forward to 2013 we met her at our building’s yard-sale after she became intrigued with our handmade sidewalk sale signs posted around the neighborhood. We started to talk about college, writing, coffee and at that very moment we asked her to work for us to help us coordinate efforts on our first book. Her official title is Coordinator/Writer of the Book.
TSH: Who are you?
Alexa: Alexa Daugherty a.k.a. A Young Cat Lady
TSH: Why do you want to work for Tenspeed Hero?
Alexa: Tenspeed has a love of wandering connected to a love of existing in one community, one neighborhood, one present. The intersection of these seemingly opposed ideas inspires me. I also am a big fan of the website font.
TSH: Last summer we saw you working as a Barista at La Colombe Torrefaction. We took notice that you wearing a Tour de France t-shirt. This summer you came to our yard sale based upon your appreciation of our homemade sign. So it seemed fitting to offer you a job. Our question for you is simple…do you believe in fate or chance?
Alexa: I don’t know if fate and chance are morally opposed. Either way, I think I believe in coffee. I drank lots of coffee while waiting at the Tour de France finishline. I served you a lot of espresso while at The West Loop’s version of that sitcom coffee shop. And I was on my way to coffee when I saw your lovely yard sale sign. Caffeine Connections. That’ll be my next wifi network name.
TSH: How do you feel about cycling around Chicago?
Alexa: I’m working towards:
But I’m very scared of car doors & it just started to get hot:
TSH: What is more difficult to find, a new pair of glasses, a pair of pants or a pair of summer sneakers?
Alexa: Glasses. Because I can’t see myself in those LensCrafters mirrors without wearing my old glasses on top of my potentially new glasses. But, then, that odd, double-glasses combo is not very conducive to judging how just one solitary pair will look. The whole experience is overwhelming and blurry.
TSH: If you had one hour to visit Chicago what would you recommend doing?
ALEXA:
0:00:00 You fly into Midway.
0:02:54 Ride the 55 en route to Hyde Park.
0:14:16 Stop in Little Village. It will smell like tortillas.
0:22:00 Eat a huge avocado burrito from Los Olivios while walking/skipping/running/cycling/hopscotching around
0:43:15 Make your way to The Point – a Chicago shoreline hewn into grey, lakewashed rocks and South Side minds.
0:55:14 Jump in aforementioned shore.
1:00:00 Swim to Michigan. (see, you waited 20 minutes before swimming).
