It's a Date!

Hey everyone.  In case I haven't already told you about this, or given you (more than) one flier, This weekend is the It's a Date! sale hosted by Salvaged Strawberry and two birds at Salon Stella in NE Mpls.

The event is going to be super fun, affordable, and filled with unique finds (and home baked goodies and Mimosas) What more can you want, right?  Plus, I'll be there hanging out, keeping things real.....or something like that :)

Enjoy some of the items that will be on sale through the colorful photos below.

Come one come all.  Like I said, affordable thrift/vintage/unique items this Saturday and Sunday at Salon Stella.  Hope to see you there!

Today in rock history

(metalsucks.net)

 Hey Friends.  I think this is going to be a new segment in my blog "Today in rock history"  will just talk about some stuff that went down on certain days in history.  In case you didn't know, I studied History, and Musicology(history of music, basically) in college.  So this is like my favorite kind of stuff.

Today we are featuring the band Blind Faith.
Blind Faith is one of the first (or first, depending on how you look at it) Super groups.  Members include Eric Clapton(Cream, later Derek and the Dominos, among others), Steve Winwood(Traffic, Spencer Davis Group) and Ginger Baker(Cream and Ginger Bakers Airforce) , and Ric Grech (Family). 

                                                                                                    



                                                                                               





(en.wikipedia.org)



Anyhow, on this day in Rock History, these guys became official.  They only produced on album (an iconic one, by that. The Album cover has been the topic of debate time and again).  and played together for a little over a year.  But they were Rad.  I remember my Dad having this album when I was growing up. The cover (see below) was sort of weird to me, but I loved the song "Can't Find My Way Home."  And I still do.

(eric-clapton.co.uk)

There you have it, a piece of Rock History for you to store in your trivia file.  Enjoy the video below, as it are rad.

Stupor Bowl!

This past Saturday was Stupor Bowl XIV. In case you don't know what that is, it is a winter alley cat bike race that happens to be rad.  This was my 4th Stupor Bowl.  The race has 2 categories, speed race and stupor race.  The first year I did the race, I did the speed and had a blast.  But it was a killer race and i decided I wanted to try the stupor race (less stops, but you need to have a drink at each stop.)  Needless to say, you usually end up staying at a stop longer that you may have expected and before you know it, it is time to go to the after party.  I mean, some people actually race the stupor race, but this is the one race of the year that I don't race, I ride.   

The race starts in downtown Mpls at One on One and then moves to the actual start, this year it was kenwood park near lake of the isles.

We took our time marching to the top of the snowy hill, where we knew we would have to stand and get our boots wet while waiting for the race to start.  But it was good for conversations and a beer.

The last 3 years Meghan and I have done the race together.  She typically doesn't ride in the winter, except for the stupor, so it is always a good time.  I have also done 3 stupors with Kat, the first, third and fourth.  Greta and Alex we new to team Rad, and a pleasure to have along.

We ran into some of the polo boys (dustin, landon and ebbin) and they road with us for a lot of the race as well. It was nice to have a crew to just cruise along with.

All in all, it was a super fun race. as per usual, Meghan had a few bike issues, but it didn't stop us from later going to the Kitty Cat Klub to see Calamity and the Owl play their CD reason show (which was so much fun!) We didn't stay for the awards, mainly because I really wanted to see this show.  But if you check out bikelove, you can read more about the results.  I heard Jeff Frane (of bike jerks and all city) and Chelsae Strate (of Babes in bikeland and mpls presents) finishes 1st for men's and ladies speed. Well done.

This is what the world is for.....

 ....making electricity.....

Sunday marks A and my three year anniversary.  I couldn't be happier with a partner.  We have had many amazing experiences, shared beautiful moments, and laughed a lot.  these are all thing i want and need in life. 

just a quick story time, before you get into the music....
A and I met at memory lanes.  It was a Friday night, my band had a show, and at the time we were both smokers.  It was a cold January night, and I was out in the smoking area prior to our set.  Out walks A with a dude i *sort of* knew, but by sort of I mean not really at all.  But when I saw her, I had this overwhelming feeling that I knew her, or was suppose to know her, so I started to talk to her.  Little did I know I left an impression on A.  Within a week I had a message from her in my inbox.  After meeting, she searched myspace for my band, and found me too.  After a few (hundred) emails back and forth, we set up our first date, and we haven't turned back since. 

babe, I hope you like this mix.  others, I hope you like it too.  It's some *classic* love-type songs, along with a few favorites of our.  So enjoy! love is in the air

1. Then he (she) kissed me-the Crystals.  I love this song.  and on our second date, A straight up grabbed me and kissed me, like as soon as I walked in the bar we were meeting at.  So I can't help but think of this song when I think of her.

2. Crazy in Love-Beyonce.  I am crazy in love....need I say more?

3. I wanna hold your hand-the Beatles.  There are many many many Beatles songs about love to chose from. But for me, this song is so damn cute and innocent, i had to pick it.

4. Stand by me-Ben E. King. When I was young, there was an episode of  the wonder years in which Kevin and Winnie hold hands for the first time (i think in some woods near their house?) and Kevin give Winnie his letter jacket....man, that's some good stuff (and this song was playing when it all went down...)

5. Spit on a Stranger-Pavement.   "honey I'm a prize and your a catch and we're a perfect match"  i feel this is an accurate description of the two of us.

6. Sweet Thing-Van Morrison. I consider this to be one of "our" songs.

7. Natural woman-Aretha Franklin.  all Aretha is saying here, that's how I feel a lot of the time (thanks to my special lady)

8. Ain't no Mountain High Enough-Marvin and Tammi.  sometimes, while this may sound WAYYY cheeseball, old Motown songs are just so damn good/true.

9. PYT-Michael Jackson.  another one of "our" songs.  maybe we just *love* dancing to it in our living room.

10. You Send Me-Sam Cooke.  again with the cheeseball comment-Motown knows how to say it.

11. My Girl-The Temptations.  A-you're my girl.  on the real!

12.Let's get it on-Marvin Gaye.  At the same bar (red dragon) that A first kissed me, we later had a mini make out session just as "let's get it on" started to play on the jukebox.  Ahhhh the memories :)

13. Real Love-Mary J Blige.  So this is only a remix, because I can't find anything else.  But,. between M. Doughty and Mary j., this song is amazing.  Seeing it live this past summer really moved me.

14. Electric Feel-MGMT.  our ultimate song.  When A and I were stalking each other and cuckoo nutsy in love (at first sight) this was the song on A's myspace profile page.  every time I went to look at her pictures (which was like 10,000 times a day) this song would come on and put me in the BEST mood.  And the day after our first date, I actually had tix to see Yeasayer and MGMT at the entry.  when they played this song live, my heart almost exploded with happiness.

15. Maybe I'm Amazed-Paul McCartney.  one of the best songs ever. 

so, I hope my love mix wasn't too silly for you.  I hope you can appreciate what love can do to someone.  And more than anything, thanks for 3 amazing years, baby.

Grease Rag

 I finally made it back to Graser Rag last night.  And I had a blast!  It had been so long since I had gone, and hopefully these pictures can show you how much my bike wanted me to clean it.  She was a real mess.

No....my chain is not gold.  That is straight up a bunch of rust and yuck on there.

 Minnesota Winters can really mess a bike up.  With all the snow and ice, it can get rough.  But add the salt from the road on top of that and you get a real yucky situation. I've been riding this bike since about December 1st (we'll say) and until last night, I hadnt cleaned it. 

 After inspecting it the other day, I realized that I should take a little better care of it, even if it is just my "winter beater."  She treats me well-gets me from one place to the next.  So I should treat her wioth the same respect and clean her off every so often.

 Just look at the raod sludge on my cog. 

 So i took both wheels off and cleaned them up.  Then i added a little lube to each nipple, all that grit and such doesnt get into the spoke holes/rim and such. I also used a wire brush to clean the heck out of the chain, which turned everything a bright beaudious shade of orange.  That took some time.  I also (as you can see below) cleaned my chain ring and BB up a bit.  but I didnt have the time, or energy to take much apart and clean the insides of stuff.  That's an after winter job for me.

 Once everything was cleaned off, I threw it all back together and lubed up the chain.  It's always a good idea to spin your backwheel a handful of times after you lube a chain to make sure it all gets worked in.

This morning when I hit the road on my freshly cleaned up bike, I could feel the difference.  Everything felt so smooth!  It was great.  I hope that feeling can hold out until mid march when I (hopefully) can change back to my other bikes and overhaul this beast for another 8 months until next winter when I pull her out again.

How about you guys?  have you been properly cleaning up you bike?

Thursday

 Happy Friday, everyone.  I've had a lot to write/blog/bullshit about lately.  Today, i share some photos from the last 24 hours. 

First off, a new record I got in the mail yesterday.  About 3 weeks ago I asked my brother (punk rock guru) what essential punk albums i should own.  He had the obvious (anything Ramones, Descendents, or Misfits) but also a long list of stuff going on right now that is killer. 

On the list was a MKE local band (Call Me Lightning.)  So I hit up a record store that he suggested (dusty medical records), read a review and bought it.  So far i am enjoying the album, although Ive only listened to it twice.

 Whenever A is not home for dinner, and i have to cook for myself, the food i make ALWAYS starts by looking like this (cut up whatever veggies I have in the house and saute them...then add something else in order to call it a "real" meal.)  In this case, I added some deli turkey, (scrambled) eggs and cheese.  Along with a banana and I call this a balanced dinner (sort of).

 I hit up grease rag....more on that later

 And of course some morning pug love.  The babies really enjoy sleeping in, and really, wish they could lay in our bed all day.

 Parker prefers to be near our heads, specifically on my pillow.  And Scarlett is more of the under-the-covers-curled-up-in-a-ball-behind-our-knees kinda girl.

 She is like a little angel in the morning.

 And Parker has straight up sleepy face and hates having to get up in order to go outside.

and of course a recent gift from my fabulous thrifting lady pal that I love and had yest to photograph until this morning.

Happy Friday