Celluloid dreams

As some of you may know, I like to take pictures. I lack the polish and skill of my peers (I am looking right at you, Corey) but I enjoy it nonetheless. For a hot little minute there, I did not have a digital SLR, so I had to use...film. I know, I know, it sounds crazy. But man, I love film. I love not knowing how it is gonna look. I love the little things that can go wrong. I love the sound that a film camera makes when you press that button and the reflex happens. I was going through an older photobucket account that I have and found that I had scanned in a few film shots that I had taken, so here you go...

FBM Bikes stopped by a couple of summers ago and had one Aaron Ross and Cameron Wood with them. They both did wallrides on the State Street parking garage and they looked like this...




Tony Cardona was also on that trip and this is a pic of a table that he did on the Mound...



Weird to think that none of those dudes ride for FBM anymore.

Here is a picture of local shredder cum laude Zac at the now gone Knox Bikes (Jesus, nothing lasts, does it?)



And finally, my bestest friend Corey in Nashville, TN. Too bad Bones is acting like a retard in the background...



I am gonna shoot more film, I think.

A separate peace.

It is easy to lose track of things in the day to day of single parenthood. Some days it feels like I just go through motions and when the smallest thing disrupts the process, I don't handle it well. But there are really good moments that pass in the days. Moments that give me pause and let me take them in and reflect upon them. Yesterday at dinner I felt that pause. A simple dinner of fish, peas and couscous reminded me how good I have it. Sitting at the table with my kids, seeing them eat the food I prepared, seeing them smile and enjoy being there with me let me know that I am doing okay. Traditional moments in an otherwise wholly non-traditional life give me the assurance that I am doing things the right way. I don't have all the answers, I know that, and often I struggle, but those kids are getting all the love I have to offer. And I have a lot of love.

Still rocking the bandanna. Mica said it has grown on her, and Taylor mentioned me and Springsteen in the same paragraph, so I am stoked.



Messing with the camera settings tonight and I finally figure out the goddamned white balance. Wow. I am less than bright sometimes...but I love having pictures of my cobbled together little family...




It is supposed to be really windy again tonight. Hopefully I will be ready this time.

Sharks are only found in two places on earth.

Anyways, not much has been going on with me. I got to ride yesterday, got yelled at by frat boys (always a treat, especially considering that I am probably 10 to 12 years older than they are) used up the rest of the Austin roll (looking forward to developing that) and got a nice bruise on the back of my leg. All in all...aces. My friend Will was trying the big ledge that has killed me many a night. He never got all the way, but go really close.



I have decided that Dunkin Donuts Coffee is actually really good...especially when you get it on sale. It makes a nice pot of coffee. Starbucks is just...well...shit.

I have my children this week. Garrett is getting big and nuts. He screams to play with my keys. He screams to get soy milk. He screams to not be put to bed. He screams when he is tired. But, the funny shit he does more than makes up for that. He still gets stoked on BMX vids. He literally ran to the computer when I pulled up the Aaron Ross video bike check. He climbed into my lap and got all mesmerized...so I took a pic. Damn, I love having a Mac.



I am ready to be warm. Winter has worn the welcome right out.

Pelican songs would be better if they were true.

I am listening to Pelican's "Last Day of Winter" on the ol' iPod right now. I wish it were the last day of winter. I am not a fan of the cold, as anyone who knows me can attest to. I think the weather, along with other factors, contributes to my increasingly sour mood of late. Some of it has to do with the knowledge that unless I win the lottery and pay to have my respective baby mommas move there, I will never be able to live in Austin, TX...or for that matter really ever be able to live anywhere other than Knoxville, TN. I like Knoxville...but I guess my eyes were opened to something awesome when I got to see a place like Austin. There are things I can do to improve my situation here, I know that, but with the cold and the wet, I just feel like not doing it. Maybe when it warms up a little. I want to cheer up.

So, I surrender to winter for now and take pictures of the things that make me happy.




This lady bought me some awesome hot sauce. If I can just get her to close the lid on the coffee creamer, we'll be golden!


Smiling on the outside, but winter is kicking my ass.

I'm not hip enough for this.

I fell for it. I bought some big bars. I even put them on...rode the T-1 ramp with them. I totally regret it. They are too big. Too sketchy. I like my T-1 bars. They feel perfect with their perfectly worn grips. I put the T-1 bars back on and I curse myself for falling for a trend.



Part of the trip to Austin involved me getting various pros to sign Garrett's Empire BMX shirt. They did without even batting an eye. One day, Garrett might be stoked.



I painted my kitchen, finally. I still have to finish the cabinets, but it'll get done. Just getting the walls done was huge for me.



Here's to hoping that this week will be a good one.

My life is gonna be the death of me.

Totally still in an Austin induced hangover...but just like in the old days of working in the NOC...I loved a goddamned hangover. Anyways, just know that I miss that place. I miss my big sis, I miss the awesome coffee, the awesome food, the open spaces, the drives into the city, the friendly BMX pros that were more than stoked to sign a shirt for my son...all of it was just amazing. I have to go back.

So, when I got home, I started going through my pics and noticed that some of these turned out better than I thought they did. The Mac makes the difference.

This was the first pic that Mica took of me at 9th street. At first it looked too dark but I see that it is actually not bad at all.


I think this was the first pic I took in 2008 and it is at the T-1 ramp. I made it black and white because, well, because I can.


This was the British fellow at the Empire warehouse. This one came out good, I think. I need some better flashes, though.


Across the street from the T-1 office, there was the "6th St. Cool Store". The place looked waaaaay interesting. I have a feeling that one could get papers in there if they needed to do so...


My niece is a beautiful girl. Well, actually I have 4 nieces, and they are all beautiful, but Lauren is a Texas beauty queen!


This one is a random shot I took of Garrett and I at Chuy's. The salsa was good and spicy, and Garrett liked the hell out of it. That kid may look like his momma, but he acts like me. I'll take that.

The Helper Pets

More Austin! I still love this place. It's been cold as balls here, but we still are having a blast. Chuy's was a desired destination for me, and we went there yesterday. The food was totally awesome, as I suspected it was. The salsa was next level and the veggie combo was nice as! Garrett liked the decor...


Afterwards, we took the kids to Zilker Park in Austin. My sister Amy knows where to go, which is pretty awesome. She also made me some cookies which rocked my face and has been super cool with watching Garrett for when Mica and I make our forays into the city. Oh! The park! The kids had a great time...


Cooper was chill as could be...


Mica and I made our way down to the water, which had these big ass ducks that wanted to peck the lens, but since it belongs to Corey, I kept it mostly safe.


The night was finished for me at Empire, where they have a mini ramp in the warehouse. I took a few pics, but man, it was so frigging cold in there. I did manage to score some more signatures for Garrett's Empire BMX t-shirt, as just about the entire Mutiny Bikes team was there. This fella had a British accent and was pretty nice, and it just so happened that this pic was the one that turned out the best.


Today, Mica and I went to 9th Street so I could try to ride some. It was warmer today that it had been, so that helped. There were some locals there that rode the big jumps, and this dude was one of them...


More local action...


Mica took a pic of me doing an ice pick stall (a trick I really do too damn much, but it is really easy to photograph) at the trails, so I am officially stoked as hell.


We finished up eating pizza at this place called Homeslice, as recommended to us by the T-1 crew. Totally delicious. I can't believe this trip is almost over. Just amazing all around. Wow.

And they are called "The Wonder Pets", Mica.

Austin...a nice place to visit...

and I'd totally live there. Holy shit. I love this place. Love. Anyways, it took a long time to get down here. Longer than I expected, but Garrett totally held it together and was rad as could be on the way. Mica and I almost killed each other a little bit, but we decided that it would be best if we did not do that. So far, this feels like the right decision.

TENSION RUNS HIGH


On Monday, we went out and about in downtown Austin, making a stop by Empire BMX. I have ordered a ton of stuff from there over the years...so much so that Tom at Empire recognized my name. Hahahaha. Met Hanson Little in there, as well. Both guys were nice as could be. Tom, Tina and Hanson signed the Empire BMX shirt that I bought Garrett months ago. They seemed very stoked to do so. Great people and a great place. There is a reason that they are my mail order of choice.



While down there, we ate lunch at Wahoo's, which sated my desire for some fish tacos. They also had Lonestar Beer, so I grabbed me one of those. Not bad at all.



Garrett enjoyed his food, and I enjoyed taking pictures of everything. I AM A TOURIST!




I rang in 2008 with a quick session at the T-1 ramp. I say session but what I really mean is that I was the only one riding it. Joe Rich, aka the nicest dude in Austin, let me ride the ramp for a bit and hang out. We talked for a bit and Mica made me buy a pink shirt. Mica looks pretty on the ramp. She's prettier than I am...

I had to sweep it off before I rode...



I didn't get much in the way of action shots. Mica was scared to use my camera and she wasn't totally used to taking BMX pics, but I did ride!


And here I am just being totally goddamned stoked...


We ended the day at 9th street, DIRT! It was cold and windy, but I rode a little. I took it a little doing an ice pick on the dirt quarter, but it was totally fun.


We are here for 4 more days. It's been a blast. I got to meet my nephew Cooper and he is a total love bug. He's smiles at everyone! I am gonna get some pics of him smiling with me tomorrow. More to come! I am overwhelmed by all of this. I love Texas!