cuppow - use those mason jars

now that you have gotten your inspiration for how to decorate the hallway from dwell mag, picked up a few items on etsy, and scrounged through your local urban outfitters for the right oversized, yet understated hoodie, you can reach for your mason jars and use them on the go!


CUPPOW! from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.


I'm down with this idea.  I like it.  friggen smart....damn.....

buy them here.  

and totally saw this posted over at the 10 engines blog a few weeks ago.

hardcore band from high school

I played in a bunch of bands growing up.  Mostly drums, but there was this one band that we put together for a show at my high school that was going to be held in the cafeteria.  We then went on to play a few clubs in the NYC suburbs and after 3 or 4 shows it was done.  Gone.  Forever.  Until pictures started surfacing recently.

Here's a pic of me singing/screaming in said band, Voltron.  

We were a mix of heavy riffage, screaming, deftones softness and CB-4 rap lyrics.  Yes, all of those.  And that was the beauty of being 17.

4,613...

...unread emails in my gmail inbox.  This would drive Comp crazy if he knew.  I've had this email address for a while, but wow, that's carazee.  At this point, I'm not going to get to them.  oops.  Took a much needed day to handle some personal business and at the end of the afternoon decided to start the shovel up and take 'er for a spin around Park Slope in the 50 degree January weather.

On my way back to Manhattan to catch Nada Surf though, the bike stalled at a traffic light and wouldn't start.  nothing.  key off, kick 3 times, key on, twist throttle 3 times, kick.  rinse, repeat with enricher knob up.  rinse repeat.  rinse.  SWEATING.  I even had a few passers-by stop and watch.  Because that ALWAYS helps!  Luckily for everyone around nobody was a "mechanic" and told me that it was probably flooded.  They just watched and let me mumble to myself in peace knowing that this was going to be an easy fix.

the kicker/clutch started slipping again when kicked so that HAD to be it.  broke out the tool roll and fixed that. Much better engagement now.  BUT still no starting.  

Even tried pop starting it down 15th street, but nothing.  you know what?  out of gas.  yep.  the low gas light didn't go on to warn me.  dummy.  the sound of the picture below was this: "shush, shush, shush, shush..." go ahead and say it either out loud or in your head.  make that sound.  the "shush, shush, shush, shush" of my front brake rotor rubbing slightly on the pads.

put a few dollars of gas in, and voila, gas filter filled up with gas, carb got some liquid gold and key off, kick three times, key on, twist throttle 3 times, kick...BAM WHAM NOISE!  started right up.  I'll say it again.....dummy.  It's usually the easy stuff.  Luckily I wasn't late to the show.

Orchard Street Sunday

this past Saturday's weather was epic for January in New York.  Warm and sunny, the city was alive with smiles, people eating outside at restaurants, post-holiday sales, and perfect riding conditions.  Unfortunately, I chose to ride the subway all day, but that's ok, I made up for it on Sunday when it was 20  degrees colder, d'oh!

after hanging out with Cicero, I headed into the city to Selfedge to check out their goods and then headed up to watch the Giants game at Adam and Alina's place on the UWS.

But I had to snap a few pics of A.J.'s beautiful shovel parked across the street from where I stopped first.  I swear, seeing other bikes that you like is like nothing else.  If you're a bike owner you know what I'm talking about.  Nothing else matters, you walk up to it, check it out, look at the details, don't say a word but just smile and then move on.  maybe snap a few pics.  But you can't NOT do that.  You have to look.....and I love it.

so I did just that.....walked over, looked, squatted next to it, checked out the little bips and bops, took a few pictures and kept on my journey.  Rode up 6th and 8th aves, and it was a fun few hour jaunt.  

Godspeed 45/06 - in the neighborhood

Cicero hit me up through the Facebook after I posted about tearing the shovel down for the winter.  With a nice main seal leak and a tranny leak and the 70's paint wearing/chipping/flaking, OH and still no rear brake, something has got to give.  BUT the weather isn't it...

We got together this past Sunday morning, chatted about bikes, life, jewelry, work, kids and he took some pictures while we were doing that.  Just a couple of dudes, hanging at 9:30am...

check out his photography here.

and

check his quarterly Godspeed 45/06 photo collab books that are pure amazingness here.

thanks 'Ros!   sunday funday.

Started

I took my own advice and adjusted and tightened up a few things. Just in time to meet up with fellow brooklyn'er Cicero DeGuzman Jr.

Glad I did, sine we ran some loops around gowanus!

well look at that...

little miles is growing.

He's already thinking about choppers, guitars, drums, and his first Eames chair....I know because he whispered it to me right after this picture was taken.

TightenUp

It's a new year. Don't forget to check all those nuts and bolts. All the little things you may have rushed and forgotten to loctite. Take your time with this. I know I have a few to get to.