The last week has been crazy. I finished building wheels for my old bike and picked up a busted Panasonic cruiser for free. Also, Japanther played here last night, I tried to squat a caboose which then dissapeered, and have generally been preoccupied by general petty crime of various nature. When it rains it pours - more stories from the good life later. Now enjoy these photographs.
Living the good life. Working in a vegan bakery part of the week and being caught up in bike building projects/ trips in my free time. I've been living in a punk house in Seattle without a room and sleeping on the porch for $50 a month plus utilities. It's a pretty epic deal. I'm trying to ride down to Northern California next month if I can finish building a set a wheels in time.
*** I decided to drop out of school and live the kind of life that I love reading about. Recently I met someone who shares the same enthusiasm and similar values to my own. Here's a brief story about it***
She called sometime after the sun had gone down. Her sister was visiting family in Idaho needed someone to look after the house pet. She wanted to know if I would hang out while she took care of her sisters place barely a block away from my own lonely apartment. Of course.
I had called her a few days before. "I thought you should know I kinda have this crush on you," I said on a phone message. She'd been all over my mind ever since I saw her at Food Not Bombs. The next day I got a call back telling me everything I had hoped to hear. Bliss.
So we layed on the bed and talked, the room was hot despite the fact that it was a cold November day outside. We tucked under the covers. We took off our clothes bit by bit, and soon found ourselves inches from each others faces waiting for the others' lips. Fifteen hours later we hadn't left the room, nor even desired to move. No doubt the neighboors below hated us now. "Don't fuck on my bed," her sister said. We cleaned her kitchen in token gratitude.
Early in the morning after a vegan breakfast of Frech toast, "yogurt" raspberries, granola, and tea we set out to get some produce for Thanksgiving and hitch a ride out of the city. At Whole Foods we filled our bags with harvest time staples for our feast and walked out of the door. Sometimes "suggested retail price" is merely a suggestion.
An ex-junkie/ punk girl picked us up in a black Saab within fifteen minutes. We thought writting "Grandmas" on a sign and sticking our thumbs out was cute - she didn't want any sketchy people picking us up. "I used to hitch and ride trains too," she told us. We thought she was too pretty to be punk. Our Thanksgiving feast was as delicious as it was free: Tofurkey in orange pomegrante sauce, maple yams, homemade cranberry sauce, butternut squash soup, and "buttery" green beans with shallots and garlic. We enjoyed dessert on the floor of the guest bedroom and hoped no one else heard us. Thanks Grandma.
Back in Seattle we grabbed our bikes and went to see a house show/ potluck. I had met Paul Baribeau in Ohio and was eager to see a familiar face, even if it just meant listening to him play a short set in someones basement. My new lover and I held hands and listened while Paul played love songs. There is one about being straightedge he ends every set with that always makes we want to cry.
The walk to the train yard is long and hard, especially with a heavy bag perched on yer' shoulders. Three hours we waited on that train. By the time the engine was finally mounted on front we were standing side by side handcuffed in front of a Jeep while our IDs were being scanned and cataloged by the train yard police officer. We watched the train pull away slowly and wondered if we had the energy to wait for another one in an attempt to enjoy mysterious and beautiful northern Washington. The thought of my citation being mailed back home to Ohio for Mom and Dad to discover made me giggle. It was a long walk home so we spent quietly and peacefully in bed together. What should we do tomorrow?
She called sometime after the sun had gone down. Her sister was visiting family in Idaho needed someone to look after the house pet. She wanted to know if I would hang out while she took care of her sisters place barely a block away from my own lonely apartment. Of course.
I had called her a few days before. "I thought you should know I kinda have this crush on you," I said on a phone message. She'd been all over my mind ever since I saw her at Food Not Bombs. The next day I got a call back telling me everything I had hoped to hear. Bliss.
So we layed on the bed and talked, the room was hot despite the fact that it was a cold November day outside. We tucked under the covers. We took off our clothes bit by bit, and soon found ourselves inches from each others faces waiting for the others' lips. Fifteen hours later we hadn't left the room, nor even desired to move. No doubt the neighboors below hated us now. "Don't fuck on my bed," her sister said. We cleaned her kitchen in token gratitude.
Early in the morning after a vegan breakfast of Frech toast, "yogurt" raspberries, granola, and tea we set out to get some produce for Thanksgiving and hitch a ride out of the city. At Whole Foods we filled our bags with harvest time staples for our feast and walked out of the door. Sometimes "suggested retail price" is merely a suggestion.
An ex-junkie/ punk girl picked us up in a black Saab within fifteen minutes. We thought writting "Grandmas" on a sign and sticking our thumbs out was cute - she didn't want any sketchy people picking us up. "I used to hitch and ride trains too," she told us. We thought she was too pretty to be punk. Our Thanksgiving feast was as delicious as it was free: Tofurkey in orange pomegrante sauce, maple yams, homemade cranberry sauce, butternut squash soup, and "buttery" green beans with shallots and garlic. We enjoyed dessert on the floor of the guest bedroom and hoped no one else heard us. Thanks Grandma.
Back in Seattle we grabbed our bikes and went to see a house show/ potluck. I had met Paul Baribeau in Ohio and was eager to see a familiar face, even if it just meant listening to him play a short set in someones basement. My new lover and I held hands and listened while Paul played love songs. There is one about being straightedge he ends every set with that always makes we want to cry.
The walk to the train yard is long and hard, especially with a heavy bag perched on yer' shoulders. Three hours we waited on that train. By the time the engine was finally mounted on front we were standing side by side handcuffed in front of a Jeep while our IDs were being scanned and cataloged by the train yard police officer. We watched the train pull away slowly and wondered if we had the energy to wait for another one in an attempt to enjoy mysterious and beautiful northern Washington. The thought of my citation being mailed back home to Ohio for Mom and Dad to discover made me giggle. It was a long walk home so we spent quietly and peacefully in bed together. What should we do tomorrow?
It's been so long since I've sat down to recall the events which I've been throwing myself at since arriving in Seattle. I guess I'm more in to looking at the calandar on the wall and seeing all the boxes with events in them than producing photos or "blogs."
I worked with Food Not Bombs on a handful of their Thursday meals at Pioneer Sqaure. It's a solid bunch and definately a good way to stay fed without paying for things (not paying for things has become my theme here in "Emerald City") The grocery store down the block is great for stealing things and my former partner hooks up uber classy (free) produce deals at Pike Place Market. After living here two months, the only non-food I've paid items I've accumulated are two books, a desk lamp, and some new tires for my bicycle. It's a good thing.
One of the better aspects of this city is the non-driver scene. Great busses and tons of other people holding down the bicylces despite the unfriendly "hills" near the bay and beyond. My calves have swollen to a size unobtainable riding a bicycle in the Midwest. Because of the vast "rider-ship" in the city Critical Mass is a burly treat every month, as are the many alleycats and other events which go down with some regularity.
The weather here is a joke. Last night I hopped a freight train to Tacoma in the "shitty" Seattle "winter." It wasn't bad at all, no snow, just rain and some gusty wind. Fuck the Midwest. School here is somewhat mediocre, I think when all is said and down I'll cruise down to Portland or SF for a minute and move to NYC. This city seems too small and lonely.
-Drew
I worked with Food Not Bombs on a handful of their Thursday meals at Pioneer Sqaure. It's a solid bunch and definately a good way to stay fed without paying for things (not paying for things has become my theme here in "Emerald City") The grocery store down the block is great for stealing things and my former partner hooks up uber classy (free) produce deals at Pike Place Market. After living here two months, the only non-food I've paid items I've accumulated are two books, a desk lamp, and some new tires for my bicycle. It's a good thing.
One of the better aspects of this city is the non-driver scene. Great busses and tons of other people holding down the bicylces despite the unfriendly "hills" near the bay and beyond. My calves have swollen to a size unobtainable riding a bicycle in the Midwest. Because of the vast "rider-ship" in the city Critical Mass is a burly treat every month, as are the many alleycats and other events which go down with some regularity.
The weather here is a joke. Last night I hopped a freight train to Tacoma in the "shitty" Seattle "winter." It wasn't bad at all, no snow, just rain and some gusty wind. Fuck the Midwest. School here is somewhat mediocre, I think when all is said and down I'll cruise down to Portland or SF for a minute and move to NYC. This city seems too small and lonely.
-Drew
So I just got settled in over here on the left coast. I start class Monday, which should be the exact time my partner arrives in town from Ohio. Hills here are gnarly.
My week:
1) Lot of house shows, which means meeting a bunch of other local bike kids and other crusty folk. Not to mention all the great music!
2) Bikage galore; group rides, co-op shop work. etc. Group trip this weekend complete with camping, semi-nude ride (an excuse to wear a thong in public) last weekend.
3) Lots of cooking at work and at home, usually good stuff made w/o any energy or enthusiasm for the above reasons.
4) Bought my train tickets to Seattle - only about 5 weeks now.
1) Lot of house shows, which means meeting a bunch of other local bike kids and other crusty folk. Not to mention all the great music!
2) Bikage galore; group rides, co-op shop work. etc. Group trip this weekend complete with camping, semi-nude ride (an excuse to wear a thong in public) last weekend.
3) Lots of cooking at work and at home, usually good stuff made w/o any energy or enthusiasm for the above reasons.
4) Bought my train tickets to Seattle - only about 5 weeks now.
I suppose all of the overexcertion from last weekend coupled with a long and strenuous tattoo sitting blew out my immune system because Tuesday I was hit with a gnarly fever and left work early sweating profusely with my whole body aching. I've just started to get over it, went back to work and made it back down to a normal temperature.
But since life is always full of suprises, I got my fill today at work:
1) While "repairing" the hot watert heater, the "mechanics" semi-flooded my baking area
2) Little girl trying to make it to the bathroom puked on the floor of my baking area
3) My favorite co-worker/ friend got fired (the only other sXe dude I was working with too!)
4) Had to work 3 extra hours b/c my managers changed my schedual
5) Someone BROKE INTO MY FUCKING CAR AGAIN! and smashed the window ($250) !!!
Hopefully I'll be well enough to get back on my bicycle by Tuesday; I'm sick of all this car drama and miss cycling to work in the morning in all it's serene epic glory.
But since life is always full of suprises, I got my fill today at work:
1) While "repairing" the hot watert heater, the "mechanics" semi-flooded my baking area
2) Little girl trying to make it to the bathroom puked on the floor of my baking area
3) My favorite co-worker/ friend got fired (the only other sXe dude I was working with too!)
4) Had to work 3 extra hours b/c my managers changed my schedual
5) Someone BROKE INTO MY FUCKING CAR AGAIN! and smashed the window ($250) !!!
Hopefully I'll be well enough to get back on my bicycle by Tuesday; I'm sick of all this car drama and miss cycling to work in the morning in all it's serene epic glory.
Nearly completed the outline for my new chest piece today - there is a bunch of spiderweb fill that will go in during the next session with the beginnings of some color. You're looking at a zombie clutching an hourglass, surrounded by wilting flowers (from a real lillie I picked on 3rd Ave. and brought into the shop). The concept is basicilly to live it up b/c time is precious and we're only gonna die. Check it out...
This work is being done by Cary @ High Street Tattoo.
High Street Tattoo
Carys' Myspace
This work is being done by Cary @ High Street Tattoo.
High Street Tattoo
Carys' Myspace
Today I harvested all the kale from my garden and prepped it to be frozen for future use...
I also created a new recipe...
Tempeh Basil Burgers w/ Chipotle Lime Slaw!
I also created a new recipe...
Tempeh Basil Burgers w/ Chipotle Lime Slaw!
