Lampshades

They make awesome hats. Hope you all have a kickin new years eve, guys.

The Gills

So intricate. Adnate gills I do believe.

A Strange Situation

I was skating around downtown San Rafael on a bit of a photo odyssey when I stumbled upon this strange situation. The meter maid was not sure what to do with the car so she was calling in to her superiors. I just thought the whole thing looked a bit funny. And let me tell you, that was one nice looking VW bug. It glistened wonderfully in the sunlight.

Mycology

I STILL don't have my mushroom guide and it is driving me insane. I have all these lovely photos of mushrooms and I don't have a clue as to what the majority of them are. You, however, are free to enjoy the bounty of my rompings through the marshes and forests around my house.

Apple Insanity

Seriously, went to the Apple store with a friend so he could get a little somethin somethin and is was PACKED. I've never seen such a clusterfuck over little bits o technology.

And Back to the Shrooms

I can't place an ID on this one sadly, the internet is useless and I still do not have a guide. This is a cool site if you're interested in mycology.

Merry Christmas, Y'all

=)

The Mountaineering Santa

Probably my second favorite ornament out of all of the ones on my tree. He kind of reminds me of my brother and all, climbing mountains and stuff. Maybe I'll do some of that this summer.

The Creepiest Ornament of the Tree

Ever read Stephen Kings It? If so, you know why this is creepy.

And So Begins the Mushrooms

That's right folks. I'm sittin on a good dozen photos or so of mushrooms! They really are wonderful things. And with all this rain falling from the sky, they are EVERYWHERE. I love it. It's too bad that I forgot my field guide at my Davis house, oh well. There's fungus among us!

Well It's Officially Christmas

At least in my house, it has been Christmas now for at least a week, if not more, and shall continue to be Christmas until probably New Years Eve or so. The family is all together, Mom and sis are making cookies, the tree is all decorated and it smells like pine needle in my house. What more could one ask for.

Leaf Poetry

It's fun to write something and leave it for someone else to find. When I found my first bit of poetry on a leaf, it brought a smile to my face for sure. Spread some love with some ink.

Longboard Review: The Loaded Dancer

And here we have the Loaded Dancer. 55 inches of solid, bamboo, flax, and linen dancing decadence. At its widest point, it is about 9 inches, and weighs near 15 lbs as a complete, which truly makes it a bit of a monster. Thats right, this board is a boat--heavy and stable--and it is wonderful.

I had been eyeing the dancer for awhile, ever since Loaded Boards released it, and once I heard that they were no longer in production, I was lucky when my local skate shop just happened to have a deck. Yes, I dare say it was destiny. I was a bit skeptical at first, worrying about the board possible feeling sluggish or not being able to carve. Once I stepped on it for the first time, all of my ill-conceived expectations wer forgotten.

My current set up is the Loaded Dancer flex 1 with raw Paris 180mm trucks, Venom high rebound 90a bushings, Orangatang 4 president 70mm 83a wheels, and Black Panther abec 7 bearings. The 70mm wheels make for a smooth ride on most any surface and make the board a little easier to throw around in shuvits and other various tricks. The high rebound bushings allow for maximum energy return from an already springy board when coming out of a corner and the wheel cutouts on the deck mean I can lean as far as I want into a turn without worrying about wheel bite.

Now I would like to address a certain claim I've heard a few times, that the Loaded Dancer shouldn't be ridden downhill. Well, those people have obviously never tried it. Once this board gets rolling, it's sheer momentum is enough to keep it going and going and going and going. And while it certainly is not a freeride board, with some work, you CAN SLIDE IT. Just through your hips into it a bit more. Never bash a board before you try it. The Loaded Dancer is great for going fast due to its solid constuction and long wheelbase.

So, I've had the dancer for about 2 months now, and my overall rating on it is wow. While it's size is a little intimidating, and can make it a bit difficult to carry around, it is a seriously well built board. I am thouroughly impressed that a boad this long can have such good handling. And yes, if I havn't already stated it, this board was made to DANCE! The length and width of the deck make it the ideal platform to bust all your craziest moves: piourettes, crossteping combos, nose and tail mannies, anything your heart desires. This board will be your stage.

Now it is a little sad that Loaded has stopped producing the Loaded Dancer, but it isn't impossible to find one if you really want one. Call around to some skate shops in the area to see if they have one sitting around or not, maybe you'll get lucky like I did. Or you could always check out Loaded's newest version of the dancer, the Bhangra. I've heard great things of this mystic board...almost as great as the Dancer itself. Make sure to check it out for yourself.

Happy skatings everyone. Below is an outtake of me failing to hold a drop knee nose manual.

Orangatang Wheel Review

Since I just posted a quick little Loaded Board review, I decided to go on to another thing I appreciate from Loaded, their wheels. Orangatang first started releasing wheels to the public in the Summer of 2008 and they started off with only two options. The 75mm Orangatang in heat and the 70mm Orangatang 4 president. Both were the same brightly colored orange and both were made of their special formula for "Happy urethane."

The very morning they were released I ordered my first pair of O'tangs in heat, and at 80a and a 56mm contact patch, I could not have been happier to mount them on my old Vanguard. I was the jolliest fellow that ever were when I opened the box that they arrived in. They carved and gripped beautifully, and after a bit of rough persuasion and breaking them in, they made wonderfully predictable slide wheels. Now they are still alive after all these years and are on my commuter deck. The big diameter allows them to maintain their speed for longer distances and their soft durometer makes even some of the roughest roads just that much smoother.

Now I can't keep track of all of the wheels that I have ridden, but currently I am in possession of a pair of 70mm O'tang 4 Pres (53mm contact patch and 83a purple Happy Urethane). These are on my Loaded Dancer, and I'm tellin ya, they make a magical difference. These wheels, right out of the box, were easier to slide because of the smaller diameter and are great for dancing and cruising.

I guess it all really comes down to the question: "would recommend these wheels to a friend?" Of course! I've ridden Abec11, Fireball, Gravity, Hawgs, Powell Peralta, Sector 9, and Retro wheels, but so far, my favorite all around wheels are made by Orangatang. Bravo, good sirs, bravo. All that field testing paid off with a fine wheel. And can I just say that I am beyond stoked for you guys to start producing bushings?? YES. If your interested in this stuff at all, check for updates here or videos here.

Loaded Boards General Review

So, I have been riding Loaded Longboards for about three years now and I decided to finally write a little review on them as a company in general. Can I just say, that at the start, it was difficult to actually find a board shop in my area that carried Loaded. I definitely had to do a bit of searching before I was even able to test ride one. Thankfully, though, as the company has grown over the years, their presence in the world has spread to more shops and more locations than I ever thought possible. It seemed as though when I got my first Vanguard, that not only no one in my home town knew of Loaded, but that no one even really longboarded in the first place. Thankfully, the motto of Loaded is "spread the stoke," and it is my opinion that it is impossible ride a Loaded board without doing so.

Personally, I have only owned three loaded decks (two different sized Vanguards and a Dancer), but I have ridden nearly all of their decks that are out except for their newest one, the Bhangra. I've put in thousands of miles on my first vanguard over the past three years, and it still rides beautifully, which goes to show you that you can thrash the living daylights out of these boards and they will continue to ride on.

I must thank loaded for taking me on a ride with them. This youtube video is what first inspired me to get a Loaded board. And while I had already been skateboarding for a few years and longboarding for a year before I saw it, I never though a single board would affect me so much. It started out with a few videos on their youtube channel, as well as a few blog posts from a kid that no one knew much of (Adam Colton). Soon Adam Stokowski joined in the videos as well. It wasn't really until they released the Whirling Dervish video along with the release of their new board, the Dervish, that I noticed things really start to take off.

And what a wonderful thing it has evolved into, folks. In my opinion, Loaded's crew have helped push the longboarding industry to new places; places that weren't even thought about years ago. After hundreds of videos, thousands of photos, and who knows how many boards and wheels sold, Loaded has helped put longboarding on the map. It really is a beautiful thing. I intend to keep riding Loaded boards and to continually spread the stoke wherever I may go.

One More Chanukah Shot

Dradel! So much fun. And the jews in my house lost twice to the goys, oy. They would not quite their kvetching. It was pretty funny.

Days of Channukah

Yes yes, I know the Hanukah is over, but here is one of the pics I took during the third night of the festival of lights. My pal wanted me to get a shot of his He'Brew beer (the chosen beer) and his Brother Thelonious ale (yes, that is a picture of thelonious monk there). Good stuff.

Boat Parade

Boat Parade through the san rafael canal on saturday night.

Car Accident on San Pedro

So this happened on saturday night. Kind of scary stuff when you really think about it. This super old guy in an old, beat-up Porsche was driving down the wrong side of the rode on Pt. San Pedro in San Rafael. He almost hit me and my family head on but we managed to swerve out of the way only to see him hit a bigass Ford truck head on. Luckily they both weren't going too fast so no one was Injured, but this could have seriously been a lot worse. The old guy was super shaken up and the guy in the Ford was pretty pissed, too.

Shavo

Now that I'm home, I get to sleep with a space heater, aka my dog Shavo. I have no clue how such a small creature generates so much heat.

Fall Weather

It seemed like we kind of skipped a season in Davis and it went straight to winter for awhile, it was all rainy and gloomy and the slackline was hardly out; what an upset. But lately, its been really nice, at least in my opinion. Lots of fog reminds me of home, and it's actually comforting in a way. I really do love cloud cover.

Finals Are Over

And in two days, I'll be spending most of my time here.

I Bought You Some Flowers

yes, you. All of you. You deserve it.

What a Guy

My grandpa. He was in my dream and it was kinda weird ha.

Stubby!

What a little beastie. It's an old Land Rover from who the hell knows when. Most of the time, I find cars pretty unexciting, but this guy is just too awesome to pass up.

My Usual Distraction

When at home, a very integral part of my study habits involved me taking regular mental health breaks in order to roll on my floor and play with my dog. Sadly, the dog is not with me in Davis. I do, however, seem to be rolling on the floor more often than I do at home. Coincidence? I think not. Here's a shot of my sister playing with my dog over thanksgiving break.

My Head is Reaching Critical Mass

but my finals don't even start to Wednesday. This should be fun.

Going Into Finals

Time to be studious.

Mistletoe!

okay, well not really. But I did happen to construct (yes construct) a christmas tree last night out of some tree trimmings that were cast unlovingly to the said of the road. They are now arranged into a beautiful tree that is sitting next to the menorah on our table.

Now That's Some Enthusiasm

My mother, caught in the act. I never see too many photos like this of me. I think it would be interesting.

Chef at Work

My grandfather making some mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving day. Seriously, look at the intensity.

A Bit of History

Relics gathered from traveling the world hang above my head while I sleep in my room in my San Rafael house. It's kind of comforting. I hope, one day, I can say that I traveled as much as my uncle had.

Written while listening to this.

In the Library

I forgot how many books I still have at home.

Another Shot of Her

A little more intimate with a close up of the gold tuners. Detail work on this thing is amazing; subtle beauty in all aspects. I ALMOST had a name for her too, but then forgot it, augh. Soon though...

Newest Addition to the Family

and man, is sounds just about as sweet as anything I've ever heard.

Meet the Martin MMV (she doesn't have a name yet, but will soon).

It's A Lot of Money

But it's going to go somewhere good. I have been in a bit of a musical funk recently, trying to grope around in the dark, searching for some sort of style to call my own. So far, It has been rather unsuccessful. I'm hoping this will take me out of that funk and put me back on the right track.

I read an interesting article lately, about minimalist living and the possessions we own. It was from a different perspective than I was used to. Instead of saying that we should get rid of our possessions and learn to live and love without them, it said the we need to learn to love the possessions we have. There is so much waste generated by the idea the we always have to have the new gadget on the market, when really, that gadget is just going to get replaced later by some newer toy. I admit, I have fallen subject to this trend before, but now, as I am slowly trying to rule out the unnecessary in my life, I have taken some serious time to consider what really is necessary and what items will be with me years down the road.

Now, I know music will be with me, but I really don't know what form it will take in a few years, or really, in a weeks. I can only hope that this new guitar will be one that will last me the years to come, and that it will take my music to different places.

Never stop doing what you love. Never stop creating.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is a seemingly unrelated photo.

Enjoy the day, guys.

Rosemary

I think I'm going to gather some up and dry it out, just for the sake of smell.

Daily Ritual

Wake up. Tea. Food. Skate. Class. Slackline. Etc. Sleep.

These tea bags are also the coolest. Mighty leaf Green Tea Tropical. Does a body good.

Dirty Feet

I always have dirty feet, even after I shower. It's probably because I spend a lot of time barefoot, especially when in grass and dirt and now I just have a layer of perma-dirt on the bottom of my feet along with some useful calluses ha. I know I've had a good day I come home and my feet are nice and dirty. Some people really don't like feet, and I don't entirely understand why. I find them fantastically useful.

It's Strange to Think That It's Gone...

But time for a new toy!

Behind the Door

The sun is shining.

Flowers, Aromatics, Sex

"The aroma of flowers, from which we have borrowed our perfumes, while extremely powerful, has been from the beginning entirely seductive in its intentions. A rose is a rose is a rogue. Perfume, fundamentally, is the sexual attractant of flowers, or, in the case of civet and musk, of animals. Squeezed from the reproductive glands of plants and creatures, perfume is the smell of creation, a sign dramatically delivered to our senses of the Earth's regenerative powers - a message of hope and a message of pleasure."

Thanks, Tom Robbins

This Kid

He's crazy. Taking over 20 units every quarter (this quarter I think its around 22, last quarter it was a ridiculous 26 or 27). I don't know how he does it. But he is Philp. And he's super chill. We bond over roasting marshmallows and cleaning the house.

Stomach Flu

It's been going around and I managed to catch it. Im running off of nearly no energy, and because i can't really eat much right now, I'm not able to have my usual energy snack, mixed nuts. I'm gonna stick to the BRAT diet for a few days (bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast) and see if I can't come out of this thing quickly.

So I Went Home Last Weekend...

and a lot in my house changed. Things have been painted new colors, new furniture, and my moms office looks like it's straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog. I probably would not have felt at home at all if I hadn't been enthusiastically greeted by my dog and then hung out with my sis while we ate sol food.

What Time is it?

My internal clock is feeling a little fuzzy...

Norcal State of Mind

Got to go home for about 24 hours yesterday, which was pretty nice. Bummer my parents weren't there but I did get to hang with my sister and dog. Went for a nice long hike saturday morning with the dog through some old fire roads near china camp. Can't wait for thanksgiving break...or winter break, really.

Climbing Progress and New Shoes

Put in some solid work at the rock wall today. Made the transition from V0 to V1 pretty well and working on a few V2s as well. New problems at the gym means new stuff to try which is always fun, but they did take out two of my favorites. Oh well.

Here are my new shoes, I love them. Sportiva Mythos.