train back to dublin

this morning i found out that loney dear is touring with andrew bird from their performance in washington, DC. i have had plans to see this show in pittsburgh and i think the fact that loney dear is the opener i am definitely going. i have never seen a show at the carnegie music hall and this would be a great reason to go. it was 2 years ago i posted the i am john video which is still a fantastic video and song. OUCH.... just found out that loney dear possibly stops touring with andrew bird before the pittsburgh show and birds opening act it TBA. bummer.


ok. get ahold of your pants for some exciting STUFF!


ok. i have been known to have a few items of taxidermy in the house but does this one take the cake or what? it brings just the balance of uncomfortableness to cozyness my living room was lacking.


ever since i broke my 8 cup french press i purchased and have been using a 10 cup which i have never loved quite as much as the 8. bargain shopping last weekend i found a new 8 cup in the box at goodwill for $3. it was bound to find its way back into my life.


sewing. something i enjoy from time to time but have not a royal clue of how to do it well. i recently pulled out my mothers machine and learned what each knob does and only broke one needle in doing so.


my pride and joy of the last few weeks. i have been wanting this machine for almost two years now -at least it feels like its been that long. the only regret is that i didnt buy it sooner.


this mornings breakfast along with coffee. i have been eating hummus wraps with avocado daily. this morning my dad dropped off some canadian bacon from an amish auction so i added that with egg and super sharp cheddar. a nice breakfast treat.

no one on the corner has a swagger like us

had to post this story. more people cannot live without than you would expect.

SURVIVAL

and you know when its all gone, something carries on-- and its not morbid at all

hello friends. this is the first post in a while that i am excited about posting. sure, i wanted to show off the bikes i spent time cleaning up but i just wasnt all that into it.

last night i went to see frightened rabbit at carnegie mellon university. this is the second time seeing them and it was nice to see them as the headliner. if you are not familiar with these scottish brothers you need to do yourself a favor and check them out. definitely a band worth seeing whenever possible. their talent and emotions are proven in the midnight organ fight but i dont expect it to be the end of "monster" albums.




more exciting news. i will be seeing bonnie "prince" billy in chicago at the vic theatre. calling this exciting is an understatement. bonnie is my go-to man. that is easily proven by organizing my music by play count.... finding him in about 85% of the top 200 or songs. i truly do not know what to expect in this concert but my imagination is setting me up for a fantastic show.

speaking of rabbits.. or bunnies for that matter.. check out the ones in this video from you, youre awesome, out of cincinnati, oh. ps.. i have that same dish drying rack in my house. highly recommended... the rack and the music!!!!

moving forward to bikes. i commonly get this question... hey ryan i want a bike what kind of bike should i get... with this example i am not saying go buy a $2000 bike but usually people want to spend $300-$500 on the wrong bike. a used version of this bike could be found easily in your price range. most people love the idea of mtn bikes and shocks and flexible stems but thats just it. they love the idea of them but when it comes down to it is all extras that are not necessary and actually adds to inefficiency. i know ive mentioned it before but maybe this picture will help create the new vision of the bike you want.



ok. a highly unlikely discussion on this blog but i am going to mention the steelers being in the superbowl. do i care if they win? of course. i live near and visit pittsburgh often and if anyone knows anything about this area is that there is a concentration of people are huge pricks on the average day (you say more so than anywhere else, and i say yes). if there is situation that is going to make thousands of people happy that live around me i am all for it. do not get me wrong. i am not one of those people who slam this area... i live here and i choose to live her for many good reasons that most people choose to go on without acknowledging. they would rather fill their thoughts with questions such as "remind me of why i live here and not florida?" and "isnt this weather awful?" ok.... after writing all of that i feel like a huge prick so i guess if you live here you are not immune to it.

enjoy the rest of the week! and "keep yourself warm".

i would be sad

upcoming shows i hope to be attending pittsburgh:

frightened rabbit
tim fite
watson twins w/ ben kweller





new albums:

whitest boy alive
john frusciante
m. ward
animal collective
loney dear


to name a few.

be sure your sins will find you out.

i came home today to find thie in my driveway.... the sign has been in my yard for a few months now... just showed up one day and i kept it. i am pretty sure the same persons made this pile of snow appear as well. i think ill leave it there until the good lord taketh away.

tubalard

below are the pics of the folding bike and the defense bike. i put an antique horn on the defense bike that i believe is from the early 1900's. the folding bike turned out great. i ended up buying new tires that were a bit skinnier that clear the forks nicely. a smooth and fun bike to ride.

i rode today on the snowy streets and grass. i felt like a stuffed pig getting into spandex and slowly turning the cranks over in the soggy grass. its going to be a long rode to getting back into shape.

down by the lake where the wild wind blows, free from the weight of desire.

its been a long time without posting. although i have thought about posting i havent had anything to say and i just havent made the time. its 2009 which doesnt mean much to me.... most people probably have made goals for the year and started that new diet that is only slightly different than the one that they started last year around this time. being that i havent ridden my bike in months and running is the same situation i plan on doing that more often now that the holidays are over and i am actually looking forward to it.

that blue folding bike finally got painted and i am in the process of putting it back together. the biggest holdup is that the front tire is too big for the forks to fit in the fork....FDFF (fatties dont fit fine) i felt a need to get that bike finished because i added a new vintage bike to the group.....a 1930's defense bike in total working order. the tires inflated and held air which i was pretty ecstatic about. this bike cost me $25 and i didnt even have to buy a tube for it. ill post pictures of both this one and my folding bike redo when i finish it.

no photos this time. happy new year everyone.

what more is tomorrow? than another day.

our second repeal day celebration and beer taste benefit. 75 years of legally enjoying BEER. here are very few pictures from the successful and fun evening.