Nerd Alert - Bike Tricks

Ok, so here are a bunch of photos of me on my old bike, (the Blue Bull) if you remember the blue Peugeot that i built a few years ago. I sold it to Nick when we were in Alaska and then he brought it to L.A. and i flew around that city on it. They mostly are me doing bike tricks. I will try to explain what is going on in the photo so as to impress you. If you don't ride a bike a lot or know how fixies work you will think that it just looks like me sitting funny on a bike. So pay attention to the details and hopefully you will enjoy.

Travel

Someone who is long dead once wrote
the world is a book
Those who don't travel read only one page
what no one tells you is that the book is no easy read
There's one thing that i can say
what ever it is that you are looking for
beauty, salvation, enlightenment, danger or just to disappear
this will only be a fraction of what you find
I'm just trying to read the whole book.

L.A.

I wanted to put up this photo of L.A. and the smog over the top of it. Its kinda hard to see because the photo is smaller and this site wont let me make it bigger but notice the brown below the blue in the first one.
This is disgusting, this city has so many deep problems, i wouldn't know where to begin.








I'll be home in a few days.

This trip has been really cool, with a lot of unexpected stuff happening. Some good some bad, but experiences are what you make them, and generally i am not one to sit around and not make something happen.

I really think that i learned more and gained more than i expected.
Before i came i was just thinking, I'm just going to California. But there are some crazy things and people here.
way to go whooooo.

see the mpls folk in a few.

peace, love, and bicycles

The guinness mustache is a special one

to live is to be free
we are human beings not human doings
we need to focus on being and not doing
This, of course, is sense sensitive

Rain Rain Rain
Raindrops keep falling on my head

The past few days it has been raining and kinda chilly. It wouldn't bother me but i don't have very many (none) clothes with me to swap out when i get wet. hmmm.
I just got back to Oakland and am leaving to go back to L.A. tomorrow morn.

by the way

When i took the BART to downtown Oakland to pick up my bus to Santa Cruz i checked in and got my tickets and went to find a cup of coffee. That proved much harder than expected. I quickly realized that there was not going to be a nice artsy cafe to sit down and read for the hour that i had to kill. This is Oakland remember. Well i figured i would be able to find something. A cup to go. Well i walked for probably 10 blocks and saw social service agencies, very trashy motels, those empty furniture stores that somehow stay in business that look so bad.

Here is a map of my walk. I had quite a few different turns to avoid riff-raff on the streets but this is an outline.
I just have to say that you should never go to this area. NOT EVEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!!! over 50% of the houses were missing multiple window and boarded up. People are yelling and screaming on the streets and there are broken windows and clothes lying every where. No joke! Even if you want a coffee really bad.


View Larger Map

The coffee that i finally found was terrible, the cup a lady gave me was one of those wax covered cups for cold soft drinks, and i didn't realize it and poured coffee in it. Well the hot coffee melted the wax and then went doowwwnn meee Trrroooaaat. This gave me a stomach ache. Anyone else ever pull that one? Do i have wax in my stomach? Do we humans have the enzymes and stomach acid to break apart wax? I expect it to be still in liquid form if it is still in my stomach because of how hot our bodies our. Mines extra hot, by the way (he he). I mean i don't get cold , thats all. So maybe i will pass wax? who knows

enough about that

Santa Cruz was really cool and i wish i could have spent more time there. I made some friends that i will probably see again. Also the potluck went well, the salad i made was tasty and a lot of people really liked it. I met some good people here too.

Umm..
I am going out for a beer with Tim a friend that i originally met in MPLS but has just moved out to San Fran. It is good to see familiar faces sometimes too.
He's a great guy, i think we have a lot in common, at least more than expected.
Off to a Guinness or a Beamish. Or maybe both... he he

Santa Cruz

I'm in Santa Cruz
i think this is going to be the end of the long line of connections that i have made.
From minneapolis to L.A. to San Francisco to Oakland to Santa Cruz leaving some of my stuff in each place. And taking multiple buses, trains, planes in between all of those is exhausting.

I am staying at a co-op/commune house right now with some people that i got in contact with through a person i met back on redondo beach. It's an interesting place with about 12 people living in a 3 bedroom house. I have alot to say about it but no time to write at the moment.

It's a safe place so no need to worry. Tonight they are having a potluck and i plan to make a kale salad with a garlic tahini dressing. Recipe from Claire (thank you very much).

Santa Cruz is really cool. I went to the farmers market yesterday and they have a very strong tight-knit community here. I think it has been one of the better framers markets i have been to. I am actually very impressed with this smaller city of 55,000. They have quite a bit to work with here being in CA the super power of produce. I haven't been taking very many photos, its raining today and actually only like 40 degrees. Not that i can complain.

Also i did go to the SFMOMA a few days ago and saw some very cool stuff. I walked through one of the exhibits twice because i liked it so much. The name of the artist is Olafur Eliasson. He is awsome, i was very very impressed.


I wish i had my bike.

I am writing a ton and enjoying it.

all for now -

Dont worry, i wouldn't do anything i wouldn't normally do

Well, I am here in Oakland, CA staying with Alison’s Parents for a few evenings. They are wonderful and made an amazing dinner. San Francisco so far has been really cool. I visited the museum in Golden Gate Park. I walked a lot today and met a few people. Walked through Haight Ashbury, which was really cool, Some amazing houses and shops in that area. It was a bit chilly in the shade but when walking I was plenty warm. It’s funny to see people around here wearing winter parkas and hats and scarves.

I have seen a lot of bikers. A few people riding some really nice fixies. Most with no brakes, some of the hills here would be just foolish riding suicide. I don’t know how they do it.

But they do…

Most everyone has been really nice

About a week ago I was in a random pub outside of L.A., Manhattan Beach to be exact, and I was talking to a guy at the bar, he had just gotten into town from Chicago. We talked for a bit and went our separate ways.
Last night I was in a Rogue pub, the only one in California, drinking some wonderful Rogue beer and talking to another guy at the pub, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I look over and the same guy that I met in L.A. is at the end of the bar.
Crazy coincidence, two big cities.
We chatted some more, he was good stuff, smart kid.

The guy from Halifax ended up picking up my whole tab (food and everything) because he was in San Fran for work and could charge it to the company. He was really cool. Hearing about Halifax makes me want to visit. From what he said Halifax seems like a really nice smaller city with good people, pubs and local music.

After that some drunken Irishman started talking to me, He was very drunk and got 86-ed in no time, but was quite funny. Kept telling me I was bullocks and asking to buy me a drink. He opened his wallet about 8 times, looked for cash and then put it back when he didn’t see any. I told him he could buy me a drink if he told me what city in Ireland he was from but he was too drunk.
He kept yelling to the bartender
“are we fixed, are we fixed,” of course the bartender was like what the hell are you saying.
“are we fixed for a drink”?
he he
then he started pointing at the bar and calling me a hippy.
We all had a good laugh.

The public transit is crazy here. They have city buses, streetcars, cable cars (which are $5 per ticket), BART and Muni. The last two are subway systems. Compared to L.A., which has about 5 train lines for the whole city.
5? Really? That’s shameful for how big and populated that city is. They do have a lot of buses but in my opinion, they’re just not as reliable.

I have come to the conclusion that I do not like L.A. I didn’t think that I would like it before I went but wanted to go in with a positive attitude and give it a chance. Well I gave it that chance. It’s so spread out, a huge suburban sprawl, the people suck and the smog is disgusting. I did feel some effects of the smog and had times that it was harder to breathe. I took some photos when I was at the Getty Museum a few days ago of L.A. and I could clearly see the brown blanket that covered L.A. I haven’t reviewed the photos yet so I don’t know how they turned out and how clearly you will be able to see the smog. It was really surprising to see.

After the Getty, I was riding through Bel Air and West Hollywood, through thick traffic, and a guy opened his door to try to hit me with it. It’s actually illegal to open your doors on the road in CA because motorcycles can legally ride between traffic.
Anyways – I swerved so hard the stem bent to the side. They are in gridlocked traffic. So I stopped turned around and knocked on the S.O.B.s window. He opened it a crack and said quickly “sorry I thought I was going to throw up” and quickly closed his window. But he starred at me after that like he didn’t care that I knew he was lying. It was blatant. If I wasn’t a peaceful man, I would have stood on the hood of that new Volvo (with temporary plates) and jumped up and down.
I’m not that nice. But that day I was, I just rode off.
He purposefully put me in danger and the second he had to answer to someone; he was scared, lying and prideful.
Who breeds these people?
When will natural selection and evolution kill them off?
Hopefully before my lifetime is over.

San Fran.

I just arrived in San Fran and found a hostel for the evening. I bought my ticket at like 2 am and had to be at the airport in like 8 hours, and i still needed to sleep and pack.
Anyways - so far it seems really cool.
beautiful character to the city.
Everything is really easy to find and get around on.
The hostel seems better than most i've stayed in.
I'll post more later.

I've never flown southwest before today...its really wierd. They took one of my bike wrenches which i of course forgot to take out of my bag. Damn, i always forget to take that stuff out.

more photo's

These photo's are from Sequoia National Park.
The tree that i am hugging (you can barely see me) is General Sherman. The only reason i was able to go hug him is there was snow on the ground, otherwise you can't go in there and step on the vegetation. We were at 6,700 feet above sea level. I think that's the highest i have ever been. THere was over 50" of snow up there.






He He He

A few days ago i spent the afternoon and evening riding around about 1/3 of L.A. It is absolutly huge and spread out. The urban sprawl is rediculous. I rode from Redondo Beach where Nick and Claire live to Venice beach and then on past Santa Monica and around Santa Monica for a while, then got lost (i had no map) and found my way home in the dark. I had my compass and the ocean so it wasn't too bad. My first stop was Venice Beach, which is known for its wierd sidewalk shows and shops. I stopped for an Eggplant sandwhich and a few Kona Longboard beers (brewed in HI). I also saw this crazy guy jump in a pile of glass he had collected for a show. He stomped around in it for a little while. I could not stop laughing it was so stupid. From there i rode north to Santa Monica and stoped in a bike shop for a bit. It was a beautiful 78 degree day.

Check out the map. I got lost for a bit in the Marina Del Ray area...but estimate my trip at minimum 50 miles. (1 gear)

View Larger Map


I have finally got some good writing time and reading time in, which was a goal for me for this trip.

I have a pretty good story to tell once i get some more time to write about my first experience in downtown L.A. and the terrible areas of South Central.

Now i am staying with my aunt Kyran and 2 cousins Jeremy and Elliott. It is really nice to spend time with them, i hardly ever get to see them. They have a really nice house in Laguna Nigel south of L.A. a bit. This morning Kyran made us the best breakfast ever. Huevos Rancheros...yumm. I am so lucky to have wonderful family.

After this i PLAN on getting to San Fran and possibly Santa Cruz which i hear is really cool.

Then more camping and surfing.

I'll post more photo's soon

All for now

Some other favorite stuff i forgot about was my hike through the sand dunes in death valley. I have wanted to really know what it is like to hike through a total desert with only sand dunes. We had seen plenty of desert both the Mojave desert and the colorado desert but they all have brush and some smaller trees (joshua trees). So in a few places out here there are spots with primarily sand dunes. We found one and i took about an hour hike to the tallest peak out there. I thought it was really cool. I saw scorpion tracks, desert rat tracks and a lot of very fine sand. You really have to be careful when you get out there, with no land marks and only sand they say to have topo maps. Of course i didn't have those but i did have my compass which was plenty for my quick hike. When i got to the highest peak there were a bunch of kids that brought boogie boards and snow boards out there to take down the steep sand slopes. it was pretty cool watching them. It was really cool to see nothing but sand dunes all around you. I liked that alot.

What was i thinking publishing a post before it actually happened...

Claire and I went onward with the trip that I previously posted. Not exactly in that order but we got it all in there. It was amazing. We saw some really cool stuff.


Some of my favorite stuff included Sequoia National Park, and seeing the giant Sequoia trees. It was like walking through a magical world with trees bigger than you can imagine. Also, we were at 6500 feet above sea level so there was 55" of snow. Sequoia National Park is in the Sierra Nevada and is very beautiful. We saw some mule deer that seemed very tame. At our camp site there were tons of "extreme bear warnings" that i think were total bullshit. The park ranger was telling us at the elevation of our camp site the bear were still active but i am pretty sure they exaggerate for all of the people from L.A. that don't know shit about bears and camping. I told one of the park rangers we were from Alaska so she would stop lecturing us about it.

Death Valley was really cool. That was the one place i didn't do any reading on prior to our visit. We camped at 190 feet below sea level and went down to badwater basin which is the lowest point in the western hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level. The night before we camped in Joshua Tree National Park and we were at 4,000 feet above sea level ( it hit 32 F) and then drove north and camped at 192 feet below and of course it was way warmer, Kind of cool how that works. Wikipedia reports badwater basin as the second lowest point in the world, but there were maps that we saw at badwater basin that showed different statistics. I don't know who to trust. hmm.

We went on quite a few hikes in death valley and one was to a natural rock bridge. This thing was really cool, very high and very big despite how photos look. But what good is a bridge if you cant use it and walk on top of it. So of course i had to climb it. It was a decent little free climb. Claire wouldn't watch me do it because there were some scary parts.
Another hike we went on took us on the west mountains of death valley and to a peak where we could see tons of other rock mountains (thats the best way i can describe them). Some of them look like piles of sand but were as hard as a solid rock and as rough as sand paper. I think at that peak we were at about 4000 feet above sea level and not far away is bad water basin. Thats quite the change in elevation.

After Death Valley we drove to a ghost town called Ballarat. It was pretty cool. We didn't exactly know what to expect, there wasn't a ton there. There is one guy and his dog that lives there full time and kind of keeps the place up. I didn't know this at the time but i guess Charles Manson and his family of followers use to stay there pretty frequently. kinda crazy.

We camped in Joshua Tree National Park at 4000 elevation - got a bit chilly, but i didn't think it was too bad. We saw a bunch of Joshua trees which are on their way to death with in the next couple hundred years. I did a little rock climbing there too and we did a few hikes there as well.

So i haven't had time to explore L.A. at all but will soon.

This is badwater basin, lowest point in the U.S. - it looks like frost on the ground but its actually salt - its a salt flat


This was on a hike in death valley - its strait out of the indiana jones movies




This is a joshua tree

Now i have time to write

Umm.. well our plans are really getting tossed around out here. Originally we were going to pick up and go right when i got our here. Then Nick, being the successful photographer that he is, got a bunch of jobs and we are going to have to postpone it to the last week of Jan. But one of his jobs canceled for wed and the minute we heard that we started packing and an hour later we were out the door with camping gear, tons of food and everything else we would need. We went and picked up a rental car and were off to Sequoia National Park to see the biggest tree in the world - General Sherman. He is not the tallest but the biggest by volume.

General Sherman is over 2,200 years old and is as big as 10 blue whales. I want to give him a hug. This tree is taller than the statue of liberty.

The plan was to camp there for a night and then go on to Death Valley and then on to Joshua Tree national park and camp for another 2 or 3 days.

The bad news is that Nick's grandmother passed away. We got the call a few hours out of L.A. I feel so terrible for him. He seems to be doing okay but is really removed with his whole family being so far away.

We turned around and headed home.

Nick and Claire are headed to the east coast tomorrow to be with Nicks family for a few days and then will be back by the end of the weekend. Its really very unfortunate for everyone.

In the mean time i get to explore L.A. and all it has to offer. From what i've seen it will no doubt be interesting, but i am really wondering if i will be able to find a young down to earth community to chill in for a while. I have my doubts with all of the fashion bull shit/ hollywood stuff here. But L.A. is huge so i think i will find plenty.
I just have to make sure i down ride through Compton on accident.

I think i am going to go downtown and tear it apart on my bicycle for an afternoon. Show them how MPLS does it!!
By the way the Peugeot that i use to own, that i sold in alaska, i sold to Nick and it is here in L.A. so i am free to ride it. If you don't remember scroll down and there are photo's of it on this blog when i was in Seattle and Juneau.
I also want to visit the hollywood area and track down paris hilton, scare the shit out of her and her kind.

I am looking forward to a few days alone that i can relax, explore, read and write. We have been on the run since i got here.

When they get back Claire and I are probably going to do the same trip so i will be able to see all that good stuff. It just sucks because Nick wont be there with us.

I'm a bit bummed, its just very unfortunate.

we will make the best of life here and it will work out. It always does. - no matter what - it always works out - never forget that

Well i'm here in Redondo Beach California.

It's about 60 degrees here

i dont have much time to write at this point but will soon

I have been meaning to post Nick's photo website so here it is

we just hung a bunch of his photo's today

His website isn't updated but still worth checking out

Reinhardtphoto

tomorrow we will hula hoop. and not eat anything but juice.

well I'm here with a Beamish Irish stout

It's really funny because when i leave MPLS it seems no one ever seems to think about what's going on in my head
no one even attempts to think about what i am thinking about
this sounds so selfish but i really think i am constantly thinking about what other people are experiencing and thinking about.
I think about that stuff to help me understand other people and their ways of life.
I cant really conceptualize being in California in tomorrow but i know its going to happen
interesting...

1st

i found my phone

i was quick to blame the cars

i tried on a pair of pants that i got for christmas and must have slipped my phone in my pocket.
of course i didn't really remember trying a pair of pants on.
so a few days later i put the pair on to wear them and i'm like, what the hell is in my pocket
and out it comes.

I'm listening to the new blonde redhead album and eating this MN wild rice cake and both are very good. check it out.

I am leaving in a few days.
I always get like this when i am close to leaving
I cant focus on reading,
my head is just flying around having its way with whatever it wants.
no control
I'm too excited.

Oh today's the first of 2008!!

time flies by so fast,
it really makes me realize that you have to be choosey with your life. Mine has already started to fly by too fast
i have so many things that i need to get done.


Last night i worked and it was a very good night. I think the best night i have ever had at the LPB. I was determined to sell a bottle of Dom Perignon. Well that didn't happen, but i did sell a bottle of Veu Telegraff that we sell for $75. And it wasn't even that he just ordered it; I SOLD HIM.

It really is a very nice bottle especially for the price, usually it goes for over $100.

umm...what else
--------------------------------------------------------------------

A SEPARATE ENTITY:

my head is loving this
it thrives on the fact that it doesn't know what to expect
there could be so much and will be so much that happens that is so unexpected
i cannot hold back the smiles or the tears in this state
its explosive
its preparing itself for the element of surprise that it has planned.
good job head
way to think it out
is that some sort of game
if it is i don't care because it's great
i don't know where that comes from but its done
i want more though
I'll plan more
I'll go more
I'll be more

keep going head
never quit

tell me where you've seen my life

clashing lies and clashing thighs

one of those must be adjusted
i'll give you a hint
not the clashing thighs

-------------------------------------------------------------------



Do people totally never get what i write about?
i can't tell

Cars-R-Coffins

Well,

My phone is at-large. All based on well mannered assumption it has been smashed by an auto.
I didn't like the thing anyways.
i really didn't like it.
I believe it fell out of my pocket while riding my bike, and when i called it not long after it was discovered as M.I.A., it was dead/turned off. That would lead one to believe something made it dead/killed it. I then assume it has been plastered into the ice and pavement somewhere on our minneapolis road system.

HA

When adding the totals, this would mean that in the last week i have lost both my ipod and my phone to car tires. Of course i was the one that let the electronic piece end up on the ground some how but this is America and i need to blame some-thing/one else. Cars are my choice.

The have banded together in great commradery to attack me (obviously). I didn't think they had it in them.

Cars-R-Coffins

I do have to say,
atleast i haven't been hit by a car.
At this point we know their after me
you may take my luxury electronics but
you'll never get me.


So now i am in my predicament
I don't have a phone
I actually dont have plans to buy a new one at this point.
I can be reached at 612.379.7444
that is my house phone.
or email me
leave me a comment on this site with your phone number
most likely i don't have it
you can still call my ice and pavement encrusted phone and leave a message.
I am checking that as well.

all for now kids

love you

Whoa

So,

i just realized that i am leaving for California in 9 days. Holy shit that crept up on me. I was not paying attention at all apparently. I am so excited. I spoke with Nick and Claire the other day and they have a bunch of stuff planned. They listed like a ton of stuff real quick so i don't even really know what they all have in mind, but it will be all good stuff. Some things i do recall include the grand canyon, the salt fields in Nevada (i think), Vegas, some deserted ghost towns, Joshua Tree National Park, and camping somewhere south of San Diego.

I am actually sitting up at 2:13 am because i cant sleep. My head is flying around and i am so excited to see some stuff that i have never seen before.

After California i am coming back to MPLS for the cold month of Feb. There is a class that is condensed in one month that i am taking. Some other highlights of Feb. will be The Stupor Bowl. The biggest messenger bike race in MPLS/St. Paul. It is on the first weekend of Feb and tends to be insanely cold. Last year i raced and it was like -20F.
Also John and i plan to go ice climbing in Duluth, i am super amped on that.

I have alot of stuff to get done in the next week and a half.

Then when March hits i am PLANNING on seeing the Peruvian trails that will lead me to Machu Picchu,

I don't have a plane ticket down there yet but its only a button on the computer screen away.

I am hoping to start putting up short videos on here soon.

Next good story that i have i will maybe record it and post it up.

i am going to try to get some sleep, i just have to stop thinking about how the next 9 months of my life are going to be a blast.

all for now

Christmas Photo

This was our Christmas card with my siblings.
its a good one

check out that mustache...

Christmas

Well i've got a headache,

Yesterday was christmas.
It was a good day
I woke up just after 7 am to open presents with Lexi, Tanner, Katie and the fam.
It was awesome watching Tanner open guitar hero III and start screaming YES YES YES! This is what i have been bugging you guys for. he he

Then i went to Joan's house for christmas dinner. We had:
Oysters on the half shell - some raw and some grilled with a touch of parmesan
red potatoes baked with tarragon, rosemary and olive oil
Asparagus with pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil.
Prime rib with a red wine reduction
A beautiful California Zinfandel made by Steele

After dinner, Smithwicks, and Zinfandel
we had a few Fernet and cokes
Then home
we drank more beer and listened to Pink Floyd
we drank Wild Turkey Manhattens and listened to Neil Young
We talked about life and people
we talked about politics and family
We talked about books and music
It was really nice
thanks dad
we drank brandy on the rocks
then we went to bed

Like i said earlier
I've got a headache

Christmas Time

What a shit day...

I took Aaron's car to go christmas shopping. Apparently i don't know how to fill up a car with gas anymore. It took me 3 trips in to the cashier to get it done. It really wasn't my fault though the machine wouldn't take my card. But still who fills up with gas anymore, right?
pffft, not me.
That is so 1990's
get a bike.
: )

Christmas shopping is the worst.
Just being in stores hurts my being.
I just want to run up and smash the bottles of perfume and tackle some lady and wipe my ass with her fur coat.
he he - she wouldn't get it though.
luckily i made it as quick as possible and got everything done today, On the 23rd.
and there were no ladies with soiled fur coats on the floor when i left, i guess that's a good thing.

So today was great,

It was my friends birthday.
I went down to Cleveland, MN to have Christmas dinner with my family.
Dinner was great and i had a great time.
Coming home Dad and i stopped at Keegans for a pint or two ( in which we called Ken Baker to harass him for not being there at 2 am)
My friend called and needed a ride home.
I borrowed Aaron's car
when i got there my friend wasn't there
and i dropped my ipod with out knowing it
and ran it over with the car...

funny thing is I'm not mad

i'm not going to spend any part of my life pissed off
it's not worth it
: )


POST EDIT:

status: Friend found

Ipod: screen smashed but still kickin out the tunes
heck yea!

All is well

See there was no reason to have your panties in a bunch.

Good thing i don't wear panties.

POST POST EDIT:

Ipod broken for good.
No doubt.

Well,

School is over for now and my schedule has slowed. It feels so good to be done with school. I did well and am very proud of myself for being successful in a full loaded semester. I haven't got my grades back yet but i am pretty sure i know what i got in most of my classes.
The holidays are coming up which should be fun.

I never know what to ask for.

I am leaving in 2 and a half weeks for California. I am starting to get really excited. It should be a blast, i have a ton of plans, probably too many in fact.

I have had a wonderful day today, I met Emma and Eric for brunch, and have been biking around running errands. It was beautifully foggy out, 30 degrees and i had such nice time on my bike.

all for now...
B-

California

I bought my tickets to California a few days ago. I am departing on the 6th of Jan and returning on the 31st. I am really excited to relax, surf, read and write. I will be staying with my friends Nick and Claire, and hanging out with my aunt Kyran, who i rarely get to see. We are hopefully going to see the Grand Canyon and camp out there for a bit. I wouldn't mind seeing Bryce Canyon and Zion national park while were out there, but it all depends on time. I am going to tear the roads of L.A. apart on my bike. He He. I hope to see San Fran as well but i don't think i will have enough time for all the stuff i want to do. Like usual. Anyways... It's really cold here. Like everyday is 10 degrees with a wind-chill that brings it down to -5. That makes it crazy cold. December hasn't been like this in years, and the snow has been crazy. Anyways, enough of being a Minnesotan and talking about the weather.
winter is good and bad, thats for sure

can't stop thinking

I cant help but think there is something wrong with me.
i try so hard
whether you think that i do or don't
I really do
Something always happens
don't feel bad for me
its obviously my fault
but the problem is that i don't understand it
I try so hard
i really do
I put more towards things than you think
I am ready to just quit
it doesn't make sense
i work for you, i really do my best and enjoy doing a good job
keeping people happy
and you give me money in return
But why is that worth it?
And when i do something that is apparently wrong in some form of reality whether it is yours, mine or a random persons it is some how true
and holds so much weight.
just because someone said it,
it automatically is a rock sinking in the sea.
bringing little air bubbles down with it
as if it is impossible to mistake a feather from a rock
for some it apparently is
why don't you see it?
it's because the rock hit you in the eye.

Track or Treat

So last night was Halloween and some of the local bike community people put on a a bike race in downtown Minneapolis. Of course this is somewhat of an underground race (the streets aren't shut down or anything and the city sure as hell doesn't know about it). So this was a Fixed gear (if you don't know what that is click here) race only, no other bikes were allowed to compete and this how it went: 4 minute time bonus for wearing a costume and 2 minute time bonus for riding brakeless. There five pickups and 5 drop offs, the pickups had to be in order but the drop offs could be in any order.

So the beginning of the race was at Peavey Plaza downtown MPLS. We met there, registered and were off. The first stop was the Gold Medal Spiral where you had to run up the hill and get your candy and stamp. I reached in my pocket for my manifest and it was gone!!! ahhhh first stop!! I looked everywhere in the grass even though it was dark, reached in my pocket again and it was there. My mind was playing tricks (on Halloween) on me. Gotta out of there and headed onward. Next stop was the walker pedestrian bridge which is on the other side of downtown, i was tired.
The rest of the race was really fun, i saw a lot of people having really close calls.

At one point i was trailing three guys who where not as tired as i was because i was losing them. Finally they hit a red light that they couldn't really run. i caught up and with my momentum was able to thread the needle through while they where standing there flat footed. I flew by and heard Hayyyy oooooo. That was probably my favorite part of the race. I also had a few times i had to turn and ride suicide (into traffic) to save time. that was fun. i had another racer following me because he didn't know where he was going and i turned towards traffic on a one way, i wonder if he was prepared for that... he heh

When i got to the finish, it was at someones house, i handed in my manifest and the guy organizing it (pickles, Thanks again) told me i got 5th place!!!! whooo.
Thats the best I've ever done in an alleycat.

Afterwards there was a party with a few kegs and a few bonfires. I met some really cool people and had a good time. There are some photo's here

and here is a photo someone took of me practicing a track stand

OCT.

Well haven't written in way to long. (Blogging or personal writting)
I have been busy with bullshit. Basically stuff that i don't want to be doing. School, moving ect.

I have had some good times of course.

A few weeks ago i picked up Katie (my sister) after she skipped school and she helped me move. We held hands in the car and i shed some tears because of the stress i was dealing with. I am not very good at dealing with stress sometimes, Depending on the kind of stress. It was so nice to have her there with me. I hate to admit this and am ashamed of it, but i feel i have taken her for granted in my younger years. She is so wonderful and i don't thank her enough. I doubt you will ever read this Katie but thank you so much.

I declared October white trash month in spirit of being homeless.
Therefore i grew a mustache. Check out the photo
Of course not everyone that has a mustache is white trash, just mine makes me look like it. He He




I went and saw Trampled by Turtles a few nights ago. It was fun to see some decent bluegrass again. I miss it. There were a ton of people there. I did the hippie shuffle quite a bit.
Charlie Parr is playing this Friday at one of my old watering holes the 331 in NE. I think that will be fun.

The new Radiohead album came out titled In Rainbows. I'm not going to say that its better than any of their other albums yet, but its on par. Some very beautiful tracks include All I Need, Jigsaw falling into Place and Videotape. The fact that its near free to download here.

Lastly,
a quick story
So I'm riding my bike on Lake street in south Minneapolis (quite a populated street) and this lady in a newer Saab goes around me gives me plenty of room (i even mentally noted the nice space she gave me) and when she gets past flicks me off. We are in stop and go traffic and when i caught up to here i look over and smile and wave. She gets angry and flicks me off again. The next time i am about to pull up to her she steers right and tries to cut me off from being able to pull ahead of her. She fails at that (i went around her). So i set my bike down unbuckle and drop my pants. I am waving my white ass back and forth at her (as well as a long line of cars) I did a little dance for her, showed the "Grade A Beef", waved and then just picked up my bike and rode away. She was really pissed after that. She was not happy. I wish i would have put a big butt cheek print on her window though. Next time.

All for now
Brett

So you want to be a writer...

This was a poem i wrote in response to Charles Bukowski's poem
It was written sometime in July of 2007 when i was living in Juneau
So you want to be a writer by Charles Bukowski

You say to let it flow
You say you know
Let it burn in your stomach
Until you let it out
What if i let if grow out
my ears, nose and mouth
until that third world librarian
has got a puddle under her chair
i cant be like anyone else
i can only be what surfaces

beneath the shades of blue
is a darker blue
and beneath the darker blue
is a white light
This white light is a photosynthesizing center regenerating
these efforts to be a poet
though ill never know it
let it stay that way until i am finished or it leaves me
I may not be blessed but i am a lucky bastard
and I'll keep it that way
Spare a few days
Here and then
Now and again

If that third world library floods
what will happen


Nothing.



This is one of my favorites that i have written.

Sunny outside coudy in my head

i am enjoying life very much
especially as of late
adjustments have been made
I still think that i see Juneau folk in Minneapolis
Will that ever dissipate?
we have so much to look forward to
so enjoy it
and never stop
till you expire or it leaves you

John and Ester

What a wonderful day
I awoke not knowing where i was
desperate for water i made my way to the kitchen of my friend Johns house
I folded the blankets and left a note
The second my feet were in my pedals i thought what a great night
We sat in the grass under the trees taking pulls from the wine bottle
We swam in our most natural state
The water was wonderful
The trees were beautiful
We scared off some other beach go-ers
My ride home was amazing
The music flowed
The wind felt amazing
Thank you John and Ester
I know i told you both how much i like you about 7 times last night
but you are good people.
And the whole day followed
As good as it gets
I walked in the rain with a child size umbrella
letting my feet feel the wet sidewalk
they loved it
I had good thoughts on that walk

Home

I got home yesterday...
Flight wents fine.
Its really crazy being home. Lots of culture shock. The traffic of the city is just tense and stressful. I dont like it.
I miss Juneau. I really do, everythings so much more relaxed.
It's great to see the people that i cherish in MPLS. You know who you are.
I just have alot to do in the next couple days.
Build a new bike
get ready for school
unpack - which i probably wont even do - my room will just stay empty and i will keep wearing the 5 shirts i have been wearing the last 3.5 months. he he
I don't like culture shock, i really dont like it.
Here you have to call people with a phone to see them and travel more than 10 blocks

My first night back was great though, I saw alot of good friends. I have been craving swimming in our Minnesota lakes and we were able to get out to hidden beach for a swim. Heck yea.
To my friends in Juneau i miss you dearly and will see you soon
This is not the end.
the end

Freedom

Yesterday was my last day of work!!

It feels so good to not have any responsibility right now. I love it.
Everything is really smoothing out for me.
I sold my bike to my good friend Nick.
I have a job waiting for me when i get home.
I am moving into a very special house in a few months.
I get to see the people that i cherish in MPLS in only a few days.

I am just preparing for home for the next few days. I am going to Pelican, AK on Monday. I am really excited to take the ferry out there. I haven't been on the ferry system yet. I think i wrote about this already but Alaska has a great highway marine system. They kind of need to when most of the cities in SE Alaska have no roads.

I haven't been writing at all lately, i have been so busy. I have done a bunch of really fun stuff. I can write about it later.

I will see MN so soon.

I am going to try to hike Mt Jumbo tomorrow because its my last day available to do that. I am just hanging with the people that i love here in Juneau before i go. Here are some photos of random stuff i have been doing:

This is a photo of downtown Juneau



I camped out in a cabin up the road a few days ago with some friends and this was the sunset view:






These are friends at my bar on the last night
Included here are
Costa, Merody, and Sam
Alice, Resse and Nicole




This is the Alaskan Bar that i spent plenty of time in. Patrice is bar tending. I will miss dancing to bluegrass here. I will have to come back next summer and do it again.

Lately ~

I haven't had much time to write lately but i have been really busy getting stuff done before i go home.

I have been working a bunch (like always here)

One of my friends up here guides ice climbing trips and glacier treks up here. I was lucky enough to get on a trip with him. Usually this trip is $500. The $500 includes a helicopter ride to the glacier and a 3 hour trek. I paid $46 for it. He He.

I wish i had more time to elaborate on this but it was amazing. We had huge 2" cramp-ons and ice picks. I got lowered in to a cravase and had to climb my way out with the ice picks and cramp-ons. It was amazing. We found some ice caves that we could walk through. I will elaborate on this more later. Ice climbing was one of the best things i have done this summer.

2 days ago Nick and I climbed Mt Juneau with huge packs and camped up there for a night. Hiking up that mountain with my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pack, food for 2 days and other stuff on my back was really hard. We got up there and it was really cold, really cold. We spent 2 full days and an evening up there and saw some really cool stuff. We saw a bear, some porcupines and about 25 mountain goat. We woke up to really hot clear blue skies and got sun burnt that day. It has been really nice since.

I have the day off and Patrice and I went for a lovely walk on Douglas. It is perfect out today. Really mind blowing, Juneau never looks like this. I'll post photos later, theres just so much i wish i had more time.

all for now
B



This is a photo of the icefield

West Glacier Trail

I hiked West Glacier Trail again a few days ago with my friends Nick, Claire, Susan and Nick. I hiked to this side of Mendenhall glacier earlier this year and it is amazing how much it has changed. Very sad more than anything. The glacier looks different from when i saw it. Its melting at a very fast rate and soon will be gone.

We found an ice cave that was so amazing you leave that glacier a changed person. We were able to walk about 100 feet into/underneath the glacier. I got some good photos seen below but my friend Nick (freelance pro photographer) got some breathtaking photos. I need to offer him some $$ for those.

It is so amazing to get so close to it, you can see little pebbles and dirt frozen just a few inches deep in the glacier now. You see those and you know that those little pebbles have not seen the world in hundreds of thousands of years, and they are just about to be exposed. Thats crazy. Thats insane.

Check the photos out

See you MPLS folk in 3 weeks. I cant wrap my head around that either.

Ticket Home

I have a plane ticket home.
Aug. 22
I am leaving Juneau at 1 am
MPLS by 2 pm
Dont know how i feel about that

These are my friends Nick and Claire, They are really good people from the east coast. I am very thankful that they came to Juneau. I already owe them so much.

This was a beautiful day on the herbert glacier trail with fog on the glacier run off.

Patrice

This is a friend of mines music.
Her name is Patrice and she's great
Her family has been in Alaska for 4 generations now.
We have the same birthday

Photo's of Friends

These are my friends from both Doc Waters and the Tram
check it

The Haps

So a lot has been going on lately...

Yesterday i climbed Mt Juneau
That was crazy, the mountain kicked my ass. I was planning on just going up and chillin for a bit and coming back down, I brought my small water bottle a pear and 2 granola bars. Well that would have been enough if i stuck to my plan. I climbed pretty hard on the way up, i made a few short stops but kept going consistently. So i got to the top huffin and puffin dripping in sweat and it was amazing. I could see so far and so much. So i sat up there and ate my pear and granola bars and just enjoyed it. I had heard that if you follow the ridgeline east you would be able to see the Juneau ice field. So i take off strait east inland. This was really cool because you are on the tip top of this mountain range and it goes on forever. So you are walking on this trail (no bigger than a deer trail) and you look left and its basically a drop off down the mountain and you look right and ITS THE SAME THING. It totally reminded me of Lord of the Rings. So i took this trail for a long time thinking yea i will probably turn back soon, but i didn't i just kept going. It was so cool
So i was really hoping to see the ice field, this thing is bigger that Rhode Island. I unfortunately didn't make it the whole way, there was still alot of snow. My stomach started telling me i am hungry. I new that if i was hungry now and i have at least a 3 hour hike back that by the time i made it back i might be weak from hunger. I had exhausted the water from my water bottle also. So with no food or water i figured it would be a good idea to head back.
I did fill up my water bottle with wonderful run off from the snow up there, It was some of the best water i have had, ice cold too. That water is actually where Juneau gets its drinking water from. I saw a family of Spotted Grouse that scared the shit out of me. They were beautiful.

The top of the mountain was unbelievable
I hadn't seen another person since the trail on the way up when i passed their asses
It was soooo quiet and soooo peaceful
I hadn't been somewhere that quiet in years.
why would anyone want to leave
There were little pools of water on top that waded in. i of course wanted to lose my clothing and dive in but none were big enough or warm enough for that. The ones that were big enough still had ice and snow in them.
I got like 3 photos and then my camera battery died. Damn
That just means i will have to climb it again.

Here are some photos before my camera died. This is a stream that i had to cross to get up the mountain. It looks alot rougher than it really was.



These next two photos are of the same shot, one of them is zoomed in and the other is zoomed out. You can barely see the people on the trail in the zoomed in photo. I took these to try to put in to perspective how massive this mountain is. These photos are only of half the mountain too. On the zoomed out photo try to follow the trail.




Some other news:
I am pretty sure that my manager and head chef at the tram is quitting. That means that place will completely fall apart. Therefore i would have to quit that job, everyone there will quit. Now one would think why not just hire another chef? Well let me answer that for you. The labor pool in Juneau is non existent. This town gets so over worked in these summer months. Juneau is bitting off a bite too big with 6 ships a day coming in. Over 12,000 people stepping on to the docks. This city need more hard working mid westerners to show them how its done.
By the time any new chef got done training at this point it would be the end of the season and the training period would be stressful and not worth it.
We will see what happens though. I would pick up a bunch of hours at Doc's and go from there.

I hope he doesn't quit because we have a good crew at the tram now. We have alot of fun.

Other thoughts:
It's not that i don't want to come home but i don't really want to come home. hehe
I am happy here right now.
I really am
I wish i could just keep traveling, why stop here, i wish i could just keep going. But i cant and i have to come back to MPLS. Once i am done with school its ON
Most people get done with school so they can start their jobs. NOT THIS KID.

It will be fun to come home though. I am sure when the time grows near i will be more excited about it.

all for now
peace
Brett

Dear Joel

Hi there,
this message is a bit random but definitely necessary. It consists of a story. Please do read the whole thing, its worth it
sorry its so long
ready set go:

My name is Brett Baker and i am from Minneapolis. I came to Juneau, AK for the summer for some good old adventure. I was having a shit time my first couple weeks here, it was very difficult for me emotionally i am in Juneau alone. Around the end of May on a Sat night i wasn't planning on going out but did anyway - to the Alaskan (my favorite bar) and you were playing. I had so much fucking fun dancing and listening to you play. That night was my turning point from having a shit time to having a great time. So the next day i started researching you and your music and how to get some. I of course learned that it was basically impossible to find your 78 Vinyl. I did look everywhere i could (ebay, craigslist, thrift store and record store in Juneau). So i had sort of given up...
A few weeks ago i was at work (bar tending) and i don't know how it came up but i started talking about you and your music and your shows (I attended your July 3rd show as well and had a blast of course) to a guy at the bar. A young guy named Jesse. I don't know anything else about this guy, he just left Juneau and said he's coming back next spring. He says to me that hes got one of your vinyls. I am, of course like NO WAY how did you get it. He told me it was given to him. I of course offer him a bunch of money for it and he says no (i don't blame him). I then ran in to him a few days later (thats how Juneau is) and he says he wants to give me your record. It was given to him and now he wants to give it to me.
Now i am holding your vinyl in my hands still in disbelief
I am going back to Minneapolis in a month
I promise i am going to bring your record back to Juneau someday and hand it down.
You have my word
I need to say thank you so much for your music
its helped me down my road, i am in your debt
Thank you so much. Let me know if i can return the favor in anyway - Seriously
peace
Brett

This is a letter that i wrote to Wisconsin Slim today
i hope he reads it

Poems are a friend

The Mountains show their bones
the floor glows proudly
Do they show off for our praises and admiration
or just because they can
the glacier water runs though it
only where it can these days
the blue sky blankets it all
but never covers it up
It projects the beauty
enhancing every lack of pixel
and it goes on forever
and it always will
Is your magic under the blanket
how did it find me
hold it tight
or surely it will be forgotten
for it is magic

I like to write

Cloudy in my head and in the sky
Juneau is busting
once again Wisconsin Slim showed the town
how miraculous moments can be
what a blast
hop, clap, swing to the beat
all night long
those moments dont dissapear they occur and fly by
taken for inventory by the sky
they're never lost though you may be
you may never be remembered or recorded
do your best young man
I am what i can be
make those moments
after they pass they will only exist in two places
on the trees and in the sky
make those moments happen
you can try to keep them in the third place, in your head
they will be forgotten even though they were there
but were they ever really there
did they ever stay there
did they ever stay there for more than the time they were occuring
life is what you make it
keep the occuring coming
be what you can be
no less
if not, spare it
throw it away like so many do
never will I.
march onward
to the moon
If you dont make it
surely you'll fall into the sea
how different life can be