San Fran part 2

There was a poolside party in downtown San Francisco the night before the event. All the media and athleates were there. Somehow we scored the best parking spot outside the bar and were able to show off Joaqiun. Again, we got after it, late into the night.

Going Skiing in San Fran

On November 1st, after a long night out for Halloween, I got a call at 8:45 from work asking if I would be down for a trip to SF in about an hour. In my hung over state I quickly agreed. We were driving up to a ski event at Giants Stadium in our company car. A few years back POWDER mag bought a mid 90's, retired highway patroll vehicle, with ski adventures accross the country in mind. Over the years Joaquin, the car, has gotten quite the makeover. skis screwed into the hood, spray paint and stickers all over the body, spinners (which have long since fallen off) and ground controll for the southern hemisphere, and a comprehensive record of everymajor powder day he has encountered scribbled in permanent ink throughout the interior. its definatly entertaining driving this car.

D-Structure

We arrived in San Francisco after a long drive just in time for a ski movie premeir at a local gallery/store called D-Structure. It started to fill up fast and quickly turned into an epic night thanks to the open bar.

broken social scene

Tonight Broken Social Scene played at the Orpheum theater in downtown LA. This venue is incredible. The architecture and detail in the decor was so amazing to see first hand. I have seen this venue so many times in pictures and on telavision without realizing it. As soon as I entered the space It seemed so familiar. Having the opportunity to see group like Broken Social Scene there was a real treat. The sound that this venue was able to produce captured me from the first note.

The band was relatively small tonight compared to how many members I have seen in performances before. There were 6 - 8 musicians on stage for the majority of the show, switching instruments, changing vocalists, and even adding a horn section for a few songs. Emily Haines from Metric sang a few songs in the middle of the set, the guitarist from the same band played the whole show along with the trumpet on occasion. I love going to a show where I am so blown away by the musicianship of the band; this was one of those shows. It was inspiring.

at random

critical mass

On friday there was a critical mass ride in Costa Mesa. There was an great turnout and it turned out to be an amazing ride. We rode just over 20 miles through Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. There were a few crashes, some frustrated police, and a whole lot of pissed off drivers. Everything one of these rides should be.

forget the fire, go to the beach

Today was the first day were i felt as though the fires were under control. My good friend Ryan and I decided, enough is enough, time to get on the fixed gear bikes and do our best to make it into the SC sheriffs blotter.

As we rode at full speed the wrong way down a one way street, Ryan kept getting closser to aproaching headlights. You may think this is no big deal for an expirienced brakeless BMX rider. Keep in mind we each had 2 bean and cheese burritos and a 40 once of budwiser in our hands, and Ryan runs his fixie brakeless. Skid town. Strong words.

Well, after a near death expirience here are some photo's from another night in the SC.


anyone who had been to ACAD knows what a steller education they got in foose ball. Ryan kills it. no joke.

anyone who knows me knows how much I love pool.... this is heavan. They have a painting of a shark on the wall. It doesn't get any better than this.

Ryan in I in deep conversation trying to solve the riddle of how people in california can be so diconected.

In SC about to get harrased by a military man about our bikes and his home town?

california fires take 2

I am pretty sure no one reads this ... especially my instructors. (tell me if you do, anyone can coment), but I am alive. Amidst the worst fires in California history I have managed to escape with out any damage besides a runny nose, and some crazy alergies to smoke and ash. It has been crazy here. A few nights ago I watched the SC hills glow with fire not even 10 miles from my house. Most of the editorial staff at the magazine live south, and were under evacuation orders. It was a tense time in the office. About half the staff were missing, while the remaining spent thier hours at the office on the phone to friends and family making sure all is well.

Rather than posting posting pictures of the raging fires (which I couldn't get close too) I though I should post some of the amazing landscapes the smoke produced.


this is from my balcony the day after the fires started to subsided. It was the smokiest day we have had thus far. All day was like the first light on a winter morning. It produced the most incredible orange light. It was undescribable, like noon as dark as midnight.


This is from the peir just blocks from my house. I was sent home early from work and after a short nap on the couch I woke to the most incredible sky I have ever seen. This picture can not do it justice.

It looks like the fires are under controll ... I have a feeling that this place will have a different atmosphere from now on.

california fires

This morning we woke up too a layer of ash in the house because of the wildfires buring in southern california. The ash crept in through the open windows, outside the cars and streets had a think layer. The sky is brown and there is no visability. We are only a few blocks from the beach and I couldn't even see the water this morning. The winds are the highest I have seen since I have been here. It definatly made for a misserable ride into the office today.

Lucero, Little Joy, and lots of coffee

Last night we saw Lucero play at the El Rey theater in LA. it was a great show. Later in the evening we went to a great dive bar called Little Joy followed by about 10 cups of coffee at 3 in the morning at bright spot. Had a great sunday morning filled with more coffee and lots of laughs.