Surprises

Things I didn’t expect to find in my grandmother’s junkroom:

• A WWI bayonet

• A 1943 German edition of Mein Kampf

• A bourbon decanter in the shape of WC Fields’ head (to pour, just pop off his top hat)

• A 1941 edition of Marriage and Sexual Harmony. Praised by Health and Hygiene for its “sensible and scientific advice” and deemed “excellent” by Church Management, the book tempts me with its opening line: “True marriage is a happy venture into a promised land.”

--She said

A sign that I may have a small problem

At my twelve-year-old cousin's promotion from elementary to middle school ceremony, the principal said a heartfelt goodbye to his students and pronounced the year the "funnest ever."

I don't remember what happened next because I blacked out from the strain of not leaping to the stage and hogtieing him until he promised to stop corrupintg our youth.

Light Yourself on Fire!

Ride Bmx Magazine #146 just featured an article on my band, Light Yourself on Fire. Here it is....Enjoy.

Pedal, Pedal, Pedal!

I promised myself that over the course of the summer I would take breaks from my bmx bike in order to pedal my mountain bike a little more. Yesterday morning, I accidentally set my alarm for 7am, woke up thinking it was 8, and immediately took off to ride through Tampa on what ended up being about a 4 hour ride. For the most part, I followed along the winding Hillsborough River. This is what I saw:

What makes my neighborhood so unique: it's adjacent to the Hillsborough with plenty of really old oak trees. Some are healthy, and some, not so much.

If you can't live within eyeshot of the Sulpher Springs water tower, why not make one yourself?

22nd Street train bridge. I'm not sure why, but this area reminds me of Oregon.

I went to Rowlett Park in hopes to do a little bird watching. On approching the river bank, I heard a Limpkin bellowing its deathly cry and stumbled upon this water mocassin. Needless to say, I couldn't get any closer to the river to snap photos.

Instead, I followed a path and found this tree over hanging the Hillsborough which was a pretty good substitute.


The real Sulpher Springs water Tower.

One of three crack pipes found near the river. Scary.

One of the many springs that feed into the Hillsborough...

...trickling down stream to the river.

Near Lowry Park, I found this pond that warned "Beware of alligator." I thought it funny that the sign announced a single gator. But sure enough, there was only one single 5 footer basking in this unusually murky yet somehow clear sulpher water.

This pretty large gopher tortoise was walking along side the bike path. From my past experiences with these threatened little dudes, they are usually really skiddish. However, this one walked right up to me...on his back I noticed a huge bite mark that was well on its way to healing.

Last monday, some news was floating around about the discovery of a Confederate, Civil War blockade running ship that had been burned and consequently sunk into the river. For 125 plus years, passers by thought it was a piece of an old dock. This past week, the ship got the attention it deserved. Archeologists dug away and decided that its rot was just too bad to even fool with.
So to avoid others digging away at the wreckage, the city left the grave unmarked. The ship lies under these waters.

-He Said

My best buddy becomes a doctor?

Last Friday my best buddy of 10 years graduated from medical school. Unlike most Med. school graduates, we celebrated Dr. Pinzon's title by heading to the skatepark/bowl in downtown Tampa to indulge in what we call "Dirt nap Friday."
At the bowl, we snake to the bottom and jump our bikes out of the end. Doing an assortment of different tricks while in the air, we hope to land without falling in the sand and getting filthy. Most of the time we just end up getting filthy...Pinzon always being the dirtiest.

Dr. Pinzon will be doing his residency in Pediatrics at the L.A. county Hospital in Cali. for three years. Once finished, he'll be heading back to Tampa to work at his father's Pediatrics office.

I honestly can't tell you how proud I am of this guy. To balance Med. school, riding, and a serious relationship is a pretty big task to pull off.

Congratulations Dr. Pinzon! Dirt nap friday will never be the same without you.


360 table top out of the bowl.

Dr. Pinzon getting filthy on "Dirt nap Friday."
All photos by C. Henrich.

The Ozarks.

A couple weeks ago I headed up to Joplin, Missouri for a bike contest. Although it was April, it was freezing cold and our thin Florida skin forced us to stay inside most of the time.
In Joplin, our friend Jeana was the most pleasant host on Friday and Saturday night. She treated us to a pancake breakfast on Saturday while Sunday we headed to an all vegan cafe inside of a bead shop. There, we indulged in the most delectable vegan brunch.
Unlike Ariel (who loves to photographically document good food around the world), I was unprepared and didn't have the means to snap a shot of the heavenly sustenance. My appologies.
By Monday it had warmed up a bit and we packed up to leave for Springfield, Mo. where we stayed at my friend Joe West's skatepark/apartment.

After eating an amazing breakfast at this Holiday Inn, Mark and I lounged in front of this fireplace. Because of it's ties to the skatepark (that held the contest in Joplin), Joe West got a lush suite comped for a low price of $7.
What do poor bike riders do on trips? We cram in like sardines! $7 split 8 ways, that's $.87 a person.

Once we got to Sprinfield, we unpacked and road through the streets most of the day. Here's Joe West in front of a monument that sits next to the court house. We rode here for hours and didn't get the boot by the police.

Mark snapped this shot of me filming next to an old school-house. A couple hours later, this brand new panasonic video camera decided to die on me. Moral of the story: buy a warranty and then insure it!

This is the entrance to the apartment we stayed at in Springfield. It's hand made by Joe with particle board, throw away carpeting, and a mess of 2 by 4's. Believe it or not, this place is pretty confy.
When you walk around the corner to the left, you'll find this. There's nothing better than having a private skatepark right outside your door.

For $600 a month, Joe and two roomates split rent here. The only draw back is that it is in an industrial complex...it sits right in front of a live turkey processing plant which was so brutal it could make just about anyone atleast consider vegetarianism.

Lastly, here's a video that we put together documenting the trip. Thanks to Jeana Gockley and Joe West for their fine, Ozark hospitality!

-He Said