at least she is having fun in the sun.....

So Jill left for Cali on tuesday night.... after a half an hour delay in Minneapolis she made to LA and to a personal Driver with her name on a sign and everything.
she went to visit her friend Heidi (frankie rayder) and her fiance Flea.

yeah she is hobnobbing it with the stars in Malibu... maybe Jamie Kennedy will be around with his gangsta swagger..... not..

I have been occupying my time with a pencil and a blank sheet of paper. trying to come up with different ideas to transfer over to paint. I am going to be contributing in anyway that I can to my friends webzine. www.nearnorthzine.com it's a mix of BMX, Photography, and art.. cut and paste that... the link stuff doesn't work

I will put up sketches when I get the time as well. I might even write a tory or two about something or another.

but for now I miss the hell out of Jill. I can't wait til tuesday when I get to see her lovely smile again.

meanwhile I will be art-ing it up......

Intersting and scary at the same time.

I was on defgrip this morning and I came across this website they were featuring. chris jordan Once I got to looking at the pictures and actually comprehending the amount of waste the we create, I was taken back a bit. just think if we didn't re-use any thing? I couldn't imagine the world with a cell phone coated ground or a plastic bottle mountain... or a lake of valve caps. It really brings our consumption into perspective when you look at these photos and look at the stats that correspond with each photo.
check out the site. I think you too will be changed, even if it's just a little bit.

approaching 100 viewers...

I am getting closer to the ranks of professional bloggers Shelly and I am sure everyone else but me. 100 readers, wow I am so happy I could give a speach. I will save you the agony.


Saturday May 12th I go in for my tattoo. (again) looks like my quarter sleeve will come closer to being completed. Finally!. I know for a fact I won't stop there though. Once I win the Lottery, or once those checks start piling up in the mail slot I will continue to get more work done.

I have been toying around with the idea of getting some portraits done of my kids. I don't want them all serious like I was thinking more of a candid shot where they are acting like dorks or something to that effect.
nothing too large, but big enought to get proper detail in there.

now to find a portrait tattoo-ist...
if you know of one or perhaps you loyal reader might be one yourself? shoot me an email

idigbmx@gmail.com


for now I will even out my evilness with a little angelic art for my body....

I need to get balanced. too much evil not enough good. that'll change though.

I need a vacation!!!

let' blow this popstand.



I like looking at my flickr account about once every 2 or 3 months. I always find something that I either thought I lost or I may have just forgotten about.
the above was from on of Jill and I earlier dates. We closed down the steak and ale, and proceeded to hit up a sports bar. (not our scene) needless to say we both haven't been back to that sports bars since then.



I was bored I had bought a new camera and bought some new shoes... what's a guy to do? take a picture of the shoes of course.

.
the photo didn't make it into the magazine. so I will show it here.
I don't have a front brake so I wedge my wheel in there to keep me from rolling, then I hop back in.
it's an awesome photo. I have the high resolution version as well.
the magazine is out in the UK but not here yet...

a part of me died....

so I went out street riding last night, like I do every wednesday evening. this time we actually made it into downtown Minneapolis. As we rode a round we go to the spot that you see above. Loring Greenway. I got a bit choked up when I looked over the fence to see this.. a little part of me died, that's how I felt. this spot has been a part of the minneapolis scene for ages.. I can remember skateboarding there when I was in the 7th grade. I am 32 years old now. I skated this spot daily in the summers and we hardly ever got kicked out of this spot. it was a a sure thing up until the day they put hte fence up around it. There have been so many things that I seen done on these banks. We would dig out the top for over ice picks, jump the hips I once saw a skateboarder gap from left to right over the smaller planter about 15 years ago. I have seen numerous tailwhips, barspins, tree rides you name it it's been done here, it was a meeting place for riders and skater alike. everyone knew where this palce was, not anymore. ...... I am glad I got to ride this spot one last time this spring. I myself will surely miss this place. I am confident that others in our scene whether they skate, blade, or BMX will miss this spot as well.


RIP Loring Greenway. you have provided me with at least 15 years of fun times and tons of memories...
Todd J.

oh yeah....

So my beard got a bit shaggy last week so as I was trimming the facial hair I decided to give myself a moustache..... mmmmm so not sexy...
enjoy to all that see this. comment let me know what you think...
I might rock one again. maybe for an event or two...
creep.

photobucket.....

I was running through my Photobucket account and I found some photos I forgot about or never posted anywhere.
take a look-see

it's out in the UK

....but a month before we see it here in the US.
steve Crandall of www.FBMBMX.com and myself both co-wrote and article for the QBPBMX road trip that we all went on this past january. this is what the cover looks like. if you see it, buy it....

I don't see it but the internet is always truthful

http://www.myheritage.com

really?

http://www.myheritage.com

looks like they think Jill is asian

a riding photo...

I got to ride this weekend.. it feels good to be outside. not a ton has been going on lately just a lot of working and kid stuff. Jill is awesome as usual. My trip to North Carolina is shaping up. it looks like it will take place in may. the 16th through the 20th. NYC was canceled. I am bummed about that. instead I am flying into Portland Oregon to spend a few days there visiting shops and riding some concrete.... end of June.

but for now... I will be enjoying riding my bike and cruising my motorcycle.

ooooh I almost forgot. Jill's cabin... I know she doens't own it personally but that is all I know it as. Jill's cabin, the time is nearing that we will be able to spend a bit of time up there on the weekends. I am looking forward to that, however not as much as my kids are. Mya loves to swim, Nathan wants to see the stars through his telescope. me too. I love summer and I hate winter.

but I love all of you. my readers all 42 of you.

art...

I like it when you can draw on the tables at resturants.............

grrrr.

golf carts are pussy's...


Golf season is going to start soon. I might play this year I might not. The reason I started to play golf is because of that mistake I dated last summer wanted me to try it out. well I got pretty good at it considering I never swung a golf club in my life. I plan on riding a ton more this summer and traveling as well. maybe the golf will have to be put on the back burner for now.

bitch...

so long.....

YO!


since my last post I figured I would write in something.
I have been enjoying the weather. I rode my motorcycle all weekend since it was fairly nice. upper 40's all the way up to the 70's.

It was fun. BMX also got ridden all weekend, so I am a little sore today. no worries. no plans, just going to chill.

I love Jill.
I want to ask her to get a place together or maybe since the kids are out of the house all summer it would be cool to give up my apartment stay at hers for the summer, we both could save money and get a big cool place....

I don't think she's cool with that just yet. to tell you the truth I am not sure I am just either. we don't fight or argue or anything but there are somethings that we need to work on before that ever happens.

I am down to give it a shot though.

My dad... had my neice (Notice he didn't call) call me because he wanted to see me and the kids. Nathan and Mya were at Tara's so I just went. it was weird. I haven't talked to or seen him since last summer. I never know what to say to him. he wasn't really there at all when I needed him most. I feel as though he is reaching out because he thinks that he's dying. who knows though. I don't hear from him ever. I found out he was sick and in the hopital from my neice. I didn't know. He's fine now, from what I can tell. I don't know how to process this recent outreach for forgiveness. if it is even that. I am not sure. I guess we'll see where it goes...


a little back ground info.....

my parents divorced when I was in 5th grade. I was attending boarding school in Whapeton North Dakota. He found someone else and left my mom. Their marriage wasn't the greatest I can remember yelling at my Dad to stop hitting my mom, to stop yelling at each other. He was a jerk to her. I hated that. still do. well fast forward two years. in that time my mom and I moved to Texas and lived with her sister in Austin. we lived there for about a year then moved back to minnesota.... north Minneapolis to be exact. and from that point it started going down hill as far as my dad contacting me or even paying his child support. well after so many times and so many years of vieing for his attention I gave up since it wasn't in him to be a father to me. once and a while he would come around and buy something for me to try and win my trust back. I used him for that in 7th grade. new bike, new skateboard, new clothes.... what ever I wanted. since then I haven't heard much from him. contact dwindled. affection left. now when ever I see him (which is about twice a year) I don't get anything out of him. having a conversation with him is like pulling teeth. I gave up.

I didn't have him all my important "growing" years. I don't need him now. I wasted a lot of energy on that man.

biker, smoker, lover.

My friend Tristan took a couple of Photos while we were out riding the other week.



the day after....wait come to think of it three days after this photo was taken I could barely move my arms. the first street session of the year always yeilds soreness the next (few) day.

...and yet she still smiles...

My friend Brian Rose once told me. ... "you're dating up boy." He then sputtered. " Don't worry, So am I''.

This photo reminded me of that conversation..

digi cam woes....

Jill. what can I say? she has her own digital camera and takes some pretty cool photos already..
Speaking of Digital cameras.... Mine broke last week. I cracked the display and now I can't see what I am photographing. oh well. I am going to send it in to get fixed. that means that I will be out of a digi cam for quite sometime. I can still get my photos I take with my 35mm film camera on disk though. I can also upload photos from my phone. I am actually surprized at the quality of my cell phone photos.

check out what I have been checking out.

www.woostercollective.com

this is a site that showcases different street art from around the world. I have been checking this site out for a couple of weeks now. I have found a ton of other sites through this one that sparked my interests as well.

like this one.

www.little-people.blogspot.com

this site is cool. someone in london hand paints these little guys and gals and places them randomly throughout the city. they are photographed then left to fend for themselves. I am thinking of buying a couple of prints for my apartment. some of them are really interesting.

things are getting back to normal around here. my next stop.... North Carolina..... then NYC...

but first, I am going to pick up my motorcycle this weekend. you know the one I told yous about a few posts earlier.

done for now...

I went back in to the tattoo shop on saturday to get the skulls done and we ended up with one more. I want to put more black and grey coming out of the flames like these guys are doing.
9 hours total in the chair in 2 days. it's healing up nice.

Now it's time to start on the other side of my arm. the angel needs some company on that side....

hey it was a good deal...

went and got my tattoo started I have to go back today to get it finished.

above his right ear and below the left ear will be black and grey skulls poking out from behind the flames... my are is sore today, I spent 4 hours in the chair. we were gonna do it in one sitting but it got pretty late.

Clayton at Steel quill tattoo in orlando did the work. My buddy Kyle P. From UGP clothing hooked me up fat with this dude. Thanks Kyle.. and thank you Clayton.

fuck you winter....

That's what I have to say about that...fuck off winter.
your boy is chillin (not literally) in Florida right now. I actually broke a sweat walking to the car.

Emily and I are here for work but we made time after work to take a trip to the beach check the photos....


here is a washed up jellyfish. I have never seen one of these in person. it was quite a site...
I can't seem to get away from drifts, back home it's snow drifts and here it's sand drifts. That's Emily freaking out on how damn warm it is......

I am going to ride my bike now.... more later....

I am about sick of this winter crap.

I woke up this morning and looked outside to see my car plowed in.
after smoking a few spliffs ( not back to back) I decided to venture out to see how bad it was.
this is what I found.



shit.

so I grabbed the shovel and began digging. it's not some light and fluffy snow either.
shit's heavy.
I got a path to the car dug and quit. I am going to just plow right through it when we get in gear to leave.

So Today I bought a motor cycle from my friend Dustin. it's awesome, a 1981 Yamaha 650.... runs well drives good. looks cool. well it will look cool once I am on it.
this is it in it's current state. that's the actual bike. that is dustin driving.


I plan on removing some pieces and changing some stuff to make it a cafe racer
it will look similar to this one. the one below is a 1972 I won't have all that chrome on mine though. who know's maybe I will.


Soon Jill and I will be cruising the lakes this summer having a good time with the wind in our hair sun on our face and a side car for all the kids....

a couple more

so many shoes so little time

Shoes as some of you may know are something that I find really fun. weather it's shopping for them. trying them on. or buying them.....


I just won these lovely green ones on ebay. should be coming soon.
this is an example of a pair of shoes I would get but not wear. simply for the fact that they have graphics on them. I like them but the graphics would be too hard to match an outfit to.

these Bison dunks were the most expensive at the time I was shopping on ebay. $400.00 was the price for these. they are a dead stock and only a few were made in this colorway.
the above ones are just sexy... I loke these a ton. these will go for well over a $ 100.00 shit maybe even $200.00 I am not even going to try. I will check as the auction is ending.......
These however I hope I do win. Look at them.... Tiffany blue with black patten leather. the leather looks to be an alligator pattern. maybe I will win the auction maybe I won't. We'll see.

someday I hope to oppen my own store front that specializes in these rare hard to find Nike's and other vintage and hard to find shoes. dreams dreams dreams *sigh*.

Bought a new camera.

So I got a new Camera on friday. it's got film in it... I was like a reporter all weekend. It's fun taking photos and not looking at the display to see if you are going to keep the shot or not. It is a nice pleasant surprize, kinda like christmans when you get the film back from the developers.
below are a few that I have taken and ran through photoshop. I have a ton more that I will be working on the next few days. Enjoy!

this one I took sitting at the Sunday booth this weekend. There was a girl walking around handing out flowers to people. we stuck some in the seat tube of the frame that was being displayed. I think it turned out pretty well.


Everyone... I would like to introduce you to Brianna. she is in the know and has her mitts in the industry as well. she posts comments on my blog. she rides a mountain bike and when I met her she rode a BMX bike. (stil does but not that often).... I think she is conveying her disgust for me trying to take candid shots of her and Dustin chatting it up...


Pool. Sunday night we ended up at the Triple Rock for Dre days. it was Dr. Dre's Birthday on sunday so they celebrate with 40's of old E and a good mix of Dre.... we didn't make it to the venue because Duane from Hawaii and myself were running shit on the pool table.

Fucking Paris....... not hilton. just some punk from paris. I don't recall her name, I do remember her telling me, in a very hard to understand accent that she has been here for some time now raising her kids. She was loud, in your face, and tough as nails. those tall spikes on her shoulders are drywall anchors. I think that her jacket weighed more than she did.