Mastastico

goodwin project

2012-01-25T06:31:00.001-08:00

Really? Really? Really? Fine I will take vicariusly..jerks

The Goodwin Project from Avocados and Coconuts on Vimeo.

blood brothers

2012-01-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Mr. Kuato sent over this gem of an image from the x-mass skate sesh at MB skate park..My little brother and I. I am sitting down because 4 minutes of skating made me tired and in pain..I suck

Legends on Gelatin

2012-01-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Steve Olson

Kevin Ancell

Peter Beard

Dewitt Cannon

Andrew Kidman

Steve Olson

Craig Stecyk

Joel Tudor

Craig Stecyk

Scanned some of my portrait work for the book I wanted to do on legends that someone beat me to..one day I will finish this project..its all shot on a pentax 67 with that ancient gelatin stuff(film)

teacher play list

2012-01-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

been schooling my 9th graders on some tunes

fish on!

2012-01-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

Trout is all from Rolf Nylinder on Vimeo.

for some reason I like the campfire best in this, oh and the guy losing that fish in the beginning is pretty great

Im jonesing hard for some time in the carmens river

the week of no work but still worked

2012-01-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

semper fi skate or die!

my bruschetta kicks your bruschettas ass

400lbs of bottom feeders in a marinara on the eve of the bearded man

little bro shutting it down in a canadian tuxedo

future tattoo (ed roth)

grouse country

astoria sky

essential upstate supplies

new crabtoo

it took a year but Harlans on the canvas

Its fixable..what? It is, seriously what,yes I want it

Harlan holding his own in the Troast compound

a glimpse of a sweet eagle

Harlan is happy to see Harlan

Jan 1st and Panessa has on flops and shorts..what?

Mr. T .308

dustjacket

2012-01-02T15:54:00.001-08:00

on the way to pick up mr.wrangler I shot the pic for the inner back cover on my novels dust jacket..backwoods cigars are yummy

greatness

2012-01-02T15:49:00.001-08:00

always thought the stones crushed country

2012-01-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

Mr. Mastastico with partial brood doing the kiddie polar plunge

Troast,Mr. Mastastico,Panessa,and Greek God Thaddeous

Smittys locals admiring Gordo's attire

2nd time in

The Second Annual Smiths Point Polar Plunge had a great turn out to bring in the new year, a solid 40 50 people took the plunge with about 100 on the beach cheering on, pretty good since last year there was only 3 who made the plunge. Note to self going in a 2nd time is very painful..apparently your body loses heat and doesnt gain in back and since I weigh 4 pounds my body was quite angry the second time in..good thing my goat herders beard kept me warm

aim low,trim high

2011-12-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

early rise..check..giddy kids..check..tired dad..check..massive piles of toys to trip on..check..puddle sliding on dirt roads in 3 feet of leftover high tide..check..2nd annual old man skate session check..bruised heel..check..frontside and backside cess slides..check..first circle sesh ever..check..too many varieties of food..check..beer..check..whiskey..check..coffeewhiskey..check..100 cookies check..carrying sleeping kids ..check..small swell on the horizon for tomorrow..check..fine christmas..check

school daze/surfmobile part who knows

2011-12-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

Without a doubt this is something I want so bad it hurts my insides..this would be sooo amazing for long road trips..I am thinking a nice trip up to novia scotia, some fishing,some surfing,some roadside camping, some reading by the fire with the kids,some surfing at secluded point breaks..big window to stare out of while slamming through the gears on the old tray..I am hoping it grinds in-between gears because of no psycho gears just because I like that crunch noise (think 1939 toploader ford tray with a gooseneck shifter) The wood work is top notch..if this was some insane 4x4 it would win award for best surf assault vehicle of all time

Thank Thad for Thurl

2011-12-20T09:43:00.000-08:00

I don't care who you are listen to this and then try and not spend the rest of the day doing your best impression of Thurl..my students want to kill me already

No war for heavy metal

2011-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

The little brother found this gem..Jason Lee is on my short list of all time skate legends with out a doubt..and this ad is pure perfection

gloatery

2011-12-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

Now for those of you with a uppity iphone this shot isn't all that hard, but my phone is one of those 13yr old girl flip open textual phones and the camera is only 3.2 mps and the shutter takes about 3 seconds to complete the photo..anyway gloat gloat gloat I am super psyched on this shot..truth be told I tried for a good 15 minutes to get the bird in flight throwing rocks at it but the shutter wasnt fast enough and I hadnt had my coffee

thankyou old friend

2011-12-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

a close brother sent me this..way better than the skate ninja because this guy ..well that jokes obvious..this dudes super funny and I love this super silly stuff..his hole schtick is filled with tricks that your friend who is better than the rest in your crew pulls off to make everyone laugh while you all sit on a curb outside stop and shop and drink big gulps

anyway here it is

pay to ...

2011-12-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

The doc himself, Ed Rickets

Buzz, buzz, buzz…that’s a weird noise, buzz, buzz, buzz, what the hell is that? Buzz,buzz..Fuck, fuck, fuck thats my alarm, Shit, baby is on my chest, wait what I’m Upstairs in DD’s room, pass off baby, make bottle, jump in shower, don’t fall asleep. Shoes, gay man tote (hey at least it says “Craftsman” on it) Cousteau beanie, cardigan, and field coat. Ice on the windshield, where is my ice scraper? Forget it debit card works better anyway, fuck what happened to 50 degrees? Defrost, why wont the defrost work? Defrost, ok ok my hand my hand will wipe the window. Hmm no front brakes and I am in a rush this will either work out in my favor or horribly against me. The well-privileged man would have no clue how to go point A to point B in a truck such as mine at the present moment. Years of driving old cars and trucks with 4 wheel drum brakes and leaky wheel cylinders (I have a triumphant story about wheel cylinders, William H. Macy and a police officer) Plan the attack, time the lights, put it in low gear, keep your hand on that e brake, time that light, time that light, please stay green, please stay green, yellow, yelllllllooowww, shiiiiiiit red no brakes, no one around please no red-light camera please no red-light camera) whew close call ok 11 more lights and 22 more miles to go, this is going to be fun. Side roads or highway, side roads or highway? Oh no cant take side road, downhill grade at that intersection, Quick shoot right, bob left, swing right, carve that on ramp turn, rally car style around the bend. Great now I am on a major highway, but there is shoulders a sick automobiles good friend, ahh breakdown lane, ok 10 minutes just passed and I just held the space bar down so long I am on like page 600 of this document, 9% left on the MacBooks battery, pirate argh! A few Hawaii 5-0 close calls but I made it to the train on time. Tonight should be interesting, as the traffic will throw a lot more variables out there. Doing the front brakes when its 37 degrees outside, tomorrow is going to be so much fun

doin it well

2011-12-01T06:48:00.001-08:00

knost..leanin lopez style, good stuff

its new and I like it?

2011-11-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

old house or new house?..old

old car or new car? old car

old gun or new gun? old gun

old boat or new boat? old boat

old camper or new camper? old camper

old surfboard or new surfboard? old surfboard

old motorcycle or new motorcycle? new motorcycle..wait what? Did I just say that? Never in a million years would I ever be able to afford this bike or basically anything above in new form..but I lust for this one. Normally I honestly hate everything new, its all just ugly and not well thought out in my eyes..rushed and made basically like crap. Now I am sure this thing isnt made as well as the old norton commando and I am sure its full of plastic and crappy chinese metal but boy oh boy did they do a fantastic job mixing old with new..the motor actually looks like a motor and the black and gold paint is perfect..no giant "norton" sticker across it in lime green...its bare bones and I love it. So plan is in 40 years to buy its rusted old frame and build it from the ground up..cause this air cooled monster is like 30 grand

so it goes

2011-11-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

ok all I started a new blog on the building of a oif triumph bonneville..go show some love

dora channeling her inner couture

2011-11-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

Dora doing some high fashion for pops the other night in her mink from the swap meet last year and her new vintage rothchild crimson coat..yeah shes killing it

your welcome

2011-10-22T05:12:00.001-07:00

one day

2011-10-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

hello perfect..seriously the rugged rubbers,the roof rack the bad ass black nose..the semi gloss white..perfection..oh and the roo bar with the halogens..serioulsy man? seriously? So stoked on this and so bummed at the same time and I only mean I am bummed cause its not mine

coops du jour

2011-10-14T07:02:00.001-07:00

my chicken coop/shed is awesome yup

They call it the...

2011-10-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

was feeling this today..staple cover of any hardcore band in ny

gems

2011-10-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

two gems from the long weekend

crucial fashion beer

2011-09-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

stolen off the sartorialist (yes I frequent that site). This photo is perfect in many ways and wrong in only one...and that is the converse demerit..if those were vans this photo would be perfect..regardless it makes me smile and proud to be a skateboarder

Logan Earth Ski

2011-09-20T17:55:00.001-07:00

(bruce logan)

Hate to say this is up on ebay, but it is. Bruce Logan model of a Logan Earth Ski with Bennet trucks and Road Rider wheels, always wanted one of these and last Friday night I happened upon it on craigslist..made a spur of the moment ride out to long beach and this heavy old slab of red oak was mine..it rides as smooth as you think the kicktail is actually a separate piece of wood jigged and glued on top of the deck..made a big difference ..changed it all I suppose better or worse (better)..anyway the dude currently winning this board on ebay his name is fatoldskater that makes me happy..Harlan really digs rolling around the house on it..might have to find him a replacement...time to start scouring again..for the record if this was a Fibreflex or a Zephyr I would be keeping it

music of the week

2011-09-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

all these songs but the bonnie rait one have been on my weekly playlist while driving to work..the Rait song "guilty" is a gem from 1973 that I am amazingly surprised slipped through my cracks for years..no more that song is perfect

The face only a man could love

2011-09-13T05:35:00.000-07:00

It's pictures like these and the warm fuzzy feeling I get in my heart that's makes me realize we are a different breed..shot taken by the owner of this rarely updated but damn fine blog..this man is of that breed as well working 18 hour days 7 days a week in order to escape for two week long journeys with friends on bikes with skateboards and fishing poles..amen

hello craig may I have your garage and its contents

2011-09-04T21:19:00.001-07:00

Factory 6: Craig Metros from Fuel Tank TV on Vimeo.

electric scissors

2011-08-04T15:38:00.001-07:00

200% Radical from Flesh Profits Nothing on Vimeo.

really swell stuff through and through

what

2011-07-31T20:23:00.001-07:00

back when I had money and free time I liked to snowboard alot..

ummm not like this though..seriously..what?

eye eye captain

2011-07-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

Be Cool Man Trailer from Captain Fin Co on Vimeo.

if I was to open up another shop..I would full on do like captain fin oh yeah mitch send me a free copy when its done

damn fine

2011-07-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

so good

Danny Cipher Rest in Peace

2011-07-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Last night Danny's body was found In Indonesia by fisherman up the coast from where he was last seen surfing on Sunday. I cant say it was a surprise, and I am sure it brought closure to his wife and family. 32 years old is just way to young regardless of the situation. I first met Danny back in 1995 or 1996 I owned a skateshop in Patchogue called Board Sports, and besides selling skate stuff I also sold demos and 7"s of local punkrock/hardcore bands. My shop had just been listed in the yellow pages under "skateshops" and also under "record shop" so that week I was busy fielding calls. Danny had called earier in the week and we hit it off taking about skatespots and upcoming hardcore shows..he asked what time I opened up and I had said around 1 or 2..but in reality my shop had a "whenever I feel like it" schedule. Danny and two of his buddies from "Cipher" were waiting outside the shop when Shatzel and I got there..we hit it off..I bought some demos for the shop and then I let them skate the park for free.. From then on Danny was part of the extended board sports skate/surf/hardcore family.. We had grown apart over the years as we both lead busy lives..but it really hurt to hear the news . Said friend who met Danny for the first time way back then with me had broke the news to me on sunday then again today, oddly enough he had seen Danny alot more than me over the years as they lived on the same block in LB.. We both agreed it wasnt so much as the way he went but how young he was when he went..I hope its offshore and head high every day up there

Farm life

2011-07-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

channeling peter beard/andy goldsworthy

snake skin and grinning holdy
while the campers were playing manhunt dora got creepy

couldnt pick a favorite
always loved the golden hour of light before sunset
lightning struck pine up on the ridge
honestly I have no clue how this combi bus got so high on the ridge..seems impossible
one of our recently bushwacked trails
intersecting light
man corner
like father like son (empty net)

all these pond fishing shots are gold
pond is stocked with trout largemouth and bluegill(blue gill are voracious with the blue wing olive flies
harley getting in on the fun
rare bigfoot style photo of me flinging a fly
this sign is perfect
signage
right down the road from the farm..in business 37 years the nicest most friendly couple owns it...the shop is perfect
piggy bbq I want it
the brood hitting up thrift shops on the wrong side of town in liberty
art deco door handles
perfect signage
I have no need for a teapot but if I did this is perfect
always loved setters and paint by numbers
bell jar anyone?
basket full of vintage reels
perfection collection
spankin Klean laundromat (amazing)
philly style alleyway in liberty
3 nortons in town..weird
killer mgb(get it?)
my workshop
swallow wing
the campfire almost done (stones hauled from brook and filled with mud)
working on the channel
holdy pointing out frogs

making fish habitat and ruining my cellphone

one on one
early morning light on the upper pond
bridge over soon to be spillway

channel from creek to upper pond
ready for a day of chores
holden wise crackin
harley is so close to crawling

me and the old lady in the golden chariot
new thriftstore parka..Im like a kid I get excited to wear it when it rains

This whole post is backwards in order..anyway I know its a photo dump but enjoy

trout are uppity fish

2011-07-26T18:56:00.001-07:00

(love this spillway and pool..four or five healthy trout watched me lose flies in the branches while trying to cast to them)

(snake shed pulled out of creek)
(mountain road)
(fly box and sippy cup)
(tying leaders late night)
all of these shots are from the Willowemoc river across the way from the farm..its private property but I try and be stealth about it..no worries to the owner as I dont do anything but donate flies to the overhead trees

farm details

2011-07-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Just some detail shots of the farm, most people walk right by this with out a second glance

new last hope

2011-07-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Long Island's last hope for world title since Rick Rasmussen of the 70's..Long Beach Bred Balaram Stack..Hope he murders the QuickPro in LB

Thrasher Co Founder Suicide

2011-07-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

heres eric swenson, craig stecyk, and fausto vitello at the Independent Foundry circa 83 (yes thats guys making trucks..think about this for a second)

People talk, but seldom act. Eric Swenson got things done. Never one to clamor for the spotlight, he preferred the hard work, orchestrating the show from behind the scenes. It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of a dear friend and one of our founders. His mark on skateboarding is extraordinary. Without him there would be no Thrasher Magazine, Independent trucks, or Spitfire wheels, to name a few. He leaves behind his wife Linda and sister Rebekah, along with a tremendous number of admirers

via thrasher

best trick off andy's nose

2011-07-25T06:17:00.001-07:00

I am sure I wont make it due to farm work..but the idea of a nose obstacle is hilarious....

surf royalty

2011-07-22T06:25:00.001-07:00

herbie and christian in nyc stolen from here.... The Fletchers are with out a doubt the best surf family period..Herbie is 62 still slip sliding and skating pools! And to top it off herbie is wearing vans and rocking a open shirt..so fucking cool

well rounded

2011-07-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF TYLER WARREN from Kyle MacLennan on Vimeo.

well rounded young chap..we should all follow suit..surf(long and short) paint..shape..repeat..hey tyler make me a board or two

surfboard by Takayama zuchinni by Lentini

2011-07-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

mastastico garden is crushing

Small farm Journal

2011-07-16T08:57:00.001-07:00

packed on the grassside waiting for the careful packing of the golden chariot..
everyones muckers ready to get dirty
we got to the farm late night..so kids slept like giants..gw bridge sucks
the new view out of our new cabin
walking down the street with a feather in his hat(taken via go go gadget arm)
road to upper pond
my vantage point from down in the creek clearing out the causeway to upper pond ..
dora froggin
junk shop dora looking at the innards of a kharman ghia
best coffeeshop name ever
light reading found at junk shop
good looking old building
lumberyard outbuilding in liberty
amazing mid 60's building in liberty

the brood heading into tractor supply

holden with a new broom for the kitchen and deck
kids crammed in golden chariot after visit to tractor supply and dollar store for specimen collection gear(dora with magnifying glass..later to be used as tadpole holder)
duckwalk
my favorite shot from the week..dora is over it
bull
holden ready for a day of collecting
pendelton rug found for our cabin at liberty junk shop for two bucks
tributary mountain stream on the property
great little spillway and pool filled with wary brookies
me trespassing to cross the willomec
bridge over willo
the mighty high willomec
go go gadget arm extended..it doesnt look it but the willo was so high it was scary as hell trying to cross
walking deer trails to head up willomec to find a ripple or pool to fish
private meadow I crossed to get back to debruce rd
oops was I not supposed to fish there?
brookie pool with my pheasant hair nymph waiting for a strike
nice spot for a couch but for now the fly rod looks nice here
kids watching a film while we get ready for a day afield
holden with smallest toad ever
wheel barrow full of flowers for the pots out front of entrance to farmme doing a horrible job planting--carrin fixed it
ditto
looking for toads
amazing old tree
amazing again
holden with tadpoles caught in a puddle
ready for some path clearing
my crew ready for trailblazing
go go gadget arm shot
dora has a great eye(she took this shot..and yes thats a machete)
kids taking the newly cleared path back down the ridge
jack and jill?
down the deer path(gotta use brush mower this week to widen path)
pig skull found in feild
pig skull
dora heading back to mess hall
spillway walls finished my 9th grade city kids from bk and bx
this will have to be dug out and dammed this week to have creek spill into upper pond(filled with trophy trout!)
kinked house in pond needing repair
me and harley standing next to one of our two irrigation pipes laid down to take water from creek to upper pond
out of focus shot of us in the creek
love this shot by my old lady
fixing the irrigation pipe kink..cut it out and put in a male male double ender
harley feet via my old lady
the pipe doing its thing
monster brown at the catskill hatchery
kids leaving hatchery
super awesome insanly expensive flyshop in roscoe(trout town usa)
roscoe coffeeshop and diner
ditto
two guys in waders walking down main street towards beaverkill
muckers and levis drying out
holden leaving mess hall
pig skull drying out..waiting to get scrubbed and bleached
hay loft in barn
farmer ingenuity..leaf spring made into a door stop
3 hand tied flys bought
going home
roadside
great book found with dustjacket..looking forward to the read

This is the morning of the earth

2011-07-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Back in 1994 I was riding my bmx bike (1990 robinson pro which Im dying to get again) around the pines in Medford I happened upon a yard sale and bought a old copy of Surfer Magazine circa 1970's along with some old car craft magazines. Anyway I remember reading a article on Alby Falzon and his seminal film "Morning of the earth"..From that day forward I went on a quest to find the film..I couldnt just hop on google as the internets was still being reworked and what not by Al Gore and his great politician hair. The search led me to some surfshop in san diego specializing in rare surf films. I sucked up 47 bucks and sent it via snail mail(truth be told my father gave me the bucks). While waiting the two weeks or so I studied that mag..and compared it to my current copies of Surfer and came to the realization that I like The old surfer much better..dint take much to realize that. Anyway I must have watched that vhs tape 6 million times over the years and its still in the rotation today 17 years later. The film is why I got chickens in my backyard when I bought a house 6 years ago..its why in 1996 I went to

Jeff Klein at Religion Surfshop(the original one not the third inclination) to get a forward thinking 7'4" single fin shaped(with him making fun of me for wanting it, then later telling me it was really fun to shape something different from a potatoe chip thruster). And this film is the whole reason guys like the malloy brothers full on emulate or copy him in all their past films..and as much as I enjoy their films they are faking it..they rented a house in the country side to film "thicker than water" or one of those films..meanwhile the footage in morning of the earth was real deal country living subsistence living type stuff..they werent pretending or going on vacation or going away to film they just..were doing what they always did. Anyway I love this film..go out and buy it.(this post was going to be better but kids gotta eat lunch go to the dentist and run out to see cars 2) you get the point

redwood part deux

2011-07-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

$1 dollar work boots
post denail and post plane
pre denailing and pre planing
work station..with holden getting ready to water garden
redwood shavings
work station with crappy work table given to by neighbor who found it roadside

So I have spent a total of two days denailing and planing the redwood boards I picked up back on june 1st..I think a solid week of this and I will be ready to build the deck out of totally reclaimed redwood..really psyched how this wood is shaping up

bottle of whiskey brass lamp and some paper..or brass lamp a tutu and some colored pencils

2011-07-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our swap meet finds fashioned into a damn fine looking writing nook for dds room

from sea to country

2011-07-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

looking for frogs and fish
farm flotsom and jetsom
some light reading in the mess hall
the land
long day on the farm makes for good sleep
view from cabin window
those muck boots were well needed after the downpour the night before
early morning catskill scape
dora checking out the lay of the land

kids running back on road after looking at hogs in the early morning

mountain stream on property
holden checking stream after morning walk to look at hogs
snake and baby great combo
dora with no fear of snakes

another shot of tall t

early thunderbird in the garage amidst fly reels and early glass
yes thats a tall t amid the rubbage
some nice finds from a moving companies garage
dora at home dumps
garden plot with chicken coop in background
baby bullfrog
sheep sheep sheep
kids on fresh topsoil
one of the baby largemouth bass that didnt make it
kids getting ready for the day
the kids playing the piano in early morning light

dora was nutty about catching frogs
dora took this shot herself--so proud following in her pops footsteps
Holden and I handling things
holden bringing level across field
inside of my soon to be woodshop

Barn detail

inside of barn and my soon to be woodshop
site of garden
dora styling in muck boots
the brood in the mountain stream
holden standing streamside looking at some native brook trout(later to be caught by pops once he gets a smaller fly rod)

Holden going to town on wild strawberries saying "mmmmm good, I'm a bear"
recycled planter dug out of ground and repurposed for herbs in the garden
some of the planter beds cut by me and built by counslers
packed up with holden on my back
the windy road out of the mountains

This summer I am working at a farm/summer camp up in the catskills I guess you can say I am the project manager. Last week I went up with the family to do orientation for the counslers..it was non stop from the second we got there, from fixing a brush mower to hanging cabinets to fixing a gravity fed irrigation pipe in the stream to stocking largemouth bass in the farm pond..The kids had a amazing time --catching bullfrogs and snakes and toads to hurling rocks in the river to yelling at sheep and playing non stop..watching them pass out at the end of the day was great..were off tonite for another couple days on the farm..plan is to plant the late garden and start building firepit and work on the ponds..hopefully squeeze in some flyfishing too

quarter sticking

2011-07-04T08:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Fourth photo stolen from part time mastic dweller M.T.

attainable dream team (sorta)

2011-06-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

I did it with the cars now its time for the scoots..albeit this one is almost on the unattainable but later on I will do a more attainable list but for now

bsa 441 victor special

harley 45

triumph thunderbird

fucked up vampires and stick knife

2011-06-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

an old friend of mine from the hardcore kid years is in "fucked up" a amazingly perfect hardcore band with guys that know how to play their instruments and a fat man who sings so gruffly perfect..on a side note ben cook will challenge you to a stick knife fight at any point in time so beware

oh and yes thats ezra from vampire weekend singing skinhead anthems and decendents "parents" so rad

Ryan Dunn R.I.P.

2011-06-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

best beard in the cky/landspeed.jackass crew rest in peace brother

shirts dont exist

2011-06-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

fugazi is good stuff

redwood lugging

2011-06-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

This memorial day weekend I engaged in the pure lunacy of taking apart a three thousand square foot deck made of redwood..for the payment of said redwood. I made two trips with 16ft boards on the roof of the jeep and the inside filled with 8ft boards I had cut down from the 16 footers(packed inside floor to ceiling). The hope is this weekend I lay out a tarp throw some saw horses on it and with the little brother start pulling nails and cutting the boards down to size for my 16x24 redwood deck..once they are all denailed and cut down I plan on planing them down a 1/8 inch. I am totally looking forward to this project.makes me feel warm and fuzzy that I am reusing this old growth redwood and truth be told its a swell challenge..I am going to get cocky here and just say before its done..this deck is gonna be epic and not cookie cutter like at all

beemer beach

2011-05-22T18:48:00.001-07:00

stopped by a buddies house with the family for a wonderful early dinner of smoked bluefish raw little neck clams and some italian long island homecooked sausage and artichoke filled pasta,,anyway when we pulled into his driveway I has a coniption fit at his buddies 1974 bmw tii with mechanical fuel injection a bmw 320i 5 speed tranny..and tons of go fast parts as well as a role cage integrated in the car through its upholstry in the backseat..he assured me it wasnt perfect I beg to differ..its perfect I want it. Perfect end to a darn fine weekend filled with rototilling..chicken coopbuilding and yard work..

keep dreaming brian

2011-05-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

I went to school for photography,I worked for numerous top commercial/celebrity photographers throughout my early to mid 20's. I really started losing faith when it started going digital, and truth be told I put down my cameras because I couldnt afford it anymore. Anyway I am still salty over digital, well I was until I saw the FujiFilm FinePix X100 now I dont have 1200 bucks, but if I did I would get one of these ..well if I had 1200 bucks I would probably pay some past due bill but whatever you know what I mean..I want this I want this bad..dear fuji if you want to sponser my blog send me one of these fine fellows in a custom made leather case

brit lust

2011-05-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

dear custom triumph grasshopper

please fall into my garage

(sidenote--this might be my all time favorite bike ever)

2011-05-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

I am reblogging this from jersey bred new mexican living fly fishing,skateboarding,calzone eating,single track riding cross country sking tarik at moscaline

trackside access
Mastastico fishing the RR bridge
mastastico game face, moscaline not so much
Nice rail road access singletrack through the piney woods.
I continued casting less enthusiastically for another half hour or so, but enjoyed the misty early morning on the river. It was a really beautiful spot.
darn nice, if infested with insane deer

Finding myself in the wilds of long island last week, I met up with Mr Lentini of the fine blog, Mastastico, and had some beers and did some early morning fishing. Highlights were falling into the long island rabbit hole and learning much about the little known conspiracy scene in middle long island, aliens and mutant deer and industrial waste abound! Having grown up an hour south of Manhattan, I don't remember ever being further east than JFK airport, so I was not sure what to expect, but I learned much. I recognized the sandy terrain and the perpetual fog from my earlier life living on the east coast. I did not see the sun for three whole days while I was there, something that never occurs in New Mexico.

Fishing started very early one morning, especially considering the two hour time change I was experiencing. Based on sound intuition, we headed out to the more sporting "not catch fish" area of the Carmans River.

I was a bit surprised to find such a nice trout stream in the middle of Long Island, but it was good. In typical fashion I caught nothing, but I did see lots of little troutlings in the shallows. Despite unsporting dropcasting, I did not even get a nibble. I did lose a couple flies to overhanging trees.

After Mr. Lentini left to catch his train, I still had an hour or so to fish before I needed to get back to work, so I kept wading downstream looking for fishy prey. Not 100meters from where we parted ways, I caught a flash of something running through the woods on a high bank of the river. I stopped casting and waited and watched. I heard nothing for a while, and then just as I resumed fishing, I saw another brown flash and heard hooves thundering alongside the stream. I saw what appeared to be something between a dog and a horse rush off in the distance and then I could hear the thundering hooves turn to splashing up the river toward me. The splashes stopped. I looked around for anything or anyone, but is was just me, the river and the splashy mystery beasts just around the bend.

Honestly, my first thought was to just start running upstream and see if I could catch Mr. Lentini, but I considered it unwise in waders. I then flashed to the previous night's tales of alien landing in this very location, wondering if there were mutant alien warthogs with tenticled mouths patrolling these parts. I dismissed that and, as the beasts were running back up the bank and into the woods, I caught a glimpse that lead me to believe that these were the imported sitka deer that ran rampant to these parts. As they rushed back and forth in and out of the stream I wondered what would make them run like that. Then I realized that Mr. Lentini was sporting an orange hat. Shit!?! was it hunting season? Was I going to get gunned down in the middle of an unlikely trout stream in long island? I paused and watched and looked for chasing hunters, but nothing. After a few seconds/minutes/years of heart pounding silence, the deer took flight up the bank again and off into the woods, not to reappear again.

Anyhow, big thanks to Mr. Lentini for providing the bar, calzone, local history and fishing information that improved what could have been a deadly boring trip. Next time we challenge the seagoing fish and further explore the depths of the local knowledge base!

pipe dreams

2011-05-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

The text arrived to me on sunday night or perhaps it was monday, I got to it on wednesday and was the first soldier to set foot on the muddy soil. I checked it wenesday morning at 6am but the site was in full construction boot and mustache mode so it was untouchable..checked it after work ..super sketchy walking into the huge construction site--its so level and flat that a grown man walking across the site with a skateboard looks quite out of place. It was raining the mud was incredible but I made it to the pipes..did a few rolls wiped out due to my suckyness and the wetness of the pipe (more my suckyness) ..had a good scare from a construction boot still hanging around the site and did a all out sprint across a mud field..My black vans are now two tone black and tans--I think i may still be out of breath--a new mission with the brother will be had this weekend. Regardless full pipes are holy grail and every skateboarder needs to roll on one at least once in their life--my full count is now up to a whopping four (baldy,louisville,and two random metal ones)..oh wait if I skate all three of those on saturday I can get my count up to six..awesome

no explanation needed

2011-04-29T20:59:00.001-07:00

hell or high water

2011-04-29T20:42:00.001-07:00

hopes are high on this one as a comrade in CT is working on this one for me

not sure what the old man will want for it

hoping "if you haul it, its yours" rather than "no Im gonna fix that up some day"

I shoudnt get overly excited but its too late

I cant even sleep with all the thoughts

I already went on three mental trips

break down the walls

2011-04-15T04:17:00.000-07:00

Im awakened half naked on the couch(wasnt sleeping there because I was in he doghouse..was sleeping there because the two older ones were asleep in our bed with raging fevers) by my old lady at 445am because she wanted to sit on the couches sweet spot to feed the baby. I fought the urge to cuddle up on the warm bed with dora. Threw on my blaze orange knit hat a sweater dragged a pair of jeans out of the hamper..slipped into my black vans and tossed on my tincloth field coat said good bye to my wife and walked out the door only to return because I forgot my box of flies a headlamp and my truck keys..on the road 6 mins I am parked on river road . I put on my waders..assemble my fly rod tie a copperhead john to the tippet and I take to the park rangers access road on foot..its still dark but I keep the headlamp off I spy a mud puddle ahead and I think of walking around it but then the 10 yr old in me says "walk through it your in waders" one foot in and before the next one follows WHAM! I fall into a hold up to my waist and slam so hard I smash my face onto the muddy bank on the outside of the muddy booby trap. I climb out thanking myself that I put my waders on ..I take a mental note on the lovely muddy booby trap for later use and forge ahead. I get to the stream quietly sneak up just like all the writers say in the back issues of field and stream I have been devouring..I start casting..focusing on how nice it is to be out on the river and how great the flourecent line looks in the early morning light. I hook myself around a pile of brush and within 5 mins ove fishing I had to clip back my tippet and fish off the mono leader..I have no luck and switch to a different dry fly..truth be told I have no clue what to use because I am a fishing kook..I have a great time regardless..I have to shit in the worst way..I have to get to the train station..I climb up the loose rock embankment and start to trot along the railroad ties of the LIRR I can see the headlights of the train in the distance..I get a good rhythm going trotting down the ties skipping one tie and widening my pace to eating up three railroad ties as a time..the engineer his honking wildly I wind out three more strides and start to slip down the embankment the conductor waves with a look of confusion. I give him the finger. hop in the jeep still in wet waders..slam down windy river road so hard my jeeps tires cry with every turn..I pass two cars ..one in true hawaai 5-0 fashion (on the right) 87 on the high way bobbing and weaving like I am driving a 5.0 mustang in the early 90's.. I have to shit..I have the thought of pulling over and going for it..then I remember I am still in waders..in the lot pass two commuter kooks on the right on the way in.screech into a spot backing up at full speed..jump out get a weird look for a union construction guy because Im still in my waders..waders off lost a sock in the boot fish it out set off in full stride..I gotta shit..fuck the 704 im gonna shit grab Dunkin Donuts and make the 719 express..perfect morning

todays tom sawyer mean mean ride

2011-04-11T11:04:00.001-07:00

I felled some cherry tree limbs over the weekend--called some local sawyers and vomited in my mouth at the cost of it. So I brought one 45lb 2ft log to work with me and got my sawyer on

super scary..super dangerous..super awesome

gonna buy a chainsaw jig and do the huge logs somteime soon

cant believe they are mine

2011-04-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

some recent shots of holden and dora

surf mobile chapter 14

2011-04-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

If I passed one of my regents exams back in HS my dad said I could get a International Scout, fast forward to me passing my regents exams and I settled for a 1983 volvo 240 dl station wagon..the old man knew that as much as I loved manly 4 wheel drive rust bucket internationals I also loved volvos and station wagons haha. Anyway the lust for a Scout has never left me. Heres a few sultry examples

Freshness

2011-04-07T06:19:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I awoke before first light to meet renown freshwater fisheries specialist and complete skateboard angler Mr. Outskirt(he snapped these shots). We fished for a few hours (my first time fishing freshwater since I last did it with my father when I was probably 14yrs old on artist lake with doughballs and catfish abound) Anyway I plan on doing alot more of this as I have a new found love of trout..I just cant believe how gorgeous these fish are..regardless come May I will forget all about them and dive into bluefish fever.

mink you!

2011-03-31T06:28:00.001-07:00

The two older swap ready kids ready for a morning out in the lot of the swap
OG whizzer on pre WWII schwinn frame (I lusted over this for a while: dora "pops you want that bad dont you"
this vintage cop car was behind us online and was whirling his old vacuum operated siren --super awesome
old pottery filled with dried starfish and seahorses
a hand carved whale to be placed above the door to the laundry room
three cars for holden I have lusted over that 78 porsche since I was a little one
great bluefish lure for 50 cents
theres our booty for the day--the mink was all doras idea she had it wrapped around her liek a scarf all afternoon

OFF! Pettibon!

2011-03-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

thanks to coffee cup bill for turning me on to this band

soo good

and pettibon is just a cherry on top

holy freestyle batman

2011-03-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

respect

2011-03-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

skateboarding.....cardiel..gonz..theres others yeah sure but these dudes are it..this cardiel video had me grinning ear to ear...much respect...so stoked he showed those hack doctors they were wrong

To the Shores of Tripoli

2011-03-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

You know your a lifelong skateboarder when you look through the ny times world news section and imediately spy the full pipe in the libya conflict image. Would be a pretty epic journey to find that fullpipe

have you seen kyle?

2011-02-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

blogjacked from shawn stussy's blog..amazing

I would cut my thumbs off with a butter knife for that model a sedan delivery

Heritage Breed Extinct

2011-02-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

this was shot with my Pentax 67 in his backyard that had two rows of dried up tomato plants that he told me he forgot to water cause a south swell kept him at the beach shooting

A gorgeous image from the inside of Greg Nolls shop in Venice I think..sure you can do that with your iphone and hipstamatic app..but theres not a ounce of soul in that

Leroy Grannis lived to 93 years of age ..he leaves behind a back log of images that to me can never be recreated..No other photographer measure up to him in my mind on the surf and lifestyle front, except the late great Ron Stoner. Back in 2001 I was living in Venice, California and working for Juice magazine. I brought up the idea of a Grannis article, because besides the TSJ book Grannis was pretty much just looked over in the art world and perhaps even the surf world to a degree. It was super simple to get ahold of Grannis and I ended up spending the day down south with him checking the surf , eating lunch and watching two football games with him. To this day I can still close my eyes and get goosebumps when Grannis showed me his file room; a small 5x8 closet filled floor to ceiling with prints and negatives..I spent a good hour just purusing images that basically have never been seen before by anyone. Grannis wasnt insanely friendly, and he reminded me alot of my grandfather..speaking only when need be, and more than salty. I swore we watched an entire ball game and said like 4 words. Regardless we kept in touch and when I got married in 04 I purchased two prints from him for 80 bucks ..one for me and one for one of the groomsman. It was as simple as calling him and asking him for a print..years later he got hooked up with Taschen books and a agent, and he was afraid to sell me a print for the 80 bucks cause he wasnt selling prints personally anymore..there was talk of him somehow getting around it for me ..but I lost touch. Regardless Grannis passed the other day and although he lived a long life I was still upset with the news--for years I figured it was coming. I also remember cruising down and checking the surf with him and him being upset that after the 2nd hip replacement he couldnt surf much anymore(he had surfed into his 80's just like his good friend Doc Ball) All things aside we lost a pioneer in surf photography, one of the originals,bow your heads and pay some respects

Surf Mobile Chapter 13

2011-01-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

saw this gem across the street from my parents house on Saturday morning. I always liked the boxy style of the late 80's Isuzu Troopers, from the time they were rolling the streets fresh from the showroom to now 20 plus years later they still look just as great if not better considering most 4x4 trucks look and act like cars now. This one I hold dear to my heart as its the truck that took me down my home beach (smiths point) to surf for the first time back in 1989. I can remember the excitement bouncing up and down in the back seat.. my 10 year old self with the Farrells..oddly enough I recall Larry Farrell (my best friend at the times father) blasting Eric Claptons "cocaine" and driving too fast on berma road Pulling off onto the open beach my mouth had dropped open ..seeing that the surf was way too big for my junior varsity 75 lb self..Larry and Jim hooted threw the truck in park and told me "theres your board see you out there" The board in question was a 90lb Hannon 9'6" single fin log from the 1960's(currently in the rafters of my garage) Anyway by the time I looked down to assess the situation they were already halfway out on a solid head high day. With a couple years of body boarding under my belt I felt confident (big mistake) I get in start paddling (remember I serioulsy am like 75 lbs) Ok just to fast forward this a bit becasue I dont have the time to really describe the whole situation i bailed on a wave and dove to the bottom popped up and the board smashed on top of my head, in which my neck felt like it had shortened a solid 3 to 4 inches.. I then spent a solid 40 minutes trying to swim back in to the beach to get the board..and at one point I caught Larry body surfing a solid overhead wave (yes body surfing, did I tell you he pretty much just body surfed) I think he laughed at me too..anyway I love Isuzu troopers and you can score a nice one for about 1500 bucks..also if you tint the windows and paint it black you can pretend to be a druglord in a south american story

2011-01-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

been working on my mental cutbacks recently ..in my mind they look like this..when it comes to reality I end up just trimming and forgetting to work on my cutbacks. Tom Curren never forgets

Dora channeling Bill jones

2011-01-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

Dora doing her best prussian king impression of NY surfer Mr. Coffee Cup Bill

COMMITTED PINTAIL HELL HOUND

2011-01-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

everything about this is Tyler and perfect from the pre skate to the empty jetty to the pintail to the pulling in to the mustache--To me and I have said it before but tyler hatzikian is everything that I love about surfing all rolled into one mustachioed large man who oozes 1966

Stoner spot on

2011-01-20T06:46:00.001-08:00

What is it about Ron Stoner images that are just perfect

babies and pitbills and docs and cbs

2011-01-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

Mr.Mikey shined me on to this and honestly I am floored. From classic shots of the usual faces (stigma,frenchie,gestapo,miret) Oh geez and gestapo with hair!, to gorgeous portraits. Honestly I havent been this floored by photos in a long time, hell ever..best thing I have seen hardcore wise ever--hey guess what Friedman Brooke Smith crushes you

skate hate

2011-01-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

seriously?

To the Rivers Of Babylon

2011-01-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

Water is a funny thing, maybe the word funny is not correct maybe its addictive, regardless water has a gravitational pull with my body. the same way people talk about sunshine and lack thereof making them depressed water has similar effects on me..and by water I mostly mean the salty kind,but these days I am not as biased as I used to be, a river will suffice. Last year everyone called me crazy that I chose to drive into Manhattan daily from out east, and yes normally its true a person that does this daily is crazy especially if he isnt a truck driver getting paid to do so. As a whole commuting into the city was and is brutal no matter how you slice it. I chose to go out of my way twice a day to keep my sanity in check with a drive down ocean parkway, on the ride home the BQE and the GCP and The LIE had me punching my steering wheel, yelling questions aloud to myself and generally having only suicidal and murderous thoughts. get me onto the Meadowbrook and the first bridge all my pain is relived like a heroin addict penetrating his skin with a needle..a sigh of relief. These days I take mass transit so the only relief I get is the 2 1/2 minutes I get to spend looking out the M trains windows going over the east river as the sun is winding down on my way to job #2 in Bushwick, it somehow eases the pain from the day and gives me the energy to fight the fight, fuel so to speak. Its funny(tragic) I live a 1/2 mile from one of my favorite waves in the world and I barely even get to look at her anymore, I am always caught up in the rat race. Plans in my mind need to work themselves out and when they do perhaps life will bestow upon me more salt than not

Coogar

2011-01-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

COOGAR 1995-2011

Honestly I am always amazed at perfect dogs, and perfect dogs are few and far between..I myself have terrible luck with dogs, they are either crazy, or violent, or crazy and violent..daily I dream about the same reoccuring things..chicama,mt baldy,north bar, bad brains at cb's in 1985,hunting doves in argentina,triumph trophy 500's and some friends blazing across baja,a perfect spread complete with old house and barn,fly fishing montana,65lb striper on the beach,and lastly the thought of a perfect dog comes to my mind. Honestly I daydream of these thinsg daily, some are attainable and some are so far off its laughable. I have tried to do the perfect dog thing and at this point I am not sure it will ever happen and truth be told it really doesnt happen to most people. What embodies a perfect dog is quite simple leashless,fast,smart,fetching..throw in loving the water and youve got yourself a perfect dog...years ago I had a dog named dodge when I live in LA he went with me to work when I was a handyman in malibu..I would leave him on the beach and he would guard my stuff..he would come running to me when I called his name ..sounds perfect right? Nope he went the way all my other dogs I have had went..crazy. He would swim out while I was surfing and try and bite my board he would bark like he wanted to murder other surfers around me(that was a bit good) he snipped at anyone that walked near him if I wasnt present and to top it off he dove out my moving car window on purpose. Ok so he wasnt perfect..then I had the dog that jumped through screens..or the one that ripped slices of pizza from your hand as it was entering your mouth..yup not perfect..not even close. Mr. Coffee Cup Bill had perfection in the name of Coogar a white haired lady who embodied everything a real surfer needs from a dog. She went with him everywhere never on a lead--the streets of nyc, the streets of philly always calm and moseying right by bills side..perfection. when taken to the beach (daily) she would do her thing while bill was out surfing and never was there a worry in bills mind that she would ever do a thing wrong because thats just how she was. Over the years Bill figured out the only way to recogonize his dog due to her high contrast white color on the beach or from the water was with a blaze orange hunting color..so that became coogs trade mark. The image above was one of Coffee Cups favorite..Coogar in her element..wet and sandy eyes on the horizon looking for the next set. Coogar will be missed by many, and not forgotten.

well put Mr. Fante

2011-01-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

"the salt of the sea is in my blood, and there may be ten thousand roads over the land,but they shall never confuse me, for my heart's blood will ever return to its beautiful source."

John Fante...."ask the dust"

Greenough sighting

2011-01-10T11:43:00.001-08:00

I found this image and was blown away--it threw me back in my seat, a George Greenough 17ft exploration skiff in the hills of Central Cal. These guys have me frothing at the mouth thats the boat I yearn for. While your at it check out Bill Pressley Surfboards the guy does it right hiding up in the gorgeous NC hills for half the year then traveling for the other half..screw the rat race

cornflake and lime baked chicken

2011-01-10T11:12:00.001-08:00

okok get it out now I am super domestic blah blah blah but it keeps me sane(ish) and my daughter loves it and it keeps my mind off the surf.. Is that enough reason to blog recipes? Blah

cornflake and lime baked chicken

package of chicken tenderloins (this works with any cut of chicken, to me thighs and drumsticks would be best but I kept it simple and the tenderloins were on sale)
2 cups of cornflakes
1 egg
3 lemons
2 limes
milk
1 cup of orange juice

In a big bowl pour 1 cup of orange juice,splash of olive oil,squeeze in three lemons and two limes and add the chicken..throw it in the fridge and let it sit for 30 to 40 mins

take two cups of cornflakes and crush them

in a separate bowl take your two used up limes and with a cheese grater grate the zest off the limes--then add it to the cornflakes

in a separate bowl whisk egg and milk together

drop cutlet in egg and milk then drop it in the cornflake mix

it helps to smash the cornflakes into the chicken

drop it in a metal pan and cook in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 mins

devour them

its obvious this goes well with some corn and mashed potatoes

Winter Pulled Chicken

2011-01-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

Ok start out with a whole chicken skin and all--debone it (take wings and drumsticks off) put it back in the fridge(after throughly rinsing it and getting rid of the innards)

now its time to start the brine :

Brine

1/2 gallon of water

1 cup of salt

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of maple syrup

bring to a hard boil

remove from heat

add your spices(while the water is still hot) ..I like to use Bells seasoning 1/2 teaspoons of this while the water is still hot..let that sit ten minutes then add 1/2 gallon of cool water and put the stock pot in a fridge and bring it down to 40 degrees--a few hours in fridge

Once the brine is down to a cool 40 degrees get a non reactive container (not wood or metal) and add the brine so it covers your entire chicken--as you can see in yesterdays post I used a big ziplock bag--you can use a pyrex bowl and place rock on top of the chicken so it stays submerged but the ziplock bag is much easier

put this in the fridge for a solid 8 to 10 hours but dont go more than that because then it will get all soggy and disgusting

slow cook time

remove the bird from the brine bath and throughly rinse it with cool water then dry it completely.

chop up a half an onion(white) and add it to your crock pot
chop up a package of fresh poultry herbs (rosemary,sage,thyme) and do a dry rub over the chicken then add the chicken to the crockpot(set on low)

in a seperate bowl add 3 teaspoons of brown sugar 1 cup of bbq sauce (I like hickory smoked) 1 teaspoon of salt and 12oz of gingerale--mix this together and pour over the top of the chicken

let this simmer on low in the crock pot for a solid 5 hours--I then start to shred the meat off the carcass ( I found it easy to just take the carcass out put it on a plate and take two forks and go to town) add the shredded meat back in now let it cook up t0 12 hours (I did 10)

if need by add some more bbq sauce at the end for taste

serve on toasted sandwhich rolls or sourdough rolls --eat at least two or however many it takes to make your stomach actually hurt

Ok looks like I can go back to slow cooking

2011-01-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

On friday night I ate dinner with the family(baked ziti and chicken parm) hung out with the kids a little bit then went on over to Mr. Falcons to eat some amazing comfort food (baked homemade mac and cheese,pulled pork sandwhiches,slaw and some other sides) we drank some whiskey and watched some surf footage of smittys,radars and laurelton blvd..I swear some of the lido west footage looked like pipeline..the get together was meant to get our stoke up and pray to mother nature for some surf. The surf didnt grow but my stoke is way high again and it inspired me to slow cook some chicken for some pulled bbq chicken sandwhiches..The recipe started with a 8 hour brine bath...its still cooking as I type..after ingesting some sandwhiches later on today when the sun goes down i will include the recipe....keep the stoke and your appetite up

Heels together:chicama,chicama,chicama

2011-01-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

Chicama, Peru--top of my surf desitination list

I have had the mental image of this lineup in my head for about 20 years,,by the time I get there or have the cash to I will probably be too old to enjoy it--sweet...black thoughts

winter boredom

2011-01-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

winter in new york is rough for a surfer and or skateboarder..sure its possible to do those activities in the frigid cold and there is indoor parks and what not..but sometimes all the effort is just too much..so what to do with all the pent up energy..some take to the normal libations (quaint drinking village with a fishing problem) some read, some slow cook meats for 12 hours plus..some guys work on winter bike or car projects..others like my brother get sick of looking at their mach 3 ravor walk into their backyard grab a branch a whittling knife and some lineseed oil and get to work

kudos matt

Pink Pizza

2011-01-06T06:52:00.001-08:00

The pink pizza place on neighborhood road in mastic beach has been a main stay in the town since back when it was an actual town..I always loved this neon sign I finally took a picture of it to the noise of some guy going "what the hell are you taking a picture of that for". Anyway I like the pizza there but in my dream world I would use the sauce from johns pizza(pink pizza) the crust from the orginal uncle juniors pizza on mastic road (from 5 years ago) and the cheese from joes pizza on william floyd. Yes I actually think about things like this

New Years Day

2011-01-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

New years day we woke up and took a nice walk down a freezing cold beach looking for flotsom and jetsom for a new project dora and I are working on..the fog was so heavy you could hardly see the surf..it ended up being a great late morning for a log session..I didnt get in but I mentally surfed the crap out of it

Smittys Pier Ice

2011-01-06T06:40:00.000-08:00

ice floes in narrows bay taken with 13 yr old girls camera phone--no app used

25 cent perfection

2011-01-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

I remember talking to Toddy about his yard sale score of old kodachrome, I actually recall telling him I was sure the film would come out epic. the shot of the lighthouse and his little one is perfection and well the shot of Toddy and is pretty much circa 74 to the fullest..I love it Sure you can use your iphone app to make fake photos of these kind but its just not the same..god bless guys like Toddy for buying yard sale film and shooting it..check the original post I blogjacked from here

Brotherly Love and Black Van Construction

2011-01-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

cell phone wizadry
we had to cut out some of the old floor due to an insane buckle in the floor
the bottom of the house is about 1/2 way done witht he bamboo floor
Found a old package of jigsaw blades and it made us giggle for a solid 5 minutes then made us laugh for a solid 3 hours of bad jokes
matt making the box for the back of his short bus out of clear pine(it was serioulsy 3 degrees in the parents garage while doing this)
After laying floor we had dinner at my parents house and I snapped this gem of my mom circa 1960"s and a champion sparkplug for a snapper mower my dad hasnt had for over 20 years
matt laying down some style in the low end
the house I resurrected and matt and his shorty on a lovely stool I found in the garbage

A few weeks back the little brother and partner in Black Van Construction came over to help me lay some flooring in the house,build a box for the back of his vw shorty and to skate a pool in sub zero temps. All in all it was a fine weekend with some thrills and spills..On a side note I can close my eyes and still laugh aloud with the thought of Matt slipping on leaves in the deep end of the pool..

Headhigh in the water and on the beach

2010-12-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

head high drifts head high surf,homemade chicken soup simmering on the stove,kids on a christmass hangover..happy holidays.

and yes thats another cellphone pic gem..and i dont have a iphone I have a 13yr old girls phone

Feliz Navidad

2010-12-25T09:38:00.000-08:00

The brother came over this morning for a mini session after the presents and mayhem and we quickly jumped in the minivan jumped over a fence and skated the mini park..I snapped this beauty of the brother doing his best jay adams circa 1974

merry x-mass

Tears to a salty grown mans eyes

2010-12-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

My buddy jason from the underbelly of the south is one of the small handful of buddies I text on a regular basis..we have both told eachother that our texts have kept eachother sane(san..ish) anyway I have delved into mr.calhoun before and about his prowess on a skateboard and what not, but he also has a knack for prose..and I kid you not this blog entry of his literally brought a tear to my eye. I really do wonder and hope that their are still guys like heavy metal pinto out there: here is his recent blog entry blogjacked from his wonderful blog Cratftsmancharacter.blogspot.com

It's been waaaaaaay to long since I've built one of these.

After my parents split up, we moved in with my grandparents around the time that they were auctioning off their house. After it sold the auction company left their sign up in my grandparent's front yard. It was a huge 4x8 sign made out of full sheets of plywood and 2x4's. By some stroke of good fortune one side of the sign was 3/4 ply, and the other side was 3/8; just what I needed to build a quarter pipe. I was about 9 or 10 and had skated ramps before. Mainly neighborhood launch ramps and home rigged stuff, but never real transition.

I had no clue what I was doing so I went to the local skate shop and got a phone number of someone who did. His name was Jason too. Like all good skate missionaries, he was more than willing to help a fellow skater, even if I was about 4 feet tall and had a voice like Alvin and the chipmunks. I was so small at the time, when I used to call lumber yards to get prices for ramp materials they would put me on hold and say "hold please ma'am. I'll check on that". When they got back on the line I'd say in my high pitched kid voice, "I'm not a girl!". That happened regularly. Anyway, Jason came over one day at the time we agreed upon. I was eagerly waiting on the front steps of the house when his beat up Pinto covered in skate stickers came rattling up the driveway. He turned off the heavy metal that was blasting in the car, turned off the heavy metal car, and tied up his heavy metal hair into a heavy metal pony tail. "Whoooooooah", I thought to myself in my chipmunk voice, "this dude is radical!" My mom probably had a mini stroke since the type of person she had spent her whole life trying to protect me from, was now hanging out with her baby chipmunk.

He got his tools out of the hatch. Standard ramp building arsenal: string, pencil, jigsaw, circular saw, hammer, drill. We walked around to the back of my grandparent's house where I had stacked the material for my ramp. They had a basement with a slick concrete floor where my grandfather stored boxes and boxes of stuff. I had already cleared a path from one end of the room to the other by stacking head-high walls of boxes, in front of the cinder block walls, on both sides of the runway. He showed me how to pencil a transition, and how to line your studs up so you can splice 2 sheets of plywood on one stud, and a few other ramp-builders tricks. Within a couple of hours, we had her ready to go. He hung out for a while showing me rock-and-rolls, smith stalls, and a few other moves that are now staples in my bag of tricks, and then he hit the road. I never saw him again, but I vividly remember what an amazing thing it was to posses the knowledge of how to build something to skateboard on. I had a useless pile of lumber that in just a few short minutes was turned into a magical roller coaster of radness.

I went back down to the basement, walked through the door, and stared across the length of the room through the musty, cold space that was dimly lit by the tiny basement windows around the tops of the walls. There it was. My quarter pipe. I spent the next several hours simply riding up and pumping back down that ramp. I'll never forget the feeling of perfect transition and riding back and forth on a skateboard. I eventually learned to hang my trucks over the deck, and bring it back down without hanging up. I wasn't interested in doing mctwists like Mike McGill or grinding over the stairs like Salba, or doing Christ airs like Hosoi. I was just having fun. Of course I wanted to do that stuff, but just because I can hit a baseball with a bat didn't mean I had any inkling of a thought that I could go out and play shortstop for the Braves. Those were just dreams. I found some scrap and built a small bank ramp at the other end of the basement so I could pump back and forth without pushing off. Almost like a real miniramp... Almost.

I spent the next 15 years building stuff to skate. My parents gave me my own skilsaw for my 11th birthday. I borrowed jigsaws and whatever else i needed from neighbors, and somehow always managed to scrape up some cash for materials or find some in a dumpster or somewhere. When I moved to Calhoun I brought 2 quater-pipes with me in the U-haul. There were a few street spots around town, but I didn't yet know what to do with curbs and ledges. I was a child of the 80's. I wanted pools, and vert ramps, and launch ramps, and mini ramps, but it was the early nineties in the south and there was none of that stuff around, so I built it. I had so much stuff built and drug out in the street in front of my house that cars would cut through the parking lot up the street instead of trying to weave in and out of my ramps. I eventually took over that parking lot and gave the road back to the cars. I built ramps at closed down walmarts and closed grocery stores. I built skateparks for friends that flourished and faded like all privately owned skateparks eventually do. Now I've built this quarter pipe for my nephew for Christmas. He's gonna be so stoked. I hope he forgets about his x-box and drives his parents crazy going up and down it over and over and over until they have to come outside at midnight and make him stop skating and go to bed.

These days I build houses, and walls, and tile showers, and porches, and cabinets, and floors. Not quite as fun after they're done, but I enjoy working with my hands and I value the knowledge I possess. Ramp building came right back to me like I'd never quit. I even used a few tricks I've learned from construction... like how to make something square, and how to cut a bevel. Skating came right back to me like I'd never quit too. First try in my boots: b/s disaster, tailtap, sweeper, rock and roll, nosepick, and f/s crail-to-tail. The frontside air and the frontside rock took a bit longer to nail. But the best was just riding up... and pumping back down.