UP THE COUNTRY

I'm leaving for the country at this very moment, and the last thing I see are these emails from my dad. One was a montage of snowy portland driving, and then this. The video is crap, like most country music videos are, but the song is spot-on. No one here in Minn. knows what a sloe gin fizz is! What I wouldnt give for a pitcher of Dots sloe gin fizz, to go, on the the snowy roads toward home!

At least Loretta Lynn rulez.

So this is why I have grown my hair so long. To hopefully look good doing these sorts of things. Instead of getting air, getting real low, flailing around on one foot or no feet, to the tune of country music while making turns in the deep end.

FEELIN MY FEVER

Dr. Dog is truly amazing. I could get used to this.

DONE

cheers. i survived! here's to one last semester ever!!

LAMBIC LOVE. WOW.

ODE TO POMEGRANATES

This wintery dust

brings on the cough and the sneeze.

Hundreds of pom seeds.

JNCO thrashion last weekend in the studios. From the free shelf. Thanks trevor!

can my spirit animal please be a wolf?

We need more snow in Minnesota.

I miss the Art Shanties.

I have dog fever.

This wolf is huge! And friendly.

This is from one of those blogs that make you really uncomfortable. But she does make some amazing motivational posters.

Right?

This was one of the funner nights of our lives.


Anne is coming home! With Brock!

The DropZone skatepark. 1999. I'm on the far side, about to .... drop.... in?

LOCATION LOCALE. Almost as upnorth as it gets while still living in the real world to tell about it.

THE MONKS

Its monk time! They are really rockin! My sister cut a track with one of these monks, Gary Burger who is mayor of Turtle River, MN where they played a show a few years ago! They definitely didnt have to shave the top of their heads this time.

GOLDEN TENS

FROM MY DISASTER CAKES BOOK...out soon!

FOR SOME STRANGE REASON I CRAVED THE SMELL OF MARLBORO REDS AT DOTS CAFE TODAY. This flocked golden wallpaper is in lieu of those daring walls in that cozy Portland lounge.

THIS YEAR'S BOOT SEASON HAS MY MYSTIFIED!!

WEATHER HAIKU FOR YOU

on the phones in doors.

would be at the stumptown there.

here im hot and cold.

POINTERESE

Pointlessness everywhere, so I needed more of this in my life. Harry Nilsson makes fantastic timeless tunes.

update*
5:50 a.m. friday morning while i was not sleeping.
i discovered that the point is delicious!



this all happened by complete coincidence. srsly!

VIRTUE

I was so bummed out today because when I went to the Vice website, I found all of these in the DONT'S section.

MICAH VISION

Abi Chase has been gathering interviews and images from a selection of people across the country with unique living situations. When I went to Oregon I handed off an "assignment" package to Micah Hollinger at High Cascade Snowboard Camp. These images were shot in the last few weeks of camp, with a disposable camera. Some excellent exposures, some of which are not so g-rated.

STRATEGY

A sad strategy. A perfect photograph. Al Grillo for the New York Times.

ITS MINNEAPOLIS

I was thrilled to see this wonderful typography used in drama; twisting and floating across some massive skull-painted props.

I had a very fine day in Minneapolis. I might even consider it adventurous. My day started with a bike ride leading to a walk, climb, jump and slide through some trails by the old flour mills along the river. I gathered alot of visuals, you can find them on my flickr or something...I was very energized when I returned home. A kaleidoscope that my grandmother made me is featured here as a tribute to both her and Emily, who is very soon leaving on a tour! Next stop was St.Paul to Hidden Falls park for the finale of the Barebones Halloween performance. We gathered in the dark to watch the night come alive with pyrotechnics, life-sized sea rocks and larger-than-life creatures parading around the park in the spirit of waking up the "dead". The theme harkened to the "dead" minds of right-wing supporting U.S. citizens! I was pretty certain that the audience, the largest crowd in Barebones history, welcomed this propaganda. Being situated in the "overflow" section, I sat up on a hill in front of the makeshift "orchestra pit" (a shanty with a bamboo and tarp roof) I would sometimes look back at my friend Sonja sleeping on her accordion! But really, when she was jammin' the music sounded fricking beautiful! They played a lengthy encore set and afterward, Sonjy and I made plans for mulled wine, biscuits, and dancing for a time verrry soon! Ironically, during this macabre theatrical production, my friend Joel invited me to 1st avenue to see GWAR! His band, Toxic Holocaust had just opened for them. After a lovely time meeting up with the Darnells for some bluegrass at Delano's, I made it to 1st ave. just in time for some dancing. Even after a few pulls of Jagemeister, it was hard to keep up with them flailing around the dancefloor in their black, studded kits. To all those naive little TML'rs, these dudes had convincing costumes! They looked like a real metal band! Between sets of shotgunning beers that Schiff had ripped open with his teeth, they pulled some moves that had us twerking with the best of them.

MOVES!

TROUBLED YOUTH

Circa 1997. Imagine this plus 40" wide legged JNCO's. everyday.

Brenna B! End of Summer '08; myspace

You probably wouldnt believe how many times I begin my journal entries in reference to Stephen Sagmeister's journal-writing theories.  As if I need to qualify speaking my mind. 

Yet I never have regrets for doing so. Maybe I will edit my blog a few times a year, but its probably nothing to worry about that I censor myself. Why not? When everything my generation lives for is erasable. Usually with the hit of one key command our pasts, and now our futures, could virtually be gone. 

So let me take the time to explain, now, how sentimental a few online artifacts have made me lately; The happiest place I have ever been in my life falls somewhere between a van parked on Mt. Hood and in a collective consciousness with two kindred spirits from northern Washington. I have never felt more "myself" than the days us ladies would share all of our innate and primal tendencies without hesitation. We were supported by the woods, mountains, intoxications, friendships and fires outside our backdoors. Within this potent environment, an entire western culture of snowboarding, art, fashion, design and celebrity mingled softly in the underbrush. We made choices between these two quests on an hourly basis. We never had to settle, we always set out to roam the wild. 

dedicated to Danielle Davis, Brenna B., and Anne Lantry and the govy life 2006

DELICACIES

"weird"

"cute"

WHY WIN?

So it is time to address this poll to the right here. Staying in Minnesota won by a landslide. Now, there is a concern that this electoral collage was rigged, by my parents. Judging by their technical skills, I would say that is near impossible. Either way, I dont think a vote actually clarifies anything. I still have no idea what I am going to do until I am doing it.

This is the same sentiment I will feel when I mail out my ballot. Yes, I get to vote this weekend. I don't expect my vote to really count for much, and I am going to be prepared with a punching bag at my side when the nomination is announced anyway. Four years ago, I was working to get out the vote for change with an organization called Democracy Matters. My friends and I worked tirelessly throughout the city of Duluth. Despite the sad ending, Duluth was acknowledged with having the highest voter turnout out of any city in the country! 91% of our citizens voted! An hour before the polls closed, I literally took the hand of a stoned college student and led him to the poll that was right across the street from his house! No excuses, vote at least to say you did something.

I feel like I am not doing anything.

Happy Howl-o-days?

Ok. I am certain this is the best costume idea this year. You have to see this hilarious SNL skit in order for me to pull it off.

Wow, for the last few days, by various people here in Minnesota, I have been told I should "be a govy-girl" or move to Government Camp, Mt. Hood Oregon.

I'm not sure if that is flattering or not. Little did they know that I've already lived there and have my fair share of stories to tell. Now, if I wanted to live in a real mountain town, it would have to be Jackson Hole, WY!

...so during my google search to find a similar Wyoming felted piece, I came across other amazing things: 

this book is seriously SO GOOD.



Man, what we need is another Roosevelt Franklin right now. And another decade of classic Sesame Street pumping love and sing-along songs through our veins.



My grandma claims to be from the greatest generation, having gone through the depression. Can you imagine growing up during a time when A POLITICAL LEADER was your hero? The days of American Idols may soon be over...

Joan Jett Had it All

why does it have to be so hard to find high-waisted denim these days? even on google.

Xposeur

I dont even call myself a snowboarder anymore. But all the snowboarding videos are my guilty pleasure. This new flick, Guns Out was made by my friend Tyler. His dad is a professional clogger in North Carolina and Tyler is now a professional snowboarding filmer, making videos that turn SLC into the new Studio 54, for snowboarders.

Or, for gypster snowboarders. And fools.

RAMP TRAMP

Minneapolis skate shreds are so true to their grassroots. BYRJ is comin up and finally I will be around for the lurking. I thought that the ender would be at my friend Janelle's backyard ramp. Lookin for some bangers and some dudes rollin off the roof of her house into their sketchy, metal mini.

This year we will all be counting our blessings, seeing as the city of Salt Lake, UT just BANNED back yard ramps?! This is absurd, TO SAY THE LEAST. SIGN THE PETITION HERE, PLEASE.

folky at the RNC protests 8/2/08

who likes trucks? MCAD RAs.

DAMN

Beautiful music from Seattle. New album Dancing on our Graves

Perfect Autumn music if there ever was any. I usually consider Minnesota the best place during these transitional days. Now that I can go out and skate and bike, nothing will stop me from going back to the Bedlam Theatre, Seward Co-op, Critical Mass, biking to work at the Bell Museum, and indulging in life the way it ought to be: folky.