Jun 22, 2008

lords of cowtown longboard/cruiser pubcrawl report

summer has finally arrived with a bang and we have been blessed with mid-20's temperatures and brilliant sunshine for a couple of weeks now. the good weather is welcomed by all - and was timed perfectly for our club ride yesterday - the Lords of Cowtown Longboard/Cruiser Pubcrawl! 14 of us started the ride by meeting at Molly Malone's in Calgary's Kensington district for beers/food and a little quality patio time. Once everyone was well lubricated and fed we proceeded to the next pub - The Barley Mill in the Eau Claire district - via Prince's Island where we were joined by sara. during the ride over it seemed that everyone had their own way to get to the pub and what was suppose to be a leisurely pedal/skate over turned into a scramble with everyone scattering and taking their own preferred route - kinda looked more like a scavenger hunt than a pubcrawl! this scenerio would play out everytime we moved to the next pub - pretty funny really!


from Eau Claire we headed up to Stephen Ave and onto one of Calgary's oldest pubs - The Unicorn. The avenue was packed full of people cruising, strolling, and generally having a good time. with the temperatures still hovering in the mid-20's at 9pm every patio was jammed full and as a result we were relegated to basement part of the pub. it was here that we were joined by two more hoodlums - none other than farthing and lega.


there must have been something in the beer at the Unicorn 'cuz once we started drinking it seemed like nobody wanted to leave! hey! - i thought this was a pub crawl! anyway, after a very long stop everyone saddled up and loe and behold, while we were in the pub someone had clipped cards in our spokes, giving the rest of the cruise that 'ol moto sound you remember from being a kid! when was the last time you've done that? forever, i bet! anyway...back to the cruise...


after what felt like an eternity at the Unicorn, we left at scattered again with the next stop being just a few blocks away - The Drum and Monkey. I wish i had something great to tell you about this pub but all i can report is that the place smelled like piss and vomit and after one beer we were off again to our final destination - Tubby Dog! Tubby's was rockin' and the place was packed but we were able to walk right in, get our club discount on beer(s) and try to smother all that liquor in our tummy's with grease, grease, and more grease! oh, and some ketchup!



thanks to everyone that came out - good time, good times!!!

Jun 19, 2008














ahhh! - i can breathe again! i am finally free from the clutches of that nasty bug and have begun to feel kinda "normal" again. i have to say that the cold/flu/bug i had was really nasty and very weird in the way it progressed and would not wish it on anyone. during the time of my self-imposed internment at home i was able to get a few projects done (garden, front patio) and now that the summer has finally arrived i have begun to start riding again as well. today "my sugar" and i rode our fancy bikes down to Prince's Island for a picnic and along the way made stops at Crave Cupcakes, Kensington Wine Market and finally a killer burger stop at Angel's Drive-In in Bowness. All those foods made for some fun riding - buzzed out on cupcakes, drunk on red wine, full-to-the-top on greasy burger - what a summer's day!!!

Jun 12, 2008

so - i am still battling the plague but dont feel sorry for me as it appears i deserved it. something about being male, an invincibility-complex, not being diligent, family history...anyway i'm not here to complain. i am here to post a little blurb about something i have been wanting to do forever (shut up vinny! i didnt get a sex change!) - which was to get a veggie garden going. it doesnt look like much now - but in a few weeks it should be bitchin...

i am blessed with abundant sunshine and lots of space on my property and it was high time to put the best bits of it to good use. we have yellow onion, spinch, butter lettuce, sugar snap peas, carrots, and corn in the ground. in two weeks i will put more carrot, spinich and lettuce in so we can have fresh eats for weeks in a row! soon the strawberry patch will go in and probably some raspberries too. this is all part of a "grander" landscape redevelopment of my property - with a focus on outdoor living space improvements and a longer term vision towards growing a lot more of my own food. i cant wait to see the look on andreas' face when we get to start eating our bounty. my son loves vegetables and hopefully he'll love these too!

if you are in the neighbourhood in 6 weeks you might want to pop over for a fresh salad a la club1410.

Jun 1, 2008

ola!

i have been ravaged by the plague since my last post and on top of that had to endure the 13hrs drive back from winnipeg with heartburn, sore throat, dizziness, headache and a general longing for my own bed and pillow. i decided today to try and get outside for a short spin on the Indy with the intention of loosening the goblins in my lungs. joining me on my ride was my sugar on her new bike and i am glad i made it out, if even for a little while.

you know, this bike is so nice to ride and it's pretty too - but it's greatest attribute is to illicit all sorts of wonderful comments from passers-by while i am riding it. i think my new favorite-est thing about this bike is the power it seems to have to make john/jane doe see bicycles as not necessarily just for transportation or for sport - but more importantly - as a vehicle for spreading happiness and good vibes everywhere. everyone's lookin' for the same things, you know.