As seen in Carlsbad on the way to work this morning. Bring your Wednesday Weed to Work Day? Another plant is sitting shotgun.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
California Curiosity - Jeep Full o' Pot
As seen in Carlsbad on the way to work this morning. Bring your Wednesday Weed to Work Day? Another plant is sitting shotgun.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Photobooth Phun!
Not the Apple program, but a gen-u-ine your print in 4 minutes black & white (with a tinge of sepia) pull the curtain and watch the timer tick down, all while making goofy faces.
Allie introduced Celeste to the novel concept at the Kings Highway restaurant at Palm Springs' Ace Hotel a few weeks back. We also showed her one of those olde tyme contraptions called a "turntable". [grizzled voice] "back in my day, all records started with some beautiful analog pops, cracks and hisses - and after about 22 minutes we had to get up and FLIP the thing over to PLAY THE OTHER SIDE." [/grizzled voice]. I think I need a new Technics SL-1200.
Allie introduced Celeste to the novel concept at the Kings Highway restaurant at Palm Springs' Ace Hotel a few weeks back. We also showed her one of those olde tyme contraptions called a "turntable". [grizzled voice] "back in my day, all records started with some beautiful analog pops, cracks and hisses - and after about 22 minutes we had to get up and FLIP the thing over to PLAY THE OTHER SIDE." [/grizzled voice]. I think I need a new Technics SL-1200.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Decade - Favorite Records of the Zips, Pt 9 - 2008
This is an easy one, just a link to what I wrote one year plus one day ago. In case you didn't read the post last year or if you don't mind re-reading it, grab your mouse to find my favorite records of 2008 HERE.
Okay, I have to start going through my 2009 purchases. Almost done...
Okay, I have to start going through my 2009 purchases. Almost done...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Clean Bikes = Happy Bikes
After commuting home in the rain on the road bike (the plastic bike) last Wednesday, and seeing that the mountain bikes had about 3/4" of Rancho La Costa dust caked on the drivetrains, I finally got around to sprucing them up.
Hand wash, drip dry, do not iron.
Hand wash, drip dry, do not iron.
Save SAAB!
I certainly hope a white knight (or better yet, a viking) comes and saves this quirky brand from death.
Although it's been over five years since I owned a SAAB, the brand is still close to my heart. Here are a few pix of my old cars...
1991 900. Although it looks black, the car was actually a deep gloss blue. Bought it just prior to Allie and I getting married in late 1994 for ~$10k. A pretty basic car, fabric seats, no sunroof, cheapo Pep-Boys plastic wheel covers over steel wheels (later remedied by spending $80 at a Motorwerks SAAB for a set of OEM wheelcovers). Traded in for a Honda Del Sol ("Del Slow") in February of 1996 when it started developing some accident-related problems (hey, these were the days before CarFax reports).
1991 900S, gloss black. A bit more deluxe than the first SAAB, with a leather interior, alloy wheels and a sunroof. Bought it from a friend for $4k shortly after Celeste was born in 2000 as I no longer wanted a forward-control 1968 VW Westfalia as a daily driver; somewhere deep inside my peanut-sized brain the safety gene kicked in.
This was a great car. The guys at Sears thought I was nuts when I bought a washer, dryer and range and told them that I could bring them all home in the trunk of my car (one at a time of course). With the rear seat folded flat the car opened up to a 6' long trunk. One trip from a nursery saw me carrying about 700' of bagged gravel for our first house, a sliver of which is visible above. I added the Hella lighting, rear mudflaps and bike rack system. Over time the AC was less-effective and the clutch was starting to slip (an easy repair, but I never got around to fixing), due to...
a cellphone-yakiing jackass in a GMC SUV clipping my rear corner at about 35 MPH while I was braking for a stoplight on the way home from work one evening...
...which pushed me into a Honda Accord. Even though the SAAB had been sandwiched, it was the only car that could be driven away from the scene of the accident. And it drove just fine. Even though the passenger-side door and rear hatch were both unusable, the alignment was dead on and it didn't leak a drop of oil, coolant or any other fluid. The body shop stopped counting at $8000 in damage and State Farm ended up paying me $500 more than I had paid for the car four years prior. I regret not taking up State Farm on their offer to buy it back for $250. It would have made a hella-fun Hoonmobile at Rancho VonHuben in Waterloo, WI. Replaced with my beloved Subaru WRX wagon.
The last SAAB I owned was also the oldest one.
Dating from 1967, but with styling more from the 1950s (check the rear "finnettes")...
...this SAAB was acquired in exchange for a Schwinn Cruiser Deluxe bicycle. Yep, traded for a bike. It didn't run well, likely needing a carb rebuild and the brakes sucked. The fuel tank may have had some crud in it as well. Driven all of about 20 miles in total during the two years I owned it and sold once we moved to IL for $900 as I didn't have the time or finances to restore it. Plus even seemingly common parts like a windshield gasket had to be $pecial-ordered from Sweden.
hood popped in the classic taxicab style as the secondary hood latch was missing
Too bad, the Ford V4-powered thing was cancer free and oh-so cool with four-on-the-tree, a red houndstooth interior as well as a rear-facing third row seat.
Yes, this sub-sub-compact was marketed as a seven seater. Take that stupid Chevy Tahoes!
Someday I hope to have a "blunt-nose" 900 SPG in the Swedish wing of my garage.
And why not add a 99 Turbo to the mix?
And of course a rally-prepped 96 for blasting around on deserted roads.
Shame on GM for royally screwing the brand up during their 16 year ownership.
Although it's been over five years since I owned a SAAB, the brand is still close to my heart. Here are a few pix of my old cars...
1991 900. Although it looks black, the car was actually a deep gloss blue. Bought it just prior to Allie and I getting married in late 1994 for ~$10k. A pretty basic car, fabric seats, no sunroof, cheapo Pep-Boys plastic wheel covers over steel wheels (later remedied by spending $80 at a Motorwerks SAAB for a set of OEM wheelcovers). Traded in for a Honda Del Sol ("Del Slow") in February of 1996 when it started developing some accident-related problems (hey, these were the days before CarFax reports).
1991 900S, gloss black. A bit more deluxe than the first SAAB, with a leather interior, alloy wheels and a sunroof. Bought it from a friend for $4k shortly after Celeste was born in 2000 as I no longer wanted a forward-control 1968 VW Westfalia as a daily driver; somewhere deep inside my peanut-sized brain the safety gene kicked in.
This was a great car. The guys at Sears thought I was nuts when I bought a washer, dryer and range and told them that I could bring them all home in the trunk of my car (one at a time of course). With the rear seat folded flat the car opened up to a 6' long trunk. One trip from a nursery saw me carrying about 700' of bagged gravel for our first house, a sliver of which is visible above. I added the Hella lighting, rear mudflaps and bike rack system. Over time the AC was less-effective and the clutch was starting to slip (an easy repair, but I never got around to fixing), due to...
a cellphone-yakiing jackass in a GMC SUV clipping my rear corner at about 35 MPH while I was braking for a stoplight on the way home from work one evening...
...which pushed me into a Honda Accord. Even though the SAAB had been sandwiched, it was the only car that could be driven away from the scene of the accident. And it drove just fine. Even though the passenger-side door and rear hatch were both unusable, the alignment was dead on and it didn't leak a drop of oil, coolant or any other fluid. The body shop stopped counting at $8000 in damage and State Farm ended up paying me $500 more than I had paid for the car four years prior. I regret not taking up State Farm on their offer to buy it back for $250. It would have made a hella-fun Hoonmobile at Rancho VonHuben in Waterloo, WI. Replaced with my beloved Subaru WRX wagon.The last SAAB I owned was also the oldest one.
Dating from 1967, but with styling more from the 1950s (check the rear "finnettes")...
...this SAAB was acquired in exchange for a Schwinn Cruiser Deluxe bicycle. Yep, traded for a bike. It didn't run well, likely needing a carb rebuild and the brakes sucked. The fuel tank may have had some crud in it as well. Driven all of about 20 miles in total during the two years I owned it and sold once we moved to IL for $900 as I didn't have the time or finances to restore it. Plus even seemingly common parts like a windshield gasket had to be $pecial-ordered from Sweden.
hood popped in the classic taxicab style as the secondary hood latch was missing
Yes, this sub-sub-compact was marketed as a seven seater. Take that stupid Chevy Tahoes!Someday I hope to have a "blunt-nose" 900 SPG in the Swedish wing of my garage.
And why not add a 99 Turbo to the mix?
And of course a rally-prepped 96 for blasting around on deserted roads.
Shame on GM for royally screwing the brand up during their 16 year ownership.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Decade - Favorite Records of the Zips, Pt 8 - 2007
status update: Okay, off the bat I've failed in my valiant effort to get this silliness wrapped up during the month of December. But a Field Trip to Palm Springs and house guests thru New Years Day put me off track. Only a few more years to go...
2007's best-of is similar to 2006's, as my favorite record was from a band that's both been around a very long time (since 1985 in this case) and has also put out what's arguably their best record at a very late stage of their career.
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
WOW! The first Dinosaur Jr record in ten years - and better yet, the first one with the original linup since the indie classic Bug. Beyond picks right up where J, Lou and Murph were back in 1988, aside from the splitting up part. And while it's not quite as solid as You're Living All Over Me or Bug, it's in the same league.
Grant-Lee Phillips - Stranglet
His Name Is Alive - Xmmer
Jason Isbell - Sirens Of The Ditch
Low - Drums And Guns
The National - Boxer
The New Pornographers - Challengers
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Radiohead - In Rainbows
I actually paid for IN RAINBOWS. As widely reported, Radiohead's self-released 2007 record was initially sold as download-only, pay what you want for it, even £0. Since I would have purchased this in a conventional 5" slab of aluminum and plastic anyway, I gave the band £5 for the download. Worth every penny.
2007's best-of is similar to 2006's, as my favorite record was from a band that's both been around a very long time (since 1985 in this case) and has also put out what's arguably their best record at a very late stage of their career.
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
WOW! The first Dinosaur Jr record in ten years - and better yet, the first one with the original linup since the indie classic Bug. Beyond picks right up where J, Lou and Murph were back in 1988, aside from the splitting up part. And while it's not quite as solid as You're Living All Over Me or Bug, it's in the same league.
Grant-Lee Phillips - Stranglet
His Name Is Alive - Xmmer
Jason Isbell - Sirens Of The Ditch
Low - Drums And Guns
The National - Boxer
The New Pornographers - Challengers
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Radiohead - In Rainbows
I actually paid for IN RAINBOWS. As widely reported, Radiohead's self-released 2007 record was initially sold as download-only, pay what you want for it, even £0. Since I would have purchased this in a conventional 5" slab of aluminum and plastic anyway, I gave the band £5 for the download. Worth every penny.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
I resolve to, um, finish up my best-of the zips list sometime this month. I have only a few more years to go - and 2008 is already written. But for now I'm in the midst of a major spring cleaning. All of the windows are open (it's warmer outside than it is inside) and the house smells of common household cleaners. Wishing all three of my readers a healthy and happy 2010!
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