You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January, 2008.
That’s right. My mother was cleaning out a closet at my parents’ house, and lookee what she found. It’s a binder! In fact, she had piles of my high school Latin and Geometry notes. [note: sarcasm would not begin to describe it if I said these were my favorite subjects] The homework was nothing special, so I pitched it. The binder, however, is like a magical little time capsule. What was Ashleigh D. thinking back in the 10th grade (1998)? Well, let me show you.
I was a big fan of crappy bands, sappy lyrics, straight-edge philosophy, and that bunny graphic on my coveted [insert skateboard brand here] hoodie. Oh and boys. I liked boys. Some things will never change…
(Catch-22, Bouncing Souls, Anti-Flag, Weezer, H20, Grade, The Ataris, Zebrahead, Boy Sets Fire, etc. And YAG= Youth and Government. Nerd Alert!)
(A commemoration of an Ataris show at the now-defunct Club Laga, and album art from an H20 album)
Last night, Pittsburgh’s Steel City Derby Demons took on the D.C. Rollergirls for Smash the Skate, and the results were nothing short of awesome. Here is a photo array of the bout.
Before the bout: The ladies of the Steel Hurtin’ make their rounds. 
Lots of people were there. 
More people…the bearded man in the bottom left corner is my dad!
Scoreboard. Steel Hurtin’ on the left, D.C. Rollergirls on the right.
‘Snot Rocket starts it off for the Steel Hurtin’
She’s pretty fast…
That’s 146 to 90.
The final score was something like 156-103. Congratulations to the ladies of the Steel Hurtin’!
And as usual, the after-party ruled.
This one is courtesy of Jennifer G.
Editors Note: Regular forest fires serve important ecological functions. 1) Heat is necessary for the release of seeds from some evergreen cones. Without heat, these tree species cannot reproduce. 2) Regular burning of detritus (leaves, dead plants, etc) enriches the soil and clears the forest floor, allowing seedlings to emerge. 3) By suppressing forest fires, we allow detritus to build up, leaving more fuel for any fire that escapes our attention. This means that the forest fires that make it past our fire rings burn hotter, faster, and longer….destroying entire ecosystems, as well as homes. Conclusion: People are stupid.
…naked by David Sedaris. This being one of her favorite books, my best friend gave me a copy last year for my birthday. I tried to read it over the summer, but got about as far as the second chapter, and couldn’t sustain interest. But this time…this time, I love it. My favorite chapters so far are The Acting Bug and The Incomplete Quad. Here’s an excerpt from The Incomplete Quad, wherein he takes his college roommate- a wheelchair bound quadraplegic named Peg- home to his parents house for a surprise visit.
“We arrived unannounced, surprising the startled members of my family. I’d hoped my parents might feel relaxed in Peg’s company, but when they reacted with nervous discomfort, I realized that this was even better. I wanted them to see that I had changed. Far from average, I had become responsible in ways they could never dream of. Peg was my charge and my toy, and I was the only one who knew how to turn her off and on. ‘Well,’ I said, wiping her mouth with a dinner napkin, ‘I think it’s time for somebody’s bath.’
My brothers and sisters reacted as though I had brought home a sea lion. They invited their friends to stare from the deck as I laid Peg on a picnic blanket in the backyard. My father repaired the wheelchair, and when Peg thanked him, he left the dinner table and returned handing her a second fork.
‘She didn’t ask for a fork,’ I said. ‘She asked for your watch.’
‘My watch?’ he said. ‘The one I’m wearing?’ He tapped his fingers against the face for a moment or two. ‘Well, golly, I guess if it means that much to her, sure, she can have my watch.’ He handed it over. ‘And your belt,’ I said. ‘She’ll need that too. Hurry up, man, the girl is crippled.’”
Hilarious.
This evening, I have spent equal amounts of time making dinner, and giving myself a pedicure (that’s right!). And noow it’s time to work on mixes for my best friend. See…I already had this great mix made, but I mistakenly assumed that she wouldn’t read this blog, and posted the playlist here for all to see. Next time, I will not post the playlist until after it’s sent and received.
Anyways, this got me thinking. Has making mixes for people become a lost art? I feel like I used to make tapes and cds for people all the time….and then it became something reserved for new boys in my life….and now I rarely even make them for my #1.
So I have the bargain of the century for YOU. Make me a mix cd, and I’ll make one for you too. Yep, one especially for you. Youur name on it. My only requirement is that you include a song list. Deal? Deal.
…And so it begins. Another hobby that I will use as a justification for spending bogus amounts of cash. At least this one is physically and socially active, unlike the others (clothes shopping + bar hopping). Anyways, I never thought I’d be so excited about buying rollerskate wheels….but I am.
The order list:
1. Half n Half pack of blue Sure-Grip Fugitives and orange Pushers. I’m hoping grippier wheels will give me a little more confidence to push through my cross-overs on the turns….and go obscenely fast.
2. A skate tool. I need this.
3. A pair of knee socks. I don’t need these, but they were cheap and I wanted to test them out.
4. A mouth guard. You know…the kind that you boil and then sink your teeth into. Sweet!
I can’t wait for this stuff to arrive!
Dear Diary,
This past Sunday, after literally months of anticipation and preparation, I tried out for the Fresh Meat Squad of the Steel City Derby Demons. And I made it!! What this means is that I’m about to immerse myself in roller derby boot camp for a few months, before I’m hopefully drafted to one of the four Pittsburgh derby teams. Holy crap, I’m so excited!
Here is a visual representation of my totally awesome weekend. The alternate caption for this array of photos is Stuff Dave Left At Our House. I hope your weekend was as good as mine!
I have a confession to make. I’m not very good with bikes. Every ride I’ve ever had has been stolen and/or irreparably defaced due to my own negligence. It’s true.
Bike #1: It was a little purple number with flowers and white handle grips…and training wheels. I rode this bike for several years before I developed an unrivaled sort of laziness. Whence I became afflicted with this lack of action, the purple lady spent many days and nights on the lawn….rusting.
Bike #2: The color purple was followed by a lovely Huffy of the 10-speed variety. It was white, with pink and gray paint splatters all over the frame. It even came equipped with a hot little fanny pack attached betwixt the handlebars. I accidentally left this one in a cauldesac when playing with my friends. When I went back, it was gone. ‘Twas many more years before my parents would buy me another bike.
Bike #3: But when they did! It was a hot pink Murray 15 speed. This one doesn’t fit the profile, as it still lives in my parents garage. Nothing is technically wrong with it, but the shifting is abysmal.
Bike #4: I found a lovely red & white Schwinn at an independent thrift store in the North Hills. It was some kind of weird road/cruiser hybrid…and despite the fact that the derailleur was perpetually fucked, I loved it. But apparently I didn’t love it enough to lock it up. One morning, both mine and my roommate’s bikes were heisted from our front porch. What could I have possibly expected, living a block from the Taco Bell?
Bike #5: My mom had a beautiful vintage, mint condition, blue Schwinn Traveler stowed in the basement. For as long as I could remember, it was too tall and intimidating for me, but finally…I was tall enough and brave enough! This discovery was made just in time for me to take it to New York City for the summer. Get ready folks, this is a tragic one. Old blue and I spent many a lovely morning and night together, commuting from my apartment in Cobble Hill to my office in Park Slope- both Brooklyn. One day, I made the awful mistake of loaning old blue to my co-worker, sans U-lock. What in hell’s name was I thinking?? Go figure…the next day she came to work, and reported that someone had cut through the flimsy cable lock. The family heirloom blue lightening Schwinn was gone. For good.
Bike #6 (holy shit I didn’t think there were this many): Following the loss of old blue, I was heartbroken, and couldn’t consider buying a replacement for several years. I did have a brief love affair with a newer Schwinn Traveler I found on craigslist….but it just wasn’t the same. And anyways, I left it locked (locked!) on Centre Ave., where the back wheel was heartlessly stolen.
After this, I spent a few months reflecting on whether I was really meant to own a bike. Conclusion? Yes. And this is going to be the one that lasts!
I posted a want-ad on craigslist, and this is what fell into my lap. A 1992 steel-frame Fugi Saratoga with bar-end shifters and a beautifully pristene original paint job. I love it! Enjoy with me…
(it’s in front of our awesome whole-wall chalkboard)
<3!
Dear Diary,
When I started this blog, I thought myself quite the writer. This was to be a formal outlet for my opinions on crafts, food, music, politics, news, and other goings-on. Unfortunately, the anti-personal nature of these blog topics very quickly became uninteresting to me. And so, during a conversation with a friend, I came to the following italicized conclusion:
me: 1:01 PM what should i blog about? i need to update. it’s been way too long. Nathan: it’s been months for you!me: i was trying to limit the wordpress to reviews and non-personal type things Nathan: I can’t help you with subject matter. That is a personal journey.1:02 PM me: well, i’m beginning to think that the only thing i really enjoy writing about is myself, so i need to revise my self-imposed wordpress boundaries1:04 PM Nathan: hahahahah
And so here are the new rules: I’m not going to write about work or gossipy-type friend/romantic drama. But you know…rules are made to be broken, so we’ll see.
And now I give you a playlist that I recently made for a friend. This should give you a good idea of what I’m listening to right now.
Song Title- Artist
1. Give it a night- Bella
2. True Affection- The Blow
3. Cindy- Ola Podrida
4. Sea of Love- Cat Power
5. Emotional Champ- New Buffalo
6. Our Hell- Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton
7. The Con- Tegan & Sara
8. Now Now- St. Vincent
9. Take Me to the Riot- Stars
10. My Moon My Man- Feist
11. Tbtf- Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew
12. Home 0207- Plastic Operator
13. Parentheses- The Blow
14. Polite Dance Song- The Bird & The Bee
15. Floorplan- Tegan & Sara
16. Didn’t Mean to Break Our Love- Bella
17. Cheer Me Up Thankyou- New Buffalo
18. Anyone Else But You- Ellen Paige & Michael Cera (a-dorable)
