(Clearing throat. Or, rather, the sound a long dormant web-log makes when it shakes the proverbial dust from its server.)
Well.
A Big Move, a New City (the 'burgh), some Great Happenings occur, and I quite frankly forget about this space.
Quick recap for posterity of the past few months/years: I moved around in Minot, made some great friends, formed and performed in a silly and extremely fun band, moved to Pittsburgh in the midst of the Minot Flood of 2011, joined a band, helped write an album, perform said album on New Years 2013 as part of the cultural districts' First Night Pittsburgh hooplah, and have spent the new year since enjoying wonderful new foods and amazing shows. I'll try to upload some pics from the recent shows. Once again, more for internet posterity and a time capsule of sorts for me, not for show-boating.
That was not a pun. Maybe.
As always, dutifully pledging to write/post more,
-W-
Cobwebbed blog...cobblogged?
What's that?!
Yup, so, if you're reading this now, the new timer to the right of this post is counting down to the moment the gates open at the 1st annual "Dia De Los Toadies" festival in Graham, Texas. Actually, it's not in Graham per se, but instead on the shores of Possum Kingdom Lake. Ross and I are making the long drive to see this amazing show. Pictures and I'm sure a long-winded story are to follow this, on my journey to the heart of the American Dream. Rock on.
-w-
The moments that make up a dull day.
While I wait for laundry to finish I figured I'd post.
Long time coming, here's some pictures of Jeanette and I rock climbing. Whee!
First off, some pics of the gym, Inner Strength Rock Gym, where Jeanette goes every week, and took me a long this summer. It's where I honed my skills. Well, not really skills, but I did start out on a 5.5 my first climb, and went to 5.8s by the end. Didn't get any shots of me on the wall, as I didn't really want to plummet, but here are some pics from the bouldering wall. 
Eventually we went outside. And I looked like a real climber. It was intense.
Epic Fail!-------------->
(P.S. Bouldering is hard.)
-w-
Cause all I need to know is what I can see.
So I'm in love...
...with rock climbing. Jeanette took me to the local rock gym on Tuesday and showed me the ropes (literally!). Took the little test on the knots, belay, and commands, then hit the wall. Hard. As Jeanette put it, "You haven't really gone climbing until you leave some blood on the wall." Well, I didn't leave blood so much as the wall left a good sized bruise on my knee. We did a little bit of bouldering after my first two complete climbs (the first attempt was badly received by myself), or I should say that Jeanette did some bouldering and I really tried hard. But the good news is that we're going again today, and I'm psyched for it. It's probably one of the best workouts I've ever had. I'll see if Jeanette or someone can snag some photos today.
Also, I get to go to my first drive-in tonight! That's pretty neat. I think we're going to see "Hancock" and "Don't Mess with the Zohan" double-header, although the "Wall-E" and "Get Smart" appeal to me more, but I think Jeanette already saw "Wall-E". Anyway, that should be pretty cool.
I should go clean my windshield. I don't think the moviemakers intended for their craft to be viewed through 800 miles of bug splatter.
Frolf is starting to come to me more naturally. Beat my first group of FtC natives on Edora the other day, due to my drives really coming along. Granted, they aren't tourney players, but they live right next to Edora and throw it all the time. And, I still only beat them by parring most of the front nine, getting my first birds on the course, and solidly parring all of the back nine. Think I'll go throw in a little bit to loosen up the arms before a few solid hours of practicing Popper and Bach, then warping the forearms on a cement wall. Whoo!
Also, send me your addresses for some postcards from NBB!
-w-
Damn the man.
So, on our way down to Denver yesterday afternoon, my van died again. Methinks it's time to take it in again. Hopefully this won't be another 2300 down and out. But we still ended up having a good time anyway...Jeanette's friend picked us up, then we went down to Old Town and had a few drinks (my first good mojito since Pto Vallarta, mind you) and then over to another bar and had some of the local breweries finers....still having a hard time passing up draught 1554, but I really enjoyed Odell's 5 Barrel Pale Ale, as well as their IPA. Lovely bunch of coconuts. Then we travelled back, picked up the van (seems it doesn't like the heat), and went to watch the fireworks over at City Park Nine golf course. Best fireworks I've seen in a long while. Not saying much considering for the past two years I've been working in a bar with no windows on the fourth, and before that I was always playing with the BMSO during the capitol's fireworks down in Bismarck, but nonetheless, they were impressive. Except for the d-bags screaming behind us. Ugh.
Went out with a couple more of Jeanette's work friends today to Horsetooth Reservoir. That was a blast. Tubing, waterskiing, and just general sitting around having crappy beer on the water. Stupid "Can Only" rules. Next time I'll have to bring some of New Belgium's newest fare....Fat Tire in cans. That might make me weep openly inside when I drink it, but it's better than the other domestic drinkables.
Had a good practice today, as well. Starting to really blast through "Dance of the Elves", as well as getting some good mem work done on Bach 2. If only it weren't so damn hot in this condo.
Also, had to go buy another Neti pot. Can't believe I left mine in Mindrot.
The fuzzy picture is of Jeanette and I at the new d-bag bar in old town, the "Drunken Monkey". They have swings instead of barstools.
-w-
Second day. Exhaustion. Shoes.
Yesterday was fun. I went down to the closest mall and bought some shoes....finally a pair to replace the Chuck Taylors that fell to tiny bits a few months back....good frolf, erm, Frisbee Golfing shoes.
After making my purchase, I found my way down to Edora Park, and the course there. It's a blast. I met up with some older lady who throws all the time in the tournaments and knows all the guys from the Ft Collins Frisbee Golf Club, and she gave me a lot of tips on my technique. I still had a few great throws sneak in, and managed to par most of the back nine. Only a matter of time before I really start getting some great distance on my drives. Also, I managed to wear in my brand new shoes by having to jump into the river about waist deep and fish out my Ontario Roc (why didn't I throw the floatable Dragon on that hole??Argh!)
After that, I came back home, changed my shoes and socks, and went out to eat at a great little local deli/butcher shop, Choice City Deli. Let me tell you, the food was pretty damn good, but that place has things on tap that I haven't seen outside of Brussels. Chimay Tripel, St. Bernardus Abt 12, and all of the small FtCo-exclusive New Belgium brews are just a taste. So I ordered a nice Reuban, with a side of zesty potato salad, and a Bernardus. Ahhhhhhhhh........
Ahhhhh..........
Wow, that was delicious. Sat outside on the patio and people watched with one of the best beers around. Then I struck up a conversation with a guy who'd sat at the table next to mine about beer (He was drinking the New Belgium Jessica's Porter), and we chatted for almost 3 hours - ranging on topics from IT, beer, wine, music, life, his kid's going to college, biking, cooking, and a plethora of other topics. Moved on to a good glass of New Belgium's Old Cherry, then he introduced me to the owners of the deli, and we all chatted about good beers from Belgium, and we split a great bottle of Fantome, a Belgian Saison, with a remarkable nose and very drinkable mouthfeel.
After a meeting for volunteers for a local "Live at Lunch" show at the community radio, I went to Big City Burrito for the first time....that was awesome....
Basically, BCB is a homegrown version of Chipotle, only with better food and cheaper prices....Let me tell you, it hit the spot when your three sheets to the wind on good beer.
Passed out safe and sound at my place by 11:00 pm. I'm starting to get to know the city's layout a bit more. Love it.
More later.
-w-
Repost of first blog. (A new beginning)
To start off, I've moved to Fort Collins. This is more like a trial run than an actual move, just to see if I like it, and can bear not being around the good folk of Minot.
I left Minot about 10:00 am or so Monday, June 30 and spent a few hours in Bismarck bidding adieu to the parents, old friend Landon, and James, as even if I do return as originally scheduled in the third week of August, he'll have already moved to Minneapolis. Same reason for the week of inebriation/frolf with Matt and Andy (although they're going to Europe for 8 weeks or so. Jealousy!) prior to leaving.
On the way down here, three things immediately became apparent. One, I really should have gotten the AC checked out in my van. 87 degrees outside and not having any AC was hellish. And nekid. Two,I should've done more testing on the recently revived vehicle. 5 miles from the middle of nowhere, South Dakota, the van died. Granted, it started after it cooled down a bit, I think the fuel pump was going shitty, but it made for a few terse moments and choice words at that time....also happened outside of Spearfish, SD, twice. And lastly, frolf is a wonderful thing to do when you're on a long drive....it gets you out of the car and off your sore ass, walk for an hour or so, and loosen up the shoulders. Good times.
In Spearfish, there's a nice frolf course, on the Campus of Black Hills State University. Really, it's pretty great. I, for the first time in a couple of weeks, brought out the whole bag of discs and threw something other than the Ontario Roc Matt and I picked up in Bismarck. It was fun throwing a driver and putter again, and I can really tell that my skills have improved overall due to the vow of driver chastity we took after being humbled by the Mandan course. I had probably my best throw of the season, quite possibly my life on the course....close to 80-90 feet with my Ontario Roc, off of my drive, right in the basket. Nice bird on a long 300ft par 3. Threw the full 18 with a group of guys I met on the course in the putting practice area, and played some HORSE with them to warm up, good times.
I took the rest of the drive pretty easy, nothing over 65mph, to save on fuel. A two hour nap at the Dwyer Junction Rest Area in Wyoming helped me finish up the trip, as did some coffee and Visine in Cheyenne. I must say I had some pretty awesome timing, however, as when I was pulling into FtC, the sun had just risen and set the mountains alight. Astounding visual added to the quiet morning and Radiohead's "Nude" from In Rainbows playing.
Today was nothing big, just drove around while Jeanette was at work, and it's good to spend time with the sister. Ate some pretty decent food at a local brewpup and quasi-enjoyed their sub-par and overall disappointing Pujabi Pale Ale. I just now stopped at a local liquor store and picked up my first good batch of beers:
Avery "MEPHISTOPHELE'S Stout" (Name besides, it's supposed to be astounding)
Westmalle Tripel - my celebratory beer tonight, I'm happy.
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Stout
Alaskan Amber - Andy and Matt have waxed on about how drinkable this is too much for me to pass up....
Victory Storm King Imperial Stout
Stone Ruination IPA
The store was out of Rochefort 8 and 10, so I couldn't grab a bottle of that, but you have to love looking at a hundred feet of different beers. Seriously. It's fun.
I'm going to finish setting up my room and crack a beer or three. This is going to be a fun summer. Next up, bike the multitudes of trails around here, frolf at least one of the courses, and hit up New Belgium for the first time. Pics will be somewhere, shortly. On another note..."Frolf" doesn't seem to be an accepted term here. The damn puritan bastards all call it Frisbee Golf. Strange. I would think that compounding of words would've started in such a liberal area. It's still frolf to me. Or Disc Golf if it's a really hard course. (read: Mandan)
-w-
