Evidence XCI: Occupied Territory

Will try to stop wondering why some of my photos post sideways. 

Went back to the Fibrespider, the shastaglass bowl from a few posts ago. Jersey Drew and Philthy were in town to shred the rad. Livi, Joe Dirt and B-Rad were in tow. Pulled right in to the driveway ready to open the gate and park in back, when I noticed a bunch of people in the window staring at me. Knocked on the door, explained that we had been skating the pool. The kid was all of 16 but had a pistol strapped to his waist. He said he could tell people skated, and that since his mother wasn't there we could skate this one time, but she'd be mad if she caught us. From the gaggle of teenage girls one asked, "Can we watch?" "Of course!" Above, Philthy opts for the frontside approach. 

Dirty does too. 

And Jersey Drew doesn't want to be left out! 

Livi takes the f-side approach to the shallow... 

...and the evidence continues to mount.

Goodbye, Gary Glitter

Well, Gary Glitter, the 1970 CB175 cafe racer, is gone. Dude came by, checked it out, and agreed to the price with no haggling, hemming or hawing. Maye I should have charged more? Bike was a blast to ride around, title was easy to procure with an abandoned vehicle application, and the two months of occasional work I did on it was fun. Some of the parts I used were laying around: cables, CB160 speedo and headlight bucket, tach for the CB350 project, material for the glitter seat. Thing ran strong and fast with only 4K original miles. But Gary had to go, as we need a down payment on a car for Meg in MA. Goodbye Gary Glitter, you dirty bird of a pervert.

Wound up lowering the tach mount, and putting it next to speedo. 

Extensions for air filters seemed to do the trick just right.

Evidence XC: Golden Turd

Let me just state this one right at the onset: Livingston pulled the f-side hurricane in the brown bowl. Yes, this is not the make, yes I am impatient, but this is exactly what it looked like and Ham'n'cheese was there for the proper documentation. 

On the way in, Hoss was chillin' with Crusty. Unfortunately Crusty smelled like stale urine. 

Al is one of those dudes who don't give up. Multiple ass and hipper slams led to the eventual bs fakie over the stairs in the shallow. 

Joe dirt is from Texas, where, apparently, they simply grind over shallow steps. 

Ladies and Gents, Joe "General Custer" D-D-D-D-Dirt

Old evidence mingles with a new fascination. 

Livingston also does fsbs in pools... 

Nick tore that DB a new one, every time. 

Low light, winding down, and Livi ollies the shallow stairs.

 

Killer day, stoked to skate with the boys. Took some runs at Cowtown/Foundry, days are apparently numbered.

Evidence LXXXIX: Duty Now for the Future

Today we did our duty now for the future. Scoped quite a few, although the Apple squabble with Google makes Apple's glitchy Gargle Earth equivalent slightly more than useless (with Hoss on the navigator's duty). This one was almost certainly lived in (a theme of the day) and with beastly cool deck. On to the next possibility... 

Interesting location, but I am blamed this water-filled pool on Apple misinformation (or perhaps disinformation? Have the anti-pool skating forces teamed up with global behemoth Apple?)

Might as well go back to this one. Craig and Hoss wanted to call it, too much to bucket with three of us and two buckets, but we got some of the speediest bucketing I have ever witnessed to get this thing empty in no time. Shade and cooler weather and a quick time limit on this high profile pit prevented a full dry out. Still, the wet bowl was grinded, and we'll be back. And this time when we show up it will be dry already. 

Quick bucket, but this is not the method we used. We are simply posting this photo to throw people off the scent. Pool rules, Dogtown, and all that. 

Critter comforts still chilling in the love box. 

Next up, this awesome sticker, which I had never seen before, on a work truck with a few other stickers (magnets, actually) parked on the street facing a guy with a pickup plastered in pro-Obama stickers. I bet the neighborhood cookout discussions are heated. 

Wasn't gonna give the guy the publicity, but it's such a hilarious truck and really not a very good rolling ad for the company. but he might get some customers who absolutely hate Obama, that Kenyan Muslim Jewish Socialist Anarchist Communist America Hater.

Next one required some tact, lots of civilians present, but we rolled the alley to find that Apple's version of Gargle Earth gaffled us once more. The insane looking pool had been bulldozed and in its stead a wimpy, tiny square had been dug out. Weak.

Lived in capsule close by had a guard dog. I'm blaming that on Apple too. 

If Apple's mapping app worked properly, there wouldn't be people living here and we'd be skating this shitty square. Hoss, I hope you will call those fulks and sort that shit out. 

Right next door was a stack of pool coping, no pool in yard, and pool coping used to make barriers in the yard. If we had a good ramp to liberate this for (house is abandoned), it'd be worth it. Killer bullnose 

Definitely lived in, but might be worth a future knock on the door. The future holds more possibilities, and I am guessing one or two of these will pan out soon.

1971 Honda CB175 -- "Gary Glitter"

1971 CB175 cafe racer is just about done. Finished up the seat today -- not perfect, but for me they never are Fires up and screams down the road through all five gears. Might move the tach or try to get it a bit lower, and I've got to reroute the clutch cable (again). Fuel and air (with pods and open exhaust) seem to be pretty damn spot on -- there was no need to jet, but enough adjustment with the stock carbs. Several cans of Krylon Gold Glitter Blast and several coats of POR-15 clear coat, and it's looking killer. Didn't touch the frame -- it's still dirty -- but that's a bit like the bike's namesake himself, Gary Glitter: gleaming and glittery on the surface but a dirty bugger on the inside. 

Clip ons and white grips, and took off all the paint on the original honda emblems. 

Cat tail light. 

CL175 scrambler pipes, cut just before the muffler. 

CB160, the 175's older but smaller brother. Took both bikes for a spin today, both are loud and proud, quick as hell, and head turners. CB175 is for sale, but there are already some interested parties...

It's good to be back!

Long Tall Lean Lanky Daddy

I'd seen the Little Ann "Deep Shadows" LP for a little while, and finally did what I usually do: look up some of the tunes online before I buy the record. And what I found was amazing, although there aren't many youtube vids featuring her. What there is, though, is worth a listen, so I got the record (good thing, it's now out of print) and tracked down a couple singles.

Her voice isn't particularly amazing, but her style is as compelling as her back story. (This isn't the same Little Ann who recorded doo wop with Tarheel Slim). She recorded the single "Deep Shadows" in 1969 for the Ric Tic label, then went back to the studio to record a full LP. The recording was never released because the single didn't go anywhere. Fast forward 20 years, two British soul collectors were going through producer and musician Dave Hamilton's vaults, and they stumbled on the unreleased record. They released a coupe of singles, and then in 2009 Finish label Timmion released the full LP. the track abov, "Lean Lanky Daddy" gets my vote for pick of the LP (and it's a single on British northern soul label Kent). Killer lyrics, upbeat and uptempo.

Some of her other stuff is a little more melancholy, but killer nonetheless.

She went to a northern soul reunion party in 2003, and was able to taste the fame that eluded her during her short career. She died a couple of years later. On the inner sleeve of the LP, it states her philosophy:

"If it doen't work out, I tried."

Evidence LXXXVIII: Hotel Decay

Knee has been wonky as of late, but I needed my fix. Made some calls to find out the day's agenda, and we went to a 6-foot pool and an abandoned hotel. Some shitty water and dirt, and Joe swears he flung a piece of poo out of there. Tight trannies, gnarly coping (block with rough cool deck), solid kink in the facewall, tight sidewalls -- nothing's ever perfect, right?

The evidence is mounting. 

So, unfamiliar camera and I'm trying to take some runs and drink beer means not too many goo dones turned out. Of the ones that did, both are Joe, but that's kind of fitting since he tore this pool a new asshole today. Stairs to death, frontal death, and here, FSG. 

And here... crail. Let the trufflehogs have this one now.