sasailuv: Maret 2010

Rabu, 31 Maret 2010

I just realized I never posted this amazing beast. Me and Brian built this thing back in the deadly summer '09. Held together with U-bolts and hose clamps. No cuts, no drilling, and absolutely no welds. Rear suspension, 21 speeds. The basket is a shopping cart. It need at least 70 lbs. in the basket to function at all.

Lots of candid pix of some of my other beauties from the time.

A broom stick and two stems hold the two front wheels straight.

Fork U-bolted to cart.

More forks U-bolt to the cart.

Wednesday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Portland artist Lisa Golightly of Kiki and Polly. She's offering a large print of the Girl in the Yellow Suit. How sweet is that? The print would add a pop of cheery color to any room, from a foyer to a living room to a nursery. (I'd love to hang it above my desk.)

For a chance to win, please visit Kiki and Polly's etsy shop and leave a comment below. Good luck! xo

Update: Parker is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Eddie Griffin State Theatre Tickets

Edward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. will be performing at the State Theatre in Minneapolis this Saturday at 8:30pm. Eddie was ranked at #62 on Comedy Central's list of 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time and has starred in numerous films and television shows. Ticket King currently has some great Eddie Griffin State Theatre tickets for sale starting at just $55 each. If you would like to see one of America's top comedians for a very affordable price, get your tickets now before they're gone- Eddie doesn't come here too often!

Espresso maker print

Sandra Juto's new coffeemaker print would look nice in a kitchen.

Inexpensive Twins Exhibition Game Tickets

Great news Twins fans!! My boss just advised me that he recently lowered prices on our entire stock of Minnesota Twins exhibition game tickets! If you haven't purchased yours yet, now is your chance to get an excellent deal on them! With prices starting at just $40 per ticket and various locations to choose from, you're guaranteed to find something you like. The very first exhibition game is in just two days on Friday, April 2nd at 5:10pm and the second is the following Saturday, April 3rd at 1:10pm. Get them now while you can! GO TWINS!!

Hilarious Gaga Chatroulette VId!!

Baby profiles

German photographer Bettina von Zwehl took this photo series of one-year-old babies at an instant of total (rare) concentration. Aren't they gorgeous? Von Zwehl used toys, dvds and eye contact to get the little guys to stay still. "They sat on a table, looking at me, and I took the picture with a long cable release," she says. Since many of the babes were still too wriggly to photograph, it took more than a year to get six final portraits. And the goal of the project? "I was hoping to present each baby as an intelligent human being," she says.

P.S. Baby mouths are so adorable.

Polaroid Film Is Back!

IMPOSSIBLE'S FIRST BRAND NEW INSTANT FILMAfter 31.536.000 nerve-wracking seconds of excitement and hope, joy and exhaustion, devastating setbacks and auspicious progress, The Impossible Project is proud to present its own child: the newly developed Instant Film - the PX 100 Silver Shade, optimized for all SX70 cameras and ready to be purchased and inhaled in a first limited First Flush Edition

Need a New Pandora Station? DIPLO

The East Coast hailing master of beats, Diplo, is probably best known as an MIA collaborator and past love interest. Diplo has some bad ass sounds that span a really wide range of sounds and samplings. Because of this when I put him on Pandora I found about 5 other artists I liked! A white guy who can spin beats is sexy! Buuuut....he is 5'6:(If you don't know about Pandora, get out from under

Bon Jovi Xcel Energy Center Tickets

Bon Jovi will be in Saint Paul in exactly a week from today for his first of two shows at the Xcel Energy Center. Wednesday, April 7th and Thursday, April 8th, Bon Jovi will perform a show each night at 7:30pm. If you haven't had a chance to see him live before, now you can get a GREAT deal on Bon Jovi Xcel Energy Center tickets! Ticket King has tickets BELOW face value, starting at just $40 each for upper level seats. If you haven't purchased your tickets yet you'd better buy them now before they're gone! Deals like this don't last long!

cartoon tattoo

Selasa, 30 Maret 2010

buterfly tattoo

What Would Pete Think?

Ok. I have to admit Lisa Fox's story about her Uncle Russell inspired me to write this post. Her post got me to thinking about those things in our lives that, if we did not grow up in the Episcopal Church, might have been the "prequel" to our finding TEC as our church home.

Now, for at least two and a half decades, I would have told you that this man, Wellington Buel (aka "Pete") Stewart, was one of the people who encouraged me to go to medical school and, ultimately, lead me to a career in pathology, even though he died before I ever graduated from medical school. But it was only in recent years that I have come to realize he also posthumously led me to the Episcopal Church, in some ways. The photo above is of him when he was chair of Pathology at the University of Kentucky Medical School, in 1960--the year of my birth.

I knew Pete from my Amateur Radio ("ham" radio) activities in the 1970's-1980's. But the part that was lost to me back then, and has grown over the years, is that I realize he was a loyal Episcopalian, and a member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Columbia, MO. Pete was one of those guys who didn't really "talk church" much, but I now realize he was one of those guys who led "a secret life of faith." He simply mentioned "heading off for church" or "getting back from church" in a matter of fact way, or things would come up in the conversation that exuded what I would call "A comfortable faith." It was "just part of him."

Church was simply "part of the 'fit' in his life." He didn't ever get too worked up about church politics or the details of sermons. He was the kind of person who was more likely to go to the early service than the late one. He was old school, and deep down inside, he was a "Rite I" sort of guy, and was not crazy about a lot of singing, preferring the spoken service. But his love for the Book of Common Prayer showed through every now and then.

At the time, I was living my life as a "disaffected LCMS Lutheran." Once in a while, we'd discuss deeper subjects over a beer. I distinctly remember his classic line when we were talking about prayer--what it was, what it does, and speculating "how it works." He used to say, "I don't pray anything that isn't in the Book of Common Prayer." At the time, I thought he was being a stodgy, unimaginative old fart. Now that the BCP and I are old friends, I realize his words had more to do with the fact there is probably something in the BCP to use as a "jump starter" for any possible prayer, and that the BCP has had so much thought in it, it truly has an almost universal quality to its ability to "fit the situation."

Only once in my exile did he ever bring up anything even halfway close to the "E" word--evangelism. We were doing the "discussing deeper subjects over a beer" thing at the old Heidelberg restaurant/bar in Columbia, MO (the one that burned, for you natives) and we were discussing my self-imposed exile from the LCMS. He very matter-of-factly, without missing the timing of his beer-swigging, "Have you ever thought about coming with Polly and me to Calvary sometime? Everything you're mad at about church, it's not an issue with us. We ordain women. Our theology is based on the Incarnation, not about guilt or shame for your sins, or "boy, oh boy, aren't you lucky Jesus died for you." It's not about that stuff. It's a theology for thinking people, and really, the way your mind works, you'd actually make a very good Episcopalian."

Then he sort of winked and added, "Of course, in the beginning, we might have to let you in the side door," then quickly said, "Not really--I'm kidding. Seriously, you could even go up for the Eucharist the first time you visited."

But nope...nope...I was still more interested in being mad, I guess.

I did, however, go to the rail at his funeral Eucharist. I had remembered his words. I wonder sometime if that wafer planted a seed, albeit a very slowly germinating one.

Seventeen years later, I began to regularly attend Trinity.

I think about him now and then when we do Prayers of the People and remember the dead, especially when the week of his birthday and the week of the date of his death rolls around. I wonder sometimes if he's sitting among the company of Heaven on those Sundays and hears me think it, and tells the gathered company, "I KNEW IT! See, I knew this was a fit! It just took a long time, that's all, but I WAS RIGHT!" I do muse now and then in church, "I wonder if Pete can believe it? Yeah, he probably can and does." I worry now and then he is scrapping with my late friend Debby for dibs on the credit. I imagine Debby credits her role in all of it, too.

When I think these things, I do have one unfulfilled longing. I do long for one time, that I can feel him sitting in the pew beside me. I think I would like, just once, to feel he and I have transcended a boundary and have "attended the service together." There's a lot there to thank him for, and I think I have felt that I have thanked him for everything in this life he did for me sufficiently except this one little leftover part. Maybe some Sunday, I will feel it. I hope so.

Justin Bieber Oracle Arena Tickets

Hey Justin Bieber fans!! If you live near the Oakland area, you'll appreciate this. The one-and-only Justin Bieber will be performing at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on Saturday, July 17th at 7 pm. If you haven't bought your Justin Bieber tickets for this show yet, Ticket King has some awesome lower level seats left but they're going quick! If you'd like to attend, I'd recommend getting yours now before they're gone! I know this show will sell out!

Fig wedding cake

I'm one of the few people out there who don't like regular cake (are you, too?), so I'm always secretly psyched when people serve alternative desserts at their weddings. Brooklyn couple Rae and Noah served a carrot cake with fresh figs! What a cool (and beautiful) idea, don't you think?

See more of their wedding here.

Nursery inspiration photos

These days, nurseries are looking so amazing! I've been flagging inspirational images, such as the nursery of J. Crew creative director Jenna Lyon's baby, above. Aren't the yellow stripes amazing, and who would think to paint a nursery wall black? (Classic crib from Oeuf; and orange Junior Panton chair from DWR.)

A polaroid heart from a grown-up bedroom in Paris...

And sweet details, like the knit blocks in the fireplace, love pillow and teeny yellow boots!

The giant giraffe is amazing, but my eye was immediately drawn to those red frames. What a great way to showcase artwork.

Decorating with maps = inexpensive and inspiring.

This photo is from Moomah's playspace. The white frames mimic a gallery wall, and that friendly bear print is totally amazing. (Does anyone know where to find it? Update: The Moomah bear print is by Jacqueline Schmidt of Screech Owl Design. Thank you, Sarah!)

The shades of blue in this room are lovely and calming, and the Tord Boontje hanging lamp looks magical. What nursery colors or special touches do you like? I'd love to hear... xoxo

(Photos from Domino Magazine, Cookie Magazine, Living Etc., Moomah, and others)

Three Days Grace Tickets Roy Wilkins Auditorium

Join Adam Gontier, Barry Stock, Brad Walst & Neil Sanderson from Three Days Grace at 7pm tonight at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul. Ticket King currently has some great deals on Three Days Grace Roy Wilkins Auditorium tickets! Our general admission tickets are BELOW face value at only $47 each or we have upper level tickets starting at just $55. Get yours now before they're gone! Deals this great don't last long!

Ricky Martin States the Somewhat Obvious

RIcky Martin is gay. I love it. Ok, moving on....

30th on 30th is going off TONIGHT!!

This event looks like a total blast for foodies, beer lovers and those who need a fun event that is easy on the wallet. 30th Avenue which runs through some of the best beer houses and restaurant areas is serving up their best to patrons all night long. Ride your back or take line 2 on the bus to experience what North Park to South Park has to offer!!This month's 30th on 30th is on Tuesday, March

Lovin the new Audi A3

Audi's are already the hottest car out right now. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus have all had their time, now it's Audi time and their new A3 model is a more compact version of their popular sedan. It has a hatchback and comes in 2 and 4 door models and also has a soft top convertible option!! I can't only imagine how much this machine hugs the road...