December 2002

Goodness, It’s been a long time since I wrote, but it was really nice to see my boys from Ithaca today for a little bit…we tried to use the snow skate on the sled hill in Yorkville, but alas, it was more like mud bogging than anything else. Headed to my Dad’s tomorrow till the 31st when I get to go to play videogames, and party like a rockstar with R and D…

Back in Illinois, no urban landscape to skate…just wind, cold and the river…for fun I can ollie the speedbump in the alley…mmmm longing for SF skating and chillin’ with the other MSAS…

Back in Illinois, no urban landscape to skate…just wind, cold and the river…for fun I can ollie the speed-bump in the alley…mmmm longing for SF skating and chillin’ with the other MSAS…

Back in Illinois, no urban landscape to skate…just wind, cold and the river…for fun I can ollie the speed-bump in the alley…mmmm longing for SF skating and chillin’ with the other MSAS…

Back to the land of flat and corn, but alas it has been nice so far. I want to have a white Christmas. In other news, I went to Holiday Magic today at Brookfield Zoo, sang some carols, ate some popcorn, and had some hot cocoa. I am going to a holiday party tomorrow with the mom, and then working on a painting or two for people’s gifts. I went skating the other day down to the river, but it’s not as exciting as SF with all the urban landscape.

Dinner tonight was really great, eating out at the family diner in Bowlingbrook. mmmmm tasty…gyros.

Snowskate libe slope…amazing! Hope it snows tomorrow.

Awesome day today, pizza, Rulloff’s for Sunday brunch, snow skating, spaghetti, and then a night cap at Momma T’s pizza…documented the Tizz’s Artwork…lookin good.

Snowskate libe slope…amazing! Hope it snows tomorrow.

JAVITS IS IN!!!!

I’m in Ithaca hanging out with Rich dog, Jason, Ethan, Tizz-bomb, Jonathan, PDT, CUT&F, and it’s awesome!

I also got a snowskate today, and tomorrow we’re hittin’ the skate park with a snowboard…stoked…perhaps even the slope

Skated 4 then 5 steps at the library on Tuesday night…nice…bought a snow skate today…It rocks…Thanks to the crew for taking me to O-town.

I have my images prepared for the Javits now, it only took three days to make the selections. My letters are lined up as far as I know, and the situation looks managable, I just have to finish this darn artist statement, I know my work is good, but how do I make it appear to other folks….Artrockstar out…

Rain…yuk, no skating today…

Big day today for the boys at MSAS. Josh, and I along with two GUEST STARS Casey and Bryan went to the Berkeley park for an early morning session. The problem was that Josh was a bit sluggish getting out of bed, and I said that I would meet the others at Civic Center at 8am. Well we waited for Josh for a bit, and then ended up in Oakland, and had to get another train to North Berkeley. Casey hit a nose manual on the escalator (footie a bit later).

Once we got to the park, there was hardly anyone there, and was the first time in a LONG time that Casey had been on a board. But he seemed to adjust pretty well. Blunts, 5-0 grinds, and rocks to fakie.

Josh was his usual self, and hit the rails for a bit and returned to the bowl, and worked it for a while with a back truck grind around the corner.

The real stars today were the 30-40 year olds who were pulling HUGE frontside and backside airs in the deep end, as well as krook grinds. Lots of good shots thanks to Bryan.

I had a pretty sweet day too, frontside and backside grinds, as well as rock to fakie, rock to regular…sweet!

We rode back to SF and hit up the Etrade steps, Josh had a HUGE ollie over two sets, and I did one set, and finally made it down the complete set. Casey kept trying this crazy flip thing that I don’t know the name of, but it looked pretty sick.

We rode back to the home base, and had double Foreman action, and lots of ground beef and sausage. Ate like champs, and talked about skating for a long time…

Kev, just called from the Valet spot, he wants to hit it when he gets off at 11. Here we go again…

Congrats to the Tizz for an amazing show, I got to see the pics yesterday and they’re friggin sweet, I’m going to be posting them soon to her section of Hypermodern.net.

I had most of the day to skate today, see the MSAS, and then now I’m working on imagry for two contests, I also need to write my reviews for the last few weeks of crit seminar, as I got behind when my printer ran out of ink…crazyness.

I am going home on wed. rather then thurs. like I thought but it should be ok ’cause I’m going to do my installation a day early, got to finish up the OBAY campaign also. I’m hoping to get an entry in to IOI as well as the LOMOGRAPHY contest, but that’s pushing it as I only have threedays!

Yikes, but hey, if you want sometihng done, ask a busy person, and I’ve been feeling so comfortable in SF recently, it’s all good.

So today I’ve been working on the Javits for most of the morning, and I got some good things worked out, but it’s starting to get a bit crazy because I have to have everything submitted by wed. AHHHHHH!

Letters of Req. are still not in because I have not finished the website yet that will have all the images, and I am still working on the darn artist statement. I have been thinking a lot recently, and I am realizing that I am finally starting to feel comfortable here, I have friends that both live with me in the building (MSAS) and also have some folks up at SFAI. Plus having an area to relax in my apt has been most appreciated.

I am so excited about going to Ithaca to see my peeps there, specially Tizz, my PDT boys, and the CUTF crew. I don’t know what I’m going to do about skating though, I felt so awesome today, ’cause I landed my 3steps, and ollied up the big ledge at pier 7. Some how I don’t ever see snow in my future, unless I live on a mountain where I can learn to snowboard. Urban skating is amazing.

Feelin good about myself, but still need to get back into shape…gettin a bit soft in the ol midsection.

So guess who graced the 513 today…N. Jones, no wait, that’s too obvious, Nate J. Anywho, he rides for REAL and was in my apt. checkin’ out the MSAS site, hot. After he stopped by, Kev and I went down the back alleys between Mission and Market, Stevenson alley is pretty Gnarly, especially the little piss-park, a three stepper that REEKS…

So we went to EMB and skated flat there for a bit, I’ve been working on a nollie, and Kev hit up the sculpture and you can get the sequence here soon. Then we went to Pier 7 and good things happened, I got up on the big ledges no problem today 2 times in a row, ollied on and off the steps, and on the way back nailed two other 3 step ollies…*stoked*

Kev nose-manualed the entire ledge, shuvit out…nice. Stopped for a starbucks, and Kev headed to work, and me to do this essay….

Berkeley tomorrow at 7am…Casey Logan will be making a guest appearance…SFAI HOLLA!!!

Kev came over around 12:30 excitited ’cause he made $150.00 at work today driving’. We decidied to go to the federal building because he wanted to get a tail stall 180 out, but he was too tired. He must have gone up that wall ride 50 times today with limited success. We wet over to the library, and I worked on my nollie, and may have them by the end of the year.

When we got back Josh was just coming home and we peeped the footie and some newer stuff as well, all the while Kev’s got the Fierce melon Gatorade, and the peanut butter…

Greetings all from the heart of San Francisco. Here you will find recent developments of the crew of the MSAS from their home base between 6th and 7th Street. Enjoy.

Good news, I went out for a delicious meal at the Korean BBQ with Chris and V (the one who invided us to her house party in Berkeley) today, it was DAMN good. I also had a pretty reasonable crit with C. Baldwin, and I have to get this postering stuff started. I really want to get out there and do it, but I’m as of yet not sure of the best way to execute the project.

I still am working on how to get the Javits finished on time, as I am struggling on almost every aspect of it, but like everything else, it will get done. Tomorrow is the deadline for the SMI project, and luckily I did that yesterday, so I could have today free to work on my projects.

I got a ride home from Hillary today, and she thought the new prints were pretty nice too.

I can’t wait to see Tizz and the rest of the Crew back at I-Town, and then head back to CHI…I am actually filled with a bit of trepidation about the cold, as I’ve been wearing t-shirts…very strange, but I like it!

Sweet session tonight, Josh, Kev and I went out to skate the wall ride at the federal building on Golden gate. It was a quick bust, but not before both J and K went right over the “no rolling” bronze square…choice.

The the 5-0 rolled out of the parking garage and pointed his spot on us, we all froze, and over the megaphone he was all “SKATEBOARDERS, THIS IS FEDERAL PROPERTY…” He never actually kicked us out, but we got the hell out of that sitch ASAFP we headed to the library, but it was just power washed so off to a well lit parking lot.

We skated there for a while to get some footie and kept the camera on the ground and ollied over it, the wheels on pavement sound like jets…pretty sweet.

Then we went to a short set of 4, and Kev got a nice kick flip and I ollied landed it twice…Josh bailed after that great film job, ’cause he had to work tomorrow, then Kev and I went to the postoffice at Fox plaza and the long 4 there. He ollied and I filmed and he worked the ledge there for a bit too.

After a stop at the liqour store for some fierce mellon, we headed home, chilled and watched the night’s work…

So I got hundred dollars, spent 815, got 20, spent 20, got 75. Good thing I have loan backup…Anyway, I sent out the Penprase project today it was like 10 bucks to send, plus the tube. So I should get the money for that soon. I can’t wait till I start selling more of my work and start making the bank ’cause heaven knows that’s why I’m in the art business…I’m in it for the butta…

Tizz and the Fam has been super supportive through this work session, and I’v still got a lot to do today, I want to work on OBAY and write at least some of my essay, but I”ve been so strapped with this design project. I was online for 10 straight hours today…with a small 30 min break to go run errands, and pay my rent. I just need to unplug…I mean now that I have a living area, I may as well use it right?

The ferry to Sausilito yesterday was pretty choice, especially seeing the sunset over the ocean. Also I ran into John Hittner and Naomi at the preets coffee shop. Tomorrow, I have Class and a tutorial, so I can’t play ball which is a bummer ’cause it’s been so wonderful outside. I’m really getting used to this warmer climate, I don’t know what it’s going to be like back in NY and IL…*cold as hell*

Things are wrapping up, but Javits, book project, and OBAY still loom. It’s going to work out…it always does. Oh yea, The boys on my floor love www.hypermodern.net/creativecity/pete.html. You should too.

So, I finished the design today, and I want to get paid before I get home, as this is a recurring theme in my life dispite my best efforts to curb it with contracts…seems like I don’t get paid until way after the work is completed…It’s like taxes, an interest free loan. I slept a few hours last night, and work up to the human snooze alarm, Tizzel is the best at that.

So the day was pretty standard, i.e. sitting at the computer for most of the day, and getting around on the skateboard. I bought Kev’s wide angle lens for 20 bucks, and found out that he’s moving to Berkeley. Bummer.

I went out to Othercinema tonight, and saw C. Baldwin, one of my instructors at SFAI, he was in one of the films, and the reason that I went was to learn what other people are doing with culture jamming. I have a lot to do with obay.info.

Also talked to Pops, and walked to BB&B, to exchange my rug, and my new one is way cooler. The first one was just too much yellow. Anywho, Chris came over for sausage and eggs for dinner, and we looked at Nome Alaska’s webcam…and now it’s time for work.