cheese, banana bread, and white bread

So last weekend Levy and I made some cheese, banana bread, and white bread.

Garden Update

Just an update on the garden. All the tomatoes, eggplants, and hot peppers have germinated!

I'm still waiting on those california wonders and cubanelles to germinate though, but it should be any day now.

But I have no idea what I'm going to do with this. It is a Mammoth Sunflower. I didn't think it would actually grow. The seed is three years old!


Outside, though, I have first signs of some kale and cabbage. Yesss!


I also put these bricks down in the garden yesterday. I am going to lay some more down. I just need to decide where.


That's all for now.

farmer john's setup

so i've been working all week building and planting and heres what i have to show for it. we are going to fill these beds with topsoil today and plant the small one with onions and kale. hopefully its not too late.


heres my indoor setup for the maters, peppers, and eggplants

bike baskets

So this is my second attempt at the bike basket. I'm almost done with one for the other side. Hopefully for Cincinnati's full moon cruise tomorrow.


I'm also working on a better harness. Just got some sisal rope on there right now.

North American Handmade Bicycle Show

So I went to the NAHBS yesterday in Nap town. Woke up early to get out there. I saw some interesting stuff. I think I was expecting something a bit different though.

Heres a nice commuter bike. They were all about the front rack.

A bamboo bike. Apparently these are made in developing countries and then sold here in the US.

A nice chain guard detail. Very sophisicated.

An old school style fork from a company out of Fort Collins.


A cool builder from MASS. called Alternative Needs Tranportation. Some really nice commuter bikes with rack and lights. Really nice high end hubs too.

A nice piece from Velo Orange. I really like that basket.

This was one of my favorite things. These guys from Portland, Signal Cycles made this wine rack holder. A really beautiful rack.

There was a lot more there. Tons of 29ers. I don't think I saw one 26 inch wheel there. Really high end commuter, road, and fixed gears. Unfortunately no one really brought out many touring frames or anything new in the cargo arena.

Herbs

An update on my herb garden: The herbs are doing pretty well. The thyme and parsley are looking a bit spindly though. Levy says I should move them to get some more light. I'll have to take over the only south facing window in our house I suppose. The spearmint hasn't sprouted yet though.

Garden Party

Currently I'm working on planting a garden in my parent's yard. My dad is on board and said I could use a bunch of space in the yard. This is the layout. I got the big area next to the patio to plant, the old sandbox, and the rear corner of the yard.Here is a list of what I'm planting:

Item:1 - Qty:1, (524) PARISIAN PICKLING, Price:2.00
Item:2 - Qty:1, (511) TENDERGREEN BURPLESS CUCUMBER, Price:1.25
Item:3 - Qty:1, (512) HOMEMADE PICKLES CUCUMBER, Price:1.25
Item:4 - Qty:1, (5111) BIRDHOUSE GOURD, Price:1.25
Item:5 - Qty:1, (9001) BUTTERNUT SQUASH, Price:1.25
Item:6 - Qty:1, (9002) SPAGHETTI SQUASH, Price:1.25
Item:7 - Qty:1, (96) SWEET POTATO SQUASH, Price:1.25
Item:8 - Qty:1, (21) APPLE GREEN EGGPLANT, Price:1.25
Item:9 - Qty:1, (25) BLACK BEAUTY EGGPLANT, Price:1.25
Item:10 - Qty:1, (7004) HABANERO PEPPER, Price:1.50
Item:11 - Qty:1, (7001) JALAPENO PEPPER, Price:1.50
Item:12 - Qty:1, (7007) LONG RED CAYENNE PEPPER, Price:1.50
Item:13 - Qty:1, (7010) PEPPERONCINI (Italian) PEPPER, Price:1.50
Item:14 - Qty:1, (75) CALIFORNIA WONDER PEPPER, Price:1.50
Item:15 - Qty:1, (77) CALIFORNIA WONDER PEPPER, GOLD, Price:1.50
Item:16 - Qty:1, (78) CALIFORNIA WONDER PEPPER, PURPLE, Price:1.50
Item:17 - Qty:1, (110) BRANDYWINE TOMATO, RED, Price:1.50
Item:18 - Qty:1, (1068) PURPLE TOMATILLO, Price:1.50
Item:19 - Qty:1, (1062) CHERRY ROMA TOMATO, Price:1.50
Item:20 - Qty:1, (147) ROMA TOMATO, Price:1.50
Item:21 - Qty:1, (4008) RED BURGUNDY ONION (Hamburger Onion), Price:1.25
Item:22 - Qty:1, (4010) WALLA WALLA ONION, Price:1.25
Item:23 - Qty:1, (45) DANISH BALLHEAD CABBAGE, Price:1.25
Item:24 - Qty:1, (46) RED ACRE CABBAGE, Price:1.25
Item:25 - Qty:1, (80) NEW ENGLAND PIE PUMPKIN, Price:1.25
Item:26 - Qty:1, (3006) EARLY SIBERIAN KALE, Price:1.25
Item:27 - Qty:1, (O1015) FORDHOOK GIANT SWISS CHARD - CERTIFIED ORGANIC,

I got some big plans for this food.

The Queen City Roll

For Super Bowl Sunday I made my own variation of the infamous bacon logs we've been seeing online a lot lately. Pepper cured bacon from Kroeger and Sons at Findlay Market with their Southern Sausage and some Pepperjack cheese with the Rendevous dry rub and Stubbs original BBQ sauce. Heres some pics.

Rolling the sausage, pepperjack, and sauce together


Ready to smoke


Smokin


3 hours later



Sliced and served on a biscuit with saurkraut and pickles.


Too bad the Steelers won.

Farmer Long Johns

So I started some herb seeds for my garden. I have cilantro, basil, dill, parsley, oregano, thyme, and spearmint. Heres some pics of my propagation house.

Pack Basket

So Im almost done with the ol pack basket. Heres some pics. I just gotta make some straps for it.

Hesitation Blues

a little rough cut of the ol' time number hesitation blues rendered by yours truly

The Adventures of Tall Boy John and Co: Episode II: Smokey the Bear

"Keep a lookout for the liqour store." We needed to get some booze for our trek into the mountains. Danske's dad had given him an old map of the Smokies' trails, but it was pretty outdated. We had high hopes for gettin in twenty miles a day. We were being hardcore. We were fit. We rode bikes everyday. And besides it's just the little appalacian mountains. What's to worry about?


"Bears? Thunderstorms? Forest Fires? Reservations? Really?"
"Where are we?"
After hiking past all the campers we finally got to a nicely graded trailhead. We were a sight as we walked by the picinickers by their mini vans. Two gritty young men hucking packs on a warm august day.
"It's just horse trails"
"Watch out for the bears though. Don't let them smell you."
The trail got steeper and steeper, but we were huckin it. We only had a few hours of daylight left. The conversation sooned turned to bullshittin' about family and friends. I had no idea. The trail seemed pretty gradual. It's not that bad. We finally found the designated campsite, and as we were setting up the clouds rolled in. Water. Cooking. Pitchin the tent. Warmer clothes. Check out that toad. Rain drops. Thunder. Pounding. Get that stake in. Lighting. Pull that rope tight. Feel it in my chest. Pound. Hang that food. Don't get your clothes wet. Jump in the tent. Pitter patter. Boom!

Well at least the bears didnt come around. Nothing like a good bowl of oatmeal in the morning. Lets get on going. Thoreau was onto something. Muir knew what he was talking about. The trails got harder. Loose rocks and bear droppings. You can tell by the berries. We arrived at the Appalacian trail. We had a lot more to hike that day. We were going up and over several peaks and then down to a valley to another campsite. The fire kept us away from the North Carolina and our original plans, but this loop was proving to be a challenge.
"I didnt know this place was so wet."
"Damn its cloudy, we can't see anything from up here."
"O well we have to ge to the campsite."
"I'm getting tired."
We came upon an AT shelter, and it looked too good to be true. Newly renovated, uninhabitated, no signs of animals. This is awesome.
"Break out that whiskey, Danske!"
"Your problem, John, is that youre all about nature and riding bikes and not giving a fuck. They want someone who gives a fuck. You're going to have to give some shit up."
We both had a little too much to drink, but one of us got sick all night. and the next morning. and most of the next day for that matter. Thoreau had some words to say to me while we were on top of that mountain. We decided, though, that we werent going to make it all around the loop. So much for the reservations. I sat in the shelter all day looking around at the wildflowers in the clearing, hoping a bear woulnd't find us, and looking around for some wild edibles I had no skills to identifiy.
"How's it going?"
As he looked around in his pack for his cigs, he started talking about startin the trail so late. Figured he wouldn't finish, but was getting back on his feet from a painkiller addiction. Old lady broke it off with him, his last girl was just into him for the drugs. But he's workin as he goes up the trail so he hasnt gotten that far.
"Afternoon."
He came bounding down the trail looking way too lean both physically and the gear he was carrying. An old ll bean backpack, with a bunch of trash in it at least compared to all the gear i was carrying for only two days. He was gonna be done with the trail soon. Thank god though its been a long hike. I better be gettin on.
"Feelin any better?"

We finally got a move on at five o clock. Thank god though because the veiw was the most amazing thing. I thought this is why we came out here. Sure im all wet with perspiration, and my back hurts, and im hungry, and I have this huge blister, but you can't see this view of endless mountains anywhere else. The clouds were coming up below us and the sun setting in front of us. Breathtaking.

The one that was sick got sick again, we passed out in another shelter, and the next day we got back to our car. Had an ice cream cone. Did I mention that the trailhead was Walt Disney's Smokey Mountains? Then headed for home with a stop at Tango Bravo on the way.

Fourth of July

I'm gonna post these. Cause its cold out. And whoever took them its badass. I dont know how i have them on my computer.

As Dre says, "bbqs e'ryday"

bbq

So i went to Lockhart the other day. Got some brisket and sausage. By the pound. Awesome. I cry a little everytime I think about it. I shouldn't have left. Anyway my dad has a smoker. So I'm gonna work on my bbq. Pork or Beef? Dry rub or sauce? Tomato or vinegar? Also i have to work on a mean cole slaw. Offensive cole slaw. Man I miss that bbq.

Kroeger BBQ
Tall Boy BBQ
or John's Southland River BBQ?

Also open on saturday only
until its gone.

The Pack Basket

Here's some process on that basket I've been weaving. It's huge! I dyed the reeds with some dark walnut dye. It's about 6 inches taller than what I have in these pictures. Last night I finished the weaving. I just have to turn down the stakes and then lash a rim to it. I 'm still waiting on the supplies for the rim. I also have no idea how to do it. But I've gotten this far.I can put my guitar in it!
I've learned a lot from this process. The shape of the basket is a little off from the pattern but it doesn't look too bad. It's hard to get the tension in the reeds right.
I'll be packing this around Austin soon. Probably to the grocery store. I think I'll have to carry a big stick to beat off all the hippie chicks.

Professional Engineer

So I've created a file of a bike frame in Pro E that's allows me to change the geometry for any rider's dimension. It's limited right now to using 700c wheels, so it's a road bike frame. But I'll be able to plot it out and make a jig from it. More precise than drawing it up in illustrator.Here's the frame without all the construction planes so far. Obviously not done but all the important dimensions are there.

Goodnight Irene

"These times?" He advances on them, his bottle held dramatically aloft. "What do you think, everything used to be apple-pie 'n' ice cream?"
The citizens look up in surprised indignation; it is regarded as something of a breach in local protocol to interrupt these sessions."
"That bomb talk? All Horseshit." He rears over their table, unsteady in a cloud of blue smoke. "That depression talk and that other business, that strike business? More horseshit. For twenty years, thirty years, forty years, all th' way back to the Big War, sombody been sayin' oh me, the trouble is such, oh my the trouble is so; the trouble is the ray'dio, the trouble is the Republicans, the trouble is the Democrats, the trouble is the Commy-ists..." He spat on the floor with a pecking motion of his head. "All horseshit."

Sometimes a Great Notion, Ken Kesey

Arts and Crafts

So I got my Adirondack pack basket making materials in the mail yesterday. I need to find a large pot to boil water in so I can stain my reed, but it looks like its going to work out.

I also started looking at geometry for my touring bike frame. I still don't know if I'm going to lug it or just weld it together. My welding and brazing skills are kinds similar: bad. I'm modeling the geometry off the Trek 520 and the Surly Long Haul Trucker. I hope to model it in pro e.

Bike Lanes are Stupid Part III

Ok. So I am taking back my hatred for all bike lanes. I now rep them in the suburbs. It's so nice not to have to dodge hockey mom vans. I rode to my coworkers house this morning via the bikes lanes on guadalupe and parkfield, and I've never had such a pleasant ride through the suburbs.

The Adventures of Tall Boy John and Co.: Episode I: Into the Wild

In Novemeber of 2005 we went down into the the wilderness for the first time. Equipped with work boots, my uncles old pack, my new three man tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad we trekked into the woods of the Daniel Boone National Forest. It was the first time I had ever been really outside the woods in my neighborhood and years since I had been in the woods in general. We planned to hike sections of the Sheltowee Trace, the great trail named for my favorite frontiersman, Daniel Boone. I believe 28 miles was the official count of our plan.

Driving down in two cars we had trouble finding the trailhead where we were going to ditch our second car. We dropped off our friends at the beginning, and were driving around the country roads of Eastern, Ky. looking for any sign of the trail. We found a little gas station and went inside. In the back there were some guys sitting round in their hunter orange gear shootin the shit. We asked the woman at the front where the Sheltowee Trace was. The guys in the back had a vague idea and pointed us back down the road, while telling us to make sure we had our orange on. None of us even thought about coming prepared with that.

I think our expedition consisted of Kelly, Ming, Sean, Max, Dave, Brian, and myself. It all started when we were sitting around in our studio early in the week when we hatched a plan to go camping down in the gorge. I don't particularly remember why I decided we needed to go, but along with Kelly rounded up a rather large group. Amongst the seven of us Kelly was the one that was most prepared. We all had bits of gear laying around though. After making the appropriate trips to Bass Pro Shop and soliciting my Dad for some early Christmas money we were stocked with most the the necessary stuff: sleeping bags, knives, water filters, cans of beans, MRE's, and lots of rope. Rope is something that I've found necessary on any kind of expedition. You never know what you're going to need rope for, but you always need about 100 more feet than you bring. Not to even mention the merits of a well woven rope.

Rhododendron were what most intrigued me in this environment. We hiked about six miles the first night having to wait for people to come up behind us. Some of us weren't as fit in those days. We set up our camp alongside the Red River across from the suspension foot bridge right next to the trail. We passed whiskey and other things around the raging fire. It turned out to be a cold night. Brian only had a blanket and was shivering the whole night, there were some locals down river shouting all night, and no one got much sleep.

The next day while sitting around eating our oatmeal in the cool autumn air, we found we still had 20 miles to do before we hit the car. It turned out to be the longest hike of my life. We walked along the road for a few miles suffering huge blisters, and at about nightfall we got back to our car and gorged ourselves with snacks from the Slade, Ky Shell station.

We were so inexperienced, and the hike wasn't even that hardcore. We were just a bunch of city folk walking around in the woods. This would be the adventure that started our mom's worrying about us as later we would take off on adventures for days through the woods, rivers, and cities of America.