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Yet another post about skateboarding

I fear I will look back at this period of my blog and think to myself, “oh, that was the skateboard phase I went through, huh”. C_ will then mention how I cleaned out the basement to make room to skate during the upcoming winter months. A slight pause of reflection, a sigh, and a drink of coffee – moving on. End scene.

Yesterday I went to Lacrosse to find a Christmas present (YAH CHRISTMAS!) for Rhen. A Pillow Pet to be specific. We had spotted one at the Children Museum last week and Rhen really wanted one. We told him it would be put on his list. So, gotta make good on it.

I really love Lacrosse. It’s downtown is a mix of renovation and failed urban renewal. I like being able to see the buildings I remember as a kid. Unfortunately they put a big ugly jewelry shop where they had a funky split level McDonald’s (an open air sub street level dining area with a walkway above it, so cool). They filled in the dining area. Sigh. There was also a super cool toy store around the corner from it. We’d go there after McDonald’s. The only time we’d go to Lacrosse was for our dentist appointments. Long story, another time. So I have all of these great childhood memories of Lacrosse.

The Pillow Pets in the Children Museum turned out not to be real Pillow Pets but an expensive knock off. No good. I took some photos of downtown Lacrosse. After that I made my way over to the Pro Skate and Snowboard shop. Friendly staff (two dudes) and a nice selection of equipment but I was pretty sure I was only authorized to purchase a Pillow Pet. The Pro has an indoor skate park called “The Coalition” attached to it.

Skate parks weird me out. I spent some time at the Winona skate park earlier that morning. No one was there. I skated the half-pipe for about a half an hour. It’s cool. There’s a spine on it where you could transition over to the other side. No luck on that. Really, my balance is shit. Ramps freak me out a bit because you go from zero to really fast in like, one second. Also, there’s not a lot of time between walls so if you screw up your balance, you’re going to eat it, fast. I don’t have a helmet so that makes me nervous too.

4.8 Skatepark - Winona, MN

Over to the Valley View Mall, a stop at Zumiez (skateboarding stuff!) and The Coach House for one last look for the illusive Pillow Pet. No luck. Fail.

The car did this weird thing in the parking lot that will not be mentioned for fear of it happening again. Everything is A-OK. Right, car? A friendly Samaritan (aren’t all Samaritans friendly?) offered a “kick start” but I declined. I sat in my car for about 5 minutes pondering his usage of the term “kick start” for what I’d call a “jump start”  – perhaps a regional difference between Wisconsinites and Minnesotans? The car started up and I quickly made a “let’s get the Hell out of Dodge” exit of Onalaska. I said a much much stronger word aloud in the car but you know, this is  a family blog.

I’m getting a new skateboard deck in the mail this week. A Krooked Mark Gonzales deck (the sweatpants one). It’s going to be awesome. I hope it holds off on the snow so I can take it out on the street but no worries, I have this little area in the basement that I can practice tricks during the winter months.

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New revelations of a recovering teenage skatepunk

Super awesome week skateboarding. I’m always a sweaty mess by the time my  lunch is over, too bad the area of Rochester I work in sucks balls for skate terrain. I make the best of it. Empty parking lot with a painted curb works. It’s right next to a baseball park that has the these two cute statues of children playing baseball. It has a nice homey feeling to it and it is tucked away enough from the road so no one from work can see me. I have officially adopted it as my place to skate.

First things first though- the list:

Up North, Pale Young Gentlemen

A Day in the Life, The Beatles

How High the Moon?, Charlie Parker and Ella Fitzgerald

Been Caught Stealing, Jane’s Addiction

Boy’s Don’t Cry, The Cure

Things I learned about skateboarding this week:

I never tire of watching videos of skateboarders that are a hundred times better than me. It just pushes me harder. I keep thinking- I’ll be able to do that. Be positive.

Be very aggressive when doing a trick. Go all out. Doing it half-ass is only going to end in a sprain or a lame waste of time. Go for the break and try to get on top of it.

Speed speed speed.

Pulling off a trick and working a remote for your camera is bullshit hard. Bring a friend next time.

Muscle memory is so important. Repeat trick a billion times.

You need a lot of force and tension to pull a trick off, but you still have to manage to remain relaxed otherwise you’re going to lock your legs up on the landing and end up on your ass.

Like I said, relax. Tell yourself that a billion times.

Celebrate wildly the first time you land the trick (180 pop shove-it for me!). Do yell out and put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care. I did.

Don’t try to do tricks in the employee break room in front of co-workers and eat it hard. That’s lame.

Tearing it up at Eyota. Haha.

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It’s been changed slightly, but still the same

There’s was a small grove of apple trees on top of the hill and the woodshed was haunted.

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Even more things that I’ve learned being a teenage skatepunk

I’ve never been so keenly aware of precipitation and the chance of snow. I watch the weather forecasts very closely. I am constantly thinking that this could very well be the last run of the season. Such is the life I live.

Today I hit it hard after a week of rain. The last place I left off was at the Eyota skate park doing slappy rail slides after work. I was starting to get some distance on their low rail. I liked that. Wiped out hard once. Tore up my knuckle a bit on the left hand. I always suck at skateboarding straight away after work. Especially in Eyota. So shitty. They have this obscenely huge quarter pipe that I hate.

So crisp this morning. Highlights included ollie to frontside boardslide, ollies down the stairs in front of the WSU library, slappies and speed, speed and more speed. I bailed so hard at one point today I was quite sure I had dislocated my spine. I walked it off feeling tough and cool. Still waiting to feel it tomorrow morning. I also crossed the tracks where Bruce “Ernie” Streng lost his life last week. So sad. A train passed by as I walked between the tracks and the WSU football field. I was tired of skating. The sun was warm.

Lessons learned on the mean streets of Winona:

I’d like to say that all skateboard tricks are 99% confidence but it’s just not true. In fact, thinking that way will get you hurt really quick. I’d say it’s fifty fifty. Physically you know what you can do. Fatigue is my worst enemy. Once I wear out I have less muscle control, things get sloppy and then I fall. I try to avoid those scenarios.

Punks that yell, “kickflip” when you skate by them deserve nothing but your middle finger.

Girls always always like skateboarders.

Careful on wet leaves.

Motorists are completely helpless when a skateboarder approaches an intersection at the same they do. It’s best to guide them.

Playgrounds are sanctuaries from the police and pesky property owners.

Leaves:

Love, The Cult

She Sells Sanctuary, The Cult

Boys Don’t Cry, The Cure

A Forest, The Cure

Charlotte Sometimes, The Cure

Human After All, Daft Punk

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I did it my way

Sitting – staring at my skateboard while my computer uploads a photo to Flickr. So irritated with myself for dropping skateboarding. All that time gone. Alas.

Let’s do our best to make up for lost time.

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The life aquatic

It all started out with a five gallon starter tank and a Betta named Nimh. After a week Nimh died (so typical of Bettas) and we immediately repopulated the tank with three Serpae tetra. At this point I bought more accessories and a ten gallon tank. I  wanted our fish to be happy and have the option to spread out even though they tend to stick together.

Yesterday’s addition of three Cardinal tetra and a Cory now has me thinking twenty gallons or fifty. I see a pattern developing. The  aquariums at Pet Smart come in all different sizes. Quaint villages, the suburbs (biOrb Life) and major metropolises.  I’m starting to think along the lines of perhaps – EMPIRE.

I also bought two easy drop-in plastic plants (creates instant interest!), two aquarium light bulbs tinted blue to bring out fluorescent highlights and a small Balinese lantern aquarium ornament. You know, so the fish could feel more, exotic.

I think I’ve created a nice little community of fish with a touch of the bucolic Far East. I am obviously quite pleased.

No names for the fish yet. That being the only disappointment. My inability to name fish. There are two groups. I’ve settled on gang names. The Cardinal tetras being “The Jets” and the Serpae tetras being “The Sharks”.

West Side Story:

My aquarium

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<3

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Yesterday’s run to the grocery store

Last night we made dinner for my mom and dad. The main dish was from a recipe called, Chicken Bundles. C_ had made a special run to the grocery store but forgot vegetables for salad. Oh – and bread. Mom loves bread with dinner.

The grocery store is about six blocks away. Beautiful fall day. Bright, crisp and clear. All the cliches in a time frame of two hours. I decided to skateboard over to the store.

Everything felt just right about skateboarding. The poetry of it. I even ollied the “Winona Savings Bank Gap” – about a two foot gap between the bank’s ramp to walk-up service and an arbitrary curb that runs next to it. I’ll take a picture sometime. Regardless, it was one of my goals before the snow flies – which should be any day now. The rest of the run was just nice carves. I like smacking the tail of my skateboard on the curb when I fly off. It’s such a good sound.

Dinner was awesome. Mom and Dad brought a lemon meringue pie for dessert.

Feeling weird and good:

My Old Flame, John Vanderslice

Finer Feelings, Spoon

Silver Lining, Rilo Kiley

To Be Young, Ryan Adams

Touch to Feel, Girl Talk

Goodbye, Asobi Seksu

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