Candystore

I don't have a sweet tooth.
but I've got that craving, that hard on, for Providence.



Cheap Trick - "Surrender"


Yesterday. Sunday I road out there. To Valley Forge.
There are some very nice CX thin ribbon spinning trails at Valley Forge.
Its just a long paved rail trail to get there and back.  The SRT
On the way out, I got an "on your left"  and I was all to the right.
Jumped the wheel and got sucked along.
and that's nice.  
We sped along at a nice 23mph clip.
passing peeps rolling along.

I rolled up along and gave a look in the eyes, "real nice".  "thanks for the tow".

 I did my easy strolling about on the trails.

 

 

Not convenient at all, for me,  these short trails.    They are perfect for rolling out the cross legs.



Really, some of the best cx thin single track.

on the way back in, a Bike Sport shop rider, old bloke like me came up at 21mph's.
how'd your race go? he asked.  "good",  "you race?"   "nah" he said.
and he pulled me back to Manayunk.
Sitting outta the wind, pedaling and moving fast.  Its good for the mind and soul.
I felt no need to come around, to take a pull.
He went on his way, with a nod, me a slight lift of a few fingers off the brakehoods.


Hard'on.  and my body rings, tingles.
whatever comes along, whatever.  I'll have some extra clean undergarments packed in my bag.
Providence.

cheers, d.

sunday nights a purgatory

I don't have a Single speed cross bike built up yet.  I got most of the bits, but not all of them.
It looks like I'll be taking off the baskets, and tightening some spd's back onto the Free Spirit.  That's my stead.
I really looking forward to the long weekend up in Providence RI.
Fridays the SS race,  and it'll do me just fine to get in a few laps, my openers, on the Free Spirit.
I'm thinking of documenting the race from within the race, to race with a  stills camera, to really do my best to get some good shots from within the race.
We'll see.



last Friday night I notice that I'd start to pick up a cold.  My treatment has been decongestant and double IPA's.

Saturday.   Racing.   The local circuit, PAX.  Townhall Cross.  
9th.
Good day,  broke down my weak spots to the long slog to the climb, and the bit up from the turns to the U-turn towards the second half of the course.    Keeping it simple, kept me up there.

                                    photo: Cabalu

 

I like Carlos Cabalu's photos.    He seems to be able to capture some nice pics.  and I'm glad that he  often makes me a target.  Thank you Carlos.


Good.  Simple.  Old. Full of nuance.  will for me last a lifetime.  Simple complexed.


Elizabeth Cotton - "Can't get a letter from down the Road"

Simple very.  I'm really let down by Costello and the Roots.  Fails, for lack of nuance, brittle. soulless
the New Elvis/Roots,  so much talent, the harder the failure.



Elvis Costello/The Roots - "CINCO Minutos Con Vos"



trying not to look up the drain spout,
and stand still and let the days pass
cause I can't run into them
by whatever I plan
as much as I think going to go on
a bird may fly over
and poop on my head.


cheers,  I love cross season. dlowe.

montgomery

I didn't have work today so I got out this real beautiful morning for a quite a pleasant cyclocross ride.
Most, a lot of people I work with and hang out with know that I talk quite a bit about Rockwell Kent.
I like to think I am not more obsessive in investigation through the internet than anyone else.
I loved the show of Kent's work that I saw at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.   I road down with my compatriot Meisha, who I got to know sharing a room together with him, and Gorka.
In an America Best Value hotel,  down in Baltimore to race cyclocross.

 

I sat in my easy recliner chair.  Almost crying.  At the end of his book on Rockwell Kent.
What would I do now?   I composed myself.  and examined the dust jacket notes.  (1st press 1980)
...Philadelphia.....  and there I was off,  and not much work later, an email was sent.  I was on my way to meeting David Traxel.




I have to be a bit honest, after our chat at Earth Bread Brewery,  I took advantage of the discount growler fill.   I got home, felt good, cracked the growler,  then needed 3 aspirins at 5am to keep sleeping.




Its true to me that some days are way more wonderful than others.  And I'm finding that they are coming more often.  


John Prine - "Angel from Montgomery"

 

I am happy that King Krule, the young English lad, added dates to his visit to America, and will be playing at the Fishtown bar. Johnny Brenda's.  

Vigor, swagger, sneer, snappy. 
so many words,  its like the salad I made tonight.  They seem to have a taste of oil that wont dissolve and is left on the cleft of my palate. 

fall is like spring, the crackle,  snap chill, it makes the blood do something.
makes me want to get under the covers and snuggle, wrap my arms around my wife.
I have many layers to wear to ride. and I choose the appropriate, to stay just a bit too warm, or a bit shivering.
but whatever, the air is nicer, the sunlight looks prettier.  and I'm riding, a bike, that looks like a road bike, with knobs tread on the tires, down dank mud, shorter rides.  Tonight again I want to race more.

 

Last night I sat with Mr. Traxel, and we drank beer, and talked about life.   It came down to taking risk, to not be scared, to look out into the world, to explore.

cheers,  David Lowe.

John Prine  "I had this really vivid picture of this woman standing over the dishwater with soap on her hands....She wanted to get out of her house and her marriage and everything. She just wanted an angel to come to take her away from all this."

charms

maybe Baltimore is  a pretend city.
full of pretend pain.
and that's its beauty.
When the early sun shines
and the poor, sturdy decay.    The city birds chirping,  sound happy to me.



as a joke, I road a two thousand dollar bike as hard as I could.
for once.
And a spare one in the pit.
What was important to me?
18th, 20th.

I drank hard cider, and cheap Mexican beer.
ate in  a "miracle"  
I slept with a dog.

and I have to say, as great as it all was, and is, I'm disappointed in myself,
for how I am human, and for how I raced.

each pothole.
city street I drove
I hit, made me think.
I've been hungry, poor, lonely, not fairly treated.
Nothing like you.

I think if i'd won.   I'd like to think.  I'd might of felt worse.
I'm sure I'd see more.  From the elevation.  Atop the podium.


I wouldn't of seen it if it weren't for you.
I do love you Charm City.


New Bill Callahan - "winter road"

                                     I am an early riser.  The course, empty.  Setup.

The Miracle.

 



                            Archer the bed fellow.

             Racers!

d.

Head high.



Last week I had penciled in a bunch of nights out seeing bands.  My week filled up with work, and the work days went long.  By Friday at work, I was tight.  Randy.
I went out to the old dump, s. phila bar, that's been spic and spanned.  the Boot and Saddle.  Cleaned up, good beer, stylized and left in a  bit of its old charms.  To see an old Oi band, Hard Skin.

I like to be close to the stage.

the opening bands sucked.   I thought a bit, no one boos, just polite applause.  I booed.
I'm not sure that people even put it together, that I was showing my dis-approval,  that I thought they sucked.  It felt good.

Hard Skin,  played hard, bantered, drank, and looked good.
a bit of sweat on the guitarist black shoe.

 I've been seeing shows for a long time.   and still love it. 
I like to be up front.   So close that sweat, spittle, banter, odor, heat, are within a few feet.

 

 

Today,

cx practice wasn't my best, in legs, mood.  Handling was on, the bike feels good.  Not a day that it all came together.   and sometimes I just make myself finish, to keep going to cross the line, no matter the placement, or how fast.   I did very little the rest of the day, mostly just laid about on the couch.

Everything has been more of a chore than normal.   Today. 

I got all the few things I had to do done.  and I think apparently that's going to be enough.

 

 

now?

I feel a bit spectacular.  I'm dressed well, nice shirt, pants, and black shoes.  On to a good short glass of bourbon neat. 

 

Cheers amigos. dlowe.

 

 

 

Teenage Fanclub - "Everything Flows"





weasle

good weekend. 
nice to get the couple of races done, I know what I lack and where, not that I'll fix it.
Nittany.
My take, each course has its personality, Nittany's, two geared.
Day one a bit tighter and better for me, day two I got smoked more.
not much difference on the course layout.

I like a course, a cross race that has distinct segments.  Maybe broken up into 3 different souls.
Parts of the landscape that have a nuisance each.   Nittany is all Nittany.

I'm not complaining.
fuck I sat and drank beers and told everyone around me that I  yelled "fuck you" at the Olde Masters Women on the good line.  Yes. Stupid on my part.   but yep.  make the most of it.
I know.

 (taken from the web)


DTCV - "mouchette"   why'd I listen? it was linked w/GBV.
I downloaded all their songs, it was a pay what you wish site, legit, their page, but it was a fight for me, 
I gave nothing.  might need to right that.   Liking the music.  and they play in Philly soon. but I don't think I can make the show.

 Some people search head to head with racers, I don't know what I search for but was quite, so happy to see, that Galaxy 500 had a rider racing Gloucester in the start list:
Master 35+    4/5   Dean Wareham     TEAM -   Galaxie 500 
I don't think Its possible for me to make Gloucester, so, no fan ambush


I think about things, about how I act, what I say, I look at what's around me, I try to let it effect me.

 

I figure stuff out, and I hope I remember more than I forget. 
at times there is nothing for me to shoot, then, its there. 
I'm still learning the tools, to someday, capture some soul.

I looked at this work bench.   I loaded in equipment into the garage.   An interview with a widow.   As I went back and forth taking the things I needed to light the interview, I looked at his work bench.
Just stopped in time.   I'd say not touched. 
I really tried to look at it, to see, a person, nuances.  He was old, 80 I think I overheard.
Tools, placement, what you keep just in case, a radio, things, just a bunch of things.




I haven't figured out quite yet what I want to be in life.  Its fun walking down the hallway, opening doors and peering in.    One day I figure I'll feel a grasp around my ankle, a tight grip, and that will be it.

I'm not waiting for it.
I don't think there is a better moment in life than the time, of in the grid and awaiting the start of the cyclocross racing.  .... the count down to the start, and that we are off, and it is at a random moment.

regards. d.

Exuberant bubbles

as a hobby I take pictures of beer.

I like beer.  I like to hear the bottles rattle when the door opens to the fridge.
Sitting at a race, looking into someone's dirty face, who cares who it is, they have just finished racing.   Not back into the world yet, still with the gods.   I take my feet off the cooler, reach down, and not even ask.  Just pry the top off, and put it into the open hand.

This  season was snerking up on me.  With no Philly grass track, and no, yet, Phila. CX WO's, ta-dah, it was upon me....I race this Saturday and Sunday.

and without knowing it, it was handed to me, just put into my hand.
thanks to the love of  DCCoD , recognizing my need, I raced, what I hold so Beloved, Grass Track.   last Sunday, down in DE.  I went hard, felt the need to barf.  Felt the need to win.  Felt fairness, of racing a mix class of racers, and not needing to pass.   I got the chance to bury myself, to see what kinda suffering I have in me.     

 

                                   Photos: A. Rock


I am a boob.  Full of rambunctious exuberance.  Carbonation.   I don't race to win, to prove anything, I race, because, the top has been pried off, that after some undetermined time,  when the words 15 seconds is spoken by the official.   A signal, whistle, gun, green light, movement,  is given, and  I gush forth, explode into life, and do my job.   I am aflame.

I often try to put meaning to my life, to what and why I write or take photographs.   I doubt I'll ever figure it out.   but I do know, last night I could not sleep, and it was caused by, in almost such a simplistic embarrassed way, it was because of just riding around in a circle.  In a park, on grass, with friends.

Thank you.
my most sincere regards, dlowe.