oh yeah, I was supposed to post these...

Yeah, meant to put these up yesterday. Got distracted by Hulu again. Royal Pains this time. Good thing House is in the off season, or I'd never get anything done.



Seriously though, I went out to Tulsa to take a break and recharge, sort of reset myself. One of the nice effects of travel is you almost always get a fresh look at yourself while trying to look at a new place, even if that new place is only a couple hours away. I'd been feeling a little blocked up creatively and a weekend away from my routine was just what I needed.



I actually fasted this weekend- not in the "not eating at all" sense of the word but in the "staying hungry" sense. One moderate meal a day, the occasional beer, maybe a snack. Whenever I've tried the cold turkey no food approach, I've failed miserably, because I lack the willpower. One meal a day is enough to give you the edge of feeling hungry without making it into this huge task.



About that- the edge of hardship- when things are difficult, sometimes it will make you sharper, quicker, more discerning- you can rise to the situation in a way that, when everything is easy, you couldn't. I've always thought the best art comes out of working around limitations, not when the limitations are removed.

Midnight photo sesh

Couple photos... Went to sleep on Timmy & Ali's couch, woke up when Ali got home after the bars, hung out with all these dudes. Tulsa=Coolsville thus far. My team won at trivia, although I don't think I contributed more than one or two answers. Bike Against hunger got some money, and some gift certificates on top of that. Today's adgenda includes a bike shop and finding whole foods.

The cookout

After pride, there was this cookout, with a bunch of excellent food. The chef from Cafe 7, which is on the northside somewhere (chime in in the comments if you know where it is). F'ing amazing ziti, pretty good kebabs, pesto crusted grilled chicken, it was nice. Some days I forget to eat until late in the day, and then circumstance prevents it for a couple more hours, and then I'm rewarded for the wait with a meal like that.



It was really nice, but I wish I had more photos of the whole thing. Like I said, I was having an off day sunday, maybe because of the lack of sustenance. I had to let the hate pass before I could even look at the photos again, that's why I took these sunday and you're just now seeing them.



Anyway, I'm several days out from my last cup of coffee. I think that's what I'll go do now. That and get ready for TULSA: THE SEQUAL.

Pride Parade

So, it's pride 09. I wasn't on, but these I like. For those who don't know: I'm straight. And I'm not going to lie, this was mostly about being a part of the spectacle and drinking and cooking out for me. But yes, I do support a whole range of gay rights, marriage and equal protection and other things. But this was a party on wheels.

I'd like to say the big fail is because of the lack of intimacy with the subject(true), or sub-standard camera equipment(not true), but really it was because I lacked two things: focus and a camera strap. I wasn't focused on taking pictures, more on riding the new bike, and I didn't have a strap to hold the camera so I was constantly death gripping it and worried I would drop it.

Two days before, but already started at the Copa.

The Bike Horde.





This was something about people wearing leather and being gay? Not sure. update from my friend hope who Knows Things: "The picture at the pride parade the people in leather. Its the national leather association. that's what the blue and black flag with the red heart represents. its a BDSM community with a very strong Gay following. I know i always have the strangest information. but there you go."

This really surprised me; Dell is a big company, glad to see that they were out there in support. They have a pretty big call center here in the city.

The Boneshakers were out, all five of us that are still here and riding.

I don't know what to say about the dude on the horse.



The crowd at the end was something else. A couple thousand people, easily. All along the route there were spectators, but nothing to make me expect this.