No More Bad Town

Bicycle Olympics, Part Two

2010-06-27T21:10:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Hey,

So we decided to split up the bicycle games between us again. Now, this second group of events consisted of many things that we both do regularly. I know that in the time this second session started I did a lot of bike maintenance and definitely carried a few loads. Unfortunately, we don't always have a camera handy.

We decided to take a picture of Sierra's current set up for carrying her books to school. She uses a large a wicker basket that she's had in her possession for a while now. These pictures are of her coming home from her psychology class with her school books loaded on her bike.

For the event on decoration your bike, I decided to put together my own top tube pad after seeing some designs on other people's bikes. I made it all myself with some sheets of foam from Michael's. I just took one complete strip and glued a design right on top of it and making a layered piece. I stitched it all together to make sure it doesn't fall apart.

Yeah, both Mexico and Italy lost the world cup so it is perfect timing for riding with the red, white, and green.

Sierra and I are trying to compete in this year's Bicycle Olympics, click on the banner for more info!

Family Ride

2010-06-06T18:38:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

This is Sierra typing here! Today my brother and I went on our family bike ride portion of the Let's Go Ride A Bike Summer Series. It was an excellent bonding experience for two siblings who have done almost everything together since life began! We rode downtown to the library, stopped at La Playita para almuerzo, and then we rode to the creamery for ice cream. On our way there, we managed to spot a bike that looked like it was in need of encouragement, so we left a post-it demanding that they "continue to SMILE." I certainly hope they did.

Hugo and I are trying to win some prizes from this year's Bicycle Summer Games. Check out the link for more info!

The People's Bike

2010-06-06T18:01:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Sierra decided to split up the last couple events in the Summer Games. I took it on myself to find a non-cycling friend to go on a bike ride with.

This past Saturday I called up Alix and asked him if he wanted to meet up and ride over to Melody's barbecue housewarming party. Alix doesn't have a bike of his own so he borrowed The People's Bike which is the public bike at the college.

It was a good ride, we rode from the college out to Melody's.

Alix doesn't have a car so checking out The People's Bike has inspired him to do more of his commuting around town by bike instead of trying to find rides all the time.

The party was fun, it was a healthy mix of Santa Rosan vegetarians and crazy Napa meat eaters. I met a guy who has a tattoo of Lois Griffin nude on his forearm. He also has PUNX along his arm. I'm still trying to figure him out. Melody's boyfriend is goofy and it was good getting to know Melody's crew.

All in all it was a good night. Alix had to take off early to take his bike back and I ended up riding home with Sierra. I hope she gets a headlight and rear blinker set soon!

Sierra and I are trying to win some cool cycling stuff by participating in this year's Bicycle Summer Games. Click on the banner below for more info!

Bike Date

2010-05-31T22:45:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Sierra and I went on our Memorial Day Bike Date today. First we went out to Cuttings Wharf and rode around there for the morning. We unloaded out by Slack's Ranch and I realized I forgot my water bottle. We had to survive on the one Camelbak for the both of us.

It was a good morning, we had to stop out by the train bridge to do some repairs on Sierra's bike. She's been having trouble with her bottom bracket, it keeps coming loose and the whole drive train gets thrown out of whack. I used a questionable technique to hold the nut and space in place, but for the rest of the day it held tight.

After riding in Cuttings Wharf, we went out to Sonoma to get some lunch. I stopped by the office and said hi to Dan. He's going off to Haiti in three weeks to be a part of the relief effort.

After lunch we rode around on the Sonoma bike trail, it was pretty cool, kind of crowded though but still a lot of fun. There were a lot of people in the plaza and around town in general. A ton of bikes.

It was a pretty good day, we're looking forward to our next ride together!

Sierra and I are trying to get in on some of the prizes for this year's Bicycle Summer Games, check it out!

Group Bike Ride

2010-05-29T20:31:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Sierra and I put together a group bicycle ride for today and I couldn't be happier with the results!

We got a good group together, two newcomers who I hadn't really formally met but they turned out to be pretty cool.

We started our group ride at Veterans Memorial Park in Napa and took off North towards the Napa Valley Creamery on the corner of Pueblo and Jefferson. We decided against riding on Jefferson in order to avoid crazy car traffic, so we rode up Main through some mellow residential blocks.

After a stop at the ice cream parlor to have a few scoops, and a stop at Safeway to get some food, we ended the first part of the ride at Fuller Park. We had our picnic and bid farewell to a couple of our riders along the way.

Julio ended up catching up to us at the park and we weren't satisfied to not have rode with him as well. So, we ended up making another trip to the ice cream shop along Napa's Bike Blvd. It was a ton of fun and it was a great day to go for a ride.

Kristine suggested we make this a monthly event which I am all for. From now on, the last Saturday of the week is Cycle Saturday! I want the full Wandering Rose crew to represent next time around.

We'd really like to win some swag in the Summer Bicycle Games competition. Go to the address on the banner for more info!

InDIYpendent Culture Faire

2010-05-18T10:56:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

This past Saturday was the InDIYpendent Culture Faire at the old JV warehouse.

Sierra and I were able to peddle a lot of books that day. We completely ran out of our latest issue of the zine as well as a good deal of the back issues that we brought out. We have nine people signed up for our subscription services and I even sold some of my Mexican Portrait books.

I got to meet Comfort Slacks (pictured here) as well as John Thill, who I had talked to online before but never met in person. I'm working on setting up our second zine release show with these two bands on the bill. Buttercream were a big hit last time and Pete says he's down to play again this time around too.

Sunday was our one year anniversary. Our original plan was to go to the Academy of Sciences, but we decided against that at the last minute in favor of doing one of the museums "date nights" on a Thursday. We can't do this Thursday because Sierra has her scholarship awards ceremony. I'm excited to go to a cool museum with my girlfriend, without kids! Sorry, but sometimes kids are the last thing I want to see when I'm out trying to relax.

Slack Ranch Show

2010-05-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Hey,

I'm just coming off of a great show at Slack Ranch. It's the first show we've put together and I couldn't be happier.

Buttercream Gang really played a good set, they even had some guest horn players come on during my favorite song of theirs.

Next up is the Independent Culture Fair. We've got a booth/table and I'm trying to round up some new shit to peddle off to people. You can expect new stickers, and the beginning of our mail/subscription service.

Talking shit about a pretty sunset.

2010-05-03T00:30:00.001-07:00

ozcat
Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Back in March I was interviewed by Ozcat Radio from Vallejo. I got to go on air and answer some questions about The Spinning Compass and Wandering Rose stuff.

It was fun and getting these questions directed towards me for the first time really forced me to think about what the zine is and what our goals have been and should be.

The zine is topic that has been coming up lately in our Wandering Rose meetings and again I am a little bit flustered thinking about what the future may hold for it.

Sierra and I have really made this our baby and we have built it into something we like. While I am excited of the possibility to work more steadily with other, new, people I am also a little bit wary of what that really might mean.

I want us to push towards something that really represents our ideals and aesthetic while also supporting the local scene. I want people to associate the Spinning Compass with something slightly different than what I think they associate to Wandering Rose.

I like the idea that more contributors can lead to a more genuine sense of safety when it comes to being blunt and honest about what we see. Today, if we were to publish a story about how shitty a local band is, we wouldn't be able to live it down, people would single us out and want to start shit. This town is small, and the staff of our zine is even smaller. I think a lot of us are afraid to speak critically of our peers and those in the music and art scene because of it.

Here's the interview:

Let Nebraska Disappear

2010-03-07T01:08:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Nebraska is my favorite album by Bruce Springsteen. I'd never listened to the whole thing before, and now I see how much I have been missing out on.

The whole thing sounds like it was recorded by ghosts. The few rock and roll songs on the album are distinct, yet they fit within the whole theme.

I want to respond to every misguided comment on the NVR with download link for this album. It's all there.

Last week we interviewed Pete Davies and we ended up using almost a whole tape.

I'm not looking forward to transcribing the interview.

Last December

2009-12-12T17:20:00.001-08:00

La Puma
Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

It will be one week since Puma had his accident, tomorrow.

Initially it was really heartbreaking because we were all so unsure about what was going on with him. I know my father is feeling regret about choosing to take him to an expensive emergency clinic. In the end, it would have worked out just fine for us to have just waited for the morning to take him to a regular vet. Nevertheless, we found out a lot from the emergency visit.

We are still faced with the problem of the paralysis in his left-front leg. Up until now he has not shown any sign that thee feeling will return. The vet told us today to wait another two weeks and the we've really got nothing to lose.

Unfortunately for us, this accident has really caused a lot of stress because of how greatly it has altered our plans for December. I think my parents are handling it all in a very childish manner.

Regardless of what decisions the rest of my family make, I have already made mine. I am scheduled to work the next three weeks and I have no intention of asking for that time off. My hope is that I will be able to work on the various art projects I want to do, as well as apply for some more work.

Forget this dead man's town.

2009-12-05T15:49:00.001-08:00

From Alaska
Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

Last night was probably one of the best night's of my life.

Right as I was about to get off of work I get a phone call from a number I don't have in my phone. I heard her say it was "Christin" my old boss from BGC. Christin was told she's not supposed to get in contact with any of us since she had to leave. I was thoroughly perplexed.

Eventually I realized it wasn't her because she asked me if I was going to the art show in Yountville.

Sierra and I agreed to give Kirsten a ride out to the art show.

The actual show was really nice, pretty classy. As soon as we saw the gallery, we felt a little out of place. There were blazers and ties inside, and not in an ironic/hipster way the way we're used to. We quickly ran into all of our friends, Daniel, Paul, and Rick. The first thing we ended up doing was going across the street with Paul and Rick to pick up some beers and some bourbon.

We drank out by the Baker's bus in the parking lot. Afterwards we were fully ready to take on any social event.

I saw practically everyone I grew up with or hung out with in high school that was part of our group. At one point we were drinking out by the bus with the usual crew as well as Emma and Jaime Godinez's sister. We knew that the only thing that could make it better was driving out to get Dom.

After the show we all headed out to Pancha's which seems like the best bar in the Napa Valley. They didn't have a door man, the guy serving the beer looked like he listened to hardcore, and they had two dollar Pabst on tap. We got on the juke box and I put on the stupidest things we could see. We dropped bows, pushed it, and got cut from the team.

Kirsten ended up driving us home, she's a lifesaver.

First holiday of the Holiday Season

2009-11-29T03:03:00.001-08:00

Skot's Tattoo, my drawing
Originally uploaded by legally_beaumont

It has been a long weekend and it's only Saturday. I got Wednesday off from B&G, Thursday was Thanksgiving, and Friday was also a day off.

Thanksgiving was what I expected, and not all that bad. If we've wanted to be all together as a family, it was Thursday.

The issue of me going to Mexico for three weeks has been on my mind. Initially it didn't seem all that important, but now I am starting to see it as mandatory. I haven't seen my mother or sister since August. They'll be coming back in January, but I still feel like I need to go.

I'm worried about Sierra. I'm going to miss her, I'm sure I can't even imagine how much I'm going to miss her yet. It makes me sad to know that those feelings will be even worse for her.

Whatever happens, I know that I will make the most out of it. I'm not looking forward to being away from my girlfriend who is the closest person to me on all levels, but I am excited to be going to a place I love. I am excited for the opportunity to get out and explore the hillside.

On another note, I can't believe the tattoo that Skot put on himself! It's the same drawing I did of the Cruz Missiles logo! From this first picture, it looks really good with just the outlines, I can't wait to see it filled in.

I'm putting it up on my website.

The website and the new issue of the Spinning Compass are both due on Tuesday.

Progress

2009-11-24T10:19:00.001-08:00

There has been a lot going on in the past couple of weeks. We've had our big open forum at the Di Rosa. The turnout out was the best we've ever had! There was a diverse crowd of young and old and many different perspectives on art, but we were all united by a common desire for more opportunities and representation within the city of Napa.

I led a small group in our discussion points. Out of the five, we only covered two and a half. We had a lot to say.

We've moved forward with the Strong-Hayden conversation and we are hopeful that we will one day be able to use one of the spaces downtown.

I've been receiving a lot of responses to my Facebook blasts regarding our meetings and workshops. This week, I advertised the artists workshop on Saturday instead of the night before. I never thought of doing this because to me I have always seen my posts as a night-before notification, as well as a week-before. It's a weekly workshop, if I'm telling you about this week's meeting, I'm also telling you about next week's.

Anyway, I got positive responses after this early notification and I hope to see a ton of new faces!

Six Months!

2009-11-16T19:09:00.001-08:00

Six months ago today, Sierra and I went out to Skaggs Island, drank bourbon, shot out windows, and had our first kiss.

She's horribly sick tonight so we're not going to get a chance to get together. It is depressing.

As depressed as I ever get these days, I can't stay upset very long about anything anymore. Sure, you might think it sounds generic, but having Sierra in my life has given me very few things to complain about. I am no means in the best place financially, professionally, or even physically, but being with her makes everything seem so secondary.

Last Thursday we went to see Lawrence Arms. It was around my sixth time seeing them, it was her first. There were a couple times during their set that I looked at her, looked over at my best friend, and just got overwhelmed with how perfect things were in those few moments.

Pabst never tasted better.

It has started.

2009-11-15T16:31:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

My name is Hugo. As I am writing this, I am currently 24 years old, employed part-time, in a serious relationship, and very much involved with art, design, and making the Napa Valley a better place to live as according to my standards and those of my young hippie/yuppie friends.

I have had blogs before, one comic based and one journal/review based. Neither of them are any fun to read.

Since throwing myself into the world of digital journaling, I have given up on doing things to gain and please a regular readership. Gone are the days of shoddy comics and hasty reviews praising bands I don't even remember listening at all.

My only goal is to document my life and that of those who come in contact with me.

I joked around with Alix about wanting to do the "oral history" of the St. Helena music scene from 2000-2003, but I honestly regret not taking more pictures of my friends and their friends during a time of much vibrancy and independent efforts. The punk and metal scene of the Napa Valley is now something much different, as much it very well should be, but sometimes I wish I could take a look back and reminisce.

I've vowed to not sit back as idly as I once did. Today I am not a young high school student, I am a college graduate with experience and knowledge that should allow me to not only appreciate the current music and arts scene, but to also make a case for its preservation and promotion into the lives of many more than the few young people "in the know."

I hope we all stick around long enough to see something positive come out this valley, whether it is a dedicated music venue, studio space, or any other space we can enjoy ourselves and forget (or simply postpone) the impending hardships of maturity and time.

No more bad town.