Friday, March 29, 2013

The Gobbler Supper Club


The Gobble Motel
Here is some quick eye candy. I stumbled upon these images today and have been obsessing a little ever since. The fact that something so unusual was in Wisconsin makes it even cooler. A turkey business man with some extra cash and a creative idea! 
The Gobbler Supper Club
More images of The Gobbler Supper Club and Motel !! Now I'm going to have to watch the movie Missed Connections which was NOT shot in California and was shot on location of The Gobbler. I'll be looking into Supper Clubs too. Have a great weekend!    Gobbler Wikipedia info  

Monday, March 25, 2013

The Dark Side Of Us

I read this article yesterday;
10 Things I Learned When I Stopped Yelling at My Kids and I really have been wondering about our dark sides and how they effect our families and significant others.

I have been on the giving and receiving end of bad behavior. Over the years I've heard many friend's stories about such topics of fighting, drinking, hitting, eating, depression, cheating, spending etc. Let's face it, no matter who you are you either have a secret dark side or have been lucky enough to conquer one. I have tackled several myself and am about half way done.

In theory I think this "stopping for a year" is something everyone could consider applying to their own dark side. At the end of the day the bad behavior is a substitution for something we are missing and if we stop the behavior long enough we'll be forced to figure out what it is we really need. The world would be a whole lot lovlier, don't you think?

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Vegas Sober


Neon Boneyard 
Las Vegas! There is something for everyone, freak to geek, in this wild sunny place. Hotels keep trying for bigger and better. Tourists benefit because the strip gets an extreme makeover every 3 years and there's always something new. Some old hotels downtown update themselves some just exist while Fremont Street unites them with a Time Square like energy. Street artists and characters hang out there for photo ops. You can zip line from end to end, listen to music, visit casinos and sip a rainbow assortment of adult beverages served up like soft serve ice cream right on the street.
Fremont Street
Now there is a whole new dimension of tourism beyond gambling, showgirls and night clubbing. History Channel groupies are lining up for Pawn Stars and American Restoration  tours. Several Vegas based TV shows come to life when you walk through their surprisingly ordinary work shops. 


Vegas is a photographers dream. The Neon Boneyard Museum was the highlight of the trip for me. Plus there is good old signage all over town and the light is very white and clean.
Neon Boneyard 
We enjoyed X Burlesque at the Flamingo. It was classically trained dancers sexing it up a little with poles, sans tops and Flash Dance like short dance numbers. The comedian at intermission had me bent over laughing. 

Bring all of your personalites and have a ball.


 


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

To Reupholster Or Not To Reupholster


Hans Blomquist
For several years I have fantasized about having a custom upholstery  piece of furniture. We are considering moving a sofa we have to a new spot but it's not dog/kid friendly. So I thought I'd look into seeing how much a slip cover would cost.

One thing that had often stopped me was I didn't know where to begin. But I got online punching in my zip code and a search came up with a couple of businesses in my area. One person called me right away and made an appointment to come out and give me an estimate. I had looked at her website and liked her work.

I wondered who does this old art form anymore? Silvia arrived and was a stylish, slender woman who brought fabric samples and a measuring tape. Kneeling here and there and willing to walk out in the mud to see the other stored piece, she was professional. She learned how to upholster from her parents business in South America and came to Virginia in 2000. I wanted to go to Sylvia's workshop and watch the process. I want to learn how to transform old furniture into beautiful things! But I can barely thread a sewing machine, what could I do?


I saw a special on Jack White where he said he was an upholsterer before he had his band which made me like him even more. He learned guitar after work at that job.
    
Silvia said she would come and pick up the sofa and have it returned in two weeks. The cost is almost as much as new sofa so I have to think about it and find the right fabric. On the positive side I would have something exactly as I want it, one of a kind and washable. And it's recycling too.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Part 2: Wilco Wasn't Here But I Was

The reason he had to go to the birthday party had layers I won't go all into it but what's cool is when he applied for the IT job at Paul Reed Smith, 500 other people did too. In order to stand out at a guitar manufacturer's company he brought in his guitar and performed numbers at the interview. It worked, he got the job. They had a weird relationship from what I was told. I think he was well liked by his boss but suffice it to say they were friends with undertones of rank. He had to be at the party.


picture courtesy of Yolkie on blogger

 Back to the band. The venue was a warehouse up on a ledge overlooking a river. I don't know where we were, around 695, maybe Towson. It was cold and damp when we arrived to set up and practice we were locked out for a long time. Finally, when we got in we were met stiffly by a tenant. It was an uncomfortable welcome. On entering the place either side had padlocked doors. As we moved through the art filled foyer it turned into a huge open space where a woman was burning sage all around like she had a wand. There was a Buddha statue off in a small alcove behind the stage and modern art was scattered around. The entire far wall was all thin glassed windows with a view of the river. So these artist types rented out their space as a business. It was so friggin' cool. Their bedrooms were by the entrance and the rest of the place was for parties. There was a big cafeteria style kitchen with a roll up window for food and drink orders.

After rehearsal we headed out to kill time before the show and the Wilco dudes were coming in. No, I was not noticed and catapulted from my normal life into one of luxury and fame. Perhaps another time. The musician dudes talked shop. Come showtime it went great. The shy artist really nailed it and I was impressed by the evolution of the practically impromptu band. They supported their friend and were able to learn the tunes really fast and rock out. The small crowd was mostly friends as usual and afterward a couple of us bolted to the birthday party in Baltimore. I don't recall much about that party. The thrill of the night was the novelty of everything going on around me.

We did hightail it back to the warehouse to hear Glenn Kotche's band rock out. When we got there I was amazed because now the place was PACKED. I could barely see the band through the crowd. The windows were steamed and I wandered around taking unnoteworthy pictures of an extraordinary night.