illumin8em

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xposted from the Stronghold World Tour

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I really had high hopes for my month of the tour, but goodness have I have not found it easy to do. I can't even compete with you city folk in the interesting things to do category.

We had a state of emergency declared here Thursday so my last final was pushed to Saturday, but I am officially done till the 17th. I wore the Stripes to the final for support, but I don't think they helped. I realize now how shut down my tiny little mountain town becomes once the cold and snow arrive. Shut down not just in activities, but in spirit. Growing up I was always the kid freezing walking to whatever house I could get to lure a friend out to play, then getting turned away and continue on to the next friends house. I am pretty sure it is what inspired me to start snowboarding. I knew that if I could get in with a skiing crowd I would be around like minded paople. I started when snowboarding was still banned from the mountain 15yrs ago, and was the only person I knew of who had one. It is saddening that I once believed I was going to make a life out of this that winter activity, and I haven't been in three years.

Anyways, I shall have plenty of free time these last 10 days to make a run an attempt at interesting posts.

I walked down to a place where I spent an incredible amount of time when I was a kid, only to find it devastated. I was nothing more that a damn on the river I grew up along but there is very little left of it. What once was a great fishing spot where I could wade up to my waist and fish at the foots of the concrete lip to the damn, an during a spawn walk along the that same algae cover lip an gig carp and suckers, its now a 10ft tall 20ft wide pile of rocks as high as the damn itself. I am guessing that they did it for reinforcement buy who knows. The little concrete pillars used to stretch all the way across to the other side were a great opportunity for me to test my courage/stupidity and show off by hopping from one to the next the entire length to the other side. At one time it was a 15ft drop to the concrete footer of the damn. The change is just amazing.

It is a shame that this part of the pant is seen so little. I think it should be Law that the stripes must be worn with at least a 2" cuff. I am 6'2" and still have 8" that I could cuff so I am confident that this will work for most wearers. The rise on the other have, good luck. Unfortunately I have to wear the pants lower that I like or it becomes a bit of an adult film.

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drop to $111 shipped

hello everyone of the durrty dozen +2. Once I am done with my month (Dec-Jan) in the Stronghold WT, I would love a month in these pants. I am not sure who is in line next, and so on, and after, so let me know. I kinda figured some of those inline are going to be involved in a contest of another pant and I may sneak in.

the Filson and Pendleton Collaborations are not part of the 50% off.

But the Levi's 201's are all $39 right now!

Thanks for the heads up...I was misinformed by a sales rep then but had I been corrected at the register I would've fought for it! lol

anyone wanna give a head up on what different versions of 201 are in store. The closest Levis store is 6hrs away, I buy everything sight unseen. I just returned a pair of the green/chambray lined 201 because when i recieved them i did feel the i could deal with the low rise for $98, but $39...?

new w/tags Size 40 Fidelity Pea Coat. Dark Navy Blue, satin lined, vented back. It is too slim for me but a 42 worked perfect.

$117 shipped within US $100+$17shipping, I will have to check price of anything across the border.

measurements:

chest, pit to pit 21"

sleeve, shoulder down 25", arm pit down 18"

between shoulder seams 16.5"

total length 33"

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This is what we were standing over.

and we continued across

We both love cattails

there was somehting banging at the ice right here. very tough to refrain from finding out what it was

sun started to set

It was just the local country club, but having been run off of it so many times when I was a child, it is great times enjoying the grandeur of the greens all to yourselves

She is a cool kid, and is continually assuring me that I am at least 17yrs old

After we came home I found out that the camera too only black/blank photos every other photo. Anyone ever had this happpen? I contribute it to the cold as it seem to be working fine now. Oh, and I am having a heck of a time with compression on these, and the blurry results. Anyone have any advice?

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I had my niece for a day, and fortunately it as the first day out above freezing so we went exploring a place she wanted to check out over the summer but was unwelcome. Those who are unafraid of winter should be familiar with these such hand-offs made by those too brittle to enjoy that which "Unclothes the earth, and freezes up frail life"

She had an assignment for the next day in school to send an email to herself so that she could learn how to open and reply to it. So I made a little gif (my first attempt) of the part of our adventure that I thought to take photos of. It looked way better before compression, and kinda killed me once i finished and saw what it would look like.

I cannot believe public schools are teaching computer skills this early, she is only in 1st grade.

hope everythings alright. sleep apnea?

Not sure, I only sleep a few hours a night, and have been doing so since, well as long as I can remember. No matter when i fall asleep I wake in a few hours ready to run a marathon, and eat a full course meal. I had had some test run some months ago, and due to results was instructed to stop my workouts e.g. lifting, boxing and so on. I took the time to try and gain as much bulk as I could, as gaining weight naturally is something that has always been impossible for me (I know boohoo, but having an accelerated metabolism has haunted me in certain endeavors since i was young). In the past 6 months I have lost most my muscle mass, and only distributed weight round my midsection (as can be seen in above photo). When I went back in a few weeks ago, I was set up for this sleep test and more. They theorize things are interrelated.

thanks for the thoughts

enough about that

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Gave a little workshop on ragtime guitar last Sunday. Wasn't able to take photos, but a friend borrowing my camera was nice enough to give the Stripes a cameo in her documentation of the night

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After this night, i realized the button holes had to be fixed/tightened if I was going to being wearing the pants. They had become so stretched out that I couldn't sit down and get back up without at least two of the four buttons coming undone. So, I gave them to a lady friend, hip to all that jazz, and she returned them to me today. They now button with a maiden like resistance.

(i will have more details when I am less detained)

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I had a second round of Pulmonary tests run today.... and tonight

How do they expect me to sleep when i feel this sexy?

2 set of tubes in the nose, 15 electro receptors taped (legs arms, belly, chest, cheeks, chin, or glued (e.g. in my beard and luxurious mane of hair). I will say though, the 5x10x3 contraption suspended from my neck by misaligned velcro straps was quite relaxing

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as scary as this photo may be, i could have made it worse. let me know if it is too offensive and I will remove it promptly

i will do better in the days to come. the sun came out for the first time in a week, and the temperature made it out of the teens so good times.

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Was worried they were lost, but today in my p.o. box there was a package. The stripes have arrived! along with a notification from my bank that my account was over drawn. Turns out someone relieved me of all of my money over the weekend and didn't even leave an me I.O.U. The amount makes them a felon 6x over, so this is going to be an interesting time. I hope December weather in Appalachia makes an exception for the tour, or else the Stripes are in for a muddy dreary month.

The Contents

Be true your work, your word ,and your friend

all done:

can you guys spot the honu?

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I see the honu best in this pic, though only two flippers visible a this angle

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lawdsakes, those are glorious.

I do plan to settle for these, though, pretty close in vibe for £125. williamlennon.co.uk

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Or something even closer. someone over at the FL got a pair a year or so ago, but i don't think has updated on how they wear.

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oh no, ive just been busy and not wearing the stripes..

Ill send them out to you ASAP. lets get this thing rolling!

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Eww! how did i get skipped over?

I have been waiting on them

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would you buy a pair of boots from this always nice guy?

come to Hamburg and find out.

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Markus you work there now? That is awesome, but i wouldn't be advertising it too much or be prepared for the storm of "hook me up with a discount man" pm's you are going to get, and allow me be the first to do so and get that storm a swirlin'

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some used boots on display at Redwing Store Hamburg:

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cheapmuthafukr should get a hold of that store and sell them his Iron Rangers, they as good if not better than these

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....the thing about Roy, at least for me, was the indie like cult following. i subscribed to this thread when it was in its teens and got my pair back in May. What concerns me is not the fact of them not being hand made anymore, because they are. not being able to email him direct, because we can. and not feeling like that personal artizan touch is lost, because everything is still done by hand even the art work on the box's and personal note with every shipment.

The thing that shakes me most is, this thread was alive with members who already owned the jeans, whether it was because of the awesome price piont, or the indie craftsmen vibe, or Roy himself. i dont think there will be many new owners based on these recent developements. And im sorry but IMO, $275 is to much of a jump. esp when the core fan base either already owned or just missed the deadline for $150. if i ever decided to part with my originals, what would i list them for in the supermarket? "baught at $150, now retail at $275 asking $225 shipped?" somethings off.... I want ROY to be around and in business for a long time, im anxious to see future projects and a cut & Sew line, but what will his next increase be another $125? $400 retail?!?!

Still worth it, but no longer what weve come to know and love.

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this^^

for all the reasons above you had everyone who managed to get in, on time, advertising what a great deal this was. just the price difference alone makes all aforementioned praise a little less convincing. For most of us who just couldn't make the deadline for what ever reason, and no matter how long we had been following the thread, we have not been able to see a pair in person and likely won't unless we buy.

being in correspondence with ROY over the past months has been interesting, and after i missed the deadline i always mentioned somewhere in the emails that i now have the money lying in wait for his return, i guess hoping he would hint to an amount of the price increase, but he never did of the increase or the return and not that he was obligated to. I expected an increase, but not this much.

I know, blah blah blah. I guess it is just a surprise and is drudging up buried contempt of myself for missing the deadline, and it will take a few days to settle in. Maybe i will use this time to find the extra $125

Measurements would be helpful: Waist leg, opening, length

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agreed. i am interested but cannot remember if the 07 run needed to be sized up or not. gonna have to go back over the LVC thread

Akubra Fed IV

definitely a good color choice, is it fawn? i passed the dark brown awhile ago and been wishing i hadn't ever since

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its been two weeks since your last update, has the tour gone m.i.a. ?

I have to disagree. I really dig my Farmers, but you're entitled to your opinion

I find Buco insanely priced too. For that much scratch I might as well get something MTO from Edward Green. Beck's might be a better option, but not for long.

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I always loved these. i wear something similar nearly every day, but sadly it won't take a shine. I thought demonito had a pair of farmers as well, but it may have just been you

Wolverines have a nice profile, but that toe box...Yeesh.

No doubt gonna have to see these in person.

what is everybody on about with the toe box? is it really that bad? I think that i have a photo of them with my other boots, and i don't remember there being a huge difference

"click the pic for bigger"

by the way the black are still for sale

It is a very cool pic - can we expect anything less from eltopo?

Rocking the rider dungarees today

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If i could ever afford a pair of these rider dungarees (new or used) i don't think i would ever take them off. they always look good