NoKipple - Official Thread

[ColdStorage]

*(edit: hop back to the last page to see the first half of this post)

 

On with my night. Headed in to Oakland for the evening, was able to stop by my po box on the way to find this very exciting delivery from Yuichi

 

Got to Oakland and threw on my new Samurai Jacket along with the Stevenson shirt. I did tuck the shirt after seeing this picture, but never got a pic without it tucked...

 

I think that after the last two tour stretches in Texas, the dirt denim might be homesick, so I thought I would treat them to a Texas legend... Billy Joe Shaver!

 

Music fans with a casual interest in country often celebrate the classic Waylon Jennings album "Honky Tonk Heroes" but few realize that all but one song on that album were actually written by Billy Joe Shaver. He is in many ways the classic tragic Country icon... two fingers lost in an accident, his son (who played guitar with him) dead of a drug overdose, shot a man in the face(!!) with a 22 and had the charges dropped for self defense.... and of course many years of other people getting famous off his music while he stayed in obscurity.... even tonight, the venue was very small and only 3/4 full but it did make for an intimate show space. Personally, I consider all of his music great but his first four albums in particular are canonical true country and his first one, "Old Five and Dimers like me" is easily in my ten favorite albums of all time. (Don't believe me? Stream the whole thing for free here)

 

I've only snuck a few extremely fuzzy pictures because there were signs everywhere requesting cell phones be off and because I really just wanted to enjoy the show...

 

and WHAT A SHOW IT WAS! at 75 years old he still outperforms them all. He was galloping around, waving his hat, shadow boxing at the audience and telling stories in between songs that could have you double over in laughter, or almost crying as he spoke candidly about the loss of his son... He sang a few of his songs acapella and it was so incredibly moving. He told racist jokes and then explained to the audience " you dont have to like me, hell I dont like me, but thank you for loving my songs"... and his voice was just incredible. I am a musician I have played 100s of shows and attended 1000s and I can say hands down this was one of the greatest shows of my life. I was just floating as I left the building.

 

I drove home and poured myself a Boulevard "sixth glass" quadruppel and just replayed the night over and over in my head.

 

Billy had so much charm and wisdom for the crowd, but one thing he said stuck with me...

 

"Drink all you want folks... it ain't what goes in your mouth that gets you in trouble it's what comes out of it. So drink up, but watch what you say!"

Edited August 12, 2014 by ColdStorage

[ColdStorage]

Today kind of sucked.

 

Wore the dirt denim, of course...

Things are not running smooth at work. Had to do an 11hr day of pure stress and tomorrow is actually shaping up to be worse. Marlowe, despite being frequently walked by his many fans throughout the office, was NOT AMUSED by extended hours...

Finally left the office and crawled into traffic. Listened to some Husker Du and Bauhaus to get through the commute.

Stopped at the post office and had a package waiting for me. Always a nice thing. Every headbanger worth their salt knows the cult german death thrashers Poison but few people afford the same respect to the guitar players next band R.U.Dead?.... Well, despite the silly name, it's a completely incredible band and their 12" was the last piece I needed for years to complete my collection.

 

after that..? back to the dog park!!

first we were alone there and Marlowe seemed less interested in playing ball than he was in keeping the ball away from me

 

but then many of his friends showed up, including Lassen, the brown pointer from last thursdays update. He ran himself to pieces with them

 

 

looks painful! but they were just puppies playing...

 

just when things were starting to shape up, as I do enjoy seeing Marlowe have fun, I got a call from my mother. She told me that the actor and comedian Robin Williams had been found dead, an apparent suicide. She was considerably shaken because, even though they have been out of touch since high school ended, they were childhood friends (both class of '69 at Redwood High School). Say what you will but my mother is very important to me, if she is shaken up then I am shaken up. I tried my best to be supportive, but this type of fear and sadness only goes away with time. All I could do is listen. (There are other implications too about self destructive behavior and my family but its all too personal to go into here). Just a sad evening.

 

I decided I didn't want to cook anything since it was late and I was not feeling great. We went to a pretty ho-hum burger place for dinner because.. well... its pet friendly (sensing a theme yet?)

I do sometimes give him scraps from the table. I know I shouldn't and it makes my wife so angry but how can you resist that face?

 

Went home and pulled out my R.U.Dead? demos and the Poison 2lp (my R.U.Dead? ep is still in storage) and had a listening session...

and decided to drink something light and tasty since I have to get up early tomorrow for a loooooong day.

 

Hope tomorrow will be better for me and for the dirt denim. 

I promise next update to talk a bit more about the jeans and less about myself.

Edited August 12, 2014 by ColdStorage

[Seul]

You're doing a stellar job mate. Hope you and your mum feel better soon!.. 

[Broark]

Great updates, I had the Love Child No. 4 from Boulevard recently and loved it!

[summ3rhays]

Finally catching up on all the updates.  Stellar job!  Man is your dog spoiled.  Just the way it should be

[Foxy2]

Excellent - will hard to keep up with for those next in the tour...

[tvshooter]

Great post's CS.  Love the dog and beer shots!  Dirt Denim lookin good! 

[ColdStorage]

Thanks all for the attention and appreciation.

 

Great post's CS.  Love the dog and beer shots!  Dirt Denim lookin good! 

Thanks. Kind of modeling my posts after your own tour updates which i've always enjoyed - not just about the jeans but about the day to day. 

 

Excellent - will hard to keep up with for those next in the tour...

Quite looking forward to your input, actually. The context of comparing it against your large collection and the perspective afforded by your experience in garments should make for some good insight. 

 

Well, today was pretty tough. Inventory continued. Im basically a consultant, helping this place overhaul their resource planning and efficiencies. Sadly.... it looks like 2, maybe 3 employees may lose their jobs behind this project. Not because they didn't work hard in the past, but because they have not worked hard at all to see this project through and I am left picking up the slack. Got to work at 6am and had to go re-count a bunch of things that were not counted correctly last friday.

It's pretty hard to do when the damn warehouse is already so packed (due to poor inventory controls and over-purchasing) that I can't even fit between the towering stacks of materials...

To further complicate issues.. production is back up and running. Of course my software can accommodate this IF people are diligent with their paperwork but things are still a bit messy here so any inventory I do know has to be checked through the last days production or deliveries for any effects it could have. Annoying.

 

I was in the office for 12 hours already by the time we ordered a pizza to be delivered so we could keep working...

 

Marlowe knows exactly what 8 hours feels like and starts to get restless. I shared a few bites of Pizza with him to reward his patience on our long day..

 

After 15 long hours, I finally climbed into the car and drove home. 

 

I pulled off the Dirt Denim, grabbed some music and POURED MYSELF A DRINK

 

Today was a rough day so I reached past the beer to the big bottles in the pantry. A little Pappy 15 really hit the spot. I love the caramel notes and creamy mouth feel. I also threw on the first Terry Riley, "Reed Streams". It's funny to me that my wife says this album is anxiety inducing... for me it's transcendental and calming.

 

I've been thinking about the Dirt Denim a lot over the course of the week... it really is a unique pair and I don't want to sell that short by making any hasty comparisons but a few things spring to mind. First off, I have to admit that the unique pocket stitching was something that I wasn't crazy about when I first saw product shots but i've come around a bit. At this point, I think its flying in a similar orbit with stevenson perhaps, where its close enough to the classic 5 pocket layout that it won't betray a traditionalists needs, while still bringing something new to the table. Walking a fine line, as it were. I have to agree with previous comments that the pockets are incredibly easy to access, so people who prioritize that in their jeans should look to Trophy for sure. About the fabric, it somewhat reminds me of the Warehouse 800 denim, just in the fact that the loose and thick weave appears almost course but has such a soft and flexible hand. I'm just talking about the touch here though, in appearance it actually reminds me of some of the more eccentric vertical-character denims like the ONI "awa shoai" or even the Dry Bones/Self Edge collab. Obviously it's not as extreme as these pairs but it does have that rainy vertical grain I associate with both of those fabrics. Of course, it's quicker fading than the previous mentioned pairs, but it still seems to be holding indigo in just the right areas so that you get the deep purple indigo inside the thigh giving way to the electric blue whiskers from the crotch which point towards the sandy gray cast thighs. I think these jeans like being washed... I don't have a control pair to compare but i'm certainly happy with where these are at now and when I get around to buying my own pair I certainly wont be afraid to wash-as-needed. I promise in a day or two I will use a non cell phone picture to try to document texture and color better.

 

... oh and then there is this strange detail

I first thought "hmmmm... Trophy must stitch the flasher on like on my ONI "Awa Shoai" but then when I looked at the hand sewn nature of the stitch I changed my theory and now I believe one of the pairs previous custodians left a small signature on the pocket. Anyone want to fess up? 

[Maynard Friedman]

ColdStorage, what a fantastic tour leg, I'm thoroughly enjoying all your updates. I love the beer, music, gardening and especially your Boston Terrier - what a great dog! Keep up the good work...

[bradl]

Damn great update CS, love everything posted here but mainly the beer. 

[ColdStorage]

another day of inventory

 

another day with the dirt denim and marlowe at my feet

 

I wore my PBJ indigo vneck tshirt as well which, after almost two years of wear and wash is coming along nicely

 

Almost 12 hours in the office today didnt leave me much time for adventures. I did wear the dirt denim uncuffed which allowed a better look at the chain stitch run off

 

and of course, after being so patient for the last two long days Marlowe deserved another trip to the park. It was incredibly crowded tonight... 16 dogs at one point but no one Marlowe knew. He got along good with everyone though...

 

 

Marlowe reminds me to stop and smell the roses

 

When I got home I was treated to a rare sighting of my other child, Charlie! I was barley able to snap this pick before he tore off again...

Charlie is probably about 7 or 8 years old, but I don't know for sure because he is a rescue. Charlie will, on the extremely rare occasions it suits his mood, acknowledge that I am alive but 99% of the time he makes sure he isn't seen or heard. He was an antisocial young cat but age has made him a true loner. Sometimes it bums me out, I wish he would sit on my lap from time to time.

 

 

[ColdStorage]

the biggest problem with working long hours is all the garbage you eat. Pizzas and other take out eaten while spending hours planted in front of a computer. When I got home I felt like garbage. Decided I wanted just some vegetables for dinner. Went to the yard and grabbed a beet

 

headed to the kitchen and poured a "hop head red" that I could drink while chopping up my beet with some carrots and brussel sprouts

 

steamed them first to soften them up, then threw them in a skillet with some olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper

 

chopped up some tomato and avocado, hit it with a bit of balsamic and its dinner time

 

after dinner, a liberty ale and some metal tapes. It was a gray-ish fall day so I thought some Mystic Frost would be in order... they are sort of a busted Katatonia from the US, the first tape is quiet nice when the air is right. Second beer got me wanting something with a bit more teeth and I turned to the Polish band Behemoth to scratch that itch

 

Tapes were long and I was thirsty so it ended up being a three beer night

 

 

..headed to bed now. Sorry for the "business as usual" update. Gotta do more inventory tomorrow but im going to beat town this weekend and head to the mountains so hang in there and the scenery will change soon.

[hectic]

goddamn, I love Marlowe.

[ColdStorage]

^Thanks! Me too!

 

Here's two pics from the day I brought him home.

 

They grow up so fast...

 

Todays update... more god damn BORING inventory.

my job is boring and right now im there so long every day (another 13 hr shift today) that i'm running out of things to talk about. One thing I haven't touched on is the parking lot tribe. I was walking Marlowe once around the back of the building and he went crazy trying to get at this bush. When I finally let him drag me over there about 15 cats came running out in all directions. I guess there is a pack of them living in there and it seems someone from a neighboring warehouse is feeding them. I have mixed feelings about this... I hate the idea of the strays with no medical attention but I know the local pounds are overcrowded and many of the non-kittens would just be euthanized. Because of this conflict, I haven't acted on the discovery...

 

Did wear the dirt denim of course. I try to change the cuffs a bit in the hopes that my coworkers wont catch on that im wearing the same pants every day... but it's probably a lost cause

 

My boss had his dog Vinnie today so Marlowe had a friend at the office

 

After another damn long day I didnt feel like cooking so I grabbed a burrito on the way home and enjoyed it with a 90 minute IPA

 

and finally wound down with some Canadian metal and a hoppy feet black IPA

 

folded some clothes and packed a weekend bag, gonna do a half day tomorrow and head straight for the hills. Literally.

should have some GREAT scenery to report from this weekend. 

see you then.

 

[ColdStorage]

got up early so I could go in early so I could leave early. Marlowe did not appreciate me peeling him out of bed

Did 6 hours (7-1) and ran to the car to try to beat the I80 east traffic. Marlowe and I about to hit the road. (Giants/thrift shirt/dirt denim/hemp classic vans)

Stopped at Ikedas in auburn for lunch and a few Pies to bring with us

and listened to a little Guy Clark. Listened to a lot actually... let it play on repeat until the third time through my wife noticed and shut it off. GREAT album

*(also notice this shot shows a great swirl that appears in the hair on Marlowes neck...)

Finally got to our destination, historic and beautiful Donner Lake in the town of Truckee, CA which is high in the Sierra Mountains.

I lived here in Truckee for three years right before I got married. It was a great time and if there was any way to have a decent job up here I might have tried to stay. This weekend, both my wifes family and my family have cabins up here so we are bouncing around between the two.

My family was still on the road from Oregon so we hooked up with my inlaws first. My niece played with Marlowe while I sipped a Lagunitas IPA

then my family arrived and we went over to see them. My sister has three boys, the two youngest are twins. This pic is awful but they were so wound up from the all day car ripe I could only hold them for a second...

Edited August 16, 2014 by ColdStorage

[ColdStorage]

Marlowe watched on as my sister brushed teeth and got kids ready for bed. This was the first time my nephews had met Marlowe and all children and puppies were very excited and curious about each other.

 

 

 

My wife and I each grabbed a kid and started reading a bedtime story..

 

and after that I damn near fell asleep in the chair myself! It was 11pm and I had been up since 5...

 

So i headed back to where we are staying, hung up the dirt denim for the night and took a shower...

 

tomorrow will be good. some sand, family, bbq,  beer, California history... maybe ping pong.

Looking forward to it. That week was grueling.

[Megatron1505]

Loving these updates CS, I just got back from a week away so I have some catching up to do but it looks like you're doing a seriously great job.

[ColdStorage]

^Thanks. 

 

Posting updates the morning after always means the same thing... hangover.

 

Seemed like Marlowe could tell from the jump that the beach we were headed to was "no dogs allowed"

i've never really seen him hide under the bed like that.

 

So, while everyone else went and started having fun I was tasked with heading to the Truckee safeway. All Californians who have spent a weekend in Tahoe-Donner probably know what a damn zoo this place is. Took me two hours to get the car filled w/ everything we need.

 

Finally made it down to the beach and unloaded everything. Brought a 6 pack of Evil Twin Hipster Ale up with me ad started with one of those. Wearing Giants/Stevenson/Stevenson/Dirt Denim/$.99 flops

 

Then switched to a "yonder bock" from the beer camp across america variety pack.

The beach was "no glass" so I had to leave most of em in the car... just brought out this one cause it was in a can. To me, this flavor is a miss but its a fun experiment.

 

Kids played with their trucks while I played with some beer

 

The lake is fed from the snow that melts and it is C-O-L-D. No swimming for me but I waded out a bit.

 

...then waded out a bit further.

 

I'm not a fan of the "beach soak" treatment but the water up here is very clean so no harm done.

 

At one point, the peace of the day was interrupted by three low-flying black helicopters. Very unusual...

 

 

[ColdStorage]

black helicopters cont'd

 

as I mentioned before, Marlowe was not allowed on the beach. Very sad. We did luckily have a cabin three lots down from the beach and I was able to go over three times throughout the day and spring him for a quick walk.

 

usually I like to be on the grill but there were already three lugs standing over it giving opinions so I sat and drank and waited to eat.

 

food finally came and this is the bet pic I got?! Shameful

 

well.. I was a bit drunk already and then my phone died but we had burgers and dogs, potato salad, watermelon, corn, etc.... and the apple pie for desert. I got back to the place and felt really cooked from all the beer and sun. I charged my phone and played some cards with my niece. She has this incredible game she makes up as she goes along. Something about matching cards but if they dont match then its ok because they ar together and occasionally she wanders off into some mysticism about how the game is a tribute to the great godfather in the sky...

 

Finally everyone went to bed and I decided to finally take of the dirt denim, open a "Yvan the great" and enjoy it in the tub (sorry, no one wants to see this)

 

Gotta say that the "Yvan the great" is a hit. Its a hopped belgian blonde collab from Russian River and Sierra Nevada. I'd love to get a few cases of just this one. I should probably head down to Russian River and drink some before it's gone forever.

 

Ok so took care of the sun, bbq, sand and family... ill have to deliver on the California history part in my next update hopefully. 

Cheers.

[Megatron1505]

Gold standard of tour updates is being set right here, simply brilliant CS.

[ColdStorage]

Glad to hear it. Was a bit worried that I was overloading the thread but I will take the pos feedback from you and Mr. Hectic as permission to continue...

 

[Seul]

If you ever find yourself in Belgium... And bring your dog... 

[bradl]

We were driving back from Vancouver Washington, to Vancouver BC and there was about 4 of those black helis flying over head too, quite odd.

 

But in other news, can I share your beer collection?

[ColdStorage]

If you ever find yourself in Belgium... And bring your dog... 

When I make it, i'll make sure to give you a heads up.

 

But in other news, can I share your beer collection?

I've been known to be generous, especially when i'm drinking (which is always)...

do you find yourself in Santa Rosa often?

 

Ok, going to try to make a day spent mostly in the car seem interesting....

 

Woke up, pulled the dirt denim on, coffee and toast, and a bit of ball with Marlowe so he wouldn't feel bad about sitting in the car all day...

 

Headed to where my sister was staying to say goodbye. Played a game of tetris with my nephew while Marlowe ate a pinecone(?!).

*(don't worry, i took it away right after taking this shot)

 

Got in the car to make the drive home but first, one more stop for that California history I promised. Im sure anyone who went to school in California knows well the story of the Donner Party (for whom Donner Lake is obviously named) but perhaps it's not a household story for folks outside our borders. The really short version of the story is that the Donner-Reed party was a wagon group that traveled west in 1946 and after some bad luck with a new route and some divisions within the group, the party ended up stuck in the Sierras during one of the biggest storms the area has ever seen. They camped out in the extreme snow just hanging on to life while a few scouted ahead into CA looking for help. Rescuers did come back for the party but couldn't make it until 4 months later. Of the 87 members who set out on the trip, only half survived and its believed by most historians that some resorted to cannibalism to survive.

 

Here I am standing in front of the monument that was erected near the campsite of the Breen family from the Donner party. The base of the statue is built to 22 feet, which is how high the snowfall was that fateful winter.

[ColdStorage]

Then after that I made a quick stop at the cabin I lived in for 3 years. This cabin is tiny, basically a studio although there is a half wall partition seperating two rooms. It used to be a water district building so it has some commercial touches but it also has a full kitchen and bathroom. I have always enjoyed living in seclusion and I used to take my music much more seriously than I do now so I moved up here in order to do work and learn more about myself. I have to admit it was a bit naive.. the hole "moving to a cabin in the mountains" bit but I did get a lot of music recorded, read a lot of books and learned a lot about myself. Had to stop drinking though... drinking by yourself in a snowstorm is a bit maddening. Speaking of the Donner party and snowstorms, there have only been two storms since the Donner Party that rivaled that year in intensity and one was the winter of 10/11 when I was there. I80 was shut down for 3 days at one point and my cabin off in the hills,,, I was stuck in there for 6 days! It was pretty insane actually..

 

Anyway, here is the cabin. Pic didnt turn out so hot but I guess its chained off and vacant now and the landlord lives up the street and I was in no rush to talk to her again so I grabbed what I could and got out...

 

after that we got on the road. Driving home from Truckee on a sunday is ALWAYS an awful idea. A normally 3 hours drive took almost 6.  I got a pic of the dirt denim along with some socks I died this summer when I was experimenting with Indigo dye...

 

finally got into town and rewarded Marlowe with some ball (and rewarded myself with a Lagunitas)

 

 

then I got kinda stir crazy from the drive and decided to hit the roaring donkey real quick for a few quick drinks to take the edge off. 

had a Bear Republic "Cuvee de Bubba"

 

and then my friend poured me a Duchesse that he had in the back

.. gotta say I know this beer is like 97 pts on BA and people go nuts over it but shit tasted like cheap balsamic to me. I mean, it wasn't awful but I don't get the hype...

 

Drove home and decided I needed one more drink. Poured myself a Beer Camp "Torpedo Pilsner" cause I wanted something kinda low abv to minimize hangover but ultimately it was a bad choice cause my tongue was toasted from the sours - this guy never stood a chance.

 

still wearing the dirt denim as I type this.

gotta leave for work in 6.5 hrs.

wish me luck....

 

[ColdStorage]

Tonight, I present an abbreviated update. Because today SUCKED. But since I wore the dirt denim here is all the news thats fit to post...

 

Worked for 15 hours today (6am - 9pm) because today is the last day of my project. Two people walked out and I am not sure if they are coming back. It really had nothing to do with my management (im fairly certain) but the fact that the MIsys program is so god damn cumbersome in the way it handles bin tracking and lot numbers. ugh. I will have to return to the office in my spare time (fridays and maybe midweek half days) in order to try to land this project. It's too important both because my wife got me the job and because this will make or break my resume....

 

anyways.. tired of pics from the office...? Well i'll make it quick

 

...so I was driving home and thinking what could I do tonight to unwind, and possibly document in order to keep my momentum.. but when I got home my wife was in the bathtub, Marlowe was running loose in the house, and my Barbour sweater was in taters on the floor.

well.. maybe not taters but he did systematically devour all but one of the buttons. Truth be told, I dont really ever wear this thing but I never would have thought of selling it. It was a gift from my parents years ago. Worst thing about it was my wife just shrugged and said "I think we can get more of those buttons". A brutal end to a brutal day.

 

Of course, its just stuff... wife and dog are always more important.. but I sure wish she had just said "sorry, that sucks"

 

So of courseI drowned my sorrow!

Beer Camp Tater Ridge!

 

Old Chub Nitro!

 

then two glasses of water (not pictured)

 

Tomorrow is the first day of school. Ill be the guy on campus trying to sneak interesting pictures of my jeans. Stay tuned.

 

[Flash]

Really enjoying all the updates mate , hope tomorrow is a better day

[ColdStorage]

^Thanks!

 

Morning after update (exhaustion this time, not hangover ) but my day yesterday was better than the day before.

 

Woke up, go dressed and had to do my own back-to-school mirror shot since my wife was already gone for work.

 

Got in the car and drove to Fremont to spend a pile of money on something I have been eyeing for a while.. but im going to keep this one under wraps until a later update... It was a two hour drive there and back and I grabbed some old favorites that I hadn't listened to in a while

 

So I got back from my long morning shopping excursion and pulled onto campus

 

I like to show up early and use the far back parking lot. There are always spots available and you dont have to deal with the circling cars in the front all trying to park as close to the buildings as possible. Plus its a nice walk in over this bridge

 

and past this pond

 

I had two classes today. Both clearly stated no phones on the syllabus so I had to get creative. I always like sitting in the back of the class which makes it easier.

 

Sloppy cuff in "Organizational Behavior"

 

Sloppy cuff in "Business Law"

 

Walking back to the car... I guess my shots are going to get worse now that I dont have the wife around to run the camera phone.

 

For dinner, leftover pizza and a "There and back" english style bitter.

 

[ColdStorage]

Then I took to the backyard to eat a few of the ripe tomatoes. The colors on my tomatoes are starting to come in... i've got 4 different heirloom types going...

The 4th is a "violet jasper" and it wil get red/yellow when ripe.

 

Came back inside and decided to pop open the pickles I made in my first update and try em! Not sure why the brine is so red. ummmmm

 

So, the pickles were pretty bad. Bitter aftertaste. Time to tweak the brine and try again.

 

After that a double latte coffee milk stout. Man was this thing GOOD. Would love to find a place that had it on nitro....

 

and then I changed out of my Viberg engineers into my beat up new balances to watch some tv. Marlowe did NOT approve of the footwear swap.

 

handsome devil...

 

...sorry for all the blurry pics! Not sure what is going on. Better get ahold of myself.

 

Im off to campus today. Got to petition for unit overload, try to crash and advance accounting class, maybe buy books.. a lot of BORING stuff really. The contest is a great excuse to try to sneak some fun into an otherwise mundane day... so I will see what I can come up with. Worst comes to worst I will drink some great beer tonight...

[hectic]

@ColdStorage - could you post a Marlowe pic that would be a good candidate for here: http://www.reddit.com/r/photoshopbattles/?

 

Marlowe needs exposure!