What are your jeans doing today?

[roy6]

xpost from the ROY x Cone contest:

What my ROYs did today:

Got in the truck:

Went to several nurseries looking for specific plants, mulch, & compost. My favorite SF nursery is Flowercraft- it's a family owned business in the bayview. Recently, after years of legal wrangling a Lowe's opened up right across the street from them and set up their crappy, low-budge, under-priced garden center, hoping to drive out all of the City's mom & pops.

My friend Abbey, who's worked at Flowercraft for 20 years, had something to say to Lowes:

After that I hit Flora Grubb (the owner's real name). It's SFs glamour nursery. Everything is really cute and about 30% more than you would pay for it anywhere else. Buyt Flora has impeccable taste in plants, and the nursery is full of art pieces and crazy installations:

Out back:

Across town:

Lunch:

Planting:

One of my gardens:

Another garden later in the day:

Behind this lattice-work covered window is one my least favorite people in the world. It's the basement window of the house next to my garden. In the dry months the whole garden gets hand-watered, and the woman who lives here insists on leaving her window fully opened, even when I am watering the garden. She sits on her couch and waits, and the second a drop of water hits her window she yells "I just want you to know that you are getting water on my property!"

I usually suggest at this point that she close her window. She usually slams it shut and then glares at me until I leave.

Out front the driveways for these two houses are side by side. My clients let me park in theirs, but if I get within a foot if the other drive this woman will come out on to the street and ask "Excuse me! Excuse me! Does Deborah (who owns the next door building) know you are parking here?!!"

If you ask me, that's a lot of lip from a fat, unemployed, single chick who lives in a basement and sits on her couch all day long watching reruns of Caroline in the City.

Right after I snapped this pic her baleful red piggy eyes swarmed up to the glass behind the lattice work.

"Excuse me! I didn't give you permission to photograph my window!"

[beatle]

Abby looks like a tough cookie with a big heart..thumbs up for family run businesses...

[airportlobbytx]

Flora Grubb

That's awesome. I grew up with the Grubbs - there were, I think, five or six siblings in my neighborhood in Austin; Flora was a bit older than me, three boys were around my age. An interesting, eccentric family. I had heard about the nursery, but never been. Thanks for that detail.

[robgotsastaplerr]

not really a denim guy and i'm sorry if this has been posted already, but i thought this was a fun little read:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/01/19/not-washing-jeans-for-15-months-ok-healthwise-at-least-study/

basically says it is health-wise ok to do what we're doing. so keep at it, gentlemen.

[roy6]

That's awesome. I grew up with the Grubbs - there were, I think, five or six siblings in my neighborhood in Austin; Flora was a bit older than me, three boys were around my age. An interesting, eccentric family. I had heard about the nursery, but never been. Thanks for that detail.

Small world, eh?

Flora's nursery is a huge hit here, and has gotten a lot of national attention too.

A few more pictures from around her nursery:

[Grim Ryan]

This thread makes the work day so much more bearable.

[cheapmuthafukr]

shot this sequence of a random kid at the skatepark doing a stalefish. ill give you the gif to save space.

[cash]

^Napoleon Dynamite skates. Cheap skate GIFs saved my life....

[Forbidden]

Please forgive me for the photo dump, it was pretty exhausting these past few days. Since I have but a few days left in Osaka, my friend and I decided to visit the more unique/town feel side of Japan. We took the kintetsu and JR to Nara and Kyoto. These are the better pics that I took via my iPhone 4

Here it says "Famous Nara Park"

Nara has a ton of deers and when there are deers there are people who sell deer food. Took the opportunity to feed some deers. These fellas are smart or rather pretty alert when people like me approach the store that sells deer cookies

One of them even ate our map; it took it straight from my friend's pocket

Some scenery pics of Nara

[Forbidden]

Now for Kyoto

On our way back saw this old cool geezer

Since all the temples in Kyoto close around 4:30pm we headed back to Osaka in time for some arcade playing. My friend and I specialize in grabbing dolls. Here is my loot for one night, spent around 3000yen for 2 hours of fun. When I got the two rirakkumas some girls who were spying on me squealed Kawaii. If only my Japanese was good enough and I had balls I would have totally tried to strike up a conversation.

I hope you guys enjoy!

[Max Power]

I went to the "Karoviertel" today, to get me a date for my first tattoo. Found some inspiring grafitti on the way.

(And yes, no sunshine here. Sometimes I hate Hamburg)

A lot of beer.

I will get tattooed March 7th

[almostnice]

kids are at grandparents this weekend,time to breath deeply and take the wife for a walk.

stopped by this little art gallery

nice paintings so far,time to add a real art-gem

(the jeans,not the person)

i must admit,i didnt felt out of place in here

on the way back i couldnt resist...

...so sorry!

and always remember:dont believe everything you see here

[-Z-]

Yes. Got my Saturday Germany fix...awesome posts

[Megatron1505]

Ha ha, great posts Almost and Max, looking forward to hitting Germany next weekend myself.

Forbidden, how did you like Kyoto? It was my favourite place in Japan, your pictures make me miss Kiyomizu Dera.

[Vandon]

I hope you guys enjoy!

kinda looks like pedo bear...

[laxlife1234]

thank you Doc! Actually the square format shots are all from the Vignette camera app for Android. My Droid Incredible has quite the camera...

and I agree, joelz you rock.

Whoa dude. That is crazy that app. I just downloaded it, and I don't even know what to do with it, but I thank you for putting that name out there for me to download . By the way, I have the Evo, so I think the Incredible has the same MP as my Evo.

[Guest I LOVE LFC]

Took Shiloh to the play area

Fell asleep on the way home

Prawn curry for tea

Bit of an F.A cup party, plenty to drink

Jeans getin all sweaty from dancing, Get Juice FM, Liverpool on people!

Have a good weekend everyone.

[roy6]

kinda looks like pedo bear...

Yep, Pedo Bear's little bro.

[-Z-]

Ha ha, great posts Almost and Max, looking forward to hitting Germany next weekend myself.

Forbidden, how did you like Kyoto? It was my favourite place in Japan, your pictures make me miss Kiyomizu Dera.

Man I sure miss Kyoto...all my trips to Japan and last winter was my first time there. Fushimi Inarii was memorizing. As was everything else. I like the pace of life there better than in Tokyo as well. Feels more like Minnesota (Japan edition...)

Had some great okonomiyaki there, and the market is awesome as well. Damn need to go back!

[aho]

^Tell me about it...I still call Kyoto my hometown (used to live a literal 5 minute walk from Kiyomizu) but I haven't been back in 4 years...It's such a magical place and I miss it dearly!

[lefty]

We're checking out an new urban-style park in Akron.

Yeah, I climb everything.

These guys are in front of a nearby hardwood floor installation business.

[farmer]

Have been riding the local indoor park a lot more now that there is at least a foot of snow at every spot. Couple pictures of a friend from tonight. The second is so good:D got to upgrade that denim.

[beatle]

bam...not a good time for a seam explosion

[-Z-]

another saturday, more drinking with friends. this time to the longfellow grill for $3 taps...and some really good sweet potato fries.

then over to one of my neighborhood favorites the groveland tap for $2.50 microbrews.

Tonight i started with 2 Grainbelts, 3 Anchor Steams, then had a Mirror Pond, and a Magic Hat #9 which was one of the best beers I've ever had. definite buy.

and just got home to the good old industrial neighborhood. I actually love looking at these damn smokestacks all the time...don't really know why.

hope you're all as drunk as I am. cheers. gonna go listen to some Jonsi and Alex and pass out.

[Forbidden]

Ha ha, great posts Almost and Max, looking forward to hitting Germany next weekend myself.

Forbidden, how did you like Kyoto? It was my favourite place in Japan, your pictures make me miss Kiyomizu Dera.

Man I sure miss Kyoto...all my trips to Japan and last winter was my first time there. Fushimi Inarii was memorizing. As was everything else. I like the pace of life there better than in Tokyo as well. Feels more like Minnesota (Japan edition...)

Had some great okonomiyaki there, and the market is awesome as well. Damn need to go back!

^Tell me about it...I still call Kyoto my hometown (used to live a literal 5 minute walk from Kiyomizu) but I haven't been back in 4 years...It's such a magical place and I miss it dearly!

Mega: To be honest, since I grew up in major cities (Vancouver, San Francisco and Hong Kong) I personally liked Nara a whole lot more than Kyoto.

-Z-: You should definitely visit Nara next time you visit Japan. I am most certain with your caliber of photography there will be many if not few spectacular pictures to be had. By the way, the best okonomiyaki is in Osaka I think. There is this building called Shibuya something in the heart of Tennoji station of Osaka and on the 3rd floor is the place. I posted pictures of the okonomiyaki being cooked in front of our personal cooking area.

aho: Next time you return be sure to let me know, I just might drop by so I can get a more local feel of the area instead of the touristy thing of visiting Gingakuji, Kingakuji and Kiyomizudera.

[Max Power]

Went to a place I last visited when I was a kid - on vacation, living 600 km from here.

I hoped for some sunshine, but the fog was too thick today. Anyway, perfect mood for visiting this original WWII submarine.

[Megatron1505]

That is awesome Flo, I visited the USS Intrepid in New York last month, and the USS Growler Submarine is at the side of it, really interesting stuff. I love old naval vessels, plus they make great pictures.

[Max Power]

[Paul T]

Lovely photos, Max.

They're powerful and purposeful, those U-boats, but spooky too. Steel coffins for a lot of young men.

[Max Power]

You're so right. I was alone in there and you get a real strange feeling. I imagined how I would feel when leeving the harbor to war in this thing. Creepy.

This is how they slept, sharing the bed with two other comrades: