Category Archives: Uncategorized

7-oh my god

For reasons financial and personal, I am quitting my use of 7oh products. I have taken 120mg this morning, and will not purchase any more today. I will chronicle the events that follow.

5pm: starting to notice increased leg pain. My mind keeps considering getting in the car to go buy more. I am going to lay in bed, eat popcorn and watch YouTube videos about Leslie Nielsen.

I have quit meth and alcohol cold turkey. I can do this.

Autism

I’m battling these days. I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD last year, at age forty seven. Late diagnosis are so many things: release, revelation, concern and burden.

Today, it manifests in wanting solitude. Even encounters with with gas station attendants can be exhausting. Combined with a week of intense sun exposure and I’m caustic and crispy.

Doggy ruff ruff

I spread fertilizer and walk roughly ten yards a day. Of those, ninety percent will be pocked in dog shit. IMHO, people have too many dogs. Pick up your pet’s poop, especially when you know I’m stopping by.

Addendum: if you have a dog, a portion of your yard is fucked. Accept that no amount of fertilizer, watering and worrying will restore your grass.

The Doctor is in

I used to be dismissive about Doc Martens. I’ve always favored the leather upper, but felt they were inferior beside my Red Wing Iron Rangers. A Minnesota native, I have appreciation for the company, their heritage, and have visited their flagship store in their namesake city. Their materials and construction compared to other boots like Docs is superior.

But…I never wear my Red Wings, a fall trip to the apple orchard aside. They’re unsuitable for work as a pesticide applicator. They’re uncomfortable for city wear. As much as I appreciate layers of vegetable-tanned leather atop a hard Vibram rubber sole in theory, reality is miserable shock-absorbtion and achy knees, hips and neck.

Doc Martens fill my need for boots whose PVC soles take the brunt of impact on paved city streets, while being significantly lighter. The PVC that I once dismissed as cheap and gimmicky has real value to my lifestyle. Plus, I look damn good in them.

Additionally

I rate the Electric Fetus with some indifference. The hierarchy of record stores plays like:

  1. Cheapo- My home away from home. I’ve been buying from them for twenty years.  I’m friends with Michael, the manager, and we’ve spent hours sharing pieces of our lives, building rapport over the cluttered sales counter. It’s a spiritual place, a sonic sanctuary.
  2. Agartha- The finest record store in Minnesota, on selection alone. I used to think gasping in surprised delight was relegated to cinematic performance. Now, I’ve done it, flipping through another row of records I never thought I’d see; far-fetched Discogs wishlist items. I found a Roisin Murphy record there. They have Definitely Maybe signed by both Liam and Noel. ‘Take my paycheck’ I want to exclaim.
  3. Electric Fetus-The used section is too small and cramped. That said, there are real treasures behind the counter. I have flushed out my Husker Du and Replacements collections there. In the 1990s, it was a bit dodgy, especially when the sun went down. Freaks, dyed hair, and sweet marijuana. They’ve leaned into their legend. The store is brighter, cleaner, and loaded with chotchkies for tourists.
  4. Barely Brothers- It’s too cramped for leisurely browsing, and their used section is a 4/10. Autumn found a Mariah Carey greatest hits compilation there, which remains the highlight from our visits. There’s potential, but only from expanding the space.
  5. Disco Death, Roadrunner, Down in the Valley- The latter kind of sucks. Lame atmosphere and crap used section makes this a miss every time. The first two I can’t comment on from limited visits.