I want to put this in my mouth

Today I blogged about pepperoni pizza and chicken soup and spicy macaroni cupcakes from Savor Cakes in Portland, Oregon, who have a Kickstarter campaign going to bring savory cupcakes to the hungry mouths of Portland. I for one totally want to eat this, and plan to give you a full report 2 weeks from tomorrow. For now, a mouthwatering photo:


spicy baked macaroni in a croissant!

Snapshots from Seattle

I am still recovering from both walking 13 miles in the Rock N Roll Marathon and also traversing Seattle and slowly getting back to writing/internet mode after two days of Seattle exploration. The walk was so fun and inspiring and challenging that I want to do it again, either next year in Seattle and/or another city.

Yesterday I got to see some amazing burlesque at Stripped Screw: Disney After Dark (see some of the official photos by Chris Blakeley on Facebook). Today the weather was blissful, so much so that if it were always like that, I'd consider moving here. I spent about an hour lying on the grass and maybe it wasn't life changing, but it was certainly one of my happiest hours of 2011. See self-portrait below.

I'm having fun exploring parts of Seattle I've seen before an parts I haven't. And learning about things like cupcakes at conveyor belt sushi restaurants! See more photos in this Flickr set. I especially recommend stationery store/art gallery/cool place Paper-Hammer; letterpress fans will especially like it. From Seattle Magazine:

Open since last December, Paper Hammer functions as his urban laboratory for Tieton-made paper products, which are lovingly arranged in a stark, white, gallery-like setting. “The merchandise is very experimental, evolving with the fun and weird designs coming from our studio,” Marquand says. Affordable treasures include gorgeous letterpress coasters ($2.50), hand-bound journals and Marquand’s own invention, cheeky “You As Fine Wine” sweetheart cards (describing people using common wine terms, like “robust” and “full-bodied,” $3.95). The “hammer” title refers to the shop’s selection of handcrafted furniture by local designer Kerry Quint, Marquand’s inventive side tables created out of a stack of recycled books ($250) and, soon, a line of welded steel tables.

Window of Paper Hammer:



I stayed at the Grand Hyatt downtown (found via Priceline) and was SO impressed; my bathtub was luxurious and wonderful, they were extremely courteous and there were apples in the lobby and a Starbucks with great staffers in the hotel, and my poor tired legs and feet were so happy to be tucked into that giant, comfy bed. And I dug this chair, even though I didn't even sit in it:






Grand Hyatt lobby

Bands did indeed play along the way, many of them ones I'd have liked to listen to, but were had to walk very fast, with the occasional jog and sprint, to keep our time (mine was 3:44:50).




my favorite sign was one that said "Go Random Stranger, Go!" but I didn't get a photo of it








post-marathon victory brie and basil waffle from Sweet Iron Waffles




spinach, egg and cheese roll from Piroshky Piroshky




Pike Place=food porn! I ate one of the best pears I've ever eaten. Tried not to gorge myself on fruit.






leather pride flag

There is art everywhere here:












hanging on the wall at a Starbucks

Random Acts of Cupcakes at Cupake Royale

Click here to read more about my evening at Cupcake Royale - a proper first day in Seattle post coming soon!

BSNYC Summer Recess Announcement (and Friday Fun Quiz!)

Firstly, I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that today marks the official start of my "Summer Recess." This is the period during which I sew the pant legs back onto all my cutoff shorts, take my fall chicken suit out of cold storage (if I don't store it properly it will molt), and change the grips and tape on the "touch points" of my various bicycles to "colourways" that are more seasonally appropriate. As you can imagine, this process is quite labor intensive, so that means I will be taking a break from this blog, but rest assured that I will return on Tuesday, September 8th with regular updates. You can also rest assured that my helper monkey Vito and I will take the opporunity to catch up on other matters as well, such as the dissemination of the various "prizeways" for the Fat Cyclist Knuckle Tattoo Tribute Competition, the perusal of emails, and of course the much-needed shampooing and deodorizing of my 70s-themed bicycle work area. (Suede bean bags and shag carpet may look great, but they also tend to retain both grease and odors--especially when you employ a helper monkey.)

Secondly, I'm pleased to present you with a quiz. As always, study the item, think, and click on your answer. If you're right you'll see confirmation, and if you're wrong you'll be seduced by Murray.

Thanks very much for reading, emailing, commenting and making the "process" of writing this blog so enjoyable, be sure to wring the last few drops of sweaty enjoyment from the remainder of the summer, enjoy the Labor Day weekend (assuming your countryway observes it), and ride safely, smartly, and flambulliently.

--BSNYC/RTMS

(erik k)

1) Gary Klein, once synonymous with fat aluminum tubing and dessert-like "colourways," is now synonymous with:

--Stethescopes
--Periscopes
--Telescopes
--The Scopes Monkey Trial







2) "Fuss Vom Gas" means:

--"Foot on the Gas"
--"Foot off the Gas"
--"The Gas Foot"
--"Fussy When Gassy"







3) According to Seth Stevenson of Slate, Dutch city bikes are:

--"Primly recitilinear"
--"Prudely rectal"
--"Rectangularly prim"
--"Practically rectangular"




4) "Y Water" is the first beverage that you consume anally.

--True
--False







5) Who makes this steel "club racer," complete with gently sloping top tube and bars slightly lower than the saddle?

--Rivendell
--Velo Orange
--Bridgestone
--Cervélo






6) Whose theme saddle is this?

--Alberto Contador's
--Alexandre Vinokourov's
--Chris Horner's
--Danilo DiLuca's

(Unzipped by a pothole.)

7) According to Zipp's lead engineer Josh Poertner, why did both of Magnus Backstedt's wheels fail in the 2008 Paris-Roubaix?

--He is too big
--Carbon rims are a poor choice for a Spring Classic
--He chose poor lines on the cobbled sections
--He ran 24mm tires instead of 27mm tires on race day






8) Which bicycle company is "dropping" this fixed-gear freestyler?

--Giant
--Felt
--Trek
--Specialized

(Model has been clothed and sepiaed for your convenience.)

9) Tough times for the men's magazines? The above image, complete with crappy old department store mountain bike, is this month's "Playboy" centerfold.

--True

--False

***Special Discman-Themed Bonus Question***

Two Years Ago, Punk on a Bike - w4m - 23 (TriBeCa)
Date: 2009-08-28, 2:33AM EDT
Reply To This Post

2 years ago I was walking my dog on Beach Street near Hudson, wearing a flowered dress and listening to ____________________________ on my discman! You biked by, black jeans, gangly, no helmet, turned around to look at me. Smiled cheekily. It may have been directed at the person behind me but I never forgot. I had just cut my hair. I love you?

What was she listening to?

--Iggy and the Stooges
--Creedence Clearwater Revivial
--Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
--The audiobook of David Lee Roth's "Crazy From the Heat"