Wednesday Night Ride

Sometimes I'll make a Flashback Friday post, and I was gathering some images to put one together this week, but I figured it was fitting to post tonight, on a Wednesday, to commemorate the Wednesday Night Ride.

I touched on it a bit last summer while I was still testing the waters of food blogging (which I realized was not my thing), but I want to touch on it again. Because it was important.

Most Wednesday nights for the past two summers our friends, and our friend's friends, would meet up in Sayville for a 14 mile bike ride around the beach town. It was always such a positive, motivating and fun experience. Probably one of the most healthy things I've ever been a part of. Sure, we'd stop at 7-11 on the way back and pick up beers for tailgating, but what's a summer night without that? My friends Ross and Vanessa would usually be here for a few weeks during the summer and whenever they joined, I was the most excited. They once rode from San Diego to Long Island! Isn't that incredible? Vanessa is one of the most refreshingly original and inspiring people I've met. Maybe that's why I photographed her most. Ross is a long time friend who I will always love dearly. Anyone who joined usually made my night.










These nights provided me with some of the best summer memories ever. The route we took through town, the pit stop at the beach, and the ride back up through main street at night was perfect, the company was perfect, the after party was perfect.
These are some of the things I will really miss.


Source

A really nerdy post about a concert I went to:

I'll keep this short, but sweet, because I promised. Last weekend, I took full advantage of the opportunity to see one of my most favorite bands EVER for the first and last time ever. The Movielife was a Long Island based band that got kinda big and were signed to Drive Thru records in the late 90's-early 00's. This was the band that helped me "find my place". I had a Texan pen pal that I met on a message board in middle school (me and the internet are like this). Once she sent me this really perfect mixtape (that I still have the case/handwritten track listing to. the actual tape is gone forever and it still hurts when I think about it). On it were songs by Alkaline Trio, Recover, Jimmy Eat World, The Mr. T Experience, Saves The Day, just so many bands that shaped me.. and The Movielife. And a Movielife sticker! Fast forward to winter of my freshman year when I fell for a boy with bleached hair and a Movielife hoodie. Get the idea that the band was basically the soundtrack to my late adolescence. FAST FORWARD THROUGH THE REST OF THAT, the band was supposed to play walking distance from my house in 2003 and then they BROKE UP and my admission fee was refunded and my heart was broken. Side projects were made, and I got my Movielife experience vicariously through seeing those bands live, but.. never really got over it. Until now, because a month or so ago the band announced an absolute FINAL show (they played Bamboozle, but unless you're 16 or an alcoholic or a roadie, those kinds of festivals are pretty lackluster), and to wrap this all up: I bought tickets and I went and I saw them and my heart and stomach did flips as I sang along to every song and had the most fun ever. AND BRAND NEW WAS THE SUPRISE OPENING ACT. And here are some pictures. Hope you enjoyed my story. Share your story of your favorite band experiences, if you want. I'd really appreciate them!

Brand New can do no wrong in my eyes. As The Movielife was the band of my teen years, Brand New has been a band of my teens AND twenties and they get better with every album, as well as every time I've had the opportunity to watch them perform.
It was so much fun to watch over an entire crowd of people who were just as psyched, and who it was probably just as meaningful for as it was for me.
Thus finally concludes a huge chapter in my life.
Or at least the footnotes.