Summertime Rain & Pour

The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift.

The road is forlorn all day,

Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,

And the hoof-prints vanish away.

The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee,

Expend their bloom in vain.

Come over the hills and far with me,

And be my love in the rain........

backedbytheillness

Gun Play

Guns are really fucking stupid .... and really fucking cool....


























backedbytheillness (r)

Seen on the street in Oregon

This blog is still not "officially" up, but I had to post this. Went to Oregon for a wedding and came back w/some fashion info (it all folds back in people, all folds back in)

Oh yeah. Congratufucklations Annie & Reed!!!

While there I learned three important things:

1) There are no black people in Oregon. I mean it. Like none. I don't have a picture of the absence of black people, but it was striking. Not bad, just striking.

2) Portland has the most strip clubs per capita of any city in America. Ahhh yeah so I gots nothing on that one. Kinda weird, kinda disgusting and kinda awesome....

3) Portland has one of the coolest stores I've ever been to - it's called John Helmer - Haberdasher. For those of you who don't know what a haberdasher step your game up! So I got to this place, chat it up w/the people inside. It's crazy, they've been there since 1921, in Portland of all places. They ship hats to just about every continent and have done weddings and even inaugurations. I wanted to cop some suspenders, but I just couldn't get my head around which ones. Almost grab a Gibson, but they didn't have my size.

The story gets better. I roll to the wedding (100yr old church + 90 degree weather - no air conditioning = hot as balls) trying to stunt in my seersucker and I see a guy putting me to shame. I wanted to go black & white polka-dot bow-tie, but I still cannot tie one for shit. (Fuck these sites they didn't help for shit) So instead I just went black and white polka-dot tie (that's right I had to have a bow tie joint and a tie joint). Anyway I see this dude in a cream colored seersucker (I'm in black and white) w/a white hat and this crazy multi-colored bow-tie. He looks like he must be at least 80+, but he's killing.

After the ceremony I ran into him and told him how dope he looked, like he was a living model of the era when men really dressed like men. He told me that he has been in the men's wear business for over 50 yrs. I didn't think anything of it, but then he told me where. That's right - you guessed it. He's John Helmer Jr. the second generation of John Helmer - Haberdasher. Crazy!!! We chatted it up some more and took a pic by the rolls and I got some of his stats.

Name - (Slow pull of a cigarette in a dimly lit bar) "See the sign? That's me" J. Helmer -

Haberdasher extraordinaire

Age - Old enough to always wear a hat when he goes outside

Drink of choice - Had about 4 or 5 whiskey's while at the reception (we'll go with that)

Clothing Shop - His namesake (wouldn't we all love to be able to say that...)

Status - Married. For 50+ yrs (to the game that is) sorry ladies

Random - Flew 50+ bombing missions in WWII or as they call it "the war"

- Ran in over 27 marathons

- Once looked so good a funeral procession stopped, got out the car, to salute him

know your stats!


RIP

backedbytheillness (R)