Anyway, for those who don't know, we built a ramp in Chuck's backyard and rode snowboards down it. It's the first time we've gotten enough snow to do it and possibly might be the last. It was colder than a witch's tit out there, many layers and gallons of beer were needed to keep warm but it was all worth it. I kind of wish we could have started earlier in the day so that I would've been able to photograph better but all in all it turned out okay. The blur added to the sense of motion although you don't really need it to tell these cats are going fast. It really wasn't a big ramp but it got the job done. Oh, and a lot of these photos are sequences. I'm not sure if scrolling through them will really have the desired effect but it is the best I can do. So anyway, enjoy.

As you can see it's a bunch of snow piled up on a bunch of unstable junk with a NB keg for a ramp. Eventually we had to add a piece of wood to the ramp because people kept wearing down the snow and hitting the keg with the tip of the board which led to painful and hilarious consequences. You'll see, keep reading.

Here's Hayley. It took her forever to go down her first time. It's really not that high but when you're peering off the lip of a twelve foot drop, covered in ice, and with a plank of wood and fiberglass strapped to your feet, I can see why it would be a little intimidating.

Here's a good perspective sequence and a good wipe out to boot.







Ouch.

Here's one with Chuck. I was still figuring out the best camera angles so watch the last one to see me jump out of the way.

Here's another where I had to jump out of the way at the end. I am so glad I didn't end up taking a snowboard to the face. It would have ruined my night and lord knows our friends have had enough head injuries in the past week to last the rest of the year.





Look how cute!

Different angle.

Todd's "oh shit!" face.

I think Chuck hit the ground on this one.

Here's a few where I managed to cut off everyone's head. I needed to back off a little.

Again, Todd's "oh shit!" face.

Nobody lands it every time.

Whoops.

Ow.

And finally, just to prove how hardcore he is, Chuck went down shirtless. We tried to convince Hayley to do the same but she wan't having any of it.

As per usual, all photographs © 2009 Divine Right Photography. Don't provoke my wrath.

 Hey look, new work!

I can't really decide about these next few. Black and white or color?

Here's a good one of Rachel.

And here's Addie from the neck down.

That's all for now.

For those of you who weren't there last night or haven't heard at all my eye is damaged. I'm not going to explain it again so if you want the gory details or just want to see me in all my pirate glory look here.

My eye was acting up again and so I tied a bandanna around it to keep it closed and took some vicodin to kill the pain. I was invited to a party and just then I was feeling okay so I went. When I got there I hung out for a while but gradually the pain came back and eventually I couldn't see straight. I did win my last game of beer pong, making the first shot, a bounce, and the last cup. Not bad for a guy with no depth perception. Anyway, everyone kept telling me to go home and I had only drank a few beers and all I wanted in the world was to go back to my place, take some more pills, and go to bed. There was obviously no one at the party to drive me home and it was just a a straight shot down Prospect so I went for it.

I only had one working eye and the pain was such that I could barely keep it open. I must've been weaving a bit because about three fourths of the way home I saw flashing lights behind me and pulled to the side. The cop who pulled me over asked me step out of the car for a sobriety test. It was one of those tests where you're supposed to follow the tip of a pen with your eyes. With only one eye I was having a hard time of it, moving my one good eye caused my closed eye to twitch which would cause me to wince in pain. I told her I couldn't do it, sobriety test failed.

At this point I figured I was proper fucked. Can't pass a sobriety test, didn't want to take a breathalyser, and had already admitted to taking a handful of vicodin. The cop told me she could arrest me for DUI just for driving after taking the pain killers. I apologized and she asked me if I could leave my car behind and walk home. I knew that in my condition I would probably end up walking into traffic or falling asleep in the snow so I pushed my luck and asked for a ride. She told me that if she had a call she would have to drop me on the side of the road but the night was quiet and we made it back. She left me in my parking lot thanking her profusely.

If I had gone to jail that night I it would have been a hellish nightmare. They give you no sympathy and certainly no pain pills. I would have been in screaming pain until they let me go. Perhaps the cop who pulled me over knew this and took pity. Maybe she just knew that it would be more trouble to arrest me than to just let me go. Either way, she saw me as a shivering, pain wracked mess rather than a threat to safety and society. I thank her.

So if anyone else wants to take pity on me please come get me medicinally high. If you doubt the power of medicinal marijuana I offer you this anecdotal evidence; when my eye last last injured I was in horrible pain for days and even after popping vicodin and over the counter pain pills like they were Pez it barely took the edge off. Then Proppy came rockin' the ganj and immediately the pressure in my eye subsided, my headache went away, and the soreness that comes with keeping your eyes closed in excess of forty-eight hours, all gone.

Also, I don't know if this is possible but I was in so much pain last night I didn't get the name of the officer who gave me a ride home. I'm pretty sure they keep records of those sorts of things and I was going to call in and talk to her supervisor and tell them that that cop was a saint, whoever she was. Maybe I'll even send her some flowers or something, it's possible she saved my life. It's so often we have bad things to say about cops, I think that now that I have something positive to say I should make it known.

Joyeux 2009 everybody. I realize it is just an arbitrary point in our planet's trip around the sun but let's try and make the next 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds better than the last. If not, at least try and write 2009 in the date on your checks.

 

Oh, and btw. Look at how freaking cute this girl is. She's in Jersey until March and I miss her already. 

 

In the evening she's still singing  with the band.