March Madness in Kansas May 14, 2008

After back to back trips over the last 2 years, I was set to be in Kansas for 4 weeks, the longest i’ve been home since sometime in 2006. It couldn’t have come at a better time, as the constant traveling eventually starts to take its toll.  The first night back Yuri invited us to his friends place for a spring equinox party. It was a big contrast going from the city grids of LA into the backwoods in Kansas, and really refreshing. We were welcomed by some really nice people and a delicious dinner, and for me that night kind of set the tone for the next few weeks.

It’s not a conscious choice, but for the last 5 years I’ve always ended up in Kansas for Easter. Even before I lived there, I would just happen to be shooting in Kansas that specific week, and Jeromy’s family has always adopted me for the day. We kept up with the tradition this year, and got to catch up with everybody. Brian had just gotten back from China, and Opal was striking poses left and right.

Jeromy and Opal

AJ, Jenna, and Rob

Rob reacting to a case of Easter Dinner comatose

DDAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Quinn and miniature Quinn

An equally important yearly tradition is a little thing called March Madness. I’m not going to pretend that I’m a die hard college basketball fan, but I try to catch the games with everybody when i’m in town, but this year it was different. KU had an amazing season, and you can feel the anticipation around town. It was a legendary tournament, the kind that they make movies about. There was the underdog team from nowhere that had been going undefeated in David and Goliath battles. There was the showdown with KU’s former coach who left to coach another number 1 team. It was the first time in history that the final 4 was made up of the #1 team in each conference. In the final game KU came back from impossible odds to hit probably the most clutch 3 point shot in basketball history. The sport was invented in Lawrence, and I can’t imagine there ever being a more intense final tournament than what happened this year. KU came through victorious, and the celebration in the streets afterwards was bigger than anything i’ve ever seen.

the long version

the short version

the madness

Opal celebration

AJ house celebration

on the way to mass st. celebration

people climbing up street poles in front of granda celebration

beer tree celebration

our friends + random people jumping in the photo celebration

happiest i’ve ever seen AJ celebration

After the KU victory it was time to get back to business. The first wave of Kendamas sold out, and the reorder came in, so I was pretty busy getting those online and getting the website up and running. We got our first edit up, which was pretty fun filming and editing. The response has been pretty positive. AJ brought some of the Vibralux riders in town, so we had a few photo shoots in KC and Topeka.

Jeromy Rockwell had an art opening at The Love Garden, a famous local record shop in town, and Novalus played a concert for it. I got some new lighting equipment and went back a few days later to work on some portraits with Rockwell.

Also this month I did a 13 day cleanse, something I had been wanting to do for 2 years but was never home for long enough to start it. The basic idea behind a cleanse, is that over time your body collects a lot of the impurities and un-digestable things that come from eating an unhealthy diet. I have spent plenty of time eating fast food, processed food, and all those delicious foods that have no nutritional value at all. Over time it builds up, and when your body is full of this stuff, it uses a lot of energy trying to digest these things that aren’t meant to be digested in the first place. The cleanse flushes out a lot of these toxins, and resets your body in a sense, using that energy for the body to function like its meant to.

I got a lot of mixed reactions from people, ranging from encouragement to hate, but I can easily say it’s one of the most positive things I’ve done in a long time. It’s not as difficult as it seems, and I felt more clear and focused than ever. It goes without saying that the body effects the mind, and vice versa, and the whole process helped both to function at a more optimal level. If you’ve ever thought about doing it, I would highly recommend it. Make sure you do your research before, and figure out what works best for your body.

the new kendamas

cheapest parking ticket ever

rashna hanging out in south park

jenna

brandon

erica

lola

slober dog

the portable photo studio

The wetlands on the edge of Lawrence. This place is constantly changing so it’s fun to check it out from time to time.

Novalus playing a show

Rockwells art opening

The Love Garden staircase

JR

KC wall

Alex filming for the first edit

Topeka Wall

Sign in Topeka

New woodgrain Kendama tests

The First Kendama Edit