An Adventure With Bicycles in Downtown Phoenix

Hello there amazing people! I am back after a minor respite. After the previous emotional post, I figured that I would come back with some fun! And as always promoting a wonderful new local business.
Let's hear it for Phoenix Bike Company...wooohoooo!!! Welcome to the downtown Phoenix area! This amazing new shop officially opened up on Saturday, December 16th and is in a fantastic area of downtown, right close to the stadium.
The shop is easy to access and located at 816 E Washington Street Phoenix AZ 85034 near the Northwest Corner of 9th Street and Washington, across the street from the beloved Luna Culture Lab. Juan, the owner is an awesome dude! His vision to blend vintage bikes with newer models and antiques strewn throughout the shop is amazing and gives this shop a wonderful, homey appeal. The shop is loaded with nostalgic items and filled with beautiful, rare bikes. When you walk in it is bright and colorful with music playing and RAD the movie showing on the TV, or possible a documentary on bicycles. There are racks of vintage BMX bikes with their chrome shining bright and rows of some of the coolest Schwinn bikes that I have ever seen! He also carries apparel and hats, tools and accessories for the bikes, stickers, tire tubes, grips, bells, lights and so much more! As I was walking through the aisles I saw a rare Schwinn Sneaker bike which was the last of the Schwinn Stingray bikes. It is beautiful! There is a signed BMX mini bike signed by famous BMX'er Eddie Fiola. He also has a really cool vintage Schwinn Tandem family bike that will be available for renting on one of the bike rides that will be hosted by the shop. The store had a soft opening on Saturday, December 16th. There were people who just came in after skateboarding by the shop and we had people come in that were so excited to see a bike shop open up in the area, they kept saying how cool it was inside. The shirts were flying off the racks. And let me tell you about the shirts....they are wicked cool! Printed by Sol Prints (another local business from the West Side), they are high quality, soft, affordable and come with a sticker attached! They feature some really cool designs and of course there are ones with the store logo to represent while cruising through the Phoenix streets. This past Saturday the 23rd he hosted a Family Holiday Bike Ride. It was so amazing to see how many people came out and showed support. They brought their whole family for a ride to local businesses and had a blast! It was so nice to see people come together and show support and bring the family for quality time together. After all, making memories and spreading positive vibes is what it is all about. When you get a moment stop in and check out the shop, you will not be disappointed. James the shop manager is very helpful and always has a smile on his face. Juan is more than happy to share stories and knowledge on all things BIKE. This shop is so cool that it might even bring back nostalgic childhood memories and make you dust off your old bike that has been sitting in the garage. Many thanks and much love!

Phoenix Bike Company HOURS: Tues- Sun 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays
816 E Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
623-255-5985

What Death Has Taught Me About Forgiveness

This may have a somber feel but it really has a positive light. What death has taught me about forgiveness was a priceless life lesson for me. Today marks the anniversary of my fathers' death. I am going to celebrate his memory by writing this post. Last year I celebrated his memory by having my very talented friend Chris draw a caricature of my father. And my amazing friend Zack printed the images onto a shirt for me.
First of all let me say that my father was not a great man. He had a mental illness and he did not want to take care of it properly. He always thought that he was too strong for all of that nonsense, as he called it. He also had an addiction problem which just added to the already complicated mind. I never knew if he would be angry or sad or thoughtful or happy. As a child I idolized him. I wanted to be strong like him and I also wanted his ultimate approval. I would do everything that he said so that I could make him proud. I looked past the fact that he was loud, angry, mean and daunting. He was abusive verbally and physically but no matter what I wanted to be near him all the time.
For all of the wrongs, there were so many rights. He was intelligent and taught me so much. He was a survivor and he showed me skills to survive. He was always reading and showed me "grown up" books to read at a very young age, thus fueling my desire to devour anything that had words on it. I would read cereal boxes, medicine bottles, dictionaries, Playboy magazines....anything I could get my hands on. I would ask him questions, I would talk non stop and he would tell me to be quiet and think a little bit. I still remember pushing his buttons and he would get up and tell me to stay. I was very precocious and this made him happy. He would challenge me all the time to be better and do more. He was larger than life and had a laugh that was as big as he was! He had a great toothless smile and a crooked nose from too many times broken. I adored my father and looked up to him. Even when he punished me, I forgave him and moved on.
When I got older I started to see how he really was and my innocent, naive mind began to process the things that were not positive. He hurt me more times than I can say. He destroyed my confidences, he belittled me and crushed my heart. And in the next breath he would try to lift my spirits. I began to distance myself when I realized the toxicity of the relationship with him. When I became a mother for the first time I really saw what he was. He also disowned me due to me becoming pregnant to a man of another race. This crushed me as I was trying to mend our shaky relationship and it went against everything that he and my mother taught me about diversity. It was a horrible truth that came to light but I moved on. Again, years went by without speaking and I became a mother again. This time, we were able to mend things. For a temporary time anyway. Long story short, our relationship was off and on my whole life. He never did approve of me or the way I lived my life. He said horrible things about me and completely turned his back on me in moments when I needed a father the most. He stole from, he lied to me, he hurt the people that I love and did more harm to himself than anything else. When I decided to finally turn my back to him for the last time, I was in my 30's. The last time he called me he said I do not know if I can talk to you anymore. Do not call me, I will call you.
Years go by and I never hear from him. Not knowing where he is or how he is. Through my brother I at least knew he was alive. And ironically that is how I found out that he was dying. When my brother told me that my father was dying I was numb. Not really having a feeling at first. I finally did call him. He actually picked up the phone and talked to me. We talked off and on for the few weeks leading up to his death. Very briefly but we did talk. He said that he made mistakes as a father. He said that he regretted not knowing his grandchildren. Which is funny as my son is the spitting image of my father, pretty ironic. He said that he regretted turning his back on me. And the craziest twist was that he forgave me! And he also made sure to tell me that he makes no excuses for his behavior and that he lived his life on his terms no matter what. This is a typical Frank move. Believe me, I have heard that one before. I spoke to him a day before he died. He told me that he was proud of me as a mother and as an adult. He said he was sorry and he hoped that I could forgive him. I forgave him and it was not a forced forgiveness, it was genuine. I felt a warmth go through me and a force cleared my heart up and brightened my thoughts of him. I do not know what it was that came over me. But it still resonates within me.
So, what does this experience mean? What does it say about me? The experience was a change for me. I grew up and grew out of a particular mindset that I had held onto for so long. It says that I have grown, it says that I am stronger and it makes me a better person for forgiving him. Again, I make no excuses for all the bad that he had. I make no excuses for his behavior and the hurts that he caused. This taught me a lesson in forgiveness and it made me a better person. My heart is full and I have no regrets in regards to him or his memory. What I can do now is only focus on all of the positive moments of my life with him. I do not focus any energy on the negative. This in turn helped me to forgive the most negative force that occurred in my life. I save that story for another time.
I can remember going along with him on his trips when he drove truck. I can remember deep sea fishing with him. I can remember cross country driving adventures and seeing national parks. I can remember him going on class trips with me. I can remember his writing, which I have developed a talent for and I love sharing that bond.
Forgiveness makes you whole. It makes you grow. It brings positive into your life in so many ways. I love you Dad no matter where you may be and I send you hugs and loving light always. I love you Frank.
Love, TiBoom

Empowering Ourselves And Others

This week , I am writing on a social issue that is coming to light from every direction at the moment.
I ask you, in what world is it okay for ANY type of sexual abuse? This includes sexual assault and sexual misconduct as well.
The reason that I pose this question is that I see different views on it and wanted to touch on this very personal issue.
In recent weeks we have been watching as sexual misconduct accusations are coming to light in all aspects of society. It is especially disturbing hearing so many cases being brought to the forefront. Suspicions and accusations have always been spoken about in regards to politics, Hollywood and high society. The reason why it is so hard to swallow is that it seems that lately, every day there is a new accusation. This to me is very disturbing and unsettling. What is more disturbing is the fact that I am hearing a lot of attitudes that are nonchalant or accusatory towards the victims.
Some people do not care. The reasons are their own of course, and it could be they are not directly affected by it that they have no say in the matter. I can both understand and respect that view.
Some people are critical of the victims. They are wondering why they have never stepped forward until now. In some cases it has been 30 years since the incidents have taken place. There are those that stand by the accused and have very ignorant remarks regarding the allegations. This is what has provoked me to write about this subject today.
Let us look at a different perspective. The perspective of the victims. So many factors are involved in remaining quiet that we cannot judge some one who does not come forward. Fear is usually the driving force. For others it is shame. There are cases of threats, physical abuse that keeps them quiet, blackmail (this is especially true in positions of power or affluence) and of course ruining someones life.
From a perspective of victim, terror is a huge factor. Being terrified and feeling stuck and full of shame, full of regret, full of self loathing. If this has never happened to you, you will never know what it feels like to be helpless and alone. And please do not judge someone for this either, they have enough to contend with.
Now, I am not saying that all accusations are truth. We are well aware of how deceitful people can be especially in regards to money and power. Some people have something to gain by destroying someone else's life. And this is just as disturbing as the cases that are legit.
One thing that we need to do is begin to empower ourselves. We need to help empower others so that they may find their strength. This is my reason for writing this.
Let us Stand Up! Let us Speak Up! Let us make it okay to tell someone when something bad happens to us so that we are not afraid or embarrassed. Let us make it okay For our normal reaction to tell someone and get help rather than hide in the shadows and harm ourselves by shaming ourselves. The people who harm others are the ones who should be shamed and the more that people come forward the better it will be in the long run, I truly believe this.
Let us stop shaming, stop hating.
Stand up for ourselves!
Stand up for each other!
Speak up for yourself!
Speak up for others!
Do not remain silent. Speak on the offenses right away, do not let time get away from you. Tell someone, there is always someone out there that will listen. There is someone out there who will care. Take it from me, there is help. There is hope.
Love wins!!!

Keeping Culture and the Arts Alive, Phoenix Style!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of accompanying my good friend Angelica aka RoseWax to the Heard Museum for the annual Artes Vivas Mercado de las Artes at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. The featured artist was Martin Moreno who had some amazing pieces that were painted, sketched, mosaics and etched. He was so friendly and full of knowledge. He was so willing to tell the story of the pieces on display and what went into their creation. He is a true inspiration and stands for community development, education and culture. I had the pleasure of speaking with him in depth about his art and the processes that he uses to create his amazing work. I also had the pleasure of meeting Veronica Verdugo-Lomeli. She is an amazing artist who recently had a gallery showing at the local Xico Gallery for her Growing Up Phoenix show. Her work is breathtaking and fills me with emotion and inspiration. Her work showcases the culture of Arizona as well and truly is a positive influence for our community. After speaking with the artists throughout the market, I meandered my way through the rest of the open air market. There was a fantastic performance by Samba dancers, they really had the crowd on their feet and shaking their tale feathers! We were treated to 2 different Mariachi performances by Mariachi Pasion and Mariachi Fuego de Phoenix. There was a wonderful Open Mic performance by Phonetic Spit which truly inspired the writer within myself. Rose Wax Vinyl Club and Siek held down the music with fantastic choices in between wonderful performances but the other entertainers at the event. The final set was done by local group Phoenix Afro Beat Orchestra. There were also activities for kids and adults, face painting and whistle making by artist Beto Perez (he even had to help me, my whistle making skills were amateur) and screen printing by Xico Gallery.
I am honored to be a part of this great city and all of the culture and diversity which is celebrated everyday. All you have to do is look around you and you will find numerous free events for the whole family that will celebrate diversity, the arts, music and community. Take a look on the web and see what you can find! You can look up the Heard Museum for other events coming soon. Thanks for reading!

Join Me In An Adventure To My Favorite Local Record Shop: Crates Records and Gear!

My most favorite record shop is in Sunnyslope, AZ. We now go to the North Mountain side. It is an amazing little shop packed with HUGE things. It is called Crates Records and Gear and it is owned by two of the coolest cats I know, big shout out to Serg and Todd!!!! I was blessed to meet these guys from my partner in crime. I walked into the shop my first time and immediately fell in LOVE. I was greeted not by just a mere hello, but by a hug by both of the guys! I knew that I would love it here. The walls are lined with wooden crates (yes, real Crates) full of records! The center of the store is filled with wheeled, portable crates. The back of the shop has a fantastic DJ set up! There is a studio as well! And a barbershop!! What more can you ask for, I mean really?? So in a brief synopsis.... a lovely record shop, art from local artists, a barbershop, a recording studio, a DJ set up, they have a radio station called Crates Radio run on Spreaker.com and so much more!! I mean, I really cannot put it into words but I will show you in pictures! It has been an honor to be a part of this family. They are informative, honest, fair priced and carry literally something for everyone in this store. Recently my partner held a Pop Up Art show before the Podcast that they put on called Slope Style Saturdays and it was a success. This is another great aspect of the shop. They believe in and support the arts, especially local talent. Local DJ's such as DJ Twist1, DJ Leidiom, DJ Rosewax, DJ Siek von Doom, DJ Darrell D, Durokski and much more! Not too many places have this much to offer. Stickers, Adult Vinyl Collectibles, Art, Model Trains featuring local writers, Clothing, Hats, Record Players, a barber (SNIPZ), a recording studio, a DJ set up (on which they let people play the records that they want to purchase if they ask nicely) and way cool events too. Their grand opening featured live music, live DJ's, live art and a cookout! I mean really this is the best place to hang out and add to your collection and have a great time! I always find hidden gems within the crates! I have found The Warriors sound track, Prince, Send Me an Angel (from the movie RAD) and original 2Pac. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun this place is. You really need to come and find out for yourself, you will not be disappointed. Stop in and see them, meet the guys, dig for hours and have fun! You can find them on Instagram - cratesrecordsandgear and on Facebook and of course give them a listen on Spreaker.com under Crates Radio. You will find the shop at:
Crates Records and Gear
8841 N Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85020
Hours:
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Tuesday through Friday 9:30am to 8:00pm
Saturdays 9:30am to 6:00pm