A Living Legend and Summer Traditions
I received this message on Google Hangouts back in June: "Hi, Kevin! I am a journalist (freelance, though this piece is for Jalopnik) and I am writing about someone you know. Wanted to see about having a quick interview with you."
I wasn't sure what to think so I messaged him back: "Sure."
The person contacting me is named David and he was doing a story about a man who lived next to us for several years in the late '60s and early '70s: Jim Barbour. In doing his research about Jim, David came across this piece I'd written ten years earlier where I talked a little about Jim, or Mr. Barbour as I knew him. He said my blog post was about the only thing he could find online about him and he wanted to know if I had some time to share any additional memories or thoughts I may have about Jim that he could possibly use in the article he was writing. I was happy to help.
We spoke on the phone for 20 minutes. I told him of my intrigue with Mr. Barbour. I'd often see him out in his driveway tinkering with his blue Austin-Healey Sprite race car, and how cool it was when I learned that he raced it at the track in Brainerd. I also spoke of how it apparently wasn't lost on anyone in the neighborhood that a black family was moving in and how I sensed a level of concern that wasn't there for any of the other white families when they moved into their newly built homes in our neighborhood between Jefferson High School and Hubert Olson Elementary/Junior High in Bloomington.
David published his piece a few days ago, and it's very good. I believe he told me he spent 15 hours over the course of 2 days with Jim to gather as much history about him as he could. My contribution didn't make it into his story but it may in a future continuation piece or on David's podcast. No worries. I'm just happy to see Jim's story told.
From Tuskegee Airman to Racing Godfather, Jim Barbour Is the Living Legend You Don’t Know About
I'm beginning to get excited to get back down in our glass shop and come up with some new stained glass designs to bring to life. I woke up to a notification a few days ago informing me that I'd sold 2 small sun-catcher panels overnight; this in addition to another I'd sold a couple days earlier. It's not as though my pieces have been flying off the shelves of my Etsy site so this was a pleasant surprise. But my shop will have to wait until the snow begins to fall. That's just the way it is.
One of our traditions in the summer is a trip to Rochester to spend an afternoon with Rachel, taking in the food, music, and artists selling their work downtown at the city's weekly Thursdays on First and 3rd event during the summer. It's always a nice time for us to get together and catch up on what's happening in her life. She's really made Rochester her home and is putting her roots down there. We can understand why. She's continually running into friends along the way while we're with her and we couldn't be happier for her. She's thriving there.
Tammy and I made it out to the Uptown Art Fair Friday afternoon and into the evening—another of our summer traditions. We really enjoyed ourselves, taking in the various artwork for sale and conversing with many of the artists. As a bonus, we came away with some nice pieces of art as well. Tammy spotted a print of a painting that she'd mistaken for a photo. She called me over to have a look and I could see why she liked it. Without much hesitation, we decided to purchase it. It's titled Serenity, and it hangs on a wall in our kitchen.
I had a long ride of 170 miles (254 km) on Tuesday as part of my training for the Dawn to Dusk, 207 mile (333 km) ride with the Silver Cyclists club in Lakeville a month from now. I could've done the full distance on Tuesday but that wasn't the point. I'm simply trying to get some decent base miles in my legs so I have both the confidence and stamina to do the ride with enough strength in my legs to go even further if I wanted. I could go into the ride less fit and draft among the group, having them pull me home but I'd never show up for the ride if that's how ill-prepared I was.
That's all I've got.
I wasn't sure what to think so I messaged him back: "Sure."
The person contacting me is named David and he was doing a story about a man who lived next to us for several years in the late '60s and early '70s: Jim Barbour. In doing his research about Jim, David came across this piece I'd written ten years earlier where I talked a little about Jim, or Mr. Barbour as I knew him. He said my blog post was about the only thing he could find online about him and he wanted to know if I had some time to share any additional memories or thoughts I may have about Jim that he could possibly use in the article he was writing. I was happy to help.
We spoke on the phone for 20 minutes. I told him of my intrigue with Mr. Barbour. I'd often see him out in his driveway tinkering with his blue Austin-Healey Sprite race car, and how cool it was when I learned that he raced it at the track in Brainerd. I also spoke of how it apparently wasn't lost on anyone in the neighborhood that a black family was moving in and how I sensed a level of concern that wasn't there for any of the other white families when they moved into their newly built homes in our neighborhood between Jefferson High School and Hubert Olson Elementary/Junior High in Bloomington.
David published his piece a few days ago, and it's very good. I believe he told me he spent 15 hours over the course of 2 days with Jim to gather as much history about him as he could. My contribution didn't make it into his story but it may in a future continuation piece or on David's podcast. No worries. I'm just happy to see Jim's story told.
From Tuskegee Airman to Racing Godfather, Jim Barbour Is the Living Legend You Don’t Know About
I'm beginning to get excited to get back down in our glass shop and come up with some new stained glass designs to bring to life. I woke up to a notification a few days ago informing me that I'd sold 2 small sun-catcher panels overnight; this in addition to another I'd sold a couple days earlier. It's not as though my pieces have been flying off the shelves of my Etsy site so this was a pleasant surprise. But my shop will have to wait until the snow begins to fall. That's just the way it is.
One of our traditions in the summer is a trip to Rochester to spend an afternoon with Rachel, taking in the food, music, and artists selling their work downtown at the city's weekly Thursdays on First and 3rd event during the summer. It's always a nice time for us to get together and catch up on what's happening in her life. She's really made Rochester her home and is putting her roots down there. We can understand why. She's continually running into friends along the way while we're with her and we couldn't be happier for her. She's thriving there.
Tammy and I made it out to the Uptown Art Fair Friday afternoon and into the evening—another of our summer traditions. We really enjoyed ourselves, taking in the various artwork for sale and conversing with many of the artists. As a bonus, we came away with some nice pieces of art as well. Tammy spotted a print of a painting that she'd mistaken for a photo. She called me over to have a look and I could see why she liked it. Without much hesitation, we decided to purchase it. It's titled Serenity, and it hangs on a wall in our kitchen.
I had a long ride of 170 miles (254 km) on Tuesday as part of my training for the Dawn to Dusk, 207 mile (333 km) ride with the Silver Cyclists club in Lakeville a month from now. I could've done the full distance on Tuesday but that wasn't the point. I'm simply trying to get some decent base miles in my legs so I have both the confidence and stamina to do the ride with enough strength in my legs to go even further if I wanted. I could go into the ride less fit and draft among the group, having them pull me home but I'd never show up for the ride if that's how ill-prepared I was.
That's all I've got.
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