get the led out

I'm back! After some technical difficulties and some much needed vacation time, I'm back to keep you up to date on what's
happening. Hope you are all having a great summer.

Karen, Zoe and I have returned from a couple of vacations this past July. The first was in Alaska, where we boarded a cruise ship and followed the coastline from Whittier south to Vancouver. Highlights include the incredible, seemingly endless mountain scenery, cruising through Glacier Bay National Park, Skagway Brewing Company's Spruce Tip Ale, the Mendenhall Glacier and a great excursion to the rainforest with Karen to run ziplines high among the spruce and cedar trees.

Our second vacation was far more low-key and relaxing. We stayed with some friends in an old farmhouse in Vermont. The weather was great and we spent the days lounging leisurely and eating very well from the local farmstands. Right before we returned to PA I bought an amazing 2 lb heirloom tomato called "Black From Tula" at the local farmer's market. It's a strain from western Russia and the flavor was fantastic. Back at home I made a few pizzas with it, and just ate it raw. It had smoky and salty undertones. I'm going to try to grow some here next summer.

This also the summer of Led Zeppelin. An annual ritual shared with my pal Erik where we listen to a single band's
catalog chronologically throughout the summer. With all the vacations between us we got a little off schedule but we're gonna
get to them all. This week is "Houses of the Holy". Even Zoe's down with it - that's her clutching a copy of Led Zeppelin IV.

Next week I'll post about my upcoming trip to Madison - Bouckville , NY... Cheers!

time...passes quickly

Long overdue update! I've been really busy since returning from Texas and the opening of "The Other Side Of Anonymity" so I'm happy to get back to some regular postings.

Karen and I had a marvelous time in Austin. The show looked amazing and we were very pleased with the response. The weather was great, we spent quality time with friends and we ate some really good food. Culinary highlights include tacos from Torchy's on South 1st. I liked the fried avocado as well as the barbacoa. Karen preferred the shredded pork. We also had a nice banh mi from LuLu B's on South Lamar.

Onward into the future...I'm back to my weekly Saturdays at the Garage in Chelsea, NYC. Spring is here and I'm out looking for as much great stuff as I can find. Check out these vintage neon signs I just found.




Anyway, check back often. I'm planning on posting pictures of new stuff as I find it. As usual, you can reach me at thatspoppycock@gmail.com or mike@loandbeholdantiques.com

Thanks for your attention!

soon...

A quick update while I'm in the vicinity of a wireless signal. Been in Texas for 5 days now. The acquisitions department of Lo & Behold has not been as active as I had hoped over that period. Nevertheless, I soldier on with the promise of the Marburger Farm show on Tuesday.

Living out at the remote cabin has been great. Lots of indian paintbrush and only a sparse amount of bluebonnets. I've been watching roadrunners from the house. Very windy. I love the solitude in short bursts. Sometimes I listen to just the wind and insects. On the other hand I also listened to Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" at top volume at midnight a few days ago.

Below is the view from the front porch.

I have not had any barbecue so far - I'm being really picky about where and when. Had some disappointing tacos al pastor at Gueros. Will try again with some friends tonight at Azul.

Here's another one from the property.

My upcoming art show at Yard Dog now has a name - "The Other Side of Anonymity". Be sure to check it out - it opens on Saturday April 12th.

That's it for now. Check back in a few days. Wish me luck!

-Mike

Texas...rapidly approaching

Hello again.

I'm taking a little time out from working to let you know about some upcoming stuff I'm pretty excited about.

First, I'm getting set to take my spring trip to Round Top, TX for the dizzying array of antique shows that will happen over the next few weeks. I now only go to buy stuff, so you won't find me set up anywhere out there. This trip is always a wonderful (but hectic) blend of business, old friends and Texas-style fun. I'll probably update this blog a few times from the secluded ranch cabin where I stay on these trips, so stay tuned.

Second, I'm rapidly finishing up work on a new collection of photo-collage for my second show at Yard Dog Folk Art Gallery in Austin. The show opens on April 12, 2008 and I'm really psyched. The picture above is a partial preview of what will be featured in that show. You can check out their website here http://www.yarddog.com/

As usual feel free to contact me at thatspoppycock@gmail.com

-Mike

ps. I've just filled out my bracket - I'm taking Kansas all the way. Go Temple!

blind faith

No, that's not the ufo that was spotted in Stephenville, Texas back in January. It's the lighting rig above the stage at Madison Square Garden, where some friends and I went to see the 3rd and last of the sold-out Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood shows. It was my first visit to the Garden and it was inspiring. We were on the floor and it felt pretty cool to be under the jumbotron where guys like Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing played night after night. Admittedly, I'm really only a passing fan of Clapton and Winwood. However, the show was fantastic. They did a bunch of Blind Faith tunes as well as some Traffic and Hendrix numbers. It's remarkable that even while burning through Hendrix classics like Voodoo Chile and Little Wing, there was no mistake who was playing guitar - Eric Clapton. His tone and feel are immediately recognizable. Steve Winwood took some impressive turns on the guitar as well. This probably means I'll end up obsessively listening to the classic album "Blind Faith" for the next few months. The most impressive part may be that despite having 16 oz of beer accidentally dumped on me by an amateur bar patron before the show and getting stranded for two and one half hours on I-78 in central NJ at 2am with 2 flat tires, it was, as my good friend Jim said "still worth it!"

failure to launch

Ugh. I'm still dealing with the nasty lingering remnants of a cold (or the flu? I dunno...) that started just about 2 weeks ago. This week was pretty uneventful. I didn't set up at the Garage in Chelsea this Saturday. That's what my empty spot looks like when I'm not there. Thanks to my pal Janet West for the photo! I'll be back next Saturday, so come see me upstairs in space 102!

I was looking forward all week to seeing the Levon Helm Band in Philadelphia on Friday, but alas that plan fell apart when my mates began calling in with unforseen family obligations and illnesses. The only upside to an otherwise bland week was getting to do a little extra shopping in the outer regions of my loop I would normally skip. I managed to find a pair of giant Pyrex lab jars that are really cool.

Soundtrack to the week: the New York Dolls - New York Dolls.

new location!

Ok, so I've decided to move "that's poppycock!" here. Hopefully I'll update it often with the most banal details of my life so you'll never have to wonder about what I'm doing. Look for that along with photos of new merch and art.

Anyway, to those of you that don't know already, my beautiful wife Karen gave birth to our daughter Zoe Claire Linder Miller back in November 2007. That's Zoe up there checking out her left fist. She's really good at that and projectile spit-ups on her mom after midnight. It's hard to describe how much I love her. I've been sick for the last week so I have not been able to hold her much lately - I don't like it.

I am totally amused that the New England Patriots fucked themselves in the Super Bowl. As an Eagles fan I hate the New York Giants, but god bless 'em, they put that smug Bill Belichick in a miserable position - and to that, I salute you.