I have been quite fortunate to stay at some incredible hotels in my adult life. More often than not these stays haven’t cost me anything as I’ve typically been the guest of an automaker or on some occasions, the hotel. In my early years of traveling the whole “it’s been taken care of” element really colored my overall opinion of the experience. Just about any decent accommodations suddenly seem excellent when the room is free and incidentals are covered too.

The longer I stayed in the game, the more discerning I became. I became acutely aware of the details that set one hotel apart from another. At every property I visited I eventually started putting myself in the shoes of someone who was paying their own way. The shine wears off pretty quick when you consider the financial outlay that some of these places require. On the surface, great hotels appear to be plentiful everywhere. There’s always a new design forward, wellness centered, F&B-team-led concept having a moment. Upon closer inspection many of these fade from memory into the great mess of mediocrity that’s prevalent not only in hotels, but the whole world of hospitality. It’s understandable too. This shit ain’t easy to pull off, let alone sustain year after year. With that in mind, here are 5 hotels that I think have nailed what I call “The Three Esses”, Service, Setting, and Sleep.

Monteverdi Tuscany - Castiglioncello del Trinoro, Italy

Megan and I visited on our honeymoon in October of 2022. I think I’ve brought up Monteverdi at least once a month since then. It is the total package. Fairytale location, dedicated staff, incredible spa, and a dining program that’s worth the trip on its own. The village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro only has a handful of full time residents. One visit to Monteverdi Tuscany and you’ll wish you were one of them, with the caveat that you get unlimited spa days.

The Peninsula Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan

An obvious choice? Perhaps, but that doesn’t make it any less deserving. Hands down the most attentive and detail oriented service I’ve ever experienced. Some might say the property is in need of modernization, I disagree. I prefer my spa bathroom experience to be button operated instead of via a glitchy tablet. Same goes for the powered blinds for my floor to ceiling windows. A fax machine in the room? Charming. There are other 5 Star hotels in Tokyo I’ve yet to stay at, but from what I can tell they’re short on the character The Peninsula is deeply imbued with. Location overlooking both Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace is unreal. For more on both the hotel and nearby destinations I enjoyed, check out this story I did for Cool Hunting.

7132 Hotel - Vals, Switzerland

The photo above is the view from the patio where I had breakfast. Underneath that grass is one of the best geothermal spas in the world designed by Peter Zumthor. I’ve stayed in a few hotels in Switzerland and Austria that I categorize as “Bond Hotels” as they could easily have been a location in a 007 film. I plan to elaborate on those properties in another newsletter. With regard to 7132, it is like being transported to another planet where food’s flavor is more intense and everybody sleeps soundly. My visit was brief, but impactful. The drive in, the arrival ceremony, the views. In a country with no shortage of fine hotels, 7132 deservingly stands out.

Wickaninnish Inn - Tofino, British Columbia

When I think of Wickaninnish Inn I hear the sound of waves crashing against rocks outside my room. I can pretty much taste the salt spray from standing on Chesterman Beach and feel the warmth of the sun going down over the North Pacific. Vancouver Island as a whole is a special place and Tofino a standout destination. A few nights at “The Wick” and it’s easy to understand why. The place is steeped in local culture and is ultimately the result of decades of a family dreaming, planning and finally, acting. To call it a labor-of-love would be an understatement. Since opening in 1996, The Wick has been recognized for its exceptional hospitality(it was added to the Relais & Châteaux family only a year after opening) for both overnight guests and dining guests alike. A few days here is like being on the frontier of another planet where all your senses are just a bit sharper. On top of all of that, I had one(or two…) of the best Negroni’s I’ve had in my life at their bar.

Le Vieux Castillon - Castillon-du-Gard, France

Above is probably the best of the very few photos I took while staying at Le Vieux Castillon. Rarely do I ever look back on a visit to a hotel only to find that I didn’t take enough photos. That this is the case with Le Vieux speaks volumes about the sort of experience you have on property. It’s one of those places that doesn’t demand your complete attention so much as it puts you in a state of mind where you can’t help but to be present. Being perched on top of a hill overlooking the valley of Gardon, where the Provencal winds of summer warm you as soon as you step out of the pool, might have something to do with that. Utterly relaxing, deeply charming and with a non-corporate current of authenticity running through it, Le Vieux is truly a hidden gem.

That’s It, That’s All.

Hey ya’ll, it’s been a minute since my last piece. Between holiday travel, the cold that everyone got(the second round of the cold that everyone got) and taking advantage of favorable weather conditions whenever possible, time to sit down and write has been truly scarce. For example, I started this piece on my fortieth birthday and here we are with it publishing a week later.

With everything else that was going on in 2025 I didn’t have much time to think about turning forty. Fine by me, I’ve never been much of a “big birthday” sort of guy. Maybe it’s because of the proximity to the holidays in general or the fact that January 2nd is typically when a sobering reality hits most people. For most of my adult life all I’ve wanted to do is go snowboarding and have a nice meal with the people I love. There are of course exceptions, like 18 and 21, that included behavior that I shake my head at in disgust now. That being said, reaching this milestone has made it crystal clear just how young(and dumb) you are at those ages. I haven’t gone full “old-man-yelling-at-the-sky” just yet, but the past decade has certainly shown me just how little I knew in my 20s. If you could permit me one wild generalization to kick things off, it’s that anyone under 30 can’t be taken seriously, both for their own wellbeing and for that of society at large.

Now then, with that out of the way, here are 39 more rational thoughts that came to mind when I set out to put this list together.

39.) Cost-per-wear buying logic has been co-opted by shitty luxury brands. If it has a logo on it, you’re going to get tired of wearing it before you get the value out of it.

38.) When you think of calling or texting a friend or family member you haven’t talked to in awhile, do so immediately. Doesn’t need to turn into a conversation, a simple “I was just thinking of you” will suffice. The older you get, the more important this is.

37.) You don’t have to drive a nice vehicle, you do have to drive a vehicle that’s well suited to your use case.

36.) Well made leather footwear is worth shelling out for. They’ll age with you and the stories you’ll gain along the way with patina are worth every dollar.

35.) You’ve probably heard this before, but don’t be so goddamn hard on yourself. I’m still working on this, but it’s worth keeping in mind everyday. As Scott Galloway likes to say “nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems” or if you prefer the original parental wisdom “it’s not the end of the world.”

34.) Sauna > Steam Room, always.

33.) When it comes to neighborhoods, walkability trumps exclusivity every time.

32.) Dining out is really only worth if a.) you’re eating food you can’t make at home or b.) the environment merits a visit all on its own.

31.) Investing in your health early is the best investment you can make. Keep it reasonable though. You probably don’t need a cabinet full of supplements or a $300/mo gym membership.

30.) The importance of a great mattress and pillows cannot be overstated.

29.) At any event where people have been drinking, there’s no need to do the “big goodbye”. You can just take off, they won’t remember when you left.

28.) Learn how to make coffee and espresso at home, watch the savings pile up.

27.) Culture has been flattening exponentially since the advent of social media. It doesn’t take much to be the most interesting person in the room, but you’re not going to achieve that by being extremely online.

26.) There are few problems that can’t be solved by moving your body.

25.) Everyone should drive across the United States and back at least once. I-90 and I-80 are the most scenic Interstates, I-70 and I-40 are the most eye opening.

24.) A few friendly games of tennis and basketball a week will keep you in great shape.

23.) You do not always need to have the newest iPhone.

22.) If something is free, you’re the product. (More specifically, your data is)

21.) Having even just a basic understanding of how the worlds of CPG(consumer packaged goods) and digital marketing interact will save you a-lot of money. Might even make you some too.

20.) The best camera really is the one you have with you. For most people that’s their phone, but trying keeping a disposable or two in your car.

19.) Drinking on planes is dramatically overrated, especially on international flights. Have a glass of champagne or wine, have whatever protein they’re offering, then go to sleep.

18.) Do your best to stay off social media while traveling and definitely wait to post anything until you’re home. There are trips from early in my career that I barely remember because I was so caught up with posting in real time. If it’s a hosted trip, it’s okay to tell a brand this is your standard practice.

17.) Japan is as amazing as everyone says it is.

16.) Switzerland is the most beautiful country I’ve been to.

15.) 4 days is the correct amount of time to go somewhere warm, sit on a beach and do nothing. Add some activities in there and you can stretch to 10 days, maybe.

14.) Fries are better a “dessert” order than an appetizer or a side.

13.) When it comes to dining, the Italians have it figured out. The French are a close second.

12.) There are only 30-ish cars from the past 30 years actually worth owning.

11.) Assume everyone is worse at driving than you are. Once you operate from this viewpoint, your head will be on a swivel and you’ll actually be a better driver.

10.) There is absolutely no excuse for a taking a call on speakerphone in public. This is grounds for expulsion from wherever you are. Same goes for watching videos or listening to music without headphones.

9.) Debt is an amazing tool if used properly. Get financially literate, there’s no excuse not to be in this day and age.

8.) The Beatles are the greatest band of all time.

7.) You can always pivot in life, but it gets a hell of a-lot more difficult when it’s no a solo show anymore.

6.) There’s no one timeline for achievements, but there will be mile-markers if you’re on the right path.

5.) Everyone should have to work in hospitality and retail at some point, preferably when they’re young.

4.) Being a parent doesn’t automatically make you an adult, it invites you to become one, quickly.

3.) The full human experience can only be had by being a parent.

2.) This isn’t the best time to be alive in human history.

1.) The journey is the reward.

Cheers- AM

That’s It, That’s All!

* Strong recommendation on hitting play before reading, as I often did at some point in my drive north.

For the better part of my adult life Thanksgiving week meant an 8 hour roadtrip from Los Angeles to the mountain town of Truckee that’s situated 30 minutes north of Lake Tahoe. I called the railroad-town-turned-winter-sports-destination home for a few years in the mid-’Aughts and have remained close with a number of people I met during era.

The last season I lived in Truckee I opted to stay for Thanksgiving rather than meet my family in Arizona and was invited over to the home of a friend who grew up there. That Thanksgiving is forever etched in my memory and changed the way I think of the holiday. Up until that year I had spent every Thanksgiving with family either in Vermont, Arizona or Manhattan. Who was involved varied year to year, but typically it was my parents, sisters and grandparents. Wherever we were it was more of an intimate and traditional sort of affair.

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Over at my friend’s house there was a mix of family, friends, neighbors and a whole bunch of snowboarders that were a long way from home with nowhere else to go, except maybe Taco Bell. There was a wide variety of food and lots of it. The basement was a scene with a pool table, beer pong and a keg. Up in the loft there were constant high score attempts happening on the pinball machine and various board games happening simultaneously. We carried on as late as we could, not wanting the day to end, but also safe in the knowledge that we were invited back for leftovers after going snowboarding on Friday.

That year marked the first of many Thanksgivings in Truckee with my chosen family. A love of the mountains and winter sports drew us to there, but it was always the people that kept those of us who moved away coming back. This was especially clear the years when the forecast called for little snow or not at all. The drive up Highway 395(or “The 5” if I wasn’t stopping in Mammoth Lakes) became an annual pilgrimage not only to get back on a snowboard, but to check-in with friends and their families. Of course as so often happens as you get older I lost touch with some people, but others I became closer with every year. Some years were still big events that included two dinners at different parents houses or back-to-back days of full Thanksgiving meals. Others were smaller, but still equally as memorable, which reminded me it’s not the scale of the event, but the quality of the company present that makes the day.

I didn’t know the last time I did Thanksgiving in Truckee would be the last time. You rarely know when that’s going to be the case with anything in life. An exception would be, “the last time you do X before you become a parent”. The further into the first year of fatherhood I get, the more I understand that there are major milestones in life, but none that so clearly define the end of one era and beginning of another in the way that having a child does. Moving from Los Angeles to Nashville pales in comparison. There is simply life before you’re a parent and life after.

I’ve been thinking about this a-lot lately, but especially in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. I miss loading up the car in the dark and leaving LA while the city is still sleeping. I miss seeing dawn break over the high desert and reflect off the wind turbines in Mojave. I miss the open road filling the windshield and the ancient peaks of the Sierras towering over me. I miss the excitement of the last hour of the drive and drawing in that first breath of cold mountain air when I’d get out of the car. I miss the warm welcome from my friends at the front door and the flurry of conversation that follows.

I miss all of that and more, but not as much as I love being a husband and a father.

Now, I didn’t set out to write the piece I wrote here. Honestly this was supposed to be a quick trip down memory lane by way of photos tagged with “Thanksgiving”, “Highway 395” or “Truckee”. It was also supposed to be published yesterday. Best laid plans and all that.

There’s more I’d like to say(always is), but I’ve got to get ready for dinner with our new friends who invited us over. Rather appropriate to start a new era with a new shared table I suppose. The drive over is short, but the excitement is strangely familiar. Again, a nice setting helps, however it’s always going to be about the people. So drop a line to the ones who you’re thankful for(if you haven’t done so already) and maybe take a little trip down memory lane of your own.

Happy Thanksgiving - AM

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1. Tudor Ranger in 36mm.

Tudor finally listened to the cries of watch enthusiasts and made a 36mm Ranger. This is the correct size for almost any watch, but especially a time-only '“daily driver” like this. I’m partial to the beige face myself and could see it making a nice stable mate to my 16710 GMT Master II.

2. 3sixteen Summit Fleece

There’s plenty to like in the latest batch of activewear from 3sixteen, but the Summit Fleece is particularly great. I’m a sucker for Ecru fleece in just about any form, especially when paired with navy contrast elements. It’s like they made this jacket for me, which is really nice of them.

3. 2027 KIA Telluride

Continuing an unmitigated win streak that stretches back at least 5 years, KIA unveiled the 2027 Telluride at the LA Auto Show this past week. I’m not in the market for a new 3 row SUV, but if I was, this would be it. Inside and out the Telluride goes well beyond in-segment competitors in both quality of design and available creature comforts, making a compelling case to be considered a luxury vehicle.

4. Leica Q3 Monochrom

In the world of “wants vs. needs” a Leica already ranks quite high. However, for those of us that prefer to shoot in black and white most of the time, it’s not such a wild idea to have a camera that does exactly that, and does it really, really well. With a 60mp sensor that’s unencumbered by color filters and the fastest lens ever integrated into a compact full-frame camera, the Q3 Monochrom fits the bill and then some.

5. One & Only Moonlight Basin

I used to sleep in cars and pack into motel rooms with a bunch of friends in order to ride the best mountains. Now I’m aiming to visit One & Only’s first location in North America later this winter. Trading over-the-top après scenes for an iconic spa and Akira Back’s modern Japanese dining sounds pretty good to me.

6. Terra Kaffe Demi

I’ve been wanting to replace our Nespresso machine for quite some time now, but haven’t been able to decide between the convenience of another instant coffee machine and the satisfaction of a proper espresso machine. The Terra Kaffe Demi splits the difference, starting with fresh whole beans instead of pods, while handling pour size, temperature and style of brew with the push of a button. With it being $200-off normal price right now, now’s probably the time to bring it home.

7. Buck Mason x Anatomica Beach Cloth Jacket

Another day, another great collaboration capsule from Buck Mason. This time they’ve linked up with Japanese heavy hitter Anatomica to deliver pieces that feel 100% authentic to both brands. While it’s all great, the Beach Cloth Jacket is the one as far as I’m concerned. The beach cloth fabric was painstakingly recreated through trial-and-error by founders Pierre Fournier and Kinji Teramoto, with the result yielding a jacket that is faithful to the American workwear staple on which it is based.

8. Burton Counterbalance snowboard

When it comes to snowboards, I’ll admit I have a bit of a problem. These days you don’t really need more than one, especially with boards like the Counterbalance which is touted as a “quiver-killer”, meaning it’s a true all-mountain and conditions solution. I think I currently have 4-5 “quiver-killers” in my quiver of 15+ boards. Maybe this will be the one…maybe.

Enjoy the weekend, I’ll be back before Thanksgiving with more This Nice Life -AM

Last week I was in Austin to watch Formula 1 as a guest of Velocity Black, a membership based digital concierge app that promises extraordinary experiences in the palm of your hand. Given that within a few hours of landing in Austin I found myself sitting next to rising talent Jak Crawford in the passenger seat of a 2025 Aston Martin Vantage S, doing 155mph on the back straight at Circuit of The Americas, I’d say VB delivers on that promise and then some.

As exciting as all the access I had at the track was, not to mention the race itself, being back in Austin had its own appeal. I’d always enjoyed my time when visiting, but that was before I moved to Nashville. People have been comparing the two towns at their respective ends of “The Music Highway” since the mid-20th century, but in the past decade they’ve each experienced massive transformations. The question rattling around my head going into this trip was “Will I still enjoy Austin now that I live in Nashville?”. The short answer is, Yes. The long answer is best left for another more robust piece.

With so much going on over the weekend the trip itinerary was packed. Given that I travel much less than I used to, I was intent on making the most of what free time I did have in Austin. Although I generally consider them a plague on American streets and sidewalks(more a fault of users, not the product) electric scooters and glider bikes are major time savers in a city that’s perpetually under construction and poorly planned for the amount of people now living there. I also used the city of Austin’s e-bike offering a few times so I could enjoy the wonderful paths where scooters can’t go. I would have used it more, but the app is quite buggy and you’re really rolling the dice on getting a bike whose maintenance has been kept up with. Again, worth it specifically to gain access to the 10 mile Ann and Roy Butler Trail that runs along both sides of the Colorado River, unless you feel like walking or running of course. Doing even a small section of the trail or crossing over one of the pedestrian bridges gives you a great sense of place and offers some nice views as well.

Enjoy Selections From The Archive

This Nice Life OTG

This Nice Life OTG No.2

This Nice Life OTG No.3

This Nice Life OTG No.4

Walking Rome With The Kodak H35

If you’re not doing some sort lakeside activity or actually on the water either rowing, paddle-boarding or swimming, you’re probably eating, drinking, shopping or listening to live music. I’m not saying that’s all there is to do in Austin, there are in fact many golf courses and gun ranges too.

Jokes aside, Austin’s food and beverage scene is robust. It’s not all BBQ and tacos, although if that’s what you’re looking for there a few better cities to indulge those cravings in. Franklin Barbecue and la Barbecue live up to the hype. Getting to meet Aaron Franklin and checkout the smoker room on this visit was quite special. Again, hat-tip to Velocity Black for making that possible. On the taco front I’m a creature of habit and usually end up at Guero’s Taco Bar on South Congress. It doesn’t hurt that it’s across the street from one of my all-time favorite clothing stores, STAG(who just celebrated 16 years in Austin while I was there) and a few doors down there’s the Austin outpost of Imogene + Willie.

Apart from those go-to’s everywhere I ate in Austin this trip was new to me. I had a fantastic dinner at Mexican seafood restaurant Este after enjoying a few cocktails at their more casual Spanish influenced spot next door Bar ToTi. The Cachetada Taco(flattened and seared wagyu ribeye) and Tuna Tiradito were my personal favorites, but absolutely everything we were served hit all the right flavor notes. Our waiter also recommended one of the best small batch mezcal’s I’ve ever tried simply by me telling him I like “vegetal” mezcal more than smoky.

The other outstanding dinner was at this trendy Caribbean spot Canje that infuses flavors and dishes from Guyana into the equation. The result is a restaurant that truly takes you on a flavor journey without veering off into a world of pretense. I look forward to going back specifically for the Guyanese style roti, fried plantains, curry wagyu beef and jerk chicken. It’s the kind of spot where the energy matches the food. It’s easy to linger for another cocktail or dessert.

As you can imagine, Austin has no shortage of third wave coffee shops. Given how packed my mornings were I didn’t delve too deep into researching what’s what as far as the coffee scene goes. I did manage to make it to a few spots recommended by trustworthy sources though. Flat Track Coffee is a little slice of Portland(OR or ME to be honest) while Texas mini-chain Merit Coffee is big on quality, lighter on individuality. I didn’t make it to Idlewild Coffee, but since it’s attached to a skate shop, I’m going to assume I’d dig it. One spot I was hell bent on making it to was Bird Bird Biscuit. With three locations around town I figured they must be doing something right and I was pleased to find that’s the case. I opted for a Little Bird(egg over medium/cheddar) and plain biscuit with housemade strawberry jam on the side. I then added one of their fried chicken breasts and a sampling of their various sauces so I could slice up the plain biscuit and try as many flavors as possible without utterly overeating. Next time I’ll have to bring backup so I can try more items.

The same goes for the last spot I have to mention here, Swedish Hill. Located an easy 20 minute walk from downtown in the Old West Austin, this spot left me wanting more of everything they had to offer. Baked goods(buckwheat & jam scone) bright salads(Swedish Caesar) and sides(chicken salad) in a deli case, plus good coffee, I’d be a regular if I lived in the neighborhood. I suspect that a number of the places nearby are well liked by locals too judging by how many people were pulling up at lunch hour on a Monday. Definitely checking out Clark’s Oyster Bar, Better Half and Bar Peached next time I’m in town.

Cheers-AM

After getting a taste of comfortable Autumn weather in the Northeast back in early September, daily highs that allow for some layering have finally arrived in Nashville. My linen and light cotton items have been rotated out, denim, wool and canvas have been rotated in. If you’ve been a reader of this newsletter for a while you may recall I did a series of posts last year about “Autumn Style”. I really enjoyed putting each of them together, so I figured why not do it again?

The catch is that I still stand by all the items I recommended(especially after another year of wear) so of course it’s only right that I should come with a whole crop of new items. Fortunately, the return of DENIM was not overblown and one could say it is in full force. This means more choice for consumers, which is generally a good thing, but attention to detail is of course paramount if you don’t want to end up overpaying for a name. That happens way too often in the world of denim, especially when it comes to “designer jeans”.

Jeans should never cost more than $500. Never. $500 is absurd as it is. Even if you’re a “cost-per-wear” math-wiz or card carrying member of the 1%, that’s just stupid money for an item of clothing that offers excellent quality at half that price or much less. With that in mind, I’ve decided to add a new category this year, Secondhand Jeans. I’ve been much more into eBay and other secondhand retailers this year. I’m no expert, but I’m learning and really enjoying the value there is to be had, especially when it comes to lightly used footwear. I’ll save that discussion for another day, one that’ll be here soon enough. For now, I’m glad to share with you “Autumn Style II: The Return Of The Jeans”.

Enjoy,

-AM

The A.D.E.D(All-Day, Every-Day) Pair: Buck Mason Ford Standard Japanese Denim

Buck Mason has been on a tear the past couple of years, improving not only their quality, but the much needed consistency of that quality. I’ve been much happier with the pieces I’ve bought from them recently, t-shirts, knitwear and outerwear. However I've always shied away from buying one item from them in particular, jeans. Many times I went into a Buck Mason store and tried on jeans, but never bought a pair. The fits weren’t quite right, the denim never felt quite right, they were a miss across the board. I’d venture a guess that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way and top brass must have gotten word, because the Ford Standard Jean is now legit. The 14oz Japanese denim from Kaihara Mills has been lightly rinsed to give it a feel that’s pretty damn close to the iconic A.D.E.D. jeans, vintage MUSA Levi’s 501s. The fit is spot on too with a mid-rise, that’s straight through the thigh and tapers below the knee. As far as color I can only speak for the “M037” style that is now in my rotation, but what qualifies as an “all-day, every-day” pair of jeans is up to the buyer.

The Versatile Mid-weight Indigo Pair: 3sixteen CS-101x Relaxed Straight Indigo Selvedge

3sixteen has grown from an upstart maker of denim goods to a fully fledged label with a line that excels in attention to details. Visit their website and I’d be willing to bet you’ll find something appealing in every category. Of course they still do jeans really, really, well and the CS-101x is a great place to start with their offerings. 3sixteen describes the fit as “high rise, straight back yoke, and a roomy top block with full thighs and a very slight taper from the knee down.” To me, that sounds exactly how pair of dark indigo jeans should fit if they’re intended to be versatile all-year-round. These are cut and sewn in San Francisco from custom raw 12oz selvedge that’s sourced from Kuroki Mills in Okayama. Increasing the approachability factor, they’re sanforized to remove future shrinkage and make them supremely comfortable from the first wear. If you’re in the market for dark indigo jeans that don’t require an extended period of break-in, but will still age beautifully and get you “the nod” from denim heads, look no further.

The Heavyweight Indigo Pair: Flat Head 18oz Indigo Denim Jeans

Look, there’s no getting around the fact that 18oz denim is outside the typical range of jeans most people wear. Most people don’t know what they’re missing. Besides, you’re not most people, are you? Of course not. After-all, you’re here reading this and most people don’t.

So, Flat Head’s “Pioneer Denim” is the stuff of legend in the denim community and now they’re back with “New Pioneer Denim”. 100% American Cotton is woven into a right hand twill denim on vintage Toyoda shuttle looms, before being chain-stitched into the unsanforized indigo selvedge denim jeans you see above. This particular fit is Flat Head’s new “Wide Tapered” and it looks very well suited to a heavier pair of jeans. Mid-high rise, straight leg, slight taper…can’t lose. If you’re just not ready to drop into the heavyweight world, they also offer the “New Pioneer Denim” in a 14.5oz weight and “Straight Tapered” fit.

The Vintage Pair: Levi’s “MUSA” 501xx

The obvious choice? Probably, but when it comes to pre-owned jeans, pretty much impossible to beat the value of the Made In The USA Levi’s 501xx. You can go for a light wash or pre-distressed pair from the ‘90s and be stylin right from the get-go. Personally, I’ve opted for a good ‘ol fashioned medium blue pair like the ones you see above so I can enjoy the fade process. There’s an abundance of these out there and many under $100 too. Happy hunting ya’ll!

The Black Pair: orSlow Ivy Fit Denim 107

I circled the brand orSlow for many years before eventually pulling the trigger on a pair of their jeans. Years of comfort that I can’t get back. Don’t make the same mistake I did, the hype is real. Their “Ivy Fit” is reminiscent of vintage Levi’s 505’s and is well suited to an inky black 12oz Japanese denim. If you’ve been apprehensive about adding a pair of black jeans to your rotation, these are a great place to start from both a fit and finish standpoint. You will likely surprise yourself with how often you reach for them. The more the better because as they fade their place in the wardrobe changes and new styling opportunities arise.

The (Off)White Pair: Sugar Cane 1947 Jean White/Natural

The Extra Unique Pair: Strike Gold 5103 Weft Slub Jean

At first glance these will appear to simply be just another pair of raw denim. I can assure you that is hardly the case. Last year while in Kyoto I picked up a very similar pair from Japan Blue Jeans that utilize the same super short slub cotton for the weft threads. The weft threads of my pair of JBJ were dyed brown, whereas these Strike Gold’s were dyed grey, further increasing the “snowy slub” look. Of course it’s not just about how they look(or even the potential for how they can look) that makes them so unique. The feel of this denim and the process that allows a pair of 15oz jeans to be so wildly comfortable while retaining durability is fascinating. The denim experts at Self Edge describe it thusly, “The denim is very interesting because they used a super short slub cotton for the weft threads. This is a cotton staple so short we believe it’s shorter than the sugar cane fibers used in Sugar Cane’s famed Okinawa and Hawaii jeans, except those use a slub fiber (sugar cane) in the warp and weft of the denim. Using a cotton staple this short is tricky when producing a fabric that should be rugged and somewhat heavy in weight because the yarns need to be spun at a far slower pace and therefore increasing the risk of the shuttle yarn (aka, the weft thread) snapping far more often than it already does. The slow spinning of the thread should not be confused with the tension or speed of a loom, spinning of yarns is a process which happens far before any loom is involved in making a fabric. All this work results in a denim that looks like no denim we’ve seen before. The process used gives the denim an extremely uneven texture, but not necessarily slubby looking. Our best description is that at a 45 degree angle it can be compared closely to a vintage hand-woven Persian rug, but not so much that most people wouldn’t be able to tell much of a difference outside of the deeper color.” Tell me your curiosity isn’t piqued after reading that?! I’m going to be in LA in a few weeks and you can bet I’ll be going by Self Edge to check these out in person. I’ll be doing a shop visit report(back to my Wordpress roots!), but ahead of that, photos and such will go to IG. If you’re not following me @thisnicelife already, no time like the present.

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That’s All Ya’ll!

Mid-afternoon on Saturday I got a text from a friend in “the Biz” that wristbands for Pilgrimage Festival down in Franklin(Hallmark-movie-town 30 minutes south of Nashville) were waiting for Megan and myself at the box office. After calling around to see if any of our usual sitters had last minute availability and briefly entertaining the idea of taking Cordelia, we decided this was just going to be a solo mission for me. As our tickets did not include a parking pass, this was fine by me. I hopped on my motorcycle and made good time down to The Park at Harlinsdale Farm, getting a wave into the VIP lot from a friendly attendant where I was able to park at the very front. If you have the option of riding a motorcycle or a scooter to an event where parking typically sucks, I highly recommend it.

The last time I saw Kings of Leon was at Coachella in 2011 and as I was on acid I don’t remember a whole hell of a-lot about that show. I don’t remember a-lot of shows from that era. Fortunately I make playlists from the setlist of my favorite shows and they trigger playback of little vignettes. It’s something that’s been handy, especially as I’ve gotten older and concert memories tend to get fuzzier faster. Always a surprise to me how engrossing live music is when you’re watching and then how quickly it fades away. That’s what makes going to concert so special I suppose. You truly do “just have to be there man”.

So even if you’ve seen a band a number of times before, go see them again. Kings of Leon has been one of my favorite bands since hearing “Molly’s Chambers” on the radio my junior year of high school, which was 22 years ago. Very few things that appealed to me 22 years ago still do. The beauty of anything that holds up overtime(especially music) is that every time you re-engage with whatever it is, a song, film, book, painting, car(!), it’s both a completely new experience and a trip down memory lane. It’s a pure collision of past and present. New memories are minted, breathing new life into the old ones, sometimes bringing unavoidable perspective with them. 14 years since the last time I saw Kings of Leon and a-lot of life lived in that span of time. I’m fundamentally a different person now. Yet when they took the stage and launched into the first song, I was right back to junior year, just a fan ready to go along for the ride.

If you’re thinking about maybe going to see that band you love, but haven’t seen in a while, do it. Enjoy the setlist from last night’s show.

-AM

“You know I’m something of an authority on Autumn myself”

Though it may not necessarily feel it wherever you are, today is the first day of Autumn. It has been my favorite time of year ever since I can remember, probably because the season just hits different in New England, specifically in my home state of Vermont where roughly 78% of the land is forested. The density of deciduous trees whose leaves turn various shades of red, orange and yellow, combined with the Taconic and Green mountain ranges put Vermont’s fall foliage on another level.

All that being said, this piece is not about Vermont. In fact it’s not about any specific geographic location, nor is it about products. Many brands try to capture the magic of Autumn and package it, very few succeed. There are some things you can buy linked below, but the idea of this piece is not selling you anything, but rather to present a state of mind. The so called “pieces of autumn” are representative of that state of mind and they’re the things I gravitate towards year after year when late September rolls around.

If I could teleport each and every one of you to New England during “peak foliage” and have you step outside just after sundown to breathe in the crisp evening air that’s pleasantly laced with the smell of decomposing leaves and smoke from wood stoves returning to duty, obviously I would. Since the technology to instantly move a person from once place to another isn’t quite there, I guess the following will have to do.

-AM

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I have long prided myself on having a wealth of knowledge about the Southwestern corner of Vermont where I grew up. If you’re headed to the Northshire region I’ve got you covered as far as where to eat, drink, hike, swim, drive, fish, snowboard, golf and so on. The rest of the state, I’ve got my select spots, just as I do for the Connecticut River Valley, Berkshires, Hudson River Valley, and Catskills. These were not places I spent much time going to growing up, but rather places I got to know when visiting during my time spent living in Los Angeles. It took me awhile to not feel strange staying in hotels within a few hours of where I grew up or taking routes suggested by Google Maps as opposed to the ones I know so well. Both are examples of how much we can miss right in our own backyards if we just stick to what we already know. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be refreshing my comprehensive NYC→ Vermont regional guides(a perk for paid subscribers) but in the meantime please enjoy this sampling of local intel in my “Manchester & The Mountains” guide.

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The following photos were taken while walking roads I’ve driven countless times throughout my life. You think you know a town well if you grew up in it, but you don’t really know it until you’ve walked it. I suppose running or cycling counts too, but neither really allow the necessary time needed to linger and take in a scene. If Vermont is about anything, its simple pleasures and admiring someone’s freshly mowed field certainly falls into that category. In an era where inflation seems to infect every aspect of daily life, taking a walk and getting a fresh perspective on familiar territory is still free. I know for damn sure we could all use more of that right now.

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Of course camera’s aren’t typically free(unless you’re influential or bonafide “ambassador”) so if you want to capture the sights when you’re out and about on foot, you’ll need to make a judgement call on how deep in the paint you want to go with equipment. I went through a long phase of thinking my iPhone was good enough and technically speaking, it is. However, leaving the phone in my pocket or better still, at home, that’s well worth the cost of a real camera. I enjoyed the hell out of the pocketable Ricoh GRIIIx I bought from one Michael Williams a few years back, but one unfortunate mishandling has sidelined it for the foreseeable future. Currently it is a FUJIFILM X100VI that is pulling daily duty for casual shooting and I have to say, it’s fantastic. I don’t review cameras, there are plenty of people who do with far more technical expertise than I have when it comes to the internal tech and underlying value. What I am comfortable saying is only a professional shooter booking high profile jobs needs anything more than this thing. I am blown away by the quality and functionality of the X100VI. It’s easily my favorite fixed lens APS-C camera I’ve ever used. Enough about the product, here are some results from walking around with no agenda other than to notice things I haven’t noticed before.

-Andrew

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I did not have the Summer that I thought I was going to. It’s not that I had grand expectations either. I learned many years ago to temper expectations, both of people and events. In doing so there’s much less chance of being disappointed, though sometimes it’s unavoidable.

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The season got off to a pleasant enough start with the grand opening of the business I co-founded in Nashville and I was able to enjoy that for about a week or so before shit(once again) hit the fan. I’m not going to go into detail here because quite frankly I’m tired of telling the story and rehashing the minutia of the whole thing just gets my blood up. Bottom line, the business that was the driving force behind Megan and I moving to Nashville is not operating in the beautiful space I put all my energy into for the past two years. There have been moments where it resembles what I envisioned, but for reasons far beyond my control, the complete experience at One Garage as I conceived it is delayed indefinitely. “Delayed indefinitely”, what a crushing turn of phrase. Nothing more than an attempt to soften the blow of the reality that whatever you’d planned is not happening. It leaves a glimmer of hope where it is ultimately better to close the door and move forward.

So, that’s what my partners and I have done, moved forward. On paper the concept isn’t all that different, the space still looks fantastic and our F&B partner next door is doing very well, which of course I’m grateful for. However, the corner we were painted into forced us to make decisions I know are off-brand for myself and therefore, for the business as well. I kept quiet about One Garage while it was being built for this exact reason. I wanted to be damn sure that if I was going to leverage whatever juice my name carries in the automotive and luxury lifestyle communities, it was going to be for a business that I could be unequivocally proud of. For a brief moment it was within reach, then quickly snatched from our grasp. It’s hard to come back from that, but I’ve never been one to throw my hands up and call it a day. I tend to just shelve things and come back to them when the time is right.

So, Megan and I hit the road with dog and baby in tow at the end of June, seeking some restorative time in New England that would hopefully yield some useful perspective to help determine a direction at home. It did not.

A week into what was supposed to be a month of visiting friends and family it was clear that the timing of this trip was not right. A few days later we were back on the road headed south Nashville. Looking back on it, the check engine light that came on only an hour into our drive up north was probably about as clear of a warning sign as you could get. That being said, the Range has been running smooth as can be since getting the soot clogged throttle body replaced (under warranty, thankfully) after driving from Nashville to Westport, CT. The obvious lesson here that applies to life as well as vehicles, is to keep up with routine maintenance and not let things build up to the point where there’s a bottleneck that creates a major issue. For the record, I think it’s insane that Land Rover didn’t put a way to check the BluDef level in their diesel vehicles. Instead a notice just pops up when you have about 3 days left to refill, depending on how you drive. I do however find it fitting for a British vehicle to offer little in the way of system checks that could prevent a major issue. It just keeps everything bottled up inside with a stiff upper lip, until of course it can’t because that’s not a long term solution. Then you’re stuck figuring out how to fix things on the fly, which usually leads to a teachable moment, but sucks nonetheless.

Once we were back to Nashville the reality of settling into the heart of summer in the sweltering South hit hard. There is a-lot to like about living in Nashville(enough that I’ll soon publish a standalone newsletter on that very subject) but being there in July and August isn’t part of that list. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or a masochist. There is no beating the heat, it wins every day. The humidity sucks the life out of you, there’s not enough linen and unsweetened black iced tea to forge ahead.

If you’re like me and you like spending the majority of your time outside, it’s especially depressing. You can get up before dawn and it’s “not great”. You can wait until after the sun goes down and it’s also “not great”. I didn’t grow up with A/C, just lots of windows and box fans to put in them at night. A/C isn’t a solution, it’s a band-aid. I don’t want to sit inside all damn day hiding from the weather, but if you’re in a landlocked state in the South during summer, that’s what you do.

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Thankfully, I have the most amazing little girl to hang out with(in addition to Megan and our Cavapoo, Midge), and she filled the dog days of summer with all light and laughter that a 6 month old can bring. When Cordelia was born I thought I’d frequently be writing about fatherhood, but as it turns out I feel more protective of my thoughts now as they relate to her and I’m inclined to keep them private. This may change, I’m certainly open to it, but presently I’m happy to keep all the moments and the lessons learned from them within our little family.

One thing I am happy to volunteer is that having a kid really changes your both your perception of time and the way you value it. I’d already been feeling this prior to my 8 days away from home in August for Monterey Car Week, but the change in personality that occurs in a baby in that span cannot be overstated. I used to knock out 10-14 day trips multiple times a year, but now I can’t imagine being away for more than a week, maybe once or twice a year. The time is too precious, especially when you have your first kid later in life. I’m not quite in “Old Dads” territory, but I’ve done the math that one does when one has a kid and there’s some inherent sadness I feel around not getting started earlier if I’m honest.

Nobody asked why I took the summer off from publishing on Substack, but like any good writer, I excel at answering questions nobody asked. Having read all of the above, if it is still not clear, I didn’t publish anything because I didn’t prioritize doing so. I had the time and the content, but for the past 3 months I didn’t care enough to jot anything down and hit publish. That’s the truth of the matter and I’m putting that out there for no other reason than to hold myself more accountable going forward. I feel my best when I create more than I consume, we all should. Catching up with some of my peers and mentors while in Monterey reminded me of this. Since then I’ve been more intentional about engaging with their work and the work of many who drew me to into the various subcultures that color my world.

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The drive from Monterey back to Los Angeles allowed my mind to wander in a way that it had not in a long time. One of the takeaways from that was how for the majority of my career as a writer the pressure to create has been self imposed. I’ve had my fair share of assignments over the years, but for the most part it’s been up to me to pull inspiration from wherever and turn it into something. The former carries a pressure to deliver on a timeline, the latter a pressure to deliver a level of quality set by yourself. Take a wild guess which is tougher.

I’ve tried a number of different ways to make posting on Substack feel like there’s a deadline I must adhere to. Ultimately, they haven’t worked. I’m my own boss, that’s whole point of this thing right? I feel some level of responsibility to my paying subscribers of course, but with the annual merch gifts(coming this holiday season to a mailbox near you) I’d say paid subscribers get the better end of the bargain. Besides, if anyone ever felt like they weren’t getting good value out of their paid subscription, I’d be more than happy to issue them a full refund, no questions asked.

Ultimately, the best motivation to keep publishing is the work of my peers. There’s nothing quite as inspiring to me as reading or viewing great work in a medium where I know I’m proficient. Recent stories by Brooks Rietz, Michael Williams, Yolanda Edwards and Jason Diamond all reminded me what I enjoy about writing, if not writing specifically for this platform. There’s an honesty and vulnerability found in the best writing on Substack, but some degree of education and entertainment as well. That’s what I came here for in the first place, but earlier this year I got completely sucked into reading newsletters that had no balance, they were just, bleak. My world view suffered, my attitude suffered and the quality of my work suffered. I was pulled out of this funk by getting a pitch accepted by wonderful team at The Rake and having the chance to deeply research a piece I’ve been passionate about for years. I don’t want to spoil the story as Issue 101 “The Los Angeles Issue” is available now, but I will say it involves classic cars, movie stars, and Mulholland Drive. Doing that piece got me fired up about “professional writing” again, while also reminding me that this, publishing a newsletter, is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be exercise to keep the writing muscles from atrophying and if it makes a buck, great. If not, whatever! I’ve had enough of being advised to monetize all my interests.

So, here we are, back in the saddle and writing from a hotel room like the good ‘ol days. No further explaining to be done, justifications to be put forth or promises to be made. I’m getting back to my roots and planning to have a good time while I’m at it. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

-AM

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For the better part of my adult life I was a seasonal drinker. Brown spirits and red wine for Autumn/Winter, clear spirits and white wine/rose for Spring/Summer. It wasn’t that I had any strict rules that I’d chosen to adhere to so much as I was a situational drinker and the environment often dictated what direction I went. However the more I traveled the world and the further I went down the rabbit hole of wine and spirits, the more I found myself open to giving Bourbon and Scotch a chance in July and Tequila and Gin their opportunities in February. I’d still give anyone drinking a Manhattan by the ocean a sideways glance, but a Kentucky Red Bird(Rye, Sweet Vermouth, Campari, Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice)? That’ll work, as most things with Campari do. And guess what? There’s plenty more sips like that for you to enjoy while you’re soaking up the sun this summer. Here are 5 of my favorites that stay in steady rotation each year, as well as the spirits I’m using in them.

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First and foremost, Happy Ardbeg Day, to those who celebrate. For those that don’t, you should. Ardbeg is one of my favorite whisky makers, primarily because of their ability to consistently surprise and delight. For the past 25 years the Ardbeg Committee has celebrated Ardbeg Day with whisky fans from around the world during the final day of Islay’s FÈIS ÌLE on May 31st. This year’s special release is Smokiverse and it’s one of the most interesting Ardbeg creations I’ve had, which is saying something because Dr. Bill and Co. are no slouches when it comes to experimenting. Speaking of which, get yourself a bottle and enjoy the fruity sweetness of Smokiverse in a cocktail.

Journey Of Brothers

1 ¹⁄₃ oz Smokiverse

²⁄₃ oz Calvados

¹⁄₂ oz Fino Sherry

1 dash Celery Bitters

3 oz Tonic Water

Siempre is a brand I was unfamiliar with until recently, which is a bummer because I’ve been missing out on one of the best tequila portfolios I’ve ever tried. Every single one of their offerings is impressively complex and smooth, but the Reposado has quickly become a go-to in a number of cocktails I’m working on for a bar menu, which means lots of experimenting at home as well.

Dried Meadow Flower

1 ¹⁄₂ oz Siempre Reposado Tequila

⁵⁄₆ oz Elderflower liqueur

¹⁄₂ oz Gentian liqueur

¹⁄₂ oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

1 ¹⁄₂ oz Soda Water

* I’ve been messing around with using Suze’s non-alcoholic tonic instead of the 1/2 oz of Suze and 1 1/2 oz soda water with good results. If you can find it, I recommend giving it a try starting with 1oz and adding from there to desired taste and carbonation level.

Here’s another label I’m new too, but has also quickly become a favorite. Hat Trick Gin from Highwire Distilling in Charleston, SC punches way above its price point in both flavor profile and quality. As a long time fan of Monkey 47, this is a hell of an alternative that’s much friendlier on the wallet. Start by trying it in a G&T or classic Negroni, then get a little more adventurous.

Old Friend(not to be confused with Old Pal)

1 ¹⁄₂ oz Highwire Hat Trick Gin

³⁄₄ oz Pink grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)

¹⁄₂ oz Red Bitter(Campari preferred)

¹⁄₃ oz Elderflower liqueur

Ever since I spotted the attractive aquamarine bottle on the shelf at a bar I can’t remember the name of in Milan, I’ve been a fan of Italicus. Of course it makes sense as Bergamot sits among my favorite notes in a personal fragrance, but that’s a story for another time. At this moment I urge you to add this to your home bar(keep it in the fridge ideally) and start employing it liberally in spritzes, as well as riffs on your favorite 2 or 3 ingredient cocktails.

Olimpio

1.25 oz Italics liqueur

1 oz Dry vermouth

1 dash Rhubarb bitters

No summer bar is complete without mezcal. You may think you don’t like mezcal, but you either just haven’t had the right mezcal or you haven’t had right mezcal in the right cocktail. I often steer people towards Yuu Baal Joven Espadin when they’re new to mezcal or apprehensive about giving the spirit another shot. Like scotch, it gets a bad rap as being ubiquitously smoky and that’s simply just not true. Yuu Baal is a great example of the complexity of mezcal, but also how approachable it can be thanks to its floral and citrusy character that’s reminiscent of gin.

Garden Sour

³⁄₄ oz Illegal Mezcal

³⁄₄ oz Blanco Tequila

³⁄₄ oz Rhubarb Liqueur

³⁄₄ oz Lemon juice(freshly squeezed)

¹⁄₂ oz Pure Cane Syrup

2 dash Celery bitters

2 oz Soda water

That’s All Ya’ll!

Another week, another story from the archives of The Motoring Journal. This one was a joy to put together and certainly one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had. In fact, since the day I hopped in Benedikta’s plane to fly out to El Mirage Dry Lake, my brain has been wired differently when it comes to flight. There is just no substitute for riding in a small aircraft. All the adjectives in the world don’t do the feeling justice. It’s simply something you have to experience firsthand to understand and I recommend that you do, especially if it’s with a naturally gifted pilot like Dita.

Cheers - AM

This story originally appeared in Issue Three of The Motoring Journal:

Since the days of my youth, I’ve had vivid dreams about flying planes — mostly WWII-era ones, with the occasional biplane thrown in for good measure — but until I recently went up with 27 year-old Benedikta Unter Ecker in her 1963 Mooney M20C, I’d never been in an aircraft smaller than a Viking Twin Otter 400S seaplane. “Dita”, as her friends call her, had put together a fun little flight plan for us, one that was typical for her, but totally out of the ordinary for me. We would depart from Van Nuys Airport, out in The Valley, and fly east to El Mirage, a dry lake bed. I’ve been out to El Mirage many times with cars for the purpose of taking otherworldly photos and going fast in a straight line. Doing donuts and drifting is prohibited at El Mirage, and for good reason, too: Ruts are dangerous not only to people doing high-speed runs in vehicles and on motorcycles, but also to pilots like Dita landing their planes out there.

Yes, you read that right: Dita and her friends land their planes out on this dry expanse of land. In fact, they fly all sorts of places just to hang out for a bit, fly in formation, and then grab lunch at some small municipal airport. For our outing, we did all of the above, and I ended up with a bonus ride in what is now the smallest aircraft I’ve been in, a Van’s Aircraft RV-6 owned, flown, and built by photographer James Lipman. Not only did I get to fly with Dita, but I also got to watch her fly from a few hundred feet away as we headed to lunch in formation. It’s hard to describe what a surreal experience being in such small aircraft is. The best I can do is to say that when viewed through the windshield, it looks fake. Fake in the sense that the world beyond the nose of the plane is green screen and you’re on a very realistic carnival ride. Of course, then you look out the side window at the world below and it becomes plenty real. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since the day of the flight, and, as you might imagine, the dreams of flying have been a little more frequent and even more vivid. Before going up with Dita, my thoughts on getting my pilot’s license were just out in the ether, but since that flight, they’ve begun to take shape. Naturally I wanted to sit down with her to get into the particulars of how it all came together for her at such a young age, as well as to get a look at the state of aviation through her eyes.

“Trust is a key element of the community, and that trust is built in a number of ways, the most dramatic probably being when pilots fly in formation, which says that one pilot has total confidence in another’s skills. If you’re trustworthy in the air, that means you’ve done the work on the ground.”

AM: First and foremost, I’d like to have you explain how you got into aviation, because the fact that you’re both very experienced and quite young compared to the field of participants overall is really interesting.

DE: The reason I got into aviation was because I was discontent with following a traditional education and career path. I lived on Maui during high school and had no idea what I wanted to study when I graduated. I ended up enrolled at the University of Malta, studying psychology, and was traveling around Europe, learning mostly about my family history, given that my father is German and [my] mother is Portuguese, and then ended up traveling in Africa as well. It quickly became clear that the direct interaction with people of different cultures inspired me far more than being in a classroom did. So, one day while visiting Tanzania, I became acquainted with some young bush pilots who made a living transporting medicine and medical personnel to out-of-reach villages. The pay was ridiculously bad and the job was very challenging because of the awful conditions around the airfields. Landing strips were either unkept or nonexistent, and sudden storms are the norm, but the expertise and level of competence the pilots possessed was something that really made an impression on me.

Tanzania and Botswana are home to some of the most skillful bush pilots in the world, and my aspiration from the day I became acutely aware of that was to attain that level of excellence. I dropped out of college, returned to the U.S., and, after quite a bit of research on how to get started in general aviation, I enrolled in a school to get my private pilot’s license. After completing my first license, I bought a plane to continue my training, and, as luck would have it, I ran into the man who would become my mentor. He has many, many years of experience and was a real stickler for competence. He offered me a lot of guidance not only on a technical level, but also by showing me how to navigate a world that is dominated by men and often biased against female pilots.

AM: That’s a good segue into talking about addressing diversity in aviation, which I know you’re very passionate about primarily because you’re vocal about it on social media. What steps do you think need to be taken in order to make it a more welcoming space for not only women and other historically underrepresented groups, but for young people in general?

DE: Well, the need for greater diversity in aviation is unquestionable. To start with gender diversity, this is an industry where only 8.5% of all pilots are female. That certainly has to change, and at a foundational level it begins with shifting the perception of certain professions as better suited for men than women. This outdated division of tasks is a fallacy that not only reinforces stereotypes, but also traps human beings in gender-specific roles that make little to no sense. 

To bring more equality to the field, there needs to be much more investment at a high level to promote female participation. Exposure is a big part of this as well; by showing more female pilots in broadcast media, films, airline advertisements, et cetera, young women would be more likely to think they could do this job. Female-specific scholarships are another important element where great strides could be made, but perhaps more than anything, just promoting a safe work environment where women feel welcome in the flight deck and don’t have to work so hard for their competence to be acknowledged. There was a time when women held a very relevant and visible place in aviation. Pioneers such as Louise Thaden, Bessie Coleman, Pancho Barnes, Marvel Crosson, and, of course, arguably the most famous pilot of all time, Amelia Earhart, left their mark on the industry and on history. However, the face of aviation has been predominantly that of a straight white male of a certain age since the mid-20th century. Beyond gender diversity, it’s heartening that associations such as the NGPA [National Gay Pilots Association] are out there vocally supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, and within the younger generation of pilots, integration does not seem to be as much of an issue. I go to airports such as Santa Paula, California, and see super-talented pilots supporting each other regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation because, at the end of the day, what matters is individual competence. 

“Since becoming a pilot, I’ve become much more organized with regard to my time, more analytical with my thinking, and overall more curious about science and engineering. The action and sense of adventure that come with being a pilot actually made me more open to learning in a classroom environment, which, again, is a place I would hope all people could find their way to.”

I should note that there are so many older pilots that have been incredibly welcoming and supportive of the new generation and are generous with their time and knowledge, but it needs to be much more widespread in order for major change to take place across the board, especially in commercial aviation. We need an industry that better reflects the diversity within our society, and representation is the only way that happens. That’s why I see it as being crucial that we make it possible for young people from all walks of life to join the industry, because the truth is that flying is still very much an elite activity. Flight school, renting planes, paying for fuel, buying equipment, et cetera, is very cost prohibitive. While there are some scholarships and initiatives out there, there aren’t nearly as many financial-aid options as there are for traditional higher education, so that’s one of the most important areas where investment needs to be made. Much could be done here with social media, given how naturally spectacular aviation photography and videography can be. The awareness of aviation as a career path can grow exponentially with young pilots getting together to share their outings and experiences, but unless there’s an approachable infrastructure put in place that has affordability at the center of it, the awareness gained doesn’t amount to much in terms of increased diversity.

AM: Clearly you’re very passionate about the industry overall in addition to being passionate about just the act of flying. What is it about the latter that fuels the former? What has aviation given you that you hope to share with those who might be interested in a career in the field?

DE: Aviation has brought me to amazing places and allowed me to meet incredibly talented people, but, above all, the first time I entered a plane, I was unknowingly embarking on a lifelong journey towards self-actualization. All people should not only be able to, but be encouraged to, go on the same journey. Since the first day of training, I’ve been gaining qualities that have shaped not only who I am professionally, but how I interact with the world as a citizen of it. It drove home the importance of community in ways I previously didn’t understand, because, in general, aviation pilots tend to be collaborative, from small stuff like lending a helping hand with maintenance issues, or flying for someone when their plane is down, to bigger things such as sharing emergency situations with each other so that other pilots can learn from each other’s mistakes. Trust is a key element of the community, and that trust is built in a number of ways, the most dramatic probably being when pilots fly in formation, which says that one pilot has total confidence in another’s skills. If you’re trustworthy in the air, that means you’ve done the work on the ground. Since becoming a pilot, I’ve become much more organized with regard to my time, more analytical with my thinking, and overall more curious about science and engineering. The action and sense of adventure that come with being a pilot actually made me more open to learning in a classroom environment, which, again, is a place I would hope all people could find their way to.

Follow Benedikta’s travels on Instagram @ditafromhawaii

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And we’re back. It’s been a busy couple weeks out there in the real world. The final steps towards opening the doors of our new business in Nashville were taken and as of earlier this week we’re “legal”. More on that next week when I’ve actually had a chance to catch my breath and wrap my head around the moment.

Presently, I’m enjoying the trip down memory lane that going through this particular story has sent me on. This was a fun one to shoot and write. It was a breezy afternoon in LA when I headed out to meet Matt Winter at his home. I was on a Harley if I remember correctly, the smell of night blooming jasmine filled my helmet as I headed up the canyon road. It was one of those evenings that turned just cool enough to warrant throwing some logs in the hearth and starting a fire…

Cheers - AM

This story originally appeared in Issue Two of The Motoring Journal:

Time travel is endlessly fascinating to human beings because time is one of the few things we haven’t managed to gain control over no matter how hard we try. It’s the great equalizer, one of the things that no matter how wealthy or how poor you are, you have the same amount of it to work with. For some, this realization is a curse, and they’re endlessly in pursuit of more while stressing out about not having enough. For others, it’s comforting to know that regardless of what may be going on in life, there’s the same amount of hours in the day for everyone. The older I get, the more I think about this, though I suspect that someone like Matt Winter has grasped this concept for years. I met Winter awhile back at a cars-and-coffee thing — neither of us can remember exactly which one or when — but we agreed that we recognized each other at Rennsport Reunion in 2018 and talked a bit about the pre-Daytona Cosmograph he was wearing that had belonged to his father. 

“Rolex has been a part of my life since I can remember because the watch I’m wearing now, which I share custody of with my brother, was my father’s. It’s a 1969 pre-Daytona Cosmograph, white gold on the inside and stainless steel on the outside. In 1971 he went to Rolex because he wanted a two-tone watch and asked them to alter it by adding a gold bezel and gold crown. So they did it, and to this day I’ve only seen one other that was made for a race car driver. After my dad passed away, the watch took on even more meaning to me as a daily connection to him. Even just by doing the same motion of winding the watch to keep it running as he would have, it makes me feel his presence.””

I didn’t know much about Winter before rolling up to his little slice of Eden tucked away off a shady canyon road to the east of Beverly Hills. I knew he was roughly as old as I am, that he’d grown up in LA, had a couple classic Porsches, a Land Rover, some vintage Rolexes, and shared my taste in tattoos. Apart from that general information, which could easily be gleaned off of Instagram, I didn’t know much about the guy, which made hanging out with him for a couple hours at home, along with his lovely wife and hilarious kids, that much more interesting. Anybody who opens up their home for photography and an interview on a weeknight during “the witching hour” (as many parents call it) is more than alright by me.

Winter might look intimidating to some, all covered in tattoos and sporting a couple of gold teeth, but there’s a big heart and a real joyful nature about him that’s quickly apparent once you get him talking — which, like myself, he is happy to do if there’s some depth to the conversation. Not always the case when talking cars and watches, but thankfully it’s the deep stuff Winter is most interested in when it comes to “things.”

“So my whole gig is respecting the bones of everything and following the history of the past. What it was in order to give it new life and honor the spirit of the thing, whether it’s a building or watches or cars or motorcycles,” says Winter. “I’m always trying to find whatever bits of history are left in there and honor them and learn from the bones. I’m about supporting the story rather than just modernizing. A lot of the architectural and interior-design projects I’ve worked on, the building has been something else, and we’re tasked with making a restaurant out of a gas station, or a bar out of an old brick mill building. The bones tell us what to do. I follow the color schemes, the material themes, and by doing so we can bring in a new use for that space. It may be a house or a car, but there’s always bits of patina you can find, and those details end up being the master of the project, not myself.” 

Hearing this reminded me of a saying I either heard at a car meet or read in a magazine once, and I’m paraphrasing here, but it was something like, “You don’t own a car, a watch or a house; you’re merely the caretaker of the thing or the place while you’re around, and when you move on, whether by choice or by nature doing what nature does, a new caretaker comes around and adds their own chapter to the story.”

Profound? I like to think so. Grandiose? Perhaps. Either way, there’s no denying that things with a history have a distinctly different effect on humans than things that are brand-new. Again, I think it’s about time, and our fascination with the passage of it and desire to be able to manipulate it. To some degree I think that’s exactly what Winter does within a space, be it a building or vehicle.

“Especially with cars, like the Pre-A Speedster I have, I do think of it as being a temporary custodian,” he shares. “The guy who owned it before me had it for 58 years, and I’m taking something that essentially has an entire life in it. I bought it from his widow and explained to her that I wanted to honor what her husband had put into it, keep it as original as possible, keep it on the road, maintain it, and maintain the legacy. The spider-cracked shift knob that he shifted gears with for 58 years, I’m not going to replace that with a new one; it tells the story of a person in motion over a period of time.” 

Before I could respond in gleeful agreement, Winter continued, “356’s are all really valuable cars, but by keeping some of the grit, it allows you to enjoy them and drive them, rather than bringing a car up to a concours-winning level where you’re not going to want to sit in it or drive it hard. We rip my cars all over town; I’m driving the ’64 SC or Speedster two to three days a week, and that’s a lot for these cars. The same goes for this house, which was built in 1924 for Jean Harlow, but it’s not a museum; this is our home. My kids run around, break shit, and I repair it, clean their drawings off the original plaster walls — that’s just how it goes.” 

“Things produced in that just pre-war and post-war era are like art pieces to me, but they were just part of everyday life. Most of my home is a collection of still-working items from that era: the fridge, the stove, all sorts of little items. They just last with a little work to keep them running.”

I found it really refreshing that Winter wasn’t super precious about these things, as many of the collectors and caretakers I’ve met over the years are. Respectful, certainly, but there’s little to no pretense when it comes to the things he cares about. To that point, when his younger daughter, Lola, dropped in on our conversation, he asked her to contribute to it rather than shoo her away as many adults would. And I’m glad that was the case, because now I can share that her favorite room in the house is her bedroom, because it has all her stuff in there, and her favorite place outside is in the hammock. As for Winter’s older daughter, Scout, her favorite room is the master bedroom, which is the oldest part of the structure and was essentially a standalone cabin that was added onto continuously over the course of the 20th century.

As for the girls’ favorite cars, Lola prefers the Speedster and Scout prefers “Little Red,” aka the twin-grille Super Carrera. Clearly they’ve inherited their father’s good taste. Perhaps they’ll have a future within the interior-design and architecture world, which Winter would certainly support, as he says he and his wife, Tara, are raising “little badasses full of entrepreneurial spirit.” 

If an eye for design does run in the family, then Lola and Scout will be set up for success, as Winter’s creative eye has yielded impressive results, including Manuela at Hauser & Wirth Gallery in downtown LA, Gjusta Bakery in Venice, Johnnie’s Pastrami Bar and Restaurant in West Adams, and, most recently, All Season Brewing Company in the iconic Firestone Tire building on La Brea Boulevard. From the moment you step into any of the above spaces, you’re acutely aware that everything from floor to ceiling has been done with intention.

Having spent a great deal of time in spaces designed by Winter over the years (some of which I had no idea he worked on until we chatted), and now having gotten to know him better, it’s clear how much of himself he pours into each project. There is a very real and tangible connection between Winter and the buildings he works on. Little pieces of him are clearly left in every project, and they include his affinity for old cars and vintage watches, his dedication to his family, and his deep respect for those who came before us. Finding a balance between respecting a legacy and not being precious about history is a difficult thing to do without going into the territory of caricature, but with M. Winter Design, Winter has managed to achieve equilibrium in a tough field in just over a decade. There’s no other way to explain it other than not being afraid of hard work and staying true to yourself on a day-to-day basis. Cheers to that.

“I’m always just buying things that resonate with me, and then, if they become popular, that’s just good fortune. Enjoying them, dealing with people who have had these things for 30, 40 years and getting their stories — that’s something I really enjoy.”

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Between opening a brick & mortar business and having an infant hanging around the house, I’m stretched rather thin at the moment. This Nice Life remains something I’m passionate about and I want to continue to deliver great writing and photography on this platform. With that in mind, I’m going to be pulling from the archives of The Motoring Journal and sharing some of my favorite evergreen stories digitally for the first time. The stories will appear as they did in the magazine, but with lots of additional photos that didn’t make it onto the page. I’ll be publishing 2 of these a week for the time being and when time allows I plan to publish something current in the form of a product review or travel story. I hope ya’ll enjoy this series and if it moves you to purchase an issue of The Motoring Journal, you can do so here.

To kick things off I chose one of my all time favorite stories featuring my pal Pete and his 1972 911S. Re-reading this and going through the photos I can feel the warm breeze from The Valley and smell the faint whiff of salt air from the Pacific combining in what is truly one of the places most near and dear to my heart in the Santa Monica mountain range. The beauty of these scenes stands in stark contrast with the knowledge that Pete’s incredible car was turned to a husk of burnt metal in during the Palisades Fire back in January. Like so many of those that just lost “things” in the fire, Pete has remained positive and grateful that he and his family escaped danger unharmed. Now even more than when I first published this piece I think of it as a time capsule and a tribute to the spirit of the automotive community that connects across time by way of these cars we imbue with so much meaning, but are ultimately just machines that facilitate fleeting moments of joy.

Cheers - AM

Pete Vlastelica grew up in Arizona loving old cars. “I was probably a strange kid in that sense --I loved old cars, old music, antique shops.” While other kids had posters of the Lamborghini Countach or Ferrari Testarossa on their walls, Pete had a '57 Chevy. His first car was a 1961 Ford Thunderbird that his uncle gave him when he turned 16 and the first car he bought himself was a 1970 Ford Bronco. He wrenched on it throughout high school and the knowledge gained from doing so helped him get an after school job selling parts at AutoZone. 

“There was one Porsche in my neighborhood growing up. It was a beat up old 914 that was parked on the street and I used to ride my bike over to check that thing out all the time. It was just so exotic compared to the pickups and muscle cars that made up the majority of my environment as a kid. I fantasized about owning the 914, but I didn't know anyone who knew anything about Porsches, so I doubt I could have done much with it.”

After college, Pete lived in London, New York, and the Bay Area, all cities that contributed to him losing touch with car culture. He then moved to Los Angeles in 2013 where he found it would make sense to own an old car again, so he bought a '72 Bronco and restored it. It wasn't until a friend of his bought a 1973 911E Targa that he ever considered buying a Porsche. After seeing how great that car was, he bought a 1992 “964” 911 C2 Targa and that kicked his passion for Porsche into high gear.

“I love to surf and spearfish and the Bronco was the perfect partner for beach adventures, but living near Malibu, we have these great roads in the hills too. With the Targa, I had a car that felt like it was built for those roads.” 

Since living in LA, Pete has been taking his 964 to Marco Gerace from TLG Auto for service. A year ago he let him know that he was interested in buying a long hood 911 and Gerace had a long-time customer who he thought might be open to selling his car, a '72 911S hot rod with the impressive pedigree of being an original RGRUPPE car that had been looked after by Marco and his dad Tony Gerace for many years.

“As fun and visceral as the 964 is, I couldn't stop myself from wanting an older 911. There's something special to me about a lot of early ‘70s cars -- those were the last days of an era, when a few manufacturers perfected the blend of power and elegance with the analog mechanical production process. I feel the same way about the music from that era. In about 1975, things really changed, and we got disco, Barry Manilow, big bumpers, and catalytic converters.” 

“What I loved about the car was that the previous owner had collected a bunch of rare, period correct parts in order to put the car together over time. It wasn't a rich-guy build, it was the passion project of a patient enthusiast with a very good eye. He put so much of himself into this car and it showed even though the car hadn't been on the road for years when I first saw it. He found the seats in a shed in Texas…god only knows how he tracked them down. They're original factory 911 ST seats, which are super hard to find even with the help of the internet. He also had factory 7" 911R rear wheels on there, also relatively “unobtainium”. The car had a factory replacement 2.7 911/83 RS spec engine rebuilt by Tony and Marco, rebuilt MFI, close ratio gearbox, lightweight flywheel, euro spec headlights, 911R style tail lights and front turn signal delete inserts...he just had all the right parts and all the right work done on this car.”

“By ‘right’ I mean old school. I feel like a lot of the RGRUPPE guys in the early 2000s cared deeply about building these "sports purpose" cars the way Porsche laid it out in the early 70s. When I saw the car, I knew that this was the version of it that I wanted to bring back to life. So the work we did over the past year was more about reviving and preserving the previous owner's vision than restoring it or adding a bunch of my own new ideas. We actually did a ton of work on it -- entirely new interior, lots of bodywork and paint, and Marco rebuilt the 2.7. But when you look at the car, you're not sure if it's new or not. To me, that's what makes it awesome. I wanted it to be new but not look new. I kept the amazing patina-ed racing stripe, I kept the wear patches in the seats, I didn't restore the wheels, I kept the 80s and 90s stickers in the windows. Aesthetically, It's still an old school hot rod, but mechanically, it's a freshly restored car. In other words, it's perfect.” 

As Pete put it to me while we stared out at the Pacific Ocean from a valley’s edge high in the Malibu Mountains, “This is the kind of car the world needs more of right now.” I couldn’t agree with him more.

“The more our world becomes digital and virtual, the more I crave real, visceral, analog experiences. A lot of people are building "vintage-made-modern" cars or taking modern cars and backdating them to make them look older. That's cool and all, some of those cars are amazing, but the early RGRUPPE guys were really on to something, and all of the technology they needed for their builds was available in the early ‘70s. Back in the early 2000s, they were paying tribute to the sports purpose ethos of that time period, long before it was cool to do so. Now, 20 years later, it's time to start paying tribute to them.”

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There are many reasons to love shooting stills on 35mm film, but efficiency is not among them. That’s okay because photography doesn’t always need to be efficient, in fact I’d argue it’s more enjoyable when it’s not. Unless of course it’s a paid gig with a deadline. In that case you’ll be glad to be shooting digital stills and delivering them quickly.

This was the case with a quick trip to Sardinia to drive the new Ferrari Roma Spider in September 2023. After a few days work on the stunning island I had an overnight layover in Rome on my way home. I chose a neighborhood I wanted to explore and a few iconic sights I wanted to see and made the most of the 18 hours I had on the ground. In an attempt to keep myself more in the moment during my brief visit to the Eternal City, I left my iPhone in my pocket(for the most part) and a Kodak Ektar H35 at the ready.

When I got home, things got busy and the camera got put in a box when we moved from LA to Nashville a few months later. I didn’t see it again until a week ago and upon finding it I immediately dropped it off to have the film developed. I’d completely forgotten what all was on the roll of Kodak Gold 200 and that the H35 is a half frame camera. Although I didn’t get prints, where you’d get to see the full artistic benefit of shooting on a half frame, I think you’ll see how it impacts the way you shoot when using one, or at least how I think you should shoot anyway.

I’m so glad I found this camera and that the roll of film came out. It has reminded me how great the inefficiency of shooting 35mm is and the joy that comes with finding an old undeveloped roll. Along with the H35, I found and developed rolls from my Canon FTb QL and Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80, but I’ll save those for another day.

Enjoy- AM

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Visited-

Stravinskij Bar

Bottega Velasca

Jerry Thomas Speakeasy

Barnum Roma

Forno Campo de’Fiori

Gelateria La Romana

Roma Sparita

That’s All Ya’ll!

For the majority of my life I have not been a patient person. At least as far as I can remember anyway. I imagine that my parents, straight shooters that they are, would say the same. I’d also say that equal to my impatience would be my decisiveness. I used to think the two went hand in hand, the former being the result of the latter. I’ve always had an easy time making choices and then taking action. What always gnawed at me was waiting for the results of that action. Adolescent me would have told you about the torture, the agony, of waiting a week or more for skateboarding equipment ordered online to reach my parent’s home in rural Vermont. Does anything other than furniture shipping internationally take more than week to be delivered these days?

It was early on in the pandemic lockdowns in California that I was struck by just how “on demand” life had become. After that early pause when nobody knew how Covid was going to play out, things picked back up at a rapid pace. Content to stream, food to be delivered, anything and everything to be ordered from Amazon. If Burger King drilled it into our minds that “yes, you can have it your way”, then the last five years cemented that in addition you can get whatever it is you want when you want it, even if there’s a global pandemic. As I’m sure you can imagine, this doesn’t instill the healthiest habits in someone who’s not particularly patient. Luckily for me, I met my wife in 2019 and when I proposed to her in 2021, my journey towards being not only a more patient person, but a more present person, began in earnest.

To be clear, there is no prescription in this. I’m certainly not suggesting that being in a relationship or getting married automatically makes you more patient or requires you to be more present, although that has been the case for me. It’s entirely possible that even if I was still single I’d have reached the same level of disgust with mindless consumption made possible by ubiquitous immediacy. Possible, but at the very least it would have taken longer. Even writing that is hard for me to wrap my head around because of how warped my perception of time has become. I know lots of people who feel the same way. 2018 was a few years ago, but also forever ago. Is it still 2022? We’re more than halfway through the 3rd decade of the 21st century. What?!

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If getting married nudged me into practicing patience and being more present, then my wife’s pregnancy shoved me over the edge. 9 months(and then some) seems like a long time, but it’s also no time at all. At least for men anyway, ask any mother about the tail end of their pregnancy and they’d probably smack you for suggesting it all flew by. What’s more, the pregnancy time warp pales in comparison to what it’s like once the kid arrives. It’s been 3 weeks since baby C joined us and I truly cannot make sense of that, in the best possible way. Where I’ve allowed my attention to go, what I’ve had time and energy for has already fundamentally shifted and for the better I might add. I have already found a new gear of patience and a new state of presence. It hasn’t necessarily been natural, more than once I’ve had to audibly remind myself that a moment is temporary and I’ll be missing it when a different phase has begun. That’s where things get really interesting, which is my all encompassing word for the complete bundle of my emotional states.

I can’t help but look at my daughter and get excited about taking her to the ocean for the first time this summer, or her first Christmas, or her first steps, or putting her on a snowboard for the first time. It only rolls on from there, all the firsts she’ll have and routines she’ll cultivate. 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, all the sudden she’s grown and we’re old. As someone so used to living in the moment I gotta tell you, it’s a fucking trip. Had I been going through all this at a younger age I don’t know that I would have been able to embrace all this waiting. For the better part of my adult life I knew I wanted to be a dad, thankfully it didn’t happen until I was actually ready. All the waiting that I found so intolerable in my adolescence, waiting to get my driver’s license, waiting to move out west, waiting to meet the right woman, waiting to make more money, waiting to get through a pandemic, waiting to meet my daughter, it’s all led to playing the most important waiting game, which is waiting for my kid to become an adult.

In the meantime, I’ve got a business to open, vehicles and motorcycles to maintain, denim to break in, photos to take, mountains to ride, stories to write and a body to condition. All of these things require patience and presence of mind to be enjoyed fully. Fortunately for me, I’ve developed both and will continue to work on not only maintaining them, but refining them as well. In that I think there’s an opportunity to have more agency over our perception of the passage of time. If tracking how many times I wear a pair of jeans in a daily log before I wash them(it’s 15) can effectively slow the rapid march of time, then maybe tracking all sorts of other behaviors will have the same effect. Nothing like a tangible and visual reminder of how full your days, weeks and months can be to lay bare how long a year is. If you’re going to play a waiting game, the very least you can do is remember that a game should be fun, especially one where you make the rules.

That’s All Ya’ll!

Late last night a huge weather system rolled through Nashville bringing the kind of wind, rain, thunder and lightning that is best described as biblical. Fortunately it didn’t seem to bother baby C who was up with me for her midnight snack. I hope that when she does eventually become aware of storms she enjoys them as much as I do, especially the sort of rolling thunder that shakes the whole house.

In addition to all of the above, the storm front brought with it some frosty air that is slated to return Nashville, as well as much of the mid-south, to a state of proper winter. As of now the forecast is calling for 7-8” of snow on Wednesday here in the city, more than that up in the nearby hills. Needless to say I’m excited about the prospect of the city getting blanketed in snow for a second time this year.

With that in mind I was inspired to go back and look at my photos from last month’s snow-day, as well as some favorites from other snowy environs over the years. It certainly drove home just how much snow has defined my life thus far. That really deserves a dedicated piece, something I’ll need to get to before the season is over. For the time being I hope you enjoy this first crack at what I intend to be a regular thing where I choose a particular subject and see what’s in the ‘ol photo archive.

Cheers - AM

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It’s the second week of February and while it’s relatively chilly in Nashville today, I have to say there’s a feeling of early Spring creeping in. Perhaps it’s the way-too-early display of Easter stuff at stores or the fashion world already pushing Spring/Summer, but something has me thinking of fresh(if not warm) air blowing in open windows. Wishful thinking I suppose due to unseasonably warm day a week ago that saw temps climb to the mid-70s with nary a cloud in the sky. Plenty of rain in the forecast and some lows in the ‘teens are certainly sobering when it comes to visions of any sort of ongoing thaw. So it’s back to sweaters, insulated jackets and beanies for now. No complaints from yours truly though. I know that after an all too brief spring I’ll be longing for days with highs in the ‘30s as the oppressive heat of summer in the mid-south takes hold and doesn’t let up for months on end. Perhaps it’s not too early to be considering Spring/Summer clothing after all.

Enjoy! -AM

1.) My Morning Jacket- Time Waited - One of my all time favorite bands is back with the first single off their new album “is”, which arrives March 21st. I’ve been a fan for going on 20 years now and have seen MMJ live more than any other band, so obviously I’d be really excited about this no matter what. The fact that they brought in Grammy award winning producer Brendan O’Brien for their 10th studio album is an added bonus.

2.) Buck Mason Sidewinder Rib Ringer Tee - Even as Buck Mason expands into more elevated clothing(with great success I might add) they remain true to their humble roots as purveyors of excellent t-shirts. The “Sidewinder Rib Ringer” is the latest in a long line of well made, nicely fitted tees which you’d do well to add to your short sleeve rotation.

3.) No Reserve: 2007 Volvo S80 V8 AWD on Cars & Bids - Time is of the essence if you’re in the market for one of the all time great modern sleeper sedans. This silver Volvo sedan raises no suspicion and attracts no unwanted attention, unless of course you uncork the 4.4L Yamaha built V8 with an aftermarket exhaust. Then you’re gonna get some looks, mostly mystified ones as you zip by in comfort and style that you’re hard pressed to find elsewhere for the same price.

4.) The Stuff of Our Lives by Chris Wallace - Friend of the program Mr. Chris Wallace has been writing beautifully about the passing of his father and all that brings with it in his recent Substack posts. I cannot recommend subscribing to his newsletter highly enough. Chris is a hell of a writer, not too shabby with a camera either.

5.) Homesick Snowboard & Culture Festival at Stratton Mountain, VT - Today is Ross “The Boss” Powers’ 46th birthday and that reminded me of an upcoming event I hope to make it up to Vermont for in March. Now in its third year, “Homesick” is a 3 day event celebrating the progression of snowboarding with an open contest format featuring a rail jam, downhill race and retro-halfpipe jam. Even if you’re not getting in on the action, coming out to watch former pros, up-and-comers and lots of in-betweeners have fun on the slopes is a worthwhile endeavor.

That’s All Ya’ll!

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As I write this there is a tiny human sleeping next to me. Even as she rests she’s expressive. I imbue every bat of an eye, scrunch of the face, and stretch of an arm or leg with meaning. Is she hungry? Is she uncomfortable? Is she dreaming? A combination of all three? So far I think it tends the be the latter. Do newborns dream? Add that to the hundreds of other questions I ask the internet everyday. It occurs to me that my days are now to be filled with more questions than answers. How am I remotely going to keep up once she starts being able to ask questions of her own? Of course I already know I won’t be able to, keep up that is. If the past week since my firstborn joined the party has taught me anything it’s that just doing your best minute to minute is all you can do. The pendulum of the day swings wildly between wonder and wondering. There are flurries of activity and then…peace.

Stolen moments like this, where I can jot down some thoughts, feel much more precious than before she arrived. Being busy with “real work” and grabbing time to write something here was a pleasant exercise, now it’s something I really treasure. It would be an understatement to say that my awareness of the passage of time is heightened, that every action and activity is more considered, and yet it’s perfectly clear that nothing really matters other than her well being. In that sense becoming a parent is quite liberating. As I wrote at the outset of the year, “if it’s not a hell yes, then it’s a fuck no”. There may be no better reinforcement for adhering to that principle than being a parent.

The flip side of being able to make clear cut choices is the need to be able to just roll with whatever comes your way. Day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute, I have been doing my damndest to be fluid. I’m generally pretty go with the flow, I only get bent out of shape when I’m roped into being part of a shit plan. The nice thing about a newborn is there’s no point in having a plan, it’s going to get thrown out anyway. Preparation on the other hand, that’s key. My wife excels at preparation, I excel at adapting to a given situation, with our powers combined we’re managing to get anywhere from 6-8 hours of sleep…so far. If we can keep this up for at least another 2 weeks, we may have a shot at reaching the all important 3-4 week milestone where early sleep training can begin without excessive loss of sanity on our part. I’m optimistic, but we’ll see.

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What’s been great about getting a relatively normal amount of sleep in the early going is still maintaining enough brain power to do this, keep working on opening a physical space in Nashville(more on that soon) and work on other contracted writing projects. The kid takes up a lot of mental space, but not all of it. There’s still plenty of room in there for denim, boots, vinyl, motorcycles, cars, cameras, coffee, books, podcasts, watches, jackets, snowboards, furniture and roadtrips. In short, I’m still me, just me with a daughter. Laugh if you want, but I’ve seen more than a few friends become a parent and everything else goes out the window. The ones whose approach I respect have managed to maintain their identity and incorporate being a mother or father into that, rather than change themselves altogether. Again, we’ll see how it goes as the weeks turn to months and months turn to years.

For now, I’m thinking about the strategy for a first wash of the 4 pairs of raw denim I’ve been breaking in since October, just in between feeds, burping sessions and diaper changes instead of whenever I damn well please. It’s her world now, I’m just living in it.

Cheers-AM

That’s All Ya’ll!

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It's Tuesday evening and I’m just getting around to publishing this because the past 5 days I’ve been attending to real life matters, such as the arrival of my firstborn child. I’ve got some notes down about these early days of fatherhood and a piece on the hospital daze is forthcoming, but for now, this is about all I’ve got the bandwidth for. Any other first time dads out there with newborns or young ‘uns, please feel free to message me any tips on…well…anything. I’ll take it all.

Enjoy! -AM

1.) Throttle House “We Made Our $10,000 V12s Sound Better Than Supercars - While I’m not a regular viewer of Throttle House, this video struck a chord. Having spent the last 12 years driving pretty much every interesting new vehicle on the market I can confidently say that cars have gotten dull quite dull. Turn back the clock to the late ‘90s/early Aughts and there’s character to be had in every segment, especially German executive sedans.

2.) Drake’s Shetland Map Chore Jacket - Huckberry’s big ‘ol sale continues until Midnight on February 6th and there’s some DEALS to be had, especially from brands whose stuff you rarely find on sale. This chore jacket from Drake’s is a great example and it’s $325 off. Make no mistake, still expensive, but you know, Drake’s quality and all.

3.) FIIO K17 - Last week I posted about my affordable vinyl to Sonos streaming solution, this week I’m sharing a recent acquisition that’ll help improve another element of my home audio experience, listening to digital files on wired headphones. I’ve had a desktop DAC and headphone amp before, unfortunately it was irreparably damaged during a move and I never got around to replacing it, until now.

4.) “Live at Third Man Records” Vinyl Series - As a music lover there are many perks to living in Nashville, not the least of which is access to many great vinyl shops. One of my favorites is Jack White’s shop, Third Man Records. Their series of live albums recorded in our local store or at the Detroit location is treasure trove of great performances by a wide variety of artists. Enjoy digging through online, visit a shop if you can.

5.) “How To Buy One of The New Mid-Size Toyota Trucks In Five Easy Steps” by Wes Siler - In the world of automotive journalism there are those that know what they’re talking about by way of experience and those that know what they’re talking about by way of technical expertise. Typically the two qualities don’t intersect because people with that sort of knowledge are smart enough get real jobs in the automotive industry developing vehicles. There are exceptions to the rule though and Wes Siler is certainly one of them. Great to have him on Substack writing about vehicles and the great outdoors!

That’s All Ya’ll!

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