Principles GI Coffee House — katie bishop

okay, here ya go! princi shop doc created and directed by @esci_productions w help from @disfunctional.cyclist that premiered at @shopsofnewyork winning the impact award and shown just last weekend at @bicyclefilmfestival thank you all enjoy!

Kathy Ann Bishop 10.5.1955 — 5.1(?).2024 i’ll be holding a sort of wake/grieving get-together/farewell to my mom this friday may 24th at the shop from noon until four. feel free to drop by anytime during those hours. in lieu of flowers and such feel free to purchase some of her art, it should be getting delivered to the shop on friday. she had so many beautifully painted jean jackets and canvasses, too many for me to keep but i want them to go to a good home and be appreciated. all proceeds will go towards her cremation expenses, getting her cats settled into my home and fed, and covering all of her other end-of-life expenses (she did no end-of-life planning and her death was very unexpected) my mom was born in tulsa and spent her childhood bouncing around the country cuz of her dad working for IBM. as a young adult she worked in the music industry in nyc in the ‘70s and then moved to the bay area and worked for bill graham presents throughout the ‘80s. she briefly moved in with her parents in dallas, tx while pregnant with me and i was born there. a few months later she moved to portland, or to try to make things work with my father (they didn’t). she married my step-dad and we all moved to prescott, az. they divorced shortly thereafter and my mom and i stayed there until i graduated high school. the early aughts were a hard time for her. she experienced homelessness and suffered breast cancer. i went seven years without speaking to her. we reconnected about seven years ago. she had permanent housing in downtown portland. we were rebuilding our relationship and things were going well and improving between us. there is still much to be resolved, but such is life. she was lively, vivacious, and a literal chatty kathy (my paternal grandma says i inherited my mom’s gift of gab). she was beloved by even her most casual of acquaintances and had the most excellent social skills. she worked for many years as a waitress and bartender and cultivated wonderful regulars anywhere she worked. kathy is survived by me—her daughter—her brother david, and her two cats kiki and joey (who are now safely at my home and integrating with my cat and dog surprisingly well).

😅 @nytimes check the article for passing mentions of @creationtherrien @mother.tongue.coffee @lukelicksboots and lol @ probably the first time a @thefestfl tee is in the times. also peep the gi coffee house history so succinctly detailed @veteransforpeace @vetsaboutface article link in stories

MAY FOLK! Bring your songs, poems, monologues, grievances, and old clothes!

Come join Time’s Up’s first WTFNB open bike repair workshop on May 18th from 5-8PM! Our mechanics will be at @principlesbk in Gowanus with the tools and know-how to help you fix your bike. We’ll be there every third Monday of the month! Flyer by the amazing @tessscilipoti

it’s called FORE THE RECORD cuz i wanted something to celebrate the shops fourth birthday and when i said the name aloud to @bowerybird and asked him how to speel it he said F-O-R-E so i said FUCK IT WE BALL so it’s FORE the RECORD a FOURTH birthday alleycat FOR @principlesbk it’s gonna be a WTFNB-only alleycat just like the very first one i ever hosted but fellas roll up and checkpoint pretty please!!! and the RECORD part is like who will hold the record for doing this race the fastest. @karen.every.day usually wins but she’s broken so who’s gonna take her record???? and to explain the logo for everyone who hasn’t had their brain fully melted by the gowanus canal miasma, the gowanus creative studio building across the street from the shop used to be the KENTILE FLOOR building and that sign was an iconic part of the gowanus skyline so to tip our hat to the gowanus of yore,,, SATURDAY MAY 23 AFTERNOON WERE ALSO STARTING THE DAY WITH A COFFEE CRAWL WITH @coffee.klatsch PETER SO WE CAN ALL GET HOPPED UP ON CAFFEINE BEFORE RACING HELL YEAH THANK YOU AS ALWAYS TO THE INIMITABLE @hailey_porth FOR BIRTHING THIS AMAZING POSTER WE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE IT AS A SPOKE CARD!!

in the timeless words of the philosopher george carlin, “think of how stupid the average person is, and then realise than half of people are even stupider than that.”

today is the fourth anniversary of me getting keys to the shop and taking my first step into my new life. today is the second anniversary of my mom dying from a fentanyl overdose. one of the best days of my life. one of the worst days of my life. now the same day. i have to hold space for both of these. growing up in the shadow of addiction really has me fucked up. i’m learning how to heal the wounds and complex trauma of my childhood. a kid shouldn’t have to fight against alcohol for her mom’s love and attention. a kid shouldn’t have to carry her drunk mom down the street home. a kid shouldn’t have to help her mom’s junkie dealer boyfriend look under furniture for dope he forgot he hid in his shoe. a kid shouldn’t get drunkenly strangled by her mom. yet it all happened. but i also inherited my mom’s wit, her gift of gab, her extroversion, her handwriting, her silliness. my mom did the best she could and then she died. my first job was bussing tables at a diner where she was a waitress. turn’n’burn. wild west diners are quick. my favourite times at the cafe are when there’s a line out the door, dishes piling up, coffee brewing on all cylinders. i work best when it’s chaotic and busy. wonder where i got that from. this shop has brought me all of the best things in my life. friends i never knew i needed. deep connections to local community, bike world, coffee world, queer world. most of my best and worst moments in life have been in and around the shop. the greatest opportunities of my life have come to me through the shop. it’s barely sustainable but it is. hopefully in a few more years i can live with some comfort in life. i constantly feel like im on the verge of collapse and breakdown but i won’t, i can’t. i have nearly all of the pieces i want in life and everything on my plate i put there, now i just gotta learn how to stack in all up so it doesn’t come tumbling down. i’m exhausted, tired, anxious, and stressed out, but im happy. i’m so happy that i get to live the life i want to. i’ve built a world that would otherwise read like a fantasy but it’s real life and that’s so fucking cool. i love and appreciate everyone here and owe you all the world.

we gonna to a lil tour de BoCoCa and end up hanging out with the @gowanusdredgers at their boathouse listening to the jug band play. it’ll be a lovely nite in the canal. hope to see you there.

Book your own diy concert at Principles through The Eel Pit!!! LET'S COOK! 🍳 All ages, all night, minimal fees, a space to party!📍@principlesbk ➡️ Book now! Email me. Contact info in bio. . . . #DIYVenue #BrooklynVenue #DIYMusic #Gowanus #IndieBooking

FOURTH BDAY PRINCI WTF ALLEYCAT

The Brooklyn to Connecticut brevets wrapped up this weekend. 33 riders left @principlesbk on a cool spring morning and rode north for some punchy climbs and rollercoaster backroads in Connecticut. On the 150k, 9 riders started, turning around in Greenwich. 8 finished in time, and one after time to complete their longest ride ever. Congrats to John, Okan, and Roland on finishing their first populaire and RUSA event. On the 200k, 14 riders started and 13 finished. Riders enjoyed a turnaround stop at @risedonutswilton in Wilton. Congrats to Josh and Nikhil on their first 200k brevet. On the 300k, 10 riders set off before dawn to cover 188 miles and nearly 11,000 feet of climbing. 9 riders finished the loop through Easton, Sandy Hook, and Bridgewater, returning to Brooklyn with the last finisher in after midnight. Congrats to Daniel and Jonas on finishing their first 300k. Congrats to all riders who set out on the club’s first foray off of Long Island, and many thanks to volunteers who made the day happen: @femmekatie , Jessica, and Mark, plus Mario, Mordecai, and Tracey for pre-riding and course notes. Next up on May 30th: the North Shore 125, 200, and 300k (aka Bethpage 300) brevets starting by the Bethpage LIRR station and heading out towards Orient Point. Info and registration at lirando.org. #randonneuring #brevet #bikenyc #nyccycling #ultracycling