It’s been too long since I’ve reached out to my tens of Destroyed By Madness friends out there. OK, so tens might be stretching it a little. Most readers happen across my blog by typing in some seriously strange keywords in Google. The most common is a variation of the words princess, disney, and whore. That’s right, whore. The variations sound a lot like, well, I’ll just take today for example. We have slutty disney princesses, whores disney princess, and of course real disney princess slutty. Another major term that is used to find my blog is the word mohawk. There is no doubt that in either case, I have a more than slightly disappointed reader at the other end of the terminal. One that is either sitting in a dark room wearing nothing but his underwear and a mickey mouse hat, or one with a wallet chain, both left unsatisfied and disappointed with Destroyed By Madness.
But that’s not what this post is about. It is about CocoRosie, and the amazing show I saw the other night at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. They played a variety of songs from all their albums, focusing mainly on their newest release, Grey Oceans. You can find my initial review here of that album. I gave it 3.5 stars. I’m fully willing to change that to 4 or 4 and a half after seeing them do it live. The combination of one sister, Sierra, a classically trained opera singer, keyboardist, and harpist, with Bianca Cassidy, the freak folkist, manipulating many different kinds of electronic, usually toy, instruments (see Circuit Bending), and they work perfectly together. Although not engaging with the crowd through words, you really could feel the passion in their music. It was a perfect showcase of everything that I love about smaller crowds with an ideally eclectic band.
The cherry on top had to be the near show-stopper, human beat-box named Tez. He is a guy that does things I never thought possible using only his voice. The bass, you can feel in your bones, and his beats are perfectly shaped rhythms that move your body. If you are at work, beware of the f-bomb drop. Check out a little something I found on YouTube…
So the point of my rambling is that that if you are ever presented with the opportunity to go see CocoRosie, don’t be a slouch. You can be confident that you are in for a wild ride.
CocoRosie presented another wonderful thing to me as well. I know you are saying “WHAT!? The show sounded like some kind of overwhelming awesome that another wonderful thing is just TOO MUCH!” I do understand what you are saying, but nevertheless, it’s true. Near the end of the show, the one and only Jen came up to me to say “hi.” I was awkward, and weird when she did as I was caught completely off-guard. But what that “hi” has evolved into has been coffee, dinner, swing dancing, and a lot of long overdue great conversation. So if you are reading this, Jen, thanks for the “hi.” Seriously.
Earlier that afternoon, I had a feeling that I would see Jen. I usually don’t get premonitions, and when I do, if I do, I usually don’t notice them. But this one hit me like a ton of bricks. I know, you’re saying that it’s a no-brainer, going to see a mutually enjoyed band later that night, you might run into her. But I say nay to that. NAY! I did not know the CocoRosie concert was that night until about 8:30 pm when I decided to go on an impulse. In fact, I was supposed to go to a Devo concert with my roommate which I reluctantly turned down.
All in all, it was a fantastic night filled with great live music, human beat-boxing, and coffee with an old very special soul.
Maybe I should start listening to those premonitions more often….
Taco has been with me since 1998, and has seen more of the country than most other Americans have. Although not much of a conversationalist, I allowed him to ride shotgun in my drive across the country. What better time than memorial day to move Taco to a new home. He hasn’t said much, but I can tell that he is happy. Who is Taco, you ask? He’s my leafy friend in the picture below. Say hi Taco.
Hi Taco.
Very funny. Anyway, he has at times flourished with green galore, and has also been known to look like death is creeping through his roots. Oddly enough, it seems like his state of consciousness solely depends on how much water I give him in any given week. This weekend, Taco got the spa treatment. I trimmed his weary vines and replanted him in a larger pot with fresh soil. He’s looking happy today. I also have a few sons of Taco soaking in water. I will be giving Taco spawns to lucky locals.
Memorial Day weekend was interesting. Between traversing the golf course high on mushrooms with a group of friends, record hunting to find hidden treasures, riding the Triumph along the coast at sunset after dining over the Pacific, soaking in the sun with a good book, and building a new toy (the current crown jewel of my circuit bending career), I still have the energy to be at work at 4am. Another way to say it is, unfortunately I still have the energy to be at work before sunrise.
Stopped at a bluff to watch the sunset.
The sun did set.
So, I decided to torture myself last night after watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and fired up my old computer for the first time in years. I caught myself reminiscing through hundreds of photographs of years past and the good times shared with someone special. It was nice to do, though bittersweet. Funny thing about photos is they capture the good times. It’s nice to see proof. It is also important to understand that everything in my life is as it should be. In a very Siddhartha way, I can accept that. I am proud of that. The good times continue to roll on.
This time next week I will be back in the old stomping grounds celebrating my sister’s wedding. Look out peeps, here I come!
Here’s the deal, an update on my plans. I write these not because you need to nor want to know, but because writing something down, even on a ridiculous blog that no one reads, makes it more permanent.
Smoking. It’s time to quit altogether. I will leave it at that.
My sister is getting married on June 12th. I figured that I’ll come home for a week to celebrate and relax with family and friends. I am looking forward to that. It’ll probably be good for my soul.
Upon returning to California, I’ll be actively looking for a new place, with plans to move by fall or winter this year. There are a few reasons, mainly revolving around being at a point in my life where I need to move on. And although I don’t see this as a realistic option, I’ll also be looking at the possibility of mortgages over of leases.
I’d like to be a doggy daddy, and currently having older cats in the house makes it seem unfair for me to introduce a puppy. Yeah, they’d eventually get used to it, but the house isn’t mine and neither are the cats. Another reason for moving.
As far as the job front goes, the leads that looked promising fizzled for now. I did not actively persue them the way I could have. When the time comes for that kind of change, I’ll know it. Besides, I’m now prepared with a killer resume ready to go. For now, though, I’m fairly happy with where I work. I have it pretty dialed in.
I finished Siddartha, and will post about my experience with the amazing book in another day or two.
Lastly, I rarely get sick, but am hurting pretty good at this moment.
I was going to ride out to the desert this weekend with a couple friends to watch the vintage bike races. I changed the oil in my bike and did a general tune up last weekend in preparation. Upon going online to get directions to the event, I discovered that my friends were mistaken on the date of the races. Even though they had directions, I was proactive enough to want a copy of my own for the just-in-case. I am glad I didn’t ride out into the middle of nowhere looking for races that didn’t exist. Hooray for being prepared. Hooray for boy scouts…
So, on Saturday morning I went to participate in a pool tournament. It was a qualifier round where the winners would move on to a semifinals tournament, and eventually the finals in Vegas. My chances are infinitely greater this time around because it is a singles tournament. The qualifier was a piece of cake, and I left without losing a single match. The competition will stiffen during the next 2 rounds and hold a fairly large purse. Early retirement, here I come…
Bare with me, I’m jumping around. My thought process and consciousness is somewhat fractured this afternoon.
I was recommended to read Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. A friend made this recommendation, not the author. This is next on the list in case you’d like to read along. It looks like a quick read, though, so act fast! I was also asked to read some Tom Robbins a long, long time ago, but haven’t decided whether or not I am ready to dive into that at this time.
I fixed my meat thermometer just in time for a Sunday barbeque. Can you tell what the problem was, and what is a davoriginal fix?
On a final note, I have a list of stuff to do before I die. A bucketlist, in relation, however mine was created far before the movie came out. The list is physical, not metaphorical. Among many others, contained on this list are 2 items. 1. I was discussing the plan for jumping out of an airplane with a friend last night. We might opt out of going tandem, and take the 6 hour course to take the leap solo. 2. I am picking up painting with the hope of eventually having enough to show in a small, privately owned art gallery around town. I start painting tonight.
Mother should I run for president?
Mother should I trust the government?
Shout out to Mr. Pink AK Floyd. When Barrack Obama ran for president. I jumped on board with the rest of young hipster America with the hope for change. Change from silver platters, from rewards without work, from what I believed was wrong with the country, it’s leadership, and its growing destructive reputation throughout the rest of the world. I’m not so sure anymore. This post is not about the facts or this history behind my logic, however.
On the topic of politics, the answer to whether or not you should trust the government… back to Barrack. I signed up for his emailing list during his run for president, and was kept up to date concerning his campaign. I read the emails. That’s why I signed up. But then, after he won, although I’m sure not because of his victory, he sold that email list, the one with my email, to every other democrat running for California representation. Not cool. Multiple democratic emails flooded my mailbox every day. After realizing what had happened, I am left “unsubscribing” from 20 plus politician’s campaign updates. I quote unsubscribe because I was also told by someone working in the industry that by clicking the unsubscribe button, all I am doing is verifying that the email is a valid one. It’s funny how a company will assure you that they will not sell your email to build trust, but a politician didn’t think twice about it. I wonder where that money went…
So last weekend I went to a pizza place around the corner of my house. It’s one of the decent pizza places in Southern California. Somehow, ingredients and recipes were lost in translation when pizza was first brought over here, so finding a good pizza place in Southern California is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Needles. I gave blood again today. Apparently I have good blood. It drains faster than the nurse expected, and clots in a flash. And it is O negative which makes me a universal donor. If any of you need some blood, just let me know. I’ll hook it up.
Back to the pizza shop. I was sitting inside with a friend enjoying a pair of slices and a tasty hef. In walks an older man alone. He was probably in his 70′s, and wearing a little kippah (you know, the jewish beanie). Nothing stood out about this fellow. A few minutes later, in walks 3 girls. I call them girls because they were likely much younger than I, somewhere around 21, but trying desperately to flaunt their more mature assets in extravagant dresses, shoes, the works. They were really beautiful, and knew it. I made eyes with the older fellow, who was waiting for his pie. He shrugged at me. I shrugged back. It was sort of a little “holy crap, they’re hot” exchange. It’s good to know that your eyes don’t loose their ability to detect hotness with age. It is a cruel joke, though, that other things do.
Anyway, As the man was walking out with his pie in hand, he stops by my friend an I to say the strangest thing I’ve ever heard come from the lips of a senior citizen. He says seriously and quietly, “I want to have sex with them.” Yeah, that’s not the strange part, he follows it with, “I want to be accused of raping another man’s wife” and walks out. I’m pretty sure I mumbled, “that’s inappropriate” in a confused cloud of thoughts as he walked away.
Then my friend and I laughed our asses off.
So my question to you is this: Did a statement like that mean something different a few decades ago, or did I get a confession from a potential rapist in his heyday?
I was feeling spontaneous, and needed to clear my head for a number of reasons, so I jumped in my car with a half charged iPhone full of great music, a liter of water, and an idea of how to get into the desert. My sense of direction led me into the mountains instead of the desert, which would have been a close second in scenic drives. I was hoping to find a great sunrise view, like a new beginning to cleanse my soul. Again, instead of the sunrise, I found a vastness of stars reaching into space that looked like they went on forever.
It really is amazing how something as simple as staring at stars can be so easily taken for granted, yet so spectacular that it will hold your attention for hours. I started picking out constellations as if I was pointing them out to some imaginary friend. Look, there’s the big dipper! And the 7 sisters! The milky way was in clear sight too. Just breathtaking. It reminds me of simpler times, when the reflected city lights did not skew such amazing sights. It reminds me of going camping, being back home, and summer nights in the Thousand Islands in Canada. There is beauty all around, just keep your eyes open and you’ll see it too.
I left before the sunrise. The clouds were moving in fast, and the air was thick with moisture. It was a cool 38 degrees last night, or this morning, but it was a perfect night to drive with the windows down, the heat cranked up, and loud enough music that I think I saw a coyote dancing with a bunny.
I polished the morning off (morning is defined by the wearing of sunglasses, by the way) with a large, warm cup of coffee at the Surfdog’s Javahut in Encinitas around 6am. I think I’ll move to this town sometime in the fall, maybe sooner. It’s time for a change. I haven’t defined how drastic just yet, but I feel it in my bones.
My car was washed, fuel gage on Full. I had the vital stash of small flasks of whiskey and other misc beverages. My suit was freshly pressed, the shoes shined. And of course, I was sporting about a quarter of mushrooms. I was ready to look for the sickness in Las Vegas. What I found was something else entirely.
Thursday night was ready to turn into Friday morning. I got into Vegas at about 11:30 pm, not even batting an eye to the 2 or 3 sand storms along the desert path en route. I reflected a feeling of relief that I had decided to leave the Triumph behind for this trip.
I was ready for food before I got too far into my Vegas weekend of debauchery. The Peppermill was right around the corner of my hotel, and looked as good a place as any. We sat ourselves on some soft velvet benches along a fire pit that rose from a bed of water in the bar area . The opposites of fire and water in the pit were a perfect match of the two people that wanted to join us to escape their smoking neighbors. One was a 300+ pound fella that reminded me of an east coast cheese steak connoisseur, and the other a very attractive woman that looked like she may have been a model in her heyday. It turns out that first impressions are sometimes spot-on. The fella, Lee, is from the east coast, Philadelphia actually. And the woman, Leah, a Playboy model circa 1991. I immediately let her know that I plan to google her name as we continued our conversation. She also encouraged me to search for Las Vegas Bloodbath, a b-movie where she played the character Bambi (of course). She checked out on both accounts. And for what it’s worth, the movie is a masterpiece. I’m wondering if any of you will be able to last through its entirety. I double-dog dare you.
So, what do you do when you are sitting with an ex-Playboy model, b-movie actress? A great line from the movie, Ghostbusters comes to mind. “Ray, if someone asks you if you are a God, YOU SAY YES!!!” The obvious move was to lure the cougar out of it’s den. Instead of playing along, Leah was getting in touch with her daughter, telling her that she just HAS to meet me… The story’s end wouldn’t be as tragic if she wasn’t also an aspiring model. The daughter, however, had already converted to pajamas for the night. Oh well, the night will go on.
Fast-forward to Friday afternoon. Pool tournament round one. My first teammate loses. My second teammate loses. Move to losers bracket. I’m playing against a skill level 7 (the best a player can be). I beat him straight up, 3 games to 2. My teammates, however did not fair as well, and each lost for a second time. Tournament over. Our total count was 1 and 4. At least I carried my end of the bargain.
Things are moving fast now. Did the Peppermill’s chicken quesadilla treat me poorly? I needed to lie down. I slept for about an hour before I was awoken by screaming. Two people I was sharing the room with were tweekers. Had I known that I was to be sharing the room with a couple of meth-heads, I would have re-thought my lodging for the weekend. Screaming, punching, pushing, crying went on for about 60 seconds too long before I figured I should get the hell out of the room before it turned uglier. As I was walking down the hall, 3 cops were on their way to the room. They stopped me to ask a wrong question.
Cop: Excuse me, did you hear anything about a noise complaint? Me: No sir, I didn’t hear anything about a noise complaint.
Food poisoning. My Vegas adventure was getting tiresome. My physical sickness was getting in the way of my search for the Vegas sickness. I didn’t eat fungus, I didn’t go out with a Playmate’s daughter, and my team lost the tournament. I did however learn one very valuable lesson that I’d like to share with you all. When driving through the desert at 80 mph, make sure you pull over or at least slow down to puke out the window. If you do not, it will end poorly. Very poorly.
So there has been a lot to post about recently. I’ve dropped the ball on purpose for personal reasons, but figure it’s a good time to get back in the habit of seeking out adventures to write about. So here it goes…
1. I am once again a single man. It is a shame, and has bummed me out more than I let on. I try to stay strong, and stay positive. But it’s hard. So, self-reflection, possibilities, sadness, hope, despair, and evaluation are all upon my chest making my heart beat heavy and my head spin. Madness ensues. It’s a good day to be alive.
2. Work has provided many late nights and all-nighters recently. The worst is over, and I am seeing the results of my hard work. The business that I was initially brought on to help create three years ago is taking off now like no one had predicted. I’ve worked very hard for a long time now, and deserve to harvest the rewards for my efforts. There are opportunities on my doorstep that have inspired me to update my resume.
3. My car is a non-smoking vehicle. This is with the goal that I can break the habit. It seems more possible than ever. I’ll keep you posted with my progress.
4. I bought a new turntable through eBay. It makes all my records sound amazing. I have made a few trips to the local, and not so local record stores, finding myself in a new-found love affair with vinyl.
5. I think I finally know what’s going on with my non-working synthesizer. With a ton of knowledge gained, it looks like I’ll have it humming in a short while. Of course I’ll share a post as soon as I’m rockin’.
6. I have a few trips planned. 2 are motorcycle oriented, and 1 is via air. Again, these will deserve full posts or more likely multiple posts. Especially because it’s time for me to leave the country for a bit.
7. I’ll be going to Vegas in a month or two to play in a pool tournament. Should be interesting. I also plan on playing craps on this trip.
8. I’m exploring the possibilities of a business with a couple other geeks. We have an invention that may make us gazillionaires.
9. I’m going to a vintage bike race in the desert, where I’ll be riding my spectacularly classic (thanks Rob) Triumph with my peeps. I can’t wait to see the congregation.
10. And finally, as you may or may not know, I enjoy the organic trip caused by psychedelic mushrooms from time to time. I also enjoy car-camping on the bluffs along the coast. When the two meet, its magic. To make matters better, or maybe worse, the moon was full, the fire was warm, and I kept dry under a water filled sky. It was beautiful.
If I could reach out, I would. But, it’s not up to me. So begins a New Chapter.
Entries (RSS)