arbitrarily weighing up

i'm always way behind with this kind of shit, but i just happened upon an album entitled "howl" by the black rebel motercycle club and it's pretty damn inspiring. i had an old record of theirs that wasn't much to speak of however this new one is worth some typing. i recommend it.

on the first of january, some close friends of ours move to nashville for a few months to make a record. so tonight we will join them in saying farewell and good luck at the lava lounge in l.a. i'm prepared to put a few away if need be. an example of successful marital compromise is this: she gets to spend money on a new shirt. i get to spend money on new beer.

i was talking to brandon vedder on the phone yesterday, when i was interrupted by a scene that transpired before my eyes. i stopped one sentence, and began verbally unfolding what it was i was watching. when finished brandon asked me if i was even aware of what i had just said, and added that it was a perfect example of where and how i live. he also stated that it would be genius in a script. so now that i've built it up when it's really nothing, what i said was,
"i just saw my mechanic drive by in my wifes volkswagen with his dog riding shotgun after he asked us four days ago to borrow it for one day to go feed his moms cat."

i've grown aware as of late that i am a big fat advantage taker. give me something to take advantage of and i'll swipe it from your mits before you even knew i was there. not to proud, maybe that's something to remedy with the new year.

and with that by the way, happy new year. may your celebrations be blessed and safe.

ten

in 1990 i was ten years old. for christmas that year i wanted the lab tech jr. chemistry set, i wanted the he-man vs. skeletor castle grey skull, and i wanted rock'em sock'em robots. i got the lab tech jr. and ended up lighting my sock on fire and burning my eyes. i didn't get castle grey skull, but seth allen did. from that day on we weren't best friends anymore. and i got rock'em sock'em robots, and couldn't be beat.

when you were ten what were three things you wanted?

a tribute to greatness

who am i:

i'm tall. i drink loads of alcohol. ten years ago i bought my first car, which i still drive. i go to vegas bi-weekly and call matt at four in the morning every time to sing him "sweet child of mine". i call cigarettes dugans. in the fourth grade i rapped, i made up stories about a girl who was six hundred feet tall and wide and came from the amazon eating turkey, i had an ape drape for hair, and if you mock it i wouldn't even hesitate to tear off your arm and jam it in and around your eyes. i'm fantastic.

hint: my name starts with b and ends with unky.

today i didn't even have to use my A K

i gotta say it was a good day. two reasons largely responsible are as follows:

reason #1. to my suprise i have just come across my long lost "21 singles" from the jesus and mary chain, including such tracks as head on, just like honey, and sometimes always. pure genius in its simplest form. this gives me a happy feeling deep down inside my loins. and what the hell does that even mean? i've got a dictionary in the drawer, lets take a peek.

loin \'loin\n 1: part of the body on each side of the spine between the hip and the lower ribs. 2: pl: pubic regions

reason #2. we just booked a february residency at the detroit bar. this as well gives me a good feeling in my pubic region. not literally, but this is very exciting nonetheless. so if your in the area, and you like to listen to live music and drink beer, come. steve d. will be joining us with a banjo... no shit.

owen matthew pool

our nephew was born last night. his name is owen matthew pool (matthew, after his uncle matt). he is perfect, you guys. i wish you could have seen him. he is tiny, only a little over six pounds. his skin is perfect and he looks like a little elf. the family went down to the hospital in redlands yesterday afternoon and he was born in the evening. andrea did great and had a wonderful labor and delivery. only josh was in the room with her, so it was very special for them. andrea got to hold the baby right away and josh got to clean him. it was a beautiful night. being there and apart of his birth, and also of esme's birth almost exactly two years ago, has been one the most amazing experiences of my life.
we'll post pictures soon!-a

masterpieces

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel: The Eiffel Tower
Frank Lloyd Wright: Fallingwater
Charles and Ray Eames: 901 Washington Boulevard
Minoru Yamasaki: The World Trade Center
Walt Disney: The Swiss Family Robinson Tree House
John Steinbeck: East of Eden
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Charles M. Schulz: Linus
Bill Watterson: Scientific Progress goes "Boink"
Theodor Seuss Geisel: The Butter Battle Book
Wes Anderson: The Royal Tenenbaums
Steven Spielberg: E.T.
Levi Strauss: The 501
Tacobell: The Carmel Apple Empenada

please opine further.

just a taste

the other night after free drinks in chinatown, i ended up in some designer's 10th floor loft with steve, derek, and luke. it was a friendly little gathering; the kind with crack in the bathroom and sex on the dancefloor. i had a few wine's and some smoke, and tried to dance a bit when i was reminded of the reason why i don't much care for los angeles. i was surrounded by plastic people trying so hard to be seen, however when you do make eye contact with one you get snubbed. people who've spent days planning which leg warmers would go better with which high heels, and which sunglasses they could wear inside, at night, and still see the numbers on their phones. here i was in a place where people were waiting in line outside to get in, and i was bored. these weren't my people. but don't get me wrong, it was like a movie, and i had fun with my friends, whom i love. a few dialogues that stuck with me however were:

me: no way, it's the girl from that keith urban video.
derek: crazy, where?
me: right behind me.
derek: crazy. who's keith urban?

it's a good thing derek doesn't know who keith urban is, i wish i didn't.
later:

luke: you just got your picture taken by the cobra snake.
me: your lying, where?
luke: right there by the fire escape.
me: no way. who's the cobra snake?

later:

steve: matt i just had the craziest idea. (if you know steve this is funny already)
me: what is it?
steve: let's take the ladders up to the roof.
me: nice, lets.

which we did, where we were told to get down by a shaq sized black man. immediately after, steve got stuck in an elevator with 17 other people for an hour. thats all.

top five guilty pleasures

1. eating shortbread products
2. watching kcet antique specials on tv
3. smoking tabacco products
4. pretending to play fleetwood mac songs on piano in my car
5. sleeping in during church

name yours

in response to mr. talbot

matt's elph 607
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

contents of 1 gola bag:

1 canon digital elph camera
1 soft camera case
1 old relevant magazine issue
1 old spin magazing issue
1 holiday lego catalog
1 pair vonzipper sunglasses
1 cellular telephone
1 edition of the grapes of wrath
1 box bud light playing cards
1 jameson whiskey flask
1 red journal
1 unanswered letter
1 box colored pencils
1 art journal
1 burton beanie
1 set billy bob teeth
1 egg shaker
1 bic lighter
and a bunch of pencils

joshua tree

joshua tree
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

had a good ol' fashioned camping trip up in joshua tree national park with tim and shauna. did some rock climbing. told scary stories. got really excited about our "poor mans dinner" and ended up burning it to an un-edible crisp. good times. who wants to go camping soon? say when and pick a spot.

for my 1/2

buried in your blankets left for dead
my heart beating in my head
i lie still pretending i'm asleep
and i watch you put your clothes on for me
the local pharmacist and his wife
and i'm convinced after your performance
that this world is too small for us
and our stupid instincts
and our stupid desires

this one's for derek

songbird
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

that time of year

nunkin
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

i'm proud of my carving. check out amber's too.

go see it

tagged, in the wake of my beautiful wife.

originally from lindsay.
i'll try to keep it short and sweet as hell.

10 years ago: i'm 15. freshman/sophmore, somewhere in there. i'm listening to sad smashing pumpkins songs and acting depressed. wearing vans and flannels. staying up late toilet papering houses with kids that are way older than me. i'm probably just starting to branch into the whole skateboard and punk rock phase.

5 years ago: i'm, umm, 20. living in huntington beach. being an asshole. dropping out of college. delivering pizza. smoking cigarettes, and discovering jimmy eat world, clarity.

1 year ago: like she said, freshly married up. gettin busy in the sack. sorry. remodeling our humble abode. discovering things about each other, about giving and loving in the true sense of the words. road trippin. having good old times with friends. drinking.

yesterday: it technically started with the colour boys, then driving home from our show in l.a. getting home at 3am. going to work at 1pm. tearing apart tile and getting drywall in my eyes. watching crash. drinking hot chocolate. going to bed. pretty damn exciting.

5 snacks i enjoy:
must i remind you of the emenada.
7-11 go-go taquitos.
shortbread cookies.
odwalla superfood.
maybe a nice cold mgd.

5 songs i know all the words to:
in my garage, weezer.
lady madonna, beatles.
rocket town, micheal w. smith.
super galactic chick princess, norpain.
and the family guy theme.

5 things i'd do with a million dollars:
get super selfish and buy a bunch of shit.
build my grandma pool her dream tree house.
get my wife a washer and dryer.
build a vintage recording studio.
travel.

5 places i'd run away to:
narnia.
tokyo.
tibet.
tahiti.
my bedroom when i was 10.

5 things i'd never wear:
pretty much nothing, yah this one's really not making me think.

5 favorite tv shows:
iron chef.
american chopper.
laguna beach.
modern marvels.
seinfeld.

5 biggest joys:
my wife.
my music.
sleeping.
eating.
showering.

5 favorite toys:
unfortunatly i don't really have any,
but i want a quad,
a batting cage,
some kayaks,
an x-box,
and a slinky.

no dice. big game tomorrow.

back in it! kind of.

bottom of the 6th, cabrera, two run homer.
sox 5, la 2

game 3, bottom of 3rd, sox 4, la zip

...i'll keep you posted. i know, i know. you can't wait.

i was tagged by lindsay

10 years ago: 15 years old. sophmore year of high school. this year had many different phases for me. the begining of the year is when i ended my little "rebellious" phase. i had too much to drink at a jimmy buffet concert. i vaguely remeber sitting on the shoulders of a large hawiian man, singing along to "fins", which was much to the amusement of the people i was with, expect for jaime's mom. i don't think she was impressed. but after that i said goodbye to rum and anything else that pirates drink. i also became president of the backpacking club at my highschool that year and started hiking to castle rock twice a week before school. and i went to the philippines with josh and nadia. pretty much i was a bad ass that year.

5 years ago: 20 years old. my junior year of college and i studied abroad in england. this was one of the best things i've done in my twenties. i travelled through europe with this girl named esther whom i barely knew. i ate gellato, sat in the colosieum for about 3 hours because it was so amazing, sang bob dylan songs with a homeless man in hyde park, worked at a pre-school with the most precious little english kids, thought for sure i would marry some hot englishman but after the charm of their accents wore off i realized i was not a fan of tight pants and turtle necks, i was lonely, and i learned more about myself than i ever had before. when i got back from england i lived with rosie and suzanne in the "costa misery". we made big dinners together and watched the same six seinfeld episodes over and over. my lesbian haircut was growing out, it was a good year.

1 year ago: i just got married, so pretty much all i did was get freaky. just kidding. i went to hawaii for the first time and loved it. matt and i were still working on our house when we got back so we lived in his parents' cabins and had to move to a different one every three days. this took about five months and then we finally got to move into our house. i also went up to portland with suzo and rosie, to move suzo there. it was a really fun trip, but sad to say good-bye to suzanne ( i miss you). matt, derek, nate, and i took a little trip up to san francisco for bridgeschool and that was an amazing time. we stayed in a lighthouse/hostel. we went to a pumpkin festival and went wine tasting and then we saw paul mcCartney. this was probably the biggest transitional year.

yesterday: i went to breakfast and lunch with rosie and then i had to say good-bye to her. she will be back in vegas and i'm very sad not to have her here with me anymore. i was pretty much upset about that all day and ended up having way too much to drink while watching "hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy", which i'm going to have to watch over again. matt didn't notice me boozing it up and he didn't figure it out until we went to bed and i couldn't stop laughing at nothing at all, apparently. then i told him i was going to throw up and then i burst into tears and cried hysterically for about ten minutes. the poor boy didn't know whether he should carry me to the bathroom so i could vomit, soothe me so i could stop crying, or let me sleep it off.

5 snacks i enjoy: tacos from jack in the box, 31 flavors chocolate peanut-butter ice cream, carmel apples, hot tamales candy, and chips w/ guacamole.

5 songs i know all the words to: well this is tough because i rule at knowing all the words to songs. but i'll highlight some of my favorites to sing at the top of my lungs when my radio is broken:
1. shoop, by TLC
2. the humpty dance, by digital underground
3. crazy, by patsy cline
4. ticket to ride, by the beatles
5. everyone ruins it, by annlynn

5 things i'd do with a million dollars:
1. buy my mom a new car and put her through school
2. put rosie through school and support her so she can go to india and africa to help sick people
3. buy esme an entire library with any books she wants
4. buy matt 10 beautiful drum sets
5. travel and be a lady of leisure for as long as possible

5 places i'd run away to:
1. portland
2. disneyland
3. london
4. spain
5. interlaken, switzerland

5 things i'd never wear:
1. anything with puffy paint
2. sweaters with apples, teddy bears, or kittens
3. low rise pants with a thong showing, so tasteful
4. leather jackets with fringe, sorry mom
5. "juicy" velour track outfits

5 favorite tv shows:
1. seinfeld
2. wonder years
3. cosby show
4. felicity
5. smallville

5 biggest joys
1. matt
2. my neice, esme
3. having coffee with rosie and suzanne
4. reading in bed/ writing
5. i'm going to agree with lindsay, "when i am really able to rest in god's grace"

5 favorite toys
when i was little: my barbies, my casio keyboard that made animal noises, my paper dolls, my roller skates, anything that belonged to my brother.
now: my volkswagon, my harmonica, matt (my boy toy), my roller skates (still), and my snowboard.

5 fine folks who can now consider themselves tagged:
becca, linda, joey, derek, josh pool.

tahoe whereabouts pt. 4

biggest little city
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

homeward. our fourth and final voyage log. as i said earlier, we took reno like johnny depp in fear and loathing, but came out cotten picken' broke. well other than the stuffed purple bear we won esme. we said goodbye for now and plotted a course south, down the redonkyless 395, and by redonkyless i mean spectacular in it's beauty. along the back side of yosemite, erick schat's bakery in bishop came highly recommended. eat there. we too recommend it. soon after we stopped at a world war two japanese relocation camp called manzanar. this was very interesting, emotionally, and deserves a blog of it's own to describe. all that remained were the foundations of a post office, a hospital, baseball fields and shack upon shack bordered by what appeared to be rock or bonsai gardens. the most moving was the cemetary (in photos). the remainder of the drive was to a purple sky over the mojave, and before long we returned to reality in the form of a warm bed and an alarm clock set for 6:30am, when it's workin time.

tahoe whereabouts pt. 3

tahoe
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

at a chilly 2 in the a.m. we arrived at the doorstep of the casa de castaneda (chris & sarah in photos) to a charming tray of cup cakes (also in photos) baked by the mr. of the home. we were taken right in with such warmth and generosity. in the days to follow we toured the valley and were persistently taken aback by its beauty. we shopped candy and toy. we boys kayaked the truckee river (in photos) where i grew too brave and challenged a rock that turned me over, literally, to the icey rapids. we gambled in reno (photos in pt.4). we hiked the mountain. and, if i may be so bold, we very much enjoyed "13 going on 30". all in all we were inspired by chris and sarah to live the life of a toyota commercial as they do.

tahoe whereabouts pt. 2

tunnel
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

in next to no time we said farewell to josh, nadia, and ewan and were back in the saddle singing over the all too familiar hum of the 101 at seventy m.p.h. it's one of the more beautiful drives in california, the tunnels and trains and pea soup. we passed and were passed by friends all pointed to the same northern nuptials of kristen and dan. kristen was the first girl i ever shared a saucer sled with. an old beloved friend. good food. good drink. good company. and again as the sun tucked itself into the sea, my wife and i were back on the trail, en route for the sierra nevadas.

tahoe whereabouts pt. 1

denim josh
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

end of september. part one of the travels my wife and i shared. we drove toward the west's swiftly passing sun, through the wintry air and red leaves, down the mountain's side , through the vaporous city of angels, to arrive at the blessed home of the talbot family. together at sea level we ate fish, puffed smoke, played gap-hide-and-go-seek, all in all spending (not enough) much needed time being friends.

part 2. (wedding)
part 3. (truckee/tahoe)
part 4. (homeward)
all to follow

pointlessness

sitting here in my chair, trying to think of some original or fun locale of my life to log, and i have nothing. amber and i journeyed our little pettuties up to tahoe over the weekend. i wanted to log that however my photos are not on this particular electronic computing device, so that will be next. i do have something, and at the risk of sounding totally obtuse i will ask this:
in the movie bambi, is that his father, or just some random elderly buck that shows up during the fire and jumps off the cliff with him?

the empanada

i ran for the border and fell victim to a love affair with the sixth food group. before there were five: (1) grains, (2) vegetables, (3) fruits, (4) milk and dairy products, and (5) meat, beans, fish, and nuts, right? the sixth, the taco bell caramel apple empanada, with it's intensely crunchy shell, it's soft innocent buttery breading stuffed whole with warm, possitively sinfull golden brown caramel apple filling, is the youngest addition to the pyramid. this (6th) group is soon to be discovered as the only group required to necessitate a further flourishing and successful occupancy of our own planet earth.

Rosie passed onto me this gem

If you want to pee your pants, go to the following link. -a

www.theonion.com/content/node/33930

classroom wisdom

I was subbing at the elementary school the other day and this quote was hanging in the classroom. I was really inspired by it and I wanted to share it with you guys.

"A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search for truth or perfection, is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life." -Lewis Mumford

Since I read this I have been thinking about whether or not my days are filled with these things. I decided that they used to be but I've greatly neglected them. I've been neglecting the most important things and for no good reason. God is at the center of these things. I want to open my eyes again, for all the beauty and mystery and loveliness and truth. If you want to, post in the comments section how this quote affects you and what ways you fill your days with these things.-a

too late

guess which two places i would love to visit before:

a.) they are under water

b.) someone flys a 747 into their buildings

book game

ok, i was "tagged" by rosie. i'm exctied. here it goes:

1. Number of books you have owned: I'm not sure how many. Definately not as many as I'd like to have, but enough to keep me reading new things for a while.

2. Last book you bought: Watership down. I've never read it and I'm really excited about it.

3. Last book completed: The Alchemist. I reccomend it to anyone who hasn't read it.

4. Five books that mean a lot to you:
1. East of Eden
2. The Little Prince
3. The Human Comedy
4. The Brothers Karamazov
5. The Shawshank Redemtion

4b. What are you currently reading? Well, I just started Invisible Man but I'm taking it slow beacause I'm still digesting The Alchemist.

5. Which five bloggers are you passing this onto? I think all of mine are taken already. But I would pass them to:
1. matt
2. rosie
3. tim and shauna
4. josh talbot
5. joey

timshel...

i've been spending very pleasant and painfull bits and pieces of the last month or so in salinas california with a chinaman named lee, a mr. adam trask and family, as well as the ancestors of the now late mr. john steinbeck; the hamiltons. however last night i was compelled, against my will, to say my farewells and return home, for good. those blustery yellow days hiding in the willow with abra, and intellectually lingering nights sipping ng ka py across the table from lee, are but distant memories.



...i finished reading east of eden more or less.

new death cab for cutie record

don't need it. already got it. thanks j.t.

and i'm going to go ahead and get this out there, um... it's really good.

i take back the dreadful things i said before.

vee luff amedica!!!

i had an early birthday party this weekend. i and my family and friends went to pongs place for curry and hot saki. i got pipes and books and some wacky tabaccy (not wacky like the green tree is wacky). after that we hit up friar tucks tavern for some new castle scooners. i recieved a $30 shot-o-tequila free from the lovely tender and then kicked some ass at darts. i didn't get to dress up like rambo, however i'll put money down says i could have drank rambo under the table.
my favorite part of the night came later when i was in the washroom and over heard "vee luff amedica!!!" it was coming from two ticked pink germans, sebastian and holga, both dudes. i hit it off with sebastian right away. he bought me a king of beers and then asked what kind of car i drive. i got so excited because we happened to take out the squareback. i jumped up and yelled "volkswagen!!!!" then he started jumping too yelling "you come to germany, vee drive von hundret sefenty mile and hour!!! i showed him the car and he gave me an "american cigarette".
anyway that was fun.
so i'm 25 tomorrow.
wierd.

goals into my 25th year

25
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

ahh the wonders of windows paint. blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah click on photo

thumbs up is the new bird

driving, the most insane human interaction.

some advice: if you do something to piss someone off, and they pull around with horns blarin', refrain from the ol' middle finger and give the thumb a try instead. you will be sure to get one of two possible reactions, nonetheless both rewarding. the first is a complete change in attitude from the fellow driver, in which they realize upon seeing a positive hand gesture that life is to short to be upset about a petty little manuvering mistake on the road. these select few will most likely come back with a giggle and a silly little wave. the second possible reaction, probably more common, and i should add more fun, is a flood of anger upon being slapped in the face with shameless sarcasm. these people would be better off seeing a middle fingure, that being what they want. however the thumb is your advantage. it assists in remaining calm on your part, and in the end your the last man/woman laughing. do keep in mind to be on the lookout following an encounter with this second group, for there is always the possibility that they may run you off the road and shoot you in the back of the neck.

give it a try and let me know what you think.

i found this...

Received via E-mail:

My name is Billy Evans. I am a very sick little boy. My mother is typing this for me, because I can't. She is crying. The reason she is so sad is because I'm so sick. I was born without a body. It doesn't hurt, except when I try to breathe. The doctors gave me an artificial body. It is a burlap bag filled with leaves. The doctors said that was the best they could do on account of us having no money or insurance.

I would like to have a body transplant, but we need more money. Mommy doesn't work because she said nobody hires crying people. I said, "Don't cry, Mommy," and she hugged my burlap bag. Mommy always gives me hugs, even though she's allergic to burlap and it makes her sneeze and chafes her real bad.

I hope you will help me. You can help me if you forward this email to everyone you know. Forward it to people you don't know, too. Dr. Johansen said that for every person you forward this email to, Bill Gates will team up with AOL and send a nickel to NASA. With that funding, NASA will collect prayers from school children all over America and have the astronauts take them up into space so that the angels can hear them better. Then they will come back to earth and go to the Pope, and he will take up a collection in church and send all the money to the doctors. The doctors could help me get better then.

Maybe one day I will be able to play baseball. Right now I can only be third base. Every time you forward this letter, the astronauts can take more prayers to the angels and my dream will be closer to coming true. Please help me. Mommy is so sad, and I want a body. I don't want my leaves to rot before I turn ten. If you don't forward this email, that's okay. Mommy says you're a mean and heartless nasty person who doesn't care about a poor little boy with only a head. She says that if you don't stew in the raw pit of your own guilt-ridden stomach, she hopes you die a long slow horrible death and then burn forever in hell. What kind of cruel person are you that you can't take five minutes to forward this to all your friends so that they can feel guilt and shame about ignoring a poor, bodiless nine-year-old boy? Please help me.

I try to be happy, but it's hard. I wish I had a kitty. wish I could hold a kitty. I wish I could hold a kitty that wouldn't chew on me and try to bury its poo in the leaves of my burlap body. I wish that very much.

Thank You,
Billy "Smiley" Evans

mmmmm ramen noodles

when was the last time?

pinched survey

How tall are you? 6 foot on the money.

Do you own a gun? i'd like to. my self (and wife's) protection constists of a hammer and a shoe.

Rehab? i wish.

Have you ever killed an animal? when i was a child my friend and i hit a bird with a rock, and had to finish the job. i went home and cried.

Are you Irish? very much indeed.

What do you think of hot dogs? hamburgers.

What's your favorite Christmas song? it's by paul mccartney, but i don't recall the title.

What is your favorite smell? bath and body works eucalyptus spearmint. holy crap!

What do you prefer to drink in the morning? o.j.

Do you do pushups? with one hand.

Have you ever done ecstasy? i wish.

Have you been shot? i did a high school project on paintball once, and got shot a few hundred times. i bled and lost sleep for days.

Have you ever been hospitalized? 7 years old. dog bite to the face. 60 stitches.

Do you like painkillers? only with red wine.

whats your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? i just get super wasted and do tom petty kareoke.

Do you own a knife? um, ya. i own a knife. next question.

Do you have ADD? i absolutely must. there is no other explanation.

Do you love the pain a tattoo brings? yes, and i also enjoy sticking hooks through the skin on my back and hanging from the ceiling.

Name five drinks you have regularly: black coffee, aquafina, diet coke w/ lime, newcastle, white russian/colorado bulldog.

What's in your CD player? (computer) pavement - crooked rain, crooked rain, and frank black - frank black. (car) new ben folds.

What's under your bed? amber's hot ass underwear.

What time did you wake up today? about 9.

Current haircut? the "hi, um can you do that thing with the razor blade again".

What are you wearing? wow, white converse, classic relaxed boot cut 55o, matt maust two sided t-shirt.

Current worry? that my wife and friends are getting shitty w/out me cause i'm going home to bed cause i have mono.

Current love? band of brothers on dvd, i also just re-discovered the monte-cristo sandwich.

Current hate? talking about music with people.

Favorite place to be? um it's naughty, but other than that it's on stage.

Least favorite place? anywhere that entails waiting. i've been such a bitch lately.

If you could play an instrument? hammered dulcimer.

Favorite colors? blue and brown, hands down. i'm a kick ass rhymer. is that a word?

One person from the past you wish you could be with? well, like intimately? that'd have to be norma jean baker. otherwise walt disney.

Where would you like to go? tokyo

Where do you want to live? 1. london 2. the northwest 3. the bayou

Favorite food? cool answer: sushi. real answer: fried ice cream

Color of most clothes you own? black, although blue's a threat.

Number of pillows you sleep with? well it depends what i can call a pillow. one.

What were you doing at 12AM last night? trying to put down "east of eden".

What do you think you will be doing in ten years? designing innovative and unique homes, living not in california, and traveling with my wife and our four-six chilluns.

Are you paranoid? only when i quit smoking.

Do you burn or tan? tan, unless i'm snorkling for seven hours staight.

First piercing/tattoo? untouched. i can't think that i want one bad enough, maybe my ring finger.

Last person you yelled at? some douche bag in a car who drove for shit.

Latest crush? the indian babe in "bend it like beckham".

Last thing you ate? rice

If you could be a pirate, would you? if you say no your empty.

What songs do you sing in the shower? lately, whatever freak ass don henley song was in my dream.

What's in your pockets right now? hall's, some change, and some keys. exhilarating!

What color are your bedroom walls? kind of a mustard yellow. it's quite nice really.

Last thing that made you laugh? Nate calling LAX the devil's ass hole.

Best bed sheets you had as a child? the space shuttle control panel ones. man i just got sad.

Pets? Trailer, the best most retarded golden ever! but one day amber and i will have two blood hounds, blue and copper.

Have you ever won any awards? a spelling bee in fourth grade. h-a-b-a-n-e-r-o.

How many T.V.s do you have in your house? one, but i have four in my car. not really.

Who do you tell your dreams to? amber... and the little white troll that shows up every morning around three and tickles my chest.

If you could make out with one person who would it be? the indian babe in "bend it like beckham".

What do you think of the person who posted this before you? lindsay, she's a barrel of laughs! and she spikes a damn good dry diet coke...

hollywood

we played a show in hollywood last night and had such an amazing time with friends. sometimes i think that living away from so many friends will sooner or later take it's toll, resulting in less frequent visits or something to that extent. everyone has a life, and a relatively busy one at that, and yet they manage to place time aside and be together. i'm always amazed, and reminded of the blessing of valid friendship that i recieve. that alone is one sizable orange in the bowl of happiness. so the show went well, the sound went well, at least on stage. we were pleased for the most part. i'm having a hard time reading people's reactions to the new material. the word is that they enjoy it but... i guess there's never enough enthusiasm when one is on the receiving end, right?

down other avenues... my life is made up of things to look forward to. not sure if thats healthy or not, nevertheless thats how it's been for some time now and that approach remains steady. so a few major items on my list are as follows:

-road trip to san luis obisbo tomorrow, for a wedding. i'm especially excited that it's just amber and i on the drive there and back, windows down, music, ice cream, polaroids, and love.

-some dates still pending to see friends. one trip to see huntington's and riverside's. another trip to stay with the colour boys before they tour again.

-july 24, amber and myself will celebrate our one year aniversary. we've narrowed it down to two possible outings; san diego, wild animal park, and an ipod, or anaheim hilton, disneyland, and an ipod.

i'll be frank

aahhh. it's a new day. i was thee worlds largest bitch yestarday. maybe i'm paranormally attached to london on some level. but it feels good to start afresh this morning. i'm in the office today, by myself, which is lovely. coffee, a bit o coltrane, and the world wide web, or the last battle. i'll swap as the day goes on. the weather's incredible. my clothes are clean and pressed. for the most part i'm good. however there is one thing hanging over my ever erratic brain... my spirit. my soul. from where does my joy come? right now i can't say that i know. my wife? she fills a void that only she can fill. but i'm not of a single void. music? playing is a delight, most of the time, but listening to it? i don't know what i care for anymore. friends? like guy friends or "best" friends. there are a lot of phone numbers in my phone book, but who can i really talk to these days? and the next, or the last, empty space that i carry, the big one, the you know who, is my chief dilema. thats where i desire to put good amounts of deprived and neglected energy. since christmas i've been like a distant relative of jesus'. i don't know who he is, or what he is, or if he is. is that where i'm from? or why i'm here, or my purpose? the answers to those questions would bring me joy, i'm sure of it. here i am, raised in a church since birth, learning the stories, singing the songs, acting the part, and i'm clueless. one day something just might happen. i'll have faith in something, and i'll have joy.

yay, yay oh my god yay!!!

i'm all excited because i'm at work trying to think of fun places to go online and i remembered our blog. while i was looking at it i remembered that amber wanted me to write on it and i got all excited thinking about writing on it. so i last wrote here when i had that terrible hair going on. why didn't anyone tell me i looked like such an ass? remarkable! so lets see, i want to catch up here, even if no-one reads it these days. hmm, two of my best friends went to europe together and i got mono. just joking, i'll do a real one...in chronological order:

-i cut my hair, which you've seen.
-put ann lynn on myspace (leading to the downfall).
-man it's hard to remember even a couple months back.
-went on a cruise in april and got super fat on amazing food.
-started the chronicles of narnia
-re-discovered and you will know us by the trail of dead.
-played a couple shows and wrote a couple songs.
-took a walk around the neighborhood with amber.
-camped on catalina, got super drunk, went buffulo hunting at 2 a.m. with brandon and josh and a few asian guys that smoked the best asian cigarettes.
-got sick when i got home.
-developed bronchial symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes.
-also got a subconjunctival hemorrhage
-went to sacramento to witness the uniting of tim and shauna, then went to redding for the first time in a year and a half, still sick. drank some homeopathic jug of kambutcha tea.
-got amber a backpack and a harmonica for her birthday, now she goes everywhere with them.
-house sat the macmasters palace.
-came up with a great book idea, should be available via amazon by christmas.
-sweated pints in my sleep.
-ate nothing for a week, then began vomiting.
-got blood taken at big bear hospital (big mistake).
-got blood taken again because they didn't get enough the first time.
-found out i had mononucleosis from the blood scan, which upset me however i did lose fifteen pounds due to that little epstein-barr bastard virus.
-read all but the last battle

i think that pretty much brings us up to date. oh, i also kind of quit my job, to help my parents through the year. they pay me better. i say kind of because i still go draw plans to help eddie now and then. a pretty upright deal. i still have a sore throat but i'm taking a gargantuan amout of vitamins these days so we'll see. well i hope someone stumbles upon my thoughts here. i hope everyone is well. i'm going to blog more. it's soothing, i forgot how soothing it can be.

so i'm glad we're blogging again. i like you guys. i don't have much to say. the boys are practicing right now. they are writing a lot of new stuff. it's been inspiring for me. for some reason it's reminded me of things that i love to do, things i stopped doing.
rosie and suzanne were up this past week. it was so so good for the three of us to be together again. and it was really hard for me when they left. i miss them.
i picked up "goblet of fire" brand new in hardback for $2 at a garage sale and rosie picked up the most bitchin bike. i think it is a kid's bike, which is perfect for rosie because she is small. plus she is afraid of falling so it's good for her to be low to the ground.
well that's all i got. if any of you haven't seen it, rent "a love song for bobby long".-a
p.s. i couldn't figure out how to post a comment on talbot's blog, but i wanted to tell you that the black and white picture of you and ewan on the beach is amazing. it reminds me of "endless summer".

my space blows

nobody blogs anymore. i miss hearing about my friends. i don't like my space. everyone looks like weirdos. let's all blog again. i'll get it started. let's see...i'm watching "ray" right now. i like this movie. i just ate a tasty meatball and mozzarella hot pocket. i've become a runner. a real one. i get up at 5:45 and go running. pretty soon i'll be fit as a fiddle and sports illustrated will be beating the door down. but my hot runners bod is for matt's enjoyment only. matt won't run with me. he's a bum. matt and josh have leprosy. i feel bad for them. i'm going to las vegas this weekend to visit rosie and sell some lotion and salt scrub. viva! when i get back the pool family is going on a cruise to mexico. it will be fun but sad for matt and josh because of their leprosy. they'll have to stay in the arcade while andrea lay next to the pool and drink tequilla sunrise.
ok, that's all i got. now it's your turn.

gone tomorrow

IMGP0158
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

it makes the wife happy and it really needed to be done. so who still blogs? we've been slacking. the latest: amber and i are very well, my boss took a week to ski in wyoming, so i had some time off, josh, paul and i are busy with the music, and thats about it.

go check it out if you will.

hair today

IMGP0150
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

click and listen

comment on the below here

Calling all Talking Heads fans

David Byrne from the Talking Heads will be presenting his latest art project, "I (love) Power Point!", at UC Irvine. It sounds really interesting. It is on March 10th from 7:30-9:00 and it is free. It will be in the Humanities Intructional Building, Room 100. For more information check out the UCI website or call me. To print up a map of the campus go to http://uci.edu/campusmap. If anyone wants to go, let me know! -a

how was your st. valentine's day?

annlynn music space

musicspace1
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

i have new inspiration. josh and i re-established the annlynn music project after two years of crying about it, and it's very uplifting. click on the poorly lit photo for others, and check out my-space soon. i know i said my-space, on blogger. send me to hell.

what should we call it???

tom petty cover band

who wants in?

just joking. but seriously.

vocals-
rythm guitar 1-
rythm guitar 2-
lead-
sitar-
keys-
bass-
drums-
black woman-
dancing midget 1-
dancing midget 2-

must be willing to travel short distances, drink lots of beer, be not attractive, and kick huge amounts of ass!

Attention BBHS Alumni:

I just ate lunch with Mr.Leong and Mr.Rice!!!!!! -a

i'm losing it

matt and i finished the last episode of Smallville season 3 last night, and it has put me in a state. season 3 has been pure intensity and the final episode left us at the edge of a gigantic chasm. things happend that we never thought possible. some of our biggest fears were realized. we were distraught, naturally, and frantically paced the room muttering, "what is going on? what is going to happen to our beloved friends in Smallville, Kansas? we need some explainations, some answers!". so we made a call to tim, a fellow Smallville fan who has been watching season 4. he didn't answer his phone. we sat at our table, racking our brains. "is there anyone else we can call?....no, there isn't anybody...we're alone." we stayed up a little while longer, hoping tim would call back, but finally fell into a restless sleep.
but today the clouds have parted. i'm subbing at the high school right now. during my last period i looked around the classroom, and a thought occured to me....Smallville is a WB show....high school kids watch WB shows....i will make them give me answers! so i cleared my throat and said, "may i have your attention for a moment please. i need to know if anyone in this room watches the television show Smallville?" (i asked this with great authority) hands went up! "thank-you. i need to see you students at the front of the class please." i heard muttering as the students came up, "what about the o.c.? what about summerland?". i ignored their mutterings. i can't be bothered with such shows, Smallville is it. it is "the one".
so i asked my blessed angels a few questions. i decided not to let them tell me too many important details; i intend on watching season 4 myself. but i found out what i needed to put my mind at ease. so thank-you my angels, wherever you are. many treasures await you in heaven (or krypton).-a

me in honey

i guess it finally happened. i've been listening to alot of r.e.m. lately, hold the laughter. it's been a little painful because of my long time ignorance. though i don't care much for mr. stipe, i'm still coming around, starting with "out of time" and "monster", thank you wife. any other suggestions (this is where josh talbot names off like 30 albums, because i must say, i hear tons of talbots influence with them), or questions? comments?

just sad

i was thinking yestarday about this time when i shit my pants. 5th grade, i'm on the bus and i really got to go. the bus rides like an hour long, then the walk home. so i'm walking down the street like i'm trying to hold a tennis ball with my knees. and as this nice man and his daughter walk by me it happens. it all just happens right then and there. and i'm just staring at this guy half laughing, half crying. it was pretty sad.

yet another

what is your biggest fear?

what do you hate more than anything?

why am i being so negative?

we're still alive

long.time.long.hair
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

i've been somewhat dominated by smallville season three lately. my apologies.

05' firsts

so far this year what, when, who, where, or how was your...

first kiss-
first person you thought about kissing-
first movie-
first new album-
first good meal-
first fight-
first intoxication-
first really good laugh-
first intrument you played-
first thing you bought-
first naked ass sighting-
first swear-
first apology-
and first whatever you want?

a dream

maybe i've been playing too many computer games, but i wanted to share a dream i had because it was so vivid and felt so real, which they usually do. i will read this later and realize how stupid it is but what the crap.

it was late at night. i was standing on the hill in my grandma's backyard in san diego. but rather than seeing some of carlsbad and the ocean, i was looking down on greater los angeles. i was accompanied by some members of my family and their friends, none of whom i knew. the sky was completely dark, no stars and no moon. nothing but the twinkling orange and yellow lights of the city. i was distracted from the low mumble of conversation behind me by a quiet buzz coming from the city. it's volume grew and it's pitch rose gradually, when i realized it was an air raid siren. another sounded and few miles south, followed by another just blocks away. an inexplicable fear came over me.
seconds later, the sky turned orange with anti-aircraft artillary, spraying upwards from several different locations. they were weaving back and forth, almost beautifully, as if someone had lost control of a fire hose, spewing sparks this way and that. our eyes followed the yellow streaks into the air. then, screaming from all sides came a massive onslaught of american military aircraft of all shapes and sizes careening over and under and around each other. they dropped bomb after bomb after bomb with amazing precision. giant clouds of fire and smoke rose from the city floor, enveloping the surrounding sky scrapers. on the roads in view just below we saw marines scattering into and out of buildings.
with no explanation i was enlightened.
terrorists had rapidly developed a vast tunnel network beneath the buildings, streching from one end of the horizon to the other, with concealed entrances peeking through the earths crust every so often. the government, finally reacting, had been aware all along. after the bunker busting weapons had pierced their targets, the planes vanished, as quickly as they had appeared, and the fires slowly subsided. the sound of air raid sirens was replaced by car alarms, and sceams of panic. i could hear children crying.
i lay in bed that night, in the guest room lit by the glow of the city. i was kept awake by the whistles of military police taking prisoners, and the distant roar of military tractors demolishing buildings. the noise faded and i slept.
i awoke the next morning to see that the land scape that had once been los angeles was gone completely. in it's place were green rolling hills, patched with plump avocado trees, glowing in the warm sun. the ocean was bright blue, and the birds flew high in the air.
just then, ryan wormsbecker came from behind and offered to light my cigarette, but when he lit it, it turned into a laffy taffy. though it was charred on one end, i still ate it, and we stared peacefully off into the distance.

i guess that was lame but for some reason i had to do it.

oh there's more

why do i live every minute paralized with a fear of doing anything even remotely healthy or progressive or good for myself? why is this painful state of immobility so comforting?

as long as i can remember i've been up and down, hot and cold.
now it feels like He's finally spit me out of His mouth.