Home

"One belongs to New York instantly, as much in five minutes as in five years." Thomas Wolfe said that, and I think he was on to something. The city was wonderful; however, the experience would not have been nearly what it was without Matt and Lisa.



They were the loveliest hosts and they showed us an unforgettable time. While it is nice to be home, we could have easily stayed for a long, long time. But, sadly, it is over for now, as if it were a dream. The crowds are gone and the last train has vanished.




But before we left more great times were had. We went to Central Park a couple of times where we strolled about enjoying the weather and sat by the water with some fancy beers.






We saw Rockefeller Center. We had hamburgers at The Shake Shack, then walked through FAO Schwartz and Tiffany Jewelery. We saw the Flatiron Building and Anthony Bourdain's old place.




We saw Ground Zero where we had a moment of silence. It was quite an amazing site and almost eerie. We walked through the night talking, then met Matt at Mario Batali's Otto for a late dinner and bottle of wine. We had even later nights, every night, to a cocktail on the roof where we could enjoy the NY skyline, conversation, and the old lady herself- Empire State. We even made our way up to her top one evening where the views were indescribable. The buzz of the city at half volume, the romance, the vertigo, and the billion bat sized moths circling the Art Deco antenna overhead. Matty and I visited the schools and caught a few beers at Bar Spain. I had a couple hours to myself to cruise around Greenwich Village while the ladies had a massage. We visited The Museum of Natural History. We read books and napped by the East River. We met with Nate and Ryan for bingo at the Black Rabbit and then burritos, then free $35 shots at Nate's place, then more at Ryan's place. We ate Papaya Dog, and Grimaldi's Pizza, and Zabars, and Mr. Softee.









We had drinks at Matt's work, Clover Club. We went to church, then toured the church. We had a long brunch, just out of the rain, at Matt's old work, Public. We did so many millions of things that I never want to forget about, and then we spent our "last" day getting bumped from all of our flights, resulting in a surprise extra night with our hosts.

Our first trip to New York City was remarkable, unforgettable, and immaculate to say the least. Good times.

More times

Yesterday was a fine, fine day. We awoke late in the morning to coffee and some chit-chatting. We caught the subway into the city for Matt's favorite lunch break falafel pita. Tasty times. We then walked to soho, for truffles at Dean and Deluca. My favorites were the blueberry and the basil olive oil. Yup, basil olive oil dark chocolate truffle. A little milk. Party in my mouth. Then some shopping, and it was off to The Bronx where we saw the Yankees give it to Minnesota, 8 to 2. The stadium was insane. The craziest, yet most peaceful and even patriotic ball game I've attended. Later in the evening we arrived in Time Square. It was great to see in person, having seen it in the movies my entire life. Yet after a few moments the place became overwhelming. So it was off to the East Village for another favorite of Matt's, Crif Dogs. We stepped down into a Zach's Shack-esque hot dog joint and began reading the menu when, I kid you not, Matt stepped into a phone booth against the wall, picked up the receiver, and spoke briefly. Almost immediately the wall behind the booth opened, and we stepped into PDT. Check it. Probably my favorite time, and my favorite drinks. Unreal.
Today was nice, and a bit more mellow. We hit Choice Market down the street for coffees and pastries and omelets. Then the subway to Central Park to cruise around. Then Empire State, which was a bit of a heart-breaker, as its lobby was caked in scaffolding and plastic posters. Part of a beautiful restoration, but bad timing. We may go up top later in the week. After that we met up with Brent and his fiancé for some beers at Rodeo Bar. Now we sit on the couch with snacks, gin old fashionds, Miles Davis, cats, rain and thunder outside the window, and extensive blog entries.

Some photos, and more later.

Cocktail Wizard

He vanishes into his chamber. You can hear the breeze from his movement. You can see light flashing. And before long you are partaking in one truly magical beverage.

Last night we caught the subway to Manhattan, where we picked up some snackys and made our way to Bryant Park, where we sat and ate and drank and watched Arsenic and Old Lace. Twas nice. Straight outa Felicity.

We have arrived

After a long day of airports and peanuts and complimentary cranberry juices, we have arrived in Brooklyn. It's great. Matt and Lisa are great. The city is great. Manhanttans on the roof during sunset... unreal. I am thus far impressed.

More to come.

I had a dream that went something like...

Since last we met

Item #1. We had a lovely afternoon at Griffith Park in celebration of my dear wife's birthday. Though it was warm, there was a breeze, and we managed to find a delightful little spot underneath a few large trees. We enjoyed ham sandwiches, watermelon, champagnes and lambruscos and seasonal beers, bocce ball, and beach boys. Thank you to those who joined us.

Item #2. Later that very same day we joined Brandon for a quick birthday dip in the pool just up the street. There, along with Alex, Tim, and Shauna, we soaked up the rays and the cool water behind sunglasses and a couple Cuba Libres.

Item #3. Later still we made our way to one of the renowned Patterson barbecues to visit three Idahoians, the lovely Hamilton family, and many other friends. Good times.

Item #4. I finally made my way down to Long Beach to spend time with two of my best friends, Derek and Tim. Together we rode fixed gears to the market for meats and charcoals and beers. Upon returning home our conversation was briefly interrupted by an annoying neighbor, but the night as a whole turned out to be pleasant. Again soon boys.

Item #5. I got into the studio again with my brother, which is always good times and great music. We were joined by the aforementioned two, as well as our old friend Luke. Good times again.

Item #6. My great friend Curtis, of Palm Springs fame, made his way out to our place a few weeks back. Together we sipped some brews on the front porch and caught up. We then caught the metro to the subway to the bus to the Hollywood Bowl with some spiked lemonade, some smokes, and some tickets to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This was good times indeed. I might even say one of my all time favorite shows, for a few reasons. 1. We got in with booze (not allowed on this particular night). 2. We sat a considerable amount of rows closer than our tickets described. 3. As we were leaving, some folks slapped a couple back stage passes on us, to which we briefly glanced at each other, and then headed up to the party to partake in free foods and spirits and to, wait for it... chit chat with some of the Heartbreakers. No Tom, but good times nonetheless.

Item #7. We soon returned to the Bowl for the celebration of the Dodgers first fifty years in L.A. This time food and drink were completely allowed, and the good times rolled. Sandwiches, cheeses, nuts, candies, wines, and coffees. The philharmonic, fireworks, and, wait for it... Mr. Randy Newman himself, and let me tell you, he is one classy dude.

Item #8. We broke in Jesse's new garage with a long awaited Gentleman's Jam. Talk about some good times. Country numbers, blues, disco, rock and roll, and even a little new wave-ish stuff making its way in. Supreme times were had.

Item #9. We saw Wall-e on its opening weekend at the El Capitan theater, with the Staffords and the Gloyds. In my opinion the best Pixar picture yet. My high expectations were not only met, but largely surpassed. A great plot, great love story, perfect graphics, mature humor, and more. A real heart-breaker. Please do yourself a favor if you haven't already and go see it. I have twice now, and I can't wait to go again.

Item #10. The soon-to-be-non-bachelor, Mr. Bush, made his way out from the east side. First a barbecue at the Gloyds pad, then a massive voyage up the mighty mountain for the classiest of classy bachelor parties. Steaks, wines, baseball (on a real diamond), hold 'em, and great company made it quite a memorable weekend.

That's the majority of it. What did I forget? I am remodeling the Gloyds new house. That is going well, as they are a wonderful family to work for. I am registering for school which is half super exciting, half super sad. And the coup de grâce of the summer, wait for it... New York City. In four days we will be there with two very lovely people. Goods times will surely be had, and we will do our best to document our exodus into the wild unknown.

Oh, and a new blog. Respect it.

Saw the greatest show ever tonight

B-day times

(original design by J.T.)

Please call us or someone with questions, and tell your friends.

Hmmm

So I headed over to the blog of the billionaire himself today and said to myself, "Oh, holy cow. He liked the video I put up for him so much that, well, he went ahead and put it up on his page as well. Cool." I then took a gander at the date of his post, to which I said, "I'm dumb."

You know sometimes I feel just a bit behind, a bit unoriginal if you will. But not after today. I've got a great idea for an online collaborative music project that we can all be a part of. Not sure what to call it yet. Maybe something with the words Old, Deluder, Satan, and Law in it. That should be cool. So keep an eye out for that post next.

Sweet.

Two Short Pictures from Brandon

This one is for Matt B. if he hasn't already seen it, and for everyone.




This one is for everyone as well.



In other news, I've a pin-up for a jury today. I'll try to post it here some time soon. Bid me well.

Man oh man

So much to catch up on kiddies.
The brain is chock-a-block with many a doodad:

Rhinoceros
Section Axonometric
Walt Disney
Buzz Lightyear
Drums
Tiles
Fishes
Cardboard
Group Presentations
Pin-ups
Date night
Remodel
New York
Boris
Birthdays
Rent

Until School is out...

Friends, and friends of friends!

We sent out a pretty massive last minute text, if it failed to reach you we apologize, but here is a reminder.

Memorial Day weekend Sunday Bbq hang time!
This Sunday - tomorrow.
Our house - 222 San Pascual Ave. Los Angeles CA 90042
We'll go from about 2pm on. And on.
Brings drinks, meats, and anything else you wish.
We'll have a couple grills going.
Bring peoples.
Brings smiles.

Thats it.

Updated

Got home from class.
Eating Reese's Pieces.
Drinking Rialto.
Listening to Blonde Beards and Black Panthers.

Learned a lot of AutoCAD operations.
Love AutoCAD.
Worked in Big Bear again.
Got huge rocks with Scott's Caterpillar.
Rode a motercycle.
Dug a river with Dad's Bobcat.
Landscaped the river with said huge rocks.
Landscaped around river with mulch/decomposed granite.
Came home, went to a Gladden garden party.
Danced, drank, ate, drank.
Went to Disneyland with the Moms.
Got L-4 on Buzz.
Got soaked on Splash Mountain.
Saw upgraded Fantasmic. GOOOOD.
Had pin-up at School.
Saw We Barbarians at the Spacelands.
Saw Tims and Lukes and Gloyds and Cold Wars and hipsters.
Got local work.
Blogged.
Went to the Gene Autry with Jack and Jesse.
Sitting here (see beginning).

Going to Ventura.
Playing benefit.
Schooling.
Going back to Disneyland.
Going to Big Bear for vacations.
Finishing school.
Going to San Diego.
Going to New York.
Coming home.
Having kids.
Going to kids high school graduation.
Retiring.
Dying.

Workin'

So I had some local work get pushed around last week, and ended up having to go to Big Bear to make some money. I was pretty bummed, as we had made some plans for the weekend, and it would have been nice to stay in town, but the bills weren't gonna pay themselves. I figured I would try something different on this trip, to distract me and to give me an excuse to try my Windows Movie Maker out when I got home. So it's some pretty shaky video, snakin' drains and puttin' in heaters and maintainin' and the like.



Also, a new Modern Classic.

Saw these two last week

Petty was playing with Mudcrutch at the Ventura Theater, and it was beyond radical. I might even say one of the best shows I've seen, and from pretty close up too.


Sly doesn't look like this anymore. He's old and hunched and pretty nuts. Still amazing to see the father of the funk. He was throwing hundred dollar bills out at one point, and kept taking piss breaks until he eventually just never came back out and the band gave up. Good show though.

We've been well. Stupid busy, but well. I'm falling in love. No it's not another women. My wife rules too hard. No it's not a puppy though I wish it was, or a beer by the name of Rialto, which I'm already pretty twitterpated with (thanks to R.). It's a little piece of software by the name of Auto CAD. We have finally been introduced, and I must say, it's beautiful. We get to hang out some more tonight. Can't wait.

I've finally seen all the "Westerns" I've been needing to see. I'd put them in this order, from best to still awesome: #1. No Country, #2. Jesse James, and tied for #3. There will be Blood and 3:10 to Yuma.

That's it for now.

Music makin' man

I'm at Sage and Sound with my brother. We cut four new tracks that are a lot of fun. One's pretty Wilco meets Petty meets Springsteen meets pop. One's pretty Fleetwood Mac. One's pretty straight forward "GoCountry 105.1" country. One's pretty 90's. I've also been in the barn with Andy cutting Rio Bravo jams. Twelve new tracks that are all good timing down home ditties. My favorite is pretty Beach Boys meets Arcade Fire meets the Summer time meets bikinis. So theres that. There is also this movie, which is pretty genius meets exciting. Am I right?

Indie Music and Baseball

- We went to the Patterson's last week for Guinness Floats. Great friends and great beverages. Whilst there Ryan loaded me up with piles of new tunes, an indie music Christmas if you will. Now, I have avoided a lot of this music over the past year or so. I'm not sure why. Some times I feel like most of the new hipstery stuff is just that, hipstery. It's bands with super clever names, super fuzzed out guitars, super compressed drums, and super out of tune vocals, and most of the time that's about it. But having taken the time to listen to what Ryan so generously bestowed upon me, I must say I have come around, at least 90% of the way. It's good. It's basically a continuation of what I used to listen to. I don't know where I quit listening to indie music. Maybe when I ran out of money, and walked into record stores to just look around. Maybe when I got distracted by life, and therefore put my money elsewhere. Maybe when I started listening to country for free on the radio. Not sure. All that to say... it's good stuff (90% of it). I've been particularly enjoying the following: Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Beach House, Black Mountain, Bon Iver, F*** Buttons, Health, Jens Lekman, Panda Bear, Stars of the Lid, Times New Viking, Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer, among others.

- The Gloyd family, also very generous, included me on a trip to the L.A. Coliseum to celebrate the Dodgers 50th anniversary in Los Angeles. This was a great time. We were part of the largest baseball audience in history, along with 115,294 other fans. A good time indeed, though the home team lost.



New Modern Classic.

Escuela

I'm in the lab listening to Boris very loud. I'm not really working. I'm looking around at other students. There is a guy with baggy pants and a hat on backwards. The hat still has the sticker on it. He is looking at myspace when suddenly he shakes a little, then his head pops, spraying blood and brains on the wall and on the heavy set girl next to him. She just keeps working. Everyone does. His body slumps forward. His neck stub smears the computer screen. Seconds later a girl across the room jumps up to scream, but before she makes a squeak her head explodes. This time everyone looks up, surprised when, seconds apart like pop corn, everyone's heads blows apart and there body's fall slowly left and right. I sit still for a moment. While pink mist settles around me, on my face and arms, I pick up my bloody ipod and change it to Flower Travlin' Band. The dead bodies quiver, begin to move, then slither. Before long the bodies are on their feet doing the skeleton dance around me while I bounce up and down on the table playing air harmonica. I slip on a piece of skull on the keyboard and fall off the table. The bodies continue dancing. Some step on me. Then more, jumping on me until I die.

Concerts

While taking a break between homework and grocery store, I thought it would be fun to try and remember the shows I've been to in my life. This may be a bad idea, as it could take a long time but it's something I've been wanting to do. Let's see.

Early Days (mostly christian shows)
Joel Weldon (4 times)
Steve Mills (3)
DC Talk
Whiteheart (2)
PFR (Pray for Rain)
Gaurdian
Bryan Duncan
Phil Keaggy
Steve Camp
Newsboys
Audio Adrenaline
I want to say Violet Burning at Knotts Berry Farm (unsure)
Dakota Motor Company
Sixpence None the Richer
The Prayer Chain (2)
Plankeye (3)
Joy Electric (3 unfortunately)
Starflyer 59 (3, opened for 1 time, right Josh?)
MXPX (4)
Danielson Famile (currently on Secretly Canadian)
Project 86 (2)
The Supertones (3)
Dogwood (2, opened for 1)
Value Pac (4, opened for 2)
Five Iron Frenzy
Ninety Pound Wuss
Upside Down Room
Driver Eight
Fanmail
Ghoti Hook
Slick Shoes (3)
Havalina
Pedro the Lion

Middle Days
Bad Religion (2)
NOFX (2)
Rancid (2)
Reverend Horton Heat
Aquabats (2 in Big Bear)
Green Day (1 and 1/2, I tried to sneak into one)
Less Than Jake
Bouncing Souls
Pennywise
Blink 182 (2)
Deftones
Unwritten Law
Lagwagon
Suicidal Tendencies
Anti Flag
The Toasters
Face to Face
The Vandals (2)
Weezer
Jurassic 5 (2)
Eminem
Ice T
CKY
Flogging Molly
Papa Roach

Latter Days
Jimmy Eat World (6)
OneLineDrawing (Far)
The Anniversary
Thursday
Cursive (2)
Dashboard Confessional (unfortunately)
Elliott (2)
Further Seems Forever
Bright Eyes (3)
The Jealous Sound (2)
MeWithoutYou
Owen
Mock Orange (2)
No Knife
Yellowcard (retard-ed)
Pop Unknown (opened)
Hellogoodbye (opened)
The Promise Ring
Death Cab For Cutie (11)
The Postal Service
The Velvet Teen (2)
Dismemberment Plan

Now it's after class and a few beers with Andy.

Minus The Bear
The Walkmen
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Ian McCulloch (Echo and teh Bunnymen)
Ian Brown (The Stone Roses)
Tears For Fears
Billy Idol
Franz Ferdinand
Berlin
The Cure (2)
Eisley
The Flaming Lips (2)
Wilco (2)
Coldplay
Built To Spill (2)
Dinosaur Jr.
Interpol
Muse
Air
The Killers
Bow Wow Wow
Duran Duran
Hot Hot Heat
Violent Femmes (2)
Psychedelic Furs
General Public
Devo
Jason Mraz (Douche)
Liz Phair (A-Hole)
Neko Case
Modest Mouse
Sonic Youth
Foo Fighters
Trent Reznor
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Pearl Jam
Ben Harper
Tony Bennett
Paul McCartney (this...)
Brian Wilson (and this are tied for all time greatest)
Dick Dale
Dave Matthews
Bill Cosby (does that count?)
Gillian Welch
Devendra Banhart
Neil Young (2)
Jon Brion (2)
The Darkness
Boris (2)
Comets on Fire
Jesu
Mammatus
Sunn 0)))
Acid Mothers Temple
No Age (2)
Liars
Belle and Sebastian
The Pixies (over the phone, doesn't count)
Radiohead
The Sword
Six Organs of Admittance
The Decemberists
Andrew Bird
Richard Swift
Band of Horses
Om

I'm forgetting a few, but I'm tired and I hate this idea (3/18).

Now it's 3/19 and I'm editing.
How about bands that I've been in or been friends with, thus played with and seen.

Been in
Warriors for Christ
Barefeet
Myrrh
Puppet Van
The Wet Willies
The Aardvarks
Norpain
Dal Madar
Songbird
Broken Red Vinyl
The Comfortable Low
Ann Lynn
Rio Bravo
slings

Amigos
UNI
Plan 9
3 Days Out
Overrated
Metaphor is Audio
The Colour
We Barbarians
Cold War Kids
Old War Shirt
Mouse and the Billionaire
Bodies of Water
DMH (Genius. I have yet to see live. Please.)
Jambo Land
The World Record

Who Else?

Yup Yup Yup

I simply can't wait.

New posts on Modern Classic and Good Tile. Check em out! I'm a dork!

Sandwich

I rode twelve miles today. Whilst doing so I conquered my fear of intersections. I became a vehicle, using turning lanes and the like. Whilst doing so I had a female yell from her window that she wanted to eat me, to which I almost crashed trying to flash the ring. Looking back, I was probably just flattering myself. I'll bet I really look like a sandwich today.

(Turn and face camera 2)
"In other news,"

School is mutha f-ing demanding.

(Back to camera 1)

The neighbors/landlords have just moved their daughter and two kids into the upstairs bedroom of their unit. The one thats right on top of us. To cover up the annoying romping around in the afternoons, I've taken to playing loud music. It reminds me of being younger. When did I stop listening to my music loud? It's so much better that way.

I might have a job. Cross them fangers.

And... if you have money, come see some live music. Rio Bravo double feature in Ventura on April 5th. If anything come max out on the beach with some guitars and ice cream. Just do it. I will also be joining some old friends at Spaceland on Thursday night. Seriously, do it.

Out... of..... shape.

I rode Centurion up to the Colorado Street Bridge and back today. About six miles. Which is about nothing, but by entire body almost exploded. This sensation was a bit frustrating and even saddening, however it was also inspiring. I'm 27 years old. I'm supposed to be in the best shape of my life, and it's quite the opposite. I tell you this... not anymore. Not any damn more. I vow to be on that, or any bike three times a week. Next ride will be to the Rose Bowl. Eight and a half miles. Then maybe Art Center. Eleven miles. And I will continue this, until the amount of miles I ride match up with the amount of pounds I weigh. And so on, until I am riding a hundred and eighty miles a day and I weigh six pounds.

An ode to Bath and Body Works

Oh Coconut Lime Verbena.
Oh Eucalyptus Spearmint.
Your scent meets my nostrils,
in a flash of reflection.
Carry me back to that island
of sex and macadamia nut pancakes,
of snorkel masks and rental cars,
of tube tops and flip flops.

Real Draft

Well, the real draft in the not-so-real, not-so-expensive, not-so-keeper league. I think I did ehh. The Little Buttercups, as of now, look something like:

C - Ivan Rodriguez - Det
1B - Travis Hafner - Cle
2B - Ian Kinsler - Tex, Dustin Pedroia - Bos, Tadahito Iguchi - SD
3B - David Wright - NYM, Kevin Kouzmanoff - SD
SS - Edgar Renteria - Det, Khalil Greene - SD
OF - Magglio Ordonez - Det, Hunter Pence - Hou, Brad Hawpe - Col, Gary Matthews Jr. - LAA
P - Jake Peavy - SD, Rich Hill - ChC, John Maine - NYM, Jeremy Bonderman - Det, Curt Schilling - Bos, Mark Buehrle - CWS
RP - Trevor Hoffman - SD, Takashi Saito - LAD

Should be good times.

I just got out of Arch 12A, Visual Communications. It is a cool class. We are currently going over Euclidean geometric constructions, and playing around with our new drafting tools. It's great to finally be a part of the architecture program, rather than the general education program. I made a friend who has a psychologist wife, like I do, a pearl export, like I do, is a christian, like I am, is working and going to school, like I am, and was a humongous Tooth and Nail fan back in the day, like I was. That makes things fun.

On a more serious note, we would like to honor, in whatever way possible (this being a lousy blog), Amber's Grandpa Lee. After a long struggle with parkinson's and alzheimer's, he has gone. I did not know him well, but what I did know I enjoyed completely. He was a very funny, very curious, and very accommodating man. He was always busy, always on his feet working on something, which I respected. He had this perfect "old man voice" that he was always pulling your leg with. He was a good man, so if you think to, say a prayer for the family, and for Grandma Rita.

Mock Draft

I'm doing a mock draft in about fifteen minutes. Why do the other people who do these suck? Their names suck and their comments suck. I will try not to suck.

First night of school was tonight. I'm looking forward to this semester. Assignments that excite me so far are reading Upton Sinclair and going to the Gene Autry museum. Sweet.

Also sweet, is this article, entitled Disney Will Go Back To The Future.

Goodnight.

Presidents Day

It's presidents day, and all I want is one that I can be proud of.
I just hung up with Matty. We miss them. We will travel to New York City this summer and do many things. It will be fantastic.
Pauly and his lovely wife Jen came through the other night. We rode bikes and ate sandwiches and drank wine and drank beer and talked of days gone by. It's so great to see old friends, and to be reminded that they are just as wonderful as they were. Paul temporarily left behind Centurion.

On it I will attempt to hone my fixed gear skills. I might die.
I was wrong, school starts tomorrow. I am thrilled. Seriously.
I will finish playing backgammon with my wife now. I will go apply for jobs. Then I will go record more drums. Then we will go to a birthday party.

Feliz Dia De San Valentin

I got up at five this morning to have pancakes with my wife before she was off to work. It was nice.
My truck got robbed a while back. I lost $300.00 in tools. I hate the people who thought that they could take my stuff. Their brains are small and their faces are probably stupid.
I had my first Geo Cache adventure with Mr. Sycz the other day. As dorky as it may seem, it is loads of fun. Who doesn't want to treasure hunt?
I recorded some drums.
I went to the docter.
I'm still looking for a job.
Feliz Dia De San Valentin.

From Room 505:

On Wednesday we got a phone call from Amber's brother, who told her that their dad had a heart attack, and was in the hospital. He called again to tell us that things were looking ok, and that he would go in for surgery. We were thankful for the news, and were making plans to head out for the weekend to be with him during his recovery. Amber then received another call that he had suffered another heart attack, and that things were not looking good, to which we hit the road, and pulled into a Vegas hospital around mid-night. Today is Friday, and we thank God that we can say everything is ok. Charlie is recovering well, and on his second life, as the nurse tells us. We are sitting next to his bed as I type, chit-chatting and catching up. The nurse just commented on Charlie's mustache, and called it a "handsome cowboy cookie duster". Now I want one.

We want to say THANK YOU to everyone who said a prayer. We have been feeling very blessed by you, our friends, and consider ourselves lucky to be among such thoughtful and considerate people.

In other news:
- We saw Citizen Kane in the theater, and it was great.
- I did another big remodel in Big Bear. While I was there Amber came up and we shredded the slopes for one run, on what was probably the worst day of the season.
- Tom Petty won the Superbowl.
- School starts on Monday.

LOST

matt just left to go to big bear. i am very sad.
he will be gone all week. this is sad to me for many reasons, one of them being that he will not be here to watch the season premiere of LOST. i am really excited to watch it but i need one of you nice friends to please invite me over to watch it with you. i promise not to talk during the whole thing or ask you what is going to happen or to scream or anything along those lines. i will bring a treat of your choosing. i will owe you. ok, enough begging. call me!

we are going to see citizen kane at the beverly cinema. it is showing tonight through saturday. we'll probably go either friday night or saturday afternoon. it's only six bucks! if you want to go then give me a call or let me know in the comments section. see ya!

I Love CA... sometimes.

I'm tired.

Further North

I'm up in the snow workin for a couple days. I'm building a wet bar in a cabin. It's pretty fun. I had CMT on in the background today and the old movie Pure Country with George Strait was playin. It made me want to go back to Nashville, or anywhere out in "country" country, you know? Someday, again.
Amber and I have spent most of the last few days watching Heroes. That show is gooooood. I have a big crush on my wife. I have a little one on Claire Bennet. Is that weird? Babe is that weird?
My dad and I went to a hockey game at the Honda Center. We had tickets to sit in Bob Iger's suite, and it was sweet. As you probably agree, hockey is no good on tv, but live it's pretty bitchen.
I've been pulling out my old sketch books in search of a little inspiration to start again. It's working a little bit. Now I just need to pull out some time.
We got our Disneyland passes the other day, and I puked a bit in my mouth with excitement. Walt is wearing a ring with Mickey on it at their statue in the hub. Check it next time. It's really fun.
At the moment I'm sonically digging Johnathan Rice, Levon Helm, Mel Tillis, Waylon, and mother flippin Om, who I will see with Ryan very soon.
I am going to drink rice wine with my brother.

2008

A good time was had rolling into the new one. I however regret that I rolled a little too hard into the new one, and as a result missed out on some of the later mentioned highlights. I find this funny as I would like to spend 2008 rolling just a little bit softer. There is still plenty of time. All that to say, it was great seeing the people that we got to see, and hearing from the people who were doing the same thing all around the world.

Some new Christmas times and New Year times on the flickr.

This weekend we do Anaheim, with some Ducks on Friday and some Disneyland on Sunday.

2007

Wow. We should be fired from the blogging community for this kind of behavior. Needless to say we've been busy. But who hasn't?

Highlights:

Being busy.
Our road trip to Portland.
Moving down to the big city.
Going back to school.
Owen discovering the drums.
Being re-introduced to the genius of country music.
Remaining happily hitched.

This coming year we look forward to:

Getting rich.
Getting smart.
Maybe getting pregnant.

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice."
- T.S. Eliot

Here's to 2008!

nobody knows me, by lyle lovett, might just be the most beautiful song i've ever heard.

What are you looking at?

"Oh, the silent majesty of a winter's morn, the clean cool chill of the holiday air, and an asshole in his bathrobe, emptying a chemical toilet into my sewer."

I am thankful for Thanksgiving. It was cold in Big Bear, but warm by the fire with the sound of Vince Guaraldi, the heavenly scent of turkey and pumpkin bread pudding, and the company of family with our old yeller dog. We came home a bit early to take part in some vip actions at The Wiltern, where we were fortunate enough to see two good good bands. We made a lovely breakfast at home Saturday morning, took care of some business, then made our way to the Long Beach for some games at said band's abode, chicken pot pies with Davey and Donia, and some stimulating conversation with Tim and Shauna until 5am. I don't think we've been awake that late in a long time, and I now remember why. All in good fun nonetheless. Last night Amber broke out the china, and we did foods and wines with the Smiths, joined by whiskeys with the Gloyds, and here we are at Monday. The house is getting all Christmas'd up, and I am excited for the season, bringing celebrations of the birth of our King, eggnog, and some special visitors from a big city far away.

By the way, I invented a dream recorder that plugs into my head when I sleep. This one is from last night.

Moca

When we went downtown, we saw the work of Takashi Murakami.
It was great. Go look at it. Online or in person.

We are going to the Smith's. Then we will walk to the Metro and ride it into downtown to look at some arts and eat some foods. Why? Because it's the opposite of sucky.

No Age

Tonight I got out of class around 9-ish, drove down to Echo Park, met the Patty, got some beer in, and saw these guys. Good good show. Listen to Everybody's Down. We had a nice chat about living in Los Angeles, how there are plenty of things that suck about this town, as well as plenty of things that are really great when taken advantage of. Good timing.

The Sierra

Yosemite was magnifique! So peaceful and beautiful and therapeutic. We met up with Ryan and Jen at 3am, drove north, and arrived in the park by 8am, in time for breakfast at The Ahwahnee. The wedding was great. The food and the open bar and the music were great. The weather and the hiking were lovely. Thus the drive home was a bit of a bummer. But tel est la vie. This photo, among others, is the work of Bradley. Our battery died for a good portion of the trip. We want to go back in the spring, when the water is running, and hike the Dome. Who's down?

Friends!

I had to start a new flickr account because awhile back flickr merged with yahoo and so when I tried to get in as an "old skool member" it wanted a yahoo password which I gave them to which they said it wouldn't work because it was already tied to another account. Anyway, I started a new one, so if anybody wants to be photo friends, it's here.

11:57

Tonight I stayed after class to study minerals, thus my brain burns, like southern California, with all of their different names. Pyrite. Augite. Biotite Mica. Plagioclase Feldspar. It actually feels like my brain is turning into said minerals and eroding into sediment that will flow down through my head and body and settle in my feet. That will suck.

The other night the wife and I made our way over to Hollywood's Arclight Theater to see The Darjeeling Limited. The Arclight was both great and crappy. It was nice looking inside, and it had great sound. It also cost $14.00 a person, and there was popcorn all over our seats. The Darjeeling Limited, in our collective opinion, was fantastic. Wes Anderson at his second best (only to them Tenenbaums). Beautiful imagery, classic style, and great characters partaking in hilarious dialogue. I would recommend it. I do. There is a sort of supplementary short film called Hotel Chevalier available for free on itunes that would work both before or after seeing The Darjeeling Limited. It was a little shocking, mainly the whole Natalie Portman naked bit.

Yosemite in one week. I am excite!

Goodnight.

This is funny

Run-on sentence

Tonight I got out of class a bit early so I hauled my ass over to The Echo where I didn't have any cash which led the door-man to feel sorry for me and give me a free ticket that allowed me to meet up with the Pattersons inside and enjoy an awesomely loud Boris show. It was great!

Cedar in a wood stove

Some people in Simi Valley got up this morning, got dressed, and then got killed. All before 8am. And I spend some days sitting around, not calling friends or riding bikes with my wife; not hiking in the mountains or going fishing in the ocean. I get upset over a parking ticket and the rest of my day has no chance.
There is still so much I want to do and see and experience. I don't want to die yet. I want to enjoy everyday to it's fullest. Why is it so easy to get distracted? Why is it so easy to forget that this can all go away?
We are going to Big Bear this weekend, where my dad will turn fifty, where the air is cool and clean, where one can see that it's autumn by looking at the trees and the sky, rather than just the calender. I want to soak it all in, so much that when we get back to Los Angeles some of it will evaporate out and turn a few leaves red, or fill the room with the scent of cedar in a wood stove.

Breakfast Club

We would like to have a breakfast club because breakfast is the best! This is our idea:
A different person/people will host said breakfast club at their home on Sunday, some time after church. The host will set the menu and provide the main course, while the guests bring any necessary extras. All are invited, and welcome! If you are unable to participate every Sunday, it's fine - come when you can. Obviously, the more we get together, "the happier we'll be"! However we understand that a lot of us are busy; there is no reason this should feel like another commitment. Matt and I will get it started. So this Sunday, October 7th, Breakfast Club will be at our place around, say, 1-ish. Please spread the word. Give us a comment, a call, or a text so we can know what to prepare, and so we can let you know what to bring. Thanks!

Danzig shreds?

High and Low

Every once in a while, when the day is drawing to a close, Amber and I like to exchange a high of the day and a low of the day. On Sunday we agreed that our high was walking in, and our low was walking out.

What a heartbreaker.

Matt B's last post got me started

Awesome fighters of bad guys. Good looks. Hot babes. Insane machines. I can almost taste the green Otter Pop in my mouth as I sit on the blue shaggy carpet and stare up at one of thirteen available channels.

I don't think I've ever seen this city look as beautiful as it looked today.

The Morning

Some strong coffee, a couple eggs, and a little M. Ward make for a nice rainy morning. I was just checking the news when I looked out the front window and saw what looked like a high school couple breaking up and getting back together a couple times. It reminded me of my high school break-ups and make-ups, of which I'm glad are long since gone.

Off to work.

Still More Fire

Even though we got out of town two days ago, I'm trying to stay updated on this thing so all of us old mountain folk can be in the know. The above photo is of a DC10 that reloads somewhere off the mountain, and can drop 24,000 gallons of retardant, covering an area just shy of a mile. My dad and I watched this the other day from Castle Glen. It's insane. That on top of a few smaller planes and a handfull of helicopters makes it quite a spectacle. There are 2,245 fire fighters in the woods, and the burn area is at about 16,000 acres. They're saying you can see the smoke from Vegas. Is this true?

They canceled school. Now all the BBHS kids can go smoke pot in the Sugarloaf woods and start another fire. Here are two more photos.

Fire

We came up to Big Bear for a wedding and some more stuffs: drums and fishing poles and printers. When we got here, she was on fire. This photo is from yesterday, when it was five acres. Today it's four thousand acres and the number one fire priority in the country. A little scary. We were at a lake house last night, after a hipstered snowboarder wedding, and the sky was bright orange and almost beautiful. Anyway, it needs to go away. I got a haircut. Now my beard looks as big as Gandalf's. I'm going to shave it. And I like The Kinks right now. Alot.

We're getting there

We've been unpacking our belongings for what feels like a month. In reality it's been a week. Sometimes I look around in love with our stuff, and other times I feel like it's a bunch a crap that belongs back at the thrift store. However we did get a new couch and a new bed, both of which are very nice looking and comfortable. We're almost all settled in, but right now I need a break, thus, I blog. Some thoughts: The weather is getting much more tolerable, maybe even nice. I added a unit to my existing four geology units by signing up for some field trips, and I'm looking forward to them. I miss the people that don't live here anymore. I've been paranoid lately that a stray bullet is going to hit and kill me while I'm driving down the freeway. Weird. It's a bummer for Cold War Kids that Meg White went and got sick. I want to go to the mountains. Not Big Bear, though it's beautiful right now, but the real mountains. Maybe the High Sierra. I guess we will be in Yosemite in October. That should suffice. I've got some homework to do, right now.

Move

More details later. For now; change, furniture, paint, stress, heat, work, beer, sleep, gasoline, money, school, beer, money, and school. Ratatouille was great, and Harry Potter is all over. More later.

It's late. Yesterday I finished Order of the Phoenix, and today I got half way through Half Blood Prince, all whilst working. Now it's late, and I'm tired.

Happy Birthday Matty!

It's Matt's birthday today, and as you all know his favorite thing to do is "max out real hard!" Unfortunately, this will have to be postponed for a couple of weeks. Around the 7th or 8th of September we would be delighted if any of you, or all of you, would come out to the Big Foot Lodge with us and enjoy some drinks and pleasantries. I will post again when we have the date and time nailed down. Thanks! Here's to Matt Pool, a fine man!

P.S. We would also like to wish a very Happy Birthday to Matt's birthday friend, Lindsay!

School

Hey!

We've acquired a pad. Move in date is Sep 1st. It's roughly in this area, so once we're settled we'll have to make merry with a bbq or something. Good times await, followed closely by school times. Here's to them.

To Matt and Lisa

We'll see you two soon.

Oh Hello

We are well. We're in L.A. for a bit, trying to find a place to live so's I can start school. If anyone knows of any places, pass it on. Thanks!

Potter Party!

Sunday at the Gloyd home. Info here. Now go get your blumin' movie tickets.

road trip #3

we are driving home from our trip right now. we are on the barren 395, through the mountains. for the last four hours we’ve been listening to harry potter so matt can get caught up. matt is now hooked on harry potter and our marriage, therefore, has grown tremendously.
matt and i are sad to leave the open road behind but also excited to be coming home and getting started on... well we are still sorting that out. for the month of july, at least, we will be in los angeles. while in la we hope to, as matt likes to say, “max out real hard!”
we didn’t do a good job of posting while on the road so here are some more highlights of the trip.

portland:

roller skating at the oaks


playing pool at the backstage


birthday celebrations at the edgefield


harry potter ice cream cake


being with suzanne, joey, and our new portland friends






portland rules! it is beautiful, has great places to eat, lots of cool free things to do, and you can walk everywhere. we agree that we could move there and have little trouble transitioning. the only problem would be a place called st. cupcake where i would spend too much time and subsequently gain 300 pounds.

lake tahoe:
in tahoe we were straight out of a toyota tacoma commercial. we went rafting in the truckee river, kayaked, rafted, and fished in lake tahoe. we gambled, ate great pizza, and enjoyed the company of our lovely hosts the castaneda’s.

Road Trip #2 - Photos

Hi. My Flickr account is being poopy so I grabbed a couple of quick photos to stick here. Hopefully I can get the lot of them up asap.
An update: Portland is cool. The weather is weird, but people say if you don't like it just to wait five minutes. They're right. Sprinkly and dark one minute. Sunny and hot the next. I love it. We went to a theater the other night and had some food and some beer and watched Arrested Development. That was sweet. And last night we went to a Beaver's game(Triple A future Padres). That was sweet too. So for now, here these are:

The tunnel up the 101.


The Bridge Street Inn.


Joseph B. Strauss' Bridge.


Mr. Talbot.


A Redwood, next to Amber.


Portland.


Nickel arcade.


Chris and Sean.


Rocco's pizza.


My bebe.


Me.


The ghosts of S.and S.


Joey.


Joey.


Rose garden.


More later.

Road Trip

I'm writing from a small coffee shop on 39th in Portland. We've been in town for a few days now and are having a great time. Initially my plan was to write every day, or close to it. Instead I've been making a lot of fart noises with my mouth, and not posting. For that I am sorry. So I will do my best to get caught up.
Day 1. We made our way down to Los Angeles to spend some time with friends. Amber and the ladies threw a party for Becca and we doods played golf, and later lit a backyard on fire.
Day 2. Then it was off to San Diego to visit Grandparents who are moving to Texas. We checked into a fancy hotel and had a fancy dinner, compliments of Mom and Dad's Christmas giving’s. We visited G and G Pool the next day, as well as our good ol' boy Trailer, and then crashed at Uncle Tom's house.
Day 4. We were up with the sun, and made our way back up the 5. We had a sweet breakfast in Pasadena with Matt and Lisa, and then it was up the 101 to Cambria, where we checked into the Bridge Street Inn hostel. This place was beautiful. We walked around town, and decided on a little place called Robin's for dinner, where I had a braised lamb shank, and Amber ate lobster enchiladas. We enjoyed a bottle of wine, compliments of the aforementioned M and L, and called it a lovely night.
Day 5. The next day we drove up the 1 through San Simeon, Big Sur, and stopped for lunch at a little pub in downtown Monterey. Then it was through San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and on to Santa Rosa to stay with the Talbot's. We spent the night catching up and playing around with the boy.
Day 6. We had a laid back morning. Breakfast at the Omelet Express. A few photos with Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Then up to the redwoods, where we hiked beneath the massive giants. It was beautiful to say the least. We stood in the silent presence of greatness, and we were glad. After that we bbq'd and, being in wine country and all, drank wine. We talked into the night, then slept.
Day 7. We had early coffee, hugged goodbye, and drove to Redding. I drug Amber around town to all the old hangouts. Then we caught up with Peter at an indoor soccer game he was playing. We had pizza and visited a F. L. Wright church that I had never seen, and then went back to the Black's place for cocktails and lot's of Wii Bowling.
Day 8. Coffee at Sue's, a few goodbyes, and the 5 north. Peter hitched a ride with us, which meant Amber, who was peacefully reading her book in the backseat, had to put up with us blasting Dragonforce all the way to Lake Shasta. We had lunch in Ashland at The Black Sheep. Shepherds Pie and Beans on Toast. Then the long haul through the rain to P-town. We got in to Suz's, and caught up for a bit. Drove down to Joey's work for some soup and free beer. Then spent the rest of the evening playing pool at a sweet McMenamins bar called The Backstage.
Day 9. Breakfast at The Cup and Saucer. The Hell's Huevos were completely awesome. After that we headed downtown to snoop around. Powell's books is everything I've heard and some. Time consuming. We made our way back over the river for hot dogs, ping pong, and buck twenty-five Pabst at Zach's Shack. Then we went to The Avalon, which was probably Amber's favorite place so far. Two words. Nickel Ski-ball. Among other amazing five cent arcade games. After that it was darts at The Horse Brass.
Day 10. Coffee and Bagels at Chris's work. Downtown to 23rd Street to shop around and book the wife a haircut. Then back for Joey's acoustic show at 9 Muses, where we ran into a young lady by the name of Annie Bethancourt, also playing. We spent the rest of the night maxin' there, a'sippin.
Day 11. Today. A Monte Cristo at The Cricket. Some photo swapping back at Joey's place, a.k.a. The Purple Barn. And then it was goodbye to Peter, Sean, and Scarlett. And here we are.

So far this town has been a lot of fun. My opinion as of now is: Lots and lots of good food and sweet hangouts, amazing houses, and piles of liberal hippies. Now our goal is to get down to business. Visit schools, and really figure things out. We'll let you know how it goes. And I'll get some photos up asap.

So today I uh, pet a wolf. You know, nothing crazy. That's what I do sometimes. I pet wolves.

Let's burn some dust here. Eat my rubber!

Our departure date is set at June 4th. And we should be back on or around the 28th, to, i guess pack up and go where ever it is we will go. Fun drivey times draw nigh. Friends long since seen. School visits. Future plannings. Lot's of expensive gas. Eventually documenting our exodus into the wild unknown. But before then, work. And more work. Then a camping jaunt to the nuclear tits as I believe rp put it. Sweet.

Does anyone have a thule rack we could borrow?

Breaking the seal

It's been a bit since I've roamed these parts.
We've been making plans, and working alot. Trying to save some dinero for the road. Packing. I built a sandbox for the kids, and there's a good chance I'll be in it more than they will. Lately I've been bbq-ing dinner to baseball on the am radio, brews, and beautiful sunsets, and quite enjoying it. I've also just closed some three or four books that I'm not currently feeling, and, at the request of d, begun reading The Fountainhead. It's a thick'n, but great so far.

That's it for now.

The working day has ended,

and I'm at home drinking cold Coors light. I spent it picking up Water Will Serve letter's, picking up trash, and schmoozing a client. "Ya man, we'll have your carpet in and your door knobs on and your wine fridge in by the weekend man. No worries. Totally."
Will we? I think so.
I've been doing alot of electrical plans lately, and I've come to a conclusion that no shower should ever go without a can light directly above it. That's how we did ours and I will say it's a beautiful thing. Bright shining nudity in the morning.
Dinosaur Jr. will play on Friday, and I will be there.
We're packing up the house, and it's weird, and I filmed it so we will always remember it.
And yes, I youtubed it.

So

Fantasy baseballin', coffee drinkin', Dinosaur Jr. concert figure outin', and about to be a' fence buildin'.

Y'all?

M and L B, and the MLB

We had a fun weekend. Friday night at the with-child Newlove's for ice cream. Later at M and L B's where, after midnight, we partook in some beer, martini's, Patron, absinthe, more tequila, some sherry wine, and The Office. Chilaquiles and a Bloody Mary for breakfast. Later it was off to Ventura where 32's of High life were had in a parking lot, followed by a Rio Bravo church benefit. Then a late night trek down the 5 to San Diego for some work, family times, and an insane but ultimatly depressing game at Petco, where the Dodgers ended up taking a 5-4 win after 17 innings. Bummer. Other than that... tired.

Strange indeed

I shaved, and it made my cheeks look chubby and my mouth look like a little beak.
We went to Vegas for a few days where we saw the in-laws, hung with Rose, drank Keith Richards' at Nate's bar, won money at the roulette wheel, and played pool in some heshin ass corner of the city.
The Bethancourt's ascended the mountain for one of the most layed back weekends we've had in a while. We offroaded to Butler Peak, now a.k.a. Butthole Peak. Nottingham's with Josh and Andrea. Cards with Kahlúa and milk until 5 a.m. In fact yesterday we left the house only to puff a pipe and buy some Rolling Rock.
It's strange to think that we are only going to be on the homestead for another month. Strange indeed.

I want to play rock music soon.
I want to test myself all the day long.

It's blowin up a gale

There was random snow today and wind that blew my beanie off. Basically sucky stupid weather.
I was going to have to go the San Diego for work today, but I didn't. Instead I had my hair cut. And tonight I think I'll shave my beard. On Sunday Shane said to my brother, "For not being able to grow a beard, Matt can grow a pretty mean beard." But it's buggin. It's prickly and thick and food gets in it. So I'm going to shave it.
Been in the mood lately for old music. Old Shins and American Analog Set. Yo La Tengo and American Football and Badly Drawn Boy. Some old Death Cab and Elliott Smith. Nostalgic stuff.
Speaking of nostalgia, I was youtubing old cartoons like Talespin and Darkwing Duck. But this one really took me back:


P.S. Grey's Anatomy, I'm afraid I'm hooked.

Not soon enough

road
Originally uploaded by mattamberpool.

Come the end of May the wife and I will finally hit the road. For a few weeks we will be held down by nothing, and I cannot stand to wait. Destinations may include but are not limited to: The PCH, San Simeon, San Fran, Santa Rosa, Redding, Grants Pass, Eugene, Portland, Truckee/Tahoe, Yosemite, Vegas, Phoenix, and whatever else. I'm looking forward to it. Good stops? Anybody?

¡Felíz Pascua!

Zany Week

-We spent the better part of it under the impression that Amber was with child. Sparks flew. Emotions ran high. As we were discussing when and how to brake the news we found that she was indeed not pregnant, but a bit behind. This moment was met with both relief and sorrow, and has since had us thinking, maybe sooner? We shall see. There are just too many beautiful babies being birthed these days. The niece and nephew, the Chapman baby, and the fresh Hamilton baby. Ah the chapters of life.

-Less significant but still exciting, the ol' humble abode is currently in escrow, and is scheduled to close at the end of May. Finally our plan to lift anchor is in view. But before that, we want to have a last hoorah, if you will. Maybe early May. We'll make some solid plans, and spread the word. A farewell post, maybe some photos, can be expected from the wife.

-Snow Bladed my guts out on Monday with Mr. Patterson.

-Got a sweet phone call from D, in Florida at the time.

-Amber got employee of the month. She rules.

Shit's going down

Lots.
All good.
More soon.

High of 24° Mañana.

That's dumb.

Doing a tile job for Mom and Dad.
Getting paid by way of a new notebook with fancy video for games and crap.
Excited to be online from home like the rest of the world.
Excited for this sweet action to come out.
Excited for baseball to begin.
Not happy about the return of the cold.
Excited for the return of the heat, which includes bicycles, flip flops, hair cuts and beard cuts, beer over bbq'd fish, and offroad's to Butler Peak.

Books! Check Em' Out!

i love subbing at elementary schools because i always come across the best books. the last two days i was in a 3rd grade class and i borrowed and read a book called the tale of despereaux. give it a read! it will fill you with light and make you crave soup!-a

...

Saint Pat's this year was all kinds of radical. Sweet friends. Good food. Oceans of beer. Nintendo Wii. A haphazard fantasy ball team. And a new default conversation topic which is, as Matt B. observed about nine times, "Come to Big Bear! Man totally come hang in Big Bear!"

I am lame. But honestly... come to Big Bear
I'm thinking a weekend after the lake opens to boats. I'll get a cabin, or we can camp. I'll get a pontoon to bbq on and swim from. Doods and doodettes. Doods can fish and drink beer, and doodettes can like, make candles out of pinecones and shit. When's good?

Spring is in the air

Who wants to go fishing?

It is Nice Day! I LIKE!

Waxing the neighbors hacked world wide web waves.

It really is wonderful outside. I think when Amber gets home we will break out the cruisers and hit the bike path, and maybe a hot dog. For some reason I'm in the mood for a hot dog. At a ball game. Soon enough.
Last night we went out with some of Amber's Bear Mt. work buddies. We ate and drank Mexican. Then drank bowling. It was alot of fun getting to know some new people with different interests who live in the same town. And now I've got a fishin' friend for fartin' and fiddle faddle.

An Update:
300 cut my turds yesterday.
Thermopylae reading is adding a wrinkle to my brain.
Wilco does a beautiful thing with "Sky Blue Sky".
Modest Mouse does an almost annoying thing with "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank". Though parts are good.
Kings of Leon do an almost cheesy thing with "Because of the Times". However I'm enjoying it. It's like they've given up being something fashioned and are just sticking with the first sounds that come along. It grooves.
This guy did a nice thing by giving me the above three.
The Sword will ignite my hair and burn my head into a scabby ball on Monday.

F-ing F-ancy.

This past weekend's Magic Kingdom trip was certainly a pleasure, thanks to the above two. We were given free admission with our comp. Club 33 park hopper's. Our dinner reservations were for 5:45pm, which gave us loads of time, so we grabbed breakfast in Downtown Disney at The La Brea Bakery. Panini's topped with fried eggs. Then we hit Tower of Terror right off the bat. After that we pretty much just cruised, sharing our Disney facts and enjoying the environs. We fit in a rickety Matterhorn trip, a turkey leg (new to me), some Shooting Gallery, pineapple softserve in The Tiki Room, mint juleps with fritters, the wildest ride in the wilderness, some goat petting, parade crossing, and a not that rad new Space Mountain jaunt. By now it was about 5:30pm, making it time for real awesomeness!
We then made our way back to New Orleans Square while I threw on a sweater. We snapped a few in front of the door, rang the bell, and were let in. We checked our bags and chit-chatted with the hostess about some of the history. Then we piled into the French lift to the second floor, where a second hostess was waiting. Leisurely we were guided through Walt's final creation. It was bigger and more picturesque than I had expected, with exquisite attention to every last detail. We walked through a lounge alley, past a great bar and wine locker, into the main dining room. On every wall was hung original concept art pieces for The Haunted Mansion and The Pirates of the Caribbean. Our table was just next to a patio french door, and set with fine china. Our server Curt was textbook, answering any question, and describing each plate with flawless definition. Everything was right in the world. I put a couple photos here and a poorly lit video here. Dinner for me went as follows, less the flawless definition:
A Grey Goose Martini.
A gourmet cheese dish with a sage and a brie who's names fail me.
A Pinot Noir bottle who's name also slips my mind.
A crab tart of some kind.
A Filet Chateaubriand with sauce Bearnaise and Perigourdine, potatoes and assorted veggies.
A mousse dish with an awesome topping sauce and sorbet pastry.
A glass of Tawny Port.
Coffee.

So there you have it, hence the title.

Honorable mentions:
Had a fun fun rock show with Rio Bravo.
Amber met Buster Bluth.

Recapitated!

Not sure where to go over this chicken soup. Last weekend The Pattersons and soon to be Harbaughs ascended the mountain for some major max outage, where many a great time was had. Except for Murray's. That place is really slacking with the good dive vibe lately. Nonetheless we made the best of it. Highlights? The term Spread Savage was birthed and used extensively. We broke our "Stay Up Super Late Playing Celebrity And Drinking Super Amounts Of Beer" record. Matt and Lisa, we need a rematch. Seriously. We displayed awesome ski skills on the slopes, followed by awesome bloody mary swollowing skills at the lodge. All in all a sweet weekend. Who else wants to come? We love company. Really. Or who wants to camp soon? Spring time?
So today was nice. It's been awhile since I've had a break in work with nothing to do. I awoke around nine, went in to work and finished a 10 acre plot plan in 1/30 scale. Then I had lunch with my Dad. Then I went and had a soy latte and worked on my book. It was great to be on my own and utilize this little town for more than just sleeping and working.
We finished Arrested Development last night. That made us sad. What a great show.
I think I'll shred on Saturday. Club 33 on Sunday! Rio Bravo show Monday. Be there! Then next week someone will love our house and make a sweet offer. Then we'll sell it and hit the road for a bit. Then we'll win 10,000 bucks on a scratcher and fly to Acapulco where we'll eat fish and smoke hand rolled cigarettes and wear straw hats and short shorts.
Good. I'm glad we've got that figured out.