Tuesday/Wednesday

Friday I took my school-mate Peter to Wurstküche for his birthday. We ate rattlesnake and rabbit sausage and drank Optimator. Today he flew to Germany (as he's in ze military). I'm trying to design a transformative core. It's butt-hard to do. It will be a new element in an existing building that will unfold and transform throughout the day depending on the needs in the program. It makes me tired just explaining it. Been jamming to the newest Phoenix. But that can only keep me awake for so long.

Tuesday

My thoughts are all over the place. What a mess. Sometimes I love everything. Other times I despise it.
Today I felt like a minority in my own country. I can barely understand my instructors through their accents, and none of the new billboards in my neighborhood are in the English. WTF?
I finished the Winter intensive on Friday. Played a house party in Tustin. Had way too much to drink. Woke up at Jesse's. Showered and went to church in Hollywood with my wife, and it was good. Ate an Umami burger that was also good. Watched some Anthony Bourdain at home. Had braised dinner and beer with the Syczs y Pattersons. Then I started the Spring semester yesterday.
Need to get my S together this week. Big Time.

Sunday

A bunch of friends are at Griffith Park playing baseball in the sunshine. I'm home working, and I'm ok with it. The music is a nice complement to the angle of the sunlight through my windows.

Thursday I played a fun show in the Lbc with the Ann Lynn boys. Afterward we played shuffleboard at O'Connell's with D Vanheule and B Vedder and M Roddy, till the bar closed and kicked us out.

Friday Amber and I went out to see Jon Brion, who is still from a different planet. He covered Life on Mars? on the vibraphone, Dazed and Confused as sung by Tom Waits, and Tomorrow Never Knows to video and audio of Nels Cline soloing.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon drinking Winter Lager with Obrien and working on his Rover. It was a nice day. Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel came on the radio and put my soul at peace for a moment. Later Amber and I had dinner with the Smiths. Andy and I played Tiger Woods on the Wii.

Today we went to church, then we split a giant burger, then I bought a pair of socks and some new sunglasses.

Monday

The car might end up costing more than our rent. I'm weighing my options and thinking about trying to do it myself, with some help. I could handle some of it; plugs and wires, thermostat, coolant flush. But the timing belt is a bit intimidating. This blows.

We rambled twice this weekend. We saw dear friends from New York, who are with-child. I spent a much needed evening with my brother on the front porch. I saw The Hurt Locker and it's really good.

The rain has been good to me.

Monday

We're dog-sitting. This morning I woke up to Stella barking at my wife as she was putting on her shirt. Then Amber left and Stella crawled into my armpit and we fell back to sleep.
Today is my first day back to the winter term. There are alot of girls who walk around with little to no clothing on, and alot of creepy homies who stare at them. It's going to be a challenge to have a daughter. I will make her wear XL robes until she's 40.
The VW began overheating. I took it to a Mexican guy that I didn't trust at all. So I took it to an Armenian guy that I do trust, who sent me to another Armenian guy that I think is trustworthy, who said he needs to have an Audi guy look at it. F cars.
I'm going to try to blog on as much of a day to day basis as possible. Just tidbits. They are the most enjoyable to look back on after 3 or 4 years.

Good Christmas

We're up in the snow, by the fire, eating and drinking far too much of everything. It's good to be an American. So blessed. New clothes, books, movies, hard-drives, sewing classes, and gym memberships. We made gifts for people, a dollhouse, masks, art. I'll put photos up soon. Good to be in the mountains. Happy New year.

W'all back yall

We spent Thanksgiving in San Antonio with the wifes family. Twas good times. Listened to some Conway and some Reba, met the Gloyds for some Cracker Barrel bisquits and steak and eggs, explored the Alamo, boated the river, got a Don't Mess With Texas shirt, watched the Dallas game, spent some money at the Super Wal-Mart, and played bingo out in the sticks with some true homegrown Texans. First time I had Bud light with my pumpkin pie. First time I done cooked up a turkey solo. Amber did most of the other fixins and I don't mean to be as full o wind as a corn eatin horse but it was gooder than grits.

Texas forever

We head to the Lone Star State tomorrow. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

Realized

Today I walked through the first thing that has ever been built from something that I somewhat designed and drew. While it's just a duplex of sorts, it was quite an experience to move through the 3D environment that just two months ago was lines and curves on my screen.

Going big friends. Going big.

Pointless

Everybody hates him.

Anyhooooooo, who hath already known of the following?

THE BQE- A Film By Sufjan Stevens from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.

If so, why hath thou not been more exciteth and told thee?

I shall vieweth asapeth.

Thoughts?

Like him or hate him, if you can get through this video over here I'd like to hear your thoughts?

I updated The Modern Classic with bits of some more recent design projects, right over here.

?

Is there a such thing as a 1/4 life crisis? Because I'm putting 1/2 and 1/2 on everything. And I mean everything.

Weekend

I saw Bon Iver at the Wiltern Friday night. It was the first show I've been to in a while, and it was good. Here is an encore highlight:



Saturday we scaled the mountain for the Heule Oktoberfest. Lots of good beer, log sawing and stein holding competitions.
Saturday night I attended my ten year reunion. Chad's Place. Big Bear Lake. Pretty amazing.

Yesterday I ripped out an old shower. Today I went to school. Tonight I took a quiz:

Which Friday Night Lights Character Are You?

More on Friday Night Lights. Created by BuddyTV

I didn't cheat, I promise. I answered all the questions honestly.

Broke

As a joke. Looking forward to the day when I can buy a juice-it-up every once in a while, or drive a car with a radio.

On a less whinier note, I've got a 10 year reunion this weekend, as well as an Oktoberfest. Good times.

Yesterday I ate a two day old Reuben.

Today I might eat steak from yesterday.

Update

Brandon and Alex got married last night in downtown Los Angeles. We played a Kinks song for their first dance. It was good.

Mike and Kelly did the same two weeks earlier in Pasadena. Also good.

School is back on. I'm trying to keep my cool. I still have several years to go, and I'm not getting younger. I am, in fact, getting older. It's weird.

I just ate a two day old tuna sandwich. Not feeling so good.

Ah... The great affair is to move, indeed.

Robert Louis Stevenson said that. I only know because I've just looked it up to sound sharp. But it is a fine quote. I partook in the great affair for 12 days earlier this month, and have been wandering around in a cloud since my return. I've caught the fever.

There are too many good tales and great photos to include here, but I've managed to compile a few of both the Mouse's and my own in a quick slide show. The awesome ones are his. Those less awesome are probably mine.



Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up...

Matt Bethancourt and myself drove a Penske moving truck from Los Angeles to New York City by way of the Northern United States of America.
We hiked, sipped, napped, and ate Tri Tip with our fellow campers in Yosemite.
We drove the straits of insanity in Northern Nevada exploring abandoned truck stops and filling out post cards to our better halves back home.
We ate breakfast for dinner at Cactus Pete's in Jackpot, then blasted Built To Spill as the evening turned into Idaho.
We cowboy camped under the stars, talking politics and sharing a handle of Makers Mark.
And wow, lunch at the Silver Horseshoe equals America. Biscuits and gravy covered in bacon, Idaho potatoes, Camels, Buds, coffee, and the husband of our stout waitress playing World of Warcraft on what may have been the only wifi for miles.
We passed through Montana, and passed the Makers whilst doing so.
We soon entered Wyoming and Yellowstone. We saw Old Faithful in the 34 degree wind, watched the sun go down over Lewis Lake, drove around Yellowstone Lake and over the Continental divide.
We camped in Grizzly country without bear lockers, where we were attacked in the middle of the night. Not by bears, oh no. Worse. Osprey. Aka the Devil’s bird. The Mouse slept happily through this. I did not.
We blew a flat just short of South Dekota, and sat for four hours while a guy whose name was most likely Bubba and his girlfriend drove to the next state to find us a tire.
We drove through Deadwood as the sun set again, and pulled into the Mount Rushmore parking area just in time for the lighting ceremony, which was followed immediately by the departure of every soul but the Mouse and I, which was soon followed by epic, nonstop lightning (most of which was captured by Bethancourt's sweet camera skillz) , which was followed by the swiftest gale of wind I’ve ever known, which was followed by the most treacherous hale storm I’ve ever been in, which was followed by thick Black Hills rain and steamy roads. Awesome, then scary. Matty sprung for a double queen smoking room in Rapid City that night.
We drove across the rest of the state, then down through Iowa and Missouri, by way of several Cracker Barrels and several million fire flies.
We ate at Waffle House then pulled into the Harbaugh’s in the wee hours of the morning, slept shortly, ate a lovely breakfast, and hit the streets of St. Louis. The Arch, Citygarden, a free Sheryl Crow show, stuffed pizza and shuffleboard, and some Ricky Gervais netflix.
We drove over five states and stopped to camp in the sort of Appalachians of Pennsylvania. We ate chili and drank some of the park owner’s Southern Comfort.
We drove across the rest of the state, through a bit of New Jersey, and spent several hours trying to get the truck through Manhattan and into Brooklyn, where we unloaded it, and where it got tagged.

Then it was New York City for several days.

So that's the summed up version. Twas a really great time.

Thanks Matt B.

On the road

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Trailer

April 15th 1995 - June 24th 2009



I tried to take it like a man when we took him in, but I failed. With tears in my eyes I just stared at him and said, "I love you, I love you, I love you".

There will never be another like him.