On this day of the week next week I will be living in Hollywood. I'm excited. Still much to be done to prepare for the move but it would seem to me we are getting closer.
On Monday Tiger left for burning man. He stopped by my office and left the keys to his truck which was parked in front of his house in Echo Park. I went home after work, ate dinner and then took a 5 minute nap. After the nap I emailed a couple of different people regarding our couch for sale and then double checked the distance to Tiger's house. I decided 5.5 miles was a safe distance to run. I took his keys and headed out the door. I sort of forgot the number of hills that exist between Atwater Village and MacArthur Park. Still it was a beautiful evening and I enjoyed my run through the east side.
Last night we rehearsed with Turbo Sunshine again. Each week we get better at playing together I find. As usually downtown rehearsal was a hot sweaty box. I can't seem to drink enough water to replenish what I lose there. I don't care about the heat though, it's nice to play music with friends.
Tonight I will try and sell the couch and make my first effort to rid the patio of all the unwanted material. I was looking at the patio last night. We haven't really used it much, since it felt like being in a fish bowl, but it was always a beautiful diorama to look out on at night with the lights going and the fountain in full swing.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Candles on a Cake
Friday ended a long week at work. I left work and called Ma and Pa as I almost always do. We got caught up on this that and the other things while I drove over to our new apartment building to pay the prorated rent for September. It was nice to see that my new commute will take just about the same amount of time as my old one.
It took quite a long time to get home in Friday evening traffic after that drive. By the time my drive was over I was completely over the week. I stopped for a six pack and Angie and I drank it and recuperated from the week. Around midnight we video chatted with a rather kooky Oddie and Amanda, that was fun!
Saturday morning I awoke fairly early by my standards and went to get breakfast. After breakfast I drove over to Tiger's house so I could take him to Van Nuys where he was renting a van for burning man. I spent the rest of the day Saturday packing and doing laundry and cleaning. Around 7:30 pm Angela and I had been in the house long enough so we went to Griffith Park for a walk. It was really fun to talk about all the fun things we have coming up and to get to be in the park at dusk. It sure has been nice living across from such a wonderful resource. I have promised the park that I will still visit often.
Sunday Morning was awesome. It was Angie's birthday. She woke me up around 7am to tell me that fright night 3D was playing in Burbank at 9:45 am and that she wanted to go. I went back to bed until 8:45 and then woke up and dressed. We drove to the movie. Seeing 3D movies is so expensive, but if you go that early they are only 10 bucks and no one else is there. The movie was fun, I liked it as much as the original, which I only saw last year for the first time. Angie who has loved the original forever liked it but not as much as the O.G. version.
After the movie Angie wanted pancakes. We went to Denny's and found out that on your birthday you can get a free grand slam breakfast!
Breakfast over it was back to work for the two of us. I re-arranged all the boxes in the house lining them up along the north wall. This gave us better access to what we had already packed and more space for more packing. I took pictures of our loyal and faithful couch and posted it on Craigslist. I now have two people who desperately wish to buy it. I feel good about letting it go. I think it will make someone else happy and it will save me trying to move it.
In the middle of the afternoon we were out of boxes. I dropped off 3 bags of clothes at "Out of the Closet", a gay friendly thrift store, and then headed out on the hunt. It took me a while but I managed to track down a fair amount of empty cardboard containers.
We worked on the packing and cleaning and throwing away until evening. We then went to a laundry mat in Eagle Rock to deliver a Boom Box to Tiger, who wanted one for burning man. Tiger bought us both a beverage and we drank it in the parking lot talking. After this we were beat. We came home to watch Sunday night TV and call it a night.
Now it's Monday and there are things to be done. I'm so excited for September.
It took quite a long time to get home in Friday evening traffic after that drive. By the time my drive was over I was completely over the week. I stopped for a six pack and Angie and I drank it and recuperated from the week. Around midnight we video chatted with a rather kooky Oddie and Amanda, that was fun!
Saturday morning I awoke fairly early by my standards and went to get breakfast. After breakfast I drove over to Tiger's house so I could take him to Van Nuys where he was renting a van for burning man. I spent the rest of the day Saturday packing and doing laundry and cleaning. Around 7:30 pm Angela and I had been in the house long enough so we went to Griffith Park for a walk. It was really fun to talk about all the fun things we have coming up and to get to be in the park at dusk. It sure has been nice living across from such a wonderful resource. I have promised the park that I will still visit often.
Sunday Morning was awesome. It was Angie's birthday. She woke me up around 7am to tell me that fright night 3D was playing in Burbank at 9:45 am and that she wanted to go. I went back to bed until 8:45 and then woke up and dressed. We drove to the movie. Seeing 3D movies is so expensive, but if you go that early they are only 10 bucks and no one else is there. The movie was fun, I liked it as much as the original, which I only saw last year for the first time. Angie who has loved the original forever liked it but not as much as the O.G. version.
After the movie Angie wanted pancakes. We went to Denny's and found out that on your birthday you can get a free grand slam breakfast!
Breakfast over it was back to work for the two of us. I re-arranged all the boxes in the house lining them up along the north wall. This gave us better access to what we had already packed and more space for more packing. I took pictures of our loyal and faithful couch and posted it on Craigslist. I now have two people who desperately wish to buy it. I feel good about letting it go. I think it will make someone else happy and it will save me trying to move it.
In the middle of the afternoon we were out of boxes. I dropped off 3 bags of clothes at "Out of the Closet", a gay friendly thrift store, and then headed out on the hunt. It took me a while but I managed to track down a fair amount of empty cardboard containers.
We worked on the packing and cleaning and throwing away until evening. We then went to a laundry mat in Eagle Rock to deliver a Boom Box to Tiger, who wanted one for burning man. Tiger bought us both a beverage and we drank it in the parking lot talking. After this we were beat. We came home to watch Sunday night TV and call it a night.
Now it's Monday and there are things to be done. I'm so excited for September.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Not many nights of patio left
things that people did/do that shaped/shape me
Dad winning a satellite dish from the 1st national bank in Natoma -
Compared to the other farm kids around us we had culture, sure it was pop culture but it still counted for something. We had MTV at a very early age and that really affected my brother, and anything that has really affected my brother has ended up really affecting me. I am pretty certain my dad won a $100 dish and then had to pay subscription and equipment fees on top of that. Without that link to the large world I would be different, for certain.
My Mom deciding to run in the Hadley Stampede and encouraging me to run with her -
This also happened while we lived on the farm and I don't remember much about how it came up. I just recall that mom was doing a lot of walking up and down the county roads near our house at this time and that she was entering the 2 mile time trial at the hospital in Hays, Kansas. I wanted to do it also. I believe I did it 2 years in a row. I remember going out and training really hard the night before running up and down the hill by our house. I guess I assumed that since Rocky got in shape during a one song montage that training one night for an athletic event was totally sufficient.
Lack of training or not this was my first introduction to endurance sports, which suite me just fine. This is really when I remember first learning to love running long distances.
Mom and Dad letting us run wild with a video camera -
Farm life is wonderful for children but it can be stifling to social creatures. Luckily there was always enough for me and my siblings to do that we overcame the isolation. When Mom and Dad gave up on the idea that the video camera was not a toy we suddenly had an outlet for expression that was limitless. We learned to be creative with what we had, which is still how I create anything today.
Mom and Dad moving us kids off the farm and into "the big city" -
I was 12 when we moved from the farm to a town of 17,000 - 25,000. The school's were better and all my new friends were further along in their social evolution. It felt like an 80's movie. This single event was massive.
Dad taking me on Bike Across Kansas -
I was sick in the beginning and it was hard to not finish the ride on the first day. I got better by day two and had a blast the entire week. Riding across the state gave me something to be proud of, and a sense that the impossible was possible and that the world was big but not as big as I had previously assumed.
Devin buying a second hand guitar for me to play -
When Devin came home with a guitar and told me I would learn to play it and we would be in a band it was a big moment. Even at the time I knew it was a big moment. I still relate to music through the guitar, it was the first door that opened into a world that grows bigger every day.
Jason making reading books cool - I didn't think much of reading until I became friends with Jason. All the sudden I had someone in my life who was cool and he liked to read, henceforth reading is all the sudden cool. It was really that simple but as anyone who has read more than the books they make you read in high school can testify, this has a massive impact. I might have found my way to loving reading eventually, but I wouldn't have started in high school had it not been for Jason.
My Sister making me realize the value of being nice to people even when you don't have to -
I will admit I was a pretty rough brother to have for a lot of my life. My sister took the brunt of a lot of teasing. She took it and fought back where she could. It took a very long time, about 30 years but at some point I've learned to be nice to my sister and through that I hope to learn to be nicer to most folks.
Ronnie teaching me that writing your own songs is even cooler than being able to play them -
I'm not a great musician, but I can write a song. I can write them from just about any instrument or point of view. They are not all good, but that doesn't matter because when they are good it's totally worth while. Ronnie always told me that being able to write a song was the coolest. I took that bit and ran with it.
My cousin Travis made science and history cool -
Travis was an enormous influence on me as a kid. When he was excited about something all of us cousins were excited about it. He loved the unexplained and then the unexplained getting explained. A teacher can't make things like that cool, but the kid you admire most in the world sure can.
Devin asking/telling me that we would move to Los Angeles together -
It was rough moving from Kansas to Los Angeles. It was scary and exciting and humbling and empowering.
My employers believing in me -
I've changed a lot in the 9 years I have been at my job. I went from having no responsibility to a lot of it. There are times I want to walk out the door and never look back. There are times I walk out the door at the end of the day and I look back proud of myself.
Angela expecting more from me -
Angela has really helped me grow up. I can't get by on charm and the seat of my pants or standing still. I have to work harder to be a better partner always because she does and it wouldn't be fair if I didn't.
There is a bunch of other stuff too.
Compared to the other farm kids around us we had culture, sure it was pop culture but it still counted for something. We had MTV at a very early age and that really affected my brother, and anything that has really affected my brother has ended up really affecting me. I am pretty certain my dad won a $100 dish and then had to pay subscription and equipment fees on top of that. Without that link to the large world I would be different, for certain.
My Mom deciding to run in the Hadley Stampede and encouraging me to run with her -
This also happened while we lived on the farm and I don't remember much about how it came up. I just recall that mom was doing a lot of walking up and down the county roads near our house at this time and that she was entering the 2 mile time trial at the hospital in Hays, Kansas. I wanted to do it also. I believe I did it 2 years in a row. I remember going out and training really hard the night before running up and down the hill by our house. I guess I assumed that since Rocky got in shape during a one song montage that training one night for an athletic event was totally sufficient.
Lack of training or not this was my first introduction to endurance sports, which suite me just fine. This is really when I remember first learning to love running long distances.
Mom and Dad letting us run wild with a video camera -
Farm life is wonderful for children but it can be stifling to social creatures. Luckily there was always enough for me and my siblings to do that we overcame the isolation. When Mom and Dad gave up on the idea that the video camera was not a toy we suddenly had an outlet for expression that was limitless. We learned to be creative with what we had, which is still how I create anything today.
Mom and Dad moving us kids off the farm and into "the big city" -
I was 12 when we moved from the farm to a town of 17,000 - 25,000. The school's were better and all my new friends were further along in their social evolution. It felt like an 80's movie. This single event was massive.
Dad taking me on Bike Across Kansas -
I was sick in the beginning and it was hard to not finish the ride on the first day. I got better by day two and had a blast the entire week. Riding across the state gave me something to be proud of, and a sense that the impossible was possible and that the world was big but not as big as I had previously assumed.
Devin buying a second hand guitar for me to play -
When Devin came home with a guitar and told me I would learn to play it and we would be in a band it was a big moment. Even at the time I knew it was a big moment. I still relate to music through the guitar, it was the first door that opened into a world that grows bigger every day.
Jason making reading books cool - I didn't think much of reading until I became friends with Jason. All the sudden I had someone in my life who was cool and he liked to read, henceforth reading is all the sudden cool. It was really that simple but as anyone who has read more than the books they make you read in high school can testify, this has a massive impact. I might have found my way to loving reading eventually, but I wouldn't have started in high school had it not been for Jason.
My Sister making me realize the value of being nice to people even when you don't have to -
I will admit I was a pretty rough brother to have for a lot of my life. My sister took the brunt of a lot of teasing. She took it and fought back where she could. It took a very long time, about 30 years but at some point I've learned to be nice to my sister and through that I hope to learn to be nicer to most folks.
Ronnie teaching me that writing your own songs is even cooler than being able to play them -
I'm not a great musician, but I can write a song. I can write them from just about any instrument or point of view. They are not all good, but that doesn't matter because when they are good it's totally worth while. Ronnie always told me that being able to write a song was the coolest. I took that bit and ran with it.
My cousin Travis made science and history cool -
Travis was an enormous influence on me as a kid. When he was excited about something all of us cousins were excited about it. He loved the unexplained and then the unexplained getting explained. A teacher can't make things like that cool, but the kid you admire most in the world sure can.
Devin asking/telling me that we would move to Los Angeles together -
It was rough moving from Kansas to Los Angeles. It was scary and exciting and humbling and empowering.
My employers believing in me -
I've changed a lot in the 9 years I have been at my job. I went from having no responsibility to a lot of it. There are times I want to walk out the door and never look back. There are times I walk out the door at the end of the day and I look back proud of myself.
Angela expecting more from me -
Angela has really helped me grow up. I can't get by on charm and the seat of my pants or standing still. I have to work harder to be a better partner always because she does and it wouldn't be fair if I didn't.
There is a bunch of other stuff too.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
First 4
Turbo Rehearsal last night was the most promising. I have been making some changes to the sound setup and it seems to be paying off. The tuesday night routine seems to work well for us. Angela and I have a quick bite to eat after work and then I prepare the items I need for the evenings rehearsal. Then I pack up my guitar and a few other items and we head down to the studio downtown. We arrive around 7 and lock ourselves into our room. Angela sets up her drums while I set up the backing track PA and various amps. I needed to work on a speaker cabinet last night so I set up the backing track so that Angela could practice while I took it apart. This was the first night we attempted to use headphones for her and it seemed to really pay off. She has been focusing on a new song in her lessons so she ran through it 4 or five times. I used some contact cleaner in a few spots on the cabinet and in about 30 seconds all was good.
After all this was completed Devin and Xin Xin arrived and we set up the keyboards. I knew Xin Xin had been having trouble hearing herself in rehearsal, and since she is new to the rock situation I decided I would work out a solution for that. I have been scrounging things up and I've now managed to figure out an amp and Cabinet that work for this purpose. I think it paid off nicely because it allows her to set her own volume level independent of all the other noise we have blasting from our speakers.
After last weeks rehearsal it was decided that we should revamp the way we rehearse and the tracks we use. I made much simpler mixes of all the backing tracks and we decided to just focus on 4 songs.
The 4 songs we chose are
Hey Citizen
I need a Priest
Welcome to the Fallout
Beat for the Broken Hearted
I love these 4 songs. We will stick to these until we feel confident and then we will slowly add in the others.
After all this was completed Devin and Xin Xin arrived and we set up the keyboards. I knew Xin Xin had been having trouble hearing herself in rehearsal, and since she is new to the rock situation I decided I would work out a solution for that. I have been scrounging things up and I've now managed to figure out an amp and Cabinet that work for this purpose. I think it paid off nicely because it allows her to set her own volume level independent of all the other noise we have blasting from our speakers.
After last weeks rehearsal it was decided that we should revamp the way we rehearse and the tracks we use. I made much simpler mixes of all the backing tracks and we decided to just focus on 4 songs.
The 4 songs we chose are
Hey Citizen
I need a Priest
Welcome to the Fallout
Beat for the Broken Hearted
I love these 4 songs. We will stick to these until we feel confident and then we will slowly add in the others.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Stacking Boxes
What used to be the "Dining" area of our apartment, which we never used as such, is now filled with boxes and and other items that need not boxed. Angela is determined she will make this move as efficient as possible, that and I believe she is simply too excited to leave the current place of residence. I am excited to leave as well, I won't really miss anything about our building or our well decorated cave. I will miss the ease of getting around in Atwater Village and even Glendale. I will miss my evening runs in Griffith Park the most. Not having to worry about cars at all while running is exceedingly pleasant and relaxing.
Here are some pictures of our new place. Lets call them before photos.
Last week Angela and I drove over and parked in the new neighborhood and took a walk scouting places where one could eat and drink. I think we will have a nice time being more central and able for social occasions. I've never lived such a short distance to a subway stop, it's a new frontier.
This weekend went by in a blur. I worked all day Saturday at Craig's. Saturday evening we went to the annual Luau at Hampton Place, my previous place of residence. It was fun to see our old roommate Adro, and her boyfriend Quinn, who had many exciting stories to tell me by the pool. Our favorite neighbor Jennn was there as well. It will be nice to live just a little over a mile away from all our old pals at Hampton.
Sunday was a big day of shopping and packing and planning. We followed the day up with a bit of sushi, a long nap and then a trip downtown to La Cita to take a photo for DT & T. The photos I have seen turned out rather nice. The club was a lot of fun too.
I'm a bit Ty Ty now. Tonight I will go see Conan 3d on a man date.
Here are some pictures of our new place. Lets call them before photos.
Last week Angela and I drove over and parked in the new neighborhood and took a walk scouting places where one could eat and drink. I think we will have a nice time being more central and able for social occasions. I've never lived such a short distance to a subway stop, it's a new frontier.
This weekend went by in a blur. I worked all day Saturday at Craig's. Saturday evening we went to the annual Luau at Hampton Place, my previous place of residence. It was fun to see our old roommate Adro, and her boyfriend Quinn, who had many exciting stories to tell me by the pool. Our favorite neighbor Jennn was there as well. It will be nice to live just a little over a mile away from all our old pals at Hampton.
Sunday was a big day of shopping and packing and planning. We followed the day up with a bit of sushi, a long nap and then a trip downtown to La Cita to take a photo for DT & T. The photos I have seen turned out rather nice. The club was a lot of fun too.
I'm a bit Ty Ty now. Tonight I will go see Conan 3d on a man date.
Friday, August 12, 2011
We're Moving Van, We're Moving Van
It's time to move yet again. Angela and I have decided to move to Hollywood. Our current quiet life in Atwater Village has been at times to quiet and too loud. While it was good for us to move out into what feels like the sticks, and be a 30 dollar cab ride away from going out, it has lately started to feel isolating from our friends. We want to walk more places and be out of the house more. At the same time our quiet building has become anything but, it's become Lord of Flies every evening with bands of roving screaming banshee children. I like kids, love them in fact, I just don't need to have other people's children in my daily life that I can't scold or spank. A locked gate is no substitute for actually spending time with your children, or hiring a baby sitter when you are too lazy to watch them. So all of this and a desire for a change has led us to move back to Hollywood. We won't always be this age, so we kind of want to make the most of it while we are. Suburban living is not yet for Angela and Me.
On top of my excitement in living back in the thick of it all, I'm also pleased to report that this is my first 2 bedroom apartment. In typical non traditional form we have again decided the bed should be in the living room and that the two bedrooms will be for Angela and I to each have our own creative space. This is mad crazy exciting.
On top of my excitement in living back in the thick of it all, I'm also pleased to report that this is my first 2 bedroom apartment. In typical non traditional form we have again decided the bed should be in the living room and that the two bedrooms will be for Angela and I to each have our own creative space. This is mad crazy exciting.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Yay!
To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.
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Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Hot Little Cave
Dreams can come true. Ever since I've lived in Los Angeles I've wanted to have a lock out rehearsal space. I guess the term lockout implies that all other bands are locked out of your space, and it's yours all the time. The financial reality of renting any space in Los Angeles makes total lockout impractical for me at this time, so our space is shared with 2 other bands. It does mean large musical gear can be stored out of our home now, and that I I have a space to make loud noise at least 2 nights a week. At least one of our fellow bands practices very little, so there is a bit more time up for grabs.
I moved in a load of speakers and amps this past sunday. I couldn't help but plug in my guitar for some fun while I was there. It felt very nice.
Our lockout came about because Angela is taking up drums and has been very interested in having a space to practice. She worked her contacts and very quickly this space fell right into our laps. It was a perhaps a little sooner than we anticipated it happening but the deal is too good to pass up.
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