The Reckoning

Last of the words as a 33

as the hours wind down on my 33rd year there is really only time to keep moving. As I continue to stride this is me, glancing backwards over my shoulder. There are some things I don't dare let catch me, those ugly beasts wait for me to stumble, but I have put great distance between us. The faster I move forward the the fainter they appear, and the more forgiving my mis-steps become. The majority of what lies behind is wonderful, like a wave at my back propelling me forward, begging me to keep going, do better, go further.

El

Just finished reading Hotel New Hampshire. Loved it.  Now back to cash

Farm Kids

I feel really cool that I grew up on a farm, I often brag about it. I really loved everything that came with living on the farm, the freedom, the space and all the cool shit I got to play with. I think it helps that I had really great parents to grow up with, and for today's blog I want to shout out to my Dad, who took time out of his farming to do some really great things for us kids. Here is my by no means comprehensive list of some of the neat things my creative dad did to make farm life entertaining.

1. Barrel and saddle horse swing. I only recently remembered that this existed, it was nearly washed from my old brain. Between two trees dad mounted a swing that consisted of a barrel wearing a saddle. A perfect prop for acting out all my wild west farm boy fantasies. I scoured the internet and this is the closest I could find to what it looked like. Ours was way cooler and more rustic.

2. A stock tank in the back yard. It gets ridiculously hot and dusty in western Kansas, and it's nice to take a little afternoon dip in a stock tank. Dad would often sit one near the house in the summer and fill it with water for us kids. Again, thank the internet and a random family for the visual aid.

3. This one is like the best, and maybe I blogged about it before... but seriously my dad surprised us one winter by building an Ice skating rink in our back yard. He borrowed a skid steer from grandpa, and started diggin up the back yard with out telling us why. When he'd cleared a flat section with built up sides he added a thick black plastic liner. this he filled with water. I think we thought he was building a pool for a while. Here from the interent is a fine example:

4. Square Bale House. We had a grainery building, built into the side of a hill, where you could back a truck into the lower level and use gravity to fill the truck with grain from the large container rooms above. I only remember my dad storing grain in there once, so the rest of the time we used the grainery as our club house. One year, for reasons I don't understand Dad bought square bales, instead of the usual round bales he would make from Alfalfa. He stored these bales in the lower part of the grainery, and rather than just stack them normally, he created a room inside, with a door and 2 windows. Like this, but better and with me and my siblings instead of these randoms:

5. Many kids get a sand box, and ours was no more special than most of them. Yet that mom and dad let us spill the project of the sand box into the entire side yard of our property, building a landscape of multiple cities with roads and houses, that would encompass what would come to be called "out in the sand pile". Devin should blog about this, in detail, because it's the greatest part of our farm child hood and it should be done it's justice. To sum up I'll just say this to the kids of this generation, think of Sim City, but in real life, and you are forced to play it in the 100 degree Kansas Summers, and you can not stop or your older brother will chase you across the yard with his fist in the air, and if he catches you, you will feel the wrath. There are no pictures on the internet that do this justice. Use your mind.

6. Simple Tree House - All kids should have tree houses. Our tree house was simple but great, it used a door to connect two trees. We loved it though, and it was perfect.

7. One winter dad lashed an old truck hood to the back of our 4 wheeler and pulled us around in the snow. It might have been tied to the tractor. It doesn't matter, it was totally awesome no matter how you pull it. Nothing beat a snow day at home with the family. Different kids, different farm, different time, but otherwise this is pretty much exactly what I'm talking about:

I didn't mean to get so involved in this. I need to work. bye.

Primary Emotions

It's been a very long day, one little thing after another needed done and I have been doing them. It got to be a little overwhelming and I took a short nap. Sometimes it's best to just stop, and start going again later. Last night we voted in the Los Angeles primary. It was a ghost town at the poll. I feel a little tired if I don't stop to remember how happy I am, and how good I have it.

Air Feel

against my hands in the overcast morning the air is just beyond crisp, stinging slightly as I pull my hands from my pockets to queue music on my phone. I'm glad to have wormed my way from the underground station and into the day. I feel the parts of me that are tired recede into the movement as I progress into my life. I have not heard this music in some time but I know it well, the demo tape of an artist that moved far beyond this small beginning. I'm wearing my running shoes and my feet keep a beat. Side streets are silent beyond my headphones and the buzz of the traffic a block in any direction is only known, and felt in that psychic way.

Weekend luxury

It's been nice this weekend.  A fondue party at our apartment Thursday night ran late, leaving Angela and I exhausted Friday at work. Angela luckily didn't have to work as late and came home to do 5 loads of dishes and tidy up.   I took the subway home and joined her.  
We walked a few blocks to Grub, a place my brother Devin knows well.   It was cute as can be and delicious.  Angie ordered the crab cake burger and I opted for the shrimp poboy.  I made the best decision it was decided.  Our dinner on the patio was just what was needed to kick off a weekend to relax and reward ourselves.  With the Oscars over, it was time to spend some over time money. 
We retired super early on Friday night, both of us fast asleep by 9:30.
Saturday we walked to mendicino farms for a sandwich pitstop on the long walk to feed and care for our brother's cat Bootsy.  Kitty fed and loved we walked back home.  Next up was a nap for Angela and a nice long run up runyon canyon for me.
After a run and a shower it was time for massages at barai Thai massage in silverlake.  We had yuletide money we had earmarked for just this occasion.  The deep tissue massage was just what my crimped neck and sore legs needed. 

This no

This morning we treated ourselves to pedicures, my first time. It was great then a light sushi lunch and a nap. Now I'm blogging by the window, ready to create some music.