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December 2000 to Now
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
7:45 PMI once contemplated a bowl of fruit with bear.
It was for 9th grade art class. It was the final project, a huge chunk of our final grade. We had three choices for our final project. Design our own wallpaper or sketch the still life. Everyone in the class opted for the wallpaper. I mean who wouldn't, all you had to do was come up with some repeating motif and make it look nice, it only had to fit on a 5" by 5" piece of paper. It was the easiest assignment you could give. For most of the students it was the last art project they would ever have to do. Once we made it to the 10th grade we were in the High School, we would be free to choose our classes, art would no longer be forced on us.
I chose to do the sketch.
I really liked my art classes in Junior High (7-9th grades for West Islip Schools at the time). I tried to be as creative as I could. Unlike in most of my other classes where I tended to sit still and just get by, to live on my laurels, in art class I tried. A little background history, by 9th grade I had learned that I didn't have to try, didn't have to push myself, in order to pass my classes. I did as little as possible and did it as late as possible. But art was the only class that I actually cared about.
So back to the sketch. Most of my fellow students were finished with their wallpaper sections in 10 minutes and were out the door, ready to celebrate the summer. I spent the full 2 hours allotted on my sketch. I went through pencil after pencil. I got every detail that I could throw down on that paper. It wasn't a masterpiece, hell I was only 15, but it was damn good. It was the last art assignment I ever had. When I went to High School I had a full schedule, no time for lunch let alone art. I always tried to fit a class into my schedule, but it just never worked. So my days were spent in Calculus and Physics, American History and Government, Shakespeare and Composition, Pascal and Computer Science.
I really need to sketch again.
Monday, January 28, 2002
9:10 PM
Brooklyn, Jersey City and Hospitals
NYC: My mom is doing fine, she is still in pain but hopefully in 3 months she will be 100%. (She has been about 12.5% lately.) She might be released on Thursday. She was happy to see me, as she didn't know I was coming. I just popped in the door, snuck in between 2 of my aunts and said hi. Her smile made it all worth it.
NJ: I have never for the life of me been in Jersey City. It is exactly like New York, except it’s on the wrong side of the river, they stop selling beer and liquor at 10PM, and there are decorative cabbages. Now I keep tripping over decorative cabbages everywhere. It’s an epidemic and it must stop. Stop it must, I say.
Brooklyn: I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night, just as the sun was setting. It was one of those times that I wish that I always carry a camera. The sunset was beautiful; the temperature was just a perfect. It was postcard perfect. Then I walked further down and saw the sun setting just past the Statue of Liberty. That’s when I remembered why I love that damn city so much. I am still toying with the idea of moving back.
Thanks to Keith for putting me up for the night. I gave him just 6 hours of warning. I think it gave him bad dreams.
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
2:26 AM
The noise in your head was sung by someone else
I have been told that I have a vast and eclectic collection of music. I don't think it is eclectic enough actually. There are tons of CDs and records and tapes that I still want to buy. There are huge gaps in some of my collections.
I do not have enough jazz or classical, rap or electronica, blues or pop, country or rock. There are groups and artists that I love that I don't own a whole album of. There are genres where I don't own a single song. But I try.
When I go to a record store, I don't know what I am going to buy half of the time. I just wander. Hit the booths, listen to tunes. Sometimes it comes down to reviews, sometimes the first song, other times I buy an album just because of the name or cover art. That is not always the best way to buy music but you'd be surprised at how good some of the music can be. Other times I know exactly what I want.
Today I walked into Tower with a purpose. I wanted the new Nine Inch Nails live deluxe CD. I wanted it badly. I found it. I was happy. I had what I came for and if I was smart I would just leave. Take the $22 hit to the wallet and go home and listen to it. But then started to wander.
By the time I left I had 3 items, at the cost of one Franklin. I do not regret the purchase. None of the 3 contained any new material. One was a box set, one an old album, and the Live NIN. Others may not see any link at all among them. Except that they are all artists that I adore. They are not the same genre. Nor the same period. But in my mind they fit perfectly.
NIN "And All That Could Have Been" Deluxe CD Live and Still.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet "Time Out" 35th anniversary.
Dead Can Dance "1981-1998" Box Set.
You can make your own opinions. All I know is that these three make me happy.
I love Dave Brubeck, and have ever since I first heard "Take Five." But I never bought the album, or any other. It is a failing of mine, if you could call it that. There are certain albums that I know that I should own. Yet when I see them on sale I tell myself that I don't need to buy it now because it will always be there, waiting for me to buy it. In a way it is a kind voice because otherwise I would spend all my money on CDs and die from starvation. But ... I should really own these.
I fell in love with Dead Can Dance at Manray, back in 1991. I used to go dancing there every Friday and Saturday night. Me, Jake, Andrew and Justin. This was before it became the fetish club of choice for Boston. Back then it was just industrial, goth and techno. It was pure fun for us. I bought a couple of their discs, I would play them repeatedly, and still do, but the backlist material was just too expensive. I never bought everything. I stuck with the 3 I had. 1 Studio, 1 Live, and 1 sampler. They have suited me well. But I am so happy to have this boxed set. 3 discs and a DVD. I am pretty sure that they will enter heavy rotation.
Way back in '90 I first heard NIN. "Head Like a Hole", "Sin" and "Something I Can Never Have." They quickly rose on my short list of bands that I loved. Only 2 years before did I start to actually have preferences for music. Til then I never really listened to music. Then I went to work at Tobay Beach and Nassau County Beach. We listened to WDRE. The Modern/Alternative/New Wave Music station in New York, I fell in love with Depeche Mode and New Order. Nine Inch Nails was just a continuation of my new love for Music. I own everything put out. But oddly I never went to a concert until last summer.
Music is always a part of life. If there is anything that you think I may be interested in hearing, always drop me a line.
Monday, January 21, 2002
6:34 PM
MLK Day
A view of Marsh Plaza at BU. In the plaza is a sculpture titled "Free at Last" by Sergio Castillo that is dedicated to Martin Luther King, PhD. in systematic theology from Boston University (1955). I walked by this at least once a day, while I was at BU. There are 50 birds that represent peace in the 50 states.
Today I hope that you remembered Dr. King's message. I hope that you live it.
6:07 PM
ache
I pulled my back Saturday night. I was working a wedding at the Fogg and I guess I just carried too much crap up and down the stairs. Interesting place to have a wedding. It would have been better if I could have got to see some of the displays, but the catering staff were not allowed in the exhibit rooms.
I sat around all day yesterday in bed, and hoped that it would feel a little better. I did not ice it. I did not take pain meds. Today it still hurts.
Of course this is just a slight pain as compared to my mother's back. She will be going into surgery on the 24th to help relieve some of the pain.
She has had back problems for a good portion of the last 10 years, but in the last 2 years it has steadily gotten worse. She has gone to doctors and chiropractors, she has had medications and acupuncture. Almost none of these have helped on the bad days. On the bad days she can only stay in bed and try not to move. Take her meds and ice her back. The doctors that she has gone to have not been all that helpfull. There was one who wouldn't even remember what he had prescribed for her when they last met. He never reviewed her charts. He just saw her real quick, gave her some meds and then sent her on his way. He didn't even talk to her, he had the nurses ask what was wrong then would get the info from them, pop in and out and send my mother on her way. He wouldn't even let my mother speak. She left him and finally found a doctor who listens. Still she really should have had surgery a long time ago. At least last summer.
I hope she feels better on Friday.
3:32 PM
need another...
Which drink are you?
Thursday, January 17, 2002
1:06 AM
no updates
Yes really, I said I would be free and clear of geocities by tomorrow. But then again I also haven't updated the post about my car mishaps, or about buck dice, or anything else.
I need a better comment system, not that anyone actually comments, but I like the idea that they just might, someday. Maybe, but doubtful. As it is now, I have no clue if anyone is posting comments or not, as there is no counter.
Oh well.
Angela is getting married "sometime" this week in Vegas.
Keith is still going on about the crazy guy. The stories amuse me. They seem to be the thread that holds his observations together. We will miss the crazy guy when Keith moves to the downtown offices.
I am riding my bike to work and just can't believe how out of shape I have become. I have been noticing a little more in my midsection, but I still thought that I could ride. My bike has always been the main source of exercise and at times my main transport. But since July I really haven't been riding that much. That is to say not at all.
I now ride 1.63 to 1.73 miles to work. This used to be the warmup. Where I would do some sprints, push my self a bit before I got in to a rhythm and continued on with the 10 or 20 mile ride. (This is also very close to the distance I was at on that ride of July 13th.) Now I feel my legs ache, my lungs start to burn, and I am out of breath when I get to the pharmacy. Its not like I am riding hard, I am lucky if I break 15 mph, and that is on the down side of a bridge. I average about 9 mph on the trip.
I really should start riding more, ride to a couple of places on the weekends. And I would. IF IT WASN'T 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and raining, and snowing now and again, and the wind, christ how I hate the wind. But still this never used to bother me. I just need some new gear.
If you would like to help me out (I may have a job now but I still am broke.) just pick an item and mail it to me. Thanks.
Monday, January 14, 2002
10:21 PM
100 things to do: 26 to 30
26) Work on an archaeology dig.
27) Bobsled.
28) Surf.
29) Skydive.
30) Score a hole in one.
1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25
8:44 PM
The mouse army needs you
Harvey the mouse must die. courtesy daypop
8:19 PM
Ban the Pop
Frustrated by popup ads? Work with a slow modem connection? Or does having 35 various windows open on your screen viscously trying to sell you crap just piss you off? Then go to No More Popup Ads click on the links and you will be FREE!
Of course that annoying ad on my page will still come up. Really gotta switch off of geocities.Thanks to daypop
Sunday, January 13, 2002
2:08 AM
Quizzes will make me happy, yesiree bob.
 I am an Asteroid.I am a drifter. I go where life leads, which makes me usually a very calm and content sort of person. That or thoroughly apathetic. Usually I keep on doing whatever I'm doing, and it takes something special to make me change my mind. What Video Game Character Are You? |
Thanks to Trippyswell
1:55 AM
Zoloft
I have been a little off today. Well truth be told I have been off for at least 2 weeks. It might be the fact that I have been filling prescriptions instead of designing aircraft for my pay this last week. I sat through one of my windows last night. Cut my hand. My car is no longer on the road. I fill hundreds of Zoloft pills into bottles all day. I think I was happier unemployed. I have been drinking WAY too much this past month.
B5 d+ t k s- u f i- o x e- l+ c-
Today I felt like shit. It wasn't a hangover, just a general ill will. Then I had to go to my second job. "Could you get me a red?" Catering is the most lucrative (as pay goes) job I have ever had, how sad is that.
I think it might be the fact that I have nothing to look forward to. I was looking for a job. I now have one. I used to look forward to school. Before that I looked forward to these days. The days after school was over, when my life was ahead. I have to look forward again. Its not like this will be forever.
I think that it might be the fact that I am also out of shape. I rode my bike to work Friday. Its only 1.6 miles away. I was exhausted. Then I go out and drink. It seems that drinking is in my job description. I have gone out 3 times and have only worked 5 days. Each time we drink until we get thrown out. Then I sit through a window. Cut my hand. Repeat. 3 times out 2 windows broke.
RxScript: #180 Sertraline 150 mg.
Tuesday, January 08, 2002
1:47 PM
Dave
My favorite burger chain just lost its founder. Dave Thomas passed away last night. He was 69. I will miss his ads.
