Sorry for the Delay

Wow. It's been a really long time Gentle Viewers! Sorry about that, life has been busy and transitory. So I'll be brief and for the most part let the pictures do the talking, cuz y'know, pictures are worth lots of words and all that rot.

So, it feels like so long ago already, but yes, I left Seattle. After my job ended I enjoyed my last few days in Seattle, because the weather was nice and there was plenty to do. The best was the day I spent at the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum. All in all Seattle had its low points, but it was all around a beneficial experience. It helped me to grow as a person and experience different lifestyles and environments. Plus, I became a coffee snob while I was there. Oh well, what can you do. Truth be told, I do miss the city a little. I hope to return to you someday Seattle.


So then I returned to Angleton for a seemingly extended stay, but first thing when I arrived my parents and I set off on a cruise around the Caribbean! I'll mostly just let the pictures do the talking.

Jamaica

Sunset Beach Resort, all-inclusive resort we spent the day at

The swim-up bar

Visited by "liquid sunshine"

Montego Bay: Harassment a-plenty!

Grand Cayman Island

Me and the peg-legged turtle ^_^

Near the shore

Tasty, with free internet!

Cock of the Bakery

Yo ho, and a bottle of rum

Blinded by the Light

Grand Cayman Snorkeling

View from the boat

Our snorkel boat, water view

A multi-colored reef, some fishies too

Lots o' little fishies, payin' me no mind

I love this little blue guy

Follow me to Sting Ray City

We're surrounded!

Many a tourist visited the lively rays


Give it a kiss for luck!

Cozumel

Monster of a cruise ship in Cozumel harbor

Entrance to the horse riding ranch/Mayan ruins

Bilingual info for all at the ranch

Bonita y Tranquilo

Surveying our steeds


Our guide and some posteriors

Ruinas Mayas

Gun boats under the banner

Just reflections of the sky

Around The Ship

Galveston Harbor from the ship. Hi Elissa!

Crazy multi-floored inside of the boat

Singing some Ryan Adams @ karaoke

P.I.M.P.

So after the cruise I hung out at my parents' house and spent plenty of time with my grandma. But after that I had to go to my job training...

Chicago

Downtown from an orb's perspective

The orb's looking at me!

Modern spitty arty

So then after that I journeyed to Austin to begin my camp summer, which is now over. 8 weeks. 8 weeks of non-stop tech camp, teach some good kids, some spoiled brats that I basically babysat. 8 weeks of poor living conditions in the dorm, and food so terrible in the cafeteria that I on so many occasions that I lost count I felt ill and bloated. Glad to be rid of that.

Hangin' around

On the positive, I did have some really good times, and make some great new friends, like Jake from Ohio, Weston from Colorado, and Hemanth from Corpus (but originally India!). We had some great times during the job, and some even better times going downtown, smoking, drinking, etc. Oh, and now that the summer is over, I can reveal that when we were making plans for drinking and kids were around we would call it Mario Kart. Such as, "I can't wait, as soon as I leave tonight, I'm going to Mario Kart until I pass out!" So it was funny to us, maybe not so much to you, but it made it fun feeling like we had a secret code.

Leading the chillens in "shout-outs!"

Omar the badass web dude/musician and one of my more "interesting" students

So now the summer camp is over, and now is a time to relax a little, catch up on my sleep, and my video gaming. But more importantly than that, it's time to find a job, and with that, a place to live. Big ups to my sis and Mark for helping me out this summer with a place to stay, and I don't want to stay too much longer and wear out my welcome. I want to get a place for myself. Right now Jake, Fabian, and I are wanting to get a place together, but they don't want to make the big move Austin without finding a job first. But they better hurry, because I don't want to be a couch bum for much longer! May the Gods of employment shine down upon them and help them achieve their goal of finding a job and being able to stay in Austin. You know me, I'll be around...

Whew! That's it! After a whole summer, months, and working on the one blog posting on and off for like 2 weeks, it's finally done. I promise it will be a lot less time until the next one.

Expectations Go Out The Window

4/24/07 @ Neumo's

Remember the experience of going to your first concerts? The ones where everybody smashed together up front to get close to the band, slam danced like a crazy sweating mess, and pumped your fist at every opportunity? Well this is the vibe Electric Six evoked with their show tonight.

There were two opening bands tonight, and I thought if I left later than usual, I might be so lucky as to dodge that bullet. However, things were running late I guess, and when I got there the first opening band, Nights Kills The Day was still playing. It has been a long time since I've disliked and scoffed at a band so much. Pumping out middle of the road Breaking Benjamin, Nickelback type stuff with a vocalist with the mid-range warbling of Axl Rose in the intonation of Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, but completely lacking in any range (and looking like a lame Dave Mustaine), they ripped through a set only they enjoyed, with such stereotypical song titles as "Blindfolded." Oh, and the guitarist who was pulling wanker solo after another looked like Hunter Thompson. Yikes.

One word: LAME

The next band was anywhere near as bad. They are called Test Your Reflex, and apparently they even had a few people in attendance that were actually there for them. They made bouncy indie-alterna-rock with butt rock anthem-like choruses. Which is band as far as opening bands go. It's not painful for the ears, and is a good way to pass the time before the band you paid for arrives on stage.

Kind of blurry, but there's Test Your Reflex

After what felt like forever, Electric Six entered the stage with "Mr. Woman," and didn't let the party let up until his extremely tongue-in-cheek diatribe about how great Bush is and how we should all be so lucky as to somehow get pregnant and birth the next Bush for the presidency. It was similar to the speech I saw him give only a few months ago last time they came through, but different enough that I didn't feel like it was the exact same show.

Dick showing Bush some love. Ha.

When I arrived the crowd was incredibly small, smaller than I've seen it at any show of recent memory, which made me sad/nervous for E6: where they losing their crowd? But by the time they went on the crowd had beefed up quite a bit, about 2/3 full.

Speaking of beef, if I had a quarter for every sweaty fat shirtless or so soaked in sweat that it didn't matter guy that slammed into me, I'd be able to do laundry for a couple of weeks, I'll tell you that. Yuck. Pretty much every show I've been to here in Seattle, people have remained relatively calm, trying to look cool while admiring the show, which was absurd at Man Man. But here, every guy with the heart of a frat guy was out in full force, jumping around, shouting, spraying beer on people and sweating profusely. It's not that I'm not used to it, it's just that it's been so long since I've been to a show where that was the population of the crowd that it was strange.

So here are my two complaints about the show, because few shows are perfect: first was how i kept getting grossly sweaty people slamming into me when I wasn't paying attention, disrupting me from the show, and the second complaint is that while the rest of the band looks wacky enough, they never speak or have moments to shine, so they just seem like Dick Valentine's puppets. I know it's his baby, but I like when the band at least attempts to show themselves off too.

You play a mean guitar, but who are you?

Dick Valentine did seem to be in a great mood, and even seemed like he was trying much harder than last time to hit all the notes and falsetto moments, putting on a spirited performance. Highlights included "Dance Epidemic," "The Future Is In The Future," "I Buy The Drugs," and "Germans In Mexico." And of course it's always great to see "Danger! High Voltage," the song that introduced the world and myself to the wonderfully energetic band with a tongue planted so firmly in cheek they risk biting it off.

In reviewing my almost 3-day stint of concert going, it seemed like there was a logical digression, in terms of mission and "high brow" art and entertainment. Blonde Redhead was moody and very much a personal experience for each audience member, plus they are Indie Rock media darlings. Peeping Tom still had an element of "cool" because it was Mike Patton, but it was all about the fun and stage show that night. Everybody's just having a good time, but with very creative, diverse styles of music. Tonight was a good ole rock-n-roll show, plain and simple. No frills, no back up singers, guest spots, DJs, or anything. Just men, their instruments, and pseudo sex/love anthems with a penchant for dancing and jumping around.

Just like my first few concerts.


p.s. here's a great new song from their latest album Switzerland, the nocturnal love anthem "Night Vision"

How U Feelin' ?

Peeping Tom

4/23/07 @ The Showbox

My mind is still buzzing like a drunken wasp in jar, reeling from the genre-defying musical onslaught that is Peeping Tom.

Mike Patton's latest project is his most poppy and accessible since Mr. Bungle's album California, and that certainly isn't a bad thing. Afterall, it's still Mike Patton, so you know it's a strange take on whatever type of music he's tackling at the moment. The album is fantastic and easily one of my most played of 2006. However, I did have some apprehension how all of this would play out live. There were so many guests on the record, how do you take a beast like that out on the road?

The answer lies in crack team of mostly unknowns from the LA area: a young female beatboxing champion, a poofy haired woman who sings great backing vocals and provides electric violin in unexpected yet appropriate times, a super geeky keyboard player, a drummer that looks like he belongs in the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" video, and legendary DJ/Programmer badass Dan The Automator (!!!!). The last one was a surprise to be sure, but a very welcome one. Everything this man touches is gold.

King Midas workin' at the wheels

But allow me to back up the train for a minute and talk about the opener, Pigeon John. I had never heard of him and his name is fairly goofy, but as far as opening acts go, he was perfect. Blending Reggae and Hip Hop into a very upbeat, pleasant style, he warmed up the crowd, got them to shout plenty of "heys!" and "hos!" and all the other crowd interaction one gets at a hip hop show. Hell, by the end I was even dancing around to it, and some girl walking by took notice and danced with me for minute. That was a strange, funny interaction. But after a minute or two she casually walked away towards the bar. My friend Eric looked and me, I shrugged and laughed. All part of the concert-going experience I suppose. So, all that added up to a fun and pleasant way to begin the evening. I don't think I'll be running out and picking up his albums, but he was a cool opener.

The only man to rhyme "pigeon" & "smidgen"

Patton entered the stage wearing his by now infamous stocking cap/hairnet and sport the sleaze stache as always. He was in a fun, pleasant mood, and really enjoyed playing with crowd, getting them to shout irregular utterances like "arriba! aiiii!" encouraging everyone to give him the finger, and even getting the whole crowd to laugh at the band because according to him, "there's too much positive reinforcement going on! Laugh at us!"

Setlist songs included opening song "It's A Desperate Situation" by Marvin Gaye and every song from the album except "Celebrity Deathmatch." Kool Keith's part was done by Pigeon John making up his own verses, which was ok, but still...it's no Kool Keith! "Five Seconds" was particularly energetic and really had the crowd bouncing, as did "Mojo." I could spend paragraph after paragraph talking about all the cool moments in each song, because each song did have memorable moments. The surprise in the set came when they played the song "Get Up Punk!" from the album General Patton Vs. The X-Ecutioners. That made me really happy and jump around like mad.

The only disappointment in the whole show was that Dan the Automator did not get his own set to show off his skillz. The beatboxing chick, and even the band Dub Trio (who's featured on the album cut "We're Not Alone") had their own mini-set in the middle of Peeping Tom's set, yet no Automator set. So that was a drag, but the show itself was flawless.

In a very un-Patton move, they even came back and did an encore, which was the song "Across 110th Street," which was completely unknown to me. If somebody knows who it's by, please let me in on it, I'm curious.

This night was a beautiful contrast and counterpoint to Saturday's Blonde Redhead performance. While that one was all about building a mood for the viewer to take a journey, this was more of a rock show, with tons of crowd interaction, jumping up and down, and screaming; singing along to every song as loud as I could; getting a thrill just watching a master of his craft work his mojo.

His mojo was certainly working, and I advise all my Gentle Viewers to catch this show if Peeping Tom is in your hood. It will be a night of raucous fun and hairnets.

Here's the Peeping Tom song "Your Neighborhood Spaceman" for your enjoyment.

I'll let Mike Patton himself end this blog:

Dr. Strangeluv

Blonde Redhead
4/21/07 @ The Showbox

The doctor prescribed a heavy slab of atmospherics for this wonderful performance. They never spoke a word until halfway through their set, instead focusing on building a mood and enveloping sound to coat this listener, to sink into them and take the mind to places not necessarily on stage or the here and now. There were times I envisioned myself in a small warm room, filled with some and wrapped in blankets. This first part of their set consisted of cuts from their new album 23, which up until this point I had no listened to much, or gave it much attention because it didn't grab me instantly the way Misery Is A Butterfly did. But I must now go back and fully explore that record, as it has been fleshed out beautifully in concert, and shown me the true nature of it's dense, moody craftsmanship.

Little bit of mood lighting goes a long way

The fog let up a little and eased into a more upbeat, clap along, bobbing number "In Particular," a fan favorite and a track that I absolutely adore. From there we were treated to a couple of older songs from Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons and others, one of which the stopped short, Kazu apologizing that they tried, but had forgotten how the rest of it went. It's alright, as spot-on and mesmerizing as they'd been up until that point, I'm willing to let that slide, and give them an 'E' for effort in trying to bring out a back catalog track.

After they left the stage there was thunderous applause and stomping, demanding the return of everyone's favorite angular noise rock-turned melancholy art house indie darlings. They reappeared shortly, dishing out a couple more slices of pure mood, but not too be confused with those terrible New Age CDs you order from TV. This was the real deal, and an awesome concert experience. Not one of energy and hype and movement, but one of personal internal journey, the sort of concert where the performance isn't the key, the music is but a tool to take the listener to places not as easily achievable at home with your turntable.

I recommend to anyone to see this great band whom I can't give enough superfluous remarks to. Just don't come expecting a raucous live show. Instead, grab a blanket and some tissues for your third eye.

As a special treat, here's the song "Dr. Strangeluv" from their new album 23.

Performing one of my favorites, "Taking Out the Eurotrash" at the Showbox last year

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Welcome Gentle Viewers to another installment of the Chronicles of Riddick! Wait, my name's not Riddick...nevermind then, just welcome!

Farewell to Accounting

Tuesday the 17th was my last day at the accounting firm. Not sorry to see it go, as I was pulling 60 hour weeks by the end. But despite these grueling hours I was never treated like a slave or was too miserable. They fed us incredibly well, sometimes both lunch and dinner. On the last day not only did I get a farewell card with a Starbucks giftcard, but there was a huge end of tax season party at Tiki Bob's with a taco buffet and all the freeze booze I could drink.

I mostly just hung out with Fred, easily the office's nicest, funniest, and geekiest employee. Not that it's a bad thing. Hell, I was glad I finally met someone in Seattle that could go toe-to-toe with MY geekdom and even beyond, so that was very welcome. I also hung with the guy I shared an office with, John. You wouldn't think it from looking at him, but John is a Goth. He goes to Goth clubs every weekend and dresses all in black and talks about the lavish neon drinks he has there and all the types of alcohol they have in them. Sounds cool if I could tolerate the majority of the music, but I can't. Don't get me wrong, there are a few bands that are considered "Goth" that I really enjoy: Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie & The Banshees, and others. But much beyond that and it's just crushed velvet, eyeliner, goblets, and lasers. No thanks.

Not John, just funny as hell

So we partied there until 11 or 12 and went home. Hopefully Fred and I will get to hang out and play Guitar Hero II.

John (left), Fred (right), with me in the middle. Damn those rabbit ears!

My Days Are Numbered

So that's it. Now that my accounting days are over with, my days in Seattle are very limited. With Kim already gone and the apartment leased out to someone new, most loose ends are tied up. I spent the whole day after work ended packing and getting ready to go. I figured it was better to do it all now than try to foolishly do it all the day before I left. I've seen the results of that, and it's ugly. No, I try to be more prepared these days.

So what am I doing to fill my days of leisure, you ask? Well, getting more sleep for one. My body tries to wake up at 7:30 in time for work like a good robot every morning and I have to force myself to go back to sleep. Then I get up a few hours later, have some coffee, listen to some Dylan, Velvet Underground, or something else appropriate for coffee-filled mornings, make myself a delicious breakfast that usually involves bacon, and play around on the internet or spend some quality time on my DS. But amongst this lazy behavior, I do try to be active, going to the park to read or walking downtown to get the second issue of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8 comic! Seriously though, I am trying to be active, so that when I go on the cruise in a week or so I'm not a blob.

I even got a haircut so I could be more streamlined for the summer!

I'm lookin' hard!

Other than that, there are a couple of great concerts coming up!

Blonde Redhead *Tonight!* 4/21 @ Showbox
Peeping Tom 4/23 @ Showbox
Electric 6 4/24 @ Neumos

Expect full reviews of each, so stay tuned!

Got My Mojo Working

Marshall and I are at it again, working on our second screenplay, currently called The Mojo Hand. It's based on the legends of the blues, and the holy grail of all blues aspirations: acquiring the mojo hand, or the best blues guitar playing known to man. Usually involves deals with the devil, crossroads and such. These themes have been touched upon in film, but never really done justice and in the full scope. Well we aim to fix that. I think we've got solid gold on our hands. This script's got something for everybody: spirited music performances, mythology, action, violence, romance, tragedy, black magic, comedy, and a midget. Yessiree. Good stuff. We've completed a treatment for it, so now we're waiting to hear back from our "connection" on it, but in the coming weeks are beginning to write the actual screenplay. Trust me, all of you will want to read this one.

Feel the voodoo of the Mojo Hand

Oh, and I beat Final Fantasy I last night! Woot!

See ya soon hax0rs of the internets!

Yessss! *Cue the Fanfare!*

I FINALLY beat The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap tonight!

Not that it's a hard game or anything, but I refused for a long time to beat it until I had found absolutely everything in the game. Unfortunately, this was frustrating, and I put it away for a long time. There was one Kinstone piece that I couldn't find the match-up, and I think it was the king from way earlier in the game, before I knew how to do this stuff. So I couldn't do that, and I didn't have the patience to keep finding shells, pulling the handle and hoping for a new figurine to complete my set.

So I gave up trying, and just went to the castle and beat it. Fun stuff! I would say this is easily the best Zelda game on a handheld system. Well, only if you don't count the port they did of Link To The Past, the Super Nintendo game that was by far the best of the series. So this one was great because it introduced new items and gameplay concepts, had a good sense of humor, and was just plain fun. Maybe I'll try to convince LeAnne or somebody to play it, so that the only who isn't scratching their head when I talk about all of this is Chris Mikesell.

Now the wait is on for The Phantom Hour Glass, which looks to be incredible.

Last Friday I bought Sonic Rush, because I had heard/read good things about it, plus I have historically been a fan of the Sonic series, and hadn't picked one up in a long time, so I figured it was about time I did.

Unfortunately, it's not really what I was looking for. Either the charm of the classic Sonic formula has worn off, or I'm just really bad at it now, because the game is terribly frustrating. Don't get me wrong, the usage of both screens for the maps is really awesome, and easily the coolest thing about the game, but I dunno...something just didn't click for me. I kept dying at seemingly random spots or in cheap ways, and would stare at the GAME OVER screen in disbelief going, "Really?!" So either I've outgrown Sonic or Sonic has outgrown me. Which makes me really sad. I mean, Sonic 2 was one of my favorite games ever (funny about the twos, cuz Mega Man 2 is THE best).

So I think I'm going to take EB up on it's 'exchange in seven days if you don't like it' policy and get a different game. I want something fun and interactive, that makes use of the DS's touch screen and mic and stuff. So I think I might get this game:
Okay, I know it looks kiddie as all hell, but I hear the mini-games and micro-games beat the pants off anything on Wario Ware, and I really dig Wario Ware. The multiplayer sounds really cool and versatile, and of course, I'm a sucker for anything Final Fantasy. So I'll let you know what I think, Gentle Viewers.

I'll leave you with my next goal of game winning: Final Fantasy I for GBA. I got to the end and thought about doing all the extra dungeons and decided against it. Like the guys on 1up said, this game can feel grueling and like a "tour of duty" so I'm just going to get it out of the way and beat it. Afterall, that cute little chocobo needs my attention. Not to mention I'm still working on games in New Super Mario Bros., Yoshi's Island DS, and Final Fantasy VI: Advance.

Oh, and I'm trying to start work on the next screen play, and give my girlfriend all the love and attention she deserves. =) So my plate is quite full...

Until next time.

Canada, Departure, Mouse & Man (Man), & The Ear infection from Hell

Well it's certainly been a long time, since the last one, so here's another go my Gentle Viewers.

For the longest time I didn't update because nothing was happening. I was working my tax job, I'd come up and chill with Kim, and that was about it. Now everything's different and will still change even more in the coming weeks/months. So it's time to catch my blog breath before things get crazier. Here's what's been going on so far...

* Modest Mouse in concert!!

Surprise! Modest Mouse is coming in 3-4 days! I scrambled to get tickets, and did thanks to Kim's keen Internet skillz. They played on South Lake Union at the Naval Reserve Building. I've been in there before for an interview and didn't really envision it as a concert place, because it looked for like a gymnasium than a concert venue. However, it worked really well, and we had an easy time seeing because they built the stage so high up. It was also decorated with old lanterns that in pictures just looked like stage lights, but in-person they blinked periodically, and swayed to the vibration of the music, and made for excellent ambiance, especially when the stage was darkened.

They opened with a rather lackluster "Ocean Breathes Salty" that had me worry it was going to be a repeat of their half-hearted performance at Austin City Limits Festival, but it was only uphill from there, cranking it into high gear with catchy, head-bobbing single "Dashboard." They mostly played tracks from their latest (We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank) and Good News, with a few older ones sprinkled in. And that was a bit of a bummer, but since I am a big fan of their latter day output, I didn't mind so much. But they completely KILLED "Doin' The Cockroach." Holy Jumpin' Jesus On a Pogo Stick! It was incendiary and exhilarating. They definitely still "have it."

Johnny Marr is on the far left, Issac Brock on the far right.
Thanks to whoever & their blog I stole this pic from...

I've also read a few blogs where people were excited to see new member (and ex-Smiths) Johnny Marr, but didn't feel he added to the performance. But I was up close on his side and I felt like he really added a lot to their sound. Filled out more jangling, sparse numbers, and gave the newest songs that added melody, rhythm, and glitter that really make the POP. I'm only a casual fan of the Smiths, but it was very cool to see a legend and unquestionable pro thrown into the Mouse mix. All in all it was great show and I had lot of fun.

This is such a cinematic & beautiful promo picture.

But before I leave the topic of Modest Mouse, I'd like to spend a moment and sing the praises of their latest release, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. It has received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. Old fans and indie critics aren't happy because it's not like their old stuff and assume every song on it is trying to be the next "Float On." Pop critics are complaining that there isn't another "Float On" and that the album isn't as catchy as the last. Both the types have retarded expectations are stuck in a fixed paradigm about the band. Just relax and appreciate what is in face a fantastic album, full on great, catchy yet off-kilter tracks. The opening song "March Into The Sea" is fantastic opener, portraying Brock as some mad sea captain, sailing into oblivion and laughing all the way defiantly. Then we jump into the catch-as-all-hell and toe-tap inducing "Dashboard." I won't do a track-by-track analysis, but suffice to say it's got a little bit of everything, emotions rise and fall in all the right places, and somehow brings out more of the strange dark humor and odd melodies of their past than Good News did. Plus it's got James Mercer of The Shins on a few tracks adding some super-sweet backing vocals! Other notable tracks are "Missed The Boat" "Little Motel" and "Spitting Venom."

* Victoria, BC (Canada!!!)

Thanks to the very gracious lending of her by Nannette, Kim & I were able to go to Victoria, British Columbia 2 weekends ago. We drove as far as we could on the US side, parked, and hopped on a boat to takes us to the magical land of Canada, where Kraft dinner reign supreme, and the good folks have beady eyes and flappy heads, or at least that's what South Park says.

Despite slightly adverse weather, we wandered around for a while checking out the town before heading to our hotel we had booked for the night. The hotel was pretty nice and quite comfortable. Kim wanted to stay in and lounge for a bit, so I took to the streets and wandered around. Very quaint big city, if you catch my meaning. Just a cool vibe. While wandering around I got offered drugs THREE times on the same street corner! I just had to laugh to myself and keep walking. I came across a pretty good bookstore in my wanderings and stopped in long enough to pick up some essential reading, which you can check the sidebar for in the future.

After I'd had my fill on aimless wandering, I went back and grabbed Kim and her and I went out. We had coffee, strolled the streets, and eventually ended up a pretty swanky Italian restaurant. It was really nice and all, but I also couldn't shake the vibe that this was the place kids came for prom, or that some guys thought of this establishment as a "romantic" place for first dates, what with it's mood lighting, urban chic design with a mixture of rustic (how that works I haven't a clue) and a pricey menu to improve your money cred (I guess). The food was quite tasty, however I found it quite strange that the bread tasted like a slightly softer Goldfish.

After dinner, it was extremely cold and windy, so after taking a pit stop for excellent photo ops, we headed back to the hotel room to lay in a full belly malaise.

I'm a blur of motion in front of the parliament building

We finally scraped ourselves out of the hotel around 11:30, and headed out on the town for more exploring and coffee. While we were out, I found a place that had the Buffy Season 8 comic! I nearly had a heart attack as I saw it in the window and had to go inside and purchase it. It's been announced as "coming soon" for so long I gave up watching the release date, so it was an excellent surprise to see it. It's freaking excellent, by the way. There was much to be had in the way of Buffy collectibles, and I almost left Canada with an Angel puppet! Who can resist Smile Time?

"Do you have anything to declare?" says US Customs.
"Just an Angel puppet," I would reply.

We even stopped by a mall where I got to play Wii for minute and totally whooped an old guy at WiiTennis.

Overall, a very pleasant visit to a great town. I'm so glad Kim and I went and would love to go back when I have more time to go to the park, do the whale watching tour and all the other things I missed.

* The Leaving of My Lovely Lady =( [x 1000]

So last Wednesday Kim left. She's off to Michigan to begin her Great Lakes adventure for the next few months (aka infinity). I miss her so much already. This apartment is so much emptier without her. When I walk in the door after work I always half-expect her to be here, ready to greet me with a hug and a kiss. But I guess between tons of overtime at work and drinking, I'll make it these next few weeks okay. We talk often, so that's good, but still... Yeah, I don't know what else to say without getting upset. I'm really sad and lonely without her.

My beautiful girl and I in Canada

* The Ear Problems from HELL! (aka Speak To Me In My Good Ear)

So while all of this has been happening, I've been coping with progressively worse ear problems. I started losing hearing in my left ear progressively for the past couple of weeks, but on our last day in Canada, it began to hurt, badly. Over the next day it only worsened to the point where it felt swollen inside and I could barely concentrate because of the pressure and itching.

Somewhere between point 1 & 2 there is a BAD problem.

I was in a bit of a pickle though, because I don't have health insurance, so I had to figure out how to be treated, so we came across Country Family Doctor Clinic or something like that. They promise the charge on a "sliding scale," so that's good. I go in and see the doctor and he he says that I've got earwax buildup. Apparently my use of q-tips packed it all in so tightly against the eardrum it couldn't move and that's why it was infected. But instead of removing the wax or giving me antibiotics, all I got was some lousy drops. On the plus side, it doesn't really hurt anymore. However, it is six days later, and I still can't hear of that ear, when the drops were supposed to work in 3-5. SIGH. So unless it magically unclogs tonight, I'm calling for a follow-up appointment and ask quite forcefully that something more be done. It's so strange to only really be able to use one ear.

* Man Man LIVE!
Great googly moogly! I heard their album and thought it was pretty damn cool and original (despite some Tom Waits-ish tendencies), but after seeing them in concert, I'd go as far as to say they are one of the best damn live bands out there today!

From beginning to end, their show was pure energy and a rambunctious hootenanny of catharsis and fun! Clad in their signature all white clothing and war paint covered they ripped through so many songs in so little time, it was almost a medley, though the best medley I've ever heard! Even the crowd was into it and moving around, which is an amazing thing when it concerns Seattle crowds! They usually just stand there arms crossed nodding their head, so to see people dancing around and even crowd surfing made me happy. If any band deserved that sort of energy, it was them.

A glimpse into the beautiful madness

The only snafu came when one of the band's personal friends got ejected from the concert. They made a huge deal about it and stopped the show for almost 10 minutes, appealing for their friend. They also let us know that this was the first time they ever stopped a show, and it would be the last time they played Neumos. But that's OK, because I think they could fill the Showbox, and not that, I'd rather see them at the Crocodile Cafe anyway.

I can't stress enough how amazing this band is in concert. If you get the chance to see them, do whatever you can to do so! You WILL NOT regret it! Seriously, this was the best show I've seen since the last time I saw The Mars Volta. They were THAT good.

Here' s a little taste of Man Man. Enjoy!

So that's it for now. I'll post if anything else comes up. Hope you enjoyed the update.

Listen.

Have you PEEPED this song yet??!!!!

It makes me dance like crazy!!!

Concrete Jungle

Whoops!

Sorry Gentle Viewers, I went and told you I was going to update more often and then I didn't. Sorry. Things have been busy. Here's some of the highlights:

* Finished our script! Hooray! Now we wait for magic to happen...

* Saw Of Montreal in concert!
- They were a blast in concert, as always, super-fun-happy dance time! Highlights were "Rapture Rapes The Muses" and "Oslo In The Summertime." For video clips from the show, see Kim's blog.
* Woodland Park Zoo day!
- We spent last Sunday at the zoo and had such a blast! I hadn't been to the zoo in years and it was really great to see all the animals again. This day was special because the animals were getting Valentine's Day treats! So we watched them get fed Blood-Sicles in the shape of a heart (there were meat chunks in there too). Or, in the lemur and red panda's case, a wicker heart covered in fruit. Here's some pics:

I finally got to see those damned elusive (but extremely cute) otters!

Kim feeds a bird in the aviary. For LeAnne, it would be a nightmare!

Everybody loves Penguins. They are the new monkey, after all.

Look at these cute fellas! They were a highlight of the trip!

Red Ruffed Lemurs love blood oranges. =)

Anybody who says we're not related to these guys is full of it. They were like weird, shriveled people.

Red Panda is the Asian raccoon. Cute as hell too.

The strangest animal in the zoo...

* Karaoke @ 0hana's
- I sang my heart out! Very good times. After the first one the waitress gave me a beer and said, "This one's on the house, you ROCK!" Kim caught pieces of it on video!

"I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" by The White Stripes


I dedicated this one to my people in Texas!

So there's a look at some of the cool stuff I've been up to. The not so cool is being unemployed. But I managed to get a job at an accounting firm downtown. At first tho, they made me clean fridges and shit, and it was very demeaning and crappy. But now I've moved on to boredom tears-inducing paperwork. The life of an accountant. Yippee. So, in dedication to my new workdays, here's a song of the day! It's Danzig's "Tired of Being Alive." Enjoy!

Soundtrack of My Life (Random Remix)

So I decided to totally steal my sister's idea and try this for myself.

I have to say, it fills me with a bit of trepidation because I've found my iPod's randomization to be faulty in the past, so this might turn out hella strange. Let's see...

Opening Credits: "Letter to Memphis" by Pixies
This is a great instrumental. Full of pep. I can see me walking triumphantly on a shining moment, or maybe a montage of awesome moments, rife with high-fives. Or maybe I'm just in a basement in my socks and undies air guitaring. Anyway you slice it, FUN.

Waking Up: "Hip Hop" by Dead Prez
This is the social alarm clock everyone needs. It forces me to look past the music and realize...it's bigger. Or maybe it's for me to realize my vanilla-ass skin is the problem. "I'm all for running up on those crackers in they city hall." Maybe that's my goal for the day. A morning in the hood.

First Day at School: "Underwater Love" by Faith No More
Oh boy am I laughing. It's going to be a violent day, I can tell. So at my first day of school I fall in love with my teacher, but realize she's too old for me and it can never be, so I decide to drown her. But I still can't escape her stare, all authoritative and cold. What did you do on your first day of school?

Falling In Love: "Shores of Avalon" by Mullmuzzler
WOW. And here I thought it was going to be a violent day in the hood. It's just got Epically progged out with this solo track from the Dream Theater lead singer. After I drown my teacher I am sucked into a portal, perhaps as penance. I'm in a medieval world with a sword fighting evil, searching for a fair maiden. But she's hiding a Turkish dagger to stab me! Oh man are paybacks a bitch.

Fight Song: "Where the White Boys Dance" by The Killers
So that trip to never-never land was to get me understand the danger of violence. Back in the real world, I decide to resolve my problems through dancing. I have a problem with this guy, and we just cha-cha it out, in slow motion. Giving each other mean looks, but in a totally hetero slow-motion moment. Save the Last Dance ain't got shit on me boy.

Breaking Up: "Televators" by The Mars Volta
This is a really sad song. Especially since it's my breaking up song. The love I won through my manly show of dance now lies cold on the pavement. I am bereft and alone. How will I recover from this? What will I tell others? And most importantly, who will I take to prom now? Riddle me THAT! I guess I gotta stalk the ground for ladies...dance style.

Prom: "Sharpening Skills" by Elysian Fields
Just when I think I'm flying solo, in shadows of an alley I see a sultry older lady (do I have a thing for older women or what? ;) smoking a clove, humming to herself a deep, rich tone. I approach her in my tux, give her a flower to pin to her exquisite dress, and she gives me a swig of her scotch. We walk hand in hand inside, and slow dance to every track, no matter the speed, sharpening our "skills" for later that night...

Life: "This Book Is A Movie" by Spoon
You can't get any more post-modern than that. Living a life a action, violence, betrayal, and fantastic adventures beyond belief, I slow down long enough, to get my story out on a little recorder I talk into as I'm in the back seat of an old Lincoln as I drive through NYC at night. The tape gets put to paper, and I am a best-selling author for the impressive stories of my life. And now they want to make a movie out of it. But I thought there was already a movie going on...

Mental Breakdown: "Operation Rescue" by Bad Religion
"When need restoration now of our integrity" indeed. The celebrated life has driven me to madness. My mind spins at a break-neck pace. I try to do good, and people assure me, but it feels like this are spinning out a control too fast, I can't keep up. What compels them all? I need some rescue...

Driving: "Just A Man" by Faith No More
I'm always able to gain my focus when driving. The cool night air clears my head. Here I was thinking everything was of Godlike importance, and it was driving me mad. The sins of pride I tell you. Things become so much simpler when you realize one must look past his Icarus tendencies and realize, "but me, I am just a man." But I still dream about a cloudy sky. And any revelation I have should be accompanied by a gospel choir.

Flashback: "El Scorcho" by Weezer
When I let my mind clear and just wandered, I return to that first day of school. When I was busy looking to big fish to fry, I missed the best thing that was right in front of me. A cute little girl in my class who liked all the same things, and really liked swings. That one day we refused to stop swinging and come to class was magic. We wouldn't stop until our parents came after school and physically removed us from them. It was one best days of my life, and I never told her how I felt.

Wedding: "I Don't Like the Drugs" by Marilyn Manson
What can I say about this one? One simple drug experiment turned into something crazy. You go on a acid burn for a few days, and once they pry your sorry ass off the ceiling, give you some orange slices and a cup of coffee, you find you're married. Life's funny that way. But not funny haha. But hey, my life had a gospel choir again! Hooray!

Birth of a Child: "Static" by Beck
After coming down, sometimes you just want to lock yourself indoors, and if you do so with a wife, what do you expect will happen? A child. So we decided to have the child in the same place it was conceived, locked up in my house, quietly, without attention from anyone. It was peaceful, beautiful birth.

Final Battle: "Alone Jealous and Stoned" by The Secret Machines
So at some point, I lost the kid and wife. I never made it outdoors much in those days, took comfort in the drugs. I envied those who had a simple life that wasn't filled with murder, portals, drugged-out weddings and super-stardom books and movies. A sad battle of inner-struggle and yet catharsis. My greatest obstacle/opponent was me.

Death Scene: "Jimmy" by Tool
"Leaving me with the dead and hopeless" indeed. Waving goodbye. Heading home. Home to eternity, oblivion. As a last ditch effort to save my worthless life, I trek out into the woods, a candle as my only guide on a dark, misty night. Driven by something in my head, whether it be drug residue, a conscious, or some being across the astral plane. I attempt to open temporal gateway to reverse everything that's happened up until this point, but instead something evil comes out of the portal, a slithering, secret, evil. Before I know it, it scoops me up, flings me high into the air, cuts my thrown, and then I fall, earthbound, landing not where I started, but instead in Times Square, where thousands can look upon my once famous face and destruction all of it wrought. Dark Magicks are not to be toyed with. But I am finally at rest.

Funeral Song: "The Crane Wife 1 & 2" by The Decemberists
Everyone that knew me is relieved that it's all over. And they can look at all the positive things I did with my life that I wasn't able to cover here, and my ex-wife and child forgive me. All I ever wanted was for things to turn out right. Sometimes we lose our way. But all is not lost. Others can learn from our mistakes, and even in that small way, we make the world a better place. It's a small private funeral for just those closest to me through the years, though it is quite an extravaganza of people, like at the end of Big Fish. Everyone shares stories of me, and hugs and has a good happy cry.

End Credits: "Sleeping In" by The Postal Service
Ah, the reflection of a life that seemed so real, but was all a dream, a prophetic vision of things to come if I continue down my current road. I wake in a Bob Newhart -like state, and give my head a shake, laugh out loud Donnie Darko style before he got squished, and then just pull the covers over my head and go back to bed.

So I wish there would have been some Led Zeppelin, Ryan Adams, and Kool Keith, but it's random, what can ya do? Maybe I'll do a hand-picked one sometime.

So what do YOU think? Questions? Comments?

Just laugh and laugh and laugh

I saw this picture on somebody's signature on the The Comatorium and just sat at my desk laughing for a few minutes. I don't know why. There's something about it that's child-like, unrealistic, and just absurd that makes me love it. Enjoy!