If you'll note the time I'm posting this, you'll see it's 1:30 a.m. on a school night. But I just got in from KING KONG and wanted to be amongst the first to say.....IT ROCKS!!!
I'm not a big CGI guy, but Kong is freeking amazing. Andy Serkis (the guy who provided the eyes and movements of Kong as well as for Golum in the LOTR films) deserves an honorary Oscar....he also deserved one for playing Golum. Serkis is truly a cinematic pioneer and someday we'll look back and realize that.
The film drags a little in the beginning but all that stuff needs to be there as the storylines get set-up as well as the theme of the movie. Once the crew hits Skull Island, it's ON like DONKEY KONG.
I'm impressed by this movie on so many levels, I can't even start to explain. One thing I will say is that this is a movie about loving movies. It's a totally FUN time and it's also very touching. I distinctly remember seeing the original KING KONG as a kid and being very sad at what becomes of him. This new version really adds to that and what you end up with is a fun, exciting and touching film.
One final note....every time I go to the movies, I hate it more. Teeny bopper wanna-be gang bangers yap all through the show and it's tough to say anything because they may be packing some heat. The last thing I need is to get stabbed by some Rohnert Park dipshit in a movie theater. Also, to the idiot old man in front of me who kept narrating to himself throughout the movie- fuck you.
All that aside, take your chances and see this EPIC on the big screen. More later.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
And now for a really big shew...really big
In an attempt to avoid the inevitable, I've been taking 6 units a semester at Santa Rosa Junior College in order to not pay back my $20,000 in student loans. The plan is to take "fun" classes until I get all my credit cards paid off, then start in on the student loan. Brilliant! As such, I have a digital video class and an introduction to Theatre Arts class that are wrapping up this week. Past classes have included golf, screenwriting (which I have an AA and a BA in...and got a fucking C- on my script in the class...nice) and another digital video class. Easy, easy stuff.
Today we had a student film festival to show our final projects and I showed a video I made for the band I work with...five a.m. I originally had a really great idea for a video but I don't want to share because I might still do it. But then I realized that what people don't see is all the boring ass driving a band has to do just to bring you some rock n roll goodness. It's incredibly ass numbing and tedious. So I cobbled together a bunch of video I have collected recently and over the years and made a video for the song "Already Gone." I think it came out really well. It's kind of...a weekend on the road with the band. Only shorter.
We showed it in class and even though I have made other shorts before, I've only watched them in front of a group maybe once....so I was kinda nervous. Plus, the song is really beautiful and slow and the other shorts included one guy lighting himself on fire, getting slapped and jumping off rooftops (cleverly named "dumbass") and 4 other shorts were skate/bmx/snowboard videos. The 3-4 other ones were actually quite good.
Anyway, the video should be up on my website soon and it went off without a hitch. I got extremely lucky matching up the live footage to the song. A few times during editing I had to like....watch it 2-3 times because I couldn't believe how in-sync it was. I was forseeing a mega headache matching it up...but it worked. Everyone in class seemed to like it....but I'm sure they would have liked to see more farts getting lit on fire. Ah, youth.
Today we had a student film festival to show our final projects and I showed a video I made for the band I work with...five a.m. I originally had a really great idea for a video but I don't want to share because I might still do it. But then I realized that what people don't see is all the boring ass driving a band has to do just to bring you some rock n roll goodness. It's incredibly ass numbing and tedious. So I cobbled together a bunch of video I have collected recently and over the years and made a video for the song "Already Gone." I think it came out really well. It's kind of...a weekend on the road with the band. Only shorter.
We showed it in class and even though I have made other shorts before, I've only watched them in front of a group maybe once....so I was kinda nervous. Plus, the song is really beautiful and slow and the other shorts included one guy lighting himself on fire, getting slapped and jumping off rooftops (cleverly named "dumbass") and 4 other shorts were skate/bmx/snowboard videos. The 3-4 other ones were actually quite good.
Anyway, the video should be up on my website soon and it went off without a hitch. I got extremely lucky matching up the live footage to the song. A few times during editing I had to like....watch it 2-3 times because I couldn't believe how in-sync it was. I was forseeing a mega headache matching it up...but it worked. Everyone in class seemed to like it....but I'm sure they would have liked to see more farts getting lit on fire. Ah, youth.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Went to a party last Saturday night....
Some good friends of ours had a nice, mellow Christmas party Saturday. Wait, it was a "holiday" party Mr. Bill O'Reilly. That's right beeotch! Anyway, I was doing some beer drinking and hanging out when I suddenly did the lamest party foul ever. Well....in a while at least.
A neighbor was borrowing some DVD's from our hosts and I asked to see them to give them my seal of approval. He handed them over and, rather than set down my bottle of beer (God forbid), I tucked it under my arm and began to look through the DVD's. One of them slipped out of the pile and fell on the floor next to the couch I was standing in front of. Without thinking twice, I bent over to pick it up....while the beer was still under my arm.
I'm about 6"4 and have quite the beer gut going so bending over and then standing back up takes me a solid 2-4 seconds...so that's how long the beer poured onto the couch for. When I stood up, I just kept looking at the DVD's until I felt that my leg was wet. Then the neighbor kind of went "ohhhh dude." I totally drenched the couch. I felt terrible...I still do. I apologized a bunch and they said that since they have a kid, the cushions are washable but still. What a jackass. I mean, I wasn't even all that drunk, it was just a bonehead move on my behalf.
So, if you plan on inviting me to your HOLIDAY party this year, get some plastic coverings for your furniture.
A neighbor was borrowing some DVD's from our hosts and I asked to see them to give them my seal of approval. He handed them over and, rather than set down my bottle of beer (God forbid), I tucked it under my arm and began to look through the DVD's. One of them slipped out of the pile and fell on the floor next to the couch I was standing in front of. Without thinking twice, I bent over to pick it up....while the beer was still under my arm.
I'm about 6"4 and have quite the beer gut going so bending over and then standing back up takes me a solid 2-4 seconds...so that's how long the beer poured onto the couch for. When I stood up, I just kept looking at the DVD's until I felt that my leg was wet. Then the neighbor kind of went "ohhhh dude." I totally drenched the couch. I felt terrible...I still do. I apologized a bunch and they said that since they have a kid, the cushions are washable but still. What a jackass. I mean, I wasn't even all that drunk, it was just a bonehead move on my behalf.
So, if you plan on inviting me to your HOLIDAY party this year, get some plastic coverings for your furniture.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Over it...
Uhhh...yeah. It took me all of about 10 minutes to get over the old mac. I still miss it....but not that bad. In fact, I haven't looked at it once since Jumbo the G5 was switched on. I'm excited to have imovie with more ram/memory and fun stuff like garageband and the little dashboard thingy.
I will now proceed to not leave the house for the weekend.
I will now proceed to not leave the house for the weekend.
Ch-ch-ch-Changes...
I get attached to inanimate objects. I always have. When I was a little kid I was fairly inconsolable for a day or two after we gotrid of our washer and dryer. I remember it well...it was a very 70's-chic pea green color. The dryer crapped out so my parents got new stuff and I was very, very upset. It's the darndest thing too. When I was 8 or so, my dog Spike got hit by a car and I think I was sadder about losing the washer and dryer. Maybe I'm a cyborg.
Anyway...
My point is, we JUST got a brand spanking NEW Mac G5!!!! Erica's parents bought it for us for Christmas too!! How totally COOL! Thanks M&M!
Erica and I were going to take out a Mac loan to get one because our old iMAC was getting wonky in it's old age. It's seen here in the picture. It's Ruby colored and I love that computer. It was my best friend when I was homesick. It was the first thing Erica and I bought together.
It started with me in Petaluma and was with me as I toiled over learning screenwriting. It went with us to L.A. for me to pursue my dream. It was my weapon of choice for 2 feature screenplays and 3 shorts. It's been a great computer and now, it's being put out to pasture. As you can see by what it's saying, it isn't happy.
This will be the last thing I write on this computer for a while. I'd like to get a real office some day and be reunited with my Ruby Red iMAC. Until that day comes.....Godspeed fair Macintosh. You've been a loyal compadre on many a drunken night. Sniff.
Anyway...
My point is, we JUST got a brand spanking NEW Mac G5!!!! Erica's parents bought it for us for Christmas too!! How totally COOL! Thanks M&M!
Erica and I were going to take out a Mac loan to get one because our old iMAC was getting wonky in it's old age. It's seen here in the picture. It's Ruby colored and I love that computer. It was my best friend when I was homesick. It was the first thing Erica and I bought together.
It started with me in Petaluma and was with me as I toiled over learning screenwriting. It went with us to L.A. for me to pursue my dream. It was my weapon of choice for 2 feature screenplays and 3 shorts. It's been a great computer and now, it's being put out to pasture. As you can see by what it's saying, it isn't happy.
This will be the last thing I write on this computer for a while. I'd like to get a real office some day and be reunited with my Ruby Red iMAC. Until that day comes.....Godspeed fair Macintosh. You've been a loyal compadre on many a drunken night. Sniff.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
It was twenty (five) years ago today....
that John Lennon was shot and killed. I know it's cliche to tell your "Where were you when...." story, but I'm doing it anyway. I was 8 or 9 years old and we were living in the armpit of California, Orland. I DISTINCTLY remember this all so clearly....
I was trying to go to sleep and the phone rang. My mom answered and all of the sudden she was crying and really upset. Being the little momma's boy I was, I started getting upset because my mom was upset. I started yelling to her...trying to figure out what was wrong. I was afraid my Grandpa had died or something.
She came into my room and told me that someone had shot John Lennon. This stunned me. I grew up on the Beatles as one of my Aunts was a total hippie and the other one really loved the Beatles. My mom was a fan although she used to say she never forgave them for breaking up...she even gave all her Beatles records to my Aunt. I remember spending hours at my Aunts house, making her play me Beatles records while I rifled through her Beatles memorabilia. I remember being scared of John Lennon because he was frequently naked in many of his photos. Yuck.
Anyway...the news of John being killed....by someone else...on purpose...knocked me for a loop. I couldn't grasp why anyone would hurt such a great person. I started to cry (but admittedly, mostly because my mom was crying) and still to this day....I don't understand.
But I went
here and talked to John and you should too. I miss you John.
I was trying to go to sleep and the phone rang. My mom answered and all of the sudden she was crying and really upset. Being the little momma's boy I was, I started getting upset because my mom was upset. I started yelling to her...trying to figure out what was wrong. I was afraid my Grandpa had died or something.
She came into my room and told me that someone had shot John Lennon. This stunned me. I grew up on the Beatles as one of my Aunts was a total hippie and the other one really loved the Beatles. My mom was a fan although she used to say she never forgave them for breaking up...she even gave all her Beatles records to my Aunt. I remember spending hours at my Aunts house, making her play me Beatles records while I rifled through her Beatles memorabilia. I remember being scared of John Lennon because he was frequently naked in many of his photos. Yuck.
Anyway...the news of John being killed....by someone else...on purpose...knocked me for a loop. I couldn't grasp why anyone would hurt such a great person. I started to cry (but admittedly, mostly because my mom was crying) and still to this day....I don't understand.
But I went
here and talked to John and you should too. I miss you John.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
That's right you're not from Texas...
The wife and I just got home from 4 days in my favorite city (Since New Orleans got doused), Austin, TX! I'll post a more detailed trip review when I get settled. I even took A picture. Yeah, A picture. That's good for me, I usually forget I have a camera. Anyway. I thought I'd share
"Don's Top 10 Things About Austin." Volume I, 10/23/05.
10. Flipping on the radio or walking into a sports bar and hearing Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider. Jack Ingram, Rodney Crowell and Wilco fricking rules. Glad some state has good taste in music.
9. Queso is delicious...but only in Texas. Here, it's too salty.
8. The Ironworks is my favorite restraunt. I ate three meals in a row there at last years SXSW but only one this time...and it was yummy. Brisket and pork rib combo platter. We landed in Houston, drove to Austin, went to Ironworks...one, two, three. Perfect way to start a perfect trip.
7. Whataburger is AWESOME at 3 a.m. when you stumble in for a double chesseburger and fries. However, it's not nearly as good when you're sober.
6. "Bike people" are annoying. Today is the annual Lance Armstrong sponsored "Ride for Roses" bicycle race. All the bike people were staying in the same hotel as us. Now, I'm all for healthy behavior and having a hobby and Lord knows it's for a great cause BUT....do you people really need to wear the bike shorts 24/7?? Case in point:
I mean, come on! Wear some sweats or pants....save the twig and 2 berries for your fellow cycling enthusiasts. Ugh, it was annoying! We get it...you ride a bike. Now quit posturing all over the hotel.
5. My friend Dan is a supercool guy. He took us to a kick-ass restraunt that had the best tacos ever and then he gave us a mini-tour of some neighborhoods in Austin. Thanks, Dan!
4. Pickles and pickled jalapeno's are not enough "vegetables" for 4+ days. Especially after you've read #'s 7 and 8 above. I did have a serving of sauteed okra (which is good, apparently sauteeing cooks the snot out. Who knew?) but it didn't help "things." As a sub-top ten addition, I'd like to also add that it's not good to eat meat for every meal. Unless it's bacon.
3. Lonestar Beer is awesome..and really cheap. You can get a 16 oz. Lonestar at concerts in Austin for a mere $3.00! I also like Lonestar Light but it was conspicuously absent from town. Maybe they never restocked from when I was there for SXSW?
2. My friend Pete and his wife and kid are supercool people. Pete and I have known each other for a while via Sundance and SXSW via Film Threat, but we've never had the chance to hang out under normal (read; mostly sober, not rushing to see films and/or fighting off hangovers) circumstances. He welcomed us into his house and even took us to a killer Mexican restraunt. Thanks for the hospitality Pete and fam!
1. Austin is everything Northern California wishes it was. Culturally sound and diverse, friendly, fun, honest, passionate. Yeah, it is in Texas and yeah, that is kind of scary. But I even like Texas. At least the state is honest and proud about itself. Here, all people care about is how things seem. "If I have a Kerry/Edwards" bumpersticker on my car, I must be a liberal. And I must be a liberal because it's the 'cool' thing to be here." Meanwhile these people are driving fucking SUV's and buying houses for $600,000. Meanwhile bills get passed through VOTING to cut art and education and to treat "illegal" minorities unfairly. It all sounds pretty phony to me.
Anyway, I'll quit ranting and just say Austin is a wonderful city and I hope to live there someday soon. Great music, great food, great film events and a great sense of pride. Plus, you can get a house there that you won't be paying for until you're 70. If you get a chance, GO THERE. I'll be back in March.
"Don's Top 10 Things About Austin." Volume I, 10/23/05.
10. Flipping on the radio or walking into a sports bar and hearing Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider. Jack Ingram, Rodney Crowell and Wilco fricking rules. Glad some state has good taste in music.
9. Queso is delicious...but only in Texas. Here, it's too salty.
8. The Ironworks is my favorite restraunt. I ate three meals in a row there at last years SXSW but only one this time...and it was yummy. Brisket and pork rib combo platter. We landed in Houston, drove to Austin, went to Ironworks...one, two, three. Perfect way to start a perfect trip.
7. Whataburger is AWESOME at 3 a.m. when you stumble in for a double chesseburger and fries. However, it's not nearly as good when you're sober.
6. "Bike people" are annoying. Today is the annual Lance Armstrong sponsored "Ride for Roses" bicycle race. All the bike people were staying in the same hotel as us. Now, I'm all for healthy behavior and having a hobby and Lord knows it's for a great cause BUT....do you people really need to wear the bike shorts 24/7?? Case in point:
I mean, come on! Wear some sweats or pants....save the twig and 2 berries for your fellow cycling enthusiasts. Ugh, it was annoying! We get it...you ride a bike. Now quit posturing all over the hotel.
5. My friend Dan is a supercool guy. He took us to a kick-ass restraunt that had the best tacos ever and then he gave us a mini-tour of some neighborhoods in Austin. Thanks, Dan!
4. Pickles and pickled jalapeno's are not enough "vegetables" for 4+ days. Especially after you've read #'s 7 and 8 above. I did have a serving of sauteed okra (which is good, apparently sauteeing cooks the snot out. Who knew?) but it didn't help "things." As a sub-top ten addition, I'd like to also add that it's not good to eat meat for every meal. Unless it's bacon.
3. Lonestar Beer is awesome..and really cheap. You can get a 16 oz. Lonestar at concerts in Austin for a mere $3.00! I also like Lonestar Light but it was conspicuously absent from town. Maybe they never restocked from when I was there for SXSW?
2. My friend Pete and his wife and kid are supercool people. Pete and I have known each other for a while via Sundance and SXSW via Film Threat, but we've never had the chance to hang out under normal (read; mostly sober, not rushing to see films and/or fighting off hangovers) circumstances. He welcomed us into his house and even took us to a killer Mexican restraunt. Thanks for the hospitality Pete and fam!
1. Austin is everything Northern California wishes it was. Culturally sound and diverse, friendly, fun, honest, passionate. Yeah, it is in Texas and yeah, that is kind of scary. But I even like Texas. At least the state is honest and proud about itself. Here, all people care about is how things seem. "If I have a Kerry/Edwards" bumpersticker on my car, I must be a liberal. And I must be a liberal because it's the 'cool' thing to be here." Meanwhile these people are driving fucking SUV's and buying houses for $600,000. Meanwhile bills get passed through VOTING to cut art and education and to treat "illegal" minorities unfairly. It all sounds pretty phony to me.
Anyway, I'll quit ranting and just say Austin is a wonderful city and I hope to live there someday soon. Great music, great food, great film events and a great sense of pride. Plus, you can get a house there that you won't be paying for until you're 70. If you get a chance, GO THERE. I'll be back in March.
Friday, October 14, 2005
The Hall
Yeah, I'm a blog flake. What can I say? I've been busy...and lazy. So here's what I've been up to...
The last weekend in September, my grandpa took me to Cooperstown, NY to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was AWESOME!! My grandpa and I are very close but we haven't been on a trip together in probably, 20 years. I owe pretty much everything to my grandpa. He's always been supportive of me and my ideas. He financially helped me get through college and he's just a really neat guy.
The Cooperstown area is simply gorgeous. I never realized that it was named for the father of author James Fennimore Cooper. When I think "baseball" and "New York," idyllic farm country doesn't come to mind. But that's exactly how the area is. I'd love to come back in the late Fall and see all the orange, red and brown trees. In fact, I could see myself retiring there. It's just so pretty and mellow and there's such rich history...and baseball stuff.
The Hall of Fame was really cool. Did you know there are only TWO teams in all of baseball? Yep, that's right. There's the Yankees and there's the Red Sox. That's it. Well, that's what you would think if you had never heard of baseball and went to the Hall of Fame this past summer. Yeah, I know the Yankees are the #1 team popularity wise in the world and yeah, the Red Sox finally won the World Series. But c'mon. I shouldn't have found the Hank Aaron exhibit by accident. I was literally wandering around and there, in a dark corner was the Hank Aaron stuff. That's just weak.
I was really just bummed there wasn't more Giants stuff, but they haven't won anything in forever and Barry is still a few homers away from the record. Speaking of Barry...
I thought it was cool the HOF was just about baseball. There was none of the drama surrounding players. They had McGwire, Sosa and Canseco stuff without any mention of steroids. They had a Ty Cobb exhibit with no mention of racism and general assholeness. That stuff does matter in personal judgement of a player, but when you'e at a place to celebrate baseball, it's nice to just have it be about baseball.
It was really cool to see so much great baseball stuff. It was also REALLY great to spend time with my grandpa again. If you have an older relative you haven't talked to in a while, give them a call or take them out to lunch. Take advantage of this time you have together while you can. it won't last forever. Plus, they don't eat much and dinner is usually around 4:00.
The last weekend in September, my grandpa took me to Cooperstown, NY to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was AWESOME!! My grandpa and I are very close but we haven't been on a trip together in probably, 20 years. I owe pretty much everything to my grandpa. He's always been supportive of me and my ideas. He financially helped me get through college and he's just a really neat guy.
The Cooperstown area is simply gorgeous. I never realized that it was named for the father of author James Fennimore Cooper. When I think "baseball" and "New York," idyllic farm country doesn't come to mind. But that's exactly how the area is. I'd love to come back in the late Fall and see all the orange, red and brown trees. In fact, I could see myself retiring there. It's just so pretty and mellow and there's such rich history...and baseball stuff.
The Hall of Fame was really cool. Did you know there are only TWO teams in all of baseball? Yep, that's right. There's the Yankees and there's the Red Sox. That's it. Well, that's what you would think if you had never heard of baseball and went to the Hall of Fame this past summer. Yeah, I know the Yankees are the #1 team popularity wise in the world and yeah, the Red Sox finally won the World Series. But c'mon. I shouldn't have found the Hank Aaron exhibit by accident. I was literally wandering around and there, in a dark corner was the Hank Aaron stuff. That's just weak.
I was really just bummed there wasn't more Giants stuff, but they haven't won anything in forever and Barry is still a few homers away from the record. Speaking of Barry...
I thought it was cool the HOF was just about baseball. There was none of the drama surrounding players. They had McGwire, Sosa and Canseco stuff without any mention of steroids. They had a Ty Cobb exhibit with no mention of racism and general assholeness. That stuff does matter in personal judgement of a player, but when you'e at a place to celebrate baseball, it's nice to just have it be about baseball.
It was really cool to see so much great baseball stuff. It was also REALLY great to spend time with my grandpa again. If you have an older relative you haven't talked to in a while, give them a call or take them out to lunch. Take advantage of this time you have together while you can. it won't last forever. Plus, they don't eat much and dinner is usually around 4:00.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Well it's better than being pissed ON....
Lets get personal, shall we? Something has been bugging me lately and I really want to see if my brothers out there feel the same way I do about peeing. First note.
I hate when the people on the cover of magazines stare at me when I take a leak. Case in point. That photo of Matt Damon pointing sat atop our loo for about a week and a half. Every damn time I had to take a whizz, I had to contend with Will Hunting staring me down like a dad during potty-training. I was relieved when the new issue of PASTE arrived in the mail. This is a great magazine by the way. lots of good info on new bands and some great features about musicians. If you subscribe you get a free DVD and CD every issue! Pretty cool. Their film section is getting good too...but I digress.
The new issue of PASTE has those droll emo dudes Death Cab for Cutie on the cover. Now I have to contend with this:
every time I go pee. I feel like Tom Cruise during the orgy scene in "Eyes Wide Shut." Fidellio indeed.
Also...
Why do people put low hanging mirrors behind their toilets? I can't freeking stand that! You go in to take a leak and you have to like...stare at yourself while you do it. If and when we ever buy a house, I will not have a mirror behind the toilet. It serves NO purpose either. Why do people have that sort of thing in their bathrooms?? What possible reason could there be to have a mirror located there? Lame.
I hate when the people on the cover of magazines stare at me when I take a leak. Case in point. That photo of Matt Damon pointing sat atop our loo for about a week and a half. Every damn time I had to take a whizz, I had to contend with Will Hunting staring me down like a dad during potty-training. I was relieved when the new issue of PASTE arrived in the mail. This is a great magazine by the way. lots of good info on new bands and some great features about musicians. If you subscribe you get a free DVD and CD every issue! Pretty cool. Their film section is getting good too...but I digress.
The new issue of PASTE has those droll emo dudes Death Cab for Cutie on the cover. Now I have to contend with this:
every time I go pee. I feel like Tom Cruise during the orgy scene in "Eyes Wide Shut." Fidellio indeed.
Also...
Why do people put low hanging mirrors behind their toilets? I can't freeking stand that! You go in to take a leak and you have to like...stare at yourself while you do it. If and when we ever buy a house, I will not have a mirror behind the toilet. It serves NO purpose either. Why do people have that sort of thing in their bathrooms?? What possible reason could there be to have a mirror located there? Lame.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Take me out to the balllllgaaaame....
For my birthday last year, my wife got me 20 Giants games. It was such a sweet thing to do!! See, when the G-men moved into their new digs, I took out a student loan and bought season tickets. I got RIGHT behind homeplate but WAY up there.
However...they are GREAT seats. You can see the entire field, the scoreboard as well as McCovey Cove and the Bay Bridge. My mom has tickets that are like, 12 rows behind first base and mine are way better. They kinda look like this shot...
When we moved to L.A. I was splitting my seats with a friend. She got the rest of them since I moved. As my luck would have it, that was the year the Giants went to the World Series and I was in L.A. with 1 million front running ANGELS fans and unable to see any games in SF.
It was extremely painful. I wanted to be there so bad....my grandpa and I went to zillions of games as a kid and I couldn't be there to share this with him. It sucked. Lucily the L.A. games were sold out and I missed game 6. Just thinking about it...ugh.
Anyway....for my bday, I got to pick any 20 games from my original seats. Being the smart Giants fan I am, I chose only a few from before the All-Star break but I backloaded my picks because I thought Barry would be back. Yet now....it doesn't look like he's coming back this year at all. He said today maybe in September...but that won't give him enough time to get into 2nd place in home runs with 714. He only needs 10.
So now I have like 11 games for a SHITTY baseball team. There's really no one I like on the team...AT ALL. I don't even like Barry that much but how often in your life can you see a guy hit his 715th homer and move into 2nd place ALL TIME.
The worst part is, the Giants are like 14 games below .500 and only 7 games out of first! They can win this thing and we kind of promised the woman who sold us tickets we'd buy into playoff seats. Ugh...NOT interested. I can barely muster the interest make it to a regular game let alone a high pressure embarrassment for my boys in Orange.
It's quite a conundrum and I feel bad going away when the going gets tough. Bt it ain't cheap to go to a game and getting there is flat out boring. Next year though...it's ON!
However...they are GREAT seats. You can see the entire field, the scoreboard as well as McCovey Cove and the Bay Bridge. My mom has tickets that are like, 12 rows behind first base and mine are way better. They kinda look like this shot...
When we moved to L.A. I was splitting my seats with a friend. She got the rest of them since I moved. As my luck would have it, that was the year the Giants went to the World Series and I was in L.A. with 1 million front running ANGELS fans and unable to see any games in SF.
It was extremely painful. I wanted to be there so bad....my grandpa and I went to zillions of games as a kid and I couldn't be there to share this with him. It sucked. Lucily the L.A. games were sold out and I missed game 6. Just thinking about it...ugh.
Anyway....for my bday, I got to pick any 20 games from my original seats. Being the smart Giants fan I am, I chose only a few from before the All-Star break but I backloaded my picks because I thought Barry would be back. Yet now....it doesn't look like he's coming back this year at all. He said today maybe in September...but that won't give him enough time to get into 2nd place in home runs with 714. He only needs 10.
So now I have like 11 games for a SHITTY baseball team. There's really no one I like on the team...AT ALL. I don't even like Barry that much but how often in your life can you see a guy hit his 715th homer and move into 2nd place ALL TIME.
The worst part is, the Giants are like 14 games below .500 and only 7 games out of first! They can win this thing and we kind of promised the woman who sold us tickets we'd buy into playoff seats. Ugh...NOT interested. I can barely muster the interest make it to a regular game let alone a high pressure embarrassment for my boys in Orange.
It's quite a conundrum and I feel bad going away when the going gets tough. Bt it ain't cheap to go to a game and getting there is flat out boring. Next year though...it's ON!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Who you gonna believe...?
So now that the dust has settled on the cancellation, we got the alt.country Rashoman happenning. First, I read this:
We're a big fan of the drinking game that accompanies the announcement of a musical tour cancellation -- you know, the one that forces players to down shots every time the words "exhaustion" or "dehydration" comes up.
While neither of those bon mots came up in the declaration that Ryan Adams was opting out of the last few dates of his West coast tour -- the rather limp "illness" excuse was proffered instead-- it seems as if Mr. Adams was quite "dehydrated" the day before bailing on the trek.
In addition to his usual onstage threats of violence against audience members -- some for being too loud, some for shushing the noisemakers --the sunshine boy also turned on his bandmates, firing guitarist J.P. Bowersock and treating the others to tirades along the lines of "How many scotches does it take? What the fuck? I think I was the only one playing in the right key there, but I don't know. I mean, I only wrote the fucking song and everything, so I should know what fucking key it's in."
As performance art goes, we'd rate that outburst a
C-plus -- good enough to pass muster on the Bowery, but a few cuts short of meriting inclusion in that Aristocrats sequel . . .
O.K.,,, now that was the story as I had heard it from Jason and from various sources online that were at the show. Plus, it fits the R.A. M.O. as it were.
So I then decide to go to his site and see what Ryan has to say. Read it for yourselves. I guess there's some Indonesian junk that's going 'round.
Why can't anybody just be honest anymore? Rafael Palmeiro, Karl Rove, Bill Clinton and now Ryan Adams. Is there no accountability for anyones actions anymore???
One good thing is that now I can attend the Bob Schneider and Shelby Lynne concert at Bimbos Sunday.
I do love that lil Shelby Lynne...
We're a big fan of the drinking game that accompanies the announcement of a musical tour cancellation -- you know, the one that forces players to down shots every time the words "exhaustion" or "dehydration" comes up.
While neither of those bon mots came up in the declaration that Ryan Adams was opting out of the last few dates of his West coast tour -- the rather limp "illness" excuse was proffered instead-- it seems as if Mr. Adams was quite "dehydrated" the day before bailing on the trek.
In addition to his usual onstage threats of violence against audience members -- some for being too loud, some for shushing the noisemakers --the sunshine boy also turned on his bandmates, firing guitarist J.P. Bowersock and treating the others to tirades along the lines of "How many scotches does it take? What the fuck? I think I was the only one playing in the right key there, but I don't know. I mean, I only wrote the fucking song and everything, so I should know what fucking key it's in."
As performance art goes, we'd rate that outburst a
C-plus -- good enough to pass muster on the Bowery, but a few cuts short of meriting inclusion in that Aristocrats sequel . . .
O.K.,,, now that was the story as I had heard it from Jason and from various sources online that were at the show. Plus, it fits the R.A. M.O. as it were.
So I then decide to go to his site and see what Ryan has to say. Read it for yourselves. I guess there's some Indonesian junk that's going 'round.
Why can't anybody just be honest anymore? Rafael Palmeiro, Karl Rove, Bill Clinton and now Ryan Adams. Is there no accountability for anyones actions anymore???
One good thing is that now I can attend the Bob Schneider and Shelby Lynne concert at Bimbos Sunday.
I do love that lil Shelby Lynne...
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
I blame myself, really...
So after raving about how Ryan Adams is just my kind of nutty musician, the guy has an Axl Rose sized meltdown and CANCELS his West coast tour!
I found an odd journal entry (with GREAT photos) here: http://www.livejournal.com/community/ryan_adams/354467.html . I say odd because this girl acts like she just saw a GREAT show when clearly, it was pretty shitty. I don't think it's sarcasm either. Some people (namely girls) will get snowed by any skinny musician on-stage.
Apparently he proceeded to get wasted and then berate his bass player who then walked off. Today it was announced that "due to illness," the rest of the tour is cancelled. Yeah...the bass player got sick of enabling a drunk fuck and quit.
He also berated the audience, but I don't really blame him for that. See, Ryan Adams is like that really weird kid you couldn't help but tease in grade school. When I was a kid, we teased this freak named Carl. He'd be all calm while we harrassed him, but you could sense the temperature rising. Finally he's just start chasing you and as you pulled away, he'd hop on one foot pull off a shoe and huck it at you! It was awesome! That's like going to see Ryan Adams.
The guy will spazz out over anything. I once saw him grab his mic stand and turn it around with his back to the audience because they wouldn't shut up when he was playing an acoustic song. Folk singer Robbie Fulks fanned the flames when he said he's pay people CASH to yell out "Summer of 69" at RYAN Adams (not Bryan Adams) shows.
I dunno....I'm annoyed now but I feel worse for my friend Jason who got me the tix. He's way more stoked on the new album than me, and he got us SECOND ROW! I guess when you mess with a drunk, you get the barf...or something.
I found an odd journal entry (with GREAT photos) here: http://www.livejournal.com/community/ryan_adams/354467.html . I say odd because this girl acts like she just saw a GREAT show when clearly, it was pretty shitty. I don't think it's sarcasm either. Some people (namely girls) will get snowed by any skinny musician on-stage.
Apparently he proceeded to get wasted and then berate his bass player who then walked off. Today it was announced that "due to illness," the rest of the tour is cancelled. Yeah...the bass player got sick of enabling a drunk fuck and quit.
He also berated the audience, but I don't really blame him for that. See, Ryan Adams is like that really weird kid you couldn't help but tease in grade school. When I was a kid, we teased this freak named Carl. He'd be all calm while we harrassed him, but you could sense the temperature rising. Finally he's just start chasing you and as you pulled away, he'd hop on one foot pull off a shoe and huck it at you! It was awesome! That's like going to see Ryan Adams.
The guy will spazz out over anything. I once saw him grab his mic stand and turn it around with his back to the audience because they wouldn't shut up when he was playing an acoustic song. Folk singer Robbie Fulks fanned the flames when he said he's pay people CASH to yell out "Summer of 69" at RYAN Adams (not Bryan Adams) shows.
I dunno....I'm annoyed now but I feel worse for my friend Jason who got me the tix. He's way more stoked on the new album than me, and he got us SECOND ROW! I guess when you mess with a drunk, you get the barf...or something.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Here's something the other tour guides won't tell you...
I have a thing with 7-11. I love that place! I eat their food whether I'm drunk or sober...well, except the nachos which I once made the mistake of eating while sober.
Never again!
Their sandwiches are surprisingly good as well.
I usually peruse the aisles just to keep up to date on what's new in snacking and it's a good thing I did.
About a month ago I was coming home from work and I stopped at 7-11
like I usually do for a Big Gulp. It was HOT so I was craving ice cream as well. As I looked in the ice cream case I saw an odd shaped cup. I took it out and looked at it and...damn, someone is a GENIUS.
The cup is filled with ice cream and what you do is, tear off the paper cover and slip the ice cream cup on top of your Big Gulp cup. Then you tear off the other paper lid and press out the ice cream into your cup. THEN...you fill the Big Gulp with whatever soda you choose.
I'm a big fan of
Barq's rootbeer though and for some reason, the 7-11's here have downgraded to IBC rootbeer. So I've been hitting the Coke floats pretty heavy.
If you find yourself in 7-11 be sure to check out the "Soda Float." It's well worth it.
Never again!
Their sandwiches are surprisingly good as well.
I usually peruse the aisles just to keep up to date on what's new in snacking and it's a good thing I did.
About a month ago I was coming home from work and I stopped at 7-11
like I usually do for a Big Gulp. It was HOT so I was craving ice cream as well. As I looked in the ice cream case I saw an odd shaped cup. I took it out and looked at it and...damn, someone is a GENIUS.
The cup is filled with ice cream and what you do is, tear off the paper cover and slip the ice cream cup on top of your Big Gulp cup. Then you tear off the other paper lid and press out the ice cream into your cup. THEN...you fill the Big Gulp with whatever soda you choose.
I'm a big fan of
Barq's rootbeer though and for some reason, the 7-11's here have downgraded to IBC rootbeer. So I've been hitting the Coke floats pretty heavy.
If you find yourself in 7-11 be sure to check out the "Soda Float." It's well worth it.Friday, August 05, 2005
If you believe there's nothing to see...nothing to do...
You're probably right. Sweet Jesus my life has been dull. Even getting drunk is boring these days. There hasn't been much in the way of shows or movies or ANYTHING so my life is on cruise control. It sucks that I need those things to make my life more interesting...but that's the truth.
Granted, during the summer I actually have to work close to 8 hours a day so that makes me sleepy. During the school year, life's much easier. Work is fun though....although it's NOT what I want to be doing. Anyway...moving on...
Lets see....some CD's I've been really digging are:
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals "Stone Roses." Now, Ryan takes alot of shit but I think music needs more people like him. All the loose cannons in music are dead, boring or shushed as lunatics. Sure, he's a spoiled baby alot of times but he's also prolific as hell. He's already got ANOTHER album coming out in September and this album is a double disc! My buddy Jason just hooked me up with 2nd row tix to see him in Oakland at the Paramount so that's totally cool. Although I think Ry is in a Grateful Dead phase right now. he even has a beard! Ack. Remind me to tell you my Ryan Adams in Penngrove story. Good times.
Another cool album is Rilo Kiley's "More Adventurous." To be honest, I'm not sure what I love about this album...it's pretty freeking strange. Yet it's strange in an accessible way. I love the singer Jenny Lewis (no relation....yet) and her kind of harsh/honest lyrics. Her voice makes me feel happy too. I also love the way the band is so ecclectic. Good stuff...lame reason for liking them. Sorry, best I can do.
As usual my CD player is chock full of Wilco and the Replacements...but I've been listening to probably my #3 favorite band of ALL TIME Slobberbone alot lately. They recently "broke up" but have essentially reformed with a new bass player and apparently a keyboard player and named themselves "The Drams." I thought that was a lame name but apparently a "dram" is that measuring device used by bartenders to make drinks. That's my boys! I actually got to see The Bone's 3rd to last show at SXSW last year and it was O.K. Coulda been better. Me and Pete were there and once the 25 Lone Star Lights (each) wore off, we felt kind of duped by the whole thing. Plus, I crapped my shirt. A story for another day.....
Granted, during the summer I actually have to work close to 8 hours a day so that makes me sleepy. During the school year, life's much easier. Work is fun though....although it's NOT what I want to be doing. Anyway...moving on...
Lets see....some CD's I've been really digging are:
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals "Stone Roses." Now, Ryan takes alot of shit but I think music needs more people like him. All the loose cannons in music are dead, boring or shushed as lunatics. Sure, he's a spoiled baby alot of times but he's also prolific as hell. He's already got ANOTHER album coming out in September and this album is a double disc! My buddy Jason just hooked me up with 2nd row tix to see him in Oakland at the Paramount so that's totally cool. Although I think Ry is in a Grateful Dead phase right now. he even has a beard! Ack. Remind me to tell you my Ryan Adams in Penngrove story. Good times.
Another cool album is Rilo Kiley's "More Adventurous." To be honest, I'm not sure what I love about this album...it's pretty freeking strange. Yet it's strange in an accessible way. I love the singer Jenny Lewis (no relation....yet) and her kind of harsh/honest lyrics. Her voice makes me feel happy too. I also love the way the band is so ecclectic. Good stuff...lame reason for liking them. Sorry, best I can do.
As usual my CD player is chock full of Wilco and the Replacements...but I've been listening to probably my #3 favorite band of ALL TIME Slobberbone alot lately. They recently "broke up" but have essentially reformed with a new bass player and apparently a keyboard player and named themselves "The Drams." I thought that was a lame name but apparently a "dram" is that measuring device used by bartenders to make drinks. That's my boys! I actually got to see The Bone's 3rd to last show at SXSW last year and it was O.K. Coulda been better. Me and Pete were there and once the 25 Lone Star Lights (each) wore off, we felt kind of duped by the whole thing. Plus, I crapped my shirt. A story for another day.....
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Joe Ely
The other night I went and saw Joe Ely at The Mystic here in Petaluma. One perk of moving back here is the fact I can walk down there from our house. It's literally 2 blocks away which is pretty sweet.
Also sweet was the fact I got in for free. I have no idea how...I just walked up to the door, $20 in hand and the guy apparently knew me and let me in. Makes me glad I'm not an angry drunk as the last few times I've been there, I've been hammered. I also know the bartender there. Another small town perk I guess.
Anyway..the show was super cool. It was a Wednesday night and I was probably the youngest person there, not counting the little kids that were dragged down there by their parents. The place was half full and everyone was sitting at tables and chairs about 20 yards from the stage. Kind of weird for such a legendary troubador, but it was midweek.
If you've never heard of him, Joe Ely is easily one of the best songsmiths around. I wish I could say, "you know that song ______, well he wrote that" but he really doesn't have any "hits." His fans include The Clash and Bruce Springsteen who sings on his album "Letter to Laredo" which, if he sounds interesting to you at all, is a great album to get.
The show was just Joe and Joel Guzman on accordian. Guzman apparently won a grammy for best tejano album. Ely didn't really seem to have a setlist and just kind of meandered around, playing whatever he felt like. But every one of his songs is like a story. He also told some great stories in between.
Then, about 3/4 of the way through the show, he played a slow song and out of nowhere, this older couple just got up and started slow dancing. It was so....cool. These 2 just didn't give a shit that 200 people were sitting there. And fortunately, they were good dancers.
After that, everyone started getting closer and closer to the stage and by the end of the 2 hour set, everyone that had been quietly sitting was gathered around the stage. It was really neat...one of those special kind of nights. I'm so glad I went.
Also sweet was the fact I got in for free. I have no idea how...I just walked up to the door, $20 in hand and the guy apparently knew me and let me in. Makes me glad I'm not an angry drunk as the last few times I've been there, I've been hammered. I also know the bartender there. Another small town perk I guess.
Anyway..the show was super cool. It was a Wednesday night and I was probably the youngest person there, not counting the little kids that were dragged down there by their parents. The place was half full and everyone was sitting at tables and chairs about 20 yards from the stage. Kind of weird for such a legendary troubador, but it was midweek.
If you've never heard of him, Joe Ely is easily one of the best songsmiths around. I wish I could say, "you know that song ______, well he wrote that" but he really doesn't have any "hits." His fans include The Clash and Bruce Springsteen who sings on his album "Letter to Laredo" which, if he sounds interesting to you at all, is a great album to get.
The show was just Joe and Joel Guzman on accordian. Guzman apparently won a grammy for best tejano album. Ely didn't really seem to have a setlist and just kind of meandered around, playing whatever he felt like. But every one of his songs is like a story. He also told some great stories in between.
Then, about 3/4 of the way through the show, he played a slow song and out of nowhere, this older couple just got up and started slow dancing. It was so....cool. These 2 just didn't give a shit that 200 people were sitting there. And fortunately, they were good dancers.
After that, everyone started getting closer and closer to the stage and by the end of the 2 hour set, everyone that had been quietly sitting was gathered around the stage. It was really neat...one of those special kind of nights. I'm so glad I went.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Pants...meet Pee. Pee...meet Pants.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
I fought the law and the law is STUPID!
Last night I went down to my favorite local brew pub to watch the Giants game and have some beers. We took the kids at my work to the County fair ALL day yesterday so my feet were hurting. I decided to ride my bike which I rarely do. Dempseys is maybe 3 blocks away so I usually walk.
I go down and hang out for a while and probably drink 5-7 beers. I head out around 11:00 and remember thinking to myself, "if I was really hammered, I couldn't be riding this bike so I must be O.K." I'm about a block from my house when I see some cop pull up behind me and turn on his lights.
Baffled, I "pull over" and look back. This cop steps out and goes, "sir, can't you please get off the bike and show me some ID." Are you fucking kidding me?? I know I wasn't driving erratically so I was thouroughly confused. John Q. Law comes up and takes my ID and says "have you been drinking?" I felt like saying, "Well, duh. why the hell else would I be on a bike at 11:00 at night?" But instead I told him yes in a very sheepish way.
So I stand on the corner for a good 10 minutes with this cop running my ID...his lights going, police scanner blaring and start to actually get really worried. I got a DUI when I was 22 and I NEVER drink and drive. EVER. How ironic would it be if I got another fricking DUI on a BIKE?? It was taking him forever to run my info and the longer it took, the more I started sweating it.
Eventually the cop came back and told me he was citing me for not having a light. He said there have been alot of people getting hit by cars so they're out citing bicyclists who don't have lights and whatnot. I was relieved to say the least. He even seemed a little embarrassed and thanked me for being so polite. I still can't believe I didn't mouth off but the thought of going to jail for being drunk on a bike didn't appeal to me at all.
It's nice to know that at 11:00 on a Friday, 4th of July weekend even, that our local police are running a bike sting 2 blocks from where there are 6 bars and nightclubs in a row. Brilliant work fellas.
I go down and hang out for a while and probably drink 5-7 beers. I head out around 11:00 and remember thinking to myself, "if I was really hammered, I couldn't be riding this bike so I must be O.K." I'm about a block from my house when I see some cop pull up behind me and turn on his lights.
Baffled, I "pull over" and look back. This cop steps out and goes, "sir, can't you please get off the bike and show me some ID." Are you fucking kidding me?? I know I wasn't driving erratically so I was thouroughly confused. John Q. Law comes up and takes my ID and says "have you been drinking?" I felt like saying, "Well, duh. why the hell else would I be on a bike at 11:00 at night?" But instead I told him yes in a very sheepish way.
So I stand on the corner for a good 10 minutes with this cop running my ID...his lights going, police scanner blaring and start to actually get really worried. I got a DUI when I was 22 and I NEVER drink and drive. EVER. How ironic would it be if I got another fricking DUI on a BIKE?? It was taking him forever to run my info and the longer it took, the more I started sweating it.
Eventually the cop came back and told me he was citing me for not having a light. He said there have been alot of people getting hit by cars so they're out citing bicyclists who don't have lights and whatnot. I was relieved to say the least. He even seemed a little embarrassed and thanked me for being so polite. I still can't believe I didn't mouth off but the thought of going to jail for being drunk on a bike didn't appeal to me at all.
It's nice to know that at 11:00 on a Friday, 4th of July weekend even, that our local police are running a bike sting 2 blocks from where there are 6 bars and nightclubs in a row. Brilliant work fellas.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
There goes the last DJ...
My friend and my favorite radio DJ Doug Smith died last Saturday night in a motorcycle accident. I still cannot believe it. When I got in my car to go to work Monday morning, I fully expected to hear his show on The Krush. What I got instead was this horrible news. I know it might seem silly to still be upset at the loss of "a voice on the radio" almost 5 days later, but you'd have to have heard Doug's shows to appreciate the man.
He had killer taste in music and brought a ton of new and interesting people onto his morning show. Wine experts, science experts, food experts..all local. He even had segments on film, books, plays and live music. His show was more than entertainment...it was enlightenment.
I got to know Doug over the years and the guy was as genuine in person as he was on-air. I'd see him at shows and we bumped into each other on the ferry to the Giants games all the time. We'd grab some beers and talk about the Giants or music until we docked and then off we'd go.
Lately I've kind of resisted the fact that I'm a part of this community, but the loss of Doug has made me feel closer to this area- and moreso the "scene" here- than ever before. I'm going to try to live my life a little bit more like Doug and appreciate what I've got around here. Yet...not having him and his show make it hard to know what direction to go next to find out where all the cool stuff is. I hope he's doing well someplace else but I know the people of this community miss him dearly.Check This page out and see what I mean.
He had killer taste in music and brought a ton of new and interesting people onto his morning show. Wine experts, science experts, food experts..all local. He even had segments on film, books, plays and live music. His show was more than entertainment...it was enlightenment.
I got to know Doug over the years and the guy was as genuine in person as he was on-air. I'd see him at shows and we bumped into each other on the ferry to the Giants games all the time. We'd grab some beers and talk about the Giants or music until we docked and then off we'd go.
Lately I've kind of resisted the fact that I'm a part of this community, but the loss of Doug has made me feel closer to this area- and moreso the "scene" here- than ever before. I'm going to try to live my life a little bit more like Doug and appreciate what I've got around here. Yet...not having him and his show make it hard to know what direction to go next to find out where all the cool stuff is. I hope he's doing well someplace else but I know the people of this community miss him dearly.Check This page out and see what I mean.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
...slap it up, flip it, rub it down...OH NOOooo
Last Christmas my in-laws got us an overnight stay at a spa in Calistoga. It included a room (duh), a mud bath, a blanket wrap and a 1 hour massage. I've never had a "real" massage so the idea was both appealing and scary as hell. See, I work with youngins in Calistoga and I have just the kind of luck that says I'll get one of the kids' parents as my masseuse. Or worse...as my masseur. "So, Billy tells me you don't let him play with Legoes any more {crack!} why is that..."
We checked in and went to our room which had a HUGE hot tub in the room. That was a nice start. Being six-foot four and 250 pounds, my usual routine of sitting in the tub with a 6pack of Coors Light tall boys isn't usually very satisfying. A big ole hot tub seemed pretty sweet so I already felt the trip was a success. After checking for the bible (none) and seeing what kind of coffee was available (crappy), we headed down for our mud bath.
Calistoga has a geyser and a natural hot springs. All the water in the place is powered by said hot springs. Pretty neat. However, such natural amenities are usually powered by sulfur which smells like a cow-shit/rotten egg milkshake. So as we stripped down and went into our private mud room, I saw what looked like a giant "L" shaped tub of shit with the accompanying smell. What the hell, you only live once so into the drink I went.
It was actually kind of neat and very hot. I closed my eyes and it felt like I was one with the mud. Very relaxing in a weird, everything-your-mom-said-not-to-ever-do kind of way. My wife however, couldn't quit squirming around and that was annoying. It's bad enough sitting in a tub of hot mud but when the person at your feet is like a 4 year old at a movie, it's a drag.
After we rinsed off, we got wrapped up in cozy blankets and they locked us in a dark room. It felt like preschool nap time and I conked out immediately. Although the back of my mind was plagued with who my massager would be. I decided it's not right to kill the massager (ohhh SNAP!) so I let it go. Soon our guide came in and said it was massage time.
As we waited in the hallway, a tall nurse looking gal and a short, portly, could be Ron Jeremy's brother guy in a pony tail approached. I looked at my wife and smiled. "Heh heh...your masseur looks freaky. Have fun!" But sure enough, per my usual luck, I get a chubby hand in mine and a nasally plugged voice says, "I'm Son-Bear, I'll be your masseur today." Perfect. We had asked for a female masseuse for me but...whatever.
The massage was O.K. I was pretty knotty (not naughty, dick) but as an eternally smart-assed guy, the sound of lotion being squeezed into a hand is cause for an automatic Beavis & Butthead type moment. I stifled my laugh and eventually realized *I'M* not rubbing on *HIM*, it's the other way around and I'm fairly certain that sucks more for him than for me. When it was all over I felt so-so and went to take a nap.
When I woke up my neck and shoulders were pinched to no end and they still are today...a day and a half later. Isn't that exactly what's NOT supposed to happen? I even sat in the hot tub watching Bruce Springsteen: Live in New York which was on PBS. That's a LONG show and my neck still hurts. Ugh, annoying. I can't say I'd never get another massage, but it wasn't everything I had hoped for. At least there was no happy ending from Ron-Bear.
We checked in and went to our room which had a HUGE hot tub in the room. That was a nice start. Being six-foot four and 250 pounds, my usual routine of sitting in the tub with a 6pack of Coors Light tall boys isn't usually very satisfying. A big ole hot tub seemed pretty sweet so I already felt the trip was a success. After checking for the bible (none) and seeing what kind of coffee was available (crappy), we headed down for our mud bath.
Calistoga has a geyser and a natural hot springs. All the water in the place is powered by said hot springs. Pretty neat. However, such natural amenities are usually powered by sulfur which smells like a cow-shit/rotten egg milkshake. So as we stripped down and went into our private mud room, I saw what looked like a giant "L" shaped tub of shit with the accompanying smell. What the hell, you only live once so into the drink I went.
It was actually kind of neat and very hot. I closed my eyes and it felt like I was one with the mud. Very relaxing in a weird, everything-your-mom-said-not-to-ever-do kind of way. My wife however, couldn't quit squirming around and that was annoying. It's bad enough sitting in a tub of hot mud but when the person at your feet is like a 4 year old at a movie, it's a drag.
After we rinsed off, we got wrapped up in cozy blankets and they locked us in a dark room. It felt like preschool nap time and I conked out immediately. Although the back of my mind was plagued with who my massager would be. I decided it's not right to kill the massager (ohhh SNAP!) so I let it go. Soon our guide came in and said it was massage time.
As we waited in the hallway, a tall nurse looking gal and a short, portly, could be Ron Jeremy's brother guy in a pony tail approached. I looked at my wife and smiled. "Heh heh...your masseur looks freaky. Have fun!" But sure enough, per my usual luck, I get a chubby hand in mine and a nasally plugged voice says, "I'm Son-Bear, I'll be your masseur today." Perfect. We had asked for a female masseuse for me but...whatever.
The massage was O.K. I was pretty knotty (not naughty, dick) but as an eternally smart-assed guy, the sound of lotion being squeezed into a hand is cause for an automatic Beavis & Butthead type moment. I stifled my laugh and eventually realized *I'M* not rubbing on *HIM*, it's the other way around and I'm fairly certain that sucks more for him than for me. When it was all over I felt so-so and went to take a nap.
When I woke up my neck and shoulders were pinched to no end and they still are today...a day and a half later. Isn't that exactly what's NOT supposed to happen? I even sat in the hot tub watching Bruce Springsteen: Live in New York which was on PBS. That's a LONG show and my neck still hurts. Ugh, annoying. I can't say I'd never get another massage, but it wasn't everything I had hoped for. At least there was no happy ending from Ron-Bear.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Everybody's workin' for the weekend
So how was your weekend? Mine ended up being pretty damn good! It didn't start out looking that way...
I manage a band called five a.m. which is pretty miraculous considering I can barely manage getting through a day. The other miracle is...they're really, really good and they allow me to drink all their beer while onstage. The guys just finished their new album entitled "This Morphine Life" and it's fricking awesome. Go buy it...NOW! Anyway...
I book the gigs and I booked them to play this great venue called The Mystic last night, June 11. No sooner did I do that than I see the greatest band ever just announced a gig in Berkeley at the Greek. DAMN IT! That hurts. But I believe in my boys so was able to get over it...for the most part.
A few days after that I get an email from my heterosexual lifemate Pete that says he and the Film Threat crew are going to VEGAS for this really great film festival. I call Gore and he says I can totally go! Sweet! What days are the guys going? You guessed it...June 10-12. SHIT!
I made my bed and had to lie in it but I'll tell ya what. Five a.m. kicked so much ass last night, it made it all worth it. I've "managed" these guys for almost 10 years and there's been some highlights and some lowlights. but last night was one of the best life experiences I've ever had and I'm glad I could be there. Plus, Vegas is really hot and I've seen Wilco about 12 times. So...there.
I manage a band called five a.m. which is pretty miraculous considering I can barely manage getting through a day. The other miracle is...they're really, really good and they allow me to drink all their beer while onstage. The guys just finished their new album entitled "This Morphine Life" and it's fricking awesome. Go buy it...NOW! Anyway...
I book the gigs and I booked them to play this great venue called The Mystic last night, June 11. No sooner did I do that than I see the greatest band ever just announced a gig in Berkeley at the Greek. DAMN IT! That hurts. But I believe in my boys so was able to get over it...for the most part.
A few days after that I get an email from my heterosexual lifemate Pete that says he and the Film Threat crew are going to VEGAS for this really great film festival. I call Gore and he says I can totally go! Sweet! What days are the guys going? You guessed it...June 10-12. SHIT!
I made my bed and had to lie in it but I'll tell ya what. Five a.m. kicked so much ass last night, it made it all worth it. I've "managed" these guys for almost 10 years and there's been some highlights and some lowlights. but last night was one of the best life experiences I've ever had and I'm glad I could be there. Plus, Vegas is really hot and I've seen Wilco about 12 times. So...there.
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