At this moment...
08.31.07:
While most people would like a time machine for practical reasons (for examples see Back to the Future or Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) and assuming that time travel exists (of course all of this is hypothetical since we know that time travel will never be possible except in film), I’d like one so that I could go back to a time before postmodernist thought. The only foreseeable problem being that I would still have postmodernist concepts entrenched in my thoughts. Therefore, I suppose I would also require some sort drug that could dislodge any and all postmodern notions from my brain. Better yet, I could be a hired assassin and my goal would be to go back in time and assassinate all the preeminent post modern thinkers. This is probably not the most appropriate use of a time machine, or the best use of my time. And I’m how old? I am aware that this proposal is ridiculous.
I was thinking about subjectivity and the inherent dilemma with subjectivity. Well, at least I think of it as a dilemma. I’m sure I could be more concise if I so desired, but I don’t want to put forth that much effort as I’m feeling lazy, but not so lazy to think.
Where is a working jet pack when one is is needed? Once again, how old am I?
Why we need to get out of Iraq immediately.
And so goodbye to August.
08.30.07:
It seems to get lost in the details.
Is tomorrow really the end August?
Song(s):
Crackerjack Docker - Prinzhorn Dance School
Been So Long - Vetiver
Whatever You Want - Club 8
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Linda & Richard Thompson
08.29.07:
Besides avoiding the late afternoon/early evening summer heat, the other bonus to running in the morning is being outside when the sun begins to wake as well. While the sunrises aren't as majestic or beautiful as they are in Hawaii or off the coast of Maine, they still have a beauty to them. Things are less hurried at 5:30 a.m., the time when my feet usually start pounding the pavement. All last week I ran after work, and even the locusts seemed to be in a frenzied mood at 6 in the evening. I imagine they're having sex. It's quiet in the morning. Over the past several weeks I've given up on strapping my iPod nano to my arm. Amazingly, I haven't missed the music, or the hassle of dealing with the headphones slipping out of my ears. Without music I can focus more on other things, like pace, breathing, and my random thoughts. My heartbeat is my metronome. Another thing about running in the morning is how other runners say good morning or hello. Evening runners tend to be less inclined to say hello, or at least that was my experience last week.
Yesterday, for no reason whatsoever, I bought a box of chocolate covered frozen bananas. Maybe it was nostalgia that got to me. When I was younger we, my older brother and I, used to make chocolate covered frozen bananas with my grandparents at their house in Des Plaines. I miss those days. The other night I read some poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends to my nephew. My grandmother used to read me poems from that book as well when her and my grandfather would watch us when we were younger.
Driving home from work tonight I thought I saw a white bulldog with two heads. Sadly it was two dogs that looked like one. My eyes often play tricks on me.
Tonight the clouds have moved in and the moon has disappeared.
08.28.07:
If I could only get one step closer...
Song:
Did You See the Moon Tonight? - A Girl Called Eddy
08.27.07:
Things seem back to normal. Power is back, as is my internet connection, but cable seems to be acting up. Then again, maybe they caught on that I wasn't paying for full cable, just the local channels for reception. And my iMac, which was acting up, seems to be working again.
While in Wisconsin I hunted bugs with my macro lens (and watched my nephews). I'm kicking myself for forgetting my flash in AH, but still, for not using a tripod these are pretty okay.
I suppose the above could be focused better.
The above small version doesn't do the full version justice. The little light green insects look like aliens.
Listening to:
Bandwagonesque - Teenage Fanclub (Bandwagonesque came out just before Nirvana's Nevermind, or maybe slightly after Nevermind. Either way, Bandwagonesque destroys Nevermind.)
08.25.07:
Growing tired of not having any power I decided to abandon my apartment and Illinois for Wisconsin.
08.24.07:
I'm sitting in the only coffee shop in AH that has both power and wireless internet. My apartment is still without power, as is most of the city. Not too sure what the commute has in store for me (I'm trying to make this sound really dramatic). The skies look like more rain will fall.
Most of the conversations in the coffee shop are about the storm and the lack of power. Usually when I stop in here before work there are a lot less people. Business always seems good, but the Starbucks, which is right across the parking lot, tends to get most of the business.
Very few people in here are dressed for work, only one person is wearing a tie.
My old orthodontist (as opposed to the new one who doesn't exist) just walked in to buy a coffee.
08.23.07:
A rather powerful round of thunderstorms is pushing through the area. Currently power is out.
08.22.07:
I got a day ahead of myself.
Oh the irony. At around 4 am I woke to the sound of howling wind and rain beating against the windows. I noticed that the a/c was no longer on. I looked over at my alarm clock and it was inactive, no numbers letting me know the time. I stumbled out of bed and began exploring the situation. All the power was out in my apartment. I peeked out the window and all of downtown AH was black. And to make matters worse, I had no idea what time it was. In my somewhat sleepy state I was able to remember that my cell phone tells time. That means I have four time pieces in my apartment.
Earlier in the week I signed-up for another photography course. I also signed-up for the Chicago Half-Marathon next month.
So far I've had one correct response to the question I posed yesterday:
What song by Ride features the line, "Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day"?
It also happens to be my second favorite Ride song, my favorite being Vapour Trail.
To make it a bit easier, what British comedy was that line sampled from? Get both questions correct and you'll get a double CD.
Another hot early evening run. I need to move to Iceland.
Song:
Gentle Moon - Sun Kill Moon
Sandy - Caribou
08.21.07:
Sometimes I wake up and forget where I am. Is this normal? This morning I searched all over my apartment for my glasses. Thinking I fell asleep with them on (I've done this before) I put my hand to my face to see if my nose was holding them up. No luck. And for a moment I thought I lost my nose as well. Eventually I found them hiding behind my alarm clock.
Speaking of clocks... There is only one functioning clock in my apartment (two if you count the clock on my Powerbook and three if you count my iMac). The clock in my kitchen stopped working a long time ago. Before it stopped I watched as the arms struggled to tell time. A battery would make it work again, but there's something about having a stopped clock. Even a stopped clock tells the correct time two times a day (anyone who can tell me what song by Ride features the line, "Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day" will win a mix CD).
Enjoying my slumber I decided to not wake at 5 am for a run. Instead I waited until after work, when the sun was out.
Sitting in a meeting earlier in the day I had a thought, but can't write about it here.
Listening to:
Andorra - Caribou
Challengers - The New Pornographers
Song(s):
All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem via John Cale (I might actually like Cale's version better, and it's hard to top an already amazing track.)
Freak Out / Starry Eyes - LCD Soundsystem
Peacebone - Animal Collective
08.20.07:
Song(s):
Sun Against My Eyes - Colleen
Dream Song - Erik Friedlander
08.20.07:
Another morning waking up to the sound of thunder. Went back to sleep for two hours and the woke up and went for a 17.5 mile run in the rain. The first 13 miles were fun. Seriously, they were. The last four miles it was pouring out. The run took just under three hours.
08.19.07:
Because one filthy just wasn't good enough.
08.18.07:
It's nice that the weekend is finally here. All week long I was in a strange funk, depressed I suppose. I think it's been a combination of a number of things, like lack of a vacation, all the running that I've been doing as part of my training plan, and a few other things.
Last night I took the Metra down to Bucktown and met up with kk for delicious sushi at Coast (the toro melted in my mouth), a walk over to Reckless Records where I bought a Tin Machine album and a David Bowie album, and then some pistachio gelato before catching the 9:30 train back to AH. It was great to get away from the suburbs.
KK at Reckless. I can't recall what she was listening to, but I think it was a soundtrack.
The train pulling away from the AH station.
This morning I woke up and went for an eight mile run. It felt pretty great to get out and just run. Lately I haven't been as motivated to get out and just run. I've been running, but my heart hasn't been in it. But this morning I felt so alive. The weather was perfect, slightly cool with cloudy/overcast skies. I'm scheduled to run 18 miles tomorrow, but rain is forecasted. Still, I think I'll get out even if it does rain.
Earlier I noticed the police arresting one of the homeless guys that sleeps in the train station across the street. It was obvious that the guy was drunk, and in light of the recent accident it's probably best that the police keep an eye on things at the station.
08.16.07:
Overheard while at work today:
“Just because we’re girls doesn’t mean we’re stupid.”
Today the jazz world lost another of its greats, drummer Max Roach.
After taking the above photo with a new lens (15mm fisheye -- not the most practical lens, but a lot of fun. I also snagged a Holga and a few rolls of 120 ilford black & white film. Urban Outfitters is selling Holgas for $70, which is a ripoff as I paid $20), I went home, ate some dinner, watched The Simpson's, and then decided to go take some additional photos of the fountain foaming with detergent. After snapping a few frames I decided to head back to my apartment.
As I was walking home I noticed that a number of police cars were blocking the street by the train tracks.
After talking with Guitar Guy I learned that one of the homeless guys that sleeps at the train station fell off of the platform and underneath an outbound Chicago train that was pulling away from the station. From what I understand he died. Very sad.
As I was snapping photos I was approached by a reporter with Pioneer Press (actually, I was approached by a lot of people. Most said, "cool lens" or "cool camera." One guy even told me where to take a photo if I wanted to see the body. Not cool. That really bothered me.). She gave me her business card and told me that her photographer was stuck in traffic. There was another photographer at the scene as well, and she had a press badge. I suppose I need to get one of those. Then again, I'm not a professional photographer. Overall it was weird taking photos of such a tragic accident.
A commuter waits for a train. All inbound and outbound trains were delayed for up to an hour.
The green cones mark the path of the victim.
One of the many Metra Rail workers on the scene.
I've never seen an accident involving a pedestrian in all the years that I've lived across from the train station. Everyday I watch as commuters race underneath the gates to catch their morning train.
Listening to:
Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis (Max Roach played drums on this historic album.)
08.15.07:
Song:
Driving to New Orleans - Zerostars (When I woke Driving to New Orleans was in my email inbox. I must have listened to it ten times in a row before finally going out for an eight mile run. It's really quite gorgeous. Garret did an amazing job mixing it (as well as playing drums on it), and Jason wrote such a beautiful song. Really happy that I'm part of this recording, and I have to say my bass part is pretty damn good. This song needs to be heard by more people.)
Listening to:
Black Ice & Propane - Erik Friedlander (Solo cello like I've never heard before. Highly recommended.)
08.14.07:
Last night, or maybe it was early this morning, I dreamt that someone stole my bass and my amp. Kind of a strange thing to dream about.
Too many Tuesday mornings. Like last week Tuesday I woke to a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. No morning run for me.
08.13.07:
Song(s):
Story of an Artist - Daniel Johnston via M. Ward
Isn't Life Strange? - The Clientele
The Last Trick - Anja Garbek
08.12.07:
Congratulations to Steve and Mimi on their marriage. The reception at Friendship Chinese Restaurant was outstanding. Usually I'm not a fan of Chinese food, however, Friendship is fantastic (highly recommended), and I've decided that I need to reevaluate my opinion of Chinese food. Photos from the reception below.
Mimi and Steve dancing to Serge Gainsbourg.
These two photos are my favorite photos from last night. I like the perspective and the DoF is pretty good as well.
KK with Mr. Skin, the founder of mrskin.com (not safe for work, sorry). Mr. Skin (I know, that's not his real name) is pretty cool. We were talking about the suburbs, and when I told him I went to HS in Rolling Meadows he promptly corrected me and called it Rolling Ghettos.
KK and Lisa. KK and Lisa grew up with Steve.
KK, Steve and Lisa. My flash was acting up, so some photos didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.
Ron and me. I practiced restraint by having only one glass of wine and one beer. This morning I woke up early and failed with my 17 mile run. The humidity was pretty terrible, so I only ran 14 miles (ran eight miles yesterday). Oh well, there's always next week. And Sara Lee makes the worst bagel ever.
The above is the fortune I received with dessert. As I was leaving the reception I grabbed a final fortune cookie as I walked out the door. I found it very apropos.
It's an infomercial kind of day. I kind of want to go to DQ, but I'm not up for driving. Too bad that there isn't a good ice cream place close by to my apartment. It's 3:30 pm and I just brewed up a pot of coffee.
Listening to:
Scary Monsters - David Bowie
Tigermilk - Belle and Sebastian
08.11.07:
Even in my dreams I take photos.
The past couple of weeks have found me leaving me iPod behind when going for my morning run. Before the iPod came into existence I ran without music.
08.09.07:
I created a new section under the photos tab called 2007 in Miniature.
This morning I preferred sleeping in to waking up and running. However, I paid for it dearly when I went out after work and ran four miles. I'm not used to running in the late afternoon summer sun.
Song:
I Put My Foot Down (Mix 1) - Zerostars (An email from Jason asked if the mix was too bassy. Never ask a bassist if something is too bassy. Overall the song sounds really great. Jason's lyrics keep getting better and better.)
08.07.07:
I woke up to the sound of rain beating down on my window unit air conditioner. Occasionally there were flashes of lightening as well. Some thunder too. All this humidity makes me feel as if I’m living in Florida. I’ve never been a fan of Florida, nor have I ever lived in Florida. Florida is like a communist laundromat. Not that I’ve ever been to a communist laundromat (do communist laundromats exist?), but I’ve been to China, which is a communist country. I prefer China to Florida.
Since it was storming I wasn’t able to run. Don’t get me wrong, I thought about running in the rain, but wasn’t in the mood to wake up and deal with wet shoes. I kept hitting the snooze bar. I need a new alarm clock as I need to repeatedly hit the snooze bar before the alarm goes off. Actually, I wake to NPR. The temperature in my apartment is probably 65 degrees, and I bet it’s even colder in my bedroom (my air conditioner is set to 63 degrees).
Some shots from my fisheye camera...
The camera probably works best with lots of available light. Although, I was shooting with 200 ISO, and a lot of the situations called for at least 400 to 800 ISO. The flash on the camera is pretty weak (when shooting in Garret's studio I always bounce flash off of the ceiling -- can't be done with the little toy fisheye camera -- and that tends to throw off quite a bit of light). I picked up some Ilford 400 black and white film, so I'll see if the results are better.
Listening to:
Something Else by the Kinks - The Kinks
Sleeping on Roads - Neil Halstead
08.06.07:
Song:
Out on the Weekend - Neil Young
08.05.07:
I really am losing it. Yellow and green do not make blue.
I need to move to a place or country where heat and humidity don't exist. I always forget that August is one of of my least favorite months. I'm looking forward to the first snowstorm.
I planned on running 12 miles, but I only made it to 11.
Kk invited me over for some raspberry pie. She was even kind enough to send me home with a piece. Thanks.
Song(s):
Black Flower - Yo La Tengo
Regret - New Order
Out of Time - Blur
I Sing I Swim - Seabear
Ship on the Ocean - The Loose Salute
Long Limbed Girl - Nick Lowe (Love those horns!)
Tokyo Hyatt - Yttling Jazz
Heartbeats (Live) - The Knife
(I used to think the original was pretty amazing, but the live version destroys that version. Talk about restraint.)
08.03.07:
I’m losing it.
Over lunch I purchased the following CDs:
Seventh Son of the Seventh Son – Iron Maiden
Appetite for Destruction – Guns N Roses
Eat ‘Em and Smile – David Lee Roth
Wowee Zowee – Pavement
What’s up with me buying three metal albums released 20 years ago? Nostalgic for my long lost youth? I did go through a very short period of listening to metal, but I swear, it only lasted a few months. Either way, all three albums kick some serious ass. I threw Wowee Zowee into the mix as it’s the deluxe two CD edition and I needed to buy something to keep my indie credibility when checking out at the register (not like the 16 year old kid who checked me out at the register has any idea who those bands are). All week long I’ve been listening to Eric Dolphy (Out to Lunch is one of the finest jazz albums ever. Such a shame Dolphy’s life was so short), McCoy Tyner, Astrud Gilberto, John Coltrane, and Grant Green. It’s going to be a metal music weekend. Maiden’s Can I Play with Madness? is such a blistering metal anthem. Maybe I need to listen to Operation Mindcrime, or dig out my VHS copy of Operation Livecrime, this weekend as well. And to answer Jason’s question as to whether or not I plan on scoring some China White, the answer is no.
When I returned to my “office” after lunch I had to put up with the loudest, most inappropriate workplace conversation about bodily functions. The discussion was horrifying, something that I’d expect out of a group of junior high school boys, not adults working in a corporate environment. At one point I was so frustrated that I contemplated leaving for the remainder of the day. I’m all for having fun on the job, but…
After work I went to see Bourne Ultimatum. Excellent. Amazing editing, great action. Only thing missing was Franka Potente, but she died in The Bourne Supremacy. Usually I'm not into action movies, but the Bourne series have been done really well.
Tonight I tried to unlock my apartment by pushing the unlock button for the key to my car. After a few unsuccessful attempts it dawned on me that I needed to use my apartment key.
Song:
We Dance - Pavement (Even with all the above writing about metal, this song is utterly brilliant and a great start to an amazing album.)
08.02.07:
