At this moment...
11.29.05:
Odd to be back in civilization. The coastal area of Maine isn't a hotbed for diversity, and for the past week or so I haven't really been exposed to a whole hell of a lot of diversity. As I type there's a family huddled around a pile of emplty McDonalds bags eating massive amounts of processed foods. It's an odd site, at least to me.
I'm in Washington D.C. Two hours ago I boarded a plane in Manchester, New Hampshire. We flew down on a little plane. I can't say I'm a fan of those planes as they pretty much bounce up and down throughout the sky. The landing was rough as hell, and I'm sure the guy next to me thought I was a nut since I was gripping the hell out of the window. Behind me sat an old woman who sounded like Kate Hepburn. Tried listening to Sigur Ros, but they weren't striking the right chord with me.
11.27.05:
I have this fear that someday I'm going to look back upon these strange images that I create and wonder what was going through my mind at the time I created them.
Today I ran the six mile loop that took me through Camden, past the Oreo cows, past Rockport, and back to Camden. The highlight was seeing the Oreo cows. They brought a smile to my face, and were completely unexpected.
11.26.05:
Last night I had very odd dreams, one of which involved me trying to assassinate a father and son, who were both robots. During one sequence the father was trying to kill me with a flame thrower. At another point I recall telling the son robot that he, unlike his father, had a soul, and then he started to cry. Very strange. Another dream involved jellyfish and a swimming pool. Bizarre. Maybe it was the wine?
Ran five miles. I'd like to hit the 900 mile mark by the end of the month. I might be able to if I run seven miles tomorrow. I wish I had more time out here to get myself used to the hills. There are almost no stretches of flat road on the route that I've been running.
The local Camden record store is sub par. I checked out their used vinyl only to find a rather large selection of Barbara Streisand and Carly Simon albums. Was hoping to find an album by Mi and Lau, but no luck, so it looks like I'll have to wait until I return to Chicago.
11.25.05:
Along with purchasing a B&B in Camden, Maine, my parents also bought a an espresso machine for their guests to use.
Now, I'm all wired on espresso (so far I've made a cappuccino, an espresso, and some coffeee). It's quite simple, just push a button and you can have a fresh espresso, cappuccino, latte, or coffee.
Song:
Hotel Room - Richard Hawley
11.24.05:
More snow, but now it's raining. Ran four miles and decided that you're not a runner unless you're dedicated enough to run in the snow and wind. I love running in the winter. As I was finishing up my run a truck going at least 50 mph in a 30 mph zone blew past me and covered me in dirty mist. But still, I wouldn't have it any other way.
11.23.05:
Yesterday it was 50 degrees and raining, today it's 32 degrees with light snow. I got out for a four mile run. I'm a total flatlander. These hills are killing me, but in a good way. When I return to Chicago in a week and go for a run it'll be a breeze. There's nothing quite like running next to the Atlantic ocean, smelling the salt air, and breathing clean air. I'd love to be out here in the summer months to train, but I don't think that'll be possible unless I find a job that provides insurance.
I don't think I'd ever grow tired of waking up and looking at the ocean every morning if I lived here.
11.22.05:
It's raining. It's supposed to rain all day. And not a gentle drizzle. No, this is a heavy downpour, so no chance of getting out to run, or do any outside activity. I'm watching a tiny spider crawl down the wall. House spiders are good luck, so I'll have to let him live. I'm listening to Bowie ask, "Is there life on Mars?"
Camden, Maine, November 2005, Playlist:
Baby I'm Hurtin' - The Chap
I Love You the Way I Used to Do - Rocketship
I'm Falling - Saint Etienne
Dirty Mind - The Pipettes
Cirkus - Readymade FC
I'll Send My Face to Your Funeral - His Name is Alive
Number 1 - Goldfrapp
Life On Mars? (Live at Fashion Rocks) - Arcade Fire and David Bowie
I Am Daylights - Songs Of Green Pheasant
My Beauty in the Moon - Kelly Polar
If You Want - Tom Vek
Phantom Broadcast - The Go! Team
Heros - Blondie
Quicksand - Seu Jorge
Manhattan Skyline - Kings of Convenience
11.21.05:
And so I'm back in Camden, Maine. The roadtrip in was uneventful. Got a bit lost trying to find Stockbridge, Mass. (damn Mapquest directions). Had a slight hangover yesterday brought on by too many pints of Guinness and wine. So the lack of sleep made me a bit loopy while driving the Mass Turnpike. As I type the sun is rising over the Atlantic and Caffrey is sleeping by my feet. At some point I'm going to go for a five mile run along the ocean as I could really use some of the sea air.
11.18.05:
The road trip to the East Coast (Camden, Maine) begins in a few hours. First stop, Avon, Ohio...
11.14.05:
11.13.05:
Up and about early. Laundry, booking rooms for the road trip out to Camden, Maine next weekend. One night in Ohio, another in Massachusetts (Red Lion Inn), and then I'll be in Maine, my new home away from home for Thanksgiving (and then again for Christmas). It'll be a caravan of sorts.
As I was leaving the laundromat an older woman said to me, "You fold your laundry really well, too bad my son can't fold his own laundry." I thanked her as nobody has ever complimented me on folding laundry. Two weeks ago while doing my laundry someone told me they'd vote for me if I ever decided to run for president, and now I'm told that I fold my laundry well. What's up with me getting the odd comments/compliments while doing laundry?
Cut my run short by a mile due to the wind. But I still ran four. I'm still not up to my pre-marathon mileage, but I think that's okay.
Damn this wine is good. And doing what it's supposed to do,
Song:
For the Damaged - Blonde Redhead
11.12.05:
It's a mess outside and my cupboard is bare. Well, I have food, just nothing that seems very appetizing. Sushi would make the most sense, but that would mean I'd have to get wet from the torrential rain.
Bought a bunch of Stereolab 45's and managed to spot a P.I.L. lp for $4.99.
Fuck it. I'll order out.
Listening to:
Leave Luck to Heaven - Matthew Dear (I'm just waiting for the neighbor below me to come knocking on my door.)
Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens - Kelley Polar (My Beauty in the Moon sounds like The Free Design getting together with Arthur Russell.)
When the Detail Lost Its Freedom - Brian McBride
11.11.05:
Has anyone else seen that Hormel with beans chili ad, the one with the song that goes something like, "Look around, the world is changing..." It's such an awful commercial, but it totally cracks me up.
11.10.05:
When I was younger, maybe around fourth grade, I had terrible nightmares that involved nuclear explosions. Lately I've been thinking a lot about nuclear explosions.
Song:
Backwards - Cinnamon
11.09.05:
Or maybe...
Or maybe this one (my initial design)?...
I think the typography on the second one is the best. I could use a similar idea on the first version. However, I like the fact that right now, there's only three of us in the band, and three birds on the third version, plus the hummingbird for Garret. I also think it funny that on the third version I used a Seattle skyline when we're playing in Chicago. But the type is just awful.
Song(s):
I Miss My Jean - Camera Obscura
Losing a Friend - The Cardigans (From their latest album)
11.05.05:
After months and months of being drummerless and unable to practice, Zerostars has finally booked a show. While we're still drummerless, Garret has kindly agreed to sit in with us for our first show since June. Two weeks back Garret stopped by rehearsal and went through the set with us and restored our confidence. So please, please, please put us on your calendar. We need all the support we can gather.
Zerostars
December 14, 2005
Martyr's
3855 N. Lincoln Ave.Chicago, IL 60613
9 PM
w/Tuffy UK and Mantella
Listening to:
Green - R.E.M.
Automatic for the People - R.E.M.
Amnesiac - Radiohead
Return of the Rentals - The Rentals
The Campfire Headphase - Boards of Canada
11.04.05:
The other morning I told a friend that I was reading Kierkegaard before leaving for work and she replied, "You have time to actually read Kierkegaard." Cracked me up. Then I said, "And I'm rereading The Great Gatsby."
I'm working on a new mix CD. I had this idea to create a soundtrack for an imaginary film called Intrigue. Below is the possible artwork, or something similar.
Listening to:
The Debt Collection - The Shortwave Set
11.03.05:
Today, a friend who still means the world to me, sent me an email that ended with, "Hang in there, a monk is a legitimate profession." I smiled.
11.02.05:
Yesterday, while I was watching my laundry dry in the laundromat, a retired old man struck up a political conversation with me. For thirty minutes or so we discussed a wide spectrum of politics. We shared fairly similar views on most, if not all, the things we were talking about. At one point he asked if I had read anything about Bush's plan to safeguard the US from avian flu. I told him that I caught a bit on CNN, but outside of that, not much. And then I said, "These things are supposed to happen. It's like forest fires, they are good, and necessary part of ecology. We need to concern ourselves with world hunger and ending this stupid war in Iraq." I probably said it a bit more eloquently, but... As I was leaving he shook my hand and said, "I'd vote for you if you ever decided to run for president." That comment cracked me up, but it was nice.
11.01.05:
Last night I finished two books that were the complete opposite of each other. One was Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Think. It's a personal memoir dealing with the death of her husband John Gregory Dunne. Not a light topic, and now, I'm wondering if my discovery of the book was fated, as if there was something more at work than me just picking it up and deciding that it would be worth my time. I haven't read a lot of Didion. Actually, I've only read one other of her novels, Play It As It Lays, and that was years ago for a contemporary American literature course. Last week I told a coworker that I was reading a book about grief and death and she said, "Maybe that's why you're depressed. Maybe you need to read something about the sun." Maybe she's right.
However, the other book that was reading was Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg. Kind of sophomoric and light, and sadly, not as well written as previous books by Leyner. Sure, Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini is non-fiction, but still, it could have been a bit tighter. I will admit that it caused a few chuckles, but not enough to warrant a recommendation.