At this moment...
10.30.07
Tonight kk invited me over for thai food, pumpkin carving, and dessert. A very fun evening. I bet haven't carved a pumpkin in over 10 years. Since I was taking photos I only have photos of kk carving her mummy themed pumpkin.
10.29.07
Flying home last night I found myself once again listening to air traffic control. As I was listening I kept thinking about whether or not it would be possible for a person to construct their own reality based on aviation English. I suppose this would be somewhat similar to Plato's allegory of the cave.
As I slept I found my dreams to be slightly more vivid than normal. However, upon waking I couldn't recall one dream.
Listening to:
Migration - Sambassadeur
Idiot Savants - Durutti Column
10.27.07
It's been a rainy and foggy day in Camden, Maine.
10.26.07
This morning, as I was out running, I witnessed something that I never thought, or even imagined that I would see. Just as I was running past the Oreo cows I saw one cow mount another, but wait, it appeared that the one cow who was doing the mounting was looking for a bit of oral sex as these two cows weren't having standard sex. It was quite a crazy sight.
“There is something haunting in the light of the moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery.”
--Joseph Conrad
10.25.07
On the flight from Chicago to Manchester, New Hampshire I overheard the following conversation between a pilot and the control tower.
Control tower: I'll need you to maintain your current speed and distance as your following someone else at this altitude:
Pilot: What is it that we're following?
Control tower: A jet.
About a minute of silence.
Control tower: That was meant to be a joke
I like a little control tower sarcasm and humor. Seriously, was the pilot expecting the control tower to say, "A U.F.O"? Overall the flight was fairly uneventful. Got off on time and it arrived on time. Quite a bit of chop. I don't know why, but I find listening to the conversations between the control tower and other pilots very soothing. Also, I like how you can figure out where you are at in the sky, as in what state you're flying overhead.
It's nice to be home. Camden feels more like home than Chicago.
Listening to:
Migration - Sambassadeur
(Subtle Changes, the first single from this album, might be my favorite single of 2007.)
10.24.07
I was watching the moon earlier, and I thought of my nephew asking me once, "Why does the moon follow us?"
"Don't let's ask for the moon," she insists. "We have the stars."
Driving home from seeing a movie. Sigur Ros plays on the car stereo. I pass by an empty office building. Random floors are lit up by white florescent lights. I see rows and rows of cubes. I think, "I don't want to be an ant."
It's cold.
Song:
That’s Us / Wild Combination - Joel Gibb
10.21.07
It sounds like someone is frying bacon outside. Or maybe it's rain. Or fallen leaves being blown down the street by the breeze.
10.20.07
Under the threat of having my drivers license suspended (queue Judas Priest's Breaking the Law) I went and had my car emissions tested. Thankfully my car passed. What I don't understand is that I was never sent any notification that I needed to have my emissions tested. All I received was a letter telling me that my license would be suspended.
I lead an incredibly exciting life.
For dinner I made a mozzarella, sun-dried tomato and vegetable tart (and a Fat Tire). It turned out really well, very fresh and light. For dessert I made a pear clafouti. Both dishes could be eaten for breakfast, as well as lunch (well, the pear clafouti might be a stretch for lunch). What I like about the pear clafouti is that it's not overly sweet. It's also one of my favorite fall desserts.
Listening to:
Late Night - His Name is Alive
Livonia - His Name is Alive
Fort Lake - His Name is Alive
Stars on E.S.P. - His Name is Alive
Home is in Your Head - His Name Is Alive
S/T - Mark Hollis
Home - Chiara Mastroianni Et Benjamin Biolay
For Your Own Special Sweetheart - Jawbox
10.19.07
Listening to:
Hips & Makers - Kristin Hersch
10.18.07
Now that marathon training is officially behind me I can kind of back off on mileage and just run. So, after running in Asics Gel Keyanos for at least the last eight years I've decided to try a new brand of shoes by Newton Running. The difference between Newton running shoes and most all other running shoes is that they help you to strike the ground with your forefoot instead of your heel. From the Newton Running website:
Striking on your forefoot is the most natural way to run, it is also the fastest and most efficient way to run. Newton Running shoes were developed to make your feet think they're barefoot and increase your performance.
Not that I'm a huge heel striker, but landing on my forefoot is quite different than how I'm used to running. It's so different that after a two mile run yesterday and today my calf muscles were incredibly sore, almost more sore than after any marathon that I've ever run. However, after sending a quick email to the company I've been reassured that calf soreness is to be expected in runners who are not used to striking the pavement with their forefoot. Also, I stopped into my local running store and they too told me that they all experienced the same calf soreness, and that after about 20 or so miles my body will have adjusted. Besides the calf soreness I've noticed that I'm running faster. Check out the shoes here.
The trainstation homeless are in rare form tonight. Lots of shouting and swearing.
Listening to:
Something Else by The Kinks - The Kinks
Disco Romance - Sally Shapiro
Hawaii - High Llamas
10.17.07
Chocolate chip cookie dough Pop Tarts are kind of a flop.
Listening to:
Queen Elvis - Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (I've been listening to Robyn Hitchcock since freshman year of high school, which was 1988, so nearly 20 years. Freshman year my older brother, who was a senior at the time, drove me to school. He also drove one of his friends who happened to work at one of the local record stores. It was his friend who introduced me to Robyn Hitchcock. I'd never heard anything quite like Hitchcock. That October, or maybe November, I saw Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians open for R.E.M. on the Green Tour. Robyn was touring in support of Queen Elvis. Queen Elvis is probably my favorite Hitchcock album. Reminds me a lot of fall. There's not one bad track on this album. Actually, every track is amazing.)
Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea - PJ Harvey
Catalpa - Jolie Holland
Mouth by Mouth - His Name is Alive
10.15.07
For some time now I've been thinking of dismantling specbebop.com, or at least I've thinking about no longer making regular updates. I've been carrying on this experiment since March, 2003 and honestly I'm starting to wonder why I even have a website. Case in point... I was driving to the VW dealer to get my car repaired, an engine coolant leak, and all of a sudden driving a car made no sense to me. Actually, everything started to feel very foreign to me. The scenery was passing me by and I just couldn't make sense of anything. I thought, "Birds have wings." And that probably makes me sound crazy. Even though I was driving maybe 35 mph I felt like I was moving too fast. Everything always moves too fast. Which is part of the reason I'm a runner. While I run kind of fast, I don't run so fast that I can't experience what's around me. Maybe that's why I feel happiest when I'm out running.
We wake up.
From Bukowski's The Captain Is Out To Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over The Ship:
We are paper thin. We exist on luck amid the percentages, temporarily. And that's the best part and the worst part, the temporal factor. And there's nothing you can do about it. You can sit on top of a mountain and meditate for decades and it's not going to alter. You can alter yourself into acceptability but maybe that's wrong too. Maybe we think too much. Feel more, think less.
Here's an old poem that I wrote in October, 2003 titled Page 146 (there's probably a story behind the title and actual poem):
The point of
story problems.
How often do
they come up?
In real life.
Maybe it's October.
Driving to work I saw an insect flying next to my window. For a split second I imagined that the insect was the tiniest bird that I'd ever seen.
And this could just be a passing phase.
Listening to:
S/T - Shocking Pinks (Like a low-fi New Order. Really great stuff.)
White Chalk - PJ Harvey (This is pretty amazing as well. White Chalk finds PJ Harvey at her most Emily Dickenson.)
Song:
Sunrise & 2080 - Yeasayer (It's about time a band shows a Genesis/Peter Gabriel influence. Destined to be huge in the UK but will probably barely make an impact in the states. This is some really incredible stuff. Seriously, highly recommended! A truly exciting band.)
10.14.07
It's so nice to finally be able to sleep in, or at least not get up super early to go running. I managed to sleep until around 8:30 a.m., which for me is late.
And still I feel sleepy. At the coffee shop when asked how I was doing I replied, "Sleepy." The barista then asked why and I said, "These grey autumn days." It's been grey for too many days. Funny how when it's sunny for a few days I want grey days.
Song(s):
Autumn Lullaby - Bridget St. John
Paris 2004 - Peter, Bjorn and John
10.12.07
Two weeks ago I was in NYC. One week ago my family was in and I was getting ready to run the marathon. I just can't make much sense of time. Then again, I don't think time is something that we're supposed to make sense of.
The Yo La Tengo show last night was pretty great. They opened with Big Day Coming and closed with Sandy Denny's By the Time it Gets Dark. In between they played Autumn Sweater, Black Flowers, Johnny Thunder by the Kinks, Nuclear War by Sun Ra, Magnet by NRBQ, Sugarcube, Mr. Tough, and a whole lot of other fantastic songs.
Song(s):
Been So Long - Vetiver
10.11.07
Yo La Tengo @ The Lakeshore Theater
10.10.07
Such randomness. I'll look back on this a year from now and I won't be able to recall the bit about randomness. I suppose that's the way it has to be, at least for the future me.
In the frozen foods aisle, by the ice cream, at Whole Foods I heard someone shout my name. I'm not used to hearing my name in foreign places. It was an old coworker from a long time ago. What surprised me was how easily I was able to recall this coworker. I'm usually bad with faces and names and remembering people. But I recalled her name as if it was only yesterday since we last spoke. She was at Whole Foods buying ice cream. I was at Whole Foods to buy ingredients for dinner, as well as ice cream for dessert. There's not much of a story here. It's always weird running into people that you seemingly forgot about.
Song(s):
Isn't it a Pity - George Harrison
Alphabet City - Clare & the Reasons
10.09.07
It's one of those fall nights. It's getting colder outside. And even though the wind is whipping up the leaves and the temperature is dropping, the homeless across the street are partying like it is still summer.
Soundtrack for after work (but not really in this order):
Leave Me Alone - New Order (Maybe my favorite New Order song ever.)
Going Unconscious - Brian Eno
Taxi Song - Duels
Sailing Man - Neil Halstead
Blue Moon - Rivulets
Is it Any Wonder - The Shortwave Set
Come Here - Kath Bloom
The Shining (Avalanches Good Word for the Weekend Mix) - Badly Drawn Boy
What if We Do? - Mia Doi Todd
Tomorrow - Espers
Heartbeats - José González
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Autumns
An Hour Before Daylight - The Clientele
Winter Killing - Stina Nordenstam
Hope Is the Thing Feathers - Solveig Slettahjell
Shooting Stars - Punky's Dilemma
Let's Get Lost - Elliot Smith
I Will - Brian McBride
16, Maybe Less - Calexico and Iron & Wine
Seems to Me - Jagga Jazzist
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Portastatic
A Cold Wind Will Blow Through Your Door - Bill Ricchini
Alt Måste Bli Anorlunda - Kim Hiorthøy
Vapour Trail - Paula Kelly
10.08.07
I'm really too tired and I have nothing to write about today. And it might be that way tomorrow as well. And likely the day after that.
Song(s):
Snow Blow - Pluramon
In the Snow - Longpigs
Fallen Snow - Au Revoir Simone
Sparks in the Snow - Maps
Ice and Snow - Sambassadeur
The Snow Has Killed - Maria Solheim
Wolves Amongst Snowmen - Songs of Green Pheasant
The Snow Melted, It Was Goodnight - Talkdemonic
10.07.07
26.2 miles later... I finished, but it was a slightly disappointing finish. Between mile 20 and 21 the race was canceled due to the heat. At last year's marathon I don't think the temperature went above 45 degrees. Today it climbed all the way to 87 with a heat index of nearly 100. Not the ideal conditions for a marathon. Staying hydrated in this type of heat is difficult. At mile 14 or so my calves became really tight, and I almost fell. However, I knew that it was a sign that I was becoming dehydrated, so I slowed to a walk and forced myself to take in a lot of Gatorade and water. By mile 18 I was feeling good enough to pick up the pace. Best neighborhood to run through was Pilsen. Seriously, the best, most generous people.
For the remainder of the run we were supposed to walk, so I thought it wise to listen to follow the rules.
Thank you to my family for coming out. Congratulations to my brother on completing his first marathon. And thank you to Mikey and Jenny for shouting out my name at mile 13. It was a nice boost to see my friends out there cheering me, and all the other people on. Oh, and a huge thank you to all the volunteers who kept us hydrated and motivated.
I suppose I'll be back in 2008.
Now I'm eating Swedish fish.
This has been a strange week. Lots of things have sadly come to an unwelcome end. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day, and it will bring new things.
10.04.07
Fifty years ago, on October 4, 1957, Russia launched Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth. And so began the space race.
And now, something more light hearted...
I miss the magic phone days.
Song(s):
I Never Knew You From the Sun - The Innocence Mission
Vito's Ordination Song (Demo) - Sufjan Stevens
Album:
The Monstrous Surplus - Pluramon
10.03.07
I spent the evening reading Robot Dreams, an achingly sweet and tender graphic novel about a dog and his robot. Well, it's about more than just a dog and his robot. It's about friendship, loss, the way we dream to escape loneliness and moving forward. I'm always amazed at how graphic novelists are able to capture the most complex human emotions in such simple drawings (poets do a pretty amazing job too). Then again, maybe they aren't so simple. But the truth is, if only more people would be willing to strip everything down to the barest essentials, then maybe... I don't want to finish my thoughts. It's just that if something is overly complex it loses its meaning. Either that or it's absolute bullshit.
iTunes has Hotel Chevalier, the 12 minute short, which is the precursor to Wes Anderson's latest movie The Darjeeling Limited, available for free download, but only for a short time. Highly recommended (and not just for Natalie Portman and her Jean Seaberg haircut). I wish more directors were willing to make short films.
Listening to:
San Francisco - American Music Club (Out of all the records I could have played tonight... Seriously, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to listen to. I was thumbing through an older milk crate of records, the ones that I bought when I was living in Champaign-Urbana. Tons of 12 inch remixes of Tortoise, lots of Man or Astroman?, a few Trans AM albums, even some Six Finger Satellite, and then there was the lone album by AMC. Funny how that happens. Fearless, the lead track kills in a way that very few songs kill. That album sums up so much. Out of all the records I could have played tonight... Funny how that happens.)
10.02.07
Song:
A Journey from A to B (Go! Team Remix) - Badly Drawn Boy
Listening to:
Blue Train - John Coltrane
10.01.07
I often find myself getting hung up on certain things, like time, fate, words, memory, etc; things that real writers are able to communicate through their stories. I suppose all of this is fairly commonplace, that is to think about these things. Thing is such a funny word. Here’s an instance where a subscription to the OED would come in handy.
Lately I’ve noticed that an image of Lake Louise from my site keeps getting visits from the Microsoft Live Search application. The image was posted to specbebop.com in July of 2003. I just went back and read that page over again. I think it’s funny that an image that I took on a trip over eight years ago draws so many hits to my site. It's also funny to go back in time and read the me from four years ago. One of these days I'll reformat the first two years of the site. Until then, you can read July, 2006 here.
Song:
Ballad of the Dumb Angel - The Loose Salute
Listening to:
Bryter Layter - Nick Drake
Document - R.E.M. (It's been way too long since I last listened to this album, and yes, I listened to the record version. R.E.M. used to be a fantastic band. They're the perfect band to listen to in the autumn.)
Being There - Wilco