At this moment...
09.30.07:
Growing up I used to devour the Choose Your Own Adventure series of books. With that in mind, no words, just photos -- sorry, most of this probably makes little sense, a combination of factors -- (although, some context, or captiononing, will be supplied when necessary). View the photo gallery.
As I was on my way from the hotel to LaGuardia I felt a strange synchronicity, the whole experience was very dream-esque, and I'm not sure what to make of it. In a way I felt like I was watching myself from some other vantage point.
Song(s):
Where the Universes Are - The Clientele
Alles Was Lebt Bewegt Sich - Barbara Morgenstern
People Living - Susanna
09.26.07:
Waiting patiently.
Last night when I went to bed it was summer. Today fall is back.
Someone needs to invent a way to silence freight trains.
Listening to:
La Vie d'Artiste (Original Soundtrack) - Tim Gane & Sean O'Hagan
The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming - Club 8
09.24.07:
I tried reading some of Joseph Campbell's Primitive Mythology: The Masks of God but I'm too sleepy to read. I can't read when I stay up late like I did yesterday.
Listening to:
The Idiot - Iggy Pop
09.23.07:
First, congratulations to Chris and Jackie on their engagement. Looking forward to seeing the two of you in two weeks.
In a dream last night I was a little leagure baseball umpire. Normally my dreams make some sense, or at least I can figure out what they represent. However, I can't stand baseball, let alone little league baseball. At one point in the dream I recall the pitcher being so lazy he was pitching underhand from a folding picnic chair.
This morning I had one of the most amazing runs. Perfect fall weather. I ran 12 miles in 01:45:05.
Today I came up with two of the most absurd ideas:
- A pizza based cereal that uses V-8 or tomato juice instead of milk.
- A car that runs on ice.
Yeah, I know, neither of those are even remotely brilliant.
Some photos from a long day:
09.21.07:
KK was only allowed to drink tiny martinis. Well, that's not true. The restaurant we went to offered complimentary martinis made with some sort of overly sweet liquor that I couldn't stomach. I'm of the belief that alcohol should taste like alcohol.
Moments after snapping the above frame I was approached by a security guard at the Metra station and told that no photos can be taken inside the station due to security reasons. He said it had to do with 9/11. I was okay with that, but the part I wasn't cool with was when I was told my camera could be confiscated. I asked to see the written policy about the confiscation bit, but all the security guard could show me was a red laminated card that mentioned that no photographs can be taken inside the station. Pretty sad that we've reached the point where people can no longer do something as harmless as taking a photo.
09.20.07:
I don't know why, but a few weeks back I stuck the knife in between a few stalks of bamboo and it became my desk art.
09.19.07:
Happy birthday dad.
While driving to get some lunch I thought I saw a library police car. However my eyes were deceiving me as it was just a standard cop car. I doubt library cops drive library police cars.
Listening to:
Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos - Susanna
09.18.07:
In a dream last night, or maybe it was a nightmare, I watched as a passenger plane took off, banked to the right, and then, for some reason or another, started to lose control only to eventually crash a few hundred yards from where I was standing. I recall feeling like a spectator, and I wondered if I caused the plane to crash. There was lots of flying debris and a burst of heat. It was pretty unsettling. In another dream I was told that I needed a haircut. And then there was another dream. There's always another dream. Of course then it was time to wake to go to work.
09.17.07:
Two things from the past two days:
- Yesterday, while driving through the Loop trying to find a place to park, we witnessed a jerk in a gas guzzling car throw a plastic bottle and a gigantic empty energy drink can out the window. I don’t get the concept of littering. It’s like the time I watched the guy throw his empty cigarette box out of his car window in the street in front of my house. People who litter are criminals and should be treated as such, or at least be made to live in their own filth and litter.
- This morning, while waiting for my coffee I couldn’t help but listen as a mid-40ish corporate guy yapped loudly on his cell phone. He was dressed in light brown khakis, a brown tweed sport coat with a white t-shirt underneath, penny loafers, and wearing mirrored sunglasses straight from 1987 (it wasn’t even sunny outside, so why he was wearing them inside only made him look more like an ass – sorry, that was mean). I caught pieces of his conversation. He kept repeating phrases like “we’ve done our due diligence and “execute on that.” I kept waiting for him to break out "synergy," "organic growth," and "win-win". He was nothing but a corporate cliché.
Last week, while trying to shave, I mistook my toothbrush for my razor blade and attempted to shave with the toothbrush.
Holden: "You know that song, 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'?..."
Phoebe: "It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!... It's a poem. By Robert Burns."
Holden: "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I ave to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye hand all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."
No more polar bears.
09.16.07:
The afternoon in photos, part one (fun with a fisheye):
09.15.07:
One of the things I love most about fall is that I can cook again. During the summer it's usually too hot to use my oven and stovetop. Today I made an apple, apricot and pecan crumble. I've made this recipe quite a few times before, but every time I manage to forget to add the pecans. Today I remembered to add them. It smells delicious. Too bad there's no one to share it with tonight. Here's my late afternoon/early evening in food preparation in photos:
Apples, dried apricots, pecans, cinnamon, sugar, and orange juice.
Before going into the oven.
After being taken out of the oven.
Tomorrow I run my second of two 20 mile runs, hence the pasta for dinner. The Chicago Marathon is three weeks away.
All week long I've been listening to Scott Walker's Five Easy Pieces box set. Great stuff. Until this week I kind of always preferred Walker's early material, the stuff from the 1960's/early 70's. His later period stuff (late 70's/early 80's) is strikingly similar to Bowie's recent albums.
I haven't had any coffee since Wednesday, and it's driving me crazy. I feel like I'm operating a bit slower than normal.
09.12.07:
DJBV had two extra lawn tickets to see Wilco at Pritzker Park and offered them up to kk. After work I raced home to catch the train. I made the 5:32 by a matter of minutes. It was a great concert, and there was something magical hearing Via Chicago in downtown Chicago on such a gorgeous evening. Photos below are with the G7. I didn't want to risk bringing in my dslr. I kind of like how some of them turned out. However, with the ISO up over 800 they aren't really worth printing.
09.10.07:
After waiting for too long, fall has finally arrived. Well, not officially, but it feels like fall. It's raining, and a lot cooler than it's been. About time...
09.09.07:
Funny, my heart just wasn't in the half marathon this year. I finished with a time of 2:02, a few minutes slower than last year, but still not close to my best, which was 01:54. It was unseasonably warm, so maybe that had something to do with it. Also, I decided against bringing out my own Gatorade and drank what was provided on the course. The stuff they provide is always too sweet, like it needs to be cut with more water. Either way, I completed it. Afterwards kk took me to breakfast and that seemed to pick up my spirits. If I decide to train for the marathon next year I'll go back to the four-day a week training plan. Here are some photos of the day...
A blurry and out of focus Lake Shore Drive at 6 a.m.. About a month ago I bought a Canon G7. I needed something smaller for when I don't want to bring along my 5D. Overall, it's a good camera, but not great. My main issue is that I can't crank up the ISO to 1600 without getting noisy photos. Anything above ISO 400 is pretty noisy. I suppose I'm spoiled with the 5D, especially when I throw on the 50mm f1.4. Still, I kind of like the above shot as it was taken on the fly.
Taken after finishing the race and moments after being slightly lost in a very unfavorable neighborhood.
I'm a bit puzzled with this product. I would have loved to have been in the meeting when they decided to call this new glue Future Glue.
I need to preface this with how much I love Kashi cereals. However, this product fascinates me. I suppose I'm not the target demographic.
09.08.07:
Tomorrow the Chicago Half Marathon.
09.07.07:
My day in photos...
Song:
Somewhere Girl - The Clientele
09.06.07:
I feel like I have nothing much to say, and that it would be silly to write much today (or to go back in time to yesterday and write something for yesterday as well). So I'll just leave a _______ space (feel free to play a solo game of hang man to fill in the word).
Listening to:
Colleen et les Boîtes à Musique - Colleen
Mahler: Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen - Gustav Mahler
Night Falls Over Kortedala - Jens Lekman
09.04.07:
09.03.07:
This day could go down as possibly one of my laziest days ever. I suppose that's why it's a day off from doing any labor. And god knows I could use a day off from all that back breaking labor I participate in day after day at the rock quarry.
Last night I dreamt, queue The Smiths, I was taking photos of clouds. There's a bit more to the dream that I'm leaving out.
Jason put up I Put My Foot Down on our myspace page. Give it a listen.
Song(s):
Obligatory Road Song - The Brunettes
That Hollywood Glow - Lucky Soul (B-side to One Kiss Don't Make a Summer. A slow burner of a song.)
The Eighteenth Emergency - Butcher Boy
09.02.07:
20 miles in 03:28:07. Good, but not great. Up until mile 15 I was at a 10 minute per mile pace. Looking back at previous years my best time was 03:15:00.
At mile 18 a Hispanic cyclist wearing a green Arlington Park uniform passed me by on his way too small for his stature Huffy mountain bike and gave me a thumbs up. When I told him I was at mile 18 of 20 he turned around, gave me another thumbs up and said, "Excellente!" It was a nice gesture since at mile 12 a woman exiting a church parking lot decided to pull in front of me as she was turning right. I was close enough so I banged on the back of her mini van with my fist.
After reading Silltoes' The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner for what seems like the hundredth time I finished watching the first season of Arrested Development.
Kevin, aka Guitar Guy, was out playing his guitar at the train station across the street from my apartment. As summer draws to a close so will the atonal rambling blues solos of Guitar Guy. Today he was jamming along to a Stevie Ray Vaughn track. I asked him how the summer was treating him and he went off on a string of tangents that not even I could follow. At one point in the conversation he said something about taking acid at some outdoor music festival. According to him it was the best acid trip ever. However he woke up the next morning with 10 mosquito bites around his right eye. He's a true character.
Guitar Guy's amplifier and battery powered generator. I'm amazed that he brings a generator with him. Wouldn't an acoustic guitar be easier?
Guitar Guy told me he'd be back later tonight, so maybe I'll head out and take some additional photos... Or maybe I'll just fall asleep.
Listening to:
Coastal Affairs E.P. - Sambassadeur (Maybe I'm loving in this band because they are so obviously influenced by New Order.)
Song(s):
Strangely Beautiful (7" Mix) - Television Personalities
Birthyday (Manitoba Mix) - Junior Boys
Stars - Au Revoir Simone
09.01.07:
Tomorrow it's my first of two 20 mile runs. For dinner I ate a gigantic bowl of capellini with a tomato and artichoke sauce. Delicious.
Song(s):
Courage Up - Chappaquiddick
Skyline
Subtle Changes - Sambassadeur (Once again the Swedes deliver another piece of pop perfection, and with a saxophone solo! Really amazing single.)