I was in an awful mood this morning.
I had dreams last night that I married one of my friends for no reason. Sallie and I were engaged, but there was something that happened where I felt that I had to marry this other person. I kicked Sallie out of this lakehouse I had. She wasn’t terribly upset, just confused. The friend that I married immediately moved it and I realized I had made a mistake. So the rest of the dream was me trying to annul the marriage within the first 24 hours, but the judge wasn’t being so nice about it.
Then I had this over whelming feeling of being stuck at work. Everyone around me was moving up, but nothing I did gained any ground. My dreams stayed with this for most the rest of the night.
So I woke up feeling miserable and hopeless and tired. I just wanted to go to work and get the day over with. I hoped on the scooter, put angry music on my headphones, and took off.
Then, only blocks from my house, I get stuck behind a pickup truck with gay pride rainbows all over it. In the back of the truck was the most beautiful arrangements of flowers I have ever seen.It looked like a float almost, but on closer inspection all of the flowers were in different pots and appeared to be getting delivered somewhere.
How the hell are you supposed to stay pissed following rainbows and flowers? I just wanted to go with how I woke up and be grumpy all day long.
I imagined that a movie camera panned to me who was in black and white with a cloud over me pouring down rain. Then the camera pans forward to see a ray of sunlight pouring on this truck, the two drivers are singing a happy song, accompanied by cartoon birds who are whistling.
I just wanted to be angry today because now I’m in an apathetic mood. I’m not happy, not sad, I’m just putting my nose to the grindstone and getting my work done for the day.
Sigh! I wish we’d have gone to Europe. I feel like I’m in a rut and need something to get me out of it.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The All Ages Show
I’ve had this project in my mind for many years. It’s been this nagging sensation burning right where my spine meets my skull. I’ve always talked about it, but never could force myself to actually do it. I always made up excuses about life getting in the way, being busy, the normal crap that we all say because we’re too lazy and enslaved to our televisions to get creative and do what we were meant to.
This is a memories project. Not just a project to remember, but a project to fill in gaps and build memories I never had. Mike Story was ripped from my… our lives too early. I guess you can say that about anyone that passes away, but for Mike, it’s sincere, not just something nice to say.
Its over ten years since he passed away riding his motorcycle along what I always imagined was a beautiful Californian mountain pass. Still after ten years, stories about Mike keep popping up from every obscure corner of the internet. I know because I scour it for keywords like New Speedway Kings and Mike Story all the time. It’s something I know my brothers do also. I think, in a way, we all feel the same, like we were ripped off. Something is incomplete. There are years and stories that never took place that were supposed to.
Mike made such an impression on people that websites like StlPunk had fan pages created for the New Speedway Kings. Or people recognize the last name and shoot an email asking if I knew Mike. It’s like we all collectively never got over it. We never had any sort of closure because deep down we knew it wasn’t supposed to close. Even now, I’m listening to his unfinished demo that was recorded in St. Louis, and I hear the potential, the growth from The All Ages Show. Things were just getting started.
Mike was supposed to teach us more about punk, music, and living life to the fullest. One of my only memories is that of Thanksgiving one year where he brought an acoustic guitar with him. I was maybe six or seven and could barely reach my short arm around the body of the guitar. Mike handed me a pick and told me to strum as three of his fingers danced on the neck. I was playing a power chord, or at least half of a power chord. My only exposure to “punk” at the time was a Violent Femmes album my dad had laying around and a Green Day “Dookie” cassette I blew my allowance on. This guitar was the missing puzzle piece. I loved singing along to the songs, but I didn’t know what else there was. He laid the basis for our education and then was gone before the mid-term. How unfair is that?
So this project is a selfish way for me to live vicariously through other people’s memories and try to piece together some sort of semblance of this idol I barely got to meet, but who made enough of an impact to get tattooed on my arm.
This is a memories project. Not just a project to remember, but a project to fill in gaps and build memories I never had. Mike Story was ripped from my… our lives too early. I guess you can say that about anyone that passes away, but for Mike, it’s sincere, not just something nice to say.
Its over ten years since he passed away riding his motorcycle along what I always imagined was a beautiful Californian mountain pass. Still after ten years, stories about Mike keep popping up from every obscure corner of the internet. I know because I scour it for keywords like New Speedway Kings and Mike Story all the time. It’s something I know my brothers do also. I think, in a way, we all feel the same, like we were ripped off. Something is incomplete. There are years and stories that never took place that were supposed to.
Mike made such an impression on people that websites like StlPunk had fan pages created for the New Speedway Kings. Or people recognize the last name and shoot an email asking if I knew Mike. It’s like we all collectively never got over it. We never had any sort of closure because deep down we knew it wasn’t supposed to close. Even now, I’m listening to his unfinished demo that was recorded in St. Louis, and I hear the potential, the growth from The All Ages Show. Things were just getting started.
Mike was supposed to teach us more about punk, music, and living life to the fullest. One of my only memories is that of Thanksgiving one year where he brought an acoustic guitar with him. I was maybe six or seven and could barely reach my short arm around the body of the guitar. Mike handed me a pick and told me to strum as three of his fingers danced on the neck. I was playing a power chord, or at least half of a power chord. My only exposure to “punk” at the time was a Violent Femmes album my dad had laying around and a Green Day “Dookie” cassette I blew my allowance on. This guitar was the missing puzzle piece. I loved singing along to the songs, but I didn’t know what else there was. He laid the basis for our education and then was gone before the mid-term. How unfair is that?
So this project is a selfish way for me to live vicariously through other people’s memories and try to piece together some sort of semblance of this idol I barely got to meet, but who made enough of an impact to get tattooed on my arm.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
An Amendment to Being all Manly
So this weekend, all my dude friends were pretty much booked up. Three people at work decided this was moving weekend.
Instead of a bunch of guys sitting around getting paid in beer and pizza (The international bro-moving currency) I had Y Chromosome help that would've made the Spice Girls proud.
Sal, my mom, and I were able to move a fridge by ourselves.
Sal, Beth, and mama Hickle were able to move about 40 heavy boxes (lots of labels read "Books" and "Weights") and move the rest of the furniture.
Sal and I were able to take down the washer and dryer by ourselves.
So thanks to the ladies for manning up and taking care of business.
GIRL POWER!
Instead of a bunch of guys sitting around getting paid in beer and pizza (The international bro-moving currency) I had Y Chromosome help that would've made the Spice Girls proud.
Sal, my mom, and I were able to move a fridge by ourselves.
Sal, Beth, and mama Hickle were able to move about 40 heavy boxes (lots of labels read "Books" and "Weights") and move the rest of the furniture.
Sal and I were able to take down the washer and dryer by ourselves.
So thanks to the ladies for manning up and taking care of business.
GIRL POWER!
Being all Manly and Stuff
We've officially moved in. It was a hectic weekend. This is what the schedule was like.
Friday:
1. Close on house at 10 am in Clayton
2. Get truck from St. Charles at 12:30
3. Grab dressers, refrigerator, and memories my mom wants to discard (jk) at 1pm
4. Haul booties back to St. Louis to move said items in
5. Move 30% of our stuff to new house
6. Use new found space in apartment to clean and pack the rest of stuff
Saturday:
1. Take apart rest of furniture
2. Move rest of 70% of stuff
3. Clean the apartment
4. Put together essential items: bed, television
Sunday:
1. Realized my wallet has been missing for several days
2. Run to Home Depot, Lowes, and Office Max looking for missing furniture. Completely unsuccessful. Beginning to hate Lowes for lack of help.
3. Return truck to St. Charles.
4. Unpack everything we own in a marathon 8 hour unpacking session
5. Locate wallet at 9 pm
6. Spend loads of money at Target getting stuff we need
7. Drink tallboys like construction workers at 11 pm
Monday:
1. Amend taxes to get government monies in North County
2. Pay loads of taxes
3. Final walk through of apartment in South City
4. Run to Home Depot to get more of that stuff you didn't realize you need
The Lowdown on the Neighbors
Thus far we're loving our neighbors. They came out one by one to greet us as we were unloading things. Neighbors next door: Mark, Dot, and Nick, have lived here for 30 years. Said the neighborhood is great. Mark is one of those look out for your neighbors types. Nick is 18 years old and was doing those clapping push-ups in his front yard. He is more man than me, might need to get a big dog to even the playing field.
Next to them are Sheila and her husband and I can't remember his name. Sheila is one of those personalities that sticks with you. Everything she sees me her face lights up and she screams down the street, "Hey Dan" while waving her arm in the air like a muppet.
The neighbors on the other side are Asian. I mean real honest to god, don't speak much English, Asian. We heard them talking loudly through their open window. One time when I was taking trash out, the guy was in the backyard with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, a tall boy sitting on the porch and was weed whacking the entire yard. He said, "Good neighbor" and gave me the thumbs up. I don't know if he was saying he is a good neighbor, or I'm a good neighbor, or saying, "Good, a neighbor."
All Those Things You Find When Moving In
There's been relatively few issues with the house thus far.
1. Problem solved: (for me at least)The garage door/garage size is a little too small for Sallie to comfortably park her car. Don't think she didn't try. I thought she was going to break her teeth with disappointment. The scooter, my ride, now has a full garage to itself.
2. Problem Solved: Our upstairs shower had wall on one side and window on the other so you couldn't use your typical shower rod. After multiple trips to Home Depot and debating on whether we had the right item, we bought a curved rod. I installed that tonight using a drill. It was nerve wrecking knowing that I couldn't just poke holes in my wall until I got it right, but I did just fine and feel like more of a man.
3. Problem still very much unsolved, mocks me in my sleep: The connections for our washer are leaking water everytime you turn it on. At first I though that it was the hoses because they are 15 year old rubber hoses. We bought some of those new steel ones. Still was leaking everywhere.
Then we got some plumbers teflon tape. We wrapped exactly how shown in the youtube video I looked up, multiple times, and never could completely stop the leak. It got much better where the actual male/female connection is, but now its leaking out of the actual female hose end.
I've been cursing a lot trying to solve this issue. Anyone that has any suggestions, please send them my way.
4. Problem Unsolved, but about to be: We own a ton of kitchen appliances that take up a lot of space. We have a rice cooker, two blenders, a soda maker, a toaster and a juicer that have always sorta been thrown wherever. Our current house doesn't have any of these whatever places. So we had to order a pot rack and a kitchen island butchers block thing for more storage. Those should be here later this week. Hopefully that will mean I can stop eating take out and start cooking my own food again.
5. Natures problem, not mine: There's so much sunlight. Like ridiculous amounts. This has put Crash in a good enough mood to where I think outsiders could bet her without losing their face, but it means if somethings wakes me up after 7 am, I'm up. Sallie is going to make curtains to solve this issue. Hopefully sunlight repelling blackout curtains.
Other than that, this house is great. We look forward to having people over, wandering around in our underwear, singing Rock Band songs until 2 in the morning, and not hearing the disgusting sounds of an overweight drug dealing vet tech and a steel toed boot wearing red neck.
Friday:
1. Close on house at 10 am in Clayton
2. Get truck from St. Charles at 12:30
3. Grab dressers, refrigerator, and memories my mom wants to discard (jk) at 1pm
4. Haul booties back to St. Louis to move said items in
5. Move 30% of our stuff to new house
6. Use new found space in apartment to clean and pack the rest of stuff
Saturday:
1. Take apart rest of furniture
2. Move rest of 70% of stuff
3. Clean the apartment
4. Put together essential items: bed, television
Sunday:
1. Realized my wallet has been missing for several days
2. Run to Home Depot, Lowes, and Office Max looking for missing furniture. Completely unsuccessful. Beginning to hate Lowes for lack of help.
3. Return truck to St. Charles.
4. Unpack everything we own in a marathon 8 hour unpacking session
5. Locate wallet at 9 pm
6. Spend loads of money at Target getting stuff we need
7. Drink tallboys like construction workers at 11 pm
Monday:
1. Amend taxes to get government monies in North County
2. Pay loads of taxes
3. Final walk through of apartment in South City
4. Run to Home Depot to get more of that stuff you didn't realize you need
The Lowdown on the Neighbors
Thus far we're loving our neighbors. They came out one by one to greet us as we were unloading things. Neighbors next door: Mark, Dot, and Nick, have lived here for 30 years. Said the neighborhood is great. Mark is one of those look out for your neighbors types. Nick is 18 years old and was doing those clapping push-ups in his front yard. He is more man than me, might need to get a big dog to even the playing field.
Next to them are Sheila and her husband and I can't remember his name. Sheila is one of those personalities that sticks with you. Everything she sees me her face lights up and she screams down the street, "Hey Dan" while waving her arm in the air like a muppet.
The neighbors on the other side are Asian. I mean real honest to god, don't speak much English, Asian. We heard them talking loudly through their open window. One time when I was taking trash out, the guy was in the backyard with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, a tall boy sitting on the porch and was weed whacking the entire yard. He said, "Good neighbor" and gave me the thumbs up. I don't know if he was saying he is a good neighbor, or I'm a good neighbor, or saying, "Good, a neighbor."
All Those Things You Find When Moving In
There's been relatively few issues with the house thus far.
1. Problem solved: (for me at least)The garage door/garage size is a little too small for Sallie to comfortably park her car. Don't think she didn't try. I thought she was going to break her teeth with disappointment. The scooter, my ride, now has a full garage to itself.
2. Problem Solved: Our upstairs shower had wall on one side and window on the other so you couldn't use your typical shower rod. After multiple trips to Home Depot and debating on whether we had the right item, we bought a curved rod. I installed that tonight using a drill. It was nerve wrecking knowing that I couldn't just poke holes in my wall until I got it right, but I did just fine and feel like more of a man.
3. Problem still very much unsolved, mocks me in my sleep: The connections for our washer are leaking water everytime you turn it on. At first I though that it was the hoses because they are 15 year old rubber hoses. We bought some of those new steel ones. Still was leaking everywhere.
Then we got some plumbers teflon tape. We wrapped exactly how shown in the youtube video I looked up, multiple times, and never could completely stop the leak. It got much better where the actual male/female connection is, but now its leaking out of the actual female hose end.
I've been cursing a lot trying to solve this issue. Anyone that has any suggestions, please send them my way.
4. Problem Unsolved, but about to be: We own a ton of kitchen appliances that take up a lot of space. We have a rice cooker, two blenders, a soda maker, a toaster and a juicer that have always sorta been thrown wherever. Our current house doesn't have any of these whatever places. So we had to order a pot rack and a kitchen island butchers block thing for more storage. Those should be here later this week. Hopefully that will mean I can stop eating take out and start cooking my own food again.
5. Natures problem, not mine: There's so much sunlight. Like ridiculous amounts. This has put Crash in a good enough mood to where I think outsiders could bet her without losing their face, but it means if somethings wakes me up after 7 am, I'm up. Sallie is going to make curtains to solve this issue. Hopefully sunlight repelling blackout curtains.
Other than that, this house is great. We look forward to having people over, wandering around in our underwear, singing Rock Band songs until 2 in the morning, and not hearing the disgusting sounds of an overweight drug dealing vet tech and a steel toed boot wearing red neck.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Why I Don't like Easter
Sallie and I weekly do our grocery shopping on Sunday. With the whole car thing happening on Saturday, we couldn't plan for Easter.
Today we got into our car, desperately looking for a grocery store open so I could make lunch for the week. Ultimate fail.
So, for lunch this week, I make pasta salad from a kit we had and tuna pasta salad. That's right, tomorrow I will be eating two forms of pasta salad.
Then I decided I would take matters into my own hands and make my own pasta so I could make crab raviolis. We only had three small eggs. I needed three large eggs. I started making the pasta dough with less flour and realized it was going to be waaaay too dry. So I go to 711, who we've bought eggs from before. Guess what, everyone else cleaned them out already.
So, tomorrow, I will be officially eating the worlds most boring meals.
Today we got into our car, desperately looking for a grocery store open so I could make lunch for the week. Ultimate fail.
So, for lunch this week, I make pasta salad from a kit we had and tuna pasta salad. That's right, tomorrow I will be eating two forms of pasta salad.
Then I decided I would take matters into my own hands and make my own pasta so I could make crab raviolis. We only had three small eggs. I needed three large eggs. I started making the pasta dough with less flour and realized it was going to be waaaay too dry. So I go to 711, who we've bought eggs from before. Guess what, everyone else cleaned them out already.
So, tomorrow, I will be officially eating the worlds most boring meals.
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