notebook

uptown belltown saturday night

First off, a big shout out to Shade-dog in SF holding it down and keeping it real.

Nothing says Saturday night like a purple Range Rover with 5 television screens and set of shiny spinner rims. That was the last thing I remember after the end of a dope evening at See Sound Lounge which had some clean, bouncy and very deep house courtesy of Jeff's friend DJ Paul Smith (up from San Francisco) and Jay Tripwire. The video artist running loops also freaked things in a very fresh and appropriate manner.

Jeff got macked on by the ladies and definitely got his share of freak on. I just watched the crazies and did the boogaloo as usual. The random cross-dressers in effect somehow made me feel more comfortable as See Sound seems to attract shiny-shirted-ness: stiff Biff types and posh femmes. The waitstaff is very attractive and the decor is clean, urban and minimalist. Despite appearances, there is usually the likelihood that a friendly atmosphere will sneak in the door or collect mysteriously within the confines of the all too tiny dancefloor. They really need to rethink the furniture layout. See Sound was especially friendly and fun on Saturday.

In Jeff's case the friendliness got really friendly outta nowhere. It certainly fit the theme of his birthday weekend which started Thursday evening and powered through to Saturday night. The official celebration at his favorite haunt/bar En on Friday was great and the music coming from the turntables went back and forth between the two of us during the evening. The patrons put up with us until it finally ended after a bit of double-teaming 2-track style. That was really fun. Percolator straight into Brighter Days? Shiiiiiiit. Aw-Aw Yeah.

This now counts as an official post. Woot. Real news on it's merry way when it damn well feels like it. Poot.

Jig Jig Jig, Jig-AH!

i should post something

Gas is 2.69 here but I mostly ride my bike. I bought some plants today and I'm going to repot and swap around my current greenery and relocate some of them to new containers. Finally found the horsetail (Equisetum hyemale L. � scouringrush horsetail) I was looking for but it's mighty tall. A snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) and a Ruby Stilletto (Luzula) should also help strengthen the puny showing my current plants are giving which is mostly my fault for being neglectful. Kristin: You will need to go to that nursery for sure, so add that to your itinerary for any upcoming visit.

Work is lovely but I'm slow as always. I'm really going to need to crank on some stuff this next week. A million little personal loose ends to handle this weekend BUT my apartment is clean. Tomorrow? Groceries, bills, computer work, plants, popcap work and generally in that order. I'm sure there will be some recreation and procrastination jammed in there somewhere. When will I ever reorganize my vinyl? Ha. At least I'm spinning it a lot more these days.

John, Greg and Nina: I will get around to your art and web design stuff soon. Calls will be happening on Sunday if my phone cooperates.

phone is un-broken

I went to the downtown Verizon store at 10am to get a replacement phone. Sadly they had no replacements of the exact same model in the store. On top of that I learned that I do not have insurance (which is $5 more per month), instead I have the extended warranty. Typically the extended warrany does not cover screen damage (the LCD was blitzkrieged) but because the rest of the phone was not powering on or responding in any way they were kind enough to issue me with an identical replacement for a $50 fee in accordance with my warranty.

I asked about getting a replacement phone of another kind in the store but there was some replacement/upgrade date that I had not reached yet. The fellow helping me asked his manager but he was told they could not change the date. A store in Woodinville was my only option for the replacement other than waiting until Thursday for a new shipment. I got some very specific directions and headed out on the 20 minute drive.

Because SeaFair has been going on I took note of traffic backing up in the opposite direction. Upon arriving at the store I also found out that the floating bridge I took on route 522 would be closed at noon for the water/air show. The super friendly folks at the Woodinville store also told me that they would have happily moved up my replacement/upgrade date so I could get a new phone. Since I drove all the way down there I just went with the identical replacement as it would be cheaper and allow me to finish my contract and reconsider the upgrade at a later date. They also advised me to take 522/Lake City Way into Seattle.

Before heading home I stopped in at the nearby Linens and Things and told myself if they had one of the two vaccuums I was investigating, I would buy one. I left with a Red Roomba from iRobot and some friendly advice to check next Sunday's circular for a 20% off one item for a post-purchase in-store rebate.

Though 522 was a slow and winding city-country-city sort of road, it was a pleasant and scenic route full of businesses with funny signs and odd names. I haven't gotten much done yet today but it's a fresh sunny day and plenty cool in the apartment. Lots of odd jobs to get done today so I'm playing some tunes and hoping I'll get a few more calls about my odds and ends for sale on craigslist. Wish I could put my computer work on autopilot.

my phone is broken

Due to a railslide to slideout to ass-slap-n-slide, my cell phone is out of commission. Anyone who needs to contact me should use email or instant messenger until this is rectified - hopefully sometime Sunday. A Dick Tracy style wrist phone would be much safer to skate with. Normally it stays at home but I've skated with the silly thing a grand total of three times. How charming. At least I was wise enough to pay for insurance. Ah, the dreaded deductible.

lame day

My hard drive contents at work were recovered and still I've gotten a miniscule amount of work done this week. I realized I'm an idiot on many levels and continue to be my own worst nightmare. But my weaknesses are my strengths and so I laugh with glee as I recall the wisdom of an author now since passed on to the ether.

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
- Douglas Adams

Even now I plan the havoc I will wreak on those poor non-fools who get in my way. Hapless computer systems spread across this vast land will soon feel my wrath as I upgrade locales and migrate large quantities of data. Pray that you do not waft into the wake of my digital storm. Even the mighty El Furioso cannot rebuff my senseless and untamed advance.

Obviously I didn't eat enough today and I'm a little hallucinogenic regarding my upcoming work this weekend. Time marches on and I'm still sitting pretty, all things considered. I mean, I could be standing in backed up sewage.

attack mode

Weird day. I feel all revved up but I didn't go very far. Late last night I was at the office assembling my Fix Figuration Gundam #0021a Gundam F90 and Fix Figuration Zeonography #3002b Tropical Test Type Dom. If you don't think action figures can be hard to 'assemble' you would be wrong. Let's just say these things kick ass and have a zillion different configurations and options - big guns being the most prominent theme.

Today was filled with: my work hard drive mysteriously dying around noon, going to play full court basketball at lunch time and later trying to get some work done on a spare machine. The tail end of the day was capped by a delicious meal and some art making. Or the start of some art making - still... progress.

The hard drive situation does not look good but somehow I feel rather calm and happy. Maybe that's good cheer and exhaustion talking, but I think it's something more than that. Thanks to everyone who made my day so much more lovely. Just a bit of thoughtfulness provided great new possibilities. Even the bearers of bad news give me hope as they continue to work their magic.

Cardboard Gundams to Counter-Readiness!

zzz...

verbal time machines

NOTE: Avert your eyes and visit not the links herein, lest delicate constitutions be sullied inordinately.

"Would the fountain of your mind were clear again, that I might water an ass at it."
Shakespearean Insulter

"What floods of bliss! What melting transports! What agonies of delight!"
Victorian Sex Cry Generator

P.S.
Q: What do you call a clairvoyant midget who just broke out of prison?
A: A small medium at large.

Bootney On the Ropes?

Not content to let his royal namesake get the best of him, Bootney battles back with a dusty but trusty brace of tunes from his House crate. Oh, it's a little rusty in spots but hopefully the trainwrecks don't ruin the more lovely moments in this brief slice of summer-time dance action. Just when you thought Lord Farnsworth had the upper hand, Bootney bounces off the ropes to put you on ice.

Bootney Farnsworth - On the Rocks (54MB, 59min) playlist

Lord Farnsworth returns

Well, it might be most accurate to say he never came by the first time. Even if Bootney can't get a grip on those house mixes of his, Lord Farnsworth is willing to let it hang out on a quick summer-time release for all the lovely ladies and bad boys. Dance hall much respect, so wine up them waistlines in proper fashion and enjoy the melancholy summertime grooves and wicked toasting.

Lord Farnsworth - Soul Hall (38.8 MB, 42min 28sec) playlist

Please do be kind to my bandwidth and download once for your local playing pleasure.

ghetto rock and how nerds roll

I know I'm out of the loop because I don't watch TV or hit up the online music video sites but a recent IdN I picked up had a DVD with some interesting content. One of my favorites was the Mos Def video Ghetto Rock. Toru, if you haven't seen this music video, check it. I think I might pick up the album while I'm trying to track down some Ladytron vinyl at Easystreet Records down the way.

Other highlights were:

Animated Honda diesel engine ad with music and vocals by Garrison Keiler.

Animated spot for a British music thingy that ran a humorous A-Z of music legends

Girl skateboard family DVD catalog thingy

Some sick Shin Okada footage, poppin and flippin the crap out of his skateboard

A neat BMW ad that was funky but slick featuring tortoises, wobbly legged fawns and a little girl on a tricycle

IdN v12 n2: Extreme Sport Design
(kiss a designer/skateboarder! you'll feel all cool and stuff)

World of ExtremeSportsDesignCraft Weapon Stats

Jive Grip of Biking: +26 Speed/Agility
Honed Splinter of Skating: +15 THACO (To Hit Asphalt Class Zero)
Rusty Rail of Snowboarding: +2 Cold Resistance
Grid of Kerning and Leading: +5 Precision
Stylus of Plumbum: +30 Persistence
Onyx Cube of Calculation: +10 Ingenuity, -3 Patience
THPS 1, 2, 3 and 4: +1 All Stats, +4 Button Pushing, -1 CTS Resistance

overheard

Q: How you gonna make any money on that?

A: It's low income.

Two grey-haired, cigar-smoking men chat in the alley behind their real estate office while I fly by on my bike at the end of my morning commute.

Ezekiel 16:49

49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

geidel family reunion 2005

Just some photos, which are mostly of or from planes, trains and automobiles but there are a few family shots too. Some random Seattle additions too. Sadly I did not have my camera with me when I hung out with Jeff on the evening of the 4th of July. The roof of his apartment building had a great view of the fireworks barge in Puget Sound. The show lasted a really long time and was pretty exciting. Though I don't think the seagulls really thought so.

Mostly working and skating these days, still trying to catch up on bills and debt etc. If I get a title back from the Illinois DMV in the next few weeks I can finalize my temporary Washington registration and give the little red Honda what may be it's final set of plates as it toughs out it's random jaunts and cries out, "wickety wackety wickety wackety" from it's front right axle boot. Poor thing thought it could retire in San Diego but I've forced Seattle's rain and wind into all it's nether regions. Sadly my main transportation - the svelte Centurion - has similar issues with the nightly uphill climb to my apartment and all the time it spent parked out in the rain. A new bottom bracket for the bike is much more appealing than car repairs.

Oh yeah... I have work tomorrow. Zzz.

photo retrospective

The photo section now has mad, mad photos. For real. Due to laziness the archive only harkens back to circa 2003 or so. Still, there's plenty to look at. You might even find yourself if you look hard enough. Most of them are just glamour shots and sexy candids of yours truly. Lots of arty shots for the emos and the lovers. I may have to pull out the �ber compositions into their own "super-fly art-style mode" album. Captions for the photos might be added in time but for now you just get the default/implied thousand word's worth.

late nights

The past few days have been an intense mix of strange and unique experiences. Sometimes I worry that I only have so many good things in my future and I'm squandering them, using them up in some sort of strange greed only to be disappointed when I have nothing left in the days ahead. Other times I realize how ridiculous that is and I remain astounded that so many wonderful things have happened to me up to now. Some things I dream about but I'll never reach - mostly due to my own shortcomings. Most of the good things find me rather than the other way around. Usually it's a random "Yes" that puts an entirely new spin on things. Often opportunity exists due only to blind luck and the generosity and caring of others.

Tonight I went out for a long skate downtown to clear my head. I've never worried about dying young but I am concerned with being hobbled in some awful way. It might seem antithetical but skateboarding feels like a way of steeling myself against infirmity.

In an effort to freshen up these old joints I practiced my pop over a skateboard sized traffic cone. I was amazed that after a bit of concentration and relaxation I was able to huck myself over cleanly and fairly consistently. I started with several inches of help from a curb but some mental focus and positivity neutralized the intimidation of facing it alone on the flat pavement. I have many limitations in the skateboard arena but it's nice to reign in those old standards that I used to enjoy in my prime. That gangly pop is definitely among them even if it is only a silly split second flash of timing and sucking your knees up to your chin. If only the heelflip would come back and be my friend a bit more regularly.

Some things are all about timing and patience. There are those times when we just never quite make the most of our windows of opportunity. Still we try. Even now I can keep chipping away at those things I was good at back in the day and those things I've always wanted to do.