Category: Life

G Things

Anybody want a Gmail account? I’ve got some invitations to give away. Also, if anyone wants into Google’s Orkut network, let me know. It’s pretty neat; it’s like Friendster but with more features and it generally is less buggy. I’ve started communities for Incredible Moses Leroy and Linus of Hollywood. So far there are only two members for each, myself and a girl named Jamie from Indiana. She’s got good taste in music. Her livejournal is here.

I forgot to mention, last Saturday I took my first guitar lesson in 14 years. Well, maybe 12 or 13 years, but the weird part for me is that, at 28 I have now been playing guitar for half my life. I feel like I should be better than I am. So I’m taking jazz guitar lessons from Perry Israel at Romco Drums in the Heights on alternating Saturdays.

I still teach students myself, and I just recently got an email from a remarkably attractive woman by the name of Pamela Manning who is looking for lessons. We’ll probably start next week.

Sadness

Natalie broke up with me last night. She said she wanted to be single again. I’d almost prefer she drop me for another guy rather than choose to be alone instead of with me.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be wandering the freeway in my pajamas muttering the words to the Righteous Brothers’ 1965 classic “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.”

New Plog

I can only get so much done in my hour-long lunch break. Here’s a new plog. If I write in this journal less frequently, then it only serves to indicate that I have a life and I’m living it rather than writing about it. At least that’s what I’ll keep telling myself.

Finally Back

The European vacation travelogue is here. It took most of last Saturday to complete, so that alone is reason enough to peruse its 7 pages of trippy goodness.

Sunday I made up for lost time by having a fine lunch outdoors at Pizza Cafe courtesy of Heather. Then she, Carter, and Liz and I went to the park to play a low-impact round of frisbee before giving up and just sitting somewhere. We then went to Shakey’s for frosty custard things, and Barnes & Noble. Shortly thereafter Heather and I joined up with Brian and John Mumford (did I mention the Mumfords are now on their vacation in the States?) to go over to Matt’s house to smash things. Have I mentioned the Smashing of Things? This was the second time we gathered at Matt’s to destroy old computer hardware – a monitor, a server – a la Office Space. It’s great fun. Hopefully we can do it regularly. After that, Heather and I went to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind which I highly recommend.

I further recommend, nay, implore that you attend, a screening of Kevin Smith’s new film, Jersey Girl. Kev has done some of his best work and I think people may assume that Ben Affleck’s presence equals bomb, but they are mistaken. This movie needs to make money, people, so hop to it. Natalie and I went to see it Monday night and it’s great – no stoner gags or comic book fanboy lingo, either, just a straight-up funny flick about being a parent.

Last night I went for a nice walk up the street and stopped off at the video store where I picked up a Flying Circus tape that contained the original versions of Argument Clinic and Spanish Inquisition. Delightful.

From Merrie England

Thanks to the wonders of anonymous FTP (and my meager skills coding with Notepad – the Right Way), I’m typing this to you from the Mumford flat at Fernthorpe Road in South London. I have a bit of free time, as motivating Tara to rise and bathe has proved to be a near Herculean task. We were going to meet Angel at noon, but that quickly became logistically impossible so we moved it back to 2pm. Currently the weather cannot decide if it wants to be rainy or sunny – a dilemma with which it wrangles frequently. Last night I saw Michael Manring play at the Troubadour. Solo bass guitar – bloody marvelous (yes, I type British as well as speak it). Hopefully today I will meet up with Jan Cyrka as well.

Guess what? I bought yet another guitar. I had free time in Dallas before meeting up with Tara, so I stopped off at one of the large pawn shops in Dallas. And there it was, a black Ibanez RG7621 7-string (exactly the same model as I own, but I had mine painted all swirly). The price tag: $150. Mind you I bought my RG a few years ago on ebay for $400. They listed for around $700 as I recall. And if my father instilled anything in me, he gave me a congenital disability to pass up a good deal. So I bought it. No case, so I asked if I could take some tools with the deal. They had a big table full of crusty tools from which I took wire cutters, a screwdriver and a hammer (I needed a hammer for the apartment and I needed the screwdriver in case I had to take the neck off to stick the instrument in my backpack). I then moved on to my rendezvous point at Guitar Center where I purchased a cleaning kit and some strings. I sat in the GC parking lot clipping off the strings and cleaning off the caked layers of finger muck. The guitar was made in 1999, and clearly had not been cleaned since. Eventually we got to the airport and I inquired about closet space for the instrument, and there was room to be found. So naturally I had to surrender my wire cutters and screwdriver to the nice security people. Oh well, they were free. So there I was walking around airports with my luggage and my stringless guitar. And did I mention that British Airways absolutely rules? They have the best in-flight meals and the best entertainment options – multiple movie channels, multiple audio channels. Mostly I listened to the best of REM, the Best of Tori Amos, and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.”

I went to the Tate Modern Gallery yesterday to witness the last days of the Weather Project. It is an amazing sight to witness, as were the Picassos and Rodins and Pollocks. We capped the day with a fine dinner atop the museum.

Aside from all the things to do and see, I’m mostly just enjoying being back in London. It still feels comfortable and familiar. Maybe I’ll tell you more as the week progresses.

Return of the Son of Plog

New plog. My weekend was fun. I’m looking into buying a house. I don’t know if I’m ready for all the extra expenses. There’s a really great house on Woodrow near my place. $105,000, though. Do I make enough money for that? Nervousness defines me lately. This is such a big thing.

Google Boondoggle and Meeting the Parents

Evidently Google has started smoking crack. The ranks for a lot of my clients appear to be based on CrackRank™ technology, whereby the #1 position is determined by a blindfolded monkey who has been spun around several times in the dark.

Friday night I met Natalie’s family for a big steak dinner at their place. They’re a fun bunch. Just as friendly and offbeat and smart and talented as she is, which only makes sense I suppose. The food was fantastic and afterward we adjourned to the living room for music and relaxation. Apparently everyone in the family plays an instrument – Natalie played some piano, her mom played as well, along with Natalie’s brother James on soprano sax. Maybe I’ve not been to enough homes, but I feel like this sort of familial merriment just doesn’t happen much anymore.

And her dad gave me Costa Rican beer. In fact I don’t recall any non-specialty beer in their fridge. Which is really nice.

Ill Communication

I get the weirdest illnesses. Mostly symptomless malaises. Since Wednesday I’ve had a fever, my body temperature has been up and down (I feel hot and kinda sweaty), and I’m tired and slightly headachy. Kinda congested, but not more than usual. I figured it would have cleared up by now. I was hoping to go to Harrison tomorrow, but who knows now. Every morning I wake up sweaty and heavy-tired. I feel hot and cold simultaneously. I think I might be even sicker if I weren’t on so many vitamins and immune-booster meds. I just want to be healthy again! Wah!