Hello Milwaukee, Love New York

2007-04-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

A lot of you have asked where I have been. Well, OK, one person has asked, but these things can snowball. I have found it necessary to go "underground" because of circumstances beyond my control. I apologize for not being able to speak more openly of specifically about this, but the less you know the better. It is for your own good.

Here is a picture of my room. The more clever among you might be able to figure out where this is, from visual clues. Then you can come and visit me. But be careful. I do not take kindly to unannounced visitors!

Things will not always be this way. It may not be long before I return with more stories of the health club, complaints about stoplights, and observations on the bike trail. But until then, let me leave you with this quote:

There is no quote. I was just getting carried away there!

--R. Speen, April 2007

2007-01-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Rock-a-Billy or New Age?

If you had to be a type, would you be a Rock-a-Billy or a New Ager?

2007-01-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

The space heater is on.

I'm reading the book Middlesex, and have been walking around in this Greek, detriot-ish, maybe I'm a lesbian, haze. You have to read it!

Do you think books really make people smarter, or do they just make you better at being an interesting conversationlist? You know, one of those people that can really hold there own no matter what subject is brought up. Usually during the wine induced after dinner conversation at the soon to be parents, aging hipster's house, on Thanksgiving.

Of course I'm a little neurotic...
name one person who isnt!

2006-12-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

Here I am with Marko at my work's Xmas party.

2006-12-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

What is up with that new Justin Timberlake Song?

Hey, Happy Holidays Everyone! Yesterday I spent 24 hours with the dud making and decorating x-mas cookies. First we made the dough, right before we went to bed Thursday night. Then we got up, rolled the dough out, and baked the cookies..which if you have ever made cookies using cookie cutters, you'll understand why it took us like 4 hours to make about 3 dozen cookies. It's a pain...but we got along, and he was stoned the majority of the time...so it was pretty mellow. After that you have to let the suckers cool. I invited Tassy and Jordan over to help decorate later in the evening. They showed up soaking wet, with sandwiches from the "God Bless You Deli" in hand...which I thought was sort of festive. It took us a few hours to decorate the cookies, I'll post pics soon of the outcome.
I do love xmas, and I'm so happy I didn't go home to Milwaukee for the holidays this year. I HATE traveling during the holidays. Everyone is crazed and you wind up in a petrie dish of an airplane breathing in other people's sneezes. This is my first xmas in New York (I've lived here for 3 years now, can you believe it?). It's warm today, maybe about 55 degrees. I walked out of my boyfriend's apartment this morning and was pushed around by all the polish people rushing around, buying their final Chirstmas sauages. (Can you imagine what their colons must look like?)

What's up with that new Justin Timberlake Song? The one that's like: Get your sexy on (go Hippy Go!) Get your sexy on (go Hippy Go!) I heard it 3 times yeaterday, and I dont even have a radio, I just heard it while I was walking around, in stores and cars. Is it really that great of a song? Or is it just Justin Timberlake's last hope for success...him and his gf both seem to really be moving towards the "B Scale" of the celebrity list. Did they both just get new publisists? I noticed that Cameron Diaz re-vamped her look by dying her hair dark brown and posing for the cover of some fashion magazine. The cover shouts: "Look my hair is dark now, instead of light. I have a whole new attitude towards life and myself."

What is with all the blonds dying their hair dark this season...Britney Spears dyed her hair mousey brown which looks awful combined with all that 'I had two babies in two years baby fat.'
And Nicole Richie showed up on the cover of every trash magazine dyed brown after she drove down an LA freeway the wrong way, and then parked her car on the off ramp so she could chat on her cellphone. Maybe she was drunk with the power of looking like a smart brunette? It was either that or all the vicodin and marijuana she said she had consumed that day. But at least she's not a heroin addict anymore!

I got the teaching job.

2006-12-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Teaching Job in Brooklyn

I'm 90% sure I got a teaching job at a college in Brooklyn..I'm pretty excited about the whole thing, it's out in this area called Manhattan beach/Brighten Beach..way out by Coney island, it's primarily a Russian area..it's pretty wild, all these tiny little smoky Russian restaurants.
One place called the Apollo theatre is an old movie theatre that they turned into a Russian restaurant. Then, once you get out to the beach area, there are these huge homes, it looks kind of like Lake Drive in Milwaukee. In a matter of a block it goes from crazy urban Brooklyn, with trash and grime everywhere, to old Tudor homes on a beach front.
The two women I may work with were these really wonderful women in their 50's. Art teacher types, sharp and creative with a ton of life experience..love it.
I was a little put off by the communte out there, but once I met these two professor ladies I was totally sold on teaching the class. Who you work with-for makes all the difference. Did I mention that the 70 acre campus is surronded on three sides by water? The Atlantic Ocean, Jamaica Bay and Sheepshead Bay. yep

2006-12-05T06:21:00.000-08:00

Two new drawings!

Me and my man spend a lot of our time drawing together. Which is good, because then one doesnt feel all that capitalism guilt for not doing something productive with your time. I guess we all feel like that sometimes when we're sitting on the couch watching the 3rd DVD in a row, eating Thai take out, watching our bodies slowly stretch out-hips and stomachs...wondering "what did I do with my life before I got involved in this relationship?"
The first one is called "Hawaii" and the second one is just a sunset.

2006-12-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

I went to a Eckerd pharamacy (like walgreens) yesterday in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Manhattan Ave. The pharamacy is in an old rollar skating rink..they basically just laid carpet over the rink, and put shelves everywhere. The disco ball is still hanging from the ceiling, and you still walk down a ramp to get into the large circular area where the rink used to be to be, but now they sell shower gel and 100 packs of plastic forks.

2006-10-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I found Rayspeen's blog!
http://rayspeen.blogspot.com/

2006-10-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Nothing's easy

I'm having one of those "WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE DAYS". You ever have those?
Should I get married and settle down and try to own a house?
Should I worry about 401K?
Would that be selling out?
Should I just try really hard to live in the present?
Am I still an artist.
Do artists suck?
Should I move back to Milwaukee to be close to my friends?
Are people in Milwaukee too sensitive for my sense of humor?

Why does eveyone talk so loud?
Will I still be questioning everything no matter what I do, or where I live?

I'm tired and my roommates are having some sort of weed fest with their ex-boyfriends downstairs. THEY WONT SHUT UP! I have no escape. I am trying to play Smog really loud as to drown out their voices, and calm my nerves.
Next, I'm going to try to meditate really hard in hopes of proving to myself that I am strong willed and can overcome any obstacle without losing consentration.
Basically, I'm going ot try focus.

2006-10-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Milwaukee.

Every night I was in Milwaukee this past weekend, I had a dream that I was in bed with a different Milwaukee boy. I'm not going to name names, becuase then I'd really get myself in trouble.
In every dream, I turned to the Milwaukee boy and thought "This is really fun, but I have a boyfriend in New York. I have to stop."
I guess I still have crushes on people there. It's so easy to do that in Milwaukee...here you just never really see people again, so you don't have the chance to ever build up a decent crush on anyone.
It was wonderful to see all my friends again.
ALthough I'm worried that a lot of people are falling out of love in Milwaukee. It's like everyone feel in love, got married, then there was this baby frenzy...and now people are questioning their relationships.
"Still waters run deeper", I guess is the best advice you can give to anyone that is bored and disatisfied with their relationships. Babies and relgion are really the only thing that keep people together after the fire has burned out.
Comments?

2006-09-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

new song posted!
just finished it, and I made it with the dud!
www.myspace.com/destrydorro

2006-09-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Things that are changing as I get older.

1. As I get older I am becoming much more feminine
2. I like people more, and get all "softie" around friends at the end of the night as we depart
3. I hug and touch my friends 10 or 20 times more than I ever did in my 20's.
4. I can no longer eat onions
5. I am not afriad of saying the word love or miss to friends.
6. I care less about my career and more about the people around me
7. People call me sweetheart, and they used to call me bitch
8. My hair is turning grey
9. I drink gallons of water on a daily basis to keep my skin hydrated and free of wrinkles
10. I have more patience with negative people

2006-09-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Another amazing backyard jam!

Went to an amazing party in this woman's backyard last night...
there were tons of great bands that played acoustic music around a small fire. It was unbelieveable. There were all these great singers, guitar players, kazoos, xylophone, hooters. It was magical. My stoner dud even played a few songs. Such a cutie. I went with my friend Sally, who is so much fun to be around. When I talk to her I feel like I'm talking to a conversational genius. Like she knows when to stop talking, and when to ask a question, and when to tell a story...conversations are all about ques and timing...and being interesting.

The woman that put it on is amazing and you can listen to her music here:

http://www.myspace.com/spidersongs

2006-09-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Been a total slacker on here lately.
This past Labor Day weekend I went to Boston for a wedding. My friend Kara married into a wealthy east coast Indian family, and man what a wedding! It was a Hindi wedding, and they flown 5 priests over from India, the ceremony was 2 hours long, and everyone sat on the floor and watched...it was like nothing I had ever seen. There were also two nights of dancing. I learned the sort of Bollywood dances, I also did some major dirty dancing with my roommate Melissa, Alyssa, and Loren. All my old grad school buddies were there, it was a bit of a renuion. I will post pictures soon.
The food was amazing, indian family style at every table, there were over 500 quests. We were bused all over the place..the buses has TV's and we watched Police Academy during the ride.
I got my own hotel room, it had a huge bathtub, and a porch. It was a Wyhndam hotel, (I used to work at a Wynhdam in Milwaukee, and I would serve wedding parties food, it was funny to be on the other side of the table).
My friend's Jeff and Annie accidently ordered a porn called "MILF and Cookies" they accidently ordered it twice, so they had to go down to checkout desk and explain that they accidently ordered MILF and Cookies, and the guy at the desk was trying really hard not to laugh.

2006-08-25T07:46:00.001-07:00

An Amazing New York Night!!

Last night Theresa, and Xav, and Polina, and Kim and Lillie (in this picture with Xav standing in the backyard covered with the tent) and a few other performers from Providence came to my house, and we had performance night in the backyard, Milwaukee style! It was raining so this guy Luke covered the whole backyard in a huge silver aluminum tent...it was like we were in this large silver tent womb, and we lit it with table lambs, x-mas lights...and spot lights. I have a really large backyard, it was really fantastic! Sara Price came and tons of other Milwaukee folks, and a bunch of NYC friends...it was a hit! After we all performed our acts (I performed a Donovan song "Colors" with Tassy and Lillie (age 7) played the tamborine. But we did it as a sing along, and Sarah Price held up these huge cue cards with the words on them so the crowd could sing along! And they did! It was wonderful because the last lines of that song are about freedom.) other people began going up on the stage and performaing all sorts of songs randomly (the stoner dud sang a song and played guitar with this local singer named SPider that I am a really big fan of)...random NYC acts..lots of guitar and folk singing. It ended with Siebren leading a 2 hour jam...it was such a New York Dream!
A wonderful positive vibe, I felt like I was really part of a community last night..New York is really started to turn itself around for me.
Thanks Theresa for talking me into having the show, it was the best thing I've done here yet.

Thanks Jeff, for saying you like my blog. Although, these days I have seriously been considering taking the whole darn thing down. What with all the problems with posting a picture of my new boyfriend, and my ex-boyfriend seeing it, and flipping out, and weird people that enjoy the idea of enemies looking at my site...and causing problems. You just never know who's looking at your site, and who you can trust. Please everyone let's all try to be positive about ourselves and others.

-hippy lady

2006-08-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

I have been smoking way too many cigareetes.

We had a HUGE rager last Friday at out house. It was a dance party, and I think over 150 people showed up. It was like "Animal House."
It was Melissa, SIebren, and 2 other Leo's dance party b-day celebration.
Here are some pics...I boogied in the backyard for hours.

2006-08-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

milwaukeecares@hotmail.com

So, last Friday I get 4 text messages from James. They say such things as "you fucking cunt, how could you send me an email with a link to your blog? Did you want me to see a pic of you and your new man?"
I didn't send him anything. Hadn't sent him an email in weeks. I wrote and called him to let him know that whatever email he recieved, wasn't from me.
He calmed down, and forwarded the email to me. It was from the email address: milwaukeecares@hotmail.com (so creepy)

and it included just a link to my blog. This was sent to James the day after I had posted a picture of me and the guy I am seeing.
James was devestated, I dont know who would do such a thing to him...it's so sad, it really wrecked him. He feels like someone intentionally tried to hurt him.
Whoever you are, friend or foe...let it be known you really hurt James.

I had to pull my blog and change the url...so that explains the move

Anyways, the new news is that Tassy and James are going out to dinner together tonight.
So, how do you like that Mr. milwaukeecares@hotmail.com

2006-07-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

The most ironic photo in the world

Here's a photo I took in Greenpoint yesterday. It's a picture of an oil slick running down the river, right next to a bottled water truck, Poland Spring. Greenpoint=Polish people..

2006-07-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Yummy Taco

Hey all you wonderful friends.
I still haven't heard from stoner dud. Very peculiar.
Last night I went to my favorite taco spot "Yummy Taco" on Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint. Only 1 dollar for a chili bean hard shell taco. Ever since seeing the opening scene in Jackie Brown (the old original first 70's Jackie Brown) where Jackie's brother tries to convince two police officers to stick around longer by discussing the goodness of the taco they just purchased at a taco stand I have been on the hunt for the perfect cheap hardshell taco.
I've succedded in getting Tassy and her friend Jordon totally hooked too. When I first started going there it was always empty. It's run by two Chinese guys, and is decorated like a crappy chinese reastarant, with weird sad looking goldfish and drop ceilings. There's also a 12 foot wide light box illuminating an old purplish faded sea scene. My bet is that the picture has probably been hanging in many different restaurants and now has landed in a fast food mexi-chinese shop in this Polish neighborhood, only in NYC. They have exactly 100 items on their menu. Listed 1-100. The logo is in sort of a hippy font. The place is such a conglomerate of like 15 different cultures.
We hang out there a lot, meet there. I have to say that, since we've been going there more and more people have been coming in. Last night it was packed! It's part of that rule that one usually wont go into a restaurant unless you see other people there. We are the draw.

Here is a new song I've been working on..not done yet:

Riding my bike through the sand
Orange circle sun burning my hands
I touched a cactus and it felt like love
Then gave it a kick and gave it a hug
My Lips are cracked, hair's turned to dirt
Tumbleweeds roll by and catch on my skirt

Chorus:
Tumbleweeds
I said tumbleweeds

Horizon line is crooked ahead
Comes to a point and then plays dead
ALong the line took the wrong route
left me traveling through
this loney drought
Lonely Drought
Lonely Drought

ancor and kite are in my sky
as the sun goes down and the dust blows by
Tumbleweeds

Chorus:

2006-07-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Pictures

So here are some pictures of my New York City best friend. She is the best, and hey doesn't she look like the type of best friend one would want in NYC? Also here is a picture of a weird nude photograph sticker that I found stuck on the subway car.

2006-06-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

better pic

2006-06-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

new painting!

2006-06-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

This is How We Do It

I've slowly started to form a small little clique of my own here..me, tassy, and my friend paul (who is from Milwaukee) Last night Tassy and I went to this amazing Macrobiotic Japanese restaurant, Souen Restaurant 28 E. 13th St. I know about by Union Square. It is sort of like a Japanese hippy place, with tons of plants, and really cool people working, it's always packed...the place is beautiful, and the food is fairly cheap. I had spicy tuna rools and tea (the rolls were made with brown rice) Tassy had squash, and tofu saute with peanut sauce. For dessert we had this amazing black seasame tofu moose...OH MY GOD! And we had a bread pudding with tofu whipped cream, and fresh blueberry sauce...everything at this place is out of this world...made with organic ingredients. They have amazing variations on tofu, and most things are wheat free.

I called Paul and asked if he was in the city, he said he was in Union Square...two blocks away from the restaurant. We met in union square and watched a christian group sing songs about the lord in a circle...they were amzing just clapping and singing at the top of their lungs, I really started to feel them.

We headed to the Williamburg Bridge from Union Square and walked across (I've never walked across that bridge before, there is something really "Batman the movie" about it)...then we walked home from there...all the way back to Greenpoint
On the way home with tassy (Paul had left towards Bushwick) we walked down Lorimer past this Latino guy who was pissing right there out in the open...he was probably younger than us, and his friend was standing on the other side of the sidewalk...and while he was pissing, he looked at us, and said "yeah girls, this is how we do it!"
....and continued to say shit to us until we couldn't hear him anymore. Then, while I was walking a huge rat jumped out of a trash can right by my hand, and I freaked out and ran, which caused tassy to run...

and she said "Why are we running?"

I said, "I saw a rat by my hand" and we stopped running and laughed.

We walked through Mcarren Park and then on down Manhattan Ave...walked right into the Eat Records guy that had broken up with Tassy about 4 days earlier. The eat records guy was walking hand in hand with his ex-girlfriend. (We call her big boobs).
He pretended like he didn't see Tassy and walked past us, but Tassy turned around and yelled his name out. He stopped in his tracks, turned, and we continued to walk.
Tassy was pretty bumbed after that, and I just kept telling her not to think about it. I dropped her off at Kent and Manhattan, and headed to home sweet home, across the street from the cabby chop shop, inhaling the fumes from the BQE and the Pulaski Bridge.

Tonight I'm going to go see the two girls "Christy and Emily" play at Pete's Candy Store. I love that place, and they are a really good band! you can check their music out @ http://www.myspace.com/christyandemily

2006-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

my roommate that builds the boats...well tomorrow night her boyfriend is having a party in some secret warehouse out in coney island....and she is going to box another woman at the party!!!
neither of the ladies are boxers
i actually cant wait!
I thought the things people did as a performance in milwaukee were nuts...but man, they take it to another level here!
I'll tell you how it goes!

2006-06-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

2006-06-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Mosquito

I'm currently tackling the backyard, so far I have collected over (and I'm not exaggerating) 15 large bags of trash. It's a lovely huge backyard, but there evidentally was just party after party there until there was no room to party anymore because of all the trash. We also have a mosquito problem, and I think I will help reduce it after cleaning up all the trash...trash that had accumulated water, where the mosquitoes were breeding.
Luckily under the thick layer of trash is a 800 square foot vine covered gorgeous backyard just waiting to feel love again.
I'm going to go buy my first tomato plant to Cristin the yard.

2006-06-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Tumbleweeds

There are no single men...I havn't had anything, not a drop..it's like a damn desert. A girlfriend of mine referred the single scene here as "Tumbleweeds".
Even Doug Schall said NY is just filled with hot single girls, and no guys.
My friends in LA said it's just the opposite, tons of single arty guys, but no ladies.
I think LA and NYC should go out on a date together.

2006-06-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've been settling into my new digs. I painted my room aqua green, and put plants everywhere..it feels pretty nice. Then yesterday, me and Melissa spent THE WHOLE DAY cleaning and painting the kitchen. We threw out so much crap, broken drawers, weird sticky plates...etc. then we painted the whole thing. It's amazing! Now at least it doesn't look like a murder happened in there. Here are pictures of after and before. This weekend we are going to revamp the backyard as we are going to start hosting tuesday night poker back there. (you'all are invited) Then next week I'm giong to start on the that cracked out living room area.

There also is this great donut shop down on Manhattan that I discovered called "peter Pan's donuts" and it's like form the 50's with the U-shaped counters and old polish men hanging out. The coffee is only 80 cents and a donut is about the same...so for a coffee and donut it's only $1.70. Plus there are these young polish girls that work there and they make them wear these short little green and pink peter pan-ish dresses.

2006-06-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

My new bedroom in Greenpoint

2006-05-31T05:35:00.000-07:00

Rats, Roaches, and Vomit Pickled Air

I have been thinking about moving like crazy.
Last night I came home with Theresa, and there were about 10 rats in front of my stoop running back and forth to the street. A man with a dog walked by and we walked behind him figuring the dog would scare the rats away.
As I bolted towards the door one of the rats ran past me.
Rats, Roaches, vomit pickled smelling air...whats a girl to do?
It's ruff here man.
Today is a little nicer because all the humidity has broken and it seems to be a cool day.

2006-05-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

NYC smells like wet thrown up pickles

Man the first thing I noticed when I got into the open air of NYC was how much this place really does reek. Like wet thrown up pickles....with fecal matter mixed in.

2006-05-28T01:28:00.000-07:00

Back to Reality

Okay, so here I am in the airport in Korea. I just scrafed down a small order of Burger King Onion Rings. I probably haven't eaten at a Burger King in 7 years. They weren't that great but at this point, I'm a little tired of paying over $6 for a plate of food that I'm not even sure I'm going to like. And yes, I am in a new country and should be trying new things...But this Korean airport food doesn't look that good. They have one meal I just passed called Kim-chi fried rice...Which basically they just fried up some rice, and put peas and Kim-chi in it. $7
The onion rings were only $2. And after my airline disaster and a $850 one way ticket I'm back to being frugal.

My friend that lives in Japan always says she goes into shock when she gets off a plane from Japan. Japanese people are so unbelievably polite. They bow to each other while driving! They always apologize for everything. If you have a question they go out of their way to help you. Last night I walked into the wrong kind of restaurant (I wanted sushi and it was an Okinawa style restaurant... which means fried everything, no rice, and lots of mayonnaise, egg, pork, and weird dirty brown sauces fried up together). Anyway I told the woman I was actually looking for a sushi restaurant, and she said "follow me" and put her shoes on (yes you do have to take your shoes off everywhere you go there) walked out the door, and had us follow her down the street over this little bridge to another restaurant, and said, "try there". What other restaurant worker in the world would ever walk you over to another restaurant? Then she bowed to us(I still was with one of the southern brothers), and took back off to wait on her room full of costumers. These sorts of unwarranted acts of kindness happened so many times in Japan it blew my mind. It is the best place to be a tourist, because the people there treat you so nicely.(except the DELTA airline workers, who I would have flipped off when I walked passed, but no one knows what the middle finger means in Japan)
Back to my point...So I am here in Korea, and I'm already noticing the lack of niceness compared to Japan. The passport lady ripped the passport out of my hand (in Japan they would bow before and after they took your passport, and say origato with a smile) then the Korean people here at the food court were banging into me and not apologizing, in fact they just keep on pushing without looking me in the eye.
Back to reality.

I've taken many pictures of all the weird food I've been consuming...so stayed tuned for the download of bizarre Japanese Food Melissa 2006!
I still have two more pictures left to take on the Korean flight home(2 meals) probably lots of weird re-heated post BBQed meat with rice and kim-chi

2006-05-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Seoul Korea

So in a few hours I will be in Seoul Korea. I got a one way ticket for $850 to JFK in New York City via Seoul, Korea. I could have flown Delta (the flight that they wouldn't let me on) but I refused! They are thieves. They wouldn't let me on the flight stating that it was too heavy, but they had no problem trying to sell me a $2,300 dollar ticket to fly on the flight. UNBELIEVABLE! The nice Japanese man at the discount ticket office asked me if I wanted a ticket for $850 to fly Delta and I said NO WAY!
No wonder that airline is bankrupt! They don't know how to treat people! They don't understand the importance of word of mouth. I paid $460 for a stand by ticket, and they treated me like I was trash. They would have never let me get on the flight, and I would have been stranded in Narita, Japan forever.
Anyway, the small town next to the airport...Narita was very lovely. The hotel was terrible, and didn't even offer shampoo for $55/night (I ended up washing my hair at the airport).
But the temples were some of the most beautiful I have seen in the whole country...and there were no other tourists around! It was amazing! The city is surronded by an ancient japanese burial ground. spooky
So hear I sit awaiting my flight to Korea....

2006-05-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

NARITA AIRPORT

The airline is screwing me over, and some friendly new traveler friends I met at the airport.
Thank god I found them(the travelers), otherwise I would be trapped in this weird airport town alone.
The airline wont let me on the plane, they keep saying "maybe tomorrow, plane too heavy"...The two guys I met have been hearing this for 3 days now.
we are trapped
and a new one way ticket home is 2,300 dollars.
BUT through a stroke of strange luck, I found some weird underground place that will sell us tickets home for 900 dollars a piece...
which is amazing(but still expensive)...These guys would have been stuck here (and me) for at least two weeks unless we paid the 2300
also these guys are really funny and took me out for sake last night for helping them find the ticket and get out of here...They have southern accents, and are from Atlanta. They remind me of my old roommate Erin. In fact one of them looks like her brother. Southern people are probably the best people you could get stuck somewhere with, they are So kind! And fun! Not afraid to have a good time.
I would have probably had a nervous break down if they weren't here sharing this frightening experience of being stuck in Narita Japan with no sure date of leaving.
we had to stay at the cheapest hotel...so we played cards (rummy) and drank sake all night. i will leave today...i hope!
NEVer fly delta! Yes, I am flying stand by, but I called the company and asked if there really was no room for me yesterday, and they said there was 40 open seats.
The woman was so rude to me too, and didnt care at all that I was not going home.
I still did pay them like $460 for the ticket...yet they wont let me go home.

2006-05-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Nara, the oldest city in Japan. The buildings date back to 617 AD. The temples were amazing...crazy woodwork. I have pictures and will post soon. There are also wild deer that live in the area, and come up to the tourists looking for food. They were sweet, hanging out by the freeway, cars going by, sniffing little kids crotches seeking out free food. Kind of like deer hobos, not like the scardy cat deers back home.
Tommorrow is my big trek to the Aso volcano on the Kyushu island. It will be a long train ride, and who knows what the hostel will be like...only $30 a night. There are many hot springs around that people hang out in.

2006-05-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

So I met a geisha in a back street of the Gion district in Kyoto. It was (she was) haunting, it was rainging and there was no one else around. I asked her to pose, and she did.
Also I took some pictures of t-shirts with what is called Engrish...this one says "The place is his reserved seat. He genreally passes daytime there. STUMP, it also says "feels so good music and cat" and the cat is listening to an i-pod. There are millions of these types of Engrish shirts all over the city. Japanese people love to wear t-shirts with english writing on them, whether the sentences make sense or not.
A big buddha staue in the side of a mountain.
Me sitting in a strange stuffed animal merry go round.
And the rocks...people dress up rocks in aprons and put them outside in fields or on sides of roads with little shrines. They are supposed to help save all the children...? They even paint little eyes and mouths on them...but these eyes have worn away due to the rain.
I am finally getting over jet lag, I was sleeping over 15 hours a day. I would go out, and after an hour or two would become completely exhausted. I think this may be my last far away trip for awhile, I dont think my body can handle traveling like it used to. Either that, or I just am not as good at ignoring my body like I used to be.
I had to travel 45 minutes today to get cash. It is very difficult to get an ATM in Japan that accepts American cards. I had to hunt down a city bank.
soba noodles, japanese orange, rice with bonito flakes, green tea red bean cake, coffee and miracle water for breakfast
red bean chocolate cake and japanese pizza toast for lunch
japanese curry (beef stew), rice, snap peas, lettuce with seasame for dinner

2006-05-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

MISO SOUP

Went and saw the ancient temples in Kyoto yesterday, along with a 5,000 foot buddha built in the side of the mountain. I think the reason this country is so chill is because it's spiritual roots lie in buddhism, and not christianity.
I met a woman on the plane over who was from the midwest. I could tell right away because she had a forest green sweater on with ugly little elf like characters sort of sewn on (something only someone from the midwest would wear on a plane to japan). She was in her late 50's and was traveling alone, a sweet woman with short died orangeish red hair and large glasses. She was overweight.
Anyway, she was my flying partner, and we started chatting. I asked her if she had ever been to Japan before. She said yes, the company she works for has flown her out 3 other times. She works for a factory that builds cargo planes in a small town in Ohio. The company has a few planes in Japan, and they send her out when they ship plane parts to Japan to make sure it gets there.
I asked her if she liked Japanese food and she said she only eats at Mcdonalds and Pizza Hut, or any other American restaurant she can find. She explained that she usually stays at the Holiday Inn in Tokyo, and her company gives her $50 a day for a food budget, but the Holiday Inn charges almost that much for it's egg and bacon breakfast.
She went on to tell me about her life:
"I married young to a man I barley knew. He swept me off my feet, which wasn't hard to do because I had lived such a sheltered life of church and school in Ohio. I moved with him to Houston, and then worked at the church there with the children. The man I married became very abusive, both emotionally and physically. We had one child. I would call my parents back home and tell them that I needed to leave my husband because of the abuse. My father would say "you made your bed, you have to sleep in it." My family is very christian and they don't believe in divorce, and without their finacial help and emotional support, I couldn't do it on my own.
Finally, when the abuse turned towards my child, my brother came down to houston, and while my husband was at work, I left. It took me one hour to get out of there. I moved back to Ohio without a dime. I got this job at a this factory, and saved up my money and bought a trailor and placed it on my parents land in the back of their house.
I would love to work with children again, but the church I go to wont except me as a member because I got a divorce, so I'm not allowed to participate in any of the church activities..I only go there because it is my parents church."
My english is slowly disinagrating.
NO SPELL CHECK ON HERE BY THE WAY.

2006-05-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

P.S.

Please pardon any spelling errors, it is very hard to type on this japanese keyboard.

2006-05-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ａｌｌ　Ｉｎ　Ｎｅｅｄ　ｉｓ　Ｌｏｖｅ

Raw fish (sashami) every day. Ａｌｌ　ｓｏｒｔｓ　ｏｆ　ｔｏｆｕ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｓｅａｗｅｅｄ　ａｎｄ　ｃａｒｒｏｔｓ，　ａｎｄ　ａｖａｃａｄｏ　ｓａｌａｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｆｒｅｓｈ　ｔｏｍａｔｏｅｓ．Ｆｏｒ　ｂｒｅａｋｆａｓｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｅａｔ　ｍｉｓｏ　ｓｏｕｐ　ａｎｄ　ｇｒｅｅｎ　ｔｅａ．　I just cant believe how well I've been eating. It's like eating out at a fancy japanese restaurant every night and day．Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｓｅｒｉｏｕｓｌｙ　ｒｅｔｈｉｎｋｉｎｇ　ｍｙ　ｄｉｅｔ　ｂａｃｋ　ｈｏｍｅ．Ｍａｓａｋｉ’ｓ　ｆａｍｉｌｙ　ｉｓ　ｓｏ　ｋｉｎｄ，　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｃｈｉｌｄｒｅｎ，　ａｎｄ　ｍｅ．　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｎｅｖｅｒ　ｓｅｅｎ　ａ　ｆａｍｉｌｙ　ｓｏ　ｇｅｎｅｒｏｕｓ　ａｎｄ　ｈｅｌｐｆｕｌ　ａｎｄ　ｗｉｌｌｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｇｉｖｅ　ｕｐ　ａｎｙｔｈｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｃｈｉｌｄｒｅｎ　ｏｒ　ｇｕｅｓｔｓ．　Ｔｈｅｙ　ｄｏｎｔ　ｃｒｉｔｉｓｉｚｅ　ｅａｃｈ　ｏｔｈｅｒ．Ｔｈａｔ　ｓｅｅｍｓ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｃｅ　ｔｏ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｍｉｌｉｅｓ　Ｉ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｂａｃｋ　ｈｏｍｅ．　Ｉ　ａｍ　ｓｏ　ａｍａｚｅｄ　ｂｙ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｆａｍｉｌｙ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｋｉｎｄｎｅｓｓ　ｔｏ　ｏｎｅ　ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ．．Ｉ　ｄｉｄｎｔ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｐｏｓｓｉｂｌｅ．

Masaki's mother has this thing she calls ”Miracle water”. She puts water in a container with special rocks and lets it sit. I have been drinking that and my skin feels so soft. 　

We went to a place called Round 1. It is a sort of arcade, that also has roller skating, fishing, basketball, air hockey, karaoke, pachinko, unlimted japanese video games etc.You pay　15　and get unlimted usuage of everything. They also serve alcohol and have a smoking section.　Ｔｈｅ　ｔｈｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ｂｌｅｗ　ｍｙ　ｍｉｎｄ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｐｌａｃｅ　ｗａｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｆ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｉｎ　ａｍｅｒｉｃａ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｂｅ　ｆｉｇｈｔｓ　ｂｒｅａｋｉｎｇ　ｏｕｔ，　ａｎｄ　ｓｅｃｕｉｒｔｙ，　ａｎｄ　ｇｅｔｔｏｎｅｓｓ　
Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗａｓ　ｎｏｂｏｄｙ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｗａｔｃｈｉｎｇ．　Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｐｌｅａｓａｎｔ，　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｗａｉｔｅｄ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｔｕｒｎｓ，　ａｎｄ　ａｌｌｏｗｅｄ　ｏｔｈｅｒｓ　ｔｏ　ｐｌａｙ．Ｉｎ　ｆａｃｔ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ａｒｅ　ｎｏ　ｇｅｔｔｏｓ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｃｏｕｎｔｒｙ．　Ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｓａｆｅ，　ａｎｄ　ｃｌｅａｎ　ａｎｄ　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ．　Ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｔａｋｅ　ｐｒｉｄｅ　ｉｎ　ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｄｏ，　ｉｔ　ｓｅｅｍｓ．　Ｉ’ｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｈａｖｉｎｇ　ｃｏｎｖｅｒｓａｔｉｏｎｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　Ｔａｙｌｏｒ　ａｎｄ　ｗｅ’ｒｅ　ｔｒｙｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｆｉｇｕｒｅ　ｏｕｔ　ｗｈａｔ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｗｒｏｎｇ　ｉｎ　Ａｍｅｒｉｃａ，　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｈｅｒｅ，　ｉｔ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｓｅｅｍｓ　ｌｉｋｅ　ａ　ｆｕｃｋｅｄ　ｕｐ　ｐｌａｃｅ．　Ｓｏ　ｓｔｒｅｓｓｅｄ　ｏｕｔ　ａｎｄ　ｕｎｈｅａｌｔｈｙ，　ｅｖｅｒｙｏｎｅ　ｈａｔｉｎｇ　ｅａｃｈ　ｏｔｈｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｄｒｉｎｋｉｎｇ　ｔｏｎｓ　ｏｆ　ｃｏｆｆｅｅ　ａｎｄ　ａｌｃｏｈｏｌ　ｔｏ　ｐｕｓｈ　ｉｔ　ａｌｌ　ｄｏｗｎ．　Ａｎｙｗａｙ，　Ｉ’ｌｌ　ｓｔｏｐ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｗｅｅｋ　ｏｒ　ｓｏ．．ｂｕｔ　ｍａｎ，　ｔｈｅ　ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｈａｖｉｎｇ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　ｆｉｇｕｒｅｄ　ｏｕｔ．
Ｉ　ｄｒａｎｋ　ａ　ｈｕｇｅ　ｂｏｔｔｌｅ　ｏｆ　ｓａｋｅ　ｌａｓｔ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｍａｓａｋｉ’ｓ　ｄａｄ，　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｐａｓｓｅｄ　ｏｕｔ．　Ｉ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｂｅｄ　ａｔ　８　ｐｍ，　Ｉ’ｍ　ｕｐ　ｎｏｗ　ａｔ　６ａｍ．　Ｓｔｉｌｌ　ｈａｖｉｎｇ　ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅ　ｊｅｔ　ｌａｇ．　Ｉｆ　ｙｏｕ　ａｄｄ　１　ｈｏｕｒ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｍｅ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅｒｅ，　ａｎｄ　ｃｈａｎｇｅ　ｔｈｅ　ａｍ　ｔｏ　ａ　ｐｍ　ｏｒ　ｖｉｓｅ　ｖｅｒｓａ．．ｙｏｕ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｍｅ　ｈｅｒｅ．
Ｉ　ｋｅｐｔ　ｐｏｕｒｉｎｇ　Ｍａｓａｋｉ’ｓ　ｄａｄ　ｓａｋｅ　ｏｖｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｏｖｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｆｉｎａｌｌｙ　ｈｅ　ｓａｉｄ　，　”Ｉ　ｌｏｖｅ　ｙｏｕ！”　ｈｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｓｐｅａｋｓ　ａ　ｆｅｗ　ｗｏｒｄｓ　ｏｆ　ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ．
Ｉ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｌｌ　ｈｅｒｅ　ａｎｄ　ａｌｒｅａｄｙ　ｐｕｒｃｈａｓｅｄ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｃｕｔｅ　ｃｌｏｔｈｅｓ．　Ｉ　ｍａｄｅ　ｍａｓａｋｉ　ａｎｄ　ｈｅｒ　ｍｏｍ　ｇｏ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｅｖｅｒｙ　ｓｉｎｇｌｅ　ｓｔｏｒｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｌｌ．　Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ａｒｅ　ｏｂｓｅｓｓｅｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔ－ｓｈｉｒｔｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ　ｓａｙｉｎｇｓ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅｍ，　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ａｌｗａｙｓ　ｇｅｔ　ｔｈｅｍ　ｍｅｓｓｅｄ　ｕｐ　（ｈａｖｅ　ｙｏｕ　ｅｖｅｒｙ　ｃｈｅｃｋｅｄ　ｏｕｔ　ｅｎｇｒｉｓｈ．ｃｏｍ？）　ｗｅ　ｓａｗ　ｏｎｅ　ｙｅｓｔｅｒｄａｙ　ｔｈａｔ　ａ　ｇｉｒｌ　ｗａｓ　ｗｅａｒｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓａｉｄ　”Ｉ　ａｌｌ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｉｓ　ｈｅａｒｔ．”　Ｗｅ　ｆｉｇｕｒｅｄ　ｏｕｔ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｓｕｐｐｏｓｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｓａｙ　ａｌｌ　ｉ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｉｓ　ｌｏｖｅ．

2006-05-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

I'm in Japan!!
I took me 24 hours from start to finish to arrive here. I was so exhausted...I arrived in Tokyo and then had to take the train for 3 hours to Kyoto. The train was me and like 500 Japanese business men, all in suits. I passed out on the train and kept waking up in a panic..that I had missed my stop. Masaki and Taylor, and their friend Yoshi picked me up from the train. They drive on the poopsite side of the car, and street here.
Masaki's house is modest and beautiful. Her mother and father are the sweetest people ever. When I arrived her mother had a low table filled with all those sorts of appetisers that you would purchase at a Japanese resatuarant. Also pork and avacado wrapped with rice rolled..but they were fried, with the same batter people fry Kentucky Fried Chicken with. We sat around the table and ate, the floor is heated by a large electric rug. The living room looks just like a Japanese restaurant, with the sliding paper covered doors, windows. The toilet seat also is heated. There is water constantly in the deep bathtub..it is kept heated all day and everyone shares the water. You are supposed to wash yourself before you get in the tub, and then rinse in the warm tub.
baby octopus for breakfast today...no taste
more later

2006-05-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Ear Plug Bound

If anyone out there wants to send Theresa a letter, she will be staying at my house until the 29th of May.
I found my new home.
It's a tiny bedroom for $500.month. You can't find rent that cheap anywhere in NYC.
What's the catch?
Well if anyone has ever been to pumpkin world in Milwaukee, this place has about the same bathroom and kitchen situation. I'll have two roomates, and a large picture window to look out at the BQE from(but it has amazing light which I will be covering with plants. There is a huge lovely backyard, that I can grow and do anything I want to.
My roomates are a girl that's an amazing painter named Melissa (dating Siebren) and another lady named Marie who builds huge boats and canoes and floats them across the East River. The building was originally a foundry, but Melissa has lived there for 7 years and has turned it into an artist live work space. There is a wood burning stove in Melissa's studio, which everyone sits around in the winter. There are also two cute guys that live in the upstairs part of the building.(in some sort of funny hip hop band that recently performed at Darling Hall) The heat situation may be a bummer in the winter, the space heater is soon to be my best friend...but really you can't beat $500/month. Also the place is in GREENPOINT! and Melissa knows Stoner Dud! Tassy will live 5 blocks away from me.

I'm going to hire movers, because in this city it's almost impossible to move on your own...it's not like Milwaukee where one can simple annouce FREE PIZZA and people come running.
The funny thing is that Tyson R. is trying to move into this same space later in the summer. I'm not sure if I want to be roomies with him again.
Cross your fingers as I purchase ear plugs (luckily there are no bands practicing there).

Last night I headed to Jersy City with Theresa to see Doug Schall, his new very lovely (and quite wonderful) gf Yvonne, and Mali and Jay. Doug lives in a beautiful house, and has it decorated nicely. He painted a gorgeous painting of his gf that hangs on the wall in the main living area above the computer. We had a nice time, drank sake, ate pork dumplings and chatted about babies and friends.
On the way home we took the PATH train. We took it to the World Trade Center stop. I had no idea, but the train actually pulls right into the center of the grounds where the towers used to be. You are literally down in there, and out the windows you can see all around the pit. It was at night at it was really creepy. There are still remaining pieces of the old buildings that are in the guts of the walls. It was really weird to be down there. Haunting

2006-04-28T11:51:00.002-07:00

Greenpoint apartment search Day 1

So today I saw two apartments in Greenpoint.

The first apartment I saw(see the first two pics) through a management company (no broker fee). I met a guy named Tommy at 85 Java. He showed me a lovely 2 bedroom. The apartment was about 700 square feet, and was completely covered in linolem flooring. Old flooring, that was coming up on the edges. Also, as you can see from the pictures, the floor was slanted. It was also a first floor apartment so it was very dark, with ugly blinds covering every window. But the worst part of this apartment was not the caked on paint surfaces (this place must have been painted over 200 times) it was the smell. The person that lived in this apartment previously must have smoked over 5,000,000 cigareetes in the apartment. I turned to Tommy and said, "Who lived here before?" Tommy chuckled and said, "A doctor, can you believe it? She was a doctor." Combined with the cigarette ordor was a faint smell of gas, like maybe a small gas leak in the apartment.

The second place I saw was through an old lady polish broker named Dolores Buonuco. Her assistant met me at the office and drove me to the apartment. The place was about 13 blocks from the closest train station, and also was 2 blocks from the BQE. It was a railroad apartment. It also hadn't been renovated since the 70's Most things were covered in wood paneling (see pic 3) It was clener than the first apartment, but a floor thru would never work out with 2 woman. The kitchen was tiny, and there was a washer in the middle of it, with a piece of plastic screwed to the top, so that you could use the washer as kitchen counter space when the top was down..very clever. It did have a very large lovely cement backyard probably the size of the apartment itself, but unless we planned on living in the backyard, there was no way two ladies would fit in a wood panneled space like this. (see pic 4)

How much were these 2 bedroom apartments going for? $1,600/piece

2006-04-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Friends with Money

The movie isn't that great, could've been better. Such a great cast, but doesn't really get any further than the first 20 minutes. The slimy personal trainer guy does a great job at getting everyone to hate him. Could have been a west coast episode on Sex in the City. Oh yeah, and I finally got my very own DIgital camera! Canon S-80 with a wide angel lens

2006-04-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Listen to the song Vinegar and Aspirin

For those of you following this blog along, I made a recording of the Vinegar and Aspirin song. You can listen to it at http://www.myspace.com/destrydorro
Pardon my poor guitar playing skills, but please remember that I just started playing 2 weeks ago!
It starts out a little slow, but I think it gains some meat as it goes on....

2006-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

31 on 31 West 31st Street

Did I mentioned that I celebrated my 31st birthday? I was invited to a party that was for some guy who lived in Midtown. He was celebrating his 31st birthday. The apartment was on 31st street, the address being 31. 31 west 31st street! Can you believe that? So, I get to the party and there are all these drunk people that probably used to be artists but are slowly, unconciously, making the transistion into being yuppie professioanls. I found the guy who's party it was, Marko was his name, and congradulated him. I told Marko that at the stroke midnight I was turning 31! He was way too drunk to register, he hugged me and walked away.

It struck midnight, I and I turned 31 on 31 West 31st street.
I have been trying to find the hidden meaning behind this, there must be something? Any suggestions?

Also that night I was hanging out with this guy Eli that I went to graduate school with. I have never hung out with him before. He had just gone through a break up of a 10 year relationship, so he is in that state where he is making friends with everyone to fight of the void of his ex. Anyway, along with him he brought these two guys Bernardo, and Stefan.
Late into the eve we went to a dance club that was across the street from Max Fish. I was dancing with Bernardo at the club. When I walked away from Bernardo, Eli said to me, "Do you know that Bernardo is part of the royal family of Holland?"
I said, "What?"
He said "Yeah, he actually is like a prince, I think. But he tries to play it down, so don't bring it up. And Stefan's family is one of the richest families in Germany."
No wonder they were buying all the drinks, and taking cabs everywhere. I'm used to subways, late night, where that old amazing keyboard guy is playing to the rats.

2006-04-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Date with Stoner Dud!

Confirmed: this Saturday I will be working late into the night with Stoner Dud. If this isn't putting all of you at the edge of your seats then I dont know what will! STay tuned for Sunday.

Also, English dude sent me and e-mail thanking me for all my help, and stating that he "hopes to see me around". Now is that friendly, or flirty?

Have you heard the term Breaking the Seal? It means after you get out of relationship you try to make out with anyone just to break the seal of your last relationship. My friend laughed at me the other day, and told me that "I really need to break the seal".

2006-04-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was at the YMCA again
(there is no little box for me to put a title, here, Pam Bearbom, why is that? When I'm posting on the "speen weblo" there is.) THat's boring tech stuff between me and Pam. I've never met her, but it's like we're old enemies! Anyway, I know it must sound like I'm at the YMCA a lot, but I am not. I've only gone there a couple times this year. ANd each time was a bad experience. Though I have seen local celebritys recently like the bands THE STROKES, and CODEBREAKER . Well, this last time I was there I went around a corner and didn't even almost run into this woman, but you know we both had to change our direction a little, and she says, "Excuse you." EXCUSE YOU!?! I almost chased her down and demanded an explaination, but she would probably just clam up and turn her head like all the people in this corporate office tower where I work who seem like they're frightened to death when you say hi to them. But EXCUSE YOU???!! Come on! I know it wasn't that long ago that the streets weren't paved here, but they do now have a traffic light in Milwaukee, and once in a while on a Friday night you might see SEVERAL people at once. RS

2006-04-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

All Money is Dirty

It's a rainy Saturday in Cobble Hill. All the children are wearing their j crew for kids raincoats. My neighborhood is one big Banana Republic Ad. I dont think there is one car in a 3 mile radius that is over 3 years old. There might be some sort of law that if you park a car that was made before 2003 in this neighborhood it will get towed. Who are these people and what do they do?

I was in the health food grocery store yesterday that's down the street. A woman in work out shorts was standing in front of me at the check out line. The (latina) cashier handed the woman a five dollar bill for change. The woman looked at the 5 and demanded that she recieve a different bill. The cashier asked her why, and the woman stated, "Because it's dirty." The cashier rolled her eyes and gave the woman a newer looking 5 dollar bill. Then when the woman left, the cashier looked at me and said, "Someone needs to tell that woman that all money is dirty."

2006-04-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Underwear Model/Artist

I met a full blown underwear model slash artist the other night. He had a Wisconsin t-shirt on (it had a logo in the shape of the state) in the middle of his shirt it said, "Oshkosh". I asked him why he was wearing an Oshkosh shirt and he said he was born there. Then someone else asked him where Milwaukee was and he pointed to his nipple and started rubbing it (bad sense of humor). Then someone else said "Where is St. Louis" and we all looked down at his crotch and started laughing. Maybe you had to be there.

News just in from Erin that I might work with the 3 million cup sculpture again. This probably means I will see the Stoner Guy...so stayed tuned to see if he pops up in the blog again, Beard, hippy hug, and all!

2006-04-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Mount Fuji

What has been going on in Greenpoint? Nada. I've been working my butt off so I can go to Japan for 2.5 weeks next month. I got a "Buddy Pass" from a woman who works at the real estate office with me. In case you dont know, Buddy Passes are tickets given to you by people who work for the airline (The lady at my work works for Delta). Basically you fly stand-by and you can leave and come back whenever you want. So if I'm in Japan and the bird flu breaks out I can hop on a plane, but if I'm having an excellant time with some Japanese cutie...I can stay longer. There even is a website that I can check the loads on the planes to see how many people have purchased tickets, and what the chances are of me getting a seat. For $354 round trip to Japan, you cant beat it! And from the airport in Tokyo I'm taking the Shinkansen (Japanese Bullet Train) which I think is the fastest train in the world (you should check out a picture of it online..it's crazy looking...ultra futuro). It will take me from the airport to Kyoto where I will be staying with a Japanese family (my friend Masaki's family) Masaki will be there putting together her art piece for three months to show at a museum in Tokyo. I will try to help her.
The best thing about the train ride is that it goes past Mt. Fuji

When I get back from my trip, I'm moving to Greenpoint with Tassy.

2006-04-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Dear David,

I'm very sorry to write you this, but I've decided not to return to the Chelsea Garden Center. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for your company. I would go into depth listing my concerns about committing myself to the store, but I fear that this e-mail will not be viewed in a confidential manner and will be posted for all to see.
I can say that there are several of your employees...mostly the ones that have been working there for "A LONG TIME" that behave in a very unprofessional, rude manner to the new employees, and the basic sales staff. I witnessed the sales staff working their butts off while others (those that have been there "forever") lingered around talking on cellphones/ordering lunch...and then proceeding to tell the sales staff that "The store looks like shit!" I find this management style, if that's what you call it, abusive.
I have discussed this issue with several individuals of the hard working sales staff (they all warned me within my first few days of work), but they said they put up with it for various reasons, basically what can they do? It's unfortunate, because I think you have a lot of really great sales people working for you, but they have to deal with what I would call an abusive attitude put on them by those with seniority....seniority only acquired by working somewhere forever.
If you want to allow those that have been with your company for many years to treat others disrespect it's your call. I cannot work in an environment that doesn't feel democratic.
Please send my check to my home address.
I worked this Saturday 3/31 from 10-7 (I didn't get to clock in because the stairs were blocked off due to the painting. Please remind Nick of this)
I'm very sorry this didn't work out David, I do really like the store. I just felt so uncomfortable all the time.

Thanks for the time,
Best,
Pam Berbomb

2006-04-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

been resorting to the local YMCA (i'm none of those except for "ass") to try to pick up girls, but it's not working too well. One night last week though I was TOTALLY HITTING on this Marquette undergrad while furiously ab cruching when some patchouli drenched sweat from my ponytail hit her in the face and she smiled at me. Hey, I'm not like those guys who make sex noises while bench pressing 40 pounds. I've got my own approach, and it was working, until then none other that LATRELL SPREWELL showed up and started hitting on the same chick! Like I can compete with a guy who's probably got one of those new condos just to dump off his sweaty shorts to wait to get cleaned. He was wearing some kind of brand new Nike's that no human has ever seen, probably placed on his feet by PHIL KNIGHT himself. SO I'm a big fan of Spree, I mean anyone who can wail on his coach and get away with it is my hero. I don't know if he was hitting on her or not, I mean this is a guy who recently turned down about 20 million to play basketball, saying it was an insult, and he has his family to feed. Must be a big family, or else a lot of pretty good food. Anyway, the girl didn't even look in my direction again. Then I had to go and HURL from all those crunchs.
RS

2006-03-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

Star Hamilton
Where the hell has Mr.(or is it Ms.?) Star underscore Hamilton been? And I also invited etch74..we'll see if he shows his mug.
Okay so I almost got my new song together, but I need help with one of my lines. Any suggestions?(now I know this is dangerous because I'm posting my original words on the World Wide Web, and I can't imagine how many millions of people read this everyday, but it's a risk I'm willing to take).
Here it goes:

Vinegar and Aspirin

Vinegar and asprin is what I taste in this wine
This city’s got no one who’ll give me the time
Bark and leaves are good for my health
But I’ve spend to much time this week, all by myself

Subways, bars
dancing not much
No one that catchy, no one to clutch
Want a kissing partner
but they’ve all got beards,
Worried about records
and art careers

If the aspirin smells like vinegar
Then the acid’s too strong
loves been sitting on your shelf
alone too long

Vinegar and asprin
Vinegar and asprin
Vinegar and asprin

Stones and sticks and sticks and stones
The sounds of voices on my telephone
Band after band after will you see my band?
(this is the line I need)

Capes, cigareetes
wiskey tonight
Try to stay out till dawn
Try to feel the light

If the aspirin smells like vinegar
Then the acid’s too strong
been sitting on your shelf with everything else gone wrong

Vinegar and asprin
Vinegar and asprin
Vinegar and asprin

2006-03-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Roach in the Sink

So I get home from work and there is a huge roach in the kitchen sink. I tried trapping it under a plastic container, but I walked away for a second and the damn thing got out somehow. I don't like when bugs are smarter than me. That's why everyone hates roaches, because they're brilliant. Flies are so damn dumb that people dont really mind them.

I've seen the same creepy homeless guy two days in a row on the G train. He recognized me from the day before, and stood in front of me, just staring right at me until he got off the train. Now I dont want to take the G anymore, but it's my only way to get to Dassy's.

The plant store I work at is next door to a gas station..in the middle of the day sometimes I get really hungry and there's no food around, so I run over to the BP. Today, I grabbed a new candy bar called the "Take 5". Really good! it has pretzels in it. If you're ever starving and gas station food is your only option, go for the Take 5....and even better is to combine it with Ruffles sour cream and onion potato chips...it's that salty-sweet thing...live a little.

2006-03-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Beards and Art Careers

Okay. I'm going to bed soon...but I wanted to "touch base" a little before I hit it. Tonight I wrote a new country song called Vinegar and Aspirin. Dassy is teaching me to play some simple guitar country cords. Yep, I might soon be one of those singer/songwriter types that no one listens to in bars. But I got a lot of good material about living in New York. I'll give you a little taste of one of the verses:

Looking for a kissing partner,
But they've all got Beards,
Too worried about records,
(voice goes low)And art careers,
(voice gets high)art caaaaarerrs

(did I mention that everyone in this city has a beard now, appaerntly because it was big at the fasion shows this past season.)

2006-03-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

Greenpoint Guys Are Dangerous

Theresa Columbus was here for the weekend. She brought me these tasty greek cookies her and her mother had made with a hint of orange rind...mmmmmmmm. She also made me Gypsy Vegetable Soup while I was at work. It was fantastic. On top of everything she gave me a back massage, which ended up energizing me to the point where at 11:30 pm I jumped up and said "let's throw on some lipstick and go hit the town". (Did I mention that my recent nickname has been "Melipstick"?

Anyway Theresa and I got two cups of coffee and hopped on the G train and headed to Greenpoint. We met Dassy there and she took us to a bar that the record store guy Dassy has been seeing was DJing at. The record store guy's friend Taylor was there, a nice guy, but TOTALLY awkward in that geeked out on music type of way. We sat there for a few hours, and then Taylor invited us back to his place to listen to records and we agreed, except the record store guy decided to stay behind and catch up with us later (it was already 2pm so I dont know how much later there was). It was a quiet night, spring was in the air. We dodged a few random polish drunks and made our way to Taylor's apt. He was very nice to us and offered us wine and simply just played Issac Hayes and chatted with us. Theresa was getting a little too drunk for my taste, but it was a fun time...3 girls and one guy is always fun...well if there arn't any competitive issues with the other women. Soon it was 4 pm and I had to work the next day at 9am. We made our way out, and called a car service..but Dassy stayed behind, she wanted to wait for the record store guy.

Dassy called me today(Sunday). She said the record store guy never showed up, and Taylor told her that he HAS A GIRLFRIEND. Dassy fell asleep on Taylor's couch waiting up for that guy until 5 am.

I just can't believe the dating scene here. He was also a guy from Greenpoint, Brooklyn(the same as stoner dude). I've been warned from other woman that guys in Greenpoint are nothing but trouble. Apparently they are all music slackers, and there are a lot less of these cute Greenpoint well cultured record heads to go around than the amount of gorgeous women that live here. My friend Julie said these Greenpoint guys are a bit of a tribe: they enjoy the cheap rent, cheap food, and sexy girls that live in Greenpoint and the surronding areas (williamsburg, long island city etc.) without having to commit to anything. They are all in bands together...basically all the same band.

Julie told the story that when she lived in Greenpoint she went out with one of these guys for a few months, and when they broke up, she was all of sudden banned from the tribe. None of the guys in the Greenpoint neighborhood would speak to her anymore. She said it was so bad she moved to Astoria, Queens. She also mentioned that it is not unusual for one of the tribe to be warding off several woman at a time. Often woman are fighting for who gets to be the next Queen. This is so F**d up. Intelligent, gorgeous women fighting over greasy haired, aging hipsters who have smoked too many cigarettes and waste all their money on beer and records. Cool.

2006-03-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

I like losers like me

These are the nights I dread. When it's 7:30 and you desperatly want to get out of the house, but all your friends are busy hanging out with their significant others..and it's too cold to walk around alone.
I guess I'll just go find someone to stalk on friendster....maybe I'll even try Match.com! That is what everyone does in this town...meet on the internet.

I still have a crush on that stupid stoner dude. I dont know why I can't kick it. I feel like that part in the Miranda July film "Me, You, and Everyone We Know" where she is waiting by the phone for the shoestore guy to call and says something like, "Come on you idiot, we have our whole life to spend together, let's stop wasting time!"
But maybe I have no concept of what love really is...
does anyone?

What if you really feel it, and the other person doesn't?

And the difference between me and Carrie Bradshaw (that's such a made up name if I've ever heard one) from sex in the city is that she had money and lived in Manhattan and could purchase cute $500 shoes when she was feeling low. Carrie could afford to go to bars and restaurants with the possibility of meeting new men. I can't afford any of that. I dont have fancy sheets that I can sit on and smoke cigarettes and type on my laptop. The guys that I'm interested in arn't billionares, or millionares, or thousandaires. They live in tiny ugly apartments and they usually use one of their rooms either as a recording studio, writing studio, or as a painting studio. They barely have enough money to buy me coffee, but they understand what it means to go against the curve and live life the way one wants too. But maybe that just means LOSER. So then I guess, I like losers like me.

2006-03-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

Polish Sandwich

Well the show went great! The guy that runs Eat Records in Greenpoint is possible the nicest guy I've ever met in a record store. Only three people came to see us play. But the shop only holds about 10 people total, so with us 3, our 3 friends that showed up, and the 3 guys that were running the store we had a full house! The owner of the record store really liked our music and asked me if I was a classically trained singer! Ha! Maybe I'm getting better? He also turned us on to some other lady harmonizing singers they are called christy and emily....http://www.myspace.com/christyandemily to hear their music

We went out for drinks at Enid's afterwards. On the way to Enid's I stopped at a polish grocery store and had them make me a ham sandwich. Two cute polish girls in their 20's made it for me at 9:13 p.m. It was an amazing sandwich and it only cost me $3.95. In my neighborhood (Cobble Hill) you can't get a sandwich for under $7.

I sent one last pathetic invite to that stoner dude. About 3 days ago I invited him for a drink. He never responded....this rejection only adds fuel to my "NYC social take over 2006"

James came over tonight to see the cat and pick up a few more things. He brought a whole roasted chicken from whole foods w/ mashed potatos. We got a long okay...well fine I guess. I just look at him now and wonder how we ever even made it together as long as we did. We drive each other nuts! LEt's just thank the lord that there were no children involved. A cat is hard enough.

Oh and this just in...the record store owner guy just called and asked Dassy to go on a walk w/ him, and then watch him DJ at a club later.
Why do guys always think that watching them is fun for women?
"Hey girl, why dont you come check out my band?"

2006-03-19T11:12:00.002-08:00

Destry Dorro?

I'm sitting here in the real estate office preparing for tomorrow night, my first NYC show with my new band at a record store (Eat Records) in Greenpoint. Basically, I'm trying to come up with a band name, and throw together a myspace page. I think we're going to use the name "Destry Dorro" who is an old friend of mine from Milwaukee, I wonder if she would mind? Her father made up the name, inspired from his love for old westerns. We just started practicing for our show this past Thursday...there will be a chello player, a keyboardist(Dassy), and me singing (eek). I'll take pictures tomorrow and post them soon. Maybe there will be a cute guy passing through the store...and he will fall in love with my voice. The hardest part is figuring out what to wear...should I dress sexy, hippy-ish, put on a costume? wear a beard, or just dress plain Jane. I'm always afraid of looking like a Natalie Merchant wanna-be when I perform...so I usually stay away from the peasanty dresses.