Part's of Summer

Monday, June 15, 2009 11:20 PM

Last night I had embarked on an adventure to see one of my new favorite folk-rock musical groups, the Felice Brothers. I had little to expect of the show, other than watching them perform live on you-tubes. None-the-less I was very excited, for I had listened to their self titled album for months and couldn’t wait to see the real thing in front of me…
I arrived at downtown at the Casbah (the venue) thirty minutes early because the venue’s website had listed the wrong time. Regardless, I was there, and happy to be one of the only fans in line at the time. As I waited by the door, huge commercial jets soared only one or two hundred feet above me, barely missing an airport parking garage. I could hear the Felice Brothers warming up inside which got me excited for the show. I started to talk with a pretty girl next to me. She seemed very shy and artsy. Being in a band herself, we talked about music and she recommended me artists similar to the Felice Brothers (such as Grizzly Bear). I was very interested in what she had to say, especially when she mentioned about playing music with her brother (because eventually, whenever my sister and I are in the same country, I’d like to do the same), however half the conversation was interrupted by the screaming sound of the jet engines above us. One of the Felice Brothers (the larger one who plays the keys) walked out of the venue and asked if we had a light. We started talking about their tour and how it’s been going so far. Trekking in a small camper across America while playing music is my dream. The girl who I had been talking had also lit up a cigarette just as the doors to the venue finally opened…
Being the first time and first one in the venue, I found my way to the stage. Empty, I made my way to the bar and ordered a Jack n’ Coke. I watched the bar tender pour me a cup of about three quarters whiskey and one quarter coke. I sat down at a bar stool and waited for the San Diego crowd to fill in. After a while, I noticed another cute girl to the left and behind of me. To spark conversation, I asked what time the first act was to come on. I also asked her who it was that was opening for the Felice Brothers. She said it was this guy named Willy Mason (didn’t know he was standing behind me at the time). We got to talking about a lot of different things. She taught art at an elementary school. She works part time at a restaurant while going to Grossmont Community College. I found out later that her name was Mindy.

Continued on 8 /11/2009 8:00 pm

The Felice Brothers was an epic show. They were the dirtiest, most raw band I’ve seen live and it was awesome. They managed to play all their good songs while being extremely intoxicated. The drummer’s symbols were old, shitty and cracked. Their instruments were barely working, but it was great. They even admitted that they were “fuck-ups”. It was hilarious.

Any ways, I couldn’t finish the entry above simply b/c I didn’t have enough time/though to finish it. Today I want to talk about what I’ve been thinking, b/c I have a tendency to forget thoughts, also because I feel writing is the only way for me to say things how I mean them to be. Within the past year my mind has transformed after being introduced to many new ideas, concepts, and knowledge. I’ve been working at a defense company this summer with a bunch of right-wing nuts, and am very confused and concerned as to what the future is going to be like for me. The pressures of graduation, living in San Diego (where many good friends have transferred out), working, school, and the American mentality of finding work and working for the rest of my fucking life is building up to a point where I can no longer handle it. Every young person I talk to who has joined the work force says to “Delay joining the real world.” And I understand why. Because full time work sucks. However, all the old people I get advice from says to get a job, early, because eventually you will want and need money/security some day. And I understand both. However, I mainly understand both stances as a result of our nation’s faulty monetary system. But, I won’t get into that.
The only thing keeping me going is the conversations/ visits that I have with my true friends, and awesome people that I have met abroad b/c we share the same vision, fears, and, dreams. They are the only things that basically keep me going. “Keep the fire burning” as one friend I had met from Maryland. Meaning, ‘don’t get caught up w/ bs” yet it’s hard not to. And we as Americans are almost forced to deal with bs. The other day I met this Swedish dude who was shocked as the way we Americans are structured for instant work. Each step of our lives is to work for the future. And I hate it. Why can’t we all just concentrate on the now? Why can’t I just stop worrying about anything and concentrate on the now? Anyways, I think I’m just freakin out b/c I feel my life has more of a purpose than to just get some random ass job that’s either solely for personal gain, or to enrich the government. There’s no way that’s it. It’s weird how Christians think that life = sin and suffereing. It almost seems that way sometimes. However, I’d like to think the way some Islamic /Buddhist people think.. that you’re born to do good/or that you can achieve nirvana here on earth. That would be my choice. But it seems almost impossible in this day and age, growing up in America to find happiness w/ out fear. Anyways. That’s all I’m gonna say right now. Take care. Peace. Love. Happiness.

AHHH

Allllrighty.... So its been a couple months since I've written to myself aha ... but anyways.. alright I'll summarize up the last few weeks right up to this instant..Great, yet busy, and at times a frustrating time in SD (for a number of reasons). Started a lil jam band, played a couple times then got a 1000 dollar noise violation... aside from that, i've had like about sixtyfour tests to take before easter break so that wasn't fun. The free time I've had when I'm not doin school/internship/hw I've just been chillin with the core homies, playin music, creepin to the sneak joint (jk i've only been there once)...mainly just playin music.. and tryin to go to shows. The music scene in SD isn't thaaaat great but every now and then a good band comes along...I'd love to go to Cochella but its a lil pricey at the moment when I owe the city 1000 dollas (hoping to appeal it). anyways... I've also been tryin to find work/internships for the summer either in Portland or SD... i have an interview tuesday for a SD internship so we'll see how that goes, but I'd love to have an Oregon summer for once. However...summer in SD would be cool cuz a lot of cool people are gonna be there as welll soo I'm kinda in a pickle.
So I decided to come home n relax in PDX for the easer week. Its been kinda slow w/ nobody around but I've also had some qual fam time. Twas gonna go up to the mountain today but the condishes weren't that great so we went on a fat hike instead n that was interesting. Tonight I met up w/ a good ol friend of mine named Kelly (best friend's gf). After crusin downtown we stopped in the pearl at the Rogue Brewery n I found my new favorite beer... Rogues' Shakespeare Stout ... mmmmm. delicious. .. perfect chocolaty creamy full taste mmm mmm mmm
Tomorrow I'm bout to celebrate a lil easter action and see my favorite band play downtown (Fleet Foxes) so that should be exciting..just hoping my craigs list ticket will work. ha
anyways... hope I can figure out my life, or at least the next few months, when I get back to SD.. as for now.. listen to http://songza.com/z/f8z1c9 with a candle burning on a cool dark night yeeeh... also when ur in a philosophical mood. p e a c e

Back to the grind... a nice grind

(Obama drinking song cheer, DC)

YO YO YO. AHH it's been an extreme amount of time since I've written something. Where to begin eh? Lets start when I was back in the Oregon, hmm lets start when I was drivin' down to Eugene w/ Ran Man to crash at our homie's house.. oh wait, we stoped at OSU first in Corvallis. That was a nice night, saw a bunch of old homies like Zach, Vinny, Tony Baker, Ryan, Zach S, Lang, and many more..ended up crashin on the floor of some nasty ass house but it was all groovy, added a nice touch to the 'on the road' life that I'd totally choose over anything. The next day we got some breakky burritos at La Conga, n bounced to Eugene to Baker's lil place. Hes got one smelly and another creep old ass roomie, but Parr is the man. anyways, that first night we hit it hard.. i think. Ended up goin to this partayyyy n then the cops came la dee da dee da... the important part is that I saw heaps of old friends and I love every one of them. I even made new friends and hope to see them a gain some day soon! I loveeee making new friends. Hmm, the next day we hiked to the top of some butte and i guess Bakes picked up some poison oak aha the next day after I left. Poor guy. Anyways, it was a great successful college trip and I'm glad to had seen all the Brothas n Sistas from the OG.
ANYWAYSSS, a coupld days later my sister and I flew to DC a week before the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It was amazing. I wish I had longer to write about it but I'll summerize it quick. Everybody was in a great mood. Happy, the city was amazing. Totally blew away the stereotypes I had in my mind. We first crashed at this really nice house, went sight seeing the next day, which was the coldest day in DC in 5 years, i think it got down to like 8 that day. AHh but we're troopers. During that lil day we had a personal concert w/ shakira, stevie wonder, and usher whom were rehearsing for the inaugural concert a few days later. It was amaze. That week we ended up crashing at my sister's friend from college's group home in Columbia Hights DC. It was amazing and the people in the house rocked. Everybody was real. down to earth. special. I loved it. and there was always goodness in the air. Real house parties, w cool artsy things all around were the main thing around Colum. Hts. Loved em. Met SOOO many cool people who had good stories and great music. ahh. my fav. anyways, we went to the inaug concert all together, twas a blur. amazing tho, in the mists of millions of other fellow new born citizens. Many cool artists including James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen were all there. Couple days later, after hittin up some sweet DC bars w/ happy people everywhere and sleepin on the couch, we woke up early to join the masses for the inauguration. Twas an experience to remember. We started walking at like 630 with thousands of others. The metro was packed. We only made it to the middle of the mall...Halfway between the capitol and the washington monument, but it was amazing. Millions of people surrounded us and I could feel the good vibes and energy surrounding me. I loved every minute, regardless how efing cold it was outside, of the inauguration. When bush was shown walking on the jumboscreens (jumbotrons), the crowd gave him a nice na na nana hey hey good bye. .. same w/ chaney. Ahh finally Barack was sworn in and everybody freaked it was awesome. Leaving the place was madness! millions of people crowding the streets trying to get home. I dont even know how we got back. Took hrs. We were like sardines the whole time... but it was awesome. never once did I see any angry or mean people. Awesome time. Early the next morning we flew back to Oregon, I packed for school, and drove down to Santa Clara the next day (on my way to SD). We hung out w/ my sister's friends n then I hit the sack for the big drive the next morning. Soooo I finally made it to SD, got things situated in the new house and everythings just efing GROOVY! I love our new place and I encourage all who wishes to to come and visit me/ crash on my futon. anyways, I just bought a drum set yesterday and hope to start somethin up w/ JP and Andy. We'll see how things go!.. anyweays, I gotta hit the hay.. take care all yall. peace

Back in the OG

Written on Tuesday, January 7, 2009

I’ve been home for about 10 days now. It has only been 10 short days since my last out-of-country adventure, but it seems as if I had never left or perhaps it seems as if it’s been months since I’ve returned. For some reason it’s hard for me to remember how it feels like to be away, abroad, in Australia. Perhaps I’m caught up in the moment here at home, or perhaps I’m just so used to the feeling of home (after living here for the majority of my life) that it sinks into my state of mind weather I want it or not. Don’t get me wrong, things have definitely changed around here. Most of my friends are already away at school, people are different, and I’m busier than I used to be. Regardless of the changes or strange and familiar feelings that experience from being home in Oregon, I’m having a great time.

I arrived in Los Angeles on America’s December 27^th 2008. I spent the night showing pictures to my Aunt’s family and hanging out with my cousin. The next day I flew out of the Long Beach airport to PDX. As we descended through the thick clouds, the surroundings became instantly darker, wetter, and green. Portland was coming down from a huge snowstorm and I was lucky enough for our plane to land. Meeting up with the family for the first time in a long time was great as well as seeing my ol’ doggy Rusty. That day I met up with my friend Baker and bought some books at Powell’s Books. That night I called my old friends Randy and Jared, we went over to Rachelle’s house n went hot-tubbing, then drove to Mandi’s house to see other people, started playing phone tag with Morgan, then finally met Baker at Randy’s house n had a great old session. It was this night where I legally bought my first beer in the United States. The next day we drove to my grandparent’s house in La Pine (out in the boonies) and celebrated a late Christmas with the rest of my family. It was a great time. Now that I’m 21, I was able to drink comfortably with the family without any awkwardness…especially around my grandparents.

New years eve was interesting. My whole family went to this nice place in the Sun River lodge and ordered the most intense Northwest dinner I’ve ever had. There was Northwest Salmon, Cod…I ordered Eastern Oregon Elk and Duck…it was great. After dinner my sister and I peaced to meet up with her friend from school (whom is originally from Washington) in downtown Bend. We drank three bottles of champagne in his hotel room before we made the cold snowy walk from his hotel in the Old Mill District to the Bars and parties in Old Town. First we walked into a McMinimum’s where a local Bluegrass band was playing. The place was packed with young to middle aged folkies who wanted to get their new years eve hoe-down groove on. We decided wtf, and got a round of Long Island’s (the strongest they had) to start the night off, headed to the front of the stage and danced the night away. I can recall a lot of knee slapping, skipping, and other form of Northwest/Central Oregon boogie action going on. After the clock struck 12, and 2009 was in full effect, we bounced to another place where we couldn’t get in because it was too crowded…however, we met these girls outside the bar and we all decided to walk to a place called Seven’s together. It was snowing and the girls were wearing sleeveless tops… talk about a freakin’ cold ass walk. Seven’s was alright, but the crowd was a majority of older folk so after a while and another Long Island, we decided to walk back through the snow to the hotel and call it a night. Once we arrived in the hotel we instantly made some coco, popped open the last champagne bottle and fell asleep. I’d say it was a fabulous and well spent New Years Eve to say the least.

The next day we celebrated official Hangover Day, sleeping in till 12 while ordering room service from Red Robin. I finally gained energy to drive my sister and I 40 minutes back to my Gparent’s house back in La Pine.

The remainder of the days in La Pine were spent soaking up with some good old fashion family time. Cuban cigar smoking, drunken grandparents, presents, and snow-shoeing briefly summarized what went on for the remainder of the trip. After the 4.5 hour drive back to Portland, I met up with my friends because they were leaving for school the next day. Once again, I only was able to spend about two nights with my best friends who had to leave for school in early January. After everybody left, I’ve spent my time reading, playing the guitar, piano, and drums, surfing the net more than I should, and eating a lot of food. It’s been really relaxing and I love it for the time being. Today I had my first piano lesson in about three years and tonight I went out with my buddy Scherman, Eddie, and Even to some bars downtown. Tuesday night isn’t Portland’s biggest night but it sure was great to reunite with the friends that are still around. Tomorrow night is going to be the same deal, and this weekend I plan to make a trip down to the Oregon schools to visit with my friends and get a taste of public university socialization. As for now, if you got through this long ass blog, take care, and keep on keepin’ on. Peace