Sunday, May 22, 2011

I lit myself on fire, and other news

I lit myself on fire on Friday, and now I have a small blister on my finger. But that's not why I'm writing. Well, it's part of why I'm writing but I've got to start further back. For the past three weeks or so I've been trying to focus on school, I may have even posted here about it. Specifically, my focus has been trained on passing a U.S. history class taught by Satan. Long story short, Satan delights in confusing and then failing his students.

Friday was the final exam. I think I did well enough to pass the class, but with Satan handing out the grades you can never be sure. I'm done with school in so far as the semester is over and all that, but I don't feel done. Not until I see that "C" (or better) on my report card will I feel done. And actually, I probably won't even feel done then. I've gotten pretty derailed from the goals that led me to go for a music degree. I was seriously considering dropping out 5 months ago, but I was so close I figured I should just put my head down and finish what I started. I still feel that was the right thing to do, but it has been a pretty fucking frustrating semester.

So anyway, Friday. I went into work early on Friday and it hit me that I was now obligated to begin searching for a new job and a new place to live. After next week I will no longer be eligible to work at my cushy library job, and being done with school I will have no reason to live in the outer reaches of the beautiful San Fernando Valley. I started looking at craigslist for jobs and there were more than I expected. It was a bit overwhelming. I need to get my shit together a little bit more for that.

My mom's birthday was Thursday. Friday there was a celebration at a famous steakhouse. I think I've had one steak in my life that I actually enjoyed. It seems like a dish that is really easy to screw up. I had a cheeseburger (apparently the beef was ground from steak trimmings) and it was fucking amazing. My mom had this birthday book that tells you about yourself based on your birthday, and she had me read aloud everybody's birthday prognostication. It was fun. I have a strong speaking voice and I like speaking out loud. With 12 people at the table, we started to notice a pattern of positivity that couldn't be ignored, so I improvised one for my mom's neighbor. She's a really nice lady, and also a former cop, but again, really cool, cop or not. I improvised a reading for her, pretending it was from the book. "You are mean-spirited and generally disliked. You delight in the misery of others, and probably should have been aborted." etc. It was inspired partly by my history professor and partly by my mom's actor friend who was riffing on the negativity theme when we all started to get sick of the good vibes pumping out of this birthday book.

After that I drove downtown to catch up with the Mook Ride. I parked as soon as I got off the freeway and rode downtown because that's where I thought I had to go. Turns out I neglected the N in 96something N. Hill. Once I got to 9th street downtown I checked my directions because there were some alleys and shit to negotiate and I realized that I had actually parked right next to where I was trying to get to. It was a North Hill address and I was at the South Hill version, which was incorrect. It was nice though. I love riding through downtown. I happened by the building that used to contain my grandfather's camera store. Earl V. Lewis Cameras. He was the youngest of his family, but the first born in the U.S. I found out a few years ago that he was actually Jewish, but having fled the Ukraine because of anti-jewish whatnots, he adopted a Catholic identity.

I met up with Reverend Mook and Jeff and John at some chinese restaurant, and then we went down to the secret place for karaoke. I sang "Easy" as redone by Faith No More. Fucking killed it.

Later on, we drank and drank. Jeff got replaced by Mikey. We here hanging out in the mouth of an alley on to a parking lot, and somehow I got a lighter in my hands and the urge to light the bottom of my white collared short sleve oxford shirt on fire. Its thick. Its cotton. I figured it wouldn't burn too easily, and if it did I could just lay down on my belly and snuff it. Once it got going, it got going. Man, what a thrill. I was playing with it a little while it was still non-threatening and I think thats how I burned my finger. Rev. Mook was capturing audio the whole time with a hand-held recorder. I'm sure at least some of it was worth hearing.

Next day I went on Richie's crankmob ride. It was fun. They love to make a mess, which is kind of annoying, but the people are still really interesting and fun to be around. It was a good ride. No drama, no cops. Richie taught Larsen a small lesson on how to manipulate his environment without destroying things, I even managed to get the JohnnyBoy and Alaska to play something other than electronic dance music on their awesome soundbike. It was nice. We all sat around and listend to Bach and shit like that.

So that was that. Now I'm writing about it. Today I sat down and went through all the old tickets and court shit that is hanging over my head, and found out that my drivers license is indeed suspended. I'm sure if I get run by the cops I'll end up in jail, unless I can clear it all first. I'm curious to see how much its going to end up costing me. I still have an outstanding thing from 2006 when I got caught riding my bike on the freeway. Man. There's more to say, but I am done writing for now. Hopefully the next post here will be a new song or something. Blah blah blah. Goodnight.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

It Really Happened


photo by Mr. Rollers

I am in the library right now, studying the minutiae of United States History in preparation for an exam. After that I will be studying the minutiae of getting a job and a new place to live. I have to post something about the show, though. It was so much fun. I think I may have had a little too much fun, in fact, and I think the sound may have been terrible. But people danced, and most of them stuck around until the end, so yeah, end of that line of thinking.

To Stan, Mike, and Leon: The fabulous musicians who supported me. I cannot thank you enough.

To the Bike Oven and Tren Way, NELA and everybody else who lent an ear: thank you for giving me a place to do what I do.

Now, back to "work".

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

this might be a song someday

Just checking in. Here's something I recorded on my phone. It's what we in the business call a "demo recording"


Lyrics:

I got a diplomatic boner
All the people in the world tonight
I'm a punk rock hoochie-coochie
I don't think that I will ever die

Love springs eternal
A man and a robot
Making little robo-babies
Fighting for the free world