Goals for 2010

Ahve prolly said it before on this blog, but Ah Don't Believe in New Years Resolutions. Ahm all about personal improvement, n appreciate that it does facilitate many people examinin thar lives n makin conscious efforts to better themselves. Howevah, ah always have thought that if thar was somethang you should fix about yerself, you should implement it as soon as possible, hopefully immediately upon realizin this. Ahll admit, ah can't always implement change immediately myself, but think that ahm relatively good at fixin my bad traits (if ah wish ta dae so at least).

However, 2010 seems pivotal to me, n ah think that havin some concrete goals to work for (n hopefully accomplish) will be helpful in reachin more of my potential this year. These are subject to change, howevah, tha initial spirit will try ta be kept if edits are made.

So here's Severe's List of Goals for 2010:

• Put together both a video and written solicitation to approach potential sponsors with (ie, bass guitar and amplifier manufacturers). Research the best way to go about initiating contact


• Related to above, have done at least preliminary recording for Severe Bass w. band, if not having recorded EP (hopeful)


• Continue attending Bikram yoga at LEAST 2 x per week, hoping to create an average that is closer to 3. Do at LEAST one double - preferably back-to-back if attainable.


• Attend bike maintenance course


• Garden with as much available space as possible in Spring/Summer 2010, paying attention to conditions and recommended crops


• Get a raise at work


• Take a vacation for myself


• Finish reviewing every taqueria in the Mission for Burrito-Quest!

This list is a work in progress

2010, Comin round tha bend....

Holy shit wow 2009 is almost done with. Whoo-wee! Ahm lookin forward to tha new year, THA FUTURE!

Ahve been in a fight w. December - ah figured tha only way ta make it thru this month was ta come out fists blazin. First thang first, ah took a day off, n gawt sick. As ah was recoverin, ah scouted ta nova (see below - man, ahve been slackin this month on writin journal posts). Work was nutso, n ah mae sure ta keep every second ah had outside booked w. auditionin a new WTB vocalist (hopin she works out - sings real nice n knows her shite!), auditionin my own band (Drummers already flaked - we'll see if tha guitarist sticks around), musick, sfbc outreach trainin (so ah ken werk tha sweet places), xmass gift shoppin, cutting off my goatee, n of kerse, tha holidaze in Buffalo.



Tha turbulence before tha Great Lakes was one of tha worst ahve evah experienced, but ah made to n from BNIA without much problem. Buffalo was a mixture of sleep, food, family, and booze. Ah believe mom counted 35 er so people overall - 5 of which were between tha ages of 3 months n 8 years, which were (ahem) uber-cute n hella fun.

Sadly, nawt a single fawkin picture was taken as far as ah know at this Xmass, which was a really really good one.

December has pretty much backed off, altho ah did throw up aftah yoga fer tha first time evah (wtf), n ahm feelin pretty good about everythang. Thar was anutha surprise, from my alma mater....ahll extrapolate at a latah time.

Tomorrow is tha last day of 2009. Ah can't say 2009 was a bad year - plenty of good stuff happened (n nawt much bad). Just that ahm supah fawkin excited about 2010.

Instead of new years resolutions, ahma set some quantifiable goals fer myself in 2010. Expect me ta be postin/editin them soon.

2010 is when it all comes togetha people (altho maybe ah said that last year, hah!)

Good times in pictures

My trip home was nawt all emo reflection howevah - ah did have a rawkin time, despite tha logistics....

Ah left my house at 5:45 AM on Thursday mornin ta catch a 7:30 flight, n arrived about when ah was supposed ta. Then ah went out fer way too much veggie food at my favorite NOVA veg restaurant Sunflower. Aftahwerds ah gawta margarita w. my boy Damian - Damian is actually one of my newer friends in NOVA, even tho we've been hangin out fer ovah a decade now.

Friday ah was off ta lunch w. some of my old SUUSI girls, n then ah swung by my organizations DC office fer a couple hours ta speak geek n databases. Ah met up w. tha fabulous Jen Hitt fer some musick, n then it was off ta a party consistin of a bunch of my friends n burners. Well, Jen n Todd had SOME non-burner friends ah guess :)

Tha party was a good time...it lived up to it's West Coast promises, which wasn't entirely my fault. My homeboy E. Jay brought a djembe which facilitated hippy dance-times, n all tha burners brought thar open-minds n crap. Howevah tha burner world did turn out two wondahful surprises as well.

Oh yeah, pictures:

Ah made sure ta eat seth before he left

Ah must've had a grand experience howevah, cuz ah even freestyled near tha end of tha nite, somethang thas only happened a half a dozen times at most. It requires a very particular blend of intoxication n comfortability, as well as feelin like ah have somethang ta rap about.

Tha guy next ta me was cool but also a lil obvious in how much he was tryin ta git laid, n also needed more songs ta sing at parties

Then it snowed. Ah fergawt ta git pictures, but ah didn't like that. No sir, ah didn't like that bullshit. Howevah, ah gawta cute pic of me w. Todd that mornin:


He just looks so happy ta be next ta me

Finally ah went back ta NOVA n had dinnah w. E. Jay n my rents:


N then ah wrote tha previous post when he left.

Ah did indeed stay up all nite my last evenin in NOVA. Grabbed some Z's on tha plane, n tha second ah gawt back ah was in full-motion. First thangs first, ah werked my usual shift at tha yoga studio. Then ah went home fer a couple hours, had some food, n went back to tha yoga studio ta finish up. Aftah some (result-less) shoppin, ah was back w. enuff time ta snack, showah, n git dressed fer tha SF Bike Coalition Winter Fest. Ah like tha SFBC, n ah like pourin beer fer them (partially cuz ah always end up gittin a few free ones that way). W. tha combination of everythang, ah gawt apparently really hammered.


Ah remembah havin a good time, but ah don't remembah who these people are

Then ah rode home in tha rain. Awesome, really it was.

Whew! WTB is auditionin vocalists this week, ah am meetin w. two guitarists n one potential drummer fer Severe Bass, n gaein to tha Symphony on Saturday. Also our new roommate moved in. N it's been cold as shit (in tha low 40s!)

December, ahma kick yer sorry ass! You'd bettah git outta here before we git intae it....

Reflections

I'm in my dad's office of the house I grew up in. I came back to visit for a few days because my rents are in tha process of fixing up their house so they can move intae one thar havin built fer them in Buffalo, NY. (Note: My father is from Buffalo n much of his family is still thar - hence movin TO Buffalo). It was sort of a spur-of-tha-moment decision...basically ah realized that my last chance ta see this place before it's gone is whenevah ah make it happen.

It's fucking weird. Ah admit - ah don't really like this feelin. Partially ah think ah didn't give myself enuff time here - altho what would anutha day er two actually have done? Part of it is also that ahve been so busy since ah landed (intentional) visitin w. friends (pics from a rawkin party ta come). So who knows if ahd be able ta come ta terms with this in a bettah way if ahd been here more. Ah sorta doubt it - especially w.o a bass here ta write with.

But man, it's hit me. Ahm nawt even sure whar exactly its hit, but it has. My oldest friend came ovah earlier, n we went out ta dinnah w. my folks, which was great. Then he came back n showed me facebook photos from tha 10 year high skool reunion ah didn't even git an invite fer (but certainly wouldn't have come back here for), which was interesting, altho nawt especially nostalgic - almost none of tha folks ah would be really interestin in connectin w. were thar, n plenty of them that ah had nae interest in were.

Howevah, tha second he left, thar was nae more distractions. Ahm lookin at tha hallways of my childhood rite now - freshly painted n void of tha pictures ah remembah growin up with. Thars a single box of stuff that ah didn't take ta SF w. me in my closet - my room also freshly painted a nice bright color ah nevah would've chosen. Ah went thru that box a lil bit - old heavy metal t-shirts, SUUSI mug books. high skool yearbooks, n a photo album my mom put togetha fer me a few years back.

Tha photo album was hard man. Ah hate lookin at pictures ah know ahm in n nawt bein able ta find me. But seein tha walls of this house in all tha backgrounds - seein how happy ah was in many of those pics - relivin certain faded memories n piecin togetha othas - that was hard. Ah can't remembah tha last time ah cried that much - n ah certainly can't remembah tha last time ah cried this much without bein able ta articulate what it was ah was cryin about.

It's nawt just tha house - ah mean, yeah, thas part of it. But ahm really sayin goodbye ta this area, this part of my life. But this is the part of my life. Yeah, ah spent 4 years in bawstan, a few months in Australia, n have been out west fer a couple years. Compare that to tha house ah grew up in, tha house ah returned to time n time again, its nawt much. Further compare that to tha life (lives!) ah created out here, it's naethang. This area, fer bettah er worse, is who ah am, er at least who ah was. Tha world ah lived in out here defined me, continues to dae so, will always be my hometown.

Ah think thas what it is - without this place ta come home to, who am ah? That seems trite to write, but if ahm nawt whar ah came from, ah hafta be whar ahm gaein. N ah don't know whar ahm gaein. Ah have some ideas, n ah like/love whar ahm at most of tha time, but tha long-term plans, tha next step, it's just nawt thar.

That scares tha shite outta me. Ahve been spendin so much time makin sure tha life ah was actively livin was one ah want, ah haven't had my sights set on tha future in a while. It's like once ah gawt intae SF, ah stopped plannin - n that was somewhat intentional. But ahm losin my roots, ahm losin tha connection to whar ah came from, n it's frightening.

Especially b/c ahm nawt gawna regain them. Visitin w. old friends out here is amazin - but many of them won't be here much longah anyway (Which is good fer them). N ah couldn't move back here even if ah wanted. Tha scenes that have been created, er at least that my old cohorts have been recruited fer, aren't mine. Ah don't want them ta be. It's nawt just b/c ah ken be a snob er suspicious of new thangs - it's b/c they don't represent who er what ah want ta be. So what daes?

Ah love San Francisco. Ah love my day-ta-day fer tha most part out thar. Ah cherish tha good friends ah have made out thar (tha few of them). Ah dig my job, my bands, my house, my routines, my space. But they are all NOW. They are not 2 years from now. Some people would prolly say "Fer fawks sake man, all you evah dae is plan, can't you just enjoy????" N ah can't say "of kerse ah can just enjoy" w. enuff certainty ta actually believe it even. It's nawt really how ahm wired.

So what next? WHAT THA FAWK NEXT???

Ah don't know. It's nawt that ahm worried about it per se, ah just don't know. Fer tha first time in many many years, somethang is endin, n ah don't know tha next steps are. N ah don't need em eitha. Ah could prolly keep daein what it is ahm daein fer a couple more years (more er less) w.o any negative ramifications. N then ahd be fawkin 30. It's nawt that ahm afraid of 30 so much that it is ahm afraid of nawt havin a plan.

Ah also think that part of this emotion comes from that ah have nae control ovah this change. Ah haven't been able ta say, yes, this step is ovah, n onward to tha next one. This marker has been created for me n it's caught me way-tha-fawk-off-guard, n ahm nawt especially good at bein caught like that. So nawt only am ah dealin w. a big scary unexpected animal of a life-changing-moment, it's nawt one ahve made n have come ta terms with just yet.

2010 has come early for me. Ah feel a great desire/need to mark this change on me in some way. Part of it will be gittin rid of this goatee (that ah actually really dig). Ahm also ready ta start plannin my next tattoo - which will be SF-themed. These things help, but thar all superficial. So whas tha real thang ah need ta dae ta own tha next phase of my life? N how dae ah know it's tha rite one?

Ahm nawt exactly afraid of failin - you learn from mistakes n ah pride myself on bein able ta recognize those that ah have made in tha past. But ah sorta feel like ahm blindfolded, w. a big stick, n they tell me thars PROBABLY a big pinata up thar in tha air, n ah just need ta hit it, but b/c ahm nawt sure if ah believe thar even is a pinata, ahm just standin thar, thinkin, tryin ta hear tha wind, n determine if ah should start flailing in tha air, when ahd ratha hang out n hold on fer a clue as ta whar that pinata is. But would ah even believe them if they told me?

Ahm also standin thar thinkin, "why tha fawk dae ah need this blindfold in tha first place?"

Ah hafta leave my house at 530 this mornin, n its 2 am so far. Ah think ahm just gawna hang out at my dads comp, drinkin his beer, thinkin these thoughts, n cryin tha occasional cry until my body gives up n my brain shuts off. This would be a MUCH bettah plan if ah didn't hafta act like Sunday is any otha Sunday when ah git back west - meanin, ahll have cleaned tha yoga studio before ah even git home, n will then be volunteerin at anutha San Francisco Bike Coalition fundraiser by pourin beer.

My life is pretty awesome - why am ah so scared? Why daes thar hafta be a plan? Why daes it hafta git bettah?

Any of you who know me will also know tha answah ta at least tha last two questions - it's just tha way ahm fawkin programmed. But if anyone ken help me deal w. tha first one, well, ahm all ears.

Kickstarter!

I really like this website Kickstarter. It's a very cool way to raise money for your projects, and there is some awesome stuff on there.

In a nutshell, someone posts their project with a minimum amount of money they need to raise, and a time frame to do it. They offer different rewards at different contribution levels, and if the project hits it's goal, you're billed. If not, no one gets billed. It's pretty easy to do if you have an account on Amazon as well.

I get a good feeling by supporting a project on Kickstarter - I know that a small portion of the sales goes elsewhere, but I'm helping someone accomplish what they are trying to do, directly, and I get a cool perk from it - and I get to decide how much I'm willing to support something.

So far I gave $5 bucks to a struggling community garden in Philadelphia in exchange for some herbs, and totally snagged a killer piece of art by John T Unger, an artist who's work very much appeals to me. His project completely took off as when he jumped into twitter and started raising awareness for some evil corporation that is ripping off his ideas and trying to sue him in addition. I was lucky enough to feel like I got in on the ground floor and am really happy to help, make the connection, and have a fire imp displayed in my room.


I have to admit that knowing a website like this exists is very encouraging. In fact, I've started brainstorming if I would be able to raise some 800 - 1000 bucks for a new computer, the promise being that I would use said computer to do something?

Brainstorming.....

More pics!

I finally got my camera back from Saimhein - unfortunately I thought I had at least one full-body shot taken that night but I can't find it. So you don't get to see my make-shift hooves (boots I taped faux-fur to). But here's me and Dee (from think13):


N here's me w. her albino king snake, Adam:

(total cuddle-bug)

We went to some massive halloween party that was held in the house Jimi Hendrix lived in on Haight/Ashbury, and ate some fungus. That was one of the most incredible rides home ahve evah had.

Last weekend my cousin Zak (who has snowboarded in the Deaflympics on the USA team twice) was in town for a conference so we got a chance to hang out. It had probably been about 20 years since we'd seen each other. We had a blast - tha highlight fer both of us prolly bein on Friday when I took him to my practice space and he banged around on my drums/played my bass. He can't hear anything, but he could feel the vibrations and it was a very cool experience:


Then ah took him to all tha bars in my immediate neighborhood that ah frequent (4 of them). Aftahwerds we ended up at some random house up on a hill and stayed up way too late drinking even more.


Good times.

Ahm headed back East fer a short spell ta come ta terms w. tha fact that my folks really are sellin tha house ah grew up in. N ah will be hangin out w. some good people who ah dont see much anymore (cuz none of them have come to visit yet, grumble grumble).

Oh, n here's anutha pic of tha backyard - thars still some junk that needs ta be cleared out but it's really comin along!

Thoughts on being a Musician/Being in Bands

Bands are weird. When I was a teenager, I just thought that bands were a combination of talented musicians who rocked - and that it came naturally to them ("that" being kind of an unknown to me - I didn't start thinking about the songwriting process until I was actually in school. Even when writing songs as a teenager, I didn't see it as a process - it just happened.)

Nevermind the concept of ego and personality. Or drug abuse. Or not doing a damn thing for the band. All this stuff didn't exist - people in bands were just better at playing their instrument or singing or something then I was. At least when I was a teenager.

Howevah, as ah gawt oldah, more experienced, more perceptive, ah started realizin that a band is a family. N like any family, thar are always issues. Sometimes thar minor, sometimes thar nawt, but tha big thang is you have no control over them.

You don't - who knows where yer drummer is coming from? Who knows what the lead singers 2nd grade gym coach said to them? Who knows what yer gawna hafta deal with next? N is it even manageable?

From these kinds of points, ah started to piece togetha that a successful band is nawt just a combination of a few great musicians. It is also tha example of a great fit (or lack thereof) of personalities and vision. The bassist might be the best damn funk bassist on the planet but if he's stuck playing rap-metal, it's likely tha band won't make it above tha local scene. Or even last, especially if tha drummer keeps going through shit w. his girlfriend and/or methamphetamines. It's a total crapshoot!

This ties intae somethang ah also noticed in musick skool - that many of tha cats ah met were intae individuals, nawt bands. Ah've always liked bands - ah think ah responded ta meldin of tha minds, tha group effort, n tha combination of them all bein great playahs who in some instances had been rawkin out togetha fer decades.

Individuals have a great chance in many ways - once they've been established as someone worth working with. Also bein hot n makin money on tha tour circuit doesn't hurt.

It's as all these pieces were startin ta come togetha that ah started double-thinkin my initial plans as a musick student. Originally, ahd wanted ta be a professional musician. Howeveah ah was beginnin ta realize this meant one of two thangs: 1)Find a band that works and stick with it (meanin, git a shite job ta pay fer it) er 2)Find someone with connections n gae on tour/in tha studio w. them (which means givin up a lawt of control ovah tha type of musick as makin).

Neitha of these were thangs ah COULDN'T dae, but ah realized (ratha quickly) that ah DIDN'T WANT TO! Apparently ah would ratha have a standard, borin job of some sort that did nawt feed me emotionally, musickally, spiritually, etc., so that ah could keep my musick as personal n somethang ah cared about.

This is all pretty idealistic in my opinion now - especially cuz ah've realized ahm STILL playin intae one of those two paradigms. Findin musicians ta werk with is NAWT EASY. At least good ones that ah like hangin out with AND enjoy tha musick we're creatin. N even in my best case scenarios, ahm still comprimisin.

Ah play in two pop-ish bands rite now - n ah like em. Ah like it a fair amount actually - but a part of that is that as people, we mesh. Logistically, it is doable fer me (ah git rides n borrow amps n git cheaper rent - it's sorta ridiculous tha measures they gae thru fer me), and ah dae like tha musick. Howevah, ah think tha people almost outweigh that in many places fer me (while nawt entirely). Ahm currently searchin fer my own backup band - n ahve already started comprimising. It's a big pain in tha ass, this makin musick w. otha people. But ah like tha alternative less - makin musick by myself. Borin n hard.

Thars nawt a point ta this blogpost - ah haven't figured it out. Ah just have a lawt of thoughts n especially perspective on musick/bands/band dynamics/tha musick biz n every once in a while need ta express them apparently. Thas why ah have a blog. Git yer own!

Wee the Band plays a Festival!

Nevermind that it was fer a snobby neighborhood and we were billed as an "all-ages rock band", meaning all our songs about sex, drugs, and ritualistic murder had to be stripped. It was still a festival, n we gawt paid motherfuckers. So deal.

Anyway, our kickass sound guy Tim snapped some snazzy lookin photos of us, so ahma share. Again, nevermind that this gig was like 4 weeks ago. You still git pics. Of me in wearin a felt tie. Aren't you lucky motherfuckers?

Tha band!


Tha band n some kids who danced!


Ah sing!


Tha (leavin) Crowd!



In sad news, one of our singers Ashante is no longer singing with us. We are gaein ta be playin w.o her in a few weeks, n then tryin ta replace her as soon as we ken - but they hafta be good.

Ahm kiddin, that news isn't sad at all, she drove me absolutely crazy n ahm actually really really glad she's nawt with tha band anymore (Altho ah will say that a)she could sing like a muthafawka n b)girl had some good bizness sense that we certainly profited from).

Totally Posthumous Cleanse/Detox Wrap

First off - ah quit a day(ish) early. Thar was a halloween party @ my work on the 29th, n ah totally drank a beer n ate some junk. But ah still made it four weeks.

Tha big thang(s) ahm takin from this experiment is a) it DAES make you feel bettah but b) it's nawt a way ah NEED ta live my life just yet. Also that ah don't like havin ta spend all my time thinkin about what ahm eatin, what ahm gawna make, what needs ta be bought, etc.

Ah dae like that a few newer ingredients gawt introduced ta my routine: quinoa, flaxseed, etc. Ah also am very thankful it inspired me ta attend my local farmers market (or markets sometimes) n try ta git tha majority of my foods thar. Ah realized at some point that ahd basically been cookin entirely from scratch in many cases, minus some spices, n that tha most cheatin ahd done was some beans er grains (specially durin my cleanse phase), otherwise it had all been bought at a local market.

It also forced me ta stop dependin on a few non-local products: especially bananas. Ah love bananas - thar easy, tasty, cheap, n good fer ya. Ahd basically been eatin a banana every mornin fer a long time - it was a jump-start to my day, ah could eat it while waterin tha plants, it gave me just a lil energy ta ride ta werk. But thar nawt native. Those bananas come from far far away. So instead, ahve been eatin an apple er pear er persimmon bought from a local vendor. Nawt quite as easy, but bettah fer everyone (specially tha local vendor ah suppose).

So ah believe thars compromises ta be made. Ah love bread n cheese n eggs - thas fine. Ah currently dont eat TOO much of eitha, but ah should be more mindful about those products. Ahve also been good about nawt dependin on tofu fer protein - which is good fer a lawt of reasons. N ahm still gaein to tha farmers market - ah love it. Ah hafta wake up early on my Saturday, but it really is totally werth it.

But ah did miss tha occasional junk food. Ahve definitely snacked a bit now n then since, n haven't felt bad about eatin chocolate er chips er drinkin beer. All in moderation ah figure - n tha more aware of it ah am, tha bettah off ahll be ah think. Right?

All in all, ahm glad ah did it. Ahll prolly dae somethang similar again. Its good ta escape ones comfort zone - specially when you feel awesome durin it. N ah took some good thangs away.

Here's my most recent expedition intae cookin local food:

Attempt at Thai Curry
- Jasmine Rice - cook in cooker

In saucepan, heat olive oil (ah always cook w. olive oil), sesame oil, n soy sauce. Chop 7-8 spicy red peppers (From farmers market of course - $1 a huge bunch ahll nevah use). Sautee in sauce with salt, pepper, brown sugar, and ginger.

Add diced potatos and water. Cover and simmer.

5 minutes or so later, add green beans. stir and simmer. add more ginger.

a few minutes later, added chopped mushrooms and yellow/orange bell pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, then add 30+ thai basil leaves. Stir basil leaves in until wilting, cover for a few more minutes. Squeeze lime over, stir, and serve over jasmine rice.

How'd it come out? Tasty as hell, but a bit spicy. Ahd really thought ah had some coconut milk that ah was gaein ta add, but couldn't find it. Also, ah lost my fish sauce a few months back n haven't replaced that yet either. Ah think w. tha addition of one, er both, of these, it will be pretty fawkin good. Altho all tha recipes ah looked up called fer eggplant, so maybe ah should incorporate that next time.

What happened w. my House:

Some time ago (end of August), ah reported that my master tenant was movin back. Now this kinda CA rent weirdness is somethang ahm familiar w. (at least by now), but realize many othas are nawt, so ahll explain:

In SF, tha rentin market is very ruthless. We also have a LAWT of people who come by for a short while and then move ontae tha next step of our life. This is partially due to tha large amount of twentysomethangs who choose ta live here. In tha 70s er 90s (can't remembah), laws were passed dealin w. Rent Ordinance. Part of rent ordinance is rent control. Rent control protects tha amount of money you ken raise rent from year ta year providin that tha house doesn't gae on tha market. So a lawt of this happens by having one person sign a lease and be the Master Tenant, (or sometimes Master Tenants). This allows those folks to keep their place cheap and controlled, as well as allows them to change sub-tenants as needed if people flake/move/etc. It's not really a bad thang - except when yer master tenant is a dick.

In many of these situations, the master tenant talks to the landlord and collects money from the rest of the tenants. Technically, master tenants are required to let you know what the total lease agreement is when you move in, AND cannot charge you more then a proportional share of tha rent (as determined by square feet, furnishing provided, services maintained, etc.). Doing the latter is called Rent Gouging.

It's prolly easy to see whar this is gaein. Back in late May of 2008, ah jumped on a relatively affordable, all-inclusive, oral agreement w. some dude ah nevah met, without asking questions like "How much is rent" and "Who's the landlord" and "Do you actually live here?". Ah wanted tha fawk outta El Cerrito, n at 700 a month, w. cable, internet, utilities, n plenty of furniture, it was still a pretty good deal. Especially given tha washer/dryer included, n tha sizes of tha bedroom, kitchen, n backyard. So what if it was a lil sketchy?

It was obvious no one here cared all that much when ah moved in. Howevah, ovah time, it turned intae a bit more of a household. N we started talkin about how it would be nice ta fix some shite up. Namely our back stairs. So we mentioned it ta our maaster tenant, n he blew us off.

We continued ta talk ta each otha, n eventually ah went to tha SF Tenants Union ta see how illegal all this was. Ah learned plenty illegal, but without a copy of tha lease, er knowin who tha landlord was, thar wasn't too much ah could dae. Ah also learned that our master tenant, by nawt livin on tha property, was makin us vulnerable ta a serious rent increase - basically if tha landlord learned Steve wasn't living thar, they could raise tha rent as high as they wanted. N Steve had created an image of a hard ta deal with landlord that we should leave alone.

Aftah tha tenants union, we wrote steve an email (as he had been unresponsive ta verbal requests fer tha lease, er his address, er ta git thangs fixed), requestin all three. He responded sayin he would be movin back in early October, n then we just had ta wait. This also meant he was kickin out my favorite roommate, who had done a lawt ta help build unity in tha household, n that bummed me out. What a dick.

Anyway, ah hadn't brought this up ta really anyone b/c it has been SO dramatastic n unresolved. All of September was a dreadful stressful mess just waitin fer him ta come back...n then he didn't.

On Oct 3rd, aftah Steve failed to meet any of tha roomies when he said he would ta git a key, a new roommate showed up named Trish. I had met Trish before - actually she was tha one who showed me my original room in Steve's absence. Apparently it was a tough time fer Steve n instead of movin back ta SF, he had sent Trish in ta take ovah tha lease. How convenient! AND WEIRD!!

A week er so latah, we had a talk w. Trish n discovered she had nawt yet signed anythang. In this time we'd discovered that Trish was unemployed, n a self-described "Gypsy" who would prolly be leavin fer a month er two at a time in tha future. Also, her second weekend in tha house, my housemates noticed some REALLY strange behavior. Some guy spent tha weekend at our house who didn't recognize Trish's name tha first time someone asked him how he knew her. In addition, she spent tha entire weekend in her room, nawt makin a sound. Apparently she also passed out in tha bathroom, n at one point her door swung open n Oskar said hi, and she appeared drugged out n asleep. Her guest, who was also a wanderer, would leave tha house ta gae in tha backyard every hour er so tha first night before he started sleepin in her room, n when ah went out thar, ah saw a candle lit. Needless ta say, this all was worrisome. Ah gawt naethang against people who don't have a place ta live, but don't need them potentially daein hard drugs in my house.

We didn't bring this potential drug problem up w. Trish because we over tha course of hta discussion, it became obvious that Trish was nawt putting any money towards our rent, was not in a place of authority whatsoevah, n really had nae idea what tha hell she was talkin about. At one point, she even exclaimed "there goes my free rent!". She even told us she had "promised Steve she wouldn't tell us what the rent was." Unbelievable.

So this was tha straw that broke tha camels back fer tha roommie who had been a lil apprehensive about pursuin Steve fer rippin us off. We were finally collectively NAWT OKAY w. payin Trish's rent, and luckily, we had learned n confirmed that our landlord's son owned tha local coffee shop across tha street. Oskar investigated n explained our story.

That would have hopefully fixed it, but instead tha son, while concerned, explained that he didn't have anythang ta dae w. that side of tha bizness. He was actually very nice n sympathetic, but made nae promises. We showed him a copy of tha rental agreement Steve had sent ovah in lieu of a lease when we asked - that was preposterously illegal n gave him ALL tha rites n treated him like tha owner of a place n us people buyin out rooms in his house. Keep in mind Steve hadn't lived here in ovah 2 years - n ah had nevah even met him. In fact, ahd prolly had about 5 conversations w. him via text, email, or phone in tha last year and all of them had led me to decide he was a passive-aggressive drama queen who ah hated.

Tha landlords son said he would talk ta his folks n that we should call him on Monday (whe told us this on 10/21, so that Monday was tha 26 - we'd been dealin w. Trish fer almost three weeks by now) if we hadn't heard from him by then. Instead, on Monday mornin our landlord n husband showed up at tha door - luckily ta meet Melanie instead of Trish. Melanie, while surprised, immediately turned intae a hostess n showed them how great we were. We were especially lucky that tha house was relatively clean that day. Tha landlord had nawt even heard of Trish or received any notice from Steve about him leaving. Tha big news we'd been waitin fer was tha ACTUAL price of tha apartment: $1600. Steve had been collectin 1700 from us SANS utilities (some of which he nevah even paid).

That evenin tha house met (nawt includin Trish of kerse) n we decided it was time ta strike. Tha landlord was gaein ta try n git in touch w. Steve n then git back ta us. We realized at this point tha only card we'd been holdin w. Steve was a "give us tha lease, er git sued fer rippin us off" kinda deal. We sent him an email saying as much, n then went home ta tell Trish tha situation: that we weren't payin rent ta her er Steve, were takin it inate our own hands, n that she would hafta move out since she wasn't payin rent.

Trish didn't put up much of a fight. She said okay, n then we assume she talked ta Steve, n then tha landlord. She came back a lil latah ta tell us "it looked like thangs were gaein in our favor". Then tha landlord called - n we waited a lil ta regroup before callin her back.

Ah only heard one side of that call, but it sounded promisin. Tha end result was that our landlord had ta talk ta "Leo", a name we hadn't heard. We assumed he was tha lawyer, which ended up bein mostly true (technically he's nawt a lawyer, he's a "personal representative & tax/immigration law specialist", whatevah that means).

Leo gawt in touch w. us n wanted us ta come down ta talk ta him - which was right down tha damn street. Honestly, ah sometimes wondah how much time n effort could have been saved by actually gaein intae his office, which clearly read REAL ESTATE LAW on tha buildin, n askin him a few questions. He's sharp as hell (altho a republican), n it wouldnt have taken more then a couple minutes fer him ta figure out whar we were talkin about.

All in all, we won. Tha rent went up, but it's still cheapah fer us (n fer SF in general). We are on tha lease - all three of us. We know how ta talk ta our landlord n Leo is now our property manager. Our landlord is amazing - absolutely loaded, but she, her husband, n thar werkah cleaned up our backyard themselves (wait till you see th apics). She's a lil sweet hispanic woman that is gaein ta give me some tomato seedlins from her garden next summer. Tha back steps are almost completely finished. We kept tha washer/dryer n are replacin tha otha furniture w. our stuff. N ahm gaein ta take Steve ta small claims court - he over charged me 200 bux a month for 17 months AND stole my 700 security deposit outright (he did nawt pay fer November rent). You ken dae tha math.

We signed tha lease on Saturday, October 31st. It was one of tha best days evah. Ahll gae intae tha costumed details in a latah post.....

Massive Update needed

Ahm aware - it's been a lil bit. But really, thars a ton of stuff. So stay tuned n ah will try ta give you all the personal updates on thangs such as:

- WTB photos from a festival
- How my detox/cleanse ended
- What's going on with my housing situation (n how it gawt thar)
- Samhein 2009!

Also, ah saw Valient Thorr at my favorite SF metal club Annie's Social Club, which is a great little dive in the SOMA district. Ah almost missed tha show too - didn't realize it was happenin until two days prior. They were as much fun as ah remembah - n even hairier!

Stay tuned mofos!

Cleanse Update - Almost done w. Phase 2!

How ya feelin Anthony?

FAWKIN GREAT!

Yeah, who would've thought that all that healthy livin would make me feel awesome? Ah guess ah sorta did....

Anyway, keepin to tha diet has been pretty easy. Ah mean, ah miss bread and cheese (And some mornings COFFEE) plenty, but it's nawt like ahm gaein hungry. Ahve been makin a bunch of great meals such as Vegetable Soup, Yams and Spinach Curry, Quinoa in a variety of thangs, fresh salads w. some ground flax seed mixed in fer protein, Roasted Veggies n Cranberry beans ovah rice, n Amaranth breakfast cereals. Every day ah drink at least once juice, a few cups of mint tea, green tea, and dandelion root tea at night (fer tha liver). Ahm also takin a multi-vitamin, spirulina, and milk thistle supplements every day. So far ahve made it ta yoga 8 times this month (should have been 9 but tha heat was off one day), n haven't had ta sit out of any regular activities like drummin er bike ridin.

Tha downside: This is really time consuming. It feels like almost every wakin moment is thinkin about food: What ah ken eat, what ah need ta make, what ah should buy, etc. This isn't bad - ah fawkin love food - but ah don't really love it consumin my wakin thoughts. Also, gittin ta sleep has been difficult some nites - altho ahm sleepin much more soundly, n wakin up on time is a piece of cake.

As of Saturday ah will introduce gluten, wheat, dairy, and eggs back into my diet, as well as tha occasional sugar. N next Friday or Saturday ahll have my first drink in 4 weeks - gawta celebrate Samhein n all. So while this has been great, it's nawt gaein ta be tha way ah live my life 24-7. Ah just hope ah take some stuff from it, namely:
* Wakin up on Saturday fer tha Farmers Market is totally worth it
* Quinoa is a really easy grain to cook with
* More fresh veggies in my life is GOOD
* Less tofu/processed meat substitutes and more natural proteins from nuts, flax seed, kale, grains, etc.

But most importantly is ahve learned that this kind of livin IS possible, n nawt even too difficult. In fact, in many ways it's almost cheaper - that is, once ah bought tha juicer, n tha supplements, n all that crap. $30 of veggies from tha farmers market is almost all ah need ta live off (plus grains, etc from tha bulk bins at tha hippy co-op).

Howevah, ah really can't wait ta have a big cup of coffee w. some cream and brown sugar in it, w. a breakfast of avocado on toast n some scrambled eggs w. cheese. How decadent!

Tha girls of tha internet...

So as you've prolly picked up if you read this from time to time, ahve been usin tha internet ta date since gittin out here. It hasn't been tha only way ahve met people, but it has been tha easiest - in it's own way at least. At first it was just some Crazy Blind Dating, but about a year ago ah turned ta both Craigslist as well as popular online datin site that prolly daesn't need ta be named.

Anyway, some of it went fine, some of it was lame, a bit of it was REALLY lame, ah met some cool girls, ah met some crazy girls, n ah gawt some stories. Howevah, ahm takin a break from it cuz ahm lookin back on my experiences n realizin that thar is really very little return from my investment. First off, online datin is extremely frustratin, especially if you are a male, n possibly more if you are, like me, only lookin to date, perhaps more. Tha amount of unanswered messages sent is mind-boggoling. Ahm very glad ah created a separate semi-anonymous email address for it (yes, ahm creepy like that, but really, ah dont want these fools ta know my last name!)

Anyway, even if thar was a response, n some back n forth, ahd guess it ended up in meetin that person about 30 percent of tha time? Maybe more like 40, ahm obviously guessing here, but suffice to say that those ah met n went on a date with were a small select few out of those I'd messaged or responded to.

But if you know me, ah always dae everythang full-force. So despite this annoyance and frustratin, ah believe ah have met at least 20 women from tha internet in tha Bay Area since last October. Thassa lawt. How dae ah know all this?

Simple. Everyone gawt a nickname, ie, _______-girl. N eventually ah started keepin a list of all tha _____-girls ahd actually met. N of kerse ahve separated them intae 3 categories: Fine (as in, these were good people but we didn't have much in common/chemsitry/etc), Meh (one way or another, I was left feeling kind of meh on the whole thing, whether it was a date or a month, this relationship lacked something and I probably could have done without the interaction), and WTF (who is this creep-show and what are they doing on the market!).

For your added convenience, I've ordered them in descending order of WTF. So now, ah present, Tha Girls of tha Internet:

WTF:
eyebrow-girl
writer-girl
pirate-girl
cycle-girl
oakland-girl
giant-girl
psych-girl
late-girl
boring-girl

meh:
geek-girl
lip-ring-girl
cello-girl
boyfriend-girl
boston-girl
bike-girl
camera-girl
guitar-girl
masseuse-girl

Fine
book-girl
midget-girl
phd-girl (Despite us not being a very good match, we dated for a few months, eventually breaking up because we know it wasn't going anywhere)

Maybe if ahm feelin gossipy you ken ask me about one of them n ahll give you tha scoop! (Maybe nawt tho).

Detox Update: Phase 1

So it's been almost 9 days since ah had my last drink n ate any sort of processed food. Ahve still had cheese n dairy n coffee n my favorite medication in my life, but ah am feelin great. Every day ahve had a freshly made juice from my new juicer, mostly w. veggies from my local farmers market (Which is AMAZING! Yelp it --> Alemany Farmers Market). Ah can't wait till tomorrow mornin ta gae back - n this time ahll bring two carryin bags (altho ah need ta nawt buy so much of stuff that will spoil - will need to plan on stoppin by tha Civic Center one mid-week tha next two weeks ta make sure my shite is fresh).

Nawt drinkin is weird, but easy. N ahve stocked up on tha necessary supplements, teas, etc. that ahll need n have been easin myself intae tha taste n routine of said supplements. Ahve also been lookin at all tha stuff ah CAN eat, n ah think that my cleanse, startin at midnite, will be a piece of cake actually. Plenty of stuff ta eat n plenty of ways ta find it. N ahm lovin my juices - they just taste n feel healthy.

Ah also hit up yoga 4 x since ah started n each class was bettah then tha last. Who woulda thought livin bettah meant feeling bettah? KER-AZZY!

Fresh Veggies


Delicious Juice!

Pics of Stuff!

Ahd been holdin off on this until ah had a pic of tha drumkit ahm playin - ah took a pic of it today. N then left tha camera at tha practice space. So here you are, pics sans drumkit:

Edit: ah went back to tha space ta git my camera, so here ya gae!


Edit: N some pics from my garden - color coordinated so you ken see whas growin!


stilt-walkah

ah ran intae this guy at tha folsom street festival tha next day - he n ah had beeb crackin jokes durin one of his performances at the Tour de Fat.

at tour de fat w. josh n kirsten

Josh was the guy who tried ta hire me back in early 2008 but ah took my otha job instead. Ah apparently inspired him ta volunteer at this festival, n we hang out once er twice a month. That is Kirsten, who poured beer w. us, n who Josh thought was really really hot. Ah didn't disagree ah guess....

me n my ride on a cross

Leavin tha park, Josh n ah took a different path n found a huge ass cross. This is one of tha bettah pics ahve had taken of me in a while, so ah figured ahd include it

bike over head

Thas rite ahma rawkstar!

on big cross

Told you tha cross was big - tha platform ahm standin on was prolly 10 feet tall itself!

Detox/Cleanse (aka, what am ah daein ta myself?)

October is tomorrow n it's a great month. Now that it's fall, ahm thinkin bout tha upcomin wintah, n tha fact that it's been two fawkin years since ah moved here, n otha stuff. N have decided it's time fer me ta try a cleanse.

Ahve gawn on some detoxes, but they were half-assed. N it's nawt that ahm unhealthy, but ah dae drink soda, n eat processed food (usually meat substitute), n thar is tha boozin. So ah started tryin ta find somethang that would fit me well - n didn't.

Tha Master Cleanse is fawkin insane - no way. Ah was thinkin a two week er so deal, but that allowed me ta eat solids so long as they were good fer me. Aftah enuff time on tha internet, ah finally decided ah needed ta put my own program togetha. Ahm still fine-tunin tha supplements ahll need fer part two, but here it is in a nutshell:

Part 1: Oct 1 - 9
- No

• Alcohol


• Junk Food (candy, chips, etc)


• Soda


• Processed/Excessively Fried Foods


• Street Food (burritos, pizza, etc

Ahm also gaein ta try n sleep earlier n wake up earlier to prepare fer Part 2, as well as git ta yoga at least 4 times.

Part 2: Oct 10 - 23/24th
- No

• Drugs, except for Caffeine, and only one cup of Green Tea per day tops


• Dairy


• Sugars


• Eggs


• Gluten


• Wheat

In addition, ahll be takin supplements for things like protein, my liver, and other health-related things to keep me balanced and healthy.

Ah recently purchased a Juicer and will be spending more time shopping for food, attending farmers markets to ensure I'm eating locally and fresh. My garden may provide some greens, although not likely enough to make much of a difference.

Halfway through this, I'm planning on taking a day where I abstain from solid food altogether, and will likely try to fast as much as ah can.

Ahd like ta git ta yoga 5 times during this time period.

Part 3: Oct 24/25 - Oct 30:
(Tha date is ambiguous b/c there's a Wee the Band gig on the 24th so ah haven't decided if ah wanna end my cleanse tha day of, or tha day aftah)
Similar to Part 1, depending on how I feel, and what worked for me. Ahll likely ease back intae certain foods of kerse. If ah git ta 4 more yoga classes, then ahll have done 12 fer tha month, which is about what ah like ta be - perhaps ahll be more ambitious then that....

Then Oct 31st, it's Saturday n it's Samhein, so all bets are off.

We start in tha mornin, hopefully w. yoga!

Reflections on my Bike Ride to Work #8

Actually it was last week, but ah keep fergittin ta blog about it.

Ah saw a guy on a segway in tha bike-lane tha otha day n it fawkin CRACKED ME UP!!!

Ah hate segways, ah think they are fer lazy people n they look downright ridiculous. This was some yuppie in his 30s w. his messenger bag slung around his back, headphones in his ear, n a determined n smarmy look on his face. Ah laughed tha first time ah saw him, n then even harder when ah saw how determined he looked.

Even bettah, ah lapped him 3 times between stoplights. Yeah, his piece of shit accelerated faster then my ride, but ah have a higher speed capability, so he would zoom off (takin up tha whole damn bike lane like an asshole), then ah would catch up with him, start laughing AGAIN, n pass him, ta have him behind me at tha next stop light.

Ah can't wait ta run intae him again on my commute, that shite was hilarious. Altho next time ah will prolly tell him ta "ride a fuckin bike, you idiot". Suck on it segway-guy, you are lameballz.

Ah don't even know whar ta start....

Yes, ah know, it's been a while. Unfortunately, ah don't have all tha pics ah hoped ah would just yet fer this update....but ahll try ta give you a quick run-down on all tha awesome shite anyway....

9/12 was Power to the Peaceful a big free hippy festival that features a two hour set by Michael Franti n Spearhead (who is a main organizer of the whole shebang). think13 actually played this festival on tha kids stage last year - which ah shouldve blogged about but didn't. Anyway, it's a big free festival n ah gawt ta hang out w. a bunch of irish people that make me smile n ah don't see that often. Even bettah - ah missed tha acoustic Alanis Morisette set n showed up just in time fer Mr. Franti. Too bad tha weather was cloudy. After that ah went to a basement show at an art gallery ta see my local bike mechanic hit tha skins. Ah think ah gawt pretty drunk that nite in retrospect....

As cool as this was tho, it is completely in tha shadows of 9/15 whar ah saw tha original Bad Brains on a short West-Coast tour tear tha fawk outta Slims here in SF. Opening fer them was my new favorite SF band Sistas in the Pit, a black female power trio. Also this loser rapper POS who was way too emo n whose DJ sucked. But Bad Brains was nothing less then epic AND punk rawk. When they played reggae, ah felt like ah was on mushrooms. Too much fun.

On 9/26 ah partied again like a rawkstar at tha Tour de Fat, a bike festival put on by tha good folks behind Fat Tire. Ah poured beer fer a few hours as a volunteer fer tha San Francisco Bike Coalition (which is full of all sorts of win), n then spent tha rest of tha afternoon drinkin beer n watchin crazy people play musick n walk on stilts. Really. That evenin was topped off w. a (free - awesome!) dinner at the Beach Chalet on Ocean Beach, n then drinks-while-dressed-up fer my friends Bday party in Noe Valley.

Then on 9/27 ah went to tha worlds largest leather/fetish festival, tha Folsom Street Fair, gittin some footage fer an eventual Wee the Band video. Fer tha most part it was a lawt of fun, altho every once in a while youd see some naked dude wankin it, which ah couldve done w.o.

Speakin of my dumb vocal-pop band, we did anutha Ex'pressions video (minus the bass disaster) yestahday n will have new videos up on youtube soon w. our new songs - which are gittin pretty crazy. It's been exactly a year ah think since tha last one - which was our first gig togetha. Despite how weird it is that ahm in that band, ah really continue ta enjoy playin w. them. N they nevah fail ta mention how tha band is completely different since ah joined it (thas what happens when you git a bassist that doesnt suck!)

Anyway, ah hope ta put togetha some pics of my backyard n tha last couple weekends soon n post it fer ya. Howevah, please stay tuned fer my October update - ahm gaein on a detox!

Want some more pics?

Ah gawt em - n yes, this is a blog post BEFORE tha weekend, instead of ABOUT one. Ah know, ahm just so crazy none of you ken keep up w. me!

So a few weeks ago WTB played a Battle of the Bands at a pretty nice venue here in SF. It was hilarious - we gawt totally swamped by these two high skool bands. Ridiculous. Luckily ah had my good friend alcohol to git me thru it. Also, we took some more photos w. our kickass photographer Nissa Nicole. Here's one of me and Jamie:

N one of everyone else (we've decided ah need my own riser cuz ah git lost behind all tha fawkin vocalists):

Tha gig was a success ah guess b/c we gawt asked back to play a real show - no battle of tha bands, n while it'll still be an all-ages event, tha adult bands will play later then tha young ones. We'll git some more photos then ah hope....

Food is a big part of my life out here - livin on my own (well, w. roommates, but we don't share groceries or cook togetha - partially cuz they are nawt as good at cookin as ah am, but also b/c our schedules are vastly different). My diet is nawt all that different from what it was back in NOVA (at least since ah went veggie), altho thar are certainly a lawt more burritos in my life. Ahve been tryin ta cook from scratch as much as possible, but it doesn't always werk. Anyway, tha big change is ah gae thru avocados like fawkin crazy - at least 2 a week. Saturdays and Sundays a part of my routine is to make coffee n a good breakfast - here's last Saturday morning:

Those are heirloom tomatoes from tha hippy grocery store up tha street. Mmmm.

Ahll bet you are all interested in how my facial hair is too, right? Well, ah continue ta git really glowin feedback from tha current style, so it will be around fer a while longah. Ahve also started growin tha goatee part out a bit - ah think ahm sorta waitin until people start tellin me it's outta control n nae longah attractive. Fer now, everyone thinks its pretty awesome tho. This is me last week:

Ah also gawt an upgrade to my drum kit fer tha next few months until my buddy comes back to git it. Unfortunately ah totally fergawt ta snap a pic of it yesterday when ah set it up, but ahll try ta remembah ta dae so when ah gae in tomorrow.

Reflections on my bike ride to work #7

Ah took a slightly different route ta werk today - well, at least briefly. It was interestin seein those streets in tha daytime. Ahd be interested in timin takin some of the few side streets - tha way traffic moves on them is totally different, n ah don't have as many lights - which ken be good, ken be bad. Here's tha first part of my commute whar this is negotiable - once ah git downtown intae tha SOMA (South of market) area, thars really only one smart way ta gae. Altho when they fix up Valencia it mite be werth tryin thar...

Overwhelming Musickal Geekiness!

So Sunday night ah went to tha first installment of Intersitials, which had a bunch of super-crazy modern nutzo musick. Suffice ta say, ah was quite enthralled.

Ahd originally found out about tha gig by followin tha band mirthKon, who ah MEANT ta blog about a few months ago when ah saw them at a local club, but apparently did nawt. So anyway, they are awesome and you should totally buy thar album "Vehicle" because it's fantastic. Also, they are super-nice dudes.

Anyway, ah can't really explain how great this concert was, so ah've just uploaded tha program w. a few notes ah made about each of tha performers/pieces.

Gawdamm that was some good shit.....

Household Drama

Let's git tha bad news outta tha way....

We've been arguin w. our master tenant fer quite a while to 1)Give us a copy of the lease and 2)Get our back steps fixed. Instead of giving us a lease, he instead sent us an awful rental agreement that basically signed all our rights away, so we said we couldn't sign it until some other things got resolved. He sent over a friend to look at the steps who said he couldn't fix them at all.

When we pushed back on this he informed us he's going to move back in October. Which sucks, 1)Because he's kicking out a great roommate, and 2)He's a tool and none of us want to live with him.

Also, our trash cans got stolen - my guess is he hasn't paid the bill. Stay tuned for more Drama....you can be guaranteed of that!

Backyard News

Despite tha bad news about my house situation, ah still continue ta werk in my backyard from time to time. I'll admit, nawt as often as when ah started, fer a couple reasons. 1) The big work is more or less over, so it's more about maintenance, and 2) None of my roommates seem to care so I'm less motivated. Ahve decided to only let one fennel plant live, so here's a picture of tha remainin plant (ah still have at least 6 of these thangs in the backyard, ah just trim them down pretty regularly).


Also, tha plants in tha "garden section" are daein pretty good. That basil that was on it's last leg? Ah put it in tha ground (along w. sage, mint, oregano, n chives) n they are all daein well - specially tha basil n oregano. Also, tha flower ah mentioned in a previous post is daein quite well!


Also, ah had thought that tha wildflowers ahd planted in my backyard had all died out, but apparently a few of them sprouted n are alive. Sweet!

Ah make Ragu that RAWKS!

Fuck yeah ah dae!

This is a recipe that my mom gave me when ah moved out here - actually she makes twice as much as this when she daes it n then freezes it. I find this makes two big batches, so ah generally make a few lunches with one of them n then freeze tha rest. Every couple months ahll make this - it makes my house smell like my rents place. Ahm gaein ta share in case anyone is interested - this is a watery ragu type of sauce, not the chunky kind that many people think of.

Ingredients
6 oz. tomato paste
28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (ah use the muir glen fire-roasted, they make a great sauce)
28 oz water
~1 teaspoon salt (could add more)
pepper grinds
parsley (at least tablespoon)
oregano (at least half tablespoon)
1 bay leaf
at least ½ tablespoon sugar
veggies
addtl spices (chili)
1 Veggie Bullion Cube

The veggies ah used this time were:
1 shredded carrot
1 Portabello mushroom cap cut into thick-ish chunks
1 Green pepper, sliced thin



Making the sauce is easy - put everything in a big pot, bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for at least an hour (I do it anywhere from 1./5 - 3 hours, although I don't think thars much difference between 2 hours n 3 hours).

Ah was especially happy with tha most recent batch, which was full of flavor. Also, even tho tha sauce is somewhat watery, it has plenty of consistency because of tha big chunks of veggies. MMMMM!

Gala UU Event of the Year

So August 8th was the weddin of my great friends Erik and Kimberlee, two Continental UU Rawkstars who eventually figured out that they were madly in love w. each otha n they should git married. Ah was at tha influential Opus 2003 where they met fer tha first time - two years before they hooked up.

Tha weddin was a great time, partially b.c it was an opportunity fer me to ta see some folks who ah usually don't see (especially w.o attendin a continental conference this summer). People like Danny:

Danny has a crush on me but is threatened by my masculinity

N here's tha obligatory FUUSE Sexy Admins pic:

Jonny always looks like a girl

N then here's me with tha wonderful couple:


Oh, n ah brought some California Cookies (recipe ta be posted eventually):

This is why you want me at yer weddin

Updates are necessary!

So I've had a pretty busy/awesome last couple weeks and I really need to document everything - so the next few posts might not be chronological, but they are all important!

Reflections on my Bike Ride to Work (#6)

Sean Paul on a cloudy day really brightens my mood apparently.

Also, my new softshell jacket ah daresay is almost exactly what ah was lookin fer - warm, cozy, water-resistant and wind-proof. Ah git ta werk less sweaty then ah used ta as well!

Reflections on My Bike Ride to Work #5

There are few bettah ways ta start tha day then eatin a banana in tha backyard, waterin tha plants, then hoppin on my bike fer a 4 mile ride in tha sun, without the need for a protective layer on top of my t-shirt.

Of kerse, tha fact that church started practicin at 7:30 am (which only happens like once in a while) is a less then perfect way ta start off, so ahm givin today's mornin a 5.5 instead of tha 9 ahd like ta give it.

btw, this is my 200th Post since moving to California n startin my blog back up!

Reflections on my Bike Ride to Work #4

Not really a reflection so much as a anecdote ah guess...

but ah did hit/git hit by a movin vehicle today.

ahm fine, we were both brakin n saw each otha w. enuff time that it was nawt really a crash. Scared tha shit outta me tho.

It wasn't anyones fault really - ah was bikin in a bike lane, n thar was a parked delivery van in tha car lane (ok, ah guess it was tha asshat who parked thar van in tha street's fault). As ah went past it, thar was a truck on tha otha side of tha van who was apparently gaein ta make a right turn when it gawt past tha van. Ah saw him turnin intae my path w. enuff time ta hit my brakes (altho nawt too hard cuz my mechanical brakes ken stop a lil too hard sometimes n tha back tire will skid). Ah wasn't able ta stop completely before ah gawt ta tha hood of tha truck, but ah more used it ta bounce back up n walk to a few feet w. my bike before hoppin back on. Here's the best picture ever for reference:



Tha driver stopped n asked if ah was okay n ah told him ah was fine. He apologized n said he couldn't see b/c of tha truck, which ah unnerstood. Howevah, ah think thar was some asshat old man who actually waved him intae tha intersection - ah saw him givin someone tha okay, but assumed they were across tha street. Now ahm nawt so sure.

Anyway, as far as collisions gae it wasn't very dangerous er threatenin, so hopefully ahve filled my quota fer bike-related accidents this year.

Oh, so my loser friend Danny has decided my original picture wasn't awesome enuff, so he's updated it for all of you 3 year olds reading my blog:

A blog of mostly pictures

Wow, ah can't believe no one commented on how atrocious that pic of me w. tha mustache is.

In general, I am well, but the fourth brought me some sad news. My friend Katie Tyson, someone I was not close to but did know more then in passing, was killed in a car crash coming back from General Assembly. She was 21 years old.


Katie and I carpooled to OPUS in 2007. I did not know her extremely well, but she has been in my kitchen, I have met her parents, and I easily consider her a friend. My personal belief system tells me that Katie's time in this life was short for a reason, and that she is on to a better place, but it is a very sad tragedy that she is no longer with us in the same way. My apologies if that picture caught anyone off guard.

Moving on however, to less depressing pictures.


A Thai Restaurant on Haight St


My UU friend and neighbor who recently left SF to travel the world teaching drama - ah will miss her Thas her SF boyfriend behind us, who is a good guy w. musical inclinations.


One of the dozen or so yoga mats I painted last week at my studio's work party


Wee the Band's Seedy Release Party is this week!


Look how gorgeous our album is! You should be getting one in the mail soon if I have your address - if I don't have your address, email me! You can also download it on itunes, Rhapsody, andAmazon! Wee made it easy on ya!


Ah inherited a beater bike from an ex-roomie My local bike shop needed just 35 bux to get running decently. The seat post was stuck to hell, but the yoga studio owner n ah manhandled it eventually.

Ah took a video on my phone of me playin tha shit outta tha drums, but neither blogspot nor youtube could handle the audio correctly, so ah can't share. sorry. Ah played them today, spending almost an hour on sticking exercises. It was embarassing that ah had ta practice at 46 bpm n it was still very rough gaein. In time....

Comparatively, ah took it easy this weekend...

It was Pride weekend here in SF - which means everyone gawt completely apeshit crazy (at least most of those attendin pride events). Ah did nawt attend any such events - nawt cuz ah hate on tha gays (ah freakin love queer folk!), but b/c ah had a gig in a touristy out-stretch of tha city, yoga, n had my best move evah - from one room, about 7 feet down tha hall to anutha room!

First thangs first - ah moved n this is epic. Nae pics of tha new pad yet, but lets just say it is a comprable size, more climate (less cold n less hawt at all tha rite times), n a million times more comfy n liveable (not to mention, no more late night latino bar musick from across tha street!). Here's my old room (that had surprisingly interestin acoustics now that its empty!


Then Saturday ah had my first "tourist gig" - Wee the Band played at Del Monte Square up in tha Fisherman's Wharf. Ridiculous. Tourist central, we played in this outdoor square near fancey shops, a couple restaurants w. outdoor patios, "the best ice cream in San Francisco" n even a weddin reception. From 3:30 - 7, w. two breaks, we were on. Ahve nevah played that much musick in front of people in one sittin. All 20 songs, n we repeated two of em. We made a few bux, had some laughs, n paid our dues. Next time, dues pay us!


Sunday ah went back ta yoga fer tha first time in 3 weeks. Ugh, ah know bettah then this - but it wasn't all my fault. Of kerse, some of it was, ah was crazy lazy in LA, n then since ah gawt back, n then thar was tha Journey to tha End of tha Nite, n then the sickness (what ahm callin tha illness that besieged my house last week). But anyway, ah went back, n my body showed me how much ah really need ta actually stay on that yoga shit.

But what was important is it was my first day bangin on my new fawkin drums!


N of kerse, what ah really learned, is what kinds of thangs ta look fer tha next time ah buy drum equipment. But it was a blast - n tha thang ah love about drums, is ah ALWAYS feel progress if ah spend at least 30 minutes playin them. Ah try ta play somethang in tha beginnin of a session that is too hard, werk on plenty of otha thangs, n before ah end ah gae back to that same thang n ken usually play it. Gittin tha limbs ta werk around each otha instead of WITH each otha is tha hard part, but it's comin along. Tha interestin thang about drums is how it nevah sounds like you think it mite.... (Shows you ahm totally nawta drummah, rite?)

Finally, ah cleaned up my old camera (which ahm usin until ah ken git tha review button fixed on my otha one - hence tha shittier pics recently), n found this photo from my last beard, wherein fer 45 seconds ah have a asymmetrical moustache (before ah even knew hipsters grew em). Hope you laugh!



Thanks fer readin folks - 4th of July is comin up soon. Tha only day of tha year ah actively wish ah was in Washington DC....