Pre-Dad

Readying the pad for dad's arrival. Piles of this and that, empty boxes and items for Goodwill have been my focus these last couple days. Everything is coming together. He'll be here on thursday.

Last night I went to bed at midnight and woke up at 11am. Man, I feel like grillion bucks. I need that sleep from time to time. During the workweek I usually stay up too late and pay the price in the morning.

Man, "Big S" has been running good. He knows dad is coming out, so he's prepping himself for road miles. Depending on what we end up doing (trip up to Seattle, down to Bend, or just around town) he'll be up for the challenge.

Went to a little barbeque at Floyd's last night. His joint is coming along nicely. Marky was over and was building the the brick fireplace. He's quite the mason. Good kid. The ceilings are smooth, and walls are primed. Floyd is building quite a joint for him and the little lady.

It is 66º outside today. Goddamn beautiful Fall. I love it. Wish I was home with the parents. Wish I could spend September and October in Minneapolis. Those months are amazing there.

Good People / Good Weekend / Good Rig / Good Rod / Good Tunes

This week’s infrequent updates are dedicated to my Aunt Mary and my Uncle Terry. We’re talking about good people here folks, so don’t mess with ‘em.

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Had an amazing weekend full of basically nothing. I took things easy and tuned up the pad a bunch. Same old, same old. Unpack this, unpack that, throw out this/that. It’s a “sifting” process of sorts, trying (and failing) to decide what I need to survive. I can’t shake a lot of this stuff. Think of it like this: I need these things to live, and damned if I‘m gonna part with any of ‘em.

I got a new rig in at work. A screamin’ double gig processor, giant hard drive, slick Itunes transfer rate and four holes on the hood scoop that don’t make any sense. Thanks to CINCO for outfitting me so well. A good investment, made by smart thinkers. No sense buying seeds when you can buy the whole garden?

Saw Rod Snell on Friday night. He came up with his gal for a quick dinner and some chattin’. He’s a good guy.

Dad will be here next week. Portland: Watch out, that tool-hustlin’ Pollack is ready for action. As a payback for years of abuse and scorn, he’s sleeping on bare hardwood floors. I have set aside an old wash cloth to be used as his blanket. It’s payback time.

I wish Mom was coming out, but she is opting to stay back to guard the ranch. I’ll see her this fall, as I hope to make a trek back in late October.

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Lots of new stuff to listen to:

1. Richard Buckner – Impasse-ette
2. Little Wings – Light Green Leaves
3. Replacements – Stink
4. Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash
5. Idaho – We Were Young And We Needed the Money
6. Archer Prewitt – Three
7. Bottle Rockets – Songs of Sahm
8. Julian Snow Index
9. Neko Case – Blacklisted
10. Scenic – The Acid Gospel Experience

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Just me and my records, taking things in, enjoying my time.

Never Again

One year has passed. What a tragedy. Never again, I hope.

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Everything else seems so petty and peripheral. I'm glad to be alive and healthy. I'm thankful for my situation. I'm proud of the country that allows me to pursue my dreams. We are in a new America now.

San Diego was quite hoot. Lots of chatter and mayhem. I had a little too much to drink and Ma Nature compensated with quite a blow to my constitution. I'll never be good at those sorts of activities. The whole "action sport" world just doesn't grab me anymore. Got to see the dudes, and a bunch of other schmucks. Rose, Brudges, Baker, Marty, Sullivan, Hexi, Kassholes, Jared, Michaylira, etc. Good times.

Em Walter sent me an email. It is always wonderful to hear from her. What a mind.

Work is work… with lots to do.

Dad is coming out here in a couple weeks. So much excitement is felt anticipating his arrival. We're gonna kick this town's ass. Father-n-son wrecking ball.

Goodnight everyone.

Movin' On Up

I'm moved in. Phew. What a fuckin' load. I have amassed quite a pile in the course of the last ten years. My library is coming along nicely. I have tried (and failed) to sift through it to pair it down a bit. I can't part with this stuff. You never know.

The moving deal was hectic, and backbreaking. Many thanks to fuckers like Jared Bogli, Jay Floyd and Mean Dean Gross for their muscle and compassion. These kings were there for me when the freight needed to be unloaded. Words can't express the sort of admiration I feel.

Tomorrow morning I'm heading down to San Diego for the ASR tradeshow. Goo and I are gonna cruise down to meet with our clients. If course, we'll peruse the show, collecting catalogs and "seeing where everything is at." I'm excited. I like this stuff. I love seeing all the new graphics and ideas. Plus, the fuckin' place is crawlin' with T& A! (Sorry, just kidding, but, it is the truth. Many, many loose lookin' ladies are used as eye candy for lackluster booths. Sadly, this ploy works and attracts many gawkers.)

Work has been hectic. No shortage of things to do. Sort of maddening.

Last night I went to battle with some large bugs. 6 or so made their way in. I collected one as specimen (to show the landlord) and smashed the hell out of the rest. I did some research this morning and think they might be some sort of mean termite. They are black, and almost a goddamn inch long! Burly. I'm not down with bugs.

Went and saw Wilco the other night. Robin scored some free tickets so we went down and caught a good hour or so of it all. Tweedy is quite the smart ass. Hecklin' the crowd and crackin' little jokes. The polar opposite of Farrar in so many ways. They have a good quality to them, loose yet together. I nodded along to a handful of songs and we split.