Re-post

This is an old post from my myspace blog. I wrote it a while back after a days work at RockCity. I was reminded of this post by this beautiful picture of one of my oldest friends, Brianna. I really enjoy this one, and I just kind of wanted to share it all over again.

Relationships are like rocks.

You know those nice summer days when youre standing on the edge of the water, doing whatever? The water stretches out in front of you, open to all possibilities, your mind flares with recent events, thoughts of girls, boys, fights, and fun; just passing time with someone you like. What happens next is inevitable, maybe its boys trying to show off how many they can get, maybe its a method of choosing, like playing "she loves me, she loves me not" with a flower, whatever the reason everyone ends up skipping rocks. Anyone can tell a good skipping rock when they see one, just like everyone knows who they like, and why. The signs are simple enough, smooth, thin, nice soft edges, fitting nicely with the curves of your fingers, perfect for bouncing of the water again and again. These are the rocks we look for, but finding one is like finding a diamond in the rough. Just like no one ever thinks theyll find someone who fits them perfectly. With an array of rocks at your feet you scan and scan searching for the one; when you find it, however, its never quite like it seems. Sure things start off well, this rock may have curves like you swear youve never seen before, and edges so soft you never really want to let it go, it slips into the palm of your hand begging, pleading to be thrown; and then it just plops in the water with nothing but a splash of disappointment. Out of desperation, out of frustration, or maybe because theres just no good ones left, you pick up some some awkward jagged rock, with edges that cut, a shape that hurts your hand, a weight that says "theres no way this is bouncing off anything", an overall look that says, "dont fuck with me, Im what a real rock looks like." And then you throw it, and bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, it skips like 400 times. "How the hell did that work?" is all that runs through your head, youve just set a world record skip, you think, will anyone ever find a rock that skipped so well ever again? Will the water eat away at that rock so that if you leave it down there alone, by the time it made its way back it would be fragile and broken, with a look that wants nothing to do with you? Relationships are like rocks.

Overnights.

I've just finished working my second overnight shift in a row at the Mercer Hotel. This city was alive most of the night, the streets were flowing with people arriving at, and stumbling from, one of the many bars located nearby. Gaggles of beautiful girls, and all the guys that wont get to take them home, but all I really want to talk about is when the city sleeps. (passes out?)


At around 2AM people start making their way home, and by 3 most everyone is gone. Soho at night is gorgeous. The streetlights work their magic giving just enough light to reflect off all the appropriate places. The sidewalks and cobblestone streets shimmer from the thin layer of moisture left from their cleaning earlier. Without the hundreds of New Yorkers in the view the surrounding area looks like a painting, too appealing to be real. The weather couldn't hurt either. The comfortably cool, almost calming air accompanies the rare silence perfectly. It's a quiet, inviting scene, wonderful for sitting outside with a cup of coffee and watching the sun climb out of its home behind the horizon. Occasionally you see a straggler from the bars, or maybe just an early riser out to enjoy the peace. Nothing more then a "Good morning" is needed, perhaps just a polite nod, it's clear that the silence is as golden as the sunrise and shouldn't be interrupted.


It's really just an incredible, slightly eerie feeling being in the center of the void that is Soho at 4Am. All these things combined with an undertone of lack of sleep leads to a lack time. The hours don't really seem to pass fast or slow, more like you arrive and time stops until the sun comes up and then you leave. Overall it's refreshing to know the New York isn't always crazy, angry, or late. Try to experience it.

Everyone else is doing it.

So I did too. I made a muxtape. Click on the tape. It came out fairly well, giving a pretty good idea of what I'm listening too. A lot of the songs I wanted to put on were not mp3s though, so I couldn't. I wanted to put on some Cursive, MotionCity, The Beatles, Death Cab, NOFX, blah blah blah, but I couldn't. Oh well. Check it out I guess. Maybe you'll like it?

I sort of wish there was something like this with books. I could show you passages of books I'm reading, or books I like. That would be cool. Speaking of passages from books, remind me to buy a copy of Charlotte's Web.

Zoooooombies!!

I just watched George Romero's new Zombie movie, Diary of the Dead. This movie ruled. I was really disappointed in the previous film, Land of the Dead. As entertaining as it was for violence, gore, and the Zombie movie basics, it was just kind of dumb. Diary of the Dead was much more like the older movies though. It was all done on handy cams and security footage, and was literally a video diary of one group of survivors struggle through a zombie outbreak. All zombie movies are about that I guess, but being done in the style of a diary, a blog in progress, made it so much more personal. It was just awesome.

It seems like everyone likes zombies now. They are trendy, I guess. Whatever, I like zombies, a lot. I've been writing a zombie story for over a year now, don't get the wrong idea, I've only got like 20 pages. I started writing it for a Creative Writing class I was taking back when I was in school. I wrote two chapters, the second and third, fully planning to go back and write a prologue and a first chapter. More chapters may be needed to begin the story, I'll find out someday. I started writing my story at the point where zombies were already infesting the town and blah blah blah. But anyway, I stopped writing because I wanted to re write it. I want to change it from 1st to 3rd person. I liked the idea of a first hand account of a survivor at first, but now not so much, what if I want him to die? With the re write, I plan on changing a lot now. Maybe I shouldn't say re write, I'm just going to start a new story. I've written a few different possible stories. I've got kids in high school, kids in college, and two people who live in New York going home to Maine for a visit. I think I like the Maine one best. Actually, they all involved Maine, lets face it, its a great place for a zombie attack. But yeah, the two people visiting home. I want it to be deeply personal, this is something I've been trying to make it for a while without success, and then of course Romero comes around and throws his new movie in my face. Oh well. But yeah, it will be the story of my two characters told through a zombie attack. Love birds? Zombie birds? Who knows. As soon as I get something I think I like I'll post it up here.


On a completely different note: As I was writing this, a friend of mine wrote to me to tell me he was going to buy fish. The fighting fish kind. Two of them, separate tanks. And well, now I want a fish. My friend Kathryn from college had a fish named Akakah. Yeah, Akakah. Im not sure I spelled it right, the name is literally just a sound she made when she bought the fish. So, I dont think the whole "James really wants a cat" thing is really going to work out. Probably for the better, it will be hard to find a cat with bear like qualities, and I dont want to be disappointed in my cat, and then neglect him to the point where he puts his head in the oven. So I think I'm going to get a fish. Or two.

James is all that is excitment.

Two Fridays ago I had a day off. I then finished up my last days of work, Saturday through Wednesday, and immediately started my first week of my new job, Thursday through Monday. My two week period of last weeks and first weeks was awesome. My old job was great, and my new job kicks, but I need a day off. Thankfully I have the next three days off, during which time I will finally do my long overdue laundry. Today was the dregs of my clean clothes. I was out of clean socks, on my last pair of clean boxers, reused and reused work pants, a day old tee shirt (Up until the point where I got a work shirt from my new job, that was clean), and my reused and reused work sweater. Pants and sweater, whatever, those are clean for however long I choose to wear them, in my eyes anyway. Socks underwear and shirts are another matter however. Tomorrow I will have to go with using totally dirty clothes until my laundry gets done. It's a rough life, honestly.

On the other hand, with my new job I am finally financially comfortable. Fuck yeah. Thats right, I have money, and not all of it goes directly from my pocket and or bank account to my bills.

Also, with my new income, and for other reasons, I will be able to stat tattooing again. Sorry Pops. I've had plans for my ribs for a while, and have at least planned to get my other arm done. I've talked with Jeremiah about my ribs, no real plans have been made, but I know he will be able to do something up with my idea no problem. So Next time he comes back I will most likely start working on it. And once I get an idea, I will head to Tim Kern to get what will undoubtedly be an amazing color sleeve done on my right arm. I can't wait.

This isn't a review.

I just got the motivation to kick-start a blog again. Leaving the Myspace behind to once again join the ranks of the real blogs. Only I don't really have a thing to say right now.

So, The Gaslight Anthem. I wont try to review their CD. Sean did, read his blog. Plus, I dont really think I could. The only thing I have to say about them, is I love them. Well no, I have more than that. I can't stop listening to these guys. I got their CD and EP when I moved to NY (Am I over doing the capital letter ABRVS?) in February, and I have yet to stop listening to them. You know when you get a new CD and you listen to it over and over until you can't stand to think about it, but every once in a while theres a CD that just doesn't get old? For me, this is that CD. I listen to it everyday, time after time. I love the lyrics. I have written very little since I arrived in New York. I'm to busy having new experiences to write anything down. Things are coming to me, I just don't write them down. But the lyrics of the Gaslight Anthem really inspire me. They give me an idea for a style writing I've never really thought of. Think of Bluesy Punk Rock and Roll, and then translate that to a story. The themes of their songs are stories all on their own, but I want to make them stories. Get it? Cool.

This blog lacks anything to really make it a blog, but I give you my recommendation to listen to the Gaslight Anthem. Those are my reasons to love them. Find your own.