Wednesday, November 27, 2013

So we will share this road we walk, and mind our mouths and beware our talk

My yoga sessions have been going deeper; at least today's. First off, I love my new mat. I've finally worn it in, which means the slight slippery sheen has worn off. It's probably the most expensive yoga mat out there and worth every dollar. If it's possible to become one with your mat, I think I felt that today.

Anyway, deeper sessions all around. I feel stronger and looser in my body than ever before - no creaks, no pains - and I'm also getting into the zone, aka mindfulness, more often. Which is helpful because my mind is prone to behave like a runaway train. Making dinner after today's session, I tried to maintain the state of mindfulness. I thought back to the days of working in restaurants. Chaos everywhere, but for some - I'm thinking of some line cooks I worked with - that  chaos is all on the surface, like the waves atop a stormy sea. Down deeper, there is stillness. That's where some of them go and that is why they stick with their jobs. It's an area of their of lives, perhaps the only one, in which they can experience the NOW of things. The zone, whatever you want to call it.

I find it in yoga and performing music. Some people find it in athletics or public speaking or meditating in a cave. We can find it at work. Being busy and productive makes the day fly by, which we love. Where did the time go, we ask? When you're absolutely present, time isn't much of a factor. Because our minds run the show, especially in this culture, that state of being present, of absolute focus, is usually fleeting. I think you're well served if you have an outlet that facilitates it. Now there's some Yoda shit for you.
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The long weekend is here. Tomorrow, I pick up my grandmother, who I haven't seen in a while, and head over to mom's house for Thanksgiving. Spira and Missy D will arrive separately because they'll be heading to another dinner after leaving my mom's. I look forward to coming back here to an empty house - Evangeline's in Virginia and I believe Fred will be in Maine. I plan on recording if I can and possibly running around the place nude for no other reason than because I can. So there's that.

Dinner tonight: a rice bowl with steamed broccoli, zucchini, and squash. That's it? Nope, there's more. I sauteed the fuck out of some kale, mushrooms, corn, imitation crab meat (What can I say? I love the stuff.) and garlic in my favorite green onion-garlic teriyaki sauce. Forgot the chia seeds and feta cheese, but it tasted great. Really been paying attention to what foods go down my gullet.

Thinking of watching some Walking Dead tonight. Season 3 is up on Netflix, so maybe I'll start a re-watch. It's the perfect holiday show.The current season has been great. And creepier than ever. It dawned on me watching the last episode that things only get worse in that world. The longer they survive, the more zombies there are. And the more cutthroat and desperate the living become. Who knows, maybe someone will figure out how to wipe out the zombies, er walkers (as they're called in the show).

Might watch Windy City Heat again. Fucking love it! Probably will play some music, but look: I think we all can agree that a rundown of what I'm planning on doing, despite being a staple in my posts, is necessary. So with that...

Happy Thanksgiving, bitches!

Oh, and what is the only bee known to provide milk?


A booby!


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

I still remember the talks by the water

Today was thick with undulating situations (hold tight, pure of heart!) and I'm glad to be at home relaxing. Not a bad day, but all over the map, not literally so, but in ways.....ah, you know what I mean. Relaxing, yes - a hot soak beckons. I'm tired, listening to Yours Is No Disgrace and it fortifies. Okay, I'll shower, but while I'm here, I may as well put in a little time.

Speaking of Yes, I heard samples of the new Close To The Edge remix done by Steven Wilson, who I understand is much revered and sought after. I can see why. I love the original and never thought it needed a remix, but boy does what I heard sound amazing. The clarity, son! Gotta find out when the album will be made available.

Okay, it's time for that soak. I'll probably listen to a Big Three podcast (I can't get enough!) afterward and then meditate and read and shit. Need to reach a serene place; can't let the ornery, fearful side be predominant.

And Starship Trooper plays, one of my favorite songs in the whole wide world. I smile.

G'night, lads and lasses. And, you know what? I may be back before Thanksgiving with a new, perhaps different and possibly more sexy, post. Stay tuned.


Sunday, November 24, 2013

All kneeled down before he who takes and defiles

I decided to give Netfllix another try after they offered me a free month. Back to streaming, no DVDs. Their movie selection isn't that hot without going the DVD route, but it's worth the eight bucks a month. So far I've watched:

Room 237. I'd wanted to see it for a while. A documentary about the various theories about the true, veiled meaning of The Shining. It wasn't as good as I expected it to be, but it was worth watching. Some of the theories stretched credulity gossamer thin and others only slightly less. What the documentary showed was how you can connect the dots with practically anything. Was The Shining Stanley Kubrick's telling of the Holocaust? Was he confessing to helping fake the Apollo moon landing? Or was he telling the tale of the plight of the Native Americans? I see why people are prone to looking for hidden meanings in Kubrick's work. 2001 was rife with it and in my opinion so was Eyes Wide Shut. The Shining, though? I'm not sure. I'll entertain pretty much any idea, but whatever Kubrick was going for in The Shining, I don't believe the theorists in Room 237 were on to it.

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. A riveting documentary that focuses on Polanski's statutory rape trial. Whether he drugged and raped a thirteen year old girl isn't certain, but by his own account they had intercourse. He likes them young. While I think having sex with underage people is a harmful, scarring practice, I believe Polanski was treated unjustly during the trial.

Tonight I may finally watch The Artist, a film I've been eager to see. Or maybe it will be Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice. Or something else. Maybe I'll just lie in bed and think about all the wrong you've done me.

Spira's been under the weather. Today, I stopped over and we had some ginger tea and watched a documentary about The Lord of The Rings and how it reflected the world Tolkien lived in. Funny, we were just sitting on the couch talking and Spira put this on without any discussion. One of the many reasons why I love her.

Been listening to The Big Three podcast a lot. Really puts Windy City Heat into perspective. Every episode has me laughing hard at some point. I've tried explaining the movie and the podcast to a few people and every time I've come up flat. If I meet someone as into all this as much or even half as much as I am, I'll jump for joy. Right into the air!

Bitterly cold today, perhaps more windy than cold, but either way it sucked being outside. I don't know how many more winters I've got in me. Hurry up, Hawaii!

Looking forward to a short week. Thanksgiving approaches and it will be the first one without my Dad. One of the last times I saw him. I don't expect the day to be a downer, though. First of all, there will be kids at play. And then there's Mimi, who is anything but a downer; this will be her first holiday with us. Also, let's not forget Spira and Missy D. I expect there will be moments of sadness, but those will just be passing clouds.

Alright, I'm off. Just in case you were wondering, I finished reading The Dog Stars and I give it a thumbs up. A good read, but didn't reach the heights of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which The Dog Stars seemed to be in awe of in tone and subject matter. Still, I recommend it.

Peace, Hobbits!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

I stood then hummed, I tapped on her drum

Most likely I'll be all over the place with this post. I have no idea whether it will be short or  long. We'll see. The best way to find out is to begin. So let's begin the beguine, as my friend Cole Porter might say if he was still alive and not a skeleton.

I searched half-heartedly for music as similar to that haunting Bavarian singing that begins perhaps my favorite Herzog film, Heart of Glass, but I came up flat. So I'm giving Mazzy Star's new one a try. Pretty good; sounds like Mazzy Star. Make of that what you will.

Man, The Shitter is something else! I can't remember the last time I visited the restroom at work without this guy coming in and blasting away in one of the stalls. In a way it's impressive that he can match my pisses with shits. You know in Jaws when Brody sees how enormous the shark is, way beyond expectations, and utters that famous line, "Here's looking at you, kid"? Well, that's kind of like what happened when it dawned on me that The Shitter is shitting way more than I thought. When I first wrote about him, I figured, and kind of half-jokingly, that this roly-poly motherfucker was taking maybe three or four dumps between 9 and 5. Now I'm convinced this toilet maven is shitting at least seven times a day, maybe more. I could go on about my mixed feelings about this guy - they range from compassion and awe all the way over to loathing and disgust - but I fear I'd carry on a bit too much and that would disturb me just as much as it would you.

So...

One of the aspects of the last season of The Walking Dead that I didn't like was The Governor story line. Maybe that's too strong a way to put it; let's say I was wary of it. At some point, he became a monster out of a nightmare. A frothing, raving, indestructible monster. And so over the top. I feared the show was on its way to losing its moral complexity in favor of cheap histrionics. It never quite got to that point - came very close - and I'm curious whether I'll have a more favorable opinion when I go back and watch the season on DVD. I think I will. Especially in light of this past week's episode.

When I heard The Governor was returning ( I knew he would, given that he hadn't been disposed of by the end of last season), I thought, "Well, there goes what was shaping up to be a good season". But you know what? I liked how they presented him this last episode. No longer (at least for now) the raving villain, more a beaten man emerging from the ashes to a new life. We'll see how it goes, but I have hope.

My sister just called. Was on the phone with her for a while. We hadn't talked since the end of August. Time flies, so it does. Good conversation but now it's getting late and I must end this post. There was more to say, but whatever. Maybe for another time.

Aloha!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

I put my feet up on the coffee table, I stay up late watching cable, I like old movies with Clark Gable, just like my dad did

Woke up from  a nightmare this morning. In it I was with a few friends outside somewhere and another friend drove by on his bike and almost hit one of us. That friend, outraged, threw a two-by-four at him. The biker came back our way ready to fight. He got off his bike and charged toward the wood thrower. I got in his way and tried to hold him off. His blood was up and he started punching me. That got me angry so I picked him up like a sack of flour and slammed him to the ground several times.

The situation was diffused and the biker left the scene. Soon after, a policeman came by to investigate. He had a Russian accent (oh, yeah, turns out we were in Russia) and was chiefly concerned with my involvement in the scuffle. He informed me that our biker friend was injured. I explained to the cop that I was trying to prevent a more serious fight but he wasn't having it. He said he was going to dig deeper into the matter. "I might be seeing you again", he told me.

Next thing I knew I was with my grandmother who insisted we go to the hospital to visit the biker. Hospitalized? I didn't think I hurt bad enough to require hospitalization. Damn! So to the hospital we went. As we approached the biker's room, my grandmother told me she was disappointed in me for losing my temper. I tried to explain to her that I was the good guy here. "I tried to stop a fight, not start one!" I exclaimed, but she didn't seem to believe me.

We got to the reception desk and were informed that my friend had died from his wounds. Oh, boy, not good. The situation was FUBAR all of a sudden and my heart sank with the knowledge that I was going to jail. In Russia. Fuck.

As panic swelled, I remembered - hoped, really - that this was a dream. I somehow removed myself from it and woke up. I seldom get nightmares. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten a gallon of chili before bed last night.

I hit the yoga mat with vigor this morning, partially in an attempt to exorcise the dream from my mind. Seemed to work. Speaking of yoga, my new Manduka mat arrived earlier in the week. Today was my third time using it. So far, it's living up to the hype. Still a tad slippery, but that will change once the mat gets worn in a bit. That will be the last mat I have, I think. Lifetime guaranty and from what I hear the mat is durable as fuck (which is to say it's quite durable).

Spent the day with Spira and Missy D yesterday. We went to the beach and had a long walk. Missy D had a blast chasing birds and exploring. Afterward, we went to the Greek Corner for dinner. We had to wait a bit, but once seated we were served right away, which was good because we were both famished. We shared a sampler plate with tzadiki, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and feta. Yum. For my entree, I had the spinach pie plate. Double yum!

And then we went to Target and browsed. We bought matching t shirts emblazoned with the Millennium Falcon and scoped out DVDs (I picked up Dances With Wolves and The Shawshank Redemption for $10). We followed that up with a viewing of Jiro Dreams of Sushi back at her place. It was a spiritual experience, that documentary. Good times.

We talked of the future. Spira wants to move to Maui and asked if I would go with her. A big move, one to consider carefully, but why not? Down the pike; we'll see what happens.

This past week was great. Busy at work; everyone working in concert and pleasant. My mat arrived, which was, you know, kick ass. Fred had taken a few days off and did some work around the house. He installed a new thermostat, which we badly needed, and restored the kitchen floor to it's former glory. My bank card and new check books arrived the same day my replacement license did; that was a huge relief. And I've been eating super healthy. A lot of kale, garlic, quinoa, fruit, and other veggies. And a lot of meditating. Who knows, maybe I'll become a guru or some shit.

Today I'll relax. I'll read, maybe watch a Big Three podcast (Saw Windy City Heat during the week and its genius, not apparent at first, overtook me. No time to elaborate, but these guys are layered comedians).

Maybe I'll get some sushi later. Hmmm....

There you have it. Peace, hatchlings.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Got a spot that gets me hot, but you ain't been to it, and I've got to get out of it before I get into it

Many people, or at least it seems that way, will have tomorrow off from work. Not me, I'll be making the trek in, but I have a hunch it will be a slow day; we'll probably leave early. That would be nice, don't ya think? The weekend makes its final exhale; it was a productive one.

How so? Tell us, tell us, tell us!

Why children, I have every intention to. But maybe not a complete recounting, which, if you knew what I'm omitting, would be fine by you. Trust me.

Last night, Spira and I hopped the T into Boston and saw Gravity in 3D. We had planned on going last weekend, but that was the day my stuff was stolen. I'm glad we went before it left the theaters because it is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen. It's rare that I refer to anything as breathtaking, but I don't think I'd be out of line applying the word to this film. Everything was so seamless, vivid - I'm talkin' VIVID!

I also don't think I'd be out of line applying the word flawless to Gravity. If it has any flaws, they flew under my radar. All the elements, like players on a championship team, worked together at a high level. The acting was impressive (Sandra Bullock had no business winning an Oscar for that horrible, horrible movie The Blind Side, but she earned one with  her performance in Gravity. And Clooney was pitch-perfect); the soundtrack was very good - I took note on more than one occasion; hell, everything was very good.

If you want to see a true blockbuster, one that is visually stunning, action-packed (Right the fuck out of the gate! You've got maybe two or three minutes before things get heavy), and smart, see Gravity. Just do it, for my sake.

I'm so excited! In a few days, my new yoga mat will be arriving in the mail. After using Spira's heavy rubber mat, which was like driving a much nicer car than the one I have, I decided that it would be well worth it to invest in the best yoga mat I could find.

After some research, I arrived at the Manduka Black Mat Pro. It topped all the Best Yoga Mat lists I came across and every review I read were unanimous in their high praise. By almost every account, this was the Cadillac of yoga mats.

I drooled over the specs. The thing is heavy PVC, weighs about seven pounds. Lifetime warranty, but word is this mat doesn't wear down. Ever. It's twice as thick as most mats and, and.....oh, I'm boring the fuck out of you, but I'm drooling as I type. Anyway, the long and the short of it is I'm getting the best of the best yoga mats and I'm pretty damn excited. I fantasize about the ways it will improve and revivify my practice.

I went to my Mom's earlier today and helped her with some yard work and various other things. She treated me to lunch at Luigi's in Bedford (her favorite restaurant) and we talked about the holidays over our meals. We concluded that the yoga mat would be my Christmas gift from her. I haven't been this excited about a Christmas gift in a while. I will put it to good use. Thanks, Mom!


I've been meditating to Dr. Jeffrey Thompson's Gamma wave CDs. What a trip! Anyway, time has run out with this post, so the Gamma waves will have to wait.

Ciao, friend and foe.

P.S.

So yesterday I was at a red light listening to Frank Zappa. A couple of my windows were open. In the lane to my right was a city public works truck. For some reason I envisioned the construction dude driving the truck saying something to the effect of "Nice! Zappa!". Why this came to mind I don't know. Zappa's kind of an acquired taste; he's not as accessible as the NFL. But guess what happened? As soon as Montana began, the guy yells over to me, "Fucking Frank Zappa! Nice! Haven't heard him in years." I replied with "Well, listen away now" as I turned up the volume. Anyway, I just wanted to document that somewhere, whether you find it as fascinating as I do.


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Lawd, you made the night too long

Despite getting robbed over the weekend - I'll get to that in a minute - life has been pretty good. I was thinking earlier today that I'm surrounded, more or less, by  good people. Not a lot of toxicity hereabouts. Just the way I like it. So here I am, raising an invisible glass, making a toast of appreciation.

This past Saturday the plan was to doing some hiking in the Fells with Nina,Spira and the lovely Missy D followed by dinner and a movie (Gravity, son!). We took Spira's car - I sat in the back with Missy D -and when we arrived at the Fells, I debated whether to bring my wallet and phone on the walk. I decided to keep them in the car  because the only pockets I had were in my jeans and I didn't want anything falling out, not to mention having them there would be uncomfortable. To be safe, I put the phone and wallet under a blanket and, as we walked away from the car, I checked with Spira to make sure the doors were locked. She told me they were.

It was a nice day for a walk and we enjoyed it. Back at the car, I realized quickly that my stuff wasn't where I left it. The three of us looked everywhere, but no dice. Spira called my phone but it went straight to voice mail. That was when I knew for sure my stuff was stolen. I never shut my phone off and the battery had just been charged. So how did they get in the car? The rear window had been left wide open. None of us had noticed. Fuck.

As we drove away, I sat with the weight of everything I had to do, the stuff I needed to replace. And coating it all was the sticky feeling of being violated. I had just taken out close to a hundred dollars not an hour before our walk. Gone, son! And my phone? Why'd you have to steal that, too? Fucking asshole!

I won't go into the details about all the shit I had to do to get back on my feet, but there was a sizable list. Police report, banking, phone, etc. Fortunately, Spira had a pay-as-you-go phone and gave me some cash which helped a ton. I'd never experienced a situation like that when all of a sudden the stuff you need is taken from you. I had no ID, no money, no phone. I felt like a pauper.

Ah, but it wasn't so bad. I didn't let it overwhelm me; I stayed on task and kept a positive attitude (well most of the time). My mom was able to help out with a couple of things; I had the support of others, too. Situations like this suck, can get you cynical about the world, but I've seen it in a more positive light. As of last night, I took care of every thing that needed taking care of. That is good for me; I've been known to procrastinate. I feel good about the way I faced the challenges presented to me. So there's that. And, far from feeling cynical, I feel better about humanity. The support I got from people I know and ones I don't meant a lot and bolstered me with the sense I'd get through it all. And so far, so good.

We can't control what happens to us, but we can decide how we're going to react.

Namaste, friends!