The Year of The Cat

A quick update to this neglected, lonely blog. Sorry, folks, it's just what happens. Married life suits me well and it takes priority over things in my life I used to have more time for. So it goes.

Well, let's see....

I've had a rib injury (probably dislocated, maybe broken - who knows) for a week and I'm just now starting to feel the effects of healing. The injury was the result of our Krav Maga instructor, Alli, demonstrating a move that entailed placing his knee on my chest as I lay there. He exerted a bit more pressure than I think he intended to and pop goes the rib. It's okay, he's a real nice guy and I know he didn't mean it. Still, Veronica had moments afterward in which she felt the urge to give him a tongue lashing. She likes him, too, though, and never followed through. Good, because he felt pretty bad about the situation.

We started taking Krav Maga a few weeks ago. It is intense and we love it. And we dread it, too, but that's to be expected. We're learning how to defend ourselves and those in need. Krav Maga is brutal and swift and incorporates various martial arts. If we find ourselves in a tough situation, we'll be ready to handle ourselves in such a way that makes it so that our opponent(s) will regret their decision to mess with us. We're still green, though; we've got a while to go before we reach bad-assery.

Christmas looms. We'll be spending Christmas eve and early Christmas morning in Portsmouth with the inlaws and then go to my grandmothers and then go to my mom's house. It will be a long day and our little kitty, Kikuchiyo, will be all by his lonesome. We've got someone coming by to feed him and give him a little TLC while we're gone, but we still feel like bad parents leaving him like that.

V and I had our little Christmas last weekend. Our new 40" TV and blu-ray player arrived on Thursday and so did a few Christmas dvds we ordered. We didn't get to them all but we will at some point. We stayed in all weekend - I had to on account of the fact I could barely move - and ate good food and enjoyed each other's company. She's the love of my life and my best friend.

Alright, I've got to split. More soon, I hope.

Eternally returning

I started writing about the political climate but there's little refuge from it. Why should I let it leak into this blog? As of right now, I declare this blog to be a haven from the ubiquitous buzz of civil unrest. It's entirely possible I'll change my mind in a future post, but such is the nature of my whims.

Moving on.

I forgot to take my contacts out. I'm typing in a semi-dark room lit only by my screen and a salt lamp on my bedside table. Veronica is asleep in our bed and Kikuchiyo is laying down on my side at its foot. I really don't want to go downstairs again but I'll have to. Not such a big problem, I know, but it's problem enough to turning my thoughts towards a prickly outcome. Ah, it will only take a minute or two, not a big deal. I guess.

Anyway

Short week. Tomorrow I'll head into the office for the last time this week. Thanksgiving is upon us. And so is Veronica's birthday, which falls on Black Friday, something she's thrilled about. Not for shopping reasons but because the color black is her best friend. You won't find another color other than gray in her wardrobe. We're going to have a few days of uninterrupted time together, something we're both desiring pretty strongly. Among other birthday related things, like going out to eat, we plan on watching a movie called Things I've been dying to see. It's basically one of the best worst movies ever, according to my sources and my eyes, which have seen enough clips from it to feel pretty confident it will be a worthwhile viewing. The dvd only cost approximately ten bucks so if it's shit, well, I've payed more for a crappy burger.

It's time for me to go back downstairs and take out my contacts. If I'm not back before the holiday, I hope yours is a special one.

Gobble gobble

People Vultures God Approaches

A few months back, my doctor advised me to change my diet to mostly vegan and incorporate a daily aerobic routine into my life. This was because my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were too high. Bummer news, but not surprising. I had hoped, because of my (mostly) healthy lifestyle, that these family health traits would have not appeared so prominently. Not so lucky: sometimes you can't escape your genes. Nothing is static, however.

So, consequently I've been getting up earlier every morning and hitting the bike path for about a half hour of interval running (walk real fast, all out sprint, walk real fast, all out sprint....). This wasn't such an easy transition to make, particularly because it's a bit of a shock to the system to be sleepy and snuggly under the covers one minute and outside busting ass not so many minutes later. I have, however, come to cherish the routine. It's a great way to start the day and my mind and body are energized by the time I get in the car to leave for work in the morning. Gone are the days of groggy, foggy commutes.

While I'm reaping the benefits of my modified lifestyle, it was discouraging at the beginning knowing that whatever I had been doing health-wise was not nearly enough for me to be healthy. Even though I was an avid yoga practitioner and ate pretty well, I was still too heavy - 30 lbs too heavy - according to my doctor. Losing thirty pounds might be tough because it will take me below the ideal weight for my body type, but it's where I need to be to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and blood pressure. I've been up for the challenge so far.
--
V and I are planning on learning Krav Maga, the brutal but swift and effective Israeli self defense system. We've been scouting locations and hopefully will begin taking classes soon. I've always wanted to learn this style of self defense and, without being too alarmist, it seems to me it will be more essential than ever in our emerging divisive, powder-keg cultural climate to know how to protect yourself . V already has combat training under her belt (in addition to a carefully placed knife she keeps on her person) but her skills have grown rusty with the passing of years. I know we'll both feel better knowing our mate is well equipped to get out of trouble if the need arises. I'm looking forward to it and, if for nothing else, we'll get some good workouts. I hear the classes are pretty intense.

Ok, I'm out of here. The weekend approaches. Other than a brunch we're attending on Sunday that Emilie from Borealis Yoga is having at Daddy Jones for her employees and significant others, we're planning on laying low and getting some quality time together. Because of our work schedules this week, we've been like two smoking hot ships passing sexily in the night.

Or something like that.

Peace!

Wait for the answer to open the door

Yes, Trump is President. Yes, people are losing their shit over it. I'm trying, along with my wife, to maintain a respectable distance from the deep divide that has been unfolding in our country. Some of it feels organized, like there are dark elements operating in the shadows manipulating us in order to enact some foul end game. Who knows.

Anyway

Married life. It's been wonderful; I do believe I have the best, or most bestest, as some might say, wife in the world. We've been together over a year and every single day together has been a joy. We've never had an argument. Some of you are thinking, "Well, sure, you're going through your honeymoon period." Maybe. When we were only together a couple of months, we were told, mostly by cynical fucks, that things would settle down, that "reality" would settle in soon enough. Over a year later and we're still going strong. It's not like we haven't had little bumps but here's the deal: I love Veronica and she loves me. We communicate well and love being together. That accounts for a lot.

Kikuchiyo is such a great cat. V wants another one. I'm game, but not sure it won't upset the balance. Will our little puppy kitty, our Baby K, resent another cat? Will he feel left out? I'm leaning towards him being cool with another family member, but it's hard to tell. One thing I do know for sure: he thoroughly enjoys all the attention we smother him with.

Can't remember if it's been brought up in this blog, but we no longer have roommates (Edit: clearly, I have brought it up, like one post ago. Oh, Kevin!). After years of having them, it's been an absolute joy having the place to ourselves. Fred moved out to live with his girlfriend in September and Andrew was asked by us to kindly find another place. Fortunately for us, he found a place real quick and moved out at the end of September. Funny how things work. Over the summer, we were plotting our move. We were sick of living with roommates but didn't think the ones we presently had would move out anytime soon. Well, they did and fuck, yeah!

So married life suits me well. V is the perfect companion for me and I'm perfect for her (at least that's what she says- heh!). Anyway, I've got to bail. I'll keep in touch.

Oh, yeah: Cannabis is legal in MA!!! Somehow, this amazing news didn't get the proper attention in these parts because of the Trump factor, Whatever. I, for one, am stoked. Rejoice!

Love thy enemy, but hate the lack of sincerity

For the first time ever as an adult, I'm roommate free. Well, aside from Veronica and Kikuchiyo, our cat, that is. Fred moved out at the end of August. I'd lived with him longer than any other roommate, but I was not terribly saddened by his departure, nice guy though he is. Once he was out, it wasn't terribly long before we decided we were going to ask Andrew to move out. V broke the news to him one morning. No hard feelings; he moved out a couple of weeks ago.

V has converted Fred's room into her office and I've claimed Andrew's room into a music room. I want to make it a cool, conducive place to create and record music. It'll be a pleasing exercise, I predict, shopping around for stuff for the room.

I haven't posted since July and I'm not sure anyone of you is checking in on this blog. Oh, well, I don't blame you if you aren't. I haven't been tending the garden. It's been tough finding the time to post. It's too bad; I just got married and the whole process would have made for good material. At the very least, I would have had something to write about.

Well, it's time to split. V's teaching yoga and I need to feed myself some dinner. I intend to revisit this blog sooner than later. It's possible I will, you know. Don't look so doubtful.

Lady finger, dipped in moonlight

Clearly I haven't tended to this blog the way I used to. Much has changed in my life and the time or inclination to post here hasn't been available much. Should I retire the blog? I don't know. I've thought of taking that route, but I've always maintained the notion that I could always return to it when the urge struck. I suppose none of this matters, really. My readership has dwindled; it's not as if I've got people clamoring for me to post here.

Anyway

Life has been hectic in a good way. I'm about to be married in a couple of months, we've got an awesome cat named Kikuchiyo, my job is going great (working with friends is totally rad, dude!)

Ok, time to go. Can't say I'll be posting all the time, but I don't think I'll give the blog up for good. 

Time will tell.  

When you're high you never ever want to come down

A long, quiet weekend. Veronica has been out in western MA getting more schooling in Ayurveda since Friday. Me and the kitty have done things like watch movies (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Witch, Solaris) read from The Disaster Artist, the hilarious and touching book about the making of The Room, one of the best and strangest movies I've ever seen. We've, well, I've gone for bike rides (Saturday found me on the bike path riding through the oppressive heat deep into Arlington) and worked on music (I've got a song written on our baritone ukulele that has finally gotten some attention after gathering dust for a few months).

Veronica returns early this evening but then goes back on Friday for a marathon ten days. We're not keen about all this time apart, but we'll get through it. As interwoven as we are, we always endeavor to give each as much space to thrive within the relationship. Ayurveda is important to V and, despite her protestations about going (what can I say, she thinks I'm a cool dude to be around), we both agree this is the right thing for her to be doing.

So our little man town adventure will extend a bit longer. Me and baby Kikuchiyo will probably benefit from a woman's sensibilities by the time V is finished with school.

Okay, bye.

I keep giving bad people good ideas

Kikuchiyo is eating his dinner. We were playing the laser pointer game for a bit and then he was like "Son, I need to put some grub in my belly! Play time is over."

Oh, yeah, Kikuchiyo is our cat. We got him last week after the other cat we thought we were going to get got adopted. It all happened so fast. Veronica saw him on Pet Finder and a day later he was ours. He's adjusting well, our little boy. He's pretty much acquainted with the downstairs, though he still occasionally hauls his ass back to our room if something spooks him.

Veronica woke up Sunday morning to use the bathroom and couldn't find him. I had gotten up to use the bathroom around two thirty and he was on the window sill looking cute. I had closed the door tight behind me. The closet door was also shut tight. Where did he go?

We went through the room moving furniture, looking in drawers. We checked the closet, though we knew he couldn't have gotten in there. Did he fall out the window? Nope, the screens in both windows were tightly secured. What the fuck!

We checked downstairs. I took a walk around the house. No sign. He just vanished. We regrouped in the bedroom after a couple of hours of looking. Veronica said kittens often hide in box springs. Mine is not elevated so we checked the sides. No openings.

There was nothing for it but to try and get some sleep. At that point, I had only gotten a few hours rest and V not much more. We had a lecture on the Bhagavad Gita given by V's guru and teacher, Babaji, to attend. It was going to last all day and we had volunteered to help set up chairs, tables, and food. We needed more sleep, but it didn't come. How could it? We were completely bewildered. Where the fuck was Kikuchiyo?

V went downstairs to use the bathroom and I lay in bed quietly, listening intently for any sound that might alert me to our little boy. Nothing for a few minutes but then I heard a soft thunk under the bed. I hadn't moved. And then it hit me: there was a tear in the box screen by the head of the box spring we missed. As it dawned on me, V came in the room. I asked her to check. She did and discovered a little kitty curled up inside it. The little fucker was under us the entire time!

Aside from that incident, we've been enjoying our time with Kikuchiyo. He's going to get pretty big, we think, given the fact he's got a lot of Maine Coon in him. We'll see.

--
Ok, I'm out this piece. Little Kiku needs some head scratching.

Seems to me, you don't want to talk about it

I suppose I'd be better served typing this on my laptop what with all of my PC's issues, but here I am trudging through. Anyway, the issues are mere annoyances, like the persistent overworked fan in my tower that is fucking annoying but tolerable, and I can abide for a bit longer.

A lot going on but I don't have time to cover it all. I know, this is the tale of practically every post. What can I say, my time is limited these days. We've been busy, V and I, and free time to do things like post in a blog has been rare.

In addition to planning a wedding, which, as you're probably aware, takes no small effort, we've been house sitting, riding bikes (got mine last weekend; it'd been way too long), visiting friends and family, plotting tattoos, working, house cleaning (we're the only ones who ever do it), looking for pets, and planning for upcoming retreats. In the midst of all that, I'm trying to find time to create music. Hasn't been easy, but I'm doing it.

Anyway

I need to split. Forgive the short, boring, unnecessary post. Better than nothing, right? Right?

Okay, then. Bye!

Don't you be caught with a tear in your eye

Almost time for bed. I'll probably just fall asleep when I get under the covers but I'll attempt to stay up for a bit anyway. Maybe listen to some Michael Hurley or watch some TimberGiant Bigfoot videos. Veronica is asleep already (I'm on my laptop in the living room) and it's been a busy day, but I want more time, damnit!

We're on day one and a half of a kitchari cleanse. So far, so good, but the triphala tea we're drinking that corresponds with it is cleaning me out. An effective laxative, among other things.  Doesn't taste very good, but I bet you figured as much. Hey, all in the interest of keeping healthy.

Went to a cool barbershop after work. They had a cool little waiting room down a tiny flight of stairs with cushioned chairs, coffee and booze, acoustic guitars on the wall and a flat screen tv on the wall. V and I were impressed. Good cut, too. Got my beard trimmed and some straight razor action on the back of my neck. I'm somewhat a normal looking fellow now.

Wedding plans have come along. We've found our venue (details later) and it's exactly what we wanted. We're elated. The planning continues, though; there is more to do. Big step out of the way and the rest (hopefully) is just gravy.

Time for sleep, I do declare. It's been some time since my last post, I know, but if there's catching up to be done, it will take place in another post.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go join the love of my life in bed.

Good night.

Strange days have found us and through their strange hours we linger alone

Last Wednesday during my lunch break I read from Whitley Strieber and Jeffrey Kripal's  haunting and mind-bending Super Natural . I came upon a passage about owls and how they're linked to UFO lore. Strieber recounted his own synchronicities involving owls and also that of his coauthor and a colleague of his who, independent of each other, experienced theirs while the book was being written. I'm no stranger to synchronicity. Recently, I had a powerful slew of them when Veronica and I first got together; they gave added meaning to our union. After reading the passage about the owls, I was in for more.

"And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee" - Friedrich Nietzche.

Owl imagery in my life:

1. When Veronica and I went to see The Witch hours after reading the aforementioned passage, I looked up and saw owl light fixtures along the walls of the theater. I'd noticed them before, but it had been a while since I'd been there.

2. The following day I was watching the documentary, Wolf Pack and near the end one of its subjects appeared on screen wearing an owl costume.

3. When I came home from work on Friday, Veronica was wearing a tee shirt with an owl depicted on it. She was aware of the owl synchronicities, but claimed she didn't make the connection when she put on the shirt. I believe her.

4. Late Saturday evening, I remarked to Veronica that my owl streak must have concluded as it was late and we were about to go to bed. Before going to sleep, however, I started watching on my iPad La Jette, a short film I had been interested in seeing for some time. As the film began, this is what flashed on the screen:

I must say this spooked me a bit. 

5. On Sunday, I took a walk to the bakery and on my way there my eye caught an owl statue on someone's porch.

I haven't seen an owl since. I'm a bit relieved but also disappointed. A part of me hoped I could keep the streak going. I can't say I know what it all means but I think the Nietzsche quote might explain some of it. 

Gonna go where the bright lights and the big city meet

It's a beautiful day. It should hit 70 , which is welcomed and also somewhat disturbing considering it's early March. Global warming notwithstanding, I'm going to enjoy it. I hope it's this nice next week when V and I head out to Western MA for our long weekend getaway.

 (Nice segue, eh?)

We'd been looking for a while and finally found a place that had everything we're looking for. Air B&B saved the day. We're renting a place from a really nice couple in idyllic Beckett. It's a beautiful little house off the beaten path but close enough to diners and shops should we decide to venture out (we may, if only to go horseback riding and check out the Norman Rockwell museum). No neighbors in sight, no light pollution (o the stars!), and over an acre of land with a stream in the back yard. An introvert's utopia! We're excited and counting the days.

--

Tonight we're going to see The Witch. We'll walk into Davis Sq. with my vape pen in active use and the birds chirping in celebration of the warm weather. Spring in March is okay with me. After last winter, we've earned this.

V will pick up a laptop for my mom today (long story) and will probably pick one up for me since my PC has been dying a slow death for a while. It's nice being able to afford stuff these days. 

Okay, my sweet ragamuffins, it's off with me.

So I'll continue to continue

Veronica and I have been together six months and it has been a truly wonderful experience. She is my soul mate. We both knew this right away, before we met in the flesh. We've been inseparable since the beginning and every day has found us deeply in love, mooning over each other in milky ardor. We haven't fought or argued once. Maybe that's hard to believe - I bet it is - but it's the truth. We communicate really well among other things.

Anyway

The whole experience has been surreal. For both of us. She isn't just a part of me, she is me. There was a time earlier on in our relationship when saying such a thing would make me feel a bit self conscious for making such a bold statement, that no one would buy it, that I was just caught up in the glossy excitement of new love. Not anymore; I know what I know because I've been living it. It's been six months. Maybe we're still in our honeymoon phase. Maybe. If so, it's been a nice long one.

Time for some yoga. I've been practicing daily and bulking up some. And I'm still hustling up and down six floors of stairs four times a day. I dare say I feel more fit than I ever have. It's a nice feeling.

Alright, time is limited. It always is these days. Time to hit the mat.

Lots and lots of pothead pixies riding around in teapot taxis

I'm having some trouble focusing this evening. Maybe I'm tired. A wild storm rolled through around three thirty this morning and gave zero fucks about waking everyone up. The thunder was mighty loud.

It's nearing the end of the week and my brain has just about had it. I'm listening to Gong, one of the very best progressive bands, particularly their early to mid seventies period. I have iffy plans concerning practicing yoga this evening. I may, but I'm thinking a night of passive intake might be the way to go. As it is, I'm writing a shitty post and am fading fast. Maybe Billy has something that will infuse some clarity in me. Maybe.

V is teaching a class but will be back soon. Should I shower? Perhaps I'll read. Maybe dully surf the internet. Oh, I don't know.

Ok, look, it's been real and all, but I'm fading even faster than I was a couple of paragraphs up. I'm sorry for the lousy content, really I am. Anyway, Gong is so fucking great. Go listen to them or something. Seriously, they've got a bit of old King Crimson, Can, Hawkwind, Frank Zappa, and a whole of their own spices. And maybe a bit of Taylor Swift? Nah.

Anyway

Time to boogie. The weekend approaches. I'm looking forward to it.

I'd say you'd make a perfect angel in the snow

Our office has been a playground for fruit flies. It has been this way for months, preceding my glorious arrival. We've taken just about every measure available to eradicate these cunning fuckers and they've outwitted us every time. I've killed so many, so has everyone else. I'm getting numb to their presence. Well, not quite yet - Fuckers!

After too long a sabbatical, I've returned to reading on a regular basis. I've got a welter of books simmering on the stove (thanks, Kindle!) but the ones I've been paying attention to are:

Passport To Magonia, by Jacques Vallee. This holy grail of ufology had been out of print forever. Over the weekend I discovered there was a Kindle version and bought the fuck out of it. I'm a proponent of Vallee's thoughts about the nature of UFOs. 

Sometimes A Great Notion, by Ken Kesey. V and I recently watched One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and it occurred to me I'd never read any of his books. So far I'm glad I finally did. 

The Cosmic Trigger (I), by Robert Anton Wilson. Like the above-listed PTM, this book, while not being out of print, had not been available on Kindle until recently. I could have purchased a physical copy - it really wouldn't have put me out much - but I never did. Strange, because I've been dying to read the book for a long time. My impatience with snail mail probably influenced why I opted to read his other works released on Kindle first. Anyway, as it happens with RAW, my mind has been stretched to wild proportions and synchronicity has become more of an assertive presence in my life than is typical. 

 Perdurabo:The Life of Aleister Crowley, by Richard Kaczynski. This one I started at the end of the summer, right around the time I met Veronica. It's a hefty work, but I'm working my way through it.

A bunch of books, and there are more in the queue I'm eager to get at, but they all relate. Sometimes I'm unsure of which book I'm reading. 

Bye

He might never have to know anyone

Last night Veronica and I had a choice to make: watch a Ram Dass webcast or the Elliott Smith documentary, Heaven Adores You. We chose the latter because we'd been meaning to watch it for several days. It was good; a bit choppy and inconsistent, but worth our time. Elliott was a gifted songwriter but he didn't coast on his talent. He honed his craft, devoted a lot of time to it. After our viewing I felt inspired and a bit bummed out I didn't go all in, musically speaking, like he did. Different paths,different dharma. Still, I endeavor to evolve as a musician and I have few regrets in life. 

I've been practicing yoga almost daily and Veronica has, here and there, enhanced the experience with her insight as a professional yoga instructor. Sometimes we practice together. I've also been jogging up and down the six flights of stairs in our office building three or four times a day. It all began when I followed the urge to explore the rest of our rather large building. I opted to take the stairs and by the time I reached the top floor, I was breathing heavy. I didn't like that feeling, so for the last several weeks I've been going up and down those stairs. I still get out of breath - that's what happens when you jog up and down six flights of stairs - but my wind is up and I feel lighter and more sure in my footing. 

That's right, son!

So there you go. Alright, I'm out of here, you freaks of nature. 

See the blind man shooting at the world

It's not easy keeping up with this blog, but one tries every now and again to tend the garden. It's President's Day and the only reason I mention it is because it's the first time I've had it off. Not so long ago, I had MLK Day off, too; another first. Among it's other benefits, e.g. working with friends and making more $ than I've ever made, my job's holiday schedule is kick ass. I'm not going to lie to you, it's been swell.

V and I were just talking about the multitude of synchronicities that have appeared in our relationship since its inception. If I had the time, I'd summarize some of the Jungian events that led me to the aforementioned conclusion. But I don't, so you'll just have to take my word on it.

Anyway

We toy with getting a dog sooner than later. It seems a greyhound is the breed we're leaning toward (Missy D's majesty makes it difficult to consider other breeds). They're not so good with stairs and we have steep ones. Maybe we'll wait until we get another place; maybe we won't. Only Billy knows for sure.

Anyway

I've been playing the baritone ukulele V's hair stylist graciously gave us. I've been playing it more like a sitar than a uke and that is a-ok with me.

Well, the night isn't getting any younger and I've got some reading I'd like to do. The Elliott Smith documentary, Heaven Adores You, arrived in the mail the other day; perhaps we'll watch it if time permits.

Alright, you bonnie lads and lasses, I'm out.

Oh, you pretty things

I'm listening to Captain Beefheart's  1978 live album I'm Going To Do What I Wanna Do and it's so fucking good! If I had the ability to travel back in time, I'd follow this man and his extraordinary band on tour with the zeal of a trust fund Dead Head.

Anyway

Veronica and I have been adulting lately and we're both proud of ourselves. Adulting isn't always a gentle glide through the meadow. Over the last several weeks we got a joint checking account, merged our car insurance and phone bills (V managed to save us about a grand a year), done some home renovation, and other stuff that's frankly none of your business, you nosy pricks.

I'm about two weeks into the new job and it's going well. I'm getting better acquainted with day to day operations and it's totally rad working with friends. And not having to drive on account of the fact that I ride in with Foley every day had also been rad.

V and I have been together for almost five months. On the one hand, it feels like we've been together for lifetimes; on the other, it feels like we've just met. I'll tell you this: every day with her has been an absolute pleasure. We haven't even come close to an argument, our communication is clear and direct. I may have stumbled into a healthy relationship. Who would've figured.

Alright, lovers, I'm out of here. Do yourself a favor and:

- listen to David Bowie every day for the next thirty days.

- watch Making A Murderer.

- see The Revenant

- eat sushi several times a month

-tell someone you love them

Just do these things; you'll know true and everlasting joy.