You've failed me for the last time, Admiral

R.I.P Michael Sheard (1940-2005)

rockets fall on whatcom falls

I registered for fall classes today, and I'm very excited. Skool starts Sept 19th. Oh man, this is gonna be an awesome quarter: "Intro to Art" (Art Survey, I've always wanted to take one), "Religion, Society and Self-Concept" (a writing class which puts emphasis on "religion & self identity, trance states, and 'mystical' experiences"), and possibly the most interesting class I've ever heard of, "Ethnomathematics" (which "investigates the interactions between logico-mathematical thinking and cultural perspective"). I think I just wet myself. Again.

music: Harold Budd, The Pearl

I smell danger

Last night, Hava & I were cleaning the apartment for her parents' arrival today and she had a load of things she wanted to take to Value Village, so we decided to do a midnight run. Which, as it turns out, isn't such a good idea, because it involves going behind a thrift store late at night on a saturday in a town with a relatively large homeless population. They look at you like raccoons.

music now: Johnny Greenwood, Bodysong Sdtrk

momentary abeyance of phoebus

went from bed to the papasan this morning, senses coming back to me fragmentarily - our foggy vista over the bay whispers me back into consciousness. it's the first time it's been anything but clear limitless expanse since i've seen it; it is beautiful. scattered showers today, highs around 66. the visceral refreshment of rain-soaked streets in mid-august looms. smell of wet pavement, a moment of peace. time for breakfast.

music: boards of canada, music has the right to children

aw snap

I learned today that Whatcom CC will indeed pay me to go to school there. How much, I don't know yet... have yet to successfully reach the FA office. But yeah, I've been screaming a little cheer in my brain all day long.

P.S. This is a very fascinating photo that I had actually been searching for since the nineties. Why? Why indeed.

music: 50 Ft Wave, Clara Bow

Life, uhhhhh, finds a way!

HOLY BUTTONS!

Looks like the world's made way for another Hradek!

music: Beatles - Baby, You're a Rich Man

reach out (a.k.a. research time)

Skype. Check it out? Heard about it on NPR.

Zu deine Mutter Aufpunkt. Ja! Gegeben!

So as though I haven't been living enough in the past lately (e.g. returning to Fred Meyer after 6 years' absence), H has decided she wants to learn German, so i've been helping her. In order to be accepted for the Masters degree program she wants in 2 years, she has to be fluent in 2 foreign languages. It's amazing how much comes back right away; all kinds of flashbacks (especially the kuche, Kueche, kuhe, kirche, kurche multi-cotomy) are coming back - words we learned in 10th grade apparently got connected with very specific memories. Neat! Maybe we'll make a movie soon.

music: Tristan und Isolde

And all that remains is the faces and the names...

Working 2 jobs is a new experience for me - I've never understood why anyone would be so crazygonuts, which of course has always made me suspicious of such folk. Anyhow, Fred Meyer has resurfaced as nourishing mother, and Pizza Hut remains distant on the horizon as forbidden pleasure, to whence I will return periodically as Fred's teat dries up.

Saturday Braden & I visited Breanne, and transmitted subaural (transdermal?) waves of health & goodwill from everybody. She's in great shape for what she's been through; when they brought her in last Saturday they said she had a 10% chance of survival. She said they only told her how serious it was on Friday, and that it explained why friends & family & distant family kept showing up crying. She's got a big football scar all along the top of her skull, and half of her head shaved (which I really do think looks good, and I told her so). She's got a blue helmet she has to wear for a while. But she's smiliing and telling stories, and seems mentally just like before except with drugs. I guess what happened was that she had 2 drinks earlier in the evening, and she was on some kind of diet pills (Trim Spa, I think?) and they had a nasty reaction. She doesn't remember anything. When she woke up tuesday they brought her a message board and the first thing she spelled out was, "Am I in trouble?"

Braden's still in Tacoma till september, so Hava & I are just chillin'. We went to see March of the Penguins last night, which was a really good date movie; it's beautiful, and actually surprising how tender those animals seem. It's tempting to say they just show a close approximation of what humans recognize as emotion, but I think that's giving too much mystical importance to emotion. Meh. It's a good movie, and just over 80 minutes, so go see it if you suspect you might like it - you'll probably leave the theater with a face-ache from grinning.

music: Dandy Warhols, Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald you heard me

serenity: the comic book: a note: find it!

I bought this the other day, then as I walked out the store I realized, "shit, what if it tells the story of the movie?" I would definitely be pissed if that were the case - I'd way rather hear the story from those particular actors. BUT! I just looked it up and turns out, it's a bridge between the series & the movie. So: find it!

-full stop-

I've been getting periodic chills lately, since I found out my cousin (Breanne) was in a bad (and somewhat mysterious) car wreck 2am saturday morning. She's in the ICU now, recovering but in pretty bad shape. They've got her in an induced coma, which they bring her out of every 4 hours to feed her. And that's about enough said.

music: Dead Can Dance, Into the Labyrinth

jonesy here BOOP

writing from: rooftop surveillance post, bellingham
parabolic microphone: aimed at the neighbor's skylight
multi-band police scanner: on
night vision goggles: equipped

Ahh. Just about settled in here. Internet's up, boxes mostly unpacked, but most importantly, settling into livable routine harmoniously with environment. Furniture placement maximizes flow / guest space. Feng Shui optimization imminent; gotta find my rotating pa kua. Routine frees up the mind for clear & steady awareness of the baseline of perception. No beer (tips are lousy). Orientation for new job on monday, old boss disingenuous: "sad" to see me go, "understands" I'll make more money than at pizza delivery. Fuck him. Gotta put up more shelving.

Check check. Check check. Is this thing on?

music: Sufjan Stevens, Michigan

view to a kill

Amazing.

current music: glenn gould, WTC I

time is the river in which we burn our laundry

no internet for me, not till friday. today we're down in Tacoma, till, what like, tomorrow morning-ish? anyhow, we're all moved in to our new command hq, and most of the boxes are even unpacked. if you're reading this, come up, eh? do it. do it. do it.

Update, 050813 (Sat): We had a surprie party for Braden's (very late) birthday Wed night, but I couldn't post about it here just in case. Anna was in town, and Megan & KD (a couple of friends) came over. Beer + bbq. Sometime soon, before summer is over, there must be another. Maybe several.

end of an era

*smack* *smack* When Dane reached the new world (Phoenix), he set fire to his Volvo. *smack* *smack*. As a result, his men were well motivated. *smack* *smack*. More tea, anyone?