A Little Summer

I love peppermints. In other news, the weather in LA is starting to get perfect again, which means I'm starting to get that giddy, nostalgic feeling that is full of summer memories: a screened-in porch in the south, late night video games, fireflies, talking on the phone in the dark, a humming air-conditioner, falling asleep to star wars, crickets, a dog barking, laughter in some distant room, chocolate chip cookies and Risk, thunderstorms, early morning soccer games on Saturdays, wet cut grass, Mrs. Pistol, bunk beds, sweet tea...

Two Friends Thinking

"Who knows? Maybe I'm supposed to be single forever."

"With a face like that, it wouldn't surprise me..."

"Dude. I'm serious."

"Sorry."

"Sometimes it just doesn't seem like its worth it."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No!"

"What about sex? What about all the stereotypical cleaning and cooking that they say they won't do but end up doing anyways?"

"I haven't even gotten that far. I can't get past the fact that it seems like there are no women that I can just BE with."

"BE with."

"Yeah. Someone I can just sit next to in a car. We can both see the same road. Maybe something crazy happens. Maybe the sun is shotting through the clouds like it never has before. But we don't need to say anything. We both get it. So we don't have to talk about it."

"You're saying you want a woman who can't talk?"

"Yes. That's what I'm saying. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Okay. Well, we could go to India...But they'd probably still mutter a lot of foreign words..."

"I mean, just someone that sees and feels more like I do."

"Then you want a guy?"

"Dude."

"Sorry. But you have to admit..."

"No, I don't."

"Right."

"Maybe that girl comes with time. Maybe you can't have her right off the bat. The problem is the movies. They make you think that stuff is possible. They make you believe dreams come true."

"Yeah screw the movies. There aren't any good ones anymore anyways."

"There's up years and down years. A good one'll come eventually."

Back In Business!!!

Well I've been sick and had zero motivation to write. I believe that's the sign of a true professional. One who does not work when he is sick. Feeling a bit better now, if you're wondering. Not perfect though. Apparently this flu bug's been flyin' around LA at hyperspeed and I'm the only one that didn't know it...

For the first time in a number of years, the Academy Awards were NOT a total letdown. I actually laughed a decent number of times. When I say decent, I can be no more specific because I haven't yet defined a numbered value for that word in my own life. Worry not. As soon as I do, every lucky reader of this blog(zero), will have the good fortune of new knowledge.

Back to the Awards. The one problem I've had in recent years has been "their" decision to show the entire audience and thus make the theater feel small. Frankly, that kinda annoys me. Its like spelling everything out in a movie or over-explaining a joke(which I often do). If I were to speculate, and that's exactly what I'm doing, I'd say they want TV viewers to feel more "connected" to the stars. I don't like that. I like NOT seeing the entire theater, because then I'm left to imagine what's going on throughout the place, how big it is, and my imagination is always far bigger than any architect would ever be allowed to dream.

Speeding while Walking

I walked into a Subway today for lunch. Lo and behold, two cops are sitting and eating. I get nervous. For no good reason. Its the same feeling I get when a cop is behind me on the freeway. Even though I'm not speeding I still get scared. So I walk them by, order a sandwich(footlong chicken bacon ranch, half ranch/half southwest chipotle), and pay. As I check my phone, I realize its almost 3:30pm and I don't wanna be late for basketball. So I pick up my pace...UNTIL I REALIZE THERE ARE TWO COPS STILL SITTING THERE! So I immediately slow back down, gently open the sliding door, and as soon as I'm blocked from view by a Jared poster, I take off. Oh man! What a rush. Then I realize, "I'm afraid to walk too fast in front of cops. What am I doing? I need to move to another planet." That's the story. I hope it touched your in the heart or the elbow.

An Ode to the Glorious

Its time to give out mad props, because I've never done that before(and I will never do it again). So here's to Tyler Torti for aesthetically altering the future of my blog. It looks like some girl just came in and cleaned my apartment! You're not feminine Tyler! Stop! No! Stop being so freakin' sensitive! I can't...He's always like this. Mad props dawg. Mad props to you, oh Double T. The T Tree. Big White T. You're going nowhere but up!

I saw the movie "Jumper" tonite. It was a great concept for a story, and had me interested if for nothing other than the teleporting. Obviously we'd all like to be able to just appear in the bathroom when we really have to go...The reason I couldn't fall in love with the movie, well there are a number of reasons, but my chief concern is that I have to believe this movie was churned out like the popcorn at the concession stand. Of course its good and addictive, but the way they just shovel it into the bag makes you feel like they don't really CARE about the popcorn. I'm not saying popcorn has feelings. I'm saying they waste a lot of popcorn that falls onto the floor in the process because somebody is so concerned with getting the product out that they neglect the product. They waste a great idea because they're too concerned with getting your money before you change your mind and walk away. Jumper had the potential to be pretty darn cool, but no one seemed to care enough to put in a bit of that apparently ancient custom... Its called WORK. Now don't rush to judge me. I realize there are such things as fads. Some people call them trends. Maybe "work" falls under that category. I couldn't be totally sure. But my gut says "oh wait, there really is no discussion about this subject". To be honest, I cannot claim to be a workaholic. I lean to the lazy side of life. So my criticism is not meant to be hurtful. To write a movie, to create a movie, is a feat that takes a lot of effort. It just stinks when somebody doesn't follow all the way through on a good idea. And now I'm realizing how I am completely talking to myself...

There is a world inside of me.

Where wind blows, rain pours, storms boil.

A place where lives are lived and dreams are borne.

Where light shines, a river runs, flowers bloom.

I have the answer

I wonder if there is evidence that we've evolved from plants. Apes of course. I don't think anyone questions that. But plants, well we can't be sure. Single celled amoebas definitely. But plants. I do not know for sure. What I do know is, despite the fact that I constantly go to sleep far too late and wake up with rings under my eyes and the aches of an 80year old man(I play too many sports), when the weather shifts, when the sun comes out and the sky goes blue, I feel THAT. I wake up in the morning and I know its good weather outside even though my window looks directly into another building. My body senses the change. And I get excited. Even though I stayed up 'til 3am playing poker. I'm excited. So I gotta believe that the sun and the weather directly affect me in a physiological sort of a way. Googling...Okay this article proves how right I am! Boy do I love life, and being right!

http://www.askmen.com/fashion/body_and_mind_100/131_better_living.html

If you find yourself feeling down and out during the winter, there are a few things you can do:

Get some light
Studies have shown that bright lights first thing in the morning -- incandescent or fluorescent -- can help you overcome the wintertime doldrums. Daily light therapy with natural light lamps can also replace lost sunlight.

Get up early
Fight the urge to stay huddled in bed until the afternoon hours; getting up early may help you feel better during the rest of the day.

Exercise
A little cardio goes a long way. Take a brisk walk, jog or jump on the cycle trainer. A boost in your metabolism can turn your blues around.

Eat well
Avoid foods that are high in starch and sugar, which could leave you feeling sluggish.

Go outside
Spend as much time outside as you can, and when you're inside, sit near the window and soak up those rays.

Get away
Finally, if nothing else works, hop on a plane and fly south to sunny weather. Even a short vacation in warm climates can do wonders.



So if you feel like sleeping all the time, feel sluggish during the day, ache, or are just generally depressed about everything, get outside and get your heart going! I sound like some '80s Physical Education Instructor. His name was Mr. Allsbrook. This is awesome. He talked with a british twang when he counted down our games "Five...four...three". He wasn't british...and he wasn't trying to be funny...

Cycle of Life

When the music stops, when the soundtrack ends, when everything goes quiet, what's left? Its like running out of gas, which I seem to do more often than 99% of the population. I push push push and then all of a sudden the engine shuts off and I'm on the side of the road. Wondering how to get home. Why does there have to be this tank that has to be refilled all the time? And what am I supposed to fill it with? I always get medium grade when I get to a station, but I'm don't seem to get to a station often enough. Its exhausting. Maintaining. Inventing a journey. Forging into the darkness of a tunnel. Holding your breath 'til the end, though it never seems to come. And so I eventually give up. I let out all my air. I get angry. I stay up too late. I drink too much with a friend. Then I feel the regret. The shame. The dirt. And then I look up. And ask for forgiveness. So that I can feel clean again. And that, that is the cycle of life. Regardless what science videos may teach.

Time

Why does each day seem to go by more quickly than yesterday?

Why does it constantly feel like there isn't enough time? Even when I do not know what I want to do, I still feel the longing for more time.

I want timelessness. Its hard to truly enjoy any moment to its very fullest when, somewhere near or distant in my mind, lurks the reality that the moment must end. Day becomes night. And then we start again. Each day is a marker, a page in our lives. Each year is a chapter. There is a definite beginning and a definite end. Somewhere between is where we live. But that living seems always to be tainted by the knowledge that every story has an ending. I think the desire for timelessness is very real, very honest, and pure. I believe that we all have that desire, and that it comes innately. My question is, why? Why do we all worry about time? About the days passing by? Unless we might have some unconcious knowledge that timelessness does exist. Maybe we were built for a timeless world but cursed by a finite existence. And so we will never truly find joy in this world. In this fleshed existence. Every object or idea is earmarked for ending. We will not find joy until we set our heart, our desire on things not of this world. Eternal, timeless things.

Live

It is a good day, regardless how I feel.

There is a chance for something extraordinary, even if I don't see it coming.

Live as if today might be your last.

The Castle of Monde Imaginaire

The Castle of Monde Imaginaire was protected by a stone wall which reached into the sky. But it had not always been this way. Fear, fear of the worst kind, had long ago crept inside. And so the people demanded defenses against what might lurk beneath the sea, within the trees, beyond the mountains. Tragedy had beset them but once. Many, many years ago a boy grew into a man and made up his mind to brave the snowy passes west of the kingdom. Not a single soul had ever left the confines of the castle, and his decision was met with anger and confusion, an uprising. The people feared for his life, and for the horrors he was sure to encounter. Yet despite the graven faces of his brothers, sisters, neighbors, and teachers, the man set off. And he did not return. The people of Monde Imaginaire, fearing whatever evil had consumed their own, unanimously agreed to the construction of a wall to surround the grounds. It would be the height of two men, head to foot. Thus the wall was built and peace again came over the people. Until one day an old man noticed one of the peasants walking next to the wall. Surely enough, this man could see clean over the top! A great uproar echoed throughout the streets. Orders were given. The wall was doubled in size. Again peace. But it was not to last. One evening, as silence blanketed the kingdom and a full moon hung above the sea, a large cloud passed into the sky. As a compromise, the moon cast a large shadow upon the castle. When the people sensed the darkness fall over them, not one eye turned toward the sea. All were afraid of what lurked in the moonlight. That night, not one man, woman, or child slept even one wink. As soon as day arrived, cries rang out and voices shouted this way and that. Orders were given. The wall was doubled in size. Year after year, the wall continued to grow, until the top could no longer be seen. Then the wall began to sway, ever so slightly. The people felt safe, and looked upon the wall with gratitude. But they did not realize that walls not only keep out, but also keep in. And so one bright, sunny day, a wind peeled off the sea and travelled through grassy plains toward the kingdom. It came in a whisper, but soon began to harass the castle like a wolf at the door. The wall was old, tired, and unstable. With one last groan, it began to fall, and fall greatly. Men and women looked upwards, but, having never ventured beyond the wall, they were too afraid to do so now. And so that day the people of Monde Imaginaire were forgotten, and with them the proof of their very existence.