NOLA

I got a bed at India House Hostel just off Canal St. in New Orleans.  The reviews of this place on the Internet were horrible.  After staying at many hostels I have learned to use these reviews as a guideline and not the rule.  I am glad I did because this place turned out to be really good.  There was a pool, gas stove, outdoor picnic tables, wifi, and loads of smokers.  Damn I forgot how many people smoke when they travel.  It seemed to go like this...converse with your neighbor for two minutes, roll a cigarette, smoke...say something witty, repeat.     I don't know what everyone is so nervous about...relax.

      The first night I ended up going out with Andy a 30 something Londoner, two Irish girls, and Kate from London as well.  We piled into a cab and headed to FrenchMan street.  The first place we stopped was what Andy called a warm up.  We had a couple of beers and I quickly got a spot on the pool table.  My opponent had obviously been on the sauce for many hours.

I stretched out my hand and introduced myself.

"Hi, I am Matt".  I said.

"Valen...tine"  he stammered.

I gave him a tight rack and stepped back from the table.  He bent over and placed the cue in a very unorthodox bridge.  His eyes were having trouble focusing, the cue slid back and then forward with the might of a 11 year old school girl.  A few balls rolled slowly in various directions yet none found the pocket.  It was my shot I sank one and then missed.  It always takes me a few shots to relax and get the feel of it again.  I went up six balls and then Valentine started his triumphant comeback.  He sank a couple balls but the alcohol was seriously hindering his coordination.  I sank the eight and shook his hand.  He smiled and muttered something inaudible.  Next up was Andy.  I went up five balls and then the bastard staged and comeback and ran all the remaining balls.  I took a seat with the ladies and chatted while we waited for Andy to finish the game.  

      Next stop was the Apple Barrel which is right down the street.  This place was very small with Miller as the only option on tap.  There is a local beer called Atiba (sp) but Miller seemed to be everywhere.  The Apple Barrel had a three piece band playing bluesy influenced rock.  I was starting to fell the music and get in the grove.  The place was packed so I went outside for some air.  I heard the sound of horns, yelling, laughter and a general good time.  About half a block away there was a band with all kinds of horns and drums just going for it.  People were stoked, dancing in the streets, one guy was doing back flips.  There was no stage, this was not a planned city event.  Just some locals playing in the middle of the street for the enjoyment of all.  Everyone had a drink in their hand,(drinking in the streets is legal) traffic was not getting through and no one seemed to care.  Damn this was amazing am I really in America?  Where are the cops to shut this thing down?   

Ok the rest is going to be a little summery.  I went to Snug Harbor and heard some amazing jazz with a cute little thing from St. Augustine Florida.  We ate some tacos at 3 in the morning from the roach coach...sooooo goooooddd.  Visited the cemeteries, French quarter, Magazine St into the Garden District.  I really liked this part of town really old houses with beautiful architecture and really cheap compared to CA prices.  Drank coffee with binets at Cafe Du Monde.  This place has been serving coffee and these pastries (deep fried dough covered in powdered sugar) for over a 100 years.  It's open 24 hours a day and the prices are great.  Visited the 9th Ward which was devastated by Katrina and generally had a really good time.  I stayed three days and had to get out.  I don't know how anyone could raise their kids here...way to much debauchery yet really fun for a short time.  

I left last night and drove to Hattiesburg Mississippi.  Spent the night in a motel parking lot woke up and headed to this really cool cafe.  I know who knew there were cool cafes in Mississippi.  I am a Javawerks across from the college.  Next stop????

    In the morning I headed out to Humble, Texas to check on real estate mogul IDL Properties.  They were no Kentfield mansions but what do you want for $100,000?  After eating lunch, I made my way back into Houston to skate their new park.  Hands down, this is the hardest thing to find.  It sits on the bayou in Sabine Park sandwitched between Memorial and Allen drive, both of which are one way.  Just take my word for it, total fighter.  The gates were closed and a armed security guard was preventing the hoping of the fence.  It looked really fun with deep bowls and a huge cradle.  The park had a light dusting of water so they decided to close it.  I was sitting on my tailgate when a Burning Man/skater/tribal warrior approached me.

   "Hey Man, we checked the Internet and a huge storm is coming in...like hail and shit."

"Really? Thanks man" I replied.

   As he walked away I noticed his matching tribal tats on each calf.  Somebody please buy this guy a ticket to Black Rock.  

      I decided to try and beat the storm out of a town.  I got on the I-10 East towards  New Orleans.  My eyes were heavy from a sleepless night in the movie theater parking lot of Galveston, Texas.  I was driving through brief intense pockets of rain followed by sunshine.  I kept nodding off so i pulled off at a rest stop just outside Beaumont.  I crawled into the back of the cocoon and tried to get a nap in.  The tempurpedic pillow felt wonderful below my road weary neck...then it happened.

"Crack" the sound of lightning filled my ears.

I looked out the window and saw one of the most intense displays of nature's power that I have ever seen.  Big Rigs crawled by at 30mph with their hazards pulsating at a steady beat.  The rain had transformed itself from drops to bucket loads.  The lightning continued to work it's magic.  With each deafening strike my face lit up like a child with a new toy.  You must understand, I am a self-admitted pyromaniac and have always loved fireworks.  This was like having a front row seat on Fourth of July while being tossed around in a commercial washer.

    After the storm mellowed, I took a beautiful nap.  Life is good.

Next stop NOLA. 

West Texas Journal Excerpt

If you have trouble reading these just double click the image and it will magically grow.

Photos

These were some local kids in VanHorn Texas doing a little dance in front of Chuy's Restaurant.

Abandoned pool West Texas. I can't help it...I see a pool and I shoot it.
Death of the small town...thank these guys.
I am a total sucker for magic hour. No matter where I am, if there's soft light I get excited.
Right along the Mexican border. I like the feeling of this one.

The Seminar

3-20-09

Ok the Seminar. For those of you who may not know, My Dad has been studying the Fourth Way for nearly 40 years. This is a teaching that George Ivonovich Gurdjieff brought to America in the early part of the 1920’s (don’t quote me). My parents never forced this on my brother or I; yet my Dad would drop all kinds of hints without me even knowing it. About 17 years ago he quit his job and devoted every once of his energy to the teaching. He has written seven books, 3 videos, a quarterly journal, and has groups on both the East and West Coast. About a year and a half ago, a good family friend and student started to bust my balls.

“Matthew, come on…what if your Dad dies? Your going to have no idea what his life’s work is about.”

“I know I know…”

The thought had crossed my mind before.

“Just go to the seminar and you will at least get an idea of what it’s all about”

She may have even called me a pansy. Whatever it was, two months later I was off to Santa Sabina for my first seminar. During that seminar I was blown away by how much my brain was full of chatter. This incessant chatter is there for almost all of us; yet few get to slow down enough to experience it. This may not sound like a big concept but I assure you, when it happens you will be shocked.

A few months later I was off to my second seminar. This one took place in Baltimore, Maryland. The seminar is broken up into two parts: the first is open to anyone and includes bodywork, meditation, and dialogue. This is the first three days. The remaining three days is called Deep Diving and is only open to students who are enrolled in The Work. This does not describe me but family has its privileges. I can see why this rule is in place and should remain. Most people would not be able to handle it with no prior experience. I was not the exception. The only thing keeping me from leaving was the fact that we were way out in the boondocks and I didn’t have a car. I struggled the entire time. On the final day I was told that breakfast would be served at 7:45 instead of 8am. I lost it. I let out a huge grown, put my head down on the table and stewed in my own drama. I was so pissed and over what? 15 minutes. It’s ridiculous when I look back on it, but this was no joke in the moment. You have to realize that I got to this point after three days of very intensive meditation. (I will leave it at that in case you ever do it).

This brings us to the third seminar, which I just completed in Tucson, Arizona. The retreat center was just outside The Saguaro National Park. I was truly enchanted by the 25’ cactus that encompassed the property. More on them later.

“Thank you all for coming” The familiar voice stated.

“We are going to do some walking, laying around, breathing, some eating but most importantly we are going to relax”

And with that all 51 of us began our “Perfectly imperfect” journey. I liked that statement, because all the decisions we made or didn’t act on etc. have shaped us into being exactly where we are right now; perfectly imperfect. The speaker stressed that The Work doesn’t change one’s life in the sense of physical location etc.

“Were not wearing long robes and asking you to move to the Ashram at the Mountain top. You stay in everyday life”

The basic concept of the entire teaching is that it starts with the body. Be here now. Two feet on the floor, breathe up from the feet and down the spine. We directed the breath into different parts of the body. While doing bodywork we tried to maintain a “Global sensation” (really being present and taking in what is happening). Trying to do this while keeping the chatter down is very difficult. After we came out of one of the poses we were told to resonate and really feel the energy in our bodies. I was surprised because I really felt it; normally the chatter is so constant that I would miss this “Global sensation”.

About 30 brave souls stayed on for Deep Diving. I will spare you the details but what I would like to mention is the feeling that happens. After each session you are diving deeper and deeper; therefore, the body is going to higher wavelengths. We went into the church on two separate occasions to listen to Nancy play the piano. The first day it was music…it was nice but not much else was happening. The second night, each note was pulsating through my entire body. All of my senses were heightened; I walked around with a big grin on my face for the remainder of the evening.
The day after the seminar, I was driving East on 10, the light was very soft and the temperature was fairly moderate for the Arizona Desert. I was going 60 while the rest of traffic was flying by at 80mph. An overpass was approaching which had steel sculptures of very large birds at different stages of flight. It was really crazy because I looked at it like stop animation; I saw the bird flapping it’s wings gracefully each image was followed by the next. This bird was in full flight. I started laughing,

“Ok I get it. This is why people come back. Slight LSD trip minus the drugs”

Next stop Austin.

A Taste of India

3/11/09

Ok I finally got out of San Rafael at 10 pm after a wonderful sendoff from lots of different folks. I headed for the 5 and keep on driving. I could really feel the weight of all the tools and camera gear that are packed into my truck,

Skill saw
Sawzaw
Jigsaw
Levels
Clamps
Various wrenches and hand tools
Rope
Bungee cords
Tool belt


4 cameras
4 flashes
4 pocket wizards
6 lenses
Tripod
3 camera bags
2 turbo batteries

Tent
Stove
Skateboard
Laptop
Clothes etc

I drove until 2am and pulled over at A Taste Of India, which is abandoned. I opened the back window and crawled in for my first night sleep in the cocoon. (I have named the back of my truck with it's camper shell the cocoon.) I have about a foot of headroom in there. It feels a little cramped …let’s just say missionary might be a bit tight. I put my four-inch pocketknife in my sleeper and curled up for the night. I must say it is a strange feeling not being able to lock the door and not having curtains. I woke up at 8 and started driving towards LA. I meet my brother for breakfast after getting lost in Los Feliz.
Eggs benedict
Crepe dish
Herbal tea
Coffee
$30.95 Breakfast people that is supposed to be the cheapest meal. This affirmed my dislike for LA. I got all stressed out trying to find the place barking at my brother; never the less it was good to see him.

I got on the 10 and headed east to San Bernadino feeling the high of the coffee I was flying all the way to Palm Springs. I took the 85s or something like that and headed to the Salton Sea with the intention of skating this empty pool, which has been a go for over ten years. I didn’t know exactly where it was but I had seen pictures with the sun setting in the background so I determined it was on the northern side of the lake. I started to see the familiar decay which follows a lot of abandoned pools. First place I stopped walked around to the back and there she was just waiting to be had. I took a bucket and a small plastic cup into the deep end and started to scoop the small amount of water into the bucket. After all the water was gone I headed back to my truck to grab a camera and my board. I was pretty stoked all of a sudden I looked down and there was a 5 foot rattlesnake sunning it self on the stairs. It was perfectly still I breathed and regained my composure and moved so I was directly in line with his head about 6 feet away. Sure enough his head was shaped like a diamond. I went back to my truck to get a film camera I loaded some slide film and put a long zoom lens on so I wouldn’t have to get that close. I got back and the snake was no longer on the steps. Shit, I looked on both sides of the path to make sure he wasn’t just chilling. I continued on to the pool and boom shit it was right in front of me again only this time it’s rattle was facing me. I fired off a couple of shots. My batteries are low so each time the film advances it's is a noisy chore. The snakes head turned to face me …it couldn’t decide weather I was a threat or not. There was a very slight audible sound of its rattle. That was enough for me I was really spooked. It finally slithered into the debris under a Palm tree. I took a few runs in the pool don’t get me wrong it is a really good pool but I was fucking freaked I went inside the building which used to be a resort rooms with broken glass dark, graffiti I wanted to climb up the stairs and shoot the pool from the second story…I couldn’t handle it I kept thinking I would find a dead body or some meth head (which the Salton Sea is known for) lurking around the corner. I was out of there that snake was beautiful but it was definitely some kind of sign…i.e. get the fuck out. I followed its advice.

Continued driving until I hit Yuma really nice light and old building with a really cool downtown…yet nothing was open. I wanted some food there was a church group which was holding a meeting at Ethel’s café…After strolling all the way down Main Street there was a casino, saloon and one upscale dinner place open that was it. Ok fine a movie theater but I wanted food damn it. I ate a horrible burger drank a Corona and listened to my neighbors talk about mundane family and work issues. I then kept driving with the new speed limit of 75mph which is pretty sweet. Adios Matt.

p.s. I am heading to Tucson to attend a seminar will check back in about a week.

Flakeslist

It's Tuesday at quarter to two am.  I was supposed to leave yesterday yet the drama continues.  Flakeslist is proving to be a real pain.  Zeb was supposed to look at my place at 9 am.  I waited until eleven and heard nothing.  

ring ring  "Hello"I said

"Hey this is Zeb I just got your email... sorry dude it's my only day to sleep in"

"What time can you come" I snapped.

"How about 3"?

"Ok"

Zeb pulled up as I was showing Isha the cocoon.  (I will post photos later to give you a visual)  Zeb's only saving grace was his hot girlfriend.  He still lived at his folks house and I am assuming that was becoming a problem with his female situation.  He eyed my high ceilings and large futon, the possibilities were growing.  $850 a month, off street parking, centrally located, cool neighbors, shit....what more do you want?

  He emailed the next day stating that he was not ready to leave the security of his mothers nest.