MAPA

Blog has moved

2011-08-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks for reading. Map adventures is not quite the vagabond that he once was. The site has morphed into a new photo blog called Shutter release. Please follow the new blog here.
Thanks...

foto by brindella

Springfield, IL

2011-04-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Every time I look at this photo I think it's a whale.

Here are some images from Springfield, IL. Words are churning, not quite ready to be spread.

Family

2009-12-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

This is my brother leaning on my old truck Bessie. I picked him up from the dentist after he had his wisdom teeth pulled. He was super high from the nitrous. I remember driving down Sir Francis Drake with him leaning out the window screaming at high school girls with drool and blood running down his swollen cheeks. We were both laughing hysterically...
My Dad holding me in NY at just eight days old
I shot this at my graduation dinner at a brewery in San Jose. Everyone seems really happy.

Photos

2009-10-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait in Starbucks bathroom....there are no restrooms in NYC.
I made a little playhouse under my sleeping loft. There is a rug, sofa, coffee table and it has been coined The Lair of the Bear.
Blyth gave a little yoga class while the sun set in Onset Bay, Cape Cod.
The three Hungarians. I spent the first three weeks in my place with these folks. Nice, yet a bit oblivious. It was a bit of a shock after living on my own for a few years.
This was the screened in porch in Onset Bay. This was the inspiration for my playhouse. I really liked reading in here.

"That's a big table...even for Americans"!!!

2009-08-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

My first week was spent pacing around my new living space. There is no where to sit, ah yes whearhouse living is going to take some getting used to. I share a wall with the Carpenters Union, Sal is their...shoot I don't know what he does but every morning at about 6am he get's fired up and starts calling someone a "cocksucker" at the top of his lungs. I am not sure how his body can take all the stress. I built this table so I have a place to store tools and a workspace on top...for what many have asked. You know....all the crafty projects that are going to start blossoming. I got a gallon of this color for $5 at lowe's...clearance.

storage underneath.
Wheels baby wheels

Cardboard

2009-07-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

I stopped in Ohio and stayed with my friend Jonathan. He is part of a group of artists that are having a show next week. We went down to the studio and got to work on these crazy cardboard pieces. I had a lot of fun. We set off a bunch of fireworks afterwards...ahhh it was beautiful.

Elko to Cheyenne

2009-07-16T10:55:00.001-07:00

All those shots were taken on the way to dinner in downtown Cheyenne. I had chicken fried steak for $13.95 at the Albany which claims to have been around since the 40's. The road is a strange place, I can feel my body trying to adjust to all the crappy food. Not enough veggies or fruit...heavy on the meat. I stayed the night in Elko, Nevada a couple nights ago. I walked across the street from my hotel run by a Indian family into the Stray Dog. I passed a table on the sidewalk with three women and one guy with a fauhawk and Teva's with socks. I ordered a pizza and a beer and headed out to the last remaining table on the sidewalk. I listened to their conversation about being propositioned at Burning Man "like 14 times".

One of the girls kept turning around and looking at me, after the third time she finally invited me to join them. The three girls worked for the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) as sprayers. They claimed to drive in to the backcountry, suit up in those white hazmat outfits with a backpack full of chemicals and go to town. Full benefits, 401k, and plenty of overtime. Elko comes up with a large percentage of the country gold and the cute blonde's father is a geologist who found gold in the area. The guys at the BLM got wind of this and now treat her like a princess. It doesn't hurt that she looks like a prom queen with cowboy boots. She pulled up her wifebeater and showed us her stitches. They ran down her hip and looked puffy and slightly infected. She claimed to just had surgery for hip displacer. Her friend starting yelling for her to walk claiming that she has the best walk ever. She resisted a bit, but with a little more encourgement she was strutting down the sidewalk. After taking a seat she claimed that her family told her she walks like a dude, isn't it beautiful when people are honest?

Eastbound...Again.

2009-07-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hola,

to my 17 followers and the thousands of lurkers who have been without a post in quite sometime. I am here to put all the rumors to rest. Yes, I am moving to NYC. I have spent the last three weeks working construction and coming home and collapsing. I can't believe I used to do this everyday. My body is so out of shape it's ridiculous. I was intending to pack all my stuff a little bit everyday but I am a procrastinator so of course it came down to the end.

Thursday night I had a BBQ send off party which was really fun. I got four pounds of marinated carne asada from Azteca Market on Fourth st. At 5 dollars a pound you can't go wrong. We had tacos, veggies, ice cream cake, and lot's of laughs. I woke up Friday and tried to get out of bed, I elevated my body and was met with the ceiling spinning like a washing machine. I immediately let my head hit the pillow. The stress was getting to me. Luke got a tongue lashing for leaving the salt and pepper shaker the night before. He came around in the morning to retrieve them. I gave him a Skill Saw and sent him to the store for some bagels and coffee. Holden showed up next, then Rebecca followed by Jai. Everyone was hanging out mildly helping me clean the place when I told Rebecca that I had a new plan.

"Let's just put everything outside and then give the place a little a little shami and I will be alright."

"Sounds good"

I was really just talking out loud trying to forumulate a plan since I had two hours till my landlord was showing up for a walk through.

R spread the word and all of a sudden there were 5 worker bees going full speed. The sidewalk was littered with magazines, toiletries, clothes, taxes, blankets, and many other items. Jai even got off the phone after expressing his new found love for his fiance to some distant caller on the other end. He grabbed the vacume and did a really good job. Rebecca was slaving away in the kitchen, while Luke packed away my computer.

"I don't even do this at my own place"

"I know, keep it up your doing great" I shouted encouragement.

Everyone did a fantastic job and I am very thankful for the final push I really needed the help. Good friends are invaluable. I am blessed.

I finally got out of town at 5 o'clock just in time to hit rush hour traffic on highway 37. I was heading to Tahoe to see Blyth and meet her family. I timed it perfectly with my 10:15 arrival. We chatted with her folks for a half hour and they fell asleep. A few hours in the morning were burned with discussions on suspension bridges, crawdad fishing off the pier, birthday cake made by B and then a little cleaning of the cabin. I was there long enough to make a good impression without having to answer all the questions her father was dying to ask....i.e. how the fuck are you going to support my daugt I mean yourself in NYC. Don't worry Howard, there are plenty of people asking the same question... it will work out...trust me.

Come along for the ride...2164 miles to go.

Photographs

2009-06-24T23:50:00.000-07:00

Selfportrait NYCInside abandoned train Utah
Abandoned train
Shooting through the train window...heading East
The three Strays from Chicago...Thunder Mtn. Nevada.

Ramblings From a Road Dog

2009-06-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

I pulled over for this...wait till the film comes back. Wyoming.
Yellowstone, it was freezing.
Bison held up traffic on many occasions.
The Badlands and I... (mom I am refraining from a smart ass comment here.)
Towed.

Hola people,

I am just going to highlight a few things from the last week or so.

1.Stayed with Jonathan and Anne in Columbus, OH. Explored the student ghetto, Wexler Museum, got giant burgers and had a good time.

2.Drove through Illinois while listening to Sufijan Stevens album "Come on Bring the Illinois"

3.Woke up in a rest stop and watched a convoy of army personel drive by. Very surreal.

4. After days of rain it let up just as I reached the Badlands in South Dakota. My father took John and I here when we were kids. Very magical, highly recommend it.

5. Got pulled over in Buffalo for a busted tail light cover. My registration was expired he told me it is a $410 fine...he let me off with a warning.

6.The drive from Buffalo to Yellowstone on route 16 was way longer then I thought but well worth it. Snow lot's of it.

7.Yellowstone lives up to the hype. Bison all over, natural beauty is amazing. I bought wood for a fire...it snowed all night.

8. Grand Tetons = breathtaking. Wyoming is a wonderful state.

9.The Cocoon died. Had to have her towed to Tuffy's auto. Luckily all she needed was a new battery.

10. Driving across the Utah salt flats today.

Meet the Parents by B.

2009-06-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

****************************
Matt asked me to make a guest appearance on his blog to share my experience from his parents’ Gurdjieff Studies seminar a couple weeks ago. Since Matt already posted his experience from the Arizona seminar, he thought a virgin experience might be more interesting. If you’ll indulge me, here goes…

His dad was kind enough to invite me, never having met me before. Though I didn’t have much of an idea of what the weekend would entail, it almost certainly would not include a Memorial Day barbecue, but when you have the chance to learn from a spiritual teacher with 7 published books (and 3 videos), and you’re dating his son, how can you say no? At the very least, I figure, it will make a good story.

I spend the first 24 hours totally confused and, frankly, a little pissed off. My seminar roommate later tells me that she worried about me that first day or so, using the word “morose” to describe my energy. Nevertheless, everyone leaves me alone to make my way on my own. It turns out I am just tired and confused that first night. I get over my fantasies of escape after a good night’s rest and am ready for early morning yoga at 6:15am.

Matt’s dad leads the sessions. He is stern but loving. His Irish chuckle is a welcome reprieve from the serious mood that permeates the air here. I work with the ideas he is introducing - getting out of the “head brain” and “into the body.” They aren’t unlike ideas I have heard at yoga classes in the city, but it is new to be applying them with such intensity and duration. It requires a lot of nap-taking in between scheduled sessions. In fact, one impromptu nap takes place in the reeds on the side of the road because my bed is just too far away.

In case I haven’t already mentioned it, this is a journey that everyone at the seminar takes alone. I thought that the weekend would be a good chance to spend some time with Matt before he hit the road back to California. I hadn’t anticipated that he would pretend to ignore me from the moment we walk in the door. Aside from feeling confused and a little abandoned, I feel invisible. That’s not something we feel every day, even in the crowds of NYC. I say that Matt “pretended” to ignore me because, at this point, my ego is stubbornly holding onto the idea that I am of interest to other people, that they are watching me, that I can’t be ignored. I heard other people echo this sentiment, as well, concocting paranoid fantasies that they are being singled out and tested. I am quite sure that was not the case.

When Matt’s dad says my name during yoga (a light chiding for doing the pose wrong), my heart jumps. Someone has acknowledged my presence – I am here! It’s shocking how much we rely on social interaction to stay sane. I am reminded of a recent New Yorker article that discussed the cruelest form of torture – solitary confinement. People spend years in prison left to their own thoughts. As Matt would later joke, it’s pretty heavy to realize, after spending only 3 days with nobody to distract you from your inner dialog, that your personality kind of sucks. By this time, I think we all are starting to get a little tired of listening to our whiney, repetitive inner voices.

On Saturday night, I finally figure out what we are supposed to be doing. I heard it the first night, but was so distracted and agitated that it takes hearing it a second time and listening to other people’s experiences for it to sink in. Putting it into practice during the break between the discussion and the evening meditation, I begin to understand. It takes only a sip of water – the first real sip I have perhaps ever taken – for me to start to come into my body. I feel charged and hyper-aware of everything around me…the feeling of my clothes against my skin, the weight of my body on my feet. As I turn to return to the meditation room, I see that Matt has been standing behind me. That’s all it takes to bubble up all of the emotions I’ve been wrestling with the past 24 hours – the hurt, the anger, the shame, a little more anger. I barely make it to my seat in the back row before I’m overwhelmed with emotion. Tears pour down my face and onto my shirt. It’s not a cry of sadness, but of release.

That night is remarkable. Walking along the road on which I fantasized my escape the night before, I notice specks of light in the distance. Feeling the lure like Richard Dreyfuss in “Close Encounters,” I laugh out loud suspecting that I’m so high I’m hallucinating the shiny dots. The next day I see on the map that I was walking toward what’s known as Firefly Meadow. Maybe they truck in the fireflies so the seminar participants feel like they are getting their money’s worth from the weekend. Regardless, it is pretty magical.

By the final morning, I’m existing in the moment, letting seductive thoughts of past and future slide by without dragging me along. Walking around the grounds, I can’t believe how beautiful everything looks. How did everything I’ve been seeing for the past 2 days suddenly get so beautiful? I’m positively filled with joy, thrilled to be alive. I see the cafeteria as if for the first time. Eating meals in the cafeteria has been the hardest part of the experience for some reason, but I don’t even try to hide the huge smile on my face as I eat my oatmeal. The rest of the morning is spent packing and attending a couple final sessions. Matt motions for me sit next to him during the final discussion. For the last exercise, we all join hands in a circle and I position myself next to him, feeling like a scheming schoolgirl. I will never again take for granted physical contact.

Once we have hugged and shared a few laughs, his parents come over. I give each of them a big hug as his dad says, “Nice way to meet the parents, huh?” At lunch, we decide it’s either the best way to meet the parents, or it’s my new “worst date ever” story.

A Quick Update.

2009-06-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

I left NYC and started my trip back to CA. I stopped at FDR skate park in Philly for a couple of hours and then continued driving on the 76 toll road towards Pittsburgh. The first night back in the Cocoon was spent in the parking lot of a truck stop. I got the stove out in the morning and brewed some coffee on the tailgate. Between the coffee and the humidity, beads of sweat started pooling in the natural lines of my face. It felt good to be driving again...the never ending game of leap frog which is played between myself and the truckers.

I skated another park in Wheeling West Virgina and then drove through the sunset into Ohio. I am off to Coloumbus, to go see my good friend from college, Jonathan and his wife Anne.

adios.

CRAFTERPARTY

2009-05-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the road goes in circles...what can I say? I am back in NYC. Blyth hosted the seasons first crafterparty because her place is huge by New York standards. We ran around all morning gathering food, snacks and drinks. We went to this candy store and came out with chocolate covered gingers, smores and marsh mellows dipped in chocolate with m&m on a stick. Sugar was taken care of so we moved on to guacamole. It was fun buying all the fixings in Chinatown, the vendors get really upset if you don't use their red plastic bags. We kept stuffing produce into one big canvas bag which seemed very foreign to them.

We got everything back to her house and she decided to go back out and get some embroidery thread so people could make "Friendship bracelets". These were really popular in 7th grade, maybe a bit before if you were really hip. I stayed and took care of some much needed business in the restroom. I was reading People, keeping up with Kristie Alley weight drama and enjoying some alone time. Everything was going wonderfully until I flushed...yes ladies and gentleman we had a clogger. No need to panic, I simply found the plunger and gave it some up and down action. This will normally do the trick but it wasn't working. Shit...I tried again and again. while eyeing the clock, 3:22 pm. Blyth's guest were arriving at 4 and their is only one toilet. I spent another twenty minutes in there with no luck. Think think. OK she lives over a hardware store so I ran downstairs. As I made my way around the banister her room mate greeted me in the hallway. Their was no squirming out of this. I came clean and told her I would take care of it. She looked mildly traumatized but there was no time to soothe her emotions out. I grabbed a Toilet Auger which I had never heard of but it looked promising. Imagine a three foot snake with a handle on one end that you shove in the bowl and crank on to clean out your pipes. I placed it on the counter, the woman who doubles as the landlord eyed it and then looked at me.

"for upstair?"

I shook my head

"Eightenn dolla"

I handed her a card which she declined...cash only. I ran around the corner to Broome st and used the ATM on the corner. I don't know what the deal is but this street always stinks like dead fish. I ran back up the stairs and gave her a twenty. Blyth still wasn't home, so I closed the door and took the packaging off the auger and got to work. I had to really force the thing in there, it wasn't pretty but I didn't have much choice. I kept waiting for the water to drop to no avail. Beads of sweet were running down my face as I turned the handle. I could hear the metal snake grinding away deep in the pipe. I couldn't believe that I alone had caused such a backup, someone must of dropped a toothbrush or makeup container in there. I alternated between the auger and plunger while Blyth and her guests sat in the other room drinking wine. I am sure they heard all the commotion in there. They felt awkward so they all went to the fabric store to pick out patterns for their crafterparty project. I gave it all I had before excepting that I am not a plumber. I got it working...not perfect but passable for normal use. I jumped in the shower and cleaned up.

The girls returned with their buys and we all got busy sewing bags for our yoga mats. It ended up being really fun once I settled down. Check the photos.

Reading MA

2009-05-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Laila Shay puked at just the right time.Brians personal fire hydrant.
Red spheres on the way out of Woodstock.

Brian figuring out how to use his camera.
Baby's smile at me now....that never used to happen, ever.

Blyth caught the bus back to Manhattan from the town center in Woodstock. I hung out for another day taking in the hippies and all their 60's paraphernalia. Hendrix, Dylan and a few others still make up most of the posters in this little town. There seems to be quite a few different scenes going on here. You have the holdout hippies who actually attended the original concert, Zen Monks up on the hill, and new money which comes in on the weekends. It was $6.75 for a bagel with the works. I am not sure what the works included but shit that's more then this road dog is going to fork out. I did the Overlook hike which elevates a couple thousand feet up to a lookout tower. From the top I could see a 360 degree view of 5 different counties and their inviting lakes. There is also an abandoned motel which was really fun to explore. I didn't have my camera...classic. Whenever I leave it I always stumble across really interesting things.

I headed out of town trying to hook up with 90 which would take me into Boston. Before I hit the Toll Road I came across these hanging red spheres that someone hung between two trees. I stopped and took some photos while traffic whizzed by. It's really cool to see all the art which seems to grow out of peoples front yards in this area. Gardens as well, I saw tons of fenced in raised beds which were ready for planting. I was having ideas of building my own home and living in the country.

I convinced my friend Brian to put me up for a couple of nights in Reading which is just outside Boston. This was was suburban experience for the trip. He and his wife, Kate live on a really nice street with trees and their own personal fire hydrant. This thing is about six inches from their driveway...trust me, someone is going to give that thing a little kiss with their bumper and have a front row seat to the water show. They just had a little girl, Laila Shay. This little beauty is on her own schedule, she stayed up watching the Celtics game with us. By eleven her head was nodding off but she really wanted to stay up.

The following day I went for a walk and fixed my speakers which went out a few weeks ago. I got the back ones working yet the front is still inaudible. While working on the stereo, the neighbors were wondering who the hell the bearded warrior with CA plates was. I just smiled and made myself a peanut butter and nutella sandwich on my tailgate.

Catskills Site 29

2009-05-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Tarzan
Mt. Tremper hike
Site 29

I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and made the sweeping turn onto FDR Drive. The cars looked like those tiny little goldfish darting around with random abandon. I followed along being as aggressive as one can be without knowing where they are going. Ten minutes later the rains came forcing me to put the wipers on. The five second intervals proved not to be enough, I switched them to high and watched the water pour off the windshield. I felt like a scout being sent ahead to find a place to sleep for the night. Some male gene was kicking in telling me that this campground must be really sweet. After driving around the Catskills for an hour I finally stumbled upon a campground. The signs said "Closed" fuck, I was fried and decided that one little sign was not going to slow me down. I drove down the road until I saw a house and was greeted by a woman who was not happy to see me.

"Can I help you"

"ah, I'm looking for the campground"

"Were closed, just like the sign says...All the campgrounds don't open until next week."

She directed me to Phonecia as a last resort. This town was a few miles away...I pulled into the Sleepy Hollow campground and assessed the surroundings. RVs everywhere, this is a bad sign in the camping world. I am not claiming to be Mr. Outdoors but I have only stayed in a RV once...and it was for a bachelor party in Mexico. A different kind of trip entirely. I made a fire ,cooked and took in the fresh air. The following morning I packed up and headed to the tourist info center to get a handle on the hiking. After being given a list of hikes I sat in the truck and read a few of them. It seems like all the hikes were separated by 15 miles. I had a little Epiphany while sitting there. That campground would not be all that bad if I just moved across the road onto the Esopus Creek. I headed back and picked out spot number 30. The old lady at the front desk was not anywhere to be seen. I parked in front of the office and opened Blood Meridian by Cormack McCarthy. This book is pure carnage...pillage and murder through out the West. It's a good book but damn, you don't have to scalp everyone that crosses your path.

Site 30 was booked a week before by a volunteer firefighter named Clark. I took the spot next door and we both got set up. He hung his NY Giants flag and I laid out a tarp and pitched my Kelty tent from my Uncle Buzz who worked their for many years. A couple hours later I drove into Pougkepsie to pick up Blyth. She got off the train with her large backpack and a sweet wraparound dress. I opened up The Cocoon to put her bag in when a large black lady in a SUV stopped and opened her window.

"You guys look adorable"

We were feeling it, apparently it was obvious. We got on the 87 toll road and headed back to the campsite. Once again, the rain came down in sheets. I could see the road for a brief moment when the wiper blade went by, then total washout. That night we cooked some gourmet mac n cheese with sausage, tomatoes garlic and onions. We drank a couple of beers and watched our poor little rain soaked fire smolder and try to stay lit. We moved the futon out of The Cocoon and into the tent...I felt a bit strange, camping is supposed to be a bit rough. This seemed like it was pushing the comfort level slightly high. Never the less, it proved to be a much needed anchor the following night when the Gael force winds started in. After hearing Clarks awning come crashing down, Blyth was freaked that his crap would come flying into our tent. We didn't get much sleep that night but we made up for it with a ruling breakfast at Sweet Sue's in town.

All in all, the Catskills are really cool once you drop your California expectations of natural beauty. A good time was had by all. Next stop suburbia.

NYC Departure

2009-05-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

I like mirrors Broadway and Lafayette...

I arrived in NYC on the 8th of April....I know I am just shy of a month. I kept waiting for Benjie to freak out on me and tell me to hit the highway. Him and Kristin were super good hosts...I would of lost it of weeks ago, many thanks go out to them. I am heading up to the Catskills in the morning to do a bit of camping and get out of the city. There is a sculpture garden in Storm King and a minimalist museum in Beacon which I have heard good things about. Blyth is going to take the train up on Friday and join me which will be really nice. The rain is falling and the drinks were flowing at the Brooklyn Social club. I had a good night. Got to say goodbye to Niels, Bret, Kristin and Benjie. I have to do laundry and pack all my gear in the morning. The adventure is calling which will be pretty interesting after this long hiatus. See you all soon, back on the road...sleep well.

The Baby Room Pics

2009-04-30T13:52:00.001-07:00

The Mirror and the Chesterfield Shims
This piece took an hour for Casey to figure out...it fit beautifully.
Drive That Nail
Taking measurements for the trimmers.
The beginning

The Baby Room.

2009-04-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

French Doors, trimmed out, ready for mud and tape.

Casey was very proud of his sheet rock work.
Framed up

Doing construction in a big city is a bit different then the burbs. Everything takes longer and just getting supplies to the job is a painstaking ordeal. Casey and I unloaded The Cocoon and headed to Lowes. The plan was to throw a wall up which would divide the room and create a little nest for Benji and Kristin's baby. Eighteen 2 by 6, eight sheets of half inch rock, screws, nails and all those tools I lugged from CA. We carried it up two flights of stairs and made a couple of piles in the large room which would soon be split in two.

Casey and I both met Katies father a couple of years ago when I shot her wedding in PA. We showed up a day early and drank beer with The General and his buddies as he has come to be known. He has four stars from the Vietnam War. A quite man who has seen more then you or I. His daughters wedding opened something up in him. It was truly a magical day (I have shot plenty of weddings, trust me this one was special) everything from her brothers rendition of Bonnie Prince Billy's May It Always Be to the roasted pig which graced our plates. I could go on and on but that is another post. Regardless, The General heard we were in town so he sent a case of Lord Chesterfields down with Katie for us. Builders have been known to put things is walls for people to find years later. I continued this tradition by cutting up the Chesterfields box and shimming out the wall so the drywall wouldn't crack. It seemed fitting since the Chesterfields certainly made the task of insulation and drywall much more bearable.

Writing about building can be a bit dry so I am going to let the photos do the talking.

ciao

Bikes, Girls, and Prospect Park.

2009-04-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Goat is gone.
His and Hers..
Packing up
Army Square with my sweet ride.
B and her window.

Yesterday was one of those epic days were everything just works beautifully. Well, it didn't start out that way. I spent the first few hours of the day doing laundry and waiting for a call from a girl that had already flaked on me once before. I received a text at 12:41

"What's up? do you want to go for a bike ride?

"Fuck Yeah"

I was still waiting for the other girl but it was too nice outside to pass up the opportunity. An hour later B. showed up in short shorts and a tank top. She came up for some water and I gave her a tour of Casa De Levine. I started giving her a hard time for shoeing me out of her house without even a make out session a couple nights before.

"What's up with that"?

"I have rules...No goatees...I can't do it"

"But beards are OK though"?

"Yeah...It's just that little patch of skin in between that kills it for me."

Then she went on to say.

"Let me shave that thing."

Now before you start calling me a pushover understand that it is in the upper eighties in NYC right now. Besides, I like her and if it is going to help my chances...why not? Ten minutes later I was deprived of my goatee and one kiss richer. We left the house and headed up Union st. about twenty five blocks until we hit Prospect Park. We rode our bikes around the park and ended up on a slight incline over looking the grassy field below. There was a game of Cricket, soccer, sunbathers, and countless other people to look at. B put out her sarong and we took our socks and shoes off and melted into the hillside. It was nice, we had a good talk over some horrible epinadas.

B and I used to date around 98 or so...She was working for Cisco and I was deep in the art scene. She used to tell me about her review meetings etc which was all very foreign to me. Still is, but at the time this seemed like trying to comprehend Russian subtitles while listening to Chinese commercials.

"Why do you want to be with me"? I asked her one day.

She took a moment before she answered

"I don't want ugly kids"

Wow! I was completely floored. This is by far the most honest answer I have ever received to any question. After a few hours of bliss fullness in the park we mounted up and rolled through Park Slope looking for a place to grab a beer. We ended up at Union Jacks and ordered a couple of Hoegardens. This is a light belgium beer that tastes really good on a hot day. A short time later we cruised all the way back to Casa De Levines so I could get my ID.

The sun had set as we headed over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. There is a big white line dividing the path all the way across the bridge. One side is for pedestrians the other for bikes. This concept is especially hard for the walkers to grasp. They always seem to end up in the bike lane with their cameras pressed against their face. It became a really fun game. Whenever we saw one drifting, B would hit her bell on her handle bars. This seemed to work at first but then I started to follow the bell with my own version which sounded like a whoop, whistle bell. They would get startled as we whizzed past with giant grins on our mugs. B lead us through all these little back streets in Chinatown until we made it to her Place on Allen.

Sidenote: B lives next door to skateboarding legend Mark Gonzales. I turned into a total fan boy and shot photos of his front door (complete with pink stroller) and a pair of his shoes which he drew his name on. I prayed he didn't open the door...I would of felt like suck a dork.

We took a quick shower and B put on a sweet, little, black dress that she had picked up earlier in the day. She wore it very well. I borrowed a shirt that was two sizes two small and felt like I belonged in a boy band. We headed into the East Village and got some sushi on Clinton St. The Dragon Roll ruled. We were both full and feeling good. I got out of the bathroom and B was doing a little dance to Al Greene's Let's Get It On...Life is sweet.

FDR

2009-04-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

I like this one.
Screw it down boys

kieth pop shoveWilly boneless

Yes, I am still alive, I just got caught up in the Big Apple. I will try and get everyone up to date. I just processed a bunch of film and added photos to some previous posts so have a look. Ok, I got on to the freeway and looked for signs for Philly. I passed a huge Westing House Plant on my right. My Grandfather worked at this plant for thirty years, I felt a little twinge of pride. Times have certainly changed. I drove on the toll road for about six hours and hit traffic a few miles outside the city. There was a white Range Rover pulled over with it's hazardous flashing. The driver was pushing someone in the passenger seat who did not want to be there. All I could see were feet kicking him in the chest while he did his best to slam the door. Someone must of called 911 because he was pulled over a few miles later.
I bypassed downtown and headed straight for South Philly. I was on a mission to skate the legendary park called FDR. This park came about because the city was trying to find a way to keep skaters out of Love Park in downtown. Love was the equivalent of the embarcadero in SF both attracted skaters from all over to skate on the ledges and stairs. Skaters and businessmen have never co mingled that well so after years of the cat and mouse game with the cops the city made a change. They built one small pyramid under the I-95 and waited to see what would happen. The skaters came and started to build their own park how they wanted it without all the red tape. Fourteen years later the city has a ruling skatepark that was built and funded by skaters. I was taking it all in, the sheer size is incredible. I took a few runs and found a bunch of speed lines. There are lot's of cement bumps that you can carve over to keep your momentum which you need because all the obstacles are fairly far apart. Within five minutes this guy skated up to me and said.
"They are dropping off some steel in a few minutes...can you help us unload"?
Shit I had been here five minutes and already being put to work.
"Sure"
He told me his name was Willy and he was a photographer as well. Willy was really nice he offered me a place to stay. A truck showed up at the vert ramp and I meet some of the other guys and helped them with the 4 by 8 sheets of quarter inch steel. They were resurfacing the vert ramp with steel which is really fast and will weather better then wood. I shot photos with Willy and another kid named Kieth. I went back over to the ramp and offered my help with screwing the sheets down. It was really cool to be there with some of the guys who have been there from the beginning. Carlos flashed a toothless grin and ordered pizza for everyone. He was running the show which was good because he new what he was doing. More skaters showed up with screw guns and pitched in. We worked until 11:30 and Carlos pulled the plug on his generator. I was beat so I drove a couple blocks away and crawled into the Cocoon with a smile on my face.

Montauk

2009-04-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Easter Morning breakfast
couch time
Casey

American Dudes
Coming to New York and seeing Bret and Benjie before their wives popped out a couple of pups was the genesis of this entire trip. Katie and Kristin are both due in the next two months. Casey flew in from California, Niels and Adam who I met at Benjies wedding all made it. We packed up the Subaru and the Cocoon with a bunch of doggy boards and headed to JFK to pick up Tor. I was following Adam, he was flying, abrupt lane changes, no signals, Benjie, needed gas and I had no idea where the hell I was going. We got to the airport and Tor was freezing his ass off at 7am. Then the rains came full on. A couple hours later we were suited up and paddled out in serious weather. The wind was howling, the rain was throwing, the waves were super choppy and the water was freezing. (how's that for a run on sentence)? I would of never paddled out at home but but this was Montauk. I felt like I was surfing in Alaska, some crazy wierd beard couldn't control his board a 9'6" came shooting at me. Even though the surf was really crappy I somehow felt really good after getting out of the water. You make the best of what you got. I think that little saying runs deep for East Coast surfers so I quit bitching and joined in.

Dudes weekend consisted of well...dude stuff. One truly dude moment was in the minivan cab on the way home from the bar. 7 wasted dudes talking about the one hot girl in the bar with her loser boyfriend.

"That Asian girl was super hot" came my voice from the back.

laughter..."What ? She wasn't Asian"

"Well...Mexican then"

more laughter

"If she looked Asian and Mexican she must of been Phillipino" The driver chimed in.

more laughter

We passed some pretty big puddles due to the storm all day.

"I'll give you twenty bucks if you turn around and hit those puddles" Casey

"Put it on the dash" driver

Casey took the money from his pocket and slapped it on the dashboard. The driver pulled into a driveway and flipped directions. His foot hit the pedal and the minivan shot towards the water. He hit it with authority to the delight of the group.

The next day the ocean looked like Lake Tahoe. Six inch ankle slappers came limping in. Ok I know the writing is pretty bad but I had to throw you guys a bone to get off my back. Enjoy the video.

Pittsburgh

2009-04-11T11:04:00.001-07:00

Empty electrical panel with a cool sticker on top, Braddock PA
Braddock Jr High out my window.
Mary and Liz hanging tough with their shades, 3am PA.
Mary sits for her portrait in Liz's living room.
Pittusburgh at night shot from MT. Washington.

I left skatopia and headed through West Virginia. The landscape is truly beautiful, rolling hills with blossoming trees along the snaking river. The people on the other hand...what can I say? If you have heard stereotypes about this state believe it, from what I saw they are all based in some truths. I crossed the state line into Pennsylvania and was greeted with a light dusting of rain? No it's a bit heavier, hail? No, shit it's april 6th and it's snowing in Pittsburgh. Apparently, I was conceived in this state, thanks dad I didn't need to know that. I pulled into town and headed straight for Mt. Washington which overlooks the city. It was freezing I pulled out my tripod and shot a few frames of the city from the high vantage. I got off the Mt. and headed down in the city looking for some place to eat and have a beer. Google directed me to the top ten nightspots in this city. I settled on a place called The Squirrel Cage which claimed that it drew college students and locals as well. I was greeted by a friendly bar tender named Bill with a tweed cap and a rolled cigarette hanging from his lip.

"Tonight is Micro night"

"What's that"

"All micro brews are a dollar off"

" I'll have a Guinness" I said with a slight grin. I am a fan of the price slash but I needed something substantial to warm me from the cold.

I put down two beers and a bowl of Beef Vegetable soup. When I looked up there was a interesting looking girl taking a seat a few stools away. The guy next to me immediately started to chat her up. She was not biting. We had already exchanged a look, this guy didn't stand a chance. He finally got the hint and closed out his tab. I took a seat next to her and we had a good time. Turns out Liz is a glassblower and teaches some classes at the glass center in town. I knew this was a pretty small community so I started to drop some names from the glass department at SJSU where I went to college. Turns out she used to live in Aptos (just outside Santa Cruz) and we knew some of the same people. Small world. Liz offered me a place to crash on her floor which was really nice especially since The Cocoon would of been freezing. Frankie, her boyfriend was in Switzerland at a comic book convention. Long story short, we ran into one of her Students, Mary and convinced her to come over as well. Mary provided some good laughs and made the situation less awkward. Apparently, her brothers are in a "sword reenactment club" which was hilarious to hear her talk about at the time.

In the morning Liz put out of good spread consisting of coffee, OJ and a mushroom quiche which was really good. Then she took Mary and I down to the Glass center and gave us a tour of the facility. We meet some of the regulars and watched Liz get ready for a day full of cold work. She used the belt sander to smooth out a piece of glass which she gave to me. It looks like a bulls eye about 2.5 inch diameter. It is along for the ride now with a front row seat in The Cocoon. Mary and I left and headed to the Heinz Chapel. This place is non-denominational with really tall stained glass windows. On one side there is Thomas Jefferson, Newton, etc while the other is filled with prominent women such as Joan of Arc. Having a entire window(80 feet tall) celebrating women in the 1920's was quite progressive for the time. Then we headed over to the Cathedral for Learning which is owned by the university. The building is 42 stories high and houses the international rooms where students take classes. Each room is decorated in the style of the country which it represents. We rode the elevator to the 36Th floor and looked out over the city. The students lounged around the building glued to their laptops. I was a bit jealous, my campus looked nothing like this. I dropped Mary off at her house and thanked her for the tour.

I drove to the Homewood Cemetery and found the Patterson plot. My great grandparents William and Ossie are buried here. I made lunch and hung out with the kin for a bit. Then I drove to Wilkensburg where my father grew up and checked out the neighborhood. It is really run down now. I tried to find another cemetery where the other side of my family is buried. It was snowing really hard, I was driving around in circles and got really frustrated. I headed to Braddock which is a old steel town. This town used to be full of people and energy. The steel mills closed and most of the people moved. The mayor is trying to get the city going again by offering free where houses to artists. Yes, that is free dollars. So all you west coast artists who need space to work Braddock is your friend. It stopped snowing and I got out and walked around and shot some photos of all the abandoned buildings.

That night I went back to the Cage and meet Liz there. She felt like she should go back and let Bill know that the wandering traveler guy didn't slice her up. I meet some of her other friends and then I headed back to her floor. The following morning's breakfast was so damn good. Liz made some fried egg sandwiches with facon bacon, avocado, the works. It felt good to be spoiled I was stoked.

Pittsburgh is a really cool city which surprised me. There are lot's of artists and really cheap rent. This city really took care of me many thanks to Liz and Mary. Next stop FDR.

INSIDE THE COMPOUND

2009-04-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

"Creepy" Joe nursing a beer at 9am after his big night of skating and a fight.
Nick is a good guitarist and skater. I had him pose in the soft light.
Clay the resident filthy guy. He liked to call oil stains "Country Camo"
Brewce having fun with his rented dozer. I shot this two hours after I arrived.
I can't remember his name but he really tried to throw the punker guy in this bowl.

This segment of my journey really begins when I pulled off Highway 64 at a small town named Grayson. I was beat from a long drive through two storms with tornado warnings. I drove down main street and saw all the usual chain stores including Grayson's own taqueria, Taco Bell.

I opened the double doors and saw about 12 women occupying the center tables. Colorful paper bags with handles, wrapping paper, and a large cake were all there. A birthday? No, what I witnessed was a baby shower at Taco Bell, welcome to Eastern Kentucky.

I awoke in the morning and crossed the border into West Virginia for a brief stint. 35 lead me to Point Pleasant which is on the Ohio side of the River. Ohio and West Virgina are divided by the Ohio or Ohia River depending on who you ask. I merged onto 7 and headed North along the river. I was blown away by the old farmhouses, grain silos, and churches. These differed greatly from the ones in Texas because there is water here; therefore, everything is green. It was raining very slightly while the clouds moved in and out. I was really enjoying this experience when I looked in my rear view and saw the local sheriff...great. This guy tailed me for the next ten miles which greatly altered my mood. He finally pulled off and I continued up 7 passing two huge smoke stacks along the way. I am not sure if they were nuclear plants but it sure looked like it.

I finally made it to Rutland, Ohio the home of Skatopia. Brewce Martin and the CIA (citizens instigating anarchy) bought 88 acres in this town for $45,000 fourteen years ago. The idea was simple, they wanted a place where he could build without permits and not be bothered by neighbors. His dream has come to fruition there is a 13 foot wooden bowl called The Punisher housed in a hundred year old barn, the Lula bowl (outdoor cement skate park) which is named after his dog, a vert ramp, wooden full pipe, and a indoor cement kidney pool. I drove up the dirt driveway which was covered in thick mud due the the recent rains and parked The Cocoon . I got out and immediately noticed the old barn which is home to The Punisher and the Full pipe; it's hard to miss with it's bright pink paint job. I didn't see anyone around so I started walking up mud soaked hill to see what lay at the top. Upon arrival I noticed a full sized excavator moving dirt around, a tall, wiry, bespectacled dude with Carhartt overalls and heavy duty work boots stared at me.

"Hi" I said.

"Why are you here"? he growled.

"Check it out, skate...I heard you guys were having a work party, do you need help"?

"Yeah you can help take down the bowl...but first help me get this truck out of the mud. My names Chris."

His tone changed once I said the magic words "skate and work". I guess they have had a lot of problems with non skaters stealing tools etc.

We walked over to a red F-150 and I watched another guy crawl under the truck and wrap a chain around the frame. He came up covered in mud and connected the other end to the bucket of the excavator.

"Get in that bitch and gun it." said the guy in the excavator.

The tires started spinning and the bucket swung to the left and pulled the truck out of the ditch. Chris and I walked down the hill toward the barn while the excavator followed. The guy in the heavy machine got out.

"Who are you"?

"I'm Matt from California"

"You drove all the way here for a work party"?

"Well I am headed cross country and the dates worked out."

"Well, cool I'm Brewce. You got tools"?

"Yup"

"Well head on back to the bowl and start demoing her out."

And with that I crawled into the Cocoon and got out a hammer, crowbar, drill and saw zaw. After a couple hours of work I walked to the front of the barn and watched Brewce smash a car with the excavator. Wow, I have been here two hours and already the carnage has begun. It looked like a cat playing with a mouse, he would pick it up drop it, bat it with the bucket and then drive over it. He was having a ball. There was another photographer there documenting the whole thing. Brewce picked up a white minivan and started in again. This time he started driving towards the barn with the minivan 10 feet in the air. This was too good, I went to the Cocoon and grabbed my camera. The excavator/minivan filled the frame beautifully I was stoked.

That night a few more people showed up, mainly from Ohio, New Jersey, West Virgina and New York. There is a bunch of people who live there full time in little shacks or sleep in the barn etc. Hillbilly skaters? Yes it is a really strange combo. Besides the skaters there were a bunch of hillbillies that just came to drink, and be complete imbeciles. The level of stupidity was unbeliavable. I am talking about full grown men talking about nothing but fighting, fucking, shitting, and getting wasted.

There was a pool table in the "Slackers Lounge" which had a band room, couches and pool table. All the walls were covered in Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cases. Traveling street kids, hillbillies, skaters, punks, and yours truly all hung out. Brewce was talking and people listened. He is the king of his castle, their is no questioning that. He is extremely extroverted and needs an audience. I did not find my people in this room so I quickly got a game on the pool table. Brewce may be the king but I was defiently holding court on the table. House rules you have to bank the eight ball for the win. This adds time and a little spice to the game. Every fifteen minutes a Roman Candle would go shooting through the room followed by yells and whoops. This antic soon grew old, so half drunk beers became the new choice of flight. A middle aged, malnurished woman started to play. She had a solid bridge and was a pretty good player. She told me she was the "House Mother" or something like that. I had already won six straight games and was felling it.

"That's my Mom and if you beat her, I 'm a gona Kick Your Ass."

I turned to see where this lovely threat was coming from. There was a large hillbilly with a full leg brace, and a long small braid coming out of the back of his baseball cap. I just smiled.

"Well she's not really my Mom...but fucken crazy too."

"My names Matt". I stuck out my hand.

"I'm Konvict." We shook hands. And I continued to kick his Moms ass on the table. I am not making this up, yes his name was Konvict with a K.

I had enough so I crawled into the back of the Cocoon and settled in for the evening. People were still partying but it wasn't to loud. Ten minutes later they started blaring Iron Maiden and everyone let out a roar of approval. A fight broke out over a sleeping bag I guess Chris tackled some hillbilly from behind and they got into it. Brewce broke it up and sent the other guy away to sleep it off. Then Iron Maidens classic 666 is the number of the beast came on and the crowd continued to set off Roman Candles and drink.

I awoke to the sound of fireworks and giddy laughter. Some of these douche bags had been up all night drinking Evan Williams (a cheap knock off of Jack Daniels). I had a cup of coffee and headed back to work. It felt good to work and not be bothered by anyone. I put in 4 hours and headed up to the truck. Brewce had me move it up by the Lulu bowl which sits on top of the hill overlooking the barn and the stage which they are building so Slayer (hardcore, metal band) will play this summer. I ate and noticed that a session was starting to happen at the bowl. I grabbed my skate and headed over. I got in a few grinds and had some old man speed lines; regardless of my diminishing abilities the Lula Bowl is really fun.

A tall, lanky, shaggy redhead with bandages on both hands walked up to the bowl. Somebody asked if he cut his hands. He pulled off the bandages to reveal SKATOPIA in red and black freshly tattooed on his knuckles. His name was Brandon and he is Brewce's son. He ripped that bowl apart and I set up all my flashes and shot a bunch of photos. He is totally the opposite of Brewce, really mellow and quiet. I was surprised at his choice of placement for the tattoo. I guess he wanted to make the old man proud. I meet this guy named Joe from Washington. He has been living at Skatopia for three years at Camp Sleezy. This is next to the Lula bowl where a bunch of skaters live in ramshackle buildings. Joe or "Creepy" which he had been coined had a tattoo going down his nose and around his eye. I offered him a beer and we had a good chat. He works for Grindline (a company that builds skate parks) on and off. He introduced me to his friend Scott who also lives there. Scoot told me that in winter the Skatopia really slows down due to all the snow. Spring and Summer it comes alive again and people from all over the world show up.

After cooking some Annie's Mac 'n' cheese on the tailgate of the Cocoon I headed down to the barn to check out the nights festivities. They booked a bunch of bands to play. There is a little stage to the left of the Punisher. So the bands play and people skate the bowl and mayhem ensues. I set up my flashes while the first band played and started to shoot the skaters in the bowl. The Punisher is 13 feet deep with 3 feet of vert...ie really gnarly. Brewce is 40 something yet he still rips that thing. Creppy dropped in did a couple of grinds and then things went bad; he wheels slipped out, causing him to face plant into the wall. His eye swelled up and old Creepy was done skating for the night.

Creepy may have been done skating but that didn't stop him from joining the mosh pit which had started in front of the band. Creepy didn't like the band so he started doing this weird little dance in front of singer and generally acting really strange. I noticed a clean cut looking kid with a Mohawk (strange mix) sitting on a large amp. He would run into the crowd a hit people really hard when they weren't expecting it. Scott started spitting beer on him when he would come around. Mohawk kid had Creepy in his sights and hit him in the ribs. Boom it was on. What this kid didn't know was that Old Creepy lived there and had Lot's of friends. Mohawk got swarmed on by a furry of kicks and punches from all directions. The crowd finally settled and there he was in a fetal position covering his head. He hobbled outside and took a rest. Now most people would of got the hint and got the hell out of there. Not our boy Mohawk, ten minutes later he is back in the mosh pit and it starts all over again. This time I see Zach run over there and grab him by the feet and drag him to the bowl with the intention of throwing him in. If he landed wrong it could of broken his neck, luckily Mohawk's friend stopped him. I hate to see this fights and this one got to me, my stomach felt ill,I was done. I packed up my gear and headed back up the hill and got in the Cocoon. I was awoken at 4 in the morning by Brewce and a truck full of wasted hillbillies.

"This is a beer raid. All we want is your beer."

They cleaned me out of a 18 pack of Budweiser. With each arm full of beer they dropped in the back of the truck the hillbillies let out cries of joy. I figured hey I got off easy, take it. In the morning Camp Sleezy was drinking whiskey and falling over each other. I walked over to the bowl and saw Creepy drinking a beer. His eye was all swollen with dried blood down his nose. I asked him how he felt...he was still drunk. I took his photo and talked to another young kid.

"Man this place is like Heaven." he said.

"Yeah, a twisted one." I replied.

my response freed him up.

"Yeah, it's like Heaven with a little bit of Hell in there.."

With that I was out of there to go and clean my soul.

ps when I get to New York I am processing a bunch of film from Skatopia.

Skatopia

2009-04-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ok,

it's 2:15 I am stocking up on supplies before I hit the hillbilly highway. 408 miles to Rutland Ohio which is the home of Skatopia. I will be off the grid for a few days so you guys will have to find other sorts of entertainment. I can guarantee there will be an exciting report when I return.

ciao

Hattiesburg to Memphis

2009-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Morning light on Beale ST. Memphis.
The Black Diamond was the least touristy spot on the strip...the patrons were really nice.
I don't normally take photos of statues but hey it's "The King"
This is the man know as Gino, the king of Beale St.
Nick, his lady and their dog which got sick that morning.

Hola earthlings,

I spent a few hours in Javawerks yesterday catching up on the blog etc. I hit the road towards Memphis. I really enjoyed the drive especially after hitting Jackson. Two lane highway divided by lush greenery. The setting sun made all the colors extremely vivid. Little smiles crept from my cheeks with every new impression that was taken in. You can put the ugliest thing (person, object etc) in soft light and they will transform before your eyes. It reminds me when I was a senior in college. My professor was an old cagey guy from New York. He read us the stats on how many photography graduates still take pictures one year after school. The data was not encouraging; with every year passed the number dropped considerably.

"No matter if you use photography or not you have all been given a gift...you can see light."

"Think about how many people see the light change...not many."

He was right, I spent the night on Beale street in downtown Memphis. I crawled out of the cocoon at 6:15 am. The sun had not crept above the building yet. I grabbed my tripod , cable release and Hasselblad. The neon lights on Beale St blinked while the ambient was cool. I composed through the ground glass and shot away.

"Hey Man. What you maken? A documentary about Beale St?" I looked and saw a homeless man resting on his elbows in a doorway.

"No...I 'm on a road trip" I replied

"Oh, your just taken all kinds a stuff."

"Yeah" I was on a mission and didn't have time for small talk. I kept moving down the street.

After shooting a couple of rolls I headed back up Beale and saw a statue of Elvis. The light was about to rise above the building and shine on the King. I quickly loaded another roll of Provia NC 160 and continued to press the shutter. A few minutes later I heard a voice behind me.

"There you are" the man said.

It was the same homeless man from before. He took a seat and we both faced the King. He asked me if I knew any thing about Memphis. Nope not a thing. He then went on to drop all kinds of knowledge. For starters that Elvis statue replaced the original because people kept taking the strings off his guitar on the first statue. He told me about all the greats that have played in Memphis, then mentioned the MLK museum. His name was Gino and he was pretty sharp. While he was talking I took his portrait I can't wait to get the film back. Gino was great we had good time. I reached into my pocket and gave him $7 bucks. Not much but it's what I had. It felt good.

I then headed down to the river for some breakfast. I pulled out my cooler and ate some Honey Bunches of Oats. A white, late model, 4 by4 pulled into the spot next to me. This thing was seriously tricked out and ready for Baja. A young bearded guy in a stained Carhartt jacket stepped out of the drivers side. His lady friend headed for the bathroom. We exchanged knowing glances...they fit the bill of fellow travelers. His name was Nick and he offered me some coffee...not Folgers but real ground coffee. I was stoked. His girl got back from the toilet and we drank out coffee and swapped stories. They are from North Carolina and heading all the way down to Argentina...think about that for a second. Damn that is a serious trip. They were really nice and I think we all had a good time. Nick handed me a card. www.ramblewriter.com check it out for all the details.

I said my goodbyes and headed off to Graceland. I begrudgingly handed over the $33 dollars because it just seems like this is one piece of America that you must see while in Memphis. The house it self was pretty cool all the original furniture is still in there. Lot's of mirrors, TVs, the jungle room which he recorded one of his albums in. His car collection was pretty sweet too. So I'm glad I went. All right it's 7 and I need some food....Memphis nightlife here I come.

NOLA

2009-03-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

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????

2009-03-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

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

Photos

2009-03-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T01:47:00.000-07:00

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.