The Station

Listen to this!

You'll never guess what I just saw while running on the beach.

About twenty people playing all manner of percussion instruments! They had djembes, congas, snares, and even a berimbau! They sounded great, and had quite an audience of beach-goers encircling them.

Since this seemed like my brand of awesomeness, I asked what it was all about.

It's a group of people that play for fun on the beach once a month. Also, every Friday they play charity events for seniors and the mentally challenged. Apparently you can join even if you don't have percussion experience. Just show up and clap your hands if you want.

Oh yeah, I'm doing this.
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Very Not

I am friends with people just so I am not lonely. Yeah...something like that.

Tonight I was supposed to go mountain biking, but I got stuck at work and then had to go home and work on my resume. It was the first night in a long time that I didn't hang out with at least one other person. I am not enjoying it.

With no one around to distract me I can clearly see how unhappy I am. Don't get me wrong, my friends here are really great people. However, I'm scared that I have been hanging out with them merely to keep me from being lonely. What's wrong with that? Doesn't really sound like anything wrong, I know, but something isn't right.

I think I wish that I could be fine just being by myself. Right now, I don't think I can be alone.

These days, I don't even make sense to myself. I'm am very not myself.
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Vision As Clear As A Mountain Sky

Mountains! Mountains are amazing. I could never tire of all their wonders. The towering pines, the stoic rocks, the inspiring wildlife, and the pristine blue canopy above it all. No sir, nothing quite like a weekend in the mountains.

There's just one problem with going to the mountains. Sooner or later, you have to go home. My home, unfortunately, is in one of the ugliest places on God's green earth. It's truly ironic that the beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains is juxtaposed to the cesspool of America, Los Angeles.

It just makes me sad to drive that hour, going from endless green ranges to endless concrete. From a free blue sky scented of pine to a brown sky choked with smog. From God's garden to graffiti.

One day, I won't have to leave the mountains.
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You Run Like A Grandma

Seriously, one of these days, I'll write something about Andy and CC visiting. For now, here are the pics.

I need to stop sleeping. I might then have time to actually do something.

For me?

Some of my new friends from work gave me a surprise early birthday dinner tonight. I thought I was just meeting up with three friends but nearly all my favorite people were there.

The restaurant was a French crepe place. Never had a dinner crepe before, but it was excellent. Not terribly impressed with escargot, however. Still, the people were the best part. If any of you read this, thanks.
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No Time

There is not enough time to do the things I want to do and it is driving me up the wall. Up the wall! Ha ha ha. I remember the first time I ever heard that phrase. My mom said it and all I thought was, "what?"

Hmm...how should I attack this? Chronological order seems good. Reverse ten days. Seattle was great. What a colorful city! Sure, the weather is cold and gloomy, but the city just has this cozy warmth about it. Maybe it's the riot of color that is Pike's Fish Market or the endless collection of charming downtown stores selling everything from candy apples to rare musical instruments. It felt very friendly.

In fact, Seattle was almost a complete antithesis to Los Angeles. Whereas Seattle's friendly vibrance belies the drab climate, Los Angeles' endless sunshine is a superficial hypocrisy to its heartless terror. I'd rather take Seattle. The grass is always greener...

That's another point; there is grass (and lots of trees and just plain space where there aren't any man-made structures) in Seattle. It is wonderful. Just seemed like a rainy version of Colorado what with all the pine trees and mountains. Sure there's mountains surrounding LA but you can't see them due to the smog. Ugh! I hate Los Angeles with the fire of a thousand suns!

It was great to see Jim. His townhouse is very nice. I'm jealous. His roommate and friends seemed like a great group of people. We went to dinner and to an improv comedy show which was quite good. Lots of fun was had. I left the area when Jim went to work, so I didn't get to see Microsoft. Maybe next time.

I really enjoyed hanging out with my friend Matt and his family. We went to an all-day event featuring this awesome author. It was one of those books where every idea seems like something you already knew but never really quantified before. Like something on the tip of your tongue but you can't word it. Anyway, I've got more ideas than I can shake a stick at, and I can shake a stick at a lot of ideas.

Hanging out with Matt's kids was fun, too. Sometimes, we all need to stop and remember what it is like to be like a child. It's difficult for me to remember. How I wish I could be a child. The things I wouldn't have to think about! It would be glorious.

Ok, that's way more typing than I anticipated. I'll have to write about this weekend some other time. It was really great, so stay tuned.
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No Home

When I was in Seattle this weekend, I didn't feel like I was somewhere far away. True, the weather was completely opposite that of LA and so I did feel displaced somewhat. What I really mean to say, though is that the feeling of strangeness, newnesss, novelty was not present. Well, perhaps it was there but simply no more so than how I've felt since moving to LA. In fact, ever since I went away to school, I've never really felt at home anywhere. Not in Urbana, not Los Angeles, not even in Shorewood. I'm numb to travel, stoic to new experience. It's sad.

This isn't to say I didn't like Seattle. I enjoyed it greatly. I'm just pointing out that nothing feels like a new place to visit because nothing really feels like home.

I'll write about Seattle during the week.
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