Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Last Thursday:
It's weird for me to say that I've been with someone for four months. I've been broken so many times, pushed so many people away, being with any one girl for any stretch of time longer than an evening is miraculous. So perhaps I'm living in miraculous times.
I saw Lindsey before she had to go to work her second job at our most romantic place to rendezvous: the 7-11 on Glenoaks and Cypress. I gave her a beautiful arrangement of flowers. Later in the day, she gave me a bag of goods: Sweet Tarts and Pez (my favorites), The Usual Suspects on DVD, and James and the Giant Peach on DVD. Miraculously, I did not own these DVDs.
I made dinner reservations at a place called Senor Fred's, a Mexican restaurant in the Valley. Beautiful atmosphere, good food, a little too loud, but it was still fun. We decided to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind afterwards which is an exhileratingly beautiful movie.
I don't really know if four months is a miracle. It's certainly been a happy, adventurous four months. We'll see if the two of us walk on water any time soon.
Let Me Tell You About Her
I wasn't very indiscreet and yet
That is a notion that I might as well forget
Friends look at me these days with fond surprise
But when I start to speak they roll their eyes
Let me tell you about her
Hush now, I've said too much
There's something indescribable I can't quite catch
Let me tell you about her
The way that she makes me feel
Then draw a curtain on this scene I shan't reveal
Some things are too personal
Too intimate to spill
And gentlemen don't speak of them
And this one never will
I wasn't very conversational
Except to say that, "You're sensational"
Friends now regard me with indulgent smiles
But when I start to sing they run for miles
Let me tell you about her
Hush now, I've said too much
There's something indescribable I can't quite catch
Let me tell you about her
The way that she makes me feel
Then draw a curtain on this scene I shan't reveal
-Elvis Costello
It's weird for me to say that I've been with someone for four months. I've been broken so many times, pushed so many people away, being with any one girl for any stretch of time longer than an evening is miraculous. So perhaps I'm living in miraculous times.
I saw Lindsey before she had to go to work her second job at our most romantic place to rendezvous: the 7-11 on Glenoaks and Cypress. I gave her a beautiful arrangement of flowers. Later in the day, she gave me a bag of goods: Sweet Tarts and Pez (my favorites), The Usual Suspects on DVD, and James and the Giant Peach on DVD. Miraculously, I did not own these DVDs.
I made dinner reservations at a place called Senor Fred's, a Mexican restaurant in the Valley. Beautiful atmosphere, good food, a little too loud, but it was still fun. We decided to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind afterwards which is an exhileratingly beautiful movie.
I don't really know if four months is a miracle. It's certainly been a happy, adventurous four months. We'll see if the two of us walk on water any time soon.
Let Me Tell You About Her
I wasn't very indiscreet and yet
That is a notion that I might as well forget
Friends look at me these days with fond surprise
But when I start to speak they roll their eyes
Let me tell you about her
Hush now, I've said too much
There's something indescribable I can't quite catch
Let me tell you about her
The way that she makes me feel
Then draw a curtain on this scene I shan't reveal
Some things are too personal
Too intimate to spill
And gentlemen don't speak of them
And this one never will
I wasn't very conversational
Except to say that, "You're sensational"
Friends now regard me with indulgent smiles
But when I start to sing they run for miles
Let me tell you about her
Hush now, I've said too much
There's something indescribable I can't quite catch
Let me tell you about her
The way that she makes me feel
Then draw a curtain on this scene I shan't reveal
-Elvis Costello
Monday, March 29, 2004
Hello, dear reader.
It's been a long time. I shouldn't have left you. Without a dope rhyme to step to. Lotsa things have happened. Let's break 'er down.
Wizard World LA: Well, it was a fun few days down there in Long Beach for the first annual Wizard comic book convention. Although I don't care at all for the magazine, I certainly am all for having a major convention here at home and it seemed to be a big success, due in part to some Heroclix nonsense. (Type "heroclix" and "galactus" on eBay and you'll see what I mean.) Our Zowie! crew had a great time. Although the book didn't sell as well as we'd hoped for, I still thought it a successful weekend. Our losses were minimal and we still have a helluva great book to show for it.
Hellboy happenings: Dinner with Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman, and Mike Mignola and 30 or so of my closest stranger-nerd friends at the Buddha's Belly in LA. What a great time. What a dream come true. The following evening, saw the film itself at a press screening (what a fun flick!) then snacks with Guillermo as he spilled the beans for a couple hours on the making of the movie and a possible sequel. Magic. Fucking magic.
I spent this week working on stuff for Hip-O Records and planning a trip for Linds and me. I want this getaway to be truly special, our first time out of the city together. I cannot wait for these days to come.
Last Friday: Damien Rice, live at the Wiltern. The first time I heard Damien Rice's album, O, was the first night I slept at Lindsey's place. The cd played on loop all night in this cold space and I became a fan. Friday changed everything. I'm now a super-fan and unlike becoming an Elvis Costello fan, there isn't a 20-year backlog of music I can turn to for Rice. He's a fairly new artist with only a hand-full of songs available. I now turn to music fandom for help and, slow but sure, I'm finding the little gems that turn up when one is desperate enough for new music. (Lisa Hannigan's version of Nina Simone's Be My Husband, for example, with back-up percussion by Rice.) Anyhow...the show was brilliant and I couldn't have seen it, heard it, felt it with anybody else other than my Linds. She quivered and shook as her favorite songs hit her, hard. It was a great night.
Today: I became Godfather to my brand-new baby niece. You may kiss my invisible pinky ring when next you see me.
This Friday: The official release date of Hellboy is upon us. I'll be up mad early to drink coffee and head to the theater to see it again. Then that evening, I shall see it again with Linds. Is it possible for a superfan to be Hellboy'd out?
The following Friday: So long, LA. I'll be back in a few days.
It's been a long time. I shouldn't have left you. Without a dope rhyme to step to. Lotsa things have happened. Let's break 'er down.
Wizard World LA: Well, it was a fun few days down there in Long Beach for the first annual Wizard comic book convention. Although I don't care at all for the magazine, I certainly am all for having a major convention here at home and it seemed to be a big success, due in part to some Heroclix nonsense. (Type "heroclix" and "galactus" on eBay and you'll see what I mean.) Our Zowie! crew had a great time. Although the book didn't sell as well as we'd hoped for, I still thought it a successful weekend. Our losses were minimal and we still have a helluva great book to show for it.
Hellboy happenings: Dinner with Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman, and Mike Mignola and 30 or so of my closest stranger-nerd friends at the Buddha's Belly in LA. What a great time. What a dream come true. The following evening, saw the film itself at a press screening (what a fun flick!) then snacks with Guillermo as he spilled the beans for a couple hours on the making of the movie and a possible sequel. Magic. Fucking magic.
I spent this week working on stuff for Hip-O Records and planning a trip for Linds and me. I want this getaway to be truly special, our first time out of the city together. I cannot wait for these days to come.
Last Friday: Damien Rice, live at the Wiltern. The first time I heard Damien Rice's album, O, was the first night I slept at Lindsey's place. The cd played on loop all night in this cold space and I became a fan. Friday changed everything. I'm now a super-fan and unlike becoming an Elvis Costello fan, there isn't a 20-year backlog of music I can turn to for Rice. He's a fairly new artist with only a hand-full of songs available. I now turn to music fandom for help and, slow but sure, I'm finding the little gems that turn up when one is desperate enough for new music. (Lisa Hannigan's version of Nina Simone's Be My Husband, for example, with back-up percussion by Rice.) Anyhow...the show was brilliant and I couldn't have seen it, heard it, felt it with anybody else other than my Linds. She quivered and shook as her favorite songs hit her, hard. It was a great night.
Today: I became Godfather to my brand-new baby niece. You may kiss my invisible pinky ring when next you see me.
This Friday: The official release date of Hellboy is upon us. I'll be up mad early to drink coffee and head to the theater to see it again. Then that evening, I shall see it again with Linds. Is it possible for a superfan to be Hellboy'd out?
The following Friday: So long, LA. I'll be back in a few days.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
"Dogging" is a new Irish term for having sex in public. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Monday, March 15, 2004
Had me a pretty damn good weekend there, for the most part. Yesterday was nice; a great boyfriend/girlfriend day. We had lunch at Mo's in Toluca Lake. I got slightly buzzed from the Bloody Mary I drank and was feeling humid in the warm restaurant with my peppery drink and peppery eggs. Then we cruised down to Melrose and took in the sights and shopping. I got some sweet shirts. I always thought the Serial Killer line was dead because of all the lawsuits I heard about but apparently not. Got 2 of 'em with different scenes from my all-time favorite movie GoodFellas. They rock. Then Linds bought me a great shirt that utilizes the West Side Story logo, it being another one of my favorite movies. They flipped the script on it and made it a hip hop shirt. Where the fire escape dancers are, there's a guy spraying graff and another guy sitting there smoking out. It's great. Then we got cheap Chinese food. Then we watched GoodFellas and ate Krispy Kreme. And then some other stuff.
Yeah...a good weekend.
This morning's been a different animal, though. I'm getting reamed big time for a tactical error regarding our comics venture. All my fault. I feel horrible. And now I'm thinking all sorts of weird things. I don't know. I gotta see my girl...
Yeah...a good weekend.
This morning's been a different animal, though. I'm getting reamed big time for a tactical error regarding our comics venture. All my fault. I feel horrible. And now I'm thinking all sorts of weird things. I don't know. I gotta see my girl...
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
I just came back from a Purim event at my girlfriend's pre-school where she teaches. It's some Jewish holiday event thing. Does attending a Jewish event make me a bad lapsed Catholic? Anyway...it was fun. Lotsa kids running around. Lotsa little activities for them to do. And Lindsey dressed like Shannon Sharpe. It was all I could do not to tackle her in the nap room.
I'm waiting for a call from some people about a potential big job. Big in that it's something I've never done before and is a great step in bigger things for me. It's a supervisory capacity and so it makes me a little nervous, but hell...what do I have to lose? You know, besides my dignity and reputation.
I'm waiting for a call from some people about a potential big job. Big in that it's something I've never done before and is a great step in bigger things for me. It's a supervisory capacity and so it makes me a little nervous, but hell...what do I have to lose? You know, besides my dignity and reputation.
Monday, March 08, 2004
I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanna see the mighty Mos Def, who's coming to town in a couple three weeks. A few years ago I went to the Coachella Festival where dozens of bands play. This is where I saw Mos Def for the first time and he was, by far, the best performer there. And that's saying something considering the likes of Outkast, Del, The Roots, Jane's Addiction, etc. etc. were there. So yeah...hopefully...
This month, Dr. Seuss would have turned 100 years old. I wonder if, wherever he is now, he's cursing up a rhyming storm because of that Cat In The Hat movie...
This month, Dr. Seuss would have turned 100 years old. I wonder if, wherever he is now, he's cursing up a rhyming storm because of that Cat In The Hat movie...
Sunday, March 07, 2004
We had a very summery day today. I started it by going down to Hollywood to a place a friend of mine had picked up the new Drew Struzan-painted Hellboy poster. I didn't even know it was out there breathing air. So I went down there, but before that I checked their website to make sure they're open and all that. They were supposed to open at noon. I got there, got a great parking spot, and waited. And waited and waited. I had to call my homie Mark out in the ATL. Hell, I had time to tell the guy my life story. It rolled close to 1pm and I couldn't wait anymore so I bailed. I'll try again tomorrow. Struzan painting Mignola characters is just too bizarre and beautifully poetic (to me anyway).
It looks like Lindsey's gonna come out of her chest cold soon. We were quite ridiculous there for a couple weeks, dying of separate and completely different colds. I was sure I'd given her my cold but it would take more than my disgusting tongue in her mouth for her to get my cooties.
We're a couple weeks from this Wizard LA thing. I feel good about it.
It looks like Lindsey's gonna come out of her chest cold soon. We were quite ridiculous there for a couple weeks, dying of separate and completely different colds. I was sure I'd given her my cold but it would take more than my disgusting tongue in her mouth for her to get my cooties.
We're a couple weeks from this Wizard LA thing. I feel good about it.
Friday, March 05, 2004
How many singers or bands today would still do a triple encore? Two words, fuckers: Elvis Costello.
Royce Hall, UCLA. With Steve Nieve.
Setlist:
01 45
02 Green Shirt
03 Brilliant Mistake
04 Shot with His Own Gun
05 This House Is Empty Now
06 You Left Me in the Dark
07 Someone Took the Words Away
08 Home Truth
09 Indoor Fireworks
10 No Wonder
11 You Turned to Me
12 Fallen
13 God's Comic
14 Sleep of the Just
15 Shipbuilding
16 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?
ENCORE ONE
17 Either Side of the Same Town
18 When It Sings
19 Still
20 Can You Be True?
21 God Give Me Strength
ENCORE TWO
22 Inch by Inch/Fever
23 Almost Blue
24 I'm in the Mood Again
ENCORE THREE
25 The Scarlet Tide
26 You'll Never Walk Alone
27 Pump It Up
28 Radio Radio
29 The Dark End of the Street
His liberal political stance poured out whenever he had the chance. Amongst a sea of love songs and hate songs, Elvis still managed to throw daggers at America's current leadership establishment. A friend of mine tells me that people were actually walking out of the show in places like Florida. You know..the state that got W. the job? The one run by his brother? The one where thousands of old Jews voted for Buchanan?
Anyway....as with these shows, the music's the thing. And it was glorious. Mr. Nieve was in beautiful form. And Elvis sang so many goddamn songs his voice actually began to crack a bit toward the end. But nobody minded, least of all me.
Check out that setlist again. It's just ONE SHOW!
Royce Hall, UCLA. With Steve Nieve.
Setlist:
01 45
02 Green Shirt
03 Brilliant Mistake
04 Shot with His Own Gun
05 This House Is Empty Now
06 You Left Me in the Dark
07 Someone Took the Words Away
08 Home Truth
09 Indoor Fireworks
10 No Wonder
11 You Turned to Me
12 Fallen
13 God's Comic
14 Sleep of the Just
15 Shipbuilding
16 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?
ENCORE ONE
17 Either Side of the Same Town
18 When It Sings
19 Still
20 Can You Be True?
21 God Give Me Strength
ENCORE TWO
22 Inch by Inch/Fever
23 Almost Blue
24 I'm in the Mood Again
ENCORE THREE
25 The Scarlet Tide
26 You'll Never Walk Alone
27 Pump It Up
28 Radio Radio
29 The Dark End of the Street
His liberal political stance poured out whenever he had the chance. Amongst a sea of love songs and hate songs, Elvis still managed to throw daggers at America's current leadership establishment. A friend of mine tells me that people were actually walking out of the show in places like Florida. You know..the state that got W. the job? The one run by his brother? The one where thousands of old Jews voted for Buchanan?
Anyway....as with these shows, the music's the thing. And it was glorious. Mr. Nieve was in beautiful form. And Elvis sang so many goddamn songs his voice actually began to crack a bit toward the end. But nobody minded, least of all me.
Check out that setlist again. It's just ONE SHOW!
