Lifeaholics Anonymous

What a crazy day yesterday was. sooooooooooo after the debacle at work I was exhausted but excited to see John Butler Trio at the Grove in Anaheim.  He is indisputably the best guitar play I have ever seen. He plays better with one hand than almost anyone I’ve ever seen in fact. I strongly suggest seeing him when he comes to your area even if you are not down with the whole hippie vibe.

I do not know what comes over me when I hear music like that but its a total euphoria. I cant stop jumping around and dancing and wearing a kool aid smile. hahaha.  Last night I was pretty much alone for the first time at one of these shows and it was kind of weird.  Definitely missed the connection to sharing the experience with friends and the crowd vibe was just not the same as it was in SD or Vegoose.  It just did not feel right. It was the first time in a long time that I have felt like I really did not belong where I was.

That connection is something that I am not willing to live without.  Its pretty clear that it doesn’t really exist in OC despite the Laguna scene but I hold out hopes for LA (esp venice).  If not, I’m out of here and heading to the Bay… but everything is different up there. It could truly be that SD is my real home.  Time will tell.

This one had one of those days today. Oh boy was it rough. I learned that a major project I had a contractor working on was nowhere near completion and it was due tomorrow.  Not one, single, thing, worked.  At first I was furious but I thought maybe the guy was able to get close but not finish, which is understandable.

The first step I took was walking with him step by step on what needed to happen. Then after a couple hours of that I realized that it was taking twice as long and honestly, the guy was just not capable of getting the work done with out hand-holding the entire way.  That meant we were wasting twice as much time.  So I moved onto the next task, which wasn’t done.

Once we moved through all the tasks and none of them were done. I wanted to cry. Seriously, I started welling up because a big fear of mine is delegating tasks and having them not be done and then I am ultimately responsible for the incompetence.  Thats the shitty part of being a boss.   I was heading out of the office to let loose some pent up frustration when I bumped into my realtor, who I forgot was on his way over to drop off the keys to my new place.

STOP - wait, this problem is not my entire existence. There is life outside of the problem that I am currently experiencing.  CONTINUE

The five minutes I spent talking with him about my condo took me out of the spiral of negativity that I was caught in and cleared my head a little bit.   After he left, I thought that if I walked it off maybe I could find a way out of this boondoggle.  So I did and sure enough about 10 minutes into the walk I was able to calm down and create a strategy to get it done.  I called in a few favors and really busted my ass for the remainder of the day. Fortunately it turned out that the work wasn’t as arduous as I expected and the favors I called in came through.  As I type this I am confident that the project will be completed on time, perhaps not to the quality I would expect but given the circumstances it is certainly passable.

1.  Take a deep breath
2. Take a step back from the problem
3. Let your emotion fade so you can start to think cleary
4. Figure out the best possible outcome
5. Develop a strategy to get to that outcome
6. Execute
7. Do not let the negative thoughts back into your head.

Even if these steps do not yield the results you would like, you gave it your best shot.

I’m afflicted by SAD. I know it sounds ridiculous but its true. After suffering so many awful winters in my life, the onset of winter really hits hard. Its a hard feeling to explain. Things lose their luster. Everything becomes dull, dark and bitter. Its the worst.   Its become easier to deal with since I moved to california and there isnt that much of a winter but it is still a problem.

This year has gone better than in the past where I completely shut down. I have been able to see it happening and how it has affected me.  So I am trying to do something about it and appreciate what I have.  So if I have seemed a bit short or distant the last few weeks or so, blame it on the rain

J/K. Ill come around soon!

I love being in my room. Its so cozy. But this is absurd .

The Bus Stop Prophet debuted a poem he wrote to the tune of 18 with a bullet while the audience hummed the backup riff.  He had been working on it for nearly three years and he recounted the tale of his closest cousin who was shot by a gang member in East LA.  He talked about forgiveness and learning.

BessKepp spoke about the state of hip hop and what it meant to him as a kid.  It was an amazing thing to grow up on in the late 80s and early 90s. Some of the most daring and innovative forms of human expression in our history as a race. It inspired many and drove us to make changes in our life. And now its in every fortune 100 tv commercial.

Mike the Poet spoke on various injustices in the world that the mainstream media has all but forgotten and we are all too willing to forget as well.

There was a painting being done live in the background by Mear. You might recognize his work from various freeway entrances and warehouses.

It was a really great night friday before thanksgiving with a blend of spoken word styles, art and live music combining for a sensory delight.  The kind of night that makes you realize why the arts are so important and how much they bring to the world.  In this bastion of self-righteousness known as Los Angeles, when the show was over these artists were over joyed to hear how impactful their craft was to you.     It was one of the best nights of the year for me.

This wednesday their is an album release party for this group called mosaic that features many of the same artists. I will post details on it later but I’m pretty sure its at 12223 Venice Blvd, right across from where I was this past friday.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  I went to my 2nd cousin’s house in LA for the 3rd consecutive year. This was the first one she hosted without her mother who was considerably ill. Accordingly, It was the first time she was really able to just embrace the holiday for its true meaning which was very nice to see. I spent a large majority of the time talking and playing with Ava, a wonderful 8 yr old daughter of my cuz friend.   Other than that we ate a ton and had some fun conversation.  A nice family gathering, which had little to nothing to do with blood lines.

I really admire the way children think. It is so direct and focused. They don’t take into account bad experiences they may have had in the past. They approach each situation fresh and undeterred.  And they are so easy to inspire.  Ava had to learn her 7 multiples for a test the upcoming week and was nervous because it was a bit tricky.  So we spent about a half hour going over it. Sure enough she believed that she could and was able to recite the times table backwards by the end. All I did was encourage her and she did the rest. Its the power of positive thinking and it is much easier for children to grasp than adults for some reason. I hope we adults can all find that ability again.

Its a freakshow, there is no denying that. But the bohemian-hippish spirit that the area is known for is still going strong. Went up there yesterday to check it out and was impressed with myriad forms of art.  From the graffiti, to the rollerskate dance team, to the more traditional painting and photo, to the street hustlers…art is exploding all over that stretch of pacific coast.  I recommend taking an afternoon and walking around the area and taking it all in.  Its a Great place to visit…and only 45 mins from newport

Good parenting means teaching your kids: How to love and be loved.  How to find happiness in yourself and share it with others.  How to learn from your mistakes and to treat people right .   These lessons are what I’m thankful for this year.   My relationships with my parents have had their ups and downs like everyone else’s.  But they taught me these things and thats all I could every really ask for. Thanks mom and dad.

Undoubtedly the Chevy Volt. I dont care how it drives or what it looks like. Going gas free and not supporting the oil industry that straps palestinian children with dynamite and sends them into Jerusalem coffee shops.

Oh I’m on one today!

OK. This may be insane. Maybe its just my longing for an explination for my weird variety of tastes. But if there is any shred of truth to this investigation into one of the lost tribes of Israel settling in Japan, suddenly a lot of my life would make a lot more sense.  Read the report here and tell me if you think this is at all possible or just hogwash.   Some of the facts are pretty undeniable, I mean a menorah on a mountain top in Japan?  I’ve been really into the Japanese culture from my early teens, felt like I identified with a lot of their cultural values.