Last Month

About a month ago I broke up with my girlfriend. After 6 years we decided to call it quits.

When people find out they want to know three things, A) what happenned; B) if I am ok; and C) whose fault it was?

When I get to the part about it was no ones fault, it gets kind of hard to explain and I've had trouble trying to describe the new status of our relationship. Last week I talked to Xris and she gave me the perfect description.

So, she gets mad props, not only for describing the impossible, but for the last 6 years of my life.

Although we are broken up, we are 'eligible for rehire'.


Listening To: John Coltrane - One Down, One Up (Live At The Half Note)

Airplanes

Everytime I fly home I enjoy it. There is something about seeing the world from 25000 feet that makes me want to play SimCity. Everything is so simple from the air. Everything is divided and clean. The nice sharp lines of property boundries. The meandering way a river makes it way across the ground. The way hills look like folds in a bed sheet from high above. Hell, even junk yards look nice from above.
The best height is somewhere around ten to fifteen thousand feet. You can spot the specks of cars making their way along roads. Structures become distinguishable. Look for the small oval (high school track), normally in proximity to a green wedge or two (baseball fields). Malls become rectangles stacked on each other sitting on a larger black rectangle of parking spaces. Golf courses are large green swaths with numerous different green dots across it.

When I fly into Raleigh I try to find my house, and now it should be easier, since the normal flightplan takes you over the North Raleigh Borders, which I can usually spot. Find 540 to the north of the store, then find the water tower to the south, in between is the store. Unfortunately some old hag had the window, so I didnt get to spot anything but her blue head.

Now I have to find my copy of SIMCity3.

Following The Flame

Just 5 days left until Winter Olympics XX, the big double X, the 'Score', a dozen & two-thirds of another dozen.

Watch the opening ceremonies for sheer TV pomp at its best, and for this: The Sparks of Passion.
The Ceremonies involves choreographers, directors, costume designers and international professionals; they will also involve a choreographed exhibition on skates called Sparks of Passion, in which eight ice hockey athletes will race at 50 km an hour inside the Stadio Olimpico. The uniqueness of this exhibition is also guaranteed due to the Sparks of Passion, generating red flames 2 metres long.


See where the flame is right now!
The Route

Best Live Albums

The Who - Live At Leeds (deluxe edition) Although the single disc version is very good as well, you need the second disc with a live version of Tommy. A wall of noise comes from just three guys and show The Who as the best live band of any from the British Invasion.

The Allman Brothers - The Fillmore Concerts The two-discs covers the best of the four sets. The best from a great, great live band. Just think, in a world without 'Freebird' the Allmans would be looked at the undisputed champs of southern rock.

Frank Zappa - YCDTOSA Vol 2 (the Helsinki Concert Volume two of Zappa's career spanning 12 disc set, these two discs highlight one of the most talented bands ever, playing some of the most ridiculously complex music ever. And they play it very well and very quickly. Anyone who loves supremely talented musicians will love this concert.

Santana - Live At The Fillmore 68 Five men find a groove and ride it for two hours, laying down some of the funkiest rock music ever. Greg Rolie's keyboard (of later Journey fame) swirls around while Carlos soars over the entire band with his distinctive sound.

Van Morrison - Its Too Late To Stop Now The tempermental Van and his band are in top form on this set and as a bonus, no live cover of Moondance.

The Grateful Dead - Dicks Picks Vol 10 The band synonymous with playing live, this is one of the best efforts in their catelog. Jerry and the boys play with abandon and the songs teeter on the brink of exploding into chaos.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

I know spring is just around the corner when i see Cadbury Creme Eggs in the store. The Creme Egg is my absolute weakness, I'm pretty sure the Creme Egg would be in my last meal. These things rock, a chocolate shell covering some white/orange spongy, sticky mass of pure sugar. Whoever invented this thing should be fucking knighted.
It also has one of the most timeless advertizing lines of all time. The Cadbury bunny has been schilling these sugarbombs for as long as i can remember. Also the eggs are only available for a short time, disappearing right after easter like jesus.

But the Creme Egg is only the predecessor to the real star of the junk food spring scene. Girl Scout Cookies. These things hit strip malls like mating season and people go fuckin nuts. Tell me of another time you've ever bought more than 2 of the SAME kind of cookie in one shopping trip. These too have remain relatively constant over the years, allowing me to buy box after box of thin mint every spring until the girlscouts disappear, returning to their magic tree to start baking next years batch of chocolately goodness.

Also, I heard some magical words today. "Two weeks until pitchers and catchers." A glorious phrase, especially this year with a stronger team. Delgado & Wagner. I love Omar Minaya. In fact if i ever get a dog, his (or her) name will be Omar.