selling my lovely lady Lucille

I sold my car today. I tried last night. It was a long stupid ordeal, and i wrote about it after both showdowns with the imbeciles:

Tonight was brutal. I got five calls for my car, and decided to take the one from the ‘charity,’ because that sounded nice and trustworthy. Couldn’t have been more wrong. It was the shadiest experience I’ve had in years. First I call the charity three times from noon to three and they say they’ll call me back to send someone over. Finally he says he will send someone to look at the car at 5. I wait. I call. He strings me along. At 7ish this joker finally comes. He is in an old beat up BMW and is a greased up mechanic. He first wants a test run so I offer to drive. He gets in the driver seat, and drives it down the street and back with me. I say, “It needs repairs, but it runs impressively well.” He says, “What you say,” in a broken Spanglish manner. I sarcastically say, “It runs well,” like I am speaking to an old man (bare in mind I didn’t sleep the night before). He says, “Eh, what?” again. I can’t believe he actually didn’t just understand the sentence “It runs well.” “Nothing,” I say.

We get out and he looks under the hood. I tell him everything that is wrong on a written list, he points at things that I just told him and vaguely expresses that it needs to be fixed, never actually saying any car part or term. I agree with his mumbling impatiently.

Finally, he says he will give me $400. I say $800. He speaks gibberish until I am annoyed and I say all right $700 and I won’t go lower. He calls his boss. They talk and offer me $500, then $600. I refuse. He hands me the phone with his boss on the line, and the boss says $600? I say, “Sir, you know my price by now. I am sorry for wasting your time. Goodnight.”

Then the mechanic guy rambles about how he should get $20 for coming to look at the car…what?! No, I am done I tell him. He says, $650. I say $675 and that is it! He says okay. Yes! A deal.

Then he says something mumbled about my signing the papers and he will give me a $100 deposit to meet tomorrow for the rest of the money. I say I will sign paper, but not a legal document because then he would own the car. He acts like an idiot and agrees. Then he gives me $90. I tell him he just handed me $90. He says “no, no, that’s one hundred, we’re straight.” I count his bills like he is a five year old back at him. Very loudly and slowly I count them…20. 40. 60. 80. 90. We stare at each other blankly for like ten seconds. He says, no no, this hundred. I give it to him, and say what kind of charity is this. He says ‘charity?’ My eyes open wide and I ask, ‘who do you work for?’ He says, ‘only my boss. Me and my boss.’ I say what about the charity? He says oh this? And shows me the supposed charity entitled “Functional Social Solutions Inc. ” and says oh yes, I work for them. I shake my head. This is so shady. I should have known this was a scam from the name of the place.

He hands me the 100 and I get distracted. I sign a piece of paper and write something vague about how if we don’t meet by eleven tomorrow the deal is off. He asks for the keys. I say ‘Are you kidding me?’ He says, ‘Then give me the papers.’ I say ‘here is your money, goodnight.’ And he quickly says, oh no no no. Take the money. Let me call my boss. I take his money and say goodnight.

He was a stupid filthy scammer and hopefully won’t come back tomorrow and I will keep his filthy money.

To put salt on the wound, two people called after this encounter and offered to buy the car for $800 cash tonight and they were the first ones to call who spoke English. I had to refuse… feeling bound by my word to a scoundrel. Worse night in a while. I still can’t sleep now.

I realized late in the night that the stupid thing I wrote out meant absolutely nothing. It didn’t have the car’s name on it at all and wasn’t even full sentences. So I tried to get a hold of the other two buyers after Tom and Mom assured me that I was in no way legally bound. Sadly, neither of the two buyers had their phones on. That seemed shady as well.


Day Two

Well I did fall asleep, and woke up at 9 in the morning to prepare for selling my car. I was pretty resolute after wasting an entire day by being pushed around. Today I was going to be a businessman.

Mom helped me find the only other necessary paperwork aside from the Title, which is the Bill of Sale form. I went to the library and printed it out from the dmv site.

Then I got home and soon “Mike,” the “boss” from the “charity” called and said his guys were waiting outside…an hour after he told me they were almost there. I came out and it was the same dumb mechanic and then another guy, who also spoke broken English, but was very nice. After yesterday though, I was in no mood to feel vulnerable again, so I just got right to it.

I pulled out the Bill of Sale, which I had filled out before they arrived, and said all right you sign this first. The little mechanic stared at me confused. He said, “Oh yes, do you want to sign this?” and showed me some official looking paper that said something about tax exemption or write offs or something. I said, “Listen, last night was very shady and I don’t want to be involved with this charity anymore. Let’s just do this legally.” The mechanic stared confused, and then said “So you give us the title then?” I asked for the money. He gave me the right amount this time and I said, “Hey, you learned how to count last night huh?” His friend laughed. Him, not so much.

Then I said, “I have the title, you will sign it after you sign this.” He said, “no no no no. I don’t sign.” I said, “You are kidding me. Then forget it.” He said, “wait wait wait…I will call.” He calls Mike and speaks Spanish. Then he gets off the phone and says, “Okay I will sign FCC.” What?!

I say, “That doesn’t make any sense at all. I hate to bully you around but I will need a name and I need to see your license as well.” He looked like I just told the cops he was an illegal alien. Then his nice friend said, “You are okay, that’s okay. That’s right.” So the mechanic, not the other guy, pulled out his ID, which was most likely expired, but it looked like him and it said Pedro Munoz. He proceeded to sign the BOS as such. This is the only thing I could see that I could have been taken for. He could have forged the Title under a fake ID (It was Arizona). What would happen then, I wonder?

Anyways, I pulled out the title and read it one more time and had him sign it. Then I went to take off the license plates. The mechanic said, “no no no, we need those.” I said, “These are my plates, they are legally under my name, and I am taking them. You need to go to the DMV and get a temporary plate. I hate to bully you (I said that a few times throughout). The mechanic just said, “no no.”

I shook the nice guys hand and the mechanic just walked away mumbling something about me being a “mother fucker.” I walk in my apartment.

Five minutes later Mike calls and says, “Arthur, you have to give them the plates.” He was angry and loud. He said, “In the State of California you have to give over your plates.” I said, “Well, I’m not sure about that sir. In Missouri that just doesn’t happen.” He insisted and said they would give me a receipt and send the plates back to Missouri via the DMV or some BS. I said, “Well, I didn’t know about that, but I will look it up and call you right back.” He said, “Well hurry up now Arthur, my boys have been waiting long enough for this crap.”

I called mom for advice and she suggested calling a dealership. I got a hold of Ford and the lady said, “Oh you definitely give them your plates if you are selling them the car. Just to double check, I will connect you with Nancy so she can verify. I walk outside with the plates as I am on hold. I say I am sorry to them and hand them the plates. He puts on the back one and throws the other in the passenger seat.

They are heading to get in the car as I remember that I didn’t get a receipt. I turned and said, “Wait.” And Nancy got on the line. I said, “Hello Nancy, do you know my situation?” as the guys looked at me to say something to them. She said “Yes. You definitely do NOT give them your plates, whether you are at a dealer or privately selling. You keep those and exchange them in Missouri.”

My eyes widened. Wow that was close. Knowledge is power.

I thanked Nancy and walked to the passenger seat and took one plate. I said I was keeping them. And I looked at the plate on the car, hoping they didn’t just drive away before I got it off. I felt in my pockets hoping I had something. I pulled out a penny! Awesome. I bent down and started unscrewing the plate with the penny. Then ole Pedro hands me the phone with an irate Mike.


“Arthur?”
“Hey Mike.”
“Arthur?!”
…
“Arthur?”
“Still here Mike, what do you need?”
“Arthur? Hey! You can’t do this to me! You can’t do this after you’ve signed the title. How can we drive that car now?!”
“Sir. The legal way to do it is to get a temporary license from the DMV.”
“Arthur, I’ve been doing this for years! How are we supposed to drive that car around now? The DMV is closed!”
“Sir. You have been doing this illegally for years then. You should have…”
“What am I suppose to do now!”
“Sir, you should…”
“Huh, tell me what am I suppose to do now?”
“Sir. I’m telling you but you keep yelling. Can you stop?” (Very condescendingly)
“Yes. What?”
“Monday, the DMV opens again, you can…”
“Oh forget it! I hate the way you do business, you know that Arthur?”
“Well, to be perfectly honest sir, I LOATHE the way you do business.”
“What?”
“Loathe. Is that too big of a word for you sir?”
“I…you don’t even know what that means!”
“Alright.”

I hand the phone back, with the plates in my hand. I shake the nice guys hand, and he apologizes and agrees that I did the right thing. Then I sit and watch as my baby, my first love, my little lady Lucille drives away in the hands of evil, terrible men. A bittersweet moment for sure. She taught me one final lesson before we parted, and I will not soon forget her.

observations, sickness

dom came in town again yesterday and we got little caesars and watched walle again. then zack and me both started sneezing and feeling crappy. ive been blowing my nose nonstop for the past 24 hours. sucky.

right now i am locked up in my room with a great cup of hot tea and the best fugi apple ever made. i am listening to miles davis and am about to read 'human universals.' but i didnt know what universals meant so i went to look it up and promptly got distracted.

kelly met annie lebowitz tonight. so thats cool.

also, i went to the observatory. i have been wanting to do this since i got here and finally dragged my butt up there. i really shouldve waited til i was feeling better so i couldve gone on the hiking trails, but i only have 12 days left here so time seems precious.
i really only went to the observatory bc i am a huge fan of 'rebel without a cause' and thats the climax scene locale. i really enjoyed looking at everything and relearning a bunch of astronomy facts and whatnots. i was surprised when i got to a timeline of the universe. they stated the bigbang theory as fact. no theory behind it. this has me really curious about carbon dating and whether or not the bbt could coexist with creationism. i am interested in thoughts if u wanna share. if not, that seems pretty bold of whomever owns the observatory to just throw that on an exhibit.

anyways, tomorrow i am going to try and set up interviews for chicago and will be going to dollar bowling night one last time. tonight i will probably make a schedule for my last days here to sell possessions, say goodbyes, prepare for the new season, and have fun!

good news

well, things have made a bit of a positive turn over the past few days. i got a call late sunday night from shannon saying that i was to be on set at 6am monday. that was very exciting, and i left my house at 5 in the morning. it was so cold and i wasnt expecting it to be. nor was i expecting to be doing an outdoors scene in my 'office' attire. as anyone who has spent time with me in cold weather knows, i shiver pretty badly, and i was shivering so much i honestly couldnt hold my coffee cup. it was embarrassing having such a hard time controlling my own body. i had to set my cup down for a while because i was spilling it!
then right after we got breakfast they directed us outside. and again, we just started walking back and forth to the direction of background action and cut. it was fun talking to some of the other extras. one guy was telling me that i was really lucky to have gotten work that day bc it was only union actors on set! then sarah (shannons friend who got me on set) showed me the call sheet with my name on it. it doesnt really matter much, i will still be a blur behind the actual actors, but it was fun to know. i was paid 130 bones for 3 hours of looking pretty. then they said thats all! so at 9 am i was done working and i went to the community college and played piano.

tonight was also a nice change, it rained! me and zack went for a walk while it was just drizzling and then it started pouring so we ran home. fun times.

in other good news, lindsey is out of the hospital and doing good.

also, kyle and i are going to record some more music tomorrow.

and i watched the blues game tonight on vs. and they freakin won.

oh sake bombs.

For zacks bday we went to this place Tokyo delves sushi, which was complete madness. The outside was not unlike a club with a long line and big bouncers with a list. When you walked through the door you were greeted by a line of waiters and asian bartenders screaming ‘heeeeeeyyyy!!!’ This reminded me of college potluck nights when we greeted people very similarly. Everybody gets in and you immediately have a sake bomb. Everyone would fill up their beer mugs under the mini wooden kegs, then put their chopsticks on their glass. Then we’d put a shot of sake on top and the waiter would yell “SAKE!” and we yelled back to him, “BOMB!” Three times or so and then he would slam the table and our drinks became one big mess of alcohol. Then we chugged. I hadn’t eaten all day under the impression this was a sushi night I was getting myself into. After two bombs I was feeling very light.
Before I knew it they were playing ‘my humps’ and we were up on their chairs get-getting love drunk.
After 6 sake bombs and lots of sushi and chair dancing, we got a very sobering bill. $867 for 15 people! Ouch. So we paid and got out of there quickly.

LA driving, my fonzi moment, and trials

funny 'you had to be there' story...

me dan and zack were driving and some guy who mustve thought we had wronged him in some way on the road pulled up next to us screaming, 'you f*#king jerk!' we looked around confused and realized he was looking at us. i started laughing because we were clearly not doing anything wrong, so dan slowed down and me and zack started hanging out the windows waving our fists, then when he was next to us again zack yelled 'HEY! HEY...YOU WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!!!' the guy looked so confused and just drove on. probably the quickest defused situation ever.

today i became incredibly scared about my living space. while i was playing guitar all the lights in my room and the room and bathroom next to mine went off. i looked at the circuit box, which is on the wall connected to my room, and i could see sparks of light behind the breakers...yikes. for hours i didnt have lights, and then in mild anger i hit the wall next to the breaker. it sparked inside and my lights came back on. i am pretty much the modern day fonze, bc i can hit the dash of my car and the inside lights pop back on too. crazy. and mom, dont worry about my safety please, ill be fine. we will call the landlord tomorrow.

in further unfortunate news:
kyles wife has been in the hospital for at least 4 days! if you think of it please throw up a prayer for her.

i was suppose to get another tv part, but it fell through. that sucks.

kelly had her credit card hacked into online at REI. dont buy from there online, and please be careful with your identity! hopefully everything will be sorted out there too.

amongst the fires and setbacks, life is treating me very well for some reason. i am happy and healthy and enjoying some eggnog. i have a feeling things are going to start looking up for everyone.

recording, and chicago planning, and camping pics

well, here are some pictures from my camping trip from oh so long ago. one is of kyle crawling out of the bramble patch, one is from me reenacting my hole in one, and one is just a cool shot i took of the ski lift. if you have facebook, i made an album, check it.

well, i didnt get on the screen in the office. they cut the scene i thought id show up in. and on the plane you could see the kid i was sitting next to! however, on the mentalist i did walk behind the main characters, and am blurry as they walk down the aisle in the casino. so thats fun.

i have logged 8 hours of recording time with kyle and almost have 3 songs worth of stuff down that now needs editing. once i get it, i will post it on a myspace.

i put an ad out for people interested in a band in chicago and have only gotten one reply so far from a 43 year old. i guess i shouldve clarified an age limit. ive also begun looking for a place on my own in chitown. this is a first. i feel dumb because i dont know where to start, but i am learning day by day. also, i am looking into getting a new winter coat for the first time since high school probably. woohoo!

um...in further cali news, i dont think i mentioned that we had dom, an old high school buddy, stay the night a few weeks ago. reunions are always great fun. also, there have been alot of 'firestorms' out here lately and that just seems crazy to me. these things are starting late in the day and going all night. just like a storm. very apocalyptic.

Shows

The two TV shows that I was an extra on are airing this week. Wanted to tell you about them in case you have an opportunity to tune in...

Tuesday, 11/11, Channel 4, CBS: The Mentalist
In a scene outside where they are just getting to the casino. Greg is walking in the background.
In a scene one character is at a blackjack table, Greg is in the background.
In another scene, one character goes down an escalator and then to some people at one of those "claw" machines (where you put in coins, and you can move the claw to pick up something) - Greg walks either in front or behind him.

Thursday, 11/13, Channel 5, NBC, 8-8:30 p.m.: The Office
In a scene where the Boss is sitting talking on an airplane, Greg is sitting behind him on the other side of the plane, in the first rows of the economy class.
In another scene, one of the characters is in a booth at the airport; Greg walks quickly from one wall to another.

moving and creating in obama nation

well things are moving right along. i haven't had much to blog lately, but i figured id give a little bit of an update.

lately most of my days have been planning how i am going to move back to the midwest. i was going to drive back but i took my car, lovely lucille, to a mechanic and he said she needs at least $1000 worth of repairs...so i spent the rest of the day cleaning so i can sell it. i got pretty melancholy as i finished up, looking at her like it was the first day i got her, making a montage in my head of all the fun times we've had together. all the road trips, camping trips, concerts, events, dates, and lazy drives around town. its been such an integral part of my life and now i am ditching it.

i am also cleaning my room and deciding what i can throw away, what i can sell, and what i need to u.p.s. home. i considered u hauling, but that is like over $1000 also.

i did get some great news from kyle also. he scheduled me in for next Tuesday to start recording some of my songs. this makes me a happy camper, although he said he may not have time to do all the songs i wanted to do. so is life. i have been staying creative though. i thought up a new song idea, and wrote a short story about being a valet the other night. it always feels so good to create something that doesn't completely suck. it makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time.

speaking of creating...Zack and I were a bit bored on Halloween so we made a mock scary movie with my camera. we acted like the lights in our house kept turning themselves on. it was really funny to us, probably not so much to anyone else, but i am going to try and get it on you tube someday for you all. man, i wish i was tech savvy. i want to show more of my life than just words! ugh.

oh well, I'm tired so I'm ending this. i still can't believe obama is president. i am very interested in seeing how this country progresses or regresses over the next few months and years. i have to say, i was ambivalent before the election, but now i can't help but feel a certain happiness that obama got it. everyone seemed so happy in Chicago and it just feels like a new era, a fresh chance to renew our country. i sadly didn't get my ballot in time and wasn't able to vote, or get free Starbucks. oh well, i would've voted for obama anyway.

i cant believe how quickly Christmas is approaching. i am getting very excited about the prospect of seeing my girlfriend and my nephew Evan and my moms and dads and my siblings and friends! oh joy.

airport misadventures, running out of gas, and turning 24

By the beard of Jupiter, gird your loins…I am in story telling mode.

On what was to be my last day in Chicago Kelly and I didn’t leave the dorm room until it was time to head to the airport. We had a whole day planned out, but decided to just stay in. Then the time came to depart for L.A. and we slowly got my bags together and headed for the El.
Kelly had jokingly wished out loud that I would miss my flight and have to stay in Chicago.
And, well, her wishes came true.
Half way to the airport the El stopped. Overhead we heard something about a ‘medical situation’ and a ‘slight delay.’ We waited for 15 minutes and they finally said that we could wait or we could get on a bus to go around. So the entire car of people got out of the train and walked to the nearest bus stop. Weird. It felt like a movie. While we were there a CTA lady said that someone had jumped onto the tracks at Montrose. I guess the medical situation was CTA cleaning up the tracks.

So we are sitting at this bus stop realizing that if we didn’t get a cab or a miracle I would actually miss my flight. We began frantically calling. The airport to see if my flight was delayed, cab companies to see how long it would take. Then three cabs pull up and both of us race towards them waving like crazy people. As we passed each cab we realized that all three were packed with people. Then we looked back and saw that the bus was about to pull away! All those people were loaded on and the doors were closing so we started running back that way. We both started banging on the side of the bus until it stopped and let us in. The bus driver wasn’t pleased with us.

Then 5 minutes later we ask him what stop we should get off at. He tells us to get off at the next stop which was about 15 minutes away from where we were actually suppose to get off (past Montrose, so we could get back on the El and get to the airport!) So the stupid bus driver let us off and we quickly realized he didn’t understand our question as we watched the bus pull away. For some reason I mockingly started singing the ‘Hail to the bus driver’ song in my head.
Then I saw a cab just hanging out. Again, we ran. We got in the cab, thankful and hopeful. He started to drive and I stupidly said, ‘Do you take debit?’ He stopped the car and said no. We promptly exited the cab, knowing now I would definitely not make my flight, because it was lifting off in half an hour.
So, we got on another bus. Drove to the El. Took the El to the airport, and arrived 5 minutes after my plane had taken off.
So we walked into the empty airport with smiles on our faces. At this point we were tired of racing and we were just happy that we would have another night together.
Janice K. at the United counter was shockingly accommodating and waved the rescheduling fee, and even gave me my ticket for the next day so I wouldn’t have to wait in line.
So we went back and had pizza and watched the office again. Good times.

Then on Friday I arrived complication free to my flight. But the adventure was not quite over.
It started in the plane. I asked the first stewardess if there was a charge for alcoholic beverages (knowing full well they had just told us it was 6 bucks). She impatiently told me there was, and so I took a Coke. Then the second steward passed and he seemed friendly (as opposed to the impatient chick) so I shot him a smile and thought nothing of it. Ten minutes later he comes to my seat and says, ‘Hey, do you drink?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Jack.’ He said, ‘Hold on.’ Then he came back with three travel bottles of Jack and said, ‘Because you smiled at me,’ and walked away. I was elated. All I wanted was a free drink of jack on this, the day before my birthday, and I got it.
He came back later while I was trying to watch the office and he sat down. I am pretty sure he was gay because he was way too nice. Then I started talking about how tough a long distance relationship with my girlfriend was, and he straightened up a bit. But we still had a great talk about our lives, and anytime he had a break he would come hang out with me. And when I told him it was almost my birthday he went and got me a bottle of wine wrapped in a towel! Thank you Fred!
Then I started slurring my words, because I hadn’t eaten much that day and had downed all three bottles. Fred felt bad and got me a can of chips. But the damage was done.

I’ll tell you what. Landing in a plane while slightly inebriated is an exhilarating experience. I felt so relaxed. Not to mention, seeing L.A. from a plane at night is so beautiful. It is like the whole city is a big front yard in December with a Christmas light display.

Then I got off the plane and called Kelly to tell her my story and to tell her I loved her (I drink to bring out my honesty : ) She worried about me getting more gifts from gay guys (the Chuck Palahnuik necklace) and driving home tipsy, but was happy nonetheless to hear from me. By the time I got to Dan’s car I was sobered up (I brought my roommates car home because he had just left for Baltimore the day before). I had to get a shuttle to take me to his car. I got in and started blasting my tunes. I got on the highway and the gas pedal ceased giving the car power! I had no gas. So I put on the flashers and held out my middle finger while people angrily sped by me inching up the right lane. A couple cars had to skid to avoid me, which scared me quite a bit. But luckily there was an exit in sight. Somehow the car made it to the exit and then rolled down the hill. I didn’t stop at the light. I just made the right turn and luck of all luck, there sat a gas station. It was now officially my birthday and this was God’s gift to me. The car literally stopped rolling half way in the street and half way in the gas station. I took a picture on my phone and will try to get that up.

So I arrived home to two gifts on my bed from mom and an impeccably clean house thanks to zack. On my bday night he and I went bowling. It was great fun. We put 5 bucks on each game. He won the first I won the second with a 137 (probably my best score ever) and he won the third by 2 effing pins. Then when we got home he made another bet about Austin powers and I won, so we were even. Then we watched coldplay on snl, which was a bit disappointing, and called it a night. And now, I am 24…

my kind of town

well here i am in chicago. it is the only night ive really had some me time, some down time, because kelly has to finish making a pattern that's due tomorrow. it has been the best week i can remember in a long time and i can already feel the pangs of missing her like mad that will sting when i am back in los angeles. however, the melancholy is overrun by the current incredible high i have being with her right now.
speaking of being with her...i almost wasnt with her at all. thursday morning i woke up on time. i had my bags packed and i was ready to go at 615. 15 minutes earlier than i told my ride i wanted to leave. so i went to his room and asked if he was ready. he wasnt even awake. so i waited. and waited. at 645 he slugged downstairs. then we got stuck in traffic. bad traffic. and my ride doesnt drive like me. he didnt look for faster lanes or speed in the moments of open road. he just took his time. then i got in the airport at 740. my plane was leaving at 820. there was a 45 minute cutoff for getting your ticket! i was screwed. not to mention there was a huge line that wrapped around three times. i knew i had to act fast. i kindly and as pathetically as i could muster asked a lady one loop closer to the front if i could butt. she said there was a window for late people. hope!!!! i cut through all three loops, receiving many an evil look of early morning travelers. told the lady i was 5 minutes past the cut off. she shook her head in disdain and said, 'sorry. you missed your flight.' i whimpered in agony. i pleaded. she said it was too late. i scrunched my face in sadness. she called someone. she handed me my ticket and said, ' you won't make it.' i ran to security. another line. i couldnt even see the end of it so i just decided to be an asshole. unflinchingly, i stepped right into the front of the line. many looks, but surprisingly only one comment. the lady directly behind me said, 'um...excuse me, i am next.' and i said, 'of course you are.' and let her go. then i told one of the security guys i had ten minutes and he let me get to the bins. i put my shoes and crap in and put them back on faster than superman in a phonebooth. then i sprinted as fast as my little bones would take me (keep in mind i had just ran 6 miles the day before for the first time and was very sore). as i neared my gate i literally saw the door begin to close so i screamed 'WAAAAAAAAIIIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!' the door froze, and then reopened. the greatest sight. just the greatest. receiving my final look of annoyance i handed over my ticket and i was on the plane to watch a bad chick flick and drink oj.
i got in early and kelly was still in class. so i took the El half way and then she took it half way and we met. it was easily the best hug i've ever experienced in my entire life. i am not exaggerating either. it was so great to see her and to be able to hold her. whew! it makes me happy just thinking about that moment. i could have turned back around and gone back to LA right there.
we went back to her dorm and dropped off my stuff and went to her friend kate's pad to watch the office and eat pizza (something we did with kate last year, who was kelly's former sweetmate) that was fun, met some cool people, played some pool, laughed and left.
friday we slept in to a ridiculous hour and then went shopping. didnt buy much, but it was fun just walking through the city with her. she introduced me to the caramel apple cider at starbucks. i have never liked cider but that...that is a different beast right there. go. now. try it.
saturday kelly woke early and basically had a work day setting up and working at the 'fall spook fest.' had a chance to meet the people kelly is always talking about. we painted a pumpkin like a cupcake, we bounced in an inflatable boxing ring, we played bean bags and lost terribly, we ate corn on the cob, and we danced like there was no tomorrow. we went out and had chinese food.
sunday i had the most romantic meal of my 23 years. if you are ever in chicago with your love, go to gejas. it is a little hobbit house type place that serves fondu. while we were waiting there was guitar music playing through the speakers, and when we were seated we found out that it was not a recording! the guitar player could have leaned over and smacked me with his guitar he was so close to our table. i spilt chocolate on my tie. we walked through lincoln park, really made me appreciate chicago. we also had pasta earlier that day at a cute place.
monday was rainy. i loved it! while kelly went to class i just walked downtown in the rain. it was perfect. i also played piano at the chicago library. then we went to an exhibit that showcased kerouac's 'on the road' scroll. very freaking cool.
today we slept in again and it was great. kelly skipped her classes. then she was on duty for a while. then we went to one of her class labs and worked on this pattern. it was really fun watching her do her thing. she is an impressively focused individual when she gets into it. love it.
tonight i am hoping to play some ping pong and eat some ben and jerrys. tomorrow we will probably go to a bunch of those photobooth places that do those western photos. and maybe even a picnic on the beach if it warms a bit. (and maybe visit jeff and jolene, but probably wont have time for that.)

sidecash, headshots, music

3 days until i fly to chicago to see kelly! thats my biggest news.

other than that, i have an interview at starbucks tomorrow. this weekend i made some sidecash moving some display cases for a jewelry store (mic hooked me up with that). i spent 3 hours in a moving truck with a stranger. that was interesting. he was in a band and told me about how the industry raped them (financially). we broke some of the glass and the girl was not pleased...but she didnt give us any rope or padding so whacha gonna do? also, this weekend, my friend shannon (the one getting me the extra parts) needed someone to practice taking headshots on. so i was her muse and it was very fun. the pics are on facebook if you have it.

in news about musicians i know. dan has an awesome and fun song on his myspace called 'take my heart away' that i would suggest you check at myspace.com/brudermusic
also, kevin's band 'dear vincent' opened for hayden a few weeks ago, thats pretty awesome. and matt harris' band won the freaking battle of the bands at busch stadium! he got to throw the first pitch at a game. thats also awesome.

today i snuck into a piano lab and was able to play for the first time in many months. it was so satisfying and i forgot how much i enjoy it. its a good day.

jokes, spiritual matters, recycling

i have a couple of quick notes
first off, i want to document my homemade jokes and i thought i'd share them. hopefully i havent already said these...
Q.what do you call a greek sandwich that is relieving itself?
A. a european!

Q.what is an old person's favorite ice cream brand?
A.ben and geriatrics

wait, it gets better
Q. what is a cheerleader's favorite fruit?
A. pom pomegranates!

wow. those were so cheesy i think i am going to just stop there. now to move on to more important matters. i have been reading this book called 'the question of god' by dr. armand m. nicholi jr. and it has just been such a booster of faith energy. it is meant to be a biased juxtaposition of freud and c.s. lewis quotes on god, love, sex, and life. however, if i was a freud advocate i would probably be annoyed by it. maybe it is just my tendency to agree more with the lewis quotes, but this book has just made it feel even more reasonable to put my stock in belief rather than unbelief. one thing i have been convicted about throughout my reading has been how people around those who experience conversions (whether of the mind, heart, or both) report changes in behavior from more inner to outer. i always considered it a positive thing that i am introspective...which i still believe is crucial...but i am realizing that at some point i am just starting to waste my time. i need to be practicing what i believe. i dont really know how to go about doing that more than i am, but i feel like if there was a poll taken on how selfish greg is it would not be pretty. part of me knows that i am misconceived and doesnt care, but part of me realizes a great lacking in my selflessness. this isnt really something i want input on, i am just typing and want to remember that i thought this.

another thought on God that ive had lately...
i had a convo with a girl last night at a party we were having and she had heard i was thinking about leaving l.a. at christmas. She seemed very concerned for me and began asking me what God was leading me to do. and it really tripped me up because i feel like such a faith amateur. i realized last night that while i constantly feel a divine protection over me (like a shield always keeping me safe and healthy and never worrying about money) i dont often get that direction or whisper from God that most spiritual people in my life tend to get. um...i guess i will have to pray about it!

finally, i tried to recycle all of the bottles from last night, thinking id make a fortune. it was so annoying! the recycle machine wouldnt accept certain bottles so i only was able to make money off of like a third of the bottles! guinness recycled well, i made like three bucks. i guess i have zack to thank for that.

Fake casino night...all day

I decided I am going to wait until tomorrow to call enterprise. They havent called yet, so that’s not a good sign. But I have stayed busy. I got another extra job working on the set of a new show called the mentalist on cbs Tuesday nights. I was at a casino for 14 hours! Hah! It was crazy. I arrived at about 645 and met this guy named grant. We couldn’t find the meeting point so we just took some food from the actor/crew table. Grant was a hand double for a girl, so his nails were really long and shiny. It was weird. We eventually found everybody and we got our vouchers and wardrobe gave me a jacket to wear. Then we pretty much went straight to work. For the first three hours or so I was stuck with some pretty lame people like this asian guy who over-pantomimed the whole time the camera was rolling, and this old guy in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. He tripped over a wire during filming and wiped out. It was funny, but annoying to be with this motley crew. So after that initial scene I found some old ladies. Old ladies are the best to hang out with on set. They are always nice and interesting…unless they think they are an actress or something, then they are annoying too. But I found this lady who was very oprah-esk and she kept me company.
I also got a chance to meet shannon’s friend…Robin freaking Tunney! Some of you may not know but a movie that was a big influence in my childhood was empire records. A low budget flick about a record store. It was like a lesson in how to be cool back then. Lucas with his witty remarks, Joe with his angry drumming to ‘if you want blood’ by acdc, that one guy who had a crush on liv tyler, renee zellwiger in her mini skirt, warren saying eff the man, and of course deb. Deb with her shaved head. Well, I met Deb. She was just like she was back then only with hair. She is very down to earth and fun and over the course of the day I got to shoot the breeze with her a few times on set.
Other fun times on set: 1. learning black jack lessons from a Vegas dealer while playing with mock chips. 2. sneaking away from the lowly extras with Shannon and meeting directors and actors and getting the ‘good’ food. 3. Remembering that the annoying asian guy was the same guy I was making fun of in my head on the set of the office because he was wearing a black see through shirt (he looked like he should’ve been in a gay bar, not a Canadian airport). 4. pizza at the end of the night.
So basically I got paid to hang out with my friend Shannon all day, see her actor boyfriend, meet influences of my life, play cards, see beautiful people all day (scantily clad, I might add), eat free food, and pantomime with an oprah look alike. It just doesn’t get any better!
Tonight is a surprise party for my roomie Bryson. Let’s hope he doesn’t secretly read my blog!
Me and zack played 4 sets of tennis the other night and I am incredibly sore from that… and from standing and walking all day at the casino.
I am actually gonna stop blogging now so I can go for a run before the party. Still haven’t gotten faster than a 25 minute 5k.
Life is good.
Happy October!

offices and the office

life is so good when youre treated like you should be.- m. ward

things are looking good. i actually did get a chance to be an extra on monday! i called one of my friends (shannon)because central casting said there was a need for extras on the set of the office. she works on that set, so i asked her if she could hook a brother up. within the hour i got a call from the casting director! amazing huh? i got a call time, wardrobe instructions and directions. then monday i went to an airport set called 'air hollywood' and pretended i was in a canadian airport all day. i was literally one seat behind steve carrell as he was joking about being in first class with oscar and andy. i had to bite my lip anytime andy talked, he is freaking hilarious. so anyways, i may or may not be in the background of the office. i dont want to get my hopes up (as i did with the soccer movie) but definitely watch out for me when they go on a business trip...it may be episode 9.

speaking of offices, when i turned in my management app. for the sporting goods store i talked to the manager and i just did a terrible job. i was way to honest about my musical aspirations and why i was seeking the job. but it was a great practice interview for today. because today i had an interview with enterprise leasing! it is a bonafide adult job! and i must say i think it went really well. i was honest, but not overly candid, and i think i did well to toe the line between cocky and self-deprecating answers to the standard strength and weakness questions. he asked me at one point what three words my best friend would use to describe me and for one of them i used your word kevin (from the board game night, remember>?) and said 'pleasure.' he really enjoyed the honesty of that one, and i tried to make it sound positive by saying i wanted to really enjoy life. but i had a tough time with the other ones. i just want to ask people that question now and find out what they would really say... that's interesting to me too, i actually enjoyed the interview. i had fun! how wierd, huh? i would be pumped if i got this job and would probably stick with it while still doing music on the side.

if i dont get this job though, i will be just fine and will probably pursue gap and then starbucks. either way, i am happy with life and i find it kind of cool that i am not stressed in anyway shape or form in what seems to be a time of chaos in our economy, even though i am probably considered poor. i am enjoying the challenges God puts before me, i just hope i can stay steadfast in this positive mindset.

finally, i went on a bit of a cleaning strike at my place bc i had this feeling i was the only one doing dishes and trash duty. so i just let things pile up, as sort of a social experiment, to see who would break first. so a couple days ago i walked into the apt. (after being at the office all day) and thought that we had been visited by a holy apparition because the place was sparkling. it wasnt just clean, it was CLEAN. i thought someone would just take out the garbage once, or maybe load the dishwasher. i thought to myself...ive been gone all day, who couldve done this miraculous deed? it was zack! apparently he is picking up his game. he cleaned his entire room, porch area, and the whole living area. what a stud. he made my day.

im gonna go eat some chinese food, peace!

wedding, running, desk buying, still trying

Well I am back and I’m gonna try to keep updating again.

I had a really nice day of things going my way and it made me optimistic once more. I made myself eggs and cheese, with some cinnamon toast. I handed in three applications in my nicest attire to gap, old navy, and starbucks. I also picked up an application tonight as I was buying tennis balls at the sporting goods store for a management position. Then i got a parking spot right in front of the house!

I joined this thing called central casting and if I get lucky I could do some background work on t.v. shows…at this point, I am not getting my hopes up for anything though. I am putting forth effort and if something happens in any area of life I will be happy.

I have been perfecting my songs as I wait for kyle to be available to record them.

I bought a desk off craigslist for 20 bucks. She was selling it for 30, but I talked her down, it always feels nice to get a deal. I can probably resell this later and make some money, although it’s so nice I don’t want to.

What else has happened?… Kyle (the guy I replaced) had his wedding. He created all of the music for it, and it was beautiful. I would put a track on here if I knew how, sorry guys. What’s more sad, I still can’t get pictures up bc dans battery is broke, my cord is broke, and kyle’s whole camera is broke… anyways, we all danced, ate, and socialized. Good times.

i made a deal with zack that i would give him my garage parking space during the month i was entitled to have it if he paid me 50 bucks. i thought this was a great deal until i got a parking ticket for 40 bucks last week. i didnt put into account when i made the deal that they clean the streets twice a week. so i constantly have to move my car. ugh.

Oh yeah, I have been running to ward off the sneaking feeling of laziness. I have gotten up to 3 miles in 25 minutes, which Jessie tells me is a decent speed. I also discovered a library on the run and got a card. Naturally, I’ve been borrowing and renting now.

Lately, I watched a documentary called grizzly man. It is pretty fascinating. It is almost more interesting to watch the man’s character development than the bears he is living with. I also borrowed ‘growing up catholic’ bc that is what Kelly is reading. I am actually juggling that, survivor, screwtape letters (again), and a book on islam.

Me, zack and mike (mic) went out and played tennis in the city. That was fun to be with the boys again. We may play more if we find the time.

I miss kelly like crazy. We have been discussing a very possible meeting in chicago, which makes life exciting, just to imagine that happening. i might go up there for halloween. i want to dress up like chaplin, but we are also talking about a possible couple costume. we'll see.

temporary blog

i am going on a blog hiatus. dont check back for a while.

hole in one, beautiful mountains, ramble patches

this weekend was grand. i escaped thinking about life for 3 days by going camping with the roommates. we went into the mountains about 2 hours from l.a. friday, me bryson and kyle went and set up camp and walked around the mountainside. there was an abandoned skilift intermingled with another frisbee golf course (yeah, i think kyle may have known that when picking a campsite). there was also a government test facility that looked mighty creepy. we made grilled cheese. we tried to hang out with some college kids down the way (who were making alot of noise) but they were incredibly lame and unaccomidating. so we just went to bed early.
the next day we woke up with the sun and brought bryson to the lake so he could go fishing. sadly, he didnt catch anything (nor did anyone we saw). so me and kyle went and climbed up a cliff to occupy ourselves. kyle ripped his shorts on the way up, the beginning of his misfortune. it was funny.
then we went back to camp and met up with zack and bouncer dan. they were really happy to be off work so that brought a new energy to the crew. we all ate and went to the frisbee golf course. it was so beautiful. it was basically just a 2 hour excuse to take a walk through the mountainside. during this time i did something not many people can say they have done in their lifetime. i shot a hole in one! the other guys have a deal that the first person to hit a hole in one gets 100 bucks from the other guys, because they thought it would never happen. sadly, i didnt make that deal, because i usually dont even get close to the hole. but 280 feet later, i am the happiest camper on the course. i ran all over the place as all five of us screamed and jumped and celebrated. bouncer dan even lifted me off the ground and zack was throwing dirt like confetti. i didnt get hundreds of dollars, but i did get a great memory.

however, the course had bitter plans as well as jubilant ones. i threw my only frisbee into a ramble, or a bryer, or whatever the term is for a bunch of very thick thornbushes. i looked for it, couldnt find it. i stepped out but dan and kyle, being the gentlemen they are both went in looking for my disc. then in a moment of utter hilarity and dispair, both dan and kyle lost their balance. dan just scrapped himself up, but kyle...kyle fell hard. he tumbled twice and landed on his back, stuck in the thorns, yelling "greg! i cant move! help me! help me! greg!" i was right there so i jumped in and pulled him to his feet. zack laughed the whole time. i was really worried for kyle, his legs and arms looked like jim cavezel from passion of the christ. but then kyle started blaming it on me and so i began laughing at him, because he was being a bit of a baby. then the mountain smiled on me again and i ended up finding 3 discs.

at the bottom of the skilift, but not the mountain there was a beautiful view of a city and there was a tiny sign surrounded by rocks. so we had a rock throwing contest. that was intensely fun, lots of smack talk, lots of rock throwing. i even won one of the tournaments.

then at night we had an amazing shishkabob dinner, inspired by kyle. it was wonderful. steak, chicken, sausage, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms. the only thing missing was pineapple. but im not complaining. then me and zack played some music by the fire. then there was alot of talking around the fire. i felt very honored to be in the presence of 4 guys who really cared about their faith and had such strong opinions about their views. it was cool to talk for a while. but after a few hours my brain wanted to play music and be quiet, but they just talked and talked! so i went for a walk and talked to God instead and thanked him for my awesome life. i then tried to call kelly but i had no reception so i went back and fell asleep.

britney spears and bear fights

this is good. a night worthy of a blog (in my own eyes anyway). i dont have pics for a while because my camera cord is broken. but you all have good imaginations so im sure youll be fine.

tuesday i woke up to kelly calling me at her lunch break. i was groggy and complaining that i didnt have anything to do. she reprimanded me a bit and said, um you are in l.a.! you better do something! so i got off the couch and went out. i went to a bunch of thrift stores looking for weights for zack and a russian hat for kelly. i found nothing. but i did get to drive around alot. thats always nice. then i stopped at a little coffee shop called amsterdam. i looked at the l.a. times magazine for things to do.

then i noticed that they had an open mic that night, so i went home and got zack to come along. it was worlds nicer than the bar scene. about 20 or so people and all were very cool and supportive. i did my standard britney spears, hit me baby one more time, cover. i camped it up beforehand and said, "this song got me through alot of difficult times." and i shut my eyes mocking emotional intensity. no one got it until i sang the chorus, then they all laughed and said to themselves, ohhhhh he's being silly. then i played one of mine, and people seemed geniunely interested. zack also rocked the stage with a couple of his originals. it was encouraging and fun.

then we went to a church that was down the street and it was pretty cool. we both agreed that their ideals and theology were on par with ours, but i got a pretentious vibe from the congregation. nevertheless, i plan on attending this church for a while.

i am filling out my apartment form today and it makes me wish i had a job so i dont have to lie about it. im sending apps to coffee shops now.

also, i am going camping this weekend. i think its a bit of a last hurrah for kyle before he gets married (the roommate i am replacing). should be tons of fun and full of bear fights!

life is lovely

to quote the famous ron burgundy, "I'm in love, and i dont care who knows it!"
i dont know why being 2000 miles away made me realize, but after putting up a bit of a fight to keep me and kelly a couple i just saw so clearly that i really love that girl! she is, without a doubt in my mind, completely worth the fight and the pain of distance.
so for the first time i told her long distance and it just felt like a weight off my back. it was just so nice to express it to her. i have been pretty excited about it and i dont know if this will embarrass her, but i just wanted to share that with everybody i know.

in other news, there isnt much other news. ive been watching way too much olympics. what can i say, michael phelps is a machine and i am entertained by sports such as the trampoline. ive also played more frisbee golf and somehow am kind of enjoying it now. i started running because zack never wants to work out and i need to lose energy somehow.

still no job. yes, still looking, thank you very much.

went to two more open mics. very annoying indeed. i hate the bar scene, it is depressing, no one cares about your music. i need to find coffee shop open mics where even if they hate me, they will still care about music. open mics are just an excuse for unfunny people to do standup. all they talk about is queefing, how jews are rich, asians talk funny, and how different black people are from white people. we get it people. ugh.
on the positive side, the sound guy said me and zack could pretty much have a set whenever we were ready to play one, although we wont really get paid. but still, pretty cool that we can play and invite people to it.

thats about it for now, sorry about the comment debacle, i now will say feel free to never comment ever again. i didnt realize everyone else looked at blogging so differently than me. i was annoyed for a while, but im over it. i probably will only blog now when something truly terrific or horrific happens, or if ive got a pic. todays pics are of me talking to kelly on my backporch and zack at frisbee golf. also a pic from when the bag busted open on zacks steps. hilarious. i will also put a pic on last weeks post.

The Classic Pig'n Whistle Night

well, my first bit of new happenings is that me and zack began an intensive
workout program to get in shape for halloween when we will be dudes
from that 300 movie. whether or not we will do this program for more
than a week is up in the air, but we are both struggling to walk up the
stairs we are so sore. also, i am going to send my resume to this friend
of zacks who says there might be an opening at a job where i would be paid
15 an hour to find errors in movies. i think i might take it until i find
something music related.

tonight i did what i said. i went to my first open mic at a place called the
pig'n whistle. it was such a beautiful thing. i love committing to something
because if i hadnt told kelly i would do an open mic this week i probably
wouldve wimped out. but instead i sat through 3 hours of pretty bad music
and comedy (with the exception of one comedian and one chick songwriter)
just so i could perform 2 songs. it was such a memorable first night.

the first cool thing that happened was zack got "butterflies" when that chick
sang her song. and when she got up to leave i said "go after her dude" and
without hesitation he jumped up and walked out the door. at least 5 minutes
later he came back all nervous like. he got her myspace, which is kind of like the
modern day digits.

so yeah, we waited for our turns to play. every comedian was pretty stupid.
and when nobody laughed (which is just the most painful thing to witness
in the entire world) every comedian would say "oh we've got a sensitive crowd"
or "oh weve got a religious crowd" and that annoyed me so much because
they were ragging on our sense of humor just because they couldnt bring it.

speaking of not bringing it...every comedian, this broad in the audience would
heckle. for a good 3 hours she knocked everybody. i personally thought she
was funnier than anyone else, but finally one guy in the audience was like
"shut the hell up and f*#king leave! let the artists perform!" and everyone
cheered. except for me. and except for her boyfriend. he was like, "you dont
talk to my girl that way!" and got in his face. they screamed for a bit until the
mediator guy got inbetween them. then some dude at the bar said, "tell that
b#@tch to leave!" the girl said, "this is america, i can say what i want" which
i had to agree with, altho i agree with the artists also. but then the boyfriend
realized what he said and ran at him. got in his face and said "you dont call my
girl a bia" and he said "im standing right here" and then they were all kicked out.

who do you think was the next act?
yep. yours truly. as the place was settling down i said oh zack, please dont let it
be me. then the mediator said, "well, that was awkward. next up greg...critadin?
man, good luck, we need something spiritual to follow that up." or something to the
effect of wow, dont suck.

i played my first song. it got a polite hand clap. i didnt really put my heart in it bc of
nerves. then i played my second one which was the song i played at the battle of the
bands at semo. at the end, this guy in the audience said, "man, i really dig that last
song! whats it called?" and then some other guy said it sounded like radiohead...which
kinda sucks, but hey they were talking! then apparently the sound guy was saying
good job 3 times and i ignored him, bc i was nervous and elated that someone in the
audience enjoyed it. then i was so nervous i just sat down while zack performed
even though i was suppose to sing harmonies for him. i am a bad friend.

but the guy who complimented me gave me his email and said he wanted to jam and
i apologized to the soundguy for ignoring him and he said, "no problem man, you need to come early next week, because people need to hear your stuff." and my heart swelled up like a balloon.

zack met his future gal, we almost saw a fight, and after 3 hours of nerves and 5 glasses of water, i conquered my first hill.

dolphins and mooching and ecclesiastes

august is moving right along. the olympics are rapidly
approaching. i need to start getting things in motion!
today i got directions to the first open mic which is on
wed. night. i have been practicing alot and i am ready.

saturday i went to the beach for the first time.
i had forgotten how unforgiving those waves can be
if you attempt to fight them. me and zack both had to
take a break because our ears and limbs hurt so badly
from being thrown around like ragdolls. then i looked back
and exactly right where we were 10 seconds ago i saw a
school of dolphins dancing in the tide. when one wave was
coming down i saw at least 6 dolphins with one more air born!
it looked like the stapler in the jello on the first episode
of the office, only it was dolphins. so naturally, even tho
we were limping, we ran back into the water and chased
the big animals hoping they werent sharks.

then i had one of the most frustrating things happen. i left the beach
early and missed a party to go to my roommate kyle's gig. he told me
he had gotten one person on the guest list. i got there on time, i told the
bouncer. but he was a big ole douche. he said there "was no list" and
didnt know kyle. so i paid ten bucks, then ten more for a jack and coke.
i sat down and kyle was not in sight. i watched the performer playing
on the piano (she was god aweful, which was pretty encouraging, heh)
for about 30 minutes and begin to wonder what was going on. then i
found out kyle was in the OTHER room that played music....what?
so just to sum it up, i left the beach early, missed the party, paid 20 bucks,
and listened to crappy music, only to miss kyles performance. oh well,
i guess i did see dolphins.

yesterday, in my classic gregorian massicistic ways i went and played frisbee
golf again. i got a bit better, and dont loathe it now. but still, come on.
why is it ingrained in my male mind that if i suck at something i must
conquer it? although it was fun hanging with the guys, it was a bit of a wasted
day.

i read through ecclesiastes today and just remembered how amazing
the bible is. so many heavy thoughts to chew on. for instance, it says that
sorrow is better than laughter...and that the heart of the wise is in the
house of mourning. and this gives me peace for some odd reason. i sometimes
get stressed when im not totally happy all the time. i feel like i have to lie to
people so they dont worry about me. but man, sometimes im just not happy.
i think part of that is that i lose sight of what is important in life and i worry to
much about vane things...but yeah, sometimes i am just heavy and thats okay.

in other news, i am getting along swimmingly with my roommates. kyle is very
similar to my best bud in london. he is a great guitar player and we made up
a cool song idea last night. he also has a producers touch, so i may pay him to
help lay my tracks down.
it would be cool if we could start writing. bryson is cut from the same cloth
as myself. we are both thinkers who enjoy the occasional mooch. also, in classic
greg form, i am already gaining the reputation for my mooching abilities. i really
think i am misunderstood tho. i mooch yes, but i also have all of my food open to
the public. i really feel like the majority of the time my giving heart is completely
ignored because of my selfish tendencies...maybe im just making myself feel better.

week 2, getting comfortable, but not too comfortable

it has been more than a week since ive been here now.
i feel settled, and i feel like it has been a month since charlie
was here.
me and zack have practiced songs the past two nights.
i have found out about open mics pretty much every night
of the week! so as soon as i can gain the courage (within the
week, hopefully) i will start hitting those up.
i also updated my resume and wrote up a cover letter
and sent my first app. to an independent music company in
need of a temp.
today i felt useless and bored so i went on a run thru
the hills where all the expensive homes look down on the city.
it was intense.
i also gave myself a haircut. i look a bit silly.
also! i set up my computer and got internet and set up my
web cam. me and kelly talked in person for the past two nights.
i cant decide if it makes it easier or more difficult to be apart.

california, week one

now i am in california. it was sad to see charlie leave, i didnt even realize
at the time that i was saying goodbye for multiple months, it just felt
like "see ya tomorrow"

before he left we went to paramount pictures and got an awesome tour
with his buddy mike and watched a movie were spielberg edits his movies.
then i purchased south park for 12 bucks at the gift shop! he also was able to experience
bsf night (breakfast sandwich friday) in all its glory and splendor. oh yeah, and on night
one, zack took us on a walk of downtown glendale and we had in and out!

since then, we have had a dress up bday party for some girls they know.
i was hancock. zack also made some toasted ravs that were, dare i say, better than
the hill.

me and zack cleaned his room, the porch, and the rest of the house. i set up my
computer, got internet and set up my new webcam so i can visit face to face
with people (kelly, kevin, mom so far). a year old bag of bottles and stuff
from a party broke at the very top of zacks stairs and made the loudest cacaphony
of all time. it startled me worse than the earthquake, honestly. glass everywhere.
stains splattered on the walls and carpeted stairs! zacks priceless face like someone just
broke up with him. oh man, i took a pic.

also, i experienced a 5.8 earthquake yesterday! that is alot of fun. i enjoy natural
phenoms.today i begin looking on craiglist for job options!

we also went to a church tuesday night. everyone there was a singer (it felt like) so
worship was amazing. it did make me feel like a small fish in a big pond.
for some reason, this was more comforting than intimidating. knowing i am
not that special is kind of a nice thing to remember. there are thousands of other gregs.

oh yeah, and i love the roommates. this guy kyle, who i am replacing is pretty cool.
your basic blond haired guitar playing californian. then bryson, a way cool
philosophical brotha. and dan, a very big bouncer/teddy bear. scary, yet sings
like kyle from tenacious d.
i had a chance to go play frisbee golf with 3 of them (minus bryson) and it was
better than t.v. although, i loathe...loathe frisbee golf. i suck. who combines two
recreational sports anyways, how lame. id rather play soccer.

cliff notes on the rest of the trip

well, i got lazy. so here is the rest of the trip as i remember it.
the next day we went to the roswell alien museum. it was disappointing.
we expected more aliens and less newspaper articles about aliens.
so we drove to albuquerque and showered and went out.
we went to red lobster.
i dont feel like typing it, but ask me about the kid in red lobster and
the blue puke.
then we went to see dark night again because we had nothing better to do.
so we went through most of our fun funds that night. worth it.

the next day, day 5?, we went to the grand canyon. we actually just camped
outside of the canyon at kaibab national state park. charlie had a tough time
because he wanted to rough it and didnt bring a sleeping bag. he ended up
wearing my winter coat and it was funny. oh yeah, and on the way we stopped
at the meteor crater! that was awesome. $15 well worth it. plus while we were there
a huge storm came through, just look at the pics.

day 6ish, we break camp and go set up camp inside the grand canyon park.
then we go on the most intense hike of our lives...sort of.
with only a water bottle we trekked down 3 miles into the canyon. it was about
9 miles to reach the river. going down was easy (thats what she said) but hiking back
up was pretty harsh with no food. we were incredibly tired afterward and had the
greatest pb and h sandwich ever. then we showered and went back to camp.

day 7 we went to the canyon again to take pics with the gnome and head to california!
on the way we experienced alot of weird gas station attendants. one such encounter
happened while still in new meheco. i just wanted a candy bar and i waited in line
behind one person for about 3-4 minutes while they talked in spanish. then the
girl in front of me just moves over and watches me while i hand the attendant
lady my whatchamacallit. she says it's a $1.09 mixed in with some mumbly spanish
and i say jeeeeeez. and give her a buck and a quarter. outraged at the price and her
weirdness i decide to wait for my 16 cents. she just stands there staring at the floor
for a good 25 seconds and me and char share looks of confusion.
i say "oh i dont need a receipt, ill just get my change." and she mumbles something in
spanglish that we didnt understand and continued to stare at the floor with an open
register, mind you. after another 20 seconds or so i say in a jerry seinfeldish
smartguy voice (we had been listening to him in the car) "you know what,
why dont you just keep the change." and we left the two ladies just standing there
like a couple of dazed aliens (pun intended).

we also stopped at the very worst excuse for a ghost town in the history of ghost towns.
i pictured dust roads and saloons. what we got was paved streets, 6 flags music, and crappy leather shops. no saloon! luckily, the lady at the gate didnt charge us the $12 to get in.
and the lady at the "ole mine" didnt charge us the $2 to get in. apparently we just looked
very friendly that day.

arrival in alien country

day 3. yet another goodbye to dan and brie.
gone by 8 15.
long trek thru the top part of texas. nothing crazy happened.
arrived safely in roswell and set up camp at bottomless lake state park.
actually just sinkholes up to 90 feet deep. we walked around one or two and climbed up some rocks
even tho the lady said not to bc of rattle snakes.
now we are starbuckin and getting supplies and headin back to camp to play guitar and balance our mulah. we will probably look at the stars and just cry with joy.
tomorrow we seek alien friends.

Tulsa, is more than OK.

okay, now day 2. today. it is 2 am and we awake in 5 hours to drive for 9. ill make this brief.
we awoke at 10 and 1030 to dan playing jamariqui on the piano and giving me empty threats of airsoft guns and water buckets.
we go to the farmers market downtown and me and char split a cinn. roll.
we ride bikes along the river with sean.
we swim at seans apt. complex and get burnt.
we go to oru to reminisce about the time we broke curfew and skinny dipped in the prayer pool.
the four boys attempt to jam. jamming is not so successful.
we eat at an irish pub and it is gu lore e us.
we go to the horse races. it is depressing and fun all at once. children are asleep next to their toys on the floor next to their addicted parents...but the actual horse races are pretty friggin sweet.
i am sad that i dont have more time with dan. it is weird that my college roommate is pretty much a fully functioning adult already.
how does everyone else make the college to work transition so well?! i feel reta'did.

beginning with a map and no direction

man oh man oh man. it feels great to have a blog again.
i once had a xanga site back in the good ole college days before this stuff was everywhere.
maybe it wasnt before, but kind of right b4 it got huge.
anyways, if you want to read about my college days i think my name was AGregSea.

this is my new blog in honor of deck, for fam and friends to know whats going on.
this is what happened on day one.

saying goodbye is the least fun part of life aside from sickness, which can sometimes lead to a goodbye.
i had to say goodbye to all of the people i love in st. louis. jess, rach, kevin, holly, deck, nik and carrie and evan, dads and moms, uncles who arent technically uncles ( okay, just harvey), nana and joan, and various others. the hardest, however, was my girlfriend kelly. it felt like i was ripping my heart out of my heart socket and playing hacky sack with it. ugh. distance better make the heart grow fonder or i will be pissed at distance! i cant believe i miss my mom and dad so much already also, for the record.
of course, i cant help but question why i am moving to california now that its actually occurring. why am i doing this?! i love this place. i love these people. i love my life. but.
i dont love myself. that might not make sense. but it does. i dont love what i spend my time doing. and this makes me feel extremely discontent.
we were playing a game the other night and someone attempting to describe my life in two words wrote only "pleasure" and "music." this was embarrassing because it was true. i am a selfish mother. and yes, to the birdseye observer, me leaving for the sunshine state (i think) in order to pursue musical ambitions would not really seem like the unselfish direction to take to become a content person, but i feel like it is step one in an odd way.

an attempt to do something with my talents. which i believe is crafting songs. if i dont give it at least one honest try ill always have to imagine it. this way, if i suck and i fail, i will have contentment in at least that area of knowing. hopefully after this i will have some insight to myself and will be able to become a bonifide adult man. at the moment, i am really just a balding bearded boy.

wow! deviation much? back on course. day one. i have to fight tears when saying bye to mom and kelly.
i arrive late to my dads house to pick up charlie. this is to be expected, so naturally he isnt angry.
we leave town an hour late with our big map and even dads gps, and are beginning to get excited as i begin my california playlist.
charlie drives a stick shift on the highway for the first time. what a studly muffin.
we arrive in tulsa, ok at about 8.
me char (aka chuck) dan and his new bride brie run up and down the street making a parade for passerbys. i toot a trumpet, dan bangs a gong, and char and brie do the pot and pan thing.
the matlach residence is beautiful. dans art rules each room with an iron fist (art idea dan). i am amazed once again at his talents.
brie makes us dinner. i am amazed once again at her talents.
we go to a rooftop mexican place and have a beer. the outside looks like the wall from the movie cleanslate (carrie).


okay. thats pretty much it for day one.

Prelude to an adventure

i just wanted to set this blog up tonight so i can have one less thing to think about tonight while trying to sleep. i dont have the energy, but i plan on telling you all (ya'll if erika is reading) about my transition from st. louis to cali. soon, friends, soon.