diario del barco

Were your parents awesome?

2009-11-12T23:51:35Z

I am never going to be a parent and have never been awesome in any way whatsoever, but http://www.myparentswereawesome.com is totally smirky. My favorite pics are the ones where you can see the Love in the body language of the couples. Do any of my friends have awesome pics of their awesome parents from back before we were born?

Outer Banks Marathon and 8K

2009-11-12T23:50:13Z

Five days ago, Saturday 7 November 2009, I ran/walked the OBX 8K.

Then Sunday 8 November 2009, I ran/walked the OBX Marathon again.

Guy Fawkes Day, Today's shooting in Texas

2009-11-06T03:57:18Z

"Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot."

Fay just reminded me that today is Guy Fawkes Day.

I wonder if the shooter at Fort Hood choose today for that reason.

her: le purr. me:le sigh. (le cry.)

2009-11-04T04:44:55Z

feeling loved is dreamy.

going home alone is reality.

"Where the Wild Things Are" review:

2009-10-18T17:15:58Z

"Where the Wild Things Are" review: I give it seven Douglases - no more, no less. SEE THE MOVIE! Director/Co-Writer Spike Jonze, Co-Writer Dave Eggers, and a brilliant production team explore and expand upon the adventure first brought to us in the pictures and ten sentences of Maurice Sendak's much-loved 1963 story in this live-action, feature-length film. The muppet geniuses at Jim Henson's Creature Shop were able to design wild things marvelously true to Sendak's original illustrations. I love that the mischievous Max is played by a real boy named Max. We go along with Max on both his boat ride to an extravagant land and his emotional journey from being a wayward boy to being the King of all Wild Things. Some of us learn more quickly than others that life is not as much fun for the those being hurt by a wild thing. Although, we all can be a little monstrous when we find ourselves without the tools, words, or knowledge needed to resolve a beyond-our-control situation. Speaking of little monsters, more than half of the audience was children at the opening night showing that I attended. PARENTS BE WARNED. There are some slowly paced moments between Max's super-sized adventures. While growing up, we were lucky if we had at least one favorite reader of bedtime stories. Imagine if Dad, Mom, Grammy, Gramps, or that babysitter/life-long crush recorded a twenty minute home video of them reading your most treasured bedtime story complete with the full range of funny faces and character-appropriate voices, then someone else stretched that same video out to a 94 minute interpretation. The unadulterated version is obviously going to be the more potent one. So, take into consideration the attention span of those with whom you attend this film - child or otherwise. I do wish the Wild Rumpus would have been more - well - WILD! The stunning visuals pull your eyes across the screen gently to a moonlit Max, fantastic stick constructions, or juxtaposed objects and characters that have you constantly questioning the relative size of everything. Carter Burwell's score and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O's music push the playful tale along like swirly ocean currents. Warner Brothers is using the song "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire in the trailers, but it is not used in the film itself. I miss the song. Contrarywise, I cherish the absence of something else. At the end of the film "The Wizard of Oz", they did something NOT in the books. Dorothy explains away her experience simply as a dream and joyfully declares, "There's no place like home." Jonze does not do that here. The world would be a better place if we all had a tender hug and a still hot meal waiting for us in a place called Home. In the meantime, appreciate the friends that let you sleep in their pile, build a fort the next chance you get, speak well of your pals when you tell your tales, but listen to them when they speak because it's not always about you. May the day end with everyone's arms still attached and their brains not cut out. Let the wild rumpus start!

http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386117/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386117/trivia

Good Riddance!

2009-06-28T00:06:16Z

HA! Just got home. All of his clothes and 99% of his stuff is gone. Yippy! Of course, he left me all of my dishes that he dirtied. I will be changing the locks tomorrow. He obviously went to Nate and Gabby's. Nate's dresser and tv and mattress that Jason was using here are gone as well. Less for me to deal with now that my apartment is mine again. I am so glad it didn't get ugly and that I didn't have to put his stuff on the porch. I cannot imagine him EVER paying me any of the $1,600.00 that he owes me back.

It is a new day for me. Now, I can get back to organizing my stuff and all the projects I had to stop when he moved in 14 months ago.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Yes, I will be at The Apple Store on 19 June!!!

2009-06-09T14:14:28Z

The new operating system iPhone OS 3.0 will be available from Apple via iTunes on 17 June.

FINALLY, cut and paste between applications!

AND, two days later on 19 June 2009, I will of course be upgrading from my less-than-a-year-old iPhone 3G to the slightly better iPhone 3G-S.

- 32 gigabytes vs. my current 16 gigabytes
- 3 megapixel camera vs. my current 2 megapixel
- new ability to focus and set white balance
- new audio/video record and playback
- new MMS !!! Having to go to viewmymessage.com to view pictures or video that friends and family sent to my phone has been a pain in my butt.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare-iphones/

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/iphone-3g-vs-iphone-3g-s-the-tale-of-the-tape/

--------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone have, or know someone that has, Sprint AND purchased the new Palm Pre ? Just curious.

I woke up on the wrong side of the beach this morning.

2009-06-09T12:06:01Z

I am feeling a little crabby.

Last "Up" before a whole bunch of downs

2009-06-09T12:01:04Z

Pixar's "Up" is required viewing! Preferably In Digital 3D!

I love the money I make in the summer and the adventures that it pays for in the fall, but I hate working 14 to 20 hour work days just about every day for people that I love but at passionless jobs that I hate. Why for most people are personal income and emotional reward inversely proportional?

I have been awake for about 21 hours now. I made the mistake of walking over to the beach this morning just before 5am. I took pictures of the sunrise with my iPhone, posted them to Facebook, and am now too awake. I am going to log off the stupid computer, set my alarm for a two hour nap, then try to get through my deli-delivery into taco-tuesday day.

Nope

2009-06-08T18:24:06Z

If you are grasping at straws and you fully know that they are straws, how can you be at all surprised when you fail to get a firm grip on a safety rope. When falling, try to land like a cat not like a watermelon.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Pixar's "Up" in 3D

2009-05-31T23:16:24Z

Does anyone want to see the latest Pixar movie "Up" in digital 3D sometime in the next week or two? I can travel to Chapel Hill or Baltimore. I desperately need some social activity.

just stopping by

2009-04-10T01:55:49Z

I obviously haven't been writing anything on LJ. This is me just stopping by to read my Friends Page.

But while I'm here, ...

IF my left foot feels healed enough from the post-Shamrock-Marathon peripheral neuropathy, I will probably do the Dismal Swamp Stomp on the morning of 18 April. It is only a half-marathon, but my training has been limited to swimming laps at the OBX-YMCA, lifting weights, Nintendo Wii Fit games, and non-impact stuff. It was/is weird not being able to wiggle my toes nor have full feeling in my foot. If someone beat my foot with an asphalt bat for a couple hours, I would expect severe damage, but I have never experienced anything like it after any of my other long-distance, road runs. The doctor who saw me at Outer Banks Hospital didn't/wouldn't take x-rays of my foot. I wanted a scientific confirmation or denial of any fractures(hair-line or otherwise). He told me that the treatment would be the same either way - namely, don't run and take it easy. Grrr! Unfortunately, as my motor nerves started coming back and giving me movement, my sensory nerves came back and allowed me to feel the pain. The absence of pain in my foot for the week after the marathon prevented me from realizing that there was anything wrong.

The Dismal Swamp Stomp course is an abandoned section of Highway 17 in Chesapeake, Virginia just north of the NC/VA state line that was turned into a bike/run/walk path after the two-lane road was rerouted just a little to the east and redone as a four-lane divided highway. The Dismal Swamp Canal is quite serene. I recommend a kayak or canoe trip to anyone with the time, physical ability, and means. If I do stomp through the swamp, I will have just enough time to get back to Bodie Island in time for work that Saturday morning.

Speaking of work, I have fallen so behind over this winter due to lack of work opportunities. Also, my roommate has been short on his share of the rent and bills each month for the last five months. I have had to cover things as well as I can. Last month was super tight due to some badly timed yet must-be-done car maintenance(thermostat, temperature sensor, and starter). Spring has sprung, so, as Meg reminds me, I find myself working part-time all the time. Country Deli has been generous enough to offer me a couple shifts each week, and (!!!)they feed me. The Hutchins family owns and operates the deli. They are some of the best people on the planet. Comfort Inn North Oceanfront went independent on 1 Jan. 2009 and is now called The Carolina Oceanfront. My number of shifts there has slowly grown from none to one to two0-or-three from last October to now. I am actually typing this post on the front desk computer of the hotel between tasks. All of today's scheduled arrivals have checked-in. The Pit has been closed since the end of December except for some here-and-there private parties and a few teen nights for the local kids. This week, I am working two jobs most days - Deli>Pit, Deli>Hotel, and on Sat>Sun a dreaded Deli>Pit>Hotel 20-out-of-30 hour day with hoped-for naps between shifts. June through August, I hope to be working 80 to 100 hours each week between the three jobs. Last year, I slacked off and only worked seven nights a week at The Pit.

I have said it in the past, but this winter more than any of my last ten winters on the outer banks has convinced me that for my own personal growth and future happiness I must move away from this beach. I have personal/professional/musical ties to Norfolk, Virginia. I think Chapel Hill might be good for me. Cities in order of friends and feasibility are D.C./Baltimore, Richmond, or Philadelphia. My sister Angela and I would mutually benefit from my moving to Hershey, PA, but I don't know what the hell I would do for a living if I moved there. Now that I think about it though, I don't really know what I would do in any of those towns. I have no college degree. I have exponentially lost contact with music over the last four years. I have built a niche for myself at The Pit but have years of loyalty going for me more than amazing bartending skills. I would be best at a job based more on people skills than productivity.

I have run out of steam, and it is about time for me to clock out. I'll have to proof read this after I get home.

I don't expect to write anything here between now and next Saturday's half-marathon.

2009 Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, Virginia

2009-03-25T02:30:28Z

I finished another marathon two days ago. I wish that I actually felt better about myself for doing it. Almost every aspect of my life sucks.

what's on the telly

2009-02-01T23:18:34Z

I love Sunday nights. First, I watch HBO's "Big Love" and "Flight of the Conchords". Then, I switch over to Showtime for "Secret Diary of a Call Girl", "United States of Tara", and "The L Word."

Hmmm, is there anything to watch on the telly tonight before 9pm?

Today at a Mall in Washington, D.C.

2009-01-20T08:19:57Z

BSG!

2009-01-17T03:27:38Z

Shiney! - finally the NEW episodes of Battlestar Galactica!

Frak! - newly the FINAL episodes of Battlestar Galactica!

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

taxes, refund, money

2009-01-16T21:02:45Z

I e-filed my taxes today. I desperately need the refund. I am going to be helping out at Country Deli for the next couple weeks while they are on their vacations. But by mid-February, I am going to have to have some sort of work lined up in order to pay my bills and ... what is that thing I do now and again... hmmm? Eat! Yeh, having food available to eat is a good thing.

When it rains, ...

2008-12-12T03:56:56Z

The Good:
1 - I am NOW warm and dry and safely checked into a hotel room in Maryland outside of D.C.

The Bad:
1 - The windshield wipers on my car completely stopped working
2 - while it was intensely raining
3 - while I was in the D.C. end-of-day exodus.

Good:
2 - I had my iPhone with me.

Bad:
4 - I will park wherever I happen to be and wait for sunlight and clear skies before I drive in similar conditions again.
5 - I had to roll down my window and stick my head out to see at all.
6 - I consequently got very wet and very cold very quickly.

Good:
3 - I somehow made it to an Advance Auto Parts store
4 - without wrecking my car.
5 - Chinese food and a hotel were close by.

Bad:
7 - I was not able to figure out what was wrong. Oh how I hoped it was simply a fuse. I will have to wait for daylight to access the wiper motor.
8 - I am scared of how difficult tomorrow is going to be for me.

BAD:
9 - Ten-year-olds don't care why you weren't at their recital or how horrible your day was or how much money you now have to spend. Nieces only remember that you weren't there like you said you were going to be.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Marathon Soundtrack 2008

2008-11-11T18:43:06Z

A friend of mine asked me on Facebook what music got me through the 26.2 miles.

Some of the stuff I remember listening to includes: Radiohead, Mogwai, DJ Shadow, UNKLE, DJ Krush, Thievery Corporation, Nightmares On Wax, Secret Machines, The Notwist, She Wants Revenge, M83, Mew, Of Montreal, The Rapture, Camera Obscura, Belle & Sebastian, Lily Allen, The Animatrix Soundtrack, and The Fountain Soundtrack.

OBX Marathon

2008-11-10T18:34:55Z

2008 Outer Banks Marathon

2008-11-09T10:21:48Z

I cannot believe that I am about to run / jog / walk / crawl / roll / ambulance 26.2 miles for "fun".

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Happy Birthday, Tabetha.

2008-11-07T06:08:37Z

What to do? What to do?

2008-09-19T13:07:33Z

I am in New York City and staying in Central Park West at a hotel with my friend Maya. She is still asleep so I thought I would ask my LJ friends a question.

If you had eight hours in NYC, could only do one touristy thing, and eat at only one restaurant, what would you do and where would you eat?

We took the train in from Baltimore yesterday and saw Sigur Ros last night at the United Palace Theatre uptown at 175th and Broadway. Maya sat with her brother in the fifteenth row. He came up independently from Philadelphia. I had third row seats. After too many phone calls to too many people, I could not get up with anyone that I even sort of knew to use my other ticket. I just gave some random person a free "upgrade". Her name was Maria. She was very excited about the show. And I will most likely never see her ever again in my life. BUT that is what I thought after I met Maya at an Air show at the 9:30 Club in D.C. in 2001. We have been seeing Radiohead, Björk, Sigur Ros, and many other bands in concert together for seven and a half years now.

Uh oh. I need to wake Mama Bear and ask her if she wants to go down the the breakfast room before it closes at 10:00.

My current plan is to see Mogwai tonight in Philly, drive out to Hershey tomorrow morning to hug my sister and her family, and then drive back home to bartend Saturday night at The Pit.

After we check-out, I want to pay John Lennon some respects then walk across the street to Strawberry Fields in Central Park.

ugh...

2008-09-11T23:42:48Z

Why do I care too much about the people, places, and things that are always beyond my reach yet care too little about the people, places, and things that are easily accessible to me?

birth, school, work, death

2008-08-16T21:19:14Z

my sister angela gave birth to a healthy boy yesterday in hershey, pennsylvania. dustin. they are calling the kid dustin. i'm still a little weird about them deciding on that name, and i don't know why. i will just have to get over it. dustin's big sister rebecca is optimistic. for ten years, rebecca has been chris and angela's only child. her world as she knew it has been forever changed and she doesn't even realize it yet.

all of the college students that have been working on the outer banks for the summer have already left or are just about to leave. that means those of us that actually live here Year-Round have just as many things that need to be done but with a lot fewer people to do them with. i have thought about going back to college, but i am a horrible student and have Never answered an essay question much less written a full-length paper. if only, i could get a bachelor's degree by doing things instead of writing about them. my fears of writing and anxieties about reading have cursed me for my entire life.

i have 17 more full-on summer work days ahead of me. i am fantasizing of making $3,000.00 and paying off one more credit card before the pit closes for the season at the beginning of october. i want to get down to one bank with one checking account, one associated debit card, and one credit card through that bank. i have been working seven nights a week at the pit since the beginning of june. i have also been picking up one to three shifts a week at the hotel as there were holes in the schedule. i have not been buying music. i have not been going on road trips to see bands play in far away places. i have been lucky to catch glimpses of family and friends. i want a one day bath, a two day hug, a three day sleep, copies of all my zero balances to show the world, and scream, "I can be responsible!" I might have been able to pay off some financially debt this summer, but my emotional piggy bank was smashed only to reveal I.O.U. slips.

This is the tenth anniversary of the worst month of my life so far. Three dead cars, two dead radio stations, and one suicide followed up by six weeks of homelessness. I don't like Augusts. Augusts exhaust me. Aprils are hopeful. Septembers are good for recovery and reconnection - I hope.