"Mooooon riveeeer"

Four words I was not expecting to hear when I woke up this morning:

1) Lift

2) Your

3) Scrotum.

Lift

Your

4) Penis.

Yeah.....So I had an appointment with the dermatologist and I thought he would just be looking at the freckles I was concerned about. I wasn't prepared for such a thorough inspection. Strangely enough, this was much easier than peeing at a urinal with no divider. Good thing I showered. "Thank you, Doc. Ever serve time?"

We've been doing a big music exchange at work recently. I think I've imported 2-3 gigs worth of new music, so much that it was a little overwhelming. It wasn't until this last batch though that I really found stuff that not only appreciated but really loved, stuff that was addictive, infectious.

The Format - I guess I'd call it indie pop/rock. Kind of like a less self-conscious, less "cool guy" Vampire Weekend...and I don't really like Vampire Weekend. Also could describe them as a more conventional, more singalong-friendly version of The Shins. Which is fine by me because as much as I like The Shins, that's my main complaint is that I have no fucking clue what any of their songs are about. I danced a jig to this music.

Nick Drake - No description or link necessary, I'm sure. I'm very late to the party, but at least I showed up.

Mason Jennings - I had heard of this guy, but hadn't heard him because I got him confused with Shooter Jennings whom I had heard and didn't care for. Not the same guy, as it turns out. Anyway, I would call Mason Jennings fun folk rock with more than your average amount of percussion. It's singer-songwriter stuff but with a foot-tapping twist away from the usual soul-baring sad songs.

I know it's already July, but I am declaring this (not only this) the music of the summer.

Speaking of music....you know how I know I'm gay (not really)? I listen to Coldplay. Yep. After years of being utterly unaffected by the band despite liking so many of their similar-sounding colleagues (Keane, Athlete, Travis), Viva La Vida finally flipped the switch for me. I'm not saying I'm a fan now or that I retroactively all of a sudden love their previous stuff, but, what can I say, I like this new album.

Wanna guess how much it cost me to fill up my car yesterday? Would you believe $75? Seven-five. I've been fretting over the cost of a bike but at this rate it will pay for itself in a few short tanks. Finding a local bike shop is on my list of things to do. I was also reading about how the bike path I will take runs right behind the Mar Vista Gardens housing projects and how a couple riders were accosted and seriously injured a couple years ago. I'd like to avoid that so, hopefully, I can steer clear of any hooligans by entering the path further southwest. I did read though that UCLA bought these projects for student housing so let's get some wimpy-ass Bruins in there in place of the gang that's there now, asap.

Sartorial situation...Is it wrong to wear red, white, and blue on the 4th of July? Would I be the subject of great snickering and snide whispers? I'm not talking about wearing some godawful country-western American flag-patterned shirt, just the colors. We wear green on St. Patty's Day, don't we?

General statment: no one tells me anything anymore. I really don't get it.

Some might say it's too early for this, but with the recent weather, I think the timing couldn't be better...

The Top 5 Things I Love About Getting A Haircut

5. Reading magazines you might never read otherwise whilst waiting to be called.

4. The first cool rush as you walk outside afterwards, your scalp suddenly more exposed to the elements.

3. When they fold my ear down and do the careful edging with the clippers behind the ears.

2. Three words: Clippers. On. Neck.

1. The guilty pleasure (Am I supposed to enjoy this? I didn't just moan, did I?) of the hair wash scalp massage. Unfortunately, I haven't indulged in this level of haircut in a while.

Up, Up, And Away!

I saw premium gas yesterday priced at $5.30/gallon. Actually, it was $5.29 9/10, but I figured it would be safe to round up that extra 10th of a gallon. What is that about anyway?

My gas light was on today so I had to pull in. I hit 2.07 gallons and pulled out. I just couldn't bring myself to pay it. That 2 gallons of sheer necessity cost me 10 bucks. The needle barely moved.

Is 10.9 miles too far to ride my beachcruiser to work? How long would that take ya think? It might be something to think about. Just need a helmet is all. And a basket for my manpurse and lunch.

I think I might actually try this. Save money on gas AND gym membership.

By the end of the summer, it might actually be cheaper to fly to San Francisco than to drive there, as long as you don't want to check any bags of course.

Have Yourself a Merry Littl--NEXT!

I listen to my ipod on shuffle all day. Several times a day, it will land on a Christmas song. I can't lie, I have to force myself to skip it. I am ready for the season already.

There Is Community In Los Angeles

I have to tell you, I had the greatest night last night.

It started with my dad calling me at work to ask if we had any hamburgers left over. Of course we did. Many hamburgers. We were to have a pot luck dinner, he and my stepmom, Nicole and I, and my neighbor from upstairs. Let's call her Sharon. No, perhaps we should call her Angel as she sells wine for a living. So Sharon/Angel brought over italian sausage and peppers and no fewer than seven bottles of wine, we brought our burgers, and my folks broke out the leftover potato salad and strawberries. It was a makeshift feast and wine tasting. As we cooked and drank and chatted and sat, Juan the Spanish architect poked his head in for a minute on his way to his apartment upstairs. He resisted briefly before stepping inside for a quick glass. Juan had just come from playing paddle tennis at Venice beach. As it turned out, he does play a little tennis (the racket kind) so he and I made a tentative pact to walk to the park up the street and play sometime. I haven't played in years, but I would love to get it going again. Nicole and I mentioned that we were considering Spain or Portugal for our honeymoon so he began telling us about the different regions of Spain, the architecture, and the wine. When dinner was ready to be eaten, Juan said goodnight and headed upstairs and we sat around the table and ate and talked. Sharon is a pretty interesting woman who's lived in more countries than I've ever visited. She talked to Nicole about a class she takes that's some hybrid blend of yoga, pilates, and ballet. I think they make take a class together. Towards the end of the night, as we began to have to find what little wine remained by lifting each of the many bottles littering the table, Juan stopped on his way out to loan us a book about wines in Spain. I thought that was the nicest thing. We had a desert of strawberries and ice cream and delivered a knockout blow to the wine. Nicole and my dad and I got into a spirited argument comparing sports to art which I undoubtedly won. We looked at the clock and we had been there for over four hours. We stumbled home and went to bed.

I said before that I had met more of my neighbors here than ever before. Last night was an experience in not only meeting, but getting to know my neighbors. It's a really good feeling and sadly novel. This city is such a vast, disconnected, impersonal place; it's a refreshing feeling to have a sense that my comfort zone--my home--extends past the walls of my apartment.

It was a really relaxing yet stimulating, interesting and fun night--and on a Monday no less. I think this is going to turn out to be a good move.

It's All Mine!

Just made my last car payment! Woo hoo! It's like getting a raise without getting bumped into a higher tax bracket! And I'll get the pink slip now! Finally, I can play for pinks!!

Still Here

Remember me? I used to write stuff on here way back when.

The packing, unpacking, painting, and moving is finally over with. Shelves hath been erected. The "house" has been sufficiently warmed. This is the first time I have had to really sit down and type something in probably a month. Bear with me.

--It's odd, I have met and spoken with more of my neighbors in the two weeks I've been at this new building than all of my other apartments combined. It's nice. In the laundry room, I noticed there is a shelf where everyone leaves their detergent, trusting that it will still be there the next time they do laundry. It's a simple thing, but I was really kind of touched by it. Nicole once had her detergent stolen at her old place, just within the thirty-minute wash cycle it was left unguarded.

--Do you believe that certain types of alcohol bring out specific parts of ourselves that other varieties may not? Nicole has a theory that whiskey makes men into assholes. I don't think I agree, but it's possible, I guess. For me, the game of poker does that best.

--I had a dream the other night in which I had a helluva nice conversation with Robert Redford. Nice guy. I was walking around the neighborhood I lived in as a kid and I saw this schizophrenic woman walking around the tennis courts (installed by my subconscious) asking the players if they liked her haircut. Anyway, I turned to go back another way and--boom--there was good ol' Sundance himself. We talked about where I went to school, what I wanted to do, my hobbies, etc. I feel bad, I did most of the talking. I will have to remedy that next time I run into him.

--Nothing suits a hangover like an emotional morning of television. First, it was the Tim Russert tribute on "Meet the Press." So sad. When I began to take an interest in politics, Tim Russert as host of the show had a lot to do with it. He always seemed to me to be a fair-minded, genuine guy who clearly loved his job. After "Meet the Press," it was the 2-hour season finale of "House." They definitely saved the best for last. I've thought that this season was by far the weakest yet, but this last episode was exceptional.

Anyway, that's all I got right now. Ya don't wanna rush back into these things.