The good guys carry the fire

I just finished read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. They recently made it into a movie and I was reading about how the movie was filmed partly here in Washington and it inspired me to read the book. I'm glad it did.

The Road is the story of a boy and his father in a apocalyptic world (we are not told what happened to civilization only that it is no more). All they want is to reach the coast. Along the way they encounter various other people surviving in the barren ash covered land. Everyone from a very old man traveling alone to a cellar full of people whose final destination is the stomachs of their captures. Never have I read such a bleak depiction of what could be, however through the darkness a light burns bright.

The heart of the book comes between the relationship of the boy and his father, who are never named. As they progress in their journey their bond is often tried and at times seems ready to fall apart. However it is very clear that neither of them would have made it thus far without the other. What I loved most of their relationship was how McCarthy was able to show two very different characters living inside of both of them, passing traits back and forth.

The desolate setting is masterfully designed while every page still screams that humanity and kindness can exist in such a place. He achieves this all with beautifully constructed prose in a style that is completely original. I have to tip my hat to McCarthy. If ever there was a "drull" novel it would be this.

Not so festive

I'm starting to come around to this album.

A lil Christmas diddy

I just want one cup

I finally got to see the Huskies win! And win big. It was a great game. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come next season. Big thanks to PMRob...

Didn't do too much else this weekend. Spent most of the time hibernating in my apartment. Did two puzzles. Both of them were of boats. Its been almost a year since I'd done a puzzle. I actually really enjoyed it. There is something soothing about puzzling. I might have to go out and buy some new ones. I've done all the ones that I have a few times now...

I had a very vivid dream last night. I remembered all the details when I woke up but by the time I'd left my house to get on the bus it was gone. Usually that means that I'll remember flash images of it throughout the day. Well see...

Started reading "The Road". It's depressing but pretty good...

I've made two pots of coffee already this morning. Sad thing is that I've gotten to drink less than a cup so far. It really pisses me off that no one will make the coffee but everyone seems to know when it's fresh because by the time I get back in there all that's left is an inch of murky liquid plagued with grounds. Grrrr...

It's getting real festive up in here

The older I get the more I find I like things that I used to loathe. Like holiday music. 5 year I couldn't stand it. Go back a couple more years and it made me want to kill people and dance around wearing their skin. However this year I actively made an effort to listen to more holiday sounds. Maybe it's because I don't work retail anymore. Maybe it's because I'm being more 'american'. Maybe it has something to do with a chemical reaction in my brain that has changed over time. Either way, I can't get enough of it...

Tim Ruskell is out as the Seahawks GM, thank the maker. Lets hope that they're serious about getting Holmgren in there. Maybe then we'll end up with a decent team again...

The only thing that I've found better that holiday music today was pitchforks collection of Neutral Milk Hotel videos from back in 98. Y'all should check em out. It's the good stuff...

Going to the Huskies game tomorrow. GO DAWGS!!! The unfortunate thing is that they'll probably lose. I've been to one game every year for the past 4 or 5 years and I've never seen them win. I usually see them get stomped. But that was pre-Sark...

Well I guess I'll keep this one short since everyone thought yesterdays post was a little wordy. Peace...

"Get the fuck outta m'way" or What we did instead of going to Joanne Fabrics

I got home last night and was watching a lil TV when I got a text from the NESF. Earlier in the day we'd briefly discussed getting together. I replied to the text and then decided it best to just call him. The conversation went something like this:

NESF: This is [desomniac]
Desomniac: Excuse me?
*grumbles*
Desomniac: Did you just say you were PMRob?
NESF: No, this is [desomniac]
Desomniac: Oh well then...this is [NESF]?
*strange noises mixed with silence*
Desomniac: Can we start again?
NESF: I'm sorry I'm having trouble communicating today.
*forgotten words*
NESF: So what are you thinking?
Desomniac: Oh I dunno, Morocco?
NESF: Joanne Fabrics?
*laughter*
Desomniac: I guess Joanne's would be closer.
NESF: Than Morocco? Yeah.

Then there was a back and forth about insecurities and the unsavory nature of the crowd at Joanne that I can't remember exactly. After some time we got back on track.

NESF: Well are you thinking you want to do something there? Or here? Somplace else?
Desomniac: Well I spend a lot of time here. You probably spend a fair amount of time there. Maybe we should go somewhere we don't see all the time.
NESF: Some where to get a beer?
Desomniac: Oh a beer sounds nice.
*I went to get a beer out of the fridge*
NESF: With some buck hunter. But not the high def.
Desomniac: Where would we find such a place?
NESF: Well there's the Loft...or that strange place next to the chinese restaurant I was telling you about.
Desomniac: Strange? Chinese restaurant? I'm in.
*chuckles*
NESF: Alright well get down here.
Desomniac: I have to finish this beer.
NESF: You opened a beer?
Desomniac: Well yeah, you put the idea in my head. Let me pound this back and I'll be down.
NESF: Late.

So I finished my beer rather quickly and snagged a bus down the hill. After meeting up we went in search of a cash machine. In order to avoid surcharges NESF opted to just buy something at Bartell's. Beatles calendar? Yes but no. Coffee's not cheap enough. Cards! Playing cards were the answer. Then we got sidetracked in the toy section reminiscing about miniature pool tables and realistically designed dinosaurs. For a moment we considered stealing all the prize tickets from the beanie babies, but that too was dismissed. Did you know that they still publish Archie comics? The checker was a nice guy. Didn't say too much. Do you need a bag? NESF placed the deck of cards in his super hidden interior pocket. I say interior purely as a guess because this compartment is so secret I couldn't see where they went. A green tinsel wreath as spotted as we left, it would have been just as good as cards.


We reached our destination and took note of the scene. The location was strange to say the least. We entered through a door that led into a very well lit room void of people that housed a ping pong table, two pool tables, Fish Tales pinball game, Cruisin' USA, chairs scattered about, a few tall tables and the ever important Buck Hunter machine. About 2/3rd's of the way back there was a hole cut into the wall. It seemed to be a recent addition as the threshold wasn't finished in any way.

On the other side of the portal everything was different. There were many people crammed into the small area. The lighting was poor at best and an argument seemed to be looming. As I tried to make my way to the bar and order a beer a man slammed into me. The waitress started yelling at everyone to move aside. NESF and an old man had some communication about how the guy was an asshole. I was order when my attacker tried to apologize. He was friendly enough in the end. Wanted to know who won the Gonzaga/WSU game. As I was sorting through all of that I felt a nudge on my other side. It was the old man who looked especially surly and said, "get the fuck outta m'way." Which I promptly did.

We got out beer and retreated back to the game room, desperately trying to make sense of everything that was going on. We started up the Buck Hunter, which was impeded by the placement of the ping pong table. In an attempt to move the table slightly we seemed to have broke it, one of the net posts dislodged from the table causing the net to collapse.

A younger group of people started to show up. It led to a strange mix. The first two of this new crowd seemed to be interested in either the ping pong or the Buck Hunter as they got their drink and took a seat in a spot where they had a very good view of us.

People congregated outside the windows off and on, mostly based on who was smoking at the time. At point I glanced outside to find a man, probably in his mid 40s, standing by the doorway smoking a cigarette. He was dressed in what could accurately be described as rags which gave the impression that he hadn't bathed since Labor Day. The striking thing about this man was his eyes which were fixed on us. It was as if he was studying his prey. Needless to say it was extremely unsettling. Things would have been different if we had The Fastest Knife in the World, but we were without.

More people showed up. This group definitely seemed interested in the ping pong table and was displeased with our presence. I overheard one of them say, "they even broke the ping pong table", which we did but how could he have known? For a moment I thought we were going to have to fight this guy along with the rest of the bar, but he held his tongue, at least while we were there.

Everything about this place seemed to be against us. I felt extremely out of place. NESF more so than I as he pointed out, he was wearing a sweater. The regulars at this place would have lynched us in a moment if it weren't for the established law outside of its walls. Luckily for us they couldn't keep us in there for ever.

We decided that one beer was going to be more than enough time spent there and finished the game quickly. NESF paid cash on the tap and I got my card back. We both breathed a sigh of relief upon exiting on the sidewalk.

We headed down to the Ballard Loft. Nice spot. I hear it's a mad house on the weekend, but it was very pleasant while we were there. They also had a brand new Buck Hunter Open Season machine. I'd yet to play it so it was exciting. Nothing of real consequence happened while we were there, which was a very welcome change given our last experience.

We wrapped it up around 11 and walked back toward NESF's. Just as he was about to turn on his street a bus rolled up that I hopped on for a few blocks up to the 7-11. I went in for some taquitos. "I'm not going to get the taquitos till your card clears. Not to say you're a dead beat but I can't put em back once I pull em out." Strange thing to say I thought. Then wouldn't ya know, my card declined for some reason. I panicked for a slight moment. "See." "Eh, hold on, lemme try this again." I ran the card through and very carefully typed in my pin number. APPROVED. Phew. "Oh I guess you are good."

"I better be. If that thing is declining I've got bigger problems than taquitos. Like my rent."

"See I pay cash for my rent. I guess I forgot to do it the other day. My girlfriend called me all worked up, 'my mom hasn't got your rent yet' I just told her to chill and grab it out of my room. Then get this, they go christmas shopping. All freaked out about the rent and then they go blow it on gifts. Women and shopping, I'll never get it."

He handed me my reheated processed goo wrapped in a tortilla.

"Me either. Talk to ya later man."

"Yeah those girls are always..."

He was still talking as I left.

Furry Happy Monsters

Not sure how it came to this, but it did.

I am disappointed in Tiger Woods

I can't believe it. How could you Tiger?! I thought I knew you. I mean seriously, you could have at least told ME! I understand that you would want to keep it from your wife, but from me! I thought I was your BFF!! When I saw you were in a car crash I was genuinely concerned for your well being, then to find that it's because you were having a secret affair I was hurt and very very very disappointed. Needless to say, I'm not coming to dinner tomorrow. You'll have to find someone else to help you out of the hole you've dug yourself. Don't call me. Ever. And when you see me (which you might because I'm going to try to hook up with your soon to be x-wife ASAP) don't talk to me. Don't even look at me. You make me sick. The only advice I'll give you is to pray for forgiveness. Pray till your knees bleed.

It'll be 6' tall this time next year.

I really hate Tim Eyman. Enough so that I started a facebook group a while back "Tim Eyman: Stop Wasting Our Time!". Turns out that it is the largest group about Eyman. Why am I bringing this up? Because he's going to be back at it for next year. Hopefully this time around he fails to get the signatures needed to put it on the ballot. Hopefully...

Magnesium deficiency...

As y'all know I'm reading Ulysses. I came across a strange part. He's getting some lunch and decides that he wants Burgundy and a gorgonzola sandwich. Now it's a real small thing in the story but seriously gorgonzola? I've never heard of anyone eating a blue cheese sandwich...

Low humidity...

I'd completely forgotten how great TV on the Radio is. I need to make sure that doesn't happen again...

Epsom Salt...

I'm thinking that I might need to get a holiday tree. I don't know where I'd put it or what I'd put on it, but it seems like something that I should have. Maybe I'll just get a lil seedling and let it grow for a few years in my apt...

Degeneration

They shot the cop killer this morning. Hopefully this gives some sense of closure for the families affected by this tragedy and they can start to piece together what's left of their lives. I totally agree with PMRob in that anyone found to have been aiding the man in eluding the police should now be charged with four counts of murder and go on trial immediately. We need to send a message to any criminals out there that this is not going to be tolerated and there are EXTREME consequences. If we don't these acts of domestic terrorism will continue to plague our society...

Loneliness is contagious....

My aralia tree is thriving. It brings me great joy. Hopefully it will continue it's expansion and soon grow to be 5 feet tall. That would bring me even greater joy...

Work is busy. One of the few remaining sales people is out, so it's a bit crazy. The real irritating part is one particular customer who thinks he's funny. He'll call up and complain about how I'm never at my desk, when in actuality I haven't gone anywhere I've just been on the phone with other customers. It's the exact bullshit I complained to my boss about when they decided to not hire a new sales person when I was told "It'll be alright." It's far from alright if it's irritated me enough to bitch about it here. At the same time I'm just saying to hell with it all and blogging as I'm on the phone with him while he thinks I'm "researching" something...

Here's a little something else I was "researching":



And here's a little something that I wrote a bit earlier for the 2x4ster:

"Facebook just recommended that I write on your wall to make your Facebook experience better. So I figure "what the hell". Have you heard about the monkey's that lived in the clouds? They had 10 fingers and 10 toes just like us. But unlike us they had very long tails that stretch across the skies in a web that covered the entire planet. They lived this way for many many years until the invent of the aeroplane. It was a hundred years ago or so when they realized that they might have to leave their home in the sky because it was only a matter of time before we (humans) used our flying machines to unknowingly shred their tails to nothingness. So as the Wright brothers were performing their first flight the monkeys were building a vast underwater city in which they could live peacefully without fear of accidental death. They all flocked to this underwater eden where they still live. The problem in the end wasn't for them, but for us. Turns out that the monkey tails doubled as a form of second ozone, keeping our planet nice and cool. I talked with one of the representatives of the monkey people and they are aware of this dilemma. However their democratically elected officials have decided that we're just getting what we deserve and in the end hotter temps mean more water for them to spread out in. The conversation ended when their representative spit in my face, gave me the finger, threw some of his fresh feces at me and told me that I'm going to get whats coming to me. This didn't go over so well. I decided that as an ambassador for all mankind I should act in a manner that showcases humanity in it's truest form. So I grabbed a machete hacked off his tail and set him on fire. Then I ran to the next monkey and repeated this action. And again until all the monkeys were burning tail-less carcasses. I guess what I'm trying to say is: would you like to come over for some monkey tail soup?"