Ahora Mehn

A Quick run-down of recent times past:
April 10s - Meeting with Dark Horse Comics: I present. Am given feedback. Accept and Learn. A meeting is aligned with the VP of Creative Development in LA. It is learned a friend has a business trip in LA during this time. Dominoes Align. I'm down with the fall.
April 20th - Negotiate w/ my Portland Landlord a discounted rate for 2 months, as I'd likely not be living in the apartment during the majority thereof.
May 13th - Vehicle packed alongside the glassware, I set off from Portland with minimal fanfare, entirely unlike a cruise ship departing the pier with folks running the planks waving bye-bye.
May 14-17th - Arcata, Humboldt CA, stay with Shin,couchsurfing.org connection, a cute intellectual gal with a proclivity for the bud. Observe the ocean with drift-wood and the rotting body of a beached whale. Eat home-style bbq meal with all the "fixin"s. Realize the town's center is comprised of a bar, and a donut/pizza shop, the donuts of which are outstanding.
May 18th- San Francisco - Hanging in the Haight with a neon-blue polo, by Express for Men as indicated by the neon-green griffin logo, I am propositioned by numerous individuals in want of psychedelics and rolls, neither of which I am at the time engaged in commerce with. Clothing mein frers does in fact say something. Burn with Nazi Nick and his entourage, hearing of his successful capitalization upon investment through the dealing of heroine, under the protection of the Aryan brotherhood, while in prison, which had landed him there in the first place I'd assume, and how given the cost of living in jail he'd gotten out with $10,000 in pocket and tattoos that enable him to keep on keepin' on atop his skin. Watch as a faded dead-head jams to the cassette tape of his favorite concert while touring with the Dead Family, listen to his explanation of how Jerry was swaying at a particular moment due to the strength of the acid wave crashing across the country at the time. Enjoy a ballet-show by an amateur tripping showboat of a beauty. International Hostel. Smoke-room. American girl. Opportunity faded. Korean Girl. Morning. Australian Friends made. Chinatown food consumed, Alaskan Sea Urchin and some truly fantastic duck. Meet with Ansel of the band, Ansel. Drink and merriment.
May 19th - San Fran to Muraga CA, stay with the delightful family of Ansel for an eve, and set off for LA.
May 20-22nd - The meeting; under review; the marvel. Roam the city with Ryan, roor in Venice, growl at the moon downtown.
May 23 - Ocean Beach San Diego hotel with Hannah, a Swedish model I'd made the acquaintance of on Venice Beach, travels with. Glorious opportunity overseen, now regretfully oversighted, but we move on, a twang of emptiness in our bellies.
May 24-25- Los Angeles. Business having ended, my mate Ryan goes back East, although like a boss, I remain.
May 26th - Banana Bungalow International Backpacker's Hostel - Hollywood. An anti-American sentiment about the individuals here, vibes I don't quite understand nor do I care to.
May 27th - Ocean Beach International Backpacker's Hostel - San Diego. An odd environment of homeliness and energy, offbeat with a sense of self-deprecation. Overseen by Doc, who staffs the "American Exhibit" of contributors and workers, as I consider him a zoo-keeper of sorts who staffs interesting Americans to present to the international travelers as illustrative of whatever genus they may descend from.
May 28th - My 27th birthday is complemented by Bernadette, a fine young Filipina woman now in London pursuing her wordsmithing craft and making of memories.
June-July - Global Network Friended - John Loup (Marseilles France) Robin (Germany) Maikel (Holland) Phil & Crew (Ireland) Theiss (Denmark) Ben (Australia) Cees & Kasper (Holland) Felipe (Austria) Tamara (Germany) Laurie (France) Francesco (Italy) Cybelle (Australia) Miko (Japan) Dan (Ireland) and many other unique and disparate individuals from across this global playground of ours, each with a story, some with a struggle, all with the reflective grin of the traveler.
June - The Portland apartment is left empty. I rent the room and am bamboozled out of the month's rent through silliness. A period of struggle, hardship, and intense awesomeness.
July - Both senses continue, additional connections made, progress accomplished in regards to impatient distaste and a sense of necessity. LA bounced to a few times in attempt at suturing together the optimal opportunity.
August - Roadtrip. Craigslist Rideshare Community. In San Diego I pick up Tommy, of Black Squirrel Films, a producer just leaving Comic Con, Scotty from Palmdale with an impressively scarred skateboard and a half-j of stress. Palmdale is a ghetto, section 8 and SNAP type diddy, literally in the middle of the desert that is truly an alarming social experiment entirely without the potential of a positive end-result. Scotty rides with us to San Francisco. Meeting his homeless friend, noticing his sleeping bag, we burn as the sun rises atop Golden Gate park and I leave with Tommy as Scotty soaks in his new home in the trees. Scott #2, a professional greensman, of the THC ilk, who along the way introduces us to an ethereal spot in the Redwoods in which the trees climb to the heavens and the clouds and atmosphere bow down and reside on our level. After a bit of hazy practice I'm able to run three steps vertical on a grandaddy Redwood before springing off and blasting into the wall of moss behind us. Scott informs me this freestyle walking has a name that I cannot recall. Portland OR Tommy and Scott are through. I pick up Syama, a yogi instructor and all-around hippie gal, a fine style of human being. To Boulder CO. My car's clutch lever breaks. Potential tragedy. A week spent in a room overlooking the mountains. High-altitude running posing no difficulty as I absorb the environment. Car fixed Kawika, a Hawaiian hombre, joins me East to New York. Dropped into the forest with camping gear and survivalist necessities, Kawika moves forth into the sunset. Later. I stand in total darkness atop a hill, lost, provide some fire, find my way, and move on to MA, arriving to an alternate flame at my boy Ryan's not-so-humble abode.
NOW - The organization and alignment of the next thrust to LA in a few weeks alongside preparation for the 2011 European Adventure and horizon-expanding event. These things are keys. These things are necessary. Complacency is a drag as time goes along with it. Now that's a fact.

Rock and Roll

MJW