Monday, August 17, 2009

In tune

After a few weeks here the most common question that is asked of me is naturally “So you like it there?” The answer that I most often give is the everything here is just a little... off.

The world of Northern California isn't completely backwards to me, it is just a little sideways. I am having trouble trying to relate. For instance they still have drinking games, They have wine pong and not beer pong. Pedestrians stop to text in the middle of the crosswalk. Authentic Mexican food is made by asians named McBride and Mexican guys make good sushi. I was fortunate to find one place this weekend, however, that I can completely relate to.

On the search for some used DVDs I casually walked into Streetlight Music. As I walked in the door I was in instant like with the place. I wasn't sure that stores like this had survived into the digital age. This was the kind of place that music lovers dream of when they are still awake. Whatever music you could be in the mood for they had in abundance Rows of CDs and vinyl were there to explore. The band that they were playing was really good. After a few minutes of wandering the band started to sound better then good They were playing live in the store. Live music at 3pm!!! At this point my like turned into love.

As I was standing there listening to the Monterey Jacks and wondering if the hot drummer was legal (yes) and if the lead singer was in key (no) I happened to notice that the base players was wearing a Rolling Stones tee shirt. As if by fate I looked down to see that I was standing in front an incredible collection of Stones CDs. Now I am past love into infatuation.

So I spent the next hour and a half wandering this mecca of music. Listening to the Jacks and browsing everything that they had to offer. At some point I realized that I was probably in a good mood for the first time all weekend. Music tends to do that to me and I was disappointed that I hadn't thought of this before. That disappointment was short lived because I quickly spotted a Monkey's (as in Hey Hey we're the...) lunch box sitting next to some vintage Iron Maiden tee shirts.
I think at some point I walked to close to the front door and I got a puff of fresh air because I realized I had probably $200 worth of stuff in my hands. I felt suddenly felt like a junkie with a sober moment and thought as I put stuff back on the shelves that this must be what a woman feels to leave a good pair of shoes behind.

Getting to my car I immediately popped in one of my new purchases. I then decided that I am going to do my best to get in touch with whatever live music scene is happening in this area. If I can relate to this then maybe I have found something to keep me grounded the rest of my time here.

As a coda to my music fun I went out to lunch at a local area called Santana Row. There I happened across a bar that had a fine New Orleans beer called Abita on tap and had a great cover band playing. The lead singer looked like a young (and alive) Don Hoe, but had a British accent and sang like Tom Jones. Maybe I found my home away from home (away from home.)

Friday, August 7, 2009

Killing Time

Keeping it short today.
Ways to have fun on an airplane.
Turn on your GPS and watch your little car avatar flying over whole counties at 658 miles per hour.
Then ask it to find the nearest gas station.
After about 5 min it gave up trying to tell me what the nearest exit was off of whatever 4 interstates I happened to be flying over.
Chicago looks really spectacular at night, Columbus does not.
No matter what you think you can not pick out your own house from 18000 feet.