Portraits of Vermont
9.14.11 - Essex Junction, VT (Michael Stein)
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9.14.11 (Michael Stein)
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9.14.11 (Michael Stein)
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9.14.11 (Michael Stein)
9.14.11 - Essex Junction, VT (Michael Stein)
*****
9.14.11 (Michael Stein)
*****
9.14.11 (Michael Stein)
*****
9.14.11 (Michael Stein)
I bought some music earlier this year. Sure, my motivation was to gain ratio on a torrent site (some dub, Marco Benevento and Maria Schneider), but I also felt that I should have paid for something since I haven’t paid for music since like 1998…supporting artists is important; I spent hundreds of dollars a year on vinyl and CDs back in the day, but I just can’t afford to do that now! I do spend nearly all my discretionary income on shows now.
Good evening, everyone
Can’t fall asleep in my Pennsylvania hotel room
I can totally see how people get lonely on business trips. Travelling because others make you is a drag. Sort of the middle class’s postmodern diaspora (I qualify that because there’s real diasporas and my temporary relocations are nothing in comparison)
Had a surreal day. Figured ill share it because it might be amusing.
Landed in pa at 1120 last night. Find out Avis won’t take my debit card because I’m not quite 25. They’ll only take credit. Credit card is maxxed out. Call my dad, thank god the big guy was awake and thank my dad for his love for me and willingness to transfer money right away.
I did not sleep very well because I psyched myself into thinking id some how fuck up in the next 6 hrs and either sleep through my alarm or get lost on my way to the little church I was to report to at 830 am.
Have a bunch of very vivid dreams where my girlfriend (god, now she’s my ex. Ugh I hate shit like that) who I unilaterally broke up with in reality several days ago caused all kinds of guilty dreams
Get out of bed at 5 because the dreams are too much.
Drive through the rurality to the church geekin the whole 9 miles that backwoods cops are going to pull me over because I don’t know the speedlimit
Show up at this Methodist Church (I was at one point a real and devout Catholic and some relic of my papacy was reaching deep into my prejudices and causing me all sorts of weirdness) where I’m greeted by a legion of senior citizens. Most of them are nice. But all of them understand that I’m doing community service because I had a run in with their law (the use of ‘their’ being fair or unfair depending on your mood. Or mine. But what else is really all that new?)
I begin my manual labor. I’m the first offender there. By 830 12 kids all about my age are at the church. We discover quickly that we are connected to our prior use of marijuana and the countys prior discovery of this fact.
Many of the kids there, as kids will do, began verbalizing there frustrations with their predicament. The senior citizens in their hardness of hearing either can’t hear, misunderstand, or don’t care while the 12 kids talk about pot while handing out food to the needy.
At one point I started bursting out laughing at the beauty and pranksterness of it all. I. HAD. FUN. Why did I have fun? Because here we were, puffers, who were supposed to be getting punished. But instead we were laughing and joking around with eachother while helping people.
I guess I understand things better with manic expressions on internet message boards.
Great story, Silly Willy. Sorry to hear about the gf, hope you both end up happy. I feel your hotel vibe, that will be me in mf’ing Houston tomorrow.
Sorry to hear you broke up with your girlfriend Silly. Hope you’re doing alright.
Really enjoyed the story though.
No need to feel bad for me about the gf. I only revealed that because personal relationship dreams are much more vivid.
I, however, feel bad for you AJ. Traveling to Houston while you have two great ladies in your life.
One thing I’ve decided about me is: Home is not for me. Not yet.
Right now I embrace depravity because its opposite – mental clarity – seems like an older mans achievement.
I don’t know what the fuck is going on and I should have stopped pretending I did some time ago
Not knowing what the fuck is going on allows you to make your home in a wider variety of people and experiences
This is an idea I embark on a journey for to discover its validity.
Yes. “For to’ will be used here tonight
Live it up, Silly!
I didn’t know you broke up with the gf @silly, I must have missed it if you posted about it before. sorry to hear that, or I’m sorry if you are, but you must have had your reasons, so if it was a good thing long term, then uhh congratulations I guess, well, basically I support however you are feeling about it 😮
classic story there. sometimes community service really is community service. and I’m sure you really learned your lesson and will stay away from the demon weed from now on, young man ::shakes finger sternly::
@Silly, just checked into the board for the first time in a couple weeks and your story was the first thing I read.
Beautiful.
hey I was just thinking about you @bk, I must have been tuning in at the wrong time to cross paths with you recently, hope all is well
live while you’re young @SW!!!!!
the only caveat is don’t make mistakes so big they close off whole future pathways you might want to take, or cost you like 5-10 years to recover from. like don’t lose a leg or get aids or a smack habit. other than that, fucking roll with it mang.
I really liked the feeling of being “home”less for about a decade. I always had a roof over my head if I wanted it, but no place was home, or anywhere was…
an amazing feeling
“I’m a road runner baby
Any place is my home
I’m a road runner baby
You look for me and I’ll be gone
Well you can love me if you want
But I do declare
When I get restless
I’ve got to move somewhere
I’m a road runner baby
Just got to keep on keeping on
And I love the life I live
And I’m gonna live the life I love
Don’t want no woman
To tie me down
Gotta be free baby
To roam around…
Road runner babe!”
Haven’t posted about the gf
Thanks for the well wishes
No need to feel bad
I guess I’m embarrassed to have it become a topic. Not saying that it doesn’t mean a lot that everyone cares, though
Growth will occur. The pain is part of it and ill reach out when I need it.
Great story Silly.
Totally empathize with the travel challenges. Attitude is everything.
The absurdity of life and the predicaments it hands to us, is what makes it so interesting and a potential for crazy eye opening experiences. Rarely do we get wisdom without experience. It’s how we roll with the challenges that defines our character.
Great that you’re laughing in hindsight.
Word, Mr. C on the road runner feeling
That’s where I’m at.
Got some solid friends helping me out.
You all will see a more open Silly and that will be great
Firm believer in having a couple of gut wrenching breakups under your belt before settling down, especially if you’ve got some solo exploration left to do
Easier said with them in the rearview mirror (hopefully 🙂 )
hear ya on the breakup thing. not necessary to talk through everything that happens.
bottom line – if you’re born a road runner, the way to not have regrets when you finally do settle down is to run like hell for as long as it takes.
some runners never stop and never should. some folks are just ballers and never do settle.
some should stop but never do, that usually ends up a little sad before the end and rarely ends well.
some stop too soon or for the wrong reasons and are never happy
but for most of us there’s a point where we realize we’ve seen and done the things we wanted to, and to keep going would just be another form of being stuck, if you see what I mean
at that point you can coast to a stop and end up a place that you know is right for you
I know two kinds of former road runners that have settled down
stressed out ones who never found the proper end of their road and so never really feel at home
and happy ones like me who did the things we felt we needed to do before we stopped. no cards left unplayed.
now I love having a home
what’s up BB,
anyone have any reliable leads on PH NYE run rumors? i’ve heard a few MSG predictions, at least one or two Miami and a bunch of nay-sayers nixing the chance of a holiday tour based on the band’s statements earlier in the year.
i figure they will announce any holiday plans when trey tour kicks off in october, but i’m getting antsy to book plans for december (still in summer travel mode)!
miss you guys, i’ve been keeping myself off the board for most of 2011 so i can focus on work, etc. but i still lurk from time to time–the BB seems alive and well, great to see!
@oneshow, all the heady kids are saying MSG is a lock and have made hotel reservations
Ok, that’s what i’m going to have to go with… thanks Mr. C–here’s to my first Phish NYE run and maybe also my first Phish shows with a very special lady, can’t fucking wait!
Did I hear that they’re working on a new album this fall too?
“I. HAD. FUN. Why did I have fun? Because here we were, puffers, who were supposed to be getting punished. But instead we were laughing and joking around with eachother while helping people. ”
YOU.ARE.THE.MAN.
Love me some IllyWilly.
It never rains, it’s hotter than hell, the place is a tinderbox, and I just shot a 7′ rattlesnake off my back porch.
Welcome to Austin.
Brownstones, water towers, trees, skyscrapers
Writers, prize fighters and Wall Street traders
superball soundcheck end jam $$$. can’t believe i hadnt heard it till now. wow this is good
also, just saw what you posted earlier @ silly, and i couldn’t agree more on a number of fronts, with one of the biggest being your point about the blissfulness of life without knowing what the hell is going on.
could not agree more. lately life has grown so much chaotic and stressful. so often it’s hard to appreciate the present due to an overwhelming focus on the future, and that’s totally missing the point.
trying to relearn living in the confines of the moment, and enjoying life for what it is in the moment, not what it may potentially become.
anywho, end ramble. hope everyone’s having a great week.