More stuff...

Yeah, so I went to Scotland. No, I'm not going to talk about it because that requires specifics and I'm getting tired and the mood in this room is kinda low. I wouldn't give the trip any justice. I can say that it was amazing. I can say that seeing Lain was great. I can say that I ate well, saw incredible art and landscape and cities. I can say that it was the best time that I have had since being here, and certainly the best time spent with Jen(n) here, even if not everything was perfect. It just made it what it was. I wish I could go back, and I hope that at some point I do.


For those that do not know: Nov. 23rd-25th EDINBURGH, 25th-26th NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, 26th-27th GLASGOW.


There are some pictures probably, but nothing on my computer.


Not much of an update really. I started scanning through my old livejournal a little while ago, and tonight I ended up back there, flipping through all of my old entries. Again, too late to really dive into all that. I'll put it this way:
-There was a reason why I posted nearly every day or so first semester, and not once since the beginning of the spring semester. So fucking weird to me. It's too late.

Playlist:
Rancid
The Velvet Underground
Converge
Belle and Sebastian

Enough. Goodnight.

morning

Haven't updated in a while. Little to say.

I'm going home in one month. It's about that time anyway. It'll be a very good thing when it comes around.

I'm going to Scotland with Jen(n) on Thursday. We're also going to make a break for Newcastle and see Lain for a Thanksgiving-esque dinner or whatnot. It'll be fun. I really can't wait.

The weekend was boring. I spent most of it sleeping in late and trying to motivate myself to do work, which proved extremely difficult. Where else in the world is a university library closed early on the weekend? I love this country, but I really cannot wait to go back to a real school.

There is still little to say. I found a turntable online that I really like. I'm going to keep saying that I'm going to be broke as hell by the time that I return, but I don't really care anymore. I'm just looking forward to the 'return' part of it all.

I have class soon.

Listening to: The Clash (All week) The Rolling Stones (All weekend) Pearl Jam (This morning)

A scene in the kitchen this afternoon.

Act one. Scene one: A man defrosts his chili in the mircowave in his block kitchen. A second man, Manu walks in and speaks.
Manu: Chris, how do you say in a nicer way, 'fuck buddy?'
Chris looks up
Chris: I don't know, 'special friend' or 'with benefits.' They're all pretty stupid.
Manu: Oh, okay
Time passes. Talk about things.
Manu: Oh, right, that reminds me, I have a gift for you. He leaves and returns.
Chris: Condoms?
Manu: Yeah, they're not the smooth ones, they are, how do you say, with the swirls or something?
Chris: Ribbed?
Manu: Yeah, that's it. Girls love it you know?
Chris: Yeah.
Manu: Expensive.
Another pause.
Chris: I take it, no more 'fuck buddy?'
Manu: No.
The chili is done.

Nothing special. Just an anecdote of what it's like to live here with other international students. As a sidenote, birth control and condoms here are outrageously expensive. Imagine coughing up the equivilent of seven or so dollars for a pack of three? This is the case in the Republic, and I guess it is no different up here.

Work to do now. Bought two new books too: Passion is a Fashion (I've already read it most of it from bored nights in the UVM library, but I bought it Friday and am about halfway through. The best book ever written on the subject of The Clash; a very well organized look at their legacy and music.) Also Haunted (which is signed inside by Palahniuk at some book signing he did at Queen's College in Belfast where I bought it. His books are hit or miss with me, but so far it's great.)

Another sidenote, and this just occured to me. I really really fucking hate when people list their favorite books and write "Anything written by the author or guy who wrote....." Jesus Christ. Saying ANYTHING, and then following it up with that, is a pretty bold statement if you don't even know who the motherfucking author was. Seriously, how big of an impression did the book leave you with and you can't recall the person's name? I only say this because I see it more and more with Palahniuk, and "I'll read anything by the guy who wrote Fight Club." Of course you will. Difficult to say? Maybe (Sound it out!) Difficult to write? No, not really. Yikes.

Listening to: The Clash, The Rolling Stones

Screwed, stewed, and tattooed

I hope you jerks voted. I was lucky enough to do so in October. We just get to wait and see how things pan out from here. Here's a day-by-day of my time in Limerick:

Thursday: Left at 3:50 from Coleraine, arrived at 11:15 in Limerick. Yikes. Absolutely freezing there, but that was to be the case all weekend. Showed up at Jen(n)'s doorstep that was pretty much it. Read my book on the train, and a lot of American Nightmare too. Trains tend to take a lot out me. Fell asleep pretty much instantly next to her for the first time in too long.

Friday: Ate at the vegetarian cafe on campus, and while it was expensive, was really good. I'm jealous of Jen(n)'s school without fail every time I visit. Went to downtown in Limerick to check out Danny Bullman's tattoo studio. Pretty rad guy. Reminded me a lot of Yankee in Burlington and I think I got a little home sick. He fleshed out the matching piece Jen(n) and I had thought of and I made an appointment for Saturday. We spent the rest of the day downtown trying to stay warm and failing at shopping. Walked around St. John's Castle in the dark and ate at Copper and Spice, pretty rad Indian food. Perfect. Went back to the dorm and watched the Magnificent Seven.

Saturday: Big day. Walked around in the morning before heading downtown to see what Danny had drawn up and have it thrown on me. Jen(n) and me made some changes over coffee and then I got it done. What did I learn? Tattoos on ribs hurt. Danny's done work for Brian from the Souls, Jerry Only, Spicy from DKM, and one of the replacement Ramones (I can't remember who). Full of stories and a cool guy overall. Needless to say I froze my ass off lying half naked on a table, people walking in and out. Kinda worn out, ate at an Italian retaurant his girlfriend recommended and it turned out pretty good.

Sunday: Stray rottweiler outside of the dorm and missed taxis were the fabric of an aggrivating morning that doesn't really matter. Checked out St. John's Castle and the Hunt Museum, which was pretty awesome. That night I finally saw the Departed which was totally worth the wait to see with someone else and I'm glad I got to see it at all. Sick. Ate theater garbage which is always rewarding.

Monday: Left and it sucked. Again, four trains to get back. The Dublin to Belfast leg had a crying baby in my car, which is the worse. Also a sore side, ugh. Got back and worked on my fucking Joyce paper.

Been reading and have finished a lot of books recently that I'll mention: I Heard You Paint Houses, Dubliners, To Have and Have Not, The Unbearable Lightness of Being. But that'll be later, I'm too tired...

Tomorrow, I revise, all day. And repair men will break into my room to repair my heater. Great. Especially since it's not broken.

Listening to: The Bouncing Souls, The Clash

Stuff

Here's a quick post, and a list


Hard:
-In a few hours, I'll be kicking back on the slow train to Limerick for a long weekend.
-Getting tattooed! Hopefully, if all goes well with this guy Danny Bullman. I'll be pumped if it does, I really wanna leave here with a rad piece
-Jen(n), overall, and everything that goes with that.

Wack:
-The so called slow train is actually more like THREE slow trains. The entire trip takes about six or seven hours usually, my case tonight closer to eight. It's also costs like $100 to get there and back.
-Not only am I missing Burlington, I've been missing EVERYTHING thats been/and is going on in Burlington and back home. How We Are, Darkbuster, Bad Brains, Verse, fucking Converge and MLIW touring in New England, my brother's promotion, Autumn in VT. Of all the times to decide, "well now would be a good time to leave." I go now...
-My paper that will be waiting for me when I return. Although I am impressed with how much I did manage to get done yesterday.

Oh yeah, I have a ton of pictures from the coast again and from Derry this past weekend. A ton more mural photos and like that, but I don't have time to post that.

This list sucks. I'm going to class, then getting out of here.


Listening to: Rites of Spring, Verse, David Cross

It is a truly depressing, embarrassing, and shameful time to be an American.

Memory lane

Alan first showed me this picture this past summer, but it was taken the summer of 2005 (the first summer that I worked for Aquarius, or the first "Aquarius Summer" for me...) at 242 at the last Drowningman show I ever went to. It's probably the most insane picture ever taken of me, and I can't really explain myself or what I'm trying to do. It was probably during something off of How they Light... judging by how many people are up front. I can't tell if I'm walking to whoever is holding the mic or if I'm all about holding Simon, sharing a tender moment. There are some great faces in this candid. Look at those eyebrows. Check it out, you can sort of make out my sweet wolf t-shirt in that picture. I'm pretty sure that is Alan's leg that you can see on the stage with the sky high cuff in those jeans. I love my ugly mug.

There should be Drowningman Anonymous support group for recovering musicians.

Time for class. I have to finish my couscous.

Listening to: Converge, Drowningman- How They Light Cigarettes in Prison, Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline