So here I am, sitting in the lovely and talented Ms. Craft and Stebbins living room while a "family dinner" is prepared. I really have enjoyed this trip. It's been an interesting change of pace as far as my visit's to California go. Even though I've definitely clocked some miles (SF to Chico, Chico to Sacramento, Sac to SF, SF to Gilroy and back), it hasn't felt as hustle and bustle as the last two visits. Which has really been nice. I think just by virtue of spending most of my time with people during the week, it's been a lot quieter. Plus there has just been fortuitous timing. I got to see Ellen on her days off. and we got to see Iron Man, (despite a logic defying system of picking up tickets bought online which as far as I can tell was set up by a brain transplanted monkey). But that was just as nice as the two of us just relaxing watching various news programs as she worked on her stories or just read etc...

Similarly it's been really nice just relaxing here in San Francisco since I've gotten back here. Cate, Brad and I got sushi on Saturday, and then when Little Sister took ill on Sunday Brad and I trekked across the park and got brunch at a really cool place. (although there were in fact, out of egg specials and french toast.) Monday of course was American Gladiators, which with the sarcastic crowd that was gathered, was quite awesome. PLUS I even got to see Natalie Burke, which was awesome because I haven't heard from or seen her in forever.

The other really nice thing about this trip, was getting a chance to hang out with Brad and Paul, who I sort of met the last time I came out to SF with Ellen, but everything over that weekend was so short and hectic that I never really had the chance to chat with either of them. But this time around I've gotten to chill with both men, and I have to say both of them are incredibly cool guys.

And let's not forget the entire point to this little jaunt. The most lovely and talented esquire this side or any aide of the Mississippi, one Jessicore Rauff. The graduation itself was nice. And for some reason the dean of the Law School seemed to be carrying around Sauron's Mace. AND Jess was cool enough to come down to Gilroy with me and have dinner with my Aunt Sarah. Which was of course all sorts of awesome and Sarah gave me a bottle of the Almond champagne (which sounds like a weird mixture, but it was TOTALLY amazing.)

So yeah. I fly back to NY tomorrow and I have more to write, but I better stop writing here because people are arriving and I feel like an ass sitting here at the computer.

GHIV Drums



~Kiyoshi

It's been an interesting few days. West Virginia was gorgeous, with lots of good hiking and camping, and I even made a successful camp fire, complete with (vegan) hot dogs and s'mores. We love our tent and I don't think my skin is quite as translucent as it was when I left Philly.

However, this was our impression of Kentucky:


We intended to go rafting yesterday (WV), but got a late start so made reservations to go this morning. When we arrived the man in charge was shoveling dirt from one pile to another (?), and told us he had to cancel the trip since the people who were going with us cancelled. He claimed to have called us several times to let us know (he didn't); we also checked out bank statement today and they definitely charged us the $150 for the trip. We'll be making a phone call or two tomorrow.

Trying to look on the bright side, we decided to hightail it to Kentucky for our tour of the Maker's Mark distillery! Five long hours later, we were lost in the Kentucky backroads (hungry, thirsty, and sick of our music), thanks to some crappy Google directions and a couple wrong turns. We couldn't even find the distillery once we got to Loretto, so we settled for a pile of fried food and a shot of Maker's Mark served in a plastic beer cup at a smokey bar 1/2 mile down the road. Then we pushed through to Nashville, where we are currently recup-ing in an Econo-lodge 10 minutes outside of the city.

Still, to end on a positive note, let's go back to how pretty everything is:


Whee.

( Obama apologizes for 'sweetie' comment )

To me, this just makes him more charming. I want Obama to call me "sweetie" :-(.

I'm also glad to see Edwards is backing Obama. White blue-collar workers had been backing him, but they all went over to Clinton once he dropped out because the economy was so good during Bill Clinton's term. This might bridge the gap between Clinton and Obama supporters, and coming so soon after Clinton's win in West Virginia, will give Obama a boost, so the race will continue to be really close.

(WARNING: Mushiness follows!)

Awesome things my girlfriend can do...

( ...a short sampling: )

DL
HAND

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/13/west.virginia.analysis/index.html

( Analysis: Clinton crushes Obama across the board )


I blame Clinton's mudslinging campaign tactics for the growing rift between Obama supporters and Clinton supporters, which will eventually guarantee a Republican president. Way to sell out your own party. Although, in another article, she's quoted as urging her supporters to support Obama if he wins the primary.

In other news, I was doing some apartment-hunting for when I head up to Oakland in June.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/678841835.html

Check out those photos. The one with the kid in the doorway freaks me out.

some awesome rock last night, and we discovered that while I can't sing, I apparently can't sing in almost exactly the same way as Joey Ramone which allows me to fluke a 100% on blitzkreig bop.

Also, a 5 song punk set is required at some point, which will need to be videoed for future laffs.

Letting the Cables Sleep
~Bush




You in the dark
You in the pain
You on the run
Living a hell
Living your ghost
Living your end
Never seem to get in the place that I belong
Dont wanna lose the time
Lose the time to come

Whatever you say its alright
Whatever you do its all good
Whatever you say its alright
Silence is not the way
We need to talk about it
If heaven is on the way
If heaven is on the way

You in the sea
On a decline
Breaking the waves
Watching the lights go down
Letting the cables sleep

Whatever you say its alright
Whatever you do its all good
Whatever you say its alright
Silence is not the way
We need to talk about it
If heaven is on the way
Well wrap the world around it
If heaven is on the way
If heaven is on the way

*The lyrics are sad, but the melody is hopeful, thats good . . . I feel like that is appropriate*

Hi All,

Well, things, as some of you know, haven't been great (or even good, or fair) at home, so Aimee and I have been much more proactive recently about moving out. Yesterday I got to walk through a little place in Mountain View that was super-kick-ass. So much so that I filled out the paperwork and put money down on the spot. I should know by mid-day whether or not we got the place. I'm really hoping we did because this will be a nice bike ride distance to work for me, plus friends I already know will be just down the street (literally half a block up, one block over . . its awesome).

In an effort to deal . . or perhaps not deal . . . with the situation at home, Aimee and I have decided to spend the next couple nights at friends houses. faerieloch and doublefeh have been kind enough to share their pull out bed with me here in Mountain View, and Aimee has found a friend to stay with in Santa Cruz. The best we can do, and the best we can hope for right now is that things at my parents house calm down on their own, no amount of talking will help at this point. (sarcasm)Not that talking before would have really helped, because in order to talk someone might have to actively listen as well.(/sarcasm) Maybe by giving some space things will simmer down a bit. Last night was the first night in about a week where I didn't drink any alcohol to get through the night. Kind of a sad statement to be able to make.

Here's looking to hope.

Cheers,
~J(R)

I used to listen to these guys all the time back in the day. And Dave's recent jazzy swing post got me going back through em.

So ...

Please Baby... Let's get it right
I don't think I can take it...one more night.
I know I love you, I love you, I love you
as though the stars are mine
So please Baby, show me you are mine.

Plus the lyrics are relevant to me these days. So it's win win.

~Kiyoshi

PS-I also spent about 2 hours learning some tabs last night, my fingers hurt, but it was fun. Now if only I can turn twinkle twinkle little star and mary had a little lamb into a death metal ballad of awesome.

I also learned the riff to enter sandman, so that was cool. Oh, and most of "if you're into it" by the flight of the conchords.

kyohaku is dead.

She was supposed to come out and visit this summer as a detour on another family trip. Or at least, she wanted to.

She was one of my bff jills.

I...just don't know what to do right now. I think I want to cry but it's not happening.

...are brought to by Mr. Brian Setzer and Ms. Gwen Stefani. So without further ado, some smooth sounds for your evening (and for my super sexy lady)...

"( ... )
M: Baby, you've got me beat up and down, inside out and across, oh yeah

W: But in the middle of the night, when the moon is shinin' bright
You're the boss
( ... )"


DL
HAND

So if you couldn't tell I've been perusing youtube for ultimate videos and I found out that I have joined an elite sect of Frisbee players by performing the fabled "The Greatest" maneuver. This happened maybe a month or so back and was absolutely amazing in both execution and precision.

Basically CJ had thrown a super high loft that was slicing to the right and thusly out of bounds. I kept reading it, jumped from in bounds to catch it mid-leap and managed to wrist flick it before I hit the ground to Dave who was in the endzone for a point.

Greatest Frisbee moment of my life was right there. And I have to say, I dont even know what the hell I was thinking to it, I wasnt I guess, just reacting and acting.

Spence has since been trying to do this move as well, with little success, but I think he'll get it. I honestly feel like we are some sort of unofficial rivals sometimes.

But yeah, after seeing these videos, I have to say, mine was better, much much better.

It's only too bad that this last week I was dragging major ass. Next week, shit, Im not gonna be there for the San Jose game next week. Concert. But I should make the evening game in Santa Cruz.

~Kiyoshi

This looks like the best thing ever:



Now where do we find a park with a water feature? Maybe Vasona?

Favorite part is the guy saying "break something break something break something"

~Kiyoshi

They're playing Peaches over the store stereo! Massive win!

"holdin' as tightly as you held on to me"
_________

to see the world with new possibility
to see a soul expressing potential

to witness art displayed in capacity
could only before imagine.
screams

convulsing

brain traveling to consciousness a new
realities unforeseen
to reprimand the child half heartedly chased...

a future in lofts above stars

lofted above stars
encircling rapture



circling
mad
rush

without
time.

What my mother's day card said:

"All my love and gratitude
For the thoughtful things
you've done
Can be summed up
in one sentence, Mom...

I'm proud to be your son!
Happy Mother's Day"*

You know . . . the typical halmark crap . . . .

What my mother's day card should have said:

"Even though I wish you well,
you make my life a living hell.
Because this day is so crappy,
I never think that I'll be happy.

Oh yeah, Go Sharks!"

*not direct quote

 Jordan just left for Turkey.  He'll be gone for two weeks.

Istanbul sucks.

And now:  a list!

- Bike was stolen.  So lame.
- Purchased new bike from craigslist, took it to the campus bike shop to get the rear brake re-connected.  New bike no longer so scary to ride.

- Leant a pair of rusty, iron, medieval shackles to a classmate for scene work.  Shackles have been returned to me.  Now have to carry pair of rusty, iron, medieval shackles around for the rest of the day.  Hilarious.

- Winter Fruit is coming along... I am worried that my actors are confused about the character work that my director is doing.  I don't blame them; she's confusing.  I just want them to be real.  Crap.  I hope it's good.  It looks and sounds good... I really, really just want it to be real.

- Sent my mom a card and a pair of earrings... which unfortunately did not arrive in time for Mother's Day.  Epic fail.

- Rented and watched early Eddie Murphy standup comedy with Jordan.  Fucking hysterical.  He was only twenty-two years old for the Delirious tour.  TWENTY-TWO.  Jesus creezus.  (Eddie was twenty-two, not Jordan.  Or Jesus.)

- Someone was trying to explain to me some syntax in Russian or Arabic or something, in which you insert something into the middle of a word to create emphasis.  It's essentially the English equivalent of unbe-fucking-lievable.  Except, it's actually grammatically correct.  How funny.

I love and miss you all.  It's almost summer!  ... and Istanbul still sucks.

Trying to win back the heart of a woman scorned.

It's probably one of the most painful things I can think of to go through besides the actual death of a loved one.

But Im trying, and I suppose I cant be faulted for giving it everything I got.

Im also not a very patient man. I think I used to have patience back in the day, lost it, and kind of got some of it back. I mean, I've had to, I remember sitting on my bed on the phone helping Leah through some problem with her computer. Sure it was annoying, fixing a computer through a telephone is maddening, but shit, what can I do. I love the woman. I also remember helping her with math and vocabulary. I actually really enjoyed doing those things with her. Sitting on the floor reading off flash cards. Laughing.

There's also been a lot of talk about getting older within the "group" Lots of joking around about it to take the edge off the reality of the situation. But we are getting older. Moving around is getting ever so slightly harder to do. Muscle cramps, soreness, vision, hearing. Most of the group will be 27 this year. I'll be there in July. Im getting older. Highschool was almost 10 years ago.

I guess what Im saying is that maybe it's time to grow up a little, mature, evolve. Im not really sure how to do this. I dont really have the opportunity right now, but it's time to step up to the plate.

Life is too short to dick around. Life is too short to not be happy. Life is too short to not be with the person you love.

Im told Im a good man by many a people. But even good men make mistakes.

And because of my own mistakes Im currently not happy. Well, that's not true. I've got a great family and great friends, they make me happy, I guess Im just sad on the inside. Sad and scared. I dont think I've ever been scared before. At least not really scared. But like all my fears, Im gonna face it head on. Cause that's just the type of person I am.

But for now I have to be patient, wait and hope that to the woman I love Im worth taking back.

~Kiyoshi

PS-sorry for being all emo again. But shit, this is my journal and I'll say what I want in it.