A dream with a green car
It was late-night. After bar-time, summerish. I went to a little shop
that seemed to serve beer at a side bar, but also had a huge bakery
case. Kind of like a Tabac in France. I stood in a long line, as I was
hungry. I tried to ask a question about one of the pastries to the
older woman who ran the shop, but she kept treating me like an idiot. I
couldn't quite get a crumb-cake. She kept telling me that they "come
plain, and you put things on it." I paid her $4, and don't really think
I got any food.
However, the purchase apparently was of a car. A barback backs a big
very dark, repainted green car (maybe a '69 Dodge? a '77 Ford?) into the
establishment, right through the open front door. It was a car that wasn't
supposed to be a convertible, but had been aftermarket-ed. It was a four
door. We looked for the pink slip, but neither of us could find it. He went
behind the counter looking for it, and I drove away (top down, of course!)
happily having spent $2,000 for this awesome junker.
<perspective change>
Suddenly, I can view myself driving the car, as if I were flying above &
behind the car. It snowed madly, but has abated. The roads are slush
and heavy with snow. I appear to be driving through a headless-
horseman style road. The top is still down, and there's almost a foot of
pure white snow covering the car. Somehow, the snow is unmoved. Dirty
snow is kicked from the tires as the car goes on, but the layer covering
the car is fixed.
<perspective change>
The weather is nice again. I come upon a big group of people coming out
of a church. It's really late at night, like 2am, but there are kids
everywhere. It feels like a first-communion or a bat/bar mitzvah or
some such early-teen event. I think everyone is Hispanic, but I'm not
sure. The light is sulphur, orange, with the quiet of night. It feels
like I'm at Grace Cathedral on top of nob hill. I turn my head to
parallel park in the 4 car length spot that I saw behind me, but suddenly
the spot is gone.
As I drove up to the church, I passed a car on a side street. He wanted
to turn on the the main road I was on (California Street?). He was in an
amazing car. A 1956 Silver Porsche 550 spyder (a race car)with black leather
straps on the engine (or was it graphite tack?). This car is not typically seen
on the street, you know, EVER. I gawked while driving, full head & torso spin,
he saw me, smiled broadly, getting my props, and his g/f.. wife? who was
proud with/for him. We shared a surprisingly deep connection in the moment.
My car never stopped moving.
May 12, 2005 11:47 PM
Shakman
For my entire life, my father (a lawyer) has been working on a case in Chicago (where I grew up) about abolishing political patronage. The case was brought in the classic david-and-goliath way: one man vs the Daley Political Machine. This case has been the driving force behind my father's career. Not in the in-gets-you-jobs way, but in the it-lights-your-fire way.
He was asked to summarize the last 35 years of the case for the newly issued Encyclopedia of Chicago. Always understated, he declined to mention the tens of thousands of hours he worked on the case. I'd like it if you would go read about it because I think it's pretty darn neat.
I'm not sure what it all means. What the lesson to be learned is. Is it that we're supposed to stick with something that we really believe in, no matter how long it takes? Is it that a just cause is a good cause?
I'm searching for meaning in life. Trying to do the right thing, be considerate about my actions and so on, but I wonder if there's ever a cause that I'd pursue to such an extent? I hope so.
May 10, 2005 07:08 PM
New York in a nutshell
Davidperis: be as humanly trendy as you can, or be sad and lonely. NYC!
yeah, that's about it!
I've been doing better lately. Maybe drugs, maybe therapy, maybe just because I got to go to the zoo on Sunday with an animal-keeper friend who let me feed Giraffes and a Rhino. That was so cool. The rhino slimed me, but I had my hand/wrist in its mouth while I gave it yummy veggies!
I'm going to a new music / mixtape party tonight, so expect more podcast / playlists!
Yay. sunshine.
May 06, 2005 01:26 PM
First Podcast
Hi! I've been bothering elly and greg about this for ages, so without further ado, I present to you, the contents of my premiere podcast!
Black Haired Rockers
Louis XIV The Best Little Secrets Are Kept Louis XIV
The Walkmen Bows And Arrows The Rat
The Strokes Room On Fire 12:51
The Arcade Fire Funeral Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Razorlight Up All Night Rock N Roll Lies
Ram Jam Blow Black Betty
The Killers Hot Fuss Mr Brightside
Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning Road To Joy
The Bravery The Bravery Honest Mistake
Bloc Party Silent Alarm This Modern Love
Interpol Antics Not Even Jail
Franz Ferdinand Darts of Pleasure Darts of Pleasure
TV On The Radio Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes Staring At The Sun
If you own all of these tracks legally, and want the URL to the podcast itself, just mail me, and I'll link you up!
May 04, 2005 07:01 AM
minor update
Hi.
I'm in Chicago for my Mom's birthday, and we're driving to Milwaukee today to see some awesome building. go look at it here.
I have lots more to say, and lots of pictures to put up, but now, must drive minivan!
My parents are sweet.
