El Camino: Borderland States

MARCH 15, 1988: (GREG IS 25, AND 15)

Me  that mouths, “I-AM-LOOKING-AT-YOU!” appears to be ten years older than my teenage self. Older Greg wears a John Deer baseball cap, barely scene by the light outside the window.  Strange, I am not a farmer, and do not see myself on a tractor.  So what is up with the baseball cap? Who am I? (37:365)

Jung Dream 2 ... he puts on a stranger's hat instead of his own.

Bard of Roth's Jukebox: El Camino Borderland States

{And the Days Go By}

Tracing your past is difficult.  What did my original house look like?  What was the wallpaper in my bedroom?  Who were my friends?   Why did some friendships end?  These ghosts haunt me more than any Horror Movie.  I guess I understand what the Talking Heads meant when David Byrne said, “And the days go by!”

Oakland: Colorado County

{Schwinn Power 1986}
“The horse thief jerked free of the tie-rope and leaped into the saddle.” Louis L'amor

Louis L’amor inspired my eleven year old self, to play cowboys and Indians.    

On fall days, I would ride my Mesa Mountain Bike around the neighborhood.   The bike was my trusty stead.   I would look for the robbers at the old elementary school, and then from an informed tip, proceed down the oiled coated alley. (36:365)

Reviews: Children's Books

The Goat in the Rug by Geraldine

The Goat in the Rug by Charles L. Blood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 One of the best children's books of all time is The Goat in the Rug by Geraldine.  Geraldine, the goat, tells of his favorite Navajo weaver Glenmae. The story told from the point of view of the Goat, gives the reader a unique perspective.   At times the story is funny, and other times seriously woven.


View all my reviews

Oakland: Colorado County

{Outside/Inside}
A road Native-Time dusted.

 The sun rays highlighted the dust that moved across the dirt-road. 

Tourists could hear a drum beat, and smell Navajo bread wafting from the red adobe houses.  

“Old Taos Men” beat their tom toms. The men wore pants held up by turquoise designer belts; they waited for the rich tourists' arrival.  (35:365)

Reviews: Thoughts on Blogging

I am a Superhero with a revealed alias.   I can be anything I want to be just by telling you all a certain story.  I seem brilliant, by the words I chose.   I seem strong, by the pictures I share. You either have to accept my story as truth, or think that I am legendary.




see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.

Sunzi (2009-10-04). The Art of War (Kindle Locations 750-751). Adams Media. Kindle Edition.

Detroit Lions: Week Three

The sky was a deep purple-green.   Lighting flashed and the sky was lit up brilliantly.  Vernon Brand’s brother Charlie felt a mystifying stomach flip, and his hair stood up on end; it was like he was holding onto a "Tesla Plasma Globe".  The lions were three and OOOOOO, and hell felt a cool zephyr breeze.  (34:365)

Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings  26-23 in OT, on 9.25.2011.

Listen to the madness in Detroit over their 3-0 Lions.
Or follow the Bills madness in Buffalo New York and Listen to the Sports Guys there.

El Camino: Borderland States

{March 15, 1988 (Greg is 15, and 25.)}

 The fear happened in the dark night.  Nightly, I ran  in between my bedroom and the living room, for I imagined finding a night walker outside staring at me.

 I toughened up, (Taxi Driver like). 

I looked in the window holding my stalker, but all I saw was ME, then that ME mouthed: “I-AM-LOOKING-AT-YOU!” (33:365) (Pre-Dream using Jung's book of Dreams)

Oakland: Colorado County

{Plastic Flowers in Space}

As a satellite plummeted into space, Vernon Brand smelt a plastic flower.   He hoped to recall the smell of organic flowers grown in soil.  His memory on earth spiraled into a daydream of his old home:  he could picture potato salad, corn on the cob, and fried chicken; so much better than dehydrated space-food. (32:365)

The philosophy explained here is best described on the Blog-"Learning my Lines", in the post titled "But Will It Fit In My Coffin? . . . .".

Oakland: Colorado County

{Asa Gray the Cat}

Bonfires incinerated debris, as smog assaulted; Aunt Rosalyn huddled in her apartment.   She was comforted from the outside smoke by her cat, Asa Gray.  Asa might have lost his mortal life due to a heart-attack from being scared by a lawn mower backfiring, but he would be forever loved in a hermetically sealed family shrine.  (31:365)

Oakland: Colorado County

{Aunt Rosalyn and the Grabage Truck}

Robotic arms grabbed the Polk County Trash cans; flipped them into the garbage-truck, and then gently set them into their designated spot in the car port.   Aunt Rosalyn rose from her rocker, her book on taxidermy dropped to floor; her jaw went slack with unbelief.   She was undone by Polk County’s future garbage machine. (30:365)

Review: Bookstores

Skylight Books

A great book store, with a great website: check it out on line, or in person.

Detroit Lions: Week Two

{59-14.2}

Vernon Brand received the incredible news from outer-space. He had been in space for thirty-one years, two months and two days.    He received, that morning, a digitally created message that read: “Miracles Happen in Detroit- Lions Undefeated.”  He decided to hook into the National Football League Satellite, so he would not miss one roaring minute. (29:365)

Detroit Lions beat the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3 on 9.18.2011

Listen to the madness in Detroit over their 2-0 Lions

Oakland: Colorado County

{M.A.S.H.}

Plastic-kids lined up, in perfect lines, in front of the plastic school. Avatars linked into a digitally created world, toy dolls playing the game M.A.S.H.  Would we live in a mansion, apartment, shack, or a hotel?    Plastics could see what their futures may look like by exploring life in a mansion, apartment, shack or hotel.  (28:365)

Review: Bard of Roth's Juke Box

This song really moves me! 

Listen to more Duran Duran at Wolfgang's Vault.

Oakland: Colorado County

{Words From a Freeze-Dried Strawberry}

I began my life in the Strawberry Field.  I called plenty of fellows, with green tops, “Friend!”One day my soiled life was pulled out, frozen up, and processed into the Breakfast of Conquerors.  Now I wait to be consumed, by children who will dump me in a plastic bowl of milk, and slurp me down.(23:365)    

Trying something new! Posts will use one word from the previous post to begin their story.  It will create a bridge between two stories.

Reviews: Commercials from 1982

Oakland: Colorado County

Haines City and the Mexican Grocery

Chihuahua workers gathered at the Mexican Grocery.  Their lives were filled by Jesus Christ, sweet water, and   frijoles.   They gathered with their families to celebrate another Friday Night; money for their work, and stomachs filled with Tilapia.  They held their soiled hands up in prayer.   (27:365)

Oakland: Colorado County

Henry Plant Looks At His Name?
(Plant City) Henry sat in his private train car, would not look up.  His smooth hands clutched the Tribune with a firm grip, like holding a shield, protecting him from seeing bent backs picking strawberries.  Strawberries scheduled to be stored in a refrigerated Chicago warehouse. (26:365)

Reviews: Bard of Roth's Jukebox

Music from Ready Player One

Oakland: Colorado County

Grandma's Dream-House

The red brick house, with short green front lawn, was captured on the canvas.  Grandma the artist, applied paint, judiciously lined.  She shaped each brick, as she recalled how Grandpa had stacked them when the house was first built. This was her hundredth version.  She hoped eternally, oil on canvas, to store her voluptuous dream.                                 (25:365 Count for my Goal of 365- 55 word stories, then I plan to begin a novel, maybe using some of this material, maybe coming up with a new approach).

Kaddish (קדיש Aramaic: "holy") refers to an important and central prayer in the Jewish prayer service. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy, several variations of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between various sections of the service. The term "Kaddish" is often used to refer specifically to "The Mourners' Kaddish," said as part of the mourning rituals in Judaism in all prayer services as well as at funerals and memorials. When mention is made of "saying Kaddish", this unambiguously denotes the rituals of mourning.

Oakland: Colorado County

Tin Can Compression

Rattling in the oppressive tin can, with

recycled, filtered oxygen; the tin can 

lifts 

into the air -  

My wife Jessica is busy taking pictures out of the window of the plane.  She hates to fly, so finds something to occupy the time; she snaps digital pictures of the airplanes wing.  

 Fear and a baby cries, an old man coughs into his handkerchief, and I sit there asking myself,

“How long is the flight?

Next stop Dallas, let me look at the Dallas airport in American Way Magazine.  

“Hmm Dallas looks like an easy to manage airport!?”   

 My wife continues to snap pictures of the wing of the American Airline’s plane.   

 “What if she takes a picture of a Gremlin… or a goose?  

What if that Goose or Gremlin intends to take down this plane?

Are there even geese in San Francisco?  I am just meat on a cargo plane. I wish I could open a window...but the crack in the window would be more stifling than sitting here cramped in my seat.” 

A man in the seat ahead of mine leans back! 

Captain Mitch  announces on the intercom, “We have reached our cruising altitude…”  The fasten seat belt sign becomes unlit.

Jessica asks, “Do you want to see the pictures I took?”    

I snap, “No!  I mean, Yes dear, but let’s wait till we are sitting safely on the ground.  I am afraid that one of your pictures may have a gremlin or a goose on it!”

Oakland: Colorado County

 ("Wet-Dream"): A Husband's Fantasy

“Who’s playing husband today?” asked Harold Hazelblat, “I want to play the part of responsible husband; and you can play the part of geisha-wife.  Would you mind greeting me at the door, wearing an apron, at 5:30? I will then drop my suitcase and meet my 2.5 kids, and then eat my delicious meatloaf.” (24:365)

101 Excuses for Not Writing (Real or Imagined)

#67 Black Plumes

The bonfire incinerated debris, leaving black plumes, 

as I helped Mr. Mike, help his friend Mr. Danny, move furniture and clean up from a remodeling project.  The project took up most of the day. I got to visit the scrap world of Hillbilly.  Hillbilly collects scrap metal and scrap parts and sells them. Wednesday seemed post-apocalyptic. (23:365)

                                                                                                 

Oakland: Colorado County

The Effects of Gravity

The play ground swings were my launch pad.   I would kick with great strength as the swing hit its forward apex.  Again I would kick with great strength, and then I would fly forward into the air.   I would then feel gravity pull me down, down, down, down, till I woke up in my waterbed.(22:365)

1855

Arrested by Time's Goon Squad

Old age comes to Me

Hair grows in my ears. 

Why did this hair grow so long?

Hair grows in my nose.  

Detroit Lions: Week One

59-14

Dudley sat in his grey and blue replica Lions uniform, wearing an elated smile, just after the Lions started the season on the right path.  They had now one win, and no losses.    Joe had waited since1993, for any type of winning way.   He wanted to roar, like he did in 1957, “The Champion Lions”. (21:365)
Week One - beat Tampa 27-20 (9.11.2011)
This one is dedicated to an old College Friend Ben Colby.  Your Lions have a chance this year, Go Lions!  I think I said, a long time ago, that the Lions could never be Champions.   I will be eating crow, this year, hopefully.  

Oakland: Colorado County

A Silver Mirage?

Did any of us notice the silver UFO, passing in the starry night? It was there during intimate moments.  The United States stood still on December 7^th 1941. But there was an object in the sky, before the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor. We did not notice it, or dismissed it as a weather balloon.(20:365)

Reviews: Bard of Roth's Jukebox

Recommended for fans of Bethany Frankel and Carol Burnett.

Review of Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago

Death with Interruptions by José Saramago
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Death with Interruptions is an imagined love letter, of sorts, from death to mankind.  Jose Saramago magically blends traditional realism with characteristics of myth and fable, to make an elixir to post 9-11 blues.   He proclaims that life will be wasted by those who live in order to not play too many wrong notes.   Recommended to Fans of M. Night Shyamalan.

Caveat-Lector: the book is post-modern as the writers at Macro History and World Report explained when looking at Slaughterhouse Five:

 relax and absorb the writing without trying to superimpose order on it.


Caveat Lector:If you like a straight forward narrative than this book may not be the one you are looking for.

View my Top Book List from Good Reads

Review: Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow

Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Caveat Lector: There is no way to summarize such an enormous novel with any type of justice. Here lies a book that is a creative germ. It is really one where you allow it to wash over you and as it washes over you, the sand and particles stick to you, it is a book so creative it pushes one to comprehend it.  The ascent is one worth taking.

Finally finished and loved it know time for digestion of the white goddess maybe a light-bulb moment will arrive in just the right time.  This book deserves a re-read, but not anytime too soon.

 Love to hear from you about Gravity's Rainbow.

Macro History and World Report tell how to read a book like Gravity's Rainbow or Slaughter House Five.





View all my reviews

Oakland: Colorado County

The Day the Catfish Walked

He played his trumpet as the Peace River flooded.

Did these events cause each other?

Can the notes of a trumpet played in Denver Colorado, cause a river to rise and overfill its banks?

Can music displace Catfish from a river?

What is known - 7:31 David stored his trumpet,

7:32 catfish walked on black asphalt.

(19:356) This is dedicated to my dad who as a child played his trumpet in a Denver Colorado school.   And played in a band with brass, until the Beatles stole Big Band's thunder.

Oakland: Colorado County

Speaker for the Dead

The grave digger, Douglas Fairbanks, did not speak of Ghosts.  It was not that he had never seen an apparition. The reason was he felt it rather rude to speak of the dead.   He believed that the souls should rest in peace, and as everyone knows, to speak of the dead causes certain extreme irritation.  (18:356)

Oakland: Colorado County

How I Met Racine My Wife

(1944 England, Maidstone)
The day, I lost eighty-five percent use of my right arm, was the day I asked her to marry me.   We were flying over land, when the first engine went out.   …then the second one.   I remember Shorty pushing me out of the B-17 - eating dirt- the nurse in white: my future wife. (17:365)

101 Things My Love Bird Says

#45

Birds have their bird language, beasts have their beast talk. * From Monkey Folk Novel of China by Wu Ch'eng-en Translated by Arthur Waley.