Dani and Death

Chad says:
Boo!
Dani says:
AH
Dani says:
Im wearing my glasses
Dani says:
cause my eyes hurt!
Chad says:
Awww!
Chad says:
Show me.
Dani says:
no..
Dani says:
it’s gross.
Chad says:
You know what’s gross?
Dani says:
?
Chad says:
Not you!  So shutup.
Dani says:
HAHAH
Dani says:

Chad says:
That’s going on my blog.
Dani says:
what is
Dani says:
that?
Dani says:
hahah
Dani says:
i love that we post our conversations
Dani says:
it’s great
Chad says:
It is.  When we become famous artists and die there will be a book of our conversations published by our grandchildren to make money because they are lazy.
Dani says:
HAHAH
Dani says:
Best thing ever.
Dani says:
they most definitely will
Dani says:
that or my brother
Dani says:
he is quite lazy.
Chad says:
hahaha
Chad says:
I’d be amused if he did.  Then again, I’d be dead..
Dani says:
hahah.. yeah well we’d haunt him or something
Chad says:
That’d be fucking great!  “Roooooobert!  Roooobert!  We know what you do in the bathroom, Robert!”
Dani says:
HAHAHH
Dani says:
yessssss
Dani says:
we would screw with his head so much
Dani says:
and hopefully be like poltergeists..
Dani says:
and take his samurai sword and wave it around
Dani says:
then we could fight with his swords
Dani says:
and he’d think he was on drugs.
Chad says:
Oh man.  Death is going to rock.
Dani says:
Hahha.. indeed!

But If I Can’t

Fold up your hands,

And look to me,

Your heart demands,

I set you free,

But if I can’t,

Oh darling be,

Truthful to you,

And good to me.

A Trip to California – day two

Day Two – San Francisco and Alcatraz

The day started out with our hotel’s complimentary “breakfast” which consisted of small pre-wrapped cinnamon buns or whatever was left at the bottom of the many bags of cereal they had yet to replace. I grabbed one of the cinnamon buns and a styrofoam cup and filled it with their orange juice which I decided, after one sip, to be crap. All sugar, no real juice. So I got coffee instead, which I usually prefer anyway. Nothing smells like the morning more so than coffee.

The highway, one of many, was only a few minutes from our hotel. It took us an hour and a quarter to get into the San Francisco area. It was sunny and nine degrees celsius. We drove along the bay and passed a place called “Monster Park” as I played Led Zeppelin from my iPod.

Dad made me turn the music off when we arrived downtown because he wanted to, “listen to the sounds of the city.” It was then I noticed that California has black traffic lights. I’m so used to green ones – this fascinated me. I’m really weird that way. There were many arty people around and I thought I saw Paul Reubens riding a bicycle. There was an academy of art and it looked nice. The trolleys were very pretty in a colourful art deco style the same as the piers. We found a place to park and walked to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Most stores were closed, but there was a coffee place open so I got a cup of some dark exotic type. I was out of film so I bought some at a nearby store the we walked around the wharf. Dad noticed a place selling tours to Alcatraz and it turned out that there was one leaving in the next few minutes. We were the last people to board the boat.

Alcatraz

It took 11 minutes to get to Alcatraz and dad and I were the first off the boat. There was a ranger who greeted us all and told us a brief history of the island. In the nearby building, an old nineteenth century cannon battery, was a theatre that played a short film which told the island’s history further. There were a few rooms that had things from the past, like a 1930s tommy-gun, shivs confiscated from prisoners and posters with famous inmate’s stories. Alcatraz became a federal prison in 1934 and closed in 1963.

We then headed up to the cell block, which was equal to climbing thirteen storeys according to the ranger. I wasn’t tired, but there were some people who were. I wanted to laugh at them, but I didn’t. We went inside and took the self-audio tour which had us listening to a recording on headphones. It was actually really good. The main narrator was an ex-Alcatraz guard. There were three other guards who told stories along the way as well as four ex-inmates who also told stories. There were great sound effects in the background and it lasted well over an hour.

Light in an empty corner of the Mess Hall

After the tour we walked around the grounds and took pictures. At 1:15pm there was a ranger in the mess hall who told the story of Al Capone’s life. It was interesting and he was very bias in favour of Al Capone – making him out to be a Robin Hood figure. The audience ate it up like the sheep they are. I really do like people with a mind of their own.

In the gift shop was Darwin Coon; one of the last eight Alcatraz inmates who are still alive. He was there, for that day only, to promote the book he wrote about his life and time in Alcatraz. We shook his hand and got a picture with him. The girl from Texas, who took the picture, asked Darwin if he thought that the three men who escaped Alcatraz and have never been found actually got away. I was shocked at his certainty when he responded with, “I know they did.”

Dad, Darwin Coon, and I

Dad and I got some good souvenirs. I bought an Alcatraz tin cup and dad bought me an exact replica of an Alcatraz inmate coat as an early birthday gift. I love the coat. I also bought a card to send to Maggie for her birthday. We walked around again and I took more pictures. I grabbed a few pieces of rubble to take home. We decided it time to go and noticed that the boat was about to leave. We knew that the next one wasn’t coming for another half hour so we ran down those thirteen storeys, through a tunnel into the old cannon battery and out to the dock. We were the last ones to get on.

Me, my new jacket, and San Francisco

Once we were back in San Francisco dad and I walked around a bit and down towards Fisherman’s Grotto, which I thought would be another cool wharf, but it wasn’t. It was a large restaurant and beside it was a long row of small seafood places – a sort of tired market. We walked some more and the sun began to reach the horizon. I spotted a place that looked nice. Their menu wasn’t very full, but the burger I ordered was good; the rye & coke was not. My experience with American whisky has yet to be good. Dad traded me his rum & coke. He did not care.

Back in San Francisco

It was still light when we left, but this time everything was becoming a deeper blue. Dad bought a shirt for my sister, Steph, and a man at a camera shop tried to sell me a telephoto lens for my camera even though I told him I already had one. We walked back to the Jeep and drove around San Francisco for a bit. It was dark when we left.

A Trip to California – day one

Day One – driving and arriving in San Jose

It was quite the surprise to find myself packing for a trip to California on a day that began just like any other. It was January 15th and we got a call that my uncle, the one who lives in California, was in trouble. His girlfriend was the person who called and told us that he had a mental breakdown and needed some support. Dad and I knew that he would never ask for help so after convincing mom and my grandparents to let us go help we were off to California.

We began our trip around 8:00pm. The night was cold, minus seven degrees celsius, and dark. There were few people on the road and it did not snow at all. The man at the border made us shut off our engine and he checked the back of the Jeep. I think he was just bored because he was very nice.

We arrived in Goldendale, Washington at 5:00am, January 16th. We stopped at a Holiday Inn for directions because it appeared to be the only place open in the whole town. The woman inside told us that the main bridge over the Columbia River was closed because of construction work and made a point of showing us an article in the local newspaper all about it as if we actually cared why it was closed. She told us to head along the river until we reached a place called The Dalles and to cross at the bridge there. The other side of the Columbia was Oregon.

Oregon Sunrise

We drove for another hour before stopping for a quick nap. We were in the high plains of Oregon. I could not sleep so I watched the stars turn over the horizon while dad snored. I saw two shooting stars just before the sun began to rise and wished on both. It wasn’t light enough to write until 7:03am. The rolling hills were dead dark at night and quite eerie, but they were very pretty by day – all covered with frost that sparkled in the sun. Strange windswept trees, almost Asian looking, and baskets full of rocks dotted this foreign landscape. I still have no idea why there were rocks in baskets. The plains turned to hills back to plains again and we listened to the radio as we drove.

Cold Oregon

We came into Bend, Oregon at 9:14am and stopped at IHOP for breakfast. Dad had pancakes and I just had coffee. Across the aisle sat two cute girls in cute clothes listening to war stories from their grandfathers who I assume were Vietnam veterans. The girls looked my age and seemed very respectful and sweet. I hope that I have granddaughters like that someday. In the booth in front of me was a fat man and his fat wife. He was upset because IHOP no longer served his favourite breakfast, the chili omelette. It took him a long time to decide on his breakfast.

It was sunny when we left Bend, but it was cold. We continued south through more mountains and I thought I saw Peter O’Toole driving a car that we passed. I also began to notice signs that said, “It’s unlawful to..” as opposed to Canada’s “.. is prohibited”. I think that saying something is prohibited is much more civilized.

Mount Shasta – Northern California

At 3:13pm we arrived in Redding, California and saw the first palm trees on our adventure. We stopped at Subway for a late lunch and I had a 6 inch sub and double chocolate chip cookie. Redding seemed like a nice place, but like all the other places we’d been to so far, I would not want to live there.

We remained heading south. It was still sunny, but now it was twenty two degrees warmer with the Jeep’s thermometer reading 12 degrees celsius. Dad was sick of listening to my iPod so he put on the radio and found some bizarre Mexican radio station that was playing a sort of mariachi polka. I had still not slept. I noticed that there was a sign that mentioned olive tasting and I know that Dani loves olives, so I wrote it down. It’s south of Red Bluff, California if you’re ever in the area.

The land was flat and rich and boring. After a while hills started to appear and then the sun went down. We crossed a bridge where I was able to see San Francisco in the distance. We were going to San Jose. An hour later we were close, but not quite sure where to go, so we stopped at a gas station where the attendant asked us if we were “Spaniards” because of our “Beautiful British Columbia” license plate. I thought that was quite funny.

California Road Sunset

We found a hotel by 8:00pm and were glad to lay down. We met my uncle a half hour later and he showed us around San Jose a bit. This is a city that seemed to drain the energy out of me. There were some nice parts, but it just went on forever, like Los Angeles. I like to be able to see some mountains, or grass or something that hasn’t been built upon. This is very rare in San Jose. We went back to the hotel and I went to sleep.

—

I will continue the story soon. I will also add high resolution versions of the pictures once I’ve finished these entries. They were all taken on my beloved Pentax SLR and deserve to be shown off in all their glory. Thanks for reading so far.

A Mellow Homecoming

Home again.  Got here a few hours ago after traveling for 24 straight hours.  When I arrived my family gave me my presents as today is my 19th birthday.  I got some wonderful stuff.  I’ve sent my film off to be developed and should have it back soon.  I’ll write an entry on the trip and include some of the pictures.  Now for a long nap.

We’re In For A Long Drive

Dad and I are driving to California.  We’re leaving in a few minutes.  I can’t explain now.  I don’t know when we’ll be home.  I’ll post again as soon as I can.

Steve McCurry – a photojournalist

Steve McCurry is the man responsible for one of the most famous photos ever taken; one that graced the cover of the June 1985 issue of National Geographic. The photo was of a 13 year old Afghan refugee with piercing green eyes that seem too surreal to come from a human being. This was not his only great photo, though. He has taken many stunning and interesting photos throughout his career. They can be seen in his gallery on his official site. It’s well worth taking a look.

Fermentation – a poem unfinished

I fear the world,

Is no longer mine,

When no one remembers,

The penultimate line.

Opinion: Gangs of New York

Watch this movie.  I don’t know why it took me so long to see it.  I guess I forgot that it even existed until I saw Daniel Day-Lewis in the trailer for There Will Be Blood.  I went out and bought it tonight and I’m very glad I did.  His performance as Butcher Bill is wonderful.  I kept wanting to see more even at it’s two hours and forty minute runtime.

Ahh, no more words.  Just watch it.

Poems

I’m going to keep posting poems even if they are a bit odd. I doubt that anyone will like all of them. That’s not the point. I want to filter my writing less and concentrate on expression instead of conscious editing and judgment.

I appreciate any kind of response.