night 4-6

Slow and awake.  Gold light spilling in through the open window.  I lay stretching myself awake.  Two trees outside sway each morning to the rain, to the wind, or on days like today motionless in warm sunlight.  Their flowering branches fill the neighborhood with freshness.  

The campfire of the previous night has saturated my clothing with smoke-smell.  I enjoy this and the man at the convenience store was envious of the idea.  His name was Robert.  Sometimes he wakes up early in the morning to go fishing.  I sat near the fire alone for a long time, thinking, or at least trying to.  Predictably so, Neil Young and Dylan was in constant rotation as I sat there adding branches, twigs and split logs.  Quietly contemplating and poking radiant embers.  I take a piece of driftwood (from the Pacific) and place it on the fire.

Fires bring me back...  Bring me back to many random moments over the years.  Some of them the same, some very particular.  But, nonetheless all meaningful and exciting.

Portland has been feeling slightly new again, I believe it's the weather change.  Or maybe the fact that I'm healing from the knee issue.  It's hard to say what I feel close to on mornings like these.  I try to wake up close to the idea of finding something new in the day, even if it's very small.  Somedays I can only rediscover.  I'm never going to relive the same exact thing twice, I'm done trying, there's too many variables.  Waving goodbye I drive away and it's usually for good.

I wonder about companionship, relationships, communities in the depths of exhaustion.  Sometimes about their purposes.  Continually I feel pushed, or better stated; propelled by situations and people.  This is the right thing.  Movement is right.  Though what will stay with me?  Moving on and on through these shapes and sounds, but in the night.  You can only be open handed where you are.  Friends and family are who they are.  Closely realized things.

It is now night.  Silence and a far off droning of the highway.

Clouds

Sun, clouds blowing in, sun, rain.  Amazingness.  Things have been going well lately, riding has been fun and productive, meeting new characters, going fast.  I hurt my ankle stomping pallets for the new fire-pit.  The house has been wild, parties, music.  Nights cruising town in the dark on the big-bike with eyes watering.  Playing music all day long, just because, getting that much closer to feeling alright with the idea of unveiling all of it.  Jen and I drove out to the Olympic peninsula with no plan at 3am, camped, and hiked a mountain.  Her dogs almost escaped into the vast evergreen nothingness.  Coffee addictions.   We saw amazing sights and then she flew out of town for the bike show.  Amazing waterfalls were experienced yesterday, more hiking, forest streams cliffs.  My car hydroplaned a little on the way back.  I hate being afraid to drive.  This weekend I'm going up to the San Juan islands/Anacortes, WA to camp and see a bunch of bands play, mostly to see and feel more and more new things.

Ain't so down really.

Man, all I've needed is a small reason to wake up and man is the new animated Cars movie the motivation I've been needing. It's 9am sun shining bird chirpin' Portland morning. Ready to put on a jacket and walk over to the burrito restaurant and then off to ride the park for a while... Something is brighter about today, just going to keep moving with it. No real news, Pete is visiting the frigid Midwest for his birthday. There's 8 people living here at the house now, I'm glad it's filling up, it's a big place.. As long as I don't have to keep on washing everyone's dishes.

Boards in snow.

Josh just sent me this link... Too good..

Sleep.

5 hours used to be enough sleep. It's 4:30am, so I should be able to wake up at 10am and be okay, if of course I could travel through time. Anyhow, my schedule is all weird, I have trouble falling asleep and trouble rolling out of bed. At 1:30pm everyday I make my breakfast coffee, this is the best. I have weird dreams recently though, and I remember many of them.

I want anyone who is willing to try the "potato challenge". Basically it started when I moved out here and bought a $1.98/10lb. bag of russet potatoes. I figured I'd never get through them so I made a point to eat at least 2 baked/mashed per day. Needless to say, this got old real quick and became a challenge and joke so I bought another bag and the challenge continues. They surprisingly have a good amount of vitamins/minerals and provide quick energy for riding around town. Not to mention that they go with breakfast, lunch or dinner. So the challenge is; buy a 10lb. bag, eat 2 a day until they're gone. Feel great.

Watch this video. 41mph... FAST!! The track-stand part is interesting also.

On hold.

This is about how seriously I'm going to take the internet at this point in my life. I'll use it for mapping out directions and occasional special event. It's really easy to get bored and end up on a computer right? If you're taking the time to read this then you're sure to relate.. Time to go ride my bike and fry up some vegetables. The sun has been out almost a week now! Amazing.

My issues with my old job have cleared up. Fixed my car. Lost my car keys the same day. Rebuilt my road bike. Crashed launching full-speed on the bmx and ripped my favorite pants. Rated coffee at a shop. Bonfires and parties. Sleepovers and bagels.

Looking at things on a Monday..

I just reorganized my half of the room.. I took down the majority of the photos and drawings on the wall, figured the more stuff I have on the wall the less I have to live for. Seeing nothing makes me want to go out and capture things. New reminders of the past. The few books I have (mostly journals) are neatly stacked, the bed is made and my guitars are held close to the wall by 2 hooks. I feel comfortable about this, like making tea. Warm. But sitting here in comfort I wonder..