Entries this day: Dream_Godfather Dream_KTRU Ginnie_Dutch_Christmas Lazy_day Roll_out cutie

Dream Godfather

8:00am PST Wednesday 25 December 2002

(dream)

In a futuristic setting, needed to travel by getting inside a tube that would launch me like through a slide (like on Jetsons or Futurama) except we sometimes had two way traffic in the same tube and would have to like suck in a gut or try to squish over to one side to get past. I didn't always know which side and one time I went past a guy who had a candle that he was taking to a birthday party and the candle blew out as we passed each other.

The candle was like for a wedding or something and I felt bad for blowing it out before he got it there. But I found out a chance to make it up to him, for the Don, the Godfather of his family was going to walk by a row of people while holding the candle pointing it toward us and the one person who could light the candle as he walked by would get his endless gratitude.

Endless gratitude from the Godfather seemed pretty good to me, (plus I wanted to make it up to him) so I got a match and lit it just as he was about to walk past me. He was a short guy, really fat, about the size of the dwarf on Twin towers, but looked more like an Italian cat than a dwarf with huge beard.

I didn't get the candle lit. So close I was as I held my little birthday candle up to his as he walked by, but no luck; my candle went out just as he arrived.

I was totally like, "d'oh!!" and *ran* as fast as I could around the corner to get back to where my table of friends sat and hollered "does anyone have a lighter?" and two people pulled lighters out of their pockets and threw them to me as I ran toward that table and did a quick stop to run back toward the Godfather. I didn't exactly catch both lighters in midair, but I did retrive them both pretty quickly and ran back to the line just as the Godfather was finishing the line. He seemed to not be anywhere, but then I saw him chillin' against a wall, with his big fur vest on and a big pimp hat.

I lit both lighters and walked up to him. I didn't see the candle, but he smiled as I approached.

The candle incident seemed to be forgotten, but he accepted both lighters and mockingly lit a cigar, an air cigar for it was a pparent there was no cigar. He lauged at his own little joke. At least the Godfather was happy.

Dream KTRU

8:16am PST Wednesday 25 December 2002

(dream)

It had been a long time since I played anything at KTRU, but I was going through my CDs and noticed that I had a CD that KTRU used to have, but no longer had; the case was still there but the CD was missing. (This happens more often at KTRU than an honest DJ might like)

The particular CD I found was one that I bought a long time ago at Record Rack; I could tell because the price sticker was still on the face of the CD instead of the back of the CD, or even the case where it should be. Plus the sticker said Record Rack on it.

I put the CD on the turntable, which was behind some bushes across from the elementary school on Decker Prairie-Rosehill Road near my dad's house. I chose the left hand turntable, instead of the right hand one because the left hand one was about 1/2 a block closer to where I had left my computer plugged in.

Put the CD in and played it while KTRU was actually broadcasting a basketball game. I didn't intend to broadcast it over the basketball game, but just to preview it in the studio.

I went back to looking through CDs while this one was playing, and I suddenly realized I *might* be accidentally broadcasting it over the game; I ran up to look and was horrified to realize that's exactly what I had done.

I was surprised no one had called during this apparently rebellious act; I hoped no one had heard it (that no one was listening to the game), but I knew I must try to explain myself and get it resolved before Rice Administration found out and tried to shut down the station again.

Ran down the escalator out of the shopping mall/school, wondering to whom I should address the email, and decided to just write it to the KTRU email list, plus Will Robidee and Johnny So, the most recent station manager that I knew of. Summarized the points of my letter in my mind: 1) that I was replacing a CD KTRU used to have, 2) that I hadn't DJed there in a while so I wasn't an official DJ and all the blame could therefore be put on me and make a policy that said, "no unofficial DJs allowed spinning records (which already is a policy) and 3) that some other DJ had inappropriately left the volume up and the red button pushed on the turntable input on the board.

I ran back toward the apartment where I was staying with Amelia (Springfield) and she was just walking up to the outside door at the same time. I used my copy of her key and opened the outside door, ran up the stairs and couldn't get the right key to open the inside door, so I threw my keys down in disgust and waited for her to open the door. She did and the air conditioner guy was also just walking in.

He looked at the thermostat and clicked the reset button, saying, "there you go; all fixed," for we had been having a problem with keeping the house warm enough. I asked him calmly and patiently what he thought was keeping the reset button needing to be reset twice in two days (there must be an underlying issue, for which this was simply a band-aid). He agreed there must be something else and would look into it for us.

While he looked, I stated flatly, "okay, I've got to write this letter to KTRU" and went back to the desk and pulled my computer out. I was thankful that I had apparently remembered it, but realized that I had forgotten the power supply and would have to go back and get it. Fortunately I would not need it immediately; the battery was fully charged.

As I prepared to write, I remembered that I hadn't actually written about the Godfather dream yet, and then realized that hey this was a dream, and I *did* have the power supply for my computer, and even better; I hadn't broadcast a song over the basketball game on KTRU after all.

Ahhhhh. such relief.

Ginnie Dutch Christmas

12:25pm PST Friday 27 December 2002

From my friend Ginnie in Europe:

Subject: A Dutch Christmas

Hello Party Lovers! Excuse me for not sending the last mail when i
wrote it, i guess better late than never (like my Christmas presents
in the mail?). I guess i will fire the october mail off to you next
week.  A little out of order, but oh well!

       I have been in the Netherlands for several months now.  The day
or two after I wrote the last e-mail, I went to the local college to
get my deposit back on a Dutch language textbook I had borrowed in the
spring then completed while working nights last summer.  The director
had me written into the class roster the next day and for 10 Euros
more over 500 hours of Dutch lessons and 4 textbooks.  I skipped into
the 2nd grade because of my cool night shift hobby, and it is back to
school. Now, Christmas Vacation!!!!! I did not pay attention in
English class, so now i have another opportunity to learn about
similar parts of speech diagramming, only in another order with some
spicy twists.  Like the first time around, i need to study more, but i
figure there is a reason it takes a while to learn the language.  A
language is only a very small part of the total cultural change.  To
understand it all at once, or within a very short period of time is
asking a lot of the mind.  I give myself some slack remembering that i
learned French last winter in the mountains by myself.  I had contact
with people three times a month or so, so it must have been the radio
that i resurrected and could listen to while the sun was shining on
the solar panel.

      This winter I am living similar challenges, only at the opposite
extremes.  Last year I was not living on the mountain a month or so
before i got used to the fact that there was going to be no surprise
visitors, I was on my own, to do what i wanted and so I cut wood
without a shirt on and sung songs at the top of my lungs and stood
outside in the middle of the night looking at the stars until the sky
turned pink.  This year I am in the Japan of Europe.  I am in the
middle of the country, and there are houses all around us.  I have to
be dressed to walk around on the inside of the house.  I bought a
sewing machine and have made curtains that i gave to Ron for Christmas
today.  I feel like a real hillbilly trying to fit into small village
life again.  For the most part things are perfect.  i am living the
dream.

     Christmas in Holland is really the second place December gift
giving holiday.  Sinterklaas is on December 5th and according to their
legend the American Santa Clause is his cousin.  I would say more his
grand son.  I had the pleasure going to the local elementary school to
see Ron perform as Sinterklaas on December 5th.  He was accompanied by
Zwarte Piet.  Actually two Zwarte Piets.  These are white Dutch guys
that rub some kind of black shoe polish on their face and hands and
dress up like jokers or joker/pirates.  The story is that Sinterklaas
was born in 343 AD in Turkey (Miro).  He lives in Madrid.  He was a
Bishop, and wears a big red bishop's hat with a crusaders white cross
on the front.  He has a staff, and long dark red velvet robes and a
very long white beard.  He was a Bishop that gave gifts to children a
very long time ago.  In good Spanish style, he gives gifts the day
before his birthday (on December 6th). Every year, at the end of
November, he makes the trip by boat to Holland ( i think some stories
say he goes to Amsterdam first). He comes with some slaves called
Zwarte Piet.  This character is essential but definitely a politically
incorrect character these days.  Zwarte Piet is a clown, joking and
throwing candy and pepernoten (gingerbread spices cookie drops) and
pulling pranks on the kids.  He is also the guy who keeps Sinterklaas'
naughty-and-nice list.  The real bad kids get stuffed in his sack and
taken on the boat back to Spain to work as slaves for Zwarte Piet
(like Santa's elves) making the pepernoten.  The bad kids get beaten
by switches that are all bundled up (an old time broom).  They used to
really beat the kids!  They are usually not friendly characters, but
Ron says these days they are much nicer, when he was a kid they were
scared of Zwarte Piet! People also give and receive presents on the
5th, but there are many nice presents like big Chocolate letters (the
first letter of your first name), and almond spice pastry rolls and
little typical Dutch treats they make just for Sinterklaas and people
exchange for the weeks preceding Sinterklaas.  Sinterklaas is mostly
for kids.

    In class we were supposed to bring a gift for a person whose name
we drew for a secret gift exchange.  Of course the little gift i
wanted to give was not ready yet because i wanted to make it on the
full moon, so i gave another one (i was supposed to buy one).  My
understanding of the Dutch language is still very limited, and my poem
was about all of the different Christmas traditions that my class
mates have.  Russian Christmas with The Snowman and his lady helper.
Baba Noel in Egypt.  Ramadan was over and the Zuiker Feest (the big
party day after the long Muslim day-fasting period) fell on the 5th of
December too!  I thought my poem was so clever, oh gawd!!!! 10 shades
of red later (which gave me away as the culprit) i realized my poem
was supposed to be about the person and the gift to them. Anyway, it
was to my teacher, and the poem was a twist.  I am glad I did not have
to see my grade on that gift.

   So today is a little more vague in the peoples minds, Sinterklaas
went home on the boat December 6th, and they don't really expect his
cousin to come for the 25th.  This is when people have trees with
lights on the windows. It is similar, but not the same.  I have to
remind myself that today is a day of many faces and conditions on our
world, like any other.  I also remind myself that today is filled with
so many expectations, and victories of giving and defeats of
disappointment.  What direction is it going?  Are we coming together?
I guess I can keep the highest thought in mind and believe thatl soon
it will be Christmas for everybody, that humanity will pull through
for one another and we will get there in not such a distant future. At
least December 25th in Holland is mostly a day with the family.
Christmas lasts two days, the 25th and the 26.  It is still a surprise
what is going to happen today, and we will see about tomorrow still.
I bet New Years Eve will be quite similar to most everywhere else
though.  This is like culture shock in Holland.  I am going to sign
off now, i am going to go see what Christmas in Holland is like.  We
are going to Ron's parents house for the evening.  I do miss being
with my family, I Love You!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Everybody!!!  I hope you have impeccable luck and health for all your
days to come!  Love, gin

Lazy day

1:09pm PST Wednesday 25 December 2002

Well, I'm leaving later than I had originally planned, but it's cool since my schedule is so loose.

I wonder if I'll be able to charge my computer easily along the way home; I don't have any scheduled stops at people's homes where I can just plug in.

We've been playing Animal Crossing. My character now owes Tom Nook 148,000 bells. Actually 146,000 since I paid him 2 G's.

Silly addicting game!

Rolling out sooonishly. After I get packed.

Roll out

2:38pm PST Wednesday 25 December 2002

Leaving Dude & Veronica's now. I just scoped out my intended path back; I'm not going to go through the 7000+ foot mountains to visit Lake Tahoe and Reno and such. Scott's feet are not treaded well enough for all of that.

So I'm basically going to go down the 5 to LA and turn east on I-40.

Might go by Four Corners. Might not. Have to get to that area and see what my schedule is like.

3710.2 miles on this trip so far. I'm basically at the north-west-most point of my adventure. Certainly my mileage will be less than twice this amount since my path back will be slightly more direct.

152211 miles on Scott. Roll out.

(thanks, Ludacris)

2:45pm

3710.8 miles on my trip so far. I'm back at Dude's. I forgot my bike.

4:56pm

3827.2 miles traveled.

Just drove backwards on the shoulder to get a picture: "Entering Josephine County" for Josephine.

6:08pm

3885 miles traveled. I've taken a little detour to see the Redwood Forest. It's going to be quite dark when I'm there, apparently, and I don't really want to spend the night there so soon in my trek. But we'll see once I get there how it goes.

7:18pm

Wow. The Redwoods are big. I've gotta come back here during the day sometime.

This time my Redwood Forest tour was like, "wow, there's big trunk. Ooh, that trunk is really big. Woah, look at that trunk!"

3934 miles traveled.

cutie

7:32pm PST Wednesday 25 December 2002

Oh my gosh what a cutie at this gas station. Red hair and braces. Oh so cute!

8:30pm

My god. It's been an hour and I'm still fixating on that cute woman. I should have said something, anything to her. Well I did, but didn't give her my card. I coulda asked her how to get to the freeway or said I'm on a roadtrip, or fucking anything. Yargh. Why was I so scared to do that?

9:53pm

Okay. I seem to have kinda sorta thought of some reasons to get over it. The best two are (!) trust the universe. (@) there's lots of cute people that go by all the time in cars, but I don't know it cause I can't see them.

Whatever.

I've now traveled 4045 miles since Dallas. I'm at a Vista on 299, some miles east of 101 in California (about 50 or so miles south of Redwood Forest I'm guessing). Time for sleeeep.

Haha 333 miles traveled today.