The Golden State

I'm back in SF for the first time in 7 weeks. It feels good to be here. I like it here. It's been a bit chilly but given that it's December 30th I'll take a high of 57. Takes a bit more bundling to be comfortable on the motorcycle but the days have been clear and bright. Went to Tsunami w/Lucas last night for sushi and sake. They did a toro avocado tartar that, while probably costing $4 a bite, was unreal. It's dangerous having that place as my neighborhood sushi spot. Tonight is the Flaming Lips/Gnarls Barkley/Cat Power show at the Bill Graham civic. It will almost certainly feel more like new years than tomorrow will. Wake me when it's over.

Mud Season In December

My sister's house in Woodbury, VT


I'm back in Massachusettes after being in Maine and Vermont for xmas. It was nice being up north for a bit. There was no snow and it was so mild that it was more like spring mud season than winter but it was still beautiful. It felt good waking up to the wind in the trees instead of sirens and garbage trucks. I went for a walk with my nephew Ellis. He's 7 and in second grade. It's been ages since I've walked a dirt road in Vermont. Now I'm at my mom's until I fly to SF on Wednesday. Anyone wanna buy a big-ass TV?

Haven't seen these in a while...


Ellis showing me where he found the fox carcass...


Muddy...


Ellis on the move...

Escaping Metropolis

7th Street, East Village NYC


On wednesday I picked up a rental car on 13th street and drove to my dad's in NH. It took an hour just to get out of Manhattan and then I sat in traffic all the way to New Haven. It was still better than flying, training, or bussing. It was nice to drive past all the quaint little new england houses all lit up and see stars when I got here. It feels good to be out of the city. We head up to Wilton, ME tomorrow to have Xmas with my grandparents and then I go to Vermont to my sister's for Xmas. It'll be good to get some northern new england time in before heading west to uproot my life.

This was on the sidewalk outside Beana's apt. I didn't see a rat so it must've sold.


This is what you want to see...


Bye bye city...


Dad's backyard...

What Is This "Normal" Life You Speak Of?

I've been in NYC for quite a while now, keeping to myself more than I should and trying to get my head around making the transition to a more stationary lifestyle. I'm truly at a loss with how to approach this. I see people leading this type of life all around me. They're in perpetual motion as well but it's all centered around a fixed point, usually containing their own bed & toilet. I have wanderlust to the point of it being a disorder while at the same time all I want is for my perpetual motion to be centered around a fixed point, preferably containing my bed and a toilet. The more I read the blogs of fellow "touring professionals" the more I realize this is a common feeling. When I'm on tour all I want is to be done, home and still. As soon I'm done, all I think about is going somewhere else. I'm afraid that I'm losing the ability to live a normal life and I'm starting to suspect I never had it. Regardless, I've come to the conclusion that NY is a far more likely place for me to pull this off than SF. As much as I love it there, it doesn't offer me much outside of it's general appeal. Maybe someday I'll be able to make it work there, but for now it looks like it's 'back east' for me. The idea of moving again, let alone across country, makes me want to carve my eyes out with a rusty spoon, but it seems this is my destiny.

In other news, I grew a beard. Not sure how long it'll last so I figured I'd immortalize it here.

Strange Bedfellows

I saw Jim Jarmusch eating sushi w/The RZA at Blue Ribbon tonight.
Getting a picture would've required being a complete dick so I didn't.

Back In The US & A

So I'm back in NY after a quick spin around the UK. It ended up being a great trip. The weather was good and everyone got on well. The gigs were fun and not too much work. There was lots of poker played and we had a great day off in Falmouth which is in Cornwall, my favorite part of England. It was great to be back with the Futureheads and the trip seemed too short if anything. Though the bus was tiny and cramped the bunks had windows that opened. I realize that only people who've lived on a tour bus will be able to appreciate that, but it makes a huge difference to have fresh air in a hallway where 9 men sleep, sweat and take off their shoes. I didn't take many pictures but here's a few of note...

While I wish I'd gotten a better shot, this is the sushi place in London where the Russian spy was poisoned. It's completely sealed off with a police guard and was almost finished being painted with the Itsu logo and a brief statement. It said something to the effect of "An international espionage incident has transformed this Itsu into a world famous meeting place. We are shocked and saddened but our staff and customers are marvelous. Thank you for your emails of support. Please visit our other location in (wherever that is)." We all found both the tone and sentiments to be odd at best and borderline offensive. A world famous meeting place? Visit our other location? Umm...ok.


This was a window display on Oxford street (one of the busiest shopping districts in London) and a close up of the photo of Tony Blair. Good stuff.




Our day off in Falmouth we were in a nice old hotel right on the sea with a great view of the water and the castle on the hill in the distance. I did quite a bit of wandering around and enjoyed some nature time. Here's the view from my room.


And this is the entrance to the castle (which was closed both times I went). I did get to walk around the moat and get a sense of how fortified these places are. I've never been in a moat before.


I just want to point out the laughability of the Ibis hotel slogan. If you've stayed at one, you'll understand why.