Painting + 100 degree temps = EEWWWWW

We just finished painting the exterior of this house last week during the start of our heat wave here in CA. This is a 'before' picture by the way. I can't find any of the 'after' pictures to show the true superiority of our work. It's been HOT. But I s'pose everyone is feelin it these days if you live out here in the west. Now we are painting the interior of another house and the heat is worse inside! Especially if you are down on your knees painting behind the toilet. Sometimes I can't believe the little girl in me who at 4 threw away all the silverware in the house when dinner was done because it was 'dirty' can crouch behind a toilet for 1/2 an hour with sweat dripping from her nose as she carefully paints a line.
Now THAT was a run on sentence!

So TIRED..I miss Weed.

Here's a very bad picture of the very beautiful Mt Shasta. It's taken from my uncle Jamie's side yard. He's got a big spread out in Weed (yes Weed). It is absolutely gorgeous. Lots of acres with horses and flowers. And they look out on Mt. Shasta. Not bad. This is what I'd normally be doing in July. Sitting with Kimm on my uncle's swing with under the deck with somewhere near 10 dogs milling around (4 of them ours). The tempatures rising into the 100's. Sipping on a beer. Looking at Mt. Shasta. Watching the space ships fly in and out of the secret portal in the mountain. Good Times.

Unfortunately, Kimm and I are working our asses off to get our house ready for our big 10th anniversary party next weekend. We're going to have close to 50 people over here and we still don't have a working front door. That's just one of our GIANT problems we have to deal with before the party.

And summer is slowly slipping away...

Shorty

Kids really like me for some reason. I think it's because I tend to ignore them.
Such was the case with "Shorty". I never did ask him his real name. He told me his friends called him "Shorty" or "Killa" as nicknames. I chose to call him Shorty. It seemed more fitting for an 8 year old.
He was at the property Kimm and I are currently painting. He came with his dad who was doing landscaping work in the back yard.
I was painting the front deck in the direct sun so I was a little crazy from the heat and not in much of a mood to chit chat. Shorty started asking me questions. "How much do you make for painting?" "Where do you live?"
Then he asks me my favorite question and one I will remember forever..
"Do you have any famous rappers in your family?"
!!!!??????? I put down my brush and looked at him for the first time.
No, do you?
"Yeah. Do you know who Too Short is?"
YES!
"He's my uncle."
WOW! That's some uncle you got there kid.
Too Short is the most famous of rappers to come from Oakland. East Oakland in fact-where Shorty and I live. He's widely known for being the first west coast rap star. He's recorded over 30 albums with songs like "fuck face" and "pimp the ho". It doesn't get more gold teeth than Too Short and that's saying a lot.
Shorty told me that back in the day his famous uncle used to "put food on his mama's table". But now that Too Short is too famous his "mama has to put food on her own table". I guess sometimes success can ruin a good thing.

Woody

So I watched the KQED American Masters doc on Woody Guthrie. It was so depressing. He died at 55 of Huntington's disease. I woke up in the middle of the night and grieved for him.
I'm so weird.
Rock and Roll wouldn't have been the same without him.
Hail Woody!

Devendra Banhart

I really haven't been interested in anyone musically for awhile.
Except for this guy Devendra Banhart. I was given a copy of his CD Cripple Crow and I LOVE every song on it.
He's just all over the place on this CD. Plus he looks all Charles Manson so it's intriguing. He just doesn't sound like anyone else and I find that SO REFRESHING....
Plus I'm a sucker for that lo-fi sound.
Highly Recommended..

Jan, Joe and Zoe

Here we go again... More of our friends leaving the Bay Area to live out of state in large suburban areas dominated by cheaper housing and better schools.
I don't ask why anymore...
If I was a parent I'd do the same thing.
Jan, Joe and Zoe of all the BBQ's, bio-diesel, Punk Rock Music mix CD's, adoptees, wine and whine and flag girls.

They hailed from our neighborhood one street down. They understood.

They left on Monday July 3rd to live in Portland, Oregon. Summer time BBQ's will never evah be the same.

They will be missed..

Cassie

Here she is in all her glory at one of our shows. I think we were still calling ourselves Hoegarden back then. In fact...this may have been our very first show. It was at this space called the Accordian on Bayshore in SF. Kind of a scary place to park your car. But as I remember...no one was hurt or robbed.

This was before babies and all. Well, Jamie was pregnant with Miles. So she didn't play drums for us at this show.

Cassie and her husband Kaveh and their two beautiful kids left SF last weekend to live in Chicago where apparently it's less expensive.

It's never going to be the same here without Cassie. She of all the songs, gossip, parties, dinners, camping trips, clothes with animal print's.

She sang for three of my bands. Yusakuta, Might Tight and Hoegarden/Hazy. Cassie definately had that loud punk rock girl voice I LOVE SO!!!

I'll really miss you Cassie

Am I in another country?

I wish I could let you hear the insane "Iraqish" noise that happens in Oakland on the 4th of July. It really begins in May and goes until September but it has it's climax on July 4th. I'm not sure where all these people get their fireworks--
which are quite professional.
We're not talking sparklers here.
I would guess that at least every other house has something to send off into the air, blow up on the ground or shoot..Hopefully not AT someone.
Seems like people should be licensed for this stuff. And it is illegal of course but that never stops anyone.

Then, July 5th I took my dogs out for their morning walk and as I climbed to the top of a hill I spied out of the corner of my eye, a red fox. He saw us first obviously and began to run down the hill into the canyon away from us. I imediately looked for my dog Gabe. She sat and just watched him go. I couldn't believe she didn't chase him. Maybe it was a "I know your not a domestic animal" thing. So strange because Gabe will always chase.
Anyway. We watched that fox for awhile--Gabe and I. While the other 3 dogs sniffed around and ate goat poop. Completely unaware. He ran on a trail stopping every 30 feet or so to look back at us.
I like that kind of dichotomy about Oakland.

Sound Down

So Kimm and I have been watching the first season of the L word.
We don't have cable so we rely on our friends to tape stuff for us that is culturally relevant in some way.
We enjoy watching straight girls kiss and make-out and that hasn't really been done on T.V. before.
Anyway, we've decided we like it best with the sound off.
Katherine Moenning is pretty hot. Jennifer Beals still has that nice ass. AND it's got goddamn Pam Grier! I wonder how they got her on the show? I can't imagine what Guinevere Turner must have said to convince her...

SF Pride Parade 2006

Remember Josie Cotton? "Johnny are you queer?" Here she is performing with a cute dancer on the main stage at this years Pride Parade Festival.
Saturday night we went to the Dyke March. We succesfully partied at a friend's house before hand. Marched. Danced to the Whoa Nellies (Fun SF band fronted by ex-Elvis Herselves). Ate like pigs. Then went to another party. Crashed at friend H and N's place. Got up and went to the Civic Center to troll around and buy "M" Brownies--This year we got lucky and also got a "M" pound cake! We'll put that in the freezer and save it for a river trip in August or September.

HOT

It's so focken hot here today.
Do you like how I changed that ONE word in the last sentence? I haven't seen that version and I'm running with it.
Memories of HOT Redding nights:
I would swing on the swing set after dinner when I was kid. I'd watch the sky get darker and the night would fill up with good smells of orange blossoms and mimosa trees.
Later when I was older I'd run around barefoot with my friends thru the neighborhood at night and toilet paper peoples houses. We were never afraid of creepy perv's.
When I was 16 or so I'd jam with my band in my girlfriends parents garage in the outskirts of town near the lake. We were so far out there no one complained about the sound.
While I was in my college freshman year. I would sit in a small group of girls by the pool side of my bestfriend. We'd try and out-attitude each other.

Kris--Or--All my best friends die on solstices

Here is a photo of Kris and I and our friend Nancy from our days at "the BYU". Kris is in the red shirt looking adorable. Nancy has the peace sign. I of course am the one in the back looking miserable. Today is year #4 without Kris.
I miss her everyday.

We used to sing along to "Los Angeles" by X in her kelly green volkswagen bug. Screaming at the top of our lungs.
We had so much fun together.
As Exene says in the song Los Angeles--"She found it hard to say goodbye to her own best friend". That's still how I feel about Kris.

Mark...where are you?

Listening to Memphis Minnie

This is Kimm with our hot friend Mark. They tried on all our wigs a few weeks ago and posed for this picture. I love this one because they look all Kentucky. Mark was supposed to come stay with us this weekend but he hasen't shown his handsome face yet. I s'pose we should call him...
Doesn't Kimm look a little like Martha Stewart in this photo?
So what's with this weekend anyway? Memorial day weekend? Well I'm not the proud Amerkan type so I think I'll celebrate it by buying the new Minutemen dvd "We Jam Econo." Aren't we required to LOVE the Minutemen in this country?? I sure do. The BAND that is.

I SOOO suck at this

It's been more than a month since I posted..Geez, I really suck at this blogger stuff. And I haven't posted one picture of my art. I did name this "My unseen art" a year or so ago. Well lucky for all of us the goats are back at my favorite open space and they've almost finished eating everything. Next they will cross the street and eat everything at the other open space. Hopefully I'll come across some fresh skulls when I get back there. Seem's every year there are several goats that die on the job -or maybe they get shot-who knows..this is Oakland.
Anyway, soon I'll post some art photos. With or without skulls.

These are the good times...

Listening to Decline and Fall of Western Civilization.

I remember when I was younger and I didn't have responsibilities. Yes I had a job but If I wanted to call in sick--I could. I didn't own a house. I didn't have a girlfriend. I only had one dog. My life was simple. All my furniture matched. I remember thinking.."One day I'll have a real life with responsibilities. These are the good times". Thank god those days are over.

Big Mean Dogs=Bad Owners

listening to Sleater-Kinney " I want to be your Joey Ramone"
Our nice neighbors little dog got into our mean neighbors yard with their two big mean dogs. Those two big mean dogs were trying their hardest to kill that sweet, small and nearly blind dog. I heard it and climbed a ladder to see over the fence to find out what was going on. After I saw what was happening I screamed for Kimm to come and help. She kept the dogs at bay with our hose and I ran around the corner to the mean neighbors house to get them to call off their dogs. Both of their cars were there but no answer at the door. Kimm finally jumped the fence with a blanket and wrapped up the little hurt dog and handed it over the fence to me. Poor little thing. If I hadn't heard them that dog would be dead. It didn't seem to be bleeding. Maybe just really brused and possibly broken or cracked. I hope not. We got him back to our nice neighbors. Still can't figure out why if our mean neighbors were home how they could let that commotion happen without doing something about it? And how did that little dog get into their yard? Kinda scary because we have 4 little dogs. Knowing their dogs are capable of that is frightning. I'm making sure our fence is dog proof so that never happens.

BAD STUFF

Here is a picture of a Montery Pine that fell onto the back and roof of my neighbors house on tuesday. A big gust of wind knocked it down. The rain has saturated the ground to the point where it won't hold up trees anymore.
This is just one more shitty thing to happen to us or those we know well. Our friend Walt lost his home in January when the rains flooded the river in Lagunitas. THEN: Tedd commits the unbearable. THEN: We have little or no work because of the season. Etc...Etc..... Those windows are not broken. I can't believe they didn't break! That is one of the owners in the foreground. She is in shock! This doesn't show the damage on the roof. There were SO many holes punched into the roof by big thick branches that you can't see in this picture! Kimm scampered up there with all the slick pine needles to help them put on the tarps afterwards. Then on Friday they got about 6 tree guys over there and they got that whole tree off of the roof and cut it down to the stump. Brave guys. They didn't break one petal off of any of our neighbors flowers! Those kids were good!

Stonefox

There was this band from San Francisco in the mid-late 90's called Stonefox. They could not be touched. 4 girls on guitar and mics and 1 guy on the drums. Hard - Driving - Sweating - Sex Rock Punk Metal. They were just so good. Sooo Good.
I'm listening to this C.D. I got from my dear friend Tedd's collection. I am the biggest Stonefox fan and I didn't know about this! "Really Burnt" on Man's Ruin. It's their first album "Burnt", with several live cuts. Show's I know that I was at because I was a junkie. I saw them all. I stalked one of the guitarists after I saw her get off the bus one day in my neighborhood. She lived right next door to Mission Delores. The balcony of her studio looked out onto the graveyard of the Mission. I spent many days walking my doberman Isabelle underneith that balcony.
Good Times--Good Times..
Thank God for this band!
I also got a well worn Stonefox t-shirt from Tedd's t-shirt collection. I'm not sure I should ever wear it.

Tedd ruins our lives lately

Listening to KUSF
It's been a long time since I wrote anything. Our good friend Tedd committed suicide in Febuary and I didn't feel much like writing after that. This is a picture of Tedd in better times. He was one of a kind. No one knew he was in any kind of emotional pain. But like my mom said, "Sometimes you can't know what's in peoples heads". Pretty simple but true.
We played music together in a band called Yusakuta that was together from '97 to '01. He played bass and I played guitar. We played lots of shows and had so much fun. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be playing in the band I am today. I wouldn't know the SF friends that I still have. I wouldn't have all the great memories that I have. He used to be counted on to come to all our shows. Now he won't be there. In ten years I wonder if I will feel even worse than I do now. It's hard to explain that.
I'm going to his place next Sunday to help his boyfriend and best friend among others to clean out his stuff.
I really miss that guy.

WORK!!!

Listening to Damian Marley

Where is the work? February is always slow for us. We are waiting for someone to call and give us a good job. In the meantime we are painting the bedroom a calming off white. And today we are going to start sanding the floor in order to refinish it.
It's HARD to stay calm when you are slowly running out of money.
Have to try and keep my cynical attitude in check. Reggae helps. All the tings dat go along with jahs music help.....But I'm going to need more of that soon and that means I need more MONEY.
vicious circles.