Spring!

In the past week I have seen:

1. violets scattered on non-groomed lawns

2. crocuses

3. the beginnings of blossoms on the trees outside my office

4. daffodils

5. weird pale white guys wearing shorts and flip-flops

Spring is early this year and I am already imagining river trips and camping and skating and swimming and drinks on sunny patios and coffee in the morning sun. In Japan everyone celebrates cherry blossoms by hanging out in the parks under trees and having seriously elaborate picnics and drinking chu-hi (this kind of malt beverage, the equivalent of Zima maybe, but it's less sweet and higher in alcohol content and without the high school connotation, like, it is perfectly acceptable for a grown person to drink a chu-hi). And they call this event Hanami. And because the whole "watch" versus "look at" versus "view" thing is a confusing english language distinction, they will tell you that they enjoy watching the cherry blossoms. The photo above was taken in Yoyogi Park, one of the most popular parks in Tokyo and I think it is a pretty good representation of the insane festival quality of Hanami. And I think we should bring this to Portland and celebrate spring.

Ween versus Pavement

A Portland three-day weekend full of the usual suspects: postcard parties, bike rides, late-night birthday dance parties, delicious breakfasts, shuffleboard, monster truck rallies (maybe not so usual), napping on the parental couch, getting lost in the gorge, rewarding hiking legs with an IPA and then, to top it all off, the Sasquatch lineup delivered via text by one Alexis Chicoye who attended the lineup announcement party in Seattle. Maraschino cherry text.

Ween is headlining! I really couldn't be more pleased but it's going to be pretty polarizing. There are lot of people out there that do not love Ween. May in fact, hate Ween. I almost stopped talking to someone over the holidays due to a heated Ween/Pavement discussion. I don't like Pavement. May in fact, hate Pavement. Why? Well, let's pretend Ween and Pavement are not bands, but instead, two people.

Pavement is this 90s pop song guy and he overthinks things and is slightly too large for his tightish jeans and he thinks a lot about his feelings and is self-deprecating but still, sadly, takes himself very seriously. His parents never took him camping when he was a kid. He has some sort of graphic design job. He peppers his conversation with popular culture references and we would end up watching movies all the time and drinking affordable beer.

Ween is a mixed bag. He is probably not as boyishly attractive as Pavement but he doesn't think about his looks. He eats drugs and then runs around in the woods. He has had many strange jobs: guy that fills the condom machines at strip clubs and gas stations, commercial fisherman, Tijuana tour guide, fork-lift operator. He may be slightly insane but in a very charming way. He would appreciate a chemistry set as a birthday gift. We would do science together. He is way more fun. We would probably end up sailing the world and eventually be destroyed by Somali pirates.

Yes. Now you know one of my methods for articulating why I like or dislike a band. This is why I don't review music for a living.

Romantic Night Pt. 2

I hosted Romantic Night last night. It lacked the panache of our last venture into romance but there was an actual wood fire burning merrily (smoldering, actually, because I think the wood was a little damp) and I slaved over some tapas (dumped olives into a bowl, laid out some prosciutto, rinsed some grapes and sliced some bread) but we still had lovely conversation and wine (that I think was corked) and pleasant music was playing on the stereo and Tony was telling us amazing stories and Charissa brought us balloon animals! and tales of Moslems: Satan's Seed. All in all, a success. Considering I gave everyone the wrong address and Heidi was wandering around the neighborhood, checking dimly lit numbers on porches and ruining her shoes, I'm just glad that we all were finally able to congregate in one place and enjoy each other's company. Club 834 will have to up the ante, this was an interim Romantic Night, a draft if you will.

Proud to Be

So, being American has never really settled with me. At times, especially while traveling, I have been ashamed of being American. I'm often disapproving of what our country is doing to other countries and what it has done in the past. I know there are heaps of people all over this country that are incredibly proud to be American and feel that our country is superior to other countries and all that. There are people who are proud of our health care system, our spreading of democracy, our huge supermarkets, our hamburgers and our portions. At times I have thought that I wanted to live anywhere but here, and at times I have felt very happy to be here, happy to be somewhere where individuality has been hammered into the soil. But still, when I am out in the world, I am often a little apologetic about being American, and feel somehow estranged. I find myself trying to express that my America is not the America you see in movies, my values are not their values, I am somehow not typical.

But. I've been slipping. It's like I don't even know myself anymore. It started with the Super Bowl Party that I attended. Yep. I went to a Super Bowl Party and I watched a fairly large portion of the game and I ate as much as I possibly could and quite possibly caused irreparable damage to my stomach. If they were to dissect me right now I believe my colon would be lined with cheese and peanut butter pie. Sick.

And. Then I went to Claudia's, which is definitely a sports bar, and I watched the Blazers lose to Oklahoma City. Yeah, lots of people like the Blazers, but basketball is essentially an American game, there's no denying this, and it's the way that I watch the Blazers. I swear. A bunch. And when they make shots I do a fist pump, like a really high in the air triumphant fist pump, and sometimes, if it's a really great moment, a double fist pump.

And. I'm going to a monster truck rally this weekend. Quintessential American activity. I'm not apologetic about this. I can't even express how excited I am. I hope to have some pictures, maybe even some interviews to post in the days following the rally. I am planning on eating hot wings beforehand and maybe even shotgunning some beers. I am unabashedly glad to be American this week, because I'm pretty sure this is only country in the world that even has stupid events like this.

Post Haste

My friend Huy is having a collective art event at his shop. Here's the flier. I think there's still time to send a postcard of your own design to the above address and bask in an evening of artistic glory. Or you can just show up and enjoy some delicious beverages and like, network.