Mr. Awesome

High Line!

2007-05-04T21:44:35Z

Well I really went and did it. I went on the abandoned stretch of elevated railroad on the west side of Manhattan today, in opposition of all common sense (and laws). If you wanna know more about it, check out the non profit group that is turning it into a park here. Via the internet I found out that one can get on it through a random tractor trailer parking lot (the entrance to the lot is on W. 33rd St. between 11th Ave. and the West Side Highway, if you want to know.) So I got on there, walked a little ways, and was then foiled by some construction blocked by chain link fences. I thought maybe the area was abandoned, but upon closer spying I spotted a workman (look close, between the construction trailer and the dumpster). So, then it was time to head back, but I did hang around and read for a while. I was disappointed that I couldn't see more of it, but apparently most of the part I didn't see will become a park at some point so that'll be nice. Anyway click on the picture below to see the whole album! Oh, and here is a map, the green line showing where the elevated track remains. I got about to the point just before it turns south of 30th St. Ok bye!

treewizard @ 2007-04-10T18:56:00

2007-04-10T22:57:11Z

This is completely fantastic.

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/04/numismaticism_u.html

Yeah, that's right, I still have the power to update this shit. I dare anyone to comment. DOUBLE DARE YOU!

treewizard @ 2006-12-19T13:13:00

2006-12-19T17:13:42Z

If you people want, you can read my new blog about going to libraries at http://libraryhunt.blogspot.com/. Sounds fun doesn't it!??!? I figure this is the only way I'll get any readers, so...wait...no one reads this thing either. Fuck.

treewizard @ 2006-12-13T00:36:00

2006-12-13T04:36:00Z

Lots been going on...reunions, people dying, traveling around, lets just say it's been a little rough. But I don't really wanna talk about all that, so here are two amazon lists.
Oh, also I'm going to beautiful St. Louis for Christmas, and then I'll be back, and probably still jobless. Therefore I'll be up for some new years awesomeness! Who's gonna be around? I know Casey and probably Joe...come on, out with it! I want names!!!!

treewizard @ 2006-11-17T10:43:00

2006-11-17T14:43:14Z

Crap I almost forgot. Last night I also had this dream where I was living in some creepy apartment with Dave and Natasha, only Natasha was off at her desk (which had a bright lamp that seemed to be the only lighting in the place) and not paying much attention to our wacky adventure. Which consisted of a nearby warehouse where a big banquet was being held, which would be followed by a demon summoning. Actually it was more like a Cthulu type creature or something. Anyway it didn't get to happen because I woke up, but Dave and I kept going back and forth between the apartment and the banquet, knowing that when the creature was summoned it would kill everyone there, but also knowing it was necessary because it would fail to come completely through, and then wouldn't be able to try again for centuries. Something along those lines. So we didn't tell anyone that they would die. They all thought it would be glorious, or something. One of the times we were back in the apartment, Natasha told us to warn the other people we had gone with that they were gonna die, and Dave and I were like, yeah, I guess, if we can find them...it's pretty crowded in there. Even though this monster was gonna be giant and made of pure malevolence, we weren't scared, because we knew as long as we weren't in the room, we'd be fine. Needless to say I woke up before seeing the beast. Ah well. I was reading the Maltese Falcon right before bed, and it was sort of a cross between that and Watchmen. The funniest thing was we knew everyone would think it was a suicide cult, since the psychic shock of the monster's presence is what would kill everyone, leaving their bodies unscathed, and it would seem like a big mass suicide. Isn't that hilarious!?!?!?

treewizard @ 2006-11-17T09:47:00

2006-11-17T13:47:55Z

So I was thinking today about moving. It's always a pain in the ass, but the more stuff you have, the worse it is. Now I don't have many clothes, or much furniture. The big bookcase is kind of a pain in the ass I guess, and on my last move I brought my bedframe, which sucked mainly because I head to get it down the stairs by myself, and it almost didn't fit up the stairs of the new place.

But the main load of crap I have is my books. I used to always think I would reread everything (and I generally did) so buying books made lots of sense. When I was a kid, I knew I'd want to read any Stephen King book over and over, plus they were so long, it was stupid to be bound by "due dates." But rediscovering libraries lately has got me thinking that life may be too short to read the same books over and over; in fact, there are enough books I want to read out there that I should try to read new ones whenever possible.

It's all got me wondering if I should think about liquidating some of my library. I love having lots of books, and I don't plan to move again EVER. But still, I will never live hundreds of miles from the nearest well stocked library, even if I were to leave New York again. Even if I did, chances are I'd be going someplace I couldn't bring my books with me.

Certain books I would keep no matter what. Lord of the Rings isn't going anywhere, nor is any Philip K. Dick or Denis Johnson. I'll keep all of any comics (generally hard to find in libraries) and any of my small press books. I'd probably keep most of my history books leftover from school as well. But any classic or popular book that I could read just about anytime for free...It's becoming harder to justify buying them, or buying more bookshelves to fit them.

That said, I probably won't actually get rid of any books, and I will probably continue to buy them, albeit at a slower rate, which I can still consider a victory. Who knows, maybe I can get rid of some of the ones I've only read once and doubt I will have time for anytime in the next few years. At the very least maybe I could get a few bucks for 'em.

It's just hard to know what to do in in this crazy world, when we have cats and dogs, living together. It's mass hysteria!

treewizard @ 2006-10-27T11:58:00

2006-10-27T16:01:34Z

And just like that, my faith in humanity is restored. Emilio Estevez, you have brought my spirits up again, just like you did in Repo Man and Loaded Weapon 1.

not expecting to grow flowers in the desert

2006-10-20T14:59:31Z

So, I'm here. And as of yesterday I had been to parties, a baseball game, a reading, a signing, my favorite stores, a few different libraries, I'd hung out with old friends and family, new friends, rode my bike to the park, even been to a spelling and grammar bee, (not to mention lotsa tv) but somehow I didn't feel settled. I was still stuck in my own head, trying to understand that I was really back here, that my time in Minnesota, amazing as it had been, was over, but that my friendship with everyone there still existed. Well, yesterday I was playing with Amy's cat (Squee) and I just forced myself to really be there and experience it. And then later on Phil came over and I drove him to Red Hook and it was cool. And then I talked with Annette and Kara, both of whom made me feel better. And then the Mets lost, but I don't actually care about that. Dave was there, hanging out with me, making me glad to be here. I guess what I'm saying is, knowing I wanted to be here wasn't the same as having it feel right. But yesterday, it really did.

The kicker was this dream I had. Certain parts were just the usual reminiscent of my day, but at the end I was leaving Jew Camp (which happened to be in my backyard) and this one guy was telling me he'd miss me, and how the experience had really changed him. I said, that's awesome, but for me it really feels like all the major changes in my life have already passed. And he said, of course they won't be as many or as often as you get older, but they always keep happening. And then I woke up with "In A Big Country" stuck in my head. So to summarize, I feel better.

Now I know this wasn't at all funny, so I will give everyone the update on the Wesley Snipes tax evasion scandal they so sorely desire.

So, Keyspan, what the fuck

2006-10-06T21:28:37Z

They're still not here. There was a buzz and i was like "wooooooo!!!" but then it was the mailwoman. or whatever you call em. she couldnt get in for some reason. whatever. the question really is, how close must it be to six for me to start sniping people from the window?

Baiting for G-Man: Flower Jive

2006-10-06T20:31:58Z

Well, the Twins aren't losing yet! I'm watching the game on the big screen TV in my MIND. How excellent, my ear just reset. Tea would be delicious right now thank you...anyone who's wondering what to do right now, the answer is stop reading this.

Waiting for Keyspan to show up - Hour Four

2006-10-06T19:37:07Z

I just almost fell asleep but then got paranoid that I wouldn't hear them buzzing in. Dear god. Maybe they alread came and left. Maybe it's already tomorrow or something. Heaven help me

Waiting for Keyspan to show up - Hour Three

2006-10-06T18:45:08Z

Words still have meaning but I can't find any evidence of that. So why am I writing? Reading? Something to do while I'm stuck in the oubliette of my own madness. Maybe I'll shave, or something. Blargg.

Waiting for Keyspan to show up - Hour Two

2006-10-06T18:00:21Z

So we're almost out of hour two here at 93 15th St. and boy does this crowd look tired. They're gonna need a serious energy boost if they're gonna make it to the end of hour six, am I right Joe? Bob? George? ANYONE?!?!@?

All right, I'm reading the book a bit tinkering with the resume but honestly, I'm afraid to even take a shower cause what if that's right when the guy buzzes? I wish I had thought of this at 11:30, but here we are. Do I really need gas? Maybe I could just never cook again. There's a microwave. Dave just started his new job, I wonder how it's going. Based on a brief sequence of gmail messaging, he is busy/on TV. But I don't know how much I believe that. I guess tonight I'm going to rubulad, which I refuse to link to seeing as how I haven't been there and have a very vague idea of what it's all about but it's easy enough to search for on google.

Good times. I wish I had cable so I could watch baseball later. I wish I even knew where I am right now. Maybe I'll get Zach Braff's take on the situation. But at this point I really feel as though that would be admitting defeat.

Waiting for Keyspan to show up - Hour One

2006-10-06T16:51:44Z

So, Keyspan has given me the ludicrous task of sitting in my apartment from 12 pm to 6 pm until they show up. This morning I woke up a bit early and went to the main Brooklyn library to get a library card, and to pick up the Stephen Elliott book about the 2004 election that I got from the St. Paul library and never finished. Now I'm chatting with Kara on gmail, it's about 12:45. Food supplies are low. I got a bunch of crap from Taco Bell but I ate it all. I feel full for now but come like 5 pm I may start to lose it when all I have to eat is these Texarkana Pita chips which may actually be the spiciest processed snack I've ever sunk my teeth into.

I cannot promise continued sanity/clarity for much longer. Expect the hour 2 update to make less sense. And be longer, hopefully. This is a lot to go through just for a working gas line. And I've only just begun...

treewizard @ 2006-10-03T01:18:00

2006-10-03T05:18:32Z

Back in New York. And still alive and stuff. Shout! Shout! etc

treewizard @ 2006-08-31T12:37:00

2006-08-31T16:46:24Z

So I'm in NY and it's totally sweet. Well, not totally, my nose has been running a bit and I've already managed to piss Phil off but other than that it's been rockin. Reading Murakami's new book, Alan Moore's new book, watching my phone battery gradually dwindle down to nothing, smoking a hookah and getting free drinks at some restaurant for no apparent reason have been just a few of the highlights.

This entry goes out to Dave in particular cause he's all bored at work and whatnot. So currently I'm at Phil's place recovering from staying up until 4, and when he's ready to roll I'll go get a damn phone charger and then head over to my sister's place around 2. In case anyone wants to drop in. No?

In other news, Dave made a sweet find in Park Slope of a duplex that he's gonna check out on Tuesday, unfortunately I'll probably miss it but if it's cool, the neighborhood and price are what we were looking for so that's exciting. My grandfather isn't coming to the wedding, which is really lame, but the young people are more into partying than the old anyway. Oh and I just heard from Chris' best man that the bachelor party is at 6 pm tomorrow, and it is INDEED at the ESPNZone in times square. WOO! Party! Tonight I was thinking of hitting up commonwealth maybe, dunno if any Slopers read this anymore but I'll call you once I get my phone charged in any case. Now I bid you all good day.

P.S. Sorry I haven't called anyone in Minnesota yet. I'll get on it. Particularly Ruth. Hey Ruth!

treewizard @ 2006-08-18T22:29:00

2006-08-19T03:32:16Z

Go ahead, top the last sentence of this article. Yeah, that's right, you can't.

P.S. Read the rest of the article first or it's no good.

treewizard @ 2006-08-11T01:41:00

2006-08-11T06:43:12Z

Anyone have a clue what this album cover is? I need it to win this thing. Thanks.

treewizard @ 2006-07-25T19:02:00

2006-07-26T00:07:08Z

Another amazon list! Don't pretend you weren't eagerly anticipating it. See if you can spot the censorship!!! Oh, and I'll be in New York on Saturday. Get psyched, I know I am. Despite the world falling apart I mean. Hey, it's a roller coaster, ups and downs, you know that.

treewizard @ 2006-07-19T10:09:00

2006-07-19T15:14:49Z

I just had a really awesome dream that was kind of about batman. It was just a really cool, dark, movie type dream. Then I wake up to sweet thunder and lightning. Whoa, that thunder just shook me a little. Anyway the point is sometimes things are ok. And being off work the next 2 days doesn't hurt.

Oh, I've also started reading the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. It rocks, check it out.

can't...shut up...

2006-07-11T05:43:20Z

This is so fucking cool!

Don't think I'm suddenly sane or anything. But this is, actually, pretty cool.

This on the other hand, is not.

Goodnight everybody.

No one knows about your scar

2006-07-11T04:21:58Z

So lately I've been wanting to avoid everyone (some of the time) while at the same time being miserable because I have "no friends." Then it hit me! No one should take this wrong, I just believe everyone is stupid and fucked up so no one's feelings actually mean anything. Including mine. BUT I CANT STOP THEM. In practice this means that no one can actually like me or vice versa. Or even if we do it doesn't matter? Believe me, I know how stupid this sounds, but that doesn't change my worthless, who cares attitude. So, here we are. I guess it also has something to with the fact that I've read 4 of the 5 Bob the Angry Flower books and the 5th goddamn one (actually, the second!)won't show up. But it's cool! whatever! WOOOOOOO!!!!!

mistakes mistakes mistakes

2006-06-24T05:22:26Z

Is it even fucking December anymore? Christ, where does the time go...

treewizard @ 2006-06-14T11:58:00

2006-06-14T17:32:33Z

So, as some of you may know, I have recently been to the magical land of NEBRASKA. It is real, and not quite as backwards as you may think. Here is a picture:

Ok, not really. But the windmill seems to be their unofficial mascot. That and the fabled "cornhusker" of yore.

It was a really good time, had my first rhubarb pie, got to spend lotsa time with Ruth, got to play chinese horseshoes, got attacked by psychotic children who ripped my hair out. All good things. Oh and a cool used bookstore. And cats!

Now for the actual pictures.

Some kinda monolith

Ruth keepin it real

the sky

find the bunny!

Ruth in a magical world

cool.

So now Ruth is gone for like month, which probably means I will revert to my natural, or "cave-dweller" state. It's really only a matter of time before I resort to cannibalism. Have a moment of silence for me!

a necessary evil, i suppose

2006-06-04T13:03:42Z

So I wake up to the sound of a million crows cawing. Not really that many, I suppose. Crows can be known to "mob" other animals - here's an excerpt from wikipedia: "Crows also will often mob owls much more fiercely when they find them in daylight than they do hawks and other raptors. Frequently crows appear to "play" with hawks, taking turns "counting coup" while escorting the raptor out of their territory. Their attacks on owls, on the other hand, possess a definite serious quality."

Well, after first dreaming that they were mobbing me, I woke up hoping to see an owl or something, cause the crows sounded pissed. When I got out of the shower and looked out the window, though, it seemed like they were just harassing this black and white cat. Not attacking it, but flying near enough to it to make it want to leave, which it was. Anyway, it was still pretty cool. At one point they all seemed to decide they were satisfied that the cat had come far enough, and they all flew back they way they came.

Far be it for me not to recommend some shit while I have your attention. The new Asobi Seksu cd is excellent, buy it somehow, there's a cute Japanese chick singer and the guitar player is awesome and it comes in a bright orange jewel case. Oh and read this graphic novel (hate that expression. let's actually just say comic book.), it's about a burned out Disney animator who worked on the Little Mermaid (among others) and then quit and went back to his hometown to get drunk and hide from people. AWESOME!!!