SELECTED JOURNAL PASSAGES SUMMER 1997


 

June 3, Tuesday

Here's the deal. I keep a day-to-day journal. Get famous. Publish the journal. Make money. Fun, fun, fun.

Hellishly hot first full day at work (Young State Park). Started deliberations on who I like and don't.

Like: Tina, Sarah.

Tolerable (to a point): Andy, Josh.

Gonna have a problem with: Keeping my sanity with any of above.

After toasty work day, went to dinner with Sara (Pizza Hut), where she suggested I keep a journal.

Recorded "VROOOM" for car tape c/w Mike Oldfield.

Plan: Set up home recorder for Thursday. (Full on improv Casio-jam) Yuh.

 

June 6, Friday

Interesting thing happened today. While driving back from lunch, a van with sirens blaring passed me. The siren mixed perfectly with my playing King Crimson.

I realized today I'm the only one at work who doesn't blab his head off. I'm the only one who's learned the fine art of keeping quiet.

It rained hard on my way home. Very nice, calming / nerve-wracking drive.

Dinner with Jeremy & Sara. J & I planned movie- "Die, Bimbo, Die!" Cutesy teen love flick with violent ending (we systematically destroy Petoskey).

Jeremy really ticked me off on the way home. When we were turning on to Kemp road (where we were hit) he suddenly yelled "WHAM!" I gave him a good "Fuck you." He thought it was funny. I didn't. Sara was depressed after that.

Microdots=Acid droplets

I considered becoming a crime-fighting super hero today.

 

June 7, Saturday

Mike cut his hair & got a job w/the DNR at Petoskey State Park. We'll be DNR buds.

 

June 8, Sunday

Sara graduated today. Nice ceremony. Lotsa kids. Aaron & a few others did a traditional Native American song. The program said specifically that pictures and video were prohibited during the song, but people took pictures anyway. Bastards.

Jeremy & I recorded some lovely improv/rehearsed music today. About 45 minutes worth. Highlights: "Grape Carnival," "I Stole Kip Winger's Girl," etc.

Fairly productive day.

"Wake Down" (Go to Sleep)

"You're You, Thank Welcome"

 

June 9, Monday

Non-descript work day.

After work, had pizza & watched "People vs. Larry Flint" w/Sara. Decent movie. It's funny how it makes you care for such a heap of white trash.

Message: Freedom of speech is for everyone, no matter how distasteful.

I listened to Jeremy & I on tape ("Johnny BeGooode & the Downtown Boys") incessantly today. I'm still working with titles on some. I want another take of "I Won't Take You There." The tambourine needs to be louder.

Song ideas:

"Love Theme from (for?) Little Shop of Horrors,"

"Odysseus' Waltz,"

"Music To Pour Water By,"

"Wake Down Or Chill In,"

"Slang is Stupid,"

"Blue Mooney,"

"Keep a Dry Eye,"

"The Untoppable Revenge of Pele" (NOT unstoppable)

 

June 10, Thursday

(Dis)Orientation at work. Hot. Boring.

Today I thought I'll become a filmmaker & write one script. Every year, I will make a movie out of it, with different stars, music, etc. I will re-make this movie every year.

I let Jeremy listen to our tape. He loved it. We'll probably work on more tomorrow.

 

June 11, Wednesday

Broke shit at work. At lunch, drove around with Kat.

To Jeremy's with Sara, for full-on experimental jam. Sara on bass, Jeremy and I on keyboards. I'm really enjoying the results.

Possible titles for tracks: "Optimus Prime," "Thinner Like a Morning Day," "Insect Song," "Gnack."

 

June 12, Thursday

Out shopping with Mum. To Kat's in the afternoon. We talked about nothing for a while. I think she was expecting me to try something, but I didn't. As I was about to leave, I realized we were going to be on opposite shifts, so the chance is slim we'll see each other again. We hugged.

Wasted time later writing lyrics and listening to music.

Ignore the lyrics. Music has become too infatuated with political, self-inflating lyrics. When I'm a famous musician, all my lyrics will be stupid.

 

June 13, Friday

Bar-B-Q. Let Jeremy listen to our tape. He loved it and was inspired. We rushed to his house to record less adventurous material.

Parts of it (like the hoe-down) have bursts of inspiration.

Late snack with Brian, his woman, her friend, and Jeremy. Brian might join Jeremy & I for some jams. Correction- he WILL. He's moving in with Jeremy.

 

June 14, Saturday

Megan (community service worker) was fawning on me at work. I tried to make her feel better about herself, but I think she took it the wrong way.

Bizzare soap-opera love triangle at work. Both Kat and Megan are "trying things" at me. They were friends, but their friendship fell apart a while ago. Yikes.

Maybe if I were a maniacal asshole to everyone, I wouldn't find myself in such sitcom predicaments.

My face was painted today. Spruce tree on cheek. Free ice cream afterwards.

Leave things where they fall. Later, you can pick up where you left off.

Too much energy early in the day = exhaustion circa 9:30 PM.

Goodnight.

 

June 15, Sunday

Women are insane.

I fixed up my van today. I'm hoping to take it on the trip to Indiana, if I go.

I walked in the living room and found my mom & sister watching a program on which a boy's dog was hit by a speeding truck. I only saw about a minute of it, but it saddened me.

I'm tired, tra la la.

Women are insane.

 

June 16, Monday

To work early. Home at 3, plotting schemes.

Took Sara for dinner in van. She liked it.

Recorded 50-60 minutes w/ Jeremy. Mixed results. I haven't listened to it yet. It'll probably be boring.

 

June 17, Tuesday

I neet to think of a title for last night's musical ponderings. I'm interested in making it a series.

Title ideas:

"Arc Prism"

"Ponderous & Monderous"

"Music Shmusic"

I'm switching pens.

Today I considered becoming a crime-fighting superhero. That's the second time in a month, isn't it?

Yup. June 6 was the other day.

Strange.

Last night's music had a few nice spots. Jeremy and I have been wondering who could listen and offer constructive criticism. We'd need someone who listens to experimental music in his spare time besides me.

No one comes to mind.

I'd like to do some recording on my own, had I the right tools. I'd like to put together something a bit like "Music in 12 Parts" by Glass.

 

June 18 & 19, Wednesday & Thursday

Two at once this time. Sara stayed the night the 18th, since her brother was having a party at her house.

Recordings on Thursday started interesting, but soon lapsed into "Boring-as-Shit" territory.

Doesn't matter. I enjoy making the tapes. Jeremy says he has fun, as well.

Brian joined in on bass & guitar.

Tomorrow I'm going to listen through, title, and time each of the tapes.

 

June 21, Saturday

Missed yesterday's entry. Oh well.

Nature hike for Spirit of the Celts w/Sara. I had chest pains (from accident wound) so Sara & I turned back. We got lost. About two miles off course. Some snotty guy gave us a ride back.

"Wafs," he called us.

Bastard. Thanks for the ride.

Started sorting through tapes. About 290 minutes of material. Wow! Almost five hours. Almost too much for me to handle. I'm titling and timing all the material.

 

June 22, Sunday

Hot day working in the sun drained my energy. Home to relaxation.

I'm getting really grumpy about my job. Maybe look to see what else is out there? Maybe, probably not.

More work with tapes. Subconsciously trying to filter out what I like and want to work on.

 

June 23, Monday

Hot.

Worked on tape for a while.

Goodnight.

 

June 25, Wednesday

Spent most of today assembling new bed w/Sara. A waste of time, but the bed looks nice. I'll find out tonight how it sleeps.

I keep reminding myself how miserable I was during winter. This is my feeble attempt to enjoy the heat.

Today was beautiful, but I was inside. Stupid!

 

June 26, Thursday

Got 1st paycheck from Young today. Went with Jeremy to Cheboygan, bought new van speakers.

Recorded crazy cut-and-paste music. We're going to make a whole tape of it.

Ate at two Pizza Huts today. Offended waitress at 2nd by acting silly.

I'm beginning to believe I'm slowly but surely losing control of my body. Whenever I say the wrong word or twitch a bit, this theory is reinforced.

 

June 27, Friday

Uneventful day.

Kat finally figured out I have a girlfriend. Now she's angry with me. Oh well. The whole thing's very middle school-ish.

Ending on a positive note:

Fishsticks and Englishmen.

Goodnight.

 

June 28, Saturday

Frustrated.

 

June 29, Sunday

Hot, steamy day.

Power went out at work. Lots `o campers pissed.

I'm in a good mood.

Yippee.

 

June 30, Monday

Nope.

 

July 1, Tuesday

Not fish--Snake scale!

 

July 5, Saturday

Journal entries getting spacey. Must try to remedy that.

Sick of certain people at job. Putting in notice on Friday.

Putting serious consideration into recording & sending out demo tapes. Probably no one would listen to them, but oh well.

Must buy new pens. If I had new pens, I'd write in my journal more.

Seriously considered murder at work today (twice!). Healthy? Sure. Think of myself as God firing people from life.

 

-----Rest of journal missing----


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