Mountain Reservoir

Another hike today, really stunning and we pretty much had the trails to ourselves. Adam and Beanpole are my oldest friends, about twenty years, and although we don't get see each other as often as we'd like to there is still this huge pool of shared experience and upbringing that makes it really wonderful and easy to reconnect and get on the same page. It can be easy to let the busyness of life fill up the schedule but it's important to plan trips and time off and to make time for those people that truly matter in your life.

Summer Snow

 In Denver visiting my high school friend with my other high school bud. Went for a hike today in the mountains and there was three feet of snow in some places. Beautiful scenery but there came a point we had to turn around cause the path was snowed over. Pretty wild.

The Numbers For 2017

Year #5 without a drink. Thanks to all the friends, family, and strangers who helped along the way.

I went on 4 vacations(Harrisburg, NYC, Denver, New Orleans).

I did 48 shows with Deep Schwa.

I did 45 shows with Sight Unseen.

The Night Shift did 1 show.

I co-wrote and performed 1 sketch show 5 times.

I conceived and shot 20 interviews for a documentary tentatively titled Chiaroscuro.

I wrote 62 poems, 1 essay, and did 6 readings.

I watched 78 movies in the theater.

I read 68 books my favorite of which was The Antagonist by Lynn Coady.

I went to 1 concert(Willie Nelson).

I saw 1 of my heroes in the flesh(Chris Rock).

I went to 2 plays(Linda Vista, Doll's House Part 2).

I went to 2 weddings.

I went to 0 funerals.

I went to 2 Michelin starred restaurants.

I moved once.

I babysat my niece for the first time.

I learned and cooked 6 crock pot recipes.

I rode my motorcycle for 7 months. I changed the battery once.

Nicole and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary.

I'm grateful for it all.

In The Mountains With A Friend

I'm in Denver the next couple days visiting one of my oldest friends Beanpole. He's lived here since shortly after college and this'll be my fourth visit. He's a teacher so his summer's are free but that time is typically pretty precious, doubly so now that he has a little boy. So I took a little time off, easy for me, and came to visit. Plan to make visits more frequent moving forward because we've known each other for close to twenty years at this point, there's not a whole lot of people I know better or have a more extensive history with. And now that he has a son I want to be a part of that kid's life, even if the most I can manage is every other year, that consistency adds up.

We went for a long hike today, something I always want to do when I visit because of all the wonderful options in the Denver area. Beanpole and I worked at a summer camp together for a number of years and even when we were just hanging out we'd typically trek around the various parks in Rockford so the activity has a bit more resonance for us above and beyond the obvious pleasantness.

We walked and talked and enjoyed the day. It's been a great visit so far, been able to spend some QT
with Beanpole's wife Jen and son Matthew and get a sense of his life here. Feels good to be here and be a part of it for a little bit. Much better than going through a catch-up check list on the phone.

Graffiti 168

"Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse." -Winston Churchill

"A line is a dot that went for a walk." -Paul Klee

"Art! Who comprehends her? With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?" -Ludwig van Beethoven

Sunsets #7

 Chicago 4/10/15

Chicago 5/23/15

Denver 6/6/15

Mile-High City

Adam and I flew back yesterday after our stay with the Beanpole. It was a wonderful visit. The three of us hadn't been together since Adam's wedding summer of 2012 and we hadn't had any quality time together of note since the last time Adam and I went to Denver in 2010. It's been a long time, too long, and although each of us have had some significant life changes our connection hasn't changed.

We've been through a lot together, seen a lot together, stuck together over time. It's a solid bond and a friendship we can all rely on and lean on if we need to. When I'm with them I feel comfortable and accepted, supported no matter what. True friends hard to find, ones that stand the test of time even harder, I'm grateful for Adam and Beanpole who have been at my side literally and figuratively since high school, all those years ago.

Graffiti 164: Denver

Although there were some sanctioned murals and train tags there was an astounding lack of graffiti in Denver. This is the only thing I spotted during our visit.

"Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that." -George Carlin

"Why hurry over beautiful things? Why not linger and enjoy them?" -Clara Schumann

"I just think it's silly to be stingy with compliments. If you see someone and they strike you as beautiful in any way, why not let them know?" -Jill Scott

"You cannot run away from weakness; you must some time fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?" -Robert Louis Stevenson

To The Old Man Who Budged At Voodoo Donuts

I curse you.
Upon the consumption
 of your Captain Crunch donut
 your bowels will seize up.
From then on all you'll be able to pass
 will be small unsatisfying
 rabbit pellets.
Every car you drive will break down
 the orange check engine light
 will haunt you whichever wheel you are behind.
All of your socks will have holes
 all your shoes will stink
 all your shirts will have pit stains.
Your business will wither
 employees and co-workers will see you
 as the infant you are and desert you.
Your wife will discover you a budger
 you will never sense anything amiss
 but forever she will nurse a quiet contempt.
Your children will realize the ideal of fairness
 you attempted to instill
 was but vacant posturing.
And at the moment of your death
 like a thunderclap
 you will know yourself a coward.

Donuts & Golden

This morning we went to Voodoo Donuts which recently opened up a store in Denver. Unbeknownst to us it was national donut day so the line was extra long, Took us about on hour to get the sweet treats. After we headed to Golden, walked around, and did some shopping.

 There were a lot of cast iron statues around.

Golden is the home of the Coors plant. Bizarrely enough Coors was signifcantly more expensive there according to Adam.

 This statue was right up the river from the plant. Strange.

There's been a lot of storms recently and the river was very high and rushing. Powerful.

Since we got here a series of thunderstorms have been rolling through. It'll be clear and sunny for a couple hours then a violent storm then clear again. It has put a bit of a damper on our outside activities but it has been nice to relax and have a relatively empty dance card.

Tonight we went to see Mad Max. We use to go to the movies a lot and its been years since we've been able to catch one the three of us. It's been great to spend some quality time with two of my best and oldest friends. To find our connection undeteriorated and, in fact, enriched by time and big life changes.

Mountain Walk

 My favorite part about going to Denver is how close the mountains and amazing hiking trails are. I've always felt an affinity to mountains. At home traveling through the forested hills and cliffs of stone.

 We hiked for three hours or so. It was serene, cool, and invigorating.

Denver Visit

Adam and I are out in Denver visiting Beanpole. They are my two oldest friends, we met in high school and have been close ever since. The last time we made the trip was back in 2010. A lot has happened in the past five years. Adam's gotten married and had a kid, I've gotten sober. We just found out Beanpole's wife Jen is pregnant so the timing was great to be able to spend some time with them before the baby comes. 

 Today we took it pretty easy, walked around downtown Denver and did some window shopping.

 Union Station downtown.

It's a train station and hotel with four bars.

 The city was very clean and beautiful with lots of public art.

The only odd thing was there was hardly any graffiti. No stickers, no tags, no nothing. I understand a city wanting to keep its streets clean but a city the size of Denver with as many artist as it has should be allowed to have a little more personality.

Old Friends

There is an ease
and a short hand
with my two oldest friends.
Years of inside jokes
drunken mistakes
and ill conceived romances.
They have seen me
through so much
from self destructive egoism
to incessant partying
and unflinching bossiness
to some semblance of adulthood
which I was the last to join.
We have seen many birthdays, moves,
weddings, one birth,
now a long sought after pregnancy.
Under our casual camaraderie
there is an ocean of
shared experience. And Time.
Miles we traveled together
and years we've spent entwined.
Now, reunited, I know these men are mine.