2002-02-08 - 9:17 a.m.
so heres what i can remember of the story so far (it's long and boring so if you'd like the short version its --> 30 years, 16 woman, 6 scars and countless music)...
Born 1971 in Naples Italy in a US Navel Hospital. (Don't remember much about that or the next 3 years for that matter.)
Age 4 - I knock over a lamp in my bedroom and cut my hand on the bulb. The result is a tiny scar on my right thumb. The sound of my parent's 70'country and pop was often heard in the house and car.
Age 5 - It's first grade, it's Virginia, and girl #1 invites me under the table and gives me a kiss. (Virginia is for lovers! :-)
Age 6 - Wanting to make friends, I trade most of my new matchbox cars for old crappy ones.
Age 7 - I climb one of those fenches with those sharp tops and cut my leg. The result a small scar on my left thigh.
Age 8 - Wales UK. In an attempt to make friends, I trade all my cool football (soccer) cards for lame football (football) cards. I also ride my bike down a steep hill, crashing at the bottom on someones lawn. The result a medium size scar on my left knee.
Ages 9ish - 11 Wahiawa Hawaii. Rarely wore shoes. Went to school in a pineapple field. Participated in kite contests and played football (soccer) in the sticker grass. Was Pig Pen in the Charlie Brown christmas play. Played in the rainforest area beyond the fenches and saw a boar. Tried smoking a cigarette once and hated it. Bought lots of 45 (7") records and recorded pieces of songs I liked off the radio. Also started to explore my parents record collection. Had a crush on a girl named Alice (girl #2), but we could not act on our love because her best friend Leilani liked me. Also during this time there was Debbie (girl #3), the daughter of a family friend. Her and I had a mutual attraction, at least I think so, but didn't see each other quite enough for it to fully blossem.
Ages 12 - 15 Naples Italy. Saved up my lunch money each week to buy albums. My first 5 were Hall & Oates "Rock and Soul", Michael Jackson "Thriller", Quiet Riot "Metal Health", the Scorpions "live", and the Police "Synchronicity" (or possibly Lionel Ritchie "Penny Lover"). I was probably most strongly into "Heavy Metal" but really, like always, I was all over the place. During this time I was introduced to bands such as the Violent Femmes, Dead Milkmen, Depeche Mode, the Cure, the Sex Pistols, Run DMC, the Beastie Boys and many others. I went through a phase where I tried break dancing. Had a crush on a girl named Julie (girl #4) who gave me my second kiss. (It was a mercy kiss I believe because the next day she was giving it to David.).
In 8th grade, I was passed a note saying that someone liked me (another Julie - girl #5) and wanted to be my girlfriend, so being lonely, I accepted. The next day I had to meet her (literally) for lunch. At the end of which, she gave me my first tongue kiss (ooh lala). I was shocked and titilated.
For the next 2 weeks I would walk her to class after lunch and talk to her on the phone at night. I had to finally break it off when she proclaimed that we had "a song" (the cars "magic"). That was just too serious for me at the time. (-:
Over the next few years I had crushes on Ingrid (#6), Kim(#7), and Erin Nicole (#8). Nothing much to say there, I just followed them around like a puppy dog and ended up chases my tail. I had some good times hanging out with my friends Jack Delaney, Tietjens, Ceres, Novak (why were we always calling each other by our last names?!), and others. Experimented a tad with Italy's liberal drinking policies.
Played some soccer (although I was increasingly noticing that I wasn't very good at it.). I stayed up late many a night reading books.. mostly fantasy and science fiction. I got my first job in some office building stuffing envelopes one summer. I think I was getting paid like $3.25 an hour and ended up with a paycheck for like $80 bucks after the whole thing.
I started experimenting with shaving, and cut my face all up many many times. The result, a small scar on the right side of my face above my lip. (At least i think thats where it came from. I never can remember for sure. It could've been from alien experiments on me at some point.).
Ages 16-17 Finished out high school in Key West Florida (the Fighting Conch Shells!). Learned to drive. Took autoshop but spent most of the time mopping the floor. Spent a lot of time taking walks along the shore line and taking pictures of the sunsets. Spent one night working at a Winn Dixie supermarket which was one of my hardest jobs to date. From 4PM - midnight I bagged, tagged, shelved, mopped, and dropped. I quit the next day when a job at the Baskin and Robbins icecream shop opened up. That was one of my best jobs. All the icecream and sandwiches that I wanted, and I spent most of my time in the back room reading magazines. One day a cute girl came in (girl #9 - and I feel awful for not remembering her name), and I got up the nerve to ask her out. We went on a date. We saw a movie, then went to Burger King for some shakes. Then we drove down to the beach. I contemplated whether I should "make a move" but before I came to a decision, she stepped behind a rock and threw up. (Poor girl, the strawberry frosty didn't agree with her.) I took that as I sign. During this time I started exploring "classic rock" and classical. I was a Jimi Hendrix freak for several years (and still love him to today.) and determined that I liked Mozart better than Beethoven. I believe the Talking Heads, Rush, Primus, Howlin Wolf, Bowie, and Bob Marley entered the picture around this time.
Ages 17-18 Moved up to Pennsylvania to go to college at Temple University. Lived at my poor uncle's house (poor for having to put up with me.) Got hired and fired from TWO different dish washing jobs. (At one, while slicing cucumbers on the slicing machine, I slipped and caught my thumb. The result, a faint scar on my right thumb.)
First year at college, kept to myself pretty much.
bored yet? i am.
Ages 18-22 (and lets speed this up.) It was college. I worked at the college radio station and listened to the college music. Found They Might Be Giants (a little late.), the Smiths (a lot late.), Ween (ahead of schedule.), Soundgarden, Daniel Johnston, Dinosaur Jr., Billy Bragg, the Pixies, Ani Difranco, Blur, De La Soul, Bjork, GBV, Tribe Called Quest, Aphex Twin, yadda yadda. Got way into Soul and older R&B (Marvin, Sam, Otis, Etta, Billie,...) and Jazz (Miles, Thelonius, Coleman, Herbie, Jimmy Smith,...) too.
I drank with Andy, Marko, and a host of others. Hit the dance clubs and gin joints. Got in some trouble. Had some fun. Often Rock drove us.
The girls - Rebecca (#10 who'd lead me on for a good year there.), Amy (#11, two dates then dropped me), Eileen (#12 liked her a helluba lot but don't think it was ever returned. She likes baddd boys, me thinks.), then Tricia (#13 and my first Love (although I regret being too afraid to mutter the words to her. We went out until the end of college, then not knowing what to do next, I broke up with her. It caused a lot of pain for both of us, but seeing where we both are now, I think it worked out for the best.)). Tomi was #14. I really liked her alot too. She was quite different from any other of the woman probably because her japanese culture, but she went away to school and I guess I wasn't into having a long distance relationship at that time.
I met Tom and Jack during this time and we formed brickPit - a music collaberation not a band. On the side, Tom and I were the plebesians. Made and have been making all kinds of wacky music ever since using guitars, bongos, cheap keyboards, banjos, harmonicas, xylopones, wine, drum machines, samplers, shampoo bottles, and assorted other junk. For me the making in the
fun part, but we also play out from time to time and hand out our crappy cassettes. Want one?
Ages 25-27 A dark period for me. I became deeply depressed. Had dark thoughts. Took meds, talked to shrinks. I'm somewhat better now?
Also during this time got my index finger caught in a machine at work which fractured it a tad. The result, an almost invisible scar along the very tip of my right index finger.
27-29 - Moved out of my uncles house and in with Lauren (#15). Probably not the best idea because it was a big step and we weren't ready for it, but we also had fun times too. Broke up last year around this time. After which I wanted to be woman-less for a time and clear my head, but then later last year I met Ellie (#16) and fell for her. I thought things were going good despite the fact that I'm 9 years older than her, but it came to light that we were apperently both watching 2 different versions of the same movie (mine a Romantic Comedy, hers a Buddy Road Trip), and I was banished to Friend-Land (a tiny island off the coast of Delaware.) So, I've decided for a time that I've had better luck with music than woman, so I going to keep my crush with Ani Difranco and stay out of the grrl scene for a while.
So thats that. Did I mention that I was a robot?
Current music - Built to Spill, Ramond Scott, Cornelius, Bruce Haak, Bonnie Prince Billy
Current book - Neil Gaimen "Good Omens"
-ecb
