Sweet, sweet Rotunda.

i woke this morning to headlights. i can think of very few probable situations in which i would be happy to wake to headlights. maybe if i locked my keys in my car and the lights were on and it would be several hours before she could get to me with my spare set so i decide to take a nap leaned up against the front bumper. waking up to the headlights, i would breathe a sigh of relief that my battery has not died.

i woke this morning to headlights. it's strange to think of how much respect and excitement children feel for police officers. is it the flashing lights? the uniform? the free baseball cards? (do they still give those out?) the guns? as we age our appreciation for these peace officers wanes. i don't think i've ever heard a peer or elder suggest respect and appreciation for the police. in my experience most police stories end in "I fucking hate the police". sometimes all it takes is a passing squad car to evoke this statement.

he asked me, "are you just camping out, here?"
"no." i replied.
"too tired to make it all the way home?"
i was only awake for thirty seconds but i tried my best to be witty. "no. my doctor told me i needed more back support while i slept so i figured concrete was the way to go."
"..."
"i'm homeless, man."
he told me that while i had picked an inconspicuous spot to sleep, tomorrow night i should pick a spot even more inconspicuous.

[...] and my sleeping bag was grey.

at 4:30 this morning a police squad pulled up on a gravel road about 20 feet from where i was sleeping. rather than get out of his car and look for anything the officer just flashed his spotlight around. it was like a movie where our protagonist just barely escapes notice and capture. much unlike The Great Escape. the officer's light illuminated the area immediately surrounding me but never settled on my sleeping bag. finally the officer found his prize: a transient slumbering on the bridge opposite the squad from me. the officer exited his car and after a ten second exchange --punctuated by the cop's halogen flashlight-- the sleeper exited the bridge, got into his car and drove away. the officer shortly followed.

sat on a cat

i am cat sitting (my own cat) in milwaukee this week. i figured it would be a great opportunity to get my bike out of "winter storage" and ride it around a bit. my belly will thank me. i will also take advantage of this week to do some job applications in person.

same nice lamb pt. 2

same nice lamb's new album, "prechi", was released last week by Monotonik. i won't say much more than this so why don't you let me know what you think.

in other news, Kate is almost a Level 12. good luck, Kate! good luck!

alcoholics and corn chips

my first night in a men's homeless shelter (here in beautiful Milwaukee, WI) was so exciting! the other guys and i sat around outside for a few hours smoking cigarettes and sharing stories. at about 8:30 the staff made us come inside and by 9pm it was "lights out!" one of my bunk mates, Duracell (accent on the last syllable), suggested we sneak across the courtyard and make a panty raid on the women's homeless shelter. it was a riot! when we got back to our room Josh had already fallen asleep so we stuffed all the panties under his blanket and stuck his hand in a bowl of warm water. boy was he surprised this morning!

breakfast wasn't bad, either, but somebody needs to tell that kitchen the proper temperature to serve Chablis at! aww snap!

(sorry i don't have time for any more than this)

millions and billions of yobs

i had a job interview this morning. it went extremely well. the interviewer was professional yet comfortable. she asked very pertinent questions that i felt proud to answer. pleasant interview aside, however, i can't say this job is a good fit for me. it's too far away, pays too little, and is for some lame marketing corporation that i have no interest in working for. i did take advantage of the opportunity to drop off my resume at two public libraries in milwaukee. maybe some good will come from today.

i am in milwaukee for the next few days. a friend asked me to be her buffer at an uncomfortable family gathering tomorrow and i agreed. it gives me a chance to hang out with said friend and see my soapy. even if he is napping by himself on the other chair. jerk.

life has been a bit interesting lately as i have been spending time with an old friend from a few years back. i've never known somebody to change so much in so little time. i can't say that any of these changes are unflattering or offensive. conversations have been lessons in pleasant surprises.

ooh! update: soapy has taken to my lap! he smells like a mix between his mother and dust. we call that dusty odor the smell of an indoor adventure cat: the underside of beds and the insides of cupboards; crawl spaces and cubbies. if only i knew how to work this massive camera that costs more than i made last year i would take a photo. so sweet.

telefon tel aviv

Charlie Cooper, one half of Telefon Tel Aviv died this week. i won't say anything more than this because you either know what a talented musician he was or you don't.