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it could be about scones.

  • Feb. 19th, 2009 at 11:01 AM
henry
Or maybe it could be about the times before I even lived in this city, before all this, before all that… times when I always had my skateboard with me, times when my friends were named things like Spak, Rusty, Arson and Chainsaw, and my apartment often smelled like you would expect a carpeted apartment to smell when you had a guy named Rusty crashing on your couch for weeks on end. The Spak-stuffed sleeping bag at Rusty's feet: curled tight and fetal into a big stained '@'; like that old and moldy orphan tortellini one finds behind the stove when they’re desperately trying to fish out the red hot knife Arson just dropped.

No idea what happened to any of those guys, (but Rusty - you fuck - I hope you got it the worst.)

It's not about that either though. I'm just bringing those guys up like bile.

Like when you are suddenly forced into trying to comprehend exactly how all your guts are put together, when you have nothing left to puke, dryheaving in cold sweats thinking that one more retch and you will surely rip something valuable from its visceral tethers deep inside and down, and this next heave will be a pressure wash explosion of blood with perhaps the flapping end of a once important artery hanging out of your wet mouth.
Like when your knees are grinding on the hard linoleum in that calm in-between part, that moment where you can breathe again for a second but you know it's not over yet, that part before the vomitendulum has peaked - paused - reversed - and finally starts to pick up renewed velocity and you feel your intercostals start to grip again, your back starting to arch, that part when you know you would never ever ever want to see exactly what your face looks like right now: as the muscles contort and pull at your lips, your jaw, if your eyes were wide open and not dripping tears off the tips of your corneas like the cumcatcher ends of rolled condoms you would perhaps see "The Scream" forming to look up at you from the currently calm surface of the bowl.

"You've got nothing left, why are you still praying? "
(Just another retch, hopefully the last.)

5 or so more swings of the empty vomitendulum, and there it is: suddenly a new substance…

That new yellow galaxy presented so close to you there, the hot and sour you see slowly spinning through your tears, how the fuck did that get there?

That reality could make some people really hate their guts.

Bile's past the stomach. No way should it make it up. How's that work? What happened there?
You find yourself thinking, how if it goes on long enough, and you go back far enough, will shit start coming out of your mouth?

can't wait

  • Aug. 12th, 2008 at 9:40 AM

Crawler's Ledge

  • Apr. 8th, 2008 at 5:38 AM
henry
Yeah, the first thing I think of when I hear a name like "Crawler's Ledge" is a lush tropical jungle surrounded by emerald coral rimmed waters. I think of of the sounds of hundreds of myna birds and geckos chirping over the deep static of some waterfall just around the corner. I think of freshly plucked guava and humid shade under a massive green canopy.
Yeah, ok. I don't think of any of that.

What I really think of is me flat on my stomach with all that red dust coating my sweat slick arms, my backpack suddenly going through some strange quantum thing where it not only gains about 80 pounds, but gravity is actually at a 45 degree angle up there and is REALLY pulling it over the edge. Over that edge and down 800 feet onto the crashing surf. All those rocks just tenderizer for the sharks.

I think -- that in my head -- I'll be saying all sorts of comforting things to Loren who's waiting behind me:

"It's not that bad, hon." I'll be saying.
"Oh man, it looks much worse than it actually is". I'll be saying.

But in reality, the sounds I'm able to squeak out of my mouth will sound more like Beaker from the muppets, and I'll have not moved an inch forward in the last 20 minutes.

'Meep Meep'.
Earth Hugger.

I've been in training for this hike for a couple months now, it's a 22 mile round trip and it's supposed to be the most amazing, most beautiful, most blue lagoon brooke shields gilligan and mary anne chunk of paradise that's left on this planet, and I'm totally excited about it...
But what's with this "Crawler's Ledge" thing???

It's the Na Pali Coast, specifically the Kalalau trail... The countdown is ON!

Greyhound Diaries.

  • Jan. 11th, 2008 at 7:06 AM
henry
Coming back from Dad's place in Sorrento, I was sitting there in my tight little seat near the back of the bus looking out through the condensation at the passing scape and I was thinking "Greyhound Diaries". I would plan a cross country trip on the Greyhound bus.
Nothing anywhere near direct. I would zig and zag and bob and weave north and south in a slow sidewinder snake path to Newfoundland. I'd be stopping overnight or for a week at a time in small towns with names I don't know like Labush, Nemerscutch, Moss Stump or Codcheek. During this 1 or 2 month long journey -- I'd write a novel. Maybe it would be exactly about the trip, maybe it wouldn't. It'd simply be very canadian.
I'd be up late by candlelight in small mainstreet hotels in any of these towns, one orange light in a checkboard of black and lace squares facing the empty street. I'd be squinting through one black eye that I got back in Badgerden, Saskatchewan and scribbling in a Blueline A19.

Shrunken Heads

  • Oct. 27th, 2007 at 2:16 PM
henry
When I was a kid, I had a lot of regular little kid hobbies.
Hobbies like capturing bugs in my Bug Catcher, taming baby gophers in the 400 square foot lego maze in the basement, flying kites, putting together model airplanes, blowing up model airplanes with illegal firecrackers, roadkill taxidermy etc. Just regular kid stuff.
One of the hobbies I am most recently feeling reminiscent about is making shrunken heads out of apples.
Applehead dolls. Used to love it.

Well, i figured with Halloween approaching, now would be a good time to get out the lemon juice and apple corer and add a few new specimens to my long lost collection.

I couldn't QUITE remember all the steps required in the carving of the apples that would end up with a realistic looking human rendition, so of course, I check the trusty interweb machine for a concise and updated Howto.
I'm totally surprised that there's really nothing good out there. All the examples look like CRAP.
"stab a couple slits here and here, those will be the eyes... slice a little gash here, that'll be the mouth..."
You'd get a better looking applehead by simply peeling an apple, throwing it in the washing machine during the spin cycle and then just leaving it out on the front porch for a few months.

I'm making my own Howto. This can't be a lost art.
Staytuned kids.

Seasonal

  • Oct. 19th, 2007 at 8:44 AM
henry
hmm.
Seems to be time for a change.

TurtleTown!

  • May. 25th, 2007 at 11:26 AM
henry

damn this was sweet. This was last monday I think.
Miss it already.

Too old to be playing such games.

  • Mar. 21st, 2007 at 9:06 PM
henry

Can't believe this.
I'm actually on the verge of freakin out a little bit.
(the fact that I'm downplaying it with terms like "on the verge" and "a little bit" points to the fact that neither of these things are true.)


I love this place. It's almost the oldest building I've ever lived in and it's somehow been able to make it through the last 95 years without being renovated, demolished or had it's beautiful wood panels painted over thick by the hepsters, the beatniks, the hippies, the pastel new wavers and the dark forest green quiet types that like to cut themselves.  I love how it's kept it's character, and I toy sometimes with old stories that I say happened here.
Here where I sit
or over there by the sofa
or back in the bedroom.

Maybe a newlywed couple were in my kitchen talking about the Great War breaking out while they waited for the water to boil for tea, not knowing about the great depression that was coming this way in another ten years.

An elderly man cranking his victorola again, pouring a glass of scotch and sitting down to light his pipe over there in the corner by the window.

Small children sitting close to the big radio, wide eyed and quiet as they listen to this week's Little Orphan Annie radio play.



It's got "character" I guess they'd say.
I imagine all the sounds of lives that have played out in these walls.
It's got history, and I let myself think about tragedy here too.


I think about it, but I never go anywhere with it. 

I don't dwell on the possibilities or make shit up. 

I just go "hmm, I guess there's a possibility some bad stuff happened within these walls too." and leave it at that.


I don't not believe in ghosts, but I also don't put a whole lot of thought into when or if I'm gonna see one because I honestly don't believe we ever actually SEE them. 
Perhaps when we are by happenstance in a vibe close enough to the same level of energy or vibe that another dimension is on, and that something is near –
some part of our brain may pick up on that –
and then I suppose it would be natural for our brain to try to make sense of it by manufacturing an image, but I totally don't go for the idea of our retina actually seeing a ghost. 
We’re probably surrounded by all sorts of stuff everyday,
all day.

Maybe only for a very rare split second (like dejavu) are we akin long enough to pick up on something.
Then in the same split second, it's gone,
leaving you doubting you felt anything in the first place.

What the hell am I going on about?

I guess this probably all started a couple of days ago when I was taking random shots in here with my new camera.  (But I am only guessing that now in hindsite as I try to figure out what the fuck is going on.)
Maybe it was also something to do with the other night, when I was sitting here at the computer and the lights suddenly turned on. (light switch is behind me on the wall by the hallway)..
Did that plant some sort of little seed that totally wasn’t apparent to me at the time?  Is some part of my brain taking a couple of strange little instances and putting them together and manufacturing a freakout?  Or am I legitimately picking up on something here that is just not fucking kosher?


I’m going on record saying I am making this all up in my head and being ‘silly’.
Yeah, that’s it.  I’m just being silly.


I like baths.
Yes baths.  Bubbly Ombra lavender Epsom salt just lay there and soak manly man baths.  Been taking them for like 20 years or something.
Well, it’d been a while since I’ve done that, so tonight I drew one.  It was way too hot at first so I let it cool off and fill the bathroom with steam while I dug around for a book that I’ve not read yet, or at least a book I’ve only read once, and made a mental note to go book shopping sometime soon.


At around 8:30 I finally tiptoed in and slowly sunk down into the still too hot tub, dryed my hands off and picked up ‘The England of Literature – a social history” from the edge of the sink.


Not into it right now.  I try force-reading the first few pages but finally put it back on the edge of the sink and close my eyes.


The thing I like to do in the bath is that whole submerge thing.  Just slide right down until my ears are underwater.  Close my eyes and I can only hear my breathing and my heartbeat, floating. (Sometimes I fall asleep doing this, and I’ll probably wake up drowned one day, but only if I ever find a tub long enough that I don’t have to put my feet up by the shower head in order to get my head underwater.)
Anyways, I slide down, submerging my head and am anticipating that whole relaxation thing that comes from this.


I don’t experience that whole relaxation thing though.  Instead what I get is some sort of a picture in my head as though it’s from another persons perspective.  It’s so fast in my head but I clearly pick it up: 
It’s my living room.  But only at the very beginning.  It’s my living room, but then it’s at the end of the hallway that leads to the bathroom and it’s fucking running FAST towards the bathroom door.  I’m seeing my apartment in a flash from the perspective of somebody about 4 feet high running at full speed towards my bathroom door.


I sit bolt straight up in the tub and flood a wave over the edge onto the bathroom floor.  Wiping at my eyes quick I’m staring at the door.
It’s open just a crack and it’s dark out there.
I absolutely get the feeling I’m being watched through that crack.


Ok, I’m still a little bit on the verge of freakin out as I type this, but not quite so much as the little bit of verging I was doing in the tub as I was staring through that crack in the door.


It actually took me a minute to hit the rewind button there to really grasp what the fuck just happened.  Was that a ‘thought-thought’?  A fantasy land sort of day dream?  Did I actually just fall asleep for a second there? I can only come up with no, no and no.
As a matter of fact, what I come up with is the distinct impression that in the will behind the lens of what I just saw was a definite sensation of ‘waiting’.
Waiting for me to put my head under water.


The bath is fucking over.


I’m standing, wiping the steam off the mirror now lookin at myself and not saying anything out loud but giving myself a little talking to.
”Dude, you’re 39.  a bit old for playing ghosties aren’t you?”


When I finally open the bathroom door wide (and ridiculously fast, like it’s a bandaid stuck and this is the way you do it) and calmly step out into the hallway, I of course don’t see any little demon child, and I just walk into the dining room.
Which is when it happens again.


Totally FEEL something here, (still do as I type this, but this is keeping me busy type type type type look at me I’m typing) and my goosebump muscles are getting a good workout.  I'm reeeeaaaally looking forward to going to bed.


And that pretty much brings me to right now.  This moment.  Trying to figure out what the hell THAT was all about.  I’ve been living here for 14 months now, and haven’t experienced that in my apartment. 
(The stairwell to the basement? sure.  But not inside my apartment.)
Wah.


oh yeah, that pic I mentioned.


One of my favorite views is when I first wake up in the morning and I can see through out my bedroom into the dining room part of the apartment.  I downloaded the pics onto my computer, and was a bit flabberghasted at this one. 
At first I tried to explain it away as some sort of light effect, but there’s no lights.  Just this ball.


I’m not letting myself notice the similarity to the height of the perspective that my little uninvited tub movie was shot from.


There is nobody
Standing in my doorway
staring at me sleep.


I Love you alarm clock, no Really. I do!

  • Feb. 23rd, 2007 at 5:45 AM
henry
Fuck was I glad to get snapped out of THAT night of 'sleep'.
Dream after dream after dream it seemed, none of them pleasant.

I'd put them into the 'running underwater' category. The complete lack of personal effectiveness. Definately asleep, but lucid enough to be tormented just below the surface of consiousness for what seems like most of the night. (Most of the night being particularly long as I was in bed by 8:00)

Morgan was back, (as he has been quite a few times in the last few months. Just being Morgan though, nothing particularly weird and dreamlike about his presense in my dreams, he's just bein his big ol' goofy self. Sometimes he's even just there sleeping. He never morphs into anything or anybody, he never starts talking, he never does anything gross... He's just Morgan, here.)

I walked down the back stairs to the landing and noticed that dumpster diver out in the back yard going through our garbage. At least that's what I thought he was doing at first. Then I realized he was stealing bike parts.
I unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door.
"What are you doing?!"
Thought I'd startle him. Thought he'd run.
He didn't.
He wasn't startled at all. Actually he was quite angered at being disturbed. He stood, slowly turned around and glared at me.
Luckily, Morgan was there with me, I called him to the door. He came, and then true to Morgan he just stood there looking at the guy.
(Good god dog, bark or something... growl... anything)
Nope. Just stands there, wondering who our guest is.
The dumpster diver walks up to the door. I can't get the big wooden door closed fast enough as Morgan has his big dumb ass in the way and I'm running underwater.
Diver opens the screen door and steps in. Morgan backs up. (Thanks, good boy.)
I'm shaking now, outwardly terrified and insanely weak limbed. I fumble my cell phone out of my pocket and tell him I'm calling the police.
He reaches out for it. He doesn't lunge for it, he doesn't need to I'm moving so fucking slow.
I dial 811.
Yes. 811.
Fuck!
I'm backing up towards the stairs leading up to the kitchen and Morgan is now laying down in his bed in the corner, shivering as though this intruder and I are simply having a lovers quarrel.
"Gimme the phone" He's just walking slowly towards me with his one arm stretched out.
I'm tripping of course, heels blind and shuffling backwards, hoping to feel the edge of the first step leading up to the kitchen where the knifes are.
I'm trying to redial, but I haven't cleared 811 off the display, so now I have 811911 dialed in. My heel finally finds the first step and I'm backing up the stairs trying to clear out the numbers but the fucking display on the phone won't clear.
Divers foot hits the first step, following me up.
I'm hammering on the 'back' button on the phone and it's not working. I'm almost at the top of the stairs.
Sometime around there he finally gets a hold of the wrist of my phone arm. I've got a deathgrip on the phone though, and my thumb is still labouring over the obviously difficult task of 9-1-1. We start to struggle over the phone as I cross the threshold into the kitchen and he follows.
There's the knife rack. There's the big black handle of my Henkle chef knife sticking up out of the wooden stand.
I think I've finally got 911 dialed in and right about then drop the phone.
Don't think I hit 'send' yet.
Morgans still curled up in his bed at the base of the stairs.

----
This dream just got stupider and stupider from there. Yes, it was that lucid, I totally remember everything about it. Like the part just after than where I realize that if I actually pull that knife, I doubt I'd use it. I'm actually positive that if I pulled that knife that this guy would be able to get it away from me and use it on ME.
So, I go all Lucy and grab the frying pan off the stove.
Not the heavy cast iron pan on the left side of the stove though, no. I grab the flimsy and featherlight aluminum one from the right side of the stove and start flailing about with it, trying to knock this guy out with tinfoil.
He still has my wrist, so this is some fucked up performance art piece at this point. A domestic dispute dance, him holding my wrist and me spinning and flailing a thin aluminum pan. I'm jivin with him.

I did actually clock him a few times with it, but it did nothing of course. No effect what-so-ever. At some point after that we end up on the ground and I've got my arm around his neck. I know I can probably choke him out from this position but then it dawns on me that I have NO IDEA how to choke somebody out.
Fuck that was frustrating.

I was so glad to have my alarm snatch me up from that world. The above dream is simply the last of about 8 other dreams that transpired throughout the night, each of equally frustrating circumstances. The only consoling factor was in one of them, my Grandma (who died about 6 months ago) was there as a whisper in my ear telling me ahead of time that this person I was talking to was bad.
She was right.
Thanks Gram, I Love you!

Always with the shadows.

  • Feb. 22nd, 2007 at 5:54 PM
henry
I seem to be stuck on this whole shadow thing. Every now and then I'll catch a glimpse of my shadow like this and luckily I've got my piece of shit camera with me.
This one, I particularly liked due to the whole lightstandard thing.
I think I'm going to attempt to paint it somehow.

It reminds me of some christmas show that used to be on when I was a kid.. Something to do with the prince of frost or something. He would jump from roof top to roof top making everything all covered in hoarfrost.
Nobody ever knows what I'm talking about when I mention this show, so perhaps it never happened.