Taking Aunt and Uncle to Capitola and Santa Cruz today.

Click Here for Pictures of Carl Barât Performance, The Popscene, SF

"Let's Put Our Future Behind Us." Here's to you, Carl Barât

Before I start gushing about meeting Carl Barât. I need to give some background to what made last night so memorable. I have always been a fan of The Libertines and more recently Barât's new band Dirty Pretty Things.

I saw Dirty Pretty Things perform once in Boston and was mesmerized. Now, where ever I go there is always Dirty Pretty Things album with me.

In times of tremendous joy and sometimes deep sadness or just sitting on the subway, the music has never failed to compliment the mood and inevitably conjure up a thought or a smile.

Back to the show. Last night, Violeta and I got tickets and watched Barât's solo performance. He played a less than confident set of a dozen songs; half old Libertines songs and the other half Dirty Pretty Things. The music was overshadowed by the crowd loudly chitchatting in anticipation for Glasvegas, the headline act. However, Barât maintained a steady flow of catchy tunes that if you listened closely were heartfelt in their execution.

Violeta and I decided not to stay for Glasvegas. We walked past the smoking crowd to the back of the venue where Barât was with his lady. I jokingly told Violeta I wanted to tell him how inspirational his music was to me, seconds before seeing him. Barât was hard to understand, he mumbled and had a heavy accent, also adrenalin was plugging my ears. I told him I appreciated his music amongst other things and we talked a little about his previous albums. When I started to say goodbye, Barât pulled me into his arms giving me an unexpected hug and kiss on the cheek. I walked away feeling elated.

California

I'm back in California and will stay here until January 20th.

I dropped my Dad off at the airport today for his trip to London. He wanted to go on a trip but was worried about leaving our dog who has health problems. I offered to stay longer and dog sit.


My Aunt and Uncle accepted my invite to come to the Bay Area for the remainder of my stay. They're from Pennsylvania and haven't had a chance to come visit in almost four years.


The pieces fit together; I can work on my freelance projects here, take care of our dog, and clean up around the house.

I move into my new place in Boston when I get back.

Kids on a dude ranch. Holiday or Greeting Card Donations

I read the following from Real Simple magazine.

St. Jude's Ranch for Children (http://www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php), a non profit home for abused and neglected youths, runs a holiday-card reuse program in which the kids cut off the front covers, glue them onto new cards, and sell the result. Send your cards to:
St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Card Recycling Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

Movies Filmed In CLEVELAND

Directors making blue collar movies have found a palpable palette in Cleveland's rust belt appearance. The industrial feel of Cleveland combined with the city's Eastern European influences (as seen in its churches) has attracted filmmakers seeking unmatched dramatic film locations or for present day indie films. There are many well-known sites and landmarks in Cleveland that also contribute to it being a unique and recognizable city. The best known movies filmed in Cleveland include Deer Hunter, A Christmas Story, "O" is for Ohio, and of course American Splendor.

Deer Hunter



Saint Theodosius Cathedral - Russian Orthodox (founded 1896). The opening wedding scene in Deer Hunter was filmed here.




A Christmas Story

My Dad and I went to where "A Christmas Story" was filmed which is now a museum.




All exterior and Black Bart scenes were shot here, but the other (interior) shots were done in a movie studio in Canada. Some guy bought the house and made the interior into a replica of the movie home. He pulls in close to $675,000 a year, while the movie only cost $4 million to make.









Here's a link for more information on movies shot in Cleveland: http://cleveland.about.com/od/filmsandfilmmakers/tp/clevelandmovies.htm

My Grandmother passed away on December 26th. I'm putting together a eulogy for the funeral on Saturday.

Upon composing what to say for the eulogy, I found some of the writing I began while living in Ohio. The writing is as much about the inspiring people I met and where I lived (in a retirement home) as it is about my experiences with loss. I transcribed the writing and will post it below.