here's to the new

I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people. Franklin D. Roosevelt

The last year is nearly over: a year that found Fresh traveling to Australia for more than half the year, exploring asia even more and eventually coming back to the US.

I refuse to say it was short or flew by, even though a year is not quite as long as we usually think. When I look back, I did a lot this year, and where I was last year is certainly not where I am now. (I do wish I were embarking on another trip right around the corner, however) On that note, I am accepting applications for those interested in traveling to South America, and riding a motorcycle back to Chicago - or as close to it as possible.

Reflection is important, but in the transition to the new year, I feel like it's best to look forward. I've tied up the knots I could in 2007, and am looking forward to building new and reinforcing old bridges in '08. The year-end break forces this type of broad reflection, which most often leads to cliched responses and inaccurate, broad statements. It was a year, this is a month, this is a day, this is an hour, this is a minute, a second, of life. Time to live.

taking things apart in order to put them together.

quote:
Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, use that something to support their own existence.
- Frank Zappa

the holidays are upon us yet again like a possessed reindeer whose had too much egg nog. we have no choice - this is what they are - a rabid commercialism, fake snow, bells ringing, people freezing, lights twinklings, cash registers chi-chinging, schools closing, children yelling, children screaming!, songs being played non-stop for 2.5 months.

the holidays are certainly an experience. I feel like they should be announced officially at some point by the guy who does line-ups at basketball games and draws word out like bubble gum to make them sound dramatic. WELLLLLCCCCOOOMMMMMEEEEE TOOOOO the HOOLLLLLLLLIIIIDDAAAAYYYYYSSS!

that said, i had a great welcome to the holidays this weekend. i wandered about my little ukrainian village covered in snow like a child in a blanket, looking for a place to get my hair chopped. the first place only spoke spanish, and i pantomimed hair cut and they pantomimed, or rather, said, "no." I think they were busy.

Next place I bumped into was also markedly Hispanic, Puerto Rican, to be exact, and was blasting Spanish crooners at 11 AM. Upon sitting down to wait to sit down again, I realized why. 1. This was Franco's haircuttery. 1a. Franco is a fat, bald, homosexual, Puerto Rican man. 2. Franco made egg nog that morning and it was really good and everyone got as much as they wanted. I read Kurt Vonnegut, drank the best egg nog I've ever had, listened to Spanish crooners mixed with some original belting of Franco, and smiled.

Welcome to the holidays.

blues whistling competition

"Somebody just stole my magic dancing slippers."
- Written on the Wind 1956


winter

outside the wind blows
inside the heat purrs
in the doorway the mind coils
slowly around itself and falls asleep.