Las Fotografias Mixtecas

Here's what being me is like: I bust my butt 5-6 days a week on these crazy exercises. I drink protein shakes and creatine. And after weeks and weeks of this I have the tiniest bit of new muscle definition in my legs. Yes, right above my knee is something that wasn't there before. You've gotta squint just right, put your hand on it just so... and there it is. Kelli had to look for it. I really only know it's there because it's a place my hand naturally rests when I'm, you know, just sitting around. And it feels different.

So at this rate I'll have a fine, admirable physique by the time I'm 141 years old.

***

I take a lot of photos on the cellphone. For whatever reason, I just like to do it. I like capturing images at any time, even these low-res ones. And tonight I thought I'd just clear out some stuff from the cellphone and elsewhere.



Okay, so this isn't a cellphone image; it's a drawing I did some years ago while working at a TV station. Can't recall which one. THEBOY used to ask me to draw him pictures, so I'd do stuff like this.

***

It's been a pretty good weekend here, save for the fact that MOBB is still under the weather. She did finally eat a little this afternoon. She's going to stay home from work tomorrow, the poor thing.

***

I went to the school tonight and did one of the Bas Rutten workouts. It's 28 minutes of exertion, man. There did come a point at which I started to map a route to the back door, just in case I needed to deposit my supper somewhere.

But I made it with my PBJ sandwich still safely on board the Starship BB.

I blame Whit for these workouts. What can I say? We're constantly exchanging messages about how hard we've worked. Now, this man is the owner of a Kung Fu school, a professional athlete. Being in shape is part and parcel of his job. So I can't exactly keep up. But I do what I can. And it's his fault.

After my workouts I sometimes feel compelled to send him photos showing him just how tore up I am. Many times I'm shooting him the finger, but I didn't feel like stooping quite that low here.



Yes, I'm shirtless. Relax, it's a tiny photo. I don't intend to scar you for life.

***

And now I'm watching some IFL action on one of our local coathanger channels, and Bas Rutten is the host.

I believe he's stalking me.

***

So my office is moving about five minutes south of where we've been. We spent a few days this week, packing up our stuff in these bright orange crates, labeling, things, throwing things away. I don't even have an extensive history in this building, but I've gotta say it's going to be strange to be gone. We'll be in our new digs Monday.



***

MOBB and I had this conversation earlier. That is, I flapped my yap and she gave me that pitying look she sometimes gives me when she thinks I've lost my mind.

Looking back on the 80s, which so many people of my generation seem to love to do, I find that I'm willing to cut slack to many more artists than I once was. Bands I once hated I can now, at least, see why they appealed to someone.

A few examples:

The Cure, sure, okay, at some point every teen feels awkward and giddy and depressed and pimply and wants to fit in with that "different" crowd... and that's just in 10 minutes at lunch, okay. Enter Robert Smith's patented yelp.

And Duran Duran. I was a big DD hater back in the day, due in no small part to some of my girlfriends' obsession with them. But okay, they had three unrelated guys named Taylor (one of whom was handsome), they had a knack for a pop hook, they made cool videos... okay, fine fine.

Flock of Seagulls, okay, they were spacey and dreamy, and actually had a guitar player. Berlin too.

The Cars were a fine little pop band.

Sometimes Hall and Oates were flippin' terrific.

But all these years later, I'm still totally lost on one. Really. Of all the bands I ever disliked, ever raged against, wrote bad things about, all that...

Seriously...

I have no earthly idea why anyone liked Bon Jovi. I got nothing. Every time I hear him I look around like someone's finally going to jump out of the woodwork and say, "Nah man, we're just screwing with you... this was a Weird Al side project kinda like that Garth Brooks thing where he pretended his name was Chris Gaines. Only not as funny."

***



This is one of my favorite things about our old building. I spoke to the owner of this poster, and she assures me she'll have it prominently featured at the new office.

***

Let's knock out some more of these.



This is a cool display they had at the movie theater for the latest Fantastic Four movie. Man this is going to make some fanboy happy when he sets it up in his efficiency apartment!

And finally...



This shot was taken a few months ago at a health fair THEBOY and I attended down in Alvarado. It was a nice affair with bounce houses and stuff. He was eager to try this velcro suit/wall attraction, but after this, his only try, he decided he'd stick to less complicated stuff.

***

Ya'll have a good weekend.