So here i am...about 8000mi from Traverse City (rough estimate). Right now it is 4:24pm, Wednesday the 27th. It is 2:24am in Michigan. So as i type, many of you are probably sleeping. I feel like sleeping as well. We arrived last night at around 10pm our time. we had an amazing sunset to come arrive in. check the pics i have on flicker. A few notes about the journey over/the people that i have on my ship/ and other cool notable things:
--A few men from the phillipines that speak virtually no english, and when you say "Hey man! whats up?" they reply with "OK!" and the biggest smile you can imagine.
--A boson, who was on the streets before this job, that when you greet him in the morning with a "Good morning bos" he replies with a simple "Yes", as if it was a question.
--A guy named Bernie who is nearing 70 and just mimbles alot. There was a time when we were asking about going to the track and betting on horse races. Jake, 2nd mate, said "Hey bernie, do they have dog races there too?"...after a long silence, Bernie replies with "Yeah they got the fuckin Lotto!"...and when he gets tired he starts talking like Carl from Slingblade.
--Dolphins jumping about 50yards off the side of the ship during our BBQ on friday.
--Crossing International Dateline listening to "Brand New Cadillac" by The Clash (courtesy of bhallsd)
--Listening to Modern Life Is War.....yeah, thats it for that one..
--Working my ass off. 16+ hour days.
--3am wake up calls, and my 80/20 hot chocolate coffee morning mix.
--Sunrises and sunsets
So guam! Guam is a strange place and my Chief Mate put it best when he said, "Americans suck as colonists!" Its as if we have taken all the shittiest things about america, and put them here. Denny's, KFC, McD's, Outback Steakhouse, Walmart, etc...Its strange. Strip clubs and "massage" parlors one block from the Tiffany and Co. and Louis Vuitton stores. Its just strange. Also, it seems that you are either Chimoran (native guam residents are called Chimorans), A japanese tourist, or in the military.
Me and Alex rented a car for the entire day for $40 from the security guard at the dock who had no teeth. He said to give the key's back to his brother tonight. he will be security from 10pm on. The car is sketch, at best, and when you turn on the air conditioning it feels as though it will stall any moment. This AC is vital in weather that is 95* with 90% humidity. Miserable hot. Doesnt seem to effect the locals though, but i have lost considerably amounts of fluids today. Here is what our day consisted of:
--A trip to Gun Beach to go snorkeling...which was amazing!! We had to walk through this super extravagant hotel to get to the beach. we were the only americans there, and when i took off my shirt, a few japanese ladies cringed, and turned away. haha. whatever. i saw some of the wildest looking fish ever! Parrot fish!! look those up. so cool looking up close. 100's of smaller, rainbow colored fish, and as i was standing on the reef looking into the water, a slightly large eel poked his evil looking head out from under a rock. It wasnt a typical green moray eel, but it was definatley in the same family. scared the shit out of us! super sweet though.
--Numerous hermit crabs and rock-jumper crabs the size of your fist scurrying about.
--three historical parks reading placks on when the americans and japanese fought on these very beaches for the island. It cast a rather grim shadow over the day for about 10 minutes. when you think about the bloodshed that happened where you are sitting...strange feelings come on.
--Went hiking looking for a waterfall...no luck. we almost got lost in the interior of the island...so we turned back. Beautiful views though.
--Swam at three different beaches and a water hole, created by coral reef.
Pretty cool day. Now, we are headed back to the ship to clean up, and grab the second mate, and head back into town. He's been working and wants to go out for a bit tonight. We leave at 7am tomorrow morning. 3 days to Ningbo China. then 20 hours to Shanghai, and THEN 10 days back to long beach. My next entry will be from Long beach. I love and miss you all. CHECK MY FLICKER PAGE for pics of today. take care. --jh--
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Long Beach to Hawaii (trip #1, Stop #1)
Greeting from Hawaii! This is by far the worst place i've ever been in my life...hand downs. Ok, i can't lie...its wonderful here. We arrived yesterday at around 5pm (hawaii time), and first lines went out around 630, tied up at 7pm. The approch to the islands was beautiful. if you look at a map of the islands, we came right through the Makapuu Passage, which is looked to the east side of Oahu. Right between Oahu and another island (forgive me...i forget the name). So islands on either side. stunning. We have actually been working very hard this entire week on our way over, and we (Alex and myself) were nervous that the Chief Mate may not let us off at all.
As we got off the deck and back into the ships office after tie up, we asked the mate if there was anything else we needed to do. His reply? "The only thing you guys need to do is get the fuck off the ship and have some fun tonight." Wonderful!! We met up with the second mate (jake), got a taxi into Waikiki ($30 cab ride!! daaaaaannnnggg!!), and strolled around the strip, going into generic tourist places, and just looking around. We ended up at a place called Dukes, which is a barefoot bar. Located right on the ocean, you are able to walk right off the beach and into the resteraunt. Super cool spot. We pretty much stayed there all night. The shots you will see on my flicker page of the water, shoreline, and surrounding scenery were taken from the beach at Dukes. While Alex and Jake were cruising for girls, i chose to sit on the beach and just stare out and work on my photography skills. I hope you enjoy them.
Let me pull a Tarantino and give you all an idea of what it was like getting to this point:
August 13th:
I've accepted the fact that i will no longer be seeing Jessica, my family, and friends for a while. The stress as well as this unmistakable feeling that i get right before i take chance has subsided, and there is no turning back. There is a line from the In My Eye's cd that i like. The opening to one of the tracks is "Growing up/Not slowing down". That line put me at ease a little bit. I made the decision to do this...here i am...and here we go. We depart at 4am tomorrow morning. I have to share a room with Alex Swies. He is a fellow GLMA cadet, but i imagine sharing a room for 4 months wont be as great as several other thousand things ive done in my life. Oh well. i'll get over it. The chief mate has already put me to work delivering mail and doing other assorted tasks. Already working...yikes. No sooner had my bags hit the floor in my room, he called me down on the intercom. That was an intense conversation, but i expect to work, so, although oddly intimidated by this short man, and his smug demeanor, not to mention his turtle like neck and head (his neck comes from the front of his shoulders instead of on top...it just looks kind of weird, you know?), i've moved on.
August 14th:
Tails of a run in with a typhoon the last trip are going around. some pretty serious shit went down i guess. No one was seriously injured though, just heavy sea's. I hope that doesnt happen again. I was up today at 2am to watch us depart the dock in LB. "this is it...this is it...THIS...is it" just kept going through my head. Sound like a song to anyone? anyways, we had dolphins jumping out of our wake at 7am that morning. A good omen i suppose. Maybe not... as we got further from land, i got progressivley sicker. Maybe it had more to do with my excitement level, like you know how little kids will get SOOOOO excited about something that is going to happen that they end up getting to worked up, and then, sick? Maybe that was it...i'd like to attribute it to the 5-6 swells we had coming in from the North, meaning they were rolling the ship about 8 degrees side to side for 24hours. I threw up 7 times today. Im not going to lie, or act hard about it. My body didnt know how to deal with that kind of sea...Lakes and ocean...way different kind of roll. I fell asleep at 7pm that night and awoke for watch at 3am the following morning, feeling absolutley fine. weird.
fast forward
August 15th:
The cooks on the ship are amazing. The best in the fleet ive been told. Check the pics of our spread for our friday night BBQ! This was a fun event. On every trip, one day out from Hawaii and Guam (either coming to the islands, or leaving them) we have a BBQ on the stearn of the ship. everyone is in Flip Flops, floral print shirts or t-shirts, shorts, and just casual attire in general. Much like a BBQ that someone would have in there backyard, except this is 2000miles + away from ANYONES backyard. pretty cool. the crew has been very friendly and cool to us. After our 48 probationary period, in which the Chief mate threw everything he could throw at us in attempt to rattle us, he has lightened up considerably. We've shown him we are here for the right reasons, and that we are genuinely interested in whats going on. they like that here. So we are in pretty good, in fact, the crew has just as many questions for us about the lakes, as we do for them regarding the ocean. thats kind of a neat thing. The social gathering on the stern was a fun time. To top it off, we even go to see the mythical Green Flash. I say mythical because i feel that it is similar to a unicorn...Often talked about, yet, a rare sighting. I made myself laugh with that analogy. Its not as "Spielberg" as some may think, but it definitley happens. So what a good night. Tomorrow we will arrive in Hawaii....
THERE IT IS! sorry, im long winded, but i think it's more fun to read in retrospect. I hope that between that and the pics, you can have a good idea of what its been like to so far. have a nice night...we leave Honolulu tomorrow at 11am (HI time). Guam in 7 days. Another post w/ pics then. Take care. I miss every single one of you. --jh--
As we got off the deck and back into the ships office after tie up, we asked the mate if there was anything else we needed to do. His reply? "The only thing you guys need to do is get the fuck off the ship and have some fun tonight." Wonderful!! We met up with the second mate (jake), got a taxi into Waikiki ($30 cab ride!! daaaaaannnnggg!!), and strolled around the strip, going into generic tourist places, and just looking around. We ended up at a place called Dukes, which is a barefoot bar. Located right on the ocean, you are able to walk right off the beach and into the resteraunt. Super cool spot. We pretty much stayed there all night. The shots you will see on my flicker page of the water, shoreline, and surrounding scenery were taken from the beach at Dukes. While Alex and Jake were cruising for girls, i chose to sit on the beach and just stare out and work on my photography skills. I hope you enjoy them.
Let me pull a Tarantino and give you all an idea of what it was like getting to this point:
August 13th:
I've accepted the fact that i will no longer be seeing Jessica, my family, and friends for a while. The stress as well as this unmistakable feeling that i get right before i take chance has subsided, and there is no turning back. There is a line from the In My Eye's cd that i like. The opening to one of the tracks is "Growing up/Not slowing down". That line put me at ease a little bit. I made the decision to do this...here i am...and here we go. We depart at 4am tomorrow morning. I have to share a room with Alex Swies. He is a fellow GLMA cadet, but i imagine sharing a room for 4 months wont be as great as several other thousand things ive done in my life. Oh well. i'll get over it. The chief mate has already put me to work delivering mail and doing other assorted tasks. Already working...yikes. No sooner had my bags hit the floor in my room, he called me down on the intercom. That was an intense conversation, but i expect to work, so, although oddly intimidated by this short man, and his smug demeanor, not to mention his turtle like neck and head (his neck comes from the front of his shoulders instead of on top...it just looks kind of weird, you know?), i've moved on.
August 14th:
Tails of a run in with a typhoon the last trip are going around. some pretty serious shit went down i guess. No one was seriously injured though, just heavy sea's. I hope that doesnt happen again. I was up today at 2am to watch us depart the dock in LB. "this is it...this is it...THIS...is it" just kept going through my head. Sound like a song to anyone? anyways, we had dolphins jumping out of our wake at 7am that morning. A good omen i suppose. Maybe not... as we got further from land, i got progressivley sicker. Maybe it had more to do with my excitement level, like you know how little kids will get SOOOOO excited about something that is going to happen that they end up getting to worked up, and then, sick? Maybe that was it...i'd like to attribute it to the 5-6 swells we had coming in from the North, meaning they were rolling the ship about 8 degrees side to side for 24hours. I threw up 7 times today. Im not going to lie, or act hard about it. My body didnt know how to deal with that kind of sea...Lakes and ocean...way different kind of roll. I fell asleep at 7pm that night and awoke for watch at 3am the following morning, feeling absolutley fine. weird.
fast forward
August 15th:
The cooks on the ship are amazing. The best in the fleet ive been told. Check the pics of our spread for our friday night BBQ! This was a fun event. On every trip, one day out from Hawaii and Guam (either coming to the islands, or leaving them) we have a BBQ on the stearn of the ship. everyone is in Flip Flops, floral print shirts or t-shirts, shorts, and just casual attire in general. Much like a BBQ that someone would have in there backyard, except this is 2000miles + away from ANYONES backyard. pretty cool. the crew has been very friendly and cool to us. After our 48 probationary period, in which the Chief mate threw everything he could throw at us in attempt to rattle us, he has lightened up considerably. We've shown him we are here for the right reasons, and that we are genuinely interested in whats going on. they like that here. So we are in pretty good, in fact, the crew has just as many questions for us about the lakes, as we do for them regarding the ocean. thats kind of a neat thing. The social gathering on the stern was a fun time. To top it off, we even go to see the mythical Green Flash. I say mythical because i feel that it is similar to a unicorn...Often talked about, yet, a rare sighting. I made myself laugh with that analogy. Its not as "Spielberg" as some may think, but it definitley happens. So what a good night. Tomorrow we will arrive in Hawaii....
THERE IT IS! sorry, im long winded, but i think it's more fun to read in retrospect. I hope that between that and the pics, you can have a good idea of what its been like to so far. have a nice night...we leave Honolulu tomorrow at 11am (HI time). Guam in 7 days. Another post w/ pics then. Take care. I miss every single one of you. --jh--
Saturday, August 9, 2008
MY flickr account
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshholton/
just posting it somewhere where people will hopefully see it more than TWITTER.
just posting it somewhere where people will hopefully see it more than TWITTER.
Let this be my annual reminder that we can all be something bigger...
A few notes this morning:
1. I NEED THAT NEW CEREMONY RECORD...i've declared them, Paint It Black, and Sabertooth Zombie to be my current favorite hardcore bands right now.
2. New Trash Talk coming out soon...
3. USA Fencing team rules
4. I was told that San Diego is more of a flip-flop community, rather than Croc community...i'm ok with that.
5. Olympic opening ceremony was fuckin righteous. no doubt.
6. Lou's record Shop in Leucadia is a pretty amazing place. complete with GG Allin shirts. rare.
that is all.
1. I NEED THAT NEW CEREMONY RECORD...i've declared them, Paint It Black, and Sabertooth Zombie to be my current favorite hardcore bands right now.
2. New Trash Talk coming out soon...
3. USA Fencing team rules
4. I was told that San Diego is more of a flip-flop community, rather than Croc community...i'm ok with that.
5. Olympic opening ceremony was fuckin righteous. no doubt.
6. Lou's record Shop in Leucadia is a pretty amazing place. complete with GG Allin shirts. rare.
that is all.
Friday, August 8, 2008
crossbones and traffic jams
I arrived in sunny San Diego yesterday afternoon, but first, let me back up to the flight from DET to denver.
A screaming, loud, Asian baby took my window seat. Well, his mom put his car seat there, but i really didnt mind...after all...the window seat coming into the Rocky Mountains sucks. So i had the outside, and couldnt sleep because the kid ("oliver") was really upset the entire flight. Right before landing, he was especially upset, due to the pressure change. It probably hurt his soft head. I can understand, and i felt bad for him. His mom proceeded to fill him up with milk and cheese-its to help him stay quiet. It worked very well.
Upon landing, as we rolled to the jetway, she had the baby up on his feet facing her. I was shutting down my iPod. The kid took interest in the bright screen and fun buttons. I looked up at him and smiled...he smiled back...and proceeded to throw up on my shirt. hot milk and cheese its. it was just a little bit. His mom gasped and turned his head the other way, and he filled his car seat with hot soup. it smelled awful. I almost threw up. she apologized a lot, and i said it was fine. It kind of wasnt, but i'd live. I exited the plane, and went immediatley to the bathroom to change my shirt. sick.
The flight from DEN to SAN was fine. i slept the entire way pretty much...listening to Interpol's "Turn on the bright light" album. relaxing.
I got a little lost in the airport because i stopped to call Jessica and let her know i made it safely. I couldnt help but feel guilt in that i had just left the person i love most for five months while i embarked on an incredible adventure sailing across the pacific ocean. It's still with me, and will probably not pass, but this is what needs to happen now, and i have no doubts that we will make it and be fine. Life won't wait, i guess. Still...she's so cute and funny...i'll miss her everyday.
Today we drove to LA to go to the Chinese Consulate and get my visa so i can get off the ship on china legally. It was a suprisingly easy task, thanks to Uncle Brian who did like two days of research prior to my arrival on what i needed to take to them...which was more than previously thought. No matter. we got the letter from matson, copies of my MMD and passport, new passport photos, application filled out, and the $160 fee. done deal. The drive there and back was incredible. the traffic...ive never seen anything like it. we took a different route coming back to the house, and stopped at a record shop on the Pacific Coast Highway, just outside of a beach community called Leucadia. cool place. i was looking for the new Ceremony record...but no such luck...they had'nt received it yet. We returned back here soon after.
This weekend will be a real good chance for me to kind of clear my head before i embark on this journey of adventure, probably some danger, and explore my mental stamina. I want to prove to these guys that im capable of doing this job; this exciting, daring job that few people choose to do for numerous reasons. Although i will miss Jessica (alot), friends and family, this is a great oppurtunity. To sail the ocean, and be able to explore these places, and just feel that sense of freedom and adventure...i just feel it's part of me. I need it. Im excited, nervous, anxious, happy, sad, etc...i think ive had every emotion run through me in the past four or five days imaginable. I've done it to myself...i take the steps...i move myself forward...and i take responsibility for the decisions and path i've chosen. And day by day, i'm becoming more and more accepting of that fact.
See yuh on the flip side... --jh--
A screaming, loud, Asian baby took my window seat. Well, his mom put his car seat there, but i really didnt mind...after all...the window seat coming into the Rocky Mountains sucks. So i had the outside, and couldnt sleep because the kid ("oliver") was really upset the entire flight. Right before landing, he was especially upset, due to the pressure change. It probably hurt his soft head. I can understand, and i felt bad for him. His mom proceeded to fill him up with milk and cheese-its to help him stay quiet. It worked very well.
Upon landing, as we rolled to the jetway, she had the baby up on his feet facing her. I was shutting down my iPod. The kid took interest in the bright screen and fun buttons. I looked up at him and smiled...he smiled back...and proceeded to throw up on my shirt. hot milk and cheese its. it was just a little bit. His mom gasped and turned his head the other way, and he filled his car seat with hot soup. it smelled awful. I almost threw up. she apologized a lot, and i said it was fine. It kind of wasnt, but i'd live. I exited the plane, and went immediatley to the bathroom to change my shirt. sick.
The flight from DEN to SAN was fine. i slept the entire way pretty much...listening to Interpol's "Turn on the bright light" album. relaxing.
I got a little lost in the airport because i stopped to call Jessica and let her know i made it safely. I couldnt help but feel guilt in that i had just left the person i love most for five months while i embarked on an incredible adventure sailing across the pacific ocean. It's still with me, and will probably not pass, but this is what needs to happen now, and i have no doubts that we will make it and be fine. Life won't wait, i guess. Still...she's so cute and funny...i'll miss her everyday.
Today we drove to LA to go to the Chinese Consulate and get my visa so i can get off the ship on china legally. It was a suprisingly easy task, thanks to Uncle Brian who did like two days of research prior to my arrival on what i needed to take to them...which was more than previously thought. No matter. we got the letter from matson, copies of my MMD and passport, new passport photos, application filled out, and the $160 fee. done deal. The drive there and back was incredible. the traffic...ive never seen anything like it. we took a different route coming back to the house, and stopped at a record shop on the Pacific Coast Highway, just outside of a beach community called Leucadia. cool place. i was looking for the new Ceremony record...but no such luck...they had'nt received it yet. We returned back here soon after.
This weekend will be a real good chance for me to kind of clear my head before i embark on this journey of adventure, probably some danger, and explore my mental stamina. I want to prove to these guys that im capable of doing this job; this exciting, daring job that few people choose to do for numerous reasons. Although i will miss Jessica (alot), friends and family, this is a great oppurtunity. To sail the ocean, and be able to explore these places, and just feel that sense of freedom and adventure...i just feel it's part of me. I need it. Im excited, nervous, anxious, happy, sad, etc...i think ive had every emotion run through me in the past four or five days imaginable. I've done it to myself...i take the steps...i move myself forward...and i take responsibility for the decisions and path i've chosen. And day by day, i'm becoming more and more accepting of that fact.
See yuh on the flip side... --jh--
Saturday, July 26, 2008
"Max...She's My Rushmore"
Its been a few days since last post... i know...get over it! Pretty uneventful week. Did an English paper on monday and tuesday, and worked all week. We did, however, watch a different wes Anderson movie nearly every night. We went in reverse cronological order though...Darjeeling Limited, Life Aquatic, Royal Tenenbaums, and then, Rushmore. I love the way his movies are layed out; real dry, real colorful though with back drops, and clothing. And the characters...brilliant. its pretty much the same actors throughout all his movies, and in his newest, The Darjeeling limited, the opening sequence is Bill Murray running after the train, but in the end he doesnt catch it. Clever scene. Its as if he just missed the train to be in this movie. That's the only part he is in. Good movie week.
Thursday though...Thursday was a great day.
Woke up and drove to Pierport with Jessica. She took me to this amazing beach like two years ago, and we've found it hard to both have an entire day to do it again. Pierport is just past bear lake and down numerous dirt roads...she was driving. She used to go there with sasha and her mom when they were younger. Im glad...if i was we would have been lost real quick. It was like 80 out...a slight breeze...just beautiful. we were there for what we thought was 2 1/2 hours, but since we were right on the shoreline of lake michigan, our phones switched to Wisonsin time. So when we got up to leave at 1:52pm...it was actually 2:52pm...and i was due to be back in Mesick at 330 to meet Dave and Brian to go down to Grand Rapids and eat Ethiopian food with Throwdown, and see them, bury your dead, and the dillinger escape plan play. Pieport is 30 minutes from Mesick, and we hadnt even gotten lunch yet. A nice man on the beach told us about this awesome place in Onekama (go figure) called the Blue Slipper. Onekama was 4miles south of pierport. So we decided that i was already gonna be late, whats another 20 minutes? Possible the best decision we've made in a long time. the place doesnt look like much, but the food and atmosphere was awesome. there was one other couple in there with us, but that was it. Old nautical themed place, makes there own wine, and has quite a diverse menu. Heres our line up:
Roasted Tomatoe and Artichoke heart dip with homemade bagel chip things for App.
Loaf of Fresh bread
Jessica: Caeser Salad topped with a portobella mushroom cap
Me: Portobella Mushroom sandwhich with roasted reds peppers, lettuce, and 2 different kinds of cheese...with waffle fries...
Awesome lunch. We got out of there around 345. A text message was sent to alert the guys i would be late, but i didnt feel bad about it at all. We got back to Mesick at around 430. i grabbed my bag, shoes, and jumped cars.
"hey, lets meet at 3:30 today guys, blah blah blah" says dave and brian.
My reply?
"Listen, i don't know what you guys did today...probably worked, got off work early to get here by 330, whatever... I had a hard day today. My neck hurts from laying on a towel all day, and look...i still have sand on feet, so don't tell me about hard days, ok..."
They were over it on about 5 minutes.
We got to GR around 630, and went right to Little Africa to get food. We got 4 to-go containers full of food, and 4 large cups of the awesome tea they serve with there platters. One box for each of us, including ben, the drummer from throwdown, who invited us down for the show. We arrived at the venue, and sat in the equipment/merch trailer to eat. pretty sweet. Ben is one of the nicest dudes ive ever met...no joke. great guy. He even gave me the name of this cupcake joint he used to work at in Long Beach. He said to drop his name when i get there, and you better believe im going (www.frostedcupcakery.com).
The show was pretty good. Bury Your Dead was super sloppy, and weird sounding. not impressed. throwdown was super heavy and tight. it was cool to watch ben play. he is quite the show man, and would stand up and point at the crowd, and do as much interacting with the crowd as he could from behind the kit. it was really awesome, and he played super solid too. we got to help him tear down, and hang out outside with them after the set. DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN was fucking phenomenal. amazng show. the drummer (Gil Sharone), is my current favorite drummer...the one to watch right now. You can just tell when a drummer has it all together; technique, style, control, etc...he had it all. There is not one person in that band that is not at the top of there game. its insane music, and insane to watch live. Bravo...bravo indeed. I got to meet Gil afterwards too. great night.
we hung out afterwards for a bit, but the bands were all doing business, so we took off after a bit.
like i said...thursday was agreat day.
more to come later. adios.
Thursday though...Thursday was a great day.
Woke up and drove to Pierport with Jessica. She took me to this amazing beach like two years ago, and we've found it hard to both have an entire day to do it again. Pierport is just past bear lake and down numerous dirt roads...she was driving. She used to go there with sasha and her mom when they were younger. Im glad...if i was we would have been lost real quick. It was like 80 out...a slight breeze...just beautiful. we were there for what we thought was 2 1/2 hours, but since we were right on the shoreline of lake michigan, our phones switched to Wisonsin time. So when we got up to leave at 1:52pm...it was actually 2:52pm...and i was due to be back in Mesick at 330 to meet Dave and Brian to go down to Grand Rapids and eat Ethiopian food with Throwdown, and see them, bury your dead, and the dillinger escape plan play. Pieport is 30 minutes from Mesick, and we hadnt even gotten lunch yet. A nice man on the beach told us about this awesome place in Onekama (go figure) called the Blue Slipper. Onekama was 4miles south of pierport. So we decided that i was already gonna be late, whats another 20 minutes? Possible the best decision we've made in a long time. the place doesnt look like much, but the food and atmosphere was awesome. there was one other couple in there with us, but that was it. Old nautical themed place, makes there own wine, and has quite a diverse menu. Heres our line up:
Roasted Tomatoe and Artichoke heart dip with homemade bagel chip things for App.
Loaf of Fresh bread
Jessica: Caeser Salad topped with a portobella mushroom cap
Me: Portobella Mushroom sandwhich with roasted reds peppers, lettuce, and 2 different kinds of cheese...with waffle fries...
Awesome lunch. We got out of there around 345. A text message was sent to alert the guys i would be late, but i didnt feel bad about it at all. We got back to Mesick at around 430. i grabbed my bag, shoes, and jumped cars.
"hey, lets meet at 3:30 today guys, blah blah blah" says dave and brian.
My reply?
"Listen, i don't know what you guys did today...probably worked, got off work early to get here by 330, whatever... I had a hard day today. My neck hurts from laying on a towel all day, and look...i still have sand on feet, so don't tell me about hard days, ok..."
They were over it on about 5 minutes.
We got to GR around 630, and went right to Little Africa to get food. We got 4 to-go containers full of food, and 4 large cups of the awesome tea they serve with there platters. One box for each of us, including ben, the drummer from throwdown, who invited us down for the show. We arrived at the venue, and sat in the equipment/merch trailer to eat. pretty sweet. Ben is one of the nicest dudes ive ever met...no joke. great guy. He even gave me the name of this cupcake joint he used to work at in Long Beach. He said to drop his name when i get there, and you better believe im going (www.frostedcupcakery.com).
The show was pretty good. Bury Your Dead was super sloppy, and weird sounding. not impressed. throwdown was super heavy and tight. it was cool to watch ben play. he is quite the show man, and would stand up and point at the crowd, and do as much interacting with the crowd as he could from behind the kit. it was really awesome, and he played super solid too. we got to help him tear down, and hang out outside with them after the set. DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN was fucking phenomenal. amazng show. the drummer (Gil Sharone), is my current favorite drummer...the one to watch right now. You can just tell when a drummer has it all together; technique, style, control, etc...he had it all. There is not one person in that band that is not at the top of there game. its insane music, and insane to watch live. Bravo...bravo indeed. I got to meet Gil afterwards too. great night.
we hung out afterwards for a bit, but the bands were all doing business, so we took off after a bit.
like i said...thursday was agreat day.
more to come later. adios.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Closing Statement
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, and sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails and fire your engines" --Mark Twain.
The Captain of the ship im getting on said that in his speech, during the christening of the Maunalei. I think he'll be an alright kind of guy. I think that quote speaks to us who have chosen this path, and even to those who have not. I suppose we should think like this more often...like when we have the oppurtunity to go for a day cruise, or take a simple walk, or like when my co-worker makes brownies, and i say "i'm not going to eat them...im trying to cut down on sweets..."
Granted, sacrifices have to be made in order for the more important things in your life to flourish (i'm coming to terms with that as we speak...) but I don't want to think back and say "Man, i wish i had taken that opportunity..." knowing that i chose something that seemed important at the time...atleast i'll try not to.
end of the day.
The Captain of the ship im getting on said that in his speech, during the christening of the Maunalei. I think he'll be an alright kind of guy. I think that quote speaks to us who have chosen this path, and even to those who have not. I suppose we should think like this more often...like when we have the oppurtunity to go for a day cruise, or take a simple walk, or like when my co-worker makes brownies, and i say "i'm not going to eat them...im trying to cut down on sweets..."
Granted, sacrifices have to be made in order for the more important things in your life to flourish (i'm coming to terms with that as we speak...) but I don't want to think back and say "Man, i wish i had taken that opportunity..." knowing that i chose something that seemed important at the time...atleast i'll try not to.
end of the day.
I don't know Lloyd...the french are assholes...
So i have about 3 weeks left before i leave, and im really feeling it now. I think it hit me last night, when me and jessica were sitting in the booth at work (it was raining...i cant cut anything down in the rain), and i started to look at the July schedule to map out all of the things i need to do before i leave, which is quite a bit. She started to get sad. I asked "why are you sad?"...stupid question. I'm going to be out on a ship for nearly 5 months, not seeing her. Like i said, dumb question, obvious answer. she didnt need to say it.
I have things that must be done before i leave (IE school assignments, physicals, shots, etc...), but i don't want her to feel left out in the remaining days. I feel like we spend a lot of time together just hanging here, going out, riding bikes, and numerous other things, but i'm wondering if its what she is looking for...what can i do to show her that i feel the same way she does about me leaving? Of course i don't want to not see her for that period of time, or not talk to her every night before sleep, or when i get up...Its all a bummer, but August 7th will be here before we know it, whether we want it to be or not...We can be sad about it and sit still, or we can take action, plan out what to do, and when to do it, and enjoy the time we have. It's hard for me to think in a negative way...and maybe thats a fault of mine. Sometimes you need to in order to see both sides, but...its not me, i guess. I think things are going to be ok. we will be with each other a lot, and i'm going to do everything in my power to make it count. I hope she agrees with me on that....i think she does.
I have things that must be done before i leave (IE school assignments, physicals, shots, etc...), but i don't want her to feel left out in the remaining days. I feel like we spend a lot of time together just hanging here, going out, riding bikes, and numerous other things, but i'm wondering if its what she is looking for...what can i do to show her that i feel the same way she does about me leaving? Of course i don't want to not see her for that period of time, or not talk to her every night before sleep, or when i get up...Its all a bummer, but August 7th will be here before we know it, whether we want it to be or not...We can be sad about it and sit still, or we can take action, plan out what to do, and when to do it, and enjoy the time we have. It's hard for me to think in a negative way...and maybe thats a fault of mine. Sometimes you need to in order to see both sides, but...its not me, i guess. I think things are going to be ok. we will be with each other a lot, and i'm going to do everything in my power to make it count. I hope she agrees with me on that....i think she does.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
...discovering ourselves, and finding who we are...
title= Tall Ships lyric.
Well, our last show for like 6 months was last night. Maybe i should be more sad than i am...maybe not. I feel like i'm ready to do something else now. I can take a step back and relax for the next 3 weeks or so...kind of. I killed the Dinosaurs will be playing the reunion show August 1st, and then our last show EVER the 2nd. Kind of funny, but im happy to be done with that too. Not because i dont like everyone in the band...they're great dudes, and im glad ive had the chance to play with them...happy to be done because its like doing calculus everytime we play. Everything has to be exactly right, or its all wrong. So, i can concentrate on that for the next 2 weeks, kick out those shows, and fly away, then, sail away.
Anyways, the show last night as fun. We couldnt have played with better bands, or had better friends there to see it. So it was worth it. I had to explain to like 30 people why we were'nt going to be playing for a while, but thats to be expected, i guess. On the drive home, Colin slept most of the time, but me and dave had some good conversations.
I've been asking myself for a while now how long this will be going (for me, personally). Playing in a band, taking breaks, coming back to it, and doing just the same things, you know. I feel like as i'm getting older (just turned 23) that my time of playing in bands here is coming to an end. Sometimes i just don't want to deal with it, and ive always kind of been like that, you know...sometimes im just like "ehh whatever..." but latley, its been a strong feeling in me. I'll never stop going to shows, and supporting good bands/local music, but i have to think ahead.
Me and jessica have talked about what will happen when i graduate, and all i said was, "i dont really want to live in Traverse City...i want to get away". Not because i dont think this place is beautiful or that i dont like the people here...Its a fear that i will be doing the same things, hanging out at the same hall shows, watching crappy metal bands, and just being that old guy at the shows complaining about shit. Thats not me. I hope she understands that. I worry about that sometimes too. I want to get away and, of course, remember these times in my life, because they have shaped the way i am today, and keep in touch with my friends here, because i couldnt ask for better friends (i've learned a ton from the people i hang with), but i want to start the next chapter in my life; growing up, getting a real job, moving away with jessica, and just being cool. Step away and take a back seat to the scene, and not worry about being the driver.
So the entire ride home consisted of talks like that. It was good. I'm getting anxious to get out of here. I'll miss jessica, my family and friends, but i'm getting restless i think. I want something new and exciting, and dangerous, and to just do something that not a lot of people do...ever. I want that nervous feeling of not knowing anyone, but having to earn respect from the ground up, meeting new people, seeing new places and exploring those place, as well as exploring inside my own head. When i was out last summer, i learned to test myself. To keep your mind sharp, keep in good physical shape, to be able to handle all the swings can be tough, and it got the best of me last time. But this time, i have a ton of books (ive bought, and some that people have donated or given me as gifts), i know kind of what to expect as far as schedules go, and understand the importance of being on your toes and active as much as possible. I'm up for the challenge...i welcome the opportunity to do this.
going to practice in a bit. then hangin with my girl. lata. --jh--
Well, our last show for like 6 months was last night. Maybe i should be more sad than i am...maybe not. I feel like i'm ready to do something else now. I can take a step back and relax for the next 3 weeks or so...kind of. I killed the Dinosaurs will be playing the reunion show August 1st, and then our last show EVER the 2nd. Kind of funny, but im happy to be done with that too. Not because i dont like everyone in the band...they're great dudes, and im glad ive had the chance to play with them...happy to be done because its like doing calculus everytime we play. Everything has to be exactly right, or its all wrong. So, i can concentrate on that for the next 2 weeks, kick out those shows, and fly away, then, sail away.
Anyways, the show last night as fun. We couldnt have played with better bands, or had better friends there to see it. So it was worth it. I had to explain to like 30 people why we were'nt going to be playing for a while, but thats to be expected, i guess. On the drive home, Colin slept most of the time, but me and dave had some good conversations.
I've been asking myself for a while now how long this will be going (for me, personally). Playing in a band, taking breaks, coming back to it, and doing just the same things, you know. I feel like as i'm getting older (just turned 23) that my time of playing in bands here is coming to an end. Sometimes i just don't want to deal with it, and ive always kind of been like that, you know...sometimes im just like "ehh whatever..." but latley, its been a strong feeling in me. I'll never stop going to shows, and supporting good bands/local music, but i have to think ahead.
Me and jessica have talked about what will happen when i graduate, and all i said was, "i dont really want to live in Traverse City...i want to get away". Not because i dont think this place is beautiful or that i dont like the people here...Its a fear that i will be doing the same things, hanging out at the same hall shows, watching crappy metal bands, and just being that old guy at the shows complaining about shit. Thats not me. I hope she understands that. I worry about that sometimes too. I want to get away and, of course, remember these times in my life, because they have shaped the way i am today, and keep in touch with my friends here, because i couldnt ask for better friends (i've learned a ton from the people i hang with), but i want to start the next chapter in my life; growing up, getting a real job, moving away with jessica, and just being cool. Step away and take a back seat to the scene, and not worry about being the driver.
So the entire ride home consisted of talks like that. It was good. I'm getting anxious to get out of here. I'll miss jessica, my family and friends, but i'm getting restless i think. I want something new and exciting, and dangerous, and to just do something that not a lot of people do...ever. I want that nervous feeling of not knowing anyone, but having to earn respect from the ground up, meeting new people, seeing new places and exploring those place, as well as exploring inside my own head. When i was out last summer, i learned to test myself. To keep your mind sharp, keep in good physical shape, to be able to handle all the swings can be tough, and it got the best of me last time. But this time, i have a ton of books (ive bought, and some that people have donated or given me as gifts), i know kind of what to expect as far as schedules go, and understand the importance of being on your toes and active as much as possible. I'm up for the challenge...i welcome the opportunity to do this.
going to practice in a bit. then hangin with my girl. lata. --jh--
Friday, July 11, 2008
never a dull moment...
Week flew by super fast. Quick Recap:
-spent time with my cuz i have not seen in 5 years.
-saw my uncle who i havnt seen in about a year or so.
-got an elbow tattoo
-worked. worked. worked.
-got paid.
-got that sabertooth zombie record...fuckin rules.
-TIGER playing the last show with our summer line-up tomorrow in Mt. Pleasent. Should be fun. We are playing with bands we have come to be close with, and we have friends driving from Muskegon, and Troy to see the show. hell yeah. should be an awesome time.
go to youtube, and watch the interview with Dan Yemin from Paint It Black by HARDTIMES.CA its really awesome, and he some amazing things to say. listen to that band too if you dont already. im out. more later.
--jh--
-spent time with my cuz i have not seen in 5 years.
-saw my uncle who i havnt seen in about a year or so.
-got an elbow tattoo
-worked. worked. worked.
-got paid.
-got that sabertooth zombie record...fuckin rules.
-TIGER playing the last show with our summer line-up tomorrow in Mt. Pleasent. Should be fun. We are playing with bands we have come to be close with, and we have friends driving from Muskegon, and Troy to see the show. hell yeah. should be an awesome time.
go to youtube, and watch the interview with Dan Yemin from Paint It Black by HARDTIMES.CA its really awesome, and he some amazing things to say. listen to that band too if you dont already. im out. more later.
--jh--
Monday, July 7, 2008
back on blogspot!
i was away for a while, just posting on my Myspace account, but i have recently decided to delete that account and move on with my digital life.
I was away for a bit, working aboard the ship, and kind of decided that i didnt really need to keep in touch with all these people that i have actually never met, but yet, valued there opinion about what i was doing all the time. So, im done. i keep in contact with my friends via phone, or we just hang out. I feel free, like a weight has been lifted. its nice.
Injured today on the ship. my friend tripped the quick release wire when lowering the fast rescue boat onto the deck, and the lever (used to manually lift the boat up) slammed down on my left shoulder. hurts like hell. i guess i'll know tomorrow if its fractured or anything serious.
Getting tattooed tomorrow. finishing the left arm. should be cool. show this saturday in Mt. Pleasent. Playing with some real good bands, and its our last show until january. Brother, Tall Ships, and this band called Rescuer...super sweet sound. im excited. we'll see how my shoulder is feeling.
Playlist right now:
Alk3 - Irony and Agony
Have Heart - songs to scream...
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Modern Life Is War - midnight in america
Northstar - Pollyanna and Is this Thing Loaded? (old school)
excited about:
the new Trash Talk record.
Seeing The Hold Steady on the 18th
hangin with Ben and throwdown crew the 24th
sailing.
I was away for a bit, working aboard the ship, and kind of decided that i didnt really need to keep in touch with all these people that i have actually never met, but yet, valued there opinion about what i was doing all the time. So, im done. i keep in contact with my friends via phone, or we just hang out. I feel free, like a weight has been lifted. its nice.
Injured today on the ship. my friend tripped the quick release wire when lowering the fast rescue boat onto the deck, and the lever (used to manually lift the boat up) slammed down on my left shoulder. hurts like hell. i guess i'll know tomorrow if its fractured or anything serious.
Getting tattooed tomorrow. finishing the left arm. should be cool. show this saturday in Mt. Pleasent. Playing with some real good bands, and its our last show until january. Brother, Tall Ships, and this band called Rescuer...super sweet sound. im excited. we'll see how my shoulder is feeling.
Playlist right now:
Alk3 - Irony and Agony
Have Heart - songs to scream...
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Modern Life Is War - midnight in america
Northstar - Pollyanna and Is this Thing Loaded? (old school)
excited about:
the new Trash Talk record.
Seeing The Hold Steady on the 18th
hangin with Ben and throwdown crew the 24th
sailing.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
3-6-08
10:27am-
home from class, and just bought tickets for Modern Life Is War's last show in Marshalltown, Iowa. 10 bucks. we drive to IA on april 25th. there was never a hesitation to go to this show. i have an entire song by them tattoo'd on my side., and after seeing them in Detroit w/ The geeks, ambitions and BANE last year, it just seemed right. so im psyched.
---I want to say that the links underneath my "info" section are just links to blogs of people i like and enjoyed reading, and kind of inspired me to write about things where evryone can read. ive met them a few times, but other than that, im just a fan, and think you could benefit from reading some of the things they say.---
OTHER NEWS. tiger is going in to record a full length at the end of this month in grand rapids with the Otte bro's. they great work, and some of our friends have had great experiences with them. we were pretty set on playin to a metronome for this record just to make it tight, but as this month has passed, we decided it just wouldnt be right. after listening to this new PAINT IT BLACK record (which is fuckin off teh hook) and other various hardcore/punk records, we decided to scrap it and just rely on hard work and preperation. we have 3 days to do 12 songs, so itll be intense, but we can handle. MLIW is coming to Detroit the day after we are finished, so were thinking about driving down there for that. Deady is taking off for vaca in FLA that day, but the rest of us might make the trip. they probably wont have any merch left by the time we see them in April, and i need a shirt. My roommates mother passed away this past weekend, so today, me and pieter (other room mate) will be going to the service. its snowing like crazy and were driving north and inland...right into a snowbelt. but its for a good cause. thats what anything involving a drive comes down to..."is it for a good cause?" driving to shows, see girlfriend, visit old friends, etc... all legit. this fits in there. he's a great dude, and were doing our best to help him through this time.
Side note: i found the journal from when i toured with this band called BLISSTRIPP, and some shit is pretty fuuny, so i'll be posting entries from that soon. take care. --jh--
good things= new paint it black record "new lexicon", emerson quotes, the gym, practicing, reading lance armstrong books, waiting for summer.
home from class, and just bought tickets for Modern Life Is War's last show in Marshalltown, Iowa. 10 bucks. we drive to IA on april 25th. there was never a hesitation to go to this show. i have an entire song by them tattoo'd on my side., and after seeing them in Detroit w/ The geeks, ambitions and BANE last year, it just seemed right. so im psyched.
---I want to say that the links underneath my "info" section are just links to blogs of people i like and enjoyed reading, and kind of inspired me to write about things where evryone can read. ive met them a few times, but other than that, im just a fan, and think you could benefit from reading some of the things they say.---
OTHER NEWS. tiger is going in to record a full length at the end of this month in grand rapids with the Otte bro's. they great work, and some of our friends have had great experiences with them. we were pretty set on playin to a metronome for this record just to make it tight, but as this month has passed, we decided it just wouldnt be right. after listening to this new PAINT IT BLACK record (which is fuckin off teh hook) and other various hardcore/punk records, we decided to scrap it and just rely on hard work and preperation. we have 3 days to do 12 songs, so itll be intense, but we can handle. MLIW is coming to Detroit the day after we are finished, so were thinking about driving down there for that. Deady is taking off for vaca in FLA that day, but the rest of us might make the trip. they probably wont have any merch left by the time we see them in April, and i need a shirt. My roommates mother passed away this past weekend, so today, me and pieter (other room mate) will be going to the service. its snowing like crazy and were driving north and inland...right into a snowbelt. but its for a good cause. thats what anything involving a drive comes down to..."is it for a good cause?" driving to shows, see girlfriend, visit old friends, etc... all legit. this fits in there. he's a great dude, and were doing our best to help him through this time.
Side note: i found the journal from when i toured with this band called BLISSTRIPP, and some shit is pretty fuuny, so i'll be posting entries from that soon. take care. --jh--
good things= new paint it black record "new lexicon", emerson quotes, the gym, practicing, reading lance armstrong books, waiting for summer.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
does this thing work?
well...does it? i just made this profile after reading some blogs posted by various members of bands, and road dogs. im going to write about things going on and things im excited, and/or frustrated about. have a nice day.
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