On Saturday I did my swim in the Puget Sound for the month of May. The swim was not painful like in April. The water was only 53degs but the day was hot. This time I swam north of the main beach area of West Seattle. This little unassuming section is my favorite spot to swim the Sound in Seattle. Can one man actually swim at least once a month in the Puget Sound for an entire year? Yes, one man could do such a thing... I mean look at me, I'm trying for it... 2 months down, only 10 more to go.
Took that bike-a mine out too. Miles and miles and miles. From Capital Hill, up around the top o Lake washinGton, well past Kenmore and Woodinville, along the Sammanish River, and then back... just plain turning around. I ate a delicious barbqued pork sandwich and a cup a beans, a little bit spicy. Racing back to Seattle deep cramps came on, like swimmers cramps or something. Guess your supposed to wait a few minutes between barbque and biking. The cramps turned straight from severe to gas, but it didn't matter as I was pedelling along the Burke Gilman Trail.

Biking Is Great

So how did your Memorial Day weekend treat you? I went to the Frrree Folk Life music festival thingy a coupla tin-mes here in Seattle. My visits were short and my feelings uninspired. Because of Folk Life, though, we went to Larry's Market and bought lobsters that were on sale. On Saturday we broiled them for a somewhat unexpected but thoroughly tastey dinner lunch. Actuaqlly I don't know if we ate them on Saturday, probably. Sometime in there we also grilled Copper River Salmon that was outta this world. Haven't been in mucha a salmon phase, but this sucker tasted mighty nice. My scooter is back together for the first time since my latest accident a coupla months ago.

Wooster Collective: A Celibration of Street Art

Wooster Collective...nothing to do with the college
pretty neat stuff in here...lots&lots&lots

also:
Akayism.........intrigued?........ sample
Freeway Blogger
Banksy

From Eastern Washington. Warm & dry this weekend, but early in the season. In a month or so it's gonna be super blazing hot & dry...there there

1997 Jonathan Richman Interview

Here realaudio 27minutes good
The Modern Lovers frontman is weird and entertaining. A few months ago here played 2 shows here in Seattle. Why I didn't go, I'll never know.
Here's another site on subject
Check him out... I have this version of 'That Summer Feeling" that makes me feel happy, glad, sad, and scared. I've searched for a clip on the web of the version I have, but it's not there for all I can tell. It's kinda faster with a coupla choir singers on the refrain.

The Sonics Expectation Blowing Season Ends

as Ray Allen misses this 3-pointer with time expiring
Unfortunate, yes
But, thankfully, one less time sap...

So Many Mugs, Too Many. More and More and more and more were pulled from the cabinet. A few from on top. Gotta git Ridda suhm.
Free Mugs... Of course this gift to all humanity was preceeded by unprecidented butterfingers. I Broke 5 or 6 in 2 days.
3 Left After Hours...
All Gone By Morning... Yes! Mugs for the masses!

Quit Smoking Joke From Annie Hall... Woody Allen

Quote/ Scene from ThisPlace, ok? This movie is really good... as are many of Woody Allen's. Some of his newer ones get slammed for moderately good reason, others get forgotten but should be remembered, talked about, and neve dEDneFeD.

RECENT FLASHBACK - INT. ALVY'S COUNTRY KITCHEN

(Alvy's arms and legs fill the screen as he slowly gets
up from the floor holding up a live lobster.  He puts
it on a grill tray.)  
ALVY
(Pointing to the lobster)
This always happens to me.  Quick, g-go
get a broom.
(His date, a girl wearing short shorts, leans against
the sink and lights a cigarette.  She makes no move to
help.)
GIRL DATE
(Smoking)
What are you making such a big deal about?
(As she talks, the lobster drops
  from the tray to the floor.  Alvy
  jumps away, then gingerly scrapes
  the tray toward the lobster)
They're only lobsters.  Look, you're a
grown man, you know how to pick up a
lobster.
ALVY
(Looking up in stooped-over
  position)
I'm not myself since I stopped smoking.
GIRL DATE
(Still leaning against the sink,
  her hand on her hip)
Oh, when'd you quit smoking?
(He gets up off the floor with the lobster on the tray)
ALVY
Sixteen years ago.
GIRL DATE
(Puzzled)
Whatta you mean?
ALVY
(Mocking)
Mean?
GIRL DATE
You stopped smoking sixteen years ago,
is that what you said?  Oh, I-I don't
understand.  Are you joking, or what?
-Woody Allen 1977

5 Days & My Body's Hollow

So I'm working on my 5th day sans nIcOtEnE. There are some others participating in the sMOKEoUT ... &YP (aka Ando Palrisian), Bocce Matt, and the fake smoker, Ugly (aka AMC Eagle). Aren't we just a bunch of suckers. Smoking a cigarette should be as healthy as munching on a carrot (which I have been doing...)
It seems I have a lot more time to devote to my many miscellanious things, but it's been very difficult to concentrate on any single activity for more than 10minutes. Last night we played some bocce... My throws were little better than random. Shaky hands, arms, knees, and hips.
Yesterday was Cinco De Mayo... and 1st Thursday. The parks and arts here get excited and pollenate eachother every 1st Thursday. The hoards of people in Occidental Square didn't smooth our already troubled, nicotene starved nerves. Still we plodded forward with our short game... even acted completely out of character and let 4 spastic 10yr/old roll a round, measured for the win. The dad/supervisor person was a happy/appreciative hippie guy.
I tried to put these old Schwinn type handebars on my recently aquired mountain bike. While it looked pretty cool, there were several complications. The original bars are back on... just not a fan of mountiain bike handles bars... will I get used to them? I hope so. Bought a bike helmet for the first time since Junior High... that's an investment... lately, my brain seems a bad investment.
Observations from my not smoking:
1. I haven't been nearly as angry as I'd anticipated. Bodily agitation. Feels like I'm living with low blood sugar all the time.
2. I've been consoling myself with food (bad food and good food... but need food) & LARGE quantities of caffeine. Last night at 2:30am i went to the store to buy 2 varieties of milk and a small container of GreenTea RIce-cream. Milk for today, RIceCream for Me... last night... at least part of it was.
3. I'm sleepy but can't sleep right. Sleep early, wake, sleep, wake...
4. My Stomach and intestines aCHe. They work fine, but periodically hurt real bad, deep inside.
5. My emotional mind is unhealthy. I attribute this to being addicted to a chemical and removing it from my system... that and my overarching disappointment with myself.
6. Why haven't I seen any movies? On my flights I saw, House of Flying Daggers ***1/2, Finding Neverland ***1/2, National Treasure *** (entertainment)... but nothing since then, weird. Probably ought to go see Palindromes
7. My "new" "horse of an air corn popper" "as coffee roaster" has been a spectacular success. Earlier this week I got 8lbs of green coffee beans from Sweet Marias and have been expirimenting.
8. Haven't actually tried to figure this out, but would like to post a short video here. Slideshow of my France trip with a voiceover.
9. Really hoping the physical addiction pain doesn't last forever.
10. Not Smoking is Boring

Notre Dame w/moon & ghost

sMOKE OuT BEgINS

Alright, the participants are few [anonymous, Ugly(fake smoker), and Me] but the goal real. Quit smoking for a Month without any aid. Haven't had any nicotene since a bit before midnight... pushing 8hrs now and all of my organ muscles are already clenching.
Later today, favorite quit smoking quotes... by:
Woody Allen
Milton Berle (i think)

I threw them all away.