Recently we have been coast to coast from NYC to San Francisco. While NYC was great and exciting, I could see how you could go crazy there very quickly. Fast paced, horns always honking, 3 million cabs, theft/muggings like we saw at a drug store, cabbies that did not speak any English and so on. We had the best times with Kevin and Megan eating at a nice Italian restaurant and the most fabulous pizza place in Greenwich Village. I was truly disappointed to see that the Fillmore East had been turned into a bank, hallowed ground destroyed. Not only that, NO one in that area even knew where it was from young kids to old people like me.
So we went to SFC in two weeks for a real vacation not related to work or a bike trip with Mark. We stayed at a quaint motel within walking distance of Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and the Coit tower where Jack Kerouac and all the people of the original beat generation hung out in the early 50's at North beach. That was all fun and we went to the Haight Ashbury district where the SF music really stared in 1965, saw the house that all the original Grateful Dead lived before they moved from the city to Marin County to get way from everything in the early 70's.
But by far the highlight of the trip for me was a visit to the original Fillmore Auditorium that opened in 1965 under Bill Graham's guidance. At the intersection of Fillmore and Geary, there it stood. We had tickets to see Ozomatli which was really secondary for me, I would have gone to see the place no matter who was playing. I was totally in awe of the poster collection, probably 500 of them on the walls from the very first show there with Bill Graham's Mime Troupe to today shows with bands like Rage, Wilco, Queens of the Stone Age and others. The place was originally a dance hall so the chandeliers were still up and there was a great dance floor and we sat in the side area which had little areas that stuck out over the floor and so you could see the floor, the soundboards, the bars (3 of them) and all the pot smoking rising when the lgiths came down.. While we are watching the band, I slipped off into a dream world of what it would have been like to see the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin with Big Brother until 3-4 in the morning and all the bands that started the real Sf sound of the mid to late 60's. It truly was hallowed ground for me in an earthly sense that all the history that happened in the place from 1965 to 1971 when Bill Graham closed this place and the Fillmore East in NYC. The one time I was in SF before, my friend was home sick by then on top of me making him go see Frank Zappa, The Dead at the Hollywood Palladium in LA and Chick Corea in a small jazz club.
We actually slept in the car up on a hillside in Berkeley until a cop knocked on our window at 3 in the morning and made us leave. The next day Tom was begging me to head for home. Living in Tulsa my entire life I realized how much I had missed in those days when I could have gone there before I went off to college three weeks later. I know those days are long over but it was wonderful for me to at least see and dream about what it would have been like.
So, go to places, travel while you are young and don't miss the events and places that will he historic during your time. Don't let history be created without you being a part of some of it. I have always dreamed of taking my three boys to a Super Bowl, final World Series game or final Stanley Cup game to just do this together for the memory regardless again of who was playing.
Too much life and history and events can pass you by and seeing it on TV doesn't cut it.
One more request, please vote for President next year. This will be the most important race of your generation and your kids, keep that in mind when you decide who to vote for and what effect the next President will have on your life and your kids and their kids.
RickDad.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
35 Years
35 years ago today we got married. We were meant for each other from the moment our eyes caught each other in the Nathan Hale library towards the end of our senior year in high school. To think this morning of all that we have gone through is almost overwhelming. This would be more overwhelming if we had not grown so much in the last 7-8 years into true soul mates.
The trials of marriage can be very tricky and tiresome, but worth it if you stay together, so worth it today as we enjoy each other more and more every day. We enjoy the grocery store together, sitting on the back porch drinking and smoking, riding our bikes and recently navigating our way through the entire five seasons of "Six Feet Under" together.
The only wisdom I can share with those that read this is to hang touch and stay together. through everything you go through. I truly believe that each of our son's have married their soulmates and best friends in Teresa, Heidi and Emily. We love them like our own daughters.
What is it I love about Delinda? Her passion, her deepness, her honesty especially telling me the truth about myself I may not want to admit when it is hard. I love her lips, her humor and am constantly challenged by each dimension of the person she is. I love her strong opinions even though I don't agree with many of them and her wisdom and discernment about people and all of life. I love her lovemaking and the moments we spend in darkness after that and her whispers to me to show true inner self in the dark. I love her protectiveness of me and her passionate jealousy too. I could go on and on.
I love you more today Delinda than yesterday and I will love you even more tomorrow.
For those reading, please stay together for life.
The trials of marriage can be very tricky and tiresome, but worth it if you stay together, so worth it today as we enjoy each other more and more every day. We enjoy the grocery store together, sitting on the back porch drinking and smoking, riding our bikes and recently navigating our way through the entire five seasons of "Six Feet Under" together.
The only wisdom I can share with those that read this is to hang touch and stay together. through everything you go through. I truly believe that each of our son's have married their soulmates and best friends in Teresa, Heidi and Emily. We love them like our own daughters.
What is it I love about Delinda? Her passion, her deepness, her honesty especially telling me the truth about myself I may not want to admit when it is hard. I love her lips, her humor and am constantly challenged by each dimension of the person she is. I love her strong opinions even though I don't agree with many of them and her wisdom and discernment about people and all of life. I love her lovemaking and the moments we spend in darkness after that and her whispers to me to show true inner self in the dark. I love her protectiveness of me and her passionate jealousy too. I could go on and on.
I love you more today Delinda than yesterday and I will love you even more tomorrow.
For those reading, please stay together for life.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
CHANGE
One summer has brought a new grandson, the death of our good friend Greg Sizemore, the official engagement of our niece Megan and this weekend the double murder, suicide done by our next door neighbor Lon who we barely knew. Wow, I really miss Greg.
What does this say about life and death, it comes it goes and what is the impact to each of us?. Why do we cry after funerals when we stand around and not in the funeral service?
And now Micah is moving to Wyoming and Luke back to Denver and here I sit in the same damn town I have lived in all my life, so much for change for me. Maybe "life is all about change" has eluded me so far.
Life just rolls on, day after day of insanity that we wallow in and never stop to listen to each other, good music, the turtle doves here in Catoosa or the "boom" at 3:00 in the morning Saturday morning, we rolled over and went back to sleep like the way most of us live life.
Sad.
What does this say about life and death, it comes it goes and what is the impact to each of us?. Why do we cry after funerals when we stand around and not in the funeral service?
And now Micah is moving to Wyoming and Luke back to Denver and here I sit in the same damn town I have lived in all my life, so much for change for me. Maybe "life is all about change" has eluded me so far.
Life just rolls on, day after day of insanity that we wallow in and never stop to listen to each other, good music, the turtle doves here in Catoosa or the "boom" at 3:00 in the morning Saturday morning, we rolled over and went back to sleep like the way most of us live life.
Sad.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Man
I find myself thinking about who The Man is this morning. Could it be DWG or Bill G or maybe even Craig Broback, they all think so, but as Pete says " here comes the new boss, same as the old boss" as you know that if you work at Graebel, there is nothing new about any of them.
Most of you know by now I have taken up the ugly habit of smoking, cigarettes. One of the best benefits of this is going to the smoke hole several times a day and getting to know people from Candy Kinas to this temp named Daniel who has been in more "wars" than most of us can imagine. These are the people that are the real Man is our day to day lives, not people with titles that are empty suits void of any soul at all. I know because I used to be one of Them and you cannot realize how empty you were until you look in the rearview mirror and realize what a worthless human being you were.
So take time to get to know The Man in your lives. The grocery cashier, your neighbor, the driver and the people in our lives that really count. Most of us in this family have lived a fairly sheltered life, distanced from the vagabonds, hurting people that will admit it, the drunks and people that have lived a lot of life. I enjoyed being with Sandy Martin and listening to some of the tragic things that have happened in her life, including when Junior came home one day and had lost his job, so she and Junior cut firewood and sold it on the streets and door to door to make a living, that is real now. Most of our biggest struggles come when we have to decide which show to watch on TV or which song to download off Itunes, pathetic.
Oh, and wherever you are with your God, he is The Man and don't forget to listen to him too.
Most of you know by now I have taken up the ugly habit of smoking, cigarettes. One of the best benefits of this is going to the smoke hole several times a day and getting to know people from Candy Kinas to this temp named Daniel who has been in more "wars" than most of us can imagine. These are the people that are the real Man is our day to day lives, not people with titles that are empty suits void of any soul at all. I know because I used to be one of Them and you cannot realize how empty you were until you look in the rearview mirror and realize what a worthless human being you were.
So take time to get to know The Man in your lives. The grocery cashier, your neighbor, the driver and the people in our lives that really count. Most of us in this family have lived a fairly sheltered life, distanced from the vagabonds, hurting people that will admit it, the drunks and people that have lived a lot of life. I enjoyed being with Sandy Martin and listening to some of the tragic things that have happened in her life, including when Junior came home one day and had lost his job, so she and Junior cut firewood and sold it on the streets and door to door to make a living, that is real now. Most of our biggest struggles come when we have to decide which show to watch on TV or which song to download off Itunes, pathetic.
Oh, and wherever you are with your God, he is The Man and don't forget to listen to him too.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Don Van Vliet
Lucid tenacles test 'n sleeved 'n joined 'n jointed jade pointed Diamond back patterns Neon meate dream of a octafish Artifact on rose petals 'n flesh petals 'n pots Fack 'n feast 'n tubes tubs bulbs In jest incest injest injust in feast incest 'n specks 'n spreckled spreckled Speckled speculation Fedlocks waddlin' feast Archaic faces frenzy Ceramic fists artificial deceased 'n cists rancid buds burst Dank drum 'n dung dust Meate rose 'n hairs meaty dream wet meate Limp damp rows Peeled 'n felt fields 'n belts Impaled on 'n daeman Mucus mules Twat trot tra la tra la Tra la tra la tra la Whale bone fields 'n belts Whale bone farmhouse Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Uh dipped amidst Squirmin' serum 'n semen 'n syrup 'n semen 'n serum Stirrupped in syrup Neon meate dream of a octafishLucid tenacles test 'n sleeved 'n joined 'n jointed jade pointed Diamond back patterns Neon meate dream of a octafish Artifact on rose petals 'n flesh petals 'n pots Fack 'n feast 'n tubes tubs bulbs In jest incest injest injust in feast incest 'n specks 'n spreckled spreckled Speckled speculation Fedlocks waddlin' feast Archaic faces frenzy Ceramic fists artificial deceased 'n cists rancid buds burst Dank drum 'n dung dust Meate rose 'n hairs meaty dream wet meate Limp damp rows Peeled 'n felt fields 'n belts Impaled on 'n daeman Mucus mules Twat trot tra la tra la Tra la tra la tra la Whale bone fields 'n belts Whale bone farmhouse Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Cavorts girdled 'n latters uh lite Uh dipped amidst Squirmin' serum 'n semen 'n syrup 'n semen 'n serum Stirrupped in syrup Neon meate dream of a octafish
Summer in the movin' business
Summer in the movin' business
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Sunday morning
I am sitting looking out my study window at 8:26 am at the pretty fountains on our pond here in rural Catoosa, our home for now. Yes, we have decided to stay here for now instead of moving to Stillwater. The whole real estate market and where we live makes it hard to do a move right now, so we stay and now have to pay attention to who to vote for in the mayoral election Tuesday. They had a lineup of the prospects in the Catoosa Times and they were all overweight, red neck looking men and women, all of who I am sure smoke, everybody smokes in Catoosa. Everyone you see driving down the roads of our little berg smokes and somehow they all can afford a cell phone, it's the Catoosan look.
Back to the title. What are you doing this Sunday morning? Are you in church? Probably not, just like me, enjoying my fist cup of coffee, the peace and quiet, don't have to be anywhere, don't have to dress up and put on the show at church, no matter how I really may feel inside. Contrary to popular belief though, I do have some very good memories of church starting back at when I went to a retreat as a teenager with Will Rogers Methodist youth group and I put an ice pick in the bus tires so we would not have to leave we were having so much fun. Weird. They never did figure out that I was the one.
Seriously, our formative years were in the church, mostly Eastwood Baptist, weren't they? I was saved at least twice there and I think the last and final one stuck. It took me three times to get it right. so what did I get right? I got right that it has nothing to do with a church, it is your relationship with God. I have a better relationship with God today than I ever have, maybe because there is NO interference between me and Him like what the church or anyone in the church says. Yes, I still sit alone most every morning and read and pray for many of you that read this blog. That "time alone" as I call it now starts my day off right and helps me to quietly spend time with our Maker. Sorry for those of you that hope I will go back to church soon, I have church every morning in my pajamas. Will I ever go to church again other than we visit you, maybe, I am certainly not closed to that. Right now I am enjoying my Sunday mornings being quiet and not rushed and every morning alone.
Dad
Back to the title. What are you doing this Sunday morning? Are you in church? Probably not, just like me, enjoying my fist cup of coffee, the peace and quiet, don't have to be anywhere, don't have to dress up and put on the show at church, no matter how I really may feel inside. Contrary to popular belief though, I do have some very good memories of church starting back at when I went to a retreat as a teenager with Will Rogers Methodist youth group and I put an ice pick in the bus tires so we would not have to leave we were having so much fun. Weird. They never did figure out that I was the one.
Seriously, our formative years were in the church, mostly Eastwood Baptist, weren't they? I was saved at least twice there and I think the last and final one stuck. It took me three times to get it right. so what did I get right? I got right that it has nothing to do with a church, it is your relationship with God. I have a better relationship with God today than I ever have, maybe because there is NO interference between me and Him like what the church or anyone in the church says. Yes, I still sit alone most every morning and read and pray for many of you that read this blog. That "time alone" as I call it now starts my day off right and helps me to quietly spend time with our Maker. Sorry for those of you that hope I will go back to church soon, I have church every morning in my pajamas. Will I ever go to church again other than we visit you, maybe, I am certainly not closed to that. Right now I am enjoying my Sunday mornings being quiet and not rushed and every morning alone.
Dad
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Did he lose his mind again?
Ok, ok, I know most of you that didn't think I had lost my mind before are sure now with the move to Stillwater and the "new do". Yes, I am progressing well through mid-life change/crisis, what an interesting adventure. This had been kinda fun though, I like my haircut, am really excited about the move (sign in the yard this week) yes!.
What else, been crying a lot lately, not sure about what this is other than the "portal" to my past has opened up by the writing of my book, places I forgot, did not want to remember or that are very painful. Most of the tears have been related to what I have been (or not) for Delinda/Mom. Very hard you know. I know many of you are aware this really wasn't the "perfect marriage" you saw on the outside, we were pretty good actors though. I missed so much, did so little ( hint, hint Matt Simpson if you are reading this) with Delinda. But I do have today and beyond, yes "to infinity and beyond" to make amends through my actions. Is this getting a little too real or personal for you? "Running With Scissors" I recommend. Life and marriage are damn hard, but trust me from a lot of mistakes and pain (mostly that I caused) it really is worth it to stay true to the one you really love, in my case Delinda/Mom, I love her more each day now. Lots of work left to do in life though.
What else?
I have listened to no new music since my addiction to MMJ has taken over. Actually I am listening to a great album from the psychedelic 60's by QuickSilver Messenger Service called "Happy Trails" right now on the hphones.
Movies. Now my review form for all media will be our grading A-F that we will know so well.
"Running with Scissors"- B
"Stranger that Fiction" B
"Babel"- A
"The Departed"-A-
Sooner than you know it you will never have to come to Tulsa to visit us again or Catoosa. I am also writing this on MY "new" laptop which is really Mom's old one with a major tune up. We both still freeze up when trying to do things on these machines that we do not understand. Like I am scared to death to now use Sharepod that I have downloaded to hopefully take my 5000 songs from my Ipod back to this computer, have to call one of the kids to walk me though this.
So Emily, Heidi and Teresa, I cannot hold my breath much longer to get your top five CD's on a desert island. When I said all of you I meant all of you, even got Melissa's so get with it today! And Simpson, I can't wait to see yours.
Out,
Dad/Rick
What else, been crying a lot lately, not sure about what this is other than the "portal" to my past has opened up by the writing of my book, places I forgot, did not want to remember or that are very painful. Most of the tears have been related to what I have been (or not) for Delinda/Mom. Very hard you know. I know many of you are aware this really wasn't the "perfect marriage" you saw on the outside, we were pretty good actors though. I missed so much, did so little ( hint, hint Matt Simpson if you are reading this) with Delinda. But I do have today and beyond, yes "to infinity and beyond" to make amends through my actions. Is this getting a little too real or personal for you? "Running With Scissors" I recommend. Life and marriage are damn hard, but trust me from a lot of mistakes and pain (mostly that I caused) it really is worth it to stay true to the one you really love, in my case Delinda/Mom, I love her more each day now. Lots of work left to do in life though.
What else?
I have listened to no new music since my addiction to MMJ has taken over. Actually I am listening to a great album from the psychedelic 60's by QuickSilver Messenger Service called "Happy Trails" right now on the hphones.
Movies. Now my review form for all media will be our grading A-F that we will know so well.
"Running with Scissors"- B
"Stranger that Fiction" B
"Babel"- A
"The Departed"-A-
Sooner than you know it you will never have to come to Tulsa to visit us again or Catoosa. I am also writing this on MY "new" laptop which is really Mom's old one with a major tune up. We both still freeze up when trying to do things on these machines that we do not understand. Like I am scared to death to now use Sharepod that I have downloaded to hopefully take my 5000 songs from my Ipod back to this computer, have to call one of the kids to walk me though this.
So Emily, Heidi and Teresa, I cannot hold my breath much longer to get your top five CD's on a desert island. When I said all of you I meant all of you, even got Melissa's so get with it today! And Simpson, I can't wait to see yours.
Out,
Dad/Rick
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