Archive for May, 2009

stuffs.

By On May 31, 2009 In aric s. queen, books, friends, life, music, people, photos, travel With 6 Comments Permanent Link to stuffs.Permalink

I wasn’t moaning, by the way. I’m just tired. got up this morning at 1.30am for a volcano bike ride. and it was great. but I’m still tired.

I’m sorry.

ummm, what’s what:

rough sundays 9 is up and is kind of, well, awesome. I enjoyed it. you might. the next one [hawaiian] is going to be funner.

I’m writing about Hawaii here, ’cause they’re nice and they’re paying me. even quaint little tales about boarding the wrong plane. impressive, yes. thanks.

some photos – up ’till now – of the trip so far. fatigue aside, it’s been amazing.

rihanna is today’s guilty pleasure. which is ironic seeing how she made news for pleasuring the guilty.

I wish I could connect in lax to see miss f – a few drinks with her would do us both good. [laugh + laugh + serious face]

someone walking below my balcony right now has very squeaky shoes.

it’s a few days back in bend, then a week in nyc, then england, then I’m not sure…it’s all up in the air. which is nice, I suppose. it keeps changing.

this is one of the best photos I’ve ever seen from guangxi, china.

if Hawaiian swag is your thing, then I’m your man.

I’m reading ‘the dead walk fast- stalking nosferatu‘ and it’s not as good as chuck klosterman said it was.

give me a good night’s rest and I’ll be chock-full of exclamation marks.

hawaii five-oh.

By On May 30, 2009 In travel With 4 Comments Permanent Link to hawaii five-oh.Permalink

prefacing is for chumps. you know that. but let me make an exception, as this is an absurd situation.

I am fucking tired. as in, exhausted.

yes I’m in Hawaii, yes there are limousines and concierges and more things with syllables that I’ve never had and it’s gorgeous and a few wonderful people.

we can all agree on that.

yes?

yes. 

okay.

I’m fucking tired.

it’s 8.25pm, I spent another day road-tripping up a windy road that the rental car company can’t wait to find out about on an island that I don’t even know. seriously. I just found out yesterday I was in a place called Kuaii. I probably spelled that wrong. I’m sorry.

‘pay close attention to the spelling of the Hawaiian names, please’ was one of the few things asked of us.

I’m sorry.

I’m also to be up at 1.30am. 

last night at that time, I was desperately trying to find a random phone charger.

tonight, I’m up with a coffee.

yes, it’s to mountain-bike off of a volcano at sunrise.

yes, I can’t wait to do it.

yes, I’m excited.

yes, free trips like this should be reserved for those who deserve it.

yes, I realize that I’m somewhat moaning about my fatigue.

yes, I can sleep on the plane.

…

…

…

I just wanted to say that I’m tired.

and not say what I want to…

which is: ‘this is hard work’.

I promised myself I wouldn’t.

oh, that picture is from my hotel room.

yes… I know.

bangs and red shoes are in for the summer.

By On May 22, 2009 In friends, photos With No Comments Permanent Link to bangs and red shoes are in for the summer.Permalink

me and the boys shot our guns yesterday.

photos are up here.

and then there was this – grizzly and his new kicks.

[thank you, jesus & mary chain]

big day.

the absurdity of it all – part 74: hawaii

By On May 21, 2009 In aric s. queen, travel With 5 Comments Permanent Link to the absurdity of it all – part 74: hawaiiPermalink

my family never went on holiday.

wait – that’s not right. one time we drove an hour-and-a-half north to a place called ‘robber’s cave’. it was cut short, however, because my sister decided to take a bite out of my ass.

but that’s another post.

this is about holidays. or lack thereof. we just never had enough money. my father was working 2 jobs, along with coaching my basketball team, just for the 5 of us to get by.

vacations were something for the wealthy.

so, whenever I first heard about Hawaii from a girl who I once traded letters with, I looked it up on the map.

it was a lot farther away from Tulsa than the caves that hurt me.

it was a world away.

so when I get the call that I’m being flown, fed and put up by the Hawaiian Tourism Agency to write/film about their ‘budget’ side, I simply have to shake my head.

am I excited? yes I am – but you couldn’t tell.

I guess because at some point, I realized that I will never work as hard as my parents did, yet for some reason get to head places they’ll never see.

and that just doesn’t seem fair.

out.

By On May 17, 2009 In life, travel With 3 Comments Permanent Link to out.Permalink

this day was a funny day, as the last time I had a backpack on, it was trying to find a way out of Nepal and back to Thailand – all during the airport riots. it was needed at the Canyon – but only once more.

it was a long trip – flying from Kathmandu-KL, and then making my way via buses and trains and boats and free-rides back to Bangkok.

I collapsed in my friend Nym’s home that afternoon and threw down the backpack that I had lived out of for 6 months. it was a little backpack, but felt heavy just the same.

but it was the last time I’d have to wear it.

I was headed back home, a place where my passport wouldn’t be stamped with inquisition (or so I thought), a family I hadn’t seen for too long, friends that I had spent more time talking with via Facebook then I ever did in real life and a girl that both kept me away and brought me back.

but the backpack’s coming out again. okay, not the same pack, but the guy wearing it. I thought he was through, at least for a while, but no.

I miss my family and friends already and I haven’t left yet; but I hope that will never change. I didn’t get the passport to be let in my own country, I got it to get out – now I realize it’s for both. the girl, well, wouldn’t I be an asshole to moan about anything, so I won’t. but know that I want to.

see, there’s a bar in NYC that I need to get to. there’s a golf course in the south of England that needs to be played badly on. there’s a cabin somewhere in Norway that I want to write in…

and somewhere there’s something that I hope will help me make sense of it all.

‘jog’ said a friend today in a letter, ‘don’t run’.

I had to laugh.

running has worn me out.

sas-fied [sass-i-fied?]

By On May 15, 2009 In music With No Comments Permanent Link to sas-fied [sass-i-fied?]Permalink

clarence carter wants you to have a good day…and just to prove it, he’s got a story to share:

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all together now.

By On May 15, 2009 In life With No Comments Permanent Link to all together now.Permalink

it comes and it goes

for anyone who visits this can tell you

I finished the show

about people I like

that some people like

and some people tell me

I’d seen a few things

fucked a few more up

loved a lot, lost a few

and loved still a bit even after that

so overall should sleep well – at least for tonight

but this, my pre-slumber checklist,

means it’s not just me anymore.

the teeth stuff

and then the sinus spray

advil for my whiskeys

and simply sleep for the rest

potion for the facial hair that won’t grow

and a mask to keep away the interruptions

it sure isn’t my last year’s

and the ones to come will sure have friends

so, sleep knowing you loved and have seen

’cause the only thing that changes now is the dosage.

run away back.

By On May 15, 2009 In aric s. queen, friends, life, travel With 3 Comments Permanent Link to run away back.Permalink

I’ve never been good with thinking things out. it might be because I’ve never considered myself that objective. there were jobs here – I mean, I’d have to look for them, but there had to be something. I can speak/write english, lift 50lbs and am legal to work in the united states. but, something didn’t seem right, which is strange, seeing how this was the end. so, within a few hours, I decided to leave to Norway for the summer to work on the book and wouldn’t you know, from this tiny town in Oregon (with it’s tiny airport) to oslo is less than $550usd. in-fucking-sane. and there’s people along the way I need to see. so, I’ve got 10 days here in pacific northwest paradise. then it’s 11 days in hawaii on a write-up/shoot. then it’s back here for a few days of goodbyes. then new york city for a week, england for a few more and then up to scandinavia. 

’cause in the end, if I have to work 50 hours a week just to get by, I’d like it to be paid to me in a currency I don’t speak.

poop.

By On May 12, 2009 In aric s. queen, life With 3 Comments Permanent Link to poop.Permalink

I’m beginning to think I might be bi-polar.

wait – that’s no way to start an entry.

lemme start again.

we moved to a magical place. I’m serious about that.

good vibe. outdoorsy. amazing beer. nice people.

we can agree on that, yes? yes. okay.

problem is, everyone agrees on that.

now – daddy needs a job; we can all agree on that.

an outdoors job for $10 an hour? perfect. I don’t mind.

I came here to relax and write. read and enjoy. hike and smoke less.

and a perfect one fell through.

and then I got sad.

one job. the first one I inquired about.

and I’m sad.

does that make me an asshole? yes. yes it does.

but I’m beginning to worry.

cause I don’t want to be inside. don’t want to work 70 for 10 of fun.

and am possibly considering a move to a cabin on the ocean in Norway.

’cause escapism is harder to kick than the ciggies.

pages with my prints.

By On May 10, 2009 In books, friends With 4 Comments Permanent Link to pages with my prints.Permalink

don’t know if you heard , but this is the year of reading. I think. maybe it’s the year of financial insecurity. regardless, here’s a few you should put on your list.

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good books I’ve read recently

emergency! [this book will save your life] by neil strauss- why wouldn’t you need to know how to break out of handcuffs, obtain a second passport, kill your own food, start a fire, move your money out of the country and much, much more? fantastic read and you’ll end up replaying the overall theme of it.

killing yourself to live by chuck klosterman – this is my new favorite writer. I’m sure I’m not the first to say that. read this and then go ahead and order his entire catalog in bulk; you’re going to do it anyway. pop-culture essayist/profiler looks into if suicide makes a better rockstar.

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good book I’m reading

me talk pretty one day by david sedaris – this was given to me by a friend when I told her I liked chuck klosterman. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s smart satire. and how many people can claim that?

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bad book I put down after a chapter

everything bad is good for you by steven johnson- if a book doesn’t grab me, or confuses me, then I won’t finish it out of guilt. life’s too short to force a read. good premise though, but what kind of asshole writes designates his first chapter to confusing you, only to make a point of telling you it’s for a point? no thanks.

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book I’ve been skimming though

black music by leroi jones – I bought this as there are a few essays on thelonious monk. I found out after that a lot of people think the writer is a bigot who approves of rape in certain cases? [debatable] that being said, I like his insight on the beginnings of ‘bebop’.

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…so take a note from brother Scott who, at a very early age, threw his television out and told himself that every moment he would spend watching could be spent reading, listening to music and playing his bass – he produced kylie’s opening tracks when she was in shanghai a few years back and now is receiving worldwide praise for his video game scores…so he might be onto something.

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