Stonewood Mall

 

We launched into the hot, smog-choked morning of Los Angeles like a couple of escaped circus clowns in a Cyberpunk Camaro, the air conditioning blasting at full power, a blessed oasis in a sea of heat and madness. It was 9 AM and the pavement was about to buckle under the relentless sun—another day in this beautiful freak show we call home. Beside me, my loyal companion Urt, a four-year-old wiener dog stacked like a torpedo in the passenger seat, was licking his chops and watching the smog dance like a lunatic’s dream just outside the window.

We barreled up the 605, a beast unleashed, the skyline looming like a deranged deity watching over its chaotic children. Firestone Boulevard was calling, a siren song of mothballs, motor oil, and the promise of distraction. It was a good morning to blend with the masses, to abscond with the mundane. And so we veered into the Stonewood Mall, our winter retreat from the summer roast, seeking a quick walk around the perimeter.

Much to our chagrin and delight, we stumbled into the 4th Annual Los Amigos Car Show, where the asphalt was vibrating with horsepower and the scent of gasoline hung heavy in the air like a fine wine. And there, beneath the sweltering gaze of the sun, was none other than Jay Leno—a gargantuan carving of a man with a voice that could soothe a rabid fox. We skirted the perimeter of the event like mismatched spies, ogling the lowriders that seemed to breathe to the pulsing rhythm of the local culture, the hot rods glimmering like jewels beneath a haze of delusion.

Everywhere we walked, machines sprawled like beasts in love—sleek classics from every era, their painted surfaces gleaming under the scorching eye. I snapped a few clandestine photos, trying to capture the essence of this wild affair while Urt engaged in his usual diplomatic relations with the lovely women who inexplicably found themselves smitten by his dashing little stature. What is it about wiener dogs anyway? The power they wield over the fairer sex remains one of life’s great mysteries.

Exhilarated from our impromptu adventure, we began our trek back home, hearts light, Urt’s short legs trotting proudly alongside me. A smile stretched across my face—broad and foolish, emblematic of a morning well spent amidst the glimmers of La La Land’s vibrancy. We basked in our small triumph, a couple of misfits navigating the chaos, lost in the oily embrace of youth. Another day in paradise, off-kilter and on fire, like a bad trip in the land of the sun.

Drive Home 8 July 2024

 

El Dorado Park 8 July 2024

 

Random pics from around the house today

 

13 April 2024

 On this day I took photos and videos around the house:

Urt with ball.

The palm tree in backyard.

An unusual plant.

Urt with head in bag.

Urt peeing on bag.

Me, I think... yeah, sure.

Ability

It’s not a mental illness. It’s an ability, but it’s an ability that I like to keep locked behind the door inside my mind. So I can’t allow myself to talk to you about it. I can’t allow myself to show you what’s behind the door because then it gets out and it’s not something that I enjoy. I don’t think a mental illness is something like polio, or a head cold or a sinusitis, it’s an ability, it’s something that makes people different than others. 

Some people can run 100 m in nine seconds flat they have that ability. Some people have an ability to tune in to different wavelengths, see things no one else can see, and hear things no one else can hear.  That’s what I’m talking about. That’s where I’m coming from on this. This is the discussion I’m having. Now that it has been said let’s end this here and perhaps cover it in more detail at some other time.  out

 

Red Dragon Hard Drive [Limited Edition]

 

Anxiously awaiting delivery of the Limited Edition Red Dragon Hard Drive. WDBRHB0020BRD-WESN

AI has assisted me in deciphering its meaning:

1. Manufacturer code: WDB - could stand for Western Digital Brand

2. Product line/model: RHB - could stand for Red Dragon Hard Drive

3. Capacity: 0020 - could indicate a storage capacity of 2TB

4. Color: BRD - could represent the color of the hard drive (maybe in a fiery red color)

5. Features: WESN - could stand for Wireless, Encryption, Solid State, and Network capabilities, indicating that this is a high-performance hard drive with advanced features.

I need some time

 I need some time to rest my mind.  You see, I've been going through these old family photos, scanning them and preparing to post them to a website in order to be preserved.  But it's difficult.  I don't mean the task is, but the emotional toll it takes seeing these happier days caught in a moment of time.  So fleeting, and then it's behind you like a sign along side a highway as you drive past it.

Here's one I never knew existed.  It's of my father and if I had to guess this would be around 1950 when he and my mother were first dating.  This is likely Long Beach or there about.  This image is a stark contrast from the image I have in my head of the last day I saw my father alive as he lie dying in a hospital bed at the age of 87.  

Yes, it's painful to see these moments frozen in time for they'll never be again.  Happy times when futures will filled with hope and many years.

Cracks I fell through

 yeah, this has fallen through the cracks... those proverbial cracks... Well, I'm currently attempting to create a Time Capsule.  It will consist of mostly electronic media (you know, photos, music, video recordings etc.) perhaps some physical mementos as well.

If I don't do it for this family (this life) I don't think anyone else will.  Besides, I want to leave the message, form the message.  Right on.

This is AI (text to image creation) of me working on the said Time Capsule

I believe this represents the chaos in my life

Getting it organized... It's a lot of work.. I'm just going to stuff as much in there as possible.  Keep it updated, keep it going, and as they say Keep It Real.

Heartbeats

It's been a rough couple of weeks, my dear readers. I sit here in my dimly lit office, nursing a bottle of cheap whiskey and typing away on my trusty Power Computer. But tonight, the words don't come as smoothly as they usually do. No, tonight I'm feeling a different kind of pain. The kind that seeps into your bones and makes your heart race like a wild stallion.

My coworker and friend lays in a hospital bed as I write this. His heart, usually a steady rhythm, is now beating at a sustained 160 bpm. He's a good man, always had my back in the office and even outside of it. And now, as I sit here in the darkness, I can't help but wonder if he'll pull through. Life is unpredictable, my friends. We never know when it will throw us a curveball that knocks us off our feet.

And speaking of life's unpredictability, I was hit with another gut punch just earlier today. I read that Cindy Morgan, the actress who played Lora Baines in my favorite movie Tron, passed away in late December. The news hit me like a ton of bricks. Tron has always been a special movie to me. It's a world of mystery and adventure, filled with neon lights and a kickass soundtrack. And now, knowing that one of its stars is no longer with us, it puts me in an even worse funk.

I try to escape reality with my writing and videos, but tonight it seems futile. Most of my work is done while sitting at the controls of my Power Computer. I've even activated the Montauk Chair, a time-travel device, to transport myself back to the 90s. Why? So I can have a more mobile and freelance style of data entry. But even with this escape, I can't seem to shake off the heaviness that weighs on me.

So here I am, dear readers, turning to you for some solace. Toad Central, my online presence, has jumped from Twitter to make an appearance here and now. You see, in times like these, uncertainty reigns supreme. We don't know what tomorrow holds, and that's both terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Life is a mystery and we're all just trying to make sense of it.

But for now, I'll raise my glass to my friend in the hospital and to Cindy Morgan who has left this world too soon. And I'll take comfort in knowing that, even in the darkest of nights, there's always a glimmer of hope. So here's to you, dear readers, may you always find that glimmer and keep it close to your heart. Because, after all, that's what makes us human. Cheers.

Current year

 It’s the year 6265

Vortex

I could still hear the music but only inside my head, from a moment that occurred some thirty years ago.  I had to be careful or else I’d get sucked into the vortex of melancholic nostalgia.  Not a bad place to be, but neither a desirable one at that.

I have just sucked down two IPA beers and two glasses of Pinot Noir, the finest beverages my local Walmart had on offer.  I had attempted to sleep off most of it, but the Rose parade blaring from my television set had destroyed my slumber.  Some bizarre homage to the Blues Brothers being performed by a group of energetic pseudo entertainers, no doubt out on parole.

That’s it, relax now, let the alcohol do its job.  And a fine job it was doing at that.  In fact, I’m here and it is now, right in the time place continuum I strived to be.  I had arrived there at some time just past 2:30 PM and things looked promising heading into the late afternoon.

I only wish I could convey the fabric and colors of the thoughts that are now currently appearing in my mind, like a circuit board of high-tech existence.  Nothing better on this forsaken day of 1 January 2024.  To anyone left alive and still standing who happens to be reading this, I salute you.  Now be certain to don your orange tint glasses, for 2024 is going to be a wild ride. 

That is all for now, I must evaluate the situation and get back to you once I’ve found out what exactly the score is on this side of the boundary.