Nickerblog

1994 through 1996

22 years down, 11 to go.

I've been thinking a lot about the last 11 years of my life and I realized that it's extremely difficult to write an effective summary with all of the important milestones included. My sister read the last one and asked about a big event in my life that I left out.

My answer to her is that these are stream of consciousness ramblings. Instead of being all of the most important or most memorable, these are the memories that happen to be the most convenient as I sit down to write them. I could write forever on each year, but instead, I've decided to write a few things that pop into my head as I go.

After all, I'm thirty three now. OLD MAN! OLD MAN!

They say memory is the first thing to go. Actually, hair is the first thing.

I forget what's second.

Anyway, I hate to drag this out further, but I'm going to (in the interest of not having 3 mile long blog entries) split the last third into thirds. It seems the memories are more elaborate now that I'm dealing with the recent past.

Let's go see the first three years of the last 11 years of my life...off the top of my head....

A third of a third.*

(*okay, closer to a fourth of a third.)

a day at the races

Del Mar is not as nice looking as the Santa Anita race track, but it's still very cool. We arrived at about 2:00 and were forced to park in an overflow lot about a mile from the entrance. As we unloaded from the car, we could hear the announcer calling the first race from inside the track. I made the mistake of thinking that Del Mar is only halfway down to San Diego from Los Angeles. The fact is, it's more like all the way. I know there are nine races, but I couldn't help but feel like I just missed out on some action.

Del Mar

In about an hour, I'm leaving with some friends to bet on the ponies at Del Mar. Del Mar is the track where Seabiscuit raced his way into the heart of America in a finish that would resonate long after the immense popularity of horse racing tapered off. I love horse racing.

I should confess something. I love gambling; Cards, casino games, horses, dice, lotto, keno, whatever. If there are odds, I'm in. The problem is that I'm a bad gambler because I always bet against the odds. In my eternal optimism, I assume that the longshot will win, that 00 will come up, that hitting on 17 is smart, that going all-in with a flush draw after the flop makes sense, that raffles are a good investment, that my number will come up, that this time, somehow, is the time. I believe it. It's not hope, it's certainty. I'm actually surprised when these things, that everyone else tells me are impossible, don't happen.

I suppose that's how I live my life too. I'm wrong a lot, but when I'm right, it's amazing.

I'll take some pictures at the track today and report back. In fact, I'll keep track of some of the horses I bet on to give you an idea what my system is. My system (which involves a complex series of choices based on names I like) usually fails, but losing some money with a group of friends at the track on a beautiful Sunday in Southern California isn't the worst thing I can imagine.

Besides, this time I'm sure I'll win. I can feel it.

Best Week Ever

This has been an exciting week for me as a blogger!

First of all, librarian.net linked to a picture of me in Nantucket from a post I wrote from a WiFi hotspot outside of the Atheneum (Nantucket Library) because it happens to relate to a WiFi controversy.

Secondly, around midweek I sent an e-mail to Tiffany Stone from the well known "Breakfast at Tiffany's" blog telling her how much I enjoy her writing. Shockingly, she asked me to contribute a piece as a guest blogger on her site! Obviously, I accepted her offer. Now I just have to write an entry that doesn't suck.

Lastly, the pinnacle of my exciting blog week happened today when Wil linked to me from the World Famous "Wil Wheaton dot Net." Wil and I know each other from the Acme Comedy Theatre and I've been a longtime reader of his blog, but I've never asked him to link to me. I always sort of thought that asking someone to link to you is in bad taste; poor blog etiquette, I suppose. I was thrilled and flattered that he linked to my recent post about turning 33. Now I'll have to finish the last third of my life with a bang to try to keep some of you WWdN Readers coming back here to my humble little weblog.

;-)

1983 through 1993

Ahhh...the 80's and 90's.

Not only the years that spawned Breakfast Club and Rocky, but also Reaganomics and Nirvana.

Let's recap the second third, shall we?

1971 through 1982

In two days I'll be thirty three.

I thought it would be a good time to break down my life into highlights, year by year starting with the first third...

at least as much as my selective memory will allow.

librarian.net

*Hello to all of the folks from librarian.net who followed the link from there to here.

In July, I took advantage of one of the WiFi Hotspots in Nantucket and I posted a blog entry from outside of the Atheneum Library. Apparently I was breaking the law...possibly even violating the ironically named "Patriot Act." AKMA tried to do the same thing and was harassed by the Nantucket Police.

working

Mr. Hashimoto

As you all know, I have an office now. It's not the corner office with a panoramic view of the entire world, but it's my own office. I can close the door. I can lock the door. If I wanted to, I could close and lock the door and take a nap. I feel both liberated and corraled.

So the nerd in me wants to decorate this office. I brought in my electric guitar and a mini amp, I brought in a Lava Lamp©, I brought in a mini fridge and a coffee maker and some sweet, sweet Dunkin Donuts coffee (and Bova, I think Timmy H. coffee might actually be better and more addictive...and that's not easy for me to say out loud). On Friday, I looked around and realized that the only thing I really need now for this little office (other than wall art and some pictures), is a plant. I decided to get a Bonsai Tree.

Riding Giants

Peter Mel at Mavericks photo by Rob Gilley

I did go to the Apple Store last night, but I did not buy a printer OR a Bluetooth mouse. I couldn't find either of the devices I was looking for. Instead, I browsed the cameras and new iPods and drooled over all of the Apple goodies and walked out with only some screen cleaner. I called about five friends to meet me for a movie, but all of them were busy with other Saturday plans. I decided to go alone.

I changed my mind.

Serial fiction has no place on this weblog.

In other news, I'm anxious. It's a vague anxiety that I can't isolate the source of, but it's there.

Maybe I'll go see a movie. I just watched American Splendor on DVD. I really enjoyed it.

Here's my plan for today:

1. Go to the Apple Store.
2. Buy a printer and a bluetooth mouse.
3. Get food.
4. Take some pictures.
5. Go to a movie.
6. Who fucking cares.
7. I'm boring myself right now.
8. Stop typing.

why theatre matters

Every Friday. Every Friday for almost 7 years we've been doing our little show. It's good. I've said it before, but in case you never heard me, it really is a fun show. Want to come see it? I'll comp you. Let me know and I'll leave tickets for you at the box office. You don't even have to stay and chat afterwards if that's not your thing. Come, have a drink at the bar, enjoy the show and dash out if you must. I won't mind.

assimilated

I don't know why I'm so afraid of a structured life. Truthfully, I don't know how my wife puts up with me. I like to live moment to moment; she can't even get me to commit to any daily plan. When the weekend comes, she wants to beat out each segment of the weekend to maximize our time. If it were up to me, I'd lay on the couch until a whim struck me. It must be almost unbearable for a normal person like her to live with a freak like me. Her patience is the only reason we last. Seriously.

thoreaublog

Hey, do you like blogs? Do you like Thoreau?

THIS is the coolest blog I've read in a while. To think it's 150 years old....

(Thanks to Greg Perry at Grapez.)

smashed awake

Our apartment is noisy. I hadn’t really acknowledged that fact until recently, but ignoring the truth doesn’t change anything. We live in a noisy area. On the corner of a very busy intersection, the only relief from the constant hum of passing cars comes late at night and early morning. Even in the wee hours, it’s like living near a freeway; with our bedroom window opened, a car or motorcycle driving past us on Olympic Boulevard sounds like it’s driving through our apartment. (Our first apartment in Hollywood was across the street from a fire station, so I suppose this is somewhat better.)

Huntington

Sometimes the world conspires to show you something. Lately, lots of signs are pointing to Buddhism. Now, I'm not a Buddhist. In fact, the only things I know about Buddhism are the glimpses I catch at Lorianne's blog. But in the past few weeks, there have been lots of other nudges towards it. I'm not suggesting that some unknown force is pushing me towards Eastern Religion...wait, maybe I am...but not necessarily to embrace it, just to perhaps learn about it.

(throwing pickaxe into the air, tasting it)....."nothin'!"

Some days, no words come. If you're a reader of blogs, you'll begin to recognize the days when no words are coming for their authors. A telltale sign of a wordless day for a blogger is "metablogging" (like right now), or blogging about blogging. You'll see posts like, "Here's what I'm clicking," or "How to Blog," or even this.

Metroblogging: The AP story

Sean Bonner has a link on his site to an Associated Press article about one of his web ventures, "Metroblogging."
I only bring this up because I'm quoted.

Read the article here.

:-)

WFS

Every now and then, you can see the road in front of you and it's exciting. I'm looking ahead right now and life is going to be pretty rad for the next 8 months or so. Of course, I say that with some hesitation because nothing is ever as it seems.

In other news, Shatner has a new CD coming out. Thank God. Finally.

Part of me thinks it's actually sort of cool that he's able to be so self aware. Unless he isn't. And then it's just sad. Either way, I won't buy this album, regardless of the comedic element or kitsch factor. I'd rather buy a Mrs. Miller album. I have some gay friends who insist that she is the original kitsch. Who am I to argue with gay friends?

Transitioning from baseball to football.

Anyone else excited by football season?

We can agree on this: The Red Sox aren't going to win the World Series. They're just not. They can get X or Y star player and get close in the post-season, but the fact remains that Boston is a better story if they don't win. The Red Sox organization does pretty well for a team that can't seem to close the deal in October. In fact, the Red Sox as an entity is the second most valuable team in all of Baseball, coming in behind the Yankees (of course) at an estimated worth of 533 million dollars. The lesson here is that losing pays. I wonder how many supposed "diehard" fans would stop coming to games if the Red Sox won a World Series. I wonder if I'll live to see that happen. I doubt it.

But the Patriots are Boston's hope. They are proven champions and they make us long-suffering Boston fans happy for at least part of the year. The Patriots help ease the pain of yet another blown run at the elusive World Series ring. I'm ready to switch over to football. It would almost make it easier if the Red Sox would just hurry up and go in the tank so I could stop watching.

Bring on the Pats.

missing the bus

It's 6:41am and somehow, I'm up. There's a good chance I'll sleep for a couple more hours...say from 7 to 9...but for now, I'm awake. I actually saw the sun come up. That's unusual for me. Mornings and I have an understanding: not unless we are forced to, do we meet. Unless there's a golf tournament or an early start to a travel day or a specific REASON, I prefer to sleep in the morning. My job requires that I be at work at around 10 or 10:30am, and the truth is, even that's a little early for me. I'd prefer it be noon. I could even do 11:30 if I had to. I can live with 10:30. It's better than 8am. Or even 9.

Anyway, I'm up. So I thought I'd take advantage of the morning vibe and see what it inspires...

get to it

What can I tell you that you don't know? What do I have that you'd like to hear? What are the things that excite you? What makes you hungrier? What secrets do you wonder about? What moves you? What makes you progress? When are you happiest? What questions scare you? What matters? What is it you came in for? What do you question? Are you afraid of answers or of answerers? Answer one, some, or all. Or none.

*Updated

floating forward

Lorianne has a wonderful post about death in her blog today. She writes,

Looking in a child's eye, I imagine the old woman she will inevitably become; looking at a flower in the bud, I envision that flower gone to seed, then denuded, then dead. And even when I look at myself in the mirror, which for some reason I've been doing frequently these days, I see not the face of a 35-year-old woman looking back at me but a sort of death mask: pay attention, girl, because the show passes this way only briefly.

Why blog?

People ask me why I blog. It's a good question, and one which has no simple answer. I think it would depend on the blogger you asked. For me, it's a number of reasons.

10 sentences.

I caught this drumstick at a Poison/Slaughter concert in 1991.
I've been feeling lazy about blogging lately.
Last night I ate dinner here.
My friend Will ordered crickets.
I've been playing poker online.
My new job rocks in several ways.
I'm going to be traveling to some of the most amazing places in the world.
I got a mention in the Short Bus Blog.
My sister is a Story Editor on The Bernie Mac Show.
My brother works for Homeland Security.
The title should say 11 sentences.

Day 1

I've been sitting on some rather exciting news. As lots of you know, I've worked for [insert music network] in various capacities since around May of 2003; first as a story editor on "Rich Girls," then two seasons as a story editor on "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica," and more recently, as a story producer on a pilot called "Show and Go" and as a producer on another pilot called "Trippin'."

Today, I begin my new job as Supervising Producer (!) on "Trippin'."

I know that may not mean much to some of you, but it's a huge move up for me on a really exciting show.

Details to come...

Blue Doggy

We made it back to Los Angeles safe and sound. For those interested, here is a link to some of the pictures I took while back east. I've taken a few days off from blogging to decompress after a long, but very fun trip home. I had a chance to go through the attic at my parents' house and stumbled across my old childhood companion, Blue Doggy.