My current ponder revolves around changing patterns. Now that I am relatively home for a while after spending a significant portion of my life over the past two years globe travelling, the impact of pattern change takes hold. Patterns, routines, and predictable familiar outcomes feel simultaneously as desirable as monotonous. Mono-tonos, a life of singular tones and right now that makes me happy. Surfing in the mornings, seeing the mostly retired C-Street surf crew and having breakfast at one of the three main destinations that each day gets determined as if some brilliant new idea was proposed. Vagabond, Busy Bee, Main Street, each with a half century or so legacy of relative insignificance other than being a consistent detestation for a predictable meal.
Meanwhile this surf and breakfast routine recycles whilst I come and go on my travels. With each trip to far away lands, the allure of the assorted destinations begins to fade into a routine of it's own. I realize that I set up a routine as a launching pad for adventures. Without a predictable life pattern, an adventure away provides no contrast, no thrill. I wonder if this internal motivation to build structures to launch from is purely playful or perhaps founded in something more instinctively fundamental. While washing my hair with a nearly empty giant bottle of Bed Head shampoo I briefly side-thought into whether I would buy the same brand next time, and then skip to the same thought about soap and then expand to all the familiar products and the contrast between repeating purchases or switching to new flavors. Could it be an instinct based in self preservation, to establish patterns for efficiency then alter them for safety? Perhaps one shampoo or soap cleans most but not all types of undesirables away and not switching brands allows an accumulation while switching provides a fresh, not necessarily better, but different angle of attack. Maybe to be too predictable in the routes we travel allows predators or competitors to gain advantage? Coaches of sports teams being replaced after a bad season only to get a job with a different team, why would a new team hire a losing coach? Repetition becomes stagnation. A well balanced and successful company bringing in new talent purely to open new avenues and keep things fun, interesting and growing. The creation of patterns so we can comparatively disrupt them. Something about this whole concept makes me happy.
Not only am I mostly home from tour but this is that last summer, so perfectly timed, before my daughters Maddie and Sammy graduate high school with honors that exceed any level I ever reached scholastically and then head off to their respective colleges on the east coast. The world of Rat Sound is doing really well and some new exciting news soon to come.
I believe that in life nothing ever stays the same. The illusion of stability only occurs when the observational time frame is overly limited. Sufficient expand the time frame perspective and change will always be evident. So if that is taken to be true, then everything can be perceived as either growing or deteriorating, expanding or contracting, solidifying or crumbling. To stop is to begin the process of deterioration, motion is life and a healthy balance between change and consistency is happiness.
So, speaking of restaurants, I have decided to share my favorite the three sets of three, one for each meal that are in my home dining pattern. I thought about driving around and taking pics of them all but then decided that I will post them after I eat there and also remember to take a picture. All of the restaurants are have a settled in feel and something about them makes them wonderfully unique. So first up is:
For the lunch - Spencer Makenzie's super clean tasting, fresh and a unique Cali-Mex food. It is so hard to find a quick meal that is not heavy or greasy but their grilled fish and shrimp tacos, the ceviche, they make their own cool hot sauces and the fresh cabbage/lemon that seems to be the building blocks they create from, always leaves me feeling refreshed after eating there. Plus their little logo drawings are awesome.
And on to next in the list of scribbles I jotted to blog about. Peppers at RFK Stadium 1992..Peppers and crew all headed to DC to do this Free Tibet concert and it was a bit of mess. Fruciante had recently rejoined the band, there was no real band management at the time, it was pouring down rain and and there was some growing tensions between the Free Tibet organizers and the Peppers tour manager at the time. I guess some details did not get sorted regarding whom would pay which expenses, the organizers were pissed that Peppers' costs were higher than expected, the tour manager felt that since they were doing the show for free, expenses should be paid and the band members were kept out of the loop and then it starts to rain, really rain, torrential downpour, and thunder, and lightening and BOOM! Lightening strikes inside the stadium. Panic, smoke or steam, paramedics, cancellation and rumors flying. Someone got hit, several got hit. A girl, a cell phone she was holding, others nearby. Pack it up. Off to the hotel.
The scramble and the decisions to reorganize, and something is not good. They are squeezing bands into the schedule that cancelled yesterday but on the new schedule, no Peppers. So what now? One thing is for sure, it always sucks to be cancelled. The unfulfilled feeling, travel, setup, expectation then nothing. Now the band members know something is amiss though I am not sure how much they were made aware of. "Why were we cut? We want to play." but to no avail, the organizers will not budge, perhaps by grudge or wedged between too many bands and a curfew, either way, an amicable solution was not only not realized, there was a distinct "no way the Peppers will play" sentiment being propagated by someone in charge.
And the the hush info starts to spread. We are staying on site till the show ends. Be on call when Pearl Jam starts. Ok, there is a plan on the down low. A secret coup. Pearl Jam, the Day 2 headliner takes the stage and plays a great set and then walks off the stage before the encore. The backline techs all head out and do their thing and after several minutes instead of Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers come out and play four songs on Pearl Jams' equipment, to cheers from an audience that had been informed Peppers would not perform. The bands took it into their own hands. The band members of Pearl Jam and Peppers worked together and created a solution that others were not capable of accomplishing.
Meanwhile this surf and breakfast routine recycles whilst I come and go on my travels. With each trip to far away lands, the allure of the assorted destinations begins to fade into a routine of it's own. I realize that I set up a routine as a launching pad for adventures. Without a predictable life pattern, an adventure away provides no contrast, no thrill. I wonder if this internal motivation to build structures to launch from is purely playful or perhaps founded in something more instinctively fundamental. While washing my hair with a nearly empty giant bottle of Bed Head shampoo I briefly side-thought into whether I would buy the same brand next time, and then skip to the same thought about soap and then expand to all the familiar products and the contrast between repeating purchases or switching to new flavors. Could it be an instinct based in self preservation, to establish patterns for efficiency then alter them for safety? Perhaps one shampoo or soap cleans most but not all types of undesirables away and not switching brands allows an accumulation while switching provides a fresh, not necessarily better, but different angle of attack. Maybe to be too predictable in the routes we travel allows predators or competitors to gain advantage? Coaches of sports teams being replaced after a bad season only to get a job with a different team, why would a new team hire a losing coach? Repetition becomes stagnation. A well balanced and successful company bringing in new talent purely to open new avenues and keep things fun, interesting and growing. The creation of patterns so we can comparatively disrupt them. Something about this whole concept makes me happy.
Not only am I mostly home from tour but this is that last summer, so perfectly timed, before my daughters Maddie and Sammy graduate high school with honors that exceed any level I ever reached scholastically and then head off to their respective colleges on the east coast. The world of Rat Sound is doing really well and some new exciting news soon to come.
I believe that in life nothing ever stays the same. The illusion of stability only occurs when the observational time frame is overly limited. Sufficient expand the time frame perspective and change will always be evident. So if that is taken to be true, then everything can be perceived as either growing or deteriorating, expanding or contracting, solidifying or crumbling. To stop is to begin the process of deterioration, motion is life and a healthy balance between change and consistency is happiness.
So, speaking of restaurants, I have decided to share my favorite the three sets of three, one for each meal that are in my home dining pattern. I thought about driving around and taking pics of them all but then decided that I will post them after I eat there and also remember to take a picture. All of the restaurants are have a settled in feel and something about them makes them wonderfully unique. So first up is:
For the lunch - Spencer Makenzie's super clean tasting, fresh and a unique Cali-Mex food. It is so hard to find a quick meal that is not heavy or greasy but their grilled fish and shrimp tacos, the ceviche, they make their own cool hot sauces and the fresh cabbage/lemon that seems to be the building blocks they create from, always leaves me feeling refreshed after eating there. Plus their little logo drawings are awesome.
And on to next in the list of scribbles I jotted to blog about. Peppers at RFK Stadium 1992..Peppers and crew all headed to DC to do this Free Tibet concert and it was a bit of mess. Fruciante had recently rejoined the band, there was no real band management at the time, it was pouring down rain and and there was some growing tensions between the Free Tibet organizers and the Peppers tour manager at the time. I guess some details did not get sorted regarding whom would pay which expenses, the organizers were pissed that Peppers' costs were higher than expected, the tour manager felt that since they were doing the show for free, expenses should be paid and the band members were kept out of the loop and then it starts to rain, really rain, torrential downpour, and thunder, and lightening and BOOM! Lightening strikes inside the stadium. Panic, smoke or steam, paramedics, cancellation and rumors flying. Someone got hit, several got hit. A girl, a cell phone she was holding, others nearby. Pack it up. Off to the hotel.
The scramble and the decisions to reorganize, and something is not good. They are squeezing bands into the schedule that cancelled yesterday but on the new schedule, no Peppers. So what now? One thing is for sure, it always sucks to be cancelled. The unfulfilled feeling, travel, setup, expectation then nothing. Now the band members know something is amiss though I am not sure how much they were made aware of. "Why were we cut? We want to play." but to no avail, the organizers will not budge, perhaps by grudge or wedged between too many bands and a curfew, either way, an amicable solution was not only not realized, there was a distinct "no way the Peppers will play" sentiment being propagated by someone in charge.
And the the hush info starts to spread. We are staying on site till the show ends. Be on call when Pearl Jam starts. Ok, there is a plan on the down low. A secret coup. Pearl Jam, the Day 2 headliner takes the stage and plays a great set and then walks off the stage before the encore. The backline techs all head out and do their thing and after several minutes instead of Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers come out and play four songs on Pearl Jams' equipment, to cheers from an audience that had been informed Peppers would not perform. The bands took it into their own hands. The band members of Pearl Jam and Peppers worked together and created a solution that others were not capable of accomplishing.
Soooo, we are at the airport not long after, I can not recall if it was the next day or in a different city. The Peppers' band and crew, somewhat shell shocked by the roller coaster adventure and we are just getting out of the town cars and beginning toward the check in counters when the tour manager's cell phone rings. He hands it to Anthony and heads over to talk to the town car driver, they chat for a minute before Anthony gets in the car and drives away. "Hey where did Anthony go?" I here someone say. "A change of plans, he is staying, that girl, the one hit by lightening has just awakened"
Ok, I have reached my bloggery time limit. I write with my laptop on battery and must complete the project before the battery dies.
DR
