In Case of Fire

I support six-apart and all of their good stuff but- as a programmer and scolar- I don't tolerate the customizability it carries. It's great if you don't need to worry about anything but writing.

Also I've become a great fan of Google's services. Unfortunately blogspot comes off as a bit sleazy to me but it's something I'm going to put aside for the time being.

So... Yeah... Change your bookmarks and RSS/ATOM feeds.

Also, I've been partially bloggin' [as if I were riding a toboggan] on my flickr account. It's been where I also have a majority of my photos from the past four months.

I don't think many folks know about that one.

I probably could have thought of a better image theme to use but I wanted to get it done prior to the meetings end. The problem with the Riot Grrrl Karaoke is that it's the same time as the show with Your Heart Breaks, Karl Blau, and LAKE. I can't really do the Karaoke on account of my body recording the LAKE show. If you, the reader, are interested in the LAKE gig, it's at 20/20 Cycle on Capitol Hill.

Oh! My friend DL's band I Need Sleep just put out a release of some new material. They're the most amazing band from Knoxville, TN.

I'm on track four at the moment. Two more to go...

I partook in a SDIY meeting, made a flyer for the Riot Grrrl Karaoke event in thirty minutes (I could have made a better one. You'll probably see it in a day or two after dear friend Benji scans it), then went to a birthday show at the Jewel Box in Bell Town. I ran all the way down from Capital Hill and came to realize I've really missed Seattle.

I'm writing this and drinking whiskey on the floor of Amy's apartment in Oakland, California. So far I've been here for about a week and a half waiting for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day that Amy, Gabe (old friend of Amy's), and myself trek up to the Pacific Northwest as party of Amy's journey home.

She's leaving the bay because she can't get a job that pays enough. It's not a problem of being unemployed but more of a matter of being underemployed, which is frustrating. It's just not enough to pay the bills even though she likes the job. It has to do with giving kids an after-school program in fashion design or something to that degree. I don't know if that's it exactly but it's definitely an after-school program that gives troubled kids something to do other than get into a ruckus on the streets.

It's about a ten to twelve hour trip to Portland, where I'll be dropped off at to g-g-g-get my car out of Ryland's driveway; where it's been for the last three months. The problem is that Amy will probably want to leave at 7:00 when I'd like to go at 5:00. That leaves me in Portland at about... I believe...

Let me count for a tick. I'm a bit tipsy.

Mabye 17:00 but I'd push for 6:00. That's a loss in daylight and the chances a Jiffy Lube™ will be open. I didn't unhook my battery prior to my departure so it's probably dead- I'll need a jump- and it's highly necessary for me to have an oil change. If the Jiffy Lube isn't open I'll probably just sleep in my car with all of my possessions I left Bellingham until morning.

I'm actually a bit stressed about a multitude of things at the moment. When I actually post this it will be a bit different (±) but I can't say for sure. Just... Let's just say things aren't at their 80% best at the moment (20% gives a good buffer).

I'll be getting back to the TC's directly after Portland and I'll only be there for about three days then I'll be heading up to Anacortes. I spoke with Nich about two months ago about crashing at the DoS and having a grand old time for a few days prior to Jenn's Valentines-Birthday celebration, which I'm absolutely excited for. I found an event posting on the effbook and found out what attire she wants for it and what time things kick off. I've been keeping my return plans kind of secret so she won't find out since I want to surprise the hell out of her. I feel a bit guilty about not telling her that I'm back (sorry, Jenn) yet I'm sure it's no big deal.

I got back from Poland on the 19th of January and arrived in New York. I had a grand time visiting (again) with my aunt and uncle, exploring parts of the city I hadn't yet conquered, and re-explored parts I had already. I mainly stayed inside though. Walking around in other countries for twenty days- in the cold- gives you a bit of appreciation for having a place you can return to if you get to tired. Rather than waiting until your hosts are back to go back to their place, or loath returning to a hostel that you repulse for it's sterility and character devoid of a home-esque feel. There was also the fact that I've enjoyed being miserable in the cold; I'd laugh more, giggle, and kept asking myself why the deuce I was in Europe. It was loads of fun.

--

01:15

This entire third trip to San-Town (San-Francisco to you unfamiliarites) started in Glasgow. Amy was distressing over moving, I was drinking proper Famous Grouse whiskey and getting my school goof-up (long yet short story) all sorted out. She wasn't sure how this entire operation of moving was going to pan out surrounding preparation and driving up to the TC's- so told her that I could come with. This changed my plan of originally going from New York City for a few days and then flying to Portland, to staying extra in NYC then going to San-Town until the planned move. Also it saved me ten dollars on plane tickets... Kind of a plus.

So I've been kicking it paperback style in San-Town for the last week and a half. It's been ridiculously sunny up until the past three days and I've ventured over to the Mission [district] and studied my French and wrote* in Dolores park- where I went to with someone on a lovely day last spring. It's a wonderful park to go to in the bay- quite possibly the best- but it's hard for me to say when I've only explored part of that behemoth known as Golden Gate Park.

My day in the part was wonderful. I bought a Mexican Coca-Cola (I only drink Mexican sodas straight. The Mexican Cokes are made with real sugar; not artificial) took some photos on the way to the park, and then swung on the swing-set. It was nice. I thought about a lot of what's been happening in the last year-point-five and was presented from that a cascade of sadness and joy mixed in some obscene cocktail. I swung for thirty minutes and then just sat there in the harness looking at the same pebbles under the swing-sets I've been on in all public parks. I watched a dark skinned yuppie father, sitting on two stacked railroad ties at the base of a tree, softly coach his son on the correct way to cross the monkey bars. I saw my BART pass that fluttered out of my right ass pocket sitting on those pebbles.

The sky was clear, the grass was an absurdly lush green, hip citizens in their early twenties to mid thirties were hanging out in the sun on the grass of the park. I realized that seventy-two hours prior I was in New York in -4º C weather and how only three weeks prior to that I was in Krakow, Poland, surrounded by constant snow and wonderful people in a wonderful country that I'm a partial descendant of. Then three months ago I left a small community based town and my studies to travel across America with a wonderful person that I've listened to the music of- with such admiration- since I was nineteen. That two months ago I decided to go to Europe just because. That in those three months on tour I met some amazing and friendly people and some random guy named Kyle that Karl Blau blogged about four months ago. That my good friends were saying "So, you're on tour with the Robot Ate Me? Where are you now?" That I would have give updates to Bryant and he would tell me cool things I should do or go to.

Out of all of these happenings (and then some) I question why and how I've done all of this... Stuff. From what I've come to understand is there are many people would wish to be able to do the same things as I've been doing. To me it seems simple but then again, I don't really have anything tying me down to the earth. I recall talking to Javier's mother on the phone asking where he was (his dad's) and Gloria commenting on my Paris escapades "... Well, we all can't do what they want all the time" or something like that.

The past months have been fun and amazing but I don't feel like it's something that's out of the ordinary for me to do. I know I can so I just... Do it. I'm still sitting on it.

--

01:45

I've missed Lisa and Ryland since I've gotten back to the states. When you spend a month with two others in a car- bonding and such- you feel a bit funny not being around them suddenly. We've exchanged miss yous and such. There was something a bit odd about visiting Ryland in Paris though. I think it was just the fact that we met up in a different country and before I left Orlando at 5:00 in the morning I said "I'll see you in Paris..."

--

01:49

Amy's dear friend, Paul Solis, is a kick-ass artist who graduated with a BFA from California College of the Arts. It's a private college that is ass expensive to attend but is THE art school to go to on the west coast. I think the east has Bennington as their best art school (the girls there are very cute. It goes with the business). Him and I have shot a few brief e-mails back and forth about art stuff within the last year and I finally was able to meet him at Amy's "goodbye bay" party last week. We set a date to hang out the next day and I watched him mural the hell out of a door in Oakland. We were talking about the woes of modern graphic design and how it lacks character by being very streamline and smooth... At some point Paul asked me if I could design his website.

Apparently two people he asked within the last year flaked out on him so he asked me. I was like "okay" then the next day I made it. I did the skeleton site in two hours then the day after we hung out for the entire day and had "boy time" while we worked on his site. I'm very glad he has a site now and I think it's the funniest damn thing that I did something in five hours that was being put off for about a year. Other than the site, we had a fucking fantastic time hanging out. The evening ended with Irish whiskey and vegan pizza.

Paul's a beautiful person and told me that I have a place I can stay when I come back to the bay again. He also asked if I could live down there.

Maybe.

I need to map the year out.

P.s. By the time this is read it's likely that my computer is in the possession of Apple being repaired. I will be catching my flight and out of any two-way contact for two weeks. It'll probably be splendid.

*I've switched more of my writing to a journal format. It's a different voice/tone that I've been preferring lately.

**Peach is Javier's brother

He has photos. I guess he left this most recent december.

Walk!

Dear America,

It is now 2009 and with that has brought us a have a new- and cool- president. We have a faltering economy that's reining in outrageous job losses, incredibly odd car deals, and entire country goes in the shitter (Iceland, I'm looking at you), and people keep buying the iPhone. Our dear President, Barack Obama, has signed a executive orders to close down Guantanamo Bay, stop the Gag Order, as well as work to put together a now passed stimulus package that will help save more than "three million jobs" and such.

So far it seems as if we're on a better track to the future than before. It still looks grim yet possible to recover as a nation. However, there is still a major issue that Americans are plagued with every day of their lives.

We need to kiss more in public. I'm not urging huge make-out sessions that warrant "get a room" comments but rather huggin, kissing, hand holding, cuddling, etc. From being in France, I've grown incredibly concerned over how Americans aren't big fans of public displays of affection. There's nothing wrong with it; you're not going to get an odd disease from kissing in a grocery store nor will stand-up cuddling cause any life-threatening issues other than "Awesome."* Being on the metro, sidewalk, that fancy New Years gig, or any kind of Parisian social situation- in contrast to the United States- There has been an incredible amount of "Awe" moments that I have observed in my travels of Paris.

When I was in a relationship, this was something that I loved to do: Hold hands, kiss, and hug in public. Not as a form of show but I dare say that there should be no reason- at all- to feeling awkward in letting your partner know that "I'm going to kiss your forehead at this crosswalk intersection because I love you." Your partner probably fucking deserves it!

It's not just Paris. Poland is the same and the sentiment I felt and inquired about informed me that Eastern Europe is totally down with the public smooching. I feel awkward about America now, as if it's alright to feel insecure about PDoA. Sure, there's plenty of things that society lets us know we should feel awkward about (i.e. promiscuity) but lets work on the entire public affection dilemma. I'm not hesitating to address it as a pandemic.

Yet since it seems like a pandemic, I urge our President, Barack Obama, to include into his plan of improving our heath system, that we put forth effort in treating this lack-of-public-affection... Infection. 

Until then, America, I urge you to make this pandemic more aware to others who may be uninformed or misinformed about it. In times of strife and economic turmoil we need all the love we can put forth and share with others. 

Your Concerned Citizen,

-Kenneth M. Piekarski-

*People have been known to die from an excess of "Awesome."

Back when I made a strip for my webcomic, I was also working on a comic book that I'll never finish. The story has left my head and I haven't had that odd edge on my story-line humor since that government job I had. From what I recall, this was to be the 20th or 22nd comic I'd have done at that point. Not strip, but actual thing. Really, though, I only count that I've made two and that the others were just garbage.

I've been without a scanner for almost four months so the quality for these things aren't the best. At least I'm making them.

I'm in Krakow, Poland at the moment. It's wonderful here and perhaps I'll have more about that later. I have to go catch a train to Rzeszow and party like a rock star.