Feelin' Haggard

My Window Faces the South

What a great feeling, to look out my window and know that beyond the horizon is that good 'ol Lone Star State.

It's been a busy couple of days. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were my first round of exams. I did a lot of reading and preparation, and I think I did really well. I'm anxious to get my results on Monday. I also started a job on Thursday, at the school's Learning Center. I'm tutoring students (once again) in math and Spanish, as well as proofreading papers. My first day I had six students, which made for a really long day with my classes. But it's nice, the feeling of accomplishment has really been helping me out lately.

There are too many fucking white people here.

I met this really great guy Leif, who was visiting here. He's an English professor from Wyoming. He's on sabbatical with a years pay to write a book , and is drifting across the country living out of the back of his truck. He's just wandering from place to place, camping out for a week, reading/writing/thinking, and picking up again. We had wonderful conversations and we traded music.

He gave me Robert Bly/ I gave him Taj Mahal.
He gave me Jerry Jeff Walker/ I gave him Mississippi John Hurt.
He gave me Ramblin' Jack Elliot/ I gave him Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.

Today during my run I thought about the past couple months and how they were filled with so much uncertainty. I didn't know what I was doing, where I was going, or what was happening. I'm really thankful to have a clearer answer and some solid direction. I'm really starting to feel like I'm supposed to be here right now, even if I'm not enjoying it here. I wish having visitors was much more feasible.

I need someone to play dominoes with.

Keep on Growing

It's already cold here, and I'm upset with the fact that I can no longer just throw on a t-shirt and my exhausted jeans. I'm sure it will still be hot in Texas when I'm back from Christmas break (ha!).

Classes are going pretty well, I'm actually enjoying being at school. Hopefully that will last. In my aggregate and cementitious labs, we've been doing a lot of tests that have been pretty interesting. Last week we did some viscosity and density tests on some compound mixtures we made. This week we worked with silicates and will be testing compression. Our first exam is next Friday, I'm really looking forward to it. The math work I've been doing has been really encouraging, my comfort level will my mathematics abilities has really improved over the last year or two. My trig professor recommended that I take his strength of materials course next year, I think that might be fun.

I made roasted garlic and grilled pepper hummus yesterday, it turned out to be delicious. I put it on tortillas with some fresh tomatoes the neighbor gave me from his garden. I think tonight I may cook some eggplant.

I'm thinking about performing at a book reading next month at the public library. They are looking for local musicians to perform at the beginning of the reading. I want to see if anyone will do some Mississippi John Hurt with me.

If anyone is interested in playing dominoes with me on Yahoo, please let me know.

Well I'm off to walk Papi.

Photo: Papi.

Paz.

Highway 61 Revisited

At the end of August, I made the trip up to Northern Michigan to dive into a new area of interest. I’m attending a Concrete tech program where I’m studying a materials science. The approved title is "Concrete Technology," but I think that had something to do with the instruction of the contributing companies. It has a lot of aspects of geology, chemistry/physics, and engineering enveloped into one. For instance this semester I have courses over aggregates, cementitious materials, trigonometry, and computer science. I'm learning about different compounds and materials, and how they work together. I also find their potentials. It's mostly applied to the Concrete industry field, but there is MUCH more that can be done with it. 95% percent of students that go through the program take the "engineering" path and apply it to construction and things of that sort. I'm much more interested in the chemistry and geology and hopefully applying it to a type of energy conservation/earth study. That would be great.

Classes are going pretty well so far, I’m taking 17 hours with 2 additional labs. It’s quite a load, but I’m really trying to hit this thing head on. I spend most of my time in the library doing research and writing up lab reports.

I’ve yet to meet anyone up here. But I’m also not that worried about it. I have a really wonderful schedule going: waking at daybreak with Papi, and retiring around ten. The weather has been perfect for walking to school and running for exercise. I began reading my second Ron Rash novel titled One foot in Eden. I read World Made Straight a few months ago and really made me love Ron Rash. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Duane Allman and Tinariwen. I’m listening to T.I. when I’m running.

As excited as I am about this program, I feel really eager to get back to Texas. I’m sure y’all know how much of a proud Texican I am, and I don’t need to go into detail. Of course, I miss my friends and my family.

If anyone is interested in writing me, I’d love to strike up correspondence with you. My address is:

207 Tuttle St. /Alpena, MI /49707
And to the few of you that read this, I’ll be updating very often so holla back.

Paz.

Two Steps from the Blues.

I like my women like I like my whiskey; at night and aged over 25.
I like em' hot hot hot like the fourth of July.

Every so often I break into some sort of exploration of the blues. I run around in new ideas, concepts artists. The past month or so I've been swimming around in the licks of Derek Trucks, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, and Freddie King. But I can't ever seem to stay away from the Johnny Winter's self titled. Once I get a certain distance from with my new knowledge, I begin to crave it. There isn't much that can quench that thirst for my blues like the hot guitarslinger that I love. I think I'm taking that one to the grave.

I picked up some new records as of late. I should put up a list of my library of records one day.

I recently read World Made Straight by Ron Rash. Not only did it affirm my attachment to the South, it sent me grasping for everything in my life that is rooted here. If I leave Texas, it's going to be rough.

I have solitude nudging at my back. I'm trying to fight it by hanging out with people I haven't spent much time with. I jammed with a friend I met at a concert a year ago. It was great. I'm hoping to hang out with some people in my group I only see in group settings. My friend John's fiancee is leaving for the month of July, I'm sure he'll be bored out of his mind. Natalie might be coming in July. Maybe Kirby and I will hang out. I think I can do this.

I'm thinking I want to get a dog. I don't have any pets that can walk around with me, that I can take places. Leeland and Arbor don't like to stray far from their water, and Remedious is too skiddish when she leaves my hands. I want a puppy to sit with me on the porch and go with me to the beach. Maybe I just miss my dog that my parents won't part with.

I got all the time off I needed from work. I'm set to explore my perspectives of veganism, the blues, the south, myself, and my philosophies.

MUCH to come.

Paz.

Nearer My God to Thee

Sweet baby jesus.

Here I am months down the line and miles gone as far as insight.

I don't know where to start. As of about a week ago, I moved into my best friend Julia's house, which has been wonderful. Our souls are so in tune that it's almost as though I'm living with myself, as crazy as that sounds. I'm really looking forward to all the spiritual awakenings and great meals to come. Maybe I'll even tag along with some of the great experiences she's having.

Work has been ridiculous. I've been working 40+ hours, and killing myself doing it. But I've met some intriguing people. My co-worker Lovette has been hanging out and is becoming a good friend. I've decided that I'm going to start working minimally and start listening to my soul.

There's so much I've been craving to do, and I feel guilty for suppressing it for so long.

- I've been telling myself for years that I have to get back to Mexico, but keep pushing back the date consistently. I've decided to make it happen, and think I'll be going the first or second week of July. I plan to stay with family in the mountains near Montemorelos. Then I'll travel south and visit many of the small pueblas and mercados. Maybe i'll be lucky enough to get in on a soccer game or two.

- I desperately need to revisit my guitar project. I've been itching to get a hold of an old strat', but keep forgetting I have this in the works. Instead of going on an extensive search of what I need, I have this project waiting for me that can be shaped into exactly what I want. I have so many ideas for this turning into an amazing art project.

- Reading. Just fucking reading.
- Cooking.
- Exercise.

- I've had the desire lately to learn how to make coconut masks. If anyone knows how or what materials I should use, let me know.

I keep falling farther into fearing animal cruelty. My diet has become even more strict, it's even become hard to see or smell certain things. I've lost a tremendous amount of weight, but I feel really good about it. I've been exercising and stretching, and even though I've lost much weight, I've gotten really toned. I'm hoping to get into some sort of stretching routine. I don't know if Yoga is what I'm actually looking for, but maybe something similar.

Photo: Beach trip.

To come: my love for the south, the blues, trashy women, and good whiskey.

Paz.

Can't Get No Grindin'