Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
yes she makes that audience rock.
"i dreamed a dream" from les miserables
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.
And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.
Monday, April 13, 2009
My Vacation (4th grade)
i guess i never liked that first "r" in febuary.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
UNCA - walking the labyrinth
graffiti on top of the sign reads:
Meditation = listening to your mind and not a sign
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
the road ends here
it wasn't the most exciting championship game, but the good guys won. frasor makes me nervous, the heels fall on the floor drawing charges too often, and hansbrough may be a robot in a family of robots, but other than that, they were the perfect team. ellington and danny green and and ed davis and ty lawson with his low center of gravity were so much fun to watch all season.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Fish Dinners Sale flyer in the mailbox
i'm sad to say i didn't order anything.
also wondering what the health department would think of this.
Friday, April 03, 2009
broken toes
people are funny.
this photo i took of someone's toes in a cast is the second-most clicked-on of all 3000 of my flickr photos by a mile. (the first most clicked-on is this of unc-asheville's giant basketball player kenny george last year).
last week i got email from mike52fun about it:Leg Cast
Hi,
Was that your foot in the cast? If so, did you enjoy the attention you received while wearing it?
Have a GREAT day,
Mike
to which i replied:Re: Leg Cast
hi MIke, no it wasn't my foot, i was at an outdoor concert & it was the foot of a woman sitting in front of me. i'm very glad to have never broken my foot or ankle or leg.
then he wrote back:Re: Leg Cast
Thank-you!
Would you like to wear a cast for fun for a couple of days and see how much attention you would receive?
Have a GREAT Weekend,
Mike
i countered:Re: Leg Cast
i don't think so, since i do all i can to AVOID attention. i'm more of an observer than a performer. and i like to walk instead of hobble.
and finally:Re: Leg Cast
Thank-you for your reply!
I wish you much success!
Mike
so i got that going for me.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
newark
i took this photo sunday morning at newark airport thinking about all the sensory overload presented there, and just noticed the woman in the vest is the very same woman who sneezed on me twice after our flight landed in asheville and we were waiting at the gate to retrieve luggage.
i guess the new thing with sneezing is to NOT contain your germs with your hands, thinking you'll soon touch things with your germy fingers and spread your sick. instead you're supposed to sneeze into your elbow and contain the germs there, since you hardly touch the inside of your elbow to anything or anyone else.
there were about a dozen other passengers tightly clustered at the gate waiting for the bag cart to meet us. she was less than a foot away from me. when she sneezed, she turned her head toward me and sort of raised her bent arm to shoulder level and sneezed, containing none of her germs in her elbow, instead spraying me with them.
i sighed loudly and rolled my eyes and turned my head away and covered my mouth with my scarf to breathe.
within 20 seconds she did it again.
i said, 'are you kidding me?!?' and walked out of the room. she mumbled something like 'oh i'm sorry.'
if you're going to sneeze into your elbow, please put your elbow up to your mouth, not 6 inches in front of your face as you sneeze all over people around you.
i now have swollen glands and blame her.
orange peel update
Hi Heather,
I'm sorry to hear that you had an uncomfortable experience with our door staff at the Ozomatli show. I actually took the night off to attend the show and, you're right, it was great. We really try to encourage the staff to be considerate of both the customer's experience at a show and the security of the club. It is not an easy job and sometimes, in efforts to protect the club, a staff member can go overboard. We have reminded all of the staff that the thoroughness of pat downs/searches, unless otherwise dictated by the band's management, do not need to be quite so extreme and we think we have come up with a policy that is clear and noninvasive.
... I appreciate you emailing us as we are always trying to improve and constructive criticism is always welcome.
Sincerely,
Dana Redfield
The Orange Peel, Manager
i am happy with this response and plan to go back in the next couple months, and will bring my bag like i normally do and report back on the depth of search.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
henry at the bank
the people at the bank love my little brother henry. they give him treats so he loves them, too.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
look homeward angel
taking a trip to the northeast. hooray public transportation! hooray for no snow! hooray for blueberry muffins! hooray for furry brothers!
Monday, March 23, 2009
silent letters be gone
the best of friends
like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
Friday, March 20, 2009
Please do not mix olives. and wings.
it's been a few months since i changed my brita water filter and there are carbon bits floating around the inside, so i went to ingles to get some more.
i checked the hardware aisle.
no filters.
i checked the bottled water aisle.
no filters.
i checked the baking aisle.
no filters.
i checked the jewish food aisle where i swear i'd bought them before.
no filters.
fine, you win, i'll ask a manager stocking shelves. i knew he was a manager from his white button down shirt and tie. he told me they no longer stock water filters.
he said there wasn't enough room for water filters anymore after the last 'reset.'
this store is huge. tens of thousands of square feet. it has a full pharmacy inside the store. it has a full deli inside the store. it has a freestanding starbucks inside the store. it has a full movie rental store inside the store.
they must've had to make room for this disgusting salad wing and olive bar and could no longer spare 1 square foot of shelf space for brita filters.
LAME.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
APPALACHIA sung to the tune of LOCHLOOSA written by JJ Grey
this girl is 11 years old. 11 YEARS OLD! are you fucking kidding me?
http://www.almirafawn.com/
Monday, March 16, 2009
hellos and goodbyes
it's now been 2 years since nacho, holden and i moved to asheville from sun diego. i had high expectations and they've been exceeded. it's a most accepting, creative place, aesthetically pleasing, with plenty of opportunity for recreation, full of relatively aware unfake people. i love living here.
yesterday was a goodbye party for friends who are moving to tennessee.
in the words of billy joel:
so many faces in and out of my life,
some will last, some will just be now and then.
life is a series of hellos and goodbyes,
i'm afraid it's time for goodbye again.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
facedown on the sidewalk
it looked like a white rectangle, but was really the world's cutest baby picture
Thursday, March 12, 2009
ozomatli + chali 2na
i went to the orange peel last night and the show was great.
we got there about 10 minutes before the band went on and the place was already pretty full. i showed my ticket to the guy at the door. i showed my license to the guy on the stool inside the door. then a girl behind him about my age said she had to look in my bag. it was sideways across my body so i started to open it up to show her the insides. she said no take it off and put it on the table. so i did. she asked if i needed to go put anything back in the car, any drugs or alcohol. i said no. she proceeded to open, unzip and unvelcro every pocket, took out my wallet, opened it, opened the change purse inside my wallet, pulled out my chapstick, tampons, keys, physically handled every single thing in the bag. i felt completely violated, especially since she asked if there was anything in there and i said no. i have been to many festivals and rock and jamband shows at big arenas with tight security and have never been searched so invasively as at the orange peel last night. it left a rancid impression and in this recession where i'm already cutting way back on shows i see, to avoid further hassle, privacy violations, and excessive searches, i will not be back to the orange peel unless it's a dire emergency (ie tea leaf green is playing).
Share Away :






Wednesday, March 11, 2009
heart
you can chop down the tree but can't break its heart
snowstorm preschool 1980
The snow is blowing
all the stars to pieces
in the snowstorm.
The house has snow
all over it!
Monday, March 09, 2009
smiling thumbs up
when i look at this door i see a smiley face giving me the thumbs up.
spring has sprung in north carolina, at least for the last few days. daffodils and crocuses are out. i went for a walk in flip flops for the first time since probably august and halfway through the skin on the top of my feet was ripped so badly i walked the last mile and a half barefoot. every single person i passed on the way said 'nice day for going barefoot.' which is true, but it's not too nice walking on asphalt and concrete barefoot. the skin on the bottom of my feet is also ripped now. but a week ago there were 4 inches of snow on the ground and i was wearing eskimo boots, so i am not complaining.
Friday, March 06, 2009
common sense
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009
brilliant invention


this guy in nebraska made a bong out of a duct taped shoebox and put his cat in there to try to calm it down. i see he has scratches on his neck in the mugshot that could be evidence the cat needed to chill.
"This cat was just dazed," Sgt. Andy Stebbing said. "She was on the front seat of the cop car, wrapped in a blanket, and never moved all the way to the humane society."
full story here.
snowdog
we got a couple of inches of snow yesterday. the world's friendliest polar bear cub seems to like this.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
medical ethical dilemma
.
Friday, February 27, 2009
neville brothers
i saw the neville brothers and dr. john play this week. after dr. john opened, they put the curtain down & when the nevilles came out they put the curtain up and lead falsetto singer aaron neville's microphone stand was stuck to the curtain so it went flying up about 25 feet to the ceiling and came crashing down and broke on stage. he just played the tambourine and danced around for the first song 'fire on the bayou' until the roadie could bring him out another one. the show was mardi grasalicious.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
golden scorpion honey
there was a small golden scorpion on the honey jar today. i tried to drown it with rubbing alcohol but it tried to escape so i popped it with a teaspoon.
click the photo for a closeup of the mythical golden scorpion.
(anybody know what it really is? mini carolina wolf spider?)
Monday, February 23, 2009
get it quick
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
i hate goodbyes
mateo is leaving vintage vantage today after running thangs for five years. here he is during his weekend of fun with the inimitable kid D. there's a tribute to him on the site today here. i made a tribute for him when i started this blog 3 years ago here. he and his lady are traveling the world for the next three months, and i wish them nothing but the best of everything.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
max patch
360 views of the blue ridge and great smoky mountains from up there. they keep it tree-free by mowing and controlled burns. it's phenomenal.
Friday, February 13, 2009
sky heart
have a lucky friday 13 and a loveful valentine's day, if you pay attention to those kinds of things. i'm going to a cabin in hot springs, where i hear the springs are not really hot. they're calling for rain all weekend, but hopefully will be nice enough to hike around up there. i'm going to try to make shrimp pierre for the first time. i've enjoyed the hell out of it many times over the years but never attempted to make it. looks easy enough.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Autistic Basketball Manager's 20 Point Game
this is 3 years old but still tear-inducing
just be enthusiastic
way to go jason mcelway
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
broadway nest
makes a great funeral gift

got a request through eBay today from a girl whose dad just died to make 5 Jif honey peanut butter stash safes for her siblings and her because their dad loved honey peanut butter so much and she wants to give them all a memorial present. i said absolutely no problem.
Monday, February 09, 2009
torched christmas trees
went to a party in the woods where we burned a couple hundred christmas trees. the heat was beautiful.
Friday, February 06, 2009
1 love
irie bob marley day everybody.
let's get together and feel alright! free michael phelps!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
snow dogs!
we finally got a little more than a dusting in asheville. on the one morning of the winter that i needed to be at the doctor. the office was open and less than a mile away and i made it driving there and back with no trouble, and everything is fine. it's pretty amazing how there are no sanding or salting trucks going by, the streets are a big frozen mess. hot chocolate time!
Monday, February 02, 2009
thanks Dgold
http://dgold.info/radio/webcast2009/music409
in the first few seconds of Obama Inauguration Tunes Hour 4 my friend Dgold says hello to skippy haha and vintage vantage and proceeds to play an outright incredibly eclectic mix of music picked thoughtfully and specially to commemorate obama's inauguration day.
SET FOUR: Yes We Can Can, For What It’s Worth, Being A President Is Like Riding A Tiger, Blue Hawaiian, Changes > Without Hope You Cannot Start The Day, Chicago, Change Of Pace, Done Change My Way Of Living, Already Free, Grandma’s Hands, This Land Is Your Land, Funky President, Big Brother, All The Black And White Children, Change Gonna Come, Change My Ways Part 2
Artists "Obama Inauguration Tunes Hour 4"
The Pointer Sisters, Mavis Staples, Maserati, Pavement, Yes, Sufjan Stevens, Albert King, Taj Mahal, The Derek Trucks Band, Bill Withers, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Bettye LaVette, Otis Redding, Galactic
in his words,
This is not a political radio show, it is a music radio show that is current with culture and news events around the world.
As an American music radio show based on the campus of the University Of Arkansas, I am broadcasting a collection of songs of hope for the world, music of change for the listeners, as Barack Obama becomes President of the United States on this historic day.
thanks for all the honest tunes, Dgold.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
this would suck
SC skydive instructor dies; 1st-timer lands safely
The Associated Press
Posted: Sunday, Feb. 01, 2009
CHESTER, S.C. Authorities say a skydive instructor who was sharing a parachute with a first-time jumper apparently died of a heart attack in the air.
Officials say the instructor was identified as George C. "Chip" Steele of Sumter, S.C.
The first-time jumper was able to parachute to the ground safely Saturday in Chester County. He tried to revive the 49-year-old instructor after they had landed, but the coroner's office says it was too late.
They were skydiving in a tandem jump, where instructors are strapped to the backs of their students.
The first-time jumper was described as an active member of the military in his 30s, but his name was not immediately released.
Steele worked for Skydive Carolina and had made thousands of jumps over a lengthy career.
i jumped out of a plane in henderson north carolina in 1996. it was weird. it was a tandem jump like this one, with a guy wearing sweatpants strapped to my back. you do the math. as miserable as it was i'm glad he didn't have a heart attack.
Friday, January 30, 2009
orange peel
does this appeal to your prurient interest?