The Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band

So I arrived back in the city on Monday the 29th of August from Shasta. And just two days later I was flying into Seattle. It was a very productive work week, let me tell you. Once I arrived at Sea-Tac, I was whisked by CB to Safeco Field to watch the Mariners play the Yankees. The matchup pitted Randy Johnson verses Felix Hernandez or King Felix as most Mariners fans call him now. The kid is 19 years-old and the next big thing as many baseball experts have written. For the last couple years as I understand Safeco just hasn't been the same. This can mostly be attributed to the M's not being good anymore. That night was a visit to the Safeco of old. It was a sold-out game and the place was electric. The Mariners' ace of the future and the present, truth be told, against Randy Johnson the M's ace of the past. And it was a pitching duel throughout. The youngster came out on the losing end though. The Yanks pulled off a 2-0 victory. It was a lot of fun even though the home team lost. Of note: Safeco now sells Sparks and I love that place even more than I used to because of it.

The next day JH, PK, CB and I headed to the Gorge in Central Washington to see Pearl Jam. It was beautiful that night and Pearl Jam were amazing. They played for just under 3.5 hours (no opening band) and JH and I sat in the 7th row just in front of Mike McCready. It was the longest show they have ever played and it is a performance I will never forget. Afterwards we went back to the campground met up with some friends who had also been at the show and drank beers 'til around 2:30. We weren't bothered too much, save for the random hammered 22-year old asking us if we had any 'shrooms or the random 48-year security guard asking us to turn down our music and telling us a bad dirty joke.

The next morning we drove back to Seattle dropped CB and PK off, and picked up MR and a friend and drove to Vancouver, BC for the sole purpose of seeing Pearl Jam again. After checking into our hotel we hit the scene going to a hip little Bar/Restaurant that JH and I had been the last time we were in Vancouver for Pearl Jam. Quickly, we were reminded that if you want to get drunk or even buzzed, one should not order mixed drinks unless they're doubles in Vancouver. You should stick to beer if your goal is to get hammered. In this respect Vancouver is much like Salt Lake City, which in my estimation is not a good thing. From there we hightailed it to the arena where Pearl Jam was playing. JH and I once again found ourselves in the 7th row (thanks again, Ten Club!) but because of the layout we were a lot closer than the night before. And this time we were in front of Stone Gossard. This night Pearl Jam didn't play as long, about 2.5 hours but it was inside and they do sound much better inside. Something else of note about the two Vancouver shows we've been too. The crowd is louder than any I've experienced between songs. It is absolutely amazing and you can actually see the band generally in awe of the praise they are getting. It is a very cool experience. But the best part of this show was that the band played two of my favorite songs (Down and U), neither of which I had ever heard live before. And when you've seen them 22 times, that's saying something.

I flew back to San Francisco the next day and spent the rest of my Labor Day weekend hanging out in the city I love so much but haven't been hanging out in much on the weekends. Pretty much, just drinking and being utterly distraught over all the shit going down in the Gulf Coast Region and then drinking more because of it.

Tonight, I have a softball game. I think this is our 7th game of the season but I've only been around for one, we have two wins and I wasn't there for either of them. So hopefully that changes tonight. So that brings the Awesome Cobras record when yours truly plays to 0-10-2. That's not a good stat at all. I'm sure a couple beers are in order afterwards at that great Softball hangout the Horseshoe Tavern and then hopefully back home decently early because I have to pack for my trip to Eugene, OR. The goal of which is my first trip to Autzen Stadium, a place of so much joy for many of my friends down here. Sat. we will be watching Oregon take on #1 ranked USC.

Currently Listening To: I Could Have Killed Him in the Sauna by Jaga Jazzist

I'm Back! Hopefully for the Long Haul.

So it's been a hectic past month. My apologies to all three of my faithful readers and the hole my lack of blogging has created in their life.

I have a lot of adventures to report on, so I hope to recap them over the the next few days. I can't do it all now, as it has been a long day with a wonderfully educational sexual harrassment class this afternoon, and I need to go lay on my couch and watch the Angels lose tonight.

So the weekend after my last blog was spent floating on Lake Shasta. It was my 8th time houseboating on the Shasta and possibly was the best one. Although my best friend JH and I say that everytime we go. Maybe our memories are going. But the trip was indeed one that we will always remembers. Dancing, eating burgers, drinking, swimming, keg rodeo, many games of Cups and many other of the normal staples were there again.

However, Cups was definitely taking to the next level. Sat. night was the 4-member team tourney and the Dynasty, a team that has never lost at Shasta, was beaten (finally) by the Justice League of Cups. A team consisting of MO, YT, KM and LM. It was a victory for those 4, but more importantly it was a victory for all those people at Shasta, who have never hooked up, for those who have never done a keg rodeo for longer than two seconds, for those who have never done a keg stand for longer than 10 seconds, for those people who have never had the guts to get naked in the middle of the day, for those who nearly drown in their cape, for those who just have no rhythm on the roof of the houseboat. All of you who I have just named REJOICE! IT IS YOUR TIME!

The following night Cups was reinvented once again at Shasta. First we had one-man time trials creating some ungodly 4 cup flip-times I believe about 6 sub 9 second rounds. These time trials led to a seeded one-on-one tourney which was amazing. The excitement, pressure, and pure joy created this was unparrelled by anything except for that time SZ threw his wang on the barbie. PT was victorious in a ultimate battle of royale versus BN. They both displayed their aptitude of drinking very fast, trash talking, and consuming large amounts of alcohol while still staying competitive. Well done, Gents.

There were 7 new people who all had a great time, I'm happy to report, but there were many more Shasta Veterans who couldn't make it and believe me, when I say you were all missed.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to recap my two Pearl Jam concerts and my visit to the Oregon Coast.

Currently Listening To: Never by The Cure