ups and downs

First off, mr. obbs apologizes to his legions of fans for the long delay in posting. Things have been pretty busy. Some good things and some sad things.

On the 16th, I was at work. The plan was to head to Norton, MA after work with my cousin Big James to do a lil partyin wit my other cousin Lil T. We'd see him graduate on Saturday, then I'd drive back to Maine to help my family move my grandmother from her current home to one which could provide her with better care.

At 11am on that Friday, though, my mother called me at work and informed me that my grandmmother had passed away the nite before in her sleep. I was pretty sad and pretty much didn't do anything the rest of the day.

After talking with some cousins and my mom again about what I should do, we decided I ought to still see the graduation and represent my family there. Gran would have wanted to have me be there and celebrate T's day with him.

SO James and I drove out and we ended up having a completely crazy nite on campus. T's whole class (so it seemed) was crammed into one big dorm complex, about 3 floors high, and in an L shape. Every floor and every 'leg' of the L were seemingly throwin parties. If security came, people would just all run to another floor. In one hallway, they had turned all the lights off save for a few black lights. They'd handed out a bunch of glowsticks and were pumpin out some mad techno beats. Someone had the genius idea to bite their glowstick and spray the liquid everywhere. Seeing the walls, floor, and fellow partygoers glowing in neon greens, yellows, and reds actually was one of the cooler things I've seen lately. I even bit open my glowstick and poured it on Big James and some innocent bystanders.

The graduation was cool. I am really close to my mother's side of the family and all my cousins, so whenever we get together, it is nothing but laughs and good times. It was only because of this that the whole funeral and viewing hours and burial weren't a total sobfest. I shed my share of tears, as did my cousins, not gonna deny that, but whens it's all done, we're able to have fun and smile. My grandmother was old, so it wasn't a total shock, but funerals are terrible, regardless of age or situation. You think you'd be prepared, especially if the person had been sick for quite some time leading up to it, but you really aren't. I had to do a reading from I Corinthians 13 during the funeral, and I thought, going into it, that I wouldn't even be able to get the words out. But I was ok, luckily I got to do it before the eulogy and stuff, cuz after my uncle read that, I don't think there was a dry eye in the place.

But anywho... the reception was awesome. It reminded me of the old family reunions we'd have in the summer. All the cousins, all the aunts and uncles alng with dogs and cats and horses and enough food for all. Granny would have loved it.

Its kinda sad how the only time a family can all get together is for funerals and weddings.

Next post will be happier, I proooomise.
-- obbs




This song's lyrics contain a lot of what I had to read at the funeral... it's all I could think about as I read the passage to myself before taking the podium.

Todd Rundgren -- Real Man

all aboard

mr. obbs saw an ad about 2 weeks or so ago in the daily Metro boston daily that caught his eye. It was for a new PBS series called "Carrier," and was set to chronicle the lives of the shipmates during their 6-month deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom. My interest was piqued, to say the least.

I saw the first two hours of the 10-hour series, and mr. obbs was hooked! It doesn't glorify things at all. You are shown the seaman swabbin the decks, flying off the runway, gettin punished, having fun, bein tourists in Hong Kong, Perth, Kual a Lumpur and other exotic locales. You are shown the highs and the lows. How 6 months away can make people go nuts and put horrible strains on families. It is interesting.

Perhaps I am more interested due to the fact that I have been thinking of joining off and on for some time now. We shall see. But it looks like it'd be pretty frickin sweet to be a pilot or officer and get to visit some of the places they did. I would be sure to not have any family though. I couldn't put them through that.

I highly recommend you check out episode one. From the opening montage set to "All the Things I Have Done" by the Killers to the ending montage of the sailors in their whites paying their respects to those who passed during the attack on Pearl Harbor set to the overly dramatic, yet effective, song "World" by Five For Fighting, it'll suck you in. Check it out at PBS.com.

and that's all I have to say, about that.

For some muzack, I hear Coldplay is preppin a new album to be released in a month or so. I got a track here offa the new album, not sure if it's the new single or if its all over the radio because, well, I don't listen to the radio.

Irregahdless, it has a sik staccato string riff. And god knows I am a huge fan of the string riff. Check it out, along with some other tracks featuring some cool string riffs. Love em.

Coldplay -- Viva La Vida

Electric Light Orchestra -- Livin' Thing (this was played at my parents wedding)

Miri Ben-Ari ft. Anthony Hamilton and Algebra -- She Was Just a Friend (while not played at my parents wedding, this chick lays down sik violin riffs for the likes of Kanye and... maybe some others. She has a bunch of jazz albums, and did a whole hip-hop alb with peeps like 'ye, John Legend, and Scarface. It's good.)

Oh, and one more thing... AMERICAN GLADIATORS RETURNS TONITE!!!!

I just found this vlog from Chris Altice from "Carrier." He seemed like a really funny, laid-back kid who just made a mistake... as the director said it was like he was literally growing up right in front of the camera. They follow him through the whole series, and, well, it's really intersting to see him struggle and then what comes of his whole saga. You'll hafta watch the show to see how things turn out for him.

all for now my loyal fans. time to go watch some gladiators...

-- obbs

allston carnage

Yesterday began like pretty much any Thursday. I walked out my door in the morning to start my daily commute, and noticed a helicopter circling my neighborhood. While out of the ordinary, I thought that maybe the ghetto bird was circling to deter trashpickers from looting BU students belongings as they began moving stuff out of their houses. I'm not sure why I thought that... probably because I love trashpicking and subconsciously hoped that the police would not get involved. It's not even illegal so what am I worried about? *takes deep breath*

So anyways, I walk out onto Brighton ave and take a look down the street for my bus. All I see are firetrucks, police, and flashing lights. And in the middle of it all is a pile of smoldering and smoking wreckage. I am a bit dumbstruck, and figure the only logical thing to do is walk over and inspect the scene from up close, right? As I walk by, I make sure not to get in the emergency crews way, yet still manage to stop and take a picture with my cell phone.



It was pretty nuts. As I continued walking to the Packard's Corner T stop, I noticed ANOTHER vehicle which had run straight into a big glass window. Hot damn... I was used to watching some old lady wash that window every morning. I crossed the street to board the T, but when I got there, everyone was being ushered off. I was like 'damn!'


So I kept walking. I looked across the street and saw something that REALLY blew my mind.

I had never seen a car so completely and utterly beaten to shit before.


I waited for the T at a nearby stop until a T worker told all us stranded commuters to continue walking down a few more blocks. Why you ask? This is why.

About 2 or so blocks from the BIG crash was ANOTHER crash. A truck was across the T tracks, and a few other vehicles were all smashed up. I was like 'damn.'

Finally got on a T. Got to Kenmore. Waited to transfer with a bunch of other people in their business garb. Heard this guys cell go off. He was rockin the Glenn Frey (of Eagles glory) "You Belong to the City" midi ringtone. Loved it.

Got to work 30 mins late. My boss then asked if I'd like to take half a lunch break, or stay a half hour late. I wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but I guess it was legitimate to ask. For some reason i guess i thought I should still get paid when a car crash makes me late.

For the music today, gotta give it up to the dude at kenmore T station rockin the midi ringtone.


Glenn Frey - You Belong to the City

straight offa the soundtrack to this classic show.

adios fans!

-- obbs

not homeless!

Welp, in a stunning turn of events, I was able to use the power of persuasion to talk my landlord into letting me stay here throughout the summer. I had a couple things in my favor:

1. I'm a pretty damn good tenant, if I do say so myself. I pay my money... I throw parties every now and then, but GAD DAMMIT this house is surrounded by college students, and i am a fairly young person still who enjoys the occasional good time, so I think it's a bit unreasonable to think there would never be a party here.

2. My Chinese roommate said the only way she would stay is if I stayed here as well (apparently girls feel unsafe in a house all by themselves without a strong man to protect them. *shrugs*)

3. I knew another girl looking for housing. She could move into one of the rooms vacated by my evicted roomies.

So essentially, I told the landlord he could: kick me out, and thus make the china girl leave as well, thus earning him no rent, or he could let me stay and he'd get a total of 3 rent checks. And we all know how much landlords loveeee the rent checks.

So there you have it. Mr. obbs the wheeler and dealer.

In other news, the Celtics finally dispatched the Hawks from the playoffs. About damn time.

For some music, treat your head to some country music. Yes, mr. obbs even listens to some country now and then. Both these lead singers ahve pretty cool, deep, voices.

The first is from a group I was introduced to by a real-life cowboy friend of my family. We met him while at a dude ranch in Montana. He's been a Marlboro Man in some magazine ads before. If you've seen City Slickers 2, he is a lot like Curly in appearance, to give you a mental picture of this guy. Anyways, the song is more cowboy music than country, if ya feel me. For some reason I can imagine the lead singer as the father of some girl I'm asking out. With his voice, I would hate to get him mad. Or to get her pregnant.

Sons of the San Joaquin - Great American Cowboy

The second is a vid by Josh Turner. Apparently he's a big hit with the ladies... but anyways, this song is catchy, in my opinion.



adios.
-- obbs