By the time I get to Massachusetts.

This is a synopsis of the past three weeks.

Week #1- after a grueling week of work I decided to head to Providence to see my best friend, Hargis. I left work at 10 P.m. in Deerfield, Mass. and made it to Providence at a little after midnight. My cell phone had died and i didn't have an adapter so I used a pay phone for the first time since i don't know when.

We stayed up talking and made the bottom and second down from the top pieces of art that you see on the left.

We had one of those conversation strings going that had us both awake until five thirty in the morning. We were also trading music duties on Hargis' stereo, so we were both introduced to some great music. Day two was a wake up at around one in the afternoon. Hargis' neighbor Carrie, a student at The Rhode Island School of Design, was working on her final project with her husband Josh and his dad. It involved making a massive photo by using the sun to develop said photo. The sun eluded us eventually but to have witnessed a project as well as making my own art, stirred something in me. As though a great dam had been broken, my creativity levels rose and started flowing again.

We spent the rest of the night trading stories again, making the third piece of art down on the left, watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, we tried to make some music but there was massive equipment fail going on, and ate some pizza.

It was really nice to get away for a weekend as I have not been outside The Pioneer Valley since September.

Week #2: I ended up with the band Problem With Dragons in their van, on the way to Worcester, Mass. as they were playing a show at a place called Ralph's with none other than Yucky Octopus, HOTBLACK and Planetoid. On the way we saw the super moon, which was cool.

I took a picture of Rob and Joe in the front and my flash went off. That was the only picture I took of the night.

Ralph's was cool. Joe and I played pinball, I bought Cd's by yucky Octopus and the new Planetoid.
PWD was great, Planetoid was as epic and awesome as ever and Yucky Octopus is becoming one of my favorite bands as they nailed it.

The club is pretty cool looking, old and worn in but wearing it's history with pride.

The drummer for PWD and I had cheeseburgers in the diner part of the club. The burger was really good and hearty, and not that expensive. We missed HOTBLACK's set because it took too long for the food to arrive. The weird thing is that all around us in the diner was the same person, split up in to female and male groups: the men had a winter cap in, wore all black, had beards and horn rimmed glasses. The women were all styled after Siouxie Sue. Hey, it's punk rock, dude! I want to be different just like everyone else! I'm only stating this out of revenge for the clones at the table behind me I overheard saying 'i think those two guys are cops' and for the crude paper airplane I found on my sweatshirt. I gave it back to them. They must've dropped it.

We got lost on the way to the highway and ended up in a war zone. I have two things to say about Worcester: FUCK and YOU. You're not Boston, you are a dung hole.

Week #3: I ended up working last Saturday for four hours. Blockbuster in Northampton is going out of business so I checked it out. The prices aren't low enough yet so I'll check back on Friday.

Terri and I had our friend Tom over on Saturday night. Like week #1, it was full of conversation and laughter. We haven't had a guest over in some time and the house was the warmer for it.

On Sunday I had one of my first milestones as a home owner: I bought a shovel. It doesn't sound like a lot but all of the holes our dog Jackson had mend in the back yard needed to be filled. We also swept up all of the sand in the front walkway, and did some yard work. We are looking forward to getting out back yard together this year and having some nice get garden parties.

Terri and I went to her mom's for dinner. Her sister Jen, was there with her three children: Isaiah, Gloria and baby Darnell.
It turned into 'dad 101: class is in session' for me. I held Darnell, I learned how to feed Darnell, I watched Darnell being changed. Gloria was on my shoulders as I walked around the house and I was happy that she isn't as shy around me as she used to be. Isaiah-who's 10- and I talked about video games.

And now it's Tuesday. I am heading to work and then home to relax and possibly catch up on some much needed reading. I need to also listen to the records I purchased over the past two weeks.

Sorry this seems bland and informatively cold. I just needed to write today and let it all out.

www.planetoidmusic.com/

www.myspace.com/problemwithdragons

www.myspace.com/hotblack

www.yuckyoctopus.com

Burrito and used CD day!

Welcome to the best part of the week besides the Saturday nights: Thursday.

This day has me giddy from Sunday until now because I get to embark on two of my favorite quests: buying music and/or movies and getting a burrito.

Why just last week I purchased 'The Blasting Concept' compilation and a steak burrito.

The week before? The first Ep from OFF! and a bean and rice burrito.

Both were equally tasty. The Ep was a bit waxy.

Music has been getting a bit thin as of late, so I have made up for it by back cataloging some of my favorite bands. There are three choices in Northampton to buy music: Turn It Up!, Newbury Comics and Feeding Tube Records.

Here's me opining of these establishments:
I have been to Feeding Tube once. I purchased Black Flag's 'Live in '84' and Born Again$t's anthology.
They mostly deal in very heavy experimental stuff and a lot of it's on vinyl.

The selection is darn good if you dig a little.

I forgot my beard, glasses, tape loop, and paper mache puppet at the door, so I got some leers.

Turn It Up! is always hit or miss. They do have a pretty decent turn around on music. You have to wait until the last week of school or when a good amount of drugs hits the town. Then its SELL! SELL! SELL! and those of us who aren't in school or don't do drugs can reap the benefits.

Newbury Comics is Newbury Comics. It's the old record collecting uncle who sometimes has a good thing to show you, but most of the time wants to hang out. He used to be the coolest but now his run down shit hole of an apartment smells like B.O.

I'm glad Newbury Comics is in Northampton now because EVERYONE with any sense stay the fuck away from Amherst.

The first time I went to Newbury Comics was in 1989. We went to Boston, to Newbury Street. I purchased Black Flag's 'Nervous Breakdown Ep and Dead Kennedy's 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off!' Ep.

I'm still into the same music but now I don't have to drive to Boston, I only have to tolerate Northampton.

I try to keep an open mind when buying burritos.

I am a loyal La Veracruzana fan. That place has been with me since my first bean tacos in 1992.

If you want authentic Mexican food, go to LA Casita Azteca in Easthampton...the best hands down.

BUT were are talking about getting food in 'Hamp.

Bueno Y Sano is a favorite. i would haunt that place when Newbury Comics was in Amherst.

They go for more of a Tex-Mex fare. I can't disagree but i like to keep it real.

I usually switch between La Veracruzana and Bueno Y Sano to be fair but I have to go with the former any day.

Their beans are well prepared, they don't have gimmicky burritos and it's what you would get south of the border.

Alright for now. I have to go out and stimulate Northampton's economy.

I'm going to a new coffee place in Northampton today...wish me luck.