shots of cali

Unedited Short Stories, Memories, Glimpses of California and Thoughts of the Lone Wolfie

[dangdude-blog]

The Dresden

Los Angeles, CA

2016

[dangdude-blog]

Irish “men” in the SF avenues

Video

2016

What is it about Irish culture

That ability to have high high’s

Yet this weird underbelly of depressing lows.

The ability to blame drinking & culture on everything, instead of apologizing for ones own actions.

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Gun Crazy (Joseph H. Lewis, 1950)

[dangdude-blog]

I lost my voice. And spent up until now trying to track down my phone. And in a positive one last try attempt, I tried to use OPD non emergency as a tool just in case. But, the police still don't give a fuck, and I don't care about their work. So...I drove near one of the addresses tracked on my phone. I headed East. I stopped at a gas station named after something cliche having to do with “the universe”. The owner was super attractive, and I explained my case, and he let me call non emergency from their land line. “Yeah we have to call them all the time.” So I called, they said they would send someone, and they didn't. I sat with a Laotian cashier, and a Mexican stock boy for about an hour and a half. To kill time I bought some scratch offs, a mango Snapple. Then they bought scratch off’s so I was yelling absurd things like “big money!” & “papa needs a brand new pair of shoes!”. We all lost.  I thought the laotian man had a cool like...side rat tail, but after further review - it was a huge mole, with hair it looked like a rat tail, on the side of his neck. He prepared his cup a noodles, and after debating we agreed the police never come when called here, and I should go to the location with someone. But with time quickly diminishing from my battery life,  no good friends to go along, and knowing I could figure it out best - I left very much alone, and rather quickly.

[dangdude-blog]

“Holy Crap”

2005

Milwaukee

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“Aqua”

2004 

Photography + Photoshop

[dangdude-blog]

In honor of turning 30 this year. I will post photos of the last 10 years of my wonderful amazing crazy life.  Dear 30 - I’m so excited that I am almost 30! I’ve wanted to be 30 since I was 14. Thanks 20′s for the wild ride, but y'all aint shit! <3

[delreigns]

[dangdude-blog]

Here is one of my most loved movie scenes. <3

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Yacht Rock & Chardonnay Jazz

Year 2 on the boat. Finally had some down time to clean the ol' gal. First time in months. I think I avoided it for a good year due to Sam dying. I;m Listening to chardonnay jazz & yacht rock. Missing Sam more than ever. I used to walk over to trader vic's in my sweats and hooded robe, we'd do late night happy hour listening to the same kinda shit. He usually would talk about his favorite bars in the Marina District haha and then try to make future plans for a night out there with him. He also thought I didn’t have nice clothes and tell me I dressed like a lesbian. “200 dollars, we can go to Macy’s and I will get you a new wardrobe!” haha. We’d go back to the boat, smoke weed, make a drink, then sit on these infinity deck chairs at the end of his dock gazing out on to the bay. So serene. Especially listening to easy listening. just fuckin' livin' the dream man! Before he died he told me that he liked the relationship that we had. Our friendship. He said he really cherished it. “We are brothers.” <3 

[dangdude-blog]

First Impressions are everything.

A few years ago I walked in to a new bar that had opened in my neighborhood. I went to play pinball and drink and mind my own business. I smelled the strong odor of a cigar and noticed a guy behind the pinball machines smoking.

Me: Excuse me, there’s no smoking in here. It’s illegal to smoke inside of bars and restaurants in the state of California.

Him: ((Looks at the cigar and looks at me)) so.

Me: Well go outside!

Him: I just had a baby.

Me: Well I hope that now you’re a parent, you will make better decisions moving forward.

[dangdude-blog]

The flasher

”Um, (oops) So he was like flashing people in the bathroom, like leaving the door open and being like “oops!” I guess...like. So yeah that was weird, but I never experienced him. Although, its..when you’re really tired its like really accidental to like, leave the like...door open, because you know you like live there. So its like sometimes you forget to lock the door. It’s happened to maybe like once or twice and you just...shut the door. Or someone says they are sorry, it’s like normal shit.”

[dangdude-blog]

Boat Folk

Last year during crab season, I was dirt poor. But the tent was up. 

**They put a tent up every year by the commercial fishing docks, and have huge pots that they boil crab in for the charters. People pay like 100 bucks, go out on the boat, and they are able to cook their catch for free afterwards. 

Well I asked around, and I was told to come back and find a dude named R. So everyday I biked past until I saw a dude.

Me: Hey - I want a crab. What’s the deal?

Him: This is only for charter boats, sorry.

Me: What do you mean?

Him: I only cook crab for the charters, and the fisherman.

Me: Well I have a slip here at the marina.

Him: Nope Can’t do it.

Me: Why not? Pleaaaaaaaase???

Him: Nope. 

So needless to say I biked up to him every fucking day asking the same question, getting the same answer. Until one day he squinted his eyes and zoned in on me.

R: “What are you doing down here?”

Me: I own a boat. What do you mean what am I doing down here?

R: Well the only reason a girl would be on a boat is if she was hidin’ from someone!

Me: (breaking eye contact to kind of look around to see if anyone else was witnessing this dude with missing teeth asking me this) Umm...yeah no. Not hiding from anyone. Just have a boat.

Him: Well come back sunday. I’ll see what I can do. 

[dangdude-blog]

The Medallion

So...whatever! I know some crazy people, but I am totally enlightened right now. I met cab driver in New York, who was totally bonkers (who isnt), however I just couldn’t handle his shit at a certain point. It was honestly a bit much, but he was a great person.  Anywhoosers, I mentioned him for some reason to a friend tonight. She didn't believe me - and asked "Where did you...How did you meet this person?" I rattled off how, and then it hit me. I blurted "I bet I still have the email!" as I grabbed my laptop and looked it up. I found some gems, but this one is so crucial. A insanely long list of quotes he favored, after a lengthy email. Enjoy. <3

Below some quotes I like. ****************** Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained. Lao Tzu It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help.  ~Epicurus The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.  ~Henry David Thoreau When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.  The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.  ~Henri Nouwen Our most difficult task as a friend is to offer understanding when we don't understand.  ~Robert Brault She is a friend of mind.  She gather me, man.  The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.  It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.  ~Toni Morrison, Beloved The language of friendship is not words but meanings.  ~Henry David Thoreau I like friends who, when you tell them you need a moment alone, know enough not to stray too far.  ~Robert Brault A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.  ~Arnold Glasow If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do.  Think up something appropriate and do it.  ~Edgar Watson Howe The friend within the man is that part of him which belongs to you and opens to you a door which never, perhaps, is opened to another.  Such a friend is true, and all he says is true; and he loves you even if he hates you in other mansions of his heart.  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Wisdom of the Sands, translated from French by Stuart Gilbert "Never stop doing little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts." Deciding whether or not to trust a person is like deciding whether or not to climb a tree, because you might get a wonderful view from the highest branch, or you might simply get covered in sap, and for this reason many people choose to spend their time alone and indoors, where it is harder to get a splinter. ~Lemony Snicket I never lie because I don't fear anyone.  You only lie when you're afraid.  ~John Gotti We tell lies when we are afraid... afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us.  But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.  ~Tad Williams With lies you may get ahead in the world - but you can never go back.  ~Russian proverb Someone once asked me whether I am an idealist or a dreamer. I'm neither. I consider myself optimistic realist. I see reality, but I give it the benefit of the doubt. Kate Miller Be realistic: Plan for a miracle. I live my life based on 2 principles. One, I live as if today was my last day on earth. Two, I live today as if I am going to live forever. The real question is not whether life exists after death. The real question is whether you are alive before death. Life begins where fear ends.

[dangdude-blog]

So I decided to take charge and get people together to organize my high school reunion. 1) I don’t know what I was thinking. 2) It’s gon be poppin. Who can design me a cash money records flyer for Milwaukee High School of the Arts?!

[711vevo-blog]

[dangdude-blog]

My Mom’s first year in San Francisco - 70′s

[tornanfrayed]

[dangdude-blog]

yassssss