RAD THINGS OF OCTOBER

I've been meaning to do a monthly series of things I dug over and over or bought or was given or dig or laughed about or etcetera in the previous month, mainly as a reminder to myself, but I haven't done it (OBVIOUSLY). I'm a week late on the first one, which seems appropriate.


Deep Shit by Stale Champagne
No sucky sad face here. Sure, not as good as Stale Champagne, but daammmmnnnn this album wins the raucous award, dark dark in its clang. I'm sure "The Basement" slithered itself onto my favorite song list so so fast. "I've been livin' in the basement of the world. Sleepin' under a table and worshippin' Satan 'cause of a girl."

Sleeping Bag LP by Sleeping Bag
Took way long to buy this album why? Oh well, wore it out on Bandcamp, HERE LISTEN. Friend said, he mumbles a lot, and yes he does, but it's lovely. They play songs at their own pace and THAT IS SO PERFECT. I like to listen to this in the shower.

Hank by Abraham Smith
I'm stlll figuring out how to talk about this album (something I hope to do in a long essay DO IT soon) but for now, I'll post this video of Abe getting his Hank on (I know I know done that before or twice):


Cowboy Maloney's Electric City by Michael Bible
Here's my Single-Sentence Review. If I ever get my own Vouched Books table, this is one of the first fiction books I'm ordering.

Editing Stoked
We had a busy past month: finishing Volume III (see you in December sucka!), already got a few pieces for Volume IV, assembling our next chapbook (Travis Macdonald's erasure of the Wartime chapter of The 9/11 Commission Report, called "The O Mission Repo: Time"), and accepting our first full-length book for publication (more on this soonsoonsoon). DUH I'M STOKED.

Dating Sara Again
After almost 6 months of being broken up and a few months after our divorce, we decided to try dating again. People say weirdos; we say hey. It's slow and paced and cautious and loving and somehowsafe and FUN. I'm done being an idiot (I hope).

Half Moon Brewery in Kokomo, Indiana
One of our first dates this time around, Sara and I dug this place bunches. MORE THAN OUR WALLETS; too be fair, it's actually priced aightly, four bucks for a pint of beer, 10-15 bucks for an entree. We just drink a lot. Sursly yummy Jack Daniels Steak Marinade and Honey Rye Beerz.

Savage's Ale House
I can't go to Muncie nowadays without checking up on my favorite bar. Fine by me.

A Real Rad Bloomington Trip With My Parents
A two-day trip with my parents and beloved relatives at Oliver Winery, an apple orchard, a drive through the park, Apples To Apples (I WON FOOL), free beer, rad time with my dear cousinpal Darrin, MOTHER BEAR'S, Upland Brewhouse. 'NOUGH SAID:)

The World's Most Dangerous Drug
I can't stop thinking about meth and this documentary didn't help. THANKS NETFLIX.

Season 3 of Parks And Recreation
I don't know when Netflix put this up, but AGAIN THANKS NETFLIX. Burned through it in like a week and I DON'T REGRET IT. I might put my "favorite funny tv shows that I've seen all the seasons of" list as 1) Arrested Development 2) Parks and Rec 3) Seinfeld and 4) The Office. DISCUSS?!

My Job As A First Grade Teacher's Aide
Two and a half months in and I'm like okay okay I could do this another year or two. It's like being the fun goofy uncle; I get to do fun things like PE and field trips and see the neat stuff like learning to read but when the major wacky happens, I just hand them back.

FRESH PRINCE YOU WERE WRONG: SOMETIMES PARENTS DO UNDERSTAND

Day 3 — Your parents: my parents

HEY MOM HEY DAD

Sometimes, I look at you and the things you do and feel and believe and know and I have no clue how we are related. I’m not saying that to be mean. You are nice, great people, and I think I’m okay and such, but really, put those things in one of those Venn diagrams mom teaches and man that middle is pretty empty.

But then I look at your face, both of your faces, and I see my face. It’s not like your faces are mushed together, OH MAN WOULD I LOOK SILLY, but you made me and we all have at least a basic understanding of genetics. And that’s a nice feeling in itself. I think we three have the Feeling so add that to the middle section on our Venn diagram, like we aren’t exactly sure what this big dumb world is all about but we are doing our thing anyway. I also see myself in Dad’s talkativeness and in Mom’s need for comfort/organization. I’m glad for both of those things.

Sometimes, just being with you makes this big projector go off in my head, with all the sweet and fun and awesome and cool things we’ve done together. Like camping. Man, that was fun all those years, like cooking over the fire or grabbing BK if we were too lazy or playing euchre or sitting by the fire. Yeah, those years, because of you taking me, opened me up to a variety of cool learning experiences, including but not limited to girls, driving a golf cart, fishing, spending weekends in a different town, girls, and interacting with “old people.” Thanks for that.

If someone asked me, what’s the thing you love most about your parents, I would say the fact that you guys let me be me, (I KNOW I KNOW EVERYONE SAYS THAT BUT ITS SOOOOO TRUE) whether it was the next Rambo, an aspiring WWF superstar, the next Scottie Pippen, or a poet. You didn’t go that’s silly or stop that, you said GO FOR IT. I like to think I have a GO FOR IT GET STOKED attitude and I like to think it’s because of you two.

I’m gonna come out and say it now: I love you. Yeah, you are nice people and are incredibly generous and giving to me and take me places and listen to me and encourage me. But you love me and that’s all I ever want. We all know that.

Love you too,
Tyler