Summer Cut

My sister gave Toph a haircut the other day, I always forget how funny she looks with short hair. I'm glad, less hair, less heat, less panting. She is most likely a happier dog now.

instead

James Mercer- New Slang

And if you'd 'a took to me like 
A gull takes to the wind. 
Well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree 
And i'd a danced like the king of the eyesores 
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well. 

New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries. 
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony. 
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall, Never should have called 
But my head's to the wall and i'm lonely. 

The almost green smoothie

Throughout my whole life I've always been aware of injuries and ailments to the point where I started to recognize and appreciate long periods of my life when my body was in complete homeostasis.

noun ( pl. homeostases |-sēz| )

the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, esp. as maintained by physiological processes.

I would always be so grateful when my body was in this equal state, where I didn't have any pain, injuries. And I would always be aware of when I did have cuts, scrapes, sprained ankles. Just as my right hand was healing from a previous injury my left hand was cut pretty bad today. I was at work cutting some bubble wrap and sliced open my palm. A few minutes before it happened, I decided to change the blade because the old one was a little too dull. No one noticed when it happened and I immediately (frantically) went to the back room and found the first aid kit, I cleaned it out and noticed it wouldn't stop bleeding and thought.. "hmm, maybe I need stitches".. but I put pressure on it, wrapped up some gauze and put way too much packaging tape all around my hand. Eventually my boss helped me wrap my hand in a nicer way (picture below).

I'm glad it wasn't that deep, and pretty minor and I know I must be more careful from now on. 

After getting home from work I attempted to make a "green smoothie" using spinach, ice, water, mango, banana, peach yogurt, and blueberries. 

This was my almost green smoothie.

Oh yeah, and on my bike ride home from work, about two blocks away from home, this car almost ran me over because they were not paying attention. I wish I would have some kind of magical hammer throwing power that would let me fling hammers whenever I wanted while riding my bike. But all I could muster up were some screams of disapproval in the form of bad words, I don't think the driver heard me. 

I came as a rat

War

Man, this is one crazy night. I keep seeing all these colorful lights streaking and exploding in the sky. I believe this might be the alien invasion everyone has been talking about. I ran back to my computer to write this one final blog post to convey- I love all of you. I hope these aliens spare me and I can see all of your faces again. It sounds crazy out there, loud explosions, probably spacecrafts crashing and blowing up and loud screeching, probably a war cry from the aliens. Toph and I will be on the roof defending this house until we can't anymore.

Farewell world, we had some good times.

Sincerely,
Tony

Processed. Print. Five.

Pentax K1000/ Kodak Portra 800

Pomona, February 2012

These are my friends Xavier and Lily. We spent the evening exploring the Pomona Art walk and as we were walking down the steps to the soho gallery I realized I haven't taken any pictures of these two together with my film camera. As this urge came to me, I asked both of them to walk back up the steps so I could take their picture.

I want to just write this before I go on, I'm not biased because these two are my best friends and that I've been friends with Xavier for eight years.

I'm so happy that these two have found each other, that they treat each other with so much respect, so much love, and they are really there for each other. I remember when they actually became a couple and the first few times I got to be around them, I would be so overwhelmed with joy. I would always have to yell it, tell them how much I loved their love. And I'm not just saying this because I love these two humans, Xavier has been in relationships where I didn't feel like it was the right partner for him and this is the first time that I feel wholeheartedly that he has found a wonderful person to share his life with.

What I've learned from their relationship and I admire about them is that they have learned so much from each other and even though they might have different views on certain things, they have found a way to really understand one another. I've watched Xavier transform little parts of his life for the better because of Lily and the same for Lily. I hope to find a partner one day that I can share my life with, learn so much from, and also for them to be able to understand differing ideas, lifestyles, and hopes of mine.

I'm glad I got this photo, they look way too cool for their own good.

There's sort of a nice ring to it...

so american

I found this bandana today at the thrift store and I thought to myself, "man this thing is so over the top but cool, I should buy this!" and I also thought to myself, "what, what am I thinking, why would I want that?" And I also thought, "79 cents for the most overly patriotic bandana I've ever seen, I'm buying it!"

So now I own this. 

teal

This is the teal zeal I mentioned in a note.

Finally, I own a dresser for the first time in my young life. No more socks, boxers, and pants in a laundry basket. I'm feeling pretty legit, maybe a little too legit....

ph. mb. pt. seven- B street skatepark

May 2009

I'm so grateful that I grew up with skateboarding in my life. When I was about nine years old one of my best friends that lived up the street started skating and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I remember at that age, that's all I thought about, skateboarding. All I wanted to do was learn new tricks and learn how to ollie up the curb. When I was about twelve years old, my mom was okay with me leaving the neighborhood and going skating.

Skateboarding was great because each day I would go further and further with my friends and that's when I really explored this town that I lived in. I got to see every single piece of it, every detail, every pothole, and I picked up my street smarts around this age. I really learned how to get around in my own environment and I never had that anxious feeling of being lost ever since.

In college, my skateboarding became an outlet to ease my stress, to forget about school for an hour, for a day. And I still explored, that's all I did on my days off, I would just take the buses to nearby cities and skate around until my legs were numb.

I remember on this particular day I found the nicest surprise, after skating around downtown Hayward I decided to go a little further west to an area that I'd never been to. On B street which was only about three miles from my house, I found a skatepark tucked away right by a elementary school and in between a huge park. I literally lived only fifteen minutes away on my board. This became a regular spot for me. I was always known as that guy with the really bright beanies. I remember taking this picture and sending it to Xavier because I was just so excited that this was in the same city as us. 

If it wasn't for skateboarding, I would've been a mess in college. So stressed out all the time that I couldn't even function. I still feel this way until this day, the feeling of being so relaxed and so free while just riding on my board. Also I don't stress about skateboarding anymore, all I have to do is just cruise and ollie up a few curbs here and there and I'm one happy camper.

Spider Bites

The Lonesome Crowded West

It might sound really ridiculous, but I've finally decided after a whole twenty four years of listening to music and after twelve years of listening to Modest Mouse, "The Lonesome Crowded West" is by far my favorite record by any band/musician. I mean it, I haven't stopped listening to that record for about two weeks now, I sort of forgot how amazing it is.

"And I shout that you're all fakes
And you should have seen the look on your face
And I guess that's what it takes

When comparing your bellyaches"

But at least I get two days off in a row!
But seriously nose, stop bleeding, you're freaking me out.

Sincerely,
Your face.