in my headphones this week...

keep your daze out my weak...

go ahead envy me...

...all the things that might have been, god forgive me if I cry

hello?...fuckin' phones!

it's my world till it's time to leave...

Johnny Cash Loves You!

random new york moments...

back home now, so here's the other...not so important...but somewhat fascinating...tidbits from the last four days...

saw this on the train...ashes and snow...interesting...

this kicks ass...story corps...please support them...it should be nationwide...

i love the mets new marketing campaign...next year is now...you gotta be kidding me...all of a sudden they can erase years of...neglected talent...mismanagement...overpriced loafers...sigh...it's gonna be a long summer...they might make a good showing...and if they manage to sneak into the playoffs...i don't expect much...

i really like my brother's taste in art...






i needed to kill some time...so i caught the new woody allen picture...hey, i was in manhattan...here's the thing...the last time i had a good time watching a woody allen movie was deconstructing harry...it was smart...it was funny...when i heard the premise of this one...i was intrigued...the same story is told as a tragedy...and as a comedy...stories about storytelling...metastories...can be very entertaining...think adaptation...think deconstructing harry...so i went in optimistic...too bad...

the tragedy part was dull...and the comedy part...while funny...just couldn't send it home...will ferrell helps...a lot...but...all the while i kept thinking about how much funnier...poignant...it would have been to have woody playing the woody allen role...nonetheless...ferrell did an excellent job...it's a thankless task pretending to be woody allen...overall the whole thing felt like a first draft...an excellent opportunity to do something fun and stimulating...just not this time...

then, to my surprise...scientologists...in the subway...offering free stess tests...with their funky machines...right next to racks of the dianetics book...i think the last time i saw such aggressive recruiting tactics was when i joined the marine corps...

this has to be my favorite part of manhattan...



i don't really know why...


maybe it has to do with the fact that this was the neighborhood my father grew up in...before they tore it down...to build lincoln center...this is where they shot the exteriors for west side story...this is where my grandfather moved his family to...from new jersey...and made his name as the hottest jazz pianist of his time...

i don't know...i just like it here...there's something about it...

that was my trip to new york...not counting all the hospital and family stuff...

Johnny Cash Loves You!

things fall apart...

we fall apart...nothing lasts...everything is temporary...the body has its own clock...every life has its own momentum...most of the time, we get to decide how...if not when...our string will run out...pick your poison...lung cancer...heart disease...liver/kidney failure...diabetes...bone cancer...people in their 20's 30's and 40's make these decisions everyday...and those seeds come to fruition during their 50's 60's and 70's...this is what i am witnessing now...it is not the first time i've seen it...

some might say this is a hopeless attitude...hope...is optimism in the face of overwhelming eviidence to the contrary...i am hopeful...the fact remains...life is cheap...people are born...and die...everyday...the only meaning...value...any single life has is what that person has created for themself...

Johnny Cash Loves You!

after ping ponging

from denver to c springs and back to denver...

I get a direct flight to LGA...joy...

a long time ago i gave up trying to cut direct paths to the places i want to be in life...besides...wandering is more interesting...i can't complain...these tix are from miles earned by my best friend the comedian...ten years of hard work...shitty clubs...lonely miles on the road...unlike me, Tommy craves stability...and he has sacrificed it because he loves making people laugh...

then there's me...chaotic...crass...selfish...and along comes this woman...

could i be luckier...

anyway...New York...

it keeps pulling at me...my foster father...the man who took me into his home...made me a part of his family...has cancer...he'd have to be lance armstrong young and tough to walk away from this one...i hope i'm welcome by his side...i want to make peace...let him know that i love and respect him...

Johnny Cash Loves You!

New York City bound...

no, not for pleasure...more unpleasantness...of the family nature...

Johnny Cash Loves You!

Qwest is a mess...

no suprise there...the only thing about the situation that i think is worth commenting on...is that the whole deal reeks of desparation...a special kind of desparation...that only seems to happen here in denver...it is a desparate need to be taken seriously...to be respected...to be a member of the club...Qwest has been the flagship of this particular emotion for years...it can also be found over in the Nuggets locker room...It lived in the Bronco locker room until they brought home a super bowl...for most of the 80's and 90's it was a palatable prescence in the the mayor's office...people here are only just now beginning to get a sense that this place already qualifies as...here come the dreaded words...world class...

Johnny Cash Loves You!

Interviews with Women I know...Amy Kahn

(Full Disclosure: Amy is my fiancee, so it's fitting that she be the first woman in the series. Besides, I thought some of you might like to get to know her.)

Say baby, ready for that interview? Why don't you introduce yourself to everyone...

Hello! My Name is Amy Kahn. I am 35 and I grew up in Colorado. I am the owner/designer of Amy Kahn Jewelry. I started my business 2 years ago as a metalsmith and from the very start it seems like there has always been some little fire to put out here or there, but this is the happiest and most driven I can ever remember being.

(ED- After some debate about whether or not she was misquoted, Amy sent me this message: "What I meant WAS- that as a business owner you always have to be ready for anything and be willing to go with the flow, that the work day is never over and there is always yet another step or part of the biz to think about.")

How did you figure out that you wanted to run your own business?

It wasn't so much that I knew I wanted my own business. It was more that I wanted to be able to produce my own designs. After going to art school it was hard to envision how to use that experience out in the world. What should happen with your art work and how to make it happen. I always did some kind of metalsmithing or jewelry on the side no matter what job I had.  My father is a huge influence for me (which I just recently realized). Watching him run his own business and knowing how hard and smart he has worked made me realize I could run my own business.


So...you're a daddy's girl...

No! - I just respect what he has done. He came to this country when he was nine years old only speaking German. He and his family sought refuge here from Hitler. I think he is remarkable for what he has accomplished in his lifetime. Putting himself through college, fighting in the Korean War, marrying my mom, and having a successful business for over 35 years. Think about the motivation and dedication it takes to do those things.

Also I think in this country most people are taught to just go along. People rarely live their dream. Then they look back and it is too late to do what makes them happy or they tell themselves they can't. That is why I respect my dad, he sought out what made him happy and with lots of motivation.

What did you do for fun when you were a kid?

I painted pictures, made sculptures, drew, played dress up in my mom's clothes and jewelry, rode my green machine and bike down hills, had an ant farm, played on our neighbors swing set, you know the usual kid stuff!

Other than your parents, who was the most influential adult from your childhood?

I have to say I don't really remember. I suppose my art teacher was a big influence, after all I pursued art school. I also remember going to a lecture given by Helen Thomas, the female reporter in the White House. I also did a sculpture of Golda Meyer.

How do you live with a self obsessed lunatic like me?

THAT's a very good question!!!!!!! I guess love will do crazy things to a gal! Plus I am sure I am a little obsessed with my own art and business.

What you think about the story about you in the Post?

It is very exciting to have an article about me in a paper. It is not something that was on my agenda but it will help my biz. It feels good to be recognized and presented to so many people but I have to make sure it is something that works for me. That I don't let it go to my head but really use it as a tool for marketing, selling, etc....

What do you think your life will be like in 5 years?

I don't know. It is good to have goals but I never want to create boundaries around the possibilities that stand in front of me. I like to think of it as opening myself up. I guess the first thing is knowing that this is just the beginning for me and my business, that there are many ways my dreams will change and grow and that I am just planting the seeds now. In 5 years you never know! I could have 5 employees, I could have 200 stores I am selling jewelry to, I could have a store, I could be designing for a larger designer, I could own a gallery with you. I do know I will be married to YOU!!


Johnny Cash Loves You!

'round the horn...

some folks might look at this as bad news...all i see is a huge potential for growth in the blog audience...either they haven't yet found their way into the blogosphere...or the blogoshpere has yet to come up with it's equivalent to Menken, Dickens, Parker, Simmons, Murrow, or Terkel...no sweat...blogging is a growth industry...if you were to compare blogging to hip hop...we're still having parties in the park after dark...and this could be our rappers delight...

kudos for my sweet, sweet, lady...

and damn if it don't feel like spring in Denver...while the east is hammered with snow...and the west is soggy...the rocky mountains have enjoyed a string of days like (insert lame simile)...but i know better...there may be buds on the trees...girls may be walking around dressed like it's summer...they have all been fooled...we're due...you can count on one more snow...by opening day...

Johnny Cash Loves You!