COME AWAY WITH ME

Sorry girls, its not an invitation. Unless of course, well, send a picture. Actually I am referring to the Norah Jones album that came out about six years ago. It was a multi million seller, and I'm sure that some of you even own it. Have you ever taken the time to read the liner notes? Have you seen the part that says " I would like to give a special thanks to Paul. Without him this project never would have come to fruition." Yes! That's me! How is it that I have never met her yet was such an integral part of her success? Well let me take you back to April of '98.

It was a nite like any other nite...at least like any other nite in my life. I was at the Stark Mill brewery (formerly called something else and now called something else again. Seems as tho the owner has a habit of illegal business practices.) in Manchester NH tossing back a few beers with Dan Vale and Alan Northrup. It was a great nite. The beer was flowing and the blues were playing. It was Peter Malick and his band. A good guitarist with a strong blues background. Thru the course of the nite I kept calling out request, all three or four of which he responded with "We don't know that tune, but it would be a good one to work into our set list." By the end of the nite He had labeled me "The Blues Heckler". apparently it got to his head.

If you read his bio you will find that shortly after that he quit playing. Maybe it was the fact that a couple months later I saw him at The Black Brimmer, or just coincidence. He was promoting his most recent cd, "Wrong Side of My LIfe". I could certainly relate to the title. We talked for a little while at the end of the show, and that was the last I saw or heard of him, that is until "Come Away With Me" was released. Despite his great talent he quit playing, headed down to New Orleans and got into producing, and you will find his credits on that Norah Jones album.

Was I the impetus, or was it just a simple twist of fate? I guess I'll have to take Norahs word on that matter.

I'm sure by now that some one has checked there liner notes only to find that they cant find Norahs quote from above. Well just like the picture, its not there. The rest of the story is true. You know Norah Jones, now get to know Peter Malick.

The sound of silence

It is rare for me to stay quiet for so long. It is not that I haven't had anything to write about, but when my mind gets active I seem to be know where near a computer. I'm still staying in a dive motel called the Tahitian. Oddly enough in the 2 and a half weeks I have been there I have had no plumbing, air conditioning, or TV problems, as guest often would at the hotel I worked at in Pocatello.

Looking for a job sucks! At an interview both people put on their game faces and try to paint the best looking picture they can. Most of the time I do it quite well. Lots of experience, but last week was a little different. I got a little to comfortable and started talking to my invisible friend right in the middle of the interview. Haven't heard back from the guy even tho he said he would call and let me know either way. Not sure if he was freaked out at the fact that I turned and made a comment to the invisible man, or if what I said upset him. He shouldn't have been listening in anyway.

Once I get settled in I will be updating the video bar and beer of the week as usual. Have the next beer already lined up. So until then it will just be the mundane. Sorry

The Magic Bus

Well I made it to Kennewick. Somehow that van of mine saw me thru again. It has now been given the name in the title. Ice Harbor Brewing has some awesome beers, including a barley wine and imperial IPA. Kind of scary. Other than that I am staying in a dive hotel and looking for work. I really am getting old, too old for this. Thats all for now. My mind has too much going on to focus on any one thing.

You would think by now...

I would be used to all of this. I am spending today doing some more packing and loading up the van. Unfortunately I am not very energetic, and the fact that it is drizzling at this time isn't helping. For some reason I have a big ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Its not as if I'm new to this. I just blame it on the insecurity of old age.

Other than that I'd like to thank Sally for dinner last nite. Thats not her real name, but seeing as tho she is the strawberry girl it wasn't too far to go from strawberries growing in her mouth to Strawberry Fields to Sally Fields. She also goes by Guided, Miss Guided, but actually she's alright.

So here I am again! "Cats on a tin roof, dogs in a pile. Nothing left to do but smile smile smile" 520 miles from here to Ice Harbor Brewing, Kennewick WA. Stay tuned.

Right now I cant read so well please dont send me more letters no, not unless you send then from Desolation Row

Direct from another bar of chocolate.
Guys save this one for you aniv. or
hearts day...you all owe me for this
hang on...I'll tell you about the time
I got lost in my parents kitchen while
tripping on LSD at some other time.
Man I'm glad I'm leaving this town.
Nothing against the Mormons, but
every time I see a notice in the paper
of something going down at the LDS
temple I get all dyslexic.

OK, here it is. Wait, I'll be back. I lost it
between here and the kitchen. All of
fifteen feet. Alright, here it is

A Magic Moment I Remember

A magic moment I remember
I raised my eyes and you were there
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all thats beautiful and rare

I pray to mute despair and anger
To vain pursuits the world esteems
Long did I near your soothing accents
Long did your features haunt my dreams

Time passed. A rebel storm-blast scattered
The reveries that once were mine
And I forgot your soothing accents
Your features gracefully divine

In dark days of enforced retirement
I gazed upon grey skies above
With no ideals to inspire me,
No one to cry for, live for, love

Then came a moment of renaissance,
I looked up-you are there again
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all that's beautiful and rare

Alex Pushkin


So while typing that Bob was playing on the DVD "Dignity", reminded me of the last time I saw Dusty (see one of my first posts) Not the only Oregonian I was thinking of however.

And yes, I did get lost in my parents kitchen

Just a little something from me to you as I'm knockin on heavens door.

The Cop that picked up a hitch hiker

It was the last leg of a long trip. That morning was the the longest part of. It started in So Cal when my friends dropped me off at the on ramp on their way to work. I had a car but no license so why not let some one else use it. Whenever they would drop me off I would put a dime in my wallet and say "I'll call you when I get back"....

It took me only three days to get from Van Nuys to Milwaukee, but the early morning hitch from Hammond IN to Milwaukee was a trip in itself. It was the only time I had to threaten to stick someone who picked me up, and I had to walk thru a swamp behind a Illinois highway patrol/toll center. A few miles north of the Fib city, I got a ride from Milwaukees biggest hallucinogenics dealer. He dropped me off in West Allis and I did a lot of walking after that.

I was at an on ramp not two miles from where my brother lives today, the Wisconsin Ave ramp. I was beat, and even tho I was only a hand full of miles from my parents house I sat and tried to hitch a ride. Cars came and went. Then one came and stopped, Milwaukee County Sheriff. The lady officer came up to me and asked for my ID. There had been reports of someone walking on the interstate. I explained to her that it wasn't me because I was way too tired. She took my ID and walked back to her cruiser. In my head I was thinking "I hitch 2500 miles to see my family only to end up in jail?" You see, when I left WI I had a little unfinished business...Well at this point I look up at the squad car. She reached back to unlock the rear door and signaled for me to get in.

Un freakin real! I grabbed my back pack and stepped in. She turned and said to me " the sheriffs dept is not a taxi service so don't tell anyone. Where is it you're going?" I told her and she dropped me off about a half mile from my parents house. Of course when I got there no one was home.

Speaking of acid...

TWO WEEKS

Thats right, two weeks and I'm on my way to yet another time and another place. Thats all I have to say for now, other than check out this website www.iceharbor.com

Just an after thought, tho I've known it all along, I finally REALIZED that my van has no rear view mirror. Coincidence?