Joy of Zen

I had a rough week for some reason. Yesterday was especially terrible with bad dreams about my grandma in the morning. I got busy at work and became distracted though. I forgot how much I like helping clients. The forcing myself to be happy on the phone when I’m not is sorta crappy… but as the day went on I became more happy just by pretending I was I think.

Last night we went on a bike ride too. I’m still not very skilled with my bike. I got it a few years ago and barely rode it. Last year I tried but the gears kept slipping. That’s all fixed now though. I still get confused as to what gear to put it in if I’m going to fast or slow.

I don’t know why I’m feeling so good… I had bad dreams this morning too, but for some reason they didn’t bother me as much. Oh, one dream I had is sorta funny though. I sent a package off to English Kevin on the 18th and he STILL hasn’t gotten it. It said 6-10 days, and for now I’m assuming they aren’t including weekends. I am worried he isn’t going to get it though. Ugh. So worried I dreamt about it. In the dream I said “We’ll see what happens Friday… WAIT! It IS Friday!!!” So when I woke up realizing it was Thursday I was glad and was thinking, okay, it should get there tomorrow. Assuming it’s not lost or a postal worker didn’t eat all the candy out of it.

I am actually awake today too, it’s nice. I think it might be because I’m exercising regularly now, since that’s what people say hehe, I dunno the science behind it. I have just been drinking water so far this morning, trying to hold out on the soda for a bit.

Richard Nelson Wiggins, 43, of Chandler, AZ, went home to be with the Lord on June 17, 2007. He was born on March 15, 1964 at Fort Knox, KY, the first born child of Harry and Clarice Wiggins. As a youth he traveled with his parents and sister, Gina, to military stations in the United States and overseas. He lived three years in the Philipines when his father was assigned to the US Embassy in Manila. He graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA in 1983; while in high school he was on the tennis team and earned his Eagle Scout rank. He then attended Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, graduating with a BS in Fisheries Biology; Richard also received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant through the California Army National Guard Officer’s Candidate program while in college. He met his wife to be, Tanowo, at Humboldt; they were married in February of 1992. They lived in North Bend, WA for eight years where he worked for the National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) as a fisheries biologist. His sons Andrew (8) and Alex (6) were born in WA. Richard and his family moved to Phoenix in 2000 when he was hired by the Arizona Game and Fish Department as a fisheries research biologist. He was a wonderful son and grandson and a devoted husband and father. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed hunting, camping, and collecting insects and butterflies. He was a Deacon at Mission Del Sol Presbyterian Church, Tempe, AZ, and a member of their mission to Honduras in 2005. As a fisheries biologist at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, he conducted numerous fishing clinics for adults and youth of the greater Phoenix area. Richard also volunteered his time teaching handicapped youth, Cub Scouts, other youth organizations and Native American youth the joys of fishing; he also gave many lectures on fishing at elementary school assemblies. He leaves his wife, Tanowo and two sons of Chandler, AZ, his parents Harry and Clarice Wiggins of Watsonville, CA, his sister, Gina Kennedy, her husband Sean and nephew Declan of Rome, Italy and his mother-in-law, Linda Hornbuckle of Chandler. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Richard will be held Sat., June 23 at Mission Del Sol Presbyterian Church, 1565 E. Warner Rd in Tempe. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the “College Trust Fund” for Richard’s sons, Andrew and Alex in c/o Andrew J. Wallace, CPA, 1713 W. Boston St., Chandler, AZ 85224. Published in The Arizona Republic on 6/22/2007.

So kroq tells us to get to Icky Thump Records no later than 6:30 because check-in is from 4:30 – 6:30. We got there at 6 and walked up a street that was a hill to wait in line. We waited and waited and waited and waited… you get the idea. Both Carolyn and I were already hungry… but I didn’t want to walk all the way down the hill just to come back up. We definitely should have gone to get something though because we were in line until 8:00!!! The line was pointless, we could’ve eaten at a restaurant and gotten there at the last minute because it’s not like there were seats.

So we finally get into the place and it’s dim with red lights and a low ceiling. And it’s warm. Carolyn and Jason had to use the restroom… turns out there isn’t one, they had to go to a nearby store. They went to a coffee shop that was closing, so they were able to use the bathroom but couldn’t buy any food (of course).

Ron and I got a spot to the side of the stage and waited for them to come back. Oh and don’t get me started on the jackass security guard that said no pictures :p I’d called kroq promotions and they said cameras were allowed, and a BUNCH of people had them. The guy was an ass. He even made this guy put his phone away that he was text messaging on. Oh, and I thought this guy was a woman the ENTIRE time… found out it was a man in the car when we had left. So crazy.

Around 8:30 Jack Black comes on stage and so we all yell and scream cuz we weren’t expecting him. He introduced the band, that was cool. By this time we’re already sweating. It was a few seconds before Jack Black came out that I told Carolyn “I should’ve given my ticket away.”

They opened with Icky Thump (of course). They played great and I don’t know how they kept going with so much energy in the sauna. Where the fuck was the air conditioning? Who knows. It was beyond lame. Just awful and miserable. I liked their performance more than when I saw them at The Glass House the last time though.

My favorite song off the new album is Rag and Bone, which they didn’t play. They did play Seven Nation Army though, which I had stuck in my head all day.

And the best lyrics from the new album are from Icky Thump: Well White Americans what, nothin’ better to do? Why don’t you kick yourself out you’re an immigrant too.

I keep forgetting to write that a week or two ago I was behind a lady driving down the street… and we were coming up on two railroad tracks. Both times she slowed down and looked both ways for a train while she was ON THE TRACK.

Today I saw something spinning out of control on the freeway. I thought it was a car. Stupid shit happens all the time, so it wasn’t really shocking or anything, I just looked with a blank face Turns out it was a dumpster. Thankfully it didn’t hit anyone, it was going super fast with smoke everywhere. I was trying to figure out where it came from… then up a ways there was a big truck that had dumpsters on the back of it, so it flew off of there. And then the fucking moron in front of me is slowing down and I am thinking ummm CAN WE GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM NOW!? Another guy pulled up alongside him and honked and stuck his arm out the window above his truck and pointed to the side. So hopefully the guy got the idea and went to get off the freeway, but who knows.

Both Jason and myself won tickets to see The White Stripes at the special show in Hollywood tomorrow. We just answered the 10 true/false questions kroq had emailed a link to and got em right

I dunno if they were giving tickets to everyone that won or if it was random, but we each got 2 tickets… so Carolyn is my date and Ron is his. I’ve NEVER won anything from kroq before :p One time Reuben won a signed NIN lithograph though which he gave to me and I will NEVER get rid of it.

Last night “Icky Thump Records” opened on Sunset and the first 200 peeps there got a ticket for the show too. I’m glad we didn’t have to go wait in line in the cold.

As for right now, I’m just wishing the day would end.

Just got some awful news about a friend’s husband. Richard died Saturday night from a heart attack. It’s so sad, it is so hard to believe it’s true. He was only 43. He left behind two beautiful boys who are still pretty young and his wife of 16 years. Ugh.