It’s been about a month now since Scott Henderson has left our humble house here on Fieldcrest Dr. for his native Continent across the Atlantic and his absence has made ripples in our lives.
He had become a very special glue during his tenure in Austin. Not just Elmers, or the kind that you use to stick something together only to have your hopes crushed a moment later as it doesn’t hold, BUT, rather, he had a special type of adhesive that reached into the lives of the people living at 1103 Fieldcrest as well as all my friends that soon would become Scott’s friends as well. He was a conduit for me, personally, to reach further into the lives of friends who I had not seen for a spell and also to start new relationships with people he met through my friends. He was a breath of fresh air for Travis and I who have lived together here in Austin since 2000. More importantly, he brought an outside, worldly perspective (not because he’s from England, but because the boy’s a traveler like us), that he would frequently shine on the circumstances of our lives, allowing for a new way for events to be seen. For that, I am eternally grateful. He of course will be missed, but definitely not forgotten, and hopefully, soon, be visited upon by myself.
Brian Scipione who is a man of many intelligences has been spending the last year of his life on the other side of the world in a little city you may of heard of called Dubai.
The amount of excessive spending that occurs in this little neck of the desert is laughable. We’re talking giant pillars of marble, ginormous indoor ski lodges, soccer schools taught by Pele, and a plethora of immigrants all present for the acquisition of wealth. This is where the money makes the cup runneth over. Brian has been there working in the field of medicine, exploring, adventuring, finding himself. Now he’s returned to Austin to fill the hole left by Scott and he’s a welcomed addition to our little Fieldcrest bubble.
“The Assumption,” the play I was in for three weeks before Christmas was a hit, …again. We got amazing reviews, had producers from different cities come see it, and on the last few nights, we wound up turning at the bare minimum, 30 people away each night. It’s funny, when we first started going through the motions of a play we did last year, I wasn’t too interested and in fact, I’m not sure I wanted to do it again. Jeff Mills and some other close friends convinced me to do it and I’m glad it happened because during the show’s run, I felt that old familiar feeling of family with the thespians around me once again. People smiled, we partied, laughed and I think we were all reminded of what life was really about. For us, once again, it was about being rednecks that know Kung-Fu and drink Miller High Life, who actually sponsored the show this time and delivered 75 cases of beer. Go Assumption.
Looking back at 2007, I remember being present at quite a few weddings and seeing some new babies, but not really any funerals, which I suppose is good. Even though there seems to be rough waters ahead in the form of my ailing Grandmother, my super/over/mega stressed mother, and my own personal ambitions giving way to financial gain, I feel like 2008 is going to be amazing for many people, including myself. SO, that being said, I’ve adopted the slogan “HARDCORE GREAT IN 08!” I think it’s a winner and really sends the message of how well everyone will be in 08 all the way to the bank and then back home, to be tucked into nice warm sheets.
I’m really struggling with cutting my hair right now. I went out and dropped some dough on a pretty sweet beard trimmer. Now that my facial hair is in check, I want to be certain that my hair-hair is too. The length I’m experiencing now is like nothing I’ve ever had in my entire life. The closest I’ve ever gotten to growing it this long was back in high school, and even then, it was several inches shorter. Before you start yelling ‘cut it off’ and lighting your torches, consider this, (and ladies, you probably already have) a connection has been formed between my hair and I. It’s not just kelp on my scalp, it’s a timeline of events that have played out over the last year and a half, …it’s my life. I will cut it off and more than likely mail the tied up tail to my mother, but when I look in the mirror, the thought of cutting it off becomes harder and harder every day simply because I know the one hard truth that it will never be this way again, …ever, …till the end of my life. Choices.Anyway, I finally got my cell phone turned back on and although I’m glad to return to the cell phone community, I’m not sure why I’m paying $70 dollars a month and almost feel bad for the people around me with IPhones that are paying a bone for they’re super-duper services. It’s funny the things you really don’t need in life and how we justify and rationalize their necessity to ourselves every day.
In a bit, I'll be leaving to say goodbye to yet another close friend as he embarks on his way to New York. He really is like a brother in every since of the word and I couldn't have carved out a place to live in Austin without him. He makes me laugh like no one else and is one of the most generous persons I know. This one's for you Jeff Mills. Godspeed.
