Chapter 1: The Ace Hotel

Chapter 1: The Ace Hotel

I arrived in Portland this evening after living for a few weeks at our house in the mountains 100 miles north of Boise, Idaho. It was a bit of an adjustment staying focused in the airport because I haven’t been around much of anything besides Shanti and the mountains for what seemed like a long time. I feel so at home in those mountains, so comfortable and quiet there in the solitude of a thousand trees and lots of chipmunks. You can hear the wind from far away as its coming towards you, rustling trees as it gets closer and closer. I feel so lucky to be able to wake up to such an amazing place everyday… Not to mention the incredible house we live in built by Shanti’s Dad and her family in the late 80’s. It’s truly like living in an ongoing work of art that I have become a part of. The art project that never ends.

Shanti’s Dad has told a few stories about the mountain area itself and how a lot of people have died up there under strange circumstances. The mountain itself is totally alive and aware of who and what is doing stuff on it. The more I live there the more I appreciate the energy of the mountain and the valley. It hasn’t eaten me yet!! Haha

I imagine what it was like for the Indians who lived there and the first few homesteaders who came primarily from Finland and settled the area. Idaho was one of the last states to be settled so its only been populated by white people for a little over 100 years. I even met a friend of Shanti’s whose grandmother traveled to the area with her family on a covered wagon as a little girl! She is still totally full of life. Their family has had the same property ever since they arrived.

That really wasn’t very long ago in the big picture of evolution. It was only a couple of generations back so its amazing to think of what has happened in that time…Wow!! Electricity, airplanes, Lego’s, magic markers, Les Pauls, Tang, Tele Tubbies, the internet, frozen pizza, Star Wars, Hubba Bubba, the Staten Island Ferry, Ferrari, dishwashers, Ipods and the list goes on and on and its all happened in such a short time. Spending a lot of time in the mountains is helping me appreciate all of these fun new gadgets but at the same time feel the wisdom and age of the mountains and nature itself. We are all connected to that wise spirit and I want to keep the line of communication with that spirit open. Just like the river that knows exactly where to go, I will flow.

The collective mind that created all this matter feels like its being controlled by the matter. I feel like my heart and soul were entirely swallowed into that matter controlled consciousness perception. Sucked into the world's grip, I was a living Sleep Walker..but i'm digressing to far. I’d rather get into more detail on that subject later. Right now lets talk about Portland.

My plane from Boise arrived in Portland an hour before the rest of the guys coming in from Jersey so I picked up the rental car and waited with Keebler who arrived around the same time as me.

Keebler is a good friend working the BS merch for this trip. He projects an uninhibited friendliness and is one of those people who has the unexplainable and effortless ability to lift you’re spirits just by being around him. I guess that’s probably why the nick-name, Keebler, managed to stick. Yes, Its Keebler like the Keebler elves. Just for reference’s sake, Let’s see what youtube has to offer..aha, Check this out:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=M_FO8sO2afk&feature=related

That was fun..anyway..We waited in the mini van outside baggage claim 9 and chatted about all kinds of stuff: The RNC in Minneapolis that happened a few days ago and the seemingly outrageous arrests surrounding it (if you want to read about them go to www.democracynow.org Its some more effd-up crap for the pile) and the surprise appearance of Rage Against the Machine at the Anti-Flag show in Minneapolis. They were going to play some songs after Anti-Flag but were barred from the stage by cops so they sang a song or two through a mega phone. Keebler and I gave our two cents to each other on the candidates and what could be in store for all of us in the coming years depending on the election outcome. We both agreed that McCain seems pretty old to be president. That seems kind of shallow when I read it but I feel like that’s a huge reason. He is so old school. Not like the Bouncing
Souls. We are:Olds Cool. HeHe..so I mentioned a short video I had just seen. The video is an interview with a POW who knew McCain from military training and being together in the same POW camp. He more or less says that he didn’t believe McCain could be a good president. Check it out:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=U-3RLx_4Y5Y

I feel like the presence of Obama represents a new world but is he capable carving a new frontier in a muddled mire of old world corruption and beauracracy? The reality of that corrupt government monster is truly staggering beyond my or even Obama’s understanding probably. Even if he becomes president how can he change all of the old school ways of the Senate and Congress? Who knows how many of them are bought and sold. Power to the People!

The guys arrived and we caught up on some details on the way to the Ace hotel in downtown Portland. We checked in, said Hello to Kate and the Hot Water guys who had arrived earlier and made our way to our rooms. Everybody went to run their own races until lobby call at 4pm the next day.

I walked to a pizza place and ran into DJ and Keebler. We ate and decided to stop by the bar everyone was at on the way back to the hotel. I said Hello to some people and talked with a good friend from Portland named, Mike Frey. Another positve and calming soul who happens to be the gutiar tech for My Chemical Romance. It was good to talk to him and catch up on our lives. I can only take about 30 minutes of a bar usually so I went back to my room and wrote the Introduction to this little writing thingy…good night.