Long live the Captain...

There's not a single doubt in my mind that there are a million posts up about Michael Jackson's death. It's tragic really. What's funny is that when I first heard about it from Maggie, I didn't think much of it. I thought it sucked, but what did it have to do with me. As I sat and watched the coverage during my lunch break, they started showing images of Michael as a kid and it really made me think about what the guy must have gone through. Obviously, there is no way I'll ever know, but try to imagine being as young as he was enjoying the up sides of fame... and the down sides of it. Being responsible for the well-being of his family and all the expectations... No one will ever know what went through his head, but it made me feel sad. Then I remembered how much I loved Michael Jackson as a kid. Not to the extreme as most people and I wouldn't even claim to be a fan... but as a kid, I remember that I loved watching 'Captain EO' at Disneyland. How he turned the bad people into good people with his 'spirit fingers'. The robots were the coolest. I really had a blast watching Moonwalker too... I used to have the video in my drawer and I can't seem to remember who let me barrow it... and the 'BAD' video was super fun... when he turned into the stop-motion rabbit... Thriller, Bad, Billy Jean, Beat it... good stuff. I guess maybe I lost touch as I grew up... plus there's the fact that he didn't look the way he did as I remembered him as a kid... all the weird stories that went around... with all that, his music trascended all of it! He's certainly a legend in his own right and it will be interesting to see his music live on many years from now. Well, life goes on and soon, we will all pass too.

Hello new friend...

Well, I was gonna hold off for a year to purchase a new car but I ended up going to the dealership and drove home with a new one. Recently, my bro got into an accident and totaled his truck, which I was planning on using to take my bike to the track. He ended up getting a 2009 Honda Accord Coupe so I no longer have a way to get my bike to the track when I finally hit a track day. So I've been thinking a lot about purchasing a truck... it wouldn't have been a smart move but I figured it would be good to have one for the bike and since I'm doing a little more out door climbing now, I'd be able to use it whenever needed to get up some off-road trails... after toying with the idea a bit, I decided it would have been much too expensive for an actor to do such a thing. The $3000 I'd be spending on insurance a year alone could pay for acting classes and the monthly payments (probably of about $400 - $500 per month) could be used towards things such as head shots, more training, etc... things that would contribute to my chosen career path.

Anyway, Chris, Peter, and I all decided to go check out trucks anyway and luckily, they did not have the Toyota Tacoma I was looking for. Chris left for work and Peter and I trekked over to the Honda dealership... with NO intention of buying... just test driving... but one thing lead to another, we sat in the cubicle and started wheeling & dealing. The down payment and monthly payment seemed like a good deal and I went through with it. Peter and I ended up driving home that night in a brand new 2009 Honda Fit. I had a post where I said good bye to my old friend, my 1997 Honda Accord... so I thought it was FITting to say hello to my new friend. Everyone seems to like it and most importantly, I like it. I like that it's very practical and very chill at the same time. This will definitely be there with me during auditions and stuff when I finally move my ass out of my parents house. Well, here it is, my new friend!!!

I'm a die-hard Yamaha Motorcycle loyalist... but when it comes to cars, I love my Honda's... I think their engineering is far superior to American and European brands. My Accord treated me so well that I had to go with another Honda. I'm definitely glad that I did.

It's 2am right now so I'm going to bed... however, wait a little bit and I will show you how cool and practical the Fit really is!

The Great Outdoors...

I don't think I've mentioned this here, but I enjoy rock climbing. Chris, Peter, Johnny, and I have been climbing since about July of 2008... unfortunately, Chris and Johnny are no longer really into it so it's just been me and Peter. Since then, it has strictly been indoor climbing. We've both progressed from struggling on V0's and 1's and now we're solid V3 and V4 climbers. Peter has the slight edge cause he's a really strong climber and it's awesome to see him finish routes so easily now. I'm a bit of a weaker climber, but I tend to focus more on the quality of the climb as opposed to just finishing it. Either way, I think we've both found something that we really love besides motorcycle riding and we both want to get even better. Recently, we both went with a fun group of climbers from Rock City to 'The Tram' in Palm Springs, CA. It's a beautiful mountainous range about 8k feet above sea level... it was our first time outdoors together (although I went a few days earlier to Steele Valley, blog to come) and it was amazing. The feeling is so different compared to climbing indoors and as a climber we ran into said, "survival mode" kicks in. Here's a picture of my proudest 'send' outdoors so far. The name of this route is 'Yo Picasso'... perhaps because it looks like a distorted face or object that Picasso is known for... either way, it's an 18 foot send and it was amazing.

As usual, it took me a while to get the sequence down. Watching Peter and the others helped... although I do want to mention that I did provide Peter with a beta to get from one point of the route to another too!

The sequence we followed up was a V3 and I worked really hard to get it. The first time I attempted the finish, it was SCARY. You're about 16 feet off the ground (which doesn't seem that high), but when you're hanging on your finger tips and everything in your body wants to fail, it is crazy scary! My arm was too weak to pull myself up so I came back down. Peter finished it immediately after.

This was motivation for me to get it because I knew if Peter could get it, I would eventually get it. I did. This time, I tried to conserve as much energy as possible because the ending was where it counted the most. It was a proud moment and I don't think I'll ever forget it... if I do, that's what I've got this blog for!