Let Loose on the Now

Oh yea. I forgot. I blog. My new unfavorite term that I am unexcited about and somewhat unprepared to handle is 'economic down turn'. This shit phrase in: talking to friends, dinner with my parents, the old ladies at the gas station, at work and that I use as a way to position the air that I sell at work has taken over. What a downer.

So we need some good 'ol hell-bent episodes of life to keep the home fires burnin'. And what better to start with the infamous silver screen hero, James Bond 007.

Last weekend Big Blue, and I were not working extremely hard...but only for a few minutes...and we too a little extra time, an hour, to buy some tix for opening night showing of Quantum of Solace. I thought it was a great theater movie. Shoot 'em up, bang-bang flick with fast women and luxurious parties. I think I liked it better than Casino Royal, but then again, I can't really remember how that movie goes, so for now, Quantum of Solace is better.

After the movie we headed over to Santana Row, destination Rosy McCann's. I was wearing shorts and a hat which apparently the heavy-set bouncer didn't want in the pub...but it wasn't up to him. We got Ryan from behind the bar to tell the manager to wave his wand and shizam! We were in the IRISH PUB that apparently doesn't allow shorts and hats. Only in America. It was a slammin' evenin' and Ryan poured for hours while we held down the elbow at the pub. Good times, good girls and we were rollin'.

The next night was just us ham 'n eggin' it. The same tender trio had a fight to attend. UFC Ninety something featured Brock Lesner challengin Randy Coulture - to some of the fight wasn't really the champion of anything and Brock looked like a upright walking bull.

We acted the sweet moves out and jumped around like we were Napolean fighting Kipp and proceded to consume beer quicker and easier as the fights went on and the fuel we chose was Taco Bell bean burritos and ToGo's sandwiches. Extra good. My Cuz and Uncle were nice enough to host the fight at the winery house which made it that much sweeter.

Brandon got a wild hair and we headed down to the winery about 11 o'clock to see what was shakin' in the barrels. There seemed to be a lot shaking because I did everything short of swim in a barrel and tasted some amazing juice of the gods. They put in a new surround sound system and seating and we got weird for a few hours on pinot and burritos, willie nelson and hall & oates. There is nothing like a good cigarette, a lucious glass of pinot on a backdrop of the moon, stars and monterey lights glistening in the distance.

It's nice to get out and see my cousin Brandon surrounded by his harvest. It gets sweeter when he drops little pearls of viticulture on us while we fuddle ourselves with the finest pinot.


The state of our union is pressing fear on our minds, but we can always find some hidden wonders amidst our tough times if we allow ourselves to build and explore our current relationships. To better understand who is around, appreciate what we have and come together.

The Canyon Behind Them

Last night I was swept away to a house in the Los Gatos Hills located on the backside of Kennedy with a beautiful view of blossom and Almaden Valley. The Spanish style house was comfy from the entry way to the back patio and the people inside warmed it up with some homemade lasagna, wine and some stereotyping in good humor.

The property is Susanne's and she is a peach. She's been in Los Gatos too long to pull the roots out now and her hospitality is pure and pleasant...but I'm getting ahead of myself. We're not even in her house!

This Spanish place we were in belonged to Nanette, a neat lady with plenty of dogs, cheer, space, horses, and a donkey named Mr. Bigg. Max and Kim invited the 409ers up to Nanettes, but soon after the 10 bottles of Chardonnay had been rung out, we headed up to Susanne's compound which resembles falling down the rabbit hole.

We tasted a few more bottles of wine, lit up some xmas lights and wore them, and Susanne' and Melissa put on a pseudo-SNL skit in the kitchen critiquing the Los Gatos Weekly and the gentry that grace its pages.

Max and I were on a different stomp and headed out to his soon-to-be complete cottage overlooking a beautiful canyon lined with the stars of Orion, a nearly full-moon sporting a rainbow orb and the spackled stars down in the AV. We brought the drums out to his patio, got a little comfy, and jammed the drums to the rhythm in our minds. Max plays some next level shit and I just try to keep up. But we soon had the ladies out on the patio dancing under the dark sky and keeping with life's beat.

You may not remember but I broke my camera about a month ago and am limited to the shit camera on my blackberry. I didn't get anything to come out up there and prolly don't want any pics of the shenanigans in the house, but the words will suffice for this night.

So we're invited back next week and I believe there is some sort of Chimenea planned. I think that is LG Commune language for outdoor fire.

There are some gems I respectfully withhold about this little community that are for those that may be so lucky to pay a visit to this wonderland. But I can tell you that you've never seen shit like this before and the calming serenity of the joint sticks to your soul and offers up a piece of it you rarely get to touch.

Remix Back to DP 2008

A friend of mine shot this picture over to me this morning and the email read: "Fucking Kick Ass Time!"

Well, Jill, you are absolutely right about that. That trip was some next level happenings and this picture just shows how hard we ran it.

Good on ya' for sending this over Jack's!

From L to R: Connor "Hitman" Kelly, Jill "Jack's" Holmes, Chris "Do It All" Holmes, Luke "Dog" Hamman, John "Johnson" Brassfield

Just a little FYI...

One of the local favorites has a gem on the menu, but it won't last long, so get out there and get ya some of this good eats. I have never actually eaten at James Randall a.k.a. 'The Thumb', but I've had my hands on a few goodies from time to time that Ross cooks up for the townies that hang out on the promenade of CB's.
For a short time, I regret to inform you foo foo eaters that the tempura rolls are not available at The Thumb. That's because of Ross' pimpy move to put fried chicken on the menu. That's right! Out with the foo foo, in with the down home cookin'. Now I've been around some rippin' good fried chicken and I'm not talking about that mystery meat at KFC that makes you question your medical health within seconds of consumption. I'm talking about Grandma Bessie's good 'ol family dinners on the ranch.
I have to say that Grandma's is the best, but Ross had taken fried chicken to new heights. I fell in love with chicken the night he brought a couple samples over to the bar for us to drool over. And drool I did. I tore into the scrumcious thigh like a savage during a winter hunt (meaning starved and not that much around). I mean, golden brown, seasoned just right and fried in low heat = heavenly. I will be down there shortly to indulge myself and take advantage of this piece of americana while it's around.

You should try some. Like this girl...

Islan' Stylin'

And to the end of the Hawaiian Island getaway…it was exactly what the doctor ordered. A trip medium rare with a side of R/R just the way I like it. Halloween wasn’t the wild, crazy exotic college excursion. It was peaceful, calming, serene and clear. As good as it gets with what really matters.

JB, CB, PB and MJ tramped around Lahaina Town in the 

evening, took cocktails and pupus at KIMO’s and watched the parade of gools, goblins and ferries scamper around Front Street for the night of the Great Pumpkin.

We returned back to the hotel for some wine and Pacifico’s and an evening on the veranda set to the beats of Bob. It’s tough to go wrong listening to Robert Nesta overlooking a silver lined ocean dressed with a sliver of moon bedded atop a layer of puffy white clouds. The light gave way to endless stars and a faint silhouette of the Milky Way streaming across the sky.

It wasn’t a trip for wild and crazy nights. I can get that in my living room 3 days a week. It was a trip to get away. A trip to understand… A trip to breathe again outside the lines of jobs, traffic, lines, trash and bustle… And to surround myself with family, friends, and the peace of the islands. Of course I drank Mai Tai’s and Pina Coladas all day and of course I got boozed at dinner, but with a little less…MTV.

I leave it here as words tend to turn to work and I am not ready for that. Until the next episode where we’ll kick it at home and see what ideas mingle in the midst of my mind.

Front Street in Lahaina Town Hallween

Not so Playboy Bunny

MJ on beach in front of Momma's Fish House

Mom and Dad at Momma's

Mahi Mahi stuffed with lobster and Opah

Black Pearl Dessert at Momma's

Saleboat from the balcony

The closing clouds