On the road

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April 15th 1995 - June 24th 2009



I tried to take it like a man when we took him in, but I failed. With tears in my eyes I just stared at him and said, "I love you, I love you, I love you".

There will never be another like him.

wrote a post

Wednesday night. Came home. Ate a quick dinner with A. Went to Kaveh's. Drank coffee. Worked on early stages of studio final till 7am. Came home. Slept till 10am. Showered. Ate cheerios. Worked more. 12 noon, drove to Kinkos for prints. Went to class. Presented. Skipped next class. Came home. Drank a beer. Ate leftover pizza. Drove to Andy's. Walked to liquor store. Walked to Metro. Rode gold line to Union. Rode red line to downtown. Walked to the Golden Gopher. Drank two beers. Walked to Staples Center. Saw Fleetwood Mac. Caught a drunk lady falling down the stairs. Drank a beer. Snuck down to the floor level. Watched the encore from the foot of the stage. Took crappy cellphone photos. Tried to sneak backstage. Got asked to leave. Grabbed a set list. Got some Brits to give us their stickers. Got into the Lexus Lounge. Drank a beer. Found out the Metro stops at midnight. Called A. Got picked up at 9th and Union. Told stories. Dropped off Andy. Came home. Went to bed. Dreamed of gypsies.

Got a new blog in the works.

WHISKEY!

Padres won last night. Close call. Good game.

Just spent a half hour reading old entries. I hate the way I write.

Packing up to go swim and hang with friends at a Hilton.

On Spring break.

The Beatles breath in through their teeth when they sing Girl.

WHISKEY!

This is funny

Part trois

Study after study over the past several decades has shown how countries that spend more produce less, while nations that tax less produce more. Obama is doing it wrong on both counts.

Here is another good article... less angry... less "President Robin Hood"... more educational.

The budget that President Obama proposed on Thursday is nothing less than an attempt to end a three-decade era of economic policy dominated by the ideas of Ronald Reagan and his supporters.

Thoughts?

Better days

Politics part deux

Couldn't pass this up.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has approved adding about 17,000 U.S. troops for the flagging war in Afghanistan, administration, defense and congressional officials said Tuesday.

8,000 Marines, then 9,000 Army... After that 5,000 protesters will hit the streets in Berkeley, 7,000 in San Francisco, 8,000 in New York, 4,000 in... wait what? Really? They're not?

Reagan did it better

Didn't Obama say that he wouldn't sign a bill until the people have had a chance to read it, then comment? That wasn't too long ago right? The members haven't even read it, which makes me think that our chances of understanding what's in this thing by Monday are slim. For now, I guess we can try.

Washington is currently not bi-partisan. Not even close. And the majority seem to support ideas that do not reach down and "stimulate" the poor, struggling, lower class. They punish the successful. What's the point of embracing the opportunity that is America, only to get hurt, when I can collect checks for sitting on my front porch and eating flaming hot Cheetos and downloading new ring tones?

Four Score and Seven if by Sea is Well on the Western Front

We are currently up in the snow. We came up the other night to visit family, and help out in the office. Last night we played Wii, then played cards and chatted into the night with Keith and Karen and Mom and Dad. I do love the mountains. I would like to get into some serious mountains, seriously soon. Somewhere like this. That is a photo of a peak called Bear Creek Spire, east of Bishop Ca. in the High Sierra. I've been there as a child. We backpacked up a series of five lakes for a couple days, until we reached to foot of the Spire. There was a lake that was so fresh, one could stick one's face right in and slurp up the icy water. That's where I'd like to go soon. I always assumed that as a young, married man, I would camp and backpack and hike a lot. But I don't. Why is this? We have the gear. We live near some of the worlds most beautiful terrain. So why don't we go? This, my friends, is the question... Wait... I've just had an apostrophe! Lightning has just struck my brain! This is just coming to me now, literally as I type. None of this preplanned - "I'm going to blog about this this afternoon" - stuff. What if I began hiking? Start small. Realistic. Say every other weekend. Start local. There is a beautiful hike up the Arroyo Seco watershed, literally out my front door. It goes up to the Rose Bowl, underneath the Colorado Bridge. That's it. That's where I begin. When? Saturday Feb. 21st. Late morning. I have shows both Fri and Sat night, but I think I can make it work. So late in the morning on Saturday the 21st, I will pack a lunch and walk out my front door, up the Arroyo, and back. Does anyone want to join me? If so, let me know. And on this hike we will plan the next one. Good.

In other news:

Last week my boss and I presented a project to the 136th wealthiest man in America. It was big time. The presentation consisted of a few of my designs and renderings, as well as others. It was as real world as I've ever seen.

Last week I pulled into our driveway, and when I got out to open the gate and pull the rest of the way in, I realized that my truck was still in gear. Just like a scene in a movie, it rolled, by itself, through the gate, busting the lock and slamming it open, while I'm running for the brake pedal between the truck and the trees. I stopped it before it went into the garage, but was shaken nonetheless. It's funny now.

Shepard Fairey, of the Obey brand fame, is a moron. I heard him on NPR the other night talking about how he was arrested for putting up the now famous, communist-ish Obama Hope poster on private property. He said the police were treating him inhumanely because he couldn't get comfortable in the back of the cruiser.

School starts in two weeks. I'm 50% excited, 50% dreading it. All-nighters... bring the pain.

Ten points to the first one to get the Hook quote.

Still alive

I swear. We still exist. One (blogger) would not think it but we do. Many things to catch up on, with more time preferably. But for now: new job, two weeks in, architectural firm, office, presentations, meetings, pro-clothes, the whole bit. Good times. Hung out with Bob Dylan's (and a gazillion others) ex drummer the other night. Dude came out to our ramble, and was as down to earth as could be. Watched classic Tom Petty footage with the Cassidys. Watched LOST with the Gloyds. The times they are-a-still-a-goin. Ski trip soon. Who's in?

Mountain top

Yesterday, we stood at the top of a mountain. Then we went down it, over and over again.

Happy '09 again. Every New Year, my wife and I toast each other saying,
"If the rest is as good
as the path we've known,
Here's Hail!
To the end of the road."

There's that, and this. The planet - a model.

The North Wind Blew South from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Oh Nine

I very well may have gained fifteen or twenty over this holiday. Maybe even just within the last couple days. My dad has had non-stop mole going in the crock pot. Non-stop! In all of it's ground peanut and chili goodness. There is beer and wine flowing from my ears. There is fire in the fireplaces of my family, and snow just outside. It is good times.

To update: The semester ended well. Great reviews and great grades. Christmas went well. San Diego with the wife's family. Fun times and fun gifts including books on Anthony Bourdain's recipes and architecture, dvd's on Planet Earth, salt and pepper shakers and underwear and M. Ward tickets. We made the trek up the mountain on the 26th for a Pool Christmas and New Year, and here we are. We've done Pong's Thai, Maggio's Pizza, Nottinghams Beer and Prime Rib, Teddy Bear's Coffee. We will shred the slopes. Then we will leave.

Faze

I go through phases. Some where I love Los Angeles and some where I hate it. Last night I went through a quick phase of loving Los Angeles, but I'm not quite sure what spawned it. I had just finished a successful Arch 14 final presentation. Amber and Obrien came out. Afterward the group and us went out for a few celebratory PBR's. Later I was driving to Trader Joe's to pick up some coffee for the morning. I was listening to Mississippi from Dylan's Love and Theft. Listen to it. Everyone I ran into said "Merry Christmas". It was a nice evening. Besides the stress of final projects, it's actually been a nice week. A long awaited Rio Bravo session at the barn finally happened, including a few beers and a few Willie covers. The wife and I went out with Derek and his lady to take part in the Christmas insanity at The Grove. The wife and I, while broke, still manage to eat good, sleep good, and be in love good. God is good.

Now I'm off to yet another study model building sesh.

That's all.