top ten things that made it all worthwile

Top 10 things that made the week good.

1) my daughter beezlebubby who’s now 11 going on teenager pulled up a chair and sat and watched Friday night fights with me. We’re going thru a rough patch with her trying to strike out already for independence and me being a stubborn, selfish prick who wants things his way and no other way – lots of yelling and “that’s not fair” and all that but there she was Friday night in her chair sharing the big bag of potato chips and asking about the fighters, the rules, who I was barracking for. (she hasn’t quite got her head around the idea that you can watch a sport without having to necessarily follow one person or team over the other but that’s ok) and it was so damn good just to relax for both of us (and the good wife who sat back and watched it unroll) and enjoy the moment even if she didn’t quite understand it all. I need to hold onto that when I am struggling with the whole parenthood/father/letting go/ do what I say schtick that I get stuck in.

2) stumbling onto Raven (Confederate) Mack’s blogspot. Confederate Mack zine was a major moment for me a couple of years back helping me to get my head around a lot of strange ideas and giving me the push to become more of a lounger and less of a worrier (though the good wife would probably laugh at that). Raven is a mad ass dreadlocked whiteboy lounger redneck rapper housepainter cum philosopher ninja – part acid casualty part whitetrash messiah and damn I like how the fucker writes – be it about music, brew, hiphop, American football, politix, wrestling, whatever… there’s just something about his style that tickles my funnybone and makes me think. And he’s big on top 10 lists so I guess this is my tribute o’ sorts.

3) Suckdog – Drugs Are Nice A Suckumentary DVD. Lisa Carver’s book of the same name was a great read – a fucked up 80s girl who found her way via ugliness, insanity, music, drama and choosing the most fucked up friends she could find. This doco cum home movie features some truly insane footage of her and friends in action with film clips, interviews, the lunacy that is Costes and just a shitload of “holy fuck these people are nuts, how did they even think of that” laugh out loud madness. And all without an arts grant! Bodily fluids, opera, punk rock, homo erotica, giant penises, violence, punker kids, nothing is sacred.

4) Unbelievably Bad #6 – who else would even put sadisitik execution on the cover!? What I like about UB is that even when they interview bands I have no interest in (like all the new shitcore,thrashcore,whatevercore bands) they do such a good job of it that I then do want to hear them… luckily I’m so lazy that I don’t ruin the moment by ever getting around to it and can just imagine that maybe these guys are good. But the fuckers also throw in the best of the old farts too… a great and reverent mix of music, film, cult bastards of all persuasions and Editor Danger Coolidge can actually string a few words together too which is a rarity in a lot of zines these days.

5) Cheap cds. Been on a bit of a cheap spending spree and last week picked up some beauties for fuck all, most for $2 some even less. But the best of it would have been The History Of Country & Western Vol 12 (1946) which did cost me the princely sum of $3 but has twenty vintage country tracks from the likes of Hank Williams, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and more – all 1946, 47 all original – now I just gotta track down the previous 11 volumes!

6) Naxos Nostalgia – Children’s Favourites – cost me $1.25 (4 for 5 Bux deal) Jerry Lewis, Danny Kaye but the best bits Mel Blanc doing “I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat” and the Teddy Bear’s Picnic by Popeye! As a kid I got teased with the Popeye moniker on account o’ having all my teeth extracted due to calcium deficiency. I was six years old and we all know kids can be cruel. Hell its our job isn’t it? Anyway, I copped plenty of stick and didn’t think much of Popeye for awhile (though curiously a mate and I loved the whole Wimpy “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today” routine. Hell, we started eating hamburgers just cos o’ Wimpy) but now I can appreciate the sailorman and this track cracks me up.

7) Adding an extra ten pounds to my bench press making it 130 pounds. Sure it ain’t much in the real world but it makes me feel good to be able to add that little bit extra. And no I don’t know what it is in kilos, probably fuck all, the set I have is so old its in pounds, its metal and its rusting but its heavy enough for me. I started doing the weights to just get a little fitter, to be able to keep up with the drinking and partying (you know, get fit so you can get fucked up) but then the good wife started commenting on the muscle tone and we all know how the male ego works! So now I’m taking it much more seriously (well as seriously as an old fart with no time management skills and a lazy arse can) I eat better, I buy the protein mix, I try and add that little bit of extra weight or at least one more set to a session. And I’m starting to see some results. And more importantly so can the good wife!

8) That feeling of just maybe having got the words right. Been working on my long suffering manuscript Fists OF Love this week and I think I’m getting somewhere. I’ve been guilty of letting this story out early but now its just about ready to go. And as much as I sometimes hate them right now I’m back in love with Jason and Cindy. It’s a frustrating process having the idea and the people there but not being able to articulate the story enough to get someone else to see it the way I do… I think I’m getting closer though.

9) Cruising down south with the publisher and the kid for a poetry slam. Just the drive, stopping at a pub at Yankallilla for hot chips and a (light) beer… lots of bullshit talk, payouts and friendship… watching the kid develop, seeing the publisher finally getting his dues for years of unpaid hardwork… we ain’t in this for the money, we like words, we like the power of a story, a book, a pome… little trips like this make me realise what we are doing it for.

10) Ant’s ongoing recovery. My good friends Mike and Roosh had their first child last week but there were complications and it was touch and go. Young Antony is a fighter though (he shares his birthday with Sugar Shane Mosley) and he looks like he’s coming good. These two are the sort of people that as soon as you see them together you just know it’s right, they should be together – but they’ve had their share of ups and downs. Now its looking up and I’m so damn happy for them, they deserve it. And really this should be up the top of the list with sharing the boxing with beezlebubby. ‘nuff said.