Today is day 4 without the boy. I can tell the animals miss him too. So I let the dogs sleep around the house last night where they pleased. Inevitably, Titus the chocolate lab eventually slept next to my bed. The black lab Zahnn slept in the living room without destroying anything! Note to self, buy food for the mutts.

I love that I just saw a man try to sit down on the bus only to get up half way through it because he realized he was too large to fit in the seat next to the even larger girl. And here I was wondering what I would talk about today! I just heard someone talk about that old argument where someone should pay for two seats on a plane if they take up two seats. I really am divided on the issue. There are medical complications, but there is also plain old gluttony.

I realize that one day we all get old and lose/gain (mostly gain) weight. But I’ll be damned if I’m not goin’ down with a good fight. According to my palm anyway, I have lengthy spirit and life lines. The other long line apparently represents the body, which I don’t understand because mine constantly feels like it is falling apart. Then again I just might be that way because I’m the next step in human evolution. Not likely but it’s still fun to consider a million genetic variants of myself walking the planet. No this does not mean I am considering kids.

I’m writing this on the bus with two thumbs and an iPad. It is going pretty well. I’m listening to the new Scissor Sisters album and loving it even more than I did the first fifty times I heard it. I’m very impressed with how heave captured their sound. Very homoerotic but 1000 percent audience friendly. Crafty.

Right now I am still reeling from my professional prowess as displayed yesterday on a cell phone conference call that took place in the aisle of a CVS by the cashews and Gatorade, where I got a client to agree to talks for reorganization of their data streams to the Blackboard servers. Say that five times fast. I wasn’t even medicated for it! Fancy that. It’s days like that which give me self-confidence in my career. And those days are good ones.

I was also encouraged by a doctor appointment I had where we discussed an adjustment to my crazy pills. The one I am currently on, Paxil, for your standard American brain-chemistry imbalance, has stopped working the way it should. I’m not supposed to feel like I am covered in sweat all of the time. So we switch to Celexa after the weekend to observe if it will work better. With it I shouldn’t need the myriad of other pills to go with it and I should feel better. Operative word “should”. We shall see. But I am feeling GREAT today now that the meds have negated the pain of TMJ caused by clamping. Hates that!!

Better living through chemistry! I wrote an entire paragraph about how nearly everyone is popping a pill for something, but I deleted it. The explanation started to sound rather convoluted. And we know how much I love that. Sufficed to say only everyone takes a pill for something. Especially in this city. And I’m sure it’s just 10 times more prevalent in New York.

I am now listening to all things “Sia”. And you should too!!

There is no city…place of residence…building…anything…that can make you feel better when you just feel plain old gross. It’s a human condition, I think. Highly mental most of the time. But today it’s totally physical. My nose feels like it’s on fire and my eyes feel like they are about to bulge out of their sockets. Damnable allergies. For that, I didn’t sleep well at all. The weather outside even matches my neutrality and desensitization to it all. I’m alive…and working…even if from home. I see a doctor later this afternoon, during which I will describe my other issues and deliver the news of New York. At least I don’t have to DJ tonight as originally planned.

Today is the third day without the boy. I’ve yet to let the dogs out and the male cat is being unusually affectionate. I’m convinced this is something that happens when you feel gross – that the animals you adore who deprive you of attention do so for this specific kind of occasion…either to get back at you for trying to bother them all of those times, or to make you feel better. I can’t decide which. He is truly aspires after the evil grey one, who has made herself quite scarce but to answer the front door when I come in. Now if we can just get him to meow past a squeak.

Delivery of some iPhone kittuh videos were well received in Manhattan this morning, followed by the “aww” text message. I talked to him on his way to work in the big other-city and he said he finally slept well. At least one of us did. I don’t have a lot to say this morning, but I might later. I’m still extremely excited about New York. Maybe if I get a free moment between work issues I might even get to put some more stuff in boxes!

And that…is THE most underwhelming 1000th post I ever could have written for this website. Of course.

Day 2 as a ’single dad’ with five furry kids and no car in the outskirts of DC. Let’s see. How can I once again throw a wedge between me and the underwashed masses of this city? My time in New York taught me something. No one walking the streets of Manhattan who lives there…isn’t physically fit. By this I mean they move quickly, not that their general appearance is totally fit. Let’s be real – you can be fit and not totally have the body that says “fit”.

This lends credence to Josh’s statement that DC is a southen city. I interpret this as “everything is slower in the south.” Because let’s face it. When compared to cities Manhattan, it just is. The only slowpokes you see in Manhattan are wearing visors, fanny-packs, t-shirts with “I (heart) NY” on it even though they’ve been in town a total of two hours EVER…and towing two and a half children. Or they are VALIDLY in a wheelchair…and even those unfortunate souls are afraid to be on a Manhattan sidewalk for fear of being run over.

Am I an angry person? No. I don’t think I am. As Chad Cox says, “I’m not an ass. You’re just not used to people telling you the truth.” I am embarassed to say I am from DC after mornings like this one. More embarassed though, mind you, that I haven’t opened my eyes to truly see how this city just isn’t fast enough for me. I truly feel more like a fish out of water than I ever have. All morning, I kept thinking, “walk faster, you lazy bitch” to the people in front of me, taking their sweet ass time in the subway with no regard for the people they are holding up.

I would not be saying any of this if I were the only person affected – I would just label myself overly impatient. (Which I am.) People who walk in any city environment such as DC’s “Chinatown” (part of town with Chinese signs but no Chinese people in sight) should be slipped Aderol into their triple-whipped chocolate-sprinkled mocha-triple-shot-chinos. It’s days like this I wish mobile phone signals hadn’t been introduced into the DC subway system and that crocs should be outlawed for anyone who doesn’t have a foot-swelling illness. (I’m not totally heartless.)

Waking to a voice in my head saying hi, I shot out of bed wondering what the hell happened to my alarm clock. Good thing I cancelled the doctor appointment because of the power situation…which wasn’t resolved until the wee hours.

Today’s day one of life in the house on my own. The dogs played it easy. So did the cats. The bus came quick. So did the subway. I miss New York. I miss Josh!

People often say they will miss the people but not the place. When I leave DC, I won’t miss all of the people. Saying that, I suppose this note could be one where I write the grievances and such into semi-permanent record. We all know this is the place to do it. Hell…blogs are sometimes more heeded than newspapers, right?

I’m not going to miss government workers. I’m not going to miss the something-for-nothing attitude that veils DC residents and the DC workforce into the lipstick-on-a-pig fashion statement it has become. Nation’s capitol my ass. I’m not going to miss the entitlement.

I certainly won’t miss the way this city has handled its people…. By this, of course, I place special focus on the demise of the aging population, the constant repair and disrepair of the public transit system, the homeless, dismissal of the lower class, and stunning complacency toward disease prevention. But wait, you say…how can you say any of that, you ask…. Two words: baseball stadium. (Aaron waits for tomatoes to fly….)

I don’t believe I am being unfair. I’ve lived in this area for nearly 19 years. I’ve watched the city grow from the inauguration of Bill Clinton through the current term of Barrack Obama and seen our transient mini-nation shift back and forth so many times my head will forever be spinning.

I’m not going to miss DC, but I will miss *some* of the people. And they know who they are / aren’t.

First day back to work. One less day until Manhattan.

I am on a train from Manhattan to DC that feels like a year sucked out of my life. Number 87 left NYC at 306pm. I was supposed to be home around 630pm. We are three hours behind schedule, all of which were spent sitting in Baltimore. Two trains even passed us on another track, “because they suck” according to an Amtrak employee. We waited forever and were eventually joined to the back of another train for reasons that were never made clear. We are now train 97.

One train apparently didn’t suck, taking on passengers in Baltimore. But the crew of our train only informed the front cars…basically leaving the back cars to fend for themselves. I only know because I was in the cafe car when the other train was getting ready to leave. I made a stink with an Amtrak employee who urged me to get on the other train so I could get home. Had I no luggage that might have worked, but my bag was three cars back! As I walked back to my seat they announced it to all cars. Mass pandemonium ensued…quickly followed by a message to stop trying…because the other train was full.

A newlywed on his honeymoon and I tried to at least get a bottle of water at the cafe car. The train was hot and humid. We were refused the sale of anything because there was no hot water in the cafe car. A mother with her young child managed to appeal for a bottle of water…. But the newlywed and I were still refused.

Toilets in the train now aren’t the best to visit, based on reports from other passengers who met with overflow conditions. Haven’t seen it for myself. Don’t want to. I feel sick enough as it is being on this train with it’s recycled and no doubt nasty air. I’m drinking what water I can from a dispenser in the wall.

UPDATE: found the bathroom chock full of shit. DISGUSTING!!!!! It also stinks of it in this car. For shame. 10pm now and we still aren’t in DC yet. The natives have given up hope.

UPDATE 2: I just want to go home, Amtrak. And I’ll be calling for a full refund of this trip.

Even at 1045 I am still not off the train and we are just inside the station waiting to either pull up further or see if we can get off. And NOW they are moving us BACKWARDS as I type this to move us into yet another lane because we are a 17 car train pulling up to a full terminal.

And my ride just called saying he lost all his antifreeze. My dogs are gonna be pissed.

http://bit.ly/A-Ron-The-DJ-Jun2010

ENJOY IT!!

No doubt you’re wondering where the hell this blog has been. Or not. Either way, I am coming back to it. I’ve been neglecting it for Twitter and Facebook far too much. So before I get going here…have some free music why don’t ya?!

bit.ly/A-Ron-The-DJ-Jan2010 Good Morning Sacramento
bit.ly/A-Ron-The-DJ-Feb2010 Singles Awareness Day
bit.ly/A-Ron-The-DJ-Mar2010 Alice The Unsavory Whore
bit.ly/A-Ron-The-DJ-Apr2010 Why Did You Say Five Minutes?!
bit.ly/A-Ron-The-DJ-May2010 Stonewall Flowers

These are not beat-mixed sets. I save that for the shows. These are compilations. Some well mixed, others “eh”. But it’s the tunes I put on it that are important. Gives you a little view into what I like to hear on the regular. And the names have some significance.

“Good Morning Sacramento” was made for a friend in that city, Aaron Carruthers – who was a Subway State Guest Room contributor back when that series was regularly running. (It’s coming back.)

“Singles Awareness Day” was what my ex and I used to call the happy hours we would get together for friends of ours on Valentines Day. It’s actually how two of our pals ended up married.

“Alice The Unsavory Whore” was a mix of some Black Dog spoken word tracks about Unsavory Products – really sick and twisted mock advertisements, placed together with some tracks from “Almost Alice” because “Alice and Wonderland” released in theatres. Of course other themed tracks made it in too.

“Why Did You Say Five Minutes?!” is actually a quote from Amy Pond, The Doctor’s new companion. Without missing a beat, she said this in a sort-of argument she was having with The Doctor about how long he’d been gone. “Why did you say twelve years?!!” “Why did you say FIVE MINUTES!?!!!”

“Stonewall Flowers” is named after the online fleet I joined in Star Trek Online. All gays. And I wanted them to have some good battle music, since they had positively received the other sets. I feel like I rushed it, but Dot-Joel liked it. He’s one of my toughest critics. Simply because when he reviews me, he keeps it short. And I like that. Some people give me looks, some go on and on – Joel keeps it to a sentence. Usually in the subject line of an email with no body to it.

It’s been a pretty crazy time here in A-Ron Land. But there has been a lot of new music and TV episodes to keep me company during the moments of insanity. The month of June is something I am looking forward to. I’m looking forward to putting out the June compilation because there is so much good stuff to include. And because I will have a couple weeks of administrative down-time at work while I prepare to finish a large project on 4th of July weekend. Then the summer is MINE! MINE I TELL YOU!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!

*ahem* Don’t mind him – that was my inner Christopher creeping out for a moment. He’s the crazy one, you see. I have actually considered in recent months going by my actual first name, but I don’t know how much I would like it. My whole life the only time I’ve ever heard it is when I’m in trouble, or someone is reading it from a piece of paper. And not only are there enough Aaron’s, but there are definitely too many Chris’s, Christopher’s…..so one thought was “Topher”, and the other “Christoph”. The latter because when my name gets truncated on forms and computers, that’s how it ends up. Has a rather edgy Russian feeling to it, no?

I have had to back out of three gigs in the past week. Sort of worrisome when that happens, but there were family-related matters that needed attending. Science Club and Green Lantern are dear hearts and don’t mind so much. Besides, I’m gratis at those venues. My choice, honestly. When I’m at either of those places I have a certain level of control that comes with playing free. And sometimes I think I actually pick better music because I’m not bound to a paid theme. But let it not be said that this affects my business ethic when it comes to DJ’ing. I still know my role. If my boys get sick of what they’re hearing, they know they can tell me and we’ll switch it up together. My favorite part of DJ’ing is the cooperative experience — which is why the DAY “Remote” came out for iTunes/iPad/iPodTouch/iPhone…..I was at Science Club deploying it. And successfully!! TouchItThursdays have replaced Thirsty!Thursdays at Science Club since then, mostly.

Let me not forget to mention that I got to meet and chat with DJ Drew G (Montalvo) one afternoon recently at 30Degrees of Cobalt – a venue which I recently had the honor of playing in myself and oddly enough played one of his remixes at my debut. He texted thank you to me. He’s a sweet sweet guy, but had a bad day that day. Some jackass decided to post something on the Internet regarding him that was completely inappropriate. And no matter who you are, I’m of the opinion that you don’t deserve that kind of nastiness. So I hope the fucker gets sued successfully. I can’t wait to play at Cobalt again. I had such a good time there.

Boodadday and I are in the car right now. I am typing into my iPad with a wireless keyboard. It feels really neat. All I need now is a stand for the car that would allow me to prop the damn thing into a non-shaky position. We’re listening to Glitch Mob’s new album. It’s alright. Very chill. In a minute here I’ll want something more hyper.

The dogs are in the back seat…sleeping…no doubt depressed because they had to leave their playmates for the weekend behind. But they got a new chew toy out of the deal so they really need to stop sulking so much. Bitch, whine, whine, bitch, whine. But they look cute doing it, like so many people I know. So I say nothing.

We’re on our way to see my grandfather, who recently had a minor stroke and later a seizure. My dad travelled back from the UK for this one! I guess no one was really sure how it would turn out. But he’s out of the hospital now, so that’s good. We should be at the pet-friendly hotel shortly. I can’t wait to see what this “grand” suite looks like. Supposedly it’s the best one they have, and only 80 bucks! We’ll stay overnight and go back in the morning. Unlike most of America, I have work to do for my client and I actually care about getting it done as quickly as possible. Let’s just hope the gentlemen I left work with over the weekend actually completed their parts.

NOW AVAILABLE
http://bit.ly/A-Ron-The-DJ-Apr2010