Owning/driving an old International Scout is a lifestyle that sort of just picks YOU.  Case: Just now, I needed some fresh air and a cool drink to get me through the final stretch of work for the week, so I just up and took a saunter (sp?) down the street in my scout.  The weather is fine, so the windows were down.  I stopped by the auto parts store to check out trailer mirrors.  Since I was now just next door to Steve's Custom Shoe Repair shop, I had to stop over and chat with him.  (Steve is a life long craftsman of shoe repair, and has fixed a few pairs of shoes for me in the past)  He's always good for a little yarn.

His shop is great and smells like worn leather and levi's.  He gave me some digs about my headcold, and told me how excited he was about going on vacation tomorrow.  In my perusing around, I spotted these old worn work boots that fit like they should be mine.  Would Grandpa Clyde or Steve McQueen have boots like this?  -Hell yes they would.  These are totally the kind of boots I need to have in my closet for when I buy my next motorcycle, or dig a hole.

So, here they are sitting passenger side.  Only ten clams.  High fives to my old sweaty 4x4 for a breath of fresh air well spent.  -In the future, make sure Steve is the one you give your shoes to if they need some love.  But don't go tomorrow; He'll be in Idaho for a few weeks.

Hello friends- 


I'm back.  Back to my blogging.  I posted a pic of me because I wanted to illustrate my absence with the visual of "I've been busy working" or "Take at look at my reverent repose while I contemplate my re-entry into my blog"  Either way, to you 3 or 4 readers out there, thanks for being faithful.  I've been much more diligent on my twitter account, so if you're hankering for more of my trivial thoughts you can find me there.  


I've been working on a great new project at work- a TV series that begins airing in June.  As a result, I've been spending a lot of time out of town meeting fascinating people.  2011 is shaping up to be a very different year than what I'm used to, so stay tuned! (wah wah) 

I didn't make this, but I love it.


GoPro HD - Skimboarding In A Storm! from Patrick Lawler on Vimeo.

I'm pretty fascinated by artists that use light well in their work. I
have a hard enough time with a camera, but to convey it with colored
pigments is totally beyond me. This is by Erin W. Berrett.  She's got this fantastic eye for still life work, and her other paintings are worth peeping.  Here.

10 points if you can tell me what the motorcycle is.  

The colors in the sky are pretty tonight because I'm headed to see
Vampire Weekend with my lady, Andrea and Erica. I'm just saying your
sunset wasn't as good.

1963 Triumph Bonneville Hardtail. Its perfect. I really want this
for Saturday's while my lady is at school. In fact, no- I need it.
This bad boy is for sale Cali, and I can't think of anything else
today. Please consider my situation as I'm currently accepting
sponsors/donations, so act now.
I really can't stop looking at it.

The other day Randi brought some of her skin-school peeps over to the studio for some headshots.  My friend Josh came to do the still work, and we had some fun messing around for a couple hours.  I'm really impressed by actual photographers- I try to shy away from calling myself that while wielding my Canon Rebel XT around.  -It feels like the first digital SLR camera ever made.

The actual shots turned out really nice.  I'll see if I can snag some from Josh and post them up here.

February brought me to a few different places for work, and for one week especially, made me dizzy with flying.  I'll spare you too much detail, but here are a few shots from my phone, and some of my travel notes.  

-Canada's airports.. are generally cool. 

-I want summer weather. 

-San Diego smells really nice. 

-I hate airport security.  

Now, normally I'd gush about how neat it was to travel to some cool new places, but our schedule had us in 5 cities in 5 days.  Toss in a few detour stops for layovers, and you've got yourself a good old fashioned rodeo across America.  -Afterwords you smell a little funny, don't remember where that stain stain came from, and your back hurts.  At least we ended in San Diego on a 75-degree day.  I think a few hours more, and I'd have started browsing real estate.  

NOTE: Do not attempt without an iphone.  

Not coffee, its chocolate.  I'm still 12. 

Now, Ready, Jet-set, GO.  This is my first blog of 2010, and rather than stress about trying to blog-up to that epic task, I'll just let it happen.  In my random web wanderings today I came across these killer modern looking Pan Am ads from the 70's.  Aren't they amazing?  Really great photography and simple.  Just a great example of 70's modern fabulous.

Just sharing.   Ain't mad at cha.  Got nothin but love for ya.

I love this:

Here's a great video as well:


Phenomenal Handclap Band "15 to 20" Official Video

The Phenomenal Handclap Band | MySpace Music Videos
Thanks to Wicked-A for this killer video/song!

Sushi Christmas

Alright so this year's holiday season, more than any I can remember,
has been full of dinner parties and get togethers. Like, seriously
EVERY NIGHT. Normally, I'd just love that. But I've also been dealing
with the Christmas norms of A) being super slammed at work and B)
totally behind in shopping for gifts. But, that's enough whining
about it- of all the evenings that have been great, my favorite was
spending the evening over at the Fitch house. 6 of us prepared sushi
from scratch (a first for me) and drank strange asian sodas from the
food supply store. Yes, one even had a root in it. Yes, a root. Oh,
dont worry, it tasted just like you might guess: a root. The company
was fab and the sushi was tasty. The misses even tried and liked some
of the salmon tempura roll. -I'm so proud of her.

SINCE I'VE BEEN GONNNE.....

I've been moving to a new basement, trying to remember how do deal with freezing cold Utah weather, and buried under a mountain of work.  And while I've mentioned it, how is it that my body makes so little heat? Every morning I put on 6 layers, and somehow manage to stay chilly.  These signs point to one thing.  What is that thing, you ask in a timid tone? I'll tell you.  That thing is that I need to book a vacay with me and the lady to a hot place.  You see, if I was a scientist, I would prove that warm weather can be stored inside your body for a few months.  After that.. better jet set your way to warmth or its curtains.  Like for instance...


South Beach:

I know this ain't no music blog, but these electronic gems are totally cheering me up today:

Lisztomania by Classixx
Comme Ci Comme Cia by 12's
New single by GO FIND
Ali LOVE!!!

The wind is fierce and creepy today, and brown leaves are blowing down the street.  I love the weather in Autumn, and while I've not seen this movie in 20 years or so, I always think of it when October weather hits.   I almost don't want to watch it for fear that it will change my memories of it.  You know like that one time when you come across 'Top Gun' in college and thought: "Hey! Top Gun! I wanna watch this.. think of how rad this will be!"  Then you started singing "Danger Zone" and getting all pumped, but later realized that the movie is just a cool memory on the outside, with lame and soggy-filled center? -yeah, like that.  So, maybe I'll keep avoiding it.  In the meantime however, how cool is this movie poster artwork? All watercolor and dreamy- I love it.  Maybe I'll join the ranks of you movie-poster-hanging-people and get it for my house.

Old record stores are so money. Don't worry, found me some Fleetwood
Mac.

Tonight the weather is perfect, and its making me appreciate the season (plus Radiohead just shuffled, and thats helping). The
sun is setting and bouncing light off of some big clouds, making pink and orange light everywhere. Still, temperate and gorgeous. Late
Summer/Autumn in Utah is the finest.
I just now grabbed this pic, but i will add some more from my other
camera later.

Edit: 
As promised.

POST Labor

This last weekend was Labor Day, and officially the final blast of summer fun. I spent the weekend driving International Scouts around the mountains, and riding my bike with the other Space Invaders. I think I should start to rest more during the work week, as it certainly has not been my habit to do so on the weekends!

Mine, my two bros-in-law and my Dads. My rig is second in from the left. My brother is still on the hunt. So this is officially 4 of what-will-soon-be-5. Deep inside my heart, there is a inner redneck who has tied up his mullet and is clawing to get out.

Climbing the Alpine Loop. I voted this the coolest looking area for a bike ride. Life feels simpler in places like this.
I've been back to work this week and been totally slammed. But the work is cool, and we've got some cool projects for Xango going on, and some progress on films this Fall. To top it all off, I'm starting to wear my hoodie to work in the mornings.. Autumn is coming

Hey faithful, I'm back to orbit the bloggosphere for the forseable future. Since I left you, I got engaged and married to the girl pictured below. So, things have been pretty crazy this spring. If you are cranky that I've not been here for you, you are just going to have to go get a popsicle and cool off. Her name is Randi and I am pretty crazy about her. We live in SLC in a nice little apt with a pool. Life is good.

Okay, so new to this week we had DAYLIGHT SAVINGS. Which means, yes sports-fans, we get to turn our cold wintery clocks forward an hour. (remember? 'Spring FORWARD, Fall BACK').

This is a joyous week and I've be hotly anticipating it for.... about.... lemme see- Yep, SINCE WE SCREWED WITH THE CLOCKS BACK IN AUTUMN.

In the Fall, when you turn your clocks back an hour.. the clock-deciding-people say:
''Here's an extra hour of sleep. In return, I'm taking summer and fun away for a long time. Oh yeah, and its going to be really cold and DARK. Enjoy your hour."
So, basically.. Daylight Savings and the thought of putting things on Summer schedule is key to our happy state of complacence. Its devine summer warmth and light making itself known after a long hiatus. Its Winter being cast away, and I think its just the berries.

So, imagine my alarm. All week I've been hearing people complain about 'losing an hour of sleep'. Here are some of the uber lame ones I've heard:

"Oh MAN.. I'm still just TOTALLY reeling from losing that hour of sleep last weekend"

"I am SOOOOOO tired.. turning the clocks forward has done a number on me"

"Daylight savings is SO HARD! Man I miss that extra hour!"

"I'm REEALLY LAME and I can't seem to cope with the thought of losing a WHOLE HOUR"

I made that last one up, but that is how you sound, you whiner. Are you people serious? You're whining to me about losing one hour of sleep time? Is this you? If so, I am going to kick you if you say this to me. Think of all of the stupid things you give your hours of sleep to. AND this is even on a weekend when you're lying around anyway. If you are telling me you don't know how to nap-up a SINGLE HOUR of sleep, you should be sentenced to an hour in a meat locker. Look at the facts here. You will find that WE WIN on this round. For a one time donation of a certain hour of sleep, you get cheery bright sunshine when you leave the office, and hope of t-shirt days just around the corner. Just take a look at this chart:

You'll see that Daylight Savings is even better than new shoes and only a tad below free money.

Just yesterday, I celebrated DS by having a pre-dinner snack on the hood of my scout. The hood was warm and it was nice out... AT 6:15PM.


So, there. Keep your whining. Take your hour of sleep back, and move back to January for all I care.


In other news, I found this youtube yesterday of a goat that yells like a man. It's really great.

So, I've been sick for the past 3 days and let me tell you, its the pits. I probably do better than most on getting away with 'burning the candle at both ends' but when my lifestyle catches up to me, it pins me good. Last weekend I could feel the scratchies in my throat creeping in.. and Sunday morning I was done for. I sound like a team of geese in heat.

I happen to own an AppleTV, which is a neat little box that connects to my TV, that brings my iTunes content to my living room. (I know, right? -another cool way to be lazy) While before I've only been able to mess around with it a bit, this week, my couched state has provided ample testing. I'm HOOKED. It's awesome. I had a friend at work (Thanks Mr Micah) install BOXEE onto my AppleTV, which is a little program that lets you go online and view content from CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, etc. SO, I've been thoroughly enjoying some TV in my sick-time. I've rented movies in HD, caught up on my car shows (Top Gear.. my fav), even busted out a reeeeealy old episode of 90210 and Melrose Place. Yeah. I know. "Melrose" I watched the entire 2-hour season premier. Maybe I took too much advil. Maybe MP was just an awesome show. Either way, It was nice to have stuff to watch besides Oprah while my chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it.

No real crazy news lately.. I've been hiding from posting on this blog hoping that summer would come sooner. That hasn't really happened, but I'm happy to report that a new car has come into my life in place of the blue truck. Its a 1977 International Scout and its very orange. I think I blog about once every time I get a new car. At any rate, it should bring some fun summer mud-bogging and drop-top fun.

WOOO!

Today is my Birthday. Wherever you are, you better be celebrating.

If you happen to be in SLC, you better come down to my joint birthday party with dear friend and work-industry co-hort, Mrs Jennifer Shorter. We were both born this day and are throwing ourselves a party FOR YOU at Club Orange!!! Deets HERE if you missed the event on effbook. (I have to give snaps to CCOy for helping me with that awesome page. Well done ol chap.)


*****NOte. I totally wrote this on my birfthday and never published it. har! So I pub'd it after the fact. In retro-specs, I'll also mention that the joint party was OFFF IT. Seriously you missed a rad time.

Maybe you knew this already, but I'm a little white trash. This thought was profound yesterday morning as I looked out the window.

Why yes, that IS in fact an old Kenmore dryer.


-I'm sure I could try to excuse myself and explain exactly why my truck looks like that ... but that doesn't matter.

Fact is- I live here, and that baby is parked out front.

Healing. Slowly. So, I've been the busiest bee lately working on a project at work. about 2 weeks ago, Greg wanted to pull the trigger on a short film idea we'd been kicking around for a while. The problem is that we wanted to make the Sundance Film submission deadline.. 7 days later. Yeah. So, it was a wild ride of a week with last-second-impromptu-locations, crazy-long days for my crew, and off-the-cuff planning. I as well as the editors saw a fair share of 4am's, and I have to hold up my hat for a great team of gents that killed it all week.


Last Thursday I made a speedy run to the Airport and gave them the overnight-DVD to FEDEX for a final late-day submission to the festival. The short film is 17 minutes long, and is called "The Death of David Jones". I think the film looks great, and it was an absolute blast to work on. We'll find out in December if we've been accepted. Here's to hoping!

In the meantime, I'm buried with the paperwork aftermath. Here I am at my desk, doing a little 'robot' to keep me fresh between Purchase Orders.