my new blog is found at http://jeffbaus.baltiblogs.com/

12/21/03

The Perfect Storm

Last Tuesday, in Savannah, the temperature got up into the 70s. So Paul, Brady and I decided to take off work and drive Brady's parents new boat out to a deserted island at the mouth of the Savannah River called "Beach Hammock" and camp for the night. The boat came equipped with a fish finder but it was of no help to us in catching any.... We spent the evening collecting drift wood for the fire, shells for our poker games, and then just stopped it all to watch the sun set.

During the night it cooled down considerably and the winds picked up. The winds reached speeds between 25-30 mph. In the morning we just had to stay in the tent and wait for the tide to get higher so that we could push the boat back in the water, which had beached itself with the high tide. The wind was blowing into everything. Poor Delphi, who enjoyed the beach so much the first day, looked miserable the next with tears and sand in her eyes.... Getting the boat back in the water was just half the battle the second half was the water itself. With such high winds the river was very choppy. Waves got up to about 4 feet. Which doesn't seem like much but its not that big of a boat... Its cold in the wind but add waves crashing into the boat and on us and its much colder.... It was a wild ride back; much different then the way there when the water was like glass... But we made it home fine and enjoyed the time out there nonetheless. It is a good memory.
See photos of our camping trip.

It's official now. I'm leaving Savannah for Baltimore Jan. 4rd.

12/03/03

NY Photos

Click here to view Photos we took while working in New York.

12/02/03

On Trying to Smoke in NY

I'm a smoker, reader, and drinker. One without the other doesn't seem complete. However, i've always held that if you do more than 2 of these things at once you are bound to do one of them badly. But, i NY you can't smoke anywhere (with only a couple late night exceptions...) This leads to bad everything: reading, drinking and even conversation. Smokers are now obligated to stop everything and go outside in the cold. You are therefore rushing to finish your cigarette and get back to the conversation, et. al. but at this time its too late; the conversation has moved on without you. I like NY but i have an issue such non-smoking laws.... (the subway is my other issue)...

Lou and i saw a band, the Four Bags play at the Bowery Poetry Club (across from CBGB's). It was quartet with accordion, clarinet/sp. sax, trombone, and guitar. They were great. They performed modern arrangements (some they composed themselves) including one piece i think was the best, they called the Vertigo Prelude which was commissioned for a music/film festival in Brooklyn which featured music before a film. It was real genius how well it fit the progression of the film... and seeing talent like this is why i like NY so much.

After NY i spent two days working in Savannah than flew to Baltimore for Thanksgiving. I was able to see my fam (except for Gary) and go to my Church (Grace and Saint Peter's), all which i miss. And all of it just helped me realize that it is now time to leave Savannah. i have plans to move after Christmas....

11/11/03

If I Can Make It There

Tomorrow i leave for New York with Brady and Paul. Soap on a Rope got a job there. We will be there for 10 days (i think the job will only take 3, unless we get more). The job we are sure of is a 20 something story building on Park Ave. I'm excited to be working there. Its Mecca in the high-rise window washing industry. Also, since i'll probably have free time i look forward to experiencing all the things NY has to offer (and that which Savannah lacks...) All of us will be staying with friends separately... The difficult thing will be the weather. Today in Savannah it got above 80. I'm afraid the highest we have to look forward to in NY is 50s. It will probably feel cooler since we will be on a tall building and there will be more wind (unless we are near taller buildings) also, the water we use will inevitably make our hands freeze, (in really cold weather and on sunless sides of a building you have to put antifreeze in the bucket so the water won't freeze on the window). Hopefully it will at least be sunny.

11/06/03

Hello Mr. Slim Goodbody

I don't have such a great view of my body. The mind and soul i get along with better. My body seems the alien, the outsider of this trinity. Perhaps in my mind's eye i should be more handsome and strong or healthy... I don't care about it so much, as long as it can get the job done (which definitely takes more strength than i did just 5 months ago). Health i guess has always been just a state of mind. Now i feel i'm getting older. I feel my body falling apart.

Today i got a cut over my right eye that bled a bit and some scrapes on my arm (which are not unusual in this job). But i don't care, as if i want to punish my flesh. "Just let it bleed, its of no consequence." Perhaps this attitude is the whole problem. My skin is an organ and needs care to survive. My body won't obey me if it doesn't have what it needs. I won't be strong unless i make it so.

In this way the body is simple and in ways easier to understand than the mind and soul. Then perhaps my relationship with my body could be better...

10/30/03

Stars Like Me

This is the week of the Savannah Film Festival. Is has been quite impressive for such a little town. The fact is there is so much money here. SCAD is funding most of it. SCAD is rich, because the parents of the "artsy" kids are rich... So, this week i've been able to enjoy a rare but favorite past time of mine; not watching films but taking advantage of the rich. Brady was able to get some all inclusive passes; which includes entree into films, meals, receptions and after parties... all for free (at least to me). Most of the nights out were however very typical nights out for me (save without the guilt of spending money frivolously). Even though there were famous or powerful people within Hollywood around i really didn't care; after all i don't know these people... There were Stars out; Thora Birch, Alex Baldwin, and one of my favorites Alan Cumming. I was able to talk to him for while Brady was talking to his boyfriend, which he knew. He asked about what i'm doing here, i asked him the same, you know small talk. I just avoided the fact that he was a "star". After all the only difference between them an "regular people" is not who they are but how other people treat them. Anyway, our conversion was fairly unremarkable... what was however, was when i saw him again on the street walking to the after party i just said, "hey, how are you doing?" He said, "Hello." Then he turned to his friend and said "He's great! Do you know him...?"

10/20/03

Trivial Pursuits

Ok. i thought i'd give this blog thing another try. i think i'm just tired of hearing my own voice.... There's no big news to tell. Work is still slow and sometimes i don't know why i'm in Savannah.... But yesterday was Game Night at some friends house. We played Dominos, and my personal favorite "No Limit Texas Hold Em" (the Cadillac of poker games), then finished with Trivial Pursuit. Brady, Paul and I have been playing poker at least once a week for a while now. I'm not saying we are really any good but good enough to at least enjoy the game.

09/02/03

my new favorite album is "Give Up" by The Postal Service. Really one of the best albums i've heard in a long while.

08/28/03

Mars Fest 2003

To celebrate Mars rare proximity to the Earth wednesday, Brady, Micah, Paul, and i packed a pique-nique dinner and headed to the beach. The weather was perfect. The sky was clear. The ocean was calm. It wasn't long before i was naked and in the water. Mars was so bright that it cast an ethereal reflection upon the water; in the water itself, there where other lights. I recently discovered what they call "Phosphorescence". When you disturb the water many little specks of light follow your movements. When you swim with your eyes open under water you�re given a blurry light show. It was the best night swim i've ever had. (so it seemed in the beginning). Then i suppose God thought i was enjoying myself too much; so he sent his spineless minions after me. It felt like large crab claws were tearing at my feet and shins. It was actually just some jellyfish wrapping their tentacles around my legs. Brady and i just talked about sharks, so he thought i was being bitten by one and watched and waited until i was dragged under water. I ran to the beach laid down and pleated to Brady that he pee on me. But he didn't have to pee and he was laughing too hard. So, i had to live with the pain. I still bear the scars of that beautiful night.

08/15/03

I started window washing three weeks ago at the Convention Center across the river. This was a good building to start with since we just used lifts to reach the taller windows. The next week i trained on the ropes. It was the second tallest building in Savannah (which is only 10 stories tall). Hanging off the top of a building and letting go to fall over the edge was actually less scary then i thought it would be.

Yesterday, i had no work. It was a great day. I got a library card. (the library is only about 3 minutes away by foot). I got out a book by Louis de Bernieres called Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord. I have no idea how, but it ended up on my reading list. Happily i found its a mixture of Magical Realism and Hardboiled Fiction. I also rented a video, "Manon of the Spring" the sequel to "Jean de Florette" by Marcel Pagnol. Then i went to the beach. Picked up Micah from the airport. Had a beer... I feel spoiled but for some reason feel no guilt.

08/13/03

if you want to see my previous site about my time in Aix-en-Provence its found at www.geocities.com/speakeasymag