Friday, November 29, 2002
Off to Vegas tomorrow with Gary. If the rain stops (and it isn't too damn cold) I'll be working on Yak Crack - the 11d (albeit soft 11d) in Red Rocks that I flashed on top rope last month. If I can lead it without hanging, it will be my most difficult accent. Wish me luck.
Jim Parisi
Do kids still go sledding? I haven't lived near snow for ten years, and I honestly don't know. If they do, does the state require lights, helmets, and slopes of no more than 35 degrees? How about big wheels? Do kids still ride those? How about cap guns? Are kids just too sophisticated now? And what's this business about play dates? Parents now schedule time for their kids to play with other kids? I'm not sure I like living in a world where that's a requirement. When I was a kid (and I'm talking about four and five and six years old), my mom put me outside in suburban Danbury Connecticut, and all I had to be was back before dinner. I knocked on the neighbor's doors and asked if Mike or Tommy or Robert could come out to play. We were tromping around the woods sans adults when I was in first grade. I was getting dirty. I was playing baseball in the cul-de-sac. I was building ramps to ride my bike (sans helmet and pads) off of. I was chasing garter snakes. I was climbing trees and hanging from deer blinds in the woods. I was picking blackberries. I had an archery set by the time I was seven. And I was sledding. The bigger the hill the better. And all I had to be was home before dinner.
Jim Parisi
Thursday, November 28, 2002
I am thankful.
I am thankful for the brilliant Mach 3 razors and the currently compassionate whims of men's fashion.
I am perhaps more thankful that I have no embarrassing, genital-shaped birthmarks on my head.
Or a noggin shaped like an eggplant.
I am thankful I haven't made any truly dreadful mistakes this year.
At least none that I am aware of.
For the ability to appreciate modern art, timeless literature, Beethoven's violin concerto, and a good fart joke.
I am thankful that cooler heads often prevail.
I hope they continue to do so.
That US Presidential terms are only four years.
Strawberries and white wine.
And bathtubs at midnight.
I am thankful that my tormented respiratory system is currently out of SoCal and the raging Santa Ana winds.
iPod. 580 songs. Yeah Steve. Yeah.
I am thankful that my life so far has been largely free from tragedy, chaos, illness and violence.
Puppies. Nothing better than puppies. Especially in stir fry.
Thank God I was only 15 feet above the ground when I landed on my head.
Thank my parents for giving me such a hard head.
Bono - thanks for the two best concert experiences of my life. I felt honored to be there.
Thanks to everyone who said what needed to be said.
Thanks to everyone who shut up instead.
And thanks for everyone who had to put up with my seemingly endless shit for another year.
Even more thanks to those who didn't.
I am thankful for my three beautiful baby girls, two of whom are playing around my feet.
I am also thankful I only have to see them when they are happy and excited to see me.
Tight jeans, fitted tops, and California girls - grrrrowl.
Gardenburger Flame Grilled Patties - Tofu doesn't taste like ass anymore!
Thanks for a body that still works. Most of the time.
A head that still works. Most of the time.
A....well, you get the idea.
For the amazing women that have been so foolhardy, gracious, or masochistic to share themselves and their lives with me.
Thank heavens for dumb luck and/or the reliability of modern birth control methods.
And thanks for the good fortune to be in a financial position to handle the squirming little consequences should they prove to be not so reliable after all.
31 years and still no love handles!
I am thankful there is no photo evidence.
For restraint.
For the lack there of.
Mom.
And her banana bread.
Good teeth. And the good fortune to feel compelled to display them so often.
And for the kind people who let me know when that slice of broccoli was stuck in between them.
Two, count them, two new DMB albums!
For everyone who loves me.
For everyone I love.
For all of you who have shared my stories, my adventures, my rants, my raves, my thoughts, my tears, my life through these words and pictures. I am honored you have willingly chosen to visit with me.
For one woman in particular, whose green eyes reflected the very best of me, who showed me more about myself, more about love, and the best time of my life. If only for a little while.
Jim Parisi
Wednesday, November 27, 2002
I'm in Dallas for save-a-thankfull-turkey-day. On the way to my parent's new home from the DFW airport, I passed a store on the 75 called "Condoms To Go." This is a good thing. I'm pretty sure most people weren't planning on using them in the store. After doing a little web search on the store, I realized that I was not, in fact, the first writer to ask that question. Or the second.
Jim Parisi
Smile today.
Find beauty wherever you are. That is what thrills me the most. That you can find beauty anywhere. You just need to willing to see it.
Love someone today.
Love yourself today.
Spare a turkey. Cook up that tofu bird instead. Mmmm....gluten.
See with young eyes.
Say grace.
Be hopeful - but be prepared.
Be grateful. For something. For everything.
Remember to thank them.
Smile today.
And thank you.
Jim Parisi
Another Mighty Jimbo submission to the Mirror Project.
Jim Parisi
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
Heading back to San Fran this morning (shocking, I know). Then to Dallas tonight. Thanksgiving with the family. I haven't seen them since May, so it will be good to be home. But it will be great to see the dogs. I always miss the dogs most of all. Most people seem surprised by this. But if you think about it, it makes sense. I get to talk to my family on the phone. I don't get to pet the dogs. Besides, I like dogs better than people anyway. It's nearly impossible to be upset when you come home to a dog that loves you.
Jim Parisi
Monday, November 25, 2002
Sometimes you need someone to remind you of how lucky you are. Sometimes you need someone remind you of what is really important. I was fortunate enough to receive a welcome kick in the psychological ass was when I got a healthy dose of perspective during a trip to Africa. I got another one today. A little one. A month ago a young lady backed her boyfriend's GMC into the front of my Mustang. Messed up the hood and bumper. I went to drop my car off at the body at the Ford dealership today. Now sans automobile, I needed to hitch a ride to the Hertz facility at John Wayne International Airport. Fortunately enough, the young woman who worked at the service desk at the dealership also worked as a driver for Hertz and was on her way there. She offered to give me a ride. She was round, African-American, with a pleasant face, and a happy demeanor. We got to talking on the way to the airport. She is working two jobs. She is a single mom. She's happy. She's building her life the best she can for herself and her son. Well, she is re-building it. Ten years ago she was in college and working for the LAPD. While she was getting gas in Westwood one night, a man approached her and pulled a gun. He got upset when he found she only had $40 on her. So he shot her. In the leg. And the arm. Stomach. Back. And head. They never caught him. She, despite all the odds, survived the attack. And she is moving on with her life. And she is joyous for every moment she has - for herself and for her son. All the problems I have. All the things I think about and worry about and am concerned about. They are self-created. Every second I have is a gift. And there is joy and wonder and love in life even in the face of tragedy. Despite inhumanity. Despite injustice. Thanks, Shondra, for giving me some perspective. Even if only for a little while.
Jim Parisi
Uploaded some new photos from Joshua Tree. It's the right time of year to be out there, dangling off rock, communing with coyotes or just sitting quietly and admiring how much life and beauty can be found in the desert.
Also added a few to the road warrior file. I originally started taking pictures from my view of the world at 30000 feet. After a couple hundred segments, however, sleep becomes more of a priority than art. I need to keep up with that project. I have spent too much time napping.
Jim Parisi
Sunday, November 24, 2002
I have many opinions. That does not mean I am narrow minded. I'm not afraid to share them. That does not mean I will not listen to yours. Listening to your opinions does not mean that I think you are right. Not thinking you are right does not mean that I am stubborn. Having an opinion does not mean you are right. It also does not mean you are wrong. Agreeing with me does not mean I will like you. Disagreeing with me does not mean I will dislike you. But either way, it's only my opinion.
Jim Parisi
