Thursday, December 6, 2007

I Used To Love Her...

As I've stated from the very beginning, the primary reason I even have a blog is because I'm one of those overactive-mind types.My brain races night and day and I can't ignore it.One positive effect this has is that, in order to entertain myself, I'm pretty open to trying new things, even if only a couple of times.Some things stick and never leave.Others are merely discarded and forgotten.This blog post is dedicated to those forgotten little treasures.

My apartment is like the world's lamest museum.I keep all manner of nonsensical trinkets that mark some passing interest I had at one point or another.I thought it would be fun to pull some of these out and see where my mind was at when these were an important part of my life.(All of my hobbies are, or were, important to me.What you choose to do with your free time says a lot about you.)Anyway, here we go.

1)ANIME

I count 17 anime DVDs in my collection.I probably got most of them about 5 years ago...I think.I was making decent money as a contractor and thought nothing of dropping a few bucks(a common trend for me) on some mindless entertainment.I always loved the animation and the unconventional stories.It is nice to have quality animation with adult themes.Some people still dismiss anything animated as "kids' stuff".Those people are missing out.The only animes I really watch now are pretty much just the Miyazaki ones.They're the only ones that hold up for me.I know they may be too mainstream for a hardcore anime enthusiast, but fuck em.The other ones don't hold up.Sorry.

2)SKA/PUNK

At one point sometime in the late 90's I was in a bit of a rut musically.My music of choice was, as it is now, heavy metal.The problem was that all of my favorite bands were breaking up, putting out less music, or putting out less good music.It never occured to me to try other bands, like I had always done.Instead I decided, on a whim, to pick up a few punk and ska compilations.I had known some people in college who listened to it and I always though it was, at worst, a little goofy.

I liked most of what I heard.The songs had good hooks, but didn't sound like typical pop or pop rock music.Maybe it was just a way for me to listen to some more mellow music.I was drinking a lot back then, which might explain why I wasn't thinking right.At that point in my life I needed mellow.I bought dozens of these compilations for like $5 each and then bought the albums of the bands I liked best.I was making mix tapes(about 30 over a 4 year time period) of the best songs because my car didn't have a CD player.I couldn't stop.

Then something funny happened.Listening to punk and ska turned into listening to hardcore groups like Earth Crisis and Strife.Listening to hardcore than evolved into listening to metal again and I came full circle.I stay away from the CD store now if I can help it.I can spend a couple hundred dollars in no time at all if I'm not careful.

3)SWORDS/WEAPONS

It all started when my gf and I had just started going out.We were at an outdoor flea market near the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border when we happened upon a table with a few assorted knives and daggers.There was one in particular that I thought was pretty neat-o:

It's a WWI combat dagger, or at least a replica of one.The handle, with the brass knuckles and the spike, look like they could really make your day miserable if they came into hard contact with you.I thought that was awesome, so i bought it.At about the same time, I started getting catalogs from a company selling inexpensive swords and replicas.So I started buying weapons.

You can see my collection a few pictures up.There is also a katana, but that is in my bedroom.My gf has kept it on her side of the bed ever since the day our place was broken into 1 1/2 years ago.The nunchukas are foam.I tried using them once or twice and felt really silly and put them away.People who visit usually like to play with the katana, once they see it.Everyone wants to be a ninja.

4)STICKFAS (WARNING!!!These shelves have dust on them because...I don't dust them.It's too boring and would occupy time I could be doing something fun.If dust offends you....I don't know what to tell you.Tough cookies.)

I have a couple others, but you get the point.For a few months about 3 or 4 years back, I thought these things were the greatest thing ever.If you don't know, Stickfas are these little models kits of anything from a skateboarder to knights and the dragon seen above.They are meant to be very poseable and all share the same ball-and-joint locking mechanism, so the parts are interchangeable.As you can see, my dragon comes equipped with missles(Sigh...I'm 5 years old again.But a dragon armed with missles would friggin' rock and you know it.)I bought the majority of the kits available at the time and then just quit.I have a bag of about 100 different parts, blades, guns, etc.I just don't feel like changing anything around anymore.

I think I might do this from time to time here.I have all sorts of odd little collectables, toys, CDs, books, and other assorted junk.Sharing these are the best way I can think of giving people a good idea of who I am.Some of my recollections might be a bit hazy and/or vague.Some of these things I might not remember at all if I didn't actually own them.It's always fun to try.

2 comments:

Wendy Withers said...

Ska and punk aren't the same musical genre!!!! Sks is so much better than punk! Punk is like ska's homely big sister. A few missing teeth here. A beer gut there. And, a boyfriend whose face is rotting off, because he tried to pierce his nose with a safety pin. And, your house seems to carry much of the stuff mine does. Except, I really want to get into collecting Japanese ball-jointed dolls. Except, the cost a few hundred to a few thousand each. And, I have a lot of costumes lying around.

GeneralBobby said...

I know that they're different genres.They tend to get lumped together in those compilations though.Hence, I started listening to them at the same time and also grouped them together here.I was more into the music and wasn't into the scene or style at all.You're right in that ska is better.Love your description of punk.I've known people like that.
Thanks for putting me on your blog roll by the way.I'd make one to put you on, but you'd be all alone there because yours is the only one I go out of my way to read.