Ellroy # 1

just for the hell of it, ima try to post a pic of ole Ellroy once a week.

might end up being a cool little way to watch the pooch; a long-haired dachshund, grow up...whaddya think?

the bear

remember when i 1st saw this.

think my old man took me.

back when i was a kid.

before alota things.

there was Bear; golden retriever.

and Tiffany; beagle.

Bastardo; columbian boa constrictor.

can't forget Odiferus Clitorous Clay; the bullfrog...

but what a great movie.

gotta write something like this...maybe about little old Ellroy.

wandering the wilds of Los Angeles (God forbid).

'cus all ya gotta do is feed him.

rub him.

walk him.

and he loves ya.

just like that.

ellroy.

-- a little bear.

big wide-open desert

's where i'd like to bivouac.

up north.

up interstate 15.

past los angeles.

where it starts to open up.

past these hot little towns.

real slow hot little towns skirting the desert.

a waitress named "antoinette," doing the best she can,

in the desert.

serving up biscuits 'n gravy to teamsters.

but i find a spot out there,

in the desert.

start walking and very soon i'm alone.

two hours from santa monica blvd., and you're all alone.

climb a mountain. a little mountain. an outcropping. maybe a hill.

and get high up.

real high -- where the land expands into a wide-open empty vista.

the curvature of the Earth visible.

rolling along, dotted with creosote and sage.

old tires.

and bones.

expended shotgun shells.

heat fluctuating, distorting what's out there.

which ain't much, but a few anemic coyotes.

a jackrabbit or two.

& if you're lucky, a desert tortoise.

-- gopherus agassizii

the wind blows warm up there.

every-thing's a fragment.

a little spec of something.

glinting and rippling in the foreground.

metal and glass and pink feet jutting out windows.

few hours pass -- pack the ruck.

hop on the 15, headed south.

past those hot little towns skirting the desert.

and "antoinette," as she watches the cars ZOOM by.

wishing she could just hitch a ride.

stick that thumb in the warm wind...

but i gotta keep going, "antoinette."

past the holiday inn,

and the Getty

creeping down the four-oh-five.

rounding the culver bend.

traffic balls deep in torrance.

straight shot to the harbor freeway.

straight shot to the sea.

and before too long,

i'm home.

Vanguard Shoot -- 10 JULY 10

for all those interested -- check out my latest blog update @ Operation In Their Boots.

DP and I -- trying to frame Aaron's shot

when the Lakers won

i was in the emergency room and my leg was bleeding real bad.
my buddy Andy was in the waiting room.

he came along -- made sure i didn't pass out on the drive.
so i limped into the Long Beach VA, my leg bleeding real bad, and asked for help.
took them a couple minutes to digest the scene.

guess they didn't get these cases often.
and this lady says, " hey Doni, look, these are the guys we got fighting for our freedom...shit."
of course, i was a little offended, especially being in a VA.
so i told the lady "why don't you just do your fucking job, huh?"
and she did. sneering.
didn't blame her. she was having a bad day.
me too.
so that was that and i was rolled into a room where a black guy was drinking pepto.
had some gastrointestinal thing going on.
we talked about the Lakers.

don't remember what exactly -- i mighta been in shock to a certain extent.
nevertheless we talked Kobe and Lamar.
hell to boston.

but the black guy felt better and he left me on the gurney.
-- my leg bleeding real bad.
the VA Cops came. talked to me.
they looked @ the wound, kinda amazed i wasn't screaming or something.
"you're a Marine, right?"
"yeah," i said.
and that little admission seemed to rectify the entire situation.
told em my story. think i embellished a bit.
but i mighta been in shock.
and i'd like to think i helped further the Marine Corps myth that night.
lying there in the ER, my leg bleeding real bad.

relatively composed.
one Cop; this young kid, asked to take a picture w/his phone.
we did.
and he left.
shortly thereafter this old old guy was rolled in.
bellowing.
drunk as a skunk.
think they gave him a sedative and he calmed down good.
turned to me.
we spoke shortly.
told me he was a Vietnam Vet.
this guy; the drunk.
one of those typical Vietnam Vet horror stories.
got wounded. got sent home. got addicted to VA meds.
got crazy.
and now it's about 3am and this guy and i are debating whether Mr. Roger's was a Jarhead.

maybe an hour passed, and the lady from before came in.

said i was good to go.

she apologized for earlier -- as did i.

these things happen...

and i left soon after.

my leg a little swollen.

my eyes very tired.

always tear up with these...guess that's the point

"get some" teaser

so i happened to run into this on facebook.
very cool.

GET SOME - Teaser from Christine Berg on Vimeo.