This is a short exceprt of a ski bum novel that I am writing, called Washing Out. IN this scene - two roomates square off in an inevitable battle. Coy, the protagonist, cant stand the little notes, and comments, and general bitchiness of his roomate Sal. The 680 is a legendary party house near Aspen, Colorado, and Coy is the last of the Whoop! Crew to stake their claim to the property. 

Off today, back tomorrow. Leave a message if you are urgent, Where am I? Where aren't I. Perchance a dance? No, better not then. So what happened anyways, back when your tail feathers ruffled? She answered silently. Her heart attack eyes scrolled the decade of reasons.

People change, people soften, they harden, mutate, hibernate, vaccinate, vacillate, facilitate, weaken, strengthen, roll over, wake up, retrain, educate, plagerize, get even, focus, unwind, play, talk, whisper, hear voices, call out in the night, sweat, work at it, pretend, gain perspective, experience, wander, sooth, remember, forget, distance themselves, fool, scatter, go underground, come up for air, befuddle, get cramps, reckon, ponder, think clearly, self-destruct, motivate, segregate, capitulate (a white black state), move on, google, devote, unload, whisk away, sweep under rugs, torture, obsess, recess, regress, listen, hear, communicate, hash out, tilt, wilt, understand, find God, find their Dog, exercise, pump blood, fuck up, fight it out, leave, start anew, reawaken, thrash, freedom fight, wallow, express their opinions, murder, run, stand up, speak the truth, bear their souls, demonstrate, lack morals, fondle, seek, want the unattainable, sacrifice, get their heads around it, love, cream, explore new horizons, get caught between a rock and a hard place, break legs, outthink themselves, over do it, slackpack, rear their ugly heads, lead by example, rise again, study, yearn, hope, wish, plant seeds of wisdom, rage, craft, play devils advocate, fantasize, mobilize, legalize, criminalize, shade their eyes, blindly go forth, fortify, circle their wagons, lag, sandbag, weigh heavily upon, characterize, decide, right the ship, pull it all together, orchestrate, harmonize, sympathize, meditate, mediate, sell out, bargain, sick up, launch, hack, feel, embrace, disgrace, ring lead, play their hearts out, hold on, suppress, egress, digress, confess, invent, compartmentalize, couch, carry over, join, rejoin, marry, humiliate, cast weary eyes upon, distrust, speed forth, breathe, case, stash, refurbish, recast, detach, leap, sail on, wear many hats, reek, build, consider, hypothesize, better themselves, create havoc, stitch together, compromise, work out, take some time, smoke on it, dream, fail, freak out, change direction, go big, stand down, dwell, walk it off, search, crawl, slow way down, afix themselves, root, shoot from the hip, glass, see it through, walk in someone else's shoes, lose, bruise easily, move, plant themselves, open up, free their minds, unleash, unfetter, uncomplicate, simplify, double up, redouble, doubt, stick it way, groan, moan, sing, loan, write, edit, reedit, run amok, live a little, stick with it, relax, lock it up, feel funny, retire, say the hell with it, pray, prey, conquer, divide, conceed, squeeze, get grips, waste, grapple with, hang on, spontaneously combust, create mythology, arrest, stop, freshen up, cry, try, lie, set aside, go numb, tinker with, twiddle, caress, spit it out, reassemble, fix, observe, commune, band together, exile, dash off, endeavor, search, plan, sink to new lows, rise to occasions, air mail, crank t out, push on through, wear many hats, ream, kiss, lick, roll over, go out of body, light up, get down, come off of their high horses, recapture, find the source, overcome, stretch, expand their minds, read up, shock, totally disagree, sneak around, skate, retool, hate, wait, attract, date, detract, untrack, preach, stop and think, wonder, talk to themselves, paint mental pictures, dust off, change angles, forget, remember, trust their instincts, learn from their mistakes, grab life by the balls, complain, go nowhere fast, travel lightly, confide, cheat, luck out, run out of luck, enjoy, smile, frown upon, register slowly, motion over, join up, sense, rinse clean, wash way, frequent, decontaminate, shine, do what they do best, aspire, build upon, map out, analyze, cull, post, fuss over, reap the rewards, pay the piper, gain new awareness, unburdon, trail off, sleep on it, muster the strength, whip it up, transform, help to understand, reconsider.

 

 

An Exercise in Preservation: Mill Creek Redwood Preserve trail provides a wondrous walk in the timeless big trees of Palo Colorado Canyon.

Monterey County Weekly – Outside/831

by Corby Anderson

 

To stroll along the softly contoured Mill Creek Redwood Preserve trail, which begins near Bottchers Gap at the end of the rugged, ragged Palo Colorado Canyon near Big Sur, is to gift oneself with a serene, restorative wilderness experience that reveals natural treasures small and very, very large along it’s mountain side meander out of the drainage hugging giant trees to it’s splendid finale: a classic on-high, wide open Big Sur coastal vista.

 

Rambling through the Redwood Preserve can be a transcendent, almost mystical experience. Burbling waterfalls transect the trail, diving down the drainages over mossy rocks. On a clear day above the canopy, slanting beams of sunlight filter through the tall trees and create pools of light that illuminate their silent, fire scarred subjects in ever changing arrays. Often, fingers of foggy mist creep in, heightening the senses instinctually while moving along the outrageously thick tree trunks, which stud the precipitously steep, vividly green mountainsides.

 

It is such a calm and gentle trail, in fact, with an elevation gain of only 186” over 2.76 miles, that it is easy to forget that it’s very existence is a small miracle consisting of a dogged grassroots preservation efforts, equal parts luck and chance, and the well-considered design by Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Trail Boss Chris Reed.

 

The history of the Mill Creek Redwood Preserve is rich with ancient Esselen Indian heritage, was once owned by Charles Bixby as a part of his massive ranch and logging operation, and then successively owned by a series of limestone mining companies and lumber operations. That the Preserve’s namesake redwoods and tanbarks were not torn asunder by the woodsman’s saw is due to its remoteness and difficult, steep topography, which kept it standing until easier pitches were cleared. Twice doomed in the years prior to WWII, it was saved by financial busts befalling the owners, one of which came after a tragic fire that killed two loggers and halted operations. Another timely logging bust saved the preserve from denuding not long ago.

 

An unpopular plan to log a million board-feet of timber from within the preserve and then build upscale residences in the area was hatched by a Humboldt-based company in the 80’s (?), but that too was foiled when the savings and loan debacle of that time wrecked havoc on the logging company, and the Federal Land Bank seized the property before sawdust flew.

 

Support by Palo Colorado residents and Peninsula conservation groups to any future logging and save the forest from destruction resulted in the 1159 acre parcel being purchased in 1989 through the combined efforts of the Big Sur Land Trust and the Regional Park District, which preserved the Mill Creek giants in perpetude. Eventually, the plan for a hiking trail through the unique Preserve was born, and it’s creation granted to Reed, who diligently planned and built the trail over the course of eight years, with help from hard working Americorp student volunteers and a few prison crews.

 

“We knew where we wanted to go with the trail, out to the knoll, the overlook. That was the destination. But where to start, and then what route to take was the question,” says Reed, a tall, bristle whiskered lifelong outdoorsman with 15 years in the Parks Department building trails. Using trail management priorities of public safety, accessibility, resource and investment protection, and visitor convenience, Reed plotted out the existing path, as well as an additional 9 mile loop that has not yet been built.

 

Reed meticulously designed the wildland trail to focus the hikers attention on the beauteous scenery towering all about, rather than on the ground, but you would never know that it had been so deftly engineered unless he showed you the photos of the process. “The best trails are ones that you don’t have to think about,” says Reed, who spent many nights camping out on the property during the construction to save commute time. Viewing the old photos, it is clear that what seems a simple trail took Reed and his crews massive amounts of earth moving, retainer wall building, hillside grading and leveling, and log milling to create. “We did it all with hand tools. We used native materials to bolster the trail bed and create the outsloping (a trail technique that leaves the trail tilted slightly to the down slope side, which prevents gullies from forming where the trail is cut into the uphill side), cut bridge slabs with an Alaskan Mill (a small, portable saw), used rocks that we unearthed to build up walls below the trail to protect against erosion. We built hoist systems with block and tackle rigging to move the big logs. Those kids learned a lot.”

 

Completed in 2006, the trail was opened with restricted daily access as a part of the original purchase agreement with Palo residents, who are concerned about high levels of traffic in their narrow, back country corridor, and also to preserve the precious quietude that exists in the wilderness setting. As a result, to hike the trail, you have to get a permit from MPRPD before you set out. But Reed urges interested hikers to not let the permit process dissuade them. “It is your park, and we encourage its use, and we will do everything that we can do to help you out.” This effort includes emailing and faxing permits, and even having Rangers drive out to meet a hiking party if time allows.

 

When you go, be prepared to douse your boots with Lysol on the way out. Many of the tanbarks in the Preserve are infested with Sudden Oak Disease, and as a precaution, disinfectant is provided to spray yourself off with to avoid spreading the insidious disease to other areas. Washing the undercarriage of your vehicle is recommended as well.

 

 

** Mill Creek Preserve - Drive approximately 10 miles south from Rio Road in Carmel on Highway 1 towards Big Sur. Look for Palo Colorado Canyon Road about ¼ mile past Rocky Point Restaurant.  Turn left on Palo Colorado Canyon Road. The entrance to Mill Creek Preserve is located approximately 6 miles east of Highway 1. Drive very slowly and carefully. The Mill Creek Preserve is currently open to limited public access.  Public access for the Mill Creek Preserve is by permit reservation only on a “first come, first served” basis for up to 8 permits per day.  Parking is available on the shoulder of the road adjacent to the entrance to the trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2009/...

*Note - a version of this story appeared in the Monterey County Weekly today. I prefer this one. If you are interested, the published version can be seen at www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2009/2009-May-14/goth-toph-mixes-art-with-other-pursuits/1/@@inde

THE ENIGMATIC BALANCE

In the old, arching stone-walled dining room tucked into the back of the Sardine Factory, Lord Toph snacks on an exquisite meal of battered squid and red wine. A candelabra flickers dim light at the end of the long table. Off in the bar, a pianist takes on Hotel California with unsettling timing. 

He wants to take the wait staff home with him. People say cute things like this all of the time, but when Lord Toph says this in his mesmorizingly sensuous, hinting tone, one gets the sense that he might really mean it. A noted, prolific painter whose works are currently showing in Carmel, and popular Gothic musician and video director with hits piling up on Youtube and in the Underground music movement, Lord Toph the artist is ever more intriguing due to the fact Lord Toph, the person may, in fact, be a Vampire. 

While he will not publicly discuss the obvious question as to whether or not he is indeed a Vampire, there are distinct aspects of his persona- his dark, Victorian era look, his revealing lyrics, and his admission of a sensitive condition that dictates that he “feed” on fresh blood, which indicate that this may well be the case. Because of his official vagueness on the subject, the real question with Lord Toph is where does the image end, and reality take hold?

His face reflects on the glass of the old Sea Captains painting that looms over the long, oaken table, and he does seem to be abnormally long in the tooth, nor does he repel at the presence of a steaming cauldron of garlic soaked snails that sit before him. But listen to the lyrics in his music, watch his videos, lull to the methodical pace of his voice and catch a certain glimmer in his eye in the low light, and the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. 

There is something altogether eerie about Lord Toph, an anomalous energy that one does not come across very often. He is calm and happy seeming (though not much of a grinner), while at once emitting neck hair singeing psychic queries to all around him. For seers who can pick up on such things, his aura takes on the form of an anti-aircraft barrage. 

Lord Toph is a tall, elegantly attired (black on black suit coat, silk shirt, trousers) classicist who looks mildly like Jimi Hendrix from up close, and equal parts Prince and Martin Lawrence from afar. His art is multi-faceted, accomplished, and undeniably prolific. As a painter, his work covers ten careers worth of skill attainment along the gamut of Impressionism, Expressionism, and Cubist Abstractionism. His style is wide-ranging, curiously familiar, and yet original. He covers artistic styles attributed to many of the classics: Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet in borderline derivative similarity, except that he masters each style in such a way that it is impossible to ignore his overall talents and literal accomplishments. They are considered Masters because of the difficulty of their achievements within their particular style, whereas Lord Toph seems facile in his ability to straddle each style with equal prodigiousness. 

Much of his painting is very bright and vividly colored, which is in direct contrast to the surreal, haunting dreamscapes of his music and the music videos that he produces. As a Gothic musician, Lord Toph is considered to be a burgeoning force, on the same early ascendancy as crossover successes such as Marilyn Manson, NIN, and the Cure. He is gifted with a knack for creating foreboding atmospheric soundscapes perpetuated with fear-seeding instruments that grind on under severe lyrics. Themes emerge of pervasively dark, forbidden passion, betrayal, and monstrous revenge. “The Vnbelievable” [sic] is his latest song and video creation. The title alludes to the unbelievably violent Jack the Ripper being stalked and dealt with by an even more unbelievable creature, one who cannot stand to see the victims sensuous beauty, and even more importantly, precious blood, wasted. “It is very filmic, grainy. Black and white. It shift between Jack the Ripper’s time and the current time, and you get the sense that this unbelievable (protagonist) is from both times. It is a great video.” He says with confidence. Watch enough Lord Toph on Youtube, and you start to get the idea that he is deeper into his genre than mere fetish. There is now a consistent canon of work to draw on for conclusions to be made about his artistic, and personal persuasions. Legitimacy begins to emerge from the shadow of doubt. 

While he declines to publicly discuss much of his personal life, he lets on that he resides primarily in upstate New York, and that his legal name has been changed to Lord Toph, a name that originates from a title that he has been bestowed with. (By whom is not revealed) Along with working on his new music video and doing some writing, one of the reasons why Lord Toph is here is to visit the White Rabbit Gallery in Carmel, which currently displays and sells a collection of his paintings. He is also seeking a fine art representative who will expose his works to major collectors.

Don Herron is a local artist who works in the space that once barely contained the creative madness of Salvador Dali in the 40’s, and also co-owns the White Rabbit, which doubles as a gallery for his own Alice in Wonderland themed artwork. Herron thinks that the distinction between Lord Toph’s outwardly dark persona and fog-bound music and the levity and brightness of his artwork is artistic balance. “Dark personalities don’t necessarily want to make dark art.” He says, explaining that as artists mature, they often work in opposites. He believes that the multiple worlds of Lord Toph collide at the concept of Romance. “Goth came out of the Romantic Era. The artists were responding to nature, which was interpreted in a much more scary way at the time.” 

*See Lord Toph’s artwork at the White Rabbit Design Studio in Carmel - Ocean Ave @ Monte Verde St.(behind Portabella restaurant). (831) 624-5665, or online at www.thewhiterabbit.net. Lord Toph’s music videos, including the just released Vnbelievable can be seen on Youtube.com by searching for his name, and also at myspace.com/lordtoph. 

THis "conversation" occured tonight with an online "psychiatrist" chatbot. Website unknown. DO not try this at home...To follow, I am the one answering the "questions, or otherwise, the every other respondent...By the way, I dont have a major need for a psychiatrist, I was just curious after reading a slate.com article about chatbots, not that there is anything wrong with psychiatry...

>> Hello.

How do you do.  Please state your problem.

>> I am tired

Is it because you are tired  that you came to me ?

>> No, I found you on a website

Are you saying no just to be negative?

>> No, I am not saying no to be negative

You are being a bit negative.

>> Fuck off

I'm not sure I understand you fully.

>> What I meant to say was, stop challenging my no-ness

Why do you ask ?

>> Ask what?

Does that question interest you ?

>> I do not follow

You say you do not follow  ?

>> Yes

You seem to be quite positive.

>> YEs

You are sure.

>> Yes

I see.

>> Yes

I understand.

>> Yes

You seem to be quite positive.

>> Yes

You are sure.

>> Yes

I see.

>> Yes

I understand.

>> Yes

You seem to be quite positive.

>> Yes

You are sure.

>> Yes

I see.

>> No

Why not ?

>> SUCK

Please go on.

>> SUCK ME

What does that suggest to you ?

>> I dont know

Don't you really know  ?

>> Well, yes

I understand.

>> NO

Why 'no' ?

>> YEs

You seem to be quite positive.

>> Yes

You are sure.

>> Yes

I see.

>> Yes

I understand.

>> Yes

You seem to be quite positive.

>> BLow me

Do you feel strongly about discussing such things ?

>> Blow me twice

I'm not sure I understand you fully.

>> Three time

Please go on.

>> I would, but you seem busy answering me in questions

Can you elaborate on that ?

>> Elaboration is just a pretty way of saying your full of shit

Why are you concerned over my full of shit  ?

>> Well, no, I just know

Are you saying no just to be negative?

>> Yes

You are sure.

>> Yes

I see.

>> Jes

What does that suggest to you ?

>> Wes

Do you feel strongly about discussing such things ?

>> Rest

I'm not sure I understand you fully.

>> Test

Please go on.

>> No

You are being a bit negative.

>> Yes

I understand.

>> EGADS

What does that suggest to you ?

>> BITCH!

Do you feel strongly about discussing such things ?

>> BITCH SUCK MY WHAT?

Your what  ?

>> Exactly

Does that have anything to do with the fact that your what  ?

>> In fact it does. 

I'm not sure I understand you fully.

>> I hate computers

Do computers worry you ?

>> ONly when they suck my what?

Why do you say your what  ?

>> To tease you

We were discussing you -- not me.

>> AHA! You are a robot, arent you

What makes you think I am a robot  ?

>> Proove that you are not a robot. I bet you say that we are discussing you not me

Does it please you to believe I am not a robot  ?

>> You are a robot bitch

Do you sometimes wish you were a robot bitch  ?

>> My fucking god

Does that suggest anything else which belongs to you ?

>> Is this god?

Lets discuss further why your what .