One Scary Thanksgiving

So I drove down to L.A. for Thanksgiving last Thursday. It was really nice and my dad, brother, and his fiancé cooked up the best vegetarian turkey feast ever. After getting stuffed and forgetting about all the work I was going to have to face, getting ready to go I realized the next day was "Black Friday" and I didn't have any help in the morning. I was happy to see my good friend Sanatan there at the fiest, and he didn't have anything to do the next day, so I offered to pay him cash under the table to help me for a day. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go or not, but I convinced him to come and said I really needed the help if he was willing to come up for the day.

Now the scary part.

He was fallowing me up to Santa Barbara in his car and things were going well. We were zooming along, probably too fast. I remember checking my speedometer and it was around Seventy Eight or Eighty miles per hour. We passed through Ventura and were on the 101 northbound and were on our way to Carpenteria. This is a beautiful stretch of highway that goes between the ocean and coastal bluffs on either side. I was periodically checking my rear view mirror to see if Sanatan was still behind me and I didn't lose him. Right around 11:40 p.m. I was checking my rear view mirror and Sanatan was there right behind me, then I see him drift to the center divider, then swerve sharply and lose control of his car. He swerved in to the other two lanes and went over the edge of the highway down a ravine and was out of sight. It was such a scary thing to watch. It just looked like a fatal accident. I pulled over quickly muttering Fuck over and over again. My roommate was in the passenger seat and was asleep the whole time, and when she saw I was cursing and pulling the car over quickly she asked what was going on. "Sanatan just crashed his car." As soon as I was stopped I grabbed my phone, put on the hazards and ran fast down the side of the freeway. I kept looking to the left where the ravine was to see if I could see his car, and I couldn't see it. Finally I saw lights way down there flashing. The whole time I was running towards his car I was terrified by what I was going to find, but I just kept running harder. I called his name and he yelled back and said he was ok. I made my way through the brush and saw him in his car. He was ok and had a little blood on his face but there was no visible cuts. He had gotten out to climb to the top of the ravine but he had a lot of pain in his neck and shoulder. I told him to stay put in his seat and not to move his head, in fear that if he had a neck injury it would get worse by moving it. Soon after I called 911 and the ambulance and highway patrol came. They put him in the stretcher and took him to Ventura County Medical Center. I stayed at the hospital till about three am, then went home to get rest after knowing that he was ok.

My sister came up from L.A. and stayed at the hospital all night. At 6:30 am they released him and it is a miracle, he was released with no injuries. I am still processing this information. I just remember feeling so relieved to see that he was ok when I made my way to his car.

I Crave The Face Of An Angel

So we finally got a recording session in. We set up in the back of my store after hours, and it went through well with no hitches. The security guards came in and said we should try and keep it down. They were really cool about it, and Buddha let one of them try his hand at his kit. I figured after hours there aren't any residential areas for at least a quarter mile in all directions, so I didn't think it would bother anyone.


I'm sure it was pretty shocking to hear pretty loud drumming coming from inside the mall though, so its no surprise why they came in.


As one can see from the pictures, Buddha has a killer set. We didn't need to fiddle with mic placement at all really, and we triggered all the toms and sent the drum module in stereo. Buddha tore it up and we got two songs done. I have been EQing them all day and am really happy with the sound. Everything comes through really clear and distinct. The most important part for me is the kick drum, and I have been happy with the sounds I have been getting. I am sure I will be messing with the EQ a lot over the next few weeks, then we will have another session to get more songs done.

I have to say it is a great feeling to have started something on my own for the first time, and see it come together the way I hear it play in my head. All the songs I have been working on I have written and arranged myself. I like to spend a lot of time layering guitars and bass and making solid instrumentals, then my good friend Ganesha has completed vocals for one song, and now I have Buddha's crazy drum skills in the mix.

This Music Makes Me Crazy

It looks like I have a little internet access at work now. It works off and on, but when it does it is pretty fast. I have been feeling sick lately, and having to pull long shits at work. I will have to get some other people on board soon. Thanksgiving is coming up really soon, and of course "Black Friday". The biggest shopping day of the year. I will really need help then. I swear this music I have to play at my store is slowly driving me insane. It is all big band, and jazz. Three C.D.'s that repeat over and over all day.

Tomorrow Buddha will be coming down and we will finally start recording some drum tracks. I have been taking the time when it is slow to study up on Cubase. Also interesting news, I have the opportunity to try out for guitar in the next Goldfinger tour. Ragunath just called me last night to tell me that he was looking for someone. He thinks I have a good standing because I don't party, or do any drugs, and I am vegetarian. I am familiar with Shelter, and am supposed to tour with them at some point. Apparently Goldfinger tours are fun because they go to fun places like Australia and such. I think it is too soon to even mention this new development, but no one reads this anyway.

Calente Hot Springs!

So the last two nights in a row I have made the adventure in to the Santa Barbara Back Country to the Calente Hot springs. It is a twenty minute drive to the top of the Santa Barbara mountains, then a hour and a half on crazy dirt roads that seem to go on forever. A few creek crossings, and a really deep one and about two hours of driving all together you end up at the Calente hot springs out way back in the back country.

There are now new springs that were hand made by somebody. They are only ten steps away from the creek so you can have cool dips. I went out last night with my buddy Kelli and had a great time. It was a full moon and surprisingly there wasn't anyone else there. I am so stoked on theses springs I'll have to go every weekend!

The Bug

So I have recently come to realize what my next tattoo will be. This is an original work done by my grandmother Carma Read. I am going to incorporate the Bird and flowers in to a quarter sleeve. I think I will also use some of the stars above too. The tree is so cool, but I would have to blow it up so big to get all of the detail. The thing is figuring out who will do it. I have had all of my work done by Tom Coles up in Kamloops B.C. at his shop Shambhala. I really can't imagine going any where else even though it is thousands of miles away.