365 Days of Tommy P: Day 90

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 (90)

I am trying to decide whether I am coming or I am going.

Tonight I went to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs CD release party at Sonotheque. Flew solo and met a few new people.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 89

Monday, March 30, 2009 (89)

". . . but your eyes can’t see."

I was driving up Sheridan Road road today. I was stuck behind an elderly driver who was driving below the speed limit. Behind me was a driver more frustrated than I. Eventually the motorist behind me tired of the slow situation, switched to the right lane and sped up a stretch of the road with Lake Michigan on the right. I proceeded to follow. As the road banked to the left I passed a patrol car that was stationed on a perpendicular street. As Sheridan Road, the car ahead of me, and I all turned right I noticed in my rear view mirror that the patrol car did as well. I got a sinking pain in my stomach when the patrol car turned on its flashing lights and siren. It was the same kind of pain in my stomach I get when I find out something that I wish I hadn't known, or when I see something I wished I hadn't seen. I didn't think that I had been speeding. I've generally been good about my speed since the unpleasantness with the Michigan State Police on I-94 in February 2008. I slowed my POS and pulled to the side of the road. The police mobile cruised passed me and pulled over to cite the driver in front of me for what must have been speeding.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 88

Sunday, March 29, 2009 (88)

I think you and I are destined to do this forever.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 87

Saturday, March 28, 2009 (87)

Driving home in the rain after seeing Deaf Tom Crow with Lazer Dan.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 86

Friday, March 27, 2009 (86)

Think different.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 85

Thursday, March 26, 2009 (85)

Valentine’s Night 2008 I was walking home in the rain down the avenue. I came across a single long-stem red rose laying down the sidewalk. It was sad, beautiful, and iconic. I took it and have had it ever since. I have an obsession and a fascination with what I believe to be iconic imagery.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 84

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 (84)

Meeting with Chelsea. Doors open on the right at Chicago.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 83

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 (83)

There is nothing like cruising down a Chicago expressway at midnight in the rain with the windows cracked and the spring air blowing across my face while listening to Kill Hannah.

♥ U 2 ☠
Love You To Death

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 82

Monday, March 23, 2009 (82)

“I have only sixty days and only sixty ways to make you change.” This is when volume four would have started.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 81

Sunday, March 22, 2009 (81)

We’re actually awake and out at the same time as the sun.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 80

Saturday, March 21, 2009 (80)

I’d say the 1st Annual Third Coast Recording Company Double Birthday Bash was a success.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 79

Friday, March 20, 2009 (79)

I met up with Oscar and friends at Armitage and Sheffield and walked to Wicker Park for a little bar hopping for Oscar’s birthday. First we went to Estelle’s for $2 PBRs. After a couple of rounds there we went to Plan B where I took shots of rum in the bathroom from a flask. From there we went to Hangge Uppe where upon entering I had a flashback of another night from when I used to live with Oscar. But that’s a whole other story. We then walked to Third Coast, picked up Jeremy, and pounded the pavement to an after hours party I wanted to check out. We walked in with some people who were outside having a cigarette and skipped the door charge. Five feet into the room I was offered coke, then I found some ladies I knew. Different neighborhoods, different bars, different scenes, different night; a good night.

I had two dreams last night. The first was an intense dramatic escapade of love and friendship that very well could have been my own life told as a story of a prime time teen drama – with all of the roles being played by people from my life.

In the other dream I found myself being the first student to enter a classroom. The female teacher was doting upon five puppies that could each fit into the palm of my hand. The teacher informed me that she needed to run an errand and that the puppies were under my charge. Before exiting the room she turned on a television set at the front of the class, which was playing a film in lieu of teaching a lesson. For some reason the puppies were not being kept in a little doggy basket, or even a box. They were instead posted atop a five-foot tall metal filling cabinet. As students began to file it my attention was briefly averted to them. When I looked back to the cabinet some of the puppies were missing. I could not immediately see them around the perimeter of the cabinet because for some reason the room was full of miscellaneous debris, under which the puppies could be crawling. I called to everyone who had entered to aid me in my quest and warned those who were still entering to watch their step so that they would not crush the tiny animals. After a quick glance to the top of cabinet to check on the remaining puppies, saw that they were all gone now; having disappeared into the endless amount of a forced plot device. After a moment’s worth of panicking, my deus ex machina arrived – I woke up.

Quote of the Day: “No homo. I love Jesus.” –Oscar Salinas

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 78

Thursday, March 19, 2009 (78)

Do I really look like a guy with a plan? I just do things.

I went to the doctor today. He prescribed some nasal spray for my sickness. The only word I could think of to describe the shiver that went down my spine as I snorted the medication is foreboding.

The BLB Declares War On Sobriety

The BLB is in the progress of recording their next album. Here is a promo video featuring demo tracks for their next album.

Click here to view their last album, Drunken Banter, in the iTunes Music Store.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 77

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 (77)

Me and Lazer Dan from Cherch of Smerch at a local eatery watching the Wildcats choke in the final seconds. Go Morehead!

“How’s your bracket going?” –C.C.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 76

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 (76)

Quote of the Day: “Tom, this is a recording studio, not a frat house.” –Oscar upon seeing me strutting around Third Coast in jeans and my leather jacket with nothing underneath.

I went to the store to pick up a product, in afore mentioned outfit.

Eric, Jeremy, and I relaxed out on the fire escape for a while enjoying some beverages. Passersby glanced up at me as I leaned against the brick façade, sporting my bare chest covered only by my leather jacket, yeah I’m a tool. Oscar poked his head out the window and asked to the general assembly, “What are you doing?” To which I answered, “Advertising.”

We went to Fadó, perhaps around 11:00, 11:30. Two ladies passed by my circle, I’ll let you picture what you want regarding what they looked like, and a gentleman companion nodded toward the passing women and made comment to me regarding them. “With girls like that, you need to ignore them, and let them come to you.” [One of the many things I picked up in my Women’s Studies class was that women are not girls, they are women. That aside . . . ] I have a different method. It works for me. I wasn’t interested in those skanks anyway.

Here’s a self-portrait I snapped before our guests from the bar entered Third Coast. I was rockin a green sweatshirt, but since in was 74º today, the hottest St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago in 115 years, the studio was a bit warm.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 75

Monday, March 16, 2009 (75)

I feel nothing anymore, except exhaustion and sickness. I was trying to make it to the Gold/Green game tonight – but that didn’t work out.

This winter has been so dry. I keep getting paper cuts, especially around my knuckles. Which is an even bigger problem since they are near skin that moves more often they take longer to heal.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 74

Sunday, March 15, 2009 (74)

This is Tim’s last night in town, he leaves for O’Hare at 5 A.M. I was going to put a faded image of J-Forest in the window as though his spirit were checking up on us. But it came off weird.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 73

Saturday, March 14, 2009 (73)

Cease The Day.

Rockin my fabulous green silk shirt - as featured on Ethnic Dinner Night '08.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 72

Friday, March 13, 2009 (72)

Clowning in the Ogle basement.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 71

Thursday, March 12, 2009 (71)

Timmy C is in town this week on Spring Break. Here we are bonding.

Last night I had a dream that Lady Gaga and I were lounging by the pool in Vegas.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 70

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 (70)

“Let’s tear down some walls.” “Emotional walls?”

We’re doing construction at Third Coast. There were photos in the walls. And apparently, Kilroy Was Here.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 69

Tuesday, March 10, 2009 (69)

I finna cut a rug. Quite literally as it were.

Today I was layin into some carpet in the lounge at Third Coast. But here I am cutting a segment of rug.

I had a dream that I randomly ran into Dennis Rodman. I asked him to take a picture with me and he refused. He offered to give me an autographed 8x10, and I declined. He’s such a jerk . . . in my subconscious.

I've had this t-shirt since I was ten years old. It's one of my favorites.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 68

Monday, March 9, 2009 (68)

I had a dream that I was with a nonexistent girlfriend. We ran into David Bowie and Billy Idol. Then, without provocation, she started making out with both of them. She could not understand why I was upset.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 67

Sunday, March 8, 2009 (67)

“I’m an ‘80’s guy. To me friendship means for two bucks I'd beat you over the head with a pool cue until you got detached retinas.”

Today we had a gentleman come over to Third Coast to give us an estimate on some construction we’ll be doing. Here I am shooting pool at Threecy Recko. (I just can't stay off the roof).

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 66

Saturday, March 7, 2009 (66)

Despite light pollution from Chicago I can sometimes see some constellations. Such as Orion, and Ursa Major and Minor. Sirius is never hard to spot. And Jupiter has been showing off for a while.

Here I am stargazing and making calls and texts about anything happening. I wound up at a little Wicker Park house party at one. At one point the Wicker Park residents started talking shit about people in general from Lincoln Park. I was quite amused.

When I was driving home at four I felt almost as though I was having an outer body experience. It likely had something to do with the combination of getting over an illness, being extremely sleep deprived, the mist in the air, and listening to Season of Poison by Shiny Toy Guns. I couldn’t see the road lines very well either, and my car doesn’t defog too well.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 65

Friday, March 6, 2009 (65)

I had to get out of the house. Dan and I hung out for a while, went to the grocery store to return a DVD from some sort of one dollar renting machine. While there I picked up a copy of Cycle Focus from the free magazine rack. I later gave it to C.C. Brogle, Sarah, and Alyx stopped by to see Dan, and I went home to try to fall asleep at one.

However, when I got home M.P. was entertaining and I wound up talking to her and her friends until about five.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 64

Wednesday, March 5, 2009 (64)

I may as well do some laundry and wash my sheets.

I went to bed around midnight. Then I laid in bed. Tossing; turning; unable to stop thinking. My eyes hurt so much that it required an uncomfortable amount of effort to close them. They were more relaxed while open. I had finished off my Nyquil supply the night before. Eventually it was almost as though I was too tired to sleep.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 63

Wednesday, March 4, 2009 (63)

Quarantined. Trying to rest and get better. I’ve been mildly congested since before my birthday, about eight weeks ago, but now I really feel horrible.

I used up the remaining supply of my Nyquil.

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 62

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 (62)

I was sent home today from I.V. Lab for being too sick. They were right to do it. Not only am I extremely congested, but I feel like I could fall over where I stand and pass out.

(No, that wasn’t me at Schuba’s. Sorry Chelsea).

Here I am wearing one of the shirts from my old band No Fate. I don't think our fans shared my sense of humor. The back is awesome, clearly. But I don't think people enjoyed the front as much as I did. The puppet is wearing overalls, which features a ducky patch in the center. We were a hard rock band.

No Fate on Face Book

No Fate on My Space

No Fate on iTunes

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 61

Monday, March 2, 2009 (61)

Today there was a double murder / suicide [discovered] two blocks from my house. (Turns out it happened Saturday and Sunday).

365 Days of Tommy P: Day 60

Sunday, March 1, 2009 (60)

This is as far as I have gone with my Tommy P photo projects. We’ll see if I can last the entire year.

I woke up on another couch in another domicile today. I went to Meadowcroft’s for brunch. There was live entertainment, an array of fantastic dishes, a variety of excellent wines, and when they realized they were hosting Palisades guests they opened a few thirty-packs.

They have a vase of Palisades sand that we played with and remarked about the remaining eighty-two days.

Here I am on LSD.