Sorry for the plums: Euthanasia & houseboats.

For the first time in a while we ended up having a “normal” dinner with mom. She was with her boyfriend and my brother brought his girlfriend. (I brought a retarded smile) We ended up discussing curtains, salaries and euthanasia. We left with a big bag of plums and apples, plucked from very ripe trees.

sang_hos_jonas

mateusz_retard

We’re heading to Copenhagen with Skup Palet. We’re still not decided on the details of our presence, although our involvement is clear – we’re going to represent ourselves, and with that an alternative mode of art organisation; Most of the other people there are either going to be presenting their galleries and publications, or they have a common goal.

There’s nine of us in the org. Our only common denominator is also the lowest one – facilitate the creation of whatever it is that its individual members are interested in. I think someone wants to invite speakers, someone else print a book. Most of us want to make money on doing art, not an easy proposition under the best of circumstances.

With the thoughts about career that have popped into my mind as of late, there is also the question of place. I’ve entertained the idea that now might be the time for me to move somewhere where I’d be alone, spend some time reading the books that are mostly gathering dust and maybe use the laptop for stuff other than occasional bloggery and Internet pop culture. Y’know, learn things or something. It’s all very hazy.

Chalk this ambition up to whatever category of delusions are common for frustrated people. None of my friends that I’ve asked about this have been supportive. Three of them have independent of each other said that I’d literally go insane should I go into seclusion. And not just in a “oh hey it’s kinda boring here in the forest” insane but rather “let’s smear faeces on the walls and pray to the moon godess.” I take it they mean I am a city person.

Petter is talking about buying a boat and such talk sparks ideas of getting a houseboat or sailing around the world. (By the way, once you’ve gone around the world, where else is there to go? What modality of existence or nature haven’t you experienced?) But beyond nurturing escapist fantasies too grandiose to fulfil, what is a manboy to do?

byggnader_sthlm

tomasz_flin

I was looking at bikes with Jonas the other day, and it struck me that I’d like to have more money. Hey, there you go, an ambition! I hardly recognised it it’s been so long! So part of this ambition would be to find a niche where I’m happy enough and make enough money and progress to support myself.

So photography maybe? My brother and I are once again talking about the possibility of going freelance as a reporting team, but the exact details of financing the project are still in need of some ironing. As far as I know it would entail us living out of a car. Well, whatever. Let’s start with updating the homepage, then we take Berlin.

Closure. Sea-fairing life. Birthday. Bike!

The other day, while helping a friend move out from the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, I was wondering how I would have reasoned about dividing up stuff. It’s never occured to me that stuff like this would come up (which is telling of how experienced I am with relationships) outside of movies where a couple that are breaking up bicker over record collections. Your material possessions don’t so much possess you as they socially glue you to your surroundings; Stuff as interaction manifested relationships in itself, or somesuch.

–I bought this jar of pesto and by God I’m taking it! Oh, and this water heater that you bought only after breaking mine? I’m trashing it by accident, fuck you!

The only thing we trashed was an oven form that I dropped a bed frame on. Ah yes, the spoils of war and love.

Midsummer was spent in the lovely company of friends, and my birthday was spent on a boat with Anna & Jan and an engine that only fired on one cylinder and gave up the ghost next to the industrial dry docks on the shitty side of the river. Improvised team building, as it were. After poking and swearing at the engine for half an hour, we called Janne who was all manly and stuff, actually managing to fix the engine well enough to get us to an emergency port. My contribution to our efforts was limited to sunbathing and being a human fender.

(Before you ask: Yes, I do keep tabs on who forgot my birthday. You are on a passive agressive shit list.)

I’ve spent the past weeks learning how to scuba, working on my Polish tan, doing some freelance web stuff and buying a bike. And even though diving is great fun, I love my bike silly. There are many like it, but this one is mine! I’ve never had a bike this fast and I love me the commuting and silent cruising down dark streets.

True, the first thing that happened was that the front brake gave up on me – unsettling since it’s the only brake – but it’s given me reason to learn about fixing stuff, something I’m usually only good at in theory, or rather “theoretical theory,” meaning I know how to use Google. (which I call “knowledge aquisition” in my CV)

The bike is a frankenstein of different parts put together by Martin, and I posted a description + pictures on Happymtb in order try to identify it. I haven’t received much help in regard to identification, but plenty suggestions on which wheels I could get and how much a paintjob would cost. People I’ve asked seem to lean towards that it’s a French 70’s cheapo bike; Looking at old Peugeot models they have some similar details. If you have any hints, I’d appreciate your input.