A Very Brady Christmas.

Boy, I really learned a lot this year you guys.

I learned that I could, in fact, move to Los Angeles.
I also learned that I LOVE Los Angeles. This came as a bit of a surprise, cause all anyone ever says is shit like, “I need seasons!”, when they talk about LA. It’s true, there are only 2 seasons, ‘Completely Agreeable Weather’ and ‘Holyshit We Live in Paradise!’ So yeah, I guess if neither of those work for you then enjoy your snow drifts, or countless-consecutive-sunless days, and I’ll keep my year round 70 and cloudless.

I learned that no matter how good someone kisses, if your hair starts to fall out because of a relationship, it’s probably not worth it.

I learned that I love my job. I really just… love it. It’s amazing, due in large part to the amazing people that I frequently get to work with and around. How rad is that?

I got a fucking SPIRIT ANIMAL. Seriously. I have a spirit animal(s).

I learned that I don’t have to sit and count the mistakes that I’ve made, over and over again every night forever.

I learned that if you are planning on surprising someone with a vacation then you better find out in advance what they are planning on surprising you with in case it’s also a vacation and then you have to change ALL your plans at the last minute.

Mostly I learned that I love my new home. I love my friends and family. And I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Merry Holidays y’all.
P.S. Fuck the Tea Party.

LOVE
NNN

It’s Gonna Be Great: Karaoke Truck.

Dude, I’ve got the best idea EVER. Let’s get a truck, like the kind that usually sell tacos or hot dogs on street corners, and we’ll install a karaoke system in it right? Then we’ll park it outside like, parties, or actual karaoke bars where the wait to sing is too long and we’ll charge like, say 5 bucks for a song. BUT (and here’s where the idea goes from go-kart to GREYSKULL) we’ll G I V E them a beer with their song. HOW COULD THIS GO WRONG?! Seriously? Let’s do it. My cousin is a wedding DJ, he can probably show us how to use the equipment and stuff. I mean… this is a no brainer. People would be all, “Where’s the Karaoke truck tonight?”… and someone else would be all, “I don’t know I’ll check their twitter feed…” Right? Then they would like, start requesting us to come to certain places and maybe hire us for parties and stuff.

Holyshit dude… it’s gonna be great.

Finally.

OH.
My.
God.

10 year old Nathaniel is about to get a HUGE heads up.

5 things you should never say again, or “Fuck Yeah!” is the new “Totally”. 2.0

This is just a little gift from me to you. Consider it a favor I’m doing you and please follow these rules strictly.*

1. I know, right?!
Stop saying this. Please. Everyone in the world, please. Just… stop. It’s a question statement that signifies nothing and asks even less.

2. It is what it is…
You might as well say, ‘Four equals Four’ cause you’ll sound just as fucking stupid.

3. High Five!
Both the action and the saying of said action are ridiculous. Do you and your friend a favor and just hug.

4. Literally.
I haven’t figured it out yet, but there has to be another way to express that your words mean their literal definition, and most especially if you do not know what this means… STOP IT.

5. Let’s do this!
Why don’t you just scream “DATE RAPE IS MY HOBBY!”

You’re welcome.

Love,
Nathaniel

* The author uses all the phrases mentioned in this list daily, and admits freely that his contempt is more for himself than for anyone else who may use these phrases.

Addendum

Special Addition.

I forgot the most important phrase, the one that started me on this whole thing.

“Living the dream. “

Really dickhead, working at Starbucks is your Dream? Or being a bartender? Is it just me or are your dreams of shockingly low quality. If you are really living your dream shouldn’t you be flying, or at the very least DRIVING A MUCH NICER CAR?

Third World Firsts.

The night before last the famous Santa Anna Winds ripped through my neighborhood and knocked my power out at 1am. The flashing green and blue lights from exploding transformers seemed especially eerie when set against the then completely dark neighborhood. It sounded and looked like a space war was happening on top of us.

In the morning, to my surprise, the power remained out. Luckily I had batteries for my radio and learned that about 300,000 other people were without power too. ALSO lucky for me my water heater was gas and so was my stove. I made eggs and took a shower and tried to go about my day normally. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t go to the coffee shop that I normally went too. I couldn’t go to the gym. I couldn’t really do anything but read or listen to NPR and when my phone ran out of power I would have to find somewhere to charge it, or drive around with it charging in my car.

By 4:30pm it was dark again. I walked to a El Chavo, a bar on Sunset and Fountain, to read and hang out till my friend got off work. The closer I got to Sunset the weirder things looked. A large stretch of Sunset was without power and there in a very busy and confusing intersection were two traffic officers directing traffic. All the shops looked like Ships that had run aground years ago. The car headlights were the only source of light and they looked like tracers from a bad idea as they whizzed past.

El Chavo was closed. “Of Course.” I thought. I walked around for an hour and a half looking for a place to read. I kept thinking about the time that I went into a Fred Meyer’s one night a couple years ago. I needed floss, but they were out. I needed some bread, but they were out. I needed some pretzels. Out. Everything I looked for was gone and I thought, “This is what it’s like for everyone else.”

This morning when I went home and finding the power STILL out, called the Power Company. Surprisingly, they answered right away, and they said power would be restored in the next 48 hours. My heart sank. This really IS how they live in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in all those places I hear about on NPR. As I was pulling out of the driveway my porch light came on. I went back inside my house and turned the lights on and off and marveled at the flashing numbers on the stove, microwave, and alarm clock. FINALLY, I can listen to records and read, or take a shower after 4pm.

... but LOOK at this view!