Nate Beaty's Brainfag

Slapping cocks in the summertime

posted in Home Jabber on June 19, 2005

The transition back to Portland was rough after a week of Manhattan. I spent the first two days in a debilitating state of combined depression and boredom. My good friend and drawing buddy Aaron Renier moving in a week to NY doesn't help anything, either. This really hit me as I was riding my bike down the street to see his day-before-rummage-sale chaos, stuff strewn everywhere, mid-moving-madness. I was sent back to 2002 when we both worked at the Daily Grind, and suddenly I was consumed with sappy memories of all my old friends there, and realized everyone has either moved away or fallen out of touch, and I just got MORE depressed.

I've thought a lot about how my time in Portland has never really felt as good as other places I've lived. I mean, those times that feel nostalgic as they're happening, like you're in just the right place. Those amazing summers when every day is exciting and you can't wait to hang out with your circle of friends, go to the river, roam around town, drink on the porch, whatever. I think the year I spent working at the Grind, living with Jeff on the E-Street house, and having another group of old friends (Pat, Rose, Shawn, Becca, Emily) up the street, and part of the time dating Abigail, lounging in the sunshine in the hammock, bbq parties, lil' garden, etc, was as close as I've gotten.

However, this summer seems to be steering towards another good pdx time capsule. Being with somebody definitely allows me to RELAX on a deepseated level, like I'm not pissing my life away on the fundamental, human side of things. I could draw comics all day long, program the most amazing websites, even write some annoying electro-tunes, whatever, but being with Soon Bok is monumentally more important to me in the grand scheme of things. In any scheme of things. Being in love is what it's all about, right?

New York was fucking fuuuun. Manhattan is a kick.. perhaps if I'd gotten mugged, or dropped my wallet, or stepped on a needle, or fell in front of a subway, or got lost AND dropped my wallet AND got mugged.. THEN I'd have a different view. Bwana giving us a space on his table for MoCCA also made the visit SOO much better, because I was actually able to pull in a few dollars on such an expensive visit, as well has having a little homebase for experiencing the tiring madness that is a NYC comics convention. Good times all around.

Now, however, I'm back in the foray of a condensed work schedule, having taken a week off the godblaster computo-machine. Also finishing up the back cover of the Motel Life (scan up soon), and designing the 2005 edition of the Zinesters Guide to Portland.

However, the sun's out and a badminton invitation beckons! Gotta go slap some cocks around!