3-6-10

Greetings from Eleuthera.

Count Blogulus, 3-6-10

Another interesting day here. Started out with a flat tire, and as luck would have it, the tools and jack are in the trailer, which were supposed to come with the truck, since they were shipped at the same time, but that didn't happen. The shipping on the trailer was a grand, and the duty was 60 percent of that, so considering it was a 400 dollar trailer, we regretted that it got shipped, but we were already in Ft. Lauderdale, with it, and just said fuck it. So, supposedly it shipped. Ruth and I complained to each other, but to no one else of note. Just someone here and there. I went to pick up the truck, and asked about the trailer, and they said they didn't ship it because they heard we didn't want it sent because it cost too much. I have NO idea how that made it's way through the grapevine and back to Fort Lauderdale, but it did. That's the Bahamas for ya.

So, anyway, the trailer weighed about fourteen trillion tons, give or take a coupla pounds, so I had to use a jack to get it on and off the trucks. So it made sense to keep the jack with the truck right? Wrongo. I woke up to find the flat, and tried the fix a flat that I brought. No dice. Besides, I could hear it leaking. My neighbor who gave me the coffee was kind enough to loan me her jack. I could lift it, but that was it. So I hitchhiked to the nearest place that fixes tires (it took two rides to get there), borrowed a wrench, hitched back, took the tire off, hitched back to the gas station, the guy fixed it, and I hitched back with the fixed tire, and then drove down to drop the wrench off. All in under 2 hours. People remain FRICKIN' COOL here.

After that, I went to the beach and ran around in the waves for the first time today. Amazingly, my skin is not going insane from the salt. I even played with a couple stray dogs for a while first, and then jumped in. The waves were about 3-4 feet, so it was a lot of fun. A bit chilly after, but very nice. It's still cooler than normal here, maybe 10 degrees. 10 degrees cooler that is, not 10 degrees out. It was nice, the dogs put up with me even before i had my bath.

My neighbor Barbara (with the jack and the coffee and the house with not one right angle in it) keeps telling me I'm insane if I want to move a palm tree, until I finally pointed out that I'm going to need to if I'm going to build a house. She seemed skeptical, but stopped talking about it. Anyway, the royal palms are a really big deal I guess, and it's sacrilege to cut one down and they run just around a zillion dollars apiece or so, and we have about 20 of em in the way of where we need to build. So I've been fussing around trying to get water, scheming this way and that, cajoling, begging, pleading, swearing oaths, bribing, threatening, stomping, and both hollering and whispering trying to find a way to get some water so I can move these stinking abominations of the flora world. I drive ALL the way to Rock Sound to go buy a pickaxe,and 45 dollars later, I happen to be driving by "the Farm" which is a fruitstand and nursery, and I holler to the lady back there and ask what those things cost. Around $12-$18 apiece she says. I'm not even gonna get this pickaxe dirty. I'm gonna bulldoze right over those suckers, and then jump up and down on the remains.

Well, I might try to move a couple of 'em tomorrow. We'll see. I feel like Robinson Crusoe over here, counting my wealth: now I have a pickaxe, and three buckets more than I had a few days ago. I found one bucket in the garbage, and two my friends Kelvin, Joe, Stevie and Nathan gave me, who left today. (Joe has a plane. How fat is that?) Anyway, I don't need a plane. Three buckets makes me feel like a rich man. I use one for a crapper, one to wash dishes in, and clothes, and one to mix cement in. I have to try to remember which is which.

Tomorrow I plant the temporary electrical pole, but it won't be temporary if I have my way. I have a pickaxe, and 94 pounds of cement, so considering that's 1/6 of what's needed to make concrete, I can make 600 pounds with what I have, and what's laying around these roads, like sand and gravel. I might also make a boat mooring while I have it laying around (what else is it gonna do?).

I think I mentioned, screamingly, that the water department lost my application. As luck would have it, I saved the confirmation of the fax of my original application. I never do that. And then, guess what? A few days ago, my notebook was about 6 inches thick, so I "cleaned it out" by removing around 3 pieces of paper. GUess what one of 'em was? And anyway, as my good luck would have it, there's no where to throw garbage usually, so guess what? I just ran across it. So I'm going to take it to the water department after wrapping a large rock in it and throw it at the supervisor's head. That oughta get that water on in two shakes.

What else? I think I mentioned, toothgrindingly, that the boat trailer now looks pretzelesque. That's supposedly getting welded right now. We'll see how it looks when it comes out the other side. It can't be welded with that boat on there. The welder wants to lift the boat up, tipping it back on the trailer, and then do the job.We'll see how that goes. I have my camp set up better than ever, with the card table set up now, the tarp up higher so I can sit without it resting on my skull, and the stove on the table, the food is sorted, and all that good stuff. Unfortunately, I hate cooking for myself as much as I ever did, so even though I buy fresh food, it sits there staring into my guilty soul while I eat another can of cold soup. Ain't it the life though?

I'm excited to start grading this lot. I'm also afraid of the fact that it costs $200 an hour for the machine to come out here. I'm worried I'll run out of loot. Unfortunately, because our permanent foundation, or a large part of it anyway, is being made for our temporary building, that kind of puts a gun to my head to know where the permanent building will be. Also unfortunately, people are wanting finished plan approval so I can put up the temporary building. I tell them that's a problem, since there's absolutely no way that can occur, unless I just throw a plan together. I want to make a finished plan once the site work is done, grading and what have you. And it's been those pointy stinking palm trees that have been clogging up the works. Them palms, they gots ta die.

I guess that's it for now. It's ten, past my usual bedtime these days. Today, I started the day with milk leftover fromlast night and a banana, then chicken from the local barbeque $4, dried fruit brought from home, and a can of campbells chunky chicken choker for dinner. I bought a casava, i think it is, onions and potatoes, got a plantain and a green pepper from Kelvin,et al., and they gave me more potatoes when they left. I'm swimming in potatoes. I'm never gonna eat all these things. If I had a giant rubber band I could fire 'em at the palm trees. Stinking rotten palm trees.

That's it. Stop reading. Time to go home. Nothing to see here, folks. Move it along, ya rubberneckers.

Oh yeah. That reminds me. How do you keep a bunch of weirdos in suspense?

more silly business

Greetings from Eleuthera.

Okay, found the camera charger. That was a huge relief. It was in my bag, where I looked for it no less than 5 times, including totally emptying it out. It must have been in a shoe or something.

I keep revising the house plan to fit the land better, so I totally started over the other day. The architect who is the building inspector is pretty cool, and he looked at it with me, he's saying he'll help me with my structural drawings. I did the blueprint part, but I still need to produce column detail, electrical and plumbing risers,and stuff like that. It's funny, looking around here, you'd think there was no building code at all, yet it's actually way stricter than the states in some ways. Apparently there's some issue with "hurricanes" or something. Those are a pretty good drink, but I can't imagine them bothering a whole building, unless you drank about four of 'em and the whole thing started spinning around.

I'm in work mode and am not into blogging when I'm making progress and have stuff to do, but I realize it's been a while, so I'll give ya the latest in my foibles.

The boat came. THe trailer is all twisted, it looks like someone had it hooked up to a vehicle and tried to pull it around a corner and didn't go wide enough. It's really screwed up royally. This guy at G and G apparently felt bad enough that he's having a local welder try to repair it. Very cool of him, since it wasn't his fault.

Got approval for the temporary building from Rainbow Bay, but still waiting onthe City to give me their thumbs up. They don't meet for two weeks, but I'm bugging them to give me a thumbs up sooner. THe neighbors would probably appreciate that, because it looks like a hobo shantytown over there right now. My stuff is everywhere.

The water department lost my application. Yes. I'm trying to not explode as I write this. I've called them at LEAST ten times, they said they'd call me back that many, they FINALLY sent someone out to look at the lot ("I think I'm here. Is yours the one with the barbells and the card table on it?" Actual quote). SO now that they "have received" my application, they say it'll be 10-14 days to get it hooked up. You'd think they might have realized that they lost my application on one of these many, many, many phone conversations. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

I can't do ANYTHING till I get water. I can't excavate, because there's a bunch of nice palms in the way, and you can't move 'em without a bunch of water. I asked my neighbor if I could have some water, and run a hose over if I pay 'em, but they use cistern water and don't want to part with any of it. I understand that Jewish people are known for being generous, but they just shook their heads. They did give me a cup of coffee though, which was delicious.

They have a pretty awesome house. There's not one right angle in it. Must have cost a fortune to build, but very cool. Makes me want to redraw everything I planned again. Very nice people though, and this lady has an amazing garden. He's running for the board here and they asked me to vote for him. I can't imagine why anyone would come here, and be on a board of anything.

SO anyway, no water.

It's unreal the amount of red tape there is to get
water
electric service
a bank account

They all want endless documentation. Kinda like the movie Brazil, except with better weather.

I dug a hole for my temporary electric pole and i have to tell ya, it's unreal how hard it is to even do that. The whole thing was mostly rocks, so it literally took about 45 minutest to dig a hole 18 inches deep. Glad I'm gonna get machines to do the excavating.

These two Haitian guys Nelson and Citizen helped me clear the lot, and when I have water, I'll start to burn all this brush they cleared. For some reason I had this horrible image of Haitian people, heard how dangerous it is, how they'll kill you over a nickel,etc. I've met maybe 6 Haitians since I've been here, and every single one was incredibly polite, kind, and positive. They were super hardworking, and only asked for $50 a day to swing the machete and clear everything. I gave 'em some extra.

I just ate grouper in a restaurant for lunch, and there were four surfer americans sitting in the place, being really rude to the waitress. It made me embarrassed, once again, for our typical collective arrogance. These people should be grateful this woman brought them this great meal, is asking "May I get you anything else?" and they're laughing with each other and ignoring her, just enjoying making her stand there. Assholes. I told the waitress I was embarrassed for the way they acted, and she sure knew what I was talking about, she said "it's fine. IT's not important." Pretty mature for a 15 year old or so. She should be teaching classes in graciousness to these guys.

I got a skype headset the other day. I might try it soon, but I hate talking on phones, so I might just leave it the box and tell you all I miss you on here. Especially you, Ruth. SOmebody go give that girl a hug for me. WIthout her, this, and me being here, would absolutely NOT be possible. She's back there making things happen that I could not do from here. No way, no how.

Four days ago was Ruth's birthday. SOmeone please give her another hug from me for that.

YEsterday was David's birthday. Someone please slug him in the arm and buy him a beer from me.

I guess I'll get going. Miss and love you all, but especially you in particular.

Huh?gs,
Jack

Big wavage

Greetings from Eleuthera.

I hate to say it, but the charger for the camera is... gone. I'm cameraless. I'm gonna try to find another charger. Wish me big luck.

I just heard some people talking about the storm the other night: the winds were in the FIFTIES. Yup, on the Beaufort scale, they describe this as STRONG GALE- shingle blowing off weather, trees uprooting, waves 23-41 feet high (depending on low fifties to high fifties- I think this must have been on the low side. No wonder the damn truck was shaking. THat was the best- I mean craziest, storm I've ever seen. I think it's 90 mph where they say you can lean into the wind and actually touch the ground without bending your knees or back.
A hurricane is anything over 73.

I better not use that straw to build the place like I was planning. Maybe sticks'll be better. Okay, gotta go play my fiddle.
-J

3-1 10 update shmupdate- it's BIRTHDAY TIME!

Greetings from Eleuthera. Yo yo yo yo. Ah, where to begin? Well, let's just start with: IT"S THE BEST 3 days of the year, Ruth's birthday today!!And Mary Lee's two days ago!!!! So how about that? Everything else pales in comparison, except for one event: Ruth felt Jackson move yesterday! Hot dog and attaboy. I was at the side of the road helping some people who broke down and I got the text. I had to excuse myself and do a couple cartwheels. So, as they kinda say in Footloose: let's hear it for the girl. Yeah, I saw it. Leave me alone. Besides, the book was better. Above is a picture of the birthday girls. Make sure you girls don't let that thing eat my baby!!


So, I moved off the extra bed of Kelvin and his mates, into the truck when it came in last friday. Getting a bank account is a trick and a half, so I can only use atm money, so I had to go every day to take out the max, watch my pennies, and then when I got the pallet that all the stuff that was in the truck was on (they make you separate it when you ship) I had 8 bucks left.

First I got the truck, and slept in that for a few days, but with no heat, it was pretty chilly, and I had to sleep sitting up in the driver's seat cuz the back was too hard and cold. Then the pallet came (and my blankets!) and that improved life considerably. It's hard to overestimate the need for a generator, a water jug (priceless), and a gas can are. ANd now I have a toolbox, a propane stove, a frying pan, and Cash's food dish which, since they turned the ole boy away at the airport and wouldn't let him keep me company, has made a splendid water pot. I made pasta last night, threw in a can of tuna, oil, seasoning, and I had me a regular hobo stew. I met a guy this morning that used to live in these caves around here, and I might go check those out still, but as of this moment, I"ve cleared a spot on the lot to camp on, set up my folding chair, and my little radio, and I'm bumping Ruth's tunes for everyone's benefit. Unfortunately, it's not NEARLY loud enough. Ah, island life.


I cleared a path from the foot of the lot to the water, which was a trick, since it's all prickers and palms and poisonwood. I got scratched up purty good, but not poisonwooded. I was purty careful. It goes out to the water, on some craggly ol' volcanic rock (prolly with lots a critters init) and then there's about a ten foot drop to the water. I don't know the depth yet, it looks deep, but as Greg Louganis can tell you, it's best to measure the depth before you jump. So the lot is further to the SOuth than I thought, according to the surveyor, but we found old markers in the brush that match his, so I reckon he's not making it up. He spray painted and orange dot on the neighbor's lot (it's a wall made out of rock) and she got all bent up about it. Didn't exactly have a conniption fit, but maybe about a third of that.

Dozers are 200 an hour, so I'm trying to plan really carefully before i get them involved. The lot is steeper than I remembered at the top, but about what I remembered on the rest, and then another drop off at the bottom. The setbacks are: no building within 15 feet of the top and bottom of the lot, but there's some contention that there's no building within 15 feet of the MARKER that's 15 feet from the lot edge. Big difference when you're on a steep hill. That would mean that to get the thing at the height we wanted, levele with the top of the property line, it would be hanging out in the air, about 30 feet high. I consider that unacceptable. I have to redraw this whole thing too, because for one thing, there's no way what I drew and put up here would work, cuz it's too long and would hang way out in the air, and two, people are saying about 150 bucks a square foot to build, and that place is way too big for anyone but that Nelson Rocker feller.


I'm scaling it down, and trying to keep all the brilliance of the original plan ina smaller space. We'll see. THe other issue I'm having is whether they'll allow the temporary buiding up before the final plans are approved. Those have to be reviewed by Governor's Harbour board, who only meet once a month. A, predicament. In the meantime, there's two guys with machetes over there clearing right now. It's getting better all the time. I'm going to look around these ruins around here to try to find some two by fours to nail together to make a right angle sticking out into the air so I can measure the rise and run of this hill in the different places. It's either that or a topographical survey ($950). I'll get my hammer. Then I can make a new plan.


There wasa wicked storm two nights ago, it was so strong that it kept trying to blow the back truck hatch up, and I had to tie it down. A 28ish foot boat washed up on the shore at James Cistern a few miles south, trashed. Mast broken, sails ripped, hull split open, there's even a pair of pants that got stuck halfway out the split. Anyway, it was blowing the water in the cracks of the back of the truck and uphill every which way, and my stuff got a bit wet. It was quite exciting. Okay, gotta go talk to the GH (governor's harbour) magistrates and find out what's what. Talk to you soon.

Love to all you cool peoples. Jack

view from el lotto




this is why you don't drive explorers. They're making such a stink about Toyota right now over floormats (are you fucking kidding me?) when Ford knew, and everyone else knew, that these vehicles rolled over easy, were top heavy, lose their grip, etc. and are crazy dangerous, yet they kept selling 'em for years. But a recall? Hell no. Why the double standard, America? And don't even mention the Pinto... another car that was not recalled no matter how throrougly their peligrosity (yup, I just made that up) was proven. So anyway, this here's the car my new friends almost died in the other day.

Buy Toyota.



The latest:

I went to check and see if the lot's still there yesterday. It was farther from town than I remembered, like 15 miles. HItched there and back. I'm sharin the fun with ya here:

This is Nathan. I call him Lefty.



Picture these guys took from Joe's plane on the way here. Joe is one of the people I'm crashing with.







the sign shop. With advertising like that, how can you miss?



The view from the library, where I am.

comment

Aww, we miss you too! Your two other sons are veeerry aware you are missing. They are curled up at the end of our bed.
I remember the Takeaway! Mmmm
Glad Eleuthera is still beautiful.
(Just a reminder the truck was initially 3500) Guess the Bahamas is still as expensive...


-I know it was really that much. But still, from a number of 400 they're working from, that's 400% in duties and shipping. Yikesouch!

How come you guys never post anything about what's going on with you...?

I made it here. Time to get to work!

Got to Eleuthera last night. At the library now,looking out at the bluest water they make. 25 bucks for a cab to town, raining, looking for some ruins to sleep in, and got to G and G in the nick of time to ask if the truck was here yet. "what truck?" was the reply.

Ah, Bahamas.

Good thing they turned away Cash at the airport. It was a royal bitch lugging all my stuff around last night , but if I had a big dog and a cage, it mighta been harder, unless i strapped him to a pallet and had him pull me around. But if I said "Chow, Cash!" Or "Mush!" He'd probably thinkit was dinner time and eat me and the pallet thinking it was mush. Luckily, he doesn't care for cereals.

So, the "what truck?" guy offers me a ride to a "cheap hotel for 50 or 60 bucks", after I told him I was going to sleep under one of the semi trailers on Cupid's key,and when I got there it was full. The lady, Jean, calls the Cigatoo inn (120 but she can get me a room for 80). THe guy next to me offers to put me up in his extra bed, Jean gets pissed (the other hotel belonged to her sister)and I leave with him. Turns out later, he was here on a boat when we were, I think I met him and his buddy in the library here. THey had just gotten back from rolling a ford explorer picking up their friend from the airport. The vehicle was totalled, they hadn't dressed their gaping wounds yet, and he was putting me up.

Ah, Bahamas.

I bought them some groceries, and went to the bar to try to get them some rum, but ended up just buying myself 2 beers and some chicken wings. Stopped by Larry and Dan's, but they're not home.



I walked to G and G today to ask again, found out the truck was sent today, gets here tomorrow, and I can get it THursday. The truck was 400 to buy, the shipping is 600, and the 60percent duty on the truck, (a surprise to me) is on the truck AND the shipping. SO it's not 240, it's 600.

AH Bahamas.

I walk back to the library to buy some internet time, and literally half a block away, guys in a pickup flag me down and offer a ride. I tell 'em where I'm going and they still insist. I ride half a block. SHortest hitchhike EVER.

Ah Bahamas.

I spent my last $3 on a sandwich at the takeaway, and after finding out I can't opena bank account here without a letter of reference from my own bank, I was terrifed that my atm card wouldnt' work, as they often are seized because the banks think it's fraud when they appear over seas. Luckily, i got some loot from the atm.

I'm 2 days from the truck. The pallet of tools is here. The trailer is missing. (can't blame the Bahamians, it's a florida company) and I didn't even bother asking about the boat. Met some cheap cement workers already, and am going to be introduced to a local builder who might have some good ideas for me. I might hitchhike up to the lot (15 miles) to bask in the glory till I can start being productive. I might stop by the hardware and buy a hundred feet of string so I can measure where exactly it is. It's 474 feet and some change from the corner. WIsh me luck.

Sleeping outside on the beach, most likely tonight, since the rain appears to be over. There's tiki huts on the beach on Rainbow bay as i recall, so no biggie anyway. The sun is shining, the smell of the beach is blowing in, the bouganvillea are in full bloom,and people are already using my name on the street when I walk by.

I miss my people, my wife, my little boy.
Yes, this place is as beautiful as I remember.

saw the ultrasound

Either or little girl is gonna have a crank like my right arm or else we're having a boy.
Jack

mo' better butter

The latest:

Yo. Here's the latest. Sold the condo. Found out the baby's sex (wouldn't you like to know, hmmmm?) Spent yesterday palletizing a bunch of tools and junk, filling out forms, and shipping stuff out of the East side of the state for Governor's Harbour, a few miles south of the magical lot. Sent the truck too. The trailer was outrageous (a grand just to ship it over). Yikes. The boat is gonna cost 2100 to ship, that's almost 5 times what the boat cost to begin with. Ouchskers.


Due date, looking like late Julyish, beginning of August. And don't nobody get no big ideas. It ain't gettin borned on yer birthday. And no, we ain't namin' it after nobody. Except an album by a certain band, a general, a drink, a town, and some other stuff, but not anyone we know. Howz that for clues.

I fly out on Monday to get started on this here house thingy. I expect to be there between 6 and 8 weeks, and stuff. You'll get updates then.

Big hugs to all you people. Thanks for being part of this, thanks for being inspiration to have and share a plizace.

Jackl

house in kzoo, delayed trip, best lyrics

The latest: from JL
Didn't leave to drop the truck off. A certain someone named Christina W. who shall remain nameless wrote me and told me and the Ruther about a house across the street (that's a foreclosure auction cheap )from her and the boss man. We're going to make a bid. That'll be done right after...

We just sold the condo. Took a beating, kinda, but hey, we knew we would and did it eyes open. We also sold the mercury engine on ebay, almost for what we paid, which was sweet. So that, thrown in with the condo loot (the first of which we should get tomorrow) would buy us that crib (if we get it) and get our Bahamas building money worries eased a great deal. So I'm probably flying out a week late, 2-16 or so.

In the meantime, to keep us all entertained, I'm gonna stick up some of my favorite song lyrics for you all. I think two of the best, and shortest songs ever.

Post your faves up here too, eh?

Okay, first. (This band has a name that might burn some eyes... ask me if you wanna know.) Anyway...

"I don't even know where it went
I left it in my pocket with the rent
it's not very often that this happens to me
this is very important though can't you see

Chorus:
I can't find my piece of paper
shoulda been more careful with my piece of paper

I think that's it.

Okay, and the Minutemen: "#1 Hit song"
On the back of a winged horse
through the sky pearly gray
love is leaflike
you and me baby

Twinkle twinkle
blah blah blah

E!

T!

C!

(guitar solo)


Best lyrics ever. Post your faves here.

Okay. Gotta go. Meet with lawyers and stuff now.

X!
JL

Heading out Feb. 9th...

The latest:
Got my ticket tonight to go scope the situation. Have to drive across the state to drop the truck off on Groundhogs day, (february 2nd, of course), a week early so that they can look it over at customs. Then the 9th, Ruth will drive me back to fly out. I had a dream last night that the utilites were hooked up... sigh.

It's looking like I'll be taking the little black truck, and sleeping in that. Cash or Mickey will probably be coming with me for company, and to watch the place, since I'll have to keep everything outside, under a tarp at first, including tools and generator, etc. And of course, we're on a main road, so its gonna be a bit of a scramble getting something together. Depending on whether we have the money or not, I might try to get some things shipped there to build a temporary shelter. We'll see...

Been talking to a draftsman to try to get these plans drawn up. Kinda creeping along on that front.

Floridays

Jack
I love being in Florida with you and Ruth. My condo is the most beautiful place ever. I can just sit and drink in the colors, enjoy the breeze that runs through it, and celebrate the many things, such as palms, swimming pools, and just the loveliness of it all! how lucky we are! Glad to be able to read your blog, and it'll be fun to be with you and in touch with you and Ruth when I'm not.

Lottamuchlove,
Phumpus

horror flicks

I asked Tom and Becky what movies they recommended. The COOP put this together. Thanks, Coop!

:-)


Let the Right One In
The Descent
Wolf Creek (kind of makes you angry in the "why are you dropping your only weapon?!" kind of way)
The Strangers and Funny Games (Basically, torture porn--made us angry! Chris Hefner says they are interesting BECAUSE they make us respond so strongly. Your call.)
The Thing
Alien (I and II)
Jaws
The Exorcist
Burnt Offerings (old school fun)
The Wicker Man (original, weird and fun)
28 Days Later (and 28 Weeks Later, but you have to watch it strictly as allegory as the logic is rather strained sometimes)
The Ruins
High Tension
Shrooms (better than the title would suggest)
The Orphanage
Jacob's Ladder (maybe more sad than scary, but then I go back to scary because it's sad...)
Rosemary's Baby
The Omen
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead...etc. All good zombie stuff.
Dead Alive (Not scary, but gory and absurd)
A Tale of Two Sisters
Dario Argento films
Hellraiser (maybe not Tom, but it always kinda freaked me out)
The Serpent and the Rainbow and The Believers (I tend to conflate the two)
Angel Heart
Scanners
The Fury
Poltergeist
They Live (A long-time favorite, very campy)
The Unnamable (just for Matt O.)
The Shining
Carrie
The Dead Zone
The Hunger (David Bowie, 'nuff said)
The Amityville Horror
The Fly
Videodrome
Existenz (I liked it, Tom didn't)
Halloween
An American Werewolf in London
All Bruce Campbell Army of Darkness related stuff
Sleepaway Camp (classic)
The Children (another silly classic)
Shaun of the Dead (not scary, but really fun)
Quarantine (It was OK)
Paranormal Activity (As I don't believe in demon possession, not so scary, but this movie freaks some people out. There were a couple of good jumpy scenes.)
The Holy Mountain (I don't know if this counts, but it always disturbs me)
Altered States (for the same reason as Holy Mountain)
The Reflecting Skin (weird)
Session 9 (good indie flick)
30 Days of Night (Tom hated it, but I thought there was some good vampire killins)
The Mist (remake wasn't bad)
The Host (Tom thought it was silly, but I like Korean films)
Slither (gross and icky)
Vanished
Stir of Echoes
The Eye (Asian version is better)
Ringu (Again, I think the Asian version is scarier. Same with The Grudge.)
Willard
The Happiness of the Katakuris (just a really weird, unclassifiable Japanese zombie movie that makes fun of Japanese movie tropes, including musicals)
Old Boy (kind of horrified me, but I'm not sure it's considered horror)
Tetsuo, the Iron Man
The Omega Man (heh)
Blair Witch (this did scare me when I saw it)

Holy crap, getting close...

Welcome Tom and Becky, Brian and Orla, Chris and Tim and Eli and Ira and Honey. It's really awesome to have you all as authors now on here too. I miss all you peoples. Frilla. Honey, I hope I spelled your name right.


Regarding Eleuthera, I keep calling the electric, the permit people, and the water people, and man, they don't like callin' a brother back for nothin. I'd really like to get some utils hooked up when I'm there, to make it a little easier to get along, and a lot easier to build stuff. I'm bringing a handsaw just in case, let's hope it doesn't come to that. I'm gonna head over there in about 2 weeks, I think... I don't have a date for that yet, but i'm just so damned excited about it that I had to get on here and post my rough ideas. I just gotta get this painting and all this crap done and then I can get a ticket. I just checked, they're only about 150 dollars including taxes and everything. Somebody give me a kick in the ass so I can get going here... I'm thinking like January 26 or so, to leave enough time to get this bastard condo up for sale.

I guess that's it. I have the blueprints now for the steel building, I guess i mentioned that. i'd post 'em, but I'm too damned lazy to TAKE the picture, CONNECT the camera to the computer, and then POST it. I'm only one man, goddammit.

Only one man.

I'm in ur blogs...

...editing ur postz!

GROUP blog now...

Jackl here, January 6 or something. It's thursday. That's good enough for me.

Hey, what's up? So, big changes over here at blog central. A couple things happening, which should explain a little more why we changed the blog up. A, we realized we can make it so that other people can post too. This is important, since the idea was that the place we have, we share with our people. That's you. So, that said, we wanted to make sure that if you have any thoughts on things Bahamras, that there's a good spot to post 'em. Ideally, that'll be your pics after you come down there. In the meantime, post anything else that might be of interest to good people that might give a damn. In our perfect world, all these people we're so crazy about will get to know each other via this place, a little or a lot, and from their posts. We'll see. that part's up to you guys.

B: no, no one's chasing us, or trying to kill us or anything, that we know of anyway, but we figure it's best if we don't let the world know everything about our personal lives, we'll just blurt 'em out to our close friends, and you too, if you feel like it.

Moving on, the plans. I have our condo mostly cleaned out and still fixing it up for sale. This will be the funds for the building, or as much of it as it will fund, at least the shell anyway. So, we're hoping to sell that soon, and get the financial ball rolling. There's a deadline. What are you kidding me? We got us a baby on the way over here! I gots to get to cracking.

Conch that is. Har har.

No, so for real. We have a couple bucks saved here, and so besides going to doctors, that money will be going for the first wave of work, which I'm leaving to do by myself, while the little woman hangs back in Florida. I'll be taking the small truck, a lighter and some pruners and going to clear the lot, get the utilities hooked up, get it surveyed, and make sure our plans will gel with the elevations there. It's been two years since we've seen it, so better to double check before getting the plans etched in stone. Besides, that's heavy. (man, I'm really on fire tonight!)

I might build a shed to keep tools in too, or store stuff in the truck. We'll see. Probably.

We have a deposit on the steel part of the building, and need to take delivery there within 6 months. That means this train is rollin, sucka. Speaking of trains rolling, theres actually a sunken train at the north end of the island. Not much left, but still, it's a train. But back to the plan: so that means that steel building, utilities, truck, boat, trailer, and all will be there pretty shortly.

Holy crap, I'm excited. Stay tuned. Lots of love to all of you people. There's some more I can't reach cuz i don't have their emails to invite them, so please spread the word if there's anyone you know that should be subscribing that isn't on here. That's pretty much going for anyone who is our people. Pass the word to 'em. A few that need notifying: andi sise, sarah mclaughlin, lara hiller and family, fake cousin scott, claire, mtliang, and if anyone knows who cort sener is, email me. we don't want any strangers on here, just the best peeps. And if you think there's anyone that's been neglected, please let us know, because i'm sure there are, and know we did a half-ass job of getting keys out, and invites, etc.

Damn lucky to have you all.
Jack

Hey y'all. You probably already know the good news, but if you don't, Ruth is in a rather motherly way. Pretty awesome, eh?

With that news, I'm going to make a changes on here. I'm going to make this a private blog soon, because of all the personal info that goes on here, both about our family and our plans that have been discussed already. That means anyone viewing will know a lot about our lives, so I would appreciate it if you still want to be able to view it, that you shoot me an email at livingstonebuilding@yahoo.com, and I'll make a list of all the people involved, and you'll be able to sign in and check it out. Do this a.s.a.p., and i'll make sure it's taken care of.

Another change: you all will be able to post stuff too, if you're in the mood, since the plizace was meant to be shared to begin with. We should have done this long ago... starting as soon as you send your email. You subscribers, I'll put yours in there, don't worry about it. And you other people we know (immediate family and people we talk to every couple days) don't worry about emailing us. If you think you might get left out in the cold though, shoot ol' ruth or me an email at livingstonebuilding@yahoo.com and let me know who you are if it's not obvious, and we'll take care of ya.
jack