Under The Bridge

Inspired by a a song created almost 20 years ago....


...Still a true classic. Thank You.





Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel like my only friend
Is the city I live in, the city of angels
Lonely as I am, together we cry

I drive on her streets 'cause she's my companion
I walk through her hills 'cause she knows who I am
She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy
I never worried, now that is a lie

I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way
I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way

It's hard to believe that there's nobody out there
It's hard to believe that I'm all alone
At least I have her love, the city she loves me
Lonely as I am, together we cry

I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way
I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way

Under the bridge downtown
Is where I drew some blood
Under the bridge downtown
I could not get enough
Under the bridge downtown
Forgot about my love
Under the bridge downtown
I gave my life away

J2: "Back to Life, Back to Reality"

It's been a minute, but I'm back.

Vacations are never long enough. When they're over, you start browsing through your digital memories of pictures and videos, remembering that short lived essence of bliss and realizing how fast that all went by and wondering where all that time and energy went. Now I'm back. After 14 or so hours hopping on and off planes to get back into Calgary, I'm sitting at home by myself looking through these photos, wishing I was still holding that frosty, ice cold bottle of Corona by one of Kauai's best beaches in 35 degree weather not caring that I have work the following Monday morning. That being said, I'd like to share some of those pictures with you.

Day 1:
We arrived kinda late, so I didn't feel like having my camera out. But here's us chillin' and having drinks at Dukes beach side bar & grille in Waikiki Beach.

The patio at Duke's
Right beside that patio is Waikiki Beach
Waikiki area in the evening

Day 2:
Headed out to Pearl Harbor. It was my second time visiting the islands but I never had a chance to go up until that day. It was like a Social Studies field trip, learning about WWII all over again. It was a fun experience, though. I enjoyed the scenery and the history behind it, which inspired some nice photo opps for practice. I gave a couple pictures a vintage B&W look for a "1940s" point of view. 


Threw in a quick WDYWT?


Below:  Exact spot Japan surrendered and the end of WWII



J2 is in Hawaii

ALOHA!
Greetings from Hawaii!
Haven't been on a computer as of late,
but I'm just checking in.
I'll come back with pictures.

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J2: Random Shots 1

I took a shot at night shooting with a prime lens and a standard 18-105 VR. I'm not all that great yet, mind you I just started out. But I'm starting to get a handle on working with a manual setting and shooting in various types of light. Hopefully, I'll get better. Can't post all of them, but here are a couple random shots taken around downtown Calgary. Some of these were taken while we were blazed. It made for a fun time hahaha.



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J2: Part I - The Friend Zone Epiphany


There is a thin, fine line between a being realist and a cynic. I seem to be sitting on this line when it comes to shit like this, which for some random reason was the topic of discussion between a couple buddies and I one day. But really, who knows more about this than I do? I consider myself relatively smart, but at the same time can be hopelessly stupid. This helped me comprehend the fact that I am a spineless hack and a jacket for girls to put on when they felt they needed it. Then I came to a sudden realization. An epiphany, if you will.

What was it? I realized I was and still am in the cold, dark, soul-less, dreaded world alot of guys (and some girls) end up in various situations. Typically the 'nice guys', like me. It's a very common and infamous trap women set up to subconsciously place a dude in for an eternity of psychological mind fucks and cerebral enslavement.

Now, this concept exists and has been around for a long time. I just discovered that it applied to me in so many ways. I know this all too well. Why? Because I've been stuck in it more times than I'd like. I never realized how wrong I am going about this until it happens again and again. And it's time to learn my lesson and analyze it. Any poor sap can be tricked into falling into such an elusive trap and can be left there to have your soul sucked out by someone so cold and heartless. Trust me, fam.

Now, it doesn't apply to everyone, not every girl I've befriended or hung out with placed me in this socially awkward mess. But dealing with the ones that lead you on and stick you in this place to get what she wants, are grounds for immediate course of correctional action or warranting a big, flashing sign telling you to "GET OUT".

It starts off with a girl you may or may not like at first or maybe a friend you've known for awhile. Typically taken or have recently put herself back on the social craigslist of the dating society after a break up from a long time boyfriend. Now, when the girl doesn't/didn't get what she wanted from her boyfriend, she sets the stage by hunting and scouting for that one friend, that poor soul in the group that is most likely to cave in and do anything for her, buy anything for her and ultimately become a shoulder to cry on when her boyfriend tells her to "GTFO" or "STFU". Once your sackless bitch ass succomes to her needs, wants and her material desires, you will eventually hear "Thank you so much, you're so sweet! I Love you!" At which point, you might as well get out of the limbo your in, shoot yourself and wake the fuck up (nerdy Inception reference, hahaha). Because now, you've gotten sucked into something called the Friend Zone and have become an emotional doormat to soak up her whiney, selfish feet when she comes stomping on you with her requests and problems. Because remember, she doesn't want to be with you or spend time with you, but you're there at the drop of a hat when she needs you anyway.

"It's a Trap!" - Admiral Ackbar (Return of the Jedi) (Piling on the nerdy shit!)

In most parts of the animal kingdom and insect world, a female's prowess drags in male prey, suckers him into a mating ritual and then eats his insides shortly after or just straight up murks his ass and is left for dead. This is similar for humans, but it takes it's effect in the form of a lifetime of mental scarring.

1. She finds her clueless male friend. Sees him as a very nice, well rounded and put together dude and she thinks "Hmmm...this motherfucker will do just fine". She'll flirt with the male and mark her territory as a possible prospect for dating. And in turn, visible signs begin to surface that the male may be hopelessly interested in her. The male flirts back, asks her out maybe, or shows signs of serious interest. what happens next? Male gets rejected and the proverbial finger wad is waved in your face a la Dikembe Mutumbo. And so the mind fucking begins. That's probably the only fucking you're going to get from this girl from this point, so get used to it.

2. As this process continues, you will go through hell and high water to do things for her. You'll buy things for her and you're going to do what it takes to make her happy when her man can't, because you're a sap. She starts saying little phrases that may seem sutble and innocent but to me, it strikes a bright, red flag saying "Good God, you're in the Friend Zone, get the fuck out".

"ZOMG, I love you!"
"You're so cute."
"I wish my BF were more like you."
"blah blah blah, I'm having boyfriend issues."
"You're so sweet! Thank you so much!"
"Why can't most guys be like you?"


and the obvious "You're such a great friend to me."

Any of these and the like should instantly tell you that you're in the Zone. And once you're in the Zone, it is nearly impossible to get out and/or change. I fell victim to this because I refused to man up, and I don't realize it until it is too late. Now it's time to get out.

So grow a pair, you ghey.

Next: Part II - How to avoid it and how to get out.

J2: Release Day!!! + Random Shiet

"Launch Product" stickers are staples of all that's good.

Back when J's released on a weekday, I had no way of getting them upon release. Parents were at work, and I was in school. Being in grade school, it didn't matter, I couldn't drive myself to go get 'em anyway. But now, since J's release on a Saturday, I set a little reminder on my phone to wake up early and go to the store.

Today's release, which I find wasn't that big of a deal but a release nonetheless, is the IX Retro. Which by the way was released 4 times already in this OG colorway. So for those who slept on the previous three releases, pick 'em up.

I went a little over board and copped my 3rd and 4th in this colorway, and one for a buddy...and a pair of QF II Retros and my 5th pair of Infrared 90s, you can never have too many of those. Hahaha. 

And I LOVE SPCs. I saved $108 today! Hahaha. 



In light of my own current events, I broke out the Concord XIs and gave them a little attention. I love these. Patent leather, smooth upper, gum soles, and 'Grail status.


Can't wait to see my friend's GS Concords when they arrive. I haven't seen them in a 4Y yet. :P

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J2: Hey weather, WTF, son?

So I sold a pair of kicks on a local meet up and decided to swing by my office for the second time today to grab my external hard drive. And What happens?! It starts to POUR like crazy. It was so nice out earlier this morning and afternoon running errands that I decided to un-DS a pair of QS AM1s that I've been keeping on ice for a little bit.


Now it's pouring like hell outside and it doesn't look like it's letting up. I don't want these ruined, and it's a walk to my car waiting outside and I also don't have a jacket. I had to improvise. LOL. Pardon the ghetto-ness and the crappy cell phone pics, but it needs to be done. I stole garbage bags out of my office supply room. Sorry.



This drive is going to suck.
And rest assured I'm switching these up at home.
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J2: Random Meeting Doodle 2

Happy Friday! This one took a couple meetings to finish actually. This was the result of a countless number of Suncor related meetings to catch up on who did what. Quite often the answer was along the lines of "fcuk all". This was also the summer when I conducted my Stride VS Excel experiment. I finally decided to finish it upon flipping through my notepad at a more recent meeting. I can't believe I had this little Five Star notebook for 3 years. These DO last forever. Haha.


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Buttershoes

You learn something new everyday. And when I thought I couldn't learn anything else new in sneaker terminology, there came the term "buttershoes". Thanks, Foot Locker.



Lesson of the day:
Ladies...always rock fresh kicks. Hahaha.

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