an education...

I left home when I was 19, it was 1995, and although a couple of years old- Singles was still fresh in my head. 

  
hell yeah ima GenX'er!!

Aw man how I wanted to be in the thick of the Seattle grunge scene. How could I not!  I had spent my high school years completely in love with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and of course the ultimate...Nirvana.  To me, it didn't get any better than the thought of hanging out at a coffee house with friends all day, go home for a quick bite and then head on out to catch a live show.
I grew up in LA, San Diego, and finally Fontana.  Yup, born and raised in SoCal. When someone says 'born & raised' you figure they're going to say somewhere like Tyler, TX or whatever. So when you say to someone that your b&r is somewhere like LA, to most that's the same as saying you're pretty worldly. You've seen/gone/experienced some shit. Right? The answer to that is No. It is quite possible to grow up in the whole of SoCal and still be in a bubble.  So a city like Seattle- well pretty much anywhere north of Los Angeles- in my world, at that time, might as well have been across the ocean on the other side of the world, like say Tewkesbury, UK. A long ways away and nowhere I would ever see.  Like...ever.  So right about now you're saying 'what does this have to do w/that picture of Modesto, CA down there?' , lots!, and I'll get to that. But you can't get to Modesto without a little history lesson.  That would be like the opening scene of a 'based on a true story' movie starting right dab in the middle of the book with no clever voice over explaining to you what the hell happened in the prelude.  You'd be lost wouldn't you? So history first, got it.  It kinda of dawned on me recently that because I left 'home' at 19, unmarried sans children then returned at the age of 33, married, with an 8 year old, that my family- my extended family- doesn't really know all I did all those 14 years I was away.  So I'm starting this little trip down memory lane, for them? Sure, but I don't think anyone but me reads this here blog. But mostly for me. Because you know what? I've done stuff, seen shit, been places and have had some fucking amazing experiences. And because where I am now, well, some might say/think that this is all I've ever been. No I'm not looking to validate myself by telling my stories I just think it's important for you, her, him, them, me to know that...even though right now my life doesn't depict it...I am pretty awesome!




The first stop down memory lane is Modesto, CA!  I moved to Modesto in 1995 and did what I always dreamed of...lived in a hotel for three months.  Not just any old hotel, but theeee fanciest hotel in the area.  At 19, yeah that was like a dream.  Who doesn't want to call down for room service, have your bed turned down every night, housekeeping a phone call away and a night club and bar an elevator ride away. Bliss right.  And it was.




to be continued...



Yes to be continued! This is a blog not a book. So stay tuned, I have 14 years of life to write about.