here’s a great performance of last rites from one of my favorite singer/songwriters damien jurado in the back of a london cab, with his bandmate jenna conrad as part of the black cab sessions series. they’ll be in p-town on the 12th of this month at the doug fir lounge. don’t miss it. -h

edit: also, don’t miss his new album caught in the trees which comes out on september 9th. this song will be on it, and i’m sure plenty of other beautiful music as well…

TAGS: [black cab sessions | damien jurado | doug fir lounge | Links | music | video]

i was out smoking a cigarette on my front porch this afternoon as i often do, when i noticed up the street from me a little girl started yelling “LEMONADE… LEMONADE!!!”, so i finished smoking and went to put sandals on so i could go check it out.

as i was walking up to the stand, she was still yelling “LEMONADE” so i called up ahead and asked “how much for a glass of lemonade?” she waited till i was closer and replied “it says on the signs,” and pointed to her cardboard signs saying it was 50 cents. i told her i only had dollar bills, so i’d just pay her a dollar if that was ok, and she looked puzzled for a second like she was considering it and then said that it would be ok, and i was only her fourth customer. she only had a couple of martini glasses to serve it in, and she asked if that was ok, and i said sure.

while she was pouring me a glass i asked her what her name was. “trinity,” she said in an adorable english accent, and i said “hi trinity, my name is stephen” but when i said her name, apparently i didn’t enunciate to her satisfaction, so she said “no, it’s trini-TEE” so i smiled and said her name back to her making absolutely certain to pronounce the T on the end strongly so she’d know i got it.

as i drank the lemonade from the martini glass, she asked me to tell my friends to come buy some lemonade from her, so i told her i’d let my roommates know if they are home. i pointed up the street to show her where i lived, and she pointed at the house she was in front of and said “i live there,” then pointing over her shoulder at the house next to hers she said “those are my neighbors. i don’t like them cause they’re mean to us” like she was warning me and i couldn’t help but smile.

she asked me if my roommates like lemonade, so i remarked “i think everyone likes lemonade” but then she made a sour face and said “not me! it’s too sour for me.”

it didn’t take long for me to finish my martini glass of lemonade, so i wished her luck and headed home. if you happen to be in my neighborhood today, go buy some lemonade in a martini glass from trinity. i’m pretty sure she’ll make you smile.

-h

TAGS: [lemonade | stephen h | Thoughts | Writings]

here’s some quick pics from the mxpx show last night at TOM… i’ve seen them play soooo many times over the years, and yet last night was still a lot of fun to see them one more time. i don’t know if i’ll ever get too old for some good pop punk. -h

[small pics below... click the images for the bigger versions.]

TAGS: [black & white | Images | mxpx | photography | stephen h | TOMfest]

at the meeting
i slurp my coffee
and click my pen.

i turn her hair colors
and spin wildflowers
from the carpet.

take hardwood and
turn it to clay that
i sculpt into a sweater.

it’s cold and it’s heavy,
my gift to the boss.

so when i fold this paper
into an elevator
he stays here stuck to the ground…

and we go up up and away.

-h

TAGS: [at the meeting | Poetry | stephen h | Writings]

here’s another one from the old sugar mill outside sacramento… -h

TAGS: [california | Images | old sugar mill | photography | sacramento | stephen h | travel]