- John Fogde 6:25 PM [+]

 
I Lied About Being the Outdoor Type:
Have you ever decided to go exploring in your own city only to find places you’ve never seen before and then get completely lost? Well, Saturday I decided to go to the beach, because I felt restless and didn’t really know what else to do. I’m not in any way shape or form a beach person, so I had never actually been to the part of the beach closest to the city called The Permanent Beach. It’s called that because as opposed to a regular beach (which is basically just sand next to water) this beach has an enclosed area with bathrooms, changing rooms, a boardwalk and a nudie area. So, I walk down to where I know the path to the beach is and just walk straight ahead and while walking it dawned on me that this was a part of my city that I’d never seen. There were buildings I recognized, but it was odd seeing them from a different angle. I saw a part of the harbour I hadn’t seen before and eventually I just walked with a forest on one side and the water on the other until I reached The Permanent Beach.
On one side of the enclosed area was a little sandy area, where a guy had set up a DJ booth and was playing house music and on the other side was another sandy area, where a few people had chosen to hang out. But inside the enclosed area it was packed with people. I met a few people I know, but for most of the time I just sat on the boardwalk reading and glancing at topless hotties. There were so many gorgeous people there it was just ridiculous, but that’s what Danish beaches are like.

So I read for a while and when it was time to go home I realized I wasn't completely sure how to get home from this place. Obviously, I could go back the way I came, but that seemed like a detour, so I decided to cut through the forest. The walk to the beach must have been longer than I remembered, because after following a couple of paths that I was sure would bring me back to the city I ended up in a weird residential area and suddenly I found myself standing next to the local mental hospital, which I know for a fact is located conveniently outside of the city. More specifically in the next town over several miles from my house. And since I have absolutely no sense of direction I had no idea how to get home from there.
But thankfully after a walking around for a bit I found a bus stop, so I could just follow the stops towards the city. I checked the map, when I got home, and as it turns out The Permanent Beach is not at all located, where I thought it was, so if I ever go out there again I think I can find a smarter way to go.

I’ve sent hours this weekend on my other website setting up an online store. I get a lot of emails with questions about where you can buy certain Warhol posters and movies, so I finally got around to setting up a special section. I’d forgotten how much time it takes to set up something like that, so I never got around to set up the stuff for this site that I wanted to add this weekend. Maybe I’ll get around to it tomorrow.

I went shopping today to get those plastic things you use for hanging up posters and to get the new Queens of the Stone Age album. They didn’t have the poster things and unsurprisingly they didn’t have the QOTSA record, either. It’s like the Danish labels don’t give a shit about release dates unless it’s Janet Jackson or someone they’ve spent billions promoting. I’ve left records store empty handed so many times, because the labels don’t inform people about the Danish release dates, so you go to the store on the day of the American or British release date and the clerk just looks at you like you’re an idiot. Fair enough if it’s a band on Matador or Vagrant or something, but this happens just as often with major label bands. So that really rubs me the wrong way. But thankfully a guy I know at the local indie record store promised he’d have the QOTSA record tomorroq, so I’ll have to run down and get it then. While I was there I found a used copy of Phantom Planet’s The Guest, which is surprisingly good. California is a brilliant pop song, but I feared that they might be one-hit-wunderkinds, who’d just gotten a record deal because of Jason Schwartzman, but that’s not the case at all. A friend of mine described the record as unimpressed meaning they weren’t inhibited by the fact that they were recording their first record and could be on the way to becoming stars. It’s a playful record reminiscent of Ben Folds Five and Fountains of Wayne (which is backed by the fact that Adam Schlesinger co-wrote a track) and there are a couple of really great pop songs on it. It’s nice to find a record, which surprises you once in a while and this one is a really pleasant surprise.

- John Fogde 1:01 AM [+]