Roman Edirisinghe

Tonight I went to Suze & Jer’s to eat some great Jamaican food, vegan style. Entrees included jerk seitan, cornbread, cabbage, rice & beans, fried plantains, and spicy condiments. Rasta, dem cook well.

My attitude today was excellent, considering I slept terribly last night (I was up until 5 am tweaking this blog). Went to Narwhal and soaked for a bit, got downright meditative. Feeling optimistic is a welcome change from the painful cloud of negativity I was walking in.

Life really does remind me of those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books from the 1980’s. We make our own choices about how we live, act and react to the stimuli around us.

Rather, I told the band that I didn’t want anything to do with inner band workings, and that I wanted my role to be that of an independent contractor. In effect, I’ve given myself the freedom to say yes or no to One Drum shows, depending whether or not they want to invite me to shows.

It was a really difficult decision to make, but it’s one that I had on my mind for about two years. My involvement in the band was extensive to the point where I burned myself out. I lost patience. Additionally, I became fatigued by conflicts that are typical to all bands. Eventually, I had to cut myself free. True, it’s not a completely clean break, but since I told the band about my decision, the past two months have been very slow as far as gigs.

I haven’t really been playing that much music. A little acoustic guitar around the house, when I feel like it. I am not quitting music. On the contrary, music feeds my soul. I am simply making changes & gravitating towards avenues that will allow me to grow. I’ve been recording a little – mostly older songs that haven’t gotten the attention they deserve from me.

Yesterday, David Stocker asked me if I would join a One Drum quartet or quintet on a trip to the Pacific Northwest in April. I’m actually considering it. I’ve cleared it with work. It may be fun, especially since I’ve never been to that part of the country.

Whilst idly browsing the web, I stumbled across some free resources for learning the German language!
via Deutsche Welle

One thing leads to another: I found an area of BBC dedicated to learning foreign languages, and then found another free online resource for learning German! What an excellent find! BBC features beginners’ online courses, audio magazines, and more! If only I had the time and motivation to take advantage of it!
via BBC – Languages

Mattel recently announced the release of Limited-Edition Barbie dolls for the Milwaukee market.

Galleria Barbie:
This princess Barbie is only sold in Elm Grove. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade handbags, a Lexus SUV, a longhaired foreign dog named Honey, and a cookie-cutter house. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Note: Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with “augmented” version.

Brookfield Barbie:
This modern-day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Windstar minivan and matching velour gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full time occupation or secondary education. Traffic-jamming cell phone sold separately.

Marquette Barbie:
This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9 mm handgun, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a meth lab kit. This model is only available after dark and can only be paid for in cash, preferably small, untraceable bills, unless you are a cop, then we don’t know what the hell you are talking about.

The Oak Creek Barbie:
This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or HummerH2. Included is her own Starbucks cup, credit card, and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won’t be able to afford any of them.

UWM Barbie:
Short, highly tanned and ready to land a husband, we mean get an education. Comes with standard issue shorts with “UWM” printed largely on the butt. Also comes wearing latest “themed” sorority party T-shirt, hair in pony tail and a gaggle of similar looking friends, each carrying the latest in “knock off” Kate Spade bags. Honda Civic, undecided major and drunken backward hat Frat Ken sold separately.

West Allis Barbie:
This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR shirt, and Tweety Bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Coors Light and a Hank Williams, Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken’s butt when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

River Hills Barbie:
This collagen injected, rhino-plastic Barbie wears a leopard print spandex outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends on her boat. Percocet prescription available.

South Milwaukee Barbie:
This tobacco chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased Beer-Gut Ken out of Cudahy Barbie’s (discontinued) house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter top. Also available with a mobile home.

Riverwest Barbie:
This slacker Barbie looks an awful lot like Brookfield Barbie without a shower. Comes with a pack of clove cigarettes and a sixer of PBR. There are accessory packages with various assortments of body piercings and tattoos available, but they must be purchased separately because, like, she doesn’t have a job.

Bayview Barbie:
This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight faded blue hair, archless feet, hairy armpits, no makeup, and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her “Willow.” She does not Want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Bayview Barbies, and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag sticker for free.

Northside Barbie:
This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his ’79 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.

Southside Barbie:
This Spanish-speaking-only Barbie comes with a 1984 Toyota with expired temporary plates and three baby Skippers in the back seat, but no car seats. The optional Ken doll comes with a cowboy hat, shovel and work gloves. Ken comes with his own 1979 Ford pickup with a Telemundo bumper sticker, tinted windows, and Our Lady of Guadalupe rear window stickers. Truck is painted primer gray, but wheels and rims are not available. Comes with cement blocks. Green cards are not available for Southside Barbie or Ken.

East Side Barbie/ Ken:
This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple “snap-on” parts.

This is John. He has sticky fingers. We were laughing. A lot.

My sleep schedule is rather bizarre. I am amazed by how little sleep I get nowadays. However, then end result is that I am rather unstable – tempermental, depressed, irritable, moody, etc. Sleeplessness & insomnia have their price.

It’s been a gradual process and I’ve succeeded in making myself completely miserable. True, some of it is weather-based. I hate the cold. Unless I am too hot, but that’s not really the case in winter, is it? In addition to the cold, winter in Milwaukee is an experience living without the sun for several months. I can’t imagine what it must be like for people who live even further north.

Anyway, aside from the winter, the other thing that gets me down is loneliness. And not just any kind of loneliness, but the longing for companionship. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a committed relationship, and I really crave it. I feel rather touch hungry, and getting laid probably wouldn’t help. I probably just need a good cuddle.

Holly & I went out to Izumi’s Japanese Restaurant on Friday night. Here’s me sucking down some fatty tuna with a nice hit of wasabi:

One of my greatest Lego creations ever…

I was playing with my housemate Kristin’s son Yoshua, and I came up with this bizarre lego thing.