GUERRILLA DESIGN

09.17.2001 | 11:35am

Self Portrait: 09.17.2001 | Polaroid iZone Film

It started out as a relaxing weekend.

September 15, 2001, 5pm: "Shit. Bailey's dug under the fence."

Sandals on feet. Run outside. No Bailey. Run around the house. No Bailey. Run around the block. No Bailey.

Shit.

Run around the block again. Get on bike and frantically go through neighborhood, all the while calling "Bailey! Bailey come!" No Bailey.

Our buddy Kate, of the K&K Connection, is helping, too. That rocks.

An hour later, due to freezing feet, come home and put on running shoes. Grab Oscar. Maybe he can sniff her out.

Run around the block with Oscar. He's sniffing — Oh, yes — I'm a genius! This is my best idea ever.

"Get your sister, boy, get her!"

*sigh* He's peeing.

Okay... he's sniffing again... I think he's really got her this time.

"God damn it." He's peeing again. Repeat 20 more times til you give up on him sniffing her out and take him home.

"You know, neutered dogs aren't supposed to mark!" Slam door. Go back out on bike.

It's getting dark. I'm freaking out. Lindsay, who has been traversing different areas of the neighborhood is freaking out, too.

She's already started to drive through the area with her car. I go to the really scary busy street in the neighborhood. Look through all the areas that have been dug up for the incoming Hiawatha Light Rail for holes that a dog with very strong instincts might burrow into. No Bailey.

Time to use car. It's about 9pm now. Freaking out. Driving 2 mph with windows down. Maybe a bad idea to shave my head today. It's fricking cold.

"Bailey! Bailey!"

Kristi, the other half of the K&K Connection, is off work now. The Connection is masterfully combing the neighborhood for Bailey.

It's midnight. No Bailey. Lins talked to the police and humane societies around 8 pm.

"We should go make flyers."

"Too bad our home PC is dead, huh?"

"Yep. Too bad."

4 minutes of standing there in awkward silence.

"This sucks."

"Yep. This sucks a lot."

Put stocking hat on freezing cold head. Hop in car. Drive to Kinko's.

"How much does it cost to use a computer?"

"20 cents a minute."

"Okay, I'd like to use one."

"Mac or PC?"

"PC." *shudder* Yep, now I'm one of those people.

5 minutes later: "Okay... this here... this here... right... reward... mmmhmmm." Photoshop crashes. I was nearly done.

"If the program fucking crashes, does my time start over?"

*sideways glance* "N... No. B..but I can take some time off."

"Well that's shitty... *mumble, mumble, trail off*"

Back at PC. *shudder*

*Insert fancy designer-designer talk here.*

*Print — That'll be a dollar*

"This looks like shit."

*Print — That'll be a dollar*

"We should put this here and this here."

"Okay. Good point."

*Print — That'll be a dollar*

"Okay. Now we need to make copies."

The worker (single, not plural) — wait... the co-worker, according to their signage (what the fuck, btw?) — is manning a copy machine, helping the other customer. He's not really doing anything. Just standing there, avoiding eye contact with the obviously pissed off 6'2" 200 pound man — that's me.

20 minutes later.

"Can I help you?"

"Do I need a counter to make copies?"

"Yes. They're right there." He points to the counters, in plain site. I'm a jackass. But my dog is missing so I'm in the right. Screw him.

*Copy*

"This looks like shit."

"Yes, it does."

"Co-worker" is avoiding eye contact again. "Yeah?"

"These copies look like shit."

*Blank stare from co-worker*

"Do you have any copiers that can do better?"

"Yes, one, but it's running a job for the next 2 and a half or 3 hours."

$4.36 and our search for another copier is on.

Rainbow Foods: "We used to have a copier. Huh. It was right here. We don't anymore! Ha!"

Someone probably stole it, ma'am.

Cub Foods: The Cub Foods parking lot looks like a war zone. Fast food bags and human refuse line the lot. At least 3 inches thick. Inside: "No. Have you tried Rainbow?"

You're missing too many teeth, sir. You scare me.

Walgreens: "No."

Lunds: "No. Try Snyder's. They're 24 hours and they've got one."

Synders, 1:30 am: "Yep. Right there."

*Angels sing, Angelic light twinkles across the top of the mighty beast*

*Copy*

"This looks exactly the same as the Kinko's copy."

"Just shut up and print 100."

100 copies and $10 later, we're off to post signs. It's 2 am by the time we start. Bailey's been gone for 9 hours. Lins and I are both worried sick.

We're done smattering the area with "$100 reward" signs with her cute face all over them at 4 am.

We leave the back door and gates open, just in case. We also sleep downstairs.

Sunday, September 16, 2001, 11 am:
No Bailey. It's cold and rainy. My heart is broken. Lindsay is in much better spirits. "We're going to find her today. I just have a feeling."

Lins calls the humane societies again. No Bailey. Hop on bike. Comb neighborhood again. "Bailey! Bailey! Bailey come!" No Bailey. Stop at Walgreens. Buy tacks, Snickers Munch candy bar, Fruit 2 0 and Orange Juice. $4.20. Put up the rest of my signs.

Lins goes to 2 area pounds, reports Bailey missing and gets sheets with phone numbers of all 1,983 other pounds in the Twin Cities.

"I'd like to report a lost dog. *pause* Yes, white Jack Russel Terrier, female, spayed, 3 years old, mmhmmm, she had on a black spiked collar with her name and our phone number on it."

Repeat the preceding about 190 times. Call the Star Tribune and place a lost dog ad. $35.

Lins did most of the work, while I played video games and called about 15 places. Priorities, son! It's the Super Bowl of next year! Franchise modes rock, don't they?

Go to Tom Thumb. *Angelic voices, lighting, blah blah blah* A copy machine for half the price of the Snyder's eye gouging!

*Copy*

"Hey! These look just like the printout! Neat!"

100 copies and $5 later, we're off to get the word out at the lakes.

Lake Nokomis, 1 pm: "Excuse me. Hi. My... uh... dog ran away yesterday at 5 pm. I'm trying to get the word out, in case anyone sees her. If you could keep your eye out for her, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you very much!"

Repeat for nearly everyone (except joggers and bikers) that we encounter on the 3 mile trek around the lake. Most everyone is really nice, empathetic. It's weird actually talking to strangers, too. I know that I, personally, usually don't talk to people I see. It's nice... to feel more of a connection with people. I should try talking to people more often.

4 pm: Expanding the search area with the car, putting up more signs.

5 pm: Cell phone rings for 5th time today. "Hello?"

"I'm not sure what to do... I think I have your dog."

Pure. Elation.

"Wow. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you."

"Yeah, umm... here's my address."

"Great. We'll be right over. Thank you very much."

"You don't think they've seen the signs, do you?"

"Did they mention the reward?"

"No, they didn't."

"We should give it to them anyway, I mean, there's signs all over."

"Shit. Good point."

We're at their house. It's a house of 4 guys. All looking nicely stoner-esque. Turns out they found Bailey the previous evening in an alley. She ran right up to one of the dudes and jumped up to him like "Take me home! Keep me! I'm cuuuute!" They took her in and gave her a bath, some Arby's and bought her Kibbles 'n' Bits. All signs point to them seriously thinking of keeping her. She probably started barking though.

I'm so so so so so glad they called, even if they put us through 24 hours of pure hell... we got our girl back.

Last night, the K&K Connection came over and we drank and played Uno and Yahtzee and Trivial Pursuit and drank and watched Dr. Strangelove and Toy Story 2 and yeah... great times.

$153.56 and so very worth it. I'm very glad this whole thing ended well...

Thanks for reading,
Eric

09.13.2001 | 5:55pm

Self Portrait: 09.10.2001 | Polaroid iZone Film

Oh yeah! I'm writing crazy reviews now! Full-on reviews, baby! (you'll have to scroll to the bottom of the page)

Be sure to check out the cousin-fink action there. Ross chimes in with some bully-talk. Enjoy.

Jimmy Eat World is at First Ave tonight... The concert was listed as tentative (in respect to Tuesday's events) on their website, but apparently they'll still play. Rock.

I'm excited to see them live for the first time.

My sister sent me a link to these photos. It's freaky... I'm pretty sceptical though... Worth a look, for sure.

I posted self portraits for today, yesterday and Tuesday just now, too.

09.12.2001 | 4:55pm

Self Portrait: 09.12.2001 | Double Exposed Polaroid iZone Film

You know... I was watching first hand accounts of the attacks on the World Trade Center last night on NBC. They were showing accounts from people that were in the building and got out alive. Each of them broke my heart. It was so incredibly sad.

Now imagine thousands of stories like that — from Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, Husbands, Wives, Children, Friends — that died because of the attacks. It's stagerring.

It's impossible for me to fathom such loss. Wow. This is a truly awful, awful event.

09.12.2001 | 9:05am

I'm still in total shock over yesterday's bombing.

I did nothing yesterday... I just couldn't do anything. I went home from work around noon and sat in front of the teevee in total disbelief.

I'm most worried what will happen to my personal freedom because of this attack. I'm worried that people will be more than willing to trade a loss of freedom for a bump up in security.

I'm worried that people all going to the gas station and filling up (after waiting for more than an hour or whatever) are going to cause a gas shortage, and increase panic.

I'm worried that gas stations will, again, because they're bastards — the whole lot of them, price gouge the American people.

I'm worried that our President has an itchy trigger finger.

I'm worried that we'll bomb anyone anywhere before having the facts straight.

I'm worried that this may not be over.

I'm worried that things will never be the same again.

Most of all, I'm worried.

Love you all,
Eric

Yesterday from a different point of view.

09.11.2001

Today's self portrait.

09.10.2001 | 4:55pm

Self Portrait: 09.10.2001 | Double Exposed Polaroid iZone Film

Just when I thought I might not ever play Richie Sambora again...

First off, let me tell you about my weekend.

On Friday, Lindsay flew to St. Louis for her cousin's wedding, the 39th such event this summer. I got out of work (just barely) at 3pm to get her to the airport in time to check in, get her to the gate and alla that by 5pm. We got to the airport and check in with United. There were problems with the connecting flight, so she got transferred to TWA. Yeah. I know what you're thinking. That's bad. So we both went to check in at the TWA counter... everything was cool — so we proceeded to the gate. As we walked into the gate, they announced a 2 hour delay for the flight, which was now a direct flight. 2 hours? Yeah, 2 hours blows. So Lins went to the counter and got transferred again, this time to Northwest Airlines. This flight worked. It was set to leave at 6pm, and guess what?! It was actually pretty close to that.

So then I went home for the evening. I cleaned. I watched Toy Story 2 on DVD. I played a large amount of NFL 2K1. Nothing great, but it was nice and relaxing, nonetheless.

Saturday night, I went out with Sauer. The original plan was to hang out and drink a few beers. Maybe watch a movie or something like that. So after a couple beers, Sauer mentioned that a group of his friends were hanging out and having a drunken music jam. Music? Hell yeah, I'll go. So I spent all of Saturday night playing songs that I very very vaguely know. David Bowie, the Ramones, Adam Ant, Uncle Tupelo, Buffalo Tom... but it was great. It was a blast. There were 2-3 other guitarists, a drummer, and me — on bass. It's awesome playing with a group of people, regardless of the music, I think. I've never played with a drummer before, either. That rocked.

Speaking of horribly nerdy, I'm full out comic book dork today. Dig the Green Lantern shirt? I knew you would. Further proof of my nerdosity? Check out this daily self portrait.

Thanks for reading,
Eric

09.06.2001 | 9:55am

The US Open is always fun for me to watch. It's even more fun when 2 of the game's all-time greats go at it, like last night. Yes folks, that's right. Yahoo Serious took on D.B. Sweeney at the US Open last night. It was insane how good these 2 are. Their range is nearly unbeatariffic. Again — It's truly insane.

Wait a minute... I seem to have recieved bad information folks... Please bear with me a minute here... Hmmmm... Yes... Mmmhmmm... *clears throat* Apparently, I'm talking about the Sampras vs Agassi match.

Right. Of course. *shifts in chair*

I love watching these 2 guys play each other. It's almost always a great match, and last night certainly didn't disappoint. 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 Sampras. Damn. Every set came down to a tiebreak. It was pretty cool to watch, that's for sure.

I was pulling for Agassi — I've always been a fan of his... but it's also nice to see Sampras play at such a level again, especially when many thought he was washed up... myself included.

It will be intersting to see how the rest of the draw plays out... that's for sure.

09.05.2001 | 5:45pm

Self Portrait: 09.05.2001 | Double Exposed Polaroid iZone Film

You know what I like? Well, yes, Ross, I do like Pearl Jam. You know what else I like? I like having days off of work. Monday, for instance, totally ruled. Lindsay, Oscar, Bailey and I went down to a nearby lake and rollerbladed around it. On a trail. The weather was absolutely perfect. Purrrr-fect. Huh?

I just really like having time off with my girl. We both just kind of hang out and have a really good time together. *cues music* Talkin' bout my best friend

Right.

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09.04.2001

Today's self portrait.

09.03.2001

Today's self portrait.