fortieth..

here are some pics from the last strike team i went on.. we went to yucaipa, ca for the pendleton fire.. we left santa cruz county around 07:00 on monday morning of august 31st and got back about 2.5 days later.. it didnt take long for that fire to go out but many still battle the station fire..

here is a pic of what it look like when we got there..

this is one of the many retardant drops..

this is our engine crew from felton fire.. had a great time with these fellas..

this is before we left.. these are the engines from both santa cruz county strike teams..

this was when we were on our way home..

thirty.ninth..

so i never did post the official article from the volunteer nation site..


click HERE to read it..

thirty.eighth..

a while back, there was a filming crew that came to our tuesday night training drill at the fire house, to film us training as a volunteer fire agency.. they are called "volunteer nation" and they decided to interview me for their program.. i wasnt sure if they were going to actually use me for the documentary but i got an email saying they used me for their first preview video. here is the video.. i am at the 0:57 second mark and it short.. please visit the website and leave a comment to show support to their cause..

Volunteer Nation - Season One Trailer from Volunteer Nation on Vimeo.

if this video doesnt play then click HERE

thirty.seventh..

first day in nyc..






found the tongan flag..


this is our friend amy who we're stayin with..


this is the brooklyn bridge with manhattan in the background..


time square..


this is a huge advertisement for the broadway show, "in the heights" that we got to go to.. we put our names in a drawing and won 2 front row/center seats for a really cheap rate.. i was blown away by the show.. my favorite broadway show at this time..

thirty.sixth..

jumpin on the wagon.. if you are wondering, you just put your ipod on shuffle and let each question be answered by what the ipod plays..


If someone says “are you ok?” you say.
stickwithu, avant

What would best describe your personality?
if i have my way, chrisette michele
interesting

What do you like in a guy/girl?
with me tonight, beach boys
ok ok

What is your motto?
new hymn, james taylor

What do your friends think of you?
brown sugar, d'angelo
haha alright

What do you think about very often?
another man done gone, vera ward hall
dont know what thats suppose to mean

What is 2+2?
creed, third day

What do you think of your best friend?
i'm in the way, jars of clay

What do you think of the person you like?
vegas, sara bareilles

What is your life story?
happy valentine's day, outkast
every day is v-day

What do you think when you see the person you like?
god must have spent a little more time on you, n'sync
how did that get on my ipod? dont judge me

What do your parents think of you?
unchain my heart, ray charles

What will you dance to at your wedding?
after, mxpx

What will they play at your funeral?
pen pals, phonetic composition

What is your hobby/interest?
the light, common

What is your biggest secret?
star/pointro, the roots

What do you think of your friends?
if they knew, tlc
no worries now, all good stuff

What’s the worst think that could happen?
it's good to be in love, frou frou
really ipod?

How will you die?
the general office clerk's swing scene, brainwash projects

What is the one thing you regret?
got to be there, jackson 5


What makes you laugh?
runnin, aisea taimani

What makes you cry?
these eyes, india arie
stone cold heart breaker with that line

Will you ever get married?
whatcha got, brother ali

What scares you the most?
dead wrong, the notorious B.I.G.

Does anyone like you?
push it, salt n pepa

If you could go back in time, what would you change?
morning has broken, cat stevens

What hurts right now?
my first single, eminem

thirty.fifth..

tongan art part 2

so this past weekend i went back to LA to take a written test for the Los Angeles Fire Department.. while there this weekend, i figured i would get the 2nd sitting on my tattoo done.. here is a picture of it..

before

after

i have 1 more sitting to complete it and that is when it will really come to life.. i wanted this tattoo to represent itself as armor and i feel that it really is.. much respect to the artist..

thirty.fourth..

tongan art

used the red pen to get a general idea of what he wanted to design



used the purple to better define the outline



here's a pic before he makes it official



this is mid-project



this is the finish product for now.its the basic outline



im really excited that im getting this tattoo.. ive been saving patiently for it.. i told the artist that i want tongan and only tongan art on me.. he specializes in polynesian art but i just want my culture.. i told him that i hoped it would feel like armor on me cause i feel that my culture is what keeps me grounded and in a sense protects me.. if you want to see some of his work he has a website..

personal: www.tongantattoo.com
work: www.zulutattoo.com

thirty.third..

let it burn, let it burn..

i got my first traffic ticket and it was totally a let down.. i was on my way from santa monica, with my bro sea, driving north on interstate 5.. now, i have to say that i have been, for the most part, a law abiding american.. i dont like to be unsafe on the road because its dangerous and ive responded on enough vehicle accidents to keep me straight..

i was driving on I-5 when a cop pulled me over.. he gave me a ticket for going 86 mph on a 70 mph speed limit highway.. he didnt care for conversation.. just wrote me up and sent me on my way with purple cheeks from the spanking he just gave me..

now normally i would begin this paragraph by saying this cop sucks, he was wrong, i was innocent, there was no way i was going 86 mph, hes racist, im going to fight it, what is the world coming to, obama is going to avenge me, i was wronged, blah, blah, blah, feel sorry for me......

instead im going to end by saying i was wrong, it was my fault, may the state of california have mercy on me.. it definitely still burns from what happened.. i think ill just let it burn so that i dont forget my wrongs..

thirty.second..

here are some pics from a training burn we had a few weeks ago..

thirty.first..

this is a glimpse of whats going on in a small church community in santa monica california.. i have a had the pleasure of growing closer and closer to my oldest brother sea.. this is something he did with his community recently and i thought i would share it with any reader that i may still have since my 4 month blog leave..



A few days ago, I ran into a friend who asked me a question. He asked me, "how are you doing?" Usually, I politely answer with my default answer; "I'm fine" or I bring the conversation back to the other person by responding with "Good, and you?" hoping for an answer that wont cost me anymore of my time... this time though, I actually thought about the question and my answer. As I attempted to respond honestly... I sensed that this friend didn't have time for the truth.

How can you tell if someone really wants to know how you're doing? I have such a hard time answering this question because the honest truth is that, sometimes... I am not doing good... I find it difficult to be vulnerable to such a default greeting such as "how are you," when my honest answer is going to cost you more than what you have to give.

Throughout my life I have tried to practice the beautiful art of communicating to those who have ears; the condition of my soul. I'm still learning. I've found that there are not enough venues, or gatherings, where people, friends and families can engage in free conversation, embracing our brokenness. There are gatherings that do exist such as Alcoholics Anonymous that paint a beautiful picture of people coming together and embracing each others wounds... somehow, someway, compassion forms when a group of people communally admit just how wounded they... we are.

This Monday, I would be honored to have you, members of this body, as guests in the comfort of my home. Join me and a few friends in an experiment where we will engage in a safe and meaningful conversation. As a student of human communication, I am in awe of the way that music transcends all barriers. In times when my words and thoughts can't find a canvas, I find my soul and my innermost thoughts hidden in a song. As long as I've had breath, I've found music the way in which my soul connects. One of the first questions I ask when I want to know someone is... what is the music you move to?

On this eve, I ask that you bring your ipods with 3-4 songs that will speak for you. If you don't have an ipod, you may bring cd's with your songs of choice. my hope is that the songs that you bring will help me, and everyone else in the room, leave with a greater understanding of who you are... and how you are doing. What is the soundtrack of your life? My hope is that we would let the music say what we cannot. I pray that we may see each other in a new fashion, through the sounds of our existence. Feel free to bring an appetizer to share and if you bring drinks, no alcohol please. Space is limited so if this sounds like something that you're interested in or you have any questions, please let me know. May we find each other in the songs that we bring and may we leave with more reasons to sing.

Peace and Comfort to you.
-sea