KevinFitz Memos
(4.18.08)
Let me rap a little something else, other than words... flyin over your head, like these verbs were birds. Chimney smoke pours from this spout,
a fire burnin inside that'll never go out. And the doors they all be open, these thoughts and visions I welcome, to draw heavily into proportion,
all of life's foibles and cautions. Because it's a crazy world we live in, no doubt about it.. If I wasn't making art, I'm sure I'd be a monk or a prophet,
spreading the word of love and rockets.. space and life's profits, that we tend to forget when we're chasing green profits, with our feet up in our 89th floor office,
making sure we feel important, to the coworkers and bosses, who go home to their broken marriages and ugly divorces. You see I get to ramblin,
because my brain is scramblin, for words and adjectives, unidentified grammar... Anything that I can put in a pot and simmer. Cooking the story of life then and after,
chasing the last chance of spiritual adventure, before we clock-in to that factory in the ground... the last thought we think of, we were lost, and now are found.
I'll be back next time with another memo of goodness. Until then, keep the pants short, a flood is a comin.
(3.26.08)
Portland, OR - Holy hell, the sun is out. Such a wonderful relief from the cold, gray, rainy days we've endured this winter.
Spring is just around the corner, and we can't wait to get out into nature and go camping, traveling, and all other sorts of nonsense.
I'm also going to be amping up my artistic endevours within the Portland community. Hopefully this will be in the form of public art,
or gallery works, or getting my art into magazines, publications, or whatever else they're needed for.
I've survived the staph infection of a lifetime, and the scar is healing wonderfully on my left elbow.
For many of you who don't know, I had to be admitted to Legacy Good Samaritan in NW Portland, and taken into surgery to remove an abscess in my elbow.
Craziness ensued and the healing process is going great. I wish no one the amount of pain I was in.
With that, I shall leave you to explore the environments around you and to kick some serious ass in the world. Until next time...
(12.16.07)
Portland, OR - OH MY! Christmas is coming, and do you know what that means? January 1st is coming!!! And do you know what that means? New Years!!!
And do you know what that means?!?!! JANUARY 4th IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!!!
For anyone not "in the know".. Jan. 4th, 2008 will be my 27th birthday. Ok, just wanted to let everyone know that.
Besides that we've just been kicking it and enjoying Portland as much as possible. Riding my bike to work everyday.. Oh yeah, I got a new job..
not sure if I can really say what it is on the interweb.. but it involves web design. Ok.. go prepare for the fat man in red!
(11.18.07)
Portland, OR - The times they are a changin'.. as Bobby says. Indeed, friends.. life is changing. At a mile a minute, I've been to
here and back, from there and that, and all over the world of my imagination. Intermingling life with dreams is a daring occupation,
only for those not faint of heart. It takes courage to live out your dreams. It takes courage to get past nightmares. So here's to
everyone struggling to find their place in life... I wish you well.
(11.4.07)
Portland, OR - Great time to get lost. Lost in something, lost in a cause, lost in the world, lost in yor thoughts. Just get lost.
And then come back to reality and tell me how it went. So far, living in the northwest again has brought me back to life. Hopefully
everyone enjoys the new site. It's been a long time coming.. more pictures, less words. With that, I bid you farewell until next time.
(10.7.07)
Bloomington, IN - Hold Your Tight Grip.. this one's gonna last. I tell ya, if this isn't what life is meant to be, then I'm lost.
Because for once, I feel on track. I feel bound. I feel fruitful, grateful, plentiful, knowledge-filled, exhausted,
tired, energetic, excited, ready, nervous, optimistic, anxious...
Just keep holding your tight grip, you'll get there, kev. I'm heading to Portland tomorrow. Toni, I'll see you soon.
Until then, keep your pockets clean and your heart filthy with laughter.
(9.17.07)
Bloomington, IN - The events of yor have unfolded, Stranger Lazy has finished their stint at the Monolith Festival, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.
Wow.. what a great time. I've collected a few video clips and the Rocky Mountain High Tour wrapup video here.
I can't start to thank everyone who showed up in Colorado, but I'll try. Thank you to Toni, Ryan & Jill, Julie & Eric, Chris, Matt, Phil, Captain Earthman and the soundboard engineers at the Rock Room. For everyone
else who was watching us during our weeklong go at being rock & rollers, and who stayed to watch us in the Rock Room, instead of watching other bands.. THANK YOU!
Next up? September 28th I have an art show at the Indianapolis Hostel (google it yo'self) which I will be selling some very awesome pieces of artwork at.
First week of October I'm moving to Portland, Oregon to be with my fiance, and to plan our March 17th, 2008 wedding.
Hang tight everyone, changes abound..
(7.20.07)
Bloomington, IN - Humor is such a great thing for times like these. New ways to communicate, new ways to interact, and safer ways to create peace.
I'm interested in all of that. I'm interested in this universe we call home. I'm not interested in your bullshit.
In moments where we find ourselves backed against a wall, we take a good luck around us, and realize there's no way out. Only the
strong will survive, either by chewing their way through the concrete, or by taking on the the entire world.
My last day of full-time agency employment is Friday, July 27th.. in which I will be leaving Hirons & Company in search of full-time freelance work.
I have now professionally entered the new media realm under the agenda of 10-Pin Creative.
In other words, shit's about to go down, know what I mean, Vern?
(6.26.07)
Bloomington, IN - A lot of practice goes a long way. A lot of nothing goes a long way. A lot of everything goes a long way.
So in reality, a lot of a lot goes quite the distance. To the brain in which I employ, I apologize for always confusing
your sensitive nerves. I smell a brain cell fizzling somewhere trying to remember what it was remembering to remember to do.
Children of all ages, coming soon is neither the end or the beginning, it will be a long adventure into uncertain land, again.
The Ms. is away on a spectacular bike trip spanning from Florida to Vermont in the matter of three weeks. I am forever inspired
by this person's actions, which only lead me to think bigger in my life. What is big in my life? You may or may not ask...
Stranger Lazy will be touring this September, on the way to the tremendously
awesome Monolith Festival in Colorado. So, preparing for all of that, including
the finishing touches and money gathering for our album, NICE (coming out very soon).
In the making are the following: KMF clothing and merchandise; the very official opening of a Store.. I know there's one now but it's lame.
Ten-Pin Creative will be smoothing over businesses from here to Holland. Thoughts are always going around for wall mural ideas,
my first official book entitled "The Big Picture" and the subsequent film "The Big Picture film" which is a never-ending process
of perfecting the (not-so)perfect story. I'm always trying to establish freelance opportunities, muster up the courage to pull the
plug on MySpace, and then waterfall into pulling off all of my user accounts across the web, turn off my cell phone, stop using email,
hide from every possible source of Big Brother.
Basically, I'd like to be invisible.
(6.14.07)
Bloomington, IN - I need to bust a beat before i go back to ... sittin in my seat, it's the only thing that I do..
Every day at work, no play, on a computer for 8 hours, no way...
Gotta go find my reason in life. Back up off this desk, and destroy all this strife.
People be tryin to knock me backwards, I don't need that shasta, I'll go with the homemade batta..
Get me out of my hurse, I'm in a coffin, of bad feelings and I just know that somethin....
is making me blind. It's the patterns in life, the space and time.. no rhyhme, but it's all mine.
What I'm really trying to say is that life is a bit mixed up right now, with a hundred avenues waiting to be
wide open. It feels like I'm stuck in one long traffic jam. Hopefully someone can clear the 40-car pileup, so that
we can move on our with our lives. Someday, this will all go as planned.
Let's see.. what went on in the past month? May came and went as if no one was paying attention. I've been going
to a lot of weddings lately. Congratulations to my brother Ryan and his wife Jill, my cousin Joby and his wife Emily,
my friend Mike R. and his wife Stephani, my cousin Kerry and her husband Pat, my friend Chris and his wife to be Kirsten
and finally my friend Jenny and her husband Brett. Man oh man, the Ms. and I are quite happy that we decided to postpone
our wedding to 2008, because this has just been a crazy wedding season already. I'm sure there will be more in the future,
then after that, everyone will be popping out kids.
Until next time, keep your mojo workin...
(4.30.07)
Bloomington, IN - I've been going on and on about all of this for what seems to be a thousand eternities. The same cycle of wash, rinse and repeat.
Wash.. Rinse.. Repeat... Wash.... Rinse..... Repeat...... Wash........ Rinse, go to sleep. What I'm about to tell you may not bother you at all,
it may not even tickle your funny bone, or pass as a comment to give any two shits about. But, in a natural sense, and in what I truly believe in this world,
I don't belong among this conjointed infrastructure of a society that we as a human race have built. I deny it's very existance, yet am a key role in it's survival, all at the same time.
If this was a fiction novel, I'd be making millions by now. Just so that I could write a million more words. I've grown tired of talking to def ears.
My words a mere whisper of thin blood floating through the universe. Passion for anyone to get a taste of. Anyone who wants what I have to give, here it is, spread thin enough for everyone.
And if you're still paying attention, then all of this means nothing, and I'm just trying to blow your mind. Go and read "The Ultimate Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (five novels, one short story)" and I
guarantee the most mind splitting adventure your imagination could ever go on. I've been measuring my sanity level with how far I am in the book. At first I understood
what was going on in the storyline, but now I'm just completely and utterly lost in the vast void of space, with no idea which direction is the best to take.
Such shall be the metaphor for my life, until I reach the end of the book, my book, our book.
(4.6.07)
Bloomington, IN - In a short matter of moments, I have criss-crossed the galaxy and traversed many miles. March 17th the Ms. and I took a tubular trip to Portland, OR
and enjoyed all that it could give us. The old saying goes, if it aint' broke, don't fix it. Well that doesn't apply, and a lot of the pieces are partly
broken, disjointed, misaligned and the such. It's just going to take some extra time to piece together the perfect bicycle.
The Ms. is going to be biking from Florida to Vermont this summer, so we're getting ready for that, as well as I'm about to go into the studio
with Stranger Lazy. We will be recording a professional album with producer Duane Lundy at Shangri-la Studios (Lexington, KY). This will spark the
beginning of something we like to call, the future. Let it be known that shit doesn't stink, if it isn't shit. Like, keep it real ya'll.
(3.7.07)
Bloomington, IN - "Pack your blankets and dirty sheets.. a room full of dust, and a broom to sweep up, all the troubles that you and I have seen.
Cross when the drawbridge light is green.. Don't look back to that messed up scene... and all our troubles will be gone." So say the Eels.
What does it mean to have clarity in life? When all the haze lifts, am I still happy with what I see? Where did all the magic paint go?
Where did all the colors go? Where did all the laughter go?
This is my position in life at the current moment. I'm making great strides in clearing my haze, and coming up with my own form of magic.
I'm not asking for you to follow, I'm just asking you to notice. It's all in here somewhere, just have to search hard enough.
Time to go make a difference, mix up the paints, that sort of thing.
(2.5.07)
Bloomington, IN - Wow.. December and January flew by! 26 big ones now.. Over the past couple months, I've been trying hard to figure out just what I want to do with my life.
Sometimes the road leads to more design, sometimes it pulls me away and shoots me off into space where I do most of my drawing. Even more,
sometimes the road leads me to a normal social life away from computers. It seems I have three options. Computer work, Illustration work, or other.
Patience will help out, as I get to remember why it is that I'm here in Indiana in the first place. Playing music more than I have before,
seeing more of my family and friends than I would have had I been out west, and just getting a chance to organize my thoughts. The next move will be
decisive and pin-pointed. I miss everything about the West, and I only hope this time away from the route I was on, gives me better insight of what I'm leaving behind,
and what I need to move forward. All in due time...
Enjoy the new site.
(12.4.06)
Bloomington, IN - This starts the fourth week of my new employment at Hirons & Company.
November 13th was a turnaround day. It was the day I didn't have to say goodbye to my fiance for a good 6 months, so she could go back to Portland to work.
It was the day I finally heard back from a company I actually cared about. I could finally start setting my birds in one row, I could finally start
planning for events in the future. It was that day I found an inkling of security in my career.
So as the fourth week begins, I reflect back on a very hard November, but very rewarding November. I got to spend a lot of time with family and friends
over Thanksgiving, I got to see my sister, her husband, and her yet unborn.. so that was awesome. I got to spend quality time with my brother and my parents and my little miss (she's so awesome).
Major highlight included getting to see My Morning Jacket at Clowes Hall with Will and Hannah, taking shots with uncle Ed in Ryan's new house, staying up
listening to hip-hop and discussing crazy crap with Ryan in his new dining room, hanging out with Ryan and Abbi as an awesome project of their's was being created,
visiting Indy a number of times, hanging out with Chris and Kiki, hanging out with Mike and Steph, a lot of awesome practice with Stranger Lazy, a crazy family get-together
and another one in a couple of weeks. Dang, that's a lot of stuff, and I'm sure I'm leaving out plenty.
Needless to say I have an attitude of gratitude at the moment, and will probably last for awhile. Like I mentioned, a very rewarding November, with a cold
December looking at us straight in the face. I need to make a calendar. Cheers everyone.
(11.06.06)
Bloomington, IN - I've been presented with a good group of friends, and I've come to realize that I have everything I need right in front of me.
My pen, my notebook, my mind and my world. As long as those are functioning, I don't have much to complain about. Still, if they weren't functioning at all..
I would be dead. No room to complain if I'm dead.
Long live life...
(10.26.06)
Bloomington, IN - It is Thursday, and that means that the week is going by even quicker than usual. With Halloween just around the corner, we're
preparing for a pumpkin-carving contest on Friday. We've also rented Dracula from the library, so we have a classic to watch Halloween night.
My parents came to visit last weekend, and we took a trek down to Spring Mill State Forest. We got to walk around their pioneer village
and took a little hike leading us to a cemetary with some Fitzpatricks in it. Relatives? Probably not, but then again, we're all related somehow.
On this past Friday, the Ms. and I had a wonderful day off to ourselves and soaked it up as much as we could. We splurged on a disposable camera
and went around the IU campus acting like complete crazies snapping some great photos. The next day (Saturday) after all that was just as great,
and the weather was perfect those two days for seeing the leaves change colors, very rejuvenating.
This week I find out if I have a full-time job, or not. Either way I'll just keep looking for work, among the million other things I need to do.
For instance, keep cleaning TRA (that's our ART room).. and getting that ready to start a winter's worth of artwork for me, and sewing for the Ms.
Other than that, life as usual.. I'm getting really excited about the future of Stranger Lazy. Looks like we'll be entering a studio hopefully
by the beginning of next year. Speaking of, that's just around the corner as well.. Where does the time go?
(10.11.06)
Bloomington, IN - Call it a stroke of good luck. The IU Office of Creative Services has decided that I no longer need
to be working for them, so... I will be officially unemployed, again. Why a stroke of luck? Well, that's just because
I see it as a chance to get back to doing my freelance work from my home office, and get back to not hating life. Real 9-5 jobs
really take it out of me, that is.. they suck the life and creativity out of my brain. No good, I tell you.
The Ms. and I have been slowly getting used to being in Bloomington, but wishing we were back West again. For all the
reasons that I don't have to share with you, the West is just a much more better vibe. It's not like we don't appreciate the
Midwest, it's just that we don't prefer the stale air here, the stale culture, the stale atmosphere.. everything that makes the
center of America the way it is. We like the mountains, we like the views, we like getting outside and doing something different.
Ahh... all in due time.
We've pushed back the wedding date one year to March 17th, 2008. In March 2007 my sister will be having
her first child, so we decided to wait a year, that way all of the family can join the wedding fun. Ok, long memo.. Leave a message
after the beep.
(9.6.06)
Bloomington, IN - (5am) Staying up late night trying to fight sleep so that I can maintain my organizational sanity.
What are we all doing on Earth? I work, I draw, I sleep, I eat, I crap, I create and I love.. a lot of things. It's
great to be alive, and I'm going to sleep soon to find out more. Goodnight.
(8.5.06)
Bloomington, IN - Another weekend, and a very successful Saturday on our hands.
Woke up and watched episodes of Northern Exposure on DVD. Yeah, that's right.. I said it.
Those are some awesome episodes, I can't wait to get the whole freakin collection.
We also threw in some Thundercats in place of the Ren & Stimpy DVD's.. which will make their reappearance next Saturday.
To top it off we had an awesome breakfast, and read a bit of Hitch Hiker's Guide.
The new place is coming along and we're getting the art room setup. The last couple days in Bloomington
have been absolutely beautiful.. considering the past two weeks have been a humid-type permanent hell.
Being that we don't have air conditioning, the breeze and slightly cooler temperatures are welcome.
Stranger Lazy's moved into their new house, and the studio will get set up any time soon.
We've been working on ways to continue the uprise of underground music, Stranger Lazy style...
it's going well.
(7.24.06)
Bloomington, IN - Avoiding sleep once again to bring you the freshest ideas in my mind.
Along with the new look to the frontpages, I've also started to have a new look around my real life.
My life away from the computer.. REALITY. It's been a freakin blast so far.
The Ms. and I moved into our house on W.13th St. in Bloomington, IN and we're kickin ace and takin names.
Jobs and security and all that other adult stuff is slowly making its way into the mix, and we're addressing
all major issues one at a time. It's actually going better than both of us could have ever imagined.
Last weeks horribly humid weather is behind us (for now) and we've gotten some great bicycling in.
A great thing to think about is that in a few weeks, Stranger Lazy will be recording again. Only this time
it will be in a new house, a new studio setup, and a new feel to every new idea we're creating. New music
is on it's way my friends. New artwork is coming my friends. And I'm going.. to bed.
(5.23.06)
Portland, OR - This past weekend, the ms. and I travelled to Smith Rock in the central part of Oregon. We met up with some
friends who live in Bend, and walked around the rock walls of Smith. This park was truly amazing, and I should have pictures
up as soon as the film is developed. A great time was had visiting friends in Bend, and having a fun birthday party for a roomate in Portland.
Kickball was played in the rain and mud... twas fun. The weekend before all of this, we visited Mt. Hood and I finally
got to walk around in some (a lot) of snow. I haven't seen so much snow in so long.. Refreshing. Next week I travel to Indy, then
straight to Bloomington, then onto a month of playing music around the midwest.
(5.11.06)
Portland, OR - This week we celebrated The Dude by grilling out some fake chicken, sippin on white russians, puttin on our robes and watchin The Big Lebowski.
Summer has begun, and only a couple more weeks until I go back to Indiana to tour with Stranger Lazy for a month. Then it's back to PDX to pack up and move out.
For anyone who doesn't know, my fiance Antoinette and I are moving to Bloomington in July. Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to the West
and hello to the humid Midwest.
(5.2.06)
Portland, OR - Visited Seattle this past weekend to see friends and check out the city, which we did and enjoyed. The KMF STORE is now open, so go check it out and buy something. New art will be added in the upcoming months.
(4.24.06)
Portland, OR - We caught Margot & the Nuclear So & So's at Berbati's in downtown PDX, on top of two nights stopping at Voodoo Doughnuts for
incredibly dense, sugary, beautiful, wonderful doughnuts. Go there. Visitor's were in town this weekend.. including a bunch of bike riding,
music watching, conversation, and making up crazy film ideas. Caught Mates of State at the Wonder Ballroom, incredible weekend.