Just spent three days snowboarding in Big Bear Mountain in Ca. way cool. By the third day I was just flying all over that mountain. Can barely move and can’t sleep from being in so much pain from a few fatal falls. I landed a few times on that cracked rib from last year and find it hard to inhale without horrible pain. I think I may have broken it again. my entire body is in the worst pain you can imagine. but it’s a good pain. I cannot even roll over in bed without ‘aaaaagggghhhh!’ The Beav took so many falls ---- it was his first time boarding. I couldn’t believe every time he would stand up again. I was so impressed by his willingness to learn and go on. I would scream “love the pain bro! Love the pain!” and then he would stand up again. I was so impressed because I know how much pain he was in. Just got a call from Brown Bear who has been in park city, Utah skiing. Evidently he ran right into a tree and broke three of his ribs. Definitely not risk free sports. But worth it I think. Some good powder on the mountain. Freezing as all hell. Like 9 degrees. Went with the artisan and with beaver. We all shared a room. Which was very interesting. Me and the artisan had an amazing time as always. We flew everywhere as a doctor and a dentist. Had it on all of our airline tickets and rental car. This lady at the airline looks at my ticket and says, “you're a doctor?” and I'm like, hair hanging in my eyes, combat boots, and earrings all over the place, “Uh yeah. Don't I look like a doctor?” “I guess...” she says. Classic. We just laughed and laughed the whole three days. Had a great chance to do some bro-bonding with the Beav. He is such an amazing person now. truly my hero. He is very selective about who he hangs out with because he is so busy. So he pretty much just has time for his wife and his two little girls. And of course for mom and me. he should go into politics, we tell him. Such an honest and honorable man. 

Brainstormed non-stop with artisan about taking band’s concerts to a new level, like getting a headset mic and really letting loose and talking a lot more on stage. Like let me out of the closet and stop being so much the rock star which is pretty played out anyway, and just start totally being me, like the real life me. and then also of course taking that to include doing like a whole a talk show thing. this was her idea, which is so funny, since me and G2 have already been talking about it for the last few months. Me just interviewing people. trying to connect the dots. Me as the rock star is so serious, and only about one third or one tenth of the real me. fun but boring. ‘oh Fishy,’ she says in that high pitched little JAP voice of hers, ‘I know you want to be taken seriously, but you're so much more fun than just that singer guy you act like on stage. You should have your own little TV show.’ so the idea being just to let it rip. First interview I will do will be: God. Of course he is invisible. And only i can see him. or hear him. ‘God thank you so much for joining us today.’ I will ask him a bunch of questions for everyone. People can email them in. ‘what's that God? You have a message for Julia Roberts? Right here right now? on my show? Oh how exciting? what's that? she needs to marry me? are you sure? Isn't she married to someone else already? What? Oh yeah, of course. You're God. O.k. right. how dare I doubt you for a second. so Julia, if you’re listening... what's that God? another message? This one is for salma Hayek? O.k. cool. what is it? she needs to be with me too? She needs to share me with Julia? Wow! There is a God after all....  

A video producer that lives in china who I met in Florence over the summer actually is making a music video for the new sleep with you album. He is making it for the song sleep with you, which certainly has not been lack of its share of controversy since its release. 

We are in constant communication about the details. I asked him recently what it is like now in china during this season. What holiday do they celebrate if any during this time of year I asked. Here is his response:

Hi Fishy:

Well, this in china should be just normal time coz the traditional Chinese spring festival, the biggest in a year, is still one month away... but now, young people living in cities spend Xmas, and they suppose that Christmas is the most important. And coz these people are the most potential consumers, so, the related goods get everywhere in street... well, u should come and have a look...u will be shocked. 

And the spring festival, a time for reunification of the family, has a history of over 2000 years. People everywhere should come back home to celebrate it. They are supposed to come to the family where their oldest family member has survived and get together there. that the reason why the transportation is always the biggest problem this time coz there are about 300 million person/time during the 15 days... 

Well, the story is to be continued if u are interested in. let u know more next time.

And happy Xmas friend!

Q

Came home to a beautifully decorated house with the smell of homemade cookies baking and the sights and sounds of Christmas and family everywhere. Really cold in AZ right now for some reason. People here are so friendly you think you’ve walked onto a movie set from the fifties. 

I have heard so many of: "excuse me, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, pardon me, hello, how are you," since I have been here. It’s been great. People actually smile and look you in the eye. Like so many other places all over America, but Miami. I think maybe it's just Miami. Here I have to keep reminding myself that it is O.K. 

To look people in the eye and smile. In Miami you have to keep reminding yourself not to. Really in all of South Florida, not just Miami. There seems to be such a strong cloud of rudeness and indifference there. Some people claim it's because of the seasons and how they never change. Other people say it's because there are so few Americans left there now, it's mostly South Americans and Caribbean’s and maybe it's a language barrier. Maybe it's the lack of natural beauty, like mountains, valleys, wide open spaces, streams, rivers, or trees that change color. I don't know what it is. It is like some kind of a ‘too cool’ mentality that sucks people in after they live there for a while. And you totally forget that you live in it until you travel to other parts of America and everyone starts acting so friendly. 

At first you are just taken aback, like why the hell is everyone so damn friendly around here. Till you hit the next city and they act the same way and you start realizing it's just Miami itself. Bas asked me the other day right before I left, "hey Fishy do you think that Miami is ruining us? With its unfriendliness and rudeness do you think it's like maybe going to ruin us and we won't be able to go back to the way we used to be when we leave?” I answered him, “I don't know bro. I really don't know.” That question broke my heart, knowing that he came from Vermont, one of the friendliest places in America. 

Woke up this morning firmly committed to finding and deciding on and starting to plan to move to the new place I will call home. I didn't feel LA as much as I wanted to so I don't think it will be there yet, so it looks like it’ll be New York. People always say a lot about New York but I have always found it be a very friendly place. Tough, but friendly. There is such an excitement in the air that people cannot help but be friendly.