March 7, 2008
meet the flockers: michael smith
First, let me say, as far as I know, I’m related to no other Smith involved with this flock.
Second, let me say, I’m here because, as frightening as it is, this flock is me and I am this flock.
Now for the fun stuff:
I was born and raised in the greatest state in the nation, California (no offense to other states, this is purely an opinion based on very little evidence and an affinity for the ocean and sunshine); I have never surfed. Today, I live in Sacramento, 2 hours from the ocean and 2 hours from Tahoe.
At this point I’m in my late 20’s and I work a real, 40 hour a week, job serving the man as a manager of the people. My job doesn’t define me.
It would be wonderful for me to say I’m a writer and list all of the wonderful novels and stories I’ve had published, but instead I will say I’m a writer and I have a wonderful list of nearly finished novels and stories sitting in a folder on my desktop labeled, ‘best cellar.’
This is the most difficult thing I’ve ever written.
More facts: I have a BA in Government, my favorite number is 1009, I don’t eat meat anymore (I don’t really miss it either), and I like food.
If you’d like you can find out more about me you can piece it together at my personal blog where I post as the Vagrant Thinker.
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39 Responses to “meet the flockers: michael smith”
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Welcome! I’m curious: what are you doing these days with your BA in Government? I’m about to finish my junior year in college with the same degree and am often left crippled with the fear that I’ll never hold a job I like - hoping to hear a success story, I guess.
I’ll admit, I’m doing nothing that has anything to do with government (except voting). I can tell you a success story though, my friend is currently running for State Assembly and is Chief of Staff for some republican out here in California.
Well, Michael. You’re our kind of guy!
Oops, I meant to say welcome. Welcome. That’s it.
Welcome, Michael Smith II! And a “Woot!” to Sacramento. I lived there for a few months in the elbow of the freeway—at 27th and V—during my early twenties. Managed to convince myself that the constant whoosh of cars sounded like the ocean.
Do you go to the Fox & Goose?
Hi Michael, welcome to the flock.
Hey Michael: welcome. Understand that I am bitter that you beat me to the punch with your ‘meet the flockers’ post.
27th and V, I think my friend lives in that same building. Fox & Goose - not for a few years, but I think of it fondly.
F&G has scrambled tofu! It’s vegetarian (though I always ordered it with a side of chorizo, which puzzled the waiters slightly). Guinness is also vegetarian.
My residence was a two-story pale blue thing known as “the Tower House,” as everyone who lived therein worked at the Tower Books on Broadway. We should have had a reality show.
Guinness is one of my favorite vegetarian meals.
Michael–I’m glad we will be seeing you here.
You say your favorite number is 1009? Have you seen that documentary–”Brain Man”? He does remarkably complex calculations in his head, by way of seeing numbers as specific shapes. Maybe you could write to him and find out what 1009 looks like. We could do that with lots of numbers and then, without telling him, we could sell people’s favorite numbers to them, on a necklace or something. But, he would probably catch on to what we were doing pretty quick….
Welcome! Wow — a Taurus and a Californian! That’s pretty cool, even though that Taurus isn’t selling so well as it used to.
Say, what is it they call the state of California — “The Vagrant State”? That’s it, right?
On the flip side, I’m selling better than ever.
And we prefer “The Golden Vagrant State”.
I think you should call yourself Vagrant Smith. To avoid confusion and keep Kathy happy.
How about Golden “Vagrant” Smith? Or maybe “Golden” Vagrant Smith?
Let’s put an apostrophe in it somewhere.
S’mith?
You have to take out a letter. Va’rant Sm’th
Welcome, Michael.
I just moved from San Luis Obispo myself and understand your love of California. Still, my fondness for seasons has brought me back to the Midwest.
We have seasons - rainy and sunny.
i could go for rainy and sunny just so long as its warm ALL the time, hi MS not to be confused with MGS … o dear, i like vagrant thinker
Alek, it may be that you like “Vagrant Thinker” because you need only subtract the aitch and you have “Vagrant Tinker”, which is close to being a gypsy and might well appeal to someone inclined to steal ponies.
Vagrant Thinker is actually an allusion to the Mark Twain story “Mysterious Stranger” a friend of mine (sjbaird) introduced me to the story, here’s the quote:
I don’t think of the Sacramento summer as sunny so much as incineratory. I left at the end of July, all like, “Fuck this!”
Of course, where I moved to was Seattle, whose weather sucked far, far harder.
When I was in college I drove a 1976 Chevy Vega with black vinyl interior, no a/c - we used to call that car hell on wheels.
We are happy to have you, Michael Vagrant Thinker Smith.
Sounds like a perfect solar oven, Michael. Did you ever try to cook a turkey in it, perhchance?
I’ve been called a turkey - does that count?
in the summer in Texas when I went to school in Austin we would play a game in which we would roll up the windows to my friend’s civic and turn the heater on high and drive around. if you complained about the heat you had to: “bark like a wuss dog”.
try it sometime.
Try driving around with the heater on in the summer, or barking ‘like a wuss dog’?
Daryl had an alcoholic uncle who always drove with the windows rolled up because he wanted people to think his car had air conditioning.
I drove with my windows rolled down because I wanted people to know that the music I listened to was better than the music they listened to.
Now, I want them to know that ‘Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me’ is the best thing on the radio.
Michael, I’m glad you showed up. Now I can tell Kathy who’s responsible for those strange charges that show up on my bank statements — Internet porn, Viagra, donations to wildlife refuges, all that stuff.
It was a relief when you got old enough to stop using my ID to buy beer.
Please confirm: you really are another person, and not me posting comments to myself again, right?
I think one of us should have his ear tagged so it’s easier for people to know which of us is which. It might hurt plus I get infections real easy so it should be you.
Hi Michael
I’ve never surfed either. On a similar note however, I live in the city with what might arguably be one of the most fucking beautiful museums of art in the world. It has been open nearly a year, I live about a mile and a half from it. I love museums. I haven’t been.
Oh, and welcome.
that settles it, Rick. we are going to do a pre-clusterflock-clusterflockstockathon this summer in Kansas city and we are all going to the museum.
“Our people customarily summer in Kansas City.”
Can we surf, too?
I’m pretty sure I CAN’T surf, but I’d like to give it a go.