Many different versions of Swami inhabited the Miles house over the years. From Applesaucer bassist through Rockridge's own Big Lebowski, maverick underground video producer, holder of the prestigious Ben & Nick's "Eleven Beers" award, and finally to Almost Respectable Family Man With Good Job, Probably. Swami is living proof that enough time spent in the east bay's most famous halfway house can indeed turn one's life round.
Unfortunately, respectability comes at a price, and Swami found it necessary to leave behind his friends, who must now navigate their own salvation. However, it's not quite clear how we're supposed to do that without the 4-hour late night bitch sessions hosted on the kitchen floor, and especially minus the sturdy spiritual sustenance represented by the Magic Auto Refilling Corona 12-Pack parked in the fridge.
Tragically, his friends weren't the only things he left behind. A good 3 days after the official move-out date, we were still carrying truckloads of assorted kibble out of the Miles house for handling by NBC-suited toxic waste disposal experts. I did say that we could blow them up in the garden ourselves, but the NBC guys said they'd not seen waste this toxic before and they wanted to call in their lab rats to sample it.
Some of the more entertaining things remaining after the Exodus though were Swami's impressive collection of Mutant Video Star Goldfish. These guys were bought as nippers to star in a long-forgotten Hieroglyphics video, and subsequently force-fed every day on Royal Jelly, with the effect that they achieved the size and weight of ocean-going liners.
And nice healthy crunchy late night snacks. Yummy.
