Recently I became inspired to create 2 minute vignettes documenting events/evenings/fun times that I have with my friends and family so that I can post them on Facebook and have them live in my timeline for me to revisit anytime in the future that I wish. I toiled over buying a camera, but worried about spending too much money on something I might not have follow through on. I talked with my good friend Craig about possible solutions. He suggested using my iphone, because the video quality is good, transferring the data to my computer and into imovie is easy, and it would not cost me anything extra. And then, if this becomes I hobby I wish to take more seriously, I can buy another camera.
My first opportunity to test my inspiration came when a group of us went to a concert for the band Fun. If you are not familiar with this band, they sing the song, "Tonight...We are Young!" I went to the concert and annoyed the group with my phone out. I captured a total of 16-17 minutes of video and edited it into a simply vignette over an audio bed of Fun. music. I spent about 2 hours on the editing process and ended up with a simple, yet compelling tribute to our Wednesday night concert. I posted the video on youtube in order to share with friends and family. Within 30 seconds, the video was banned due to copyright law!
So now I am confused. I can go on youtube and find videos on any and everything that exists or has existed dating back to the beginning of television. Or I can find dozens of recorded or live versions of random songs, either local bands or professional bands. Yet, 30 seconds after I post a homemade video, it gets flagged and restricted. And I could possibly be prosecuted for violating copyright law.
So, if I had to write a letter, I would write to Copyright Law and I would ask, "Why was my video flagged so quickly, while other videos are free from restriction?" And next I would ask, "You're not gonna to prosecute me, are you?"
Friday, March 30, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
#90 Funny Story
Got a call from Chris White at 8a. His morning routine was interrupted by several power surges that caused his security system to beep loudly every fifteen minutes or so. This interruption began in the wee hours of the morning and continued on until it was time to go to work. He begrudgingly rose from bed, got dressed and drove to work, wondering why in the heck power surges caused him to get so little sleep. The one thing he did not do was look at his feet.
He arrived at his office on a typical Tuesday, one in which he has a weekly status meeting with his team first thing in the morning. Our friend, Chris White, walked into his meeting where his fellow employees noticed him wearing 1 brown shoe and 1 black shoe. I am not sure what part of this situation I like better: the funny reveal at the office where his team members get a good laugh at his expense, or the hour and a half drive of shame where he had to go home in order to get 2 matching shoes.
This story inspired me to devote a post to instances where the brain did not work properly and someone ended up at work wearing mismatching shoes.
* I made it to work one morning with my shirt inside out. In my defense, the stitching on the outside of the shirt looks similar to the stitching on the inside of the shirt.
* While in college I took a class with an Italian exchange student. He was extremely Metro and rode around campus on a smallish motorcycle. I lived far off campus and parked no where close to my classes. He drove by me one day and offered to give me a ride. I declined. He persisted with his thick Italian accent, letting me know it was common practice for 2 dudes to ride a smallish motorcycle together. Reluctantly I got on. Out of the 12,000 or so students attending Baylor at the time, Britt was on campus and saw me riding. He assured me it was more than unacceptable for 2 dudes to ride a smallish motorcycle together.
* At least once a month I forget my laptop at home and must turn around to get it. Each time, I discover the fact I forgot my laptop in the parking garage. However, I wait until I get inside my office so that I can be seen getting to work on time. I have to walk into my cube and pretend that I just realized my laptop is missing. My acting is good and works every time, but that does not make the drive of shame any less annoying.
* I teach a class at a community college and once showed up to the wrong classroom. I sat in there alone for 20 minutes before discovering I was in the wrong room. Amazingly, my students did not institute the 15-minute rule.
* To avoid using the office refrigerator, I bring my lunch in a small cooler (the bag-type, not the hard, igloo type). One morning, the plastic bag I use to hold ice did not work properly. The ice melted enough on my drive to work that water slowly dripped down my leg while I carried my lunch through the parking garage and up to my desk. My leg was so wet that I had to go home to change.
* I made it to my class one time without bringing my briefcase, which is to say I did not have any of my materials for the class. So I made up a class on the fly where I threw together random images in 4 different power point presentations and asked the students to deliver an impromptu speech using the random images as guides. The lesson was designed to show that you do not need words on your power point to spell out what you are trying to present. I now use that class each semester.
* I know a guy (promise that this is not me) that once put on shirt covered in dog urine. He did not notice until someone pointed it out to him. His response upon discovering the mistake was, "I wondered what that smell was?"
I know there are more, but have run out of time...
He arrived at his office on a typical Tuesday, one in which he has a weekly status meeting with his team first thing in the morning. Our friend, Chris White, walked into his meeting where his fellow employees noticed him wearing 1 brown shoe and 1 black shoe. I am not sure what part of this situation I like better: the funny reveal at the office where his team members get a good laugh at his expense, or the hour and a half drive of shame where he had to go home in order to get 2 matching shoes.
This story inspired me to devote a post to instances where the brain did not work properly and someone ended up at work wearing mismatching shoes.
* I made it to work one morning with my shirt inside out. In my defense, the stitching on the outside of the shirt looks similar to the stitching on the inside of the shirt.
* While in college I took a class with an Italian exchange student. He was extremely Metro and rode around campus on a smallish motorcycle. I lived far off campus and parked no where close to my classes. He drove by me one day and offered to give me a ride. I declined. He persisted with his thick Italian accent, letting me know it was common practice for 2 dudes to ride a smallish motorcycle together. Reluctantly I got on. Out of the 12,000 or so students attending Baylor at the time, Britt was on campus and saw me riding. He assured me it was more than unacceptable for 2 dudes to ride a smallish motorcycle together.
* At least once a month I forget my laptop at home and must turn around to get it. Each time, I discover the fact I forgot my laptop in the parking garage. However, I wait until I get inside my office so that I can be seen getting to work on time. I have to walk into my cube and pretend that I just realized my laptop is missing. My acting is good and works every time, but that does not make the drive of shame any less annoying.
* I teach a class at a community college and once showed up to the wrong classroom. I sat in there alone for 20 minutes before discovering I was in the wrong room. Amazingly, my students did not institute the 15-minute rule.
* To avoid using the office refrigerator, I bring my lunch in a small cooler (the bag-type, not the hard, igloo type). One morning, the plastic bag I use to hold ice did not work properly. The ice melted enough on my drive to work that water slowly dripped down my leg while I carried my lunch through the parking garage and up to my desk. My leg was so wet that I had to go home to change.
* I made it to my class one time without bringing my briefcase, which is to say I did not have any of my materials for the class. So I made up a class on the fly where I threw together random images in 4 different power point presentations and asked the students to deliver an impromptu speech using the random images as guides. The lesson was designed to show that you do not need words on your power point to spell out what you are trying to present. I now use that class each semester.
* I know a guy (promise that this is not me) that once put on shirt covered in dog urine. He did not notice until someone pointed it out to him. His response upon discovering the mistake was, "I wondered what that smell was?"
I know there are more, but have run out of time...
Monday, January 23, 2012
#89 Insecurities
Getting back to the blog challenge put to me last summer, I am to write about something I am insecure about. This is a tough assignment because I worry about it coming across as whiny. For instance, I could write about my extraordinarily large nose that bends slightly to one side. Or I could write about how I am too short to be taken seriously in either high school sports or any of the construction jobs I've had. I could talk about my inadequate ability to grow facial hair even though I grow long thick, dark hairs on my ears, nose, unibrow area and all over my back. I could describe my smallish hands, or the fact that my toes are too webbed for me to move them independently of each other. I could tell stories about how my loud voice gets me into trouble, or that I snore so ferociously that I often wake up with a sore throat. I could write about my coarse Japanese hair that has so many cowlicks that my last stylist could not find where my hair is supposed to part.
I could write about these things, but the last thing I want to be is whiny. So instead, I am going to write about how I impressed a beautiful woman. I impressed her enough to spend her free time with me. I impressed her enough to marry me. Instead of whining, I am going to write how despite all these crazy truths I am the luckiest guy in the world. This is the point in the story where you say, "Awww."
I could write about these things, but the last thing I want to be is whiny. So instead, I am going to write about how I impressed a beautiful woman. I impressed her enough to spend her free time with me. I impressed her enough to marry me. Instead of whining, I am going to write how despite all these crazy truths I am the luckiest guy in the world. This is the point in the story where you say, "Awww."
Friday, January 13, 2012
#88 Music Listography 1
Favorite 20 Bands:
Pearl Jam
Pink Floyd
Jethro Tull
Blind Melon
Led Zeppelin
Rush
The Beatles
A Perfect Circle
The Police
Blind Melon
Yes
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Nirvana
The Doors
Alice In Chains
Tool
Franz Ferdinand
Coldplay
U2
Radiohead
To make this post a little more interesting I decided to predict the bands that would have been included on the following people's list:
L.
The Cure
NIN
Better Than Ezra
The Killers
Ke$ha
George Strait
50 Cent
The Counting Crows
Stephen:
Kings of Leon
Muse
Incubus
Hootie and the Blowfish
Chris:
Our Lady Peace
311
Chevelle
Squirell Nut Zippers
Weird Al Yankovich
Craig:
Ozzy
Bob Dylan
Neil Young
The White Stripes
John Denver
Danzig
Michael:
Staind
The Raconteurs
Stone Temple Pilots
Britt:
Al Green
Guns & Roses
The guy who sings "A Country Boy Can Survive"
Joe:
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springstein
The Supremes
Neil Young
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
#87 The Little Things
A tragedy occurred this past Christmas. 2 men jumped a co-worker of mine in an attempt to rob him and his brother. Details are sketchy, but a struggle broke out that ended in my co-worker being shot from point blank range. He died on the streets of Little Rock just after 2am on Christmas morning.
I learned of this 2 days later via fb, and have had many troubles reconciling in my mind what has happened. The senselessness of the crime forces me to realize how little we actual control in the grand scheme of things. What sort of barriers truly exist between me calmly returning to my car after a dinner with friends or me being jumped and shot by someone desperate for what cash I may have on me? How many times do I leave my office after dark and walk the nearly deserted streets of downtown Dallas before reaching the security of my car without thinking once that my life were in imminent danger? Dozens? Hundreds? Infinitely more than my co-worker will ever again.
I returned to work on December 27th. Our agency closes the week after Christmas and I was the only person present in the office. I booted up my computer and before I knew what I was doing, I walked over to my co-worker's cubicle on the other side of the building. Everything was how he left it the day he departed for Christmas vacation. Toys and trinkets cluttered his messy workspace. 10 bottles of various liquors stood atop his filing cabinet out in the open, a blatant disregard for normal office protocol. Perhaps a clever case of hiding in plain sight. His cubicle walls adorned with posters of obscure bands he'd seen or festivals he'd attended.
I stood in his doorway and wondered what was going to happen to his things. I wondered who would have the unenviable task of cleaning out his cubicle and disconnecting his computer. Who would end up with all of his liquor? Or his toys? I thought about all the time he spent at his office and how his space reflected the playful sort of person he was. And sometime soon his cube would be cleaned and there would be very little trace that he was here at all.
That was when I noticed a postcard pinned up to the inside of his cubicle wall just behind one of his computer monitors. It read, "Don't Sweat The Little Things". It is a simple enough message, the sort you see all over the place. A positive mantra that reminds us not to worry too much because throughout our life there will be plenty of big things to worry about.
For 2012 I resolve not to sweat the little things. Life is too short and too important. Much positive can be said about Keye and the life he led. It is certainly true that he was taken from us far too early. But it is also true that we must enjoy as much of our time here as possible, because we never know when one particular day could be our last.
I learned of this 2 days later via fb, and have had many troubles reconciling in my mind what has happened. The senselessness of the crime forces me to realize how little we actual control in the grand scheme of things. What sort of barriers truly exist between me calmly returning to my car after a dinner with friends or me being jumped and shot by someone desperate for what cash I may have on me? How many times do I leave my office after dark and walk the nearly deserted streets of downtown Dallas before reaching the security of my car without thinking once that my life were in imminent danger? Dozens? Hundreds? Infinitely more than my co-worker will ever again.
I returned to work on December 27th. Our agency closes the week after Christmas and I was the only person present in the office. I booted up my computer and before I knew what I was doing, I walked over to my co-worker's cubicle on the other side of the building. Everything was how he left it the day he departed for Christmas vacation. Toys and trinkets cluttered his messy workspace. 10 bottles of various liquors stood atop his filing cabinet out in the open, a blatant disregard for normal office protocol. Perhaps a clever case of hiding in plain sight. His cubicle walls adorned with posters of obscure bands he'd seen or festivals he'd attended.
I stood in his doorway and wondered what was going to happen to his things. I wondered who would have the unenviable task of cleaning out his cubicle and disconnecting his computer. Who would end up with all of his liquor? Or his toys? I thought about all the time he spent at his office and how his space reflected the playful sort of person he was. And sometime soon his cube would be cleaned and there would be very little trace that he was here at all.
That was when I noticed a postcard pinned up to the inside of his cubicle wall just behind one of his computer monitors. It read, "Don't Sweat The Little Things". It is a simple enough message, the sort you see all over the place. A positive mantra that reminds us not to worry too much because throughout our life there will be plenty of big things to worry about.
For 2012 I resolve not to sweat the little things. Life is too short and too important. Much positive can be said about Keye and the life he led. It is certainly true that he was taken from us far too early. But it is also true that we must enjoy as much of our time here as possible, because we never know when one particular day could be our last.
Friday, January 6, 2012
#86 2012 New Years Resolutions
I suppose its time to think about resolutions for 2012. I feel like Wheel of Fortune where the contestants were saying the same 5 consonants each episode so the producers finally included those 5 consonants on every final puzzle.
R: Cut out the junk food (in my case it is tone down the beer)
S: Eat more healthy (I need to strive for portion control. No more eating the entire pizza!)
T: Make sure to work out more (I am trying to improve my speed and agility so that I can do better on the soccer field. I feel strange for wanting to improve my performance, but sometimes I get driven over the strangest things. And I am tired of being the slowest guy out there...)
L: Continue to improve my career (I have been working hard to strengthen the account I work on, and am excited to see what can be accomplished in 2012)
N: Strive to be a better husband (honestly I do not see this resolution on many lists. But it should be on every husband's list)
E: My final resolution is to watch The Wire. I've heard nothing but great things about the show and have wanted to watch it. However it gets pushed back by other shows such as Dexter, True Blood, Damages etc. So this year I want end the excuses and finally watch The Wire.
R: Cut out the junk food (in my case it is tone down the beer)
S: Eat more healthy (I need to strive for portion control. No more eating the entire pizza!)
T: Make sure to work out more (I am trying to improve my speed and agility so that I can do better on the soccer field. I feel strange for wanting to improve my performance, but sometimes I get driven over the strangest things. And I am tired of being the slowest guy out there...)
L: Continue to improve my career (I have been working hard to strengthen the account I work on, and am excited to see what can be accomplished in 2012)
N: Strive to be a better husband (honestly I do not see this resolution on many lists. But it should be on every husband's list)
E: My final resolution is to watch The Wire. I've heard nothing but great things about the show and have wanted to watch it. However it gets pushed back by other shows such as Dexter, True Blood, Damages etc. So this year I want end the excuses and finally watch The Wire.
Monday, January 2, 2012
#85 2011 Year In Review
2011 has been an amazing year for me. In general, I focus my efforts on balance between my family, my career, my physical health, my artistic expression, while at the same time making sure not to let stress negatively affect my overall well-being. I have been successful in doing this in 2011 and hope to continue in 2012.
Here are a handful of snippets from 2011:
* Feeling a 7.5 earthquake in the mountains of Japan. I was in a small town and when I walked outside to see what happened, no one stirred. The next morning I tried asking the couple who ran the hotel if they felt the earthquake. It took 20 minutes and no matter what I said, I could not get the message across.
* Waking up in the middle of the night unable to move my leg. A collision in a soccer game caused my knee to swell so much. L. reminds me of this night in an attempt to tell me I am too old to play. What she doesn't realize is that I will never be too young to play.
* Watching L. dance around a halloween party with Bruno while wearing a skin-tight Avatar costume.
* Watching a hoard of gigantic, crazy-looking caterpillars devour our peppers.
* Joining the Pen 15 club. Thanks, Erin!
* Making homemade pasta with L. It took 4 hours to make enough for one bowl of pasta.
* Playing guitar with Doss. My 72 series Tele Deluxe sounded so good coming through my VOX AC30. So good, in fact, that I could not really hear anything else that was going on.
* Reading Dugat's Maverick articles throughout the season thinking how awesome it is that he got such a cool gig. And wondering when am I going to see him hosting the post-game highlights.
* Exploring beer. I love IPAs and Stouts and discovered the following list of beers: The Harry Eyeball, Dogfishhead 90 minute IPA, Ten Fidy, Gubna, Yeti Imperial Stout, 400 Lb Monkey, The Gonzo from Flying Dog, Vanilla Porter, Left Hand Milk Stout, Real Ale Coffee Porter, The Hop Wallop...among others.
* Getting in a fight with an Italian woman on a train. She was mad at me because I had a lot of luggage that she felt should not have been in her way.
* Giving Stephen his first electric guitar. May it lead to much bad music!
* Spending a full weekend with Craig watching multiple documentaries.
* Making my crappy helmet out of paper mache.
* Making my first batch of homemade scotch. It tasted so sweet that it was undrinkable. I am on batch #3 and though the scotch has improved (just barely drinkable), it is still not as good as buying a bottle from the liquor store.
* Watching the Mavs win the 2011 NBA Championship!
* Sending air lanterns up into the Dallas Skyline for Lindsy's birthday. My favorite part was watching Lindsy get stressed when the lanterns flew above the freeway or got stuck in a tree.
* Helping my brother through one of his toughest experiences.
* Listening to my mom sing about her red converse shoes.
* Watching Stephen dressed as a 90's, poetic, high-brow Avatar trying to high five a ghostbuster. The ghostbuster stopped and said, "Oh, ok. We can high five if you want."
* Talking on the phone with Tomoko for more than an hour on multiple occasions. We do not speak the same language and much of the call is spent nodding and repeating the same phrase, "Domo for the Pakeji."
* Walking around Pompeii and seeing the ancient city that was destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 ad.
* Eating sushi with L. at Skiji Fish Market
* Watching the Rangers get to their 2nd consecutive World Series.
* Finally met Boo, an English Bulldog with a big heart, a playful left paw and a large bulldog tongue.
* Spending 80 hours a week for consecutive weeks putting together the largest presentation I have had the pleasure of working on. We presented early in 2011 and the account has grown leaps and bounds since. A huge win for our team.
* Slipping inside the Coliseum and falling so hard that the Italian police asked me a dozen times if I was ok and if I was going to press charges.
Here are a handful of snippets from 2011:
* Feeling a 7.5 earthquake in the mountains of Japan. I was in a small town and when I walked outside to see what happened, no one stirred. The next morning I tried asking the couple who ran the hotel if they felt the earthquake. It took 20 minutes and no matter what I said, I could not get the message across.
* Waking up in the middle of the night unable to move my leg. A collision in a soccer game caused my knee to swell so much. L. reminds me of this night in an attempt to tell me I am too old to play. What she doesn't realize is that I will never be too young to play.
* Watching L. dance around a halloween party with Bruno while wearing a skin-tight Avatar costume.
* Watching a hoard of gigantic, crazy-looking caterpillars devour our peppers.
* Joining the Pen 15 club. Thanks, Erin!
* Making homemade pasta with L. It took 4 hours to make enough for one bowl of pasta.
* Playing guitar with Doss. My 72 series Tele Deluxe sounded so good coming through my VOX AC30. So good, in fact, that I could not really hear anything else that was going on.
* Reading Dugat's Maverick articles throughout the season thinking how awesome it is that he got such a cool gig. And wondering when am I going to see him hosting the post-game highlights.
* Exploring beer. I love IPAs and Stouts and discovered the following list of beers: The Harry Eyeball, Dogfishhead 90 minute IPA, Ten Fidy, Gubna, Yeti Imperial Stout, 400 Lb Monkey, The Gonzo from Flying Dog, Vanilla Porter, Left Hand Milk Stout, Real Ale Coffee Porter, The Hop Wallop...among others.
* Getting in a fight with an Italian woman on a train. She was mad at me because I had a lot of luggage that she felt should not have been in her way.
* Giving Stephen his first electric guitar. May it lead to much bad music!
* Spending a full weekend with Craig watching multiple documentaries.
* Making my crappy helmet out of paper mache.
* Making my first batch of homemade scotch. It tasted so sweet that it was undrinkable. I am on batch #3 and though the scotch has improved (just barely drinkable), it is still not as good as buying a bottle from the liquor store.
* Watching the Mavs win the 2011 NBA Championship!
* Sending air lanterns up into the Dallas Skyline for Lindsy's birthday. My favorite part was watching Lindsy get stressed when the lanterns flew above the freeway or got stuck in a tree.
* Helping my brother through one of his toughest experiences.
* Listening to my mom sing about her red converse shoes.
* Watching Stephen dressed as a 90's, poetic, high-brow Avatar trying to high five a ghostbuster. The ghostbuster stopped and said, "Oh, ok. We can high five if you want."
* Talking on the phone with Tomoko for more than an hour on multiple occasions. We do not speak the same language and much of the call is spent nodding and repeating the same phrase, "Domo for the Pakeji."
* Walking around Pompeii and seeing the ancient city that was destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 ad.
* Eating sushi with L. at Skiji Fish Market
* Watching the Rangers get to their 2nd consecutive World Series.
* Finally met Boo, an English Bulldog with a big heart, a playful left paw and a large bulldog tongue.
* Spending 80 hours a week for consecutive weeks putting together the largest presentation I have had the pleasure of working on. We presented early in 2011 and the account has grown leaps and bounds since. A huge win for our team.
* Slipping inside the Coliseum and falling so hard that the Italian police asked me a dozen times if I was ok and if I was going to press charges.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
#84 Impact?
Recently reconnected with an old college friend on Facebook. After the pleasantries, he asked me if I still play music. I told him that I play guitar and bass when I get the chance. He informed me of a band he is currently in, called DOSS. They recently committed to their first show ever at a local music venue in Dallas called The Prophet Bar. His band had played together for about a year, but had not grown enough to play gigs. The lead singer, tired of their stagnant growth booked the show, thinking that if they were forced to play a show then they would get their act together and prepare themselves. So, the lead singer booked the show. A week later, the bassist quit.
My friend asked me if I would fill in on bass to play 7 songs. Because I am a nice guy I told him I would. I had precisely 2 weeks to prepare for the show, but learning their music on bass I felt confident I would not have any problems. However, showing up for my first practice with the lead singer and the drummer I learned something new. I learned that the lead singer had gotten another dude to play bass. So the trio asked me if I wanted to play lead guitar. Following is what transpired:
* I've not really been a lead guitarist before. As a result, I almost exclusively play the same licks over and over.
* I had 2 weeks to figure out the licks for this show.
* Check out my stage presence. I am not good enough on guitar to play without looking at what I am doing and concentrating. Also, so you know, I could not hear a good mix of the music. My amp pointed directly at my head and was much louder than the rest of the band. That is why I am almost always turning my instrument up and down.
* Doss plays a heavy style of music...a style that begs for a shredding lead guitarist.
* I play a more reserved style of music...a style that uses lead guitar to not really do anything important except add depth to the music.
* Know that there were about 25 people in the crowd. The place is about the size of a school gymnasium. Most of the 25 people were in the other bands scheduled to play that night.
* I am the dorky-looking guy on stage wearing a button up shirt. Actually, I think we are all sort of dorking looking.
Check out the below link for clips of the 7 songs we played. You must click the "see all" button to get all of the live versions of the songs to appear. I cannot vouch for the quality of the music. You will have to listen at your own risk. However, I think you will enjoy how awkward and lame we are on stage. And you will certainly enjoy watching me attempting to shred it on lead guitar!
http://www.youtube.com/user/DOSSBand#p/a/u/1/ADC8L_EGPL8
The question I have for my audience is: Did I make a positive impact on Doss?
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
#83 Thoughts On Inspiration
Throughout history humans have accomplished many amazing feats. I am currently reading a book about the aqueducts of the Roman Empire and am amazed on many levels. I become thoroughly impressed anytime I think of the miracles of Space Travel, The Great Wall of China, Lasik surgery, GPS on my phone, the original Star Wars Trilogy, Indoor Plumbing, The Great Pyramids, The Internet, Cowboys Stadium. Not only do I like to think of these feats in and of themselves, but I also wonder what sort of inspiration led to such amazing accomplishments. Since I can only offer suitable insight into men, I will confine my discussion accordingly. However, I fully understand that women play huge roles into mankind's accomplishments and ultimately would love insight into what motivates and inspires women.
So, what inspires men to do the things they do? Without conducting surveys or utilizing any sort of proper research I can deduce that different things inspire different people. Some men are inspired by money. Others by women (and by women I really mean tail). Some men crave power over others. Some want fame. And there are those who simply want quiet contentment. Thinking on all of this has forced me to ask myself what inspires me.
While I am certainly motivated by money, tail and power, this exercise has allowed me to hone in on exactly what inspires me the most. Due to genetics, I am pre-wired with this itching, nagging feeling that resides primarily at the base of my neck. This itching and nagging keeps me from feeling relaxed. For some reason I cannot get this nagging to stop unless I accomplish something with my day. Can almost be anything. I can mow the yard or do a couple of loads of laundry. Or I can work out, or eat a completely vegetarian meal. If I sweep the floors and empty the dishwasher, that will help to dull that feeling. Another strange aspect to this is, my job does not count. If I have a hard day of work, I cannot simply come home and relax. I still have to accomplish something at home.
And while I am doing these things there really is only one thing that keeps me going with a positive attitude. That is: I cannot wait to sit on the couch with a glass of wine or a beer and watch tv/movie with my wife. I will gladly reinforce our rickety fence outside after scooping bagfuls of wiener dog poop if I know I will get to watch an episode of Trublood with L. later that evening. I realize this is somewhat of a lackluster inspiration, but that is what gets me through the tough times.
The takeaway from this post is: there is little chance I will create something monumental. I hate to think how little Thomas Edison would have accomplished if he was content sitting on the couch after sweeping his porch.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
#82 Bucket List (2011)
I anticipate my bucket list changing as I get older. Here is my list for 2011, in no particular order:
* Publish a novel or sell a screenplay. Either/Or.
* Teach L. how to play the guitar so we can write and record bad music.
* Read Tolstoy's War and Peace.
* Teach my college aged kids how to play hour of power while watching Lonesome Dove. Don't worry, I will cook the big dirty pizza for everyone.
* Run with the bulls at Pamplona.
* Retire and start a business with L. Not sure I care what sort of business. A vineyard, a boxing gym, a wiener dog farm. Doesn't matter because I look forward to the challenge.
* Teach L. how to play chess. This is going to be tougher than it sounds, as L. does not like playing games with me.
* Run L.'s campaign for her judgeship.
* See the US in a FIFA World Cup match with my wife and with my brother in a foreign country...preferably the finals.
* Learn how to play the piano.
* Visit the Japanese village my father spent the first 12 years of his life. I want my father and my wife there with me.
* Meet Tim O'Brien. Shouldn't be too hard because he teaches literature at a college here in Texas.
* Run a marathon (even though I am not sure my shins will let me do this)
* Grow a handlebar mustache. This may actually be more impossible for me than running a marathon.
Friday, August 12, 2011
#81 Can't Live Without
The following is a list of the things in this world I cannot live without:
* First and foremost I cannot live without my wife. Without her my life does not work right. I can't settle down enough to know what to do with myself. I don't sleep well. I can't make myself eat right and ultimately I am slowly overwhelmed with a feeling of being lost. In fact, I am often actually lost without her because I literally do not know where I am going most of the time.
To a much lesser degree:
* Pizza, preferably with pepperoni and jalapenos
* A good bottle of red wine
* FIFA World Cup, especially when it involves watching multiple games with my friends and family at all hours of the night
* L.'s red sauce (it is so good...)
* Disney Pixar movies (not including Cars 2)
* My DVRs (I need both of them)
* L.'s impersonations (usually of me, but also include her mom, Polly, Doodle and many others)
* My Ipod
* My dog
* Traveling with L.
* My industrial strength hair dryer...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
#80 Music Listography
While shopping at the mall L. and I stumbled upon a concept journal titled Music Listography. The journal outlines and asks for lists to be completed around specific ideas. For instance: Favorite love songs, Top songs from 90's, Songs that remind you of best friends. L. and I thought this would be a fun exercise to go through, especially considering how much she and I appreciate music. Our idea is to have 1 book where we include our own lists for each assignment the journal asks. A husband/wife musical history so to speak.
Want to hear something crazy? We bought 2 books. We bought 1 book for us. And then we bought 1 book for our first born child (who is yet to be conceived, BTW). Crazy, huh!? Before you go calling my mom and causing a huge raucous, I must say that we are not preggers, and do not intend to be soon. However, I can say that buying this journal illustrates that a step has been taken. I think it is a small step, but it is definitely a step. In order to ensure that it is a small step, we have packed the book away into a box and stored it securely in the deepest part of our attic.
If there included a page within this journal that asks about my favorite bands from:
20 years ago: Rush, Styx, Boston, Yes
10 years ago: Pearl Jam, Blind Melon, Pink Floyd, Tool/A Perfect Circle
Today: Coldplay, The Police, Jethro Tull
Thursday, August 4, 2011
#79 Man-Love
Over the years I have developed man-crushes for different men for various reasons. Following is a list of those man-crushes that have had a lasting affect on me throughout my life:
Bill Doran: Bill Doran played second base for the Houston Astros when I was a kid, and I idolized him. Like him, I wore the number 19. He was the first athlete I loved in a long line of athletic man-crushes. I am pretty sure the writers for Major League also loved Bill Doran.
Ernest Givins: Who can forget the electric slide?
Arnold: When I was a kid you either loved Arnold or Sylvester. I loved Arnold. Seriously, what are you gonna like better: Running Man, Total Recall, The Terminator or Rambo, Judge Dred, Cobra? This one is not even close.
Dennis Deyoung: Had a huge man-crush on Dennis Deyoung. Not sure if this qualifies, as Dennis is awfully theatrical to be considered a man.
Chevy Chase: Of course I loved Chevy Chase. Of that generation (including but not limited to Dan Akroyd, Steve Martin, Bill Murray etc) he was without a doubt my favorite. However, now I must say that Bill Murray is my favorite.
Bo Jackson: Along with every other boy during this time period I had a huge crush on Bo Jackson. Loved watching him play football more than baseball, but thought it was so cool that he played both so well.
Hakeem Olajuwon: I grew up in Houston and was in high school when Hakeem was dream shakin the Rockets to back to back NBA Championships.
Eddie Vedder: This one comes as no surprise to anyone. Not sure I like the album where he is only playing a eukelele. But there are few who can compare to the passionate Pearl Jam singer who dominated my music listening for at least a decade, if not more.
Coen Brothers: In college I discovered the greatness that is the Coen Brothers. Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, O'Brother, Fargo, Intolerable Cruelty, True Grit. I can watch any Coen Brother movie at any given time.
Kurt Vonnegut: I discovered Kurt Vonnegut when I was in college. I read Timequake and was blown away by his style of writing. I quickly purchased almost every available Vonnegut book and read within a couple of months: Bluebeard, Mother Night, Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, Galapagos, Dead Eye Dick, Sirens of Titan. I realized that I was approaching the end of the Vonnegut catalog, so I stopped reading them in order to pace myself. Because of Vonnegut I dedicated many hours to writing. Still trying to write at least one sentence as interesting as any of his...
Christopher Nolan: My man-crush for Christopher Nolan could not be any healthier. He is putting out great work, including the New Batman movies, The Prestige, Memento, Inception. I look forward to his films above all others coming out these days. If he continues like this he will easily be in the Coen Brothers class.
Stewart Copeland: I rediscovered The Police recently and have connected with their music primarily because of their drummer. One of the few drummers that can dominate the sound so much so that I do not even hear what else is going on in the music. As a result I bought a drum set and have been trying to teach myself how to play.
Dirk: Not sure that I even need to explain this one. I love me some Dirk!
Bill Doran: Bill Doran played second base for the Houston Astros when I was a kid, and I idolized him. Like him, I wore the number 19. He was the first athlete I loved in a long line of athletic man-crushes. I am pretty sure the writers for Major League also loved Bill Doran.
Ernest Givins: Who can forget the electric slide?
Arnold: When I was a kid you either loved Arnold or Sylvester. I loved Arnold. Seriously, what are you gonna like better: Running Man, Total Recall, The Terminator or Rambo, Judge Dred, Cobra? This one is not even close.
Dennis Deyoung: Had a huge man-crush on Dennis Deyoung. Not sure if this qualifies, as Dennis is awfully theatrical to be considered a man.
Chevy Chase: Of course I loved Chevy Chase. Of that generation (including but not limited to Dan Akroyd, Steve Martin, Bill Murray etc) he was without a doubt my favorite. However, now I must say that Bill Murray is my favorite.
Bo Jackson: Along with every other boy during this time period I had a huge crush on Bo Jackson. Loved watching him play football more than baseball, but thought it was so cool that he played both so well.
Hakeem Olajuwon: I grew up in Houston and was in high school when Hakeem was dream shakin the Rockets to back to back NBA Championships.
Eddie Vedder: This one comes as no surprise to anyone. Not sure I like the album where he is only playing a eukelele. But there are few who can compare to the passionate Pearl Jam singer who dominated my music listening for at least a decade, if not more.
Coen Brothers: In college I discovered the greatness that is the Coen Brothers. Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, O'Brother, Fargo, Intolerable Cruelty, True Grit. I can watch any Coen Brother movie at any given time.
Kurt Vonnegut: I discovered Kurt Vonnegut when I was in college. I read Timequake and was blown away by his style of writing. I quickly purchased almost every available Vonnegut book and read within a couple of months: Bluebeard, Mother Night, Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, Galapagos, Dead Eye Dick, Sirens of Titan. I realized that I was approaching the end of the Vonnegut catalog, so I stopped reading them in order to pace myself. Because of Vonnegut I dedicated many hours to writing. Still trying to write at least one sentence as interesting as any of his...
Christopher Nolan: My man-crush for Christopher Nolan could not be any healthier. He is putting out great work, including the New Batman movies, The Prestige, Memento, Inception. I look forward to his films above all others coming out these days. If he continues like this he will easily be in the Coen Brothers class.
Stewart Copeland: I rediscovered The Police recently and have connected with their music primarily because of their drummer. One of the few drummers that can dominate the sound so much so that I do not even hear what else is going on in the music. As a result I bought a drum set and have been trying to teach myself how to play.
Dirk: Not sure that I even need to explain this one. I love me some Dirk!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
#78 Hate Is A Strong Word
You can tell much about a person by what they hate. Hate is a strong word, and I try not to hate things. However, there are things in this world that bother me. Following is a small list of things I hate:
* I hate driving in traffic.
* Crappy reality TV shows like Kardashians, Real World etc. Pretty much all of them.
Snakes and wasps.
* My cats rubbing their teeth on me.
* Mowing the yard.
* When our electric bill arrives in the summer.
* When I wake up 8 minutes before my alarm is about to go off.
* When my dog eats cat throw up and then tries to lick my face.
* When I eat too much at a meal, even though there is no way to stop myself.
* A really bad headache.
* The parental argument "Because I said so." Though if my kids are as annoying as I was I can easily imagine me using this go to argument.
* Having to use a public restroom for #2.
* When I sweep the living room or vacuum any rug and 5 minutes later the floor is full of cat fur and/or stuffed animal guts.
* When I go to the wrong conference room for a meeting and sit there by myself for few minutes before realizing I am in the wrong place. And then showing up at the correct place late.
* When working professionals do not have a signature in their email so it is difficult to find their phone number.
* When people I care about are unhappy and there is nothing I can do about it.
* Cats. Even though much of my life I have loved cats. Living with them for 10 years has a way of changing perspective.
* When I buy a new shirt and realize someone at my office has the same shirt. This also applies to parties while in college, especially if that other person is an extremely dorking looking girl.
I am sure there are more that belong in this list. If you can think of anything else, feel free to share it in the comments.
* I hate driving in traffic.
* Crappy reality TV shows like Kardashians, Real World etc. Pretty much all of them.
Snakes and wasps.
* My cats rubbing their teeth on me.
* Mowing the yard.
* When our electric bill arrives in the summer.
* When I wake up 8 minutes before my alarm is about to go off.
* When my dog eats cat throw up and then tries to lick my face.
* When I eat too much at a meal, even though there is no way to stop myself.
* A really bad headache.
* The parental argument "Because I said so." Though if my kids are as annoying as I was I can easily imagine me using this go to argument.
* Having to use a public restroom for #2.
* When I sweep the living room or vacuum any rug and 5 minutes later the floor is full of cat fur and/or stuffed animal guts.
* When I go to the wrong conference room for a meeting and sit there by myself for few minutes before realizing I am in the wrong place. And then showing up at the correct place late.
* When working professionals do not have a signature in their email so it is difficult to find their phone number.
* When people I care about are unhappy and there is nothing I can do about it.
* Cats. Even though much of my life I have loved cats. Living with them for 10 years has a way of changing perspective.
* When I buy a new shirt and realize someone at my office has the same shirt. This also applies to parties while in college, especially if that other person is an extremely dorking looking girl.
I am sure there are more that belong in this list. If you can think of anything else, feel free to share it in the comments.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
#77 My Life In Song
The following is a list of songs that comprise the story of my life. This is My Life In Song:
Best of my Love: When I was in elementary school I found a bag of tapes stuffed in a cabinet in our living room. The first one I grabbed was The Eagles. First album I listened to start to finish.
Come Sail Away: Craig introduced me to Styx on a bus to camp in junior high. He brought a walkman and we took turns listening to three songs each. On this trip I listened to Yaz, Styx and The Judies. Obviously I gravitated toward Styx. Come Sail Away was a favorite for many years. Unfortunately it makes me laugh now. But I still love it.
YYZ: Craig introduced me to RUSH, and when I heard the trio jam on YYZ I learned that a song didn't even need lyrics to rock. RUSH was my first concert ever, and I have seen them now each time they have come to Texas. And you can bet I will be there again next time they come.
Amanda: The first song I learned on guitar. For the most part I still know how to play it. And I remember Wally teaching me how to play a bar chord and me being completely amazed by Tom Shultz for writing a song with such a difficult bar chord in it.
Survival: I discovered Yes sometime during high school, and can honestly say this is the strangest band I have connected with. Their music is high brow, overly complicated and dramatically theatrical. However, for a year or more of my life I fell asleep to Survival playing on my stereo. Not a huge Yes fan these days, but I truly love this song.
Immortality: Immortality is the gateway to love of Pearl Jam. I remember one night driving home from a party riding in Dugat's bouncy Jeep. He had a discman velcroed to his dash with Vitalogy in it. I was drunk and tired. I lay in the backseat repeatedly asking Dugat to play Immortality again. Trust me, it is good enough to hear over and over, even if you aren't a high school student on the verge of passing out.
Closer: Freshman year of college consisted of three albums: Oasis (What's The Story Morning Glory), Pearl Jam (Vs) and NIN (Downward Spiral). I am sure all the kids lucky enough to be on our hall know the songs on these three albums. Closer was the song I looked forward to the most of all of the songs. Champagne Supernova was second.
In My Tree: I lived in Houston my sophomore year of college. Probably the worst year of my life. I enjoyed much of Houston's traffic while commuting to U of H. I listened exclusively to Pearl Jam's No Code. In My Tree still brings me back to that year and remembering sitting in my car in our dirt driveway in the heights finishing that song before going inside.
All Mixed Up: I moved back to Waco and lived with Chris and Dugat. Chris introduced me to 311. We threw so many darts and drank so much scotch to 311 it gives me a hangover to think about it. Dugat used to say: All mixed up, don't know what to do. Next thing you turn around and find a booger in your shoe. In fact, he probably still says that if you bring up 311.
Indifference: At some point during college we started singing terrible versions of this song at 3 in the morning. I remember laying behind the back tires of a car singing this until the neighbors threatened to call the cops.
Open: In my final year of school I was introduced to The Cure. I hesitated giving the band a chance. Then I discovered this song. True it has a 3 minute intro, but I used to listen to this song every morning driving to campus from my apartment. The Cure is L.'s favorite band and I cannot hear Robert Smith's voice without thinking of her.
Do It Again: I do not like Steely Dan, but while living in Tyler Guitar Hero came into my life. I played the crap out of this game. As I explored the difficult setting I came across Do It Again. One night I must have played through this song at least 100 times trying to pass it. Poor L. She had to listen to this song over and over, and she had to see me at my most determined. Plus, I ended up drinking lots of whiskey and coke. Sometime in the middle of the night I passed the song and then passed out.
Driven To Tears: We moved back to Dallas and I decided to buy the entire catalog produced by The Police. Not sure what motivated me to do this, but I did it. And it turned out to be a great decision. I discovered that I truly like their music. I also discovered that there is a drummer out there whose style is so strange and mesmerizing that I was inspired to buy a drum set.
New Day Yesterday: For the past 8 months or so I have been in this huge Jethro Tull funk. Not sure why, but I have been listening to their pre-Aqualung albums and have really connected with Benefit and Stand Up.
This list is getting long, so I will stop now.
Best of my Love: When I was in elementary school I found a bag of tapes stuffed in a cabinet in our living room. The first one I grabbed was The Eagles. First album I listened to start to finish.
Come Sail Away: Craig introduced me to Styx on a bus to camp in junior high. He brought a walkman and we took turns listening to three songs each. On this trip I listened to Yaz, Styx and The Judies. Obviously I gravitated toward Styx. Come Sail Away was a favorite for many years. Unfortunately it makes me laugh now. But I still love it.
YYZ: Craig introduced me to RUSH, and when I heard the trio jam on YYZ I learned that a song didn't even need lyrics to rock. RUSH was my first concert ever, and I have seen them now each time they have come to Texas. And you can bet I will be there again next time they come.
Amanda: The first song I learned on guitar. For the most part I still know how to play it. And I remember Wally teaching me how to play a bar chord and me being completely amazed by Tom Shultz for writing a song with such a difficult bar chord in it.
Survival: I discovered Yes sometime during high school, and can honestly say this is the strangest band I have connected with. Their music is high brow, overly complicated and dramatically theatrical. However, for a year or more of my life I fell asleep to Survival playing on my stereo. Not a huge Yes fan these days, but I truly love this song.
Immortality: Immortality is the gateway to love of Pearl Jam. I remember one night driving home from a party riding in Dugat's bouncy Jeep. He had a discman velcroed to his dash with Vitalogy in it. I was drunk and tired. I lay in the backseat repeatedly asking Dugat to play Immortality again. Trust me, it is good enough to hear over and over, even if you aren't a high school student on the verge of passing out.
Closer: Freshman year of college consisted of three albums: Oasis (What's The Story Morning Glory), Pearl Jam (Vs) and NIN (Downward Spiral). I am sure all the kids lucky enough to be on our hall know the songs on these three albums. Closer was the song I looked forward to the most of all of the songs. Champagne Supernova was second.
In My Tree: I lived in Houston my sophomore year of college. Probably the worst year of my life. I enjoyed much of Houston's traffic while commuting to U of H. I listened exclusively to Pearl Jam's No Code. In My Tree still brings me back to that year and remembering sitting in my car in our dirt driveway in the heights finishing that song before going inside.
All Mixed Up: I moved back to Waco and lived with Chris and Dugat. Chris introduced me to 311. We threw so many darts and drank so much scotch to 311 it gives me a hangover to think about it. Dugat used to say: All mixed up, don't know what to do. Next thing you turn around and find a booger in your shoe. In fact, he probably still says that if you bring up 311.
Indifference: At some point during college we started singing terrible versions of this song at 3 in the morning. I remember laying behind the back tires of a car singing this until the neighbors threatened to call the cops.
Open: In my final year of school I was introduced to The Cure. I hesitated giving the band a chance. Then I discovered this song. True it has a 3 minute intro, but I used to listen to this song every morning driving to campus from my apartment. The Cure is L.'s favorite band and I cannot hear Robert Smith's voice without thinking of her.
Do It Again: I do not like Steely Dan, but while living in Tyler Guitar Hero came into my life. I played the crap out of this game. As I explored the difficult setting I came across Do It Again. One night I must have played through this song at least 100 times trying to pass it. Poor L. She had to listen to this song over and over, and she had to see me at my most determined. Plus, I ended up drinking lots of whiskey and coke. Sometime in the middle of the night I passed the song and then passed out.
Driven To Tears: We moved back to Dallas and I decided to buy the entire catalog produced by The Police. Not sure what motivated me to do this, but I did it. And it turned out to be a great decision. I discovered that I truly like their music. I also discovered that there is a drummer out there whose style is so strange and mesmerizing that I was inspired to buy a drum set.
New Day Yesterday: For the past 8 months or so I have been in this huge Jethro Tull funk. Not sure why, but I have been listening to their pre-Aqualung albums and have really connected with Benefit and Stand Up.
This list is getting long, so I will stop now.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
#76 When The Bird Has Flown
Through the years many individuals are responsible for making me the person I am today. And these same individuals have helped me get through the tough times I have encountered. I know this memorial does not do them justice. But it is a start.
Mom: What can I say about my mom? She was there for me throughout all points in my life. Not matter what the issue, she was there to listen and offer her advice. In fact, she often offered her advice without me asking her. She is a strong-willed individual who helped me into this world, and has helped me ever since.
Dad: Through genetics and parenthood my father passed down to me my natural inclination toward music, my sense of value (some call it cheapness) and my overall competitive nature. When I was very young 4 states separated our homes. Each summer we drove 16 hours so I could visit him for a month. He realized how little he was able to be in my life with this set up and he uprooted his family in order to move closer to me. He doesn't realize how much I have thought about that sacrifice over the years and how appreciative I am that he made the effort to be in my life. He doesn't realize this, but he taught me to be independent and strong. He taught how to take care of myself. And I will never forget that. On a different note, doesn't my dad look straight out of a spaghetti western from the 60's? Sort of like pre-Deathwish Bronson?
Joe: Joe married my mother when I was 3 or 4 year old and has been in my life ever sense. He taught me the value of education and encouraged the many interests I had growing up. He took it upon himself to raise me as one of his own, and I am happy to have him as an active part in my life today.
L.: I cannot say enough about L. at this point. One of her true strengths is her ability to help someone when they are in trouble. She makes other's problems a personal responsibility and will stop at nothing to make sure those she cares about are taken care of. She is also responsible for my growth from college into adulthood. And now she struggles pushing me from adulthood into responsible adulthood. It is an ongoing process and one she is committed to undergo. And I love her for that.
Stephen: Stephen helps me with spontaneity. I am a planner, almost to a detriment. Stephen is spontaneous. Because of him I often find myself out of my comfort zone. For instance, on multiple occasions he has called me while on his way to Dallas to let me know that he is picking me up and taking me to a sporting event or concert. Together we have seen The Red Hot Chili Peppers, A Perfect Circle, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, and the pinnacle of all spontaneous events Game 6 of last years ALCS. Yes, that is the game the Rangers defeated the Yankees to go to the World Series. This turned out to be the most impressive sporting event I have ever witnessed live, and a moment I will never forget.
Chris: Chris and I have known each other since elementary school. He has been one of my closest friends through adolescence, and is personally responsible for undoing all he could of what my father has instilled in me as it pertains to value (cheapness). He has also taught me how to drink scotch and has helped me develop my love for wine. He worked tirelessly to ween me off of classic rock in favor of alternative rock, and together we explored many ventures that include: writing, painting, music, hockey, bad movies, cats, acting, dealing with naive baylor students, the A-Hole Olympics, just to name a handful. He has been instrumental in tempering the craziness that occurs when I get bored, and that is no easy task.
Craig: Craig has been a close friend of mine since 6th grade and is responsible for my education as it pertains to girls. So now L. can understand why I was so unpolished when she met me in college. The first time I asked a girl to be my girlfriend, Craig and Chris were there to comfort me when she said no. Of course, I am pretty sure it was their encouragement that led me to that phone call to begin with. Craig also introduced me into the world of working, where I got my first job at Discovery Zone. I later repaid the favor by getting him a job working with Johnson and Ned at TxDoT. Craig started me on Classic Rock and was with me when I went to see Rush for my first concert ever. Later, he and I tried to see Kansas and Styx, but that did not work out so well. Over the years Craig and I played roles into our introduction into real life, marriage and eventually he will play a large role into my first experience with children. I know he is looking forward to that because he is going to get a lot of phone calls from me asking how he has been able to do it.
Dugat: Dugat is another friend of mine dating back to 6th grade. His first contributions into my development as a young person came in the form of getting in trouble. His antics allowed me to learn on a weekly basis how to deal with after school detention. And he taught me early on how to be prepared, forcing me to bring several pens to class so that I would have something to write with after he stole the ink from my pens. Later in our scholastic career our friendship led me into writing and music. Before I knew Michael I thought Dennis Deyoung was a quality lyric writer! Later in our friendship Dugat helped me to understand and appreciate sports. His insight into basketball and football has made my experience of these sports the last decade much more meaningful and enjoyable. And as life has happened to me, I have found Michael a consistent and reliable source of quality support, whether it be about my career or my personal life. I am just glad no jobs give after work detentions, otherwise I might think differently.
Britt: I met Britt working at Casa Ole in Waco. He taught me accountability. And toughness. And how to drink. Like Liz, Britt is at his best when helping others with their problems. These problems range from car issues to relationship issues. He is a great listener who will take what you have to say, combine it with his superior common sense and give you a strategic course of action that will likely lead you to the outcome you desire. He is good at giving bad news and is one of the easiest people to talk to. Over the years we have butted heads on many issues, and I would not trade that for anything. He has challenged me to become better in all facets of life and for that I am appreciative. Not only is he good at helping others get out of the trouble they get into, but he is also good at getting himself into trouble. The many strange situations he has somehow gotten himself into have made my life infinitely more rewarding.
Mom: What can I say about my mom? She was there for me throughout all points in my life. Not matter what the issue, she was there to listen and offer her advice. In fact, she often offered her advice without me asking her. She is a strong-willed individual who helped me into this world, and has helped me ever since.
Dad: Through genetics and parenthood my father passed down to me my natural inclination toward music, my sense of value (some call it cheapness) and my overall competitive nature. When I was very young 4 states separated our homes. Each summer we drove 16 hours so I could visit him for a month. He realized how little he was able to be in my life with this set up and he uprooted his family in order to move closer to me. He doesn't realize how much I have thought about that sacrifice over the years and how appreciative I am that he made the effort to be in my life. He doesn't realize this, but he taught me to be independent and strong. He taught how to take care of myself. And I will never forget that. On a different note, doesn't my dad look straight out of a spaghetti western from the 60's? Sort of like pre-Deathwish Bronson?
Joe: Joe married my mother when I was 3 or 4 year old and has been in my life ever sense. He taught me the value of education and encouraged the many interests I had growing up. He took it upon himself to raise me as one of his own, and I am happy to have him as an active part in my life today.
L.: I cannot say enough about L. at this point. One of her true strengths is her ability to help someone when they are in trouble. She makes other's problems a personal responsibility and will stop at nothing to make sure those she cares about are taken care of. She is also responsible for my growth from college into adulthood. And now she struggles pushing me from adulthood into responsible adulthood. It is an ongoing process and one she is committed to undergo. And I love her for that.
Stephen: Stephen helps me with spontaneity. I am a planner, almost to a detriment. Stephen is spontaneous. Because of him I often find myself out of my comfort zone. For instance, on multiple occasions he has called me while on his way to Dallas to let me know that he is picking me up and taking me to a sporting event or concert. Together we have seen The Red Hot Chili Peppers, A Perfect Circle, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, and the pinnacle of all spontaneous events Game 6 of last years ALCS. Yes, that is the game the Rangers defeated the Yankees to go to the World Series. This turned out to be the most impressive sporting event I have ever witnessed live, and a moment I will never forget.
Chris: Chris and I have known each other since elementary school. He has been one of my closest friends through adolescence, and is personally responsible for undoing all he could of what my father has instilled in me as it pertains to value (cheapness). He has also taught me how to drink scotch and has helped me develop my love for wine. He worked tirelessly to ween me off of classic rock in favor of alternative rock, and together we explored many ventures that include: writing, painting, music, hockey, bad movies, cats, acting, dealing with naive baylor students, the A-Hole Olympics, just to name a handful. He has been instrumental in tempering the craziness that occurs when I get bored, and that is no easy task.
Craig: Craig has been a close friend of mine since 6th grade and is responsible for my education as it pertains to girls. So now L. can understand why I was so unpolished when she met me in college. The first time I asked a girl to be my girlfriend, Craig and Chris were there to comfort me when she said no. Of course, I am pretty sure it was their encouragement that led me to that phone call to begin with. Craig also introduced me into the world of working, where I got my first job at Discovery Zone. I later repaid the favor by getting him a job working with Johnson and Ned at TxDoT. Craig started me on Classic Rock and was with me when I went to see Rush for my first concert ever. Later, he and I tried to see Kansas and Styx, but that did not work out so well. Over the years Craig and I played roles into our introduction into real life, marriage and eventually he will play a large role into my first experience with children. I know he is looking forward to that because he is going to get a lot of phone calls from me asking how he has been able to do it.
Dugat: Dugat is another friend of mine dating back to 6th grade. His first contributions into my development as a young person came in the form of getting in trouble. His antics allowed me to learn on a weekly basis how to deal with after school detention. And he taught me early on how to be prepared, forcing me to bring several pens to class so that I would have something to write with after he stole the ink from my pens. Later in our scholastic career our friendship led me into writing and music. Before I knew Michael I thought Dennis Deyoung was a quality lyric writer! Later in our friendship Dugat helped me to understand and appreciate sports. His insight into basketball and football has made my experience of these sports the last decade much more meaningful and enjoyable. And as life has happened to me, I have found Michael a consistent and reliable source of quality support, whether it be about my career or my personal life. I am just glad no jobs give after work detentions, otherwise I might think differently.
Britt: I met Britt working at Casa Ole in Waco. He taught me accountability. And toughness. And how to drink. Like Liz, Britt is at his best when helping others with their problems. These problems range from car issues to relationship issues. He is a great listener who will take what you have to say, combine it with his superior common sense and give you a strategic course of action that will likely lead you to the outcome you desire. He is good at giving bad news and is one of the easiest people to talk to. Over the years we have butted heads on many issues, and I would not trade that for anything. He has challenged me to become better in all facets of life and for that I am appreciative. Not only is he good at helping others get out of the trouble they get into, but he is also good at getting himself into trouble. The many strange situations he has somehow gotten himself into have made my life infinitely more rewarding.
Friday, June 24, 2011
#75 Coddling Kidd
I became a Mavs fan while living in Waco and going to Baylor. I moved into an apartment complex 10 miles away from campus because it was new and much nicer than anything you could get near campus. Included in the niceness was the workout room. At least four nights a week I carried a handheld CD player into the workout room to lift weights, listen to music and run on the elliptical machine. During football season I discovered I could turn the TV on any game and I would get a better workout. For whatever reason sports inspired me and made the workout something I looked forward to instead of something I forced myself to do.
I soon realized that football only guaranteed me two solid workout days (back then games were only on Sundays and Monday Nights). Instead of listening to music I flipped through the stations looking for something else to watch. Fate brought me to NBA basketball. I grew up in Houston watching the Rockets. I was in high school when they won back to back championships. In Waco, however, they tune in to Mavericks basketball.
The year was 2000 and it was Dirk's first year as a consistent starter and contributor to the team. He was partnered with a young and energetic Steve Nash and the stud of the team Michael Findley. Thus the Mavs entered my life. Over the next couple of seasons I found myself working out almost everyday hoping to see the Mavs play again and again.
L. and I moved to Dallas in 2003 and for our first year of life together we decided to get Maverick's Season tickets. This was the year the big 3 were joined by Antawn Jamison and Antoine Walker. Our seats were high up in the arena, but we loved them. And for the next 8 years I watched every single Mav game I could.
Needless to say, I was broken hearted in 2006 when the Heat (and the refs) tore out our hearts in the NBA finals. But the 2011 Championship run for the Dallas Mavericks has been amazing and rewarding. Before they could win the championship the Mavericks swept the hated Lakers. And then they met Kevin Durant in the Western Conference Finals. After staging one of the most impressive comebacks in NBA playoff history, the Mavs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games. I watched as the celebration commenced at the end of the game and was forced to pause the TV when I noticed Durant embracing Jason Kidd. Durant's hands are so big it appears as though Durant is coddling a baby.
Each time I see this image it makes me laugh, and it makes me excited to know the Mavs won their championship!
I soon realized that football only guaranteed me two solid workout days (back then games were only on Sundays and Monday Nights). Instead of listening to music I flipped through the stations looking for something else to watch. Fate brought me to NBA basketball. I grew up in Houston watching the Rockets. I was in high school when they won back to back championships. In Waco, however, they tune in to Mavericks basketball.
The year was 2000 and it was Dirk's first year as a consistent starter and contributor to the team. He was partnered with a young and energetic Steve Nash and the stud of the team Michael Findley. Thus the Mavs entered my life. Over the next couple of seasons I found myself working out almost everyday hoping to see the Mavs play again and again.
L. and I moved to Dallas in 2003 and for our first year of life together we decided to get Maverick's Season tickets. This was the year the big 3 were joined by Antawn Jamison and Antoine Walker. Our seats were high up in the arena, but we loved them. And for the next 8 years I watched every single Mav game I could.
Needless to say, I was broken hearted in 2006 when the Heat (and the refs) tore out our hearts in the NBA finals. But the 2011 Championship run for the Dallas Mavericks has been amazing and rewarding. Before they could win the championship the Mavericks swept the hated Lakers. And then they met Kevin Durant in the Western Conference Finals. After staging one of the most impressive comebacks in NBA playoff history, the Mavs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games. I watched as the celebration commenced at the end of the game and was forced to pause the TV when I noticed Durant embracing Jason Kidd. Durant's hands are so big it appears as though Durant is coddling a baby.
Each time I see this image it makes me laugh, and it makes me excited to know the Mavs won their championship!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
#74 Little Black Book
Been married now for 8 years. It is amazing to think that much time has passed since I first met my wife and started building the relationship we have today. I am not sure I can pinpoint the moment I knew we would be married (probably the moment she said yes) but I remember when I discovered she was the girl for me.
In college I wanted to be a professional writer. I wrote short stories and at some point decided I needed to write my first novel. I had not been through this process before and so did not know best practices for writing a novel. My writing teacher explained to us that chapters need to represent a story within the story and that they should be written with a clear beginning, middle and end. So this is how I decided to organize my first novel. I saved each chapter as its own file on my computer and worked on them individually, not necessarily concerned early on how they flowed together. I got 120 pages into the project, far and away more pages than I had ever written on one project before, when my computer crashed. And by crashed, I mean completely stopped working.
I was devastated. I still remember the anger and frustration I felt in our crappy apartment off of MLK blvd. When L. saw the devastation she immediately took my computer to a friend of hers who worked for the Baylor computer lab. He could not save the computer, but he was able to extract all the files and print all the pages for me. L. then took me to Best Buy where she used her money to help me purchase a laptop. I had not made a big purchase like this on my own yet, and I come from a long line of thrifty (cheap) Japanese tradition and spending this much money on one item made me extremely nervous. She answered my anxiety by saying, "You want to be a writer, right? Well, you need something to write on."
It seemed so simple when she said it like that, however it was not such a simple thing. The issue was courage. I did not have courage or confidence to spend money based on the simple idea I wanted to be a writer. L. not only had the courage to step up, but she had enough confidence in me to purchase the laptop.
My birthday approached a couple of weeks later and L. bought me a leather bound notebook. The inscription explained that this notebook is to be used to jot down all ideas I have for current and future writing projects. I still use the notebook to this day. Can you imagine how many wonderful ideas are amassed within it's leather binding? Let me just tell you there are many. Obviously the present was thoughtful. But it was much more than that. It demonstrated qualities like confidence, support and love. These are qualities worth building a future around.
I now have my little black book sitting next to my bed waiting for me to fill it with ideas. And each time I see it I think to myself how lucky I am for finding someone willing to take this journey with me, even if it means she has to read a bunch of crappy stories I write.
Monday, June 20, 2011
#73 Trading Places
Question: If you could trade places with someone for one day, who would it be?
Answer: After careful consideration I would trade places with one of the Astronauts currently assigned to the International Space Station. There are several modules used to research our planet and other celestial objects, but the one that stands out to me is the Cupola. The Cupola is a dome-shaped window structure that gives astronauts and cosmonauts a valuable work area with great visibility of our planet, solar system and galaxy. The day I would trade would not include the launching out of or the re-entering into the Earth's atmosphere. These two parts of the process frighten me above all others, and I can do without those experiences. The rest would be invaluable.
Or perhaps I would trade one day with Eddie Vedder so that I could spend one night crooning my favorite songs to a screaming crowd of slightly aging fans.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
#72 Tear Down The Wall!
A favorite recent memory I have (that I have a picture for) would have to be seeing Roger Waters perform The Wall at the AAC. Pink Floyd is one of those bands that made me sad I did not grow up in the 70's. I truly love their music. I am happy to say L. loves Pink Floyd as much as I do and over the years we listen to select albums during long drives to Houston.
Roger Waters and David Gilmour make up the heart and soul of Pink Floyd. Both are key song writers and singers throughout most of Pink Floyd's catalog. I have always been partial to Gilmour. L. has been partial to Roger Waters.
Last year we learned Roger Waters was performing The Wall at the AAC (without Gilmour) and there was no denying us. I was certainly happy to see 1/2 of the band that I love, though part of me wished Gilmour would have shown up. However, when the show started I was completely blown away. As Roger sang through the first part of the album their crew set up giant white bricks on the front of the stage. As they did this images were projected on the bricks communicating the various themes and motifs of the show.
Roger Waters was completely amazing. The show was incredible. And at the end they played L.'s favorite part known as the Trial. It is melodramatic, overly English and completely awesome. The show climaxed into a complete destruction of the Wall. Tear Down The Wall!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)