A Good Day

It's 11:30 p.m., Sunday, September 26th. I'm going to type a little before going to bed and I'll finish this up Monday or maybe Tuesday. I need to get this right.

It would almost be wrong not to consider this weekend one of the best of my entire life - and without a doubt THE best since I have been married. For the longest time it I figured there came a point with your teenage years behind where the party had to eventually stop. It least it did around here. Everybody got married, got jobs, got mortagages, got dull, got boring, got old and completely cynical. But it doesn't have to be that way. Indeed it appears that at least in some parts the party is still going on.

At some point during our long drive back home Rebekah says to me, "This may seem stupid but there were times Saturday when I felt like I was sixteen again." But it's not stupid, because I felt the exact same way. At least for a day we had that same energy and excitement that only a group of friends who aren't afraid to love and support one another can provide. It was such an incredible high.

And I would be a totally rotten person if I don't manage to grasp at least a small part of that and bring it back home. "You don't know love, unless you show love." Love is really the key isn't it? It's the sign of a true Christian yet I don't see too often where I'm from. It's almost as if we have all resigned ourselves that that we will die for our brothers, yes if it got to that ultimate sacrafice, we would most assuredly show love for them . . . then and only then. It's a painful assessment.

But why wait until that off event happens? Isn't it easier to give someone a big hug? Isn't it easier to applaud hard and compliment and let someone know you appreciate them? At least that is my resolve. Yeah I'm in danger of looking like an absolute nutjob as I go around showing love to everybody. But I don't care. Too often I just mope around complaining about the area I'm living in and not doing a single thing to make it a better place.

"If everybody tried to brighten other people's eyes then they'd always surely shine."

So let me talk about the music at October Ridge . . . How absolutely incredible! Listening to all of it you just have to smile knowing that you won't be spending an eternity listening to King David plucking away on a harp. Everybody was brilliant and great big shining stars.

Rebekah and I played the songs we have been playing in the basement for a year (and in some cases longer). I was so nervous I played like gash, I conceed that point. Rebekah however was so spot on. Even songs that she has struggled through in the past she did perfect -- better than ever. After we did our thing everybody was so supportative of it and seemed like they really dug it. I'm happy about it and really encouraged to keep it up.

But in honesty we were the lesser of the talent there. I have to give special attention to Daytrip. On a music level they were so perfect. The sounds that they were producing were superhuman. If I could spend a day driving through an empty desert with Daytrip as my sound track I would be very happy.

Now I'm gonna gush about Pop Riveter and how they just may my favorite band at present (This decision is made easier since Throwing Muses are defunct.) I have never felt that much energy at a show in my entire life. It was just geniune j-o-y! Very few people can write happy songs without resorting to cliché. Pop Riveter may be one of the few. Pure bliss that was.

Yeah and I finally got to meet Hiromi and his wife Robbie. For two years I've been reading Hiromi's website since my wife found it in some random google search or something. It was so great getting to spend a little (too little) time with them Saturday morning. Last year we stayed with Reed and Janna. We had the opportunity to stay with them again but I inconvienced H and his wife for purely selfish motives to have the privalege of knowing them better. How incredible the hospitality they showed and what awesome people they are! I can't thank them enough for the bed and for the breakfast and for my first latte and for the conversation and for my awesome drawing of Dagon. Cheer.

I owe very deep thanks to many of my Northern Brothers and Sisters. In addition to assemblies and conventions I need to add a yearly visit to the cities to affirm my faith.

Oh yes it was a good day.

madison, wi

It's really, really early Saturday morning and I'm writing this from Madison, WI. My cold-flu-sinus-allergy-pnuemonia medicine combo had me up @ 5 am. I was feally really good so I took off running. I tried to do my 5 miles but at the 3 mile mark my throat and ear started hurting simueltaneously so I had to stop and walk back. I still did 5-miles but the last 2 were walking. I'm let down about that . . . but I'm recovering from a sick week (here's were I make excuses for myself). Also the only thing I have eaten in the last two days are 3 hershey's kisses, 3 mini-nestlé crunch bars, and an arby's roast beef sandwhich. Under 1000 calories in over 48 hours is pretty much not a good idea on a running schedule.

In a couple hours we will be leaving for music in Minnesota.

lethargic antihistimene haze

It's Friday morning and I'm so incredibly doped out of my mind. Yesterday my allergies or something hit me incredibly hard and now I'm in a lethargic antihistimene haze. Rebekah gave me a Claritan and that helped quite a bit, but in the meantime I'm just shaky and out of it. My sleep last night was in and out and off-time.

On the verge of passing out from exhaustian Rebekah and I finished our new song "Sarah S". The problem with new songs is that I'm incredibly fickle and inevitably I'll start loving the new song and hating the others. (Hate in the biblical sense of loving less.) Anyhow "Sarah S." was such a fun song to write. We kept coming up with really great lyrics that we had to dump in the process of keeping it clean. It's good and it's about a girl we knew who always had a guy on each arm and one in reserve.

I'm taking a half-day off and we are heading up to Minnesota, stopping over at Madison, WI tonight to see Amanda and rest at the half-way point.

Tomorrow we are playing October Ridge and I am really happy about that.

Sarah S

On account of an incredibly sore throat I've switched off to herbal tea for the duration of my sickness. It's been awhile since I've had tea due to trading over to coffee a couple years back. In that time I've forgot what a delight a good, hot cup of tea is.
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Rebekah and I are 95% done on a new song called "Sarah S", once again continuing with the girl theme. It's pretty breakneck and exhilirating writing a song, practicing two days, and then performing it live. I know Rebekah panics about that but I hope the audience will be very forgiving if we botch it up. It's with them in mind that we went back to the slate to crank out a new "uppity" song instead of settling for a poor fitting acoustic number or a 6a2 cover that sounds like gash with the synths removed.

Sonny Bono or Prince Valiant

Saturday I broke down and self-defeated I found myself sitting on a chair at the Regis salon. Rebekah had made an appoitment for herself and I tagged along for support. It was incredibly boring as Rebekah was getting the works (and since it's for our "band" through some weird accounting practice it's tax deductible) and I waited and finally decided to get my head chopped as well. Well it's a lotto draw on who I would get since I didn't have a hard-fast appoitment. But in settling for first available I got lucky and got the girl with pink hair and glasses. Score! We didn't use clippers but we did reel in my hair so I no longer look like Sonny Bono or Prince Valiant.

Sunday we went apple picking and picked about 8 apples. It's more of an experience than an actual need for apples that motivates us to go every year. And every year I make the same observation; there is an abnormal ratio of asian to caucasion in the orchard. It must be this weird cultural thing but they are usually dressed up. The ladies wear sundresses and the men wear slacks and button downs. It's got this paradise vibe. I looked down at my denim trousers and t-shirt and suddenly felt ashamed.

My marathon training began this morning, officially. And officially I ran three miles (39 minutes) and for the first time I wasn't tired. I was really bored but I wasn't struggling or hurting. This Saturday coming up is my first 6-mile run E-V-E-R. I'm going to be out of town so it should be odd.

So we should have a busy week. We need to get the car-washed, an oil-change, and an alignment. We need to practice and I need to write another song to keep us from dipping too far into the 6a2 bag when we perform this weekend. The comfirmed songs are: Caroline, Miko, Ana, and Katie. All are good, tight pop-rockers.

Library Fine

Our library system is absolutely hardcore! We received a form letter threatening arrest if I didn't return my library book that I've had out since . . . dunno . . . months ago. They said either pay for the book or else! The cost of the book is $10.99 which is cheaper than actually buying it from Amazon so I guess I'll go that route. After all, do you know what they do to people who don't return library books when they go to prison? Do ya?! That being said, it's a really, really good book about the London Plague and Fire.

Running Shorts

I just found out that there was no room in the half-marathon so Rebekah's father signed up for the full marathon. There are two bad scenarios that could happen: A.) He dies because he hasn't conditioned himself and rushed the training. B.) He finishes and steals my thunder. This kind of makes me angry. I've been working on this for most of 2004 and here he comes in at the zero hour and claims he is going to do it to. A half-marathon was a stretch but reasonable. A full marathon is suicide.

I should be working instead of writing this, I have so much to do. But it is Monday and the zeal just isn't there.

Also over the weekend we took Mina to get a hair cut at SuperCuts in the mall. I wandered in and sat down reading a dated issue of CosmoGirl while I waited. This large beautician ambles over to me and says, "Sir, are you waiting for a hair cut? I can take you now." I replied, "No." She looked at my mop-top and says, "Are you sure?". I really need to get my hair cut but I feel like it'll rob me of my power much like Samson. I dunno. I'm at the breaking point where I'll either stick it out or cave in.

I also finally got my running underwear which I bought a size too small. I wanted to take them back but once you try them on you're stuck with them. But I wasn't gonna let the money go to waste so I wore them anyway for my run this morning. I'll let you write your own punchline as to the obvious results.

Rebekah and I are playing music together in the off-chance I can get Paro to give us a small slot at October Ridge. If anyone knows him please put in a good word. Not so much because you want to hear our unique brand of indie-pop but because you want us to stay together as a couple by making and playing music together.

Loco

Part of my job is meeting with salespeople from time to time. Usually they are completely polished and professional. Well the other day I agreed (somehow) to meet with two guys from a company called ChemSafe or ChemSearch or something. It's this old guy (Mr. Burns old) and some young bald dude.

I take them into our conference room and we sit down. The old guy is completely clueless and reminds me of the lackluster sales guy, Gil, from the Simpsons. He starts asking me what I like to do in my spare time. I say that I don't really have spare time, that I'm very busy with work, hoping he'll get to the point. He looks at me blankly. His young assistant just keeps scanning the room nervously.

Gil, I'll call him that, pulls out a pocket knife. His hands are shaking as he tries to pull out the blade as I tried to estimate my escape route. He hands me the knife and says, "I wanted you to have this." I take it and say, "Thanks."

Well then he launches into his sales pitch which is just a string of completely random items followed by an elaborate demonstration. Hand cleaner, windshield de-icer, lubricating oil, and wasp and hornet killer. By the time he got to the wasp and hornet spray I have expected him to release killer bees to demonstrate the unholy killing power of his product.

I didn't buy anything and ended the conversation by asking, "Are you guys local?"

The young guys replies, all smiles, "YES WE'RE CRAZY!!"

I give him this puzzled look as I once again plan my escape. "Excuse me." I say.

The young guys says, "YEH, WE'RE COMPLETELY LOCO." and with that they packed up and left . . .

3 Chocolate-Banana Milk Shakes

Best Waste Of 9 Bucks: 3 chocolate-banana milk shakes from Steak N' Shake.

Worst Waste of 9 Bucks: The Polyphonic Spree CD is just terrible. It's a choral group without that which makes a good choral group - harmony. There seems to be a million instruments in the band but on the album you are lucky to hear two or three. The lead is off-tune and horrible. But the robes are nice.

On and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on . . .

So my 3-day weekend came just in time to keep me sane. We had a brief trip to see my parents until Mina got frighteningly sick so we came home and she recovered back to normal sick.

Sometime over the last week I figured out the end to my novel. My first novel. The one that I had finished. It never really seemed cohesive. Well I sussed out the appropriate ending and once it is in place I can rewrite the thing toward the new ending. Bits of the story was already leading to the conclusion but I was holding back, plotting for a sequel I'm never gonna write or something. So I'm going back and putting in the happy ending where all the characters get what they want although none would have chosen for it to happen the way it happened. I hate to working on that novel again when I'm more than ready to go on with my second but . . . y'know.