Day 351 | Tuesday, December 14 | 2010

Mt. Bonnell...

Day 330 | Monday, November 23 | 2009

Benedict Hall...

It is crunch time. I have to get this paper done as if my life depends on it. Five pages about the evolution of Spanish theater and poetry from the years of 1806-1871. I have been working all day on it here at the Perry-Castañeda Library here at the University of Texas and I am really tired of thinking about it. I am so anxious for this quarter to be finally over that I can actually feel my brain pulsate underneath my skull. The only thing standing in the way of this quarter being finished is this paper and I must crush it! Ha.

I am anticipating a huge relief of stress (I have recently gotten four kanker sores in my mouth -- one for each class this term) after this quarter is over along with a noticeable increase in sleep. Speaking of which...I cannot necessarily remember the last time I got a really full night of sleep. What a good time it will be in about 24 hours.

Here is a picture of Benedict Hall, the location for the Spanish & Portuguese Department here at the University of Texas. Turns out it is right by the library here. Before coming on this trip I had thought about visiting the Spanish building on campus, I had known it was named Benedict Hall but hadn't made plans yet to visit it and then, all of a sudden, as I was walking to the library I see a sign that spelled it out. It's exciting to be here but I wish I had more time.

Day 328 | Saturday, November 21 | 2009

Rehearsal...

It's been a long day of traveling. Me, Mom, and Dad woke up at about 5 AM to get to the Dayton Airport. It was about an hour's drive and then we had to get through security (another hour or so), and then our flight left at around 7:45. We flew to Atlanta (where we had a layover) and then we flew to San Antonio. Once there, we got in a rental car and drove about an hour and twenty minutes to Austin.

I slept most of the way and most of the day because I didn't get much sleep from last night. Once we got to Austin, we checked into the hotel, went to the airport to pick up Jim and Dustin, and then went over to Steph (pictured left) and Ben's (pictured right) house for the rehearsal dinner of sorts. I am part of the wedding (I will be playing music tomorrow with my uncle Jim) so the small group of people who are part of the wedding congregated in Steph and Ben's driveway. Here is a picture of them practicing their wedding vows and the putting on of the wedding rings.

Tomorrow is going to be so exciting. I wish that I didn't have to write this research paper due Tuesday but still, it's going to be great. In many ways, Steph has been like a sister to me. I remember fondly old memories of seeing her in Texas or New Mexico and having the times of our lives. It's unreal to see her grown up, with an adorable two-year-old baby boy, and getting married tomorrow.

March 2008

March was a great month.  I feel lucky to have been a part of South by Southwest, to travel down to Texas, and to be around such great music.  

March signified some endings and some new beginnings for me.  It was the last time I played in Southeast Engine, a band that I had dedicated a large part of my life to for almost three years, and it was a time that I returned back to Ohio University as a student (I had taken a year break from studies).

Here are some memories of being a part of Southeast Engine:

1.)  Our first tour in August of '05.  It was just me, Rem, Leo, and Box.  It was sweltering that summer and I was intimidated of being in the band.  We played a hilarious show in Cleveland for a radio station and had an interesting time at a nearby Cleveland Hotel.  Box did tai-chi in the hotel pool at 6:00AM and Leo had his famous "Hello Cleveland" moment.  Our New York show was equally sweaty.  I remember playing "Try" in the basement of the Lit Lounge to about 30 people (which was great being that we were an unknown band from Ohio playing in New York for the first time).  Whether he was inebriated it was hard to tell, but my friend Jeremy approached me after the show and was so complimentary to us it was as if he thought Southeast Engine had invented rock and roll.  This was my favorite memory of the band.  This tour along with the short 10 day tour we did in the spring of '06 were my favorite times on the road with the band.  The tour down south was extra hilarious because Ben Froehlich rode as our friend and confidant, but more importantly our manager.  He offered us invaluable knowledge for weeks, if not years, to come.

2.)The day we heard that Misra Records wanted to sign us.  Disbelief and jubilation followed.  All of a sudden we all started listening to bands on Misra's label.

3.)  Playing CMJ in October of '07.  

4.)  Covering "Margaritaville" on August 17, 2007 at the Union Bar and Grille in Athens, Ohio.

5.)  Playing "Please Come Home For Christmas" at a X-mas show at Donkey in December of '07.  Before the show I purchased 5 Santa hats for us all to wear.  I tried to get the sax solo down for that show as well.

6.) Dressing up in a tight black shirt, a black bandana, black pirate boots, and wearing fingerless gloves for a show at the Union with Southeast Engine back in the fall of '05.

I am sure there are tons more memories but for now,

7.  The CD release show for A Wheel Within a Wheel. 

*****Sleepers*****

This ended up being used for a story in the AthensNews to show how exhausted the band was.

*****Leo means business*****
This is also one of my favorite memories -- we all took dopey photos of each other holding up this giant lollipop I bought from a Cracker Barrel in Texas.  

*****Give me back my milk money!*****

*****It's not fair!*****

*****South by Southwest (band photo in front of a brickwall)*****
These were our official band photos for South by Southwest.  I thought it was funny that they were both in front of a brick wall.  

*****SXSW II (band photo in front of a brick wall II)*****
This was outside of the Victory Grille (I think) in Austin.  I was trying to look like Dustin Diamond from Saved by the Bell.

*****The Human Cannonball*****

Jessie released his record The Human Cannonball when we got back home from South by Southwest.  He is such a great musician and a wonderful human being.  

*****Poor Bastard*****

This has nothing to do with the band but I feel for this dog.  It appears that he had some sort of treatment for his tail.  We saw him on our walk back to the house we were staying at in Austin.