Day 335 | Saturday, November 28 | 2009

Guitars...

Went for a six mile run this morning at 7:55 pace. Other than it being bitterly cold, it was a nice time. I was wearing shorts and several t-shirts and a cotton sweat shirt but probably could have benefited from the more 'advanced' technologies such as the dri-fit pants / shirts they sell at running stores. I actually bought some pants not too long ago (and a shirt too) but I didn't think to bring them with me.

Today has been a really good day. Went running, spent some time with family / went out to lunch, spent most of the day at the Pimentel & Sons guitar shop, and then played a concert with Hector Pimentel (one of the guitar instructors at the shop) and my Uncle Jim in downtown Albuquerque. Being in the shop is a revitalizing experience -- feels like I am walking around in a nursery, potential for life, mist, and songs. The Pimentels ought to be written about more. So says their website:

Pimentel handcrafted custom guitars that are world renowned. The intimacy of these stringed instruments reflects the careful transfer of craft knowledge across spans of time not experienced by one life. Guitar making is a mellow craft of excellence at Pimentel & Sons, and your visit would become a fond memory.

Day 329 | Sunday, November 22 | 2009

Uncle Jim and Steph...

Today is the big day and everything went so well! The wedding was so touching and I was very proud to be a part of it. Here is a picture of my uncle Jim and cousin Stephanie before the ceremony. The wedding took place in a gorgeous hillside chapel just south of Austin. The chapel overlooked a valley full of mesquite trees and everything was so beautiful. The wedding was at 5:30 local time, the weather was clear (but a little cold), and all of the colors of the sky blended nicely and softly together by the time of the ceremony. Uncle Jim and I were in charge of the music for the ceremony -- we played Here Comes the Sun, Blackbird, and Danny's Song during the wedding and it was all very special.

I am so happy for Steph and Ben and everyone in the family. This was a special day.

Day 195 | Monday, July 13 | 2009

High Street...

Just a photo taken while going to the Kraus' home from class.  Today was my Uncle Jim's 49th birthday.  Happy birthday uncle Jim.

Not much to say except that I need to study.

Day 4 | Sunday, January 4 | 2009

Solace...

Here's where I slept on and around New Year's eve/day 2009.  My parents have recently moved back to Ohio and this is the room in which there new living room will be.  I have always liked the idea of having as minimal amount of furniture as possible (maybe at least in the short term) so this was a neat experience sleeping in the empty house.  I would have been all by myself but my Uncle Jim was there with me.

Day 2 | Friday, January 2 | 2009

To a Happy and Safe New Year....

Here we are -- Uncle Jime, Gretchen, Dustin, Mom, Dad, Caitlin and Me standing in my parent's new house.  I hope this year is a good one.

The Land of Enchantment part 1 -- Sept. '08

*****Uncle Jim*****

Every Friday night in Albuquerque Hector Pimentel plays at the Hilton.  Lately he has offered time for my uncle Jim to play as well.  I think this is a great outlet for my uncle and I am so glad he is doing it.  He used to be more nervous when it came to playing out in front of people but watching him perform made me so proud.  

*****Harry and Hector*****
Harry is playing the Requinta -- a smaller guitar tuned with the sixth string at an A so it has a higher-tuned tone as a whole.  Hector (pictured right) is a very impressive guitar player as well as showman.  There were, however, very cheesy moments in his set when he and Harry performed a soupy instrumental cover of "Dust in the Wind."  After the night was over, Jim, Hector, Carol (Hector's wife) and I all went to the Frontier restaurant down by UNM.  It is a 24 hour diner located in Albuquerque.  

*****Spray Room*****
Here is the first of several photos I took while on a break working for my uncle.  This is a paint gun I used while painting and priming cabinets.

*****Flammable*****

*****Workshop*****

*****Bookshelf***** 
This is a giant bookshelf we were building for a rich Astrophysicist.  It is hard to believe, but this bookshelf will fit in the client's home.

*****Drill*****

*****Bicycle*****
Here was a bicycle in DJ John's shop (where my uncle worked).  It is a vintage bicycle from the 50s (or so it appears).  I figured I would take some snapshots during lunch break.

*****More Bicycle*****

*****Close Encounters*****

On our way back from Odessa over Labor Day weekend, my uncle Jim and I stopped in Roswell.  I toured the International UFO museum but it was really disappointing.  It guided us through a timeline of the Roswell sightings but the visual models were really unexciting.  

Void of the Present

I used to know him when he stood up on the top bunk and pissed off the edge. Six years old and sleep pissing free. His mind is sharp as a tack when it wants to -- or when it requires it. He's so amiable though, I cannot help but love him. It hurts to love him because he drives me insane -- we are different, so wildly different that it's absurd.

He has been seeing a very nice woman for over a year now and they have done and gone fallen in love. I don't know much about that but here it seems to me like something okay. I was in New York City (where they live together) the day that the ring came in the mail. I hid the rings in an old red soccer sock in his drawer. In his drawer until this trip to Switzerland, he kept the ring. Pushing the border of romance and tradition (and possibly Hollywood themes), he took her up to a mountain...they hiked down the mountain, picniced near a chapel and he proceded to give her do this

(The following is a re-enactment due to the inability to be on location while the actual event occured)

***On knees***


***"Wedding Ring"***


This was a ring my Uncle Jim had custom welded in his shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Gretchen (my brother's Fiancé) had had a dream about Dustin proposing to her. In her dream, my brother had said, "I know you wanted a diamond ring but because of my law school expenses, this is the only ring that I can afford." So in accordance with that, my brother told this story to my Uncle who easily made a replica of the ring Gretchen described that was in her dream.

***Looks so Pretty!***


***Actual Ring***


Here is the actual ring that my brother gave to Gretchen to ask to marry him. It's diamond instead of brass screw and I will not reveal here how much it cost. (I did see how much it cost when I picked it up in the mail for my brother when I was in NY, though -- yikes!).

***Fiancés***


They look happy enough to me.