Day 80 | Friday, March 20 | 2009

...and I believe in some kind of path...

One of my favorite songs I have ever heard is a song called Into My Arms by Nick Cave from his album The Boatman's Call.  It's especially nice on an early morning like this.  Here's a neat song review of this song from All Music Guide:

"Into My Arms" is one of Nick Cave's signature-style dark piano ballads, a love theme a the core of the lyrics, cloaked in spiritual and religious language and imagery.  Accompanied only by himself on piano and Martyn P. Casey on bass, Cave plays a simple piano melody that stays rolling, barely shifting throughout except to build towards the refrain, "Into my arms, O Lord."  Questioning his own belief in God and the angels while respecting the object of his desire's affection for them, the singer makes the sort of plaintive plea to the gods he doesn't believe in that differences aside, love may conquer all and keep the pair together.  Capturing in voice, melody, and lyric the doubts, faith, fears, and hopes that love can inspire among the faithless, he returns to the idea that truth, strength, and love are values worth striving for."

Into My Arms | Nick Cave | The Boatman's Call

I don't believe in an interventionist God

But I know, darling, that you do

and if I did I would kneel down and ask him

not to intervene when it came to you --

not to touch a hair on your head; leave you as you are

if he felt he had to direct you

then direct you into my arms

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms, oh lord

And I don't believe in the existence of angels

but looking at you I wonder if that's true

and if I did, I would summon them together

and ask them to watch over you

to each burn a candle for you

to make bright and clear your path

and to walk like Christ in grace and love

and guide you into my arms

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms...

But I believe in love...

and I know that you do too

and I believe in some kind of path

that we can walk down; me and you

So keep your candles burning

make a journey bright and pure

that you'll keep returning -- always and evermore...

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms, oh lord

Into my arms...

Day 76 | Monday, March 16 | 2009

Lamp of Roses...

To make up for my creative negligence lately, I figured I would try to put a little more effort into today's picture.  Rem and Amanda have this very lovely little table in their dining room which also has a beautiful lamp with roses inside of it.  It's a very nice soft light that shines through the front windows and down through the porch and from the street it is comforting to see the soft glow of the dining room. 

I am going to miss living here at 3 Ring Street.  It's had its ups and downs but I think that the positives have far outweighed the negatives of living here.  Rem and Amanda are truly great people and are among the kindest I have ever met in my life.  

In other news, I really shouldn't be writing in here for too much longer -- I ought to be spending my time on writing my final paper for tomorrow.  I will be so glad when all of these exams will be over on Friday.

Day 29 | Thursday, January 29 | 2009

Blurry Diner...

Today I had an pretty frustrating Spanish class.  I was talking with Leslie about it on the phone and it made me feel better.  I don't want to get into it because it's not really worth spending the time to explain it nor is it worth remembering (in detail at least).

I was thinking about what I have said in the past few days about my house mates and I felt a little guilty.  I spend too much time critically thinking about it and less time being thankful for how amazing they are.

One amazing thing about Adam and Amanda is that they probably two of the most intellectually curious people I have ever met.  I believe that I have probably tried (at great length) to learn from them in terms of how to approach learning -- and I am not just talking about what happens in the classroom.  In fact, I am talking about everything else that happens in the classroom.  Rem and Amanda are very good at perceiving the world around them, they are very good in showing and communicating how they feel and they serve as a big influence on me on how to approach a relationship, adulthood, life.  One thing I think that keeps all of this going for them is that they are very good listeners.  Or, at least, they are really good at hearing what I have to say and lending an ear for support.

I have really come to admire and respect Amanda even more while living at 3 Ring Street.  I suppose that the reason why I say that (instead of focusing on Rem) is that I had come to know and revere Adam from all of the time we spent on the road and working construction together.  I'll never forget those numerous early mornings when Rem and I would throw our tools and sling our lunches into the old work truck, put on With the Beatles or The Ghost of Tom Joad and drive to the job site before the sunrise.  But with Amanda, it took more time to get to know her.  I would later come to find out that this was because she is a very tough person -- that is to say that she is mentally tough.  I don't think I have ever seen Amanda truly back down from a challenge.  This was an important observation for me, say, back in February of 2008.  Then, I was jobless, out of school, and out of answers in terms of what life had in store for me.  There were days I would just literally stay in bed from when I woke up at 12 or 1 in the afternoon until 2 or 3 in the morning.  However, I remember having a mental picture in my head about how Amanda would balance everything that was going on -- her grad school work, taking care of the dogs, keeping an impeccably clean and efficient living space, monitoring and treating her diabetes, and also being a loving and supportive wife.  To me, this vision of Amanda has always stuck.  Even when I felt somewhat down in the dumps, Amanda made me feel better just by witnessing how focused she was not only knowing her responsibilities but also doing them.   

Maybe I am rambling into some sort of soapy tangent about how much I appreciate my friends and house mates but I really believe these things.  

Day 14 | Wednesday, January 14 | 2009

I Don't Mind Playing Catch By Myself...

"My Uncle Mickey says I'm way too sensitive

as he taps his smoking pipe against his knee

the Catcher in the Rye will only make you cry

what you need now is a good documentary"

It's currently 14F outside -- cold.  Woke up at a quarter to seven this morning to go to Theory.  Today should be a moderate day -- just two classes.  I am going to eat lunch with Caitlin at around 11...so I better pack it up.

Day 8 | Thursday, January 8 | 2009

Windowsill...

It's been a pretty cold day -- outside temperature is about 26F and falling.  There is something about Winter that sucks the life energy out of me -- including any ability to focus on my hopes and dreams for the future.  I think in times like these it is important for one to focus on the good things that are going on for them and all of the blessings they have in their life.  Blessings is a loaded word of course but you get the picture.  

These days I am feeling a little defeated but that will in time subside.  I have spent most of my day working on schoolwork and trying not to be anxious.  So far it has worked.  This weekend will be a good time to relax and re-examine my priorities and plans.

 

April & May 2008

Attending lectures is really enjoyable to me.  This past spring I took two Spanish classes -- Advanced Composition and Conversation III and Poetic Images of the Hispanic World.  Both courses dazzled me but I especially enjoyed the poetry course.  My instructor, José Delgado-Casta is perhaps the best teacher I have ever had.  I think I also worked nearly as hard or harder in that class than I ever have worked in a Spanish course.  We covered a broad range of materials -- beginning with the medieval peninsular writers and slowly following the course of expansion to South and Central America and further to the Antilles poets like Guillén.  My favorite poet was Federico García Lorca for sure.  

The spring went by very fast like a steep water slide ride at a water park.  Here are some of the memories:

*****The Avett Brothers at Nelsonville Music Festival*****
Nostra Nova played its last show at the Nelsonville Music Festival on May 18th.  One of the headliners for the festival and for that night were the Avett Brothers.  Truthfully, I was not impressed a whole lot by what they were doing musically.  It seemed a little grandiose but to their defense they had great energy behind their stage presence.  And they were all very handsome, too.

*****We are Here and Glad first meeting @ China Panda -- Sushi!*****
I don't know if I can talk about our secret club too much but this was our first meeting.  Our club is called We are Here and Glad (up to reconsideration).  It primarily consists of Caitlin, Me, and Larry but Jamie was at this dinner and so was Julia.  

*****Matthew Emmons*****
Matt is a good friend of mine and he composes wondrous waves (as in sine, saw tooth, square etc.) and sometimes plays them for Us All.  I love you Matt.

*****Morky Magic*****
She looks like a pirate trying to steal some treasure. 

*****Rem and Amanda in front of their house*****
Great news for Adam and Amanda Remnant -- they are buying 3 Ring Street!  They made an offer to the current owner (who had just bought the house) and it has all panned out.  They close on the house on July 30th.  The house itself, I think, is one of the most interesting houses in all of Athens.  It has so much character, whether in plain daylight or in the dark shadows at night.  I remember Rem listening to Bonnie "Prince" Billy's song A Knight at Night one morning at home -- the lyrics

this is how I start another day in my kingdom

always stood out when I think of Rem and Amanda and this house.  I am so happy for them and I am lucky to have such great friends and even (technically) landlords.

*****The salmon, tornado warning, and twilight sky*****
Weird Spring weather.

*****Morki*****
I took this a couple days after school was over and before I left for the summer.  It was somewhat of a candid shot in my car.  She is so beautiful!

*****House*****
Another shot of 3 Ring Street.

*****James*****
Jamie is probably my best friend in the world.  We communicate in our own wavelength -- perhaps the wavelength between green and blue.  It is not indigo, however,...there is just no way that it is indigo.  Jamie has written some songs that speak to me.  One day, when he records these songs, look out for the one's called Blue Skies or American Chesnutt Tree.

*****Caitlin*****

This was immediately before the winking shot (from above).

January 2008

One of the most frazzling things that can happen to a person is to have one's wallet stolen.  It was the second Friday of the month at Casa Nueva.  International Dance Night was happening and I was there for a drink with Kate and Jen.  We got up to dance for a moment, I left my jacket in the booth and when I went to retrieve it minutes later it was gone!  I swore that I saw Dave Baer with it on, cantering down Court Street, but I am most likely jumping to conclusions.  The jacket had my wallet in it along with my key ring (car, storage, and miscellaneous keys in it).  Perhaps it was an omen for a hard winter, maybe it was fate, or it could have been a drunk coincidence, but Friday January 11th was the night I lost my wallet.

January had other promises, too.  I lost my job working for Stalwart Construction while Southeast Engine was on tour in the South.  We were staying in Athens, Georgia when we all heard the news (3 of the 4 touring members of the band worked for Stalwart).  It was a crushing blow to Leo and me because we had to find other resources for money.  Rem was able to keep the job with limited hours because of his work experience and because of the job's role in his ability to support himself and his wife Amanda.  Our bosses were sympathetic to the situation but it was the only thing that could be done.  There were about 12 guys on the crew in total and about 8 of them had to be let go.  What happened principally was that there was an accounting error in the realm of employees workman's compensation funds which led to a giant underestimation -- something like $26,000 the company owed in fees.  This is paraphrasing but the gist is there.

I ended up looking for more jobs but no one was hiring.  Morale was a little low, the economics of it all was disheartening, and I longed for something more.  I did not find any work anywhere and I was longing to be back in school or just the feeling that I was actually working for something.  Being in the band was enjoyable but it was not leading to fulfillment for me.  I realized this at this time and I decided that I must go back to school.  Everyone in the band supported me and it wasn't bad at all.  So then I would wait and tour until South by Southwest was over and I would go back to school.

I ended up replacing my driver's license, student ID, and credit cards too after the blowing theft.  I could see by then that my life was headed in a new direction.

*****Grating Nights***** 

Outside of Donkey Coffee & Espresso ~ The Best Coffeehouse in Ohio ~.  It was already cold out that night at the beginning of January and I was having a nice conversation with Emily and Jessie.

*****For My Coat, Wherever I May Find Her*****
Shivering outside of the Donkey.  This was the jacket that was stolen days later at Casa Nueva.  

*****Mad World*****

*****Costumes*****
Court Street across from the Courthouse and China King.  This is where Banana Road is.  It used to be a great record store called School Kids records, that is, until Wal-Mart came to Athens and ran it out of business.  Today you can get vintage costumes and posters there for reasonable prices.  For example, you can get 6 black German-made wizard outfits there for only $96.00US.  

*****Glasses*****
I bought this new pair of glasses with a part of the paycheck I got in December.  My old pair broke on tour back in November so it was nice to have some to wear again.  The month in between was difficult for any time my contacts were bothering me or during the night.

*****Hadley*****
Hadley is a white lab.  Or yellow lab.  Or lab mix?  Either way, she was once Leo's dog but is now Rem and Amanda's dog.  Leo got her at the pound and was attracted to her because she was the weirdest looking dog in there.  Hadley is so bizarre.  At times she seems like she is depressed, she most always looks worried, and she is terrified of thunder.  She hides underneath Rem and Amanda's bed during thunderstorms only to realize later that she cannot get out from under the bed!  Her downfall is that she is so protective.  It is dangerous to have Hadley in front of the house, even on a leash.  She has attacked several visitors but none of them had any injuries.  She usually doesn't like people she just meets but there are exceptions.  When she gets to know you, though, she generally warms up and is a very sweet dog.

*****Poofy Rope*****
This was taken at a gas station on our way to Gainesville, Florida for a series of small house shows at Leo's brother's apartment.  We all bought a bunch of hats at the store.  Rem's hat read "Florida:  Licensed to Party," Leo's said "Jesus is Lord:  'Nuff Said," Jessie's read "I Will Be back for you.  Signed, Jesus,"  and mine said "Ask me about my great grandkids."

*****Wetlands*****
We went for a bird-watching expedition with Leo's brother John down at a preserve near Gainesville.  It was spectacular and John was very informative.  If you look closely at this picture, you will be able to see an alligator at the edge of the water.

*****Brush*****
This was on the trail of our bird-watching hike.

*****Blue Team vs. Red Team*****

A shuffle board at the Map Room in Charleston, South Carolina.

November 2007

November 2007 is brazen with good memories. Sure the tour was exhausting but that is expected for anyone who is traveling for nearly a month in an enclosed space with four other guys. We finished our second regional tour in the mid-west as a part of our promotion of our CD, A Wheel Within a Wheel that came out in October. We played a lot of billiards during the tour -- one of our favorite past times, especially if the venue was not well attended (which happened with some frequency). Our show in Des Moines, Iowa was one of my favorites because we stayed up in a Red Roof Inn that my father had procured for us. I am ever grateful for the hotels that my dad put us up with whenever we were on the road. I hope one day I can repay him for that.

*****Coming to Terms with Touring*****
We ate a lot of apples on the road. These were the good kind although I don't know what they were called because usually Jesse and Leo were the grocery purchasers.

*****Skippy*****
More road dietary items.

*****Chandelier in Kalamazoo*****
We played a really neat show in Kalamazoo Michigan. It was one of the last nights of the tour and it was fun. It was in a church so I felt like Sufjan Stevens or the Arcade Fire, etc. People from Kalamazoo College were excited though and actually danced to our music!

*****Palm's Lake*****
This was on a hike after work sometime in November. Location: The Ridges, Athens, Ohio.

*****Little Red Nova*****
When I get a good hand, it's my master plan, I'm gonna stick it to the man, he won't see me again.

*****Greenfield's*****
This was Rem's truck at the time (or really the company truck) and later was passed on to Bobby. We were doing two decking jobs over at the Greenfield's out on Hooper Ridge Road. They had an adorable dog and I remember the site being cold and wet.

*****More Greenfield's*****
We built an octagonal-shaped deck in the back.

*****House Lamp*****

*****The Grog Shop with Grog Buddies*****
Southeast Engine had a show in mid November opening up for Bears in Cleveland. It was a fun time but it was especially fun to see best bud Jamie and Lauren too.

*****Facially Doomed*****

This photo showcases my inability to grow respectable facial hair.