January's stars

Happy Twenty-Ten everyone!

My holiday season was fantastic. I took my parent's to see a live production of A Christmas Carol at Meadowbrook Theatre. It was so great, I was touched emotionally... and it really put me in the Christmas spirit. Two nights before Christmas I was staying late on my last night of work for 2009 when James tweets @ me and it turns out he's in town for the holidays and hanging out in Ferndale with our friend Matt. I get home, pick up Sarah, and we all hang out at the Emory for a while. Afterward Sarah and I then went to Alana's house for Craft Night, and finally we stopped by Laura, JP, Aaron, and Rachel's new house down the street from me. Unfortunately we got there very late, and couldn't stay very long. Christmas Eve Sarah's Aunt and Uncle had an open house Christmas party at their house where Sarah and I exchanged gifts.

Christmas morning I woke up and watched Twin Peaks before my parents came over. I set up a playlist of indie bands covering Christmas songs, and once my Aunt and Uncle came over we played a game of Risk and later Sarah came over and we played some cards before having chicken noodle soup and sandwiches for dinner. That night I drove out to my parent's house where we had our gift exchange and so I could spend the night. The following morning we went to my other Aunt's house for my Mom's side of the family's Christmas. We had a delicious turkey lunch, my cousin and I exchanged gifts, and we had the traditional gift card exchange.

The next day, Sarah and I left on an unplanned roadtrip.

Our original rules were to take turns deciding whether to turn left or right at the next intersection. We also agreed that either of us could suggest a destination, and all turn-taking would cease until our destination was reached.

We started by driving through Detroit and taking pictures of funny signs (ie. "live human hair".) After a couple hours we decided to make it to Chicago. First we visited Sarah's friend Shannon and her girlfriend, and then checked into a hostel for the night. It was really cool to stay in a hostel... it had a very on-the-go, backpacker feel to it. After checking in we walked down the block to Galway Arms, a really cool Irish pub where we had dinner and then went across the street to a tiny little sports bar before crashing. The next morning we drove South through Indiana - getting lost on some dangerous country roads - and stayed the night in the picturesque town of Batesville.

Tuesday we drove through Cincinnati and continued South through Lexington before heading East. We drove the very scenic I-79, ran out of gas in the middle of the mountains, and stopped off in Burnsville before settling on a motel in Bridgeport. After checking in we went to the local mall and saw Sherlock Holmes. I really enjoyed it, and it made me want to read the books.

Wednesday we decided to make it to Baltimore, but first we visited the tiny suburb of... Ferndale! It was a lot different from the Ferndale we live in. We stopped at the Ferndale Tavern where there were half a dozen older guys drinking away. After our first drink, the owner bought everyone a round and the bartender gave us both drink tokens that say "Ferndale Tavern." I asked her kindly if we could pay for our next drinks and keep the tokens, and she let us keep them anyway. After that we drove into Baltimore itself and visited Edgar Allan Poe's original grave site. It was located in a cemetery around Westminster Hall, and though it was dark when we got there, the gate was open so we walked in. We went around to the back of the building where Poe's grave was, and when we came back to the entrance, the gate had been locked. Sarah called the Baltimore police and the officer who came was very apologetic about our being locked in. We then drove around and ended up on the South side of town, and randomly decided on Magerk's pub for dinner. We then stopped at Metropolitan for some coffee (it seemed like a really sweet place to go back to and have drinks) and got back on the road. I was feeling very energized so we ended up driving another three hours and made it almost to Pittsburgh.

Thursday morning we drove to Cleveland and stopped by Great Lakes Brewing Co. so I could add one of their growlers to my collection. We made it back home a little after dark, and we ended up celebrating New Year's at her Aunt and Uncle's.

I spent Sunday readjusting. I took down all of the Christmas decorations and cleaned up the upstairs room of my house because Alex is planning to move in with me sometime later this month. Now it's back to work as usual.

I'll say again what I've been saying for months: we need to skip February next year. I'm just glad that I have more heat in my house than I did in my last apartment... though I'm not looking forward to the gas bills.

The best cryptic metaphor I can think of for describing my life recently is that I am at the top or the bottom of a mountain. I can't figure out if I am looking up or down at it, but I know it's in front of me. I feel that I must either let go and jump off or gather my strength and start the climb - or both. I know that this is a good thing - it is what I have sought. It is just overwhelming.

I am noticing how my body adjusts to the cold. I feel constricted. It makes me want it to be spring even more. I am doing my best to respect the cycle of the seasons, and adjust or find other ways to fill myself with warmth.

For Thanksgiving, I got up early and went for my annual jog. This year I did it through the neighborhood around my house - where I will be for at least a few years to come. I then drove out to my parent's. I had some great time with them and around 5:00 my aunts and uncles started showing up and by 6:00 we had dinner. I kept trying to get my mom to take off her apron and join us at the table. I embraced another holiday tradition and went out shopping on "Black Friday". My parent's decided they wanted an High-Definition TV, so I went to Meijer at 3:00 AM and waited in line to buy a 42 inch LCD for only $500. I also got them a Blu-Ray player, and came home and set everything up. After taking a nap I went to the mall with Alex for a bit, and then decided to just drive home that night.

Over the course of November, I developed an infatuation with my friend, Sarah. It took me some time to realize how I really felt towards her, but suffice it to say we are now spending a majority of our free time together.

At work, we've been doing full days since mid-November on a large package of spots that will take us through 'til the holiday break. We were also given the week between Christmas and New Year's off. I'm thinking of taking a road trip.

I was really anxious to take care of my holiday preparation. I finished almost all of my Christmas shopping before December by way of local craft fairs and amazon.com. The other week I hung some lights along the front of my house. This Monday I made my own cards to mail to family and Tuesday I took care of all my gift wrapping. Now all I have to do is enjoy the holiday season.

Mr. November

I knew October was going to fly by, with all of the change of the season activities... I was feeling overwhelmed towards the end.

My two big house-held events went great: the Eat So They Can potluck on the 17th, and the Devil's Night party on the 30th. I raised the $500 minimum requirement to be eligible for a trip to Africa to help distribute the money raised. Of course, I also had a bunch of friends and neighbors over and shared some delicious food. Afterward I hung out with Ben for a few hours and had great conversation.

The next day, I decided to take a long walk. I had somewhat of a revelation along the way. I realized that all of the emphasis I had put on other people motivating me to be the way I should be was really just myself feeling inspired to bring out the part of me that I admired in others and hadn't yet realized in myself.

The following weekend Alex came over and the two of us went to the Harvest Beer Festival in Eastern Market. It was much colder than I had dressed for, but that only prompted me to drink more. We made it home, watched a movie, then went to Qdoba for dinner before driving out to Rochester for my friend Cori's Halloween party. The people there were a lot older than Alex and I, but we hung around for a while before driving back to Royal Oak and hanging out with Ben, Liz, Dan, and Stephanie.

That weekend was at the center of a really intense project that Chris and I worked on that resulted in seven long workdays (some of them 12+ hour) and an additional eight hours on Sunday. At least it will make for a nice paycheck in a couple weeks.

October ended with an enjoyable Halloween. Friday I had my Devil's Night party, and had a great turnout. Considering, I had fairly minimal clean up the following day (plus $8.00 in can returns!) I had intended to take it easy on Halloween day, but Ben, Liz, and Adam (who was in town for mine and another party) convinced me to go to this other party with them. So, Halloween Day I spent hanging out with Ben and Adam while Liz had to work. Afterward we drove out to Rochester for this party. It was in a townhouse that was near the Oakland University campus. A lot of college kids... none of whom I knew. It was definitely a well-thrown party, but the atmosphere was a little too "frat house", and we were all happy to leave after a couple hours.

This week, I started on a company-wide project to produce a documentary. I've spent the past couple days capturing hours and hours of footage that we've collected and logging the shots. Over the next few months we'll continue to scan the already-loaded footage and try and form a cohesive story.

I am going to do my best to relax and enjoy the upcoming holiday season. I've already got a surprise present idea for my parents, and am glad to have new windows in my house. I want to try grow a full-on beard for the first time. I also got myself the coolest winter hat I've ever owned. This winter won't be quite as cold as the last one.

waiting for October

Early Autumn is my favorite time of year. I always forget how quickly the weather turns chilly, but once I've got that first cold behind me (mine was this past weekend), I completely embrace the cooler weather, and all of the things it allows for: sweaters, hot drinks, and the smell of pumpkin pie (from a candle or otherwise.)

Last week was fairly uneventful... the highlight was finding an amazing fabric pattern at Target when I went there with Ben and Liz. The thing was, it was a shower curtain... but I knew I had to have it. I was thinking I would just fold it over and make it a tablecloth, but then I realized that the pattern would make awesome window valances. I did some measurements, and realized that I could cut them in half vertically, fold over the cut edge, and sew it against the back, making a channel for the curtain rod. I went back to Target the next day, bought four more, and with the help of Margrit and Julie (two ladies at my work) I was able to make an entire house's worth of valances. We finished them Thursday, and I hung them up as soon as I got home from work. That night, my neighbor Carey, along with other people with October birthdays, were celebrating at the Rock Lobster night at Sakana. Ben and Liz's roommate Dan joined me, and after hanging out for a few hours, we met up with Liz who was celebrating her friend's bachelorette party. We met up with them at Blackfinn, a place I'd never been to before. I'd heard a lot of things about Blackfinn, and I'm happy to say that having been there I felt totally out of place. So, after a short while I said my goodbyes to everyone and went home.

As I mentioned, I ended up catching a cold. It wasn't the best way to spend my day off, but I did get my car door fixed and had a great lunch at Toast. With nothing else to do, I drove out to my parent's early. That night I was feeling like total crap but ended up sleeping for a good eleven hours and Saturday I felt much better. Saturday night my grandparents took everyone on my mom's side of the family to dinner at Lone Star Steakhouse (kind of the ritual place.) That night was the Butthole Surfers/Built To Spill concert in Royal Oak. I knew a bunch of my friends would be out at the bar, and though I was still feeling under the weather, I figured one drink and an hour out wouldn't be too bad, so I headed up to the Loving Touch around 11:30. The concert hadn't finished yet, but there were still a lot of people there. I ran into my friends Andi and Melanie who were hanging out with their friend Sarah. They let me sit with them, and after talking with Sarah for a bit I felt like we were hitting it off. Eventually everyone moved up to the bar, and my friend Ritchie was DJing in the seating area. I sat down next to Sarah, and we talked for a while before I got the courage to ask if she was seeing anyone and if she'd like to go on a date sometime. We exchanged numbers, and made a date for the coming week. Sunday I spent the majority of the day cleaning up around the house and baking two pumpkin pies - one for myself, and another to thank Margrit and Julie. That night I went and saw Pandorum and Zombieland with Ben and Liz. Pandorum wasn't great, but Zombieland was fantastic - my favorite movie of the year so far.

Monday I worked with Mat and had my grandparents over for dinner. I cooked them a chicken stir-fry and we had some of the pumpkin pie for dessert. Tuesday I worked with Mat again, and after work met up with Sarah at the Bean and Leaf cafe in Royal Oak. We talked for a nice long time, and though she might be having some friends over this weekend, if not I invited her to the Friendly Foes/Javelins show at the Berkley Front. Wednesday I assisted Byron, and today I've been going back and forth helping Chris and Byron. It's been a busy week around the company, but at least it makes the time fly. I did wake up feeling like my cold was coming back, and the air conditioning around here doesn't help. Tomorrow after work I'm going to spend the night at my parent's and Saturday I'm meeting Nicole from Sloe Gin Fizz to pick up a specially made three-foot print.

Planning for the Eat So They Can potluck is going well. I'm expecting a nice assortment of friends, family, and co-workers. If you haven't heard about it yet... it will be on Saturday the 17th at 2:00. Around the world people are hosting dinner parties to raise money to fight child poverty in Africa. Last year my friends Julie and Laura hosted a potluck at our house on Ardmore and they won a trip to Africa to help with the effort. This year I am hosting one, and all you need to bring is a dish to pass... and a friend if you can!

time flies when...

October is going to be a ridiculously busy month for me!

As if the past week hasn't been busy...

The D.I.Y. Street Fair was amazing! Friday I stayed out way too late but enjoyed performances by my friends in Serenity Court as well as Patrick Davy. Saturday I spent the entire afternoon shopping. My absolute favorite artist was Sloe Gin Fizz: whimsical drawings by my new friend Nicole Ray. Every one of her works touched me, and I purchased a print of "Sub(tract) Housing" and talked to her about specially making me a three-foot tall print - both of which I intend to build frames for. I also bought a fridge magnet by one of my favorite artists: Kill Taupe, and a Decemberists poster by my friends Chris and Ed in Silent Giants.

Sunday I hung out with my friend Ben and we watched Mother Whale, Sisters Lucas, Champions of Breakfast, Friendly Foes, and when Liz got off work she joined us and we played a little bit of pool at the Loving Touch before turning in.

The work week after that was interesting. I stayed until midnight Monday night, and then Tuesday we had to work all through the night... I didn't leave until 7:30 in the morning. I went home, got a couple hours of sleep, and came back in at noon to wrap things up before our client's 4:00 meeting. That totally threw my schedule out of whack, and it took me 'til Friday to get back to routine. Friday night Ben and Liz came over and we watched Evil Dead II.

Saturday I drove out to my parent's to watch the Michigan game, and to help paint the hallway and living room. When they took a break for lunch I went to Wasem's to get cider and doughnuts, and after we finished painting we all went to dinner at Red Robin.

Sunday I decided to go to a yoga class at Namaste, and I felt really out of practice. Afterward I met up with Ben and we picked up a suit that he bought at Men's Warehouse, and met up with Liz and had dinner at Fuji. Liz had to go back to work for a meeting, so Ben and I went to Cass Cafe for the 23rd Cass Collective. There were some really interesting noise performances and the night was capped off by an awesome performance by Mother Whale.

This morning my alarm didn't go off, but even though I had gone to sleep after 2:00, I managed to wake up and get to work before 9:00. Tonight I'm going to hang out with Ben and Liz again before Ben drives back to East Lansing.

Looking ahead... this Friday I am taking the day off work to get my car door fixed (it doesn't open from the outside) and take my ritual Fall walk around town for the afternoon. I put extra effort into making an amazing mix for the month of October - it is one of my best accomplishments in setting a mood and blending genres. Friday night I'm going to go to my parents again for pizza night and to watch the Michigan vs. Michigan State game on Saturday. Saturday night my grandparent's are taking the family out to eat before they move to Florida for the winter.

October 17th I'm hosting an Eat So They Can fundraiser potluck at my house. I'm hoping for a big turnout... I've invited all of my friends, relatives, and coworkers. October 24th is the Harvest Beer Festival in Eastern Market, that I'll probably go to with Ben, Alex, and possibly Britney. I'm also throwing a Devil's Night party. I started a checklist of all the things I need to get... let's just say it's lengthy. I did make an awesome flyer:



It'll be Christmas before I know it!

There have been so many great albums released this year! Here's the rundown of my favorites so far (that I'm aware of):

Apostle of Hustle - Eats Darkness
Asobi Seksu - Hush
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
Engineers - Three Fact Fader
Halloween, Alaska - Champagne Downtown
Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care
Röyksopp - Junior
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Wilco - Wilco (the Album)

that doesn't even include releases by A.C. Newman, Animal Collective, Andrew Bird, Doves, and Grizzly Bear which could always make a greater impression on me.

Last Wednesday I had dinner with Britney. She talked about hosting a pizza and movie night sometime in October, and I invited her to join Alex, Ben and I to the Harvest (Beer) Festival at Eastern Market. I also decided to have a Halloween party (on the 30th) so, if you're reading this and are looking for a place to party... you're invited.

Last weekend was excellent. Saturday my parents came over in the morning to help me rehang the blinds that had to be taken down when I had windows put in, and after they left I played soccer for a couple of hours with a group who gets together regularly through meetup.com. After that, I drove up to East Lansing to celebrate Ben's birthday. We spent hours just talking about this and that, and it was such a great feeling. That day felt like the perfect day.

This week started off surprisingly - with a 14 hour day. The next couple days passed quickly with just a little bit of work. For the past week or so I've been teaching myself Adobe After Effects, and today I made a short type animation that Chris might use in a promotional video he's working on.

This weekend is one I've been looking forward to for a long time... the Ferndale D.I.Y. Street Fair! (I've completely forgotten that the "Funky Ferndale Art Fair" is also this weekend). I am going to be spending practically all of Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday enjoying the festivities.

keep your eyes on right, keep your eyes on right ahead

So, Gina moved to Boston to go back to school. I understood from the moment - about a month ago - that she decided that was what she needed to do that it would mean the end of our relationship. She gave me so much inspiration and motivation over the past several months that we spent together, I don't know how I could ever thank her.

I am going to have a five-day weekend starting Thursday. Sometime in the morning I am going to have ten new windows installed throughout the main floor of my house, which hopefully won't take up too much of the day. After they are finished, I am thinking of going to see District 9. I have heard very little about the movie, other than it's really good (and that not knowing anything will only make it better.) Friday is Alex's birthday, and him and I are driving together to Ben's house. Sometime over the rest of the weekend my parents are going to come over and I'm going to cook them a Labor Day dinner.

I don't particularly mind the colder weather we've been having, I just hope that it doesn't get colder than usual in late Autumn. The way the weather is now would be perfect until Thanksgiving. I was reflecting recently on what my favorite season is: when it's winter I want it to be spring, and when it's spring I want it to be summer. I've come to appreciate the summer more, but with the fall approaching, my usual sense of excitement is returning. The fact remains that when it's autumn, I want it to be autumn. I would say that I wish it could be autumn all year round, but I am a firm believer in the notion that nothing good can last forever. If the best things in life were constant, we would take them for granted. I've consequently gotten better at living in the moment - not concerning myself with the past which is unchangeable, or the future which is unpredictable, but to just be conscious of the life I am actually living,