:::misadventures, pitfalls and musings:::

time steals our days like a thief

2008-07-13T13:42:00.001-06:00

It's been about 2 months since my last post so there's a few stories at least. If I've talked to you in the past month, you've more than likely heard me raving about how great Bonnaroo was. For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, my aunt and I drove a total of about 7000 kms to a music festival in Tennesee (3 days of driving each way...yes, driving). There were about 40 bands there, probably more and about 80,000 people. My aunt went purely to see Metallica, but I was more interested in Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam. We also got to see B.B. King the legend himself. I hope when I`m 82 that I can still rock out. A few of other acts there were Tiegan and Sarah, My Morning Jacket, Iron & Wine, The Sword, Willie Nelson, Stephen Marley and way too many more for me to remember.

My favourite show was Jack Johnson. He played all kinds of stuff from all of his albums (except the Curious George soundtrack, which was rather odd) and played my favourite tunes. He also pulled Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam up on stage to sing Constelations with him and that was epic.

I also had the crazy experience of driving through St Louis during rush hour. Strangely enough, Calgary traffic seems much more insane. We also drove down the state line between Iowa and Nebraska where all the floooding was and you could see lakes where farm land was supposed to be. God kept us safe and we didn`t have any problems as far as having to re-route our trip due to some of the cities being flooded (such as Cedar Rapids or Des Moines).

Friday night I headed out with some friends to do some camping out in the Crowsnest Pass. Sometimes it`s easy to forget how busy we make ourselves doing absolutely nothing. Until you don`t have access to it for a few hours, it can be kind of second nature to veg out in front of the tv until you pass out or check your facebook every 5 minutes. And how little you actually miss it when it`s not there.

I`ve also been working on recording some new songs with my friend Matt. We usually get an idea down and work it about 75% through before forgetting about it and never finishing it. So, we`re trying to actually fully finish a whole song. He`s pushed me to start writing some lyrics which has always been hard for me because I`m rarely if ever satisfied with what comes of my writing. Thankfully that`s starting to change.

And speaking of recording, some of my buddies are in a band called Phao and they`re heading to Toronto to record an album. Pray for them if you could. They`ll be there for a month and might be doing some shows while they`re gone. No idea when the album will come out but I`ll keep you posted. Support local music!

peace.

microscopic view of a telescpoic realm

2008-05-11T12:00:00.002-06:00

I'm really glad it's the weekend. This week seemed to drag along and most weeks will do that when you're getting very little sleep, but Friday seems that much more worth it once you're there. It`s really nice to just hang out with some friends and relax. Had a nice surprise on Tuesday when my friend won tickets to the sold out Hurricanes game and we got to go to one of the last games of the post season. I wish I could say it was a good one, but that would have required our home team to play some real hockey which sadly did not happen.

Depending on your views about God and church, you may wish to skip the rest of this post entirely.

Before I get started, let me just say that I have a different view than most when it comes to church politics and how dysfunctional they can be. Theories are great, fantastic even. Socialism is great in theory, but just ask a Russian who was around 20 years ago how great it is in practice. My feelings toward church membership are very similar. First of all, if you have a biblical backing for why church membership should exist, I`d love to hear it. To date, I haven`t heard a single verse quoted when membership is discussed, and far be it from me to blur the lines of membership and baptism (which an extremely dangerous and biblically unfounded practice).
I`ve talked to friends, pastors and bible college professors about this issue and have had the same answer each time: ``it`s a good idea.`` Yes, this is where I become very un-Canadian and start saying that someone is wrong. It`s not polite, and definitely not politically correct, but here I am saying this anyway. Using ``it`s a good idea`` as the foundation to any thought process is a terrible terrible thing to do. Someone once said that good intentions pave the pathway to hell, and if you`ve been involved with a church for a period in your life you may agree.

Community is something that is built, not demanded, and certainly not established just because you`re a member of any group (whether it`s the place you work, a club, or a church). Sorry folks, it doesn`t happen that way. Telling people that they cannot be involved in ministry at your church because they`re not a member is atrocious! I can certainly understand a need for membership and a need to know where your leaders stand on biblical and theological issues. No complaints there. One particular church I was at that endorsed membership made it so you couldn`t be a leader if you weren`t a member, but you could be involved. For example, you could be on the worship team, but unless you were a member you couldn`t be a worship leader. If I had to pick the lesser of 2 evils, I`d pick that example. At least people can be involved and contribute if they don`t feel comfortable with being a member of the church.

Some reading this entry may have witnessed what I witnessed this morning when my pastor said, from the stage, either you`re a member or you cant be involved with ministry here. Maybe I`m just reading an old version of the Bible, but I have never read or heard of Peter and John having to be members of a church to be one of Jesus` disciples. I don`t recall Paul holding membership classes for the people in Ephesis or Corinth or Masedonia. Perhaps the argument for membership stemmed from the verse that talks about keeping up the practice of meeting together (Hebrews 10:25 if you want to check it out). But even there, the idea is community: encouraging each other and holding each other accountable.

Unfortunately, membership is one of those ideas that is great in practice. Does this sound familiar to you...``if you`re a member we can know where you stand theologically and hold you accountable because you signed this piece of paper that says you`re part of our community now``. However, you can go into a church full of `members`and although that`s great, they have no idea what each other`s names are.

I`m sure that somewhere in some magical church, membership works as well as the theory behind it. Please show me that church. I`d love to see it because it would be a brand new experience for me.

I`d love to hear your thoughts on this idea, either for it or against it.

somewhere out there

2008-04-13T12:40:00.002-06:00

Friday was an unusual day. I had to cancel out on seeing the hurricane's game (which they won by the way) to play a set at a coffee house. A coffee house I had forgotten about until the day before, and was not informed until the night before that I may be needed to play a set, which was fine by me. It's been a long time since I've formally played in front of anyone (I'm not including church here because worship isn't a performance) but it went great. I also did something I haven't done in a very long time, I wrote a song. A song about spring fever...which I forgot half the words to when I was on stage. Note to self: stay away from writing a song 2 hours before you have to perform it. I think I'm getting better at articulating my thoughts so this might just mean writing some words to the plethora of instrumentals I've come up with.

And speaking of instrumentals, Tuesday night was filled with random noises being recorded at Matt's place. Didn't realize until I was there that we haven't recorded anything in about 5 months, but whenever we do get something down it sounds pretty tight. Still haven't finished it, but it sounds like it's too happy to be an industrial song but too heavy to be pop. Perhaps something will come of it.

I've come to realize that I have little to say when asked "what's new?" And perhaps this would explain the infrequency of my entries here, or that I'm hopelessly lazy. Sometimes life feel so incredibly repetitive and fast it's hard to keep track of where you're going. An adage that I love quoting is "life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes." But in reality it's like pulling toilet paper out of one of those nasty dispensers in a public washroom that really doesn't let you see how much is actually left. You can just hope there's enough in there for your immediate purposes. I'm one of those people that abhors junk mail. It is one of the most incredibly useless and simultaneously most irritating presences in my life. I hate how it fills up my mailbox and usually has nothing important or relevant for me. From time to time my roomates get to it before I do and it ends up on some table. I came across an article in one of those crappy community newspapers they stuff in your mailbox each week about how people are responding to the idea of what they would do had they only 1 year to live. None of the people interviewed are in any dire health condition but had all read one of those hippy self-help books regarding this concept.

So where do I fit in here. Am I one of those decrepit old people that simply wakes up one day to realize the tp role has nearly run out, or simply so uninvolved in my own existence that time really carries no gravity for me? Corporate jobs are great for stability and congruence but horrible for sucking the life right out of you. With that said, I'm quite happy with my current job but I wouldn't say I'm having the time of my life or that I live for the thrills of discussing investments. But perhaps this is all just a bunch of psycho-babble and I just need a vacation....come to think of it, it has been a while.....

say what?

2008-02-05T20:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's time for some ed-ja-ma-kay-shun! Disco nap can be defined here....basically napping before something important/cool so you are awake.

In one of the states they're trying to pass a law to make it illegal to serve 'obese' people in restaurants. Sadly this is no joke. Leave it up to folk in the deep south state of Mississippi to do something like this.

I'd like to blame in-breeding for such blatant stupidity, but in Toronto (sucks and Peterborough sucks and Oshawa sucks and Alan Thicke sucks....) parents pressured the school board to have an "Afro-centric" school. Yes, it's all about being black in that school. If you're reading this blog you probably know me well enough to know I'm not racist, but I'm just putting that out there just in case you're one of those creeps that cruises the internet looking for entertaining, thought provoking, wonderfully written blogs to read. This is supposed to be some kind of alternative educational approach, but get bent. Is it really going to help disenfranchised youth by doing this?

It does about as much good as the anti-fat customer law in Mississippi. It's backward thinking that does nothing but segregate people all over again. Sure it might seem like a good idea at the time but honestly, what's next? Last thing anyone needs is for that kind of retarded thinking to make its way westward. Who knows, maybe in Hong-Couver they could have it so gang members could get their high school equivalence diploma while selling drugs. Because really, in this politically correct society there are no bad ideas, just morons who are misunderstood.

tom brady can't save you now

2008-02-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

Any insight in this posting will be purely coincidental as it's 6:22am and I feel exhausted. After using my in-ear monitors at church yesterday, I will not play without them now. I'm a big believer in them.

I also took great joy in watching those cheating Patriots lose to the Giants. I really did think New England was going to pull it off and crush New York, but that's ok. My favourite superbowl ad was definitely the dalmatian training the horse in that budweiser commercial (if you didn't see it, check arround).

That's it for me, time to venture out into the cold. ew

maybe they'll sing for us tomorrow

2008-01-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

This blog brought to you by shameless promotion, but really because I think bands are awesome.

First of all, I was pretty excited to learn that Hammock has a new album coming out, coincidentally by the same name as the title of this blog entry. If I haven't raved to you about how great these guys are, then I shall digress. Very cool chillin music to listen to whilst drinking a coffee, smoking a cigar, or trying to find that song that expresses the emotion you can't find the words for. I would really encourage you to check them out. Their music is art. Check out their site here.

Secondly, check out Phao. They're a local band, but super good...some pop punk kinda stuff going on but still cool. And now they have t-shirts! *oooh....ahhhh*

When we last left our hero, he was musing, full of mystique and rage....

Yes Sarah-Anne, I am lazy. I know you've been harassing me for weeks to update this thing so I do wish much minor amusement to be bestowed upon you.

The last month has disappeared like a fart in the wind, but you know what they say: life is like a roll of toilet paper. the closer to the end you get, the faster it goes. Over the past few weeks I've spent much time worrying about things that end up working out, but they're legit so I don't regret it. My mom's been in and out of the hospital a few times because of stuff going on with her heart medication and pacemaker and what not. She's ok, but you know how it is when people close to you have to make a habit of chillin at Le Hospital (yes, i DID just put french into my blog...just for you Megs). Last week she was in the Foothills in Calgary and I had to boot it up and back in the same evening, but still somehow have the presence of mind to work the next day with little sleep. And thanks to Kelsey I didn't get totally lost on my way there (you rock)...who knew 1 turn would be so important....Thanks for the prayers and good wishes. It means a lot to me.

Work has been going pretty good and I'm quite enjoying things. I went through some more training in the beginning of the month so I could deal with more kinds of calls. Had a nice potluck today and I'm tellin ya, those things are money! I'm all about getting stuffed with good food, especially when it's under the guise of a meeting lol.

Warning: music nerd ramblings ahead.
Last week my in-ear monitors came in. If you aren't familiar with them, basically instead of having a monitor blaring at you when you're on stage, a the feed that would normally go to the monitors is put into a wireless transmitter and you wear a beltpack that some intense ear buds plug into, effectively blocking out the excess noise on stage. This also saves on your hearing quite a bit. The ones I got were the Shure PSM 200 and they're friggin great. They're a little on the pricy side, but they're worth the investment. I'm using them at church this weekend so that will be good...give them a real test. So far I've just used them to jam with my ipod but it's awesome.

I also managed to lock my friend out of her house for an hour and a half. When her roomate was coming back with a bunch of people. And it was the middle of a snowstorm. Yes, this is pure genius at work. Just a tip: don't try being nice and locking someone's front door for them. This may have totally disastrous effects. Like ripping apart half a wall only to realize it wasn't ply wood like someone told you it was. Or realizing every door on the exterior (and in the garage) of the house has a completely different lock and none of them can be picked. Or like having to thaw a window with a blow dryer. Fortunately my friend has really great neighbors that used to own the house she lives in and were able to save us from that disaster.

If you're going to my brother's wedding, I assure you I shall not disappoint you. Please be warned: by reading the next section you may have a shock induced heart attack. If you haven't heard, my brother and his fiancé asked me to be the MC at their reception. Yes, someone has foolishly decided (or lost a bet) to do this to themselves. I prefer to think of mockery like a sport: do it whenever you can. I've tossed around the idea of framing a pair of pants for my dear brother so he remembers what they look like when a woman isn't wearing them. I might be an ass, but I'm not as bad as some. One of my friends is getting married next weekend and his stag was on Friday. His best man made him wear a wedding dress and had a ball and chain tied to his wrist. It was all fun and games until one guy's wife came and decided the groom to be was missing something. So she took off her bra under her shirt, but it was too small to be worn propperly, so instead it became a hat. Not to be defeated by this turn of events, the ladies returned a short while later with a bigger bra and a sexy little pink lingerie number which was worn on top of the wedding dress (and yes i do have pictures). Oh good times....

I'm fast becoming a real Wii nerd, so if you want to add me, my console number is on my Facebook page. Do it.

Also, feel free to leave your 2 cents. Smart ass remarks are always a plus.

- josh

A long December

2007-12-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that wearing an ugly suit to work would make so many people laugh. My friend and I decided to wear our ugliest brown suits to work on Christmas eve and a good time was had by all. Some said I looked like a 1930's pimp, but most said i looked like a used car sales man. Speaking of car salesman, being as I got off quite early today I stopped by to have a coffee with my dad which was good too. I play at church tonight for the Christmas eve service and that should be alright. Normally this day of the year involves going to an early church service and then going for greasy chinese food which to my chagrin is not happening this year. So perhaps I shall dart over to my friend's place for a few drinks with her family that's coming in from out of town (before you get any ideas, she likes the ladies).

The past few weeks have been quite challenging as work has been very busy with questions like "how come you didn't _____" and polite answers from me saying "because, moron, you didn't send the right paperwork or you didn't sign it". Here's a no-brainer piece of advice: if you know you have to take care of something before the end of the year, don't screw yourself by leaving it until the absolute last minute. Maybe do it in November because asking for an exception a week and a half before the year is over will get you nowhere. *sigh* Enough about that. This time of the year is more difficult this year reflecting on where I was last year, what happened and what could have happened. The Counting Crows said it best: "memories are films about ghosts", but as the saying goes "this too shall pass". I'm hoping for expediency in that process.

If you haven't heard of Rockband, think of guitar hero on crack. It's even better to play with other people who suck like you and who are drinking. Thus went my Friday night. It was fantastic and full of great music like Weezer, Nirvana and R.E.M., and horrible bands like Rush, David Bowie and Hole. It makes me almost want to buy the game, but then I realize the overwhelming sticker shock and like a fart in the wind, the passing thought is gone. Great game though and I quite enjoy it especially when played on a 52" hi-def plasma tv. So good.

In the mean time, I do believe I will go play video games for several hours.

my titles are usually song lyrics few people know

2007-12-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

So if you don't understand what my titles mean, now you know.

Yes, it's been a while since I posted. What has happened? Very little. I'm sure I'll find a few stories to keep you entertained though, mild as that entertainment may be. The first and most pressing topic is new music. If you haven't heard, Jon Foreman from Switchfoot has released the first of 4 EPs named after each season. This one is called Fall and is very very cool. Kind of a Jack Johnson feel to it but not really the same. I really enjoy it and pretty much enjoy each song equally because they're so good. So check it out.

Last weekend I was away visiting several people in several places. Spent a day and a half visiting my goddaughter and my friends up in Lloyd. Always good times...except when a 4 year old cries when you leave...man does that make you feel bad. "uncle dosh, wen you comin back? how many sleeps?" It kind of rips your heart a little. From there went to Red Deer to play poker and for some ridiculous reason, 2 pair was my downfall all night because someone always had a full house or trips or quads or a straight...stupid! It was a fun night though. Spent saturday hanging out with family and playing trivial pursuit which was a blast. Went to calgary for the evening watching a movie with a friend. It was really great evening making fun of Bruce Willis and his incredible acting abilities in the latest Die Hard movie. Had a great talk and it was one of those night you wish wouldn't end. I didn't realize how badly I needed a few days away.

Field trips to Dennys always entail some bizzare conversations/situations (do YOU feel supported yet?). Today was no different. Not only did they play one of the greatest crap songs ever: You're So Vain, and not only did I start singing it, but someone else at my table did and then people at another table were singing it too. Yes, this is what I do after work: I go to Dennys and sing Carly Simon songs while drinking hideous amounts of coffee and shhhreee chez-cake. Somehow stories of romances gone awry sound so much better when you replace the real names with soap opera names and make up an absurd location (yes, Dr Drake Remorë was at Guantanimo Bay Summer Medical school trying to woo the lovely Melinda...so scandelous). I've decided to tell all my life stories in a soap opera fashion. It's so much more interesting.

As for Christmas, I'm so not a fan. Trying to get a single pair of gloves yesterday at the mall was an epic endeavor. It turned into a 3 hour tour. A 3 hour tour. For all you insane christmas shoppers that do your shopping at 1 store here's a memo: If you have a billion items in your cart please find it in your heart to let the person behind you with 1 item in front of you. I can guarantee if you do this, it will save them the temptation of violently attacking your kneecaps. Because honestly, it's very tempting.

...until winter gives way to spring

2007-11-20T22:30:00.001-07:00

so i think i'm turning into a rather sad gamer. no i haven't started playing computer games in my parent's basement. i picked up the new super mario game for Wii on friday and have been playing it a ridiculous amount. good game, but this post isn't a video game review cuz that would be lame.

it has been a few weeks since i posted anything, and since then I have exhibited 2 incredibly hideous costumes and yes there are pictures on my facebook. why do i do these things to myself? because i'll do pretty much anything for a laugh.

this evening included the first snowfall of the year. something about drastic changes in weather seem to cause people to go insane; this is what i've concluded. discussions ab out other people's relationships aren't fun, especially if you think they're not being treated right. it is nice though to feel you've said everything you need to without saying more than you need to, but slightly dangerous too. we'll see how that disaster goes.

when you start dreaming about being at work you know it's time for a vacation, so as of tomorrow after work i have a 4 day weekend which will be super fantastic. looking forward to seeing my goddaughter and playing poker with my uncle (this will be the second time i've ever hung out with him and my aunt).

something goes here...

2007-10-21T19:34:00.000-06:00

The background noise is from my bro's laptop and he's watching a video about segues. Enough laundry is done so I can make it another week without going nude (and just when your hopes were up eh?). An unmentionable amount of glee fills my soul as I realize tomorrow is monday and my weekend disappeared like a fart in the wind. Oh it's a bustling day alright.

Last Friday I had the pleasure of the company of 3 ladies while we sipped beverages at Starbucks followed by a horrible 80s movie. 2 were friends I hadn't seen in a very long time so it was good to catch up and make fun of each other (in case you're wondering, the 3rd was one of my friend's traveling buddies who made a fantastic pastime of pretending to tolerate me). It was a fun evening that got me to thinking about people I haven't talked to in a while...some for much better reasons than others. Seems that the more people change, the more they stay the same. Some make you still feel you're still fortunate to be basking in their invaluable presence because they're so much cooler than you. They find a significant other and suddenly you're a last resort rather than good company. Or they move far far away. You find you've changed and they haven't or vice versa and the laughs that were once there are a creepy afterthought. Sometimes change is good, sometimes you wonder where God is taking you because somehow it doesn't quite add up.

I've become acutely aware lately how quickly time is passing me by. No this isn't the part where I break into some overly analytical tirade about how we are all but sands in an hourglass. I'm just tired of waking up at 6am to realize my day is almost already over. John Foreman was right, life is faster than a gunshot (as a source, I site the setlist a roadie gave to me from a Switchfoot concert I went to back in 2004). The work I do isn't overly hard, not by a long shot. It would just be nice to feel like something is being accomplished. For a single, gainfully employed 20-something looking for a little more than surface success, sometimes harder questions need be asked. Perhaps it's the challenge that entices us. Friday night I was playing poker with some friends of a friend and some of you may or may not know that usually the only thing I'm good for at the table is adding to other people's chips. For a little while this was true. It was fun smoking cigars, having a beer and playing some cards. After a while I began to finally make some progress and a few good hands later I was the chip leader. I stayed in for a while and watched the chips move around, but became quite bored and left the others to split up my chips because I wanted to go home (aside from the fact it was 4am). And no the game wasn't for cash; I wasn't that tired.

- josh

F thanksgiving and F the riders

2007-10-06T16:17:00.000-06:00

I've decided that the Eskimos suck. They really suck. They're the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked. Over breakfast/brunch I was watching the game with my good friend Kyle, and wow did Toronto ever hand their asses to them! It was like watching the Roughriders. Their slogan should be "there's always next year". The Riders have the most loyal fans in the CFL bar none, and also the crappiest team in the league (barring only Hamilton).

I'm happy I have the pleasure of working through thanksgiving. Seriously. The extra pay is good, and the lack of hassle is even better. Why have turkey, it just makes it harder to lose weight. And why bother talking to those relatives you don't like? When it's all over you still won't like them anyway, and you save the time you would have had to spend talking to them doing more important things...like sleeping or hitting in yourself in the head repeatedly with a hammer. You don't feel bloated, no mental anguish or driving need to drink (to get rid of all the ridiculous/inappropriate things that great aunt gerdy said). And don't even get me started on Christmas. Sadly though, everyone is closed that day except 7-11 (why do they have locks on their doors anyway?) .

Speaking of segues, I feel it is my duty/obligation to vote against stupid people that are running in the municipal elections. One misguided former pastor (who will remain nameless) is running for a public office, so I feel it is up to me to ensure there is at least 1 vote going to someone who knows what they're doing. Voting is important. It's the difference between having a Dar Heatherington in office (remember the little story she made up about getting sexually assaulted and kidnapped?) and someone competent.

when all else fails, sue God

2007-09-18T16:19:00.000-06:00

Oh yes it's true. It's like watching that old George Burns movie Oh God. Some idiotic senator in Nebraska has decided to sue Almighty God Himself. You can go here to read the story. My favourite part is that this jerk is trying to prove a point about frivolous lawsuits, but really there have been TONS of examples from people who, although may have too much time on their hands, actually stood a chance to win their suit.

For example, there was the old lady that sued McDonalds for providing her a hot cup of coffee. Someone should have told her that trying to add sugar to a cup of coffee that's between your legs is a bad idea. Or the parents that sued Honda because their daughter who drove drunk (her blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit) into some water and drowned because she was too drunk to operate her seatbelt. In both cases the asinine plaintiffs were awarded plenty of money in their settlements. Hopefully enough for a lobotomy so the rest of us never have to hear from them again.

I'd just like to see this senator go ahead with the lawsuit. Quite honestly I would. Call me crazy, but I think that picking a fight with The Man Upstairs isn't such a good idea. Ananias might possiblay have some tips for messing with God, I dunno. He's kind of dead so who knows.

I'm just waiting for the news story to come out about some senator who was found dead because of some flaming asteroid flying out of the sky and smiting him. Perhaps this might classify as one of the "acts of god" that he's suing God because of.

The real question here is not how stupid is this senator, but more importantly what is this smoke screen intended to hide.

Oh it's a monday

2007-09-10T20:31:00.000-06:00

***The following story is based on actual events happening to a real cynic***

There are certain things that can make a monday an even bigger let down then they already are. First off, don't get a decent amount of sleep the night before. Bad idea. That makes you more alert to the utter crapola that is a monday. You have a positive outlook which is lost in quick order, because honestly, monday's suck. By the way, ask me if I have a case of the mondays, and you're liable to get your ass kicked.

Sure, the line at Tim Hortons might be a little shorter because most people are running late because they didn't get the extra sleep. They're going to be ripping down the westside hill and down crowsnest and will be getting rounding the corner to see the drive thru line backed out the entrance while you're snickering at them while you drive off to work sipping your coffee, possibly smoking a cigarette thinking about what suckers they are. Little do you know, that you are the sucker.

The Letdown

This phase begins when you pull into your parking space at work and realize that the bump in the road made you spill coffee on yourself in the most inopportune of places. And this is the day you decided against wearing black pants. Stupid you. Of course the only napkins you have are in your filing cabinet inside the office. Then you realize you forgot your swipe card at home that actually unlocks the door for you. So you wait for someone else to show up and sneak in behind them. You're so sly.

The day continues to degrade and get very hectic until about an hour before lunch, then everything hits a wall and the clocks start going backwards. It's unbelievable that things could possibly go so slow. Lunch finally gets arrives, and not a minute too soon, but you can't go yet. Something happens that needs immediate attention and so you leave 15 minutes after when your lunch should have started. No big deal, you still get an hour which means that 15 less minutes you'll have to sit at your desk. You run home for some eats and forget to grab your swipe card, then go drop off the flat tire at the repair shop. They tell you it will be ready by the time you get off work. Sweet!

Back to work, and the afternoon isn't as bad as the morning, but it's a close call. The last hour of the day drags on and on, but somehow you find enough things to keep you busy enough so you're only looking at the clock every 10 minutes instead of every 5 minutes. The day finally ends and you drive back to the tire shop.

The unexpected crap

You get back to the tire shop and are informed that because of where the leak is, they cant fix it and you have to buy a new tire. The mechanic is a nice guy and tells you he has some used tires in the back for a third of the cost of a new tire. Done and done. Head home, have a couple sandwiches for supper, then try to have a nap. Yah right, like that's going to work. Your roommate comes home and although can clearly see you're trying to have a nap decides to yak your ear off anyway. You see a pen on the coffee table and wonder how it would look sticking through his tongue, because even though he would be screaming, he would be leaving in quick order and you could get back to your nap. Unfortunately you lack the energy to do this, so you wait till he is tired of hearing himself talk. Try going back to sleep again, and your phone rings. No idea who is trying to call you so you answer. It's your dad and he loves to talk. grr. Throughout the whole conversation you are tired enough to start snoring in his ear, but as soon as he hangs up, the window for sleeping is closed. Thanks jerk.

The evening is nice because it's cool so you can kind of relax. I hate mondays.

- josh

someone's got to be the hero, someone's got to do the job

2007-09-08T13:15:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to Saturday; my favourite part of the week. Once again, no idea where the week went, but it's gone. Last night I went over to Matt's house to record some music and after a few technical glitches getting started, we were off and running. Also got to meet his little girl for the first time. She's 4 months old and really cute, but then again most babies are. When a baby is ugly, they're REALLY ugly, and I've seen a few of them in my time. The worst is when they belong to a good friend or someone you're trying to impress. So bad. Anyhow, the song is nowhere close to being done, but it's got a really good vibe to it. For the bass part, I used my synth pedal and Matt used a bunch of cool effects on it. It still needs a lot of work and one of those songs that needs words, but your pen just can't find the right ones.

Last night was a big first for me: changing a flat tire. Oh yes, it was craptastical and ever so exciting. After loading my gear back into my car when we were done recording, I got about 3 blocks before I realized something really didn't feel right. Unfortunately the tire shop I go to isn't open until monday, so I get to drive on a donut for a few days.

I've finally gotten around to adding the music I don't listen to onto my ipod. Some of it I remembered why I haven't listened to it in forever (like old joy electric or jody davis) and re-discovered some gooders like K2S, About A Burning Fire by blindside, and Cush.

The flipside of waking up after the crack of noon is that even though you get a nice amount of sleep, half your day is gone. I should probably go do something...

- josh

born losers

2007-09-03T02:23:00.000-06:00

this post is a spew of possi-bly incoherent ramblings/musings/etc. I don't understand when people choose not to do something that could make their life better. A few examples could be: heart surgery which could extend their life, refusal to realize their significant other has their nuts in a vice grip, realizing they are a weekend alcoholic but doing nothing to change that fact, saying you're someone's friend but putting forth no effort to develop said friendship.

I don't get it. Each of these things will come back to bite you in the ass. You baffle your loved ones by saying no to the surgery. You wake up one day and realize that your significant other is the single cause of every decision you make and there is nothing you can do about it because of how tight that vice grip is. Your friend realizes you have no real interest in them or assumes as much and bails on you just before you really need them. The addiction to booze costs you friends, self respect, heart break and (from time to time) the will to live. Why do the people in my life put themselves through this? I don't think I will ever understand. It's exceedingly difficult come to terms with the fact these decisions have been made, much less understand them. The worst part is telling someone they're being an idiot and they just don't listen. Normally it wouldn't bother me except that when this has been happening lately it's people that really matter to me and I can't just cut them out. I hate having to live with the voice of reason being utterly ignored, or being heard and disregarded just as quickly.

Why the title? Well, I picked up the new Matthew Good cd the other day and I quite enjoy that song.

The whole idea God coming to give life and life to the full has been rolling around in the back of my mind. I'm sure some of you could give me the good Christian-ese answer to that, but what does that really look like?

Just got back from going to the midnight movie at the mill with Luke, Paul and Julie. Pretty weird watching a movie about marriage counseling with your brother and soon-to-be sister in law. Tad bit creepy too. One of my favorite parts was when watching Luke's face when Robin Williams used Luke's famous line "let's get the flock out". Too funny.

Aight, it's sleepy time.

- josh

random stories and musings

2007-08-29T20:15:00.000-06:00

I've known this for a while, but honestly it does pay off to know a nerd. Especially when the nerd lives a few blocks away and you get the blue screen of death and can't load windows. Thanks Mark.
I also realized how badly I suck at Tiger Woods Golf for xbox. It might help if I actually owned an xbox or played more than once every 3 weeks. Last time was a different story. I was the man. I was on fire. I was 8 under par and got 3 eagles and a hole in 1. Maybe this is why I keep my super nintendo so I can be half decent at games no one plays anymore.

There's one in every office, at every job. That one person who should have never been hired. They're rude, they smell funny, they're abrasive (in every sense of the word), and wear leather pants when their butt is the size of China. Fortunately for me, that person doesn't work in my department. But I can fully sympathize with those in their department beacuse I used to have to put up with this such person's fiascos at my previous place of employment. So when they complain to me about how completely grotesque and inappropriate this person is, I laugh and ever so much enjoy the fact that they sit on the opposite side of the building.

Too many articles expose dumb criminals. The story last week about the lady that called the cops to help her get the money back she spent on sub-par cocaine. Or the thug in New York that mugged someone and when she gave him a $10 bill, he got change for her from a pizza place because he only needed $4. No, no. This guy is a real smart guy...sort of. He defrauds bank customers out of like 6 or 7 million dollars in India, then ends up in Germany facing deportation because they find out about his criminal history. Appeal after appeal is heard, and they finally get it done to deport him. So what does he do? He swallows a sword because then it becomes a hazzard for him to fly as the take off or landing might be fatal to him (pressure changes, turbulance, etc). This works to keep him in germany for about 6 years until someone gets a great idea: put this guy on a plane full of doctors so if the sword starts causing problems they can give immediate care to save his life. Turns out the sword didn't actually cause any problems and he arrives back in India without incident. Of course now he's being charged for the millions of dollars he stole, and has the sword in his stomach to remind him of his criminal genius.

- josh

just say no

2007-08-27T22:56:00.000-06:00

So, I've decided I'm finished with myspace. I'm sick of getting spammed, sick of the stupid ads that fill up the page, and sick of porn stars trying to add me as their friend. Seriously not cool.

It's time for a new start. Let me just say from the get go that if you're easily offended or are one of the unfortunate few who was born without a sense of humor, do us both a favor and don't read my blog. It saves me from having to delete your comments and you from suffering the humiliation of me ridiculing you for being a sissy. Life is too short for that kind of hassle, and I'm sure there are plenty of other people for you to annoy with your ridiculousness (did I mention I make up my own words too?).

At the current moment I'm trying to ignore my roomate that just got home. Ever had someone talk to you when you're trying to do something else/don't care/have a headache? Yes, it's irritating at best. I'm also listening to Hammock's new album which is fantastical. The last few days are giving me the feeling you normally get in winter. The days are shorter and pass by quicker, the weather is cooler, and it really doesn't feel like you're accomplishing anything (although you very well may be). There is one thing that brightens the horrizon: the knowledge that school is starting soon and that means girls. Freshmen girls. As someone much more cultured than I once said "you know what the best thing is about freshman chicks is? Doesn't matter how old I get, they all stay the same age". Let me be frank (or bob): freshman chicks are annoying, tedious and immature. It's like walking past a masterpiece by piccaso. It's not meant to be stared at, drooled over, etc. It brightens a room, but no one is stupid enough to hang it in their living room. You glance at it for a brief moment, and it might smile at you, but you quickly move on because you know that if you stare at it for more than a few seconds it will drive you insane.

Getting back to the winter thing, the other thing is that the moon is super bright. like tonight. hope you enjoy my art. It's picasso, but it'll do.

- josh