I have a million memories of my dad just like the one in this picture. My mental photo-journal is certainly not short of pictures of us hiking, sliding, throwing nerf balls, riding bikes, shooting hoops, golfing, taking road-trips (one of our personal favorites), changing the pads on the swamp cooler, making up fake spanish words like “guacalote” and “guacalotito”. Britton (my nephew in the pic) will see this picture some day and remember quickly what growing up with my dad was like. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of the same memories as I do.
The amazing thing, is that my dad just turned 60. You’d never guess it by looking. He’s in better shape than probably most dudes walking around….all dudes…….18-80. Its kinda amazing actually. He’s certainly redefining what being 60 has to look like. It kicks open a whole other set of doors for me and what I’m hoping my 60’s look like.
Happy birthday dad……thanks for always wanting to spend time together. Andy and I were lucky to have that, and I hope that I’ll be that to my kid someday. I love you and happy birthday!!!!!
So I ‘m in Chicago on a couple days off from tour. Every chance I get to have a few days off here I like to stay w/ Shelley and Randall. Guitar hero, new foods, wine, conversation, guitar hero, rock band (video game), cats. Its always wonderful.
They’re sleeping right now, and I’m on my wacky road schedule that rarely lets me fall asleep before 3am. According to this photo, I’m only 2 and a 1/2 hours away. Yipee.
I have so many thoughts on this speech, but the last 30 seconds of it made every hair on my arm stand up. I am so thankful to have a man like this challenging my generation. From the poster on my bedroom wall when I was 13 years old to now. Thanks Bono for introducing me to politics, amnesty international, Billy Holiday, John Coltrane, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Berlin, the one campaign, jubilee………and for believing that a teenager could be smart.
Well, The Myriad has its first day off in about a month, and boy was it needed. We’re whooped. I will say that our spirits were lifted yesterday when we found out that our first video for “A Clean Shot” was the most played video on Mtv. What the heck!?
None of us are sure what this means exactly, but its exciting news. As my friend Nathan put it, if nothing else ever happens, I’ll at least be able to say I was a one hit wonder. So……..I’ve got that going for me. Here’s the video if you haven’t seen it yet.
This is a pic of some lovely new friends vedera. They are on the tour with Eisley, The Myriad and The Envy Corps.
Tour is most often fairly grueling, and tonight’s all night drive to Florida will be no exception. What is always wonderful is when the people that you’re on tour with are great people. Vedera are great. They’ve been lots of fun to celebrate and lament with (depending on how the show went of course) Check ‘em out and buy their CD when it comes out in June.
So….last night I did something that I’ve never done before. I “tased” myself. A couple of the guys from Eisley bought tasers at an Army/Navy surplus store. I couldn’t resist. Its funny how different people have different responses to being tasered.
A friend of mine Jon Young let me taser him in the ribs. He just let out a “mmmmmhhhhhhh” and then walked on. I wasn’t so calm. I wouldn’t let anyone else do it to me. I had to do it myself. It ended up with me yelling (probably too loud) SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT!!!! I then thought about Karen being there and how she would have probably peed her pants at the physical comedy factor. After all…….someone being tased is pretty much NEVER not funny.
Well…I’ve spent the last week and a half mostly in the south. I’m loosely including TX and FL in that category. Its been lovely. I sat down on a friends driveway the other day at 2am just feeling the thick warmth on my skin and was reminded of what I love down here. The Secadas were noisy as hell, doing their best to keep me awake. Little do they know that they actually were my little version of a white noise CD lulling me to some decent sleep. Foiled!!!
The run with Switchfoot was great. They are some sweet guys and a great live band. Athlete was on the bill as well, and they were fabulous. Great band, great guys. On the second to last night of tour we braved Bourbon St. in New Orleans and had some drinks. Lovely evening……..I hope we see them again soon.
The Eisley portion of the tour started a couple days ago, and its been a lot of fun so far. They’re a great band as well, and their family seems like a kind, loving group of folks. Very artful. Very creative. We have almost two months left of that tour. Its a nice change of pace having a female element to the tour. Its certainly brought a sense of calm which is certainly different than the high intensity/testosterone of many of the other tours we’ve done. The other bands on the bill are Vedera and The Envy Corps. Both bands are great, and seem like they’ll be fun people to get to know. Well….only 50 or so shows to go!
Ummmm….I snagged this from Weston’s (of Eisley) blog mainly because I think this picture is glorious and amazing.
I know that there are a lot of folks that are confused, angry (at both sides), and walking around with giant question marks hovering above their heads like inquisitive halos. Rightfully so. Things are pretty messed up right now.
My wife and our dear friend Charis have received mixed comments and emails about all things Mars Hill Graduate School. I’m sure people write them off as angry women, and I’m sure others will feel confirmed in their suspicions……..and others just have that damn odd shaped halo over their head get brighter. Well…….GOOD! Let that question mark light up like Christmas on the sun!
I’ve been all over the spectrum with MHGS. I’ve been sad, confused, delighted in, thankful for, angry with, and now….. all of the above. My neon question mark is glowing pretty good these days. It would be too easy for me to just be angry, so I’ll ask a question.
If all of this business with MHGS and Heather is soooo cut and dry (ie: she’s a crazy lady searching for vengeance…….which is bullshit by the way), then tell me how a school with supposedly good boundaries and discretion could have had Kirk’s new wife Dani speak at a MHGS function a while back? Even if the first conversation between Kirk and Dani happened after the divorce papers were signed, this is at BEST a complete lack of discretion and at WORST a complete and arrogant slap in the face to Heather.
I don’t claim to know the whole story or to have all the answers, but enough has gone on with Heather and a multitude of other situations (yes…..recent situations….not just Don and Suzanne) I know about, that I HAVE to ask questions. Truth seems to be floating around like a weird elusive butterfly with a machine gun, but its there……somewhere. Go ahead…………DON’T take a side. Just ask questions, and lets figure this thing out. Of course………if the answers to our questions are lies. Well…….that’s a whole other story.
