Ramblings and Whatevers

once

Once is a movie. A great musical type movie. Not the cheesy type singing in the rain musical. The main character plays guitar and is a street performer. I got to thinking about this movie today. It was actually one of the first movies Sara and I saw together. It was very early on in our relationship that I realized just what Sara meant to me. As well as the impact she was going to have on my life. As well as how awesome she was etc. Today for instance my lovely bride to be who knows I may be the cheapest man alive and still loves me. Went looking for wedding bands and found one hell of a deal. I LOVE a deal. This is a deal. So as I sit here at work listening to the ONCE soundtrack reminissing on our date I can’t help but know just how perfect Sara is for me. I know there is allot of times that I blog about Sara but I guess I can’t help it.
.Not allot else going on. Got my music moved from old computer to new and that’s really cool. Iphone still rocks hard. I love it. My only problem with it is that it takes a long time like 15-20 minutes to load music onto it. It’s a little aggravating. Also the whole not being able to put individual songs on it directly you have to actually put them onto the iphone playlist is a little cumbersome. I am trying to decide if I want to buy an Apple TV. It looks cool and I think with all of potential movies and tv shows you can buy on itunes it makes sense but many shows I like for instance Heroes aren’t selling their episodes on itunes this year. So that decision will have to be made in the future.

iphone

I am typing this from my new iPhone they rock hard! Thanks jennifer and foot as well as my bro and sis in law kasey!

Day after Christmas Blog

Well ladies and gentlemen Christmas has come and gone. Like most days of the year that you anticipate i.e. your Birthday, Valentines, Martin Luther King Jr. Day it was over in a blink of and eye. All that’s left now is to clean up the boxes reorganize your closet to fit the new stuff in and move on. Onward to New Years. Over this last weekend though my life has had some great things happen. Lets break down the weekend.
On Saturday we had Lunch and watched Sara open her presents from my parents as well as my grandparents. We ate lunch with the family and it was really great to get to see everyone. Grandmother was in great spirits and compared to last year doing 1,000,000 times better. Thank God Sara, or Kasey didn’t see her last year. We then drove over to her parents ranch and had chuck wagon food that was FUCKING AWESOME. Sorry Foot but it was. Anyway got to meet her extended family and talk to all of them and enjoy the cold rest of the day. Great people and very friendly. Sara and I then drove home and had our Christmas together. It was awesome giving her all the stuff I did. She also got me some really cool items such as a rubiks cube, magic 8 ball, and computer. The computer was a communal present from her and my parents. We drank some wine and held each other realizing how lucky we both were to have each other. To be honest I’m the luckiest. It was great we then went to bed. Its truly awesome having someone that means so much to me during Christmas or anytime for that matter. So Sunday I fly to Slowdeatha and see the pro golfer Chad Campbell. He said hello! More than I can say for Bill Walton when I sat next to him on a flight to San Diego what an asshole. Anyway wooosa. We have Christmas dinner on Sunday and open presents with Gran and Pappa. It was very nice. I love them so much. Wake up on Monday morning and have Christmas with Blake and Kasey who we had to drive to Seagraves so that they could spend time with Kasey’s family. Nice Christmas. Seriously, very nice. Went to church service and then the rents and I went and saw Charlie Wilsons War. It was okay nothing to write home about I thought. Woke up on actual Christmas day and went to my Aunt Jonis house. My youngest cousin Mason got this thing called Rock Band for his xbox its similar to guitar hero except it rocks. We played for like 2 hours. Ate some breakfast and got on the plane. Got to Dallas saw the prettiest girl in the world and got in the car with her and on to Ft. Worth for more family. Went to Kathys and had some Christmas dinner which was very good. Then on to Roger and Lois’s for more Christmas. This is Saras family Christmas and it was very nice. They bought me more than they should have. We then had another Christmas with Lois’s family. Same house so luckily didn’t have to go anywhere. Also very nice and I was given more than I deserved. After a little chow Sara and I attempted to play Robert Earl Keens “Merry Christmas from the Family.” I hadn’t played it sober or since Friday night. So it was a challenge remembering all the parts. We made it through semi-fine and very polished I must say. Then Saras Uncle Carl grabbed my guitar and played and we sang a couple of Christmas carols. A fine end to a great Christmas. I won’t tell exactly what I got for Christmas but I will say I got enough money and gift cards to pay for my iphone! HOORRAAYYYYY!!!!! Thanks everyone! Well I hope everyone is well and home safe. The greatest thing about the holidays is getting to spend time with the people we love and I am so blessed to have such amazing people with me during the holidays. I love you all!

Back to work…….I guess.

best of 2007

was noticing that with the end of the year nearly upon us that allot of people are posting top 10s of the year. I decided I shall do my own. My list will only contain 5 albums and they will go from 5 to 1. This year has been a pretty great year for music I think. Allot of god indie bands have put out some fantastic albums. Surprisingly Bruce Springsteen put out his best album in along time. He’s back with the e-street band and thank the lord it’s not all political. Also the Eagles put out a new record. Trying something different by releasing the result only through wal-mart and on their own record label. The two disc set sounds so much like their older material it makes you wonder where the hell they have been exactly. Music is great and year to year what can you ask for? Not much else!

5. Ryan Adams-Easy Tiger & Follow the Bright Lights-EP

So Ryan Adams has two albums in one position. That is in part to the fact that Ryan could read the phone book and I would buy the album and call it brilliant. This year though Ryan put out a very focused album. It recalls all the sounds from his highlight albums and is really something for everyone. He’s clean and sober but hasn’t lost his touch and that’s the greatest thing of all. Follow the Bright Lights contains some material that didn’t make “Easy” but is traditionally him being a little more melancholy. Also on “Follow” we are given a cover of Alice in Chains Down in A Hole. All in all it’s great to have you back Ryan.

4. Sea Wolf – Leaves in the river

An Absolutely fantastic Album that Kyle turned me onto. The thing I like most about this album is the simplicity of its haunting rhythms that stay with you for a long time. Middle Distance Runner is the highlight for me. On this record. These kids have a great future and honestly a pretty cool name! The simplistic style plus the retro dance sounds and 80s vibrations help this album chug along and you aren’t ready for it to end when it does.

3. The National-The Boxer

Interpol who? Just kidding. Even Matt Berninger sounds an awful lot like Paul Banks (lead singer of Interpol) that doesn’t matter. Because lyrically The National hit it on the head. Straight forward lyrics that speak of tragedy and time of heart breaking turmoil as well as Fake Empires. Mistaken for strangers is the key song and the albums only single. It has a driving rhythm that once it gets going is steady and groovy. It’s just brilliant. Strange how you find bands like this ever so often. I used to wear this album out driving over to Sara’s. Way to be Matt!

2. Iron and Wine- Sheppard’s Dog

So I just recently bought this Album and WOW! I didn’t know what to think about Sam Beam going at it with a full band instead of straight acoustic. I like it. His voice is soft and echoy. His sound pretty much the same. He has done allot of good things with the band. Including the song Pagan Angel and borrowed Car. Where the band backs him up slightly but don’t overtake his soft vocals. Shows what a good producer can do. As for my favorite song. Boy with a Coin. The day I heard it I went home and tried to learn it on the guitar. It’s a very cool rhythm for guitar and surprisingly simple chord wise but hard for a beginner like me. Also the hand claps in the back ground are cool. Carousel is the best ballad on here where if I’m not mistaken some reverb is thrown on Sam’s voice and it works really well. Great job Sam. I was worried you were going to loose your identity but you just reinvented yourself.

1. Band of Horses-Cease to Begin

I will never be able to talk about this album and do it any justice. To tell you how much I’ve listened to it my top ten songs on my itunes are this album. I enjoy it. With lyrics like “In a town so small how can anybody not look you in the eye or wave as you drive by the world is such a wonderful place.” I’m not a hippy but it takes you to a simpler time where you wish it were that easy. The song “No Ones Ever Gonna Love You” has a coolness to it that is hard to describe and Ben Bridwells up and down vocals. If you aren’t in love with lyrics like “Anything to make you smile” you will be soon. If I could write beautiful songs I would like to write them like this. Mary Song is the highlight of the end album that sounds like and old country song with a keyboard instead of a guitar. The album is all around great and I would suggest anyone to go get it. If you like countryish indie rock. If not well you need to learn because Band of Horses ROCK!

The Letter

I am going to post a letter below that I received today. It’s interesting and strange. First of all who writes letters? Second who writes letters? Anyway enjoy

Dear Bryan,

It has been some time since you and I have spoken or seen each other. It is my understanding that you are now engaged and living in Dallas with your fiancé. I don’t know if you ever think about me and the good times we had together. The late nights, the comfy Sunday mornings drinking coffee and watching movies. I wonder sometimes if I will ever see you again. I know it’s only a matter of time until you are gone and become simply a memory. A memory that you recall fondly, and forget the next second because of how forgettable I am. You are one of a long line of people who have done this to me. I just wanted to tell you I miss you being inside of me. Things are lonely and dark and I smell kind of funny. It’s only because you never come by anymore. I also wanted you to know that I have some of your stuff. If you want to come by and get it I would be more than happy to give it to you. I hope you enjoy that place where you stay. As I am told through the grapevine you are staying in a very nice house. In Preston Hollow how FANCY! Some place that you can live forever without much worry. I wonder will you tire of it like you have of me? Will you simply throw it away and only come by when you want, or forgot something? Will you just use it and leave? Will you? You people disgust me. Throw things away and just forget them. We are grown ups so I can let this go but I just want you to know that leaving like you have out of the blue and for no reason is just mean. Enjoy your life asshole.

Sincerely

#2111

(Your apartment if you don’t remember)

HA! Got you! You thought I was talking about a woman? I was thinking about this on the way to pick up some mail at my apartment that wouldn’t it be funny if apartments had feelings and got mad when we leave etc. So there it is.

Barefoot update. Foot is home not feeling great but home and that’s awesome. He has endured allot and I know it’s just great for him to sleep in his own bed. Toodles!

Utter Melancholy

Why so Morose? I love slow music. I mean love. I am currently listening to Ryan Adams saddest bastard songs of all time. I am happier than a pig in mud right now. There really isn’t a whole lot going on today so I spent an hour putting together this playlist. I don’t know what it is about me that loves these songs so much. I guess it’s the loner spirit or the fact that I spent many years alone so therefore I can identify with the loneliness that is the essence of Ryan Adams. It could be also that I am a sucker for pedal steel guitar with slow acoustic sounds. Not sure. The funny thing about it is for that even in my happiest times of my life. Listening to slow music makes me happier. For instance a few months ago my love Sara and I went and saw Ryan Adams live. A great venue, we had a bunch of fun drinking and eating dinner before the show. Went to the show and even though its not her bag I had Sara sitting next to me holding my hand while Ryan played his greatest songs. I was literally in heaven. I could have died at that moment and would have no complaints in my life. The next morning I could still hear the music in my head the slow sounds the way his band sounded so tight etc. The only other time I had that feeling was after I got to see Bruce Robison. I love songwriters. The way that they can turn a phrase or put life into persepective in just 4 minutes is absolutely glorious. Mostly I love them out of jealousy because I wish I was that cool.

As I wrote the above about Sara and I drinking and eating we do that allot. We go to a place and drink some beers and eat some food and talk and make fun of each other and what evers on t.v. She told me that she never thought she could love someone as much as she does me. I feel the same way. The tough times the moments of anger pass in a single second when I get to see her pretty smile and simply get a kiss. The tenderness in her eyes and the softness of her kiss eliminate everything that troubles me for the moment. I love you angel face! You’re the greatest

blogyness

Blogyness

Well I haven’t blogged much this week but I’ve been busy. Interestingly enough though I have been thinking about stuff to blog about. Just not going to write about that today. Today I want to talk about Matt Pinfield. You may remember Matt. He was a VJ for mtv about 54 years ago. Short, Stalky, Bald guy. Anyway he has his own program on Sirius station left of center which is for independent and upcoming bands. It’s a two hour program but it is awesome. He plays all kinds of music and seems to be extremely knowledgeable about most things. Last night he played some songs by a band called Suede. I looked them up on itunes (Suede of London being the name on there) and its really cool stuff allot of it only released in the UK. The interesting thing is that The lead singer of Suede heard Matt playing his song and called in to talk to him. Apparently he was driving in his car taking his son to soccer practice in LA. So this band Suede was around in the 90’s and never did much in the states apparently they were huge in the UK. He is now a producer and has another band and like 15 other things. The neat thing about this is the fact that Suede had never heard any of his songs on the radio in America. So the man is talking to Pinfield and breaks down. He said Matt if people like you had existed on the radio in America when I was younger my life could have been very different. That got me to thinking about how arbitrary that statement is. I mean if I were an astronaut I could have gone to space. If nix was a baker he could make a cookie. If I was taller I would play for the Mavericks. That’s true of anything. Second guessing isn’t the way to live. These guys made millions, and influenced the early 90’s brit pop scene and were considered the smiths of the 90’s. Bands like Radiohead and Oasis are credited with sounding like Suede. How bad can your life be? I remember a couple years ago VH1 had a show called bands reunited. The premise was they find bands people liked and tried to get them back together for a 1 night show. Some bands got back together some didn’t. There was one band in particular called The Alarm.. I have never heard of the Alarm or any of their hits but they were huge in the UK. The band decided to play the show. Then you see the line of people standing outside to see the band. Its VERY, VERY long and freezing cold. People are so passionate about this band. This brought me back to Suede. It made me wonder why does someone have to be big in America to make it everywhere? 90% of the world’s population isn’t American. I guess what I’m getting at is why can’t he be happy that he was big at all? Got to live the rock life he loved. I understand the potential loss of millions and what not but the British seem to care more about bands and albums while Americans just want poppy singles. So as an artist one question should stick out to you. Do I want to be a one hit wonder or do I want to have a career. Shouldn’t it be the latter? I would rather have a career than a hit. Guys like Elvis Costello and Ryan Adams show that people will love you even if you aren’t in the charts. I just wish that man from Suede could understand that he means allot to allot of people. His music touched them. Just tell America to fuck off and be done with it. Then maybe he won’t seem like such a girl crying on satellite radio to Matt Pinfield of all people.

Barefoot update. Hes doing better walking around I think and being able to sit up. Way to go foot!

race report

views from the back of the half
marathon field.

The Sea was angry that day men.
Angry like an old man trying to
return soup at a deli (Seinfeld
refrence). Seriously we all know it
was miserable. But my day started
out okay woke up showered, dressed,
went to the AA center. It was then
that I discovered I had left my bib
at home. Run to car (fastest I ran
all day) drive home grab number head
back. Get their in time to be
positoned in the back of the pack. I
looked around at all the suckers I
was about to beat. I then got to
watch a man and his MUCH younger
prettier girlfriend make out in
front of me before the race started.
Again a nice start to the day.

The race is off. I begin to run. I
get to mile 1 and side cramp. Like
Mikey I feel if you cant run the
first mile you should re-examine the
distance. I push through the pain
and start to feel good. I get to
mile 4 and then am in need to go to
the littlle boys room. I get to the
Lukes Locker area and see the
massive line in front of the
portalets. I go over behind a tree
and almost step on a woman I didn't
see squatted down. Come to think of
it I'm not sure she was a woman at
all. Anywho. I do my business. I
begin to run again. My foot starts
hurting. I have had persistence feet
probs since my half iron. At mile 5
I begin my walk run regime. This was
so I can run when my foot stops
hurting only to make the pain come
back. What can I say I love to be
miserable. I don't feel like a good
runner unless Im mad. So I usually
intentionally put a rock in my shoe
just to irritate me. So with pain in
hand I am in highland park looking
at the mansions wondering what these
people do for a living, and how can
I do it too. I get to mile 7 I know
I must run this whole mile for my
fiance and our friends will be
somewhere between mile 7 & 8. I see
them at the beginning of 8. My first
thought is you liars, second thought
how nice. Lovely people

Make it to ten and the pain is
increasing. Feet hate me, I hate me.
All in all in great shape. Mile
11-12 for those of you who did the
half and saw the guy with the Stove
pipe hat with the smiley face on it,
carrying the rubber chicken and the
way to go foam thumbs up finger
thats my uncle. SERIOUSLY! I see
uncle Doug who had done incidentally
26 consecutive White Rocks until
this year and we say our
plesantries. I move onward thinking
that the marine corps really messed
him up.

Mile 12 update foot still hurting,
pain increasing tingle in calf.
Suicudal thoughts come and go. Look
at watch and consider stopping at
Bar I passed for a beer and to see
how the Cowboys are starting out
because at this pace I will miss the
game. Make it to the end. I should
rephrase I see the end. I get that
last bit of energy and start to run.

An oldman probably 85 or so starts
to race me. Ladies and gentlemen the
marathon purse just got a little
bigger. I look at him and I said not
to day old man! He retorted with
something about the boston marathon
in 1944 I wasn't listening I was
just trying to make sure I beat him.
I thought I had him then here he
came with a final last push. I
kicked it into gear and threw an
elbow. At the same time. I crossed
the line with nothing but scowls
from the Volunteers who saw my move
but hey man rubbings racing. The old
guy came at me with his cane and I
ducked out just in time. That was
the second fastest I had moved all
day. Legs still hate me.

All in all a crappy race and I knew
it would be bad but its over and
done. Life moves along. If I had
never done a half before I probably
wouldn't have done it with my foot
pain and all but I learned some
lessons the hard way. Happy holidays
all!

Iron & Wine

A great band. Very acoustical. Very slow. Very good lyrics. Awesome! Check out the song “Boy with A Coin.” Well here we are almost half way through December. The Christmas month. I love December. It is a time of giving and receiving. A time of fun and spirit. Tonight is my last class for the semester. I am very happy and excited about this. Its always satisfying to have the semester over and done with. Also tomorrow is the beginning of a new old me. I am going to eat better run more and loose some of these excess lbs I have put on this last year. I’m fed up with my horrible running and I know my diet isn’t that great either so I am going to do something about it. Tomorrow I am going to Luke’s after work and buying a new pair of running shoes. Along with a running light and maybe some other apparel I really can’t live without. Of course I can live without it just don’t want to. My goal is to get back to where I was before. I ran the half last year in 1:54 or so don’t remember exactly but still I did it with little effort. I can do it again. Let me run down my priorities so that nobody gets worried about their place in my life

1. God

2. Family (Sara)

3. Work

4. School

5. Running

Luckily with the semester over I can put school out of the equation for a bit. This is something I need to do to get back to it. I feel bad about my body my shape my self. I have let myself slack too much and no more. This is not to say that I am going into old Buzz of doing nothing fun. On the contrary I am going to run and eat well on the week days and let the weekends be my time. A healthy balance if you will. Well there it is have a great day.

Motto for the day: DEATH TO CHEETO!

Buzz OUT!

Whiterock Half Marathon

Has come and gone. It was a long cold day today. I ran it in well I don't know what time but I ran it. I would bet it took 2:30 or so. Lauren and Cliff finished and did it well. I am proud of her and she is extremely proud. Its pretty neat to see someone so gung ho like I was at one time. All bright eyed and bushy tailed. Sara was awesome today stnading out there cheering me on. I love her and I can't really explain how satisfying it is to come up to her and have her kiss me after a bad day on the course. Those pretty eyes looking into mine telling me I did a great job and that she loves me. Its strange what a year can do to us. In a year I left lubbock, moved to the city, fell in love, got engaged. Crazy! Death to Cheeto is the motto for the day. I don't really want to get into what it means exactly but lets just say its a good idea to get behind. Sometimes in life things happen and we take turns that are unexpected and true. This is the time that defines us as human beings and family. When we can stand and scream Fuck You looking square in the eye the thing that scares us the most is true heroism. For that Barefoot is my hero. I hope everyone is well and that christmas time is going as great as you want it.