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Well, here's something I can work on with nothing else going on between the holidays.
Merry Xmas, ya little jerks!
Alex
Monday, December 24, 2007
Game On.
Well, here's something I can work on with nothing else going on between the holidays.
Merry Xmas, ya little jerks!
Alex
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The best performance ever of "Stairway To Heaven"
I think it's really creative and cool that this was done.
Also, I'm getting hooked up with both volumes of 'Beat The Boots' by Frank Zappa, as well as mono versions of the Beatles' albums.
AND...on January 20th, Todd Rundgren will be in Indianapolis.
Life is good.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Good News and Mediocre News From Bloomington
I really don't want to depress you all with tributes to the two fallen Beatles (three if you really believe that Paul is dead), so I'll forgo that in favor of letting you know what's up with me.
The good news is I brought home all A's and a B this semester. May I never do an 18 credit course-load in one semester again. It's not that I really hated it so much as there was no reprieve. Two papers and a test one week. A paper and two tests the next. Quiz and a paper the following week - online assignments due weekly. It got to be a little too much at times. But, with a 3.63 GPA magnetized onto the fridge, I was able to handle it.
On the note of credits and all that, let me preface this by offering a warning of content that is probably harder to explain than it really is.
Math 025 - Pre-Calculus is one of the courses I'm taking this summer, to qualify my math requirement. However, it carries with it absolutely NO CREDIT. All other classes I've taken have been 3 or 4 credits. But this one? ZERO CREDITS. I found this out tonight, and purely by accident.
I had initially thought that I would only need 2 credits (I decided to only do five classes/15 credits for spring 2008) after the first summer session. And that's no biggie at all, just register for some elective course offered either in my department (Public Speaking comes to mind for this) or maybe a course in bowling or chess or something.
Nope. I'll need five credits...and that's the only requirement I need. By this point I will have met all three requirements of Arts & Humanities, Social & Historical Studies (both of which I'd checked off by spring 2006), and Natural Sciences & Mathematics, also Cultural Studies, Topics Courses, Intensive Writing, classes at the 300/400 level (they require 36, by June '08 I will have 58), and Foreign Language.
I need 122 credits for graduation. It's not a lack of concern that I won't find anything, it's just a bad calculation on my part had me convinced I only needed the math class for Summer Session I of 2008, then I'd be done. (Guess I really need that math course, no?) I only added the other two courses (History Of The Blues, The Music Of Jimi Hendrix) to balance out sitting through math, as well as having Hollinden again for a class. I had no idea I actually NEEDED the credits for those...
...So, the only cause for my exasperation is that my plans for summer school have gone from ONE class to THREE, then FOUR, and now...five. So much for working full-time during the second session.
And I'll need the money, because I signed on for the apartment.
Alex
The good news is I brought home all A's and a B this semester. May I never do an 18 credit course-load in one semester again. It's not that I really hated it so much as there was no reprieve. Two papers and a test one week. A paper and two tests the next. Quiz and a paper the following week - online assignments due weekly. It got to be a little too much at times. But, with a 3.63 GPA magnetized onto the fridge, I was able to handle it.
On the note of credits and all that, let me preface this by offering a warning of content that is probably harder to explain than it really is.
Math 025 - Pre-Calculus is one of the courses I'm taking this summer, to qualify my math requirement. However, it carries with it absolutely NO CREDIT. All other classes I've taken have been 3 or 4 credits. But this one? ZERO CREDITS. I found this out tonight, and purely by accident.
I had initially thought that I would only need 2 credits (I decided to only do five classes/15 credits for spring 2008) after the first summer session. And that's no biggie at all, just register for some elective course offered either in my department (Public Speaking comes to mind for this) or maybe a course in bowling or chess or something.
Nope. I'll need five credits...and that's the only requirement I need. By this point I will have met all three requirements of Arts & Humanities, Social & Historical Studies (both of which I'd checked off by spring 2006), and Natural Sciences & Mathematics, also Cultural Studies, Topics Courses, Intensive Writing, classes at the 300/400 level (they require 36, by June '08 I will have 58), and Foreign Language.
I need 122 credits for graduation. It's not a lack of concern that I won't find anything, it's just a bad calculation on my part had me convinced I only needed the math class for Summer Session I of 2008, then I'd be done. (Guess I really need that math course, no?) I only added the other two courses (History Of The Blues, The Music Of Jimi Hendrix) to balance out sitting through math, as well as having Hollinden again for a class. I had no idea I actually NEEDED the credits for those...
...So, the only cause for my exasperation is that my plans for summer school have gone from ONE class to THREE, then FOUR, and now...five. So much for working full-time during the second session.
And I'll need the money, because I signed on for the apartment.
Alex
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Get the tissues - one of Frank Zappa's last interviews
It's really disconcerting to see Frank, the outspoken and opinionated genius, essentially stripped of all his pride...he still has an edge, though, and thank God. Probably one of the toughest videos for me to sit through. He might have been a brisk, at times a little too insensitive guy during most of his life, but that doesn't show here.
Alex
PS - 12/4 (the anniversary of his death) to 12/21 (his birthday) marks what Zappa fans call "Zappadan," a 17-day period where we celebrate his life as opposed to mourn.
PPS - If you think THAT was hard to watch, just wait till I find proper tributes to John & George!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Hello, It's Me
I'll get all suspense out of the way concerning my meeting with Hollinden by saying this: my pursuit of non-theoretical music studies is not happening. For one, I would have to apply to the school of music. That means AUDITIONING...
And as much as I admire Ruth Underwood's talent, I'm a rock and roll kind of a guy through and through.
Anyway, I'd essentially have to start over again, at the School Of Music. I was told some things about said institution that I feel ought to stay under wraps (self-imposed gag order), but MY OWN CONCLUSION is that the Jacobs School Of Music didn't become the 2nd most renowned music school in the country (second only to Julliard) because it boasted a liberal environment and did something other than hammer classical music into its students' heads (Because it DOESN'T!) Even jazz music is treated the same way as rock music, something extra for the kids to do in their free time while studying classical charts.
I really appreciate that Andy was honest about everything. He prefaces a lot of his personal stories in the Zappa class with "Now, I don't wanna bore you guys with my life story, you're hear to learn about Zappa, not me...", but I happened to enjoy all semester hearing about his own experiences growing up with the music. I've been into FZ for 7 years, and I can still tell you where I was, what I was doing, everything, with EACH album.
To get back to my point, my eyes were opened to the fact that the academic community is just like any other field, in that the powers that be see things with green-tinted glasses. (While that is a let-down, at least I heard it from someone that I respect NOW as opposed to someone I don't respect LATER.) I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but then I was so naive that I figured the academic community would be something like Oz.
With that all said, Andy encouraged me to stay the course in film studies - he even loaned me a book detailing rock music in film - rather than do four years as a music school undergrad, at which point grad school to study rock music would be "a crapshoot," and to pursue a line of study that could somehow incorporate film and music. The Beatles' movies are all excellent, and remarkably unique in their own ways, Zappa's movie '200 Motels' alone deserves a thorough analysis, and Ray Davies was practically bounced out of a financial backer's office in 1972 for proposing an idea that predicted rock video a full decade earlier.
Still, the fact of the matter is that I do enjoy writing about film...it's just a very short list. My sentiment of "it's all been said before" about the old masters (Eisenstein & Chaplin) hasn't shifted. I could make my entire career out of studying their work and becoming a resident scholar on one or both of them - and it would only make sense that their paths eventually crossed: Chaplin hailed 'Battleship Potemkin' as the greatest film in the world. But honestly, I feel studying them would be almost a cop-out. If there's a message in a Chaplin film or an Eisenstein film, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see it. (Stalin correctly saw himself as the murderous tyrannical bastard in Ivan The Terrible, and he was idiot!)
Speaking of Ray Davies, I embarked upon my final creative project for the CMCL Department as an undergrad. It wasn't a movie, though I did help Shelley with hers - and it turned out excellent! Not to sound like an old man, but I was proud of her. My project was written. It was roughly six and a half years in the making: I adapted The Kinks' rock opera 'Preservation' into a screenplay. The first time I heard the album, it was all I could do but picture it in my head as a film...many years later, having learned all the technical details and jargon related to crafting a script, I made it happen. The whole thing came together in two sittings. The end result was 125 pages.
I'm not going to lie: I'm proud of myself, since this past weekend prohibited me from doing any work (and I don't regret it, I had a good time at home), I walked into the writing process thinking I wouldn't be able to complete it. But I did. My left hand is KILLING me, though.
Dad's interview for the church camp job is on Friday, the 7th. Feel free to contact him and wish him luck on that...unless he doesn't know you. That would be weird.
This weekend (and if my parents still read this, I would STRONGLY discourage Dad from reading this portion) I found at an antique store in Scottsburg the American pressings of A Hard Day's Night and Help!, Live At The Hollywood Bowl (something Dad has told me he wanted for YEARS), and the real gem was an ORIGINAL PRESSING of Magical Mystery Tour, complete with the 24 page color booklet inside. My old man is going to have the best Xmas ever.
Nick's senior pictures went smoothly...it's kind of strange, with Nick now being an adult, to realize that I like my brothers not because they're my brothers but because they're my friends. I don't know...pardon my odd sense of nostalgia.
This is, for me, a rather sad stretch of days. This past Thursday marked the 6th anniversary of George Harrison's passing, yesterday (Tuesday) was the 13th anniversary of Frank Zappa's death, and this Saturday is probably the toughest one, as it is the 27th anniversary of John Lennon's murder. (Also would have been mine and Shelley's 2-year anniversary...) Amidst all that is my mom's birthday, which like I said was kind of a breath of fresh air among all the projects and papers due during my 5th "dead week," which, like all the others is not so much dead as it is kicking and screaming.
On that note, I have to watch a Mongolian documentary and write 8-10 pages about it by 2:30. My poor left hand...
Expect some sort of tribute to three of these deceased idols of my youth next time around.
Alex
And as much as I admire Ruth Underwood's talent, I'm a rock and roll kind of a guy through and through.
Anyway, I'd essentially have to start over again, at the School Of Music. I was told some things about said institution that I feel ought to stay under wraps (self-imposed gag order), but MY OWN CONCLUSION is that the Jacobs School Of Music didn't become the 2nd most renowned music school in the country (second only to Julliard) because it boasted a liberal environment and did something other than hammer classical music into its students' heads (Because it DOESN'T!) Even jazz music is treated the same way as rock music, something extra for the kids to do in their free time while studying classical charts.
I really appreciate that Andy was honest about everything. He prefaces a lot of his personal stories in the Zappa class with "Now, I don't wanna bore you guys with my life story, you're hear to learn about Zappa, not me...", but I happened to enjoy all semester hearing about his own experiences growing up with the music. I've been into FZ for 7 years, and I can still tell you where I was, what I was doing, everything, with EACH album.
To get back to my point, my eyes were opened to the fact that the academic community is just like any other field, in that the powers that be see things with green-tinted glasses. (While that is a let-down, at least I heard it from someone that I respect NOW as opposed to someone I don't respect LATER.) I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but then I was so naive that I figured the academic community would be something like Oz.
With that all said, Andy encouraged me to stay the course in film studies - he even loaned me a book detailing rock music in film - rather than do four years as a music school undergrad, at which point grad school to study rock music would be "a crapshoot," and to pursue a line of study that could somehow incorporate film and music. The Beatles' movies are all excellent, and remarkably unique in their own ways, Zappa's movie '200 Motels' alone deserves a thorough analysis, and Ray Davies was practically bounced out of a financial backer's office in 1972 for proposing an idea that predicted rock video a full decade earlier.
Still, the fact of the matter is that I do enjoy writing about film...it's just a very short list. My sentiment of "it's all been said before" about the old masters (Eisenstein & Chaplin) hasn't shifted. I could make my entire career out of studying their work and becoming a resident scholar on one or both of them - and it would only make sense that their paths eventually crossed: Chaplin hailed 'Battleship Potemkin' as the greatest film in the world. But honestly, I feel studying them would be almost a cop-out. If there's a message in a Chaplin film or an Eisenstein film, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see it. (Stalin correctly saw himself as the murderous tyrannical bastard in Ivan The Terrible, and he was idiot!)
Speaking of Ray Davies, I embarked upon my final creative project for the CMCL Department as an undergrad. It wasn't a movie, though I did help Shelley with hers - and it turned out excellent! Not to sound like an old man, but I was proud of her. My project was written. It was roughly six and a half years in the making: I adapted The Kinks' rock opera 'Preservation' into a screenplay. The first time I heard the album, it was all I could do but picture it in my head as a film...many years later, having learned all the technical details and jargon related to crafting a script, I made it happen. The whole thing came together in two sittings. The end result was 125 pages.
I'm not going to lie: I'm proud of myself, since this past weekend prohibited me from doing any work (and I don't regret it, I had a good time at home), I walked into the writing process thinking I wouldn't be able to complete it. But I did. My left hand is KILLING me, though.
Dad's interview for the church camp job is on Friday, the 7th. Feel free to contact him and wish him luck on that...unless he doesn't know you. That would be weird.
This weekend (and if my parents still read this, I would STRONGLY discourage Dad from reading this portion) I found at an antique store in Scottsburg the American pressings of A Hard Day's Night and Help!, Live At The Hollywood Bowl (something Dad has told me he wanted for YEARS), and the real gem was an ORIGINAL PRESSING of Magical Mystery Tour, complete with the 24 page color booklet inside. My old man is going to have the best Xmas ever.
Nick's senior pictures went smoothly...it's kind of strange, with Nick now being an adult, to realize that I like my brothers not because they're my brothers but because they're my friends. I don't know...pardon my odd sense of nostalgia.
This is, for me, a rather sad stretch of days. This past Thursday marked the 6th anniversary of George Harrison's passing, yesterday (Tuesday) was the 13th anniversary of Frank Zappa's death, and this Saturday is probably the toughest one, as it is the 27th anniversary of John Lennon's murder. (Also would have been mine and Shelley's 2-year anniversary...) Amidst all that is my mom's birthday, which like I said was kind of a breath of fresh air among all the projects and papers due during my 5th "dead week," which, like all the others is not so much dead as it is kicking and screaming.
On that note, I have to watch a Mongolian documentary and write 8-10 pages about it by 2:30. My poor left hand...
Expect some sort of tribute to three of these deceased idols of my youth next time around.
Alex
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
"Gee, it's good to be back home/Leave me till tomorrow to unpack my case/Honey, disconnect the phone"
There is so much to update on:
Kate and I broke up on 11/6. It wasn't mutual, and it was my decision. We're still friends. It's not still a touchy subject for us, but I don't want to go into details. Basically, there was frustration on my part. It's not that I didn't get to see her enough, but that I didn't get to see her PERIOD. Just something that started small, went unnoticed, got bigger, still went unresolved...then that was it.
It's all good, though. I've had some time to refocus, and I think it would be wise for me to follow my original plan that was the source of dissatisfaction with Shelley and something I'd wanted to do at the beginning of the school year: see what all is out there and not get too wrapped up with any one person. If someone who seems right comes along, I'll pursue it, but that takes time.
That brings me to my next point: I've got time on my hands, as I'm going to be in school for at least another four years. I took the GRE on the 24th and did well on it. Now, the grad school application process begins: time for recommendation letters, writing samples, and drafting up my statement of purpose. I want to study music instead of film now, but more on that later. I plan on meeting with Professor Hollinden sometime soon to discuss this.
I took a shit in a urinal. (I figured I'd juxtapose talks of grad school with that - I've not forgotten my roots.)
Eric is just a few tracks away from completing the Hobbyhorse album, which we are slated to finish during Winter Break. He really needs to get his ass up here and at least pursue his M.A. degree. He is very, very missed.
Thanksgiving break was the first time I was home since mid-September for more than ten minutes. I can never say that I miss Seymour. I don't ever roll into town and say, "Oh, good, there's the animal hospital! I'm practically there!" It's more about seeing the family and, honestly, the house, too.
But I might not be going to the big brown house from 1912 in Seymour next Thanksgiving. Dad applied to become camp director over at Indian Creek in Bedford, and the search has narrowed from 11 applicants to 4 interviewees, including Dad. If he gets it, he'll move to Bedford in January/February, and Mom and Nick will move in June after Nick graduates. Despite the pay cut, Dad will actually be happy with what he does. I'm behind it 110% if he is given the job, but then I'd be 110% behind him having to relocate to Abu Dhabi to do volunteer work - if it makes him happy. God knows he deserves it.
Everything else about Thanksgiving...eh...nothing outstanding to discuss. Nice quiet weekend at home. Lily has gotten so tall that Jasmine can walk under her...and Lily still loves me for whatever reason. I think it's because I'm the only person who has never scolded her. And you know what? I won't ever. She's too cute and hyper...and smart (for a dog). I didn't get to drum...and that kinda sucked. But I got some quality time in with Eric & Maddie, Nick, and Mom. (Note somebody's absence...)
Thankfully, I had forgotten my cell phone charger. Mom told me "one or both of us will meet you" at the intersection of Highways 50 and 446. I pulled up and saw just Dad. After getting my charger, he asked if I wanted to go in and get coffee. I hadn't eaten all day, so I had a sandwich and Powerade. A little under two and a half hours later, after discussing music, my academic future, girls, films and why I'm wanting to abandon film studies, classes, and his pending job, we parted ways.
That more than made up for the lack of face time I had with him, and not just during Thanksgiving Break. When I was sick, only Mom was able to come up. It was nice, and I enjoyed spending time with just her, but when I call home I usually talk to Mom. And I hadn't been around for Dad's birthday (I was in Alabama), but I will be around for Mom's (this Saturday, actually), so yeah...it's still strange talking to Dad not as my father but as my friend. We're more in common than either of us had thought until recently. It's weird to be a month and a half away from turning 21 and know that Dad was my age when he got married.
So it goes.
Back in mid-October, Graham invited me to be his roommate next year at an apartment. The building is LITERALLY a block off-campus. The pricing is reasonable, too. My parents aren't for it. Initially it was the issue of safety and the architectural soundness of the place. Once I got a tour of it and talked with somebody from the property management about how safe and sound the apartment was, for reasons I'm still not completely sure of, I was told that should I sign the contract I'm on my own for rent. I was also told to wait a year, spending my first year of grad school on campus; the year after that they'll cover housing.
The issue has kind of rested as I prepped for the GRE. But now it's on my mind again. In the weeks since even my last entry I've started making a case not so much specifically for the apartment but AGAINST the dorms. The best part - though it does suck for me right now - is that my case against even Willkie is writing itself. I have only $15 left on my meal card thanks to food being anywhere from one to four dollars over their actual retail prices (and the fact that I eat healthy 95% of the time). I'm up late because the laundry machines fucked up while drying two loads of clothes and towels. Last weekend I was driving all over this part of town trying to find a parking spot because every single parking spot around Willkie was taken - some by vehicles without student permits...lots and lots of reasons.
Initial cost and the subsequent cost of living for the apartment would still be cheaper than paying for the dorm room alone, I just need some paperwork indicating that.
I'm sick of living in a dorm (did I mention that even though my thermostat is set for 55, the room is BURNING UP because the building's heater switched on sometime last month. Yeah, it was cold to the point that I had what I call snotsicles in August and September and now my sleep is interrupted by waking up dripping sweat. Oh, and opening the window? That's what gave me the flu a couple weeks ago...), and I really feel that the apartment is a rational solution.
Mom said, "You'll do whatever you want whether we approve of it or not." That's true, but it's not an issue of defiance. It's an issue of practicality. Grad school isn't cheap, and Nick is starting college next fall. I see it as 1.) a personal step forwards towards independence and "real life" and 2.) an effective - and did I mention practical? - cost-cutting measure.
Oh, well. Hopefully the suspense is killing you...
Alex
PS - In response to m@'s question, it's weird how small this world truly is. Sometimes I'll friend someone on Facebook and be blown away to see how many friends we have in common. Anyway, I'll be more active in future comment-page discussions, I've just been busy as all Hell these past few weeks between my break-up with Kate and then the GRE. Projects and finals are right around the corner, but I'll make time to post here again soon.
Kate and I broke up on 11/6. It wasn't mutual, and it was my decision. We're still friends. It's not still a touchy subject for us, but I don't want to go into details. Basically, there was frustration on my part. It's not that I didn't get to see her enough, but that I didn't get to see her PERIOD. Just something that started small, went unnoticed, got bigger, still went unresolved...then that was it.
It's all good, though. I've had some time to refocus, and I think it would be wise for me to follow my original plan that was the source of dissatisfaction with Shelley and something I'd wanted to do at the beginning of the school year: see what all is out there and not get too wrapped up with any one person. If someone who seems right comes along, I'll pursue it, but that takes time.
That brings me to my next point: I've got time on my hands, as I'm going to be in school for at least another four years. I took the GRE on the 24th and did well on it. Now, the grad school application process begins: time for recommendation letters, writing samples, and drafting up my statement of purpose. I want to study music instead of film now, but more on that later. I plan on meeting with Professor Hollinden sometime soon to discuss this.
I took a shit in a urinal. (I figured I'd juxtapose talks of grad school with that - I've not forgotten my roots.)
Eric is just a few tracks away from completing the Hobbyhorse album, which we are slated to finish during Winter Break. He really needs to get his ass up here and at least pursue his M.A. degree. He is very, very missed.
Thanksgiving break was the first time I was home since mid-September for more than ten minutes. I can never say that I miss Seymour. I don't ever roll into town and say, "Oh, good, there's the animal hospital! I'm practically there!" It's more about seeing the family and, honestly, the house, too.
But I might not be going to the big brown house from 1912 in Seymour next Thanksgiving. Dad applied to become camp director over at Indian Creek in Bedford, and the search has narrowed from 11 applicants to 4 interviewees, including Dad. If he gets it, he'll move to Bedford in January/February, and Mom and Nick will move in June after Nick graduates. Despite the pay cut, Dad will actually be happy with what he does. I'm behind it 110% if he is given the job, but then I'd be 110% behind him having to relocate to Abu Dhabi to do volunteer work - if it makes him happy. God knows he deserves it.
Everything else about Thanksgiving...eh...nothing outstanding to discuss. Nice quiet weekend at home. Lily has gotten so tall that Jasmine can walk under her...and Lily still loves me for whatever reason. I think it's because I'm the only person who has never scolded her. And you know what? I won't ever. She's too cute and hyper...and smart (for a dog). I didn't get to drum...and that kinda sucked. But I got some quality time in with Eric & Maddie, Nick, and Mom. (Note somebody's absence...)
Thankfully, I had forgotten my cell phone charger. Mom told me "one or both of us will meet you" at the intersection of Highways 50 and 446. I pulled up and saw just Dad. After getting my charger, he asked if I wanted to go in and get coffee. I hadn't eaten all day, so I had a sandwich and Powerade. A little under two and a half hours later, after discussing music, my academic future, girls, films and why I'm wanting to abandon film studies, classes, and his pending job, we parted ways.
That more than made up for the lack of face time I had with him, and not just during Thanksgiving Break. When I was sick, only Mom was able to come up. It was nice, and I enjoyed spending time with just her, but when I call home I usually talk to Mom. And I hadn't been around for Dad's birthday (I was in Alabama), but I will be around for Mom's (this Saturday, actually), so yeah...it's still strange talking to Dad not as my father but as my friend. We're more in common than either of us had thought until recently. It's weird to be a month and a half away from turning 21 and know that Dad was my age when he got married.
So it goes.
Back in mid-October, Graham invited me to be his roommate next year at an apartment. The building is LITERALLY a block off-campus. The pricing is reasonable, too. My parents aren't for it. Initially it was the issue of safety and the architectural soundness of the place. Once I got a tour of it and talked with somebody from the property management about how safe and sound the apartment was, for reasons I'm still not completely sure of, I was told that should I sign the contract I'm on my own for rent. I was also told to wait a year, spending my first year of grad school on campus; the year after that they'll cover housing.
The issue has kind of rested as I prepped for the GRE. But now it's on my mind again. In the weeks since even my last entry I've started making a case not so much specifically for the apartment but AGAINST the dorms. The best part - though it does suck for me right now - is that my case against even Willkie is writing itself. I have only $15 left on my meal card thanks to food being anywhere from one to four dollars over their actual retail prices (and the fact that I eat healthy 95% of the time). I'm up late because the laundry machines fucked up while drying two loads of clothes and towels. Last weekend I was driving all over this part of town trying to find a parking spot because every single parking spot around Willkie was taken - some by vehicles without student permits...lots and lots of reasons.
Initial cost and the subsequent cost of living for the apartment would still be cheaper than paying for the dorm room alone, I just need some paperwork indicating that.
I'm sick of living in a dorm (did I mention that even though my thermostat is set for 55, the room is BURNING UP because the building's heater switched on sometime last month. Yeah, it was cold to the point that I had what I call snotsicles in August and September and now my sleep is interrupted by waking up dripping sweat. Oh, and opening the window? That's what gave me the flu a couple weeks ago...), and I really feel that the apartment is a rational solution.
Mom said, "You'll do whatever you want whether we approve of it or not." That's true, but it's not an issue of defiance. It's an issue of practicality. Grad school isn't cheap, and Nick is starting college next fall. I see it as 1.) a personal step forwards towards independence and "real life" and 2.) an effective - and did I mention practical? - cost-cutting measure.
Oh, well. Hopefully the suspense is killing you...
Alex
PS - In response to m@'s question, it's weird how small this world truly is. Sometimes I'll friend someone on Facebook and be blown away to see how many friends we have in common. Anyway, I'll be more active in future comment-page discussions, I've just been busy as all Hell these past few weeks between my break-up with Kate and then the GRE. Projects and finals are right around the corner, but I'll make time to post here again soon.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
I have nothing to say at this point.
That is all.
Things are good. Taking the GRE on 11/24. God help us all.
Ray Davies visited me last night in my dream. I'm starting to think it wasn't a dream but a divine vision.
Alex
Things are good. Taking the GRE on 11/24. God help us all.
Ray Davies visited me last night in my dream. I'm starting to think it wasn't a dream but a divine vision.
Alex
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Wow...
I am just reinventing myself from the bottom up. Tonight I finally changed my AIM icon after two years.
Look out, world!
Look out, world!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
It's Officially Autumn
...and it happened overnight. Yesterday it was pleasant and in the 70's...maybe a little too hot if you were in direct sunlight. But then today came along and it was brisk.
I'm not sure if I welcome this change in the weather or if I'm ready for it to be hot again.
I'm not sure if I welcome this change in the weather or if I'm ready for it to be hot again.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Hello Again
I'm a neglectful son of a bitch. Sorry (for those of you anticipating my update that never comes) for not updating this more often.
Things have been GREAT. Recording the second weekend in a row was kind of a bust...but it's all good. When was that, anyway?
9/20:
+ Kate's friend Maggie came to town. Her dad was AWESOME. He mentioned seeing Jellyfish (the band) in concert several times, which led to me mentioning how Ringo Starr covered two of their songs on one of his albums, then how Todd Rundgren was in the band...then he told me about the time he and a friend stumbled upon Rundgren's house! Our conversation carried on from there; he told me about how he covered a Kinks concert in 1969 when they were the opening act for The Who! Dude - THE KINKS and THE WHO at the same show on the same night! I really need to get that damn MacArthur Grant so I can build a time machine and see some concerts. Then...THEN...this guy tells me about how he owns a Nazz bootleg. That's right, The Nazz. Awesome. Just...wow...
+ I headed home, played with Lily, visited with my folks, etc.
9/21:
+ Commence recording? Nope. Damn microphones...still, Dad was off until 3, so we got to hang out. Think it's dorky that I hang out with my Dad? Then you don't know my dad well enough.
+ Packing my stuff up for my less than triumphant return to Bloomington, Mom pulls in the driveway and tells me she wants to take me out to dinner.
+ At Applebee's, I see none other than Mr. Blythe, my American Lit and AP English teacher (and one of a VERY short list of high school teachers I would ever care to see again, let alone remain in contact with - if I ever write a book he's getting an acknowledgment.)
+ I come back to Bloomington, chill with Kate and Maggie for a spell, and then get ready for the cocktail party I was invited to.
+ Since Kate couldn't come (that's what she said), my friend Daniel was my "date" for lack of a better term. It was awesome, we got to see the premiere episode of a new show for the campus TV station called "IUTube." It's not just good for that awful student television network, it would be good on a REAL network. Best of luck to those guys, they've got something good on their hands.
+ Daniel took me back to Willkie at 1 AM because he was tired. So...for the first time ever, I was able to attend both events I had been invited to via Facebook when David and I walked across town to a house party where some bands were playing. A guy from my film class, Dan Ostrozovich (I have to specify since I've got a phalanx of Dans, Erics, Maddies, Nicks, Scotts, Andrews, and Hollys in my life...and a few Alexs too many for my liking), invited me. I hadn't talked to him much outside class. But he turned out to be an interesting guy.
+ Walking back at 5 AM, some drunk wanderer told us he didn't know where he was but needed directions back home. I offered to give him a lift. David checked in at 5:30. I took this guy home - he swore up and down I was some sort of angel, which I had to quickly respond to with, "No, I'm just a guy...trust me." - and was in bed by 7 AM.
9/22:
+ Up at 1 to clean out my car since I volunteered to take Maggie to the airport. Kate came with, of course.
+ We left at 3:45, hit a post-game traffic jam in Bloomington, hit traffic in Indy, but she still made her 5:30 flight. It was great.
+ Driving back, Kate and I talked...I don't know, it's hard to explain, but being in a car with someone (this has been my experience anyway) you can have some pretty profound conversations and get to know somebody a lot better in a compact amount of time. Witness me with Rick, Daniel, and Ian on our gaycation to Alabama.
+ Kate and her roommate already had plans, so I called a friend and went out for a while. As I was driving home, Kate called to say she was on her way back, but they couldn't find a cab. So I opted to pick them up.
+ Afterwards, just the two of us hung out in my room, just sort of kicking back and listening to music...more bonding time. Again, hard to describe unless you've been there. It was nice.
9/23:
+ My audition for the local band Overhand went well, but I honestly didn't feel comfortable playing with them. It was more of a modern metal thing (think Tool), which isn't my thing at all. I mean, I don't listen to it...so, yeah. Still, great group of guys, they all seemed very cool and friendly.
The first test in the Zappa class came and went. Child's play.
Same with The Beatles class.
9/28:
+ Unfortunately, the plans I'd made with Graham were curtailed when he told me he was in the hospital after collapsing. Thank God it was just a heavy sinus infection and nothing worse.
9/29:
+ I took Graham and his friend Kat to Best Buy, CVS, and the mall. It was fun hanging out with Graham. Things have been so busy and stuff that it's been hard to stay in touch. What matters is that it happened, you know? We ate out at Chili's. Graham and I hung out at Collins. He got to meet Kate, too. All in all, it was a good night.
9/30:
+ Ah, yes...first real date. I took Kate to Louisville to see Eric Condon perform at a coffeehouse.
+ On the way, though, was Seymour. I had to pick up my checkbook, anyway. But, Kate got to meet my parents, Nick, Eric, Maddie, Lily, and...yeah...Jasmine. Got to show her the house, my drum kit, etc.
+ I got way more than I bargained for when we finally got down to Louisville. Eric was mid-song when we came in, but the next song he did, with a nod to me, was "Old Brown Shoe" by The Beatles. It was flattering because, as I whispered to Kate while he was playing it, Eric and I played that song before. He also did an encore featuring "Any Way The Wind Blows" by The Mothers of Invention. He learned it just for me. I was happy to hear it.
+ Never mind all that, Kate got to meet Ian, Anthony, Blake, and Sarah. (I'd seen Blake and Sarah at Eric's grad party 8/26, and Anthony and Kendall came up to see the Vonnegut exhibit. Dammit, I miss Ian. He was in top form. When I asked him if he would ever come to Bloomington he said, "Never. I'm not coming to Bloomington ever again, and here's why..." then he turns to Kate, "Now, I haven't known you long, so I hope you don't mind..." then continued, "but I SHIT in the Wal-Mart there. And you know what? I didn't flush. That's what I think of Bloomington." Fair enough.) I got to meet Daniel's dad. I already had a memory of him, as he was in one of Daniel's movies. The scene he was in ended with him screaming at Daniel, "Get outta here, ya little mother-fucker!", which as I learned from Daniel was an improv on his father's part. Remarkably, Mr. Robison seemed very tame and calm when I met him.
+ After the show Kate and I went over to Eric's house and hung out with him and Sarah. It's strange, I've only been there four times to his house...but it's one of those places that is just emblazoned into my memory, like my grandparents' (either set) house or the hotels we've stayed at on vacations. Weird.
+ At some point on the trip, I got so caught up in the music that was on (it was probably on The Beatles disc, we'd already listened to a sampler of The Who) that I couldn't NOT sing to it. The first song was "Whiskey Man" by The Who, but I started doing it almost song-by-song on The Beatles CD, which was a mix of 'Help!', 'Rubber Soul', and 'Revolver.' I explained to her that I don't sing for ANYONE. It wasn't even until June or July after knowing Eric since September of 2006 that I finally was able to sing while he played "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" by The Kinks. She thought it was good. I really honestly don't know. Eric thought it was good, too, so there must be something there. Unfortunately I can't drum and sing at the same time. Witness that dude from The Eagles: great voice, shitty drummer. Or Micky Dolenz from The Monkees: again - great voice...oh, wait, he didn't even really play the drums!
Anyway.
Things are good. I decided to skip out on Oktoberfest 2007:
+ The three people I'm dying to see are not going to be there. Joe Boxman is in Japan, Brett Eldridge is in London, and Tonya Shepherd has a fall break in a few weeks, so she'll be home for that.
+ Um, Oktoberfest kind of sucks.
I threw a surprise party for my suitemate, David. I think he liked it. Hung out with Kate and some friends in her room for much of the night.
We're getting close, you know.
And I'm comfortable with that.
All in all, from tonight alone I can say I made the right choice.
Alex
PS - ALMOST FORGOT! Through MySpace I've gotten in touch with former FZ band member Ed Mann, Dweezil's drummer Joe Travers (who also is the "Vaultmeister" for the Zappa Family Trust and knows Professor Hollinden), AND I just got a response email from Art Barrow (who played bass with FZ from 1978 to 1984).
Things have been GREAT. Recording the second weekend in a row was kind of a bust...but it's all good. When was that, anyway?
9/20:
+ Kate's friend Maggie came to town. Her dad was AWESOME. He mentioned seeing Jellyfish (the band) in concert several times, which led to me mentioning how Ringo Starr covered two of their songs on one of his albums, then how Todd Rundgren was in the band...then he told me about the time he and a friend stumbled upon Rundgren's house! Our conversation carried on from there; he told me about how he covered a Kinks concert in 1969 when they were the opening act for The Who! Dude - THE KINKS and THE WHO at the same show on the same night! I really need to get that damn MacArthur Grant so I can build a time machine and see some concerts. Then...THEN...this guy tells me about how he owns a Nazz bootleg. That's right, The Nazz. Awesome. Just...wow...
+ I headed home, played with Lily, visited with my folks, etc.
9/21:
+ Commence recording? Nope. Damn microphones...still, Dad was off until 3, so we got to hang out. Think it's dorky that I hang out with my Dad? Then you don't know my dad well enough.
+ Packing my stuff up for my less than triumphant return to Bloomington, Mom pulls in the driveway and tells me she wants to take me out to dinner.
+ At Applebee's, I see none other than Mr. Blythe, my American Lit and AP English teacher (and one of a VERY short list of high school teachers I would ever care to see again, let alone remain in contact with - if I ever write a book he's getting an acknowledgment.)
+ I come back to Bloomington, chill with Kate and Maggie for a spell, and then get ready for the cocktail party I was invited to.
+ Since Kate couldn't come (that's what she said), my friend Daniel was my "date" for lack of a better term. It was awesome, we got to see the premiere episode of a new show for the campus TV station called "IUTube." It's not just good for that awful student television network, it would be good on a REAL network. Best of luck to those guys, they've got something good on their hands.
+ Daniel took me back to Willkie at 1 AM because he was tired. So...for the first time ever, I was able to attend both events I had been invited to via Facebook when David and I walked across town to a house party where some bands were playing. A guy from my film class, Dan Ostrozovich (I have to specify since I've got a phalanx of Dans, Erics, Maddies, Nicks, Scotts, Andrews, and Hollys in my life...and a few Alexs too many for my liking), invited me. I hadn't talked to him much outside class. But he turned out to be an interesting guy.
+ Walking back at 5 AM, some drunk wanderer told us he didn't know where he was but needed directions back home. I offered to give him a lift. David checked in at 5:30. I took this guy home - he swore up and down I was some sort of angel, which I had to quickly respond to with, "No, I'm just a guy...trust me." - and was in bed by 7 AM.
9/22:
+ Up at 1 to clean out my car since I volunteered to take Maggie to the airport. Kate came with, of course.
+ We left at 3:45, hit a post-game traffic jam in Bloomington, hit traffic in Indy, but she still made her 5:30 flight. It was great.
+ Driving back, Kate and I talked...I don't know, it's hard to explain, but being in a car with someone (this has been my experience anyway) you can have some pretty profound conversations and get to know somebody a lot better in a compact amount of time. Witness me with Rick, Daniel, and Ian on our gaycation to Alabama.
+ Kate and her roommate already had plans, so I called a friend and went out for a while. As I was driving home, Kate called to say she was on her way back, but they couldn't find a cab. So I opted to pick them up.
+ Afterwards, just the two of us hung out in my room, just sort of kicking back and listening to music...more bonding time. Again, hard to describe unless you've been there. It was nice.
9/23:
+ My audition for the local band Overhand went well, but I honestly didn't feel comfortable playing with them. It was more of a modern metal thing (think Tool), which isn't my thing at all. I mean, I don't listen to it...so, yeah. Still, great group of guys, they all seemed very cool and friendly.
The first test in the Zappa class came and went. Child's play.
Same with The Beatles class.
9/28:
+ Unfortunately, the plans I'd made with Graham were curtailed when he told me he was in the hospital after collapsing. Thank God it was just a heavy sinus infection and nothing worse.
9/29:
+ I took Graham and his friend Kat to Best Buy, CVS, and the mall. It was fun hanging out with Graham. Things have been so busy and stuff that it's been hard to stay in touch. What matters is that it happened, you know? We ate out at Chili's. Graham and I hung out at Collins. He got to meet Kate, too. All in all, it was a good night.
9/30:
+ Ah, yes...first real date. I took Kate to Louisville to see Eric Condon perform at a coffeehouse.
+ On the way, though, was Seymour. I had to pick up my checkbook, anyway. But, Kate got to meet my parents, Nick, Eric, Maddie, Lily, and...yeah...Jasmine. Got to show her the house, my drum kit, etc.
+ I got way more than I bargained for when we finally got down to Louisville. Eric was mid-song when we came in, but the next song he did, with a nod to me, was "Old Brown Shoe" by The Beatles. It was flattering because, as I whispered to Kate while he was playing it, Eric and I played that song before. He also did an encore featuring "Any Way The Wind Blows" by The Mothers of Invention. He learned it just for me. I was happy to hear it.
+ Never mind all that, Kate got to meet Ian, Anthony, Blake, and Sarah. (I'd seen Blake and Sarah at Eric's grad party 8/26, and Anthony and Kendall came up to see the Vonnegut exhibit. Dammit, I miss Ian. He was in top form. When I asked him if he would ever come to Bloomington he said, "Never. I'm not coming to Bloomington ever again, and here's why..." then he turns to Kate, "Now, I haven't known you long, so I hope you don't mind..." then continued, "but I SHIT in the Wal-Mart there. And you know what? I didn't flush. That's what I think of Bloomington." Fair enough.) I got to meet Daniel's dad. I already had a memory of him, as he was in one of Daniel's movies. The scene he was in ended with him screaming at Daniel, "Get outta here, ya little mother-fucker!", which as I learned from Daniel was an improv on his father's part. Remarkably, Mr. Robison seemed very tame and calm when I met him.
+ After the show Kate and I went over to Eric's house and hung out with him and Sarah. It's strange, I've only been there four times to his house...but it's one of those places that is just emblazoned into my memory, like my grandparents' (either set) house or the hotels we've stayed at on vacations. Weird.
+ At some point on the trip, I got so caught up in the music that was on (it was probably on The Beatles disc, we'd already listened to a sampler of The Who) that I couldn't NOT sing to it. The first song was "Whiskey Man" by The Who, but I started doing it almost song-by-song on The Beatles CD, which was a mix of 'Help!', 'Rubber Soul', and 'Revolver.' I explained to her that I don't sing for ANYONE. It wasn't even until June or July after knowing Eric since September of 2006 that I finally was able to sing while he played "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" by The Kinks. She thought it was good. I really honestly don't know. Eric thought it was good, too, so there must be something there. Unfortunately I can't drum and sing at the same time. Witness that dude from The Eagles: great voice, shitty drummer. Or Micky Dolenz from The Monkees: again - great voice...oh, wait, he didn't even really play the drums!
Anyway.
Things are good. I decided to skip out on Oktoberfest 2007:
+ The three people I'm dying to see are not going to be there. Joe Boxman is in Japan, Brett Eldridge is in London, and Tonya Shepherd has a fall break in a few weeks, so she'll be home for that.
+ Um, Oktoberfest kind of sucks.
I threw a surprise party for my suitemate, David. I think he liked it. Hung out with Kate and some friends in her room for much of the night.
We're getting close, you know.
And I'm comfortable with that.
All in all, from tonight alone I can say I made the right choice.
Alex
PS - ALMOST FORGOT! Through MySpace I've gotten in touch with former FZ band member Ed Mann, Dweezil's drummer Joe Travers (who also is the "Vaultmeister" for the Zappa Family Trust and knows Professor Hollinden), AND I just got a response email from Art Barrow (who played bass with FZ from 1978 to 1984).
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