"I hope you had the time of your life..."

So, I went my entire last semester of college without blogging once. Sorry about that. I really just wanted to enjoy it and re-cap later, which I did.

Since I’ve last written a lot has happened. Nicole got married (as I mentioned in the previous blog). Her wedding was a lot of fun. I got drunk. What more can you ask for at a wedding. Grant moved to Connecticut to work for a company. He also gets to go to Europe and work for 6 months in April. I am pretty excited for him. Blake moved to Delaware for his job. He got promoted. He is still getting married in May.

TAB had a successful semester. I planned the SUB Grand Opening in September, which was a lot of fun. I booked 9 bands to play over the course of three days. We joined together with the Student Union to put the entire thing on. We also brought in SNL comedian Finesse Mitchell. It was a pretty good event. There were a few more events that I organized. Most of them went over really well. It is going to be weird not being here next semester to put on these concerts.

I just finished up my internship at the radio station. I got to do a lot of really cool stuff while working there. I got to work with the Tech Athletics Dept. to plan a segment similar to Jay-Walking on The Tonight Show. I came up with a lot of Tech Football related questions, and then one of the DJs went to the mall and asked all of the questions to random people. The questions are simple, so when they cannot answer them… it’s funny. They played a video at all of the home games. It was pretty cool to see that up on the jumbo-tron. I also got to organize an online charity auction. The station auctioned off tons of signed guitars. That was pretty cool. Towards the end of my internship I learned how to operate the boards. Overall, it was a great experience. I don’t know if I will pursue a career in radio though. It was fun while it lasted though.

I went to Dallas periodically to see the family. My Mom’s b-day was in October. I got to go home and have dinner with everyone. Heather would try to go home when I did so we could hang out. It was weird not having her here this semester. I’m glad I got to see her as much as I have though.

In November, I turned 23 years old. I had a blast. It definitely ranks up there as one of the best birthday’s ever. Heather and Vanessa came up to surprise and Brian and Jeff came into town as well. We went out a lot, and I hit on some old ladies. It was one of my finer moments. My Dad came to Lubbock on Sunday (my actual birthday) and about 17 of us went to dinner and had drinks. I am glad that my Dad got to come.

The Wednesday after my birthday I took off school/work and flew to Austin to see Shelly. I stayed at her place in the ATX. It’s the first time I’ve gotten a chance to visit since she moved there. I love hanging out in Austin. The music scene is very good. I think I would like to live there one day. When I landed, Shelly took me to dinner at this place on the lake. It was pretty cool. Over the next couple of days we went to see a band play and went to several bars. I got to hang out with Stuart and Kayla a little bit too. Shelly knows everyone in Austin, so a lot of the places we went to were free, which is always good for my pocket. I had a really good time in the ATX. That Friday I flew to Dallas for a job interview, and then back to the LBK on Monday. The following weekend Dad came again to go to the OSU vs. TECH game. We had a really good weekend.

I went back to Dallas for Thanksgiving break. I got to see all of the family and a ton of friends. When I got back I had a lot of projects/papers/presentations due, and then finals started. I had a couple of hell weeks throughout the semester, but nothing out of the norm. It was a great last semester. Dad had surgery last week, so we’ve been dealing with that lately. I am done with finals. I graduate on Saturday. My brother, Robin, and my Grandma are flying in this weekend for graduation, and to celebrate with me, and then I am heading back to D-Town and figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life.

I am looking forward to Christmas. Steph is going to visit Phil in Europe, and then they are both coming back to the States together for Christmas. I haven’t seen Philip in a long time. I can’t wait to hear all of his stories.

I finished reading Blue Like Jazz a little while ago. It was a great book. I’ve just recently started Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. So far – so good. You should also check out Green River Ordinance. They are from the DFW area and well worth your time.

Ahh, I cannot believe I am done with college (well, at least my undergrad). It’s been a great run. I don’t regret any of it… the good, the bad… it was all worth it. Thank you to those of you who stuck around and were there for me. Especially to the ones that have made an impact on my life (as most of you have). I appreciate it all.

Time to start the next chapter…

Endings & New Beginnings

The Update: Since I last updated a lot has been going on. D-Fest in Tulsa was awesome. I had a blast hanging out with Heather, Nick, Keith, and the guys from Gooding in Oklahoma. After that I made a long trip from Tulsa to Lubbock (which was not too much fun …but I made it!). I got back to Lubbock and immediately went to see Stephanie. She had just gotten back from Europe. I was excited to hear about her travels.

The following Monday I started my Rec Class, which was pretty cool. The TA was laid back, so I didn’t mind going to class. I did not work at the radio station much while I was taking my summer II class, but my boss said it was not a big deal. He was on vacation a lot during that time.

The next few weeks were full of partying and hanging out with all of my friends who would soon graduate. We had to move out of the apartment @ University Courtyard on the 31st, and Kris and I could not move into the new place until the fifth, so we were in limbo for a few days. We ended up getting a hotel room. Moving sucked as always, but we survived. I really like the new place. It is a little smaller, but it definitely has its perks. Kelly and I live right next door to each other, so that is a lot of fun. I met her new Roommate Lacie and she is a really fun girl. We’ve all been hanging out a lot.

Last week Heather and Catherine came back into town for their last two days of class before they graduate. They have both been gone for the past 10-weeks working. It was a lot of fun having them home. They stayed with me, so it was a full house. Philip also got back from Camp and he ended up staying a week. He leaves for Austria soon, so I am glad I got to see him.

Graduation was the 12th. It was the day I'd hoped would never come. Practically everyone I know graduated and is leaving soon. It is so crazy! This next semester is going to be a lot different for me, but I still have lots of great friends here. A lot of people still do not have a set plan (like where they are moving or where they are going to be working), but I know everything will work out for them. We all partied for 5 days straight. It was crazy. I am convinced my body hates me now. Heather left to go back to Tulsa and I miss that kid already.

This weekend I am heading to Dallas with Grant. Nicole is getting married on Saturday and everyone is going to be there. I cannot believe it is already time for the wedding, but I guess time flies when you are having fun. Nicole and Tim will be happy together. They are probably the only “college couple” that I know that is a healthy couple. They are going to Jamaica for their honeymoon. I am also excited to see Vanessa. I have not been home in a while so I am really jones-ing to see my folks.

Well, I’ve been babbling on for a while. I am almost done with my book and I am going to start reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I keep hearing it is a great book. I have also been listening to Blue October lately. They have a sad song called Congratulations that is really good. Check it out.

Get a hold of me and let me know what is up with you!

Greetings from my pit-stop in D-Town

Last weekend when I was in Dallas, I went to Jared and Whitney’s wedding. I had such a good time. Typically weddings are boring, but I really did have a good time. Hollie was my date to the wedding and afterwards we went to the Bird Bash with my Dad. The Bird Bash is a big ‘ol BBQ that my dad and his hunter friends put on every year. It’s great. They get together and cook all of the birds that they hunt throughout the different seasons… it’s also a great excuse to drink a lot.

For the past week my cousin Randy has been in Lubbock with me. I had a good time hanging out with him. It was interesting trying to keep a 16 year-old entertained the entire time, but I think he had a good time. He’s a really cool kid. I did feel bad because when I was working at the radio station or at the ATLC he just had to hang around the house. I guess between my roommates, his guitar, and the computer he had enough entertainment while I was gone.

Saturday I was at X-Fest (Rock Show that FMX puts on) all day. This year Rob Zombie headlined, and Anthrax and Powerman 5000 played, as well as a few other bands. It was a blast. Basically since I am interning with the station I had to do a lot of promotional stuff, but it didn’t take up too much time and Randy and I got to enjoy the show. I must say Zombie puts on one helluva energetic show.

Sunday I drove into Dallas to drop my cousin off and hand out with the folks for a couple nights. It’s nice being here during the week. Tonight I didn’t feel the need to go out. Some friends called, but I just stayed in and had dinner with the ‘rents. Tomorrow morning I am headed up to OKC for a couple days, and then up to Tulsa for the rest of the week. I am hella excited. I get to see Heather! and D.Fest is gonna rock my socks off again!

After that, I have to go back to the LBK because summer school starts and I have to work. This next month is going to be weird. I have a ton of friends graduating this August and then they are all headed out to start their lives in the real world… Sometimes I wish I would have just busted ass and graduated in August, but I am glad I did it the way that I did. I am looking forward to another fall in Lubbock. Come December who the hell knows where I’ll be. Hopefully it will be somewhere good.

Other than that… I am getting tired of turning on the TV and seeing crap about the Star Jones and the View scandal. Who cares? No one watches that show anyway. I went to see The Omen in theaters. It’s okay. If I were you, I’d wait till it came out on DVD if you insist on seeing it. I have been obsessively watching Hogan Knows Best on VH1. I know, it’s sad… but something about that show intrigues me (maybe it’s the hot daughter) … and besides that, we are dealing with summer programming… what else is there to watch?

I have a crick in my neck that won’t go away. I wish I had a muscle relaxer and fifth of tequila haha.

G’night friends.

Rockin' out in June...

It feels like time is flying by. I blink and I am in the next month. I have been hella busy these past couple weeks. I am interning for Clear Channel Radio at the Rock Station here in Lubbock and I love it. The people that I work with at the station are cool. I have not gotten to know them that well yet, but I enjoy being there as much as possible.

Work at the ATLC is pretty boring and it does not pay well, but it also isn’t very demanding so I guess it is okay. I am starting to get to know the people I work with a little better. I have been busy with TAB stuff as well. I have been planning the Student Union Grand Opening that is taking place in September. So far, I have booked a few bands to play. Nick is going to play one day and then he is also going to open for Tyler Hilton on the last day. It is a 3-day event. On the first couple of days there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music, free food, and (Saturday Night Live Comedian) Finesse Mitchell. On the last day, Nick and Tyler will perform in an outdoor concert that is free for all students. It should be a lot of fun.

This past month has been so weird. I think this will be my first full summer in Lubbock. I normally go back and work in Dallas over the summer (mainly because the pay is much better in d-town and plus my family is there)… However, I got the internship here and plus many of my friends are graduating this August, so I decided to stay here.

I did have to say bye to a couple friends already and that was weird. Blake left for Indiana already. I talked to him not long ago and he is settling in. I am going to miss that kid. Heather is working in Tulsa now. She is getting a taste of the real world, but she is doing great. I still talk to her all the time, but it is different not having her here. I miss her a lot. We hung out everyday her last few weeks here. I am still adjusting to that change. Catherine is in LA now working for a company out there. We had fun partying it up before they all left though. When August gets here, I will have to say a whole lot more good-byes.

The next couple of months should be pretty busy. This coming weekend I am going to Jared and Whitney’s wedding in Dallas. It is going to be crazy. This summer I have a few friends getting married. It is weird to think that we are at that stage in our lives.

My cousin Randy is going to come back up to Lubbock with me for about a week to hang out, which is going to be nice. I am glad that I can give him the chance to get away from DFW for a little bit. He is a good kid.

At the beginning of July I am going to OKC to stay with Nick and Keith and see Gooding in a 4th of July Music Festival there. After that, I am going to go hang out with Heather in Tulsa for a few days. Then Keith, Nick, Gooding, and the fellas are all headed over to Tulsa as well and we are staying in a hotel for the (Diversafest) D-Fest Music Conference and Festival. I am looking forward to D-Fest. I went last year with these guys and it was a blast. It is a real insight to the music industry. It consists of two days of music, 10 stages, music conference panels, 100 artist showcases, clinician workshops, and a tradeshow. Heather is going to go to the concerts with us. Nick is playing and Gooding is one of the bands headlining the whole thing. It should be a great time.

Ah, other than that… I guess it is pretty much same ole – same ole on my end. If you are into comedy... I have been listening to a guy named Daniel Tosh lately. He is so funny. You should definitely check him out and pick up his cd/dvd.

Take it easy people... there's no need not to!

Just a little bit about March, April, and May!

Man, it has been forever since I updated this thing… sorry about that. I am not even sure who still reads this… but thanks for keeping up!

Let’s see, the end of March was great. Chris and Amanda got married. Kris and I both were in the wedding. It was a lot of fun, but it was also crazy seeing one of our high school buddies taking the looong walk. I wish them the best!

April went by pretty quick. I was really busy with school. I also planned and hosted a Casino Night with TAB on April 6th. There were about 200 people there. It was awesome. I had a lot of fun putting the whole thing together. The event even drew a little press.

Around the 15th, I went with Vanessa to see Matt Nathanson in Dallas. It was awesome. I love seeing that guy live. He is a lot of fun. I came home for Easter to hang out with the family. It was good seeing everyone. My Grandma moved into a new house, so it isn’t the same anymore… but I guess we will make plenty of good memories in this new house.

April 28th Kelly and I drove to Dallas for the weekend to hang out and go see a couple of bands. We saw Wideawake and Bob Schneider @ the Granada that Friday, and we saw Mat Kearney and Matt Wertz on Saturday. Friday night was also Vanessa’s birthday so we went and hung out on lower Greenville.

Then I headed back up to school to start finals… it was another crazy semester. I procrastinated like crazy, but I got everything done and made really good grades. My parents flew in the beginning of May for this honor society thing that I was inducted into. That was pretty cool. I am glad my parents made it up.

I came back down to Dallas on Sunday, May 7th. I am here in Dallas for almost a week. Tuesday me and the family went to the Rangers game. Wednesday I hung out with Stephanie because she is leaving soon to study abroad in Norway for the summer.

Today I went with Heather and some other friends to see The Damnwells and The Fray @ Gypsy Tea Room. It was a great show! I really miss living in Dallas because of all the good music.

Tomorrow afternoon I am going to the Byron Nelson Classic PGA Tour with my Pops… and tomorrow Night, Vanessa and I are going to Taste of Addison to see The Fray (again) and Hootie and the Blow Fish.

Saturday I am going to head back up to school. A few of my buddies are graduating and I want to hang with them before they start their journey into “the real world.” It is so weird. Blake got a job in Indiana, Heather got a job in Tulsa, Dub is heading to Dallas (and getting married in aug)… it so weird. Everyone is growing up and moving on.

This summer I will be in Lubbock (for the most part) interning at Clear Channel’s KFMX 94.5, The Rock Station… and working part time for the Advanced Technology Learning Center (computer lab on campus). I am gonna try to take it easy this summer and not do too much other than that.

WHAT TO LISTEN TO:
The Fray, Schuyler Fisk, KT Tunstall, Matt Nathanson, Brendan James, Sanders Bohlke, Mat Kearney, Amost Lee, Gooding, and Joshua Radin (google it!)

WHAT TO READ:
I have been reading a little bit of Kahlil Gibran (a famous Christian Lebanese-American author, poet and artist.) ... and I am still trying to finish up James Frey's A Million Little Pieces... and Killing Yourself to Live, 85% of a True Story by Chuck Klosterman.

I hope all is well with you. Let me know how things are going!

SPRING BREAK 2006!

The month of March is winding down. It seems like this semester is going fast. I am sure all of that will change when finals time comes around. That time of the year always drags ass. The beginning of the month was full of tests and papers, and a couple of events for T.A.B.

I just got back from Spring Break, and I must say that it was a blast. Hollie, Nathan, and Lacy drove up here from Dallas on Thursday the 9th, and stayed the whole weekend. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them. I left outta the LBK and headed to Oklahoma on Saturday morning. I stayed with Nick and Keith, which is always a good time. I hung out with Nicole and Tim as well while I was there. I have not seen them since December. They have been hella busy getting ready for the wedding.

Saturday, Keith and I went to Coach’s (the bar Nicole works at) and had a few drink and then we met up with Nick and headed to Bricktown Brewery to see Gooding (goodingband.com) play. I have not seen Gooding and the fellas since the last time I was in OKC. They rocked the house, as always. The next afternoon Keith and I met up with them for lunch at their hotel, and then went back to the house to hang out. Sunday night I went to dinner with Nicole at Yellow Tail, the place Tim works. After that, we headed to Tulsa to meet up with Nick and Keith at Cain’s. Nick played a set and then we watched another band play… and then I had to head home to my folk’s house.

Monday some friends came and picked me up and we headed down to South Padre Island for the week. I had a really good time hanging out on the island! We did tons of partying and a little relaxing on the beach. The weather started out kind of gloomy, but quickly changed for the better. I met Ace and Alton from the Real World. Amanda and Alden came down from Texas State and I hung out with them one night. I met a ton of people from all over. It was a great week. I got back to Dallas Thursday night and hung out with my friends and family until Monday. While I was in Dallas, we went out a few times, and went out for Nathan’s 23rd birthday! I got back to the LBK around 4:45pm. My Senior Spring Break is officially over. I did a lot of traveling, but it was all worth it. The people that I got to hang out with and the experiences that were had were some of the best!

Kris and I are headed to Dallas again this coming weekend. One of our best friends from high school is getting married on Saturday. We are both in the wedding, so we have to go pick up our tuxes and stuff… I hate wearing tuxedos, but I guess sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

Ahhhh….. back to the daily grind!

Give me a shout!

February Fun!

It has been a little over a month since I have updated this thing… I have been busy with school. I recently finished a book that was broken down in essay form but as a package was the memoir of a man’s life. Have you ever heard of David Sedaris? He is a funny… uncanny writer. I must say that in some parts I was like “whoa, what in the hell is this,” and in other parts I found myself extremely interested in this man’s eccentric life. I guess because it is so far from my own. I want to write a memoir, but I am afraid my memoir might be lacking.

The first weekend in February, I went to Dallas to visit. My parents went on vacation for a week, and I wanted to see them before they left. I had a blast in Dallas, as always. I went with some friends to Cuba Libre and to Lower Greenville, which has become a staple for any decent Dallas visit. I got to spend some time with the folks. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii over Valentine’s Day. They said they had a blast and it was beautiful weather (besides the morning rain showers… Mom wasn’t too fond of them).

The following weekend we booked a cabin up in the mountains in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Seven of us went up for the weekend to get away from Lubbock. It was a good time. My three roommates went, so it was good to spend some quality time with them. I guess that whenever you live with someone you often grow a little distant, although I do believe that roommates are a whole lot closer than friends are, or at least in my situation. It was awesome just getting away with some close friends for the weekend. We checked into the cabin on Friday afternoon and partied it up all weekend. The cabin had a hot tub. it was kind of small, but it made for a lot of fun.

Last weekend was my roommate, Kris’ birthday. Ten of us went out to dinner and then headed back over here to play some drinking games and hang out. Looking back, I am glad that we opted not to go to the bar, and instead stayed in and had a blast. Kris turned 23 years old. I cannot believe that we are all getting so old!

I joined the TECH ACTIVITES BOARD (T.A.B) on campus a few weeks back and I effin’ love it! Basically, it is a group of about 20, and we plan and promote different events that take place on campus (welcome week, speakers, comedians, and free movies). I am on a committee that is planning an After Hours Coffee House Series. I booked a couple of local people to play next Tuesday. It should be a cool atmosphere... live music and coffee and stuff. The week after that T.A.B is hosting an open-mic night. I am also heading-up a committee for a Casino Night. I am in the process of getting all of that booked. I enjoy working with this organization and it a decent resume builder.

Next weekend I am going to go back to Dallas. It has been about a month since I have been home and plus I want to see Bob Schneider in concert. He is playing on Friday, and a couple of my friends from home are going to go! I am looking forward to it! School is starting to kick my ass again.

The Daily Grind...

We are about to start our third (and first full week of classes) … the past couple week have been shortened for holidays and whatnot. This semester seems to be starting out very slow. I have a job interview this Wednesday. I applied for another “on-campus” job in the BA. Tons of people apply for this job because it is one of the most flexible ones that is offered. So, around 100 people applied and they will fill about 20 spots. I probably have no chance in hell, but I will try anyway. I need a job pretty badly.

Nicole and I have been talking a lot more lately... She and Tim got engaged over winter break. They are having their wedding in August… the same month as Dub and Holly’s wedding. Blake and Stephanie got engaged around New Year’s… and Jared and Whitney are getting married sometime this summer. It is so weird to think that so many of my friends are approaching marriage. I mean, I think all of those couples will definitely be happy… I just cannot believe that part in our lives is almost here. I am in no way… shape… or form ready for something like that. Big props to them though.

Speaking of marriage… my parents are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii next month. They are going for one week. I think that is pretty cool. I am proud of my folks.

I think I am gonna go home the first weekend in February to see my folks before they leave… and hang out with some friends from back home. I haven’t been back in the LBK that long, but I already am starting to miss Dallas a lot.

The second weekend in February a bunch of my friends and I are going to Ruidoso, NM to go skiing for the weekend. We are renting a cabin up there (as we did freshman year) and staying for the weekend. Needless to say… my next couple of weeks are going to be pretty darn busy.

until next time, keep it real!

BACK TO THE LBK!

SPRING SEMESTER 2006 STARTED TODAY!

It is weird to me that I have been here for 3 and a half years! Heather and I sat down the other day and went through a lot of her pictures and albums, and I had a blast just kicking back and rehashing freshman, sophomore, and junior years. It is not over yet though. I still have to bust my butt until I graduate.

The winter break was awesome! I had such a good time. Hollie and Elisha both had birthdays, and I got to hang out with Vanessa a lot. Nathan moved to Rockwall so we got to see each other and hang out a lot. Kelly is back from Europe! Grant came into town and we went to the bar. Actually, I went to the bar a lot over break! I saw shelly for about a minute. She graduated from A&M and I am so proud of her! She had a graduation lunch that Andrew and I attended. Lacy and Michael moved into a house in Dallas. Their house looks great, and I am really proud of them. I hung out with Jessica, Jason, and Jennifer over break too… and got to see Amanda for about a minute before she went back to San Marcos. I miss old mesquite friends.

Christmas was great. I had a good time hanging out with my family. It was very much needed. I received some good gifts for the holidays and gave a few too (which is always my favorite part). My grandma sold her house in Lewisville, so the holidays are going to be so different from now on.

New Year’s Eve was a blast. A ton of us went out to Gilley’s in Dallas to see Jack Ingram Play. We had dinner there and then proceeded to get wasted the rest of the night.

On the 2nd, Texas Tech played in the Cotton Bowl. My dad got us tickets, which was quite a surprise. Dad, My brother, Grant, and I went to the game. We lost, but I still had a great time.

I got back up here on the 8th. We had a BACK TO SCHOOL BASH over @ Heather and James’ place. It was fun. My classes so far seem okay. I hope so… I need to make the grades that I made last semester… that would make me proud.

See you cool kids around!