dallas and the daily grind...

I have been a busy person since I got back in the Dallas area. the first week back I went to see Nick play in the Dallas area, and got to hang out with the guys. After that I went with them to Temple to see Nick play. A band named Gooding (goodingband.com) opened up for him. It was a great night. I got to see Erin and Steph. That was a lot of fun. The rest of the week I just kinda hung around the house and took care of some errands and whatnot.

Last week I started work @ Venture in Dallas. The first day back was crazy busy. I had a lot to learn and I didn't get much sleep the night before. I thought I was going to fall asleep right there. The rest of the week went a lot better. Mid-week I met Keith and Ashley in Dallas @ the Gypsy Tea Room to see Citizen Cope play. Elisha and Hollie made it out too. It was a lot of fun. Cope played an awesome set. It was hella-crazy. He did a 6 song encore that rocked the house.

The rest of the week work was kinda blah. I enjoy working there because the money is so good... but it's rough working so many hours. Thursday night me and shelly went and met crystal and brandon at a bar in Mesquite. It was a lot of fun. I hadn't gotten to catch up with them in a while. We closed the bar down and I got 2 hours of sleep before work on friday. Ouch... it wasn't too bad though. I toughed it out. Friday night Shelly and I... along with her brother and his friend, and kayla went to hang out @ kacy's new apt over by Mockingbird Station. There were a few people over there and we played a couple drinking games. After that we went to see a band play in Deep Ellum... but they cancelled. So we ended back @ Mockingbird Station having a couple drinks at Margarita Ranch.

Saturday I didn't do much. Took care of some stuff around the house and hung out with Kris. Sunday I went with Jessica to a Memorial Day party her family does every year. I hung out over there for most of the day and then went over to Jennifer's to have some margaritas and other drinks. Stephanie and her friend were over there. Kris came over and we all hung out and had a good time. Then Kris and I came back to the house and watch some TV.

Today I went my cousin's graduation party. It was good to see the family. When I got back to Mesquite, Nicole called and said that she was in town... so I went to Sport's City and had a couple of beers with her and Tim.

Whew, This has been an all around exciting couple of weeks. I have been hella busy since i have been home. I think Grant and I found a place to live next fall. I have to go back to work tomorrow :( back to the daily grind.

until next time.

Adios LBK!

“…all my bags are packed, I’m ready to go. I’m standing here outside your door…”

I spent all day today and last night packing up all of my stuff… getting ready to move back to Dallas for the summer. I put most of my stuff in storage (so I don’t have to move it to d-town and then back here). Levi, my friend who is subletting my apartment over the summer helped me move most of it, because I do not have a truck. My big screen was a bitch getting down the stairs, but we finally got it. It seemed so much easier whenever we were moving in.

Last night was a lot of fun. The girls had a huge all day party (The Best Day in May)… which totally rocked my socks off. I actually did not get over there until 8:45-ish, but the party was in full swing. It was really nice to have everyone around. They girls brought out 4 bottles of champagne, and we did a toast to the semester. And a toast to the girls leaving. And anything else we could think of…. Basically getting trashed! It was awesome. I think I closed down the party and left their house around 5:30am…

Nicole is transferring to OU in the fall. She leaves tomorrow to head up there and get settled in. Tim came into town to help her out. I am really going to miss her. She is a really cool girl and I always have a blast hanging out with her. I hope she comes back to visit often.

Heather is heading to Italy this summer. I am proud of her for following thru on this one. Studying abroad is so amazing. Nothing will ever compared to my…nearly 4 months in Europe. I know she is going to have a blast. So many people I know are studying abroad either this summer or in the fall. Shelly is going to London this summer. She is going to have a blast too. London is a great (and expensive) town! I loved the week I spent there.

I am about to shut down my computer and load it into my car, along with everything else I am taking home this summer. I will be working again @ Venture, and taking classes at ECC. I am excited to go home but at the same time I wish I could be here.

It’s funny how you can look at a situation and just know that everything is changing. It is weird moving out of this apartment. It has been my home for my sophomore and junior years of college. When I get back up here my lease will be up and I will be moving into somewhere new (which I have no idea where that is yet… dang, I gotta get on top of that!) ... It is going to be so different. Brian is moving in with his sister in a few weeks. It will be weird not living with him anymore...

Things are changing, but I guess that is life right!

Until next time….

Wrapping it up...

Right now, I am in the midst of finals. I have been busy with it all, but I have still found a little time to hang out with some friends and party it up! I made an A on the final that I took on Thursday. That was a big relief. I am leaving soon to head to Dallas. I am thinking about going to Oklahoma City first... to hang out with Nick and Keith, and then heading down to Dallas. I am really going to miss the LBK this summer, but I think it will be good for me to be at home. That way I can be around Chris and his family during this rough time.

On the agenda:
-Study for my last final –and ACE it! (seriously why are finals scheduled @ 7:30am?)
-Pack up all of my stuff & get ready to head out…

-Finalize plans for OKC.

-Figure out living arrangements for next fall…

-“The Best Day in May” party @ the girls house on the 12th. (it’s gonna be kick ass)

That is about all I am worried about right now… If I can complete that list in a timely manner, I think I will be doing just fine. I am subletting my apartment to my friend Levi this summer, so hopefully that works out well. Well kiddos, that is about it for me. I think I might crack open a book and go at it for the rest of the night. I hope all is well.

:(

Someone famous once said, “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” April 26, 2005 a good friend of mine past away. Laura was the mother to one of my best friends, Chris. She was a good person and she was always there for us during our informative years. She was not only a “mom,” she was a friend. I could listen to her talk for hours. She always loved a good laugh. She was a very blunt person, and she always worried. She would do anything for those whom she loved. I am really going to miss that lady. You just couldn’t help having a good time whenever she was around. I pray for my friend and his family, and that they get through this. I worry about them, even though I know they will be okay...

ok. i am done.

My thoughts and a play-by-play of the weekend...

So, I just now noticed something that bothers me. I have seen people around wearing hoodies with a jacket blazer over it. Is that like a dressed-up casual… or a dressed-down formal? Is that the new style? Did I miss something? I think it looks ridiculous. Wear one or the other. This is Texas. It is not cold. I have even seen “punk” band kids wearing both on TV. Quit it. You are going to start something, and it will spread throughout the land like the “front-tuck” into the belt thing, or some skinny “trendy” kid wearing two pullovers… with both of the collars popped up. Friends don't let friends wear the hoodie-blazer.

Moving on…. Thursday evening Stephanie and I went out for a couple of drinks @ Donny P's and then she dropped me off at the airport. I landed around 9PM, and hung out with the ‘rents for a while. After they went to bed, I hung out with a couple of friends from back home. Friday, Dad went out of town and Mom worked, so I hung around the house all day. That evening I went to dinner with Mom, and hung out with Kris and Jennifer. Later that night, I went to meet up with a couple friends at this party, and then back to the house to watch a movie with a couple friends.

Saturday, I ran some errands and then went to my brother’s house to hang out and watch the Mavs loose. That night Kris and I went to Lower Greenville to meet up with Mandy and Vanessa. We went to a few different bars and headed over to Brent’s place to do some more “socializing”… Sunday was my brother’s 23rd birthday! Dad got home that morning, and we went to his house for lunch, and hung out with him all afternoon. He had two baseball games that evening. Then I took my cousin, Randy, to eat Chipotle, and to see the new movie Sin City. When I got home, we got a phone call that my brother had dislocated his shoulder, and they did not know if they were going to do surgery on it or not. That was crazy. I felt so bad for him… on his birthday. He ended up being sent home from the hospital around 1AM, and had an appointment with an orthopedic doctor this afternoon. I hope everything goes well with that.

This morning, I got up and registered for my summer school classes, and had some breakfast with Mom. She took me to the airport this afternoon, Phil picked me up, and we went to class. It was a fun weekend. I missed Brian’s birthday… since I went home. He is 22 now! So old!

The semester is starting wrap up. I have so much to do in the next couple of weeks. I really do not even want to think about it right now, but I know I should not procrastinate. I am going home mid-may for some family stuff, and then I have to come back up here to move my life to Dallas for the summer.

fun times & the not so fun times in the LBK

Well it has been a while since I have updated this thing. Sorry. Let’s see, the past couple of weeks have been bombarded with tests and papers. It was such a pain in the ass. I still have not been going out that much… which is good. Although, I thought when I quit going out so much I would save money. Uhh, no! Last weekend we all went out for Becky’s 22nd birthday. That was a lot of fun, and I hung out with the roommates a lot that weekend. I am going to miss everyone when I am in Dallas this summer.

Tuesday night I hung out with some of my Spain friends, and we played Catch Phrase. We played this cool game in the airport when we were in Rome. Good times, good times. Stephanie helped me prepare for my departmental test that I had this Thursday. It was a pain in the ass. So, Thursday night after I got done taking the test… I was drained. I decided to go meet some friends at Blue Light. We had a good time.

Tonight Amanda and I went to dinner and then rented Hotel Rwanda. Oh man, it is a great movie! It is a must see. It is weird, we were talking about it… and it took place in 94. Over 10 years ago, but I was 11. I do not really remember all this happening. How could I have been so oblivious? It really makes you step back and think!

Tomorrow, Dave Barnes is playing @ Mackenzie Park. I am pretty stoked about this one, cause typically it is hard to draw good musicians to the LBK. Nick played with Dave and Matt Wertz tonight in Minnesota. I wonder how that went. After Dave, I am going out to with James to celebrate his 22nd birthday!

Next weekend I am going home, to dallas, for my brother's 23rd birthday, and to hang out with some friends. We are going to see Pat play... It should be a good ole time!

I think I am going to wait on the internship in NYC. It might be better for me to wait a year, and then pursue it. It is still up in the air though.

Until next time…

Texas Tour and Easter Weekend

Okay, let’s see…

Wednesday night I decided to go ahead and take off work for the rest of the week (and Monday), so I could go home early and stay a little late. Thursday after class, Phil and I drove towards D-town. We went a different way, because we were going to see Nick play in Denton. I had planned on going on the road with the guys for a few dates in Texas. On the drive home I totally missed one of the turn offs and ended up about 20 miles outta the way. I realized this (not a moment too soon) and turned around and hauled ass back in the right direction. I definitely got pulled over… 84 in a 65. The cop was so old I thought his limbs were going to fall off right in front of me. I thought to myself how his old body would do if a chase broke out. I wanted to just dead leg him and hop into the car.

We got to Denton a little late, but it was at the beginning of Nick set. It was a good one. After we all went to Trevor’s house (he is the guy that does the booking for the place they played at) and hung out. Then we grabbed a bite to eat and headed to Mesquite.

Friday we got up and headed to Austin for the MoMo’s show on 6th street. Kris came along. We piled into the van and had a blast. We got into Austin early, so we went to Madam Mam’s (awesome Thai food) to eat, and then walked around downtown for a little while until it was time to head to the venue. The night was great, even though we were a little skeptical because they had the guys playing with some hardcore rock bands. These are the kind of bands that scream things such as “are you ready to rock-the-fuck out” and “eat it bitches” into the mic. Haha. It actually turned out to be a really good show though. Erin and Stephanie came up from Temple… It is always good to see them.

That night we got a hotel just south of downtown. The next day we went back into the city to hang out and grab some lunch at Chipotle. Then we headed to Temple. We had some Starbucks with Erin.

After all of that, we headed back to Mesquite. The guys just stayed at my place. Sunday They went with me to my families Easter festivities. It was good to see the family again. I have not seen them in a while. We stayed over there for most of the day. That night we hung out and watched movies.

Monday we went to Mockingbird Station to grab something to eat @ Margarita Ranch with Shelly. I am glad that we got to hook up while we were both home. She was on her way back to school. After that, we just hung around and watched movies. Jessica and Ashley came over that night to hang out. I am glad the end of the weekend played out like it did. I enjoyed just kicking back and watching a few good movies.

Tuesday I drove back to Tech. When I got here I decided that I would quit my job. I hated that job and I feel so much better now that I quit! They told me that I was a great worker and that I will be missed. How funny is that!

My no drinking thing is still going strong. I have had a couple of beers (which was allotted), but I have yet to break any of my preset rules. I am proud.

Well, that is about it. I am seriously thinking about taking this internship in NYC in the fall. There is a lot weighing on my mind.

SB 2K5 (Wrap up...)

SPRING BREAK HIGH 5 :)

Okay… so, Angel Fire rocked! I had a blast (even though I was kind of under the weather)… We left the LBK around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Phil, Brian, Youngin’ and I drove all the way to Eagle Nest, NM (where Levi’s cabin is… like 10 minutes from Angel Fire). Levi and Grant were already there. We went to Lucky’s to watch the Tech game and have a beer or two. Then we went to the cabin. The cabin was cool. It had sub-layers and stuff. Friday we went sledding on some property that Levi’s family owns and rented our ski stuff for the next day. That night we just hung around the cabin, cooked dinner, and played a little cards. Saturday we drove into Angel Fire to go skiing. I had a good time. I busted my ass a few times haha. Skiing is not something I see myself doing every winter weekend but I will definitely go back to AF and go again. It was a nice little town. I enjoyed the scenery alone. Sunday, back in the LBK I went to dinner with Phil, Steph and her parents. That was really nice. It has been a while since I have seen her dad and Claudia, and then I went and watched a movie over at the girl’s house… and heard all about their adventures.

Today was a strange day for me. I went to work this morning and then went to class… I was in a good mood towards the end of the day. I started my “no drinking” pledge tonight. We will see how long this lasts. Tonight I went out to dinner again with Steph and the fam. We went to TX Roadhouse. It was good. After that, I worked on my lab report and then went to hang out with some friends from Spain. One of our Spanish friends, Teddy, is in the US right now… so we all got together to see him.

Teddy is a cool guy, and being around him makes me miss Europe SOO much more! I want to go back so bad! One day I will make it back and feed my craving.

I finalized plans with Keith tonight… looks like I am going to hit up a few of Nick’s shows next weekend… and then take it to the house for Easter. I am looking forward to seeing some family and friends.

Until next time… (leave a comment… I know you are reading this haha)

Spring Break (first half)

So, last Thursday started bad. My two tests kicked my butt… I think the paper went pretty well. That night, Nick played at Bleacher’s … about 40-45 people (that either I or other friends invited) came to the show. The place was packed… but I know around 45 were there specifically to see him, which is awesome. That is a good crowd to draw out when you have only played in Lubbock once. And plus, it is Lubbock… typically if you are not singing Texas Country… no one wants to hear it.

On Friday Keith, Nick, and I went to Gardski’s to eat… we sat in the bar, and Nicole was working. That was cool. Andrew flew into the LBK around 4:30. Keith and Nick hit the road around 7:00pm to head to the Dallas area to get ready for the next show.

Friday night we all hung out for Grant’s 21st BIRTHDAY! We ended up going to the Daiquiri Lounge. We drank there until they closed, and headed back to the apartment. Mostly everyone came back and we continued to drink until Grant finally passed out. After everyone left, I cleaned up the house and did some laundry @ 4am.

Saturday morning Grant, Andrew, and I went back to Gardski’s to eat Lunch, and then Andrew and I drove to Dallas. We actually ended up stopping in Ft. Worth, because we were going to see Nick and the guys play @ Andy’s in Denton that night. About 12 of my friends came to the show. We all had a great time! After the show was over, we went to Mesquite.

Sunday I hung around the house all day, and got a chance to hang out with the folks. We had dinner that night, and Shelly and I went out. We met up with Vanessa and Katie on lower Greenville at the Hurricane Bar. We stayed there for a while, and ended up at Sports City Bar.

Monday I did not really do a whole lot. I hung around the house all day, and that night made it a blockbuster night, which is the best thing ever! Tuesday I had to get ready for the Tyler Hilton interview. I contacted my editor to let her know that I had everything set up, and got a hold of Bob, (Tyler's manager) to confirm. I got my interview ready and all of that, and went and got a haircut. Hailey went to the show, @ Gypsy Tea Room, with me to help take pictures. We got there and watched Brian Greenbaum play a short set, and then Tyler went on. After him was the Wreckers. Hailey and I went to Ty’s tour bus to do the interview. It was crazy. I had a good time. I will let you know when the interview is up, just incase you want to read it. I just pray that the pictures turn out good.

Today, I drove back to Lubbock. Tomorrow (Thursday) we are going to Angelfire to go Skiing. I will post about that one when I get back.

sooo close....

This past weekend in Dallas was a blast. Kris and I hung out all weekend. It was good to see him again. It has been a little over 8 months since I have seen him. I flew in to Dallas Friday night… and went to dinner with my folks and Kris. Saturday we did some running around town and ended up going out with a few friends. I think everyone was really happy Kris is back. I saw Million Dollar Baby, and Ray this weekend, and both of them are really good movies. I now see why they received so much attention. Clint Eastwood is the man! The rest of the weekend went really quickly and before you know it I was on a plane headed back to the LBK.

I am glad I got to go home. My parents bought new furniture for the living room, dining room, and had the interior of the house painted. It looks good, but different.

I got in Monday night and started doing homework and stuff… the week went by pretty quickly. I worked and went to most of my classes. I am trying to focus more on school. We’ll see how that goes. Nick and Keith got in tonight… Nick is playing an acoustic set at Bleacher’s in the Depot Thursday night. It is going to be a blast.

I have two tests and a paper due Thursday, so I have spent this whole night studying… or trying to. Tomorrow is when the celebration begins! My spring break plans include. Friday night going out to celebrate Grant’s 21st birthday. Saturday: driving to Dallas (Nick is playing a show that night), and then Monday we are going to Austin for a show (to start of SXSW week… Then I am headed back to Dallas, where I have an interview with Tyler Hilton @ the Gypsy Tea Room. Then I am coming to up to the LBK to meet up with a bunch of the guys and we are going Skiing in Angel fire, NM. We will see how all of that works out!

…I’ll keep you updated. Right now, I have to get back to studying. I am SO ready for Spring Break! It is SOO close!

Stuff in the LBK

Ahhh lets see… what has been going on lately…

My aunt and my cousin were in town on Friday. My cousin Colin wanted to come up and look at the university. He is thinking about going here next year. That is kinda exciting. No one in my family has ever gone to Tech besides me. It would be nice to have another family member grace the LBK! We went to eat @ Gardski’s and then they headed out.

This past weekend went by way to fast. I did not do much. I hung out with my roommates a lot, which was a lot of fun. I got my big screen TV fixed… it was a little messed up [and by a little… I mean $270.00 little]…

Saturday Phil and I went to see Levi and a couple other bands play down in the depot, and after that, we met up with my roommates and went to a party over at Kelly and Nathan’s house. It was a lot of fun. Their keggers are always a blast. Other than that, I didn’t really do much besides clean and hang around the house.

My buddy Nick Smith is coming up here to play a show @ Bleacher’s on March 10th, so I have been getting ready for that. I am going to try to get a lot of friends to go that night, because I think it will be a lot of fun. This show is going to be an acoustic set. I cannot wait until they get here.

I have a huge test on Wednesday! I do not want to study for it! I think I am just going to give up 

This Friday I am flying to Dallas for the weekend (yes, again!) I have a lot of stuff to do! One of my best friends from HS is home from NY! I also get to hang out with my brother this weekend. That should be a lot of fun.

Well, I will update when I get back and let-cha know how D-town goes.

Hasta Luego.

Weekend in Dallas!

So, I am in Dallas right now. I am leaving to go back in the morning. I am surprised I had a moment to sit down and right this. I have had a blast this weekend.

I got in on Friday, and hung out with Mom and Pops for a bit until they went to bed. Then I went up to Sport City bar to meet up with Stephanie Smith and some of her friends. While I was up there I ran into a ton of people, including people I haven't seen in years. It was kinda weird, but it was a lot of fun. Jennifer ended up meeting up with us, and then we came back and chilled at the house for a bit. I got a chance to talk to her which was good.

Saturday I woke up (rather late) and went and made some purchases at the mall... Saturday night Crystal had her Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleaders Friends and Family show. Me, Shelly, Andrew, Amanda, and her roommate went... and met up with Kacy and Adam there... we were walking thru the Anatole Hotel, on the way to the bar (of course)... before the thing started, and I saw Neil McCoy (country singer/songwriter) and I was like... "hey there is Neil McCoy" .. they were like ... "hmm okay... to the bar we go" haha. After that we watched the show, and Andrew had to go meet up with his Super Model girlfriend... in Funky town... at a fashion show. All of us including Crystal and Brandon and a couple other MHS grads went to Blue Goose on Lower Greenville for some dinner and margaritas. The people in my car wanted to go home (partially cause some of them weren't 21, and partially because someone had tummy problems haha) so vanessa and katie picked me up and we all went over to the Beagle down the street. There were a lot of people from High School there... it was kinda weird. even kids that graduated with my brother... but I had a blast like always...

Today I got up and went to lunch with Jessica and Kelly. kinda. They watched me eat... cause it was 4:00 ha. Then I went home and watched a movie with pops. For dinner, the folks took me to a steakhouse... it was good. After that I went home and got ready and Shelly came to pick me up and we went to this bar in West Village (richy-rich part of dallas).. the bar was called Nakita... or something. It was supposed to be a "lounge" bar... so I expected a small intimate crowd.. so we could talk. This place was CRAM packed crazy. drinks were over priced. I didn't really know anyone. Shelly's friend just turned 21 and was there with all her friends. So shel and I didn't really know anyone. Then we look over and Owen Wilson (Zoolander, Meet the Parents --and Fockers... Shang High Noon, The Royal Tenenbaums) is at the bar. How freakin crazy is that?!? He was sitting with a couple people, and the more people noticed him, the more he kinda looked agitated... but reserved... and cool about things I guess... Owen is from Dallas... so I guess it isn't that odd. Shelly's friend kinda talked to him... haha. Shelly and I didn't really pay him much attention. We didn't care.. haha. So...we had a pretty decent time, but called it quits early and went to Margarita Ranch over in Mockingbird Station... and then hit up Taco C. I had a good time with her tonight. It was good to catch up on a lot of things.

I got home and there was a puppy on my front porch. So I let it in. I didn't know what to do with it. We will find its owners tomorrow.

I am gonna go have lunch with my brother, and then drive back to THE LBK! I am not looking forward to work and school... but gotta get back in the swing of things. I hope those of you who read this had a good weekend as well...

It was weird how many people I got to see intown this weekend... and It was weird how many famous people I saw (okay ... 2, but still...)

Leave a comment if you'd like... and I will talk to you soon.

(whew, that was a lot!)

Music & Movies...

So, the three articles are up on the music website. I had a lot of fun putting it all together, but it was just as stressful as it was fun. The live pictures are also up! I am proud of those, because I thought they were not going to show up well. (Thanks to those who contributed) …

The interview with Citizen Cope was different… but it turned out better than I thought. I am glad I had the opportunity to sit down with him. I really enjoy having my hand in the music industry… even if it is a small hand. I hope that my involvement will continue to grow.

That is enough of that. Tonight was Valentine’s Day [or S.A.D - Singles Awareness Day]. It was also my parents wedding anniversary (I am so proud of them!!) I did not do much. I worked on a project for my lab, and ate some Schlotsky’s … and then came home to curl on my bed and watch Mystic River with Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. It was a really good movie. I cannot believe I waited so long to see it. You should definitely check it out. Another recent favorite of mine is The United States of Leland with Ryan Gosling and Kevin Spacey

Ok, that is enough for tonight. Go check out the stuff on the website. It is under the Traxx Features section. [Citizen Cope & Marc Broussard Review / Citizen Cope Interview / Nick Smith Interview @ http://www.kriselen.com/traxx/]… Let me know what you think (you can leave a comment on this blog if you want….)

::Take it easy::

another day... another dollar...

I have been crazy busy. I need a break. All attempts that I made to being a better student failed. (i.e. my tests grades from last week...) I must work harder on that. All I can think about these days are where I will be a half a year from now. I do not know why.

Vanessa is in town this weekend. It is good to see her and hang out with her. Grant went home. This is no fun. I love my parents more than ever… and I am starting to miss them. The music website writing thing is taking up more time than I expected, but I still really enjoy it.

Nick and Keith are finally out on the road this week. They have called me from every show or town so far… It is good to hear from them. I hope this tour is great for Nick. He deserves it.

I have been spending too much money (that I do not have). I get my first paycheck this Wednesday. It will be small. I am not paid nearly as much as I think I deserve. However, who am I to complain… It is a job.

I want nothing more than 1 whole day… so that I can sit and watch movies… and feel happy, sad, confused, and mad… all in one sitting. I want to win the lottery or wish someone would just give me money. I swear I would be a good rich person. I swear.

First Test week is over. Work is boring. I am lazy. Spring break is approaching and I still don’t have complete plans. Hmmm… it’s time to get the ball rolling….

--paz!

Dallas Gypsy back to Tech

Well, this past weekend in Dallas was awesome. I had a good time. Friday, I went to interview Citizen Cope before the show. The interview went good. Whenever my editor gets the interview and show reviews up on the site I will post it on here. Marc Broussard / Citizen Cope / Toby Lightman rocked The Gypsy Tea Room! I thought the show was great.

I was up on the stage… taking pictures of Cope while he played for the website. The actual interview was okay. Cope is very laid back. I think I am going to like writing for this Traxx site.

The rest of the weekend was fun. I hung out with my brother and his wife on Saturday. We went to the Dallas Boat Show. My brother is getting one soon… so, we went to check them all out.

I got to spend some time with the folks… I really love hanging out with them. My mom had to work a lot … but I went to lunch with my Pops on Sunday. It was good, since I missed his birthday. That sucked. He understood that I had work and school…nearly 6 hours away.

This week has been decent. It has kind of gone by fast. School has been a lot better. I have made it to every class! Haha. This is a big deal for me these days.

Last night I went to see Taylor play … he came up to Lubbock to do a show with Josh Rosenthal. There was this local guy named Levi Smith that opened. He did a good job. I got the CD.

Well, that is about it.

Worst Student Ever!

So the past week has been pretty cool. I started work. It seems pretty laid back, but kinda boring also. I guess I kinda figured that though. It's a library! It can't be that interesting. On Monday me and a buddy went to meet up with some friends @ Whiskey River. Jared was playing with Tristan up there. It was pretty cool.

This week I have been the worst student ever. I find myself thinking of reasons to skip class! It's horrible. I am not used to being back @ Tech and attending regular school. Spain was so different. I mean, we had a class around the same amount of time, but it was so different.

I am leaving for Dallas today. I get to go hang out there for the weekend. I started writing for this music website, so while I am @ home, Friday I get to go interview Citizen Cope and do a live show review for him and Marc Broussard. It is going to be pretty interesting. This is going to be my first interview with a musician. I am sure I will be fine.

When I get back, I am going to be the best student ever! I decided that I have to dedicate more time to school... and work. I have so much on my plate, but I know I can handle it if I just try hard. Gotta make the grade, gotta make some money, gotta finish up my articles. Always gotta do something :)

I have my first Test on Tuesday! Food Nutrition, watch out! haha

Until then, take it easy! (and those of you who are reading this... you can add comments!)

-b.stokes

School, Work, Party...

Ok, so the past couple of weeks have been crazy! Hmmm, lets see… I started school a week ago today. It was weird being back on the Tech campus. I don’t really like any of my classes! My stats teacher kinda scares me. He is Asian… (Nothing wrong with that…) but he has a little speech problem. I do not know if it is a lisp or what, but I cannot understand a damn thing he is saying. I have a feeling I am going to have to drop a class so I have time in my schedule to go to tutoring. Haha. Other than that… my other classes are just boring.

MLK weekend was cool. We didn’t do anything like normal (i.e. freshman year went skiing in Ruidoso, sophomore year… went to Acuna, Mexico for the weekend…) but we had a kegger over at the girl’s house. It was a lot of fun. It is great being back around all of my college friends.

This week has gone by pretty fast. Tomorrow is my last day of the week. Tonight we had our “reunion” meeting at the campus. Pretty much the entire group from Spain was there. It was really cool. After that was over we went to Chimey’s for some margaritas, and then on to Crickets. Fun times! Man, if feels like just yesterday we were all hanging out in Sevilla. I miss it. Sometimes I still feel out of place here. Hmm.

I start work tomorrow (after class). I got a job at the library… in the Serials Maintenance office. Basically I will be doing a bunch of office work. The cool thing is they are only open from 8-5, Monday thru Friday. So I won’t ever have to work weekends.

Well, it’s time to wrap up another one of these… until next time!

One of those things...

Basics
-Your Name: Brandon
-Your gender: Male
-Straight/Gay/Bi: Straight
-Birthdate: Nov 5, 1983
-Your age: the BIG 21! I am lovin’ it!
-Age you act: depends. Anywhere from 17-late 20’s haha
-Age you wish you were: my age I am now… forever!
-Your height: 6'4”
-Eye color: Blue
-Hair color: light brown
-Lefty/righty: Luey lol… that would be lefty.
-Your family: Mom, Dad, Chris (brother) and Robin (sister-in-law)
-What's your job?: Student for quite a while.. with the occasional job
-Piercings?: toung
-Tattoos?: nope
-Obsessions?: Music
-Addictions?: um Thefacebook.com and I like the OC a little too much….
-Do you speak another language?: Well, I just got back from Spain.. so hopefully Spanish… so what if it is choppy! haha
-Do you have a webpage?: yea, this one. The blogspot! Rock on!

Deep Thoughts About Life and You in it
-Do you live in the moment?: it's a hell of a lot better than living in the past or the future...
-Do you consider yourself tolerant of others?: Yes... or i try to be!
-Do you have any secrets?: Who doesn’t
-Do you hate yourself?: No, but who hasn’t…
-What is the compliment you get from most people?: um that I am incredibly attractive… and that I am the coolest person alive! Ummm…or not. people tend to think i am "the nice guy"...
-If a movie was made about your life, what would it be called?: The Diary of Brandon, you think you know but you have no idea!
-What's your biggest fear?: um. being alone. and a failure.
-Can you sing?: My mom tends to think so… shh don’t say anything she will make me sing for you
-Are you a loner?: Nope
-What are your #1 priorities in life?: God, family, friends, school, music, etc. (not necessarily in that order… although maybe it should be…)
-If you were another person, would you be friends with you?: yeah.. infact I would stalk me!
-Are you a daredevil?: Only in certain situations, when it feels right.
-Is there anything you fear or hate about yourself?: I wish I was more motivated at times… but I guess that is me…
-Are you passive or agressive?: i find myself somewhere in the happy medium...
-Do you think you are emotionally strong?: Yes, for the most part. I have my days.
-Is there anything you regret doing/not doing in life?: sometimes I think “what if it were different…” but I guess u can’t be living in the past!
-Do you think life has been good so far?: Yes… and I think my family and friends!
-What is the most important lesson you've learned from life?: wow that is a hard one. Probably… just follow your goals and do what you want to do. Be a good person and believe in something.. this world is too hard not too…
-What do you like the most about your body?: I am working on it…
-Do you think you are good looking?: uhhh.. who doesn’t? just kidding. Um, I don’t know. I don’t think I am a mutant.. everyone has problems with their looks I guess..
-Are you confident?: Sometimes, people tell me I need to be more confident…
-What is the fictional character you are most like?: hmmm…. Sometimes Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I can be a wallflower sometimes. It just depends on who I am with. I know u’ve seen me zone out. I am not really zoned out. I am thinking. :) and other times I am completely opposite.
-Are you perceived wrongly?: actually… yes. People seem to think I am a nice guy. I am not I am vicious… and mean. You should definitely be afraid. Haha.

Do You...
-Smoke?: Nope
-Do drugs?: Nope
-Read the newspaper?: yes
-Pray?: Yes
-Talk to strangers who IM you?: sometimes
-Sleep with stuffed animals?: Nope… just a lot of pillows!
-Take walks in the rain?: what is this… a Disney movie?
-Drive?: Yes, the Camaro
-Like to drive fast?: Yes by default… I’m a guy.

Would or Have You Ever?
-Been out of the country?: Yes… Mexico a few times. (do border towns count… and then there is Cancun…) I have been all over Spain… and to… Italy, England, France, Portugal, and Morocco! Can't wait to go back!
-Eaten something that made other people sick?: I dunno but Stephanie made me try a pear with mayo and cheese once. Haha it was gross!
-Been in love?: I have loved… never in love.
-Done drugs?: I am a good kid!
-Ran away from home?: thought about it
-Been on stage?: Yes
-Slept outdoors?: Yes, a lot … what? We were poor. jk we used to go camping a lot
-Thought about suicide?: Not seriously … I don’t think…(?) I have had my low moments I guess. Overall I think I am semi-healthy upstairs :)
-Pulled an all nighter?: all the time.
-If yes, what is your record?: a day and a half… I think. We used to have contests when I was little… to see who could stay up the longest.
-Gone one day without food?: most of the day I believe…
-Talked on the phone all night?: Yeah… when I was little.. my parents used to catch me on the phone talking to a girl.. and take it away
-Slept together with the opposite sex w/o actually having sex?: Yes
-Slept all day?: Yes
-Killed someone?: lol, no.
-Made out with a stranger?: um, does it count if you know them now.. but didn’t know them then?
-Had sex with a stranger?: Nope
-Thought you're going crazy?: haha… hmmmm?
-Been betrayed?: Yes
-Had a dream that came true?: Yes
-Broken the law?: Yes
-Met a famous person?: Yes. Walter Cronkite, Aerosmith, Sergio Garcia, Ryan Cabrera… before he was popular, News people, a few other people involved in the music industry… and a few people in the sports industry… and Nick Smith (he’s so hot right now)
-Have you ever killed an animal by accident?: No
-Told a secret you swore you wouldn't tell?: Yes
-Stolen anything?: Yes
-Been on radio/tv?: yea, does a radio mention count. You’re my boy jared! haha
-Been in a mosh-pit?: Yes
-Had a nervous breakdown?: came close haha
-Bungee jumped?: Nope
-Had a dream that kept coming back?: Yeah… I don’t wanna talk about it!

Friends...
-Who is your best friend?: that one is hard. I have lots of close friends… you know u are
-Who's your longest known friend?: uhh… that I am still friends with… hmm the friends that I still have from Elementary.. especially Steph!
-Newest?: um, I just met a lot of people when I got back to Lubbock… and then of course there are my friends that I made while I was in Europe this past semester!
-Shyest?: I don’t think any of my friends are shy. I guess Christy can be at times ?!?
-Funniest?: um… I have great laughs with all of my friends. I think the key component is me though… :)
-Friends you miss being close to the most?: The people from HS… man, how things have changed!
-Who do you talk to most online?: Oh, I talk to a bunch of people online, I dunno
-Who are you on the phone with most?: ummm….
-Who do you trust most?: if I trust you.. you know it.
-Who listens to your problems?: most of my friends get to listen to me vent. Most recently keith haha.
-Who do you fight most with?: Jessica… or Jennifer :) but not in a long time…
-Who's the most outgoing?: all of my friends are pretty outgoing…
-Who's the best singer?: Nick… I guess he is a good singer.. he’s in a band and all.. haha
-Who's your second family?: The Adcocks.
-Do you always feel understood?: Not really
-Who's the loudest friend?: Andrew, Jessica, and Heather
-Do you trust others easily?: I wouldn’t say easily, but I wish I trusted more.
-Who's house were you last at?: Kelly’s…
-Do your friends know you?: For the most part. I don’t think anyone will truly know me.
-Friend that lives farthest away: besides the friends that I made in Europe.. like jamesy and dave in Ireland…. It would be Kris. One of my best friends from HS. He is in NY

Love and All That
-Do you consider love a mistake?: Nope. My friend and I used to play this game... if u fall in love.. you lose. recently I think she lost. haha
-What do you find romantic?: different stuff.... music..
-Turn-on?: Sense of Humor… Honesty
-Turn-off?: Untruthfulness
-First kiss?: my kindergarden gf… haha
-Have you ever wished it was more socially acceptable for a girl to ask a guy out?: ahhh the girl is always the master mind behind it anyway….
-Have you ever been romantically attracted to someone physically unattractive?: yes
-Do you think the opposite sex finds you good looking?: I dunno, ask them…
-What's the last present someone gave you?: Sara gave me a Best Buy gift card. THANK YOU!

Who Was the Last Person...
-That you laughed at?: Shelly. (Errrbody in the club gettin tipsy)
-That laughed at you?: probably grant… at something stupid I said… he is the last person I was with… racing to subway before they closed…lol
-You went shopping with?: Tyler and I went to walmart tonight…
-To brighten up your day?: Shelly L… she had a lot of nice (tipsy) things to say … she made my night. I love those talks…A LOT!
-That you thought about?: Shelly. I just typed her name lol
-You saw a movie with?: Kelly, Christy, Heather, Nathan, Skyler, and a couple other guys I don’t know… we watched Garden State (again)
-You talked to on the phone?: Keith… for about an hour.. I am really excited about the NS promotional stuff!
-You talked to through IM/ICQ?: Andrew
-You saw?: Grant

Right This Moment...
-Are you going out?: nope, it’s 3am and I have a 9:30am class in the morning!
-What are you wearing right now?: shorts and a wife beater
-Body part you're touching right now?: my toe
-What are you worried about right now?: getting a job at the library.
-What book are you reading?: Brando: Songs My Mother Taught Me (The Autobiography of Marlon Brando)
-What's on your mousepad?: my mouse… (the pad itself is blue)
-Use 5 words to describe how you're feeling?: tired, a little worried, full, deep, loved (ok that is more than five)
-Are you bored?: Quite.
-Are you tired?: See above question
-Are you talking to anyone online?: nope
-Are you talking to anyone on the phone?: nope
-Are you lonely or content?: Both
-Are you listening to music?: Yes, Damien Rice, Foo Fighters (acoustic), The Damnwells, Nick Smith, Glen Phillips, and Coldplay (they are on the play list… been playing all night)

THE LBK!

I moved back to Lubbock! It is so weird being here. I have not been here since July! Almost 6 whole months! Crazy huh? I got to hang out with my roommates and a couple of friends last night. We didn’t do too much. After all that was over I went to Wal Mart late night! I had to re stalk the pantry and fridge. I got a lot of cleaner and stuff… and stayed up late disinfecting my room and bathroom. Then, we went downstairs to the neighbors, they were having a little shin-dig. It was okay…

On the schedule….
Apply for jobs
Get my books for class
Do laundry
Go out and party tonight!

If I can complete a few of those things I will be happy with today!

New Year's and Me

So things have been pretty crazy lately. It's kinda hard to explain. I've either been sleeping way too little.... to waayy too much. I have gone out just about every night for the past couple of weeks. It has been fun. and repetitive.

New Year's Eve was a blast! Andrew, Jordan, Kacy, Katie Nassif and myself went downtown... one of Andrew's friends was throwing a party in this loft apartment bldg. on the roof/ club house. It was crazy. They had a cop working the door... with a "list" to get in. inside the club house there was a bar filled with food and drinks. They had a couple of kegs. Outside on the rooftop there were a bunch of tables set up. It was really nice. I had fun meeting a lot of new people and ringing in the New Year with the people I was with. We ran into Carey and Hollye too. We all did a champagne toast at midnight. So adult like and fun haha. After that we stopped off at the Crave in Deep Ellum for a couple more beers. Once they closed I headed back to M-town ... some other friends of mine were throwing a party. All-in-all, it was a better night than I expected.

Today, I slept until 9pm. Isn't that ridiculous. I don't care though. I don't know what was wrong with me... I just wasn't in the mood to face the world today. I hope I am not the only one that does that from time to time.

I guess I will see how tomorrow goes.