South LA

Ahhh I am so exhausted. Getting up at 5:00am is definitely getting to me. I have been so busy lately. Work has been going pretty good. I have been learning a lot, but I guess it’s hard not to when you are working 45 hours a week.

Last weekend I cut out a little early. Dad, Kris and I went to the South of Louisiana to hang out with the Justin and Jerry (some friends of ours). We got down there Friday evening and went to dinner at this place called Hollier’s, and then headed over to the La’Berge du Lac… a brand new hotel and casino there. It is really nice. We had a lot of fun hanging out in the casino and drinking…

That night I didn’t get to bed until 3:30am… so I slept thru breakfast the next morning… and got up in time for lunch J then Dad, Kris, Justin and I went down and fished the coastal marshes… we caught like 4-or-so fish and headed down to check out Holly Beach. When we got back to Jerry’s place we fired up the grille and Dad threw on some steaks. Dinner was really good. Then we hung around and enjoyed the good company. I haven’t seen Jerry and his son since we all went deep sea fishing out of Galveston Island last time.

Sunday we drove back to Dallas. We threw the fish on the grill and hung around.

This week I went over to my brother’s store and got some custom framing done… he is a really hard worker. I am proud of him. I saw Lacy the other day. I met her @ Starbucks off of 75 and Lemmon, and then headed over to check out her new apartment. Last night I went to dinner with Vanessa… she was in town for the evening… She is flying to Lubbock this afternoon. I am jealous.

This weekend will be one of the last weekends I spend in Dallas. All the rest are packed with traveling and packing and whatnot. I think I am going to have a couple friends over for a cookout. We’ll see how that goes.

D-Fest in Tulsa

Ah, this past weekend was great. Friday I worked from 7am until around noon, and then I caught a flight from Dallas to Tulsa for D-Fest (which is short for Diversafest). It consists of around 96 bands on 8 or 9 stages in downtown. This thing is a SXSW in the making. Watch out Austin.

When I landed to took a shuttle to the hotel because Nick and Keith weren’t in town yet. I checked into the Downtown Plaza where the conference was being held. I laid around for a couple of hours, just relaxing until they got into town. It was nice to do nothing for a little bit.

Whenever the guys got to the hotel we got ready to head out to D-Fest to register and get Nick all set up for his showcase. The people were nice. They had a pre-party @ The Venue for all of the industry people and musicians. Then we headed over to Dalisandro’s, where Nick was playing. We met some cool people hanging around. Nick’s set went really well. We hung around for a bit waiting on a shuttle to get back to the hotel to put the stuff up. We ended going back out and catching a few more bands that night.

Saturday morning we got up and headed to the conference. Nick had to jet because he had a gig in Norman. Keith and I went to about 6 conferences all day long, ranging from how to build the perfect press kit to talking to A&R people about what they are looking for to diversifying the income. It was a lot of information. Most of the panelist seemed like they were very knowledgeable in their area. It’s so cool to see the inside of the industry, and see how it works. I understand that I only saw a small percentage of what all goes on, but it was cool to be apart of that.

The guys from Gooding were there. They are pretty good friends with Nick and Keith. I’ve met Gooding (who is the lead singer and guitarist… and his name also doubles as the band name) once before. He was a panelist in two of the different conferences. You can really tell how much different bands really bust ass to get where they are.

That night Keith and I headed out to all of the different venues where D-Fest was being held to catch different bands all night. We saw about 9 different bands Saturday night. And then we went to the penthouse on top of the bank building that sits on the corner of the festival. We hung out with a couple of people up there and bullshitted.

Then Gooding called and invited us to the D-Fest VIP after party back at the hotel. It was in one of the suites up stairs. I met a few people who were pretty cool. I like hearing other people’s stories about the industry or themselves as musicians. There was a guy at the party who was so wasted he passed out in a chair. Now one might think because this is a VIP party for a decent sized festival in Tulsa people would take care of this guy and find out what room he is staying in…. nope. People proceeded to write on this guy and put things on him and in his hair. It was kind of sad, but at the same time this kid probably deserved it. He was so wasted whenever I’d talked to him earlier that night. Know your limit kids.

Sunday we went to grab some lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse and then back to the hotel for a pool party put on by D-Fest for everyone involved in the conference. We ran into the wasted kid again and he was wasted again… or still… I am not sure which haha. After that was over I headed back to the airport and flew home.

I really appreciate Nick and Keith for inviting me this weekend. It was definitely a blast. I don’t think I have ever had so much free Miller Light and pizza. Haha.

Vanessa picked me up and we went to have dinner. That was nice.

This week has been hectic at work. I have put in about 45 hours and I am exhausted. Hopefully the weekend will hold something great.

Independece Day...

ok, it's been a long time since i have updated this thing... lemme give you the quick version...

since i last posted... i realized i hate statistics more than any other math class... (that i have taken.... which isn't saying much... but it really does suck) I am currently failing I think. I have never failed anything so I have to bust my butt to pull it up.

I went to see Marc Broussard, Sons of William and Eliot Morris in concert a couple weeks ago. I went with hollie and elisha. We had a really good time. Last Saturday (the 25th) Nick opened for Graham @ Gypsy. It was really good seeing Nick and Keith again. The show was great.

I have still been hanging out with Kris a lot.. and watching the 4400 on Sundays.

Shelly is leaving for London on Wednesday. Andrew is leaving for London on Friday & Heather just got back from Italy this past week.

I went to dinner with Vanessa and a few friends @ Snuffers on lower Greenville. It was good hanging out with her again.

Work is going okay. I have been so tired juggling work and school and random partying.

Friday Kris and I drove to Lubbock to stay @ the good ole APT.... and hang out with my roommates and some friends I havent seen in a long time. I spent a lot of money and had a really good time. I think I went to 6 different bars in 3 days. hmmm is that bad?

We drove back this afternoon... and I ended up going to Philip's to hang out with some friends. They had a 4th of July party over there.

I know I am leaving out a ton of stuff... but my brain is too tired to remember anything.

This is my last week of school, and this weekend I am flying to Tulsa for D-fest. There is a conference during the day and Keith got me a industry pass for the day time. At night there are tons of bands playing. Nick is playing on friday night @ some bar. It should be a lot of fun.

Now I am off to bed... Don't forget to thank any and every person you know involved in the United States Military.

Until next time....

.........

Hey hey party people... how's it been going? Things have been going good around here. I have been pretty busy. My statistics class started last monday (one week ago today...) and it is going pretty well so far. I have my first test tomorrow and I am kinda scared. I've made a couple "friends" in my class... and they all think it's gonna be fairly east. We'll see! My teacher seems pretty laid back... sometimes. and sometimes she is very by the book. Hmm, I hope she isn't setting us up for disappointment.

I got a membership at my old gym in Mesquite. I have been working out a lot lately. I hope I can keep that up. It is getting kinda hard. I only went a couple times this week because I was so busy at school and work. And then when I get home all I want to do is go to sleep.

I haven't updated this thing in a while. The internet is on the glitch at the house... It will be fixed tomorrow hopefully. I have been hanging out with Kris a lot lately... which has been a lot of fun. It kinda seems like the old days whenever we are both in the dallas area at the same time. I've seen Chris Kelley a few times too. He is doing a lot better.

Shelly came into town on Thursday and we went to a place called Cuba Libre's to meet adam and kacy for drinks. It was a really cool place. I will definitely go back. Then Shelly and I ended up at WalMart @ 2:30am buying the new CDs. The new coldplay, lifehouse and jack johnson cd's are really good. definitely go out and pick them up!

This Wednesday Aqualung and Cary Brothers are playing in Dallas. I really wanna go see them... but I dunno if anyone else will be available. Nick just got added as tour support for all the Texas shows for Graham Colton Band. He is playing @ Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas on the 25th I cannot wait! Keith is coming down this weekend and we are going to see Ryan Adams... and then spend the rest of the weekend doing promotional stuff for Nick. It should be a lot of fun. Father's Day is this Sunday, and I have to go get Pops something. I am thinking a new watch.

I gotta plan a trip to The LBK. I miss it so much now. I still haven't found a place to live in the fall... i gotta get on that!

Well, it seems like I am forgetting a lot of stuff... cause I haven't updated this thing in almost 15 days. I am gonna close this thing off with a top 5 favorite things right now...

5. banana pancakes (jack johnson song)
4. lazy sundays
3. cuba libre's
2. 4400
1. my friends and family

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