Great year, Jen always spoils me.

I got a couple books (the alchemist, and manhunt), a TON of guitar books, a couple board games; epidemic, san juan, puerto rico, a couple blu rays (castaway one of my favorite flicks, don't know how I didn't already own it) and a space oddesy 2001.

Jen got me some flannel shirts (not like lumber jack shit, new shit), a sweater from my parents, a new computer monitor (we have to build a new one this year) aaaand... hmmm what else, ah a new guitar cable from jens parents, oh and deadwood on dvd, which I havn't seen yet.

Overall it was a good year, Jen got a bread maker that she had been wanting, a buch of books, dvds, and some clothes.

I really didn't want anything this year, i'm not just saying that, but I'm pretty happy with what I got, Jen and I have been on a huge board game kick and its a lot of fun.

I hope the day was good for everyone else, love and miss you guys, stay safe.

Mike.

I got my superdelay in the mail it is pretty bad ass. It is really small, In the videos I thought it would be the size of a small toaster but it is about the width of a glasses case.

It sounds pretty awesome, I need to get an expression pedal to access some of its other features, also it is bad ass having a built in looper, I can record myself and then practice over what I play (jam basically). I need to work on some more ways of implementing it.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting a shit load of jazz instruction books for christmas (my wife told me) which is pretty awesome, I like jazz (certain kinds, not elevator shit) and it is awesome because you can use it in other genres without it sounding like jazz.

Genre has always been an issue for me, there are so many things I want to play, I even considered going into just jazz, but I like experimental shit.

Sometimes I get discouraged with music, like half of it is that I like making it, but the other half is, what am I going to do with this? no one is ever going to listen to it, and I probably wont be in a band, well shit I guess I wont if I think that way, eh. but I also think, hey if I study jazz, like really study it, I can play in clubs and other ritzy joints and shit, because when im old and my ear hairs bush out, i might not want to rock, but ill have a good talent


I saw Pandorum today it was the second to worst movie I have ever seen, the first being the sequel to dumb and dumber, I walked out of the theater on that shit, I feel like there is one other movie I walked out on but I can't think of what it is.

I am still VIDEO GAME FREE, I need to post my declaration on that, I have almost caved in twice but I'm glad I didn't, i'm really going to try to do this. I've been hitting the gym hard, but I need to hit the books (for promotion) a lot harder if I'm going to make it this year.

I am reading Rendezvous with Rama right now it is an AWESOME book. I read online that Morgan Freeman has been trying to get a movie made for it for about 10 years now, but he can't get the funding, which is suprising, with shit movies like Pandorum comming out. Rendevous with Rama was written by Arthur Clarke, a big Sci-Fi writer who also co wrote 2001: A space oddysey, only this one isn't so weird.

I hate movies like Pandorum because they ruin the Sci-Fi genre, it just takes the whole batch down a couple of notches. I mean that shit was like a made for TV movie that somehow sneaked into the theater, maybe another shit movie moved the trashcan into the back door to prop it open, and then it snuck inside. I mean holy shit, it was a B-movie, and not the fun kind, but with awesome computer effects. Ok, great. It was a cross between Alien (the movie) and Dead Space (the video game). The acting was balls, the angles were balls, and I have NEVER found myself critiquing angles in a film. And the worst part was the monsters, they looked like complete shit, basically what we have here is monsters on a ship, a ship that left earth to find a new place to live, and somehow, while everyone was in a long term sleep, these monsters were, doing whatever, being born i guess, and they chase, and eat people, and they look like albino zombies with armor. I mean, it would have been a much better story if they were just regular people and they said "hey, lets have the resources run out on this ship, and then the people go crazy and start factions, and sometimes resort to canibalism" If I had been at the hollywood round table when this shit was being kicked around they would have said "holly fuck, Russell, you are a god damn genius". Anyway I DO have to say that the ending caught me by surprise, but that doesnt mean anything, thats like when an ugly girl has nice eyes, so two inches of her look good, and the rest looks like a sea horse, that was this movie. oh but she also has a nice car, and clean clothes, but her breath smells like beef and cheese.

 A teacher at the school I work for was arrested for burglary on Monday. Nothing else has the ability to shock the hell out of you other than the people you think you know. If you plant desperation, you'll grow stupid. Thus breeding stupid decisions. 

I've been in CO Springs for the last few days spending time with my Dad and Step-mom and other family. I've been mostly eating and reading. Which is nice. I love this time of year. I love the snow, and the music, the gifts, the food, the smells. But with all of that comes the inevitable depression following the holidays. Another 3 months of freezing cold. Ick.

~K. 

 Months and Months. So much to update. Let's start with the most important.

I'm HAPPY. SO HAPPY. How long have I waited to say that? I finally got the job. A real job, teaching third grade in Meridian. I love, love, love it. I work harder than I've ever worked, but it is incredibly satisfying. I'm happy to go there, stay there, and when I close my eyes at night. And I'm finally making an adult-like salary.  So, the "job" box is checked. 

The living situation is pretty good. In August, in a moment of desperation, I moved in with a girl who was advertising a room for rent on Craigslist. Yeah, scary sounding, I know. Anyhow, she's a very young, naive, quiet, responsible young woman, who I'm not really friends with, so it works out GREAT. We both do our thing,and  we have nothing in common aside from the fact that we share a living space. I'm on a lease with her until March, and then I'll go and find my own place. All on my own, for the first time EVER. 

Boy. Boys. Boy. :)  Not going to dish out too much in this area. Mostly because I think I'm still trying to figure it all out myself. I know I have some issues here. However, I'm happy right now. He makes me laugh, and truly tries his hardest. We've been to hell and back, and there's something to be said for that. I've been out of it and all around, and I find the task of finding someone that you can just tolerate being around, and being comfortable with, and actually like, incredibly difficult. Maybe that is just for me though. But I've found it, and that is good enough for right now. I don't even think about "forever". I have no interest in that right now.

I come first these days. I've spent so long just barely hanging on, that I can truly savor the feeling of steadiness under my feet. I remind myself daily to melt into the present moment. I've wasted a lot of time agonizing about what may or may not happen in the future, or just generally waiting for the next thing. That general restlessness in which we all dwell. 

So all in all, things are wonderful. Lovely. Quite close to spectacular. I've just got to hang on to it. 

~K. 

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I slept in until about noon, went and hit the weights, played fetch with my dog, studied, studied some gutiar theory, and started Rendevouz with Rama. I'm also reading "a peoples history of the United states" but that is more like reading a textbook than anything else.

I ordered the superdelay a few days ago I'm pretty stoked about that, I got a modified version that makes it sound more like an old school tape delay. My only complaint is they put a new paint job on it and it looks like balls, black with dookie gold lettering, wtf. I know its how the pedal sounds that is more important, so its just a small gripe really.

Heres demo videos and a difference between the two.

Original Empress Superdelay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryMMGoLw7Yk

Vintage Modified Empress Superdelay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSufzyl3iqg

You readers out there, maybe just make me feel better....


And right now I'm watching tron, never really watched it all the way through, its not bad.
hope everything else is going well out there,
brush your teeth.

Mike

Just got home from the christmas party, good time, I didn't get my drink on though.

Day five of no video games. Thought about putting the kabash on that, like I do everyday, for a few reasons.

1) If I'm not motivated to study I'm not going to study, Ill check whats in the fridge, check my email, pick up the guitar do something else.

2) playing shit online, or even just chatting over a headset, is kind of how I maintain my friendships from overseas.


However I think I'm still going to try and ride this out, i'd love nothing more than to hit the sticks right now but so far things are working out alright. Truth be told, I don't really miss the games, just BSing with all my friends from Japan and the states on headsets, bullshitting about work while we play something. etc.

im out