Show up in Joliet went really well yesterday.  Travelling around playing shows is tiring, though.  Didn't get back till about 8AM this morning - had to crash at BC's place in lieu of driving back at 2AM.  Slept two hours, met LK at UAG, then came back and slept another  2 hours before another meeting.

Friday was hectic. Had an early meeting, then drove to Chicago to teach.  Got back in around 6:30 and made it to CFC LG.  I've become their official note-taker, so I sat there clicking away on my laptop for 2 hours, ending up with 7 pages that I now need to edit and mail off to PJ.

No show next week, thankfully.  Planning on heading up to Chicago.  Gonna do the all-day LOR marathon one of these days too.

Baked some bread yesterday...good times.  used up some chicken today.  Things are cookin' now.

Ok gotta get to work on these notes. 

Ciao

Currently Listening Whatever People Say I Am Thats What I Am Not By Arctic Monkeys

Currently Listening The Minus 5 By The Minus 5

Currently Listening Hearts & Unicorns By Giant Drag

Currently Listening The Greatest By Cat Power

Currently Listening The Execution of All Things By Rilo Kiley

Well, I didn't quite make it into Tuesday, but, it's the thought that counts.  Pretty much worked all day, as best I could, although I'm feeling pretty lightheaded.  Visited Wesley.  Had a GK12 meeting where we did some final planning for tomorrow's waterday-esque all-day meeting.  I stayed up late to get the newsletter done in time.  The things I do :þ

Not much else going on.  Dropped off some udon soup I made for sick LK.  Its the magic cure, for sure.  Or maybe it's what made her sick in the first place.  That, or giving chickens mouth-to-mouth.  

I had to say 'no' to a Johnnyork gig for the first time - I doubt anyone else had problems with the date.  I feel bad, but certain things can't be de-prioritized.

Speaking of which, my voice is healing nicely.  Knocking on wood, I think I'll be fine by Saturday.  Should be a fun time in Momexico.

Ok that's it.  I'm off to bed.  tired.  Gotta be at this meeting at 7:30 tomorrow.  Wah.

All three of these albums are marvelous.  Buy/DL them now.

And, why was this retarded story on the Drudgereport?

Ciao

Currently Listening Hearts & Unicorns By Giant Drag

Currently Listening The Greatest By Cat Power

Currently Listening Back Room By Editors

So, time for an update.  I am going to try to make this week a faithful Xanga week.  We shall see how that goes.

Our show on Saturday was, um, kinda messed-up.  I lost my voice almost completely, partially from having rehearsal that day (worse idea ever) and partially from fatigue (had hardly any sleep last week).  So I could barely sing and it must have sounded really bad.  A ton of our friends were there though, so I suppose it drowned everything out.  We passed the mic around during our covers, which was cool.  I did my best to some whenever I could, but I think I ended up hurting myself even more.  Ah well.  We still got paid. 

The next show (this Saturday, River Club, Joliet) will be better.  I'm taking good care of myself this week.  I have to.

Superbowl party last night went splendidly.  I didn't have much invested in the game, but the party is always a must.  The various taco dips, char siu pork, and, of course, famous chicken wings we eaten with much enthusiasm.  BIG shoutout to LK for helping me clean and set everything up and making the pre-party prep way more fun than it usually is.  Dude you left your food in the fridge!

The house has lots of stuff i need to clean up now, but just throw-away stuff.  bottles and cans.  just clap your hands.  So, nothing too major.

Friday night I stayed up in Chicago and had dinner and some drinks w/ a friend.  Awesome time.  A bartender at Bar Louis had actually heard of my band!  how crazy is that!?

Saw Brokeback last week.  It was an ...interesting...experience.  Hehe.  Actually, it wasn't a terrible movie, but I don't think it was especially original.  Forbidden love is a story as old as time itself.  The things the movie "explored" weren't as interesting and thoughful as much as they were just raunchy.  And that, I think, was kind of a waste.

Ok that about does it. 

Ciao

Currently Listening The Greatest By Cat Power

Currently Listening Whatever People Say I Am Thats What I Am Not By Arctic Monkeys

Currently Listening Without Wax By Neah Lee

JOHNNYORK (my band) SHOW TONIGHT - Iron Post in Urbana, near the Office and Siam Terrace.  We're headlining!  Hah...I thought we were opening.  Anyway, we'll probably be on around 10:30 or 11, so come out!  we've inserted some covers into the set, and a new original.  We've managed to bump our set up to a full 40 mniutes.  Crazy.

Anyway, hope to see y'all out there.

Ciao

Oh man...got Halflife2 working on the lappy.  It's too awesome.

I'm actually pretty impressed w/ the lappy.  I've been taking some chances lately w/ games I didn't think it could handle - Trackmania Nations for one thing.  I've got it set to the maxed out settings, and the lappy's doing fine.  NVIDEA is even one of the game sponsors, and shows up all over the tracks.  Anyway, yeah she's doing pretty well for not having a fancy videocard. 

HL2 looks gorgeous.  I had to turn down a few of the detail settings, but it still looks great.  Doesn't really lag much at all, and the sound is fantastic.  I'm going to try hooking up my Extigy and running the audio through my sound system.  hehe.

I wonder if the lappy can do Call of Duty 2?  I fell in love at Best Buy.  I dunno.  HL2 is like a year and a half old...I'm pretty sure CD2 is a little more demanding.

Does anyone know if there's a way to upgate the video capability of a laptop?  How do laptop video cards work? 

Not much else to say for now.  Gotta work all day.  Lame-o meeting at 3.  SG at 7.  Cooking some more later.  Hopefully getting to bed early.  Probably staying up till 3 playing HL2.  haha.

Whoa, now...

Ciao

Currently Listening You Could Have It So Much Better By Franz Ferdinand

Currently Listening Whatever People Say I Am Thats What I Am Not By Arctic Monkeys

Ok quick update for the sake of my fans...

Friday was crazy.  Chicago all day, back for CFC LG, played with DJ's SG after (found out I may be the only person alive who really likes Lost in Translation and Flying Daggers ), then hung out w/ cnote/ladyfriend and mandoo for a late birthday drink at l'office.

Saturday brunch at the Greens to see Dick Brogden while he was in town.  Then Johnnyork rehearsal all day.  Then Willis' wine party. 

Sunday UAG w/ CC, then lunch, then nap, then Excel meeting.  After that, wrote my OpeningBands.com record review for Lucky Mulholland (reluctant thumbs down), then met mandoo et al at Perkins to work on a paper I had to rewrite and submit by Monday for SITES (Education conference).  Finished that business around 3AM and was up by 6:30 the next morning for work.  Aiya.

UAG ECM on Monday, then a Perkin's visit, then played some Trackmania Nations (free legal download!!!!!)

Seriously considering trying to make Turkish delight.  That little skinny loser...I gotta see what all the fuss is about. It looks pretty freaking easy.

My Jayne hat came in.  it's never coming off.  LOtR DVDs still not in   

Johnnyork show this SATURDAY at PM, Iron Post.  Be there or be lame-o.  Playing in Joliet/Momexico on the 11th, then at IMC in Urbana on the 25th of Feb.  Playing at the Monkey on the 7th of March.  We were supposed to play the Canopy or Post on the 25th of March, but i have to be at a conference in DC   I hate to make us cancel...i feel kinda rotten about that.

Command Center (ECM friend) gave me a wicked Dangeresque-style red leather jacket that his brother somehow got in Idaho or something.  It rocks.  I'm gonna wear it on stage.  It may not go well with the Jayne hat though.  So...yeah I might have multiple outfits or something.

Not much else.  Just working.  Can't make my code work, so I'm going to try to solve the math by hand (50-node finite difference...sigh) and see what happens...

Ciao bambinos!

Currently Listening Engineers By Engineers

Man this gap was a long one.  not good.  Teaching was good yesterday.  It's been hectic though - driving up on Fridays and then immediately driving back down.  I kinda miss just going up the night before and staying over, and being a little more refreshed the next day.  But having Thursday night back to get things done has been helping a lot.  Ah well.  Everything's a tradeoff.

Went to CFC LG last night, then hung out w/ DJ and friends.  After that, went and visted cnote w/ rizm for his birthday.  Had a beer at the office and turned in.  Going to a brunch thing at 10:30 today, then rehearsal all day. 

I have a ton  to do this weekend and I'm not sure when I'm supposed to do it.  I have to finish this paper I'm writing with the teacher I work with, and my record review for OpeningBands.com is due tomorrow.  eek.  There's a thing at the W's place tonight, but I may have to take some time between that and rehearsal to get one of those things done...

ok that's it for now.  Gotta run.

CIao

Currently Listening The Greatest By Cat Power

Currently Listening Z By My Morning Jacket

Ok proper update.  Hmm when did I last write something? 

UAG ECM Monday night.  Made my debut as Hospitality guy.  That was fun.  Big rism a safe trip to hotlanta.  Still cleaning up the house from all the stuff my mom left.  It's crazy.  I'm having to actually sit and think..."where am I going to put this?"  And there's so much stuff.

On a positive note, I know have like 10 video game systems. Basically every one we've ever owned.  NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, PS1, PS2, and Dreamcast.  I have a dearth of controllers, however, so I 'll probably go online and see about taking care of that.  MarioCart parties seem to be definitely in the future.

Speaking of the future, I'm planning to have a Superbowl party.  Ithink there may be something going on at UAG, but my fans demand my world-famous wings.  How can I deny them?

Johnnyork has settled on practice this Saturday to go over new covers that we've decided to insert into our show.  Good times.  Unfortunately, the LOR boxed set hasn't come in yet, so the all-day marathon will have to wait.  No worries, we'll hang out at night.

Night.  Yeah there's like 10 things going on.  Willis is having a party.  Cnote's birthday is the night before (and I am not sure I can really hang out yet).  There's a going-away party for my old SG leader.  Yeah lots of stuff to schedule.

Had thai food w/ DJ last night.  Good times.  As always, I'm left with lots to ponder.  Got my guitar back.  Still kinda sad about it though...

Ok well that's about it.  Matter-of-fact update.  Listening to lots of music, as usual.  Ooo...passed 30,000 hits finally.  Thanks Alberto

New Cat Power...beautiful.

Ciao

Currently Listening The Greatest By Cat Power

Currently Listening Confessions on a Dance Floor By Madonna

Currently Listening King By Belly

Currently Listening Star By Belly

Big updates to the Johnnyork section, including more shows and Messageboard sections.  Check it out!

I'll post more later

Ciao