new york. tuesday - theresa sokyrka, excellent. wednesday - mtvU woodie awards, fucking spectacular...brilliant performance, immi. watch it on mtv on november 4th, 10 pm. thursday - long island, always fun...alexa ray joel was sold out.
5 words. subway midget michael jackson impersonator. that's why i love new york.
boston. fuck you, seriously. SERIOUSLY. what kind of major city transit system CLOSES AT FUCKING MIDNIGHT OR 1 AM?! then it takes a FUCKING HOUR to get a cab after the club closed. club admission, $20. drink, $9. boston, you suck nuts. if i EVER go out again in boston (probably post-immi show in 2 weeks), i'm gonna make sure i'm drunk before we even hit the club. what a collosal waste of money. but at least a hot gal from long island named grace hit on me.
looking forward to the traveling and the immi shows coming up. to maine today, then back to nashville on monday afternoon...until montreal on the 7th! joy.
i started writing an update at the end of may. i never finished and made it public. perhaps someday i will, but if my history of doing so is an example, fat chance.
let's see...i live in nashville again. i "moved" back at the end of july, even though i really didn't "move" from anywhere. i live in the sylvan heights neighborhood which is over between west end and charlotte on the city side of 440. my roommate is shane-o, a fraternity brother and an old friend from belmont. he was gracious enough to allow me to take up residence in the spare bedroom in his home. i put "moved" in quotation marks because i'm still spending at least half my time bouncing around like a goddamn pinball. since august, my travel has been...
august 13th - 14th -=- seattle, washington august 15th - 16th -=- phoenix, arizona august 31st - september 8th -=- austin, texas september 8th - 13th -=- long island & new york september 23rd - 28th -=- chicagoland, illinois october 5th - 8th -=- evansville, indiana october 8th - now -=- madison, wisconsin times in between were spent mostly in nashville, with some fun times also being had at tennessee tech in cookeville.
now the fun begins with the next few weeks! -i'll be leaving madison and hitting up chicagoland hopefully this weekend, hopefully to have a little fun & party. -then i'm off to new york on a flight monday. -tuesday night is theresa sokyrka at the living room. theresa was the runner-up in the 2004 season of canadian idol and is from saskatoon, saskatchewan where my parents live. -wednesday is the mtvU woodie awards taping where imogen heap is going to perform. -thursday night is alexa ray joel at piano's. yes, billy joel's daughter is a performer in her own right. -friday, i'll head to boston from new york to go to the hotel cafe tour including a performance by kate havnevik. -saturday is a trek up to lewiston, maine to visit & party with some friends. -then i'm leavin' on a jet plane on monday the 30th, back to lovely nashville. how long am i back you ask? oh joy, one week. -while back in nashville, i get to see a different lineup on the hotel cafe tour, this time including rachael yamagata. -then november 7th, i vote in nashville for the midterm elections early in the morning...then hop a flight right after to montreal by way of chicago...because that evening is the first date of imogen heap's north american tour at the metropolis. i'll be meeting up with samantha and lisa, two fellow iBabblers and immi fans who are also going to be filming a documentary on music and the effect it has on the human spirit during their journey across the continent shadowing imogen's tour. -the next 4 days are spent on the road hitting up the imogen shows in toronto, philadelphia, and boston.
lately the life i've led has been more solitary and lonely than i'd prefer. this is going to turn into a little bit of a bitch post, but i just want to get a message out to the people who read this blog.
if you are in nashville and haven't called me, to get together or just chat...why? so many people kept telling me "you need to move back" and then when i do, they are nowhere to be fucking found. thanks, i've felt really welcome. and before you give me a bullshit excuse "well, you haven't been here most of the time" - you had no fucking clue whether i was traveling or not. yes, if not there, of course i would have had to decline your invitation for a social gathering...it still would have been nice to have been asked. i thought i moved back to nashville because i would know people here. i feel like a stranger in that goddamn city now that i'm back.
if you're my "friend" and i try to get in touch with you because i'm going to be coming your way...if you do not want to see me, then fucking TELL ME. do me the favor of messaging me and letting me know that i am not worthy of you making "time" in your calendar for and i'll do us both the favor of never bothering you again. comments on myspace, e-mail, facebook messages...have gone unanswered. phone calls are met with "i'm really busy, i don't know if i'll have time." well no fucking shit. person, meet world. world, person. everyone is busy with their lives. learn how to manage your time so you can squeeze in a goddamn lunch or grabbing coffee or an apres-work cocktail. and if there really is no time for me in your schedule, let me know so i can permanently delete you from mine. i used to think one of the greatest things about me traveling like this is that i'd get to see people all over that i haven't seen in so long. now i'm learning the truth, and the greatest thing about me traveling like this is meeting new people, people i can be social with because it "fits" into their schedule...and the new experiences i get. it's no wonder that i want to take off to europe again - because i won't be continually dissapointed by people i thought were my "friends."
the truth is probably that this was my own doing. of course, i was just kinda rolling with the punches when i left nashville in 2003 because i couldn't afford belmont anymore, and my friend was giving me a traveling job. and then when i was living in evansville, because all of the promises by said "friend" certainly didn't pan out. then it was the move to canada, to live with the family and try to get back on my feet and finish my education. that plan failed not long before i had the fortuitous luck to go back to new york to watch my grandparents die. fantastic.
after all that, i said "fuck it" - i'm going back to the city i fell in love years ago, the city i want to live in for the rest of my life. time to being amongst most of my closest friends, to recoup, to rebuild. the move turned out less than stellar. i'm hoping it'll still turn around.
and i suppose, for tonight, that's all i have to say. comments are welcome.
my birthday is coming up in just over a month...april 25th, to be exact.
the question i'm having a hard time answering, friends, is where should i party for it?
the 25th falls on a tuesday, so celebrations are best had the weekend prior (friday april 21st - sunday april 23rd) and the weekend after (friday april 28th - sunday april 30th).
nashville? chicagoland? saskatoon?
who wants to celebrate my 23rd with me?!
suggestions anyone?
and for those of you who want an update on where i've been and what i've been doing, don't worry...a longer update is in the pipeline about the rest of february spent in chicagoland and this month, which i've been spending in south florida.
röyksopp - what else is there? [thin white duke mix]
]
well, i haven't written a real entry in some time. the readership of this journal has declined quite significantly since i started it...perhaps because i update so infrequently. it's a vicious cycle - i think nobody reads this journal anymore, so i update less frequently...which means people read this less ;)
in any case, i am in chicago. i've arrived back on united states soil after time in europe, and then some time with my family in canada. my time in europe was, on the whole, good. the last week, i was doing more of the traditional "backpacking" - tallinn, estonia...london, england...liverpool, england...belfast, northern ireland...dublin, ireland...it did kindle my interest in doing a much longer trip, which until then, i didn't seem to get excited enough about. after flying back to the united states from dublin, i was on american soil for quite literally 24 hours before i continued my travels up to saskatoon. my week in saskatoon was actually very enjoyable. i've decided that i rather enjoy visiting there, even if living there wasn't suitable. it's likely that i will return at the end of march or sometime in that general timeframe (like march/april). i met a friend of a friend who definitely made the party more interesting. a saskatoon native, the guy is now a superstar world dj...and he knows how to party in a manner befitting the title of superstar. tuesday and wednesday night at the double deuce and overdrive, respectively, were a lot of fun and involved many libations and libidos coming together. ;)
in the meantime, i've been here in chicagoland (bolingbrook) for going on two weeks. my flight from canada returned on january 30th. i've also been enjoying myself here. a drinking routine has been developed, at least for during the week. last weekend, i spent in the city at the hyatt...so i haven't done much drinking out at the bar(s) here during the weekend yet. mondays, if we go out, is kosmo's on 53. $1 drafts. tuesday, tailgater's for $9 buckets & karaoke. wednesday is kosmo's again, this time for their bargain $3 pitchers. thursday is the double-whammy of tgi fridays for karaoke (and $2.50 pints) and then tailgater's for $10 buckets. after any of these nights, if we're sufficiently lit and don't want the party to end, we've gone to tooter's which is on joliet road. by then, i'm pretty smashed so i don't even know what the specials are or anything, i just continue drinking! :D
tonight, the destination seems to be the bamboo room in lombard. more of a "club" than our other destinations, i already know tonight is gonna be a more expensive night if we go...but c'est la vie, i guess. oh, in other news, i've added a new cologne to my collection. after a strong recommendation from a friend, i received abercrombie & fitch's scent fierce. if you've smelled it and have a review to offer, please do leave a comment.
i don't know where i want to go to next. there was talk of going to mardi gras this year, but my plans dissipated when the two friends i was going to go with (who initially expressed strong interest) had to decline, mostly because of finances. i also wanted to do a spring break-style vacation in march. so, without mardi gras, it seems i've moved onto the spring break-style vaca...i think my next destination may be florida, starting with the fort lauderdale/miami area. it would be really nice to see lindy and meet her husband and see her son, since it's been so long since i've seen her. my friend brittany is also in miami, and then susan & steph are working for disney in orlando, and devan is soon to join them. a lot of reasons, i think, that march in florida sounds like a good idea! :)
anyways, that's all there is to write now! leave me comments...
a message board that i frequent had a topic where people were discussing their life goals for 2006. yes, these pretty much are new year's resolutions...but i was planning on spending this year pursuing personal goals anyway...so it doesn't hurt to set mine: _________________________________________
1. Continually accumulate a ridiculous sum of money which will help with all goals that appear after #1.
2. Begin the credit repair process so I can achieve good credit & get a decent mortgage when I decide to "settle down."
3.* Spend as much time as possible, at least approximately 4 months or more, traveling throughout Europe. Everywhere. Yes, even Liechtenstein.
4.* Explore many of the areas of the Middle East with a friend from Canada.
5. Improve my physical shape by developing a fitness routine & sticking with it. Basically, I want to keep my weight at a satisfactory level (<200lbs so my BMI is just under 28) and tone my muscles.
6. Strengthen my family relations & friendships through better & more frequent communication, and visits to spend time with people. Also, always be open to new acquaintances and new friendships. _________________________________________ Numbers 3 & 4 are open to modification or removal based on a possible career development...something I wouldn't have anticipated even just a few weeks ago.
i can get text messages while i'm here at +1.306.261.9265. i'll be in europe until january 22nd, and then i'm going to canada until january 30th. after that, chicago until at least february 5th.
virgin atlantic flight 2 new york, united states to london, england departs december 19, 9:25 pm est, arrives december 20, 9:05 am gmt scandinavian airlines flight 806 london, england to oslo, norway departs december 20th, 12:55 pm gmt, arrives december 20th, 4:00 pm cet scandinavian airlines flight 8380 oslo, norway to helsinki, finland departs december 20, 5:15 pm cet, arrives december 20, 7:40 pm eet
6 years later, i'm finally getting to go back to europe! how exciting. europe for the holidays.
spent thanksgiving with my friends jenny & chantel in maine. they were nice enough to play host since i couldn't afford to go up to saskatoon, and my aunt declined my inquiry about spending thanksgiving with them. it was really a low-key holiday. we had dinner with jenny's family on thursday evening which was a pretty funny experience. everyone assumed that jenny and i were together, which we're certainly not. family does that though, i suppose - especially if someone brings a strange guy nobody knows to dinner! over the weekend, i saw the new harry potter & the goblet of fire in the theatres, and watched war of the worlds on dvd and that was about it.
after thanksgiving, i flew to chicago on tuesday, november 29th and had a blast for the near-week i was there. longtime friend andy picked me up from the train station and we headed directly for tailgater's, the "townie" bar in bolingbrook. on wednesday, i saw jarhead with mary at hollywood boulevard cinemas...i think that's where i'll see my movies in chicagoland from now one since it's not any more expensive than any other cinema, and they have food & bar service and you don't have to deal with kids! then it was out to the new club kosmo's on 53 on the way to romeoville with andy, marcus, & danny. $3 pitchers, baby! thursday was great, since i got to see so many people. during the day, i went shopping with linda, though i made no purchases...but got some ideas for christmas. that night, out at tgi friday's for the popular karaoke thursdays came amanda, rachel, pat, mary, and kari. after friday's died down, we ended up at tailgater's again of course. friday night, i spent in chicago with nancy, a mutual friend of mine & andy's that i met a few years back at one of my infamous house parties in bolingbrook when i was home from belmont one weekend. it was great to spend a night in chicago, something that i need to do more often. i accompanied nancy to dinner at gino's east, where we were joined by two of her co-workers , and our server was nancy's roommate . after dinner, nancy and i went to a party at one of her friend's houses. there weren't as many people as i was hoping for, and i only had brief conversations with some of the attendees...but it was cool anyway - especially since at this time, i was low on funds (and we all know there's no cheaper way to drink than at home!). we crashed at the party, and the next day, i had lunch at nancy's work ra (sushi). i headed back to the 'burbs that afternoon and then took in a movie with colleen, who it was great to see since i haven't in a few years, and then we joined andy, marcus, and someone i don't think i've seen since graduation, bethany at buffalo wild wings. after the bar, i invited everyone back to gail's and andy also invited some people who were at tailgater's including fran and regina, two other bolingbrook people i haven't seen since graduation. everyone had fun and it was just great to get to see everyone.
sunday night, december 4th, i boarded an amtrak train back to new york. as always seems to happen with amtrak, it was delayed. the scenery was beautiful and although the food was slightly expensive (and definitely the booze! $4.25 for a bud light can? whaaa?), it was nice to dine while watching the snow-covered forests go back and the quaint upstate new york villages. it was my first time on a long-haul amtrak. we arrived in the city about 1 hr 20 minutes late, and i had to haul ass to make it to 513 w. 54th. why, you may ask? well, i'll tell you. for a taping of the colbert report! it's french, bitch! haha...my two extra tickets went to a fellow t-punker (www.travelpunk.com) kate, and her roommate ana. maureen dowd, author of the book are men necessary? was steven's guest. it was really neat to be a part of the audience for the show. it was more a consolation since tickets for the daily show are impossible to get, but it was still something to add to the "have-done" list. here's a picture of the three of us outside the studio...
afterwards, we all went for a bite to eat at rumours irish pub in hell's kitchen.
so yeah, that's my awesome story. today i mostly just ran errands, including getting a haircut (which you can see i desperately needed in the pictures above). i'm staying in the city tonight, on long island tomorrow, and then probably in the city again thursday and definitely friday & saturday. there was an interesting development on a train i was on today, but i'll leave you all with a sense of mystery about what it is and i'll report more when i have more to say about it.
I'm gonna be a modern day drifter And get out while I can Gonna trade in this life I've been livin' For a pocket full of sand And a modern day drifter don't have to tell no one his plans
I'm gonna find that lost stretch of highway Where no one knows my name Where as long as the sky just goes on And it's never the same A modern day drifter don't ever complain
Bye bye, hi life Feels like the right time To say so long Keep on goin' strong And I'll just keep on bein' gone Cause I'm gonna be a modern day drifter, yes I am Gonna slip this ring off my finger Cause everybody understands That a modern day drifter's got nothin' but time on his hands
Bye bye, hi life Feels like the right time To say so long Keep on goin strong And I'll just keep on bein' gone Cause I'm gonna be a modern day drifter, oh yes I am Gonna slip this ring off my finger Cause everybody understands That a modern day drifter's got nothin' but time on his hands
i haven't updated in some time, for many reasons. first and foremost, i've had limited internet access since my relocation to new york in august. second, i didn't really feel like writing anyway. it doesn't seem like anyone reads my journal now anyways, so i feel little motivation to update. i'm at a point now where i feel like creating a summary of the past three months will be psychologically beneficial, so that's what i shall do.
september 10th, my grandmother died (obviously, if you read my last post). far and away, i can describe the ordeal as the hardest experience of my life thus far. it was very difficult to see my beloved grandmother in such a weakened state...but she got her peace in the end. she allowed my mother and i to be there when she passed away, and that is an experience that i won't soon forget. her passing was peaceful, however. she wasn't in pain. it's little consolation now that she's gone, but i can accept it.
on october 29th, my grandfather died. my grandparents had the strangest relationship. for as long as i can remember, my grandfather slept on the couch in the living room and my grandmother slept in her bedroom. it was certainly a love-hate relationship, but after 50+ years (their 50th wedding anniversary would have been in 2006), who am i to question it? my grandfather worked for grumman, before they merged with northrop. he worked on the line, building f-14 tomcat fighters. after retirement, however, without any pursuits to occupy his time, he became kind of "lost." my mother says, and i tend to agree, that my grandfather's been sick for longer than my grandmother was, but just held on for whatever reasons.
so now, here i am. i've elected to stay in the new york area for the time being (seeing as how i don't plan to have a permanent residence for a while). up until last week, mom & i stayed with linda & art okun, friends from when i went to school at maryhaven. since mom left to go back to canada on thursday (although she's flying back to new york now to handle my grandfather's arrangements), i stayed in philadelphia on thursday night and stayed in a hostel in the city on friday and saturday. that's probably what i'll do from now on - live it up in hostels. i need to get a good travel pack and use that, rather than my stuffed backpack and extra bag, which just isn't very convenient.
one of the nice things about being back in the place(s) you were born and raised after so long is reliving memories...i always liked port jefferson, the little village i was born in. it's got a quaint downtown area, with shops along main street. many of the houses in the village date to the 18th and 19th centuries. i've fallen out of touch with the people i went to elementary school with, which saddens me of course, so i haven't seen any "friends" since being back. my closest friends are scattered to the 4 corners of the globe, unfortunately.
so, that's my update. it's not very long, it's not very exciting. i don't know if i want to continue keeping this journal, but part of me thinks it might be nice to once i start my european adventures. i dunno. just seeing where life takes me. in closing, i'm going to put in the lyrics of the prayer. alyssa (my sister) and i sang it at the inurnment of my grandmother's ashes at long island national cemetary. she held it together longer than i did, and she performed beautifully. it was our way to honor grandma.
the prayer i pray you'll be our eyes and watch as where we go and help us to be wise in times when we don't know let this be our prayer when we lose our way lead us to a place guide us with your grace to a place where we'll be safe
la luce che tu dai i pray we'll find your light nel cuore resterà and hold it in our hearts a ricordarci che when stars go out each night l’eterna stella sei nella mia preghiera let this be our prayer quanta fede c'è when shadows fill our day lead us to a place guide us with your grace give us faith so we'll be safe
sognamo un mondo senza più violenza un mondo di giustizia e di speranza ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino simbolo di pace e di fraternità
la forza che ci dai we ask that life be kind è il desiderio che and watch us from above ognuno trovi amor we hope each soul will find intorno e dentro a sè another soul to love let this be our prayer let this be our prayer just like every child just like every child
needs to find a place, guide us with your grace give us faith so we'll be safe e la fede che hai acceso in noi sento che ci salverà
paul simon - diamonds on the soles of her shoes (unreleased)
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don't expect any updates or entries from me for the time being. i'm in a rather negative mood lately, and the last thing i want is for this to be just another whiney bitchfest livejournal. i'm not some emo kid who's gonna sit around and cry about his life. when i'm able to improve my situation, and my mood improves, i'll add more to this journal. in the meantime, nobody says you have to walk on eggshells around me...but if you say something that crosses me the wrong way, my reaction may be a little more venomous than i'm typically known for.
just thought i'd give people the heads up on why this journal hasn't seen much activity lately.
A Resolution for the 56th College Republican Biennial Convention.
WHEREAS, the College Republican membership has always fully supported the war in Iraq;
WHEREAS, we have encouraged the notion that the degree of one's patriotism is directly proportional to their support for the war;
WHEREAS, by word, by deed and by the financial support of Ann Coulter, David Horowitz, and Michelle Malkin, we have decreed that dissent against the war is the equivalent of treason;
WHEREAS, the military continually falls far short of meeting its recruitment needs resulting in a manpower crisis;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: 1. The College Republican National Committee shall officially disband until the conclusion of the war; 2. The College Republican membership shall immediately volunteer for military service as infantrymen. 3. All College Republican National Committee monies raised from taking advantage of elderly women shall be placed into a fund for the purpose of supporting Ann Coulter, David Horowitz, and Michelle Malkin until they receive additional Scaife funding, sell a house to Duke Cunningham's lobbyist, or obtain a presidential grant to edit global warming reports.
if you support our troops by agreeing with president bush's war-mongering, i'd be happy to offer you the name and telephone number of your local recruiter.
Most times you are proud to be an American, though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe. Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home. You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you!
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