Thank You Blockbuster

I haven't felt like I've had a lot of reasons to get out of the house lately. And you know what, it's driving me insane! I've developed some very bad habits and I haven't been getting much accomplished in the past couple of weeks.

I know there is plenty I can do, especially on the job front. But I've resigned myself to applying and applying, mostly online, and trying to let things play out. I know, not a good strategy. I've snagged myself one interview only to be turned down. It shouldn't drag me down but it was definitely a hard one to take, especially because I was already lowering my employment standards to begin with. I mean, you don't need a college degree to stock shelves now do you?

But anyway, most of my days have been spent wasting away in my apartment. I've been playing and singing quite a bit, I guess that's a one highlight from the darkness. Overall, I'm lucky I'm not getting fat. I have Koda to thank for that, he takes me out for at least two 15-20 minute walks everyday. Or is it the other way around, I don't know.

Though my car is finally street legal, it's been resting up for quite some time in the garage. Only getting a glimpse of true daylight on the weekends. Until today that is, thanks to Blockbuster. If it weren't for Blockbuster's late fees I probably wouldn't have left the neighborhood. It felt good, even it was only for 15 minutes or so.

I need to make a habit of taking the car out for a breather. I don't liking going out for no reason but maybe parking somewhere and roaming the streets one of these days would net me a job. Or maybe I should take my roommate's suggestion and take my guitar downtown on one of these nice days we're bound to have soon and play my heart out for some change in my guitar case.

Although, if I'm going out in public it would may be a good idea to shave, and maybe shower, and put on some pants. (Just kidding on the pants thing. Not putting pants on daily is one bad habit that I haven't developed yet. But who knows, it does sound comfy.)

Weather Matching My Writing State of Mind

We've been spoiled. By the weather that is. It's been a big change moving from the frigid Maine winter climate to the cold, windy, yet mostly snowless Kansas winter. With the random 70˚ days and the bare grass it's been weird. It's been messing with my head as I've mentioned in previous posts "The Weather! Honestly!" and "The Weather! Honestly! Continued".

As spring hit, I was convinced that any trace of winter weather was behind us, until today that is. We didn't get the snow that was forecast but it's been raining and sleeting since last night making one hell of a mess. And you know what, it doesn't really bother me because it's very fitting. It might as well be all frozen up outside because that's how my head has felt for weeks now.

Instead of the ice encased tree I pictured that resides not too far from my front door, I can picture my brain coated with a thick layer of frozen water that just won't thaw and let and my ideas take shape. I haven't been able to concentrate, to put good strings of words together, or even get satisfied with even the simplest of guitar riffs or chord progressions.

I'd have to say that Word Box Wednesday has been doing a little good. It's gotten me to think about words in a different way like it's supposed to. But overall, any ideas that have comes have faltered and left me unsatisfied and frustrated.

Am I putting too much pressure on myself? Probably. Am I being too critical? Most likely. Do I have way too much time on my hands to think about everything going on, music related or not? Definitely!

I don't like to complain, I just like to be realistic and I'm trying to understand this funk that I haven't been able to get myself out of. I know I have it in me. It's time to find it. As the crap outside starts to thaw out hopefully I can get my brain to do the same.

All I want to do is rock.

Street Legal, But What's With The Radio?

I've lived in Kansas for about 10 months and my car is finally, truly street legal. About 7 months overdue. You're supposed to register your car within 90 days, but I decided to wait 300. Well, I didn't really decide to wait that long, I just did.

I started the process on Monday. I tried to get a copy of my title, only for the inspection place to be closed on Tuesday. (They have some crazy rules to register a car in Kansas.) Then I get there on Wednesday only to find they need the title faxed directly from my lender, so that leads us to today.

I got my baby inspected (which doesn't mean the same thing as it does in Maine), drove across town to register and get my plate, and now I don't stick out like a sore thumb as I drive through downtown Lawrence anymore. Not only do I only have one plate like every other Kansan (wouldn't that save some money Maine, think about it), I have a nice shiny blue one with the name "Kansas" across the top. No more chickadee, sad.

I snapped the pic of my plate as I sat in the Dillon's Supermarket parking lot (which is where I registered, weird) listening to The Police on the radio.

On a side note, not that there is anything wrong with The Police, actually the Police are great, I just can't seem to find a radio station out here that I can stand listening to for more than a couple of songs. It doesn't help being jobless so I never drive my car and scan the stations.

It will be nice to finally get a job, not have to worry about getting pulled over in my expired Maine plates (which expire at the end of March, phew, that was close), with no one staring at me wondering why this idiot Mainer is driving among them, all while listening to a radio station that I've been able to find and rightfully program into my presets.

Anyway, random as this post may be, I'm just excited to have accomplished something today, something that was pretty important. Gets my confidence up a little. Next stop, Job Town. Population, me.

Word Box Wednesday #3 - Enough

Watch the video below to see my contribution to this week's WBW with the word "enough".


As I said in the video above, this week's word for WBW is:

human

Let me know how you would fit the world "human" into song, whether you use at the title, an idea, or even just to accent a phrase. Let your mind roam and see what it comes up with. That's what songwriting is all about. Good luck and rock on!

Creepy Wind And Staying Inside

It's a bit windy today. Actually, it's creepily windy today. Not being a native Kansan, it's the kind of windy where I'd expect to turn around and see a funnel cloud chasing me down the sidewalk.

For an example of how windy it is today, I went out for a walk with the dog (very lucky that he's a hundred pound black lab who won't get blown away), and snapped a pic of the fountain that's in our neighborhood. Usually it's spitting straight up and as you can see from the picture to the left, it's basically going sideways. The tiny pond looks like it's getting hit by an old fashioned New England nor'easter!

But no tornadoes today (or nor'easters considering the East Coast is nowhere to be found in the midwest), just crazy wind, and as you can tell we made it back ok. It's not cold out, but it's still a great day to be inside and working on some tunes.

Today I'm working on a new tune that I'm going to unveil on Word Box Wednesday. I'm going to be record a short clip of the progress I've made on a tune that's currently called "Never Enough". If you've been following you'll know the word this week is "enough", so I've done my job. Feel free to contribute your ideas for the word "enough".

You can catch up by checking out the last WBW by clicking here. Rock with you soon!

Off-Topic Sunday - Basketball and Dogs

Today is definitely a basketball day. No offense music, but KU is playing today and I'm living in THE college town of Lawrence.

Sunday is also just a good chill day. I used to be stuck working every Sunday, slaving away and missing the coolness that is the weekend. I guess that's the one good thing about being jobless, I've got my Sunday back. (One of the only good things about being jobless.)

Today is definitely a nice day (60's and breezy) and me and KJ have made a good habit of taking the Kode-man for a good Sunday walk. That's me using Koda as a pillow above.

We really want our own dog but we're being patient and pretending with our roommates dog in the meantime. We're shooting for a husky, man, we're obsessed with huskies. It would be nice to get two so she'd have a friend. We'll wait though. Especially until I have a decent job. And maybe after I get a nice new electric-acoustic guitar. Well, probably before that.