First Day of School....For The Semester

Here I sit, waiting for my last class of the day begin. It is the first day of the fall semester and I wish every day could be like this. The teachers only talk for 15-20 minutes. There is an excitement in everyone...it is perfect.

Despite the amazing atmosphere that surrounds the opening day of classes, it never fails that in every class there is that ONE person who will haunt you for the entirety of your semester.
In my first class, his name is AARON!!! This kid is treat!

He had a reply for everything the prof. said. He thinks that by throwing big words into sentences, it warrants him wasting our time and his breath.

I am sure the stories will fill these pages in the months to come.

I Think I Blacked Out...

Last night, one of the most incredible things happened to me! I did not go skydiving, wrestle with a polar bear, or save a small child from the clutches of death. But I did get to eat dinner, hang out with, and play along side my favorite musician/singer/songwriter!!!

Last night, my band, The Roustabouts, got the opportunity to play a concert with SHANE AND SHANE. Now before you say, "Josh, you are too excited about this", Let me paint you a picture as I so often (sometimes too frequently) do.

Here we go on a journey of words.

I am restringing my guitar in my office, I hear some say "Shane and Shane are here" with moderate enthusiasm. I run outside to see...and its them. Now I am pretty happy at this very moment. But it gets better. They had backed there black ford f-150 right next to Sugg's (my drummers) car.
He was outside to start the process of taking his drum kit inside. He opens the door of this truck to ask the people inside. Upon doing so, he is face to face with Shane Barnard. It was pretty cool.

After that moment. We were inside setting up and waiting to sound check. Shane Barnard being the kind man that he is, was being cordial and came to talk to me. Well, what happened next was epic. Here's a sample of how the convo went.

Shane: Hey, I'm shane.
Me: Hi I'm josh?
Shane: Nice to meet you
Me:(undescernable low grunt)
Shane: I look forward to hearing you guys play)
Me:(Shoulder shrug accompanied by undescernable low grunt)

As the night went on I loosened up. And actually carried on a full conversation of some inteligble dissonance. All in all, it was one of the most amazing nights I my life. I have pictures to prove it happened!!!

A Week Away

I sit in my recliner, 7 days away from one of the most incredible experiences of my life. In one week, I will be playing a show with one of my all-time favorite musicians. Shane and Shane are coming to my "house" to sing Mansfield stupid.

Here are some reasons I am nervous:
-I am vocally inferior to them
-I have ripped most of my songs straight from their stuff
-I am afraid I will wet my pants when shaking their hands

So, it is worth it for you to come and see me in whatever state of being I stumble in to. Whether I manage to maintain my composure, or I break down and become an emotional basket-case, it will be entertaining.

"In the moment when life becomes too great for the soul of man, and there is light only when your eyes are closed, get lost in the moment!"

Chasing the dream...And we are the dream

Lets just face the facts. When you think about the Olympics, one thing comes to mind, Michael Phelps... But just for a second, lets shift our focus to something a bit more astounding. Although the U.S. is leading everyone in the medal count, the majority of these are bronze. Is this a sign of our nation's athletic prowess, or just a melee of mediocrity. Seriously?

Now, we all know for a fact that winning a medal in the Olympics is a big deal. I would give my little brothers left arm for a chance to simply compete at that level. But in this frenzy of fine-tuned athletic machines known as the human body, anything but medaling is considered a loss.

Now, my competitive nature agrees. And to be completely honest, and as shallow as it is, I could not agree more. Its win or go home U.S.

Now lets look at why we win. It boils down to this:
-Michael Phelps is 81% Jesus
*How else do you explain his buoyancy?
-Nastia and Shawn are in fact Romanian
*Its not called "gym'nice'tics"
-Tyson Gay obviously runs in Nike Pumps
*He is a 5 pump guy...perfect blend of comfort and support!

Find a fault in what is written...excluding Chinese passports(They're 16? Really China?)!

Let the Hilarity Ensue!

So here I sit in Glen Rose, Texas at a staff planning retreat. Now, there are few things I enjoy more than a good meeting. Such as, repeated kicks to the shins, unwarrented kicks to the groin, and hapless punches to the face! BUT...being here I have come to realize that meetings can be fun.

Let me lay out the scenario for you.
1. I am at a swanky facility with my own room, this room has a garden tub.
-This means that I will be sleeping soundly, and I get to take bubble bath. (sorry for the mental image)
2. I get to hang out with Jake, Johnny and Karen and we really are not that formal.
-We have already made some moderately borderline jokes...
3. I get all of this for free!
-The church has paid for all of this. Including meals!

1+2+3= I LOVE MY JOB!

My advice...Try to find something you love and do that!! It makes life enjoyable.

Its the start of something better.

Recap of my weekend:

-Spent a bulk of my time in Buffalo

-Said goodbye to a friend

-Said hello to my new position at work

-Found out that Kyle is a sweetheart

Now, I am not one for emotional writing and this is not emotional. Things come and go and there are times when I am content and times when I feel that there is something better. Right now, this is as good as it gets.

To those moving, may you be blessed

To those staying, may you be moved!

Hey Now!

As I walk up the stairs to an empty room, I was thinking about lots of things and as I frequently do, I was singing a song in my head. Here are lyrics:

Hey we're just bleeding for nothing
Its hard to breath when you're standing on your own
We'll kill youself to find freedom
You'll kill yourself to find anything at all
(Hey Now by Augustana)

To me this incapsulates so much of my thoughts and even though it is only four lines long, it speaks volumes to where i am in life. I know this is artsy and emotional, but thats where I am today.

Its a start...

So, in light of recent times and things beyond my control, I have given in to the blogging world. I seldom have things that are worth or worthy of being put into writing but this here for that off chance. But more important, I am not long winded and so most of the time, breif, non-descript stories or experiences will not exceed a paragraph or two.

So, this is hopefully the start of something I will maintain for at least a while.

Happy reading and good day!