Catching Up
Finally, the worst is over. I mean, not that the past few weeks have been bad, but they have been absurdly busy and surprisingly tense. It's good to be done with it.
The first thing that kept me busy was all of this practicing for Josh and Laura's wedding. I had the privelege of playing bass in the band (What She Said rises again). We did a lot of covers, some we knew and some we didn't, all picked and vetted by the happy couple. That basically kept me occupied for two and a half weeks straight, either rehearsing with everyone or learning songs on my own.
The wedding itself was fantastic. We drove out to Bethlehem, PA and stayed in Laura's grandmother's house. For the bachelor party we just kind of had dinner and then hung out by the river in the Colonial section of town (yes, the colonial section). The ceremony was officiated by Peter and Josh's dad, with Ryan and Vick taking photos. Actually, pretty much everyone involved in the wedding was either a Navigator or family. It was kind of cool. And when we played, I'm not ashamed to say that we rocked. The best comment of the night had to have come from Tim Ziesel (Josh's brother), who told us he was just blown away because he hadn't expected it from us - we didn't look the type. =)
I expect that I'll have photos sorted and cleaned up by the end of the week. I want to get them done by then so Ryan can send them on to the Ziesels. I'll put a few up here when they're ready.
Pretty much as soon as we got back from Pennsylvania I had to turn around and start studying in earnest for the GRE, which I took last Saturday. I definitely didn't do fantastic, but I don't really have anything to complain about either. It's done, and it's satisfactory. I doubt I'll be going to Harvard or even Yale, but I don't want to go there, so it doesn't really matter, does it? (Actually, I just checked, and Harvard doesn't have a score, but I'm well within Columbia's...) Architecture schools just don't care that much.
My heart's still set on Austin.
But now that those are done, I get to relax.
Sort of.
Honestly I'm just playing catch-up, and I don't know how long it will take me. Everything got pushed back and now that I have some free time again, guess what needs to be done? Everything. If you want an idea of just how busy I've been recently, I haven't been to Community Group in three weeks, which is an odd feeling. Even odder, though, is that I started going to the gym in the morning, because I either didn't have the time or was too exhausted to go in the evening like I normally do, and if I don't go to the gym regularly I can't function quite right - don't sleep well, feel antsy, and so on. The terrible irony of it is that by going in the morning I've been more consistent than I have been for months, so I suspect I'll keep going early. Since PJ normally goes in the morning and said he wanted to come with, I decided to just work in on his routine and try something different... Dude is intense! I'm sore right now, and it's only been one day...
Anyhow.
Here's some other stuff I've been up to.
As much as I want to talk about the Montreal trip, it's going to have to wait. I really want to just dedicate a whole post to it and photos of it, and this accomplishes neither. And, sadly, other photos have passed it in importance, namely those for weddings, birthday presents, and publication.
Wait, did I just say publication? Yes I did. The Tyler Schwartz Group has picked one of my photos to go on the back of their new album. Huzzah! Got to help a friend out and make some money off it, too. Rock. The Release Party/Show is going to be at Club Love on July 10th. Come! It'll be teh awesome.
I did manage to get out of town again after Montreal and before the wedding, although it was really like half a day. PJ's family threw him, his sister and his cousin a graduation party at their place, so Josh, Matt, Patch, PJ, and I drove up to New Canaan to partake in some barbeque. It was a pretty good time, as you can see:
PJ in his backyard.
Ryan enjoys the corkscrew a little too much.
Josh advertises something classy.
The cake gets cut.
Plus, PJ's aunt invited he and I to come visit her in DC. So we may go do that towards the end of July. I wonder if I can see Uncle Igor when I'm down there? I really should, and I would love to.
Last Tuesday, I went to see Death Cab for Cutie and Rogue Wave play at McCarren Park Pool. Honestly, it wasn't that great a show. For one thing, Death Cab's roadie kept messing up the tuning, so Ben got pissed. Then, even though they said rain or shine, the show got stopped because of the weather. It was fun, and had they finished the show it may well have been the perfect New York night. Unfortunately, as it stands now, I need to write someone a strongly-worded letter and see about getting my money back. It's on the to-do list - the same one that's already really long.
Show number two for the week was Tom LoSchiavo at the Annex. I thought the venue was pretty terrible - it's a club part-time, and acts like it - but the company was good. It was Tom's birthday, so a lot of people came out. I took my camera with, so... Aqui esta mi amigo Tom tocando la guitarra:
Now some in color...
This one is my favorite from the night. Just enough movement to make it awesome.
On a completely random photographic note, I need to take a lighting class, I think.
I've been pretty busy at work, too. No particular reason, that's just the way it worked out. It doesn't help that I have to be here longer each day to save up for summer hours. (But they start on the 27th, O Frabjous Day!)
The big push was to make a press release and get it out so we could announce Poly Prep's LEED Silver status. To celebrate, we held a ceremony at the school at which a member of the USGBC handed over the plaque. Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn Burough President, was there, as was David Yassky from the City Council. The best, I think, was when the third grader talked.
Then, this last Friday, we took a tour of the new Administration Building at the Queens Botanical Garden. It's ranked LEED Platinum, one of I think two buildings in the City that is. It was a nice trip and made for a short day.
Photos from the Architectrual League's Beaux Arts Ball are here so you can see how the architects in NYC party. No, I'm not in any of them, but you could check out a photo on Facebook to see my new suit here.
In good political news, Hillary's OUT. THANK GOD!!! It's nice to have a break, if ever so brief, from constant politics. It felt like someone pulling teeth because she would not leave.
It's also nice to have some hope that things will get much, much better come January 20, 2009. I think the moment Obama and McCain get on stage together it will be over. Over like JFK beating Nixon soundly over. Over like, um, McCain bringing a spork to a gunfight...
So I am pleased. =)
In less happy news, James and Kate are moving to Kentucky today. We gave them a big sendoff complete with fireworks on Saturday night. We discovered and watched an unexpected fireworks show on the East River after eating at Grimaldi's and waving at London through the telectroscope. It was pouring rain, too. Kind of awesome and incredibly memorable.
What's next? Don't know. I really don't know.
I may be going to Montauk on Saturday.
There's a free Cold War Kids and Elvis Perkins in Dearland show at Prospect Park coming up.
Yeah, and lots of catch-up chores. Oh, and heavy thinking. Seriously heavy thinking. Big decisions to make and all that.
Late!
- ian
The first thing that kept me busy was all of this practicing for Josh and Laura's wedding. I had the privelege of playing bass in the band (What She Said rises again). We did a lot of covers, some we knew and some we didn't, all picked and vetted by the happy couple. That basically kept me occupied for two and a half weeks straight, either rehearsing with everyone or learning songs on my own.
The wedding itself was fantastic. We drove out to Bethlehem, PA and stayed in Laura's grandmother's house. For the bachelor party we just kind of had dinner and then hung out by the river in the Colonial section of town (yes, the colonial section). The ceremony was officiated by Peter and Josh's dad, with Ryan and Vick taking photos. Actually, pretty much everyone involved in the wedding was either a Navigator or family. It was kind of cool. And when we played, I'm not ashamed to say that we rocked. The best comment of the night had to have come from Tim Ziesel (Josh's brother), who told us he was just blown away because he hadn't expected it from us - we didn't look the type. =)
I expect that I'll have photos sorted and cleaned up by the end of the week. I want to get them done by then so Ryan can send them on to the Ziesels. I'll put a few up here when they're ready.
Pretty much as soon as we got back from Pennsylvania I had to turn around and start studying in earnest for the GRE, which I took last Saturday. I definitely didn't do fantastic, but I don't really have anything to complain about either. It's done, and it's satisfactory. I doubt I'll be going to Harvard or even Yale, but I don't want to go there, so it doesn't really matter, does it? (Actually, I just checked, and Harvard doesn't have a score, but I'm well within Columbia's...) Architecture schools just don't care that much.
My heart's still set on Austin.
But now that those are done, I get to relax.
Sort of.
Honestly I'm just playing catch-up, and I don't know how long it will take me. Everything got pushed back and now that I have some free time again, guess what needs to be done? Everything. If you want an idea of just how busy I've been recently, I haven't been to Community Group in three weeks, which is an odd feeling. Even odder, though, is that I started going to the gym in the morning, because I either didn't have the time or was too exhausted to go in the evening like I normally do, and if I don't go to the gym regularly I can't function quite right - don't sleep well, feel antsy, and so on. The terrible irony of it is that by going in the morning I've been more consistent than I have been for months, so I suspect I'll keep going early. Since PJ normally goes in the morning and said he wanted to come with, I decided to just work in on his routine and try something different... Dude is intense! I'm sore right now, and it's only been one day...
Anyhow.
Here's some other stuff I've been up to.
As much as I want to talk about the Montreal trip, it's going to have to wait. I really want to just dedicate a whole post to it and photos of it, and this accomplishes neither. And, sadly, other photos have passed it in importance, namely those for weddings, birthday presents, and publication.
Wait, did I just say publication? Yes I did. The Tyler Schwartz Group has picked one of my photos to go on the back of their new album. Huzzah! Got to help a friend out and make some money off it, too. Rock. The Release Party/Show is going to be at Club Love on July 10th. Come! It'll be teh awesome.
I did manage to get out of town again after Montreal and before the wedding, although it was really like half a day. PJ's family threw him, his sister and his cousin a graduation party at their place, so Josh, Matt, Patch, PJ, and I drove up to New Canaan to partake in some barbeque. It was a pretty good time, as you can see:
PJ in his backyard.
Ryan enjoys the corkscrew a little too much.
Josh advertises something classy.
The cake gets cut.
Plus, PJ's aunt invited he and I to come visit her in DC. So we may go do that towards the end of July. I wonder if I can see Uncle Igor when I'm down there? I really should, and I would love to.
Last Tuesday, I went to see Death Cab for Cutie and Rogue Wave play at McCarren Park Pool. Honestly, it wasn't that great a show. For one thing, Death Cab's roadie kept messing up the tuning, so Ben got pissed. Then, even though they said rain or shine, the show got stopped because of the weather. It was fun, and had they finished the show it may well have been the perfect New York night. Unfortunately, as it stands now, I need to write someone a strongly-worded letter and see about getting my money back. It's on the to-do list - the same one that's already really long.
Show number two for the week was Tom LoSchiavo at the Annex. I thought the venue was pretty terrible - it's a club part-time, and acts like it - but the company was good. It was Tom's birthday, so a lot of people came out. I took my camera with, so... Aqui esta mi amigo Tom tocando la guitarra:
Now some in color...
This one is my favorite from the night. Just enough movement to make it awesome.
On a completely random photographic note, I need to take a lighting class, I think.
I've been pretty busy at work, too. No particular reason, that's just the way it worked out. It doesn't help that I have to be here longer each day to save up for summer hours. (But they start on the 27th, O Frabjous Day!)
The big push was to make a press release and get it out so we could announce Poly Prep's LEED Silver status. To celebrate, we held a ceremony at the school at which a member of the USGBC handed over the plaque. Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn Burough President, was there, as was David Yassky from the City Council. The best, I think, was when the third grader talked.
Then, this last Friday, we took a tour of the new Administration Building at the Queens Botanical Garden. It's ranked LEED Platinum, one of I think two buildings in the City that is. It was a nice trip and made for a short day.
Photos from the Architectrual League's Beaux Arts Ball are here so you can see how the architects in NYC party. No, I'm not in any of them, but you could check out a photo on Facebook to see my new suit here.
In good political news, Hillary's OUT. THANK GOD!!! It's nice to have a break, if ever so brief, from constant politics. It felt like someone pulling teeth because she would not leave.
It's also nice to have some hope that things will get much, much better come January 20, 2009. I think the moment Obama and McCain get on stage together it will be over. Over like JFK beating Nixon soundly over. Over like, um, McCain bringing a spork to a gunfight...
So I am pleased. =)
In less happy news, James and Kate are moving to Kentucky today. We gave them a big sendoff complete with fireworks on Saturday night. We discovered and watched an unexpected fireworks show on the East River after eating at Grimaldi's and waving at London through the telectroscope. It was pouring rain, too. Kind of awesome and incredibly memorable.
What's next? Don't know. I really don't know.
I may be going to Montauk on Saturday.
There's a free Cold War Kids and Elvis Perkins in Dearland show at Prospect Park coming up.
Yeah, and lots of catch-up chores. Oh, and heavy thinking. Seriously heavy thinking. Big decisions to make and all that.
Late!
- ian