Moving on and along
Well yes, it's my birthday. It felt like I was turning 21 last night, hahaha. It was that night out at the bar I never had, so it was pretty cool. I bought myself a new keyboard/mouse thing and what better way to break it in than to write an ever moving, powerful, pointless livejournal.
Not much to write about these days. I had intended on going to Chicago today to watch the drum corps, but that didn't exactly pan out. There was some snow last night, and I was pretty exhausted from everything yesterday, so I slept and went to the store. This past week was spring break. I really can't remember a better spring break. My birthday present from my parents was a new set of tires for my car, and they are AWESOME. I also bought new rotors so the car doesn't jerk like crazy coming to stop. It's a like brand new! Spending time with family was wonderful. I hardly get to see them anymore, so the little time I do get is that much better. Everyone is doing well. Chris is a brilliant kid who I'm certain is going to go on to be incredibly successful. Ben, while in constant financial trouble, is a smart guy with a cooler girlfriend than anyone could ask for. Emily is adorable as ever, and she's getting so tall and so smart. It's aggravating really, coming back home and remembering those days when she was in her little baby rocking chair, and seeing her grow into a little girl. It makes me both happy and sad, seeing new things coming, and old things going. But I guess that's how time works, right? Dad is truckin' along, as always. I know how hard he's working and how difficult things are right now, but he's pullin' us all along. Mom is having the roughest time. After her surgery, she's had a hard time getting her diet adjusted and she's lost so much weight. This is a little scary, she's become so small. But she is getting active, moving around making sure the blood is moving around. She's getting better, I know it, it's just a really slow process.
I got see Benny Anderson for the first time in a couple years. I hadn't really seen him since high school and it's funny how much has gone out the window! Little inside jokes, memories, old conversations, all kinds of things to be dug out of the past, and it's scary how much time has really gone by. I had a hard time recollecting a lot of things from the high school days. It's still there, just really, really dusty. You focus so much on what's coming and you so often forget about the path that got you to where you are now. But it was just like the old days; hangin' out in Aubrey's computer room, just talking about random stuff. It was a great time.
I got two job offers on Saturday. The director at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer called me and let me know he was interested in hiring to be a member of the marching band staff. And then later in the day, the assistant director at Jenison e-mailed and telling me he was also interested. Gosh this is an exciting time for me! Two fantastic bands, two great opportunities. When it comes down to it, I'm not really sure which way I'm going to go. I was thinking I'd go to the "highest bidder," but I'm not so sure. They are both excellent programs. Puffer was the Flight II champion, Jenison was 3rd, Puffer is an hour and a half away and Jenison is 45... I really just don't know what to do. And to top all of this off, I have had some interest at Walled Lake Central and Rockford in Flight I. I guess we'll see what happens in the next couple weeks.
I have some thoughts on spring break in general. The whole idea of getting away kinda sucks. There are things to do with spring break that just sends life to an almost dream like state, or a personal utopia (as close as one could be to that.) This more or less break from reality is somewhat frustrating to me, because the alternate take on life is so much better. Everything to do with this week has been really pretty much perfect. I more or less met a new girl this week, hung out, got to know her as well as you can get to know someone in only a week, and now that I'm back here, it feels like all that time's just sort of gone to waste. I'm sad and disheartened by it. Of course it's childish and immature to say you want to stay just for that; we're big kids, and life's not fair. By and large, things don't go the way you intend and that's how it is. All in all, spring break is great, but the time right after spring break is like a bad hangover; ride strong, long and hard, have a good time, then you sit down and the world spins out of control for a little bit 'til you pass out. Then you wake up and everything sucks again. Hate to relate it to drinking, but it's probably the most relatable metaphor out there.
So what now? Well I don't know. I think it's time to focus on the future in a big way, getting myself ready to jet out of here to the real life. I know I want to leave because frankly, I'm convinced there's nothing left for me to do here. Nothing against Michigan, but I think there's opportunity elsewhere. We'll see what happens...
Now I think it's time for something old. I need some piano time to sort life out at the moment.
Splooie
joe
Not much to write about these days. I had intended on going to Chicago today to watch the drum corps, but that didn't exactly pan out. There was some snow last night, and I was pretty exhausted from everything yesterday, so I slept and went to the store. This past week was spring break. I really can't remember a better spring break. My birthday present from my parents was a new set of tires for my car, and they are AWESOME. I also bought new rotors so the car doesn't jerk like crazy coming to stop. It's a like brand new! Spending time with family was wonderful. I hardly get to see them anymore, so the little time I do get is that much better. Everyone is doing well. Chris is a brilliant kid who I'm certain is going to go on to be incredibly successful. Ben, while in constant financial trouble, is a smart guy with a cooler girlfriend than anyone could ask for. Emily is adorable as ever, and she's getting so tall and so smart. It's aggravating really, coming back home and remembering those days when she was in her little baby rocking chair, and seeing her grow into a little girl. It makes me both happy and sad, seeing new things coming, and old things going. But I guess that's how time works, right? Dad is truckin' along, as always. I know how hard he's working and how difficult things are right now, but he's pullin' us all along. Mom is having the roughest time. After her surgery, she's had a hard time getting her diet adjusted and she's lost so much weight. This is a little scary, she's become so small. But she is getting active, moving around making sure the blood is moving around. She's getting better, I know it, it's just a really slow process.
I got see Benny Anderson for the first time in a couple years. I hadn't really seen him since high school and it's funny how much has gone out the window! Little inside jokes, memories, old conversations, all kinds of things to be dug out of the past, and it's scary how much time has really gone by. I had a hard time recollecting a lot of things from the high school days. It's still there, just really, really dusty. You focus so much on what's coming and you so often forget about the path that got you to where you are now. But it was just like the old days; hangin' out in Aubrey's computer room, just talking about random stuff. It was a great time.
I got two job offers on Saturday. The director at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer called me and let me know he was interested in hiring to be a member of the marching band staff. And then later in the day, the assistant director at Jenison e-mailed and telling me he was also interested. Gosh this is an exciting time for me! Two fantastic bands, two great opportunities. When it comes down to it, I'm not really sure which way I'm going to go. I was thinking I'd go to the "highest bidder," but I'm not so sure. They are both excellent programs. Puffer was the Flight II champion, Jenison was 3rd, Puffer is an hour and a half away and Jenison is 45... I really just don't know what to do. And to top all of this off, I have had some interest at Walled Lake Central and Rockford in Flight I. I guess we'll see what happens in the next couple weeks.
I have some thoughts on spring break in general. The whole idea of getting away kinda sucks. There are things to do with spring break that just sends life to an almost dream like state, or a personal utopia (as close as one could be to that.) This more or less break from reality is somewhat frustrating to me, because the alternate take on life is so much better. Everything to do with this week has been really pretty much perfect. I more or less met a new girl this week, hung out, got to know her as well as you can get to know someone in only a week, and now that I'm back here, it feels like all that time's just sort of gone to waste. I'm sad and disheartened by it. Of course it's childish and immature to say you want to stay just for that; we're big kids, and life's not fair. By and large, things don't go the way you intend and that's how it is. All in all, spring break is great, but the time right after spring break is like a bad hangover; ride strong, long and hard, have a good time, then you sit down and the world spins out of control for a little bit 'til you pass out. Then you wake up and everything sucks again. Hate to relate it to drinking, but it's probably the most relatable metaphor out there.
So what now? Well I don't know. I think it's time to focus on the future in a big way, getting myself ready to jet out of here to the real life. I know I want to leave because frankly, I'm convinced there's nothing left for me to do here. Nothing against Michigan, but I think there's opportunity elsewhere. We'll see what happens...
Now I think it's time for something old. I need some piano time to sort life out at the moment.
Splooie
joe