It's Business Time

As many of you know I am the bassist and background vocalist for Mike Leslie Band and very excited to be a part of such a business.  Yes, I said business and not band or project.  This past year has been quite a difficult one as well as a nice lesson on transitioning my approach to my art.  Artists are naturally great at being just that, an artists, but would also be a fool to just expect for that to be enough.  If all you want to do is hang around your hometown creating your art on a small scale and feel accomplished in that, well, more power to you.  I have nothing against that.  This blog isn't for those people.  This is intended for those who are willing to work hard and make the changes necessary to take their art to the next level.  The level of business.  We all love to create art and more importantly NEED that outlet.  But it's time to change your approach.  It's time to get out of your comfort zone and force a new mindset that will help you to get to your goal quicker than if you are simply creating your art and waiting for something to happen.  Waiting for someone to notice.  I've wasted a bunch of years chasing after things I thought I wanted/needed.  I have come to realize that it was a hinderance.

Don't Appear Desperate

Let's take a second and compare this to a human relationship.  You are single and decide to go out several nights a week to look for a individual who fits your criteria for a significant other.  You try to not look desperate but let's be honest, they can simply smell it on you.  The second you decide you're going to stop looking and trying someone comes out of the woodwork and something sparks.  Why does that happen?  Well, because while you are "on the prowl" you aren't yourself.  You are slightly altering your image, desires and personality to something you think they would be attracted to.  The same thing happens for many artists.  Let's be honest, we all want our art to be appreciated by as many people as possible and want to reap the financial rewards of our hard work.  This being the case we want to make our product appeal to individuals who have the means of getting our art out to those people.  This isn't always a bad thing though.  Sometimes it can force us to improve our talent and get out of our warm and cushy complacency.  

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Before you make a change or a decision you need to hold it up against this next phrase and really think about it.  You need to constantly be asking yourself, "Is this going to help my business or hinder it?"  There is no middle ground with this one, folks.  If something is not directly helping your business it is hurting it.  Even if it is as simple as something that is taking up a little more of your time each week it is a hinderance.  If something costs you a couple more dollars each week (but of course isn't returning profit) it is a hinderance.  Cut that stuff out of your life.  This goes for the people in our lives as well.  Yes, your friends and family.  Those people you interact with on a daily basis.  Are they supportive of you?  Are they willing to tell you when your art sucks as well as encourage you to do better and work harder?  Do they get excited when you create something fantastic? Do they share it with their friends as well?  If not you probably don't need them in your life.  Hold them up to the same standard.  "Is this person supporting me or not?"  They will all fall on one side of the fence or the other and we know what to do with those that fall on the "non-supportive" side.  Cut them loose.

Be Proactive

I once had a friend tell me that my music would sell itself and I have found that to be quite untrue.  You obviously need to have good music however you also need to make sure people know about your good music.  Even if I had the best tasting pizza around I wouldn't be able to just open a pizza shop and make pizzas all day hoping that my business will be filled with people before I run out of money.  I would need to make the restaurant warm and inviting, advertise to those who might order out several times a week, and surround myself with a supportive staff who shares my passion for good food and service.  You MUST have the unwavering desire for your music to be heard.  Without this desire you are involved in a dying business and wasting your time.  Hone your skill, make your product visually appealing, and make subtle changes to the art that is 100% YOU.  

Get Seen

Go to concerts and events where other artists who are doing things right are playing or hanging out and start meeting people.  Face-time is one of the best ways to get people to listen to your music or experience your art.  It's too easy to forget an email or Facebook message but when they see your face and shake your hand they will remember.  Hold an interesting conversation with them and talk about things that will stand out to them.  SMILE and be positive so they will want to speak with you again.  Remember names.  Write them down as soon as you leave a conversation.  This is VERY important.  Never stop making friends.

All of these things are necessary for someone who is looking to make their art a business and I suggest you start now.  Stop wasting more time with things that don't matter.  Set your goals for this year and accomplish them.  Ready? GO!

...um yeah...

guy

I hate the guy sitting next to me. Well, maybe hate is a strong word and poorly applied in this situation, however I really don't like him. It is very difficult to explain why I don't like him, I just don't. All the girls, on the other hand somehow love him. He's nice, and always smiling but there is something about him that makes me despise him. Have you ever met somebody that you simply could not read? Somebody that is so good at being the nice guy but deep down you know he's probably murdered someone and has gotten away with it. That is this guy. I have no reason to not like this person at all and yet I do. It scares me to be honest. I feel like I can read people pretty well, except this guy. Maybe I don't read people quite as well as I thought and in that case this whole perception is null.

So here I sit at the bar writing and drinking as our subject (we'll refer to him as Guy) enters the pub. Guy arrives alone and chooses the seat next to me to settle. Since he is alone and I am obviously busy on my computer he decides to chit chat with the cute bartender while flashing that smile of his. We've all seen a smile like Guy's, a smile that haunts you. It's his lure of choice while fishing for attention. First he'll scan the room looking for some female prey and then BOOM, out comes the smile. Dangling it in front of those helpless little girls and suddenly they forget how to pronounce their own name. It's quite gruesome and yet impressive at the same time. National Geographic should put his smile on their cover and it would be one of the most influential images ever. One by one these helpless girls buckle. It disgusts me to watch Guy work. What are his motives?

I've come to the conclusion that Guy is either really good at hiding who he really is or he simply is nothing more than some good looking bait. Once the bait is taken the only thing left is the hook even though Guy never seems to keep his hook in anyone. This leads me to believe he is hiding something. What a horrible thing to do! Why even bother with the facade? One would think that pretending all the time would become too much work and at some point the truth would reveal itself, but not in this case. I've never seen someone so mysterious and it bothers me. Whether or not it should is a separate conversation, but it does.

After a quick meal and a beer or two Guy decides to pay his tab and leave. I am no longer on edge and decide to put my laptop away since I don't have to appear busy anymore. So here I sit, alone, scanning the room to catch someone to smile at.

Wilmington, Delaware

i am currently sitting back stage at our 2013 Chevy Malibu tour in Wilmington, DE.  we have a pretty aggressive tour this time around with flying to our first city and driving to the next.  this is how every week looks for this tour.  it makes for a pretty exhausting week seeing as how every Tuesday we have a morning show followed by an afternoon show which we have to break down and load up all the equipment after.  once the semi is locked we load up into our rental cars and drive to the next city. (sometimes several hour trips)

after we loaded up the semi in Lakeland, FL i was able to drive a short distance and meet up with my sister jen, and her girlfriend kristin.  it was great to spend time with them even for just a couple hours.  helps to keep me sane while on the road that's for sure.

but enough complaining about all of that because life is good.  i've been trying to not let the little things that go wrong have so much control over my moods.  yeah, i get frustrated and yeah, some people piss me off but it isn't going to ruin my day.  life is too short.  i'll still have my bad days but there have definitely been worse days than even these.

so far this tour is running smoothly.  we have a fantastic team, for the most part, and are able to get set up and torn down quite efficiently.  i have also enjoyed the friendships that have developed with my coworkers.  getting to know each person and learning about their upbringing and understanding how they came to be where they are is fascinating.  i decided to start doing push-ups while i work backstage.  we have 8 break-out sessions each day and i got tired of sitting back here browsing the internet or watching a movie so i started adding 10 push-ups during each session.  it isn't that much, however it works out to 80 more push-ups a day than i was doing.  so that's a plus, right?  i guess every little bit helps.  i've been able to work out a couple times a week in the hotel fitness rooms and have been keeping up with the water intake and eating pretty good.  i've been feeling great lately and am excited for this slow and steady change in my lifestyle.

i REALLY miss my dog, Sig.  he is staying with my parents while i'm away and they send me updates every couple days.  Sig is already at 40lbs and he is 4 months old!  awesome!  fast learner too.

when i get back into town i will begin moving all my stuff to a house in Roseville.  i will also most likely be looking for a roommate in April.  cheap rent.  i am very excited about this move because it gives me an excuse to go through all of my belongings and throw away or donate items that i no longer use.  almost like a spring cleaning for life.

finishing school has been on my mind A LOT lately.  but i always run into the same wall of "which direction to go".  it is quite frustrating.  i'll probably end up making a list of the ten careers i have thought about going into, close my eyes, and let the dart decide. maybe that's the only way i'll find progression.

Dallas

I am finally getting back to my blog again and apologize for the week of silence.  My schedule has been quite busy lately and I have simply been too tired to stay up and write after I get back from dinner each night.  This week has become the Goliath of the tour so far.  We started off this week setting up in Houston, TX this past Sunday followed by two days of shows.  After the final show on Tuesday we broke down all the equipment and began loading the semi-trailer in the dark.  Everything was going well until it started pouring rain making the ramps VERY slippery and coworkers frustrated.  One of our team members, Marco was injured while some of the other guys were loading the ramps into the truck.  His ankle got bumped into pretty good and got pretty swollen.  He rode in my rental van with a few other team members as we left Houston to drive to Dallas that night.  We got to the hotel around 11:45pm and settled in.  Marco hobbled to his room which was right next to mine.  Wednesday morning we left the hotel lobby at 8:45 and made the 2 minute drive to the Texas Motor Speedway to set up all of our gear, meanwhile Marco went to the clinic and got checked out.  Good news that he just bruised it and there is no major damage because he is a good worker and a fun guy to have around.  We finished setting up all the gear and headed back to the hotel.  A few of us needed to make a laundry run so we headed towards Keller, TX and found a nice laundromat to clean our nasty ass skivvies.  This was my very first time in a laundromat and I must say, it was a nice experience.  I was informed that this pleasantness was a rarity and not to expect the same at the next place.  We finished drying our garments and departed on a mission for food.  We ended up at a place called Up In Smoke.  Obviously from the name they serve smoked meats and goodies of the sort.  The food was pretty good and apparently the women's bathroom was quite interesting.  I am going on the word of the females here and not from personal experience.  We licked our plates and paid our bills and headed back to the hotel.  All in all the tour is going well and I have enjoyed the people i work with.  

but what does it all mean, basil?

"Where did you go you stupid thing?", i stammered as i frantically began to search under and behind all the furniture in my room.

i love sleeping.  there are many nights where i don't sleep very well even though i am tired and worn out from the day's activities.  other days i can sleep in for hours and wake up feeling more tired than i did when i fell asleep.  falling asleep with someone in my arms is one of the best feelings in the world.  breathing rhythmically as we fall asleep and waking up hoping the other person doesn't smell our breath before we brush.

now i'd like you to think about some of the dreams you have had throughout your life.  we all have those weird ones that we have remembered over the years because they were so abstract.  maybe you remember dreams that involved significant people in your life.  have you ever had a dream about someone who has passed away?  it is very interesting to experience a dream like that.  most of my dreams of passed family members are as if they were simply in the background and i have had a few where they have talked to me about something.  waking up was a weird feeling.  i have laid in bed for an hour after waking up, simply trying to remember the entire conversation in the dream and interpreting what it meant.  it is quite interesting to say the least.

what about a recurring dream?  stop reading for a second and think about what it was, who or what was in it and where it takes place.  now don't go assuming im a dream interpreter or that i follow all of that stuff, however i do believe that our minds are very complex and capable of great things.  when we are asleep our minds are free to roam and explore the infinity that is our imagination.

almost 11years ago, when i was 18yrs old, i had my first "encounter" with this dream.

i woke up suddenly with the feeling that something was on my chest.  like a small weight of some sort.  as i moved to sit up something scurried off of me and crawled up the wall disappearing into the dark corner of the ceiling.  i thought it was a weird experience and went back to sleep shortly thereafter.  i do not remember the second time it happened or what the date was but i know it was the exact same experience.  the third time it happened the creature crawled across the wall and down to the floor instead of up toward the ceiling.  i quickly jumped out of bed and turned on my light."Where did you go you stupid thing?", i stammered as i frantically began to search under and behind all the furniture in my room.  i had grown tired of the same dream and waking up feeling this hand sized spider like creature on top of my chest and face.

i had looked up many interpretations of dreams involving spiders and apparently there are quite a lot of people who have spider dreams and even recurring spider dreams.  most of the websites out there say that a dream about spiders on your body mean that there is a strong fear in your life at the moment.  when the spider is on your face it shows that you are feeling complacent and afraid of making big changes in life.

this makes a lot of sense with me.

not that i remember exactly where my life was when i had each of these dreams but i know i've had it about 16 or so times.  so i've decided the next time i have that dream again i will take a moment and write down where i am in life and what my emotions are.  it may take a handful of years to see a pattern but it would be interesting to say the least.

never take friendship personal

one of the reasons why i haven't blogged in a while is because i knew exactly what i needed to write about and i have been dreading it.  this blog will be difficult for me to write.  i recently lost a friend of mine.  we were best friends for the past nine years and had been through thick and thin together.  we shared the same passions in life and knew each other better than anyone else could.  we cried together and laughed all the time.  he was somebody that i would have died for if need be.  i had defended him at all costs and trusted him with my life.  it breaks my heart to say that i have lost him.  don't worry he isn't dead, he destroyed our friendship.

i have always had the idea that i have surrounded myself with trustworthy people.  i put up plenty of barriers between others and myself and don't really need another reason to put up more.  these walls have caused many hard times in my relationships with girls as well.  i am a frustrating individual.  i know that.  that is why it means SO much when i allow you beyond those walls.  it is quite the risk for me.  it's like a roll of the dice with the rest of your money on the line.  i don't want people to be able to shake my world up, i don't want them to have that power, that control over me.  it scares me to be honest with you.  i only have one heart and would prefer it to stay in one piece for as long as possible.

i always thought that i chose decent girls to date.  in fact i don't just let anyone into my life.  sure i have many female acquaintances but very few who REALLY know me emotionally.  being vulnerable scares me.  so girls, if you ever get beyond my emotional walls it means i truly trust you.

several weeks ago i discovered that my best friend of nine years had slept with my ex-girlfriend (while we were dating).  a friend of mine had told me a few things to watch out for and i denied it and defended my best friend.  because that's what best friends do.  even though this person had a pretty valid point i stuck up for my best friend and said that i would trust him with my life.  because that's what best friends do.  a few weeks had passed and i had this feeling in my stomach.  i just knew something was weird so i asked my ex-girlfriend over chat, and it all came out in the wash.  i confronted my ex-best friend over text (for fear of going to jail for assault if i saw him in person).  sure enough, he admitted to it.  he kept apologizing saying, "it was an addiction that i kicked in july.  i can honestly say i am free from it."  i wasn't aware that betrayal was an addiction.  nine years of my life wasted on someone who would betray me for a few "rounds" with my girlfriend at the time.  not to mention my girlfriend... classy dame she turned out to be.  young and stupid i guess.  ugh.... it sucks because even though we weren't dating i still cared for her as a person.  not so much any more. that's just something i never thought would happen to me.  my girlfriend cheating?  that would never happen to me!  my best friend betraying me?  that would never happen to me!  both of them happening at the same time???? HA!

well thank you ex-best friend and ex-girlfriend for strengthening my emotional barriers THAT much more.  thank you for making it THAT much more difficult for the next girlfriend and friends who have to work even harder to gain my trust.  thank you for showing me that those closest to me can't be trusted at all.

wednesday morning i flew from pittsburgh to chicago and i slept most of the flight.  well, all except for the five minutes i was fighting tears while the thought of losing my best friend this way haunted my mind.  it is not as frequent as it used to be but im not sure it will ever go away.  i've never been so broken as i was that day.  it just hurt.  i am moving on.  i have forgiven both of them but removed them from my life.  i don't care what they are doing these days or for the rest of their lives.  i hope i never see them again and wish we didn't have the same friends.

i truly have lost most of my trust in other people.  sorry if i come off rude or cold.... that's just the way it will be for a while.

thanks, friend... thanks for wasting nine years of my life.

why, Yes!

I am sitting at gate 71 and watching people as they walk by frantically searching for things, kids, restaurants or bathrooms.  SO many people.  i like to watch their faces and see what emotion they are feeling at the moment.  obviously 90% of them are focused, mostly blank stares.  except for the faces on the kids which are almost always glowing with excitement.  as i write this i stopped to watch a little girl frolic down the walkway.  her parents couldn't possibly walk fast enough to their gate.  she can't wait to get on the plane.  i understand that we as adults have much more to worry about when traveling and most of the time it is a troublesome necessity.  i also like to pretend i know exactly what that persons life is like.  mainly by the clothes they wear and how they interact with others.  that lead me to think about how I appear to others by the way i look or interact with others.  i am not the most patient person on the planet.... at all, in fact.  especially when i am delayed due to somebody else's mistakes or incompetence.  i actually go from calm to bomb in .5 seconds.  my face shows it.  my words say it.  i want people to remember me as being a happy guy who was always smiling and didn't sweat the small stuff.  kept his cool.  made the best of each situation.  this kind of reminds me of the movie Yes Man.  where Jim Carrey's character decides to say YES to every question no matter what the consequences may be.  not saying that we should all go do illegal or immoral things just because we were asked, but i think you get the idea.  more of a "go with the flow" kind of attitude.  it almost forces you to be less selfish.  people might begin to think you are reliable and trustworthy.  i am going to start using this word more often than it's opposite.  

put it in your pipe

i am in Blaine, MN waiting for the end of our first session today.  we flew in on saturday and set up on sunday.  after set up we all went to the bar to watch the Lions take down the Buccaneers.  the food there was fantastic.  i ordered a Pot Roast Sandwich that was awesome.  had pot roast, onion, carrot, onion strings and horseradish mayo on a toasted hoagie.  mm... the juices were soaked up in the hoagie and it was delish.  this was a difficult test for me though.  not eating, because i assure you that i do not need any testing for that! :)  but after the meal and because we were enjoying some drinks it was difficult to turn down the offer of a smoke.  it is simply because of the habit of smoking after meals or during drinks and NOT because i have an addiction to it.  i had no problem saying no however i DID step outside for the conversation while my co workers partook of their smokey treats.  it has been 10days since my last cig and i feel pretty good.  Sept. 1 was my goal to stop, however it ended up being the 3rd.  BUT THAT'S OKAY!  it still happened.  with the increase of tobacco tax and the 'amazing health benefits' of smoking i decided to finally put it out.  i also just got tired of waking up congested and feeling like crap.  having to hack my way through the morning and blow my nose every minute.... ugh.  i feel much better.  also i am planning on getting into a regular routine of running.  so obviously the smoking needed to stop.  it's all part of working towards a healthier me.  

small, steady steps and sticking to it wins the race.  i'll see you at the finish line.

...off guard

thoughts collide like bumper cars and slowly burn away.
and when the smoke clears... who are you now?
steal away like thief in night with my emotions in tow.
and when the fuel is gone... where are you now?
cut me down with every word and send me on my way.
and when the blood dries... what are you now?

... funny the way it is

i am currently sitting backstage amongst all my electrical goodies while the people on the other side of the curtain are tinkering with the cars.  i am sitting in a metal folding chair that likes to squeal when it slides on the floor.  i forget this regularly so i actually wrote it on a piece of tape and stuck it to the table right in front of where i sit.  hey, whatever it takes… right?  i have to work with 5 product trainers all day every day.  they are nice people, however the honeymoon phase has come and gone and the claws came out.  they seem to bicker to each other, about each other.  they have cute little nick names for each other and nobody really likes the one given them.  it's almost like a backhanded compliment.  seems nice on the front but there is a sneaky little nugget of "gotchya" tagged on the end.  we are all adults here.  well… supposedly.  

the hotel here in Overland Park, KS is quite nice.  (Towne Place Suites by Marriott)  also helps that the girls who work the front desk are super nice, OH and gorgeous.  the bed in my room is fantastic unlike most hotels, and i have a full kitchen with dishes and two closets.  there are a ton of restaurants and stores in very closet proximity.  i got excited when i first saw the hotel because i saw a park RIGHT BEHIND the hotel.  ends up it is a golf course.  can't go hang out there.  boo…

lately i have been expanding my circle of friends.  i have met some wonderful new people and also rekindled old friendships with a few people i haven't seen in a handful of years.  it is always interesting to catch up with old friends and hear their life experiences.  the 20s are a very interesting time in peoples lives because major decisions are made.

life is funny sometimes.  situations come and go and i can just sit back and laugh at the irony of timing.  when i want things to happen, they don't.  when i finally decide to focus my attention on something else it seems that life FINALLY works out the way it was supposed to….. a little while ago.  too late.  always too late.  i thought that we are supposed to be aggressive and proactive towards things we desire out of life, yet i find it is almost a deterrent for the journey.  as if the more we dig towards our treasure we are really just getting further away from it.  then that one time we finally stop and say, "screw it, im just gunna ride it out"  things seem to just fall into place.  weird.  backwards.  life. 

...drag horse bag

we got to do our presentation at Retama Park in Selma, Texas.  Selma is not known for anything except for the horse racing at Retama Park.  this was my first time at a horse track and i must say, it is pretty neat.  i got to watch the trainers work on the horses around the track every day.  it was also VERY hot.  before i left for texas i had multiple people tell me, "oh don't worry, texas is a dry heat."  ..... funny.  averaging temps of 108 while i was there and humid as can be.  worse than any humidity i've experienced in michigan, ever.  at 6am i walked out of the hotel room and was surprised that it was still dark outside.  and that i was instantly soaked from sweating.  ugh.  walking to the car was annoying.  OH, forgot to mention that the main room of our show was NOT air conditioned.  but don't mind me, i'll just sit over in my little "oven-like" corner amongst the three laptops, one reference monitor and dual audio rack filled with amps and whatnot.  it is easily ten degrees warmer where i have to hang out.  we got it done though.  take the good cities with the bad i guess.  i also got a chance to drive the Chevy Volt on the closed course out in the parking lot.  it handles remarkably well.  pretty good acceleration and comfortable to drive.  it totally blows the Toyota Prius out of the water.  too bad it's 40K, and you can get a standard camero for that price.  

our drive team consists of several professional drivers who judge and enter drifting and racing competitions.  pretty cool stuff if you ask me.  just don't ask the rental cars they choose.  those usually end up on a make-shift drifting track until the tires can't take anymore.  and i mean literally, sometimes i wonder how they even get them back to the airport on the rubberbands that are left on them.

i just bought some new luggage from amazon.  a rolling duffle bag-like piece.  my current one is 10yrs old and starting to come apart.  plus it's always nice to have something new.  a little self spoiling never hurt anyone.  OH YEAH, and i can write it off come tax time.  bitchin.

the last few days that i have been home after san antonio i have been writing some acoustic stuff.  got a few good progressions and ideas for songs.  very excited about them actually.  

i also have been looking into what it would take to become a cop and hopefully later a homicide detective.  i was stuck on the idea that i needed a criminal justice degree before i could even get started.  well, that's not true.  in fact a friend told me that experience is everything and to simply go to academy and get started.  another friend suggested i try to get into the oakland county jail and work there for a few years THEN go to academy.  because they'll pay for it!  sounds good to me.   there's a waiting list.  so.... we'll see.

which brings me to my next point.....  gotta love a good segue.

i have to learn to love running.... this might be the most difficult thing i've ever done.  it is the fastest way to drop weight and tone up.  damn food... tastes so good.

so i'll keep you updated on my progress... if any! :)

if you have any ideas or tips on how to "enjoy" running please let me know.  i REALLY want this to work.  i was also thinking that i need to do video updates once a week posting weight and measurements so that everyone can see the results.  plus the support from all my friends and family would be a fantastic driving force.

tomorrow i fly out to St. Louis, MO.  i'll be staying at a nice hotel and the venue where our presentation will be held is super nice.  i'll update once i get back.  peace.

Seattle

This was uploaded on my HTC EVO using the Blogger app.  Let's see how good it is.

Friday afternoon most of the team had flown in to Tacoma and settled in.  A handful of us decided to grab some lunch before heading into downtown Seattle to enjoy the night.  Since we didn't have to set up till Sunday, we definitely took advantage of the night.  Seattle is nice if you enjoy the "city vibe".  Many late night venues cater to the swarms of youngins looking to drink, dance and demoralize themselves.  Overall the people are nice.  Saturday I slept in and took it easy.  I meandered around the hotel and walked up and down the street to see what was around and get a lil exercise.  I definitely miss mountain biking and will be hitting the trails much harder than I was before.  I am trying to figure out a way to get a guitar on the tour with me.  I was told it can ride in the semi truck and now I want to see if my bike can come along too!  (fingers crossed)

Set up on Sunday went VERY well.  At 7:30am we started to unload the truck and set everything up.  We were done by noon.  This is quite impressive and I must give credit to the awesome team I get to work with.  These people work hard and get it done.  On my end, set up of the audio/visual stuff went quickly because I am familiar with everything now.  All the equipment is right where I left it and I expedited the set up by leaving a bunch of stuff inside the home audio rack connected.  After set up was complete I asked the producer how I have been doing and he said, "EXCELLENT!  Better than I expected!"  That made my day!  I have been working hard and being a team player as much as possible.  Glad to see it getting noticed.  We chatted further and he had mentioned that before he was promoted out of the position I now hold, he was making 80K a year for a handful of years.  My plan is to make that much within 10yrs of being here.  LET'S DO THIS!

Yesterday was the first day of presentations and time seemed to go by quickly.  Four of us decided to hit up a seafood restaurant for dinner, so we quickly changed at the hotel and departed.  The food was fantastic.  I'm pretty sure we all four went back to the hotel and went to bed early. 

This morning I woke up around 5am and got ready.  I then made my way down to the hotel lobby and waited for the breakfast area to open.  Hotel breakfasts aren't that good, but it's something, and it's free.  After eating and departing the hotel we arrived at the Tacoma Dome where the convention is being held.  They are building a really cool looking museum right next to the dome.  It will be interesting to come back here and walk through the museum at some point.

As I was prepping for the day I overheard one of the presenters talking to my producer about something that peaked my interest.  The conversation was about suicide and I had caught the end of it.  I politely asked who the presenter was talking about and he said, "my younger brother."  The comparison of his situation to my family's was scary.  We were soon lost in deep conversation about the mourning process and how other people sometimes avoid you when they hear the word suicide.  He put it like, "It's weird when some people learn of a suicide in your family.  They avoid you almost as if they don't want to get a disease."  I can relate to his comment.  Sometimes, however it goes the other way and someone decides to explain to you how stupid and selfish that person was for making that decision.  blah blah blah....   Back to my point.  You never know what someone else is going through and how much you might have in common.  It was great to talk to him about his situation and get to know him on a level other than the show.

I am currently in the middle of our afternoon show and will be working a third show from 6pm-8pm regarding roadside assistance for the Chevy Volt.

still standing.

well folks, day one is over and i am relaxing in my beautiful hotel room once again.  it was a very long day.  left the hotel at 7am, unloaded the tents and outside stuff in the 1 million square foot lot, then headed inside and started unloading all the main room and break-out room and registration equipment.  i then proceeded to set up the projectors and get them dialed in then moved onto the audio side of things.  hooked up the main audio rack, mixer and FM transmitter and set up all my speakers and sub.  tested it out and....... perfect.  sounds fantastic.  on to the lights.  i raised the tree and hooked the dimmer board up and.... nothing.  boo.  so i lowered the lights down and decided i should probably open all the shutters on each light.  haha... silly me.  as i was adjusting one of the LEKOs, the back fell off and broke the bulb.  "son of a...."  someone forgot to tighten the back plate of the light thus resulting in me picking up shards of glass and bleeding.  that's when i decided to go get my gloves on.  timing is everything.  before we know it, it's noon and time for lunch.  we had a "walking lunch" which means we get to leave the property and fend for ourselves.  so four of us hopped in my rental car and made it a "driving lunch".  went to a roadside mexican place and ate some very good food.  mmmm  it was awesome.  they had three different juices in large "pour-your-own" jugs for you to try.  watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple.  OH MY GOSH!!!  those were SO good.  tasted just like biting into the fruit.  super refreshing and delicious.  we finished devouring our meals and went back to work.  around 4:30pm the tour leader started sending all the hired hands away and i was hurrying to finish up.  the tour leader (used to have my current position) then helped me out for the last hour and we knocked out the three break-out rooms.  each room as their own little sound system and plasma with laptop.  everything went pretty well and i can't wait to start the day tomorrow.  all i'll have to do is power everything up, test it, and chill.  mmmm.... love my job.  of course if something goes wrong i'll have to actually DO something.  but that's okay, it will break up my day nicely! :)  i will be uploading the before and after pics so you can see how much we actually set up.  it's quite impressive for a day's work.  im about to go to bed so i'll see you all tomorrow.

i say "um".

booyah!

im currently sitting in the philly international airport waiting to board my flight home.  there are a few problems with this and a few good things about it.  the good thing is that im gunna be home for a few more days and fly out to L.A. this sunday.  they cut me early because i no longer needed to be there hanging around.  i got everything i needed to know and they said i am all set and ready for L.A.   that means confidence... IN ME!  it was definitely great to hear.  the few bad things about this is that it is 2:37pm and i am waiting for my plane that is scheduled to board at 6:06pm.  yeah, i'll be waiting here for four hours.  but wait, there's more!  when i checked in the "checker-inner-guy" said the flight is running an hour behind!  WOOHOO!  so here i am, for five hours, waiting for my rocket to come.  (jason mraz reference there)  at least i'll have plenty of time to finish all my invoicing and get some notes together for L.A.  please feel free to call me if you'd like, i could use the conversation!  :)  take care everyone

finally a breather

we got a good jump on the day early this morning just like yesterday.  first i did a walk through and made sure all the equipment booted up okay.  secondly i ran the presentations on all five laptops to make sure they were flawless.  everything ran as planned.  today was a rehearsal for the show.  a "dummy" group walked through the entire presentation and it took about four hours.  we ate lunch and i got to sit with the lead audio engineer for this team and discuss his way of troubleshooting certain problems.  i took a ton of notes.

i feel MUCH more prepared now than i ever have.  i feel that i can now make my production flow smoothly.

i have not been sleeping very well for some reason and today it all finally caught up with me.  thank god we had a short day and were able to return to our hotel rooms at 4:30pm.  i decided to take a two hour nap.  it is now 12:39am tuesday morning and i am about to go to bed.

tomorrow i will be assisting the lead engineer during the show.  lets hope everything goes smoothly.

TRAVELING CALENDAR

If you would like to be able to see my traveling plans on my Google Calendar, please send me a message with your email address. (gmail addresses will work best, if you have one)

Have a great day everyone!  :)

Philly Day 2

6am came early this morning as I didn't sleep all that well last night.  i quickly decided to make some coffee to help wake me up.  hotel room coffee isn't anything to get excited about but i was relying on getting that little caffeine boost to get my day started.  

all i found was decaf... good morning to me.

skipping the brew, i decided to take a quick shower.  that did the trick.

we all met up in the lobby of the hotel and hopped in the rental cars to the convention center in King of Prussia, PA.  this place is huge.  the "drive team" quickly unloaded half of the semi trailer and started setting up the tents in the parking lot.  the semi then backed up to the Main Room of the convention center and my team unloaded the rest of the equipment in record time.  without a beat the guys had a great jump start on setting up all the screens and draping for the stage area.  i proceeded to assist the head technician of this Philly show by setting up the audio/visual equipment in the 3 break-out rooms.  everything looks fantastic and runs flawlessly.  it's great to take a step back at the end of the day and sigh knowing that you worked hard to make it happen.  the chevy volt is a fantastic car.  there are many neat features and some that i don't understand what in the world the designers were thinking.  like storing the charge cable under a panel in the floor of the trunk. 

imagine with me if you will...

you take a long trip with your spouse and two kids.  decide it's getting late and turn off the freeway to bunk down in a hotel for the night.  the hotel has designated "charge parking spaces" for your vehicle for another $30 a night.  you NEED to charge your vehicle so you have no choice but to pony up the dough.  you then proceed to remove the few items you need to stay overnight.  not all your baggage, just a few.  BUT WAIT!  you need to charge your car as well.  might as well unload the vehicle because the charge cable is stored under a large floor panel in the trunk.  not so, "easily accessible" if you ask me.   OH SURE!  if you don't travel with any luggage then you will be fine.

other than "little" issues like that the vehicle is pretty neat.

it is now time for me to go to bed.  tomorrow we will meet in the hotel lobby at 6:15am and head over to the convention center to meet with the clients (chevy personnel).  they will be given the complete tour and everything should go smoothly.  

i will be taking detailed notes on some areas of the set up so that i can easily mimic the set-up in Los Angeles.  

okay, time for bed.  see you all tomorrow.

p.s. i wanted to add a video in this blog however the internet connection im using decided otherwise.  i'll put it in the next blog if i can.

Philly Day 1

CHEVY VOLT TOUR

I decided to enjoy the 2 weeks prior to leaving for Philadelphia for the new job.  I had a fantastic time hanging out with a bunch of friends, going to a Tiger's game, bonfires, mountain biking and a whole bunch of other things.  I am going to miss all of that while I am away.  However I will be keeping you all up to date on what is happening while I am on the road... er in the air.  So hold on tight, cuz here we go!

BIG PHILLY STYLE!

I started my trip off just like every other excursion I've ever endeavored with last minute packing.  I literally took clothes out of the dryer, folded them, put them in the suitcase and walked out the door.  I forgot nail clippers.  It took me 35 minutes to drive to the airport and another 35 to check in, go through security and get to my gate.  I'm a pro at this traveling stuff.  We boarded the plane and waited.. and waited.  Ends up some of our baggage hadn't been loaded yet and the pilot kept apologizing over the PA.  "Sorry folks, this is not acceptable.  I would encourage you to send some emails to Delta voicing any frustration with the delay."  So that's what I am going to do.  Maybe I can get something out of it.  We finally took off and the flight was nice and problem free.  well.. almost.

The girl seated at my right was wearing long jean shorts and I quickly noticed her leg hairs were longer than mine.  This was gross.  Especially because plane seating is tight and I'm a big guy.

It was only a matter of time until our legs made contact in a 

FURRY FRICTIONY FRENZY.  

I landed and quickly made my way to the baggage claim to find my suitcase on the belt right then.  Perfect.  I was set to go.  Shuttle to the rental car place, drive off in a brand new Impala with Betsy.  Betsy is a very nice woman whom I'll be working with for a few days.  After a 45min drive we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in King of Prussia, PA.  This is a nice hotel.  I have my own suite with two large HD LCD tvs, couch, table, fridge, and two air conditioners.  I can get used to this.  The entire team is staying at the same hotel so it is easy to get to know everyone.  Everyone decided to go grab a quick bite, however the only place in walking distance was Hooters.  gross.  The food is NOT good and I'm not much for the..."scenery".  I ordered carry-out and spent the last couple hours in the hotel room getting settled in.

Tomorrow I will go to Wal-Mart and stock the fridge with healthy dinner and breakfast stuff. 

I have to be down in the hotel lobby at 6:45am to meet up with everyone and head to the production site.  My team will be unloading all the trucks and getting all of the gear opened and start setting up.  I will be assisting the head a/v tech for the next few days.  Pilot show is this Tuesday!


I will be updating my blog every night of my tour.