A New Beginning

As the year 2007 closes, we are once again brought to the fact that we will ceremoniously wipe the slate clean and hope for better in the coming year. Though 2007 was not a bad year, and far from it in fact, there is always room for improvement. And improve we will. The start of my new year will coincide with a new blog shortly thereafter.

Seeing as I am an art student, with a great interest in computer driven art, I will be designing my new blog and hosting it on a website. That's right, farewell Blogger. This website is easy to use and has been a great place to write down thoughts, express ideas, and just plain rant sometimes, it is time for something bigger and better.

The website is in developing stages at the moment and this being the holiday season (and my semester break) things will probably move slowly for a while. But soon enough, my blog will return in a much greater fashion.

Expect more news on this soon. And trust me, you former readers will definently wish to return when we make our triumphant return.

So here's to a great 2007, and the joys of 2008 that wait just around the corner.

Happy Holidays, all!

This Isn't Right!

I think I have finally decided why people love Christmas. It's because when the day finally arrives it means you you have absolutely nothing you have to do except recieve gifts. That's not hard at all. As I was walking around campus the other day, probably going from one thing only to start another, Silver Bells began to play on one of the clocks on the hour. It made me happy, but I also took it as a reminder that Christmas is coming and the song is helping us march on to the day.

I am swamped by work, and whenever I see something that reminds me off Christmas I can't help but be a little more happy and push myself that much harded. The end is coming, and there is plenty that keeps me from forgetting.

Beyond Pysch tests, 3D projects, short stories, and papers there are cookies, boxes of presents, and Christmas Eve dinner. There is family, all together for one time out of the year. There is cool nights that turn into mornings with a layer of white snow covering the ground. There is sledding instead of studying, hot chocolate instead of energy drinks. There is sleeping in til noon under three covers, instead of waking like a zombie, cold at 8 in the morning.

I do not like the end of the semester. Teachers feel as if they need to cram everything in before we slip away. I learn little, because I have to find someway to fit it all in. I can't complete things as well as I should, and I forget about them the minute the go from my hands to theirs.

So I may not remember what was on my Pysch test, but I do no what is on my Christmas list (thought not much right now). In the end, we are all just working for the break. That's the stuff that really matters.

It can't come soon enough.

Scoff Now, Laugh Later

The college season is underway. Derrick Rose is a GOD! The top is stacked. Blah, blah, blah.
So, it's new and fresh and I'm already tired of the talking heads at ESPN.

I've been listening, reading, and checking in on everything college basketball for the last couple days, and its all the same crap. And that is the fact that we are getting NO LOVE.

Honestly, I think I like it that way.

On ESPN College Gameday Preview, the opening question was which teams are favorite to win it all. The announcers mentioned every time, EVERY, Top 10 team except my Hoosiers.

I'll watch the season, laugh later, and write them a little e-mail when they all claimed they called us at the beginning of the season.

Eric Gordon gets love as potentially the best player in the Big 10 this year. D.J. is just outside the votes for All-American. But we ZERO chance of winning the title.

Ha.

With Mich. St, Ohio St. and Kentucky losing in the early stages....and not only losing, but putting up pathetic amounts of points, I don't understand why we are still off the charts.

We are explosive. We are talented.

You'll see us in March.

I called us now, the heads will call them later.

They didn't call us now. That's for sure.

Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

Yeah, Its Back

First off, I'm back. Slight delay in posting but there is no reason to panic.
So is winter. How do I know?

1. I have worn my hoodie way too much the past week.
2. Walked out of Pysch today to darkness. At 7. Ugh.
3. Bought Chapstick today. Dry lips. Such a nuisance.
4. I don't want to leave my three blanket layer of protection in the morning.

5. And the good reason. I watched some Hoosier basketball on Sunday.

It was a busy week. Wait. It has been a busy semester. A quick, but oh so busy semester. I've already had to register for my classes next semester. And maybe I should probably be putting thought into where I want to live next year, or what I want to do for spring break. But you know what, I'm not. And I'm okay with that. There is plenty going on constantly to take my attention.


School is always there. However, I'm sure you all know that the IU basketball team has taken the majority of my attention. I went to see their first game of the exhibition season this weekend, and it seems rightfully so. This is not your last years Hoosier basketball. This isn't 11 point half time scoring.

No. This team is explosive. This team is raw talent. This team has unlimited amounts of potential. It's Mr. Basketball Eric Gordon. It's DJ Whites leadership. Its talented frosh. A deep bench. It's slam dunk in your face front court and its drive or shoot the deep ball backcourt. Hoosier basketball is back and I'm going to be there to see it all.

If you thought I was excited last year, hear me talk about the potential for this year. Who knows, maybe the beach won't be in my spring break plans, but instead Indy to see us in the Big Ten Tourney.

To kick off the season I will rank the games I am most looking forward to:
1. VS Kentucky Dec. 8...The Wildcats come to Assembly Hall for a potential Top 10 faceoff. Self explanatory.
2. VS Illinois Jan. 8...Eric Gordon came here. Not there. We have to rule the roost in our Assembly Hall. Huge Game.
3. VS Michigan State Feb 16...Would be 2, but we didn't get tickets to this game. Most likely to determine who wins the the Big 10.
4. VS Connecticut...They will most likely be a Top 25 team then. Huge non-conference during conference season.
5. VS Purdue...Rivalry. Underrated Purdue team. 10th Row Court seats. Looks like a damn good time.

So now to back story news.
Halloween was on a Wednesday this year, meaning me and Kiernan dubbing it a 12 day weekend, Thursday to the following Sunday. It didn't quite play out that way, but we had a killer week of Halloween celebrating. There were plenty of parties to attend and plenty of slutty girl costumes. But beyond that, there were tons of creative, awesome, hilarious, etc costumes.

So my favorite costumes...
1. Three Hole Punch Jim (from The Office for you who don't watch. Shame on you.)
2. His buddy, Dwight. The guy just had it down.
3. Matt as Tourette's Guy. (watch YouTube Tourette's guy if you are lost.)
4. Tomb Raider (yes a girl with a great costume. Spot on with the costume. Skin, but not slutty.)
5. I'm gonna be conceited and put me at here. Wario got some mad props all week.

Other random news:
- The Hoosier Football team is bowl eligible. Not for sure bowl bound, but this is a huge step. First time with 6 wins since 1993. Oh happy day. With Northwester and Purdue remaining, bowl aspirations are still very much alive.
- I really like the new Matchbox 20 song. Rob Thomas is much better in a band then by himself.
- I bought Guitar Hero III last week. Its badass.
- I hate the clock change. So primitive. Can we get rid of it already.
- Theresa is coming to Bloomington on Thursday. So a shout out to a sister visit to rival the brother visits. Haha.
Looks like I won the quickest visit to a brothers respective college. Hooray me!

That's all I got.

I'm a Wario! Im'a gonna ween!

Chimp in my Pumpkin

My Design:

Why Should the Fire Die?

Two summers ago, Nickel Creek's album "Why Should the Fire Die" was nothing more than that. However, earlier this year Nickel Creek decided they would disband, and after seeing them perform once more, it remains a question in my head. Why exactly is the fire dying right now? I walked away from the concert stunned and mesmorized by the sheer talent and quaility of their music, and can't help but wonder why they could disband now.

Nickel Creek chose to close their encore with this song as well. Playing completely acoustic, with no microphones and their instruments unplugged, the hushed crowd listened in amazement as their incredible musical talent mixed with their perfectly harmonized voices softly filled the Brown Theater. It was an intimate moment with a band that is leaving everything they've got on stage at every performance. Chris Thile said they played it this way to show how good the acoustics were in the theater, but part of me beleives it was a gift to the fans that had supported them for so long, especially after he said we were the best, most attentive audience they had ever had. It was a special song, and it seems as if my gaze is still stuck on them singing that song with pure talent. They left the stage after singing the song, but not before Chris Thile seemed to gaze back with a sort of sadness that signaled the journey would soon end. I know he isn't sure he wants to let it go.

Before this incredible end, Nickel Creek played to a packed, and strangely older audience, for a solid two hours. There was the expected, but there was much more that kept me intently mesmorized by the show at every turn. This was not just a concert, it was an interaction between the band and their most loyal fans. They didn't just play songs, they told stories, joked, and laughed. They let us see past the band and to the individuality that makes them Nickel Creek. Stage presence is key to a great concert, and the charisma the three members of the band show is second to none. They are not afraid to poke fun at each other, themselves, or even the crowd. And they seem genuinely proud of and thankful for the fans they have. Sara explained that her newest song was inspired by the fact that she had too many cups in her cupboard; it was a break up song. Chris explained that his breakup song had a simple proposition that every Ex should consider. The refrain stated.."If your gonna leave me, set me up with one of your freinds." It was yet another surprise in the show, showing a lighter side of the band compared to their deep, thoughtful lyrics that spread across all three of their CD's. Sean joked that his break up song was on the lighter side; one of it's lyrics says "I hope you meet someone your height, so you can see eye to eye with someone as small as you."

The funniest bit may have been when Chris's explained that he regrets naming the first song on their debut album Ode to a Butterfly. He said its hard to name a song when it has no lyrics, but maybe they should have considered using the muscial notes of the main chord as the title. But then he said he knew DJ's would never play a song titled like that. He assured us though that they never played it anyway.

Each song was played with special care, filled with the special attention to detail that makes the music soar. Each note was accompanied by one, two, or all three of their amazing voices harmonizing their beautiful lyrics. They knack they have for writing such powerful songs amazes me. None was more impressive than a slightly changed but more powerful rendition of "House Carpenter." I have become especially fond of this song lately, and when they began to play it I was extremely excited. Chris's voice on this song was so pure, and the edited lyrics were awesome. They jammed between the stanzas and finished the song with a couple minute instrumental that had everyone in the crowd gazing in awe. It was simply amazing.

The set included Nickel Creek staples such as "This Side", "When You Come Back Down", and a soft, simple version of "The Lighthouse's Tale" before the final song of the encore. Favorties of mine such as "Out of the Woods", "The Fox", and "Reasons Why" were stellar as well. And what would a Nickel Creek concert be with out a few showcases of their first class musical talent with a few of their instrumentals.

It was the complete concert. Filled with their best songs, and new ones that everyone enjoyed. A humble band, and a thankful, awe-filled audience. It was like a conversation with your best friend. When they started the encore with "Ill Be There" by the Jackson Five and followed with their now cult-hit cover of "Toxic" by Brittany Spears you knew they were comfortable with their audience. They gave us everything we could handle and we got everything we could have hope for. The band was humbled by the response they recieved after the final song before the encore, and hurried back on stage to reward the crowd. No one sat back down until the set was finished.

I'm saddened by the fact that I may never see Nickel Creek again, or buy another album. But I am happy to say that I have seen them twice and have listened to their music and been a loyal fan. I wish them the best in their future endeavors and hope one day I will be purchasing their fourth album. Though the fire must die, as they sing "you have to go alone, you have to chase your dream" I wish the didn't have to. But in the same song they reassure us, "I'll still be there, when you come back down." Maybe its all written in their lyrics. Maybe we just have to wait.

Weightless Waiting

The doorbell rings,
And the ghosts of the house awake at the sound.
A silence has persisted for only a few days,
But it seems like years
The living but half empty residents arise too,
But only enough to walk to the door
Half hoping to see their son,
Half hoping for Death,
In his dark hood, coming to take them, too.

Down the hall was another
Past wood planks that squeak with life
Under feet pressing them down.
The hallway was dark, void of the former life

This door was shut tightly,
A cross hanging from its knob,
Above, The Lord’s Prayer nailed to its frame.

Two were now staring down this passage,
A mother and father,
Seeing only a void now.
Mirroring the one torn through their hearts-
Hearts aged twenty years this week.

Their heads turn back to the front door,
With their hearts still staring blankly down the hall
Death was not waiting at the door, or their son,
But instead another nameless face, aching with a void.

A motion, come in, another, a hug
Eyes meet, nothing can be seen
They stare through each other
To the void that pierced the others heart
Tears follow, they mean nothing

Silence falls once more
Like the world dropped out from under them
The wood planks, leaving blackness below them

In her eyes, the boy changes for an instant
The scene moves far away, far from her present prison
Her boy, shoes unlaced and loose
Dragging a Scooby Doo backpack down the sidewalk
A bus, yellow as the sun he had finger-painted the day before
Stopping, turning, smiling, waving his small hand

A larger, much colder hand grasps hers
Tugging her back, back to the present,
The hand leaves hers and beckons
The boy moves forward
The father whispers
The boy understands

The boy leaves them alone,
Just as they were before he walked away
Climbing the stairs, he stops, taking a breath
Collecting his thoughts, he is weightless


He enters a room, though it doesn’t feel right
Something screams at him to turn back
There is nothing he will like here
The room is a mess, restless almost
Maroon walls
The bed is made, though, seeming out of place
It is big enough for two
But no one had slept in it for days

On it, a newspaper article,
An obituary
Wet with tears and crinkled
As if it had been clutched for many hours
His mouth falls open as he reads it
A small gasp shoots through the room
Reverberating just long enough for him to shuffle to the mirror
Nothing reflecting back

At the front door, a weary woman
Clutching the knob and peering outside
A shout from the kitchen rouses her
“Anyone there, honey?”
She collapses to the floor in grief
There was no one there

The Fair

Purple and yellow buzz by
Followed by blue and red flashes.
The colors race after one another
Shining brightly on marquees.

Eyes dart from place to place
Overwhelming barrage of color.
From balloons exploding at dart point
To ribbons decorating the winners.

Tongues peek out of slightly open lips
Reaching to touch the sweet smells in night air.
Amid others thwarting the nostrils
While still more dive straight for taste buds.

Every step reveals more of this festive welcome.
Clouds of spun sugar, soon sticky to the touch,
Fingers jabbed forward, pointing to the treasures
Sizzling and tantalizing at each concession window

Youth simmers here, boiling to excitement in every person.
A mysterious passion for the thrills they seek.
The moon swung bare, staying just beyond
The rides climbing high to reach it.