Posted 701 days ago by guitjonWell, it's been about a minute since I've blogged on here...or at all. Actually, it's been 399 days according to my profile page and I figure it's time to blog. Things have changed dramatically for me over the past 399 days. For one, I got married 361 days ago (for the mathematically challenged, that means a year in only 4 days!) and it's been a ride. I've gained about 43 new relatives due to the merging of families while Kelly has gained about 430. Yes, we had a big wedding.
We didn't take a honeymoon persay (sp?), but we took the week off and did stuff around the house and spent a 2 days in Galveston to get away. We eventually got to take a "honeymoon" at Thanksgiving when we went to Disney World (with 12 other people). That was a blast! I have never been there and cannot wait to go back (in 5 years).
Kelly and I also spent about $5-6K on furniture over the past year. New couches, mattress, bed, wardrobes, chests of drawers, bookshelves, etc... We should've just bought a whole house to put it all in...WAIT...we are! We are currently in the process of being approoved to buy my great-grandparents 70 year old house on 5.38 acres next to my mom and dad out in the country. In the process, I have successfully pissed off no less than 14 relatives by buying the place (it seems they feel they have more right to it) which is fine with me, I believe all but 2 of them were either not invited to the wedding, or didn't show.
I also quit a job that I loved this year. Granted, I knew it wasn't the best place for me at the time, but I truly loved the industry I worked in (even if it was radio). It's what I've wanted to do since I was a kid (which was a real long time ago) and what I went to school for. I took a job managing a fast food chicken restaurant (I never thought I'd do that) and it's working out okay for me. Cannot say it's my dream job, but I cannot say it's the worst thing I've ever done either.
The summer proved to be quite a busy one for me. As most know, Ben Morris and the Great American Boxcar Chorus has been a 2nd job for me for going on 3 years now, and we tore up the roads between May and July. I think we did something like 60 shows in that 3 month span and gained about 27 new fans. During that time, we lost 1 member, but gained him back at the beginning of this year. However another member has left as of last week so it's down another again (more on that further down).
The band also had 1 single go to radio and had no more than 278 spins in one given week (thanks to 24 by Dave Wheaton and KBHT in Grapeland and quite a few on RFT) and I have received exactly $0 from radio play as the songwriter of said song (not really why I'm in this business though anyway).
Back to non-band stuff...I wasn't the only one getting married in the past 399 days either. I was in 3 other weddings and attended 1 and knew of about 3 more. My friend Ben Morris got married in November, my buddy Mike Ethan Messick got married in September, and my baby brother (he hates when I call him that because he's about to turn 25 in a couple months) got married in December (yes, those were the 3 I was a groomsman in).
By far another big event in the past 399 days is the fact that I have struck out on my own musically. I left the Great American Boxcar Chorus to see what I can do musically. I don't care to start a band or anything, but it's hard to call yourself a songwriter if you haven't really written in 2 years. So, I'm gonna find out who I am as a person, as a husband, as a man, and as a musician. I've got a few leads to stay plugged into the music scene, but I'm not tying myself down. I'm going to figure out what makes me tick and channel that into lyrics which is something I've always wanted to do, but was too scared or busy to do.
So, here I am only 4 days away from my 1 year anniversary with my wife Kelly and I'm blogging to you. Why, I dunno. I guess I just needed to talk without actually opening my mouth. I'm sure I left out about 67 other things that I would have liked to share with you, but I have forgotten, after all, it's 1:30 in the morning.
So, here's to you all my wonderful friends, fans, and others. I hope to cross paths with you and I can mention it next year.
Peace, love, beer.
Happy Anniversary to you and Kelly. Good luck on your musical adventure. You're a very talented guy, so I know this path will bear fruit for you.~Posted 698 days ago
