Your journey together begins.
Your love blossomed
into a wonderful adventure.
May the wind be ever
at your backs as you explore uncharted lands
hand in hand.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Friday, June 12, 2015
Ghost Rudeboys on the Stage
With all due respect to (and with the appropriate apologies) to Johnny Cash for shamelessly ripping off the music and basic sentiment of Ghost Riders in the Sky, (the actual lyrics of which are at the bottom of this post) I give you...
Ghost Rudeboys on the Stage
An old rudeboy had skanked until the club went dark that night.
Upon a stool he rested as the dance floor filled with light.
When all at once a mighty herd of rudies there he saw
A never ending dance, their pulses raging hot and raw.
Their feet were blazing fire; their Doc Martins' toes were steel.
Their glasses black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel.
A bolt of fear went through him. Thundering like a mighty gale.
For he saw the band a-playing hard
and he heard their mournful wail.
"Yippie ska ohh
Yippie ska ye!"
Ghost rudeboys on the stage.
Their faces gaunt; their eyes were blurred;
Their shirts all soaked with sweat.
They're playing hard to tame that herd
But they ain't caught em yet,
Cause they got to play forever
lit by footlights on that stage
Their horns were snortin fire
as their beats expressed their rage.
So, the band blared on before him
And he heard one call his name.
"If you wanna save your soul
from hell a-ridin on our stage
Then rudeboy change your ways
Or you'll not make it out alive...
Tryin to catch the devil's herd
forever in this dive."
"Yippie ska ohh!
Yippie ska ye!"
Ghost rudeboys on the stage.
Ghost rudeboys on the stage.
Ghost rudeboys on the stage.
*********************
(And here are the actual lyrics...)
An old cowboy went ridin out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw
Plowin' through the ragged skies and up a cloudy draw
Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For he saw the riders comin hard and he heard their mournful cries
"Yippie i ohhh ohh ohh
Yippie i aye ye ye"
Ghost riders in the sky
Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred
Their shirts all soaked with sweat
He's ridin hard to catch that herd
But he ain't caught 'em yet
Cause they got to ride forever in that range up in the sky
On horses snortin fire as they ride on hear their cries
As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name
'if you wanna save your soul from hell a-ridin on our range
Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride
Tryin to catch the devil's herd across these endless skies
Yippie i ohhh oh oh
Yippie i aye ye ye
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
Image credits:
Modification of http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/yLMRXI-0xa0/hqdefault.jpg
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ska-is-Dead-358241635
Modification of http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/yLMRXI-0xa0/hqdefault.jpg
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ska-is-Dead-358241635
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
2:05 (An essay)
2:05 PM is the time that my alarm goes off every day. For anyone who worked around me during my time with Jacobs at the AOC, this is no surprise. It became a source of silliness and whimsy that interjected itself...like it or not...into a sometimes tense and serious, but always exciting environment.
I am immeasurably lucky. I got to share an office with Michelle Chuisano for over three wonderful years for eight or nine hours a day, five days a week. I would spend more waking time with her than anyone else in my life. We shared our work, our families and our friends. We shared our victories, our failures, our joys and our sorrows.
To Michelle, there was nothing more important than family and friends. As we shared that messy office, like the good mother hen that she was to so many of us, she would watch over me and remind me what was important. Family. As I would get caught up in work, time and time again, she would remind me as she left for home with her carpool buddy, Eric, that I needed to finish what I was doing and go home to real life...to my wife and my children. I would often tell her that the day just got away from me, but, yes, of course, she was right.
So, eventually, I set a daily alarm for 2:05. It was a signal to myself that no matter what was happening at work, as hectic as things could get, that it was, once again, time to start preparing to leave. Time to start preparing to shift to the things that are most timeless, most fulfilling, most important...my home and my family.
The fact that this daily reminder could be done with playfulness, frivolity and causing just a touch of annoyance made it all the more fun. And that was one thing that was special about Michelle. In the midst of the chaos of our lives, she had a joyful sparkle and a passion that enriched her world.
The hardest thing about leaving Jacobs and the AOC to start a new chapter in my life was that I would miss out on seeing my friend everyday. As time and life moved on, we saw each other and talked together less and less. But her friendship always remained dear to my heart. Eventually, I even turned off my daily alarm. Time moves forward. Although I am truly enjoying this next chapter in my life, I think hearing that alarm every day just became a melancholy reminder of something that was behind me.
A few days after I got the word that we had lost our dear friend, I happened to notice that the alarm was still there on my phone. The alarm was still in the memory of my phone. I had not deleted it. I had just switched it off.
It is far too easy to become complacent and let ourselves get mired in daily minutia and lose sight of the bigger picture. It is as if we forget that while this moment is the chapter we find ourselves in, there is a true arc that will someday be the complete story of our life. And because of this, I think that we all need something external to remind us, from time to time, the difference between what is fleeting and what is lasting. These cliches sound trite and worn...but there is a reason for that. They are true and they are important and they have worth repeating and repeating and repeating. Because we are human and we forget.
Now, knowing that Michelle is gone and that a chapter in my life has truly closed, it does not seem real. It does not even seem possible. But it is the truth. She is gone. But the time we shared can never be taken away. Just as for anyone who's life she touched, she will always be a part of who I am and how I see the world. We are all different people, better people for having known her. As for myself...for that, I will be forever grateful.
When, I saw that alarm in my phone, that reminder of so many wonderful memories in the past and the foundation of the real priorities in my life moving forward, I turned my daily alarm back on. So now, I get to think fondly of my friend, Michelle Chuisano, every day...at 2:05.
********************************
"Sometimes it makes me sad, though... Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend."
- Shawshank Redemption (1994)
I am immeasurably lucky. I got to share an office with Michelle Chuisano for over three wonderful years for eight or nine hours a day, five days a week. I would spend more waking time with her than anyone else in my life. We shared our work, our families and our friends. We shared our victories, our failures, our joys and our sorrows.
To Michelle, there was nothing more important than family and friends. As we shared that messy office, like the good mother hen that she was to so many of us, she would watch over me and remind me what was important. Family. As I would get caught up in work, time and time again, she would remind me as she left for home with her carpool buddy, Eric, that I needed to finish what I was doing and go home to real life...to my wife and my children. I would often tell her that the day just got away from me, but, yes, of course, she was right.
So, eventually, I set a daily alarm for 2:05. It was a signal to myself that no matter what was happening at work, as hectic as things could get, that it was, once again, time to start preparing to leave. Time to start preparing to shift to the things that are most timeless, most fulfilling, most important...my home and my family.
The fact that this daily reminder could be done with playfulness, frivolity and causing just a touch of annoyance made it all the more fun. And that was one thing that was special about Michelle. In the midst of the chaos of our lives, she had a joyful sparkle and a passion that enriched her world.
The hardest thing about leaving Jacobs and the AOC to start a new chapter in my life was that I would miss out on seeing my friend everyday. As time and life moved on, we saw each other and talked together less and less. But her friendship always remained dear to my heart. Eventually, I even turned off my daily alarm. Time moves forward. Although I am truly enjoying this next chapter in my life, I think hearing that alarm every day just became a melancholy reminder of something that was behind me.
A few days after I got the word that we had lost our dear friend, I happened to notice that the alarm was still there on my phone. The alarm was still in the memory of my phone. I had not deleted it. I had just switched it off.
It is far too easy to become complacent and let ourselves get mired in daily minutia and lose sight of the bigger picture. It is as if we forget that while this moment is the chapter we find ourselves in, there is a true arc that will someday be the complete story of our life. And because of this, I think that we all need something external to remind us, from time to time, the difference between what is fleeting and what is lasting. These cliches sound trite and worn...but there is a reason for that. They are true and they are important and they have worth repeating and repeating and repeating. Because we are human and we forget.
When, I saw that alarm in my phone, that reminder of so many wonderful memories in the past and the foundation of the real priorities in my life moving forward, I turned my daily alarm back on. So now, I get to think fondly of my friend, Michelle Chuisano, every day...at 2:05.
********************************
"Sometimes it makes me sad, though... Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend."
- Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Friday, January 31, 2014
2:05 (As read 2/7/14)
2:05 is the time that my alarm goes off every day. For those of you who worked around me during my time with Jacobs at the AOC, this is no surprise. It became a source of silliness and whimsy that interjected itself...like it or not...into a sometimes tense and serious, but always exciting environment.
I am immeasurably lucky. I got to share an office with Michelle Chuisano for over three wonderful years. For 8 or 9 hours a day, five days a week, I would spent more waking time with her than anyone else in my life. We shared our work, our families and our friends. We shared our victories, our failures, our joys and our sorrows.
To Michelle, there was nothing more important than family and friends. As we shared that messy office, like the good mother hen that she was to so many of us, she would watch over me and remind me what was important. Family. As I would get caught up in work, time and time again, she would remind me as she left for home with Eric that I needed to finish what I was doing and go home to real life...to my wife and my children. I would often tell her that the day just got away from me, but, yes, of course, she was right.
So, eventually, I set a daily alarm for 2:05. It was a signal to myself that no matter what was happening at work, as hectic as things could get, that it was, once again, time to start preparing to leave. Time to start preparing to shift to the things that are most timeless, most fulfilling, most important...my home and my family.
The fact that this daily reminder could be done with playfulness, frivolity and causing just a touch of annoyance made it all the more fun. And that was one thing that was special about Michelle. In the midst of the chaos of our lives, she had a joyful sparkle and a passion that enriched her world.
The hardest thing about leaving Jacobs and the AOC to start a new chapter in my life was that I would miss out on seeing my friend everyday. As time and life moved on, we saw each other and talked together less and less. But her friendship always remained dear to my heart. Eventually, I even turned off my daily alarm. Time moves forward. Although I am truly enjoying this next chapter in my life, I think hearing that alarm every day just became a melancholy reminder of something that was behind me.
A few days after I got the word that we had lost our dear friend, I happened to notice that the alarm was still there on my phone. The alarm was still in the memory of my phone. I had not deleted it. I had just switched it off.
It is far too easy to become complacent and let ourselves get mired in daily minutia and lose sight of the bigger picture. It is as if we forget that while this moment is the chapter we find ourselves in , there is a true arc that will someday be the complete story of our life. And because of this, I think that we all need something external to remind us from time to time what is true and what is fleeting
Now, knowing that Michelle is gone and that a chapter in my life has truly closed, it does not seem real. It does not seem possible. But the time we shared can never be taken away. As I am sure it is for many of you here, she will always be a part of who I am and how I see the world.
When, I saw that alarm in my phone, that reminder of so many wonderful memories in the past and a reminder of the real priorities in my life moving forward, I turned it back on.
So now, I get to think fondly of my friend, Michelle Chuisano, every day...at 2:05.
********************************
"Sometimes it makes me sad, though... Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend."
- Shawshank Redemption (1994)
I am immeasurably lucky. I got to share an office with Michelle Chuisano for over three wonderful years. For 8 or 9 hours a day, five days a week, I would spent more waking time with her than anyone else in my life. We shared our work, our families and our friends. We shared our victories, our failures, our joys and our sorrows.
To Michelle, there was nothing more important than family and friends. As we shared that messy office, like the good mother hen that she was to so many of us, she would watch over me and remind me what was important. Family. As I would get caught up in work, time and time again, she would remind me as she left for home with Eric that I needed to finish what I was doing and go home to real life...to my wife and my children. I would often tell her that the day just got away from me, but, yes, of course, she was right.
So, eventually, I set a daily alarm for 2:05. It was a signal to myself that no matter what was happening at work, as hectic as things could get, that it was, once again, time to start preparing to leave. Time to start preparing to shift to the things that are most timeless, most fulfilling, most important...my home and my family.
The fact that this daily reminder could be done with playfulness, frivolity and causing just a touch of annoyance made it all the more fun. And that was one thing that was special about Michelle. In the midst of the chaos of our lives, she had a joyful sparkle and a passion that enriched her world.
The hardest thing about leaving Jacobs and the AOC to start a new chapter in my life was that I would miss out on seeing my friend everyday. As time and life moved on, we saw each other and talked together less and less. But her friendship always remained dear to my heart. Eventually, I even turned off my daily alarm. Time moves forward. Although I am truly enjoying this next chapter in my life, I think hearing that alarm every day just became a melancholy reminder of something that was behind me.
A few days after I got the word that we had lost our dear friend, I happened to notice that the alarm was still there on my phone. The alarm was still in the memory of my phone. I had not deleted it. I had just switched it off.
It is far too easy to become complacent and let ourselves get mired in daily minutia and lose sight of the bigger picture. It is as if we forget that while this moment is the chapter we find ourselves in , there is a true arc that will someday be the complete story of our life. And because of this, I think that we all need something external to remind us from time to time what is true and what is fleeting
Now, knowing that Michelle is gone and that a chapter in my life has truly closed, it does not seem real. It does not seem possible. But the time we shared can never be taken away. As I am sure it is for many of you here, she will always be a part of who I am and how I see the world.
When, I saw that alarm in my phone, that reminder of so many wonderful memories in the past and a reminder of the real priorities in my life moving forward, I turned it back on.
So now, I get to think fondly of my friend, Michelle Chuisano, every day...at 2:05.
********************************
"Sometimes it makes me sad, though... Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend."
- Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Days of Wine and Rosies
A glass of wine is proof that there were days long gone filled with rain,
but it is also proof that there were other days long gone filled with sunshine.
And while in the midst of experiencing the delicate balance between ethereal sweetness and the pungent earthiness,
I am reminded that no matter what is happening this very moment,
our future, too, while always undetermined,
will be filled with both days filled with rain
and days filled with sunshine.
And that fills me with hope.
but it is also proof that there were other days long gone filled with sunshine.
And while in the midst of experiencing the delicate balance between ethereal sweetness and the pungent earthiness,
I am reminded that no matter what is happening this very moment,
our future, too, while always undetermined,
will be filled with both days filled with rain
and days filled with sunshine.
And that fills me with hope.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The life and love of Gill and Princess Noodleman
Outline:
- Gill and Princess Noodleman are two Betta Fish. Their lifespan is 5 years.
- Harley and Tina are a brother and sister that own them.
- The fish forget everything every night and meet and fall in love every morning.
- One day, Gill forgets to forget.
- Gill watches Princess Noodleman, Harley and Tina grow. He notices their changes over time.
- But Princess Noodleman meets Gill again every morning.
- Gill is envious of Princess Noodleman's ability to see the world anew every day.
- Gill tries to notice something new everyday so he can see things for the first time again.
- Gill and Princess Noodleman have babies and Gill enjoys their experience of seeing things for the first time.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Out of My Head (The "Missing" Verse")
One of my favorite songs is Out of My Head by Fastball from their 1999 album, All the Pain Money Can Buy. If you are not familiar, here is a link to the song.
My only problem is that it is a very short song. Just when I start enjoying it, it comes to the end. I always thought it needed another verse...to expand on the themes, for balance, for pacing and just to extend the wonderful melody and harmonies.
So, I wrote one. Hope you like it...
My only problem is that it is a very short song. Just when I start enjoying it, it comes to the end. I always thought it needed another verse...to expand on the themes, for balance, for pacing and just to extend the wonderful melody and harmonies.
So, I wrote one. Hope you like it...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)