but…uh…

Where I was ten years ago

I was living in a rented house in Altamonte Springs, Florida, taking care of my one month old son.  I don’t think I had been laid off from the architecture firm yet, but it was coming soon.  That was the last time I ever had a "real" job.

Where I was five years ago

I was living in a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath mortgage in Altamonte Springs.  It was around the hey day of my software business.  I can’t think of much else going on at this time other than my son was just starting school.

Where I was one year ago

I was in Memphis after helping Abby move.  I think I was only supposed to stay for a few days but I stayed for about 10.  I had only moved to Nashville a month before myself but I had spent half my time in Indiana and Memphis.

Where I was yesterday

Being cranky from the heat in Memphis before going to karaoke with Abby and EJ at the local lesbian bar.

Where I am today

More working and packing and picking up boxes.  Also went too Strings & Things to pick up Abby’s fixed classical guitar.  Topped it off with a nice dinner at Fresh Slices (courtesy of Abby’s aunt and uncle) listening to the lovely Lynn Cardona.  We even bought her CD.

Where I will be tomorrow

Running errands and more packing.  I’m noticing a theme here.

Five snacks I enjoy

• Chocolate chip cookies and a glass a milk.
• Red Hot Blues
• Peanut M&Ms
• Peanut butter and banana sandwich
• Ice cream of any flavor but especially ginger, green tea, mint chocolate chip and coffee

Five singers (or bands) for whom I know the lyrics to most of their songs:

• Ben Folds (and the Ben Folds Five)
• Fiona Apple
• The Barenaked Ladies
• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Cake

Five things I would do with $100,000,000

• Pay off all my debts.
• Pay off all my friends’ and family’s debts.
• Live off the interest.
• Travel
• Make some movies

Five locations I would like to run away to

• New York in the autumn
• Paris in the spring
• Venice in the summer
• Geneva  in the winter
• Quebec City on a snowy day

Five bad habits I have

• Not returning emails in a timely manner
• Mindless spending
• Mindless eating
• Mindlessness
• Internet addiction

Five things I like doing

• Reading and writing
• Creating music
• Travel
• Watching movies
• Playing poker

Five TV shows I like

• Arrested Development
• Scrubs
• Good Eats with Alton Brown
• The Amazing Race
• Entourage

Five famous people I’d like to meet

• Steve Martin
• Michel Gondry
• Charlie Kaufman
• Spike Jonez
• Bill Murray

My biggest joys

• Crying at movies
• Long meals followed by long walks, both full of conversation
• Creating something, anything.  Songs, stories, cookies…you name it
• Friends who know me and get me
• Living authentically

My favorite toys

• Mini Cooper
• Tivo
• Piano
• Laptop
• Basketball

Five people to tag

• Um, everyone I know was already tagged by Abby

With several thousand songs clogging up my iPod, using the "shuffle" feature is always a bit of a laugh.  Sometimes, you’ll get juxtapositions like Eminem followed by something from a Sondheim show with a little Pet Shop Boys to follow.  Maybe some Nick Drake and some Modest Mouse.  Never the same genre twice. 

I’m frequently amazed at how many of the songs I can sing along with.  How many useless lyrics do I have stored up there?  Of course, other times I hear a song I don’t recognize and I have to read the screen in an attempt to discern how the heck it ended up on my iPod.   Usually it is part of a compilation given by a friend or the last track on an album I’ve never really listened to all the way through.

As I was driving to Memphis the other day with the iPod set to "shuffle," on came a song that I recognized but couldn’t place immediately.  As the exit to Bucksnort, TN raced by outside the window I realized what it was.  It was the last song I wrote.

I don’t know the exact date but it was late 2003 or early 2004.  I had a friend going through some difficult times and I was just trying to figure out what I could say.  What kind of advice could I really give?  I remember I was writing the lyrics in a notebook at Starbucks.  I remember taking a call from my friend Regina just as I was getting to the chorus.  I remember feeling that it was pretty lame and trite and mentioning that on the phone.

When I got home I started putting together some music to go with it.  A couple of hours and a scratch vocal track later, it came to life.  I don’t have the chops of Abby or EJ but I liked it.  It felt how I wanted it to feel and had it’s own sound.  I liked that it felt complete and I could let it go without worrying about tinkering any more.   

It’s been performed live a couple of times but I’ve never liked those as much as I like this initial, heart felt version. 

It seems strange that I’ve lived in Nashville for a year and not written a line of music.  Maybe that will change if I get some free time in Boston.  If not, at least I’ve written a ton of songs in the past that will keep me in blog posts for ages.  

WARNING:  For those of you posses a strong aversion to scooping…*cough*Abby*cough*…if you can make it through the first verse you’ll be fine. 

Yes, I’m really here. 

Now that everyone and their father has a blog I figured maybe I should get off my ass and actually post something.  So, I figured I’d do something simple.  As you can see, I clearly stole the idea for this return post but what are you going to do?  At least I’m writing.

There’s this really cool site that allows you to upload a picture of your face and it will attempt to morph it to match the characteristics of people that aren’t you.  Some of them work really well.  Others, not so much.

 Of the "real faces," I think the kid and East Asian look the most realistic.  I do find the woman one makes me look a whole lot like my sister Julie.  I guess that is just the proof that it is working. 

So, that’s all for now.  Now go try it for yourself.