Step Right Up

I have a rather vast and diverse music collection. But there is one particular artist that has more tracks in the collection than any other. I have practically everything he has ever recorded and I can honestly say there isn’t anything I don’t like.

Ever since I purchased my first album by this artist I have been a huge fan of his music. He is probably the only artist I have ever said I HAVE to see in concert one day. I have told Gigi that if he ever comes even somewhat close to where we are, we will do whatever we need to to attend the show. It has become a life goal.

For those who don't already know who I am talking about, allow me to introduce you to Tom Waits. The video below is what sealed my desire to see him in concert.

Recently, one of the Tom Waits fan blogs I follow (I know, I'm awesome a huge nerd), posted a concert he performed in France back in 1980 and I just had to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Two down, two to go...

The last couple of years have been busy to say the least. I have been engaged and married, moved into a new house with my wife, become a landlord, and recently celebrated a 1 year marriage anniversary! On top of all of that, I went back to school to finally get my bachelors degree. It was a decision I knew would be full of long hours and hard work, but would be an important step to take for the future. What I didn't realize at the time was what I would learn from going back to school. Of course there are all the things I have learned from the classes at school, but that isn't what I am referring to. What I am talking about is what life has taught me just by going back to school.

School has taught me that no matter how difficult things get to manage my wife is always by my side to help encourage and support me. After all, she was a major factor in me going back to school in the first place. School has never been a priority in my life and through her love and encouragement it has become something that I am proud of doing. There are always the days where neither one of us want me to disappear into the office to do schoolwork, but over the last two years it has become a little easier to deal with knowing that I am just that much closer to reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.

It has been two full years since I started school and I have two years left to go. The first two went by really quickly and with the Gigi's help we have been able to still maintain the very active lifestyle that we have grown accustomed to and we have even begun to make plans for the future... whatever that may hold for us.

Through the "going back to school" process it is very apparent to me that no matter what life throws at us, Gigi and I are very capable at handling it. We work really well as a team and can tackle any situation that comes our way. We may have ups and downs along the way, but we recover well and learn from our mistakes. It's just one of the infinite number of things that I continue to learn and love about my wife! Without her, going back to school wouldn't be nearly as meaningful or educational. In fact, I probably wouldn't have done it at all. And I most certainly wouldn't have received this in the mail the other day....

Thank you Gigi for all of your love and support during this process! I love you and I could never have done this without you!

i will.

one of my goals for 2010 is to start setting goals.

one of my more relevant goals for 2010 is to become less restless. allow me to explain.

in this day and age, it is SO incredibly easy to yearn for "the next big thing", to always want what's on the other side of the fence, and to keep up, if not surpass, the "jones'". you grow up wanting to get to high school, then get to college, then get to the real world. you finally get there and you want to find a great job, buy a house, meet the man/woman of your dreams, get married, have kids, get a bigger house, get a more glorified job, have more kids, etc.etc.

i look at my own life and realize that in every step of the way, i have always want to be a step ahead of myself. this, my friends, is most likely the reason for why you may consider me "prematurely old". sad, huh? now, don't get me wrong, it's important to dream, wish, and work for all these great things to happen, but what happens when your entire focus becomes wanting what you don't currently have?? well, i believe you end up losing sight of the moment in which you stand.

i want to learn, so badly, how to just savor the moment while i'm in it. imagine the excitement!

so, this year i will do the following:
- i will cherish the tens of thousands of laughs i share with the love of my life
- i will utterly enjoy every minute of marriage...without kids
- i will love the moments i get to spend with my June Bug while she's still got the energy of a puppy
- i will appreciate the heck out of the fact that my bro, sis, mom, dad, and in laws all live within 30 minutes of me. that's equal to one episode of "friends"

- i will tell my friends how much i love them
- i will enjoy my little 1100 square foot condo and my tiny balcony
- i will work my butt off to tackle the daily learning curve i'm presented with in my career
- i will learn and retain as many music facts as my husband can tell me
- i will laugh aloud at the smart-ass jokes i quietly tell myself
- i will find a way to enjoy the countless hours spent in my car
- i will enjoy the daily grind as if its a vacation from the norm
- i will stop in my footsteps every so often and just...be
- i will not always be yearning for the next great moment, but instead make each moment great
- i will be...less restless and more at peace

i'm thankful for this life full of wonderful blessings, and i won't let it to go by too fast. you just never know...