copy of blog I wrote for for www.newberryoperahousesoundaudio.blogspot.com

John, Jazz, & The Starlight Quartet

Just this past Sunday, September 13, 2009, we played host to an amazing Clarinetist and Flutist, Dr. John W. Wagner. He brought the Starlight Quartet with him for the first half of his show. The Starlight Quartet consisted of Paula Harshaw (First Violin), Tina Pulley (Second Violin), Charis Burger (Viola), and Bruce McLean (cello). I have to admit that it was a such a nice change of pace to see a very good string quartet. We get them from time to time here, but sometimes it just feels like they are few and far between. For their audio I decided that, with some discussion with the performers, in order to keep in line with classical tradition I wasn't going to mic the ensemble. Of course not using any instrument micing, from a technical standpoint, makes for a very easy work day. Our hall here is very intimate. From the lip of our stage to the back wall of hall is 75 feet. Acoustically, it doesn't take much sound reinforcement to get a very good, even, and balanced sound and sometimes the best decision to make in order to have good sound is to have no sound reinforcement at all. I did, however, set up two of our wireless mics on each side of the stage in order to accommodate the singing and announcements that were to be in the jazz portion of the second half of the show. The first half of the show consisted of the quartet playing:

Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo,

composed in 1919 by Igor Stravinsky

Third Piece, preferably for Clarinet in B-flat

and

Quintet in A Major for Clarinet and Sring Quartet, K.581

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozard

Allegro

Larghetto

Menuetto

Allegrettocon Variazioni

After Intermission Dr. Wagner brought out his Jazz Combo. The Combo consisted of Muisicians:
Millie Keefe Black (Vocalist)

Shawn Hair (Pianist)

Katie Justice (Electric Bassist)

Martin Gailes (Percussion)

Together these talented musicians took us on a forty-five minute journey through such tunes as:

I want to be Happy by Vincent Youmans

I Love You for Sentimental Reasons by William Best

Nice Work If You Can Get It by George Gershwin

and many others spanning a wide range of sub generas within the"jazz" idiom.

For this half of the show I used only 2 microphones. Again, to keep it as simple as possible. Remember my two wireless mics that I was using for announcements and singing vocals. Yep, those were the only two I used. Of course Mrs. Millie Black, was using one for her wonderful vocals and the other, when it was not being used for Dr. Wagner's tune intros, was being used for picking up the rest of the ensemble on stage. I thought of early days of recording when engineers would use only one mic with the band performing around it as inspiration for this mix. I must say it was fun to "get more" by using "less." In order to pic up enough of the ensemble with 1 microphone I had to push the gain and then of course lower it to it's original level for Dr. Wagner's speeches. To polish off of the mix, I added the slightest bit of reverb and a pinch of slap back delay. Of course whether or not/ how much of effects I used was depended on what I felt in that moment the tune and performance called for.

Overall the performance of Dr. John Wagner, his Jazz, and the Starlight Quartet was a great way to unofficially start our 2009/10 season. Many thanks to all of the people who came out to the free event.

Thanks, Peace, and Blessings,

~JAG

Sometimes I wish I was Ron Carter... or at least could play like him.

So, being a bassist and an audio engineer you spend most of your time listening to music. In your car, at work, at home, radio, internet, internet-radio...etc. It is rare to hear something that really combines the best of both worlds. A song, let alone an entire record, that has both killer bass and spot on audio production.  Well have I got a record for you. It has it all. Killer bass playing, spot on audio production, and I am even going to throw in, some amazing playing and composition.  Ron Carter!! is the man I am speaking of and his album "The Bass & I" is one I constantly find myself coming back to. You can check it out in the discography section on his website. If you can put this record on a good sound system, awe heck!, even on my computer speakers it still sounds amazing, though, if you can play it through a good set of speakers or sound system that's rated for Frequency Response of 20 hz->20 khz and listen to the subtle sonic qualities of the recording come alive. You will find that both the warmth and, what I like to call, the "realness" of the recording come alive and are amazing. It doesn't feel like a recording, it puts you, the listener, right there with them on the gig or the rehearsal studio. It's as if the quality of the recording let's your imagination run wild, seeing in your minds-eye the room and the musicians. Seeing them playing the notes and looking around at one another watching and listening to see where "this is all going." As a Bassist listening to his playing can be quite, do I dare say, euphoric.  At first listen, he isn't very notey. He isn't filling up all of the measures and sonic space with bass.  His playing is subtle, timed, and quite honestly perfect. He let's each note breathe. Each one is played with passion and expression, feeling like it is has been perfectly hand picked and placed in that moment. To a point where theory and grace all come together. He sets the stage for the other players to express themselves.  His bass playing is so consistent that the other player's don't have to think, what is he gonna do and what am I gonna do when he does it. Listening to the record you get the idea that everyone feels comfortable and relaxed. That is something that is truly rare. Sure, other guys may know the tunes and play them right and well, but "that feeling" never comes across.  I wish I had a better way to describe it and perhaps one day I will. The best way I can is to say, "that feeling" is like talking about the "it factor" "you either have it or you don't and you've got it". Be assured this album has "it."


Thanks + Peace and Blessings, ~JAG

This is a copy of a blog I did for the Newberry Opera House Sound/Audio Blog

Well, sound check and rehearsals/warm-ups for tonight's shows have finished. We have about and hour before the House opens and the seats begin to fill. Tonight, we have a very easy set up audio wise. Our input list consists for only 4 inputs, 4 wireless microphones. For the mic's we have used our two Sennheiser wireless handheld microphones and two of our Shure wireless handheld microphones. The Spirit Singers consist of about 30 teenagers standing on risers. The two Sennheiser microphones have been positioned directly in the front line of the chorus about 3 to 4 feet away and they will be used for solos taken by the front line singers, as well as, picking up the overall image of the chorus. The two Shure microphones I have placed behind and to the outside of the chorus and they will be used for the rest of the individual singers solos. The plan at the moment is for the students to pass the Shure microphones to one another. We will see how that pans out during the performance.

In order to keep things as simple as possible I have decided not to mic the piano for tonight's performance. There were a couple of reasons for this. They are playing with the lid on half stack and facing the chorus. At first thought "Yeah let's throw our mics on it".. However, for our piano mic set up I usually use our Rode's NT1A

microphones. Our stage's area is about 40 feet wide by 30 or so feet deep. Not very large. When we use the Rode's NT1A microphones I generally have to careful and considerate on my placement and treatment so I do not get a ton of bleed from other instruments and performers. Second was that while listening to the overall sound I was getting off of the stage during sound check with the microphone at, what will be, show levels, I decided that some of my microphones I was already using were picking up enough piano already and even all of the microphones in use or muted everything could be heard, distinguished, and understood. So, after a touch of House EQing we were finished with sound check. Not bad, it was quick, smooth, and painless.

This is all for now. The doors to the house open in 20 minutes. I need to go and do some last minute battery checks. I will let everyone know how the show goes on our end later on tonight.

Thanks & Peace,

~JAG

For the Love of Social Networking, plus other things.

I have found, after recently being given and accepting the job of "guy who creates my job's social networking accounts and pages", that I really like doing it. I have enjoyed learning something new.  I feel like there is so much out there. So, many social networking sites. It feels like an ever evolving process. There is so much new news all of the time. Which I find engaging. I do not consider myself a "computer literate person" by any means. Though I do feel like there is quite a bit I am starting to grasp and comprehend.

I have been trying to think of things to blog about through out the day. I always seem to have many different ideas. However, when it comes time to sit down and write I can not seem to remember them all. In the case of right now I can not seem to remember any of them. I have often thought that I need to write them down and perhaps from this point on I will.

Tomorrow is the unofficial start to the 2009/10 season at the Newberry Opera House. I have mixed emotions about this time of year. Even more so now that I have a family of my own. I get so used to having so much free time during the summer that when fall starts to roll around once again you start to realize that soon very soon a lot of your time will be spent working. It'll be good financially though.

This evening my wife is out with a friend and I have been left home with the children. Some might run screaming the other way when given this situation. Not me. It was a good chance to spend "one on one" time with the children. I guess I really mean, "one on two" time. Me being the "one" and the children being the "two." We had a blast. We went and got some pizza and came home watched cartoons and ate dinner together. After dinner we went outside and played. My neighbor was outside with his two children. He was in the same boat as me. His wife was out and he was entertaining his children. Luckily enough his children and mine get along very well. They played with rocks and tricycles. I was really happy with the way my son was being very inclusive to his little sister during all of this playtime. Helping her to play. Though both of them still pretty much play "next to" and not so much "with" each other. That, like all things, will change and is starting to change.

It is funny how fast life changes even though it feels like you are waiting forever for the changes to happen. Take for example my daughter. It seemed we were waiting forever for her to walk. Then one day it seemed she just started walking. In and instant her time of being a little infant who needed to picked up, held, and carried everywhere was over. My wife often says that these are best times of our lives and she is most certainly right. Our bodies are in the best shapes. We don't walk around in constant pain. Though in the morning my left foot continues to hurt, but once I take a shower and put some shoes on it feels fine. Our minds are still good. We still have a lot to accomplish instead having a lot to look back on. These are the times of you life.

This is all for now. Thanks for reading, ~JAG

anyone else hear this thunder?

I would ask my son what about "no" don't you understand? he's 2 so none of it, I'm sure. ;)

@ work waiting on the city's IT department to arrive.

done for the night!

got my external hard drive.. uploading an large amount of pics. :)

realizing yet again, that my wife is freaking amazing.. she found my phone today!! and the house is clean.. you are the bestest Elizabeth..

about to head home in just a second.. still can't find my phone. :(

watching Carolina game.. let's do it gamecocks..

Taking a break..

Check out http://ping.fm/7O8uk I just found out about this.. Who all knew and his been holding out!!

Sept. 2, 2009

Where to start. For the past week I have been heading up the social networking e-marketing campaign at work. For any one who reads this, I work at the Newberry Opera House, in Newberry, SC. I have been updating social networking pages and blogs. Thinking of things to say and talk about all day. It is amazing how exhausted that can leave you. I really love doing it, I just didn't anticipate feeling like I was doing so much. I guess, I can take some comfort knowing that I am getting some really good experience that will always be useful to me in the future. I have been working on my creative writing skills. Though what I write isn't very imaginative. I have found some pretty good resources online to help guide me along in the social networking world. I would share them now, but I do not feel like pulling up the web pages. You can find links to these pages on my facebook account: www.facebook.com/jallengraham. There is a facebook page icon on the side of this page that can automatically take you there. :)

In my quest to gather information on what I am doing, should be doing, and need to be doing. I checked out a book from the Newberry County Public Library, after getting my library card, entitled Practical Publicity! by, David Tedone. This particular edition has a copyright from 1983. So, there is not anything on E-marketing, but it has a lot of information I have found really useful after kind of translating it in my head for today's internet market. It has been a good rent. It is due back on the 9th of this month, I am not sure I'll be reading and note taking by then. We will see.

It has given me some really good ideas not only for the Newberry Opera House but for my music project. As far as, getting people interested in it and getting it off the ground. I have been working on some songs that range from Bill Withers to Red Hot Chili Peppers, to Victor Wooten. Most are original musical arrangements that I have put together for the songs I really love. Not so much as an attempt to be different, but to arrange it for solo bass where I could play what I need to play for the song to sound like what I think it needs to and sing at the same time. Which reminds me, I need to break out the metronome and practice tonight. I think tonight I will time out the tunes I am doing. Get more of idea of how long of a set I am working with. That is my wife's favorite part. The metronome that is. I think the constant clicking drives her crazy. I am glad she is supportive of me and just tells me to "do it" already. Which I should and I will.

She is a good woman and I am still learning so much about her. There is so much I do and will do that I couldn't do without her and she smells good. Lately it feels like a lot of things with me, her, and our family are falling into place. Perhaps we are all getting used to it and it is feeling normal and stable for all of us. Which is great. We both seem so get up and go and on top of things. Something has definitely been changing just like the seasons and I love it. I love seeing my wife with a smile on her face everyday. I think maybe her 2 years of 2 pregnancy hormones just might be starting to stabilize. Thank God! ;) just kidding honey, if you read this. I am proud of you Elizabeth or should I say, you make me proud.

Tonight when we put the kids to bed we read four books to them. They both love it when they get read to. Though with both of them at once it is hard to get them to sit still for the entire reading. Noah is getting so smart. He can point out all of the animals in his books all of the colors and that is all thanks to Elizabeth. He also knows his manners.. and he is very consistent with "Excuse Me" when he lets out certain bodily functions and little Juliana is walking up a storm with almost no stumbles or "Uh Oh's" as she calls them. Every time she stumbles there is this little voice that says "Uh Oh" and it is incredibly cute. I am so proud of my children.

I am proud of my family! Here are a few pictures of some proud moments. Couldn't find any recent pictures of Elizabeth but she is there in spirit. Love all of you Grahams.

Till next time, Peace, ~JAG

heading home, shades on, windows down, jammin' out loud to DMB Big Whiskey!! NICE!!

packing up to head home!!

my brain feels overloaded.. taking a break.

taking a break.. perhaps a coffee break..

wow!! I can't believe the weather!! 66 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

heading to bed for the evening.

fixed the vacuum.. it was clogged with a baby sock.. HAHA!! Kids finally in bed.

It feels so good coming home to a nice and clean house. Elizabeth B. Graham you have out done yourself once again.

ahh turkey sandwhich you were ever so much more delicous than I could have hoped for.

ahh turkey sandwhich, how I am going to love devouring you.

can't wait to see my family!!

working on a linkedin profile for the newberry opera house

Glad it feels so nice and cool outside.

Elizabeth can't stay off of her phone.

watching intervention with Elizabeth.

just finished updating my profile at http://ping.fm/6h8J1

heading to Oburg to run some errands and visit some family.

going to let the dogs... in!!! then to bed it's late and morning comes early.

Time Flies

I am not sure if I have ever written about time flying or how I think it just goes more quickly with each passing year. The summer is drawing to a close. I can notice now the days getting shorter. Kids are growing up so quickly. Noah will now be starting his 3rd fall. Juliana her second. This will be a 3rd fall for Elizabeth and me too. I am will into my 29th year. I am 29. So, perhaps I am well into my 30th year, when March 10, 2010 comes I will have completed 30 years. I am looking forward to it. My years since meeting Elizabeth and having our family have been my best and I am looking forward to growing older with them. I would not want to go back and be teens and early twenties again. Those years were lonely and rough to say the least. I love my family.

Since fall is on the way it means that another season with the Newberry Opera House will starting soon. We have been busy this summer, but not with shows. With painting and other up keep things that needed to be done every year. I recently was giving the job there to handle some of the E-Marketing. For those who don't know the Newberry Opera House is a non-profit organization which translates to, I get a bunch of jobs to do because we can't afford to hire another person to do it. Sometimes I hate it. Expamle: painting, bug spraying, weed spraying, ceiling tile replacer guy. Just to name a few. I do feel though that this E-Marketing thing is right up my alley. Getting more involved in the Internet that I have always wanted to do. I just haven't really had a vehicle to do it with. I have been in bands but someone else always had that control. With the Newberry Opera House I pretty much have free rain. Of course any thing I write or post I run by my bosses and get approval but I get to make it up from that point and make the changes. It is quite nice. I don't know if it'll always be that way but I am enjoying now while it lasts. I also think that this experience will be great in the end for my project too.

With my time off this summer I have been working on a solo bass show with vocals and it scares the crap out of me. Singing that is. but I have been practicing with microphones and really listening to my voice. Working on singing in time and in tune while playing bass in time and in tune. It has been quite the challenge. I am just about ready to book a show. I probably just need to go ahead and book one. Get it over with and have a date that says, "this is it dude." This project is totally an experiment. I don't know how to even classify it. I know that it won't be for everyone, but at this point I am not doing it for everyone, I am doing it for me and then if anyone likes it and wants to be a fan of what I am doing then I will do it for them too. Of course everything I do, I do in part for my family too.

I promised Elizabeth the other day that I would be someone for her and my kids. I figure that this way. I do this project and it'll either work or it won't. I'll teach my kids to follow their dreams, all of the hard work and sacrifice that goes with that. If it works I'll teach them how to handle the rewards and fruits of that labor, what ever they may be big or small. If it doesn't it'll be a good opportunity to teach them about trying your best, giving it your best shot, and if it doesn't work that's okay too. I figure if I do it this way and it doesn't work the only person I'll have to blame is myself and that is better than not doing anything or trying because you are blaming someone else, I think..

well, I guess this is a good a place as any to stop for the night. I'll be back soon.. I hope to continue writing here at least once a week or month. I do have my ping.fm set up here so there will be a lot of little updates that will be also on twitter and facebook and what not. Keep in touch. ~JAG

trying to figure this thing out

still need to run the store.. eyes still burning from reading websites.

Kids Shows

I love watching "Yo Gabba Gabba" with my kids. I think that show is amazing.

Thank You God and New Music

So, we didn't go to NC today. At first I was really bummed and disappointed.  We just woke up this morning and everything kinda just fell apart. Nothing was packed or even together to pack. And instead of that get up leisurely, take our time and peacefully pack as a family. It just felt so chaotic. Then when my daughter threw up here morning bottle, I was like.. "How come whenever I try and see my parents it feels like everything falls apart?" and with that, I threw up my hands and threw in the towel, called my mom and said, "Hey weren't not coming today, we'll see you tomorrow." I was really upset for much of the day, because, I was so disappointed.  

I tried to get things ready to go. I washed and folded clothes, laid them out for my wife to see what she wanted to pack. Washed and put up dishes, swept the floors, and clean out the car. Trying to get it all done. I totally got into a work mode. When I am at work, my mentality is everything is on hold until I am done working. It's like a part of me shuts down, so I can focus on what I am doing and get it done. Which isn't the best at home, because your family needs you to be not only there physically but emotionally too. Which today I was totally not there. 

I regret to say that my attitude should have been more compassionate and it wasn't.  My little girl, she is so beautiful and sweet and I owe more than my "God always when I am trying to do something she is sick". Which thankfully for the rest of the day she was fine and kept her bottles down and displayed no more symptoms of being sick. Even when she isn't feeling well she has the biggest smile just so, so happy to see you. Thank You God for her. 

My wife had a lot of patience with me, too.  I love her to death. I could tell that I was trying her, but she held in there and was strong enough to handle me. She's my rock. Thank You God for her. 

And my little boy, all I can say is, what a handful. It was a constant battle today to keep him off my freshly washed and dried clothes piles. He likes to knock them over or take clothes off and act like he is folding them up and then drop them as clothes wads on the ground. So, there is a pile of clothes and next to my neatly folded pile there is a little wadded up lump of clothes. When I write it like this it almost makes me cry because I can see now all he is trying to do is do whatever daddy is doing, just because daddy is doing it and it is super precious. Thank You God for him. 

These three people are my world. Sometimes, I can type what I really mean to say better than I can say it.  To Boo, Tiny-Diddle, and Squirtle Turtle. I love you with all my heart and I am sorry. Thank You God for them. They are the greatest gift I have ever gotten. They constantly remind me of the man I should strive to be. 

On a another note, I recently joined twitter. In doing so I left a tweet saying I needed new music. I got a tweet from a record label. I check out some of their artists. I am happy to say I am the proud owner of "The Longer I Run" and "Always" by Peter Bradley Adams. They are great songs. I recommend you check them out. 

Things Observed

Man oh man, I am so happy that tonight has finally come.  In the past 35 days I have done 30 shows at the NOH.  Load-in's/load-out's, set-ups/tare-downs, walk aways, early mornings and super late nights. Missing my family and my friends. Getting home and knowing I have missed it all. I finally have some time off. Starting now I am off until Wednesday or Thursday of next week. It's all down hill from here. We will still have some long days and shows. However, for the most part the Opera season will start its inevitable decline, slowing down to all but a halt come summer. This next week is like my spring break.  After spring break it all flies so fast.  Tomorrow, we leave for my parent's house in Lumberton, NC. I think it is about a 3 hour and 15 minute drive.  I was really hoping to be able to have a leisurely pace getting ready in the morning. I hate feeling rushed all the time but when your time is very limited you end up feeling rushed to fit everything you need to do into the few hours you have, and of course, we still have to pack. When I say pack, I mean, packing for four. Clothes, bags, baby food, high chairs, food, drinks, dogs, dog food. Elizabeth and I are going to have our work cut out for us in the morning.  

I am hoping to have lots of time this summer. My gigs with the Misadventures have all but vanished due to the current status of the economy and I am guess they will  pick back up when ever our economy gets out of it's current funk. Or maybe not. Only time will tell.  It is interesting how I can spend all winter trying to balance my chaotic work schedule with time for my wife and kids, gigs and when the summer rolls around, the time of year I have the most free time and the most flexibility the gigs kind of dry up.  Or so it has been in the past and it seems that this year will offer much more of the same. It will be a great opportunity to spend more time at home with my family. Elizabeth has been talking about going to back to work this summer, because once work starts slashing my hours then my income also gets slashed. I have been thinking of trying to get another job this summer so she can stay home. Anybody know of any? I think of moving my family out of here a lot. Nashville?  

I have been working on putting a show together.  Right now it is just me on my bass and vocals. Pretty crazy idea huh? The biggest hurtle I feel I have right now with this project other than finding the time to work on it is singing. It's not that I can't sing. I just need to beef up my confidence in my voice and singing in front of an audience. When I think of doing that my throat just kind of closes up.  How do you step across that thresh hold?  Just do it?  Honestly that scares me. I don't know why. I am working on it though. 

Well it is late and I need to get up in the morning and get to it. Goodnight 

I found..

Well.. I have made it home from work. I have a family. I have dreams. We have dreams. Gave my son a bath and put him to bed. I am watching my wife feed my daughter.  I may have not found god, but I have found happiness.. 

Late Night Memories..

Well.. It's 12:58am, early early Thursday morning. Elizabeth and I tried to go to bed relatively early tonight.  We are usually "night owls" and are up this time anyway. We laid down tonight and Elizabeth was cold so she scooted over next to me and asked me to rub her back. When I picked up my hand, I noticed that it looked like a creepy shadowy hand because of the streetlights bleeding through the blinds. I asked her if she thought it looked creepy and she said "don't even bring that up it'll make me have nightmares." So, then we started talking about nightmares that we have had and the first nightmare we can remember having as children.  No my blog tonight isn't about nightmares. However, my first one had the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk.. and a hand that was coming up from the foot of the bed to get me.. I remember screaming and my Mom turning on the lights and saving the night.. We were at a friend of her's house or something like that. After that I started thinking of other early childhood memories. It is funny the stuff you don't think about daily and how much of it you can remember when you think about it. 

I remember my mom surprising me at daycare on my 5th birthday. I didn't even known it was my birthday.. That was also the birthday where I found out that just because you are a year older doesn't mean that you will be any faster at running.. for some reason I thought I would be.. 

        I remember running in the woods with my mom and picking up pine cones, giving them to my mom and her turning them into house decorations.  

I remember having a red wagon and I knew if I put a cinderblock inside of it to sit on and plastic ores sticking out of the sides of it I could make it fly.. 

I remember sitting my grandparents' (Faircloth) little green john-boat while my grandmother and grandfather clammed in the salt marshes in cherry grove.  I remember it was winter and there was a yoo-hoo sitting on the seat in front of me that would whistle when the wind was blowing.  I remember the sky being over-cast.. I know for sure I remember this because no pictures of it exist. 

I remember going to watch my Aunt JuLayne play softball over at Hennifer park in Loris. 

I remember taking Karate for a time at Mr. Browns karate studio..

I remember being ecstatic about being able to watch cartoons especially...Transformers. 

I remember learning to swim at someone's house.

I remember going to the beach with my mom. 

I remember somewhere in our trailer my mom had a fish net with seashells and star fish on it as decorations. 

I remember cutting out pieces of construction paper and gluing them to make lemon and apple trees.. and my mom hung them on my bedroom wall.. 

I remember flying kites at the beach with my Papa Sheler.. 

I remember loving to ride in my Uncle Denis's car.. and looking at his model car collection of model's he actually put together. 

I remember watching Twin Peaks on TV.. and it scaring the crap out of me.. with it's over all creepiness.. 

I remember learning to ride my bike.. 

I remember Star Wars.. and ET.. those movies were on almost constantly.. 

Well.. there are so many more things I can remember but now I am getting tired.. I see how me talking about this quickly put my wife to sleep.. it is now doing the same to me.. Not that i think it is boring.. but it somehow makes me feel peaceful to think about it.. Horry County wasn't so bad.. 

a case of the Mondays

The great thing about this Monday, or today rather, is that I am off.. The best part is that it is 12:39am Sunday night/Monday morning. So, I will go to sleep and when I wake up I'll still be off.. I am hoping that tomorrow Elizabeth can continue are walks we have been taking together across the Lake Murray Dam.. Damn, that is a long way.. but we have walked it and we will continue to walk it. Trying to walk the walk you've gotta walk and we are.

Not much has changed since my last post. Still job hunting. Still broke. Still working at the NOH. I really love my job actually. It just a classic case of the job you have, doesn't pay what you need to afford your life. Elizabeth has been looking for jobs. That's gonna be great when she get's one. Though there are alot of logistical questions that coming with her working. Like Daycare? Will I stay at home? I think that those questions can really only be answered after she goes back to work and we cross the bridges when we get there. I would really like to keep working. I would love to find a job that pays enough so Elizabeth would only have to work partime or not at all.. Which may not be possible in todays economy. Even if I got another job it would probably take two in comes to make it. Bummer. We'll do what we have to do though. (as an aside, I absolutly hate how when you make a word document.. like say a resume... and then you upload it to a job finding website such as I dunno.. say Careerbuilder.com.. and it takes all of your columns and f*cks them up so you end up looking like a complete idiot, who can't make a professional resume. My wife spent all night working on my resume.. ;) lol.. We'll she did have a ton of pointers for me. She took a class..That's right a whole damn class that was a semester long. Where she learned all the ins and outs of resume writing, formatting, and job interviewing.. the works.. Basically, she could walk into any place anywhere and get the job.. All I had going for me, before she looked at my resume, was I bought the Resumes for Idiots Book, (that's right.. Idiots not dummies..I looked at the dummies one at Barnes and Noble and thought to myself.. "We'll Sh*t J. Allen.. ya'll ain't as learnt as ya'll thought... hmm...then I held up the book in the air and yelled to the little feller working the stock cart... "Ya'll got this here dummy book in Idiot?" But I digress).. skimmed though the book like 7 months ago..lost it in the move and then tried to remember what it said.. while I was writing my resume the other night.. So what I am trying to say is.. Thank the good and almighty for my wife.)

The End

Man Looking For Jobs is Tough

This is like night 100 or so of me looking online for jobs and filling out their online applications and resume uploads and all of that.  So far, out all that I have done. I have gotten a reply from a Teaching English Abroad Program (in Korea).. and a PA Insurance Company. Both of which I responded too.. Today.  I didn't think the English abroad would have really though I was a candidate. But they were the first people to send me an email wanting to set up an interview. I guess having spent time there submerged into the culture, history, and day to day living and that being on my resume was more of a hit than I realized..I was reading their website and it sounds very cool.. but.. they never mention anywhere about Americans Teaching and having families over there. So.. It may not be in the cards.. I sent a reply to them tonight asking about that. It is my top priority that my family be in my daily life, living with me, and all of that.. So if they can't go.. then.. No DICE!!! But I may call the recruiter tomorrow and set up an interview if I don't receive an email reply by tomorrow night. 

I have been using a website careerbuilder.com to look for jobs.. There are alot of jobs out there it seems. I think I struggle with the ol', "find a job that you think best suites you or is like you, or that makes you happy" and I read job description after job description and fill out application after application.. but I don't really see something that looks like me. or like.. you would be totally happy doing that. There really aren't any jobs like that around here.. I think.. I read about jobs doing movies and sound and stuff like that.. which sound really awesome.. which I found out about on the timewaner website..  but they are all in other places.. I guess nothing like that really goes on for anything that would be considered a consistent basis here in South Carolina.  

Sometimes I do think I would like to be a teacher of some sort. Speaking of that this past Wed. I taught my first bass lesson at Munson's music store in Newberry. I have been reading information online about teaching for the past couple of days. Since the lesson and this whole Korea thing.. and a vast majority of them always talk about having passion and drive for the subject matter. I often think to myself if I do. I used to feel like.. with music.. it was all I wanted to do.. all I wanted to be.. When I was in college, there were many days where I would practice at least 8 hours a day. I am not sure if I have the drive or the fire like that anymore. Is that a process of just growing up? How am I supposed to get a student excited if I am not? I feel more like a sound engineer.. and unfortunately since I do live engineering.. I never have to do anything that a recording engineer has to do.. like listen to a producer and take notes on the session.. So, I often wonder if I am  just a "Sound Guy" or if I am a Sound Engineer..

I feel like.. I need some kind of change. One change that is going on around here is that Elizabeth and I have been taking sometime out of each day to go for a walk on the Lake Murray Dam.  It is great to get out and move. I love doing that. We have alot of fun. We made it 5 days in a row.. Tonight would have been our 6th.. but we didn't make it tonight.. we are both tired.  We are hopefully going to get up in the morning and go. I am a little disappointed we didn't go tonight.. I really look forward to that with her all day long. It kinda gets me through the day at work..  

I have felt handy the past couple of days. I never been much of a handy man. My grandfather, my dad, and my dad are all really handy men.. they can fix and build anything. Well.. Soon I may join the ranks.. before christmas the dogs dug up the back yard.. So I went to K-mart (of all places) and bought some 4 bags dirt and a Tool to spread the dirt around with for all under $10.. (I may yet join the ranks of being a crafty consumer and being good with money)  and I filled in the wholes and kinda leveled off the back yard.. The only problem is.. that it has been rainy since then so.. the back yard is completely covered in mud.. and therefore the dogs are always covered in mud. A Couple of days ago, Elizabeth accidently knocked the sliding door to the laundry room off it's hinge and it feel off.. Well.. I fixed that. then today the hot water heater went out.. and I couldn't get it at first.. and we had to take baths by boiling water( thanks Elizabeth for all of your water boiling) but when I got home from work.. I got it to work.. and today I changed the batteries in one of Noah's riding toys.. (much to his mom's dismay ;) now it seems he drove her crazy with it all day.) but I have felt kinda on it.. Been working hard.. Even at work.. Which Last month I totally busted my @$$ at work.. there were so many days where we had 2 shows  a day.. that makes for such a long day.. but this month I think there are only two or three.. and we don't have as many shows this month as last month.. I am so relieved.

Kids grow up so fast. Noah doesn't look like a little baby anymore. He doesn't feel like it my arms.. He squirms so much. ;) He is always on the go. Running here and there..  Picking things up and moving them.. He is into everything. He is talking up a storm. Some in English and some in his own made up language. He'll point to something and look at me and say Daddy and then go on to talk about the thing he is pointing at in some indecernable  tongue and although I can't understand him.. He can understand me. He can do pretty much anything I ask him. Go and up and down stairs by himself.. I wish I could say they were all under parental supervision.. but if you give him a second he'll be up the stairs and half way back before you and get to him..  It is really amazing.  And now my little girl is getting so big. Tonight she was eating baby food. And she doesn't look like a newborn anymore. It is kinda sad. Although she has become the sweetest little thing. Nothing but smiles.. always reaching for me. or mom.. and even Noah.. She loves him.. She loves for him to be around.. It makes me wish I had grown up around my siblings. She smiles at him. She is "talking now too" though just noises really.. she laughs.. and she is sitting up all on her own.. though she occasionally has to be helped up after she slumps over.. but not very often..  

and last but not least there is Elizabeth. I love you Boo.. Thanks for all that you are doing with the kids.. and all that you do for me.. 

Got my phone.. At work.. Up and pingin' it again.