A Christmas Penguin.

Christmas was here, then it was gone in a flash. I hope none of you blinked as it went by, and that, in the short day of giving and celebrating, you got everything you needed and wanted out of family, friends, and tradition.

The few days after Christmas are always a little bit of a letdown. It takes a while to sink in that the whole month leading up to the day has passed, and that the holiday is over. It's kind of like saying goodbye to a group of people you've been around for a long time, and waking up the next day waiting to see them, and realizing it'll be a while before it happens again. Except with Christmas, it happens once a year. Yeah. Harsh, right?

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas. Everything leading up to it and the day itself is amazing. But I always get a little down after it's over.

If you feel me, I made a video that I hope will make you a little happier. It's a demonstration of probably one of the coolest Christmas gifts I've ever seen. Sadly, it's not mine. Someone gave it to my Grandma, but at least now, through YouTube, it's captured forever.

Enjoy, and rock out this last week of 2008...



Drew.

"Yule love it!"

Watched this the other night.


I've gotta say, even though it's a tough pool to choose from, it's my favorite Christmas movie overall. While classics like "Christmas Vacation" and "It's a Wonderful Life" have to be watched every year, Bill Murray's performance in "Scrooged" always takes the Santa-themed cake for me. It stems back to when I was a kid, and every Christmas my grandparents would send our family a box of various meats and cheeses. We would sit in front of the TV and watch the movie while we ate the bonus mail-gift of gourmet snacks.

I still watch the movie every year, and it never gets old. Why? Because it gets the meaning of Christmas RIGHT. Don't get me wrong, "It's a Wonderful Life" is great, and brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it, but "Scrooged" gives us a chance to see what Christmas needs to be in more of a modern light. It's about love. It's about friends, old and new. It's about family, and laughter, and giving as much as you can give. It's about taking the time to STOP and BREATHE, and it's about LIFE.

If you have enough time, make sure you watch this speech. If you want the fast version, start it at about 4:30. He really hits the nail on the head:


"For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be."

I love it. And, wow, it's already here! Christmas Eve. Can things honestly move faster? No worrying about that now, though. All I'll say is that, to you and your's, I want to wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. I hope that you get everything that you want and need out of the day, and that we can all carry the spirit as much as we can into the new year and the future.

To take one from a good friend of mine...

Grace and Peace,
Drew.

LA Song.

Been back from LA for about a week now. I guess the best way to describe the place is that it's HUGE.

The trip was a lotta fun, and it was the first time I'd gone anywhere completely by myself like this. I buzzed around town in a rental Toyota Yaris like the pimp that I am and tried to explore as much of the area as I could in a day and a half.

Saturday was spent getting there and going to MAYER at the Nokia Theater. I met up with several other fans beforehand, which was really cool, because I knew that none of them would get sick of how much I talked about his music, and it was great getting to meet people from all over the country. The show, which featured John playing "On His Own", was amazing, as always, and gave off a different vibe than the concerts I'd seen before. He pretty much played whatever he wanted, and cracked jokes throughout the performance. He admitted being nervous a few times, and forgot a few chords to some of his older songs, but overall he rocked it out. The best parts of the show came when he broke out HUMMINGBIRD and St. Patrick's day (his "holiday" song). Oh, and again, I heard Wheel and Gravity. He also played TWO encores, and closed with a CLARITY REMIX as his final song. I had no idea where he was going with it at first, but freaked out when he started singing the chorus. It was sick. Mayer XII was definitely worth flying across the country for. And hey, it was for a good cause: Charity.


I hit up several tourist spots on Sunday, such as Hollywood Blvd, and even drove past LA Ink, but didn't walk in, because I didn't want to be the guy who walks in and doesn't get any work done. Ah well.

The highlight of the day came at sunset when I ventured out to the Santa Monica Pier. As I drove up to the entrance, I caught my first look at the Pacific ocean, and it was BEAUTIFUL. I found a parking spot and walked out onto the pier as the sun disappeared under the horizon. There were people all around, and Christmas music was blasting from the speakers along the boardwalk. It was a great site, and while I felt overwhelmed in some parts of the city, I felt like a part of the group out here. I decided that if I ever lived in LA and felt like I needed to get away, the Santa Monica Pier at sunset would be my escape. Nobody out there was unhappy, and the place was full of the sounds of laughter and crashing waves.




I left LA early Monday afternoon and spent several hours in the air and at airports. Getting back to Charlotte Monday night was bittersweet, because it's always a downer when a trip is over, but it's also nice to be HOME (or nearby, at least). California was great, but it's good to be back while I continue to search for what's next.

Drew.

Dancing days.

I used to be embarassed about this, but whatever. Who cares what people think, right?

Wait for my entrance on the left of the screen at 11 seconds.


I mean, that could be me, right? Scary...

Watch out for my sick dance moves.
Drew

"Long days and pleasant nights..."

Finished "The Dark Tower" today. I read somewhere that a lot of fans were unhappy with the ending, but I actually liked it. I guess you could say it was half-happy, and half-hopeful, because King basically leaves the story open for your interpretation. I had my own opinion on the matter, which King actually reinforced in his afterword of the novel. The whole collection pretty much comes down to the idea of LIFE being a WHEEL. Things always come back around, and the smallest decisions and interactions can have the largest consequences. Everything has a meaning, and everything happens for a reason. I love that kind of stuff.

Outside of the book, my day was pretty much made of gym times and work. My gym is doing a "Race to the North Pole" contest that's pretty cool, where the members are divided into teams and where every ten minutes of exercise gives you a mile. Whichever team gains the number of miles from here to the North Pole first wins the contest. If a member brings in a toy for charity, their number of miles gained on the day triples. It's a cool concept, and it's definitely gotten me motivated to kick my own ass at the gym this week (plus, I've been struggling since Thanksgiving). My goal is to at least TIE my mom's number of miles, since she's in there all the time. I think it's kind of a pride thing...

Anyway, work was real average tonight. Had two big parties, but the people were cool. I'm still having a good time working there, but I'm ready for the next step. In the meantime, it's a pretty decent networking tool, because we get a lot of regulars, and I mean, if you know me, you know I'm pretty dang charming (not to talk myself up, of COURSE).

And speaking of networking, I'm all booked and ready to go to LA this weekend! I talked to a few folks on the Mayer message board (My Stupid Mouth) in hopes of finding ideas of what to do in the city, and several people gave me great responses. One of the women on the board is even a travel agent, and she booked me a car AND a hotel with a good location. So this time Saturday, I'll be watching Mayer rock out and kickin' it in California. Can't wait.

One more shift of work to get through in the meantime. And more holiday cheer to spread, of course...

Long days and pleasant nights,
Drew

December?

HOW is today December 1st? It doesn't make sense. I could almost swear to you that New Year's was only a few weeks ago. And graduation was like, YESTERDAY.

But hey, time keeps on slippin', slippin', into the future, and now, I see, we'll never stop this train.

Enough about time, though, because we all know how it is. Let me just say that, instead of letting my "baffled-at-how-fast-the-year-has-gone" self worry about things I can't control, I'm going to holler at December and the holidays Clark Griswold style. That's right. I'm going to make sure my friends and family have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny frickin' Kaye.



Of course, the thing about Christmas is that it's so exciting, it's really easy to overlook Thanksgiving, so before I move on to Rudolph and Charlie Brown and the three Wise Men, I want to give a quick recap of this past weekend.

First of all, I want to say that my Grandma is a BALLER. She's 91 and she cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 13 of us. NINETY-ONE! It was as amazing as always, and I'll be thankful if I can do HALF of what she does when I reach that age.

Second, it was great getting to see family and old friends. I got to kick it with my cousins on Thanksgiving day, and I ran into a plethora of old high school peeps Saturday night at Natty Greene's here in town. It was a mini-reunion up there, and I saw some folks I haven't seen in two or three years. Catching up was fun, and it was interesting to see who is already rising to success, and everybody in my boat, which I don't really have a word for (I'll get there one of these days, haha).

Third, Thanksgiving weekend wouldn't be complete without some FOOTBALL, and while my second team (Auburn) had it rough, my first team, NC STATE, wooped up on some wind storms from Miami and became BOWL ELIDGIBLE thanks to the leadership of my pick for ACC Rookie of the Year QB Russell Wilson (Whew, long sentence, out of breath). State might get into a bowl by the hairs on their chinny, chin, chin, but I've got a new HOPE for the Wolfpack in the future, and we've all seen how much HOPE has helped us this year already.

Finally, I've got to give a shoutout to our Christmas tree. We used to get it a little further into the month, but once my sister and I started college, we started decorating it at the end of Thanksgiving weekend. One of my FAVORITE things about the tree and this time of the year happens right before I go to bed. Nine times out of ten, I'm the last in the house to go to sleep, so I turn off all of the lights. Around Christmas, I do it in an order that leaves the tree on as the last light source. It gives off this glow that's a mix of warm and colorful lighting with Christmas tree smell and quiet. It's definitely a nice way to end the night. Here's a little sample of what I see (imagine the smell and the quiet):



There you have it. Thanksgiving was amazing this time around, and if it was any indication of how great the month of December will be, it should be smooth sailing into the new year. Watch out for me between now and then, because I'll be blasting Christmas carols and cruisin' down the street to some "Jingle Bell Rock". Word.

Drew

[Mayer 12]-6-2008

Got this in the mail today:



For this:



It's not the best seat in the house, but it's dead-center, about half-way back. I'm hella-stoked. It'll be my first time in California AND my first time seeing Mayer SOLO-ACOUSTIC.

It's gonna be a quick trip, starting with an early flight the day of the show. I'll get to LA early-afternoon and head to my hotel, which will be near the Nokia Theater. Then, it's SHOWTIME, followed by a Sunday of exploring in the city. Should be a good time. Definitely saved up for a while to get this, but hey, it's for charity...

Drew

41-10?! Whaaaaat?!

Before yesterday, UNC had three losses by a total of eight points. After the Wolfpack came to town, they had one more. Oh, and it was by 31.

I woke up early Saturday morning to make the hour-long drive to Chapel Hill with my dad. I was excited, because no matter how good or bad either team is, there's always a lot of emotion behind the State/UNC football game. We won by holding them off at the very end last year, and I had a feeling that this year would be a close game, no matter which team ended up with the victory.

My prediction was right at first. It was 10-3 at halftime as my dad and I looked on, bearing the freezing cold. We had the lead, but the way things have gone all season, we knew it didn't mean anything.

The third quarter brought it to 17-10, and while State was still winning, Carolina looked good on their most recent scoring drive. After they brought it back, State scored again right before the fourth quarter to take the lead to 24-10.

At this point, I looked at my dad and said, "Dang, I wish it was the fourth quarter." A few minutes later, I sat back easy, because State scored again. Then there was a field goal. Annnnnnnnnd they scored again.

Now, I'm looking for a word to describe this situation. The first one that comes to my mind is "rout". Yeah.

I was laughing in disbelief at the game and the score, because literally EVERY ball went State's way. We forced 6 turnovers. SIX! And QB Russel Wilson had the game of his life, running and passing all over the field. Dad and I were respectful, of course, but we were also in shock.

The best moment of my afternoon came when the UNC fans had mostly cleared out of the stadium and there were really only NC State fans left. The corners of the stands were red, and all you could hear was "WOLF!"..."PACK!". There's really nothing like hearing YOUR team AT the rival's house screaming celebrations of victory. You gotta love it.



So, while UNC is bowl eligible and we still have to win next week to have the possibility of a postseason game, we're still the STATE CHAMPIONS. Here are a few scores:

NC STATE 30, ECU 24
NC STATE 27, DUKE 17
NC STATE 21, WAKE 17
NC STATE 41, UNC 10

Yeah, yeah, our season could be over after next weekend, and it could go on for another game. Either way, we swept the state of North Carolina, and THAT feels good.

Go Wolfpack.
Drew.

The name's Carmichael. Charles Carmichael.

Love this show, and the intro. Bounce with the music when you watch it. I know I do.

Off to Chapel Hill for the NC STATE game. More later. For sure.

Drew

Snow way!

Went to bed to falling snow. Woke up to this:



Now, it's not much, but it's always cool to wake up to a little snow on the ground. And in NOVEMBER?! Awesome. You gotta love snow. It's peaceful, clean, and it seems to always bring some kind of inner-childhood excitement. Around here, I've never heard anyone grumble at the sight of falling snow. It makes things brighter by day AND night, and it steals the attention given to problems and worries for a while to take you to a place where things are better. Unlike cold rain, which falls and absorbs into your clothes, snow is easily brushed off and enjoyed by everybody.

Like I said, you've gotta love snow. I'm hoping it's a sign of a good winter ahead of us.

Drew

The Dark Tower

This post is gonna make me sound like the huge nerd that I am, but whatever. As a lot of you know, I'm a huge Stephen King fan. I've read several of his novels, and for the last three months, I've really been into his "Dark Tower" series. It's a collection of seven books that he wrote over a period of almost 30 years, so it's quite a read.

The cool thing is that he incorporates worlds and characters from his other stories, so that they either have roles or are referenced in different points throughout the seven books. While the gunslinger Roland and his friends travel, King also throws in objects from pop culture, like the song "Hey Jude" by the Beatles, as well as several references to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and comic books. These references are great, because I've read enough King and seen enough movies to kind of freak out a little every time he drops one in the plot. It's pretty much amazing.

I'm currently reading the seventh and final novel of the series, "The Dark Tower". It's the longest one yet, weighing in at over 1,000 pages, and it's taking me longer than the rest as well, because, like the characters on their journey, it's as if the book itself has become my tower to overcome.

There's not much more reading, and once I'm done, I'm not exactly sure what I'm gonna work on next, but I've grown attached to the characters of these novels like never before. It's kinda funny, because I've even gotten to the point of thinking about them as I go through my daily routine, and even trying to think about what they would do in certain situations I get into. Weird, right?

Anyway, I'm almost done, and as I approach the Tower in the final novel, I've really been thinking about what "Tower" lies ahead of me in the near future. We're always pursuing something, right? Girls, fitness, jobs, etc. For me right now, I know that my "Tower" deals with getting a resume together and finally applying to jobs on my career path. It's always on the back of the mind, but for me, it's proven to be a difficult task. But hey, if Roland and his crew can reach the Tower in the books, then I'm sure I can get through the field of roses and get to my own...

Here we go.

Drew

"Is it me, or does it smell like updawg in here?"

"What's updawg?"
"Nothin' much, what's up with you?"

Hahaaaaaa, wooooo.

Chill night tonight, in more ways than one.

It's officially the coldest night since the early part of the year, and the steam heaters of our old house are clanking and hissing away to keep it warm. It's crazy, because they seem to warm the back half of the house about twice as much as they warm the front. I'm in the latter part now, and I'm kind of cold, but I know that I'll wake up in my room in the middle of the night bathed in sweat because it seems like my unit does the most work (That's what she said? Haha, sorry). Anyone who has ever stayed in my room knows exactly what I'm talking about. I like to blame my excessive perspiration on growing up in the hottest room of the house. I can't wear gray anymore, so, thanks heater.

Anyway, it's a random Tuesday night and I'm sitting here flipping between watching Davidson play basketball and reruns of "The Office" on TBS. Being mid-November, it's only the beginning of college basketball, but it gets me excited about the coming months. The weeks ahead will bring the first good games of the season as well as the holidays, which means tradition, family, food, and good times. Gotta love this time of year.

Three shifts of work until the weekend, which means NC State vs UNC in football and seven days until I see my sister again. Can't wait.

Drew.

A list.

Things I want:

Clarity.


Peace.


Another Cinderella Story.




Things I need:

DIRECTION.


Time to slow down.


Things I miss:

My Explorer.


Frontier Ranch.



EVERYBODY WHO LIVED IN OWEN HALL FROM 2003-2004 (plus a few others...)


DS

World Series

Just finished watching the last 3 innings of game 5 of the World Series.

Coming in, I didn't really know who to cheer for. It was either the "Worst to First" Tampa Bay Devil Rays, or the winners of the NL East Philadelphia Phillies. To be honest, since my Braves struggled so bad this year, I didn't really care. I just wanted good baseball.

Watching the last few innings of the first EVER delayed WS game was actually really exciting. After a few runs were scored on each side, Philly obviously ended up winning it all only a few minutes ago, but there was one moment that really got to me.

Philly was ONE strike away from the WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP with Brad Lidge at the plate. Before he threw the third (and what turned out to be final) pitch of the at-bat (and the season), I turned to my mom, and said, "Listen to how loud the crowd is right now. This could be the last pitch of the game. See if you notice them getting louder if it is."

We waited and watched Lidge throw a strike, and as the ball hit the catcher's mitt, the crowd ERUPTED and vocalized their excitement to the highest possible degree. It was an awesome moment, and it's something you really only see in sports.

I rewound it on the DVR three times just to see the crowd reaction, and then Fox showed clips from every player's point of view of the same moment. Every time you'd think the crowd had hit its peak, the people would get louder upon the completion of the final pitch, and everybody's face would light up. Every player sprinted to the mound with a giant smile on their face. Honestly, if you could bottle the emotion of the crowd and the players from that MOMENT and moments like it and take it as medicine, there would never be another unhappy or sick person for the rest of time. I guarantee it.

Of course, they showed the Tampa Bay dugout too, which was the complete opposite of how Philly felt, but as they say, with every reaction, there's an equal but opposite reaction. Being in Philly however, the positive reaction was a lottttt bigger than the negative.

Again, I don't really care about the outcome of this particular series. I talked to my friend Kellie about how disappointed I was in this year's postseason. But even though my Braves were done as of late July, and there were no broken curses this time, October baseball always finds a way to give me chills and remind me that no matter what the state of the world may be, there will always be good things to look forward to in this life.

Drew.

PS: Watch out for my BRAVES next year...

State Fair

Went to the NC State Fair Monday night. I rode some rides. Got hasseled by the people who run the games for being a "Cheap Date". Oh, and I ate. A lot.

Here's a little Mlog (that's "Meal-Log" for those who don't know) of my food from the fair.

Appetizer:
FRIED OREOS and COOKIE DOUGH.
Feeling after and during consumption:
CLARITY. I pulled a "Field of Dreams" and said "Is this Heaven?", where someone replied "No. It's North Carolina." Ah well, from what I could tell, it's what they'll SERVE in Heaven.


Main Course:
COUNTRY HAM BISCUIT
Feeling after and during consumption:
Delicious. Biscuits are my favorite type of "bread" if you were to categorize them. I think cornbread and croissants are a close second.

Dessert:
FRIED THREE MUSKETEERS CANDY BAR
Feeling after and during consumption:
Disappointment, bloatedness, sickness. Fried candy bars don't live up to the hype. Bluhhh...


Dessert #2:
CURLY FRIES
Feeling after and during consumption:
Relief. I needed some salt and grease to balance everything out. They were delicious.


So there you have it folks. I don't even want to know the calorie count, but dang, it was amazing. The only regret I have is that I didn't eat any BBQ, roast corn, grilled peppers, cotton candy, popcorn, or funnel cakes. Ah well. Next time.

Until then, it's fried food detox for Drew.

DS

PS: Here are some more pics from the night...

The Man.

Wondering where Barack Obama got his name?

He was actually born on Krypton, and sent here by his father, Jor-El, to save the planet Earth.

Chicken in a Biskit Crackers

I had no idea these existed until I had the pleasure of eating a few of these delicate crackers last night. The name and the box CRACK[er]ED me up. Pun intended, of course.



I promise I will write something worth reading when I have something to say. Until then, go buy some of these crackers.

D.

DREAMS

...are weird, from time to time...

I had a crazy dream last night/this morning. Here's the scenario that I wanted to share with everybody, and please, tell me how weird it is...

Here we go:

I dreamed I was at the Winter Olympics, which happened to be in Raleigh this time around. It was the "Ice Dancing" event, which involved male/female couples dancing on skates on the ice. It was taking place at the RBC Center in this dream, and the point where I joined the dream occurred when the female of the couple put the male's foot in her mouth...

The commentator, which in these events always seems to have a cheesy line, said, "well, that's a big load in her mouth." I started laughing like crazy, because I thought in my head, "that's what she said...". In the dream, a beautiful girl next to me started laughing, and we hit it off, until some older douche in front of us turned around and told me to be quiet.

I couldn't really understand why I should, so I got in a fight in my dream. I ended up back at the hotel bar where I was staying, because he got me kicked out of the Olympics, and I finally crashed for the night.

The next morning, I woke up and there he was, THE SAME GUY, and it was gameday for NC State/Clemson, and he was wearing both NCSU and Clemson clothing. I said, "hey man, you can't wear red AND orange today", and got in a fight.

I ended up beating the daylights out of him, but got kicked out of the hotel. It was pretty whack, but definitely a weird dream...

Woohoo though...

Tonight was fun, and tomorrow will be even better, because it's Saturday. Goodnight everybody...

Drew.

48 Hours.

Cool things happening in the next 48 hours (give or take a few...):

-"My Name is Earl" Season Premier
-"THE OFFICE" Season Premier
-eating Pizza
-Presidential Debate? Hmmm. Maybe. Obama for your mama, baby.
-sleeping in tomorrow
-Two shifts of work
-RALEIGH immediately after work Saturday afternoon.
-Auburn vs. Tennessee. War Eagle. Boo Vols.
-NC STATE VS USF. Oh, and I'll be there. First game as an Alum. I like it.
-SATURDAY NIGHT IN RALEIGH.

So there you go. If you're in Raleigh on Saturday, and you're going to the game, I better see you. Otherwise, latenight downtown. We'll make it happen.

This pointless post was brought to you by Dunder Mifflin. Thanks for reading. See you Saturday.

D-Pac.

"When autumn comes, it doesn't ask..."

"...it just walks in, where it left you last."

My summer of travel and non-productivity is over. Fall is here, and I'm loving it. The weather's starting to get crisp, and football season has begun. Oh, and I have a job, which is nice. Yeah, I'm just waiting tables for now, and today was my first real day, but hey, it's something to do while I figure everything else out.

Speaking of Fall, I've been in a "Heavier Things" type of mood the last several days, and not in a bad way. For those of you who aren't used to how big of a Mayer fan I am (and I'm sure there aren't any of you who fit this description), "Heavier Things" is his second major album, which was released in the Fall of 2003. I think the whole reasoning is because its release coincided with the start of my freshman year of college, so I've been super-nostalgic about those days recently. I've been especially stuck on the songs "Home Life" and "Wheel", because they're truly significant to what I'm going through now, wandering around trying to figure out where I'm going to be in 6 months or a year or 5 years down the road.

Music like this has always taken me back to certain points in my life. Songs, like smells or pictures, have significant moments they're associated with that can pull on my heart and take me back in time. Listening to "Heavier Things" and walking in the crisp air takes me DIRECTLY back to Owen Hall at NC State. It takes me back to pledging Phi Tau, and to dragging out of bed to make noon football games. It takes me back to walking to Fountain with any random people in the dorm, or ordering Pokey Sticks at stupid hours of the night. When I listen to it, I think about visiting friends at Chapel Hill, and my first trip to Auburn. It also takes me back to the feel of going to CLASS, and how now that I'm done with all of that, I actually miss it.

Yeah, Fall is here, and I the "good ol' days" are fresh in my mind, and sure to bring a smile to my face whenever I think of them. Like the start of any new season, I'm ready for the change it will bring, and whatever else lies ahead in the coming months.

DS

Urban.

The Urban Sophisticates are legit.

I've said this for a long time, but now it's official. They gave the first of several album release shows Friday night at Greene Street here in town, and it was ridiculous. All of their music has been entertaining up to this point, but their new record "Classic Material" will undoubtedly get them the attention they deserve from the major labels.

Friday's show started off strong, with the seven member band joined on-stage by an entourage of about four of their friends, breakin' it down and jumping to the music. Urban pumped up the audience by mixing in several new songs with some of the old favorites, like "Greene Street" (of course), and "Breakups", and really got the crowd involved when they played what is sure to be a future hit single, "First of the Drinks".

The songs they played off "Classic Material" had more of a true hip-hop sound than their older music, which came with a jazzy/rock vibe. However, they managed to keep it original with tastes of their unique horn section still incorporated in the mix and in the right places.

Urban is set to tour up and down the east coast in the coming weeks to promote their new record. If you haven't seen them yet, catch a show, and check 'em out at www.myspace.com/theurbansophisticates. If you have, go again, because they're sure to bring a different and better show everytime.

"Classic Material" will be available after September 29, and until then, you'll see me bumping the two songs I already have in my car, so watch out...

Drew.

I feel better now.

These are funny. I lightened up.






And I got a job. I heard back about 20 minutes after my last post. I'll be waiting tables starting Sunday. I'll be looking for other stuff in the mean time, but phew. I just need some money.

Happy Wednesday.
Drew

Experience

My sister told me I need to update my blog, so I'm writing this. It's not a blog, it's a blahhhg.

Experience is a stupid word. There's a difference between experience and experiences. Experiences, like going to the beach and taking road trips, are good, and usually better than material things. Experience is a broad and big word used to give people a reason to shoot you down in some way or another.

I'm four months out of college and looking for a job. The only thing is, for every low-level gig out there, they seem to want two years of experience to go along with my bachelor's degree. Riddle me this, Batman: how the hell am I supposed to have two years of experience if no place will hire me without it? Where can I get this experience in the first place?

Yeah, yeah, I know, I should've gotten an internship at some point. Yeah, yeah, college degrees are the new high school degree. I'm sorry that I worked at camps every summer I was in school. Sorry that I enjoyed giving back to the kids of the people who won't hire me now. An ex-girlfriend recently said it best when describing her office setup and my plight to find a job: "Camps don't have too many cubicles." Thanks.

But I've got no regrets spending time working at camps. I loved it and I loved the people. No regrets at all. I miss it, too. It's just frustrating that experience is such a big factor in finding a job I know I'd be capable off TOMORROW.

My resume sucks, but you can't put passion on paper. I've always been passionate about things, and if I can get my foot in the door SOMEWHERE, I know things will be ok. I just don't know where to look.

But hey, I'll quit complaining for now. I'll find something soon. You know me. Half-full, right? I'll make up for this tomorrow and write you something better.


James Andrew Sykes, Jr.

Thank you, Dante Rosario.

Panthers: 26, Chargers: 24

If you didn't see it, you missed OUT! What a perfect scenario for me, the huge Panther fan, but also huge Philip Rivers fan, thanks to his time at NC State.

This game played out exactly how I wanted it to. Great game from Rivers on the opposing side, with 3 TDs, and a Panthers WIN at the last second! My boys brought it down to the wire, but finished it off when Jake Delhomme threw a bullet to Dante Rosario into the endzone at the end of the game.

It's amazing how much better 1-0 feels than 0-1. The Panthers are really the only team I cheer for that I have any hope for doing well this year, so, yeah, it feels good. Hella good.

DS

One Kind Favor

Bought this today. It's my first full B.B. King cd. I know there are so many others to choose from, but the 30-second snippets I heard on itunes showed me that the man's still got it at 83, so I figured I'd buy his newest gift to the blues world.

And it's the perfect day for blues. It's hot, it's grimy, it's overcast, and it's FRIDAY. Perfect for rolling down the street with the windows down and the volume of B.B.'s guitar up. Check out the cd if you get a chance. It's perfect background music for the house, or if you want something to listen to with a cold brew after work. Kick back and soak it in.

I'd be happy knowing how to play one of his songs on the guitar. I'm gonna go pick up my guitar and try to learn a riff or two. If I get it down, watch out, because I'll play it and act like I know more.

Happy Friday.

Drew

Keep moving forward...

"I don't think that life is short, so I think you should stop saying it. 'Life is short, man.' No it's not! Life is excruciatingly long! Let me rephrase that-the life you've got LEFT is excruciatingly long. The life behind you...is DONE. So yes, life is short, but only when you turn around and look at it. But if you keep looking forward, you've got a lotta years to think about it. And if you don't think like life is long, if you live everyday like life is short, you know what you become? A fuckin' asshole. Go buy yourself a die-cut Calvin sticker to put on the back of your truck because you are an asshole. You've gotta live your life like life is long. You gotta live your life like someday soon you're gonna hit some miserable Tuesday night that's just gonna seem to go on for days and days and days, waiting either for some phone call to come that doesn't come, or some phone call to stop that won't stop. But life, as it's laid out in front of you, seems to go on forever. But look back to when you were four, and it seems like last Sunday. So just keep moving forward, and keep your good heart on you, and keep doing the best you can do, and love who you love the best you can love, and keep yourself where the light is!" -- John Mayer

You know I have to start my blog with a little Mayer. You probably knew you'd see it before you clicked the link or pulled up the site. But read the quote again, and think about how much it applies to my life right now. Hell, think about how much it applies to your life right now, and where you could be or where you could take it.

Welcome to a site that will be used for heartfelt ramblings and useless posts. A site that will be filled with Mayer references, inside jokes, and a lot of talk, that will hopefully lead to action. My summer is over, and while the leaves haven't started to change yet, it's time for me to make a change, and jump into the wind of the "real world". I've had enough time to sit around and enough time to enjoy myself. It's time to get started. It's time for me to start running towards my goals.

What are these goals? Ultimately, I love to write. I want to get into something where I can actually use my writing. But I also love to talk, and ideally, if I woke up one day and the King from those burger commercials asked me to choose any job instead of the usual sandwiches he hands out, I would answer: "I want to host a TV Show that deals with entertainment and music or sports." If the King could grant me that wish, I'd be there tomorrow.

Things don't work that way, but I'm ready to climb the ladder and at least give it a shot. So watch out for my name, somewhere. I've got ambition like I've never had it before, through lessons and second chances. Why not give it a shot?

Until then, I'll be around, writing to you and giving you updates on my life, the things I love, and plenty of other useless ramblings.

Before I go, re-read the Mayer quote at the beginning. It's straight up wise. Life flies by, but the past is behind us. That girl who didn't have a clue before it was too late? She's in the past. Ladies, the same goes for guys who blew you off. Those tests you stressed out over so badly when you waited 'til the last minute to study? Gone. Done. It's time to move forward. It's time to take the long life you have ahead of you and to enjoy it. Live it up, and have fun with it on the way.

Bottom line, "You can let the past make who you are today, but don't let it break who you could be tomorrow"--Drew Sykes

I'll be in touch.

DS