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