Cowboy Country

So...next Saturday is the Dallas Cowboys first game of the preseason. I have been waiting for this moment since the end of last season when thier super bowl run was cut short due to some un-intelligent plays and choking in the presence of the very talented but over-rated New England Patriots. This year will be great. I will get to watch a ton of games with my wife and we will have friends and family over to share in the festivities. I have acquired a dart board and my brother and I are now fine tuning our dart throwing abilities so that we can defeat any and all challengers that may come our way. Cricket any one? We are also about to put a putting green in the garage so that we can have little contests during half-time and what not. This will be a football season to remember.

I am reading a new book. It's by one of my all time favorite authors, Mr. David Sedaris. The guy is just hilarious and his dry witty humor never ceases. The new book is called "When You Are Engulfed In Flames" and it is a collection of his essays on various topics. The few I have read are right on par to make this yet another hilarious notch on his belt.

Anybody else reading something good? Let me know.

L.O.V.E.

Trouble Sleeping

I am very grateful to have an active mind, but sometimes it keeps me up at night. I wish I could just turn it off and drift off to sleep when I wanted to. Still, I would rather have thoughts keep me awake than to think nothing on my own. Here are some of the things that keep me awake lately. I would love to hear what anybody thinks about these issues.

Gun Control - it is our right as Americans to have guns. When the Constitution was written our fore-fathers had the clarity to think about the possibility of government going wrong and the need for the mass populus to be able to protect themselves from thier government or invading governents. Granted, times and weaponry has changed, but should the concept be done away with because it is easier to do massive amounts of damage with todays weapons? I don't think so. At the same time, it seems that the value of a human life has plumited in the past century or so.I don't think our founding fathers invisioned a country where men and women would kill each other to collect life insurance, to claim a territory on a city street, to let it be known that we will NOT be cut off in traffic, to get the shoes that guy is wearing(even though you don't know if they'll fit) or because some one is mean to you at school or work. I am, by no means, a passifist, but we as a people seem far to ready, willing and able to kill. Do we abandon our constitutional rights because times have changed, or do we hold fast and believe that they will change again?

Personal Drama - why is it that so many people feel the need to be dramatic in thier day to day lives? Is life so boring that situations need to be exagerated or completely fabricated? Do we seriously need to play the he said she said games to keep life interesting? What causes this insatable hunger for drama in so many people?

Creation - is it born into all people, or only select group, that NEED to create? Why do I feel that I must make something. From music, to art, to functional around the house repairs I feel the need to use my hands to create. Is this part of being made in the image of the one true creator? Is it in some way trying to mirror the way we came to be? Is my need to use song to relate emotion due to a lack of communication in some other area?

Regret - should I or shouldn't I? Most people have or will have things in thier lives that they can chooce to regret or see as one more step in the journey that lead you to where you are now. But did that step take you off course? Was that step necesarry? If it wasn't, well being sorry for the past make any differance in the future? Is the act of regretting wrong decision in the past another wrong decision in it's own right?

I hope this doesn't sound like I am burdened by these thoughts, because more often than not, I find myself very entertained and happy when I realize I am thinking so intently on them. I would love to hear what every one thinks about these things.

L.O.V.E.

Home, home on the stage

Well...it's that time again. Color and Light will be playing our 3rd headlining show at Stubb's and everytime we get ready to play here I can hardly believe we've come as far as we have. We are truly blessed. It's that almost unheard of good luck and blessing that keeps me going with the band when things get tough. We have had management issues, we still don't have a fulltime drummer, the cost of gas for out of town shows is gross, but I can't look at the career of Color and Light and ignore that God has given us great favor. Gifts are to be used and faith is to be exercised and sometimes the band requires more faith and God given talent. I am very grateful for the gifts I have been given and I plan to use them the rest of my life.

So, on the subject of music, I thought I might post the lyrics to a few of the new songs we will be performing soon. The first is a song we have already started playing out of town and it will be make it's home town debut at Stubbs July 12th. It's called "Give up the Ghost" and it goes like this:

Peace is beautiful, but it seems so hard to find.
It's impossible while there's still hate in mankind.
Call it cold and hard, but war is just part of life.
While there's hate in the world there will be pain and strife.

It hurts us the most
So lets give up the ghost

Bloody tragedy's all you can find on the news.
While we still harbor hate senseless death will ensue
Hold your grudge my man. Hold it as long as you will.
Until we all let go hate will drive men to kill.

It hurts us the most
So lets give up the ghost.

This is lyrically one of the shortest songs I have ever written, but I felt that the point was one that doesn't need alot of elaboration to make an impact. Hate hurts. Let go.

So, if anybody is interested in coming to the Stubb's show I would love to meet up with you personally and sell you tickets. They are $8 from me and www.frontgatetickets.com or you can get them at the door for $10. I would really love to see a packed room of rowdy people who love music to be at this show. Lord knows it would do my soul some good to see people really letting themselves go to the music we make. Anyway, I love you all.If you want to read more lyrics...let me know and I'll post some.

the good life

I AM LIVIN' IT! I am now married to the woman of my dreams and we just got back from a great honeymoon. We climbed a waterfall in Jamaica, we snorkelled in Grand Cayman, we strolled the shops in Cozumel, and we ate like it was our last day on earth!

Now we are working on getting Kimberly all moved into the house and getting the whole place looking great. During this process it has come to my attention that guys and girls have different standards when it comes to cleanliness. I am a very organized and neat person, but if the bathtub changes from pearly white to less sparkly shade of toupe...I am not one to be bothered by this. I spent a good hour and a half scrubbing the bathtub this morning until I could see my face in it...and only when I realized how clean it could be did it bother me that it hadn't always been so.But honestly...I LOVED cleaning OUR house today. AWESOME!

I get very excited to hear people ask about my wife or refer to me as Kimberly's husband...I love being identified with her in such a permanent way. Commitment is a beautiful thing and I am excited to spend the rest of my life fulfilling my commitment to Kimberly.

We had the most beautiful wedding and I was very blessed to see how many people came and showed thier love and support.I love you all.

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes I think about how fortunate I am to be pleased by little things. I woke up Friday morning after a great night's sleep aided by a great Texas rain. Those two things put me a great mood no matter what, but then I got up to take Rovy (my dog) out side and found that the rain had caused all of my trees and the lawn to green up over night. I was amazed and really excited. I have found more and more that I love working on my yard and making it beautiful. Next weekend is my bachelor party and much of it will be held in my backyard, so this week I get to clean up all the sticks and twigs that fell from the storms last week as well as anything rovy left me and then comes all the mowing, weedeating, edging, and hedge trimming. AWESOME! My yard is gonna look freakin sweet. As I right this I can't help but feel like I am turning into a bit of a Hank Hill. "I have the best yard on the block, I tell ya what."

Anyway, I am 27 days from being married to Kimberly and I am excited beyond words. I took my tuxedo in to have the last alterations done and get it cleaned beofre the big day. I can't wait to see it. I am very excited to have all of my friends and family come share the most important day of my life we my bride and I. Also, I can't wait for the honeymoon. No no...not just for that. I love the idea of going away and being nothing but married for a week...also, I could really use a vacation...and a tan. JAMAICA HERE WE COME!

I have kept up with the frisbee playing and have lost a bit of wieght which is exciting. It's alot of fun too. That's all I have to say right now.Yeah.