Road Trip!

This weekend Colleen and I are going to a tiny town called Skiatook right outside Tulsa, OK. We are to visit a side of the family that never gets to get together. It just doesn't happen very often, so when it does we make the best of it.

Jack and Jamie (unce and aunt) homesteaded in the wilderness. That meant they were almost given five acres of land with the promise that they would keep it up and and develope it. Jack's a rough mountain man and Jamie personifies everything John Denver and Jimmy Buffett ever wrote. They have an amazing piece of land. The house sits on the top of a hill and slopes to the back where they have a water inlet. On the other side of the water are foothills covered in trees. It's an amazing place. But it IS in the wilderness. They don't get cable, cell phone reception or city water because it's too far out. Jack has a water truck that he uses to bring city water to their well. It's a different life than that of suburbia.

And they are into folk music. Jack plays the upright bass, but only with the aid of Mr. Jack Daniels. Arthritis has taken over his hands, and he can only loosen them up after he's had a few. Jamie plays the mandolin and sings. This weekend they've called all their friends ("pickers" they call them) in for a night of music out on the tiki-themed porch...it's their very own margaritaville. They've got a fire pit, a hot tube, the hula doll christmas lights...even an outdoor tiki bar. (Appropriate because they at one time made their own beer and wine).

Colleen has never experienced this side of the family before. It promises to be a good time.

the perfect food

...cottage cheese. That's right. Fat free cottage cheese is the best thing EVER! And it's so good for you. Get this: (a serving size is 1/2 a cup) there are 80 calories, O grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs, and 12 (TWELVE!) grams of protein.

I know what you're thinking, because I thought it too. It's weird. It IS weird if you eat it by itself. You have to add things to it. For example: salsa and cottage cheese. Mix equal parts and eat it up. You can't even taste the cheese. Red sause and cottage cheese. It's a great way to add protein to your spaghetti. Then there's always fruit with cottage cheese.

For more ideas, go here.

It's been a while

My goodness...I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged...June 9th! I guess I've been taking somewhat of a blogging sabatical. Not on purpose, though. It just kind of happened. I think it started with my trip to Willow Creek to the Arts Conference. I got out of my habit and just stayed there...until now.

So to all those who were wondering--I'm alive and well. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

noises off!

Last night, I took my wife to the theatah to see Noises Off! performed by the Pull-Tight Players in downtown Franklin. What a show! I've never seen it live before--only the movie version with Carol Burnette, Michael Caine, Julie Hagerty, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, and Nicollette Sheridan. Only having seen the movie version, I was very intrigued as to how they might do it live. I was very impressed.

Noises off is a play within a play. It is the last few hours before the opening night of "Nothing On" and the cast are going over last minute cues to make sure that everything is smooth. Nothing On (the play within the play) is about people coming and going and not realizing there are other people in the house at the same time. So as one couple closes the door upstairs, a different couple open a door thinking they are all alone. So timing is everything.

The second act takes us back stage of Nothing On. We see the stage manager's position, the props table...things that you never see. By this time, the cast is doing everything they can to kill each other quietly while keeping the show going. After all, the show must go on.

It's a great play done well by some amazing local talent. If you're in the area this weekend check them out. Tickets are $14.00. You don't want to miss this one.

accessory trends

I would never have seen this one coming. Capezio-style lace-up Jazz shoes (you know--the ones with the split sole) are being spotted on both male and female hip designer-types. Worn mostly with skinny jeans (80s!), they are becoming an alternative to the already popular cheap canvas sneakers. Jeffery Campbell has created a line of street-ready jazz shoes for those who want a little more comfort and support.

a good quote

"All men dream, but not equally. They who dream by night in the dark recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they act out their dreams with open eyes to make them possible."-- T.E. Lawrence photo by gettyimages.com

Rend the Heavens | Ft. Wayne, IN

Over the weekend we played our first "real" show at Heartland Church in Ft. Wayne, IN (Indiana for those of you who we absent the day they taught state initials in fourth grade geography). It turned out to be an amazing experience. We sold out of all our CDs (we only brought 60 because we weren't too sure about the outcome) and had preorders for 15 more. We're also low on XL tees :)

The church we played at is a charismatic church...very different from my Baptist upbringing. It just so happened that the same weekend we were there, the church brought in a prophetic teacher. THAT was...different. He prayed for us and said that we'd become an international success before we became known in the US. Interesting. We'll see.

Our wives were able to come with us so it made the weekend even better.

Check us out here and let us know if you want us to come visit you. We'd be more than happy.

(pictured above from L-R: Aaron (guitar, lead vocal, piano); Matt (bass, BGV); me (B3, piano, synth pad); Justin (drums); Sarah (electric guitar, BGV)

DIY vids on YouTube

New from Trendcentral:

Make & YouTube: DIY tech mag Make has partnered with überpopular video sharing site YouTube to offer up a variety of footage, such as how-to documentaries on various projects from the magazine, and footage from the Maker’s Faire – a DIYpalooza where techies, crafters, science nerds, students, hobbyists, the MythBusters and Mak people gathered to see, do, and share.

Because it’s YouTube, any “maker” out there can post their own DIY tech footage under the Make Director group to share with the world.