Light Outside

I was once asked an ethical question along these lines while at a cookout with a group of new friends:

WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE
A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SPEND ON YOURSELF OR TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS AND
GIVE IT TO A STRANGER.

My answer was easy: Give it to a stranger. I got a lot of cynical looks and even more cynical comments, but my answer is still the same. I would rather give money to a stranger than spend an extra thousand on myself. In complete honesty, even if I had the extra thousand dollars, I wouldn't spend it all on myself. I'd share it with others.

One of the things I love to do is give. Give time. Give energy. Give gifts. Give laughs. Give back to causes that I believe in. Recently, one of my friends signed up to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk For The Cure, and it was such an honor to be able to give money to support her—even if it wasn't a TON of money—the giving made me happy!

Today I had the opportunity to give again, to Light The Night, which helps raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I've known many people whose lives have been affected by friends and family memberswho have died from some form of cancer. One of my favorite music artists, Andrew McMahon, was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago and beat it! Because of it, he's organized the DEAR JACK FOUNDATION.

Via  the Dear Jack Foundation Website:

In an effort to initiate change and provide a voice for the generations of young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer, Andrew founded the Dear Jack Foundation in July of 2006.

Our mission is to be a leader in raising awareness and supporting organizations and charities with the greatest need and highest potential for impact on young adult cancer patients. We specifically aim to find treatments as well as expand on quality of life initiatives, such as counseling for young adult patients and their families. This age group of 15 to 35 year old patients is in desperate need of research. Cancer is the number one disease killer of young adults and studies continually show that the survival rate has not improved as steadily as that of other age groups.

Amongst the past recipients of Dear Jack funding are: the UCLA stem cell transplant program (a program on the cutting edge of cures through transplantation), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.

In fact, if you have the FUSE channel on your TV, you can watch the documentary about Andrew's battle with cancer called DEAR JACK. It airs on Saturday around midnight. Also, you can buy it in the iTunes store or through the Jack's Mannequin website. A portion of the proceeds go to the Dear Jack Foundation. I bought it on iTunes when it came out and I still watch it a lot.



But like I said, today I got to give to them. Whether you are naturally a giver or not, I really encourage you to find something—a cause you're passionate about—and give back. It doesn't have to be much at all.  A little bit really does go a long way.

I Mostly Like To Copy Other People

I totally had one of those "mmmhmmm . . . aha!" moments yesterday. I found myself re-watching YouTube videos of Jack's Mannequin shows, in anticipation of the new album that's supposedly coming out sometime this fall.

I watched this vid . . .

. . . and then I thought—OMG! I've watched ONE too many of these cause I totally do Andrew's hand thing when I sing songs out loud!

What hand thing, you ask?

This one:

photo credit: ashley nicole

photo credit: anna tovar

True story. I do that now. Oh Andrew, you have invaded my psyche . . . I'm kind of excited about it, but also kind of weirded out. Anyway, just thought you should know. If you see me do it, just turn your head to side either in confusion or wonder. One of the two. ;p

The Lights and Buzz

I'm finally done editing my photos from the Jack's Mannequin show!

Okay so for reference, music is my football . . . and seeing Jack's Mannequin in concert is like the Super Bowl! I had SO much fun rocking out with a bunch of JM fans :D

Also, I got to meet Andrew McMahon and I got to talk to him about music and inspiration and his passion for writing and it was just sooooo cool! He is one of my all-time favorite song writers. He truly has a gift for song writing and I glean from his stuff all the time! He also encouraged me as a writer and gave me some words of wisdom to keep me focused and grounded so that I could keep pursuing my passion. Needless to say, (but I'll say it anyway) getting to meet one of my musical heroes was just soooo amazing!

It was great to go to a show and support this music I love and dance and shout and sing along with all the songs that have helped me get from various Point A's to various Point B's in my life. Andrew said this during his little talk during La La Lie, but truly, music connects us—at least it does for me.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the show and 2 videos I recorded. After that are 2 other videos taken by other people, but they were just too great not to share! He has so much passion and energy and his showmanship and charisma are just so wonderful to me! I love to see when artists really get into what they're doing and don't care how crazy they look or may seem. :D

That's right folks, I was THAT close!! :D

I love when he dances on his piano!

I also love when he jumps off his piano! so fun!

Not only is Andrew tons of fun, his BAND is tons of fun. This is Dr. J's (his bass player) amp. He brings the figurines with him to EVERY show and they get to 'join him' on stage, just chillin' on his amp. So fun!

Me and Andrew McMahon!

VIDEOS FROM THE SHOW:

(disclaimer: some of these are obnoxiously loud. consider yourself warned)

DARK BLUE


LA LA LIE


BLOODSHOT


INTO THE AIRWAVES

American Love

3 more days until I see Jack's Mannequin live!!! I'm sooooo excited!!!

As a songwriter, Andrew McMahon's style and his ability to write clever songs that speak deep into your heart and mind, and challenge the way you think about life and the things around you really inspire me to make the things that I write follow suit. Our words and experiences are obviously different, but the way he uses language to its fullest to convey a deeper meaning is just very inspirational to me. One of my favorite songs that he sings is called American Love and the funny thing is that the way the song came about was pretty different from his typical approach to songwriting—but he tried something new and it came to be this great song that challenges the way we see love. And it starts out like this:

You see I got this American Love
A brand new planet in my solar system
I kiss her neck but I just can't look her in the eye

And THAT challenges me because it's so true. As people, we crave intimacy, but a lot of times we're not willing to go through every situation that leads to true intimacy. We want to have love and touch and feel so amazing, but not if it causes us to face our own demons or our own issues. I've seen a lot of relationships fail. I've seen a lot of them succeed. The thing that separates them is the ability of the people in them to give and take equally, and readily face each situation with truth, honor, and unconditional love.

When I think of relationships and dating, I think one of the best things is the ability to learn more about yourself through the life that you take time to invest in, to love unconditionally, to grow with. It's a challenge. It's a blessing and a curse. But the best blessing and the best curse. I must admit, part of what frightens me about being in a relationship with someone else is having to step outside of myself and on a consistent basis put someone else's needs before mine. I'm pretty selfish. Most wouldn't see this right away. I value my close friends because they've spent quality time with me and have seen me get bratty because I didn't get my way or because I felt inconvenienced—and it wasn't pretty. But what I love about them is that they challenge me to get over myself. They walk through situations with me and they're not afraid to tell me I'm wrong or that I need to try to see things from a different perspective. And because of them, I learn all the time what my triggers are and what I can do to avoid a meltdown or a shutdown. And every time I learn, I get better and the next time isn't as bad. I haven't completely tamed the dragon of selfishness in my life, but I've gotten closer and I get burned less and less the closer I get to it.

All week I've been listening to Jack's Mannequin, and getting more and more excited. The words to American Love really do challenge me.

In my non-romantic relationships—do I let people see the real me? Or do I put up a front just to look like I've got my life all figured out? Do I offer them a friendship with stipulations or am I truly able to keep them close without strings attached? And when I come close to veering towards the negative side of things in the relationships, do I trust God and do I trust them to point me in the right direction?

In my romantic relationship(s)—will I be able to see past their flaws and meet them halfway in arguments? Will I value their mind as much as their looks and talents? Will I let them help me get over myself? Will I trust them fully with my heart? Will it just be about physical intimacy or will there be meaning and purpose behind the things we endeavor to do as a team?

It's a challenge. One I'm willing to take on. One step at a time and I will reach my goal—to live and love on purpose, with purpose, endeavoring to have meaningful relationships with people.

You Give Me Something

Have you ever seen those Russian Nesting Dolls? You know, the ones where they have like a doll inside a doll inside a doll and you open each package to get to the next?

Well today I got to experience my own little wonderful russian nesting doll . . . us postal service style.

Let me just say that I seriously bought my tickets for the Jack's Mannequin concert last November! That's 3 months ago! And for the past month, I've been checking the mail like a crazy lady . . . or a sick puppy dog—one of the two, maybe both. I seriously would come home, barely get into the house before I grabbed the mail key and raced back up the driveway to check it. Up until now, I've had to hang my head in disappointment and walk back in, ticketless. But today, that all changed!

I got my ticket to the show!!!

Now the funny part is the packaging in which the ticket came. I mean, I gotta hand it to the people at Ticketmaster, they really know how to protect your ticket. ;)

Here is the main package I got . . .



And then inside that . . .



And then inside that . . .



Hahahaha! Well, it's nice to know my little ticket traveled in style. ;)

I'm seriously SO excited! It really made my stressful day end with a giant smile across my face!

Just think, in 17 days, I get to experience this awesomeness!!












I CAN'T WAIT! whooo hooo!

Have I Told You Lately?

Man, it's been a long time since my last post. This whole holiday schedule work time configuration has left me with less time to do blog stuff, but I do want to keep this up, so I'm gonna work on scheduling some fun posts this weekend :D Some may be longer than others, so just bear with me. :D

For today, I was just thinking how I wanted to share some random things with you . . . you know, as if I don't do that ALL THE TIME. ;)

So here we go:

1. I've been listening to Christmas songs already! (I know, I know, shame. heap the shame) Most importantly, I've been listening to N*Sync's MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. This song always reminds me of bringing hot chocolate over to the MC guys house as they decorated their house/s for Christmas. They would decorate it like so, clark griswold style:


Rich Wolter was the mastermind behind it all—He's my christmas lights hero ;) But anyway, they would decorate the house and then put a boombox by the window and would be BLASTING Christmas music into the front yard and anyone else within a 5 mile radius. Strangers would seriously stop by and take pics in front of the house. It was all a part of keeping Austin weird. ;) But part of that mix was this hippy hoppy song that i STILL get stuck in my head. But it's okay cause it always brings back the fun memories :D




2. I'm going to be a LADYBUG for Halloween! Now when I first thought of being a ladybug, all that came to mind was the ladybug man Francis from A Bug's Life. You know, this guy . . .

But lest you be deceived, I will NOT be that kind of ladybug. I will also not be dressing up as a "SEXY" Ladybug. Though I have contemplated making a sign that says "SEXY" around my neck just so i can tell people i'm a sexy ladybug. It could work. hmmm. nah. you're right. it wouldn't. Instead, I shall be a beautiful mexican ladybug and I MAY even bust out with a rousing rendition of LA CUCARACHA just to remain true to my roots without the grossness of actually dressing up as a cockroach.

3. Lately I've been debating between which song is sadder . . .
ENOUGH FOR NOW by The Fray, which details the strained relationship he had with his grandfather.


or

CAVES by Jack's Mannequin, which gives an account of going through treatment for leukemia during Andrew McMahon's battle with cancer.


They're both sad. But both beautiful songs. There's something so mesmerizing to me when you can take sad, tragic, harsh realities and make them beautiful expressions in art.

Speaking of Andrew McMahon (and let's get real, I could speak about him for a LOOOOONNNG TIME!) I've listened to ONLY ASHES by his original band, Something Corporate on repeat for the past hour. It's so good that I had the rock fist pumping while sitting at my desk. that's good. just sayin' :D

3. Kelley Rowe will be here in Seattle with me in a month! Wheeeee!!! She's amazing and I'm so glad she's going to be here to enjoy the city sights and sounds with me! Copious amounts of coffee and live music will ensue. Rest assured my friends, it's true. We're going to go see Parachute play at the WaMu Theater with Kelly and then we're going to go see Justin Nozuka play live with Sam Bradley at Neumos a couple days before she heads back to Austin! And we'll be sure to catch some live performances at Easy Street Records as well :D

Speaking of Parachute . . . Here's one of their new promo pics taken by Jeremy Cowart.


For those who aren't familiar with the band, that's (from left to right)
Kit French, Nate McFarland, Will Anderson, Johnny Stubblefield, and Alex Hargrave

it's STUNNING! Will is gorgeous, and not just cause he's good looking, but his voice, his talent, the glimpses of his personality you see in their Video Fridays and interviews, makes me wish I'd have gone to UVA four years ago to major in music like he did. ;)


I love it!

4. I ABSOLUTELY love fall in Seattle! It's so colorful and so accomodating to my personality. :D You know, sweet, breezy, and the perfect excuse for hot chocolate or coffee :D Just sayin'. I'm going to another pumpkin patch this Saturday with my small group, then I'm going to stop by another friend's house who has a holiday tradition of making homemade doughnuts, and then I'm going out with an ex-co-worker for dinner before she moves back to Reno where she's from. It'll be a busy, but sweet weekend and i can't wait to carve my new pumpkin on Sunday. One of our housemates is moving out :( and we're throwing her a going away party! The mexican food, chocolate, board games, and karaoke will be flowing people!

5. There's no place like home for the holidays! Thus, come hell or high-water, I will be coming home for Christmas! If you're in the ATX, mark your calendars now! I'll be home from December 24th (I fly in the 23rd so I'll probably get settled in that night) through the 1st of January (I fly out the 2nd) and then when I get here, hopefully my new friend, who i could've almost met at the Parachute/The Script concert will be in Seattle and we'll hang out before she & her friend leave back to Canada on the 3rd. One of the vacation days will be devoted JUST to shopping for gifts (probably the 24th) so if anyone wants to join me, please do! I realize I won't get to see everyone, but stay tuned to my twitter (on the right hand side of the blog) to keep up with where I'm at and give me a holla and we can join up quickly or you can join me for lunch, dinner, coffee, etc. :D it's gonna be so fun, especially since I probably won't be home again till next summer!

That's all for now! Stay tuned for more :D

Oh, and if you missed the video link from my tweet yesteday on how I get pumped up at home on Glee nights, here it is for your enjoyment!

Gleekdom at it's finest? ;) from amanda martinez on Vimeo.

Show of Hands

Well hello everyone!

I just wanted to share some more photos and some stories from the Jack's Mannequin/The Fray concert the other night. I would have posted sooner, but my internet has kinda been here and there and so finally I got a good connection after resetting things last night.

So Thursday after I got off of work, I headed to the Paramount to go to the show. And I should just let you know that the Paramount is so gorgeous inside! It's got such intricate decorations and little chandeliers and such, I was so surprised that it was a venue for a rock concert like this. It wasn't until the show actually started that I kinda got why. The crowd was not so active. Seriously I was like, "Are you guys listening to the same guitar riffs and drum solos I am? These guys are all rocking out and you're just standing there like dead fish? Lame." But at least I got to rock out and have fun. And I got to stand next to some other enthusiastic fans. I met Chris, who was so fun to talk to and just rock out with. He's a super huge Jack's Mannequin fan too, so we talked for a long time about that before the show. And there was this other girl in front of us who never gave us her name, but went on and on about how many shows she's been to. We all had such a fun time. Then there was this 15 year old girl who was really short and I kept an eye on her all night, keeping her company and making sure no ginormously tall people planted themselves in front of her.

Oh, and PS: IF you are tall and decide to wear a huge hat to a rock concert. . . GO STAND IN THE BACK, NOT FRONT AND CENTER. I swear that kid was the hardest obstacle to maneuver around for photos (end rant)

There was actually an opening band for Jack's Mannequin and The Fray, which we weren't expecting. And the poor girl leading the band was talking way too closely into the mic that we couldn't hear any of the lyrics and couldn't even hear the band name when she said it. It's Vedera, by the way. Great melodies and sound, poor concert form. It was funny cause I asked this chick behind me if she knew who the band was and she was like, "I think it's Jack Mannequin?" And I was like, "Hmm. No. That's not Jack's Mannequin. Andrew McMahon is the lead singer of Jack's Mannequin and he doesn't sound like that." :D She was OBVIOUSLY there for The Fray ;)

Overall, awesome show! I loved when Andrew jumped up on his piano and serenaded us with such passionate songs. They played all my favorites and I was just so super excited to experience them live. The Fray rocked it out too and at the end, they sang HAPPINESS and all the band came together at the end to join the chorus. Both JM and The Fray had great stage presence and it was such a wonderful experience :D

Here are some more photos:

JACK'S MANNEQUIN

THE FRAY

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Sneak preview pictures from the show last night at the Paramount
with Jack's Mannequin & The Fray!
It was so awesome!! Stories and more pictures to come!

me and my concert buddy and fellow Jack's Mannequin fan, Chris. He totally reminds me of my friend J.Rob from back in Austin. . . so J.Rizz, if you're reading this, know that I felt like you were right there next to me rockin' out last night at the show! :D

The Dope Show

The Jack's Mannequin / The Fray concert is coming up on Thursday!! It's a sold out show and I'm so glad I got my tickets early! Not gonna lie, I'm probably gonna have to take off of work early just to make it to a good spot in line. I'm hoping for front row!! So to kick off the week in blogland, I wanted to share with you one song from each band that is a favorite. Enjoy!

Spinning

JACK'S MANNEQUIN> SPINNING
Okay so first of all, I must say that to pick just ONE of their songs as a favorite is impossible. But lately, this one has been stuck in my brain. Here are the lyrics>

I'm keeping quiet til there's no more sirens
Lately it's hard to keep the hinges on with all the noise
I'll find my words when there's no one talking
The room is spinning, I have got no choice
Be patient, I am getting to the point.

I can't remember when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited with the lights turned out again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but until then
I'm only spinning

I'm keeping quiet til the phone stops ringing
Lately it's hard to disconnect, I just want something real
I've found the words if I could just stop thinking
The room is spinning, I have got no choice
Be patient, I am getting to the point.

I can't remember when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited with the lights turned out again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but until then
I'm only spinning

Spin beneath the rooftop
Hold on, wait until the room stops
Spinning

I can't remember when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited with the lights turned out again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but in the end
We're only spinning

I keep forgetting when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited til the lights come on again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but until then
I'm only spinning

In my opinion, Andrew McMahon is one of the greatest songwriters ever. I take a lot of cues from his stylings when I write songs. I love how he weaves stories through eloquent lyrics.

www.jacksmannequin.com

Crashing

Because your music education is all I care about.

. . . well that and a lot of other things.

Here's the music video release for the song SWIM by Jack's Mannequin.
My art didn't make it into the video, but the video is still AMAZING! So creativo!

Jack's Mannequin "Swim"


In other news, my laptop is sick and I'm taking it in to the Genius Bar to get looked at tonight, so I may not be as frequent with the blog updates if they take her away to get operated on. :(

Stay

I feel like lately Seattle is having a love/hate relationship with the sun. Cause just when the sun starts to show some lovin' to the Seattleites, Seattle gives the sun the boot and then they kiss and make up and it's this never-ending cycle.

Now that the vacations are over, it's nice to get back into a normal schedule. . . or at least one I can mildly control. Gosh. I'm realizing how much of a control freak I am. Sad. :( Gotta work on that.

I love that things are starting to mellow out. :D Things are going really well with the Junior High Students as well. I fall more and more in love with them every day. They really do have a special place in my heart.

Two days ago I spent some crazy quality time mapping out curriculum and events all the way through December for the Student Ministries and man oh man—that was madness. . . but a fun madness that was actually quite fulfilling.

What's also quite awesome is the concerts that I'm going to go to this summer! Parachute (touring w/ The Script) and Jack's Mannequin + The Fray! Woo hoo!! And what's extra awesome is that the DAY BEFORE the Parachute concert, they are doing an In-Store acoustic set and signing at Easy Street Records, which is 4 blocks from my work! :D These guys are seriously awesome and talented, and quite hilarious! Every Friday they post a fun video and here are some so you can kind of see the hilarity that ensues :D





You should also check out their music! I love their sound!




I'm still waiting for Jack's Mannequin to release their music video for SWIM to see if my artwork made it into the video (fingers crossed!). But I'm so excited to go see them with The Fray! It's like freakin' Christmas in the Summertime here! :D

Also some new music, if you haven't heard or downloaded it yet is Paramore's new single: IGNORANCE . . . it's uh-mazing!


Now if only Seattle would let the sun and cool breeze hang out together here :D

Art In Me

So a few days ago, I blogged about how Jack's Mannequin was accepting artwork from fans to use in their upcoming music video for their song SWIM (see post here).

Jack's Mannequin songs have been such an inspiration to me at various points in the past couple of years. And SWIM is no different. It's a song about hope, about fighting through things, about overcoming challenges and about working towards unity.

Because I've been so moved by their music, (more evidence here) I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with excitement to express my appreciation for what Andrew McMahon and the rest of J.M. pour their hearts, souls, and lives into. I don't know if it WILL make the cut to be used in the video, but in any event, it's here for you to see!

Here is my picture:

(click picture to enlarge)

Here are some things to note:

The forefront is the band—the ones who have poured out their honesty into lyrics that have reached me on numerous occasions

My family—my dad and stepmom are there; my dad who serves in the army, giving his heart and life for our nation. And my stepmom who stands by him, giving her heart and life for our combined family. My sister and my two nieces are there, reminding me to keep fighting for love and unity. And my mom is there, in her favorite sweater- the blue one. :D I always remember her in that sweater. And my brother is there too!

God- the one in the blue jeans, yellow shirt, and a slight 'front butt.' (hey, i never said i was a good artist). He has been the ULTIMATE inspiration to me, and this is how I see Him.

My friends—you're all there, represented individually and/or in a mix of others represented.

YOU- the ones with no specific faces because it's for you to imagine your face there :D

New friends to follow—in the background. Those who I have yet to meet with a warm smile and big hug! :D

You are all helping me to SWIM, and to fight, and to keep hoping! Thank you for helping me to remember to JUST KEEP MY HEAD ABOVE and SWIM!

:D love you guys and gals!

Swim

If you are as much of a Jack's Mannequin Fan as I am, head over to their website and submit artwork for their new music video for the song SWIM off of their album THE GLASS PASSENGER! So many of their songs have inspired me and I can't wait to get home tonight and design something!
--------------------------------------
LINK TO THEIR SITE HERE
--------------------------------------
Brief overview:

WE WANT YOUR ARTWORK IN THE NEXT JACK’S MANNEQUIN VIDEO!

We are creating a music video for the powerful song “Swim” by Jack’s Mannequin. And need your help in creating artwork around the song! The lyrics, music and video are about keeping HOPE alive and growing in these difficult times that the world is now facing. The video is designed to INSPIRE strength, courage and perseverance in the face of all obstacles. It’s about creating an atmosphere of UNITY amongst the citizens of this planet, so important to overcoming the challenges we all face. It’s about letting people know they are NOT ALONE. If we collectively keep our eyes on the horizon, and help our fellow man, woman, girls and boys, we’ll make it through together.

We will be shooting a music video for “Swim” in June and want your artwork in the video. The majority of people in the video will be holding pieces of “artwork” to camera. Within the context of the song, the word “Swim” is used as a metaphor for “hope, perseverance, courage, determination and strength.” We are asking members of the fan community to create pieces of artwork that feature the word “Swim”. These pieces of art should illustrate, in any way chosen, the meaning behind the word (hope, perseverance, courage, determination and strength). They can be represented in an abstract or representational manner…any way the artist sees fit, in any medium the artist chooses.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

First news to report: I BOUGHT MY TICKETS TO SEE THE FRAY AND JACK'S MANNEQUIN CONCERT!!! Woo hoo!!! I'm so freakin' excited!!! Seriously!! It cost a pretty penny...but those two...together... I couldn't resist!!

Okay, now that I'm done hyperventilating... on to the rest of the blog post:

I spent some quality time at Barnes and Noble today...which is something I do a whole lot. If you know me, this is not news... but if you don't, believe me...I'm not exaggerating. I'm pretty sure I've reached a new level of dork-dome by letting my inner bookworm run free for hours at Barnes and Noble... but oh well. Could be worse I guess... (I hope) ;)

So I read a couple of books, but one that really stood out to me is BRONX MASQUERADE. It's very "Freedom Writer's" esque. If I didn't think it would be overkill, I might look into buying the rights a little later down the road and developing it into a screenplay. But I think it's been done (the type, not the actual book) and done and done again... see also: Dangerous Minds, Stand and Deliver, Freedom Writers, The Class, Take The Lead. But I was really inspired by the poems and stories of the individuals in the story. And I like that it's got the Slam Poetry going for it. Pretty neat. Here's an excerpted poem from the book:

BLACK BOX

by devon hope

(from BRONX MASQUERADE by NIKKI GRIMES)

In case I forgot to tell you, I'm allergic to boxes:
black boxes, shoe boxes, new boxes you boxes,
even cereal boxes.
boasting champions.
(it's all a lie.
I've peeked inside and what I found
were flakes.)
make no mistake,
I make no exceptions
for craker Jack
or Christmas glitter.
Haven't you noticed?
I'm made of skeleton,
muscle and skin.
My body is the only box
I belong in.
but you like your boxes
so keep them.
Mark them geek, wimp, bully.
Mark them china doll, brainiac,
or plain dumb jock.
choose whatever
box you like Mike.
just dont put me
in one, son.
Believe me,
I won't fit.

If you're looking for a good, quick, cheaply priced read, I recommend it. :D

Rock and Roll All Night

Great news!!! The Lord has answered my prayers!! Two of my favorite recording artists are doing a tour together and they're coming to Seattle in August!!! woot! Yes indeedy, my friends, The Fray and Jack's Mannequin... together...coming to my city... it's just so beautiful!! In the meantime, I'll have to settle for continuing to listen to their songs on repeat :D This is one concert I do not mind spending the dough on! just. phenomenal. :D

Now for some great songs from these two amazing groups:

The Fray: NEVER SAY NEVER


Jack's Mannequin: HAMMERS AND STRINGS (LIVE)


Added Bonus: The Story Behind "Hammers and Strings"

The Resolution

Jack's Mannequin "The Resolution" - Watch today’s top amazing videos here

One of my favorite bands ever is Jack's Mannequin. They recently released a new album and on it is a song called The Resolution. The beginning of the lyrics go like so:

There's a lot that I don't know
There's a lot that I'm still learning
But I think I'm letting go
I find my body
It's still burning

(you can read the rest of the lyrics at: http://artists.letssingit.com/jacks-mannequin-lyrics-the-resolution-33cdqm1)
.............................................................

First of all, I am a super big fan of Andrew McMahon, the lead singer of Jack's Mannequin. I know that he has been through a lot as an artist and also in his personal life, battling and beating leukemia. And this song isn't necessarily about his lukemia, though it may have something to do with it in general aspects. In a recent interview with Andrew McMahon, he says that THE RESOLUTION is about:

"A real sense that we're making it somewhere. And for what all of that is worth you know, here we are! We're alive and you don't need someone to validate that."

Living here in Seattle, I feel like my life is finding a greater sense of a Resolution. I came here because of a passion started in a small conversation about the state of human life in the city of Seattle. I felt a heart string being pulled, and I knew that one day, I would move here, and help give hope to those feeling empty. Not that the city itself is anything particularly special than any other state in the US, but just that it's where I need to be right now. It's where I see my life resolving. Where I see my heart touching something so tangible and so desperate, and bringing life to something that means more to me than anything else- other people. Since I've been here, I've dealt with so many people, not just from home, but from the city as well in various conversations who don't understand what I'm doing here, why I'm staying, why I left home, why I'm where I am when it all seems to balance on something so silly- that I could develop a passion for people in a city I didn't grow up in, and actually move away from all the "success" i had in Austin.

When I was in Austin, I had...THE LIFE...seriously. I was close to my family, even when I didn't feel like being near them. I was in a leadership position, influencing people from all different walks of life, and I got to express myself creatively and teach amazing students the beauty of media and design. It was AMAZING. But none of that negates the fact that right now, in this moment, I am where I need to be! I love having the opportunity to start from scratch and will do everything I can to live in the moment! There are days when I think about moving back, and I just know that it's NOT an option. I am here, and I am living my dream and my heart's cry. It's real. And though I'm not a youth pastor leading a youth ministry like I've always wanted to do, I believe I'm making a difference in the lives of those directly around me, and in the lives of people I meet in the day to day grind of life. And everyday I walk outside my house, and I breathe the cold air, and I see the streets with people who look so empty, so hurt, and so longing for a smile. And I think, "MAN, I LOVE THIS CITY. I LOVE BEING HERE. I LOVE KNOWING THAT EACH DAY, I GET TO MAKE CHOICES TO BE A LIFE-GIVER TO OTHERS."

Sure, I wish I had the job of my dreams...but for now, I'm just gonna keep moving forward. And trusting and believing, and not giving up. I am committed to living in this resolution.