beauty in a wicked world.

This past weekend was just great. Andrew, Jess, Amy, Amber, and the parents all came in town to visit. From going to the Garvan Woodland Gardens to hittin' up Long Shots to singing and dancing along to Peaches and Herb, it was just what I needed. A bit of Night Train and Lone Star was like the cherry on top.

I just wish everyone could have stayed a little bit longer. I didn't really think I was homesick until....well, now.

As far as work goes, let's just say, I have a whole new "perspective" on the situation. I'm proud of what we have all accomplished so far, and honestly, thats all that really matters at this point. The people who matter are the ones who really care, and that's the most important thing. This past week has been an interesting one on many accounts, at times good and at other times, not so good. The good has definitely outweighed the bad though. Good/meaningful conversations, watching The Dark Knight at midnight, etc., having a pretty smooth second show as production manager, etc., in addition to my visitors.

No one can dictate how to feel about a situation. What may seem like a minor deal to you, may mean the world to another. Some experiences may be a godsend to one person, but may shatter that of another's. As hard as making the best of a bad situation is, it is often the only thing that will help. I feel that everyone eventually reaches their limit on negativity, and thats the point I am at right now.

I've re-started listening to a lot more instrumental music, like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and The Album Leaf. I Know You Are But What Am I is one of my favorite Mogwai songs. As simple as its orchestration may be, I feel like I can get a lot out of it. If a song doesn't even have to lyrics to stir a variety of emotions, you know its something that can't be duplicated. To this day, Explosions in the Sky (pictured here) put on one of the best live shows I have ever seen.

I think that our most significant life lessons are learned when we are given very little to work with. When you aren't given the whole story, you have to create your own interpretation of the situation, and there is no right or wrong. Sticking with your gut, and going with those interpretations, is often the hardest part of it all.

On the topic of that song title, a not-so-famous person (sarcasm) once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world". Be the person you feel you need to be to make a difference in whatever you take on in life, whether it be in work, school, relationships, etc. Hell, sometimes it takes meeting the person you aspire to never become to really understand what you want to strive for. I believe that everyone starts out as a blank canvas, just waiting to be painted. When working on a new piece, an artist may realize they don't like the direction their work is going, but instead of just starting over, they work with what they have. I'm learning a lot about what kind of person I want to be in the future, well, also reaffirming my own interpretation on life. After my interactions with some of the people here, I must say, I'm proud of where I've come from, what I have learned/am learning, and where I'm heading in the future.

This past weekend was my first concert as production manager, and I think the day went very well. It is very cool to see everything pull together from that perspective and just think, wow, I really helped make this happen. Personally, when it comes down to it, this has still been a rewarding experience. As much as it has been a roller coaster of sorts, it has been worth it. Ha ha...and I work at a friggin theme park. I'm just so damn clever sometimes. I think all of us interns are taking something away from it. I guess its been sort of a bittersweet situation.

We also had our first party at the apartment as well, and led to a night of craziness as usual. We don't mess around here!

Four of friends AND my parents are coming to visit me this weekend, and I'm ridiculously excited about it. I seriously can. not. wait. As much as I like my time away from home, it will be a pleasant change to have a little home back in my life for a weekend.

Here is one of my newest music finds: Sam Sparro. His newest album, self titled, was released not too long ago. He kind of reminds me of Jamiroquia, but a little more electronic. Some of the songs, like the single Black and Gold make you want to dance, while some make you just want to close your eyes and just listen. The song 21st Century Life is an interesting take on the what like is like now, compared to life maybe a decade ago. When I think about what times were like without the mass use of email, Bluetooth, cell phones, etc., sometimes you have to wonder, "How the hell did we live without these things?" The basic needs almost seem secondary to the technology we need to get by.

21st century life
I got swept away
I got 21,000 things
That I got to do today
21st century life
What can I say?
The new world
Got me feeling so dirty
Think I need To get down and play

I just finished watching the movie Charlie Bartlett, and it sort of relates to that notion. The basic story line is this: a kid who has gotten kicked out of almost every private school imaginable. He ends up going to public school and basically becomes a self-employed psychiatrist. He illegally prescribes medication to other students, and everything is fine until one of them tries to commit suicide by overdose. Its a very good movie, in my opinion. Its almost ridiculous how medicated our society is. There is a fucking prescription medicine for when your legs get fucking tired, and a possible side effect is an urge to gamble. What. the. fuck. You have to wonder, why is that people who lived long before this century didn't need things like this, and live longer than a lot of people in our generation? In the movie, all a lot of the kids really needed was someone to talk to. Not ritalin, prozac, or zoloft. I guess thats something a lot us have to work on more, not bottling things up, and I'm definitely more than guilty of that. I guess the movie was just an eye opener on how extreme such a simple habit could get. I didn't think I'd really relate to the movie at all. If I didn't get some things out of my system here in Hot Springs, who knows if I'd still be here and not back in Texas.

Life is going pretty well. The Sean Kingston concert made for an interesting day. Having to chauffeur him and his crew all around Little Rock wasn't the most fun, but it could have been worse. Basically, the day's schedule was thrown out the door once we met his manager. It was frustrating at times, but all you can really do is keep your cool and figure the best plan of action to deal with the situation. Although I arrived back in Hot Springs about five hours later than what we had planned, the show went on despite the rain, the audience loved it, and all-in-all, there wasn't much to complain about.

My brother was also in town for the weekend. It was nice to have a visitor. Of course, he wouldn't have had the full Hot Springs experience without getting some Odie Juice (the paint can).

Sunday was a beautiful day for hiking around Lake Ouachita. There was one point in the trail where you could venture up to the edge of the lake, and there was a boulder perfect for sitting on. That may become my secret spot. Who woulda thunk I would have become so nature-y.