v a u g h n a u s t i n

Kristin and I went to the sold out Blue October concert at Stubb’s this weekend. We’ve been looking forward to this show since we last saw them in the Fall of 2005. As it turns out, they were recording a live CD, which made for a great — if controlled — performance, but we left a dash unfulfilled. Stubb’s is a 2200-capacity outdoor amphitheater with great ambiance, but we weren’t in the mood to fight the crowds. Instead, we moved around a lot trying to find a place where people weren’t talking. It seemed like we were the biggest fans there, cuz we just wanted to listen to the music and watch Justin sing, but everyone else was more interested in their own endless small talk and tomfoolery. No matter where we stood (and, at one point, we were pretty close to the stage), it was like we were in a bar and listening to a jukebox or something. Come on, people.

Consequently, it was tough to really get into it. I kept wishing they would put together more intimate concerts from time to time, where we could really get up close and personal. It’s not the band’s fault. I mean, Stubb’s is an intimate venue, right? Well, maybe not. I must be getting older, cuz I’m looking for a place to sit down and sip on a bottle of red wine while listening to the band and nothing but the band. No joke telling or half nelsons allowed. Yeh, I’m getting older. It’s official.

You know, it seems like bands could take steps to recognize that not all of their fans are the same. I mean, there were the five-year-olds propped on their fathers’ shoulders blocking our view. (Yes, it was an all ages show. Perhaps part of the problem?) Then, of course, the college kids who were punching each other in the arm and hitting on one another’s girlfriends… Tickling and tackling. I wonder if these people would be willing to pay more than $30 to see Blue October live? I’m thinking of an auction process where the bidding starts at $100. Or maybe $150? The higher your bid, the more likely you’ll be sitting up front. Yes, sitting. Think MTV Unplugged. Capacity 200. Followed by a full concert the next night, of course. Concerts 2.0. It’s like the “Demand” feature of Sonic Living meets eBay.

When we were hanging out by the merchandise booth, we noticed a shirt that had “5591″ on the front. This intrigued me, of course, and a little searching helped me discover that Justin sometimes does some low-key acoustic shows highlighting various selections from the 500+ songs he has written. Now, THAT sounds perfect! Here’s a sample from a show he did over a year ago. I can’t seem to find any evidence of more recent or upcoming 5591 shows. From what I gather, these shows are mostly word-of-mouth and sell out quickly. No sign of any distribution or announcement list to join, and he’s not listed on JamBase, so that seems to confirm it. Hmm. Concerts 2.0. Perhaps I’m on to something.

We just had to share! It’s magic!! We love it!!!

My parents arrived back in Indiana today after a long vacation in Hawaii. They were picked up at the airport by their good friends Pat & Joe. These friendly folks are the same people with whom they went on vacation to Maine in 2005. On the way back from this vacation, Joe began experiencing chest pains while driving, and… six months later… my parents finally make it back home to Indiana. It’s a long story, and can all be read on my Dad’s blog.

Well, back to today. So, they were driving home on the loop around Indianapolis, 60 mph in six lanes of rush hour traffic, and Joe, driving again, has another heart attack and blacks out. No kidding. My Mom, sitting in the front passenger seat, is miraculously alert enough to grab the wheel and direct them along the median and away from oncoming traffic. She pushes his leg off the accelerator… and they slowly coast to a stop in the mud.

Three hours later, Joe is stable, and my parents are driving home from the hospital. No kidding.

I’m gonna call this the end of Act II of what is obviously an unfathomable story. Thank you Stephen King. Can’t wait for the soundtrack.

For the longer version of this bizarre anecdote, go here.

It’s nice to see progress on the inside of the house. Yay!

Kristin and I walked through the house yesterday with her parents, who just arrived in town for a three-week stay. We were excited to see the guys putting down tile when we got there and started snapping photos. It wasn’t until I downloaded the pictures to my laptop the next day that I noticed something wrong. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. The keystone was one example. There’s something about the way my eye works on a computer versus in real life. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but hey, I’m 38 years old… I should probably just accept it and move on.

So, here we are twenty-four hours later. I didn’t have to say a word. Once the guy who could actually speak English (read: Supervisor) looked at the paperwork, it was pretty clear what needed to be done. Fancy that.

We love this part of the house. A rotunda is one of those things you never knew you wanted until someone actually offers you one. Notice the ring of granite around the perimeter of the rotunda, as well as a slightly thinner border around the medallion. Granite reflects light a lot more aggressively than tile, so it should really add some dimension to the entryway. Lookin’ goood!

A quick shout out and HELLO to a beautiful new person in our world today. Lillian Elizabeth Kost!

Welcome! And congratulations to our good friends, Mike & Jen!

It occured to me tonight one of the reasons that I love music so much. It’s a way to approach life… a way to define life… a way that cannot be constructed or constrained by anyone else. It’s yours. If you like a song, it’s okay. No one can say it’s not right. It’s yours. You embrace it, wrap yourself up in it and drift away in its rhythm.

I think of a story I once heard of an elderly woman in an assisted living facility. She had no friends. Laying there at the end of her life and still no friends. Her disposition, perhaps rightfully so, was one of negativity. She had no choice — life had dealt her a sour hand. She had no friends and couldn’t even make friends with the nurses who were paid to be her friend. What was the one thing she wanted? A puppy.

Isn’t that what we all want? A puppy? To be loved and appreciated unconditionally? Nice. Well, a puppy may not be perfect for all of us… and a puppy may not always be a reasonable option… but I believe this is where music falls.

Where music falls.

Something personal and perfect for you… Makes you feel loved… It doesn’t judge you. It is what it is… and it is for you. No one else can touch it.

Well, here is some music from me to you. I’m not sure what you’re gonna hear, but I did my best… beneath this beautiful shady tree. If anything, it’s something for you to hear. From me. If Alexi Murdoch plays, it’s no coincidence.

Our first meal at the house? Taco Bell! (A quick shout out to our good buddy, Larry, who is still hiding in a hole in Baghdad and craving the greasy cheesy love.) Here’s a quick snapshot of Kristin as she munches on a taco and shares her vision of the future.

We have posted more photos of the house on Flickr. I’m not sharing photos of the front of the house this week, cuz I’ll just get all fired up and start a whole new rant. In addition to the stone issues, our front door (which we were not able to select, since it had already been ordered) doesn’t match the Old World style we’re aiming for. Mercedes Home has been great, though, and has agreed to swap it out with one that has a wraught iron pattern similar to this picture. We’re really looking forward to the counter tops and hard wood floors this week!

We took the swatches by the design center to see how the colors worked with one another. Looks good, right? We also made some major progress on the couches. We’re going with the comfy crescent-shaped couch from Pottery Barn for the living room, along with matching chair and ottoman. For the media room couch, we decided that we like the Axis line from Crate and Barrel. It’s a sectional, so we had to figure out the shape that we wanted. And the answer is: a full sleeper in the middle with a chaise on each end… It’s the U couch I’ve always wanted! We also purchased our formal dining room table and chairs and an armoire for the master bedroom, all from Louis Shanks.

Mercedes Homes calls me every Friday morning with an update on the house. Thought I would pass along today’s update.

Little to no progress has been made on replacing the stone on the front of the house, but they promise that they are working on it. They are currently trying to locate more medium tone stone that matches the rest of the house. This glitch should not affect the overall project schedule or move-in date.

The trim and doors have been installed and painted. (I’ll post a photo this weekend.) The next step is to install the granite counter tops, which should occur early next week. The bathroom counter tops, however, may be delayed another week due to supply constraints.

By the end of March, we can expect to see the hardwood floors installed, then the fireplace stone and floor tile. Also, we can expect to have a scheduled closing date very soon. At this point we’re looking at mid-to-late May.

This weekend, Kristin and I may order couches for the living room and media room, since it may take two months to have them manufactured and delivered. We need to check the dimensions and confirm that the fabric is feline-compatible. We found extra-comfy couches at Pottery Barn and are considering a suede material, which is supposedly the most durable and stain-resistant. We’re looking at the Oat color for the downstairs living room which will have dark wood floors and Clove for the media room which will have beige carpet. The couch in the media room will be a “sleeper” and arranged in either an L or U fashion. The downstairs living room will be a crescent shape, which I’m really excited about.

6th St, originally uploaded by dreadfuldan.

South by Southwest 2007 is in full swing! At this point I’m feeling like a total schmuck. From Film to Music to Technology, SXSW has it. I love all three of these things and have gone to, count em, zero events. Well, next year, right!?