So I've been dating this fantastic girl, and we had our 1st anniversary in April. I've been lucky and had some great girlfriends, but there's always seemed to have been, "something," that's been there that's not allowed it to go to the next level, but with Beca, that hasn't been an issue. The irony is that the obstacles were definitely harder, at a first glance, than with nearly any other relationship:
First off, she lives in Utah... Guess that shouldn't be an issue, except that I live in Texas!
Second, she has two kids that she has to balance with dating me... and remember, I don't live nearby
Third, we'd both just gotten out of long relationships. Not really an issue for either of us, but it was an issue for both of them.
Fourth, we were both going through financial issues. I think this is generally considered to be the most difficult thing in most relationships, and we had it from day 1!
Funny thing is that none of these have been issues like they could have been. My parents were concerned because of the combo of number 2 and number 4, and the fact that Beca definitley concerned them because of the obstacles involved. I'd never seriously dated a girl with kids before, so this was a first for me on all levels. It's joked about all the time that a single girl (or guy for that matter) with kids has, "baggage," and if I was younger, that may have been on my mind as well, but the irony is that it's completely the other way around with the three of them. Those kids are awesome, and if things keep going the direction they're going, hell, I'll even catch up or even surpass most of my friends on the "kid count!"
The begining of this month marked the first time that Beca's parent or kids came out to Austin to visit. It was Memorial Day weekend, and we stretched the 3 days into 7. I wasn't sure what to expect, although I knew that Mom and Grandma were going to be very anal regarding the cleanliness of the house, so the cleaning really went into full swing about 4 days before their arrival: Get the ferret room cleaned up.... Yes, I have a ferret ROOM, not just a cage. This consists of a tarped floor, and huge tubing system that I built for them to run through, a 2 story cage for them to still play in, several pieces of furniture, and of course a fan that circulates 24/7. This set up is the perfect playground for ferrets, and if you're interested, let me know and I'll blog about that and add some pics! Anyway since this was a big weekend, I basically disassembled the whole room, redid the tarp, soaked and cleaned out all the tubing, and gave the ferrets a full grooming, including hairdrying them to where they looked like they were straight out of some Ferret dating magazine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love my kids.
So the cleaning continued to manicuring all the rooms, mopping all the floors, getting the drawers and entire kitchen straightened out, rearranging the garage, and getting all the sills and blinds done. I guess sometimes you need to have major company to get you off your butt to do a major cleaning! So now the outside. The pool was suffering from a little mustard algae, so let the treatments begin! I'm on an acre lot, so there's quite a bit to do. Cutting back the trees, edging the grass, hedging the bushes and plants, pulling weeds, blowing all the debris into piles and getting it all to fit in the trash... Needless to say, it was a busy 4 days!
Grandma got out here first. Very fun to hang out with her, she's a Brazilian raised Italian who has more energy than the City of Austin and Salt Lake combined. First thing off the plane, she's ready to hit Costco to make sure there's enough food for everyone, and within 24 hours of being at my house, I found her on her hands and knees in my bathroom cleaning out my shower! This is one of the smartest women I know (she's a nurse practitioner on top of the amazing life resume she's built), but I don't think she knows how to just throw her feet up and relax on vacation!! Anyway, Beca and the kids got re-routed because of bad weather and had to come into San Antonio which is about an hour and a half away. I went and grabbed them around midnight, and even though the kids were just off of two planes and delays, they were bouncing off the walls so we made a run to iHop on the way home.
NOTE: I am a huge fan of the Rise and Shine breakfast at iHop, which is one of the best "all day" breakfasts ever: 2 eggs sunny side up, 2 strips of bacon, well done hashbrowns, and sour dough bread.... Soooo good!
So back on the road... I was so tired, I was blasting AC onto my face to stay alert. I got out to take a stretch break or two, but we finally made it home around 3am.... Finally!
Grandpa made it out the next day, and although we had all these great plans for the week, the majority of the trip was spent in the backyard in the pool. Now this was amazing for me to be a part of. When the kids first arrived, neither one of them could really swim legitimately (they might push off, and if there was a wall or person near enough where they wouldn't submerge their heads, they'd be okay). That was completely changed by weeks end.
We had a standing deal - If they could just tread water for a full minute by the end of the week, they could have one of the ferrets as their own. This was enticing for both, but especially for Jenica, Beca's 7 year old, who spent at least 2 hours a day playing in the ferret room with Smokey, Bandit and Powder. She loved them, and even insisted on helping build another couple of tubes for them that would act like a mini hill. Well both kids went from needing to have life jackets on, to pulling cannonballs into the deepend (and swimming to the side), and even having contests as to who could hold their breath for the longest time underwater!! I was so proud of them, especially Landon, who I think overcame more fear than Jenica did to become so much more comfortable in the water. By the way, for any super fearfull parents out there, all of this was done with in the pool supervision at all times!
The week was a blast, and we toured some of the best spots in Austin. Memorial Day weekend was spent with Kimi and Kai out on Lake Travis. We rented a pontoon boat and took everyone on a tour of the lake and Devil's Cove. We hit up the Memorial Day festival over at Hill Country Galleria, and had an amazing dinner to the sunset at the Oasis, overlooking the lake.
The really fun news now is that Beca just started working with Delta, so everyone can start flying for free (including me), and this will open the door to taking the kids to some amazing events! Yes, I've already started a list:
1) Wrigley Field for a Cubs Game
2) Fenway Park to see the RedSox
3) New York to see my brother and his family and see the sites
4) California to hang with the rest of my family and explore San Francisco and the Napa Valley
5) All the Disney properties
6) etc
7) etc
BTW, yes, this is my list, and by no means is this inclusive of where everyone else wants to go ;-)
Life is good, and I'm a verrrry lucky guy.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Joy of Live Music
I'm writing this as a fan of live music, and someone who wants to see it flourish get bigger and bigger. First off, let's be honest: Live Music will NEVER die, but it could be doing better. I've been on nearly every end of the live music experience, with the exception of not having the talent to write it or sing it myself: I've been a roadie as a teenager, promoted festivals through college, and owned clubs in Hollywood and even the Parish Room in Austin, Texas for years, so I've seen the different sides of the business, although I'd never pretend to know it all. What I do know is that there are certain cities that are incredible, and that should grow.
Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, and ironically, our motto is, Keep Austin Weird... Coincidence? I don't think so. Let's look at a small sampling of the best music cities:
Nashville
New Orleans
Chicago
Los Angeles
Seattle
New York
Yeah, I know there are a bunch more, but is there one on this list that couldn't go by the same slogan as Austin? Live music cities are weird, eclectic, fun places that allow the best musicians to flourish and grow. They're where the left brained people thrive. They're where you're generally free to express yourself, and break away from the standard norms. They're the areas where being "normal," is okay, but to be unique is extraordinary. Where passion is applauded, and where apathy is worse than hate. I love these areas because it's what makes life worth living.
When we took over the Parish Room back in 2007, it was for a love of music, and a desire to be immersed in a subculture that may not be very profitable, but was exciting nearly every day. We had a great staff that loved what being a part of it, and most all of our staff worked for the same reasons. It wasn't just about the money, because frankly, unless your Sony music, there isn't a lot of it, but to have the chance to be there when a band or a singer came through, and to be amazed by what you were hearing and seeing, is what it's all about. Now let be honest. Being a club owner, I wish I could say that I had my thumb on the pulse of the music scene more than I did, but frankly, I often times felt like I was out of the loop, hearing some of the most amazing music as a band played for the first time. We had shows that would sell out clubs in California, that would barely pull a handfull of people in Austin, just because they hadn't hit it big outside of their home towns. We had an incredibly passionate girl, Brynn Scott, who booked our calendar for us, and I can say that although she didn't have the greatest business sense, she loved the acts, and understood their needs more than most people in the industry. She worked because she loved what she did, and we appreciated her for that. I was lucky enough to have a business partner, Chad Helton, who had ground his teeth as Director of Operations for the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip, and knew more about music as an industry and a business then most major promoters. We had bartenders and bouncers like Jason Lowrie and Acea who not only worked the venue, but would also play it because it wasn't enough to just play, they wanted to always be around it because the music would be the thing that would get them recharged and excited about life. I wish that more people could see these things and feel it like the people that are part of all these important pieces of the sub culture.
The fans are the best part. We had the opportunity to be part of some of the biggest national festivals, SXSW (South By Southwest) and ACL (Austin City Limits). To see the crowds line up, in some cases thousands of people, trying to get into a club that had a capacity of less than 450, shows the passion that a true fan has. It may not make any sense, but these are the things that make music great. Fighting for the ability to just be close enough to the music, KNOWING that you're not going to get in, but just to be close enough to hear and be a part of what's going on. That's what makes live music so special. So what's the point? Why blog about this? The reason is, if you're part of these groups, this would be the same as someone trying to explain to a car enthusiast why cars are so cool. If you're not part of this, then you need to know what you're missing, and become a part of it.
I don't have the Parish any more, and unfortunately, it's not the same as when we had it. It's become corporate and I hope it falls into more passionate hands one day, but the music still lives on and Austin will hopefully always keep it's musical roots. The music shouldn't be treated like a holiday, and only be appreciated to its fullest when a big act, or a festival comes to town. I'd like to see fans go back to making more of an effort to just popping into shows that they think might appeal to them on those "off days." It seems that more and more of what I'm seeing are the "normal," clubs with their standard music tracks and bars becoming more and more popular, and less people heading out to see the local talent that needs our support. Some of my favorite venues are still the smaller ones like Stubbs, Emo's, Antoines, Lucky Lounge, Aces Lounge, LaZona, etc, and there are diamonds that shine there on a regular basis. I'm constantly amazed to pop in and see a band like the Dandy Warhols, or Lucas Cookus, or other acts that put on amazing shows, not fill the house. Beit local acts, national acts, or even open mic nights, we're surrounded by some of the most talented artists in the world. It's what makes our weird towns the best in the nation.
Music is business, and artists deserve more than a pat on the back for the sacrifices that they make for their art. Venues need to be frequented and artists need to be followed and investigated so they have the chance to either die out, get better, or hopefully grow. Currently, the Cactus Cafe on the UT campus has been put on the chopping block, and is in jeopardy of being closed down unless the throngs of protestors that are working to keep it alive and well are able to succeed and stop the closure. I can only assume that before this outpouring of support, they venue must have been slowly dying away from lack of attendance, otherwise, why would the doors close? What happened to this landmark that things started to get so bad? I love that Austin is growing, but the growth should scare all of us just a little. When I moved here, the skyline was probably half as built up as it is now, and that was only 5 years ago. With growth, you'd assume that these venues would get busier, but that growth hasn't really happened. Is it the tech crowd that's coming in that's focused on their work, and not on the culture? Is it the fact that rents are going up while the economy is coming down? Heck, UT tuition just went up by 5% while they simultaneously cut funding for programs by nearly the same percentage. Is the town changing in the right way?
Yes, I admit it... I'm one of those Californian's that moved to Austin looking for a fresh change to a great town. This is undoubtedly the best town in the US, in my humble opinion. I've always described it as Santa Barbara or San Diego, 20 years ago, whenever I try to explain it to my friends. That WAS the description that I gave it 5 years ago, and my description has changed dramatically since then. We're still the best city in the nation, and I'm surrounded by some of the best people I've ever known, but we all need to make the effort to keep Austin Weird, and the music is where it should all begin.
Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, and ironically, our motto is, Keep Austin Weird... Coincidence? I don't think so. Let's look at a small sampling of the best music cities:
Nashville
New Orleans
Chicago
Los Angeles
Seattle
New York
Yeah, I know there are a bunch more, but is there one on this list that couldn't go by the same slogan as Austin? Live music cities are weird, eclectic, fun places that allow the best musicians to flourish and grow. They're where the left brained people thrive. They're where you're generally free to express yourself, and break away from the standard norms. They're the areas where being "normal," is okay, but to be unique is extraordinary. Where passion is applauded, and where apathy is worse than hate. I love these areas because it's what makes life worth living.
When we took over the Parish Room back in 2007, it was for a love of music, and a desire to be immersed in a subculture that may not be very profitable, but was exciting nearly every day. We had a great staff that loved what being a part of it, and most all of our staff worked for the same reasons. It wasn't just about the money, because frankly, unless your Sony music, there isn't a lot of it, but to have the chance to be there when a band or a singer came through, and to be amazed by what you were hearing and seeing, is what it's all about. Now let be honest. Being a club owner, I wish I could say that I had my thumb on the pulse of the music scene more than I did, but frankly, I often times felt like I was out of the loop, hearing some of the most amazing music as a band played for the first time. We had shows that would sell out clubs in California, that would barely pull a handfull of people in Austin, just because they hadn't hit it big outside of their home towns. We had an incredibly passionate girl, Brynn Scott, who booked our calendar for us, and I can say that although she didn't have the greatest business sense, she loved the acts, and understood their needs more than most people in the industry. She worked because she loved what she did, and we appreciated her for that. I was lucky enough to have a business partner, Chad Helton, who had ground his teeth as Director of Operations for the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip, and knew more about music as an industry and a business then most major promoters. We had bartenders and bouncers like Jason Lowrie and Acea who not only worked the venue, but would also play it because it wasn't enough to just play, they wanted to always be around it because the music would be the thing that would get them recharged and excited about life. I wish that more people could see these things and feel it like the people that are part of all these important pieces of the sub culture.
The fans are the best part. We had the opportunity to be part of some of the biggest national festivals, SXSW (South By Southwest) and ACL (Austin City Limits). To see the crowds line up, in some cases thousands of people, trying to get into a club that had a capacity of less than 450, shows the passion that a true fan has. It may not make any sense, but these are the things that make music great. Fighting for the ability to just be close enough to the music, KNOWING that you're not going to get in, but just to be close enough to hear and be a part of what's going on. That's what makes live music so special. So what's the point? Why blog about this? The reason is, if you're part of these groups, this would be the same as someone trying to explain to a car enthusiast why cars are so cool. If you're not part of this, then you need to know what you're missing, and become a part of it.
I don't have the Parish any more, and unfortunately, it's not the same as when we had it. It's become corporate and I hope it falls into more passionate hands one day, but the music still lives on and Austin will hopefully always keep it's musical roots. The music shouldn't be treated like a holiday, and only be appreciated to its fullest when a big act, or a festival comes to town. I'd like to see fans go back to making more of an effort to just popping into shows that they think might appeal to them on those "off days." It seems that more and more of what I'm seeing are the "normal," clubs with their standard music tracks and bars becoming more and more popular, and less people heading out to see the local talent that needs our support. Some of my favorite venues are still the smaller ones like Stubbs, Emo's, Antoines, Lucky Lounge, Aces Lounge, LaZona, etc, and there are diamonds that shine there on a regular basis. I'm constantly amazed to pop in and see a band like the Dandy Warhols, or Lucas Cookus, or other acts that put on amazing shows, not fill the house. Beit local acts, national acts, or even open mic nights, we're surrounded by some of the most talented artists in the world. It's what makes our weird towns the best in the nation.
Music is business, and artists deserve more than a pat on the back for the sacrifices that they make for their art. Venues need to be frequented and artists need to be followed and investigated so they have the chance to either die out, get better, or hopefully grow. Currently, the Cactus Cafe on the UT campus has been put on the chopping block, and is in jeopardy of being closed down unless the throngs of protestors that are working to keep it alive and well are able to succeed and stop the closure. I can only assume that before this outpouring of support, they venue must have been slowly dying away from lack of attendance, otherwise, why would the doors close? What happened to this landmark that things started to get so bad? I love that Austin is growing, but the growth should scare all of us just a little. When I moved here, the skyline was probably half as built up as it is now, and that was only 5 years ago. With growth, you'd assume that these venues would get busier, but that growth hasn't really happened. Is it the tech crowd that's coming in that's focused on their work, and not on the culture? Is it the fact that rents are going up while the economy is coming down? Heck, UT tuition just went up by 5% while they simultaneously cut funding for programs by nearly the same percentage. Is the town changing in the right way?
Yes, I admit it... I'm one of those Californian's that moved to Austin looking for a fresh change to a great town. This is undoubtedly the best town in the US, in my humble opinion. I've always described it as Santa Barbara or San Diego, 20 years ago, whenever I try to explain it to my friends. That WAS the description that I gave it 5 years ago, and my description has changed dramatically since then. We're still the best city in the nation, and I'm surrounded by some of the best people I've ever known, but we all need to make the effort to keep Austin Weird, and the music is where it should all begin.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
2010 Winter Olympic Games and team sponsors
Okay, this is my first blog on this topic, but it's been on my mind. Where's the parity as far as sponsors and the Olympics are concerned? Here's the deal:
Because the bidding is so large for who is going to get the Games, and the sponsors that bid to be "official sponsors" of the Games (like McDonalds or NBC), the sponsors that have taken care of the athletes for years and years, prior to the Games, get shut out when it really counts. Let me tell you how anal they are at the Olympics:
When they go to pan on the crowd, or on the parking lots, there's a team that goes out and COVERS the logo's on the cars so they won't show up in the shots. If you're competing, the rule is that your logo's have to be under a certain size, and part of the equipment (i.e. if you're wearing a helmet, the logo can be on there as long as it's under the acceptible standards), or you have to tape/draw over it, or have it removed. Now this is my current confusion. As much as I've always had an issue with this rule (we competed back in the 2002 Games in bobsled, and had to repaint our sled because it had our sponsors logo's on it), I was watching the snowboarding competitions, and who could miss the giant, "Burton," and other logo's on the bottom of those snowboards? Now, in no way am I knocking the snowboarders, because I think that this should be allowed by all teams, but where is the parity?
Let me explain how this corporate machine works. It's a lot like college football. You have these schools that are bringing in TONS of cash for their respective universities from bowl games, ticket sales, etc. Although the players are getting scholarships, they're not getting a fraction of what their "entertainment" value is. Now the more extreme example are the sports that are played in the Olympics. Although most people don't realize it, these sports happen every year, not just during the Games. The athletes are held to a higher standard than ANY other sport (if you have a first time steroid violation or any illegal substance violation, you're immediately banned for 2 years), and generally have to rely on raising their own money, even if they compete for some of the larger nations. These are truly people that are competing because they LOVE what they do. I'm not saying that professional athletes don't love it, but I challenge any of them to replace their ridiculous salaries with having to PAY to compete. Anyway, that requires athletes to go out and find sponsors who generally don't see much if any return on their investment. They do it because they want to help. Well, in a best case scenario, if these athletes do great, and make it to the "Big Show" for these types of sports, the sponsoring companies suddenly are forced into exile from getting any credit for helping the athletes make it there. At that point, the credit goes to McDonalds, or Home Depot, or Coca Cola. Coke even had a ridiculous commercial about "If you've bought a Coke in the past 80 years, you've helped sponsor Olympic athletes..." My favorite was the plethora of McDonalds ads that had the gaul to advertise that if you eat McDonalds, then you're eating like an Olympic Athlete... Think I'm kidding? Goto my page at www.youtube.com/danjan1 and see some of these ads for yourself! Anyway, they're all full of it! Beside the two weeks that you're at the Games, and I will acknowledge that they definitely take great care of you while you're there, they don't give you a dime towards what it took for you to actually get there (including your flight!). Believe me, every little bit helps, and as a bobsledder, just shipping that thing from event to event is a small fortune. Hey McDonalds... I'll paint my sled red and put the Golden Arches all over it if you'll just pay my costs for a season?! Forget about actually making any money to subsidize the fact that you can't get paid from a job if you're actually competing...
Yeah, I'm a little perturbed about the politics that go into this, but hey, we can blog about a ton of these topics, and all of them would be really interesting. For example:
Why do certain sports allow for the advantage of superior equipment, when it's supposed to be about athletics?
Why is there no playoff system in college football (yeah, this is an obvious one)
Why don't pro's get banned from playing if they cheat? Betcha a 2 year ban from those salaries would clean up sports REALLY quick...
Why are their protests in sports? I can't remember the last time a protested soccer, or major sports team had their loss turned into a rematch, or a win... is it just to make team that got screwed feel better?
Anyway, please throw down your comments, I'd love to hear em!
Because the bidding is so large for who is going to get the Games, and the sponsors that bid to be "official sponsors" of the Games (like McDonalds or NBC), the sponsors that have taken care of the athletes for years and years, prior to the Games, get shut out when it really counts. Let me tell you how anal they are at the Olympics:
When they go to pan on the crowd, or on the parking lots, there's a team that goes out and COVERS the logo's on the cars so they won't show up in the shots. If you're competing, the rule is that your logo's have to be under a certain size, and part of the equipment (i.e. if you're wearing a helmet, the logo can be on there as long as it's under the acceptible standards), or you have to tape/draw over it, or have it removed. Now this is my current confusion. As much as I've always had an issue with this rule (we competed back in the 2002 Games in bobsled, and had to repaint our sled because it had our sponsors logo's on it), I was watching the snowboarding competitions, and who could miss the giant, "Burton," and other logo's on the bottom of those snowboards? Now, in no way am I knocking the snowboarders, because I think that this should be allowed by all teams, but where is the parity?
Let me explain how this corporate machine works. It's a lot like college football. You have these schools that are bringing in TONS of cash for their respective universities from bowl games, ticket sales, etc. Although the players are getting scholarships, they're not getting a fraction of what their "entertainment" value is. Now the more extreme example are the sports that are played in the Olympics. Although most people don't realize it, these sports happen every year, not just during the Games. The athletes are held to a higher standard than ANY other sport (if you have a first time steroid violation or any illegal substance violation, you're immediately banned for 2 years), and generally have to rely on raising their own money, even if they compete for some of the larger nations. These are truly people that are competing because they LOVE what they do. I'm not saying that professional athletes don't love it, but I challenge any of them to replace their ridiculous salaries with having to PAY to compete. Anyway, that requires athletes to go out and find sponsors who generally don't see much if any return on their investment. They do it because they want to help. Well, in a best case scenario, if these athletes do great, and make it to the "Big Show" for these types of sports, the sponsoring companies suddenly are forced into exile from getting any credit for helping the athletes make it there. At that point, the credit goes to McDonalds, or Home Depot, or Coca Cola. Coke even had a ridiculous commercial about "If you've bought a Coke in the past 80 years, you've helped sponsor Olympic athletes..." My favorite was the plethora of McDonalds ads that had the gaul to advertise that if you eat McDonalds, then you're eating like an Olympic Athlete... Think I'm kidding? Goto my page at www.youtube.com/danjan1 and see some of these ads for yourself! Anyway, they're all full of it! Beside the two weeks that you're at the Games, and I will acknowledge that they definitely take great care of you while you're there, they don't give you a dime towards what it took for you to actually get there (including your flight!). Believe me, every little bit helps, and as a bobsledder, just shipping that thing from event to event is a small fortune. Hey McDonalds... I'll paint my sled red and put the Golden Arches all over it if you'll just pay my costs for a season?! Forget about actually making any money to subsidize the fact that you can't get paid from a job if you're actually competing...
Yeah, I'm a little perturbed about the politics that go into this, but hey, we can blog about a ton of these topics, and all of them would be really interesting. For example:
Why do certain sports allow for the advantage of superior equipment, when it's supposed to be about athletics?
Why is there no playoff system in college football (yeah, this is an obvious one)
Why don't pro's get banned from playing if they cheat? Betcha a 2 year ban from those salaries would clean up sports REALLY quick...
Why are their protests in sports? I can't remember the last time a protested soccer, or major sports team had their loss turned into a rematch, or a win... is it just to make team that got screwed feel better?
Anyway, please throw down your comments, I'd love to hear em!
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