Back by popular demand

Ah...the privilege of watching art as it is created.

I identify with the "I'll never, never, never finish this song!" feeling.

Don't you ever wish some multi colored muppet would waltz in and complete a line for you?

Quote of the day

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

- Jack London

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This pretty much sums up my writing tonight...

It was really that bad. Honest.

Don Music is my idol.
I wanna co write with Kermit. I'll have my agent call his agent.

Clarification of my PTM post

I am not in any way, shape, or form disinterested in my kid's school. It is just the endless discussion of various fund raisers that threw me for a loop. Apparently we have a hard core Tupperware rep in our midst. Yes, you guessed it. We get to do a Tupperware fund raiser. That is not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that she got up in front of all of us and [Deleted to protect innocent civilians]

Let's just say whatever was happening spawned an unusual plea for help via my blog. Welcome to Mayberry.

***UPDATE - Yes, I also am aware that the M in PTM stands for "Meeting". I meant to say "Parent Teacher Meeting Meeting" on purpose. By virtue of the length, substance, number of perceptible nods per hour (and other snoozability metrics I won't bore you with) it was a meeting meeting.

My 1st ever PTM meeting at my kid's school...

I am trapped in a wrinkle in the space-time continuum. Help me!

Here, there, and everywhere...

Been working on a couple of co-writes that I am excited about. The first was, well, actually my first cowrite. (I might have blogged about it before.) We are still not totally finished, but I'm probably going to sing it tonight at our Songwriter's Group meeting.

The second is totally new territory for me. I have a melody I've been working on, and I gave it to a great lyricist in our group. We're going to go over it tonight and plot out where to go for the second verse and bridge, if necessary. the hook is a really great idea, really something I NEVER would have come up with on my own, and it just seems to fit the melody. I'm really excited about chasing this one. I'm really excited about co writing in general.

Other than that I've just been busy - here, there and everywhere. Work, home, my 2 older kids started school (they have been home schooled for ever, so the transition to a Christian day school has been an adventure), songwriting, etc.

Seems everyone else is busy, too. The blogs I love to read are not being updated as frequently as usual, but I guess mine isn't either. Busy is good. Well, good busy is good.

Whatever. You know what I mean.

P.S. Is it cowrite, co-write, or co write? I used all three up there just in case, but any help would be great.

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Are wheelchairs ok???

Great perspective on Worship

Shaun Groves has a great blog entry on Worship that is worth looking into. Not much I could add. Go ahead, click the worship link. I dare you (but please come back, even though his blog is way more awesomer than mine.)

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Blabbering about nothing

When i got my new Palm Treo i decided to check out the call timers that i never referred to on my old phone. Turns out my total usage was the equivalent of 8.58 days of talking. I had my phone for around a year or so. Maybe a year and a half, max. Wow...8.58 DAYS. Not sure if that is really a lot, but it sure seems like it.

I'm trying to figure out if that means anything significant.

I'm also trying to figure out why I didn't capitalize any of the "I"'s in that first paragraph.

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My mugshot

My wife doesn't like the picture that I had on this blog and on my MS Live! space.

I need a new mugshot. I'm too cheap to get a portrait taken, and I don't think getting arrested is the right way to go. Maybe I'll use a generic one until then.

But then again, who really cares besides me?

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I never win anything...until now

Look! I won a...hmmm...

Look! I won!

Vacation Boy: ...And We Have A Winner!

Thank you, thank you very much. Because without all of you, there would be no one to clap for me.

Well, maybe at least my one reader will clap.

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"Don't break the chain."

The incredibly successful comedian Jerry Seinfeld was once asked if he had any advice for a young comic. He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes, and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. EVERY DAY.

Apparently Jerry took things a bit further than a mere verbal commitment. He used a visual "leverage technique" - an ingenious calendar system that showed how true he stayed to his writing. I quote the comic (hat tip to the article @ Lifehacker.com) -

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker. He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."

"Don't break the chain." He said again for emphasis.

At first I wanted to say that I am doing just about all I can to stick to my 2 night a week self-writing appointments, but after some though perhaps I'm not doing all I can.

But EVERY DAY?? I guess I'll never know what I'm truly capable of until I attempt more than I ever have before.

Now back to my (hopefully) disciplined and prolific corner...

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Read this and weep, procrastinators of the world

My wife recently informed me that we are about halfway finished with our Christmas shopping.

Yes...you read that right. (You are aware that it is only 4 months away, right?)



Wasn't exaggerating when I called her Superwoman.

FYI - We have four kids, my brother has 8, and my sister in law has 6. We HAVE to start early. But she is still Superwoman.

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Uncle Rico

I think everyone must have an uncle Rico...mine just so happens to live with me.

Busy, busy, busy

Haven't updated anything around here lately. My wife and 4 kids have been SICK (and now it's my turn...sniff, sniff.)

Quick recap -

• Things is crazy at work. Business to business sales, lots and lots of rejection before actually getting a glimmer of hope of a sale. THEN, and only then, a low percentage of meetings that turn into sales. Again, lots of rejection before hitting pay dirt. Starting to pitch songs (when I finally get to that point) doesn't sound much different.

• Amazingly, for 12 whole years, my wife has endured...well, among many other things - me . Serious. Married for 12 years. Not long compared to some, but sadly a very long time to most in my generation. We were high school sweethearts. Graduated in May, married in August. (Kids, don't try this at home.) Since then I've discovered that my wife is Superwoman. THE Superwoman. She doesn't ever read this blog, so I'll stop there.

• STLSG Seminar was awesome. Thanks, Sue and Twila. You rock. Not that either one of you would ever read this.

• I hate the humidity. It is hot. It is humid. It is hot and humid. Enough said.

My nose is running like crazy and my head hurts, and yes, I am still at work. I think I'll stop there.

JRod

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Discussion worth reading

“At our table out in front …” at averyfineline


Doug Harrison @ averyfineline has an interesting discussion following one of his posts regarding (and featuring) WAJ clinician Marty Funderburk. I loved reading some of the points Marty made as well as some of the humor he used ("Jim, I agree. We need uglier Homecoming artists.")

Check it out. The discussion looks far from over.

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