FC Last Week

So, I had the priveledge of filling in on drums for the Doug Matlock Band last week. It was quite fun. We were leading worship for the youth group from Trinity Baptist Church of Pauls Valley at their cabin in Falls Creek. We had a blasty blast. Played a lot of music, I got to meet a lot of new people, and play a lot of foosball. It was great!!!

Looking like this week is gonna be just as much fun. I know it's Wednesday, so I've had half the week to see, but it's going great. Playing with the Doug Matlock Band again this week. I have a lot of fun with those guys. They're all frekin hilarious. Probably gonna stop by Smokin' Joe's Rib Ranch one night on the way to play. Some of the best BBQ I've ever had lately. HAHA!!! Some of you won't understand the whole 'best I've ever had, lately' statement, but hey, who frekin cares, I think it's funny. Well, until next time, Peace Out Yo!!!

Facebook Groups

So, I just left 48 of the 60, I repeat, 60 groups that I was in on Facebook. Whoop ti frekin doo!!!!! What is the deal with being in so many groups? I was a part of groups I didn't even know I was a part of. If you can follow that. How does that happen. I know, because everybody invites everybody to the groups, no matter how significant, or insignificant they are. I guess I would just hit join this group when it came up and one of my friends was the creator, or invitor. Won't happen anymore, I don't have time for that crap. HAHAHAHA!!!! Take that FACEBOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication

So, I was looking around at my various friend's myspace pages, and one of them had their status as SUPERGROOVALISTICPROSIFUNKSTICATION. Now, at first glance, I was like what the heck, then I thought it was hilarious. You just have to know the guy to truely understand hy that's soo frekin hilarious. Anyhoo, I messaged him a few minutes ago to see what it meant. His answer totally threw me for a loop. I was looking for something super out there and crazy, and he just gave me a normal answer. You know when you wake up in the morning and you just automatically have this feeling like,"oh yea, that's what I'm talking about, today is gonna be a frekin good day,". Well, that's what it means. HAHA!!! Who'd've thunk it. Well, I know it's not a formal word, but it should be!!!

I get those feelings from time to time. It's like finding out 'Where da golds at'!!! I can totally relate to that. HAHA!!! But anyways, I know two posts in one day can't possibly make up for two and a half months of not posting a blog, but surely it's better than not posting at all.

So ummmmmmm...........

So, it's been a frekin long time since I last blogged. I realized, as I was sitting doing nothing at all, watching tv, and stupid videos about stadiums, and people doing stupid crap on youtube, that while I said to my friend Kent, "I don't have time to blog.", that I do in fact have more than enough time to blog. I've just gotten so LAZY that I haven't done it for two and a half months. HAHA!!!! Wow, I'm a lazy piece of crap. Oh well, at least I'm doing something constructive mose of the time. I've been working my tail off at, well, WORK, and playing drums a whole lot. I started a new music page for my music career on myspace. It's www.myspace.com/bigpurdmusic if you wanna check it out. Don't forget to add me as a friend on there. So, that's about it, I'm a lazy individual that doesn't want to do anything constructive right now. HAHA!!!

So, ummmm, like, I guess I have more to say now than just that whole lazy crap. Who are you gonna vote for in the coming election, I sure as heck don't know!!! I'm about to record a demo of myself and a few others, so I can get booked down in the Dallas area with various bands, and who knows, maybe even make some real money in the process. I'm tired of making monopoly money, the banks don't really like it when you try to make a deposit. They just look at me all confused. Like, 'I don't get it'. HAHAHAHA!!!! You probably don't get it either. It's ok, neither do I.

Well, don't know if I'm gonna watch a movie or not tonight, I'm kind of feeling it, but don't know if I'm gonna. BATMAN frekin ROCKED my face off!!!! My ear itches, Zox is playing Starry night, and it's kind of cool. Reggae style. I'm feeling more like a rastafarian every beat. HAHA!!! Big gulps eh, well, alright, see you later.

Random Listenings

So, today was one of those regular irregular days of being out on the road for work. It was regular in that all I did was drive and see a couple of band directors and then pick up repair. It was irregular in that I listened to a whole lot of random music. I started out with some Carlos Santana, who always has a very eclectic range of guest artists with him. Then I switched to some of the new Dave Matthews, Live in Piedmont Park sounds. It frekin rocked. Followed it up with some Weezer, Godsmack(acoustic album), then finished it all off with some Harry Connick Jr. Wow, that's a very large array of musical listenings.

Being a drummer, I tend to focus on all the percussion stuff that's going on in all the music that I listen to. Today was no different, except that once I got to Harry Connick, there were no drums or percussion, just him, a piano, and maybe a stand-up bass. I just sat there putting drums and percussion to it, and thinking, dang, now I know why he didn't put this stuff in, he's frekin random on that album, taking liberties like yo wouldn't believe on every tune. It was totally awesome!!! He's truely a musician that I have the utmost of respect for. He is soooo melodic. His ways of musical perception are absolutely incredible. I can sit and listen to his recordings for hours. Anyhoo, I guess I don't have anything else to add except that I finished out all listening accidentally with some Blood, Sweat, and Tears that my boss was playing in his car just before he left for the weekend. Wow, what a random day. Well, hope you all have a wonderfully eclectic weekend and don't get stuck in a musical rut. I know I won't.

Absurdly Bored

So I'm frekin bored this dreary evening. I'm having to settle for soccer on tv. I like soccer, but not really feeling it this evening. Been texting a lot for the last thirty minutes or so. Don't know if that counts as doing anything though. I suppose I could go home. But that's a 15 minute drive, and what if I want to do something here in town, then I'd have to drive back into town to do it. It's a frekin catch twenty-two. Just got a text from a good friend of mine. They were telling me to call my parents, I already did that today. Now what? I could go walk around in the crappy weather, but I don't want to chance melting. Man this sucks. Read some pretty funny blogs earlier. I guess I can watch stupid videos of people getting hit in the nuts or something on youtube. That's always funny. Or that one video of the little kids playing dodgeball and this one kid gets taken out by a giant yellow ball. One of the funniest videos I've ever watched. Saw a ridiculous video of a honda with a huge V8 engine that's supercharged and everything the other day, wow, that guy had to have been more bored than I am to come up with that.

Bonna be playing some music next week. Kevin Pickett and Southern Rain are opening for Jason Boland and The Stragglers on Wednesday night. Really looking forward to having that opportunity. This could be a pretty good break for us. We are really starting to get some good reviews from the places we've been visiting. Getting a lot of return gigs booked. Woohoo!!! Job security. Maybe we can make a real go at being professionals this time.

So, nearly ten minutes into the soccer game, still no score. Man, I really wish it were easier to score at this game. Oh well. Hmm......

I guess it's just gonna be one of those evenings that just don't have anything good going on. Oh well.

Jay Leno

So, I find myself watching Jay Leno again. What's the deal with me watching such lame entertainment. I'm switching to David Letterman. Well, I guess this isn't much better. John McCain is on and helping with Letterman's opening segment. Well, I don't know which I'd rather watch. But hey, at least Paul Schafer has a better band than the Tonight Show band with Kevin Eubanks. Wow, I really don't know how McCain was able to walk out on stage without a walker. It's nuts, to think that he is running for President. He already looks ancient. How old is he gonna look if he gets elected. The years just really make guys look old after they've been president. McCain is going to look like the emperor from Star Wars before it's all over. So, I really don't know why I keep watching such crap. I guess I'm just way to bored. Well, Regan had it right. "More government is not the problem, Government is the problem." Oh well, ove of these days we'll get someone in office that can really do something to help the country, instead of helping oil profits. Oh well, I guess I need to stay off my soapbox. I'm getting sick of politics. If you break that down to the roots of the word, poli-, which means many, and -tics, which means blood sucking insects. I think that pretty much sums it up.

More random crap

So, here I am, baking bread, and soaking in what all happened over the weekend. I didn't catch any fish on Friday morning, played the part of a really really really lazy bachelor all afternoon into the afternoon on Saturday, then went and played show. Woohoo!!! The event of the weekend was a gig where the lead guitarist messed himself up so bad that he couldn't even stand up. He was falling all over himself trying not to fall into everyone else's equipment. He managed to fire himself from the band by the end of the sixth song. Wow, how does one do that to themselves and think that it's a good idea to play guitar in front of people, much less, for money. Needless to say, he didn't get paid, and we didn't get paid what we thought we'd get. Oh well, now we're looking for a new guitarist, and we'll be able to make more money soon.

Now, I'm back to the bread thing. Good thing it's only going to be a little while longer that I have to bake this stuff. It's really wearing me out. So many hours spent doing so little, yet I still can't leave and get other stuff done because the bread is important. Whoop ti frekin do. HAHA!!!

Didn't get to go canoeing last week. The rains earlier in the week had the river up so high that it's been shut down for a little while. Who knows when I'm gonna get to go again. Oh well, maybe it was for the best. Remember me saying that I would rather watch paint dry than watch Jay Leno? Well, I think that waiting for bread to rise is just about the same thing, yet I find myself wanting to see more audience freaks, or whatever that segment was called. Maybe some girl will stop by and crow like a rooster for me, that would really be exciting. Jeez I'm bored. Well, have a wonderfully random night, I know that's what I'm about to do.

Hmmmmmmm.....

So, I don't know how I started a blog and it became a serious one. That's totally opposite of what I was going for. I guess I'm just not a funny kind of guy. So I'm sitting here watching Jay Leno and they just had a segment called audience freaks or something like that. It was amazing. One guy totally blew my mind by stuffing a whole Big Mac in his mouth in ten seconds. Another chick can crow like a rooster. Is it odd that she's from Arkansas, or just expected by someone who can CROW LIKE A ROOSTER. It was ironic that when she was being introduced, we find that she's single, never had a boyfriend, never kissed a boy, and never even held hands with a boy. It was noble before she crowed, then understood after. HAHA

So, why is it that I am being so entertained by such lame entertainment? I rarely watch Jay Leno, mostly because I'd rather watch paint dry. I think Ryan Philippe just said that he's gay or something like that. Who really cares? Oh good, a commercial break. I hope I get to see another funny Bud Light commercial. Maybe it'll be the one where the guy says,"We make sandwich, I am meat" I love that one.

Oh well, I guess I didn't get the Bud Light commercial, but I did get the McDonald's commercial where the buy acts like he cooks that breakfast thing. Ha (I hope you are understanding all the sarcasm that's going into this) Meanwhile, back in real life, I'm playing drums this weekend, really looking forward to it. We're really starting to get busy. Just got a booking agent and all. I hope they really start booking us a lot. I'm really ready to make some frekin cash. Oh goody, Jay Leno is back on. Whoopti frekin doo. Does anyone really care about that Ryan Philippe guy? How sad is it that society cares so much what a handful of people in Hollywood are doing with their lives. What's the big deal with what drugs this actor/actress is on this week, or who is going/coming to/from rehab this month. Nobody really cares, or do they? Oh well, I guess I'm just gonna enjoy the rest of my week of doing whatever the heck I want to and not care about the rest of the crap. Peace out yo.

Doubt

So what makes you doubt? Is it the things posted in newsletters, posted on websites, published stories in a respected journal? What is it? I know some people who are searching for answers, and say they know what's right, but don't go ahead and commit to it. Why is that? What is it about the commitment that makes one hesitant? For some, something happened during their childhood that they still don't understand, such as losing a parent. For others, maybe they grew up in church but have recently begun to doubt whether it's all real. It breaks my heart to hear about someone who knows the truth, yet they still doubt because they feel like their prayers weren't answered. At least they weren't answered in the way, or the timing, that they really wanted. God doesn't work on our time table, rather, we work on God's time table, and that's hard to understand at times. Maybe you have a sick family member, or friend, and you're praying for their healing. Maybe you are really needing some divine help with something, and it doesn't come when you are expecting it, or that person doesn't get a miraculous healing. Maybe they pass on, and you are left alone. I can't explain why God allows some things to happen. Such as losing that family member, or friend, and not healing them. What we have to realize is that God is never going to give us more than we can handle. When we are feeling like He doesn't want us to be happy, or that He's not going to answer our prayers, that's when satan is going to jump out at us. That's when we are most vulnerable to letting satan creep in and take a hold of our lives. It's those times in our lives that we have to rely on God for strength and guidance more than ever. I'm reminded of the poem Footprints In The Sand, by Mary Stevenson. It reads:
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."
Mary Stevenson

What a powerful message. I mean think about it. At the times when we feel that we were the loneliest, most downtrodden, and beaten, that's when we had the most help. That's when God stepped in and took the most care of us. We aren't ever going through life alone. God is always there to carry us through the most difficult of times. For those of you who are searching for that something that will fill that void in your life. Maybe you're filling it with drugs, alcohol, sex, whatever it may be, just know that God is there to carry you through the most difficult of times. Please don't let too much time pass before you decide to commit to God. Just when you think you might have enough time to take care of it tomorrow, tomorrow may not get here.

Honesty

I know we have all had a moment in our life where we had to deal with honesty, or dishonesty. Whether it be us being honest or dishonest, or someone being honest or dishonest with us. I've been struggling with how to deal with some dishonesty that happened to me recently. It's been a real eye opening experience to see how someone can tell you one thing, and tell someone else another thing, knowing that those two people are in contact with each other all the time, and still do it. All it did was cause a rift between the two people, only because they thought the other one was at fault, when neither one of them had done anything wrong, according to what they had been told to do, or not do for that matter. The really crazy thing, is to think that the one who facilitated all this, didn't think that the two would talk it out, thus realizing what actually took place. We've come to the conclusion that nothing was actually going to be done about the issues that needed to be addressed, rather, the opposite was taking place. It seems that both parties that were on the outside ends of the whole charade were only told what they wanted to hear, and not being told what was actually going to happen. I see now that as one of the people on the end of this, that something definitely has to change in order for this to keep from happening to someone else. You know, the bible talks about how the tongue is such a powerful instrument.

James 3:6 states the following: And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that is defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

This shows us just how dangerous it is to speak sometimes. We have to choose our words very carefully, so as to not cause turmoil among friends, tear relationships apart, misrepresent an institution, crush peoples hopes and dreams, ruin reputations. God understands how dangerous a tool the tongue can be, yet he still granted us the ability to speak. He grants us free will, but that doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, that just means that we have to make a choice. The choice to do what's right. So please, the next time that you want to try to impose your agenda, or just say something that might not be 100 percent accurate, weigh your words very carefully. Make sure that they aren't going to cause turmoil, or have the possibility to cause turmoil. Remember, your sins will find you out. No matter how hard we try to conceal them, they will eventually come to the surface.

Tahlequah

A gig in Tahlequah and not getting home til 5:15 A.M. really makes one tired. So I've started playing with red dirt artist Kevin Pickett and Southern Rain. Man, these guys can really play. It's been an absolute blast playing with these guys. We went up to Tahlequah yesterday to play another show at a place called the Broken Spoke. Pretty cool place. A bit live as far as sound goes, concrete floors, and metal ceiling, but all around, a cool place to play. Big stage, lots of room on the dance floor. Anyhoo, met some pretty interesting people up there. Looking forward to Wichita Falls next week. I think these guys could actually be starting to see why I do this. It's not about the partying, it's about the music, and putting on a good show. What these guys don't see just yet is why I'm doing this. I've gotten a chance to be able to live a life that Christ is blessing me with and having an effect on them. They see that I don't drink, or smoke, anything else for that matter, and they ask," Why don't you drink?", or "Why don't you smoke?", and I have the chance to share my story with them. I know it's having an effect on a couple of the guys. If it has any effect on their lives at all, and I have the chance to continue to have an influence on them, then I'm doing what Christ has called me to do. I certainly hope that these guys continue to ask me questions and begin to see why I do this.

Playing

You know, I've really begun to notice how lucky I am to be able to do something that I love and get paid for it. I've only been drumming for a few years now and have begun playing for a couple of bands that actually pay me. It's great!!! I didn't know if I'd ever be able to make a living at drumming, but it looks like it's actually a possibility. It really makes me stop and think about all the times I have travelled, set up, and played for hours for nothing, and that makes it all worth it. I can't describe the feeling I get when I'm behind the drums, and getting to make awesome music with some really great musicians. The opportunities that are being presented to me are really humbling. I never dreamed that I'd be in a position to do something that is so amazing. God has truelly blessed me with more than I ever deserved. To think that he's allowing me to do this and make a buck is something else. I only hope that I can continue to show my gratitude by continuing to live a life for Christ and be a light to those that I get to perform with and perform for. If I can touch even one life in the process, then it's all worth it. One thing I've really had to stop and pay close attention to is that I make sure to not let selfish pride take over. It's not about me and what I do up on stage behind the drums that matters, but what I do off stage and how I live in the presence of others, and when by myself. If anone reads this and has any questions, please comment and I'll repost with an answer. Via Con Dios

The Purd