Today is almost a perfect day...

I woke up to Life's Blood - Never Make A Change, followed by Leatherface - Pandora's Box on random on my iPod alarm clock thingy. I got done in the bathroom and came out to find a text from my beautiful wife, which made my day. (What can I say? I'm easy). I had finally remembered to iron some shirts, so I had a pretty crisp blue gingham check shirt to wear today. It was nice this morning, really cool weather for August, which was dope.

I put the windows down and listened to Death Cab - Narrow Stairs on my way to work, and there was NO traffic at all. I had a meeting today which killed an hour, and Danielle, being as perfect as she is, texted me while I was in the meeting. Nice timing :). I left work for the day at 11:30am and went to get a sammich. I got a call from JJ asking how the married life was and asking when we were going to have babies. He said he was excited to meet Danielle, which is awesome, because, well, its JJ. Ha.

I am now reading a book, listening to Glasvegas' "Home Tapes" (demos) and enjoying a nice breeze.


Things missing from making today a perfect day...

1) Danielle
2) A few people that I was friends with from 1994-2004
3) Swimming
4) Tacos
5) Chicago address on my drivers license

Punk Rock Graphs and Charts

I came across a link to make your own graphs and charts online. I made some. I'm bored. If you don't get these, re-evaluate. Since Blogspot sucks and cuts off images, click on them to get the full effect. That's the only way they'll make sense. CwWoooshal Tywwwimes.

The new Trapped Under Ice 12"

This thing fucking rules. They're EASILY the best wig mosh band since Crown of Thornz and mid-90s Madball. Slick looking packaging (gatefold sleeve), neat cover art, GREAT audio engineering (Dean Baltulonis is the MAN!), killer riffs and hard mosh. I don't know what this dude is singing about, but fuck, I don't even care. It makes me want to karate kick holes in my walls.

I'd suggest picking this record up. www.reaper-records.com
Or the bands myspace www.myspace.com/underdaice





Oh yeah, it also comes with this neat fold out poster. Nice.

Rabbit Rabbit

Here's to a good month. I can't wait for the 14th.

My life as a loner, the finale.

I had a real hard time getting along when I was a kid. I was pretty much always a loner. I wasn't like the other kids I grew up with. I didn't think like them, I didn't dress like them, I didn't belong to the clubs and cliques that they did. I wasn't rich. I wasn't part of their parents social gatherings.

I was that weird dirty kid in your 6th grade English class who never read the assignments or did his homework. I came to school with black eyes, or wearing sling on my arm. I stole a knife from my neighbors garage and carried it around with me at all times. I kicked the windows out of Mr. Macks classroom because he said I'd never amount to anything (then he got a brain tumor, ha).


My home life was a wreck. My mom was out of control, a raging alcoholic and whatever else she was, and my dad was just a mean bastard. I dealt with abuse, both physical and mental, at the hands of both of my parents. As a result, all these years later I still grind my teeth in my sleep and require an acrylic night guard so I don't cause anymore damage to my teeth.

I missed out on the fundamental teachings that are passed from parent to child. I didn't learn sports. I didn't learn how to shave. I didn't learn to clean or cook or take care of myself. I learned violence. I learned how to lie. I learned how to put my conscience aside in any situation. This was my eduction.


I took my teachings and went off into the world, ready to show anyone and everyone what I had learned. By the time I was 22 years old, I was covered in gang tattoos, sitting in a maximum security jail cell facing a max sentence on 3 felony charges. The thing of it was, after blowing my savings on a lawyer and beating those charges, I still hadn't learned my lesson. I went back out into the thick of it, right back into the line of fire. The damage was done, and it took me a long time to unlearn what was so deeply ingrained in me.


Somehow I survived, and a few years later I would meet the Sainted Newbold family. This is the point where my life would completely turn around. They didn't look past my problems and issues, but rather looked inside of me to see what was causing me to act the way that I was, and offered a solution. Really, they were the first people who truly cared about me and my well being. (I know all along that my friends who I came up with cared about me, but not one of them was making an attempt to stop me from doing the things I was doing, probably because we were all cut from the same cloth.)

The Newbolds became my family. My mother, father, brothers, sister, and my friends. I owe a lot to them. They taught me how to treat other human beings, regardless of what they had done to me or what they thought of me. I think the most important thing I learned was that I was still able to be myself, keep my anger and my frustrations, but turn them into something other than violence. People will always judge me for what I've done, but I can accept that, as I've become accepting of myself.


This weekend, I again took my new teachings into the world, and I put all the loneliness and hurt behind me. I met the one. The girl that I get along with 100% comfortably. I met her and I fell in love and we got married. With her, I don't have to worry about what she might say or think when I tell her something about my past. She loves me unconditionally. It really puts me at ease knowing that. Knowing that I don't have to hide my feelings or my anger. I don't have to hide who I really am. I am sad to leave my friends and family in Philadelphia as I embark on my new journey/life in Chicago, but I know that they will always love and be there for me.

Airtime...

Right now I'm sitting on an airplane headed for Chicago, listening to my favorite Piebald record, reading a book, very relaxed, and totally in love. Big weekend. I'm ready to never walk alone again. <3

Kenny F'n Powers

This is easily the best thing ever.