hilarious

This was a great show.

As I reflect on the many concerts I have attended as a fan of the Dave Matthews Band (and the one that I will be attending this coming Friday), I can't help but remember one terrific show that I attended with my brother Pete back in 2003.

Dave Matthews had embarked a short tour to promote his solo album, Some Devil. Of course "Dave Matthews and Friends" (including Tim Reynolds, Trey Anastasio, and others) would be playing at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York when I came home for Christmas break. It happened to be Pete's birthday, so we headed out there and enjoyed a nearly three hour set. Not included on the attached set was the Dave and Tim set which opened the show. We had a great time!

T minus

In about one week I head out on the road for about 8 weeks of significant travel. Don't get me wrong -- there will be breaks in there! I do, after all, come back to the office most Fridays for Visitation Days or to play catch-up. But I will be on the road most weeks Monday through Thursday. I think many people wonder what exactly I do when I am out there. For those who might be interested, here is a quick rundown:

High School Visits

The bulk of what I do each week is visit high schools during the school day. I meet with students who are interested in Hope, and share with them very concrete examples of why Hope might be the best-fitting school for them. This is something I discern as much as they do. I believe a student doesn't always know that Hope could be the right thing for them right away. It is my job to guide those students for whom it is apparent to me Hope is a good match. The part of my job: the word YES. You all know the worst part!

College Fairs

Many evenings on the road are spent sharing about Hope in the context of a college fair program. Most striking difference between this and the high school visit: parents are usually involved. This is a win-win for the college rep because parents often have a life experience that allows them to see things in a particular school that their student may not. Plus, I get to connect with many students as well.

Other than that, the bulk of my time is spent on the phone, building rapport with prospects and helping them to make an informed decision about where to attend college. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly, and I am thankful for the responsibility I have been given in this regard.

Travel is great! When else in your life will you get to eat at the same Applebee's four nights in a row (by yourself), have the Golf Channel on for 3 or 4 hours (just because it's there), and enjoy egg patties on a biscuit most every morning (Eggs, by the way, are never found in patty form in the wild). I love to be on the road because right now, I can.

One more thing...

Tuesday is an important day for 2 reasons:

"The Office" Season 2 comes out on DVD. If you have ever flipped past this while watching NBC, think twice the next time. This show may very well save NBC on Thursday nights, if it hasn't already.






Apple will hold a special media event to unveil what is expected to be a feature film download store. Watch out Netflix. Other rumors include a computer to TV video streaming device and the long-awaited sixth generation iPod. I will certainly update this site when the news breaks!

Every time...

Every time I think I am done with Blogger, something happens. I get some idea, some thought, some poetic rambling that I feel will ultimately mean something to someone somewhere. To add to this, Blogger comes back and integrates itself with my Google account, where it seems everything else in my life is housed as well. Then they add some really great editing functions for the blog's template and design. These were the features I was most interested in when I feebly attempted to transition to Xanga. Well, this change and the fact that I was mildly concerned about being perceived as a high school student on that other blogging site have led me to come back here with true excitement.

I head back out on the road in just a week or so, and I will be sure to bring you updates as I do. Bon weekend!