ramblings from the road -- day 2

I am basically spending the day at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in downtown Buffalo. We had a session there this morning that lasted from 9 until 1, and then I will be headed back there tonight for the evening session.

A couple observations from this morning's session:

1. 1st student to visit my table: 25 minutes after the program began

2. Saw some gals whose high school I will be visiting later this week, so I got to plug my visit

3. A woman came up to my table and said that her daughter (or grand-daughter?) lives in New Jersey and that she was picking up information for her. She must have taken 3 of everything on my table.

Before I left for the road, I made the connection that the band "Low Stars" wrote the tune "Calling All Friends", which is the title song of the ABC show "What About Brian." It's a terrific song, and I was fortunate to be able to pick up the CD at Starbucks, who has the group under their HEARMUSIC: The Sound of Starbucks record label. Always excited for new music.

That's all for now! Be blessed -- back tomorrow with more good stuff from the road.

ramblings from the road -- day 1

I've shared with many of you that I set out on the road today for the great states of New York and Connecticut. I'll be participating in many college fairs and visiting some high schools while I'm out here as well. In addition to snippets of my regular itinerary, I'll be posting thoughts and observations.

This morning I left Holland and drove to Buffalo, New York. The drive takes one through Canada, and I made fairly decent time at 7 hours. NOTE: This can be a long time in the car when you are alone. Thankfully, I had a new mix CD and my XM satellite radio to keep me company! New music is always tremendous.

Rolled in to the hotel around 4 and attempted to get caught up on the emails. This is maybe my favorite part of any travel day. I get to see what's happening both personally and in the office -- I enjoy staying connected! What was the life on the road like pre-email, I wonder?

There is one thing that I am always a bit concerned about when I do the cross Michigan-Canada-New York drive. The border crossings. Now, having attended Hope, I have done this drive back and forth literally 50 times, and I can safely say that you just never can know what to expect. Sometimes there is a line of cars an hour long. Sometimes the official gives you the third degree. Sometimes they look at you and send you on your way. Well, today I must have seemed suspicious, because the customs official and I had a nice a little conversation. It all stemmed from the fact that I had my golf clubs in the back seat.

To be honest, I had no idea what the weather was going to be like when I got to New York. I hadn't really checked it online or anything, but I was certain that should I have the opportunity to play golf, I wanted to be prepared. (It was 60 degrees in Holland last week, come on.) As I get closer to the Canada-US border at Buffalo, all I can see is 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground. Needless to say, the customs official was a bit interested in the golf clubs in the back seat. "Not exactly golf weather," he says to me. "I guess it was just wishful thinking," I reply. He let me through without any trouble, but it was a bit nerve-wracking nonetheless.

Always an interesting trek to the great state of New York. Tomorrow I head out to the city for a national college fair. Thankfully, George Mason won't steal our thunder again like last year. More tomorrow.

new music... again

It's hard not to be inspired when you listen to good music. A friend shared this album with me, and although it is a departure from the style to which I most often listen, I dig it. I liken him to the quiet sound of Joshua Kadison (remember that guy?) mixed with just a little bit more soul.


'cause you gave everything that you could give
and this is the only life that I can live
and I am grateful
but I've grown weary of this fight
so no regrets, it's better left unreconciled

I love new music

Anyone that knows me knows that I love new music. Sometimes iTunes and its music store can cause a little bit of trouble, though. Thankfully I do have some semblance of self-control, but since iTunes had to go and re-release all of John Mayer's As/Is series, I think we now might have a problem.

Awesome site

Check out Finetune, a free music site with tons of great artists...

we were snowed in... it's cool

The western coast of Michigan got a tremendous amount of lake effect snow this weekend, about ten inches or so. We were pretty much snowed in on Saturday night, so our house rented "The Illusionist." It was great.

I wasn't sure what to think actually -- I was so confused between it and "The Prestige." The movie pleasantly surprised me. It was subtle, simple, and sweet.

If you ever have a lazy Friday evening, be sure to pick this up.

contemplative Christmas

It never fails. I go searching for an ornament (hidden in boxes in my old bedroom) on Christmas Eve amidst corrugated containers of my own personal belongings, and end up coming across pictures and notes from high school and college days gone by. (I feel no remorse for this run-on sentence.)

I was driving by my old high school today and realized that next year it will be six years since I've graduated. It certainly feels like forever. I recall memories of the choir room (senior high room 302), "Singing Saints" practice Monday afternoons on the stage, musicals every spring and summer, hanging out with the 'friends' on New Year's and other times, and so many other thoughts stir the deepest reaches of my heart and mind.

I found a note from an old friend with whom I have not spoken in several years. They had wished me tremendous success and joy in my future, and I wonder: what have I done in these years to fulfill their prayer for my life?

I suppose my hope is this: that although I am blessed with people around me with which I am happy to create new memories, that I may also be able to recall those moments and people that have defined me.

Merry Christmas to all of those who have played a part in the story of my life thus far. I've loved these days.

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And then I fall asleep counting my blessings

just tremendous

A combination of most everything I find wonderful in the world...

tis the season!

lost in translation

The television show, "Lost", is currently on hiatus. Six of the season's twenty-two episodes were aired this fall (mostly while I was on the road -- don't worry, I still saw them), and now it is a waiting game until the first week in February, when ABC will show sixteen episodes in a row with no repeats. The question is not why do I like the show, but rather: why am I, like so many others, missing it?

I believe the answer is that, in a world which faces so many challenges, we long to engage in a suspension of our disbelief. I believe we grow if we are forced to grapple with situations and circumstances outside our own.

Some would argue about the value of television, and with good reason. It is, after all, spoon-feeding us every bit of information it has to offer. However, if we choose to engage beyond the program in further thought and discussion, how can we do anything but grow in the process. That is the answer: to grow, we must engage in fruitful thought and discussion with those around us.

Programs like "Lost" insure that an inherent value remains in a medium that easily transformed the way humans share and receive information.

what inspires you?

I believe there are moments in our lives when God gives us the opportunity to be inspired. This is something that makes us most human. It is as if our souls are hungry for this kind of thing. When we are inspired, we are motivated and given the strength and power to do great things.

PBS is in the middle of their annual holiday pledge drive. I love these times of year. Not because I end up giving any money to public broadcasting (maybe I should), but because they show the greatest specials, from Yanni concerts to retrospectives on Victor Borge. This season PBS is broadcasting a concert in tribute to James Taylor. It is running under the "Great Performances" label, and it is terrific.

For whatever reason, this has truly inspired me in my music and songwriting. I think I am afraid to write music because I am afraid it will not be what I want it to be. That it will be unoriginal and not exciting to anyone. This special has, for whatever reason, inspired me to change my thoughts and take some chances with my music.

Jesus, take the wheel.

EDIT: One more thought. It's about leaving a legacy. At some point in our lives (from what I can tell in my brief years of existence), we have the opportunity to choose our adventure. Inspiration allows us to make the right choice, no matter where we are in life.

a mistake?

Quite honestly, I was out of the loop when The Walt Disney Company decided that this was a good idea. I was 12 years old and Al Gore hadn't invented the internet yet. The company was, of course, celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Walt Disney World Resort (and the Magic Kingdom in particular). However, they turned a veritable icon into somewhat of a monstrosity.

Those that know me are aware that I am a huge fan of the Disney parks in general. I am unable to figure out exactly why that is. During my senior year at Hope, I did some extensive thinking about this, and the result was my worldview paper. My worldview since then has changed, but the words remain very true to my life experience and love for Walt Disney World:

The year was 1989, I was five years old, and it was my second trip to the World (I was just six months old the first time my family visited, so I only have vague recollections of what the place was all about during that trip). I honestly do not remember all that much about the trip. I do remember, however, the plane ride down with a connection in Baltimore, Maryland, the rental minivan (all we had ever ridden in was a 1980s Chevrolet Caprice station wagon replete with wood paneling on the sides), the Days Inn motel where we stayed, and of course, lingering memories of the parks themselves. This was an important time for my family, and would actually be the last vacation that we ever had while I was living with my parents.

I remember being in awe at everything there was to see and do at the resort. There were scary and not-so-scary rides, the magnificent geodesic sphere at EPCOT Center called “Spaceship Earth”, and all kinds of Disney characters to meet and greet. There was also the impressive monorail system that took us from park to park during our stay, and the ferry that brought us from the parking lot across the man-made Bay Lake to the Magic Kingdom. I will never be more impressed than by the effort that is made at Disney World to completely transport the guest from the everyday to a place where the everyday ceases to exist. I loved that vacation to Walt Disney World; my memories are lasting and their impressions remain strong upon me to this very day.

Does it matter what impacts us as long as we are changed for the better? No mistake here.

just terrific

so what

I occasionally use this blog as a forum for terrific videos by my favorite bands, and this post is no exception. You have to check out Rockapella, a throw back to the old "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" game show of PBS lore. This is one of their newest songs, "Tonight."

awake

The reality is: I dig this guy's music. His new CD, "Awake", comes out tomorrow, and I will definitely be picking it up on iTunes (wow that sentence was comma-crazy).

As if I needed more incentive to listen to Josh's music; a track ("Lullaby") from this album was co-written was another of my favorites, Dave Matthews.

You can actually listen to the entire CD here. If you like it, be sure to pick it up tomorrow, November 7.

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!