Please Just Rip It Off

It's getting difficult now. Knowing that I'm leaving the day after tomorrow is agonizing, like pulling a bandage off slowly. Saying goodbye to coworkers and friends... not my favorite thing in the world. This is truly the first move I've made in my life where I haven't been happy about leaving things behind. The move to Chicago was hard, but I had nowhere to go but up. Not that I don't think this move is a step up, but by pursing greater things for my career, I'm now sacrificing friendships, too.

Also, the irony that one's house is only at its cleanest on the day it's left behind is striking.

Green Tunes: Episode 4

This song has been running through my head all day. It just seems to fit right now. Analog Kid by Rush.

A hot and windy August afternoon
Has the trees in constant motion
With a flash of silver leaves
As they're rocking in the breeze

The boy lies in the grass with one blade
Stuck between his teeth
A vague sensation quickens
In his young and restless heart
And a bright and nameless vision
Has him longing to depart

[Chorus]
You move me
You move me
With your buildings and your eyes
Autumn woods and winter skies
You move me
You move me
Open sea and city lights
Busy streets and dizzy heights
You call me
You call me

The fawn-eyed girl with sun-browned legs
Dances on the edge of his dream
And her voice rings in his ears
Like the music of the spheres

The boy lies in the grass, unmoving
Staring at the sky
His mother starts to call him
As a hawk goes soaring by
The boy pulls down his baseball cap
And covers up his eyes

[Chorus]

Too many hands on my time
Too many feelings
Too many things on my mind
When I leave I don't know
What I'm hoping to find
When I leave I don't know
What I'm leaving behind...

Farewell, Chicago

So it's official. I've given my two-weeks notice to PIL today and have accepted a job as full-time music technology faculty at Iowa Western Community College outside of Omaha, Nebraska. I haven't posted much recently because, frankly, not much else has been on my mind and I couldn't talk about anything publicly until today. So much needs to be done on our end that there isn't time for anything besides thinking about moving and actually moving as I start August 4th. Amy will stay behind with Nick for a while to finish our business here and they will hopefully join me by the beginning of September.

I am sad to leave my coworkers behind. They have been a fun group and I will miss them. They've challenged me in ways I never expected and I feel I've become a better person because of it.

I've never been good at goodbyes. We've been seven years in the Chicago area now and we have hat a lot of fun here. But despite my penchant for personal comfort and stability, it is time for some new adventures. Onward.

Green Tunes: Episode 3

I'll admit it. I have a penchant for novelty songs. Anything weird, quirky, humorous, or just plain goofy usually has a spot in a playlist of mine somewhere. I first taught myself to play the guitar by practicing a simplified version of "I Like Chinese" by the Monty Python troupe about 500 times.

Presidents of the United States of America is a group that is quite good at churning out songs that usually fit at least two of those adjectives I listed above in any given song. The thing I love about this group is that most of the time, they're talking literally. If they write a song about Peaches or a Kitty or the planet Jupiter, they're not using those objects as metaphors for something else. The best thing is, these guys just keep getting better after they sunk back underground after their mid '90s jump to stardom. One of their songs that I play to Nick that he really likes is the closing track on their 2004 album, Love Everybody, called Jennifer's Jacket. This particular performance goes up to 11 because they play the riff from Spinal Tap's Big Bottom at the end.

And she's got safety pins and string holding it together
She can only wear her jacket in warm weather
Although the sleeves need to be shortened
The fact that the arms are falling off isn't important

(Because) Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Is falling apart
Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Is falling apart

The lining in her coat is rotten
And it seems that the zipper has been completely forgotten
She had a dollar ten for a slice in the pocket of the right
But the pocket had a hole and she looked for the change all night

Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Is falling apart
Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Is falling apart

This is a list of malformations
But it would cost one hundred dollars for alterations
We all know that the pressed leather is in
But you can't keep warm in the winter in December in the city when it's 32 degrees below zero
with a safety pin!

Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Is falling apart
Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Is falling apart
Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Is falling apart
Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket, Jennifer's jacket,
Falling apart at the seams!
Falling apart at the seams!
Falling apart at the seams!
Falling apart at the seams! (Jennifer's jacket is)
Falling apart at the seams! (Jennifer's jacket is)
Falling apart at the seams! (Jennifer's jacket is)
Falling apart at the seams! (Jennifer's jacket is)
Falling apart at the seams, yeah!