yes, i am a thief

i was reading my witty sister's blog, where she had yet more quotes from her even wittier children. i shall now steal her trick, and give some fun from my 4yr old son.....

as we drive to wal-mart for the purchasing of mother's day cards (what? we're guys!! you think we already bought them? silly you) we have the following conversation

zak : i think i need to get mommy a present
me: what do you want to get her?
zak: a dress. i really NEEED to get her a beautiful dress
me: umm i don't think we'll do that. we don't even know what size to get.
zak: i do. yellow. (very matter of fact-ly)
me: no, not what color, what SIZE
zak: o ok. well she's very little to me.

children. who needs TV?

a job? yes, i have one.

for those of you on the edge of your seat for my next update, i am indeed employed i am selling computers for a distributor out of atlanta. i am doing something i said i would never do, and commuting to atlanta. tucker, to be exact, for those of you who might be familiar with the area. it's about an hour drive for me.

it's somewhat similar to my work at dell, but for a much smaller company. i think i will enjoy it very much!

more to come, now that i have a life outside my house again.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

hey!! who am i? why am i here?

well look here. a blog, and apparently, it's mine, since i am logged into it.

i have been chastised by friends and family- some of whom i didn't even know knew of this blog- for not updating more often. so i shall begin again to try to update you on my ever exciting world.

quick update : i am still looking for full time work, expecting to hear from IBM any day now, and expecting something good to come from that.
i am still single, though, as i said many years ago... i am taking applications.

my ever-witty sister (see link on the right) has sent her ever-witty daughter to stay with us for a few weeks. after only 12 hours of her being here, and 8 or so of those spent sleeping, i can see why kelly has so much to blog about. this is one seriously funny kid. i should be able to come up with something fun to talk about while she is here.

o yes. and thursday, i go to the dentist, and he will give me drugs. so i am not responsible for anything said here, or anywhere else, that day.

so... we begin again.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

news of larryl

so in some strange twist of fate, i have now dropped out of work, to go back to school.

in the fall of 2007, i will officially be a college student again, pursuing my degree in music. i should have done it years ago, instead of quitting to follow the almighty dollar, over my dreams. i am now seeking employment with a schedule flexible enough to let me do this, while still paying that whole child support thing. if you know of something, feel free to let me know. i will be super-sizing your combo soon, if i don't find something.

the camping trip was a great success. the kids loved it, and came home as filthy as two children have ever been. i would have hosed them off before bringing them in, had it not been so cold, and they not been asleep. my daughter, entrepreneur that she is, was trying to sell pottery made from the clay we found there, but no one seemed interesting. i'm sure she will be a great success selling something, someday.

that's about it for now.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

into the great outdoors

so this weekend we go camping....me, the 7 yr old, and the 3 yr old. should be quite an adventure. i do know there will be 4-wheelers, and other activities, and shooting for the adults, and i would guess some kids activites, too. it's church camping trip, so these things get planned.

we camped a lot growing up. in fact, i seldom remember staying in a hotel on vacation. and that's ok with me. while i like hotels now, as an adult, i still love waking up on a crisp morning, crawling out of the tent, and stirring last night's campfire. maybe looking around, seeing a deer, or raccoon, or at least the tracks of one. if you've never done it, i suggest you do, as soon as possible. (partially because it will be cold soon). it's an experience you won't soon forget.

who knows, i may even steak a trick from my ever witty sister, and put a few pic's up. i suppose the 4 of you who read this already know what my kids look like, so there is little danger in posting pics of them here.

look!! i accomplished an entire post on ONE subject. i am so proud of me.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

news? yep....news.

it's been a fun week.......

i was sick all weekend, with one of those fevers where you just can't get warm, no matter what you do. i didn't enjoy it at all. i don't like getting sick, and i don't very often, so when i do, it's usually a doozy. i feel much better now.

i got an opportunity to record another song for a tribute album, so i am. this one will be for one of my favorite bands of all time, the choir. hopefully i will do the song justice. this one is being recorded here at home, on my brand new studio software, which i like a lot. it's a lot of fun being able to do this in the comfort of my own home, with no stress. i should have the song finished by the weekend, and ready for your listening (hopefully) pleasure.

work goes well again, i think. this week has been good so far.

for those of you looking for a new band to listen to, check out decemberadio. they are quite amazing; shades of the black crowes, lenny krazitz, led zep.....and i like them a lot. one of the best new bands i have heard in a long time.

a friend of mine has started a blog, and each post actually stays on a topic. he sometimes posts multiple posts in one day, to cover multiple topics. i may try this, as i enjoy reading his a lot.

now i must do this new thing i have started, which i call "working out"....yea...with weights and everything. crazy.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

genetics and the role of them in cleaning.

i don't pretend to understand how genetics work. i'm not even totally positive if that use of genetics is plural or singular, leaving me wondering if 'work' should have an S on it. see? i'm just not sure.

here's what i am sure of. there is a lot of my sister in my 7 year old daughter. my daughter, and my sister was the same at age 7, can look at a disastrously messy room, and say it looks fine to her. also like her aunt kelly, when told to clean said room, it is as if the weight of the world has been placed upon her. as if no harder task has ever been assigned to any person. it would be funny, if it weren't so frustrating.

what brought me to this thinking so early on a friday morning? we were already running a few minutes late, nothing serious, but i went to see what the aforementioned 7 yr old daughter was doing, that is was taking her so long to get dressed. what do i see her doing? what has she decided is important on this morning? she is carefully hanging a skirt up in her closet. WHAT? i had no idea she knew how to work a hanger! now, i am sure you think this is wonderful progress. well, you think that if you don't know promise, or her aunt kelly. i assure you, this was merely something she did because there was something else she wanted to do less. if i ask her tonight to hang up clothes, she will moan and groan as if i have announced the end of saturday morning cartoons.

yes. i believe this is an inherited trait, somehow coming on a diagonal from my sister. to be fair, i am not exactly mr neat and tidy, but as children, i could be assured that my cluttered room would always look good next to kelly's knee deep mess (seriously....she told mom once she didn't like the color of her carpet, which is why she kept every article of clothing she owned on the floor). to also be fair, kelly is much better now. not that she is mrs neat and tidy, but she does like to see the floor.

that's enough for now, i think i have dug a deep enough hole for today.

oh yes. let me know how you like the new look around here, and maybe even go see the photos i put in a nifty online format at onlinelarryl photos

so let it be written, so let it be done.

again with the updates?

two in a row? someone come check to make sure i am OK. i think i am, but i can't be sure.

there are some changes afoot for me in the coming weeks.....no moving, i am planning to stay around here for a while....just some other changes that need to happen. looks like it will be a positive thing. more news to come on this.

fall is here, and man am i happy.....cool weather, crisp air....had my first bowl of chili of the year yesterday. chili makes cold weather worth it. seriously. it should be spicy, should have cheese, and should not contain cinnamon or chocolate. chili is one of those rare foods that does not need chocolate OR lime (please see my entry from novermber 17, 2005 for more on this).

as i looked at that entry, i was reminded that we spoke of key lime pie then, also. i had two pieces last night, and i must say, i still think it may be one of the finest foods in existence.

for those of you in the griffin, ga area, the talented mr jerry walker will be here this weekend, with his new band. you should go check him out. it should be a good time (and from the looks of it, a class of 1993 GHS reunion).

wow. i didn't realize i had so much to say! and i haven't ranted about christmas, halloween, or football (what on earth happened to UGA?) at all. maybe next time.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

late......as usual

i've been told i should update this thing once a week, at least, to keep anyone's attention. i don't know how even that could keep someone's attention, but i thought i would try. and here it's been almost 3 weeks, i think.

the new recording was put on temporary hold, as i got some new recording software, and am getting up and running with it. up next should be an interesting arrangement of "were you there", the old spiritual. great song, and i have a cool idea for it. i also dug out some old lyrics, and decided to work on them some, and actually wrote a new song, recently.

went hiking last weekend, in the foothills of the smoky mountains. it was gorgeous, and i quite enjoyed myself. i am supposed to be doing a fairly large mountain next year, so i need to get in shape for that. it was there, while hiking, and sitting on the side of a lake, that i wrote the recent song.....solitary time in the wilderness is a wonderful thing, and allows the mind to forget daily problems, i suggest everyone do it.

i am pondering refinishing a guitar this winter. if that comes to be, i will figure out how to put a picture here for you all.

i guess that's it. i hope your attention has been held.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

rock and roll music

well....finally there is proof that i have indeed been working on music. the song for the lost dogs tribute album is done, and is online at www.myspace.com/westering

this week, hopefully, i begin recording another project i have wanted to do for a long time. i will be recording some very traditional hymns in some very non-traditional ways. look for some samples of that coming soon. i will be assisted in this by my amazingly talented friends, hugh and dylan. hopefully it will come out as good as what i hear in my head.

i am also working on a few originals, which may or may not come to fruition, and will be starting a project co-writing some songs with hugh in the coming weeks....this one is something i think will be very cool, and i will share more about it as we go along.

the job is going well, and i am finally adjusting to life back in the old hometown.

that's about it for today...i probably need to get to bed.

for those of you who love good music, i would advise you to check out derek webb's new CD. he has it for free download at www.freederekwebb.com go get it right away. it is a fantastic album.

you say it's your birthday...

it's my birthday too.....

so indeed, as i look at the lower right hand corner of my screen, where the date is displayed, i see that i am officially another year older. i hope to keep having these for some time.

i am still working the job which i was so happy about getting some while back. it's going well. the early morning conference calls continue, but i can deal with them, since they are about the only indication that i actually work for a company, as opposed to being self employed. i enjoy a level freedom in this job which is either wonderful, or terrible, depending on how i use it. so far, i am using it fairly well. things are picking up.

of the promised musical projects, one is near completion, one is nearing starting. i am quite happy with the way the one nearing completion has progessed. it will be finished next week. have i ever mentioned how much i hate hearing my recorded voice? yes....i understand the physiology on why it sounds so different.....but i don't like it at all.....hopefully you will like it more than i do. more info to come, on all counts.

i will make some effort to update more often in coming weeks......

until then.....

so let it be written, so let it be done.

i should be asleep

so tomorrow is the first day of my new job....a conference call at 730AM. man...i can't wait. that is followed by anotehr conference call. o well. it beats having to go to the office for a meeting. i'm just glad to be employed again.

as i said, i should be asleep, but i wanted to post a few thoughts here.

i am now officially working with the youth at my church here in griffin. not sure what all i will be doing yet, but i know i will be helping with their worship team/praise band. they are a good group of talented kids, who need some direction. hopefully i will be able to guide them, without coming off as the old guy telling them how to play rock music. i will probably have to bite my tongue some......but i look forward to doing it.

secondly, i am working on an idea to get some local concerts happening here in good old griffin, ga. i have a meeting scheduled this week towards that end, and hopefully the ball will start rolling fairly quickly. it's going to be a challenge, as i want to keep the local churches involved, without stepping on toes, or making anyone feel left out. i will say more about this as time goes on.

i should be getting together with hugh this week to record the first real tracks for our songs for this lost dogs tribute. it's going to be fun doing music with him again. he has a great studio, and puts out fantastic music. these tracks should be something i can be proud of....in a good way, of course.

that said. i am going to bed, so i can get up at a way-too-early hour for this morning call, in 7 hours.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

a job....one more time

so i think i have a job, finally.....

with a real company, doing outside sales. i think it will be a very cool thing. it should allow me the free time to do the things i enjoy, along with paying me enough to support my musical habits. i will be selling merchant services (credit card type) and payroll services to businesses.....my territory includes the area here where i live, and enough of the surrounding area that i should never run out of people to see. so there's that.

now....on to other matters.

it has come to my attention that my ex and apparently, some of her friends, drop by to read this when they are bored beyond belief. apparently i have made some disparaging comments that did not go over so well in that particular circle of friends. let me be clear : my ex is pretty cool person, and for the most part we get along just fine. i get to see my son pretty much whenever i want to, and without a lot of hassle. this past weekend, for example, much to my surprise, i didn't even have to leave the house, she brought him, and picked him up. we actually get along better now than we did when we were married.

so, that's out of the way. nothing has been very funny for me to tell you about lately. sitting at home all the time will do that to you. i feel certain that being on the road all day will bring lot's of humour to my life in the very near future.

also, please go buy the new johnny cash record. it will floor you. it's that good. i said so.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

ethics can be a real drag

so i went to my first day at the life insurance company. i had asked some very specific questions about things like lead generation, sales pitches, whether or not i would be going door-to-door, etc in my interview. the answers i received were satisfactory. the reality when i started training monday were quite different. in fact, they were basically the opposite of what i had been told.

i let the fine people there know that i would not be going to work for them. if they have a decent product, no deception should be needed. ever. i feel good about the decision, but now i really must find a job post haste.

i have an interview tomorrow that looks very promising. a real outside sales job. i will keep you, my loyal reader, up to date.

until then, don't call me for life insurance. and if you need me, i will be laying by the pool.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

a job...again

OK. so i mentioned i was taking one of two jobs. here's the deal.

i have decided to take a job selling life insurance. yea. life insurance. not what i always dreamed i would be doing, but after looking into it, there are some definite benefits, and i am pretty excited about it.

1. it's outside sales again. i get to be out and about all day, talking to people. big fun.
2. this also means i can largely set my own hours. this is something i have sorely missed while working for corporate america.
3. the money looks pretty dang good. i need more guitars, and someone has to pay for them!!

hopefully this will also leave me un-stressed enough to get back into a few other musical endeavors i have worked on in the past. look for something to come of that this summer, i hope.

i'm recording rough versions of the two songs hugh and i are doing, this week. i doubt these will be fit for public consumption, but they will be evidence of progress.

that's all for now. if you need life insurance, let me know.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

yea..so it's not winter

my sister reminded me that i haven't posted here since i said i hated winter, and it is now quite obviously summer, as evidenced by the over 90 degree heat we have here, coupled with over 90% humidity.

so since then, not a lot has happened, i promise.

wait....a few small things:

i moved home to griffin, ga. i am taking one of two jobs here. i will make a decision soon. i promise. this move was mainly to be closer to my son, who i do not see enough. this should make my ex-wife happy as well, but i assure you, it will not. she will find a reason to be unhappy if it kills her. ...and have no fear, i will be a part of that reason.

so anyway...yea....a new job. still in sales, since that's all i know how to do. pondering the idea of going back to school, and maybe teaching one day. time will tell.

music....i promised some music from me, didn't i? well here's where we are with that:

i just recorded a guitar part for a song for a guy i know. i thought it sucked. he liked it. it's his song, and if he posts it online, i will put a link here.

i am working on two songs with my old friend hugh cooper, for a tribute album for one of my favorite bands, the lost dogs. they should be really cool. samples will be online eventually. other tributes from the same group of people can be found here : www.bigdork.org please be sure to go to .org, not .com...the guy has called himself big dork for years, but apparently the term has other meanings, other places.

and finally, this fall, hopefully, i will be recording an album of hymns with my good friend, dylan higgins. (i wanted to put more commas in that sentence, but couldn't find anywhere to put them.) i am really looking forward to this project. it will be a ton of fun, will be some great music, and will let me work with dylan, who i have wanted to do something with for some time. check him out at : http://www.myspace.com/higginsmusic

is that enough for now? i will try to get here more often this summer. there may actually be something funny....i am living at my parent's house for about 2 more weeks....surely that will result in some fun stories.

until then......

so let it be written, so let it be done.

i hate winter

as i sit here listening to the lost dogs most recent album, "island dreams", a nice little bit of island dream-y intrumental bliss, i realize that around this time every year, i yearn to move to the islands.....several days into spring, and no sign of a warming trend....infact, it is colder now than last week. it has been cold for long enough. i need spring.....summer would be nice in fact.

so who's in for moving to the islands with me? here's my thought: where do people always wish they could go on vacation, if they only had the money? the islands, the beach, somewhere warm. so if we lived at the beach, we could make do with much less money, since we would have no need to go to there.

sounds good to me.

so if you need me, i will be strumming my guita, running a little t-shirt stand somewhere in the carribbean. i will give you a discount.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

kids are funny....

the following conversation took place before school the other day..

promise : daddy, i need a $20 bill
me: for what?
promise : i want a pop-tart with my breakfast at school
me: promise....pop-tarts do not cost 20 dollars
promise: noooooo daddy..they're not 20 dollars, they are a 20 dollar bill

apparently the lunch lady told her she needed to bring a $20 bill to get extra food after her breakfast at school......now i don't know how much they charge for pop-tarts at school, and i'm sure it's high....but $20? i must be missing something somewhere....

speaking of kids.....people without kids don't seem to understand how the whole "having kids" thing affects your life. my musician friends apparently thing i can just get a sitter with 5 minutes notice, and come hang out. of course, they also think it odd that i go to bed at around 10 during the week.....they have all quit their jobs to play music full time....they don't have paying shows lined up, they just play all day....must be nice...

that's it for right now...just some random thoughts i had this weekend..

so let it be written, so let it be done.

drivers ed

so i have a long commute to work now, meaning i see lot's of things on the road. i have come up with a few things that should be taught to anyone wishing to drive.

1. if you are in a lane that ends, please merge as soon as possible. turn on your blinker, look for someone to let you in, and get the heck over. DO NOT drive in that lane until it is tapering off, and force your way in......

which brings me to point 2...

2. if you are in the lane that doesn't end, and you see someone trying to merge ahead of time, let them. it's polite. it encourages their good driving. HOWEVER.....if they have driven right to the end, and are trying to force their way in, tailgate the car ahead of you, and DO NOT, under any circumstances, let them in.

3. on a multi-lane, divided highway, there are very few reasons to ever slow down. i will list a few for you.
a. there is a wreck ahead. obviously you should slow down.
b. someone/thing runs out in front of you. please do not hit the animal/moron pedestrian.
c. weather demands it.

that's about it......but here are some things that do NOT require you to slow down
a. a wreck on the other side. this is none of your business. go home and watch it on the news.
b. getting close to your exit....most exit ramps are long enough to slow down. that is why they are so long.
c. someone is trying to merge, in normal traffic. do NOT slow down. they are speeding up to merge. if you slow down, you mess up the entire process, and confuse them.
d. you are talking on your cell phone. if you can't drive and talk, stop talking. or pull over. don't slow down.


another thing........why, WHY i say, does a 6 lane, divided highway EVER come to a complete stop? and why, when you get to the point where it moves again, there is no apparent reason for the slow down? if anyone can answer this, i will send you an autographed copy of a tape i played on many years ago.

that is all.

so let it be written, so let it be done.

parenting 101

begin rant.......

i am sick of hearing people talk about changing things to protect children. they say myspace shoould be shut down, kids are getting hurt. chat rooms are dangerous. the simpsons are corrupting our kids. too much sex and violence on TV. too much sex and violence in music.

i have a novel concept : how about you take responsibility for your kids? how about you monitor what they watch? what they listen to? what web-sites they visit? how about there is no good reason for a 14 yr old to have a web-cam on their computer in their bedroom. be involved. be a part of their life.

a friend of mine's 10 yr old daughter had a myspace page. he saw special on the news about myspace, and kids being approached by pedophiles. they mentioned you have to be 14 to even be on myspace. "how is she on there?" he asked. well.......her profile said she was 26. not too hard, huh? she sits beside him on the sofa, playing on myspace, but he never took the time to look at what she was doing. her page is now gone. good for him. he quickly told her the dangers, and she and all of her friends shut their pages down. that's what a parent does. he didn't e-mail myspace and complain. he didn't call the news to raise a fuss. he dealt with the issue with his daughter. how amazing, huh?

it is not the job of the schools, the government, the internet, or anyone else to raise and teach your children. it is your's. stop blaming everything else, and be a parent. don't change the world because some things can be used for evil purposes. change yourself. change your kids.

end rant.

so let it be written, so let it be done.