What’s a happening?

I once produced a radio commercial that started out like this, “A new year, a new you…” Well, I’m here to say, that I’ve started a new me. My closes friends already know that I’ve recently moved from Salt Lake City, Utah back to California. While living in SLC I learned so much about myself, and the potential I have to offer to the world.

It was a very difficult decision for me to move back to the one place I dreaded, Fresno! It isn’t really developed and it’s scary just walking downtown. When comparing it to SLC, I lived in downtown, and I had no problem of ever being scared walking the streets late at night, and the transportation system was as simple as can be. I could literally get from one place to the other with a combination of the Trax and bus system. I don’t live in Fresno, but a small town just east of it, Clovis. The bus system sucks, and doesn’t go through many main streets. I can’t even get to my work on a bus. But if I decide to take a bus, it only cost me $1 dollar, SLC it was $2.50 for a 3 hour period. Maybe you’re thinking, “Why did you move back if you hated CA so much?”

Well I moved back because I ran out of mullah (money). I moved to SLC not really knowing what I was going to do, I applied to a few full time jobs, but all I got was nibbles and no interviews. I thought of being a teacher, but the credential program took 2 years, and I didn’t have the money to go back to full time school. So I worked in professional theatre and REI. You would think a professional theatre, that should be pretty good pay, right? Nope! I was getting paid $7.50 an hour. That was the cap. Then I worked for a Tony Award Winning summer theatre company! The contract was 3 and half months, paid me just enough to get by. REI paid me more an hour than the theatres, but I wasn’t getting many hours. So if you looked at my budget for the year, I brought in little money, but with bills, I was actually losing money. That finally caught up to me, and now I’m completly broke. My buddy had a job lined up for me if I moved back to the Fresno area. So I packed up and moved back.

The Performing Arts Center in the Clovis Unified School District is a $22 million dollar facility. It has a concert hall and black box theatre. It’s amazing! I am a sound engineer and sound designer for the PAC. It should help boost up my resume and give me more practice on designing/creating art in a theatre atmosphere.

I’m taking this move as an opportunity to make some changes in my life and hopefully leave a mark on some people. Because to be honest with you I don’t plan on staying here that long. Just enough time to get out of debt. Some good things I’ve noticed already is I love living pretty close to my family, and seeing my college buddies adds more life into my weekly schedules.

So, A new year, A new me? We’ll see!

What Now?

Well I went on a few hikes over the last time I’ve blogged. A couple with a really cool friend Bill. Don’t judge a smoker by his habits, this dude held up with the hike. We once did Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park, and the following week we did Cedar Breaks. I’ve been trying to get my rock climbing strength back so when I depart back to SLC, I can keep up with my fellow climbers. I bought a used rope for 50 bucks, and now all I have to buy is quick-draws. Lead climbing is scary! Another hike I’ve done recently was a small water hike called The Kanarraville Falls. It was pretty gnarl. I went on a hike with two buddies in the Festival, Becky Merold and Amber Scott. Approaching the first waterfall we saw a log placed along the side of the fall with a gerry rigged metal ladder and ropes on the side of the rock. It was pretty scary climbing up to the top of that fall. But further down the stream we came to a natural water slide. The algae made it slippery for my booty to slid down to the pool of cold water. As we came to the 2nd water fall the log/ladder was so slippery I couldn’t get up. I slipped and put a good slice in my right knee. My mom has a saying, “It’s not a good summer unless you have scares to prove it.” I guess I’m having a gnarly summer. I would  have put pictures up, but when I went to take my camera out, I found the LCD screen broken.

Where’s my Paige?

A few people actually know what the title means. All I ask for is a chance and respect, as I respect her. This might sound like a wanted add, but I’ll tell you living in this Theatre environment has taught me a few things about how I want to live my life, and who I would want to be part of it. I’ve met so many cool people within the Theatre world. Out of those few cool people, I’ve been attracted to some. Now, I’m a decent guy, who has only had 2 relationships, that lasted 7 years combined; one right after the other. Since then, I’ve been on occasion dates, but nothing serious, because emotionally I wasn’t ready.

Who am I? I’m just a simple guy, who is trying to find out what he wants to do with the rest of his life and hopefully find someone who would want to share it with me. Theatre is cool, but it is long hours, and busy schedule that last forever. I love it, but I couldn’t do it for the rest of my life. It wouldn’t be fair for a spouse to deal with my long hours and I couldn’t go very long without seeing my children. I would love to teach. Mold the minds of the youth! Get them ready for the world. How do I start that? When can I start that? Someone must want the same thing as me, right?

So in a way it’s real simple, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I exercise, and I believe God is holding on to someone for me, but in the meantime, I have to go through struggles and tribulations to test my faith and to have a pure relationship with someone that is based on good morals and a passion for God. So I ask again, where is my Paige? Well, she is just around the corner; as part of my walk with Christ, and I’m grateful God has given me someone to look forward to. No sneak peaks, but just lots heartbreak before I get there.

I just want to to back to Salt Lake City and live away from the blob of rumors and nonsense that piles up in a Summerstock Theatre.

Moonlight Hike

Last night was a full moon. Is there any better time to go on a hike at night when the entire trail is lit with moon shine. I had decided to go on this hike by myself, but when I had mentioned it to a bunch of people I work with, they thought it was a good idea, so I invited them to come along. It was Patrick, Amber Scott, Jessie, and Bradley. The location was Cedar Breaks, just 21 miles from Cedar City; the little town I’m working in for the Utah Shakespearean Festival. We loaded my truck around 12:45 am and headed up the hill to the National Park. On the drive we passed by 2 deers in the middle of the road, and an entire flock of them just right outside the main entrance. We parked at the visitor center and hit the main trail to The Perspective View. Along the way there were bats flying over us, we knew this by their clicking and quick silhouette’s flying overhead. It was a mile out, and we only used our flash lights for a couple small patches where the trees blocked the moonlight. The view was gorgeous. I don’t have a picture of it because the capture time on my camera couldn’t pick up any light, let alone a nice picture of what I saw. We stared at the giant hole of Cedar Breaks for about 20 minutes, and had our own personal time reflecting on life. After we were finished we had to hike back up the hill and make it back to my truck. Time was about 2:45 am by the time we made it back to the apartments. I had mentioned hiking to Angels Landing the next time the moon is Full. Let’s see how many people will actually do it with me.

TV rots the Brain.

There is a hand full of people who have listened to the Ska Band I was in during my high school career. We were called ThreeXr, or 3XR, which stood for Three Times the Refreshment. Well, we had a ska song that was titled ‘TV rots the Brain’. Lyrically it was about watching TV and being a bum, and instead of being useless you should get up and live for Christ. (Oh yeah our ska band was a Christian Ska Band) But I was analyzing how much do I use the TV. I say ‘using’ because sometimes I don’t watch television, I watch my netflix movies, or play video games, but I need the TV to do so. I clocked in about 4 hours a day (mostly watching 24 on DVD). Averaging 24 hours a week. That’s insane!!! One entire day wasted in a vegetated state. So I’ve come up with a plan to help me stay away from the tube.

What incentive to we get for watching TV? We usually pay for cable, and in exchange we get commercials to buy products we usually don’t need. When watching late night television around 2am I love to see the Dating commercials for Live Links or some other calling service. It’s funny!!! A good friend of mine Jen Reyes and I joke about some of the cheesy lines given on those commercials. “I’m glad you called, I’m feeling the chemistry.” That’s just one line, many more. Well my point is we don’t get anything for watching TV. Absolutely nothing. Well I’m starting a reward program for TV. Reading in exchange for television viewing. I’m not sure how the rules will be, but this is just an idea for myself. It’s calculated like this in simple terms. 50 pages of reading equals 30 minutes of TV time. (anything goes for tv time, video games, TV show, or 30 minutes of a movie). 100 pages of reading equals a full length DVD. Hopefully I’ll be able to read more, be adaptive to words and have the knowledge of whatever it is I want to learn about.

I’m also going to start a reward program for exercising. But that involves money. Still working on the formula, but all I know is it will give me an incentive to work out.

Grand Teton National Park

A weekend away from work was well worth the efforts and money spent. I drove from Cedar City to Salt Lake City on July 10, 2008. Friday Pitt and I drove up to Logan, UT to pick up his buddy. Then set off to the Grand Teton National Park where we met up with Pitt’s brother and camped out at a campsite not too far from the trail head where we would start our ascent to the top of the Middle Teton. Pitt, Jackson, Duke, and myself left our campsite at 5:30am and arrived at the trail head around 6am. We gathered our day packs. I drank a protein shake to boost up my strength and to wake up. The first 4 miles weren’t too bad. Just switchbacks and lots of soft dirt.

Lake Something?

Then the next two miles going up was a combination of loose rocks, big boulders, and little patches of snow. Once we got to the lip of the mountain we had to pull out our ice axes and have a quick snack. By then we were at 10,000 feet in elevation. The air is thinner, and we just naturally moved a lot slower up the mountain. Of course we rested once we got to the saddle.

Pitt and Jackson

The view was spectacular of a half frozen lake. The color of the water was such a bright see through blue with icing covering the reflections of the clear sky. What a view! The wind was chilly again at 11,000 feet so I put on my fleece pull over and start the next portion. It consisted of slipping rocks/boulders and snow packed climbing. It was hard but once we reached the top, it was well worth.

Highest Climb I’ve done thus far

    It’s when you’re away from the horns of cars, city congestion’s, and all your life’s problems, is when you see such amazing land formations. The wind blows and whispers good karma through your bones and allows you to breathe normal again. A recharge of life if one could describe it. The breathe of nature is the reminder that God is watching us and we still have something to live for.

Just Starting Off.

Well, I wanted to be cool and instead of writing my thoughts with a pen and paper, I decided to start this blog. Who will see? Probably just my friends and family. I’m not just going to use this to rant about stuff. I’m going to use it so that when I grow old and grey, I can look up all the postings I’ve written and say, “Oh Yeah! I remember that day, or I remember when that happen.” Also it’s for the people who don’t have a myspace and can’t see my pictures updated frequently. Well, I can only write short this time, but as I work my theatre job I’ll have plently to do, and things to type up. Well this will not be the end of my saga, and I hope to write more important things and to accomplish high spirit in my fellow readers. (Pretty lame I know)