Background and New Truths.

Random spark of inspiration strikes at the strangest times. Not one bit do I dislike the fact that it's hit me now, though. I mean...a lot has happened in the past year. I'm not going to go that far into depth but just enough to get the basics.

I fell in love and moved out to Dallas. Then I left my job at Walmart to try and transfer and get a better position at the store closer to my new apartment with Julia. They basically gave me the run-around. They terminated me from my Walmart and I was no longer able to work for them. At the beginning of May, I got arrested because Julia and I got into a fight. I know what happened was wrong, and I really have learned my lesson. I started working at Sears and they stopped scheduling me. In order to save the apartment, I sold everything I had pretty much. Guitars, game systems, games, books, CDs. You get it... Literally everything. We ended up losing the apartment just in time for me to start working at Gamestop. We then got a storage unit and moved everything into it in a day or so. Julia and I packed up the cats and moved into the Suites of America. She was supporting that financially with her job at QT Kitchens which she lost around Halloween. From there we began a motel tango. Got kicked out of the first one for having cats. The second hotel didn't like that we had two people in one room without them knowing. From there we bounced from the streets to the Econolodge when we could come up with the money for it. Julia got arrested and from there I went and stayed with my best friend's parents. I picked up a seasonal job with UPS helping deliver packages. Unfortunately that ended on Christmas Eve. We're close to losing storage due to late payments. I've recently gone out to Mineral Wells. I'm currently living with my Mom. We're staying at one of her close friend's house. I've become what I'd like to consider friends with her son and we've been jamming together with a couple guitars. I'm fifty two days sober after a minor binge. I'm gonna lay it all out there, I got mixed up with heroin. You can judge me all you'd like, but it was my mistake to make. What's done is done and I've learned my lesson. I'm done with that shit and it's not worth it. I've seen the destruction around me and in the people I met along the way. It's not a place I'd like to be back in ever again. I'm moving on and dealing with it on my own. I have no fear of relapse if anyone is worried about it. This past year in a nutshell doesn't seem so bad, but to be completely honest, I feel like I've aged a good four or five years because of all the stress. I've grown my hair back out and I miss my beard tremendously. I blame UPS for making me ditch it, but the paychecks were worth it, even if it was just for a week in a hotel each time.

I apologize for making that sound like a very long caption you read at the end of documentary that explains what's happened since the filming. Afterword. That's what I was looking for. I know I've said that I'm gonna write again, but I think it's a good time in my life to pick it back up again. I've felt a little inspired; and hey, maybe I can actually finish something this time. I'd like to thank every one that's been there for me when I truly needed them most. I don't have to name any names because I KNOW they know they are and what they mean to me. I love you guys.

Andrew and me messing around on a song called "So Long."




I used to love ending with quotes because everyone knows I can't say it as well as someone said it once before. I read about a view on religion and faith that I never realized was exactly how I felt. It's "a philosophy of the term "God" defining not a being, but in what and how an individual is able to realize a faith and happiness."

Shows

So, I've seen a ton of shows, and I'd like to remember some of the bands I've seen. I'm only going to include tour shows. Not local shows. For the festivals, just because the bands are listed, doesn't mean I saw them all, but I'd like to know who was all there. This is going to be in chronological order, and whenever I go to a show, I will add to this.

July 16, 2006 - Louder Now/We Don't Need to Whisper
The Subways, Head Automatica, Angles and Airwaves, Taking Back Sunday

December 8, 2006 - How the Edge Stole Christmas '06
Plain White T's, Black Tie Dynasty, Kill Hannah, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, 30 Seconds to Mars, Taking Back Sunday

June 19, 2007 - Honda Civic Tour
The Academy Is..., Paul wall, Cobra Starship, (+44), Fall out Boy

December 14, 2007 - How The Edge Stole Christmas '07
The Starting Line, The Vanished, Silversun Pickups, Coheed and Cambria, Paramore, Silverchair, Jimmy Eat World, Modest Mouse

February 1, 2008 - I-Empire
Ace Enders, The Color Fred, Meg and Dia, Angels and Airwaves

June 17, 2008 - Narrow Stairs
Rouge Wave, Death Cab for Cutie

July 3, 2008 - Vans Warped Tour '08
1997, 3OH!3, A Day to Remember, The Academy Is..., Add Verse, Against Me, The Aggrolites, Alesena, Anberlin, Angels and Airwaves, As I Lay Dying, The Audition, August Burns Red, Beat Union, Bedouin Soundclash, Between the Trees, The Bleeding Irish, The Briggs, Broadway Calls, The Bronx, Charlotte Sometimes, Cobra Starship, The Color Fred, Culture Shock Camp, Dante, The Devil Wears Prada, Entice, Evergreen Terrace, Every Time I Die, Family Force 5, Farewell, Fight Fight Fight, Forever the Sickest Kids, From First to Last, Gil Mantera's Party Dream, Greeley Estates, Gym Class Heroes, The Higher, Horrorpops, Jack's Mannequin, Jet Lag Gemini, Katy Perry, Last Great Assault, The Lordz, The Maine, Massive Monkees, Mayday Parade, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, MC Chris, Norma Jean, ORESKABAND, Othello, Paige Wood, Panima, Paramore, Pierce the Veil, The Pink Spiders, The Pinker Tones, Piotta, Protest the Hero, Reel Big Fish, Relient K, Say Anything, The Secret Handshake, Set Your Goals, Shwayze, Skeet Skeet, Steve Steadham/Citizen X, Stick to Your Guns, Story of the Year, Street Dogs, Street Drum Corps Presents BANG!, Supe, TAT, Valencia, We the Kings

July 25, 2008 - Rockstar Mayhem Fest
The Red Chord, 36 Crazyfists (caught a drum stick), Suicide Silence, Black Tide, Underoath, DJ Starscream, Walls of Jericho, Five Finger Death Punch, Airbourne, Machine Head, Mastadon, Dragonforce, Disturbed, Slipknot

July 31, 2008 - No Fear Music Tour
Cancer Bats, Bleeding Through, Bullet for My Valentine

October 21, 2008 - Trouble Maker Tour
Tokyo Police Club, Angels and Airwaves, Weezer

December 5, 2008 - How the Edge Stole Christmas '08
Aranda, Carolina Liar, Shiny Toy Guns, Cold War Kids, Snow Patrol, Death Cab for Cutie

May 9, 2009 - Edgefest 19
Saint Karla, Electric Touch, Veer Union, Drive A, Aranda, 10 Years (caught a drumstick), Flaming Hanley, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Anberlin, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Shinedown, Papa Roach, Blue October, 311, Korn

July 5, 2009 - Warped Tour '09
3OH!3, 40 Sons and Daughters, A Day to Remember, A Rocket to the Moon, A Skylit Drive, After Midnight Project, Aiden, Alana Grace, Alexisonfire, Anti-Flag, Attack Attack, Bad religion, Bayside, Big D and the Kids Table, Black Tide, Born to Lose, Breathe Carolina, brokeNCYDE, Chiodos, Dance Gavin Dance, Dear and the Headlights, Emmure, Escape the Fate, Gallows, Hit the Lights, I Set My Friends On Fire, In This Moment, InnerPartySystem, ivy league, Jeffree Star, Jet lag Gemini, KIA Kevin Says Stage, Less than Jake, LIGHTS, Longway, Madina Lake, Meg and Dia, Millionaires, OUTERNATIONAL, P.O.S., RAE, Red Car Wire, Saosin, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Senses Fail, Shad, Shooter Jennings, Sing it Loud, Streetlight Manifesto, Superman is Dead, TAT, The A.K.A.s, The Architects, The Ataris, The Blackout, The Devil Wears Prada, The Maine, The White Tie Affair, There for Tomorrow, Therefore I Am, Thrice, TV/TV, Underoath, VersaEmerge, With These Words

July 14, 2009 - Mandala
Good Old War, RX Bandits, Dredg

Juggling Act.

This is going to be a giant orgy of the things I do.
-A Rant
-Fiction
-Photography
-Lyrics

If you even knew what went on through my head, you would be running for your life. Hourly, my mind jumps from story board to story board, lyric to lyric, frame to frame. In writing this, I have a few projects running through my head. Let me fill you in...
I'm going to be starting a new story by the beginning of 2009. The working title thus far is The Rekab Hotel.
Photography is going to take a big step forward starting in 2009 as well. I can't say much more about it, but expect to see Zarkography more and more around the interwebs if all goes well.
You might have noticed I've been writing lyrics more lately. Well, there's sort of a major reason that might sift to the top of the projects list if everything is right.

The Rant.
Usually they are about realizations about me. Well, this one isn't different, so if you don't like reading these, feel free to skip to the next section. I fucking love my friends. I do not know where I would be without them. The main reason I started writing is because my best friend, you should know his name by now, was working on a song. I guess in a sense I got jealous and felt like writing myself. Well, this isn't the first time. Sarah has written. Kyle has written. Eric has written. Lizzy has written. Then of course, I started writing. Basically, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my friends, and that is final.

The Fiction/The Photography.
Some of my veteran readers may remember "Working Title" from ages ago, which will be finished eventually. Well, the main character had a name that some might also remember as Garret Anders. I'll let you in on a secret. I got the name from an intersection of streets by my friend's house. Want proof?


The Lyrics.
Look for Song 3 soon.

Sunscreen

I was introduced to a song by a good friend of mine, and ever since I heard it, I decided to try and live my life by it. It's the greatest lyrical composed song ever. It's more of a speech with music applied, but it's still amazing. I was browsing the internet and found this on YouTube... It's a video of the song. I thought it was composed rather well.

Music

It might not really seem like it, but, I really have a strong feeling for music. It is increasing every second. If you ask me if I have ever heard of a band, I will answer you straight forward. I will also tell you how I feel about any band. I am really into unsigned bands or not so popular bands. Local bands are okay, but I am going to admit...this whole emo/scene/hardcore thing is getting old. You might hate me or delete me for saying that, but damn... Somebody had to say it. There are bands where I will just own you at the ass about how well I know them and what I know about them. There are other bands where I will have no idea what their most popular song was. Music is most certainly my life. Everyone asks what I will be doing with my life so I give them the simple answer of "Music". I could talk about music for hours. Rap is my least favorite. I prefer country to it. It doesn't have a point. As a good friend of mine once said, "All [rap] is, is remixing one simple beat and changing lyrics from a well known song. E.I. Chain Hang Low". That is exactly what it is. There is no point. I grew up with music all around me, so there is really no reason for me not to love it. My first actual favorite band was blink 182. I thank my two cousins for introducing me to them with the album "Dude Ranch" in 1997. Ever since then my music collection has steadily increased. I have developed interests in bands most people have never heard of or bands no one would expect me to listen to.