ahhh!

I spent a lot of time this afternoon browsing the web in search of Austin's alternative amenities! And I'm giddy about it all.

Among them...

A group that does "bike-in" movies...yeah, you ride your bike and meet up with others and watch movies for free and hang out.

A bike group that loans bikes for free! Apparently, you can find these yellow bikes around the city and you just ride them to wherever you need to go and leave them out for the next person to use.

A large amount* of vegan/vegetarian restaurants.

Independent bookstores!

Lots of music.

And the people seem to be really really really nice, not the snobby hipsters I've always encountered at shows and in Blacksburg, but genuine folk who do give a shit.

Sleeping in contacts makes my eyes dry and tends to make me feel sleepy throughout the day.

I have decided that one day I'll stumble upon some reason to push through all these pointless, dull moments that don't seem to be leading me anywhere and maybe I'll do something that's worth it. Like write something, yeah, that would be nice. Something besides this or that or record reviews or newspaper articles.

Jens Lekman is still one of the best things I've ever heard.

Hopefully Austin won't sweep me into its nightlife. It's tough, not knowing exactly who I am. There's always a slight urge tingling my brain that tells me that the Beats were IT, that they lived life to the fullest and that I shouldn't be opposed to hallucinogens and all that jazz. And, they had style. Carefree, happenin', and cool would be the way to be, but it's not really David Barker now, is it?

On the (somewhat) opposing end is a yearning to do something for change, but WHAT? I don't know, what really makes a difference? I agree with the anarchists, I agree with the socialists, the humanists, the animal rights and the gay rights activists, and I see humans as humans and not part of a nation. But then contemplating what these groups can hope to accomplish, I come up empty-handed. Is there ultimately futility in all the calls for goodness and fairness in the world? Eh.

Riding my bike and living off what I can salvage from the waste of others would be ideal, I often think, but I need a job that will allow me to pay for student loans, which puts me into a bind. I'll manage, I think, but I don't yet know how.

an ugly day, and I'm exhausted (but hooray for first posts)

It's a rainy morning, and I'll be damned if I'm landscaping in this cold wet hell. I made this blog during a period of restlessness early this morning (circa 4:30 AM) after a phone call that didn't set well with me. But hey, productivity ensued, so I guess it's not all bad. Today will serve as a resting period (at least while it's not good weather), and time for me to get some things together.

First, Mark Redburn from Under the Rader emailed me back, responding to my freelancing inquiry. I have to submit a few writing samples of mine, which is scary, but UTR isn't pretentious or excessively verbose like Pitchfork, so I'm actually somewhat confident. Next up, I have to get some things together for an article (due Monday) for the Smyth County News & Messenger. This one deals with homes and wildfire safety. Not the most exciting job in the world, but it's portfolio material and it's a little bit of money. Finally, I have to get ready for an interview with Electric Soft Parade for Skratch Magazine, which should take place on Sunday or Monday.

This summer has been as busy (or busier) than this past semester; the work just comes in different shapes. I'm not complaining (too much) but I just hope I have the time to get everything done.