It’s a rainy day in the dungeon

It’s wet outside.
It seems like it always is
when I write on this blog.
And that’s fine, because
rainy days are probably
some of my favorite days.
Something about the feeling
that comes with a gray day.
They are relaxed from the start.
The lazy,
stay-in-bed just a little longer
stare out the window and dream,
reflect,
breathe in the world outside my window.

The world is beautiful gray.
The ground glistens,
rain drops adorn car windows
like tiny Christmas lights if
the sun hits them just right.
I love it when it’s rainy.
Just thought I’d share.
Time to get to work.

73 degrees. Partly cloudy.

As much as I'm not a fan of the South,
I must admit that it’s blessed me
with a beautiful past couple of days.
Toasty, but not too toasty. Windy, but not overly windy.
If days had flavor to them, the past couple days were delicious.

Great weather for reflection.



As one of my professors, Charles Hall, alluded to,
"who took the fun out of advertising?"
Well, I couldn't agree more.
But I'd like to make this statement a little more personal.

"When did the fun get taken out of me."

Well, I haven't been fun this semester.
I've failed a lot. A whole lot.
And because of that it has been
a very tough semester for me. But all for the better.
Without failure, there is no learning.
And in my case, there's been
a whole lot of learning going on this semester.

With this new weather comes a new perspective.
Toasty, but not too toasty. Windy, but not overly windy.
If it had a flavor to it, this new perspective would be delicious.

My new perspective is to take it all light-hearted.
To stop trying to get everything right
and instead just do. Do what I know.
Do what I like. Do what I feel.
'Cause isn't that what I'm in this business for anyway.

The reality check is
that it is a lot easier to say it than do it.
But to hell with that,
I'm gonna keep trying.
It's my time now.

It's a gray day in richmond

This town can be spooky at times.
Especially, at the end of winter.
Trees creep into the sky, naked and frail.
The sweet scented air tells of coming rains.
Maybe more. It is an interesting place.

Now, it's days like this that are the hardest.
The hardest to stay on task. The hardest
to get busy. The hardest
to sit down, shut up and write.

Today is extra special,
because I'm sick. Now don't take that as an excuse.
Instead, consider it another obstacle.
One that comes in mucus form.

Even on days like this, when it is hard
to get my mind wrapped around my chosen profession,
I can't help but be inspired by creativity.
People like Luke Sullivan.
If you’ve never heard him speak,
I suggest you read his book “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This”
or listen to the newest podcast from American Copywriter.

And no,
I'm not gonna go on some sort of rant about
how much he has inspired me to enter the industry.
(Although, he has.)
I'm just saying love what you do. And when
you can't remember why, keep tabs on people who love it, too.
They'll remind you why you're doing what you're doing.
Even if looking in the mirror doesn't help.

Richmond is a long way from Lawrence.

I’m here. Richmond, VA.

And wow, I didn’t miss Southern humidity. It feels like I’m trying to breathe underwater and we all know how successful that can be, right? Right?!

Thus far, I’ve been a little overwhelmed with new names, new faces and some of the most interesting life stories I’ve ever heard. Folks from Thailand, India, Mexico and yes, the good ol’ U.S. of A. Oh, and let me clarify, overwhelmed in a good way.

I’m excited to get jiggy with the program and work my buns off all for the love of my craft. I’m also excited about finding opportunities to use words that no one uses anymore, ie. jiggy. I smell a resurgence, that is, unless Will Smith has it copyrighted.

I still can’t believe I’m here. It doesn’t feel like home. It feels like I’m just on trip or something; as if I’m coming back to KCI any day now. I’m sure it’ll set in that I’m in the deep end of the pool once my classes start up and my sleeping habits become worse than undergrad all-nighters could ever hold a candle to. Damn, I hope I packed my floaties.

One last thing to do before I get this show going, how am I suppose to come up with $40,000 to pay for this again?

Rainy Wilbraham, MA

Remember in elementary school when we used to sing and taunt the rain to “go away and come again another day.” Yeah, well, in Wilbraham, MA, it ain’t going away. Not all day, at least.

I’m in my parent’s house. Granted, I’m not from MA, nor have I ever lived her for more than a month. Geez, they’ve only lived here a little over two years. So, what is there to do in a quaint township on the outskirts of Springfield, MA, which sometimes seems as generic as its Simpon’s-esque name?

Not a damn thing. And that’s good. Monday morning I will be a Richmonder.

So, in honor of a happier, more colorful time (that and I’m bored) enjoy this music video from Zero 7. I guarantee you’ll like it, unless you like “Pop, Lock and Drop it.” Then, I just can’t help ya.

Richmond is beautiful city after all, maybe Dr. Kelso was right.

I’m a bit of a Scrubs nerd. I love it. I have all five available season on DVD and watch it whenever life allows such a delectable treat. However a fourth season quote from Dr. Kelso rang in my mind loud and true while I was in Richmond looking for a place to call home for the next couple of years.

“Anything in life that is worth a damn won’t come easy. You gotta work for it. So, get up off your ass. Get out there and do the work.”

Two days to find a place to live is challenging enough as it is. But doing for myself and for my two roomies in a town I know nothing about was, well, let’s say it was big set of growing pains. Mike Seaver, eat your heart out, my friend.

I was in Richmond, VA to fend for myself. No friends. No family. And thanks to Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, no rental car. Just my luck; it was a hundred some-odd degrees that blistering Tuesday. I only had two appointments lined up and every place I saw on the Internet must have thought I was kidding when I very politely asked, “please call me back when you have a chance. Thank you so much.” I’m still tryin’ to figure out just why I was thanking them.

8:30am to 4:30 I trekked across the rainforest of a city that was Richmond as the Sun licked me up and down. Kept my chin up, kept placing one foot in front of the other and kept my eagle eyes open for places better than what I saw on the Internet. I’m sure I lost 10 pounds of water weight, but the Scrubs quote kept echoing and I kept going with a stiff upper lip. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the heavens decided it’d be a great idea to pour its soul on me. I was drenched.

I got leads from everyone and everywhere, but every place I saw became worse than the previous. A funny one was when a lady from Waybright Properties showed me an apartment that looked like part of WWII was fought in it. Windows were broken. The refrigerator door was missing a handle. Floor boards were missing. Paint was peeling everywhere, as if the even the paint hated being associated with the place. There was a hook latch for the front door’s lock. It looked like someone started a fire in the restroom. Debris was crumbled all around my feet.

I ran into luck. A very nice waitress named Heather at the 821 Café over in the Fan district of Richmond saw me drag into the restaurant, slump in my chair from dehydration, exhaustion and just being soaked. We got to talking and she was kind enough to tote me around for a tour of Richmond for two and a half hours.

It was a blessing. Suddenly, through Heather’s kindness, I was able to learn about the town, some of its history, where not to look for places to live, who not to rent from (Waybright, Pollard & Bagby, etc.) and what there is to do in the town. I felt like I was becoming a local. No worries, I paid her gas money.

Well, moral of the story is I put in the work, to little avail. I was blessed with undeserved kindness. Then on the following day, found a place to live. I’m not sure that chain events would have happened if it weren’t for just going out and doing the work, even if I’m still dehydrated from the whole affair. Thank you for you words of wisdom, Dr. Kelso. Thank you.