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2011 Recap

It’s New Years Eve, which means it’s time for a recap of what happened in 2011 and a look forward at 2012. 2011 was a pretty big year for me. We decided it was time to leave Asheville and head back to the Delta, which meant new jobs, new apartment, and lots of stress and travel. As happy as I was to come back to the area where the majority of our friends and all of our family live, it was hard to leave Asheville, which is a beautiful, vibrant city, and a job I’d grown so comfortable in. But we did it! And we’re here, in Memphis, and I must say I love it so far. Seeing the sunset over the Mississippi River and being able to literally see Arkansas from where I live is amazing. There’s so much good food and music, and walking out of work downtown every evening to the scent of Memphis barbecue wafting through the air is a delight. Plus, so many of our friends are here. Jeremy’s already playing shows with Come Sundown, something that rarely happened when we were hours away, and I’ve seen my best friends more since we’ve been here than I did the entire time I lived in North Carolina. And being only an hour and a half away from my mom and nine year old brother is amazing. I’m so happy to be back.

In 2011 I went to the beach. I (barely) started a screenplay for a horror movie I’ve been wanting to write. I had surprise visits from friends and took multiple road trips. I saw amazing bands and pulled all-nighters that I thought I was too old for during Gonerfest. I got a new job. I got a new apartment. I started fresh with my finances and am slowly working my way out of debt. I helped one of my best friends with her first feature length movie, 45 RPM, something I’m very proud to have been a part of. I learned new photography techniques, I hand developed film, I took pottery classes, I wrote articles about musicians I love. I ate at new restaurants, baked new recipes, played a melodica, and had movie marathons with friends. I got on stage with King Khan and Bloodshot Bill, saw Wild Flag swing from the rafters at the Grey Eagle, and watched Neil Hamburger kick people out of the Admiral. It’s hard to think of anything that happened this year besides the big stuff, but when I really try it’s all there, and I did a lot. Some photos from 2011:

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Tags: 2011, 2011 recap, 2012, New Year's Eve, New Years Resolutions

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Categories Random Thoughts

January Photo First

2 Jan

For my photo first and creative project for January I did a photo essay on my New Years Eve.

I spent most of the day chillin with the pugs, knitting, reading and napping. Oh, and having some adult beverages.

I had to get Jeremy from the airport at around six. I was out of windshield washing fluid and could barely see on the drive there. I was also late, as always. See what mad steez my man has?

We went to Arcade Asheville for our first stop of the evening. It was their grand opening and I love it already! Tons of old arcade games, including Road Blasters, Hamburger Time, Donkey Kong, and Mortal Kombat 2. Also, a Kinect and a Wii! Add strong drinks and hot waitresses and it’s a definite hit. They have two old school Nintendos at the bar, and a GAME MENU that you can choose from. I’m in love.

Next we headed to the Grey Eagle for the Legendary Singing Stars and Reigning Sound show. It was amazing! I practiced shooting with my Nikon on manual, which I need to get more comfortable with. I was pretty happy with some of my photos.

This show was amazing, full of energy, and so much fun. Many of the Asheville shows I go to let me down, but this one was awesome. I’ll do another post with more photos from the show, which can be found at my flickr page (see link on sidebar).

Our friend David drove us home and since the back was all full I had to sit on Jeremy’s lap and hope no cops noticed. It was fun and made me feel like a teenager again. Then we ate nachos, watched Ninja Assassin, and enjoyed the first few hours of the new year.

Firsts of the New Year:

Song I heard: Oh When the Saints Go Marching In by the Legendary Singing Stars and Reigning Sound

Food I ate: Black Bean Nachos

Drink I had: Rum and coke

Movie I saw: Ninja Assassin

Thing that pissed me off: David refusing to dance with me at the Grey Eagle, no matter how much I tried.

Today has been great. Lots of photo editing, scrabble playing, pug cuddling, and hanging out with friends. Zeb and David came over and we had cornbread, collard greens, black eyed peas, rice, veggie sausage, and rotel. It’s gonna be a good year!

Tags: New Year's Eve, NYE, Photo First

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Categories Photography

Bye 2010!

31 Dec

This year went by so quickly. While I know tons of stuff happened, it all just crams into a blur of events. Thank god for photographs. I went to a lot of great shows (Nobunny! Gonerfest 7! The Hold Steady! King Khan and the Shrines! Langhorne Slim! Lucero!), ate a ton of great food, and had some massive nights with my friends in Asheville, Jonesboro, Nashville, Memphis, and Atlanta. I got to be there when my best friends recorded an album that I love. I made new friends and rekindled old friendships. I learned that if your pug eats rocks he’ll end up in the hospital. I learned how to shoot redscale film. I learned that when my friends need something from me, I’ll find a way to do it even if it seems impossible. I learned that sometimes dropping out is the best option. I learned that sometimes a good time is worth the drive. I learned how to catch a rooster.