I’m back (again)…

I’m planning on starting to blog again. I’m sure if any of you are reading this you are skeptical of this, and I can’t blame you, but I want to try, and see what happens.

So, here I go again…

Snow rest for the weary…

Photo Credit: John Heller - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

So for those of you in the Pittsburgh area, you are well aware that we got another “blast” of winter weather last night.  This one was particularly frustrating since just a few days ago it was 65 degrees.  Alas, by this morning close to 9″ of snow had fallen in the Pittsburgh area, and as is the case around this area, panic ensued.  Cars were abandoned, the parkways were gridlocked until late into the night, and today everyone is pointing the fingers at who is to blame for this mess.  Weather forecasters had to play “catch-up” with their predictions as the snow came earlier and heavier than forecasted.  Road crews fought to keep up with the snow, but they were at an early disadvantage due to the worst of the storm moving in at rush hour.

Read more about this round of winter weather here, here, or here…

It’s a bit funny, because when I moved to Pittsburgh, I was told that while it snows in Pittsburgh, it typically isn’t that bad.  The average winter here in the city yields around 40.3 inches of snow.  Compared to the 84″ that South Bend averages, I figured 40″ would be a cakewalk.  However, the past 2 winters have been anything but average.  Here’s some fun facts:

• Last winter Pittsburgh saw 77.4″ of snow.  This is 36.8″ above average.
• 48.7″ fell in February 2010, 21″ of which fell in just 2 days (2/5-2/6)
• This winter we have seen 50″ so far, which is 20.6″ above average as of today.
• From late Fall of 2009 through today, the city is 57.4″ above average

So basically, In the past 15 months, Pittsburgh has seen nearly 3 and a half winters worth of snow.  Add to that the fact that Pittsburgh is one of the most hilly cities in America, and you get a whole lot of spinning tires, slide offs, and just general chaos.  See exhibit A below for a video of what a “minor” ice storm this winter combined with the hilly streets of Pittsburgh can look like

Oh Winter… you so crazy.

Personally, I blame this guy:

The Weather Rodent

And maybe this guy:

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (not Snoop Dogg)

But certainly not this guy:

I make the weather! All of this moisture coming up out of the Gulf is gonna push off to the east and hit Altoona.

Spring has to come eventually, right?

Concert Review: Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World
February 14th
Club Zoo, Pittsburgh, PA

Well, it was a night of firsts.  It was the first time I was able to see Jimmy Eat World live, and it was also the first time I’ve ever seen a concert at Club Zoo.  I arrived in the Strip District around 6:30 to see a line down the street and around the block.  I figured I would pick up my Will Call tickets and then hang out around the Strip until closer to showtime.  Unfortunately, the Will Call table is inside the venue and tickets are not available until the doors open for the night.  Instead of waiting in the rain/snow/sleet/misery mix that was pouring from the sky at the time, I decided to meet up with some friends at Rolands in the Strip for some food and pre-show libations.  Finally, at around 8, we headed back to the venue to find a spot and catch a bit of the opening band before Jimmy took the stage.

We got our tickets, and entered the Club, and instantly I knew it was going to be a “difficult” venue.  The place was already jammed back to the doors and the sight lines were terrible.  If you’ve never been to Club Zoo before, it’s obvious that it’s a club first, concert venue second.  The main floor is quite small and cramped, and outside of that, viewing options are limited to various balconies on the second floor.  Speaking of the balconies, despite already paying 30 dollars a ticket, if you wanted to go upstairs to watch the show, it was an additional 10 dollars for the “VIP level”.  Seeing that we weren’t going to see or hear much on the first level, we paid the extra cash and headed upstairs.  The sight lines upstairs were not much better as the prime viewing spots were already well picked over.  The one major benefit was that the crowds were much lighter upstairs and it was much easier to move around.  My only complaint about the upstairs level is the lack of restrooms.  In order to use the restroom, you had to go back downstairs and fight through a very tightly packed crowd to the one set of restrooms on the other side of the venue.

Ok, enough about the venue.  Let’s get to the music.  I must admit, I didn’t hear much of the opener, David Bazan.  What I heard wasn’t bad, but I can’t give a firm opinion.  (EDIT:  My friend Nate just reminded me that Bazan founded Pedro The Lion, a band I used to be into several years ago… I never made the connection last night.  Whoops)  When we first walked in, he was doing a duet with the lead singer of Jimmy Eat World, and the harmonies sounded solid, but again, I can’t say too much as we were working our way around the maze of Club Zoo at the time looking for a spot for the main act.  And what a main act it was.  I have been a fan of Jimmy for well over 10 years.  I started listening to them when Clarity was released, and have been a fan since then.  I just have never had the opportunity to see them live.   Luckily, that changed last night.

The set kicked off with A Praise Chorus from Bleed American and then went directly into My Best Theory from their newest album Invented.  Both these songs are full of energy and were a great start to the show.  From there the set spanned nearly the entire Jimmy Eat World discography.   Songs were played from 6 of the band’s 7 releases.  The only album not represented was their 1994 self-titled record.  The band kept up great energy from front to back, despite the crowd being rather mild mannered throughout the entire show.  The highlights for me were Big Casino, Evidence, Pain, Goodbye Sky Harbor, and of course the encore-ending The Middle and Sweetness.

The sound, while a bit quiet in the venue, was excellent.  The band is still spot on with their harmonies, and lead singer, Jim Adkins, has as powerful of a voice as ever.  The instrument blend was good, and I never felt like the band overpowered the vocals.  Courtney Marie Andrews, who appears on the band’s newest album, provided a nice female counterpart on several songs and just added to the full sound that the band already has.

In conclusion, the concert was excellent.  Jimmy Eat World is still going strong, and musically left nothing to be desired at the end of the night.  They played their hearts out, and everyone who I spoke to were ecstatic about the song choices and energy of the show.  Unfortunately, the venue they played left me feeling frustrated that I couldn’t enjoy the show more.  Despite that, I am still incredibly glad that I finally got the chance to see them live.  I only took one picture during the concert and I had to hold the camera precariously above my head and use 3x zoom to get a decent frame on the stage.  So please, forgive the graininess.  Try to think of it as a “rock and roll” feel to the picture.

Setlist:
A Praise Chorus
My Best Theory
Coffee and Cigarettes
Lucky Denver Mint
Let It Happen
Thinking, That’s All
Polaris
Futures
Big Casino
Dizzy
Action Needs An Audience
Pain
23
Evidence
For Me This Is Heaven
Hear You Me
Work
Blister
Goodbye Sky Harbor

Encore:
Invented
The Middle
Sweetness

The Rhythm Of Life…

I have always loved music.  Anyone who has spent any time of my 27 year existence with me knows this.  At any point in my life, I can find a song or band that has propelled me through that moment.  When finding words to describe my feelings fail me, music has always been there.

These past 6 months have been no different.  Unfortunately, due to life circumstances the music that has carried me through this time is certainly not the most uplifting, happy music you have ever heard.  In fact, it’s quite the contrary.  There have been plenty of minor chords and angst filled lyrics that have littered the road I have walked over the past half of a year.

I must admit that I feel bad for many of my Pittsburgh friends who have met, and got to know me over the past few months.  You have seen a very different person than I would like to present to the world.  I’m sure you may have found traits that you find enjoyable, or things we have in common, but to be honest, I haven’t felt like myself in a very long time.  I have used a lot of distractions to keep my mind off of the life I am facing.  Some have been harmless, but others have been a bit more detrimental.  Several mornings have come where the memories of the previous night were all but a blur.  It’s in these moments that I realize that these temporary fixes aren’t bringing me a permanent solution to the problem.  I have been searching for anything to numb the pain of the reality of starting life over.  While some of these methods may “work” for a time, the damage they cause under the surface is much greater. The heart begins to harden, and the vibrant personality that lives underneath it all becomes callous and mundane.

Many of you have asked me lately why I’m not around as much.  First, please know it’s not because I don’t care about you (yinz). You have all been so supportive of me through all of this, and I am so thankful to you all.  The reality is, for several months, I lost track of the “music” of life.  Life used to be a brilliant symphony for me… lately, it has fallen into the faint sound of a child banging on a piano, desperately trying to put together a melody of any kind.

Over the past 2 weeks, I have begun to feel a passion for a full life once again.  A life that breaks the status quo.  One where I can break the ritual of a 24 hour carbon copy day that looks just like the last.  A life that is exciting, and has more for me than I could have ever imagined.  It will certainly take time to find my “symphony” again, and I am only finding the melody a day at a time.  There are still so many parts and intricate harmony lines to be found.  Hopefully I can discover this life with all of you, whom I care about so much.  I certainly can’t do it alone.

Luckily, that’s the beauty of a symphony.  One instrument can not play the entire piece.  Every part plays an important role.  To be honest, my faith teaches this very same thing about how we should all live and work together for a more perfect love and a greater life, but there’s no need to worry, I’m not going to start preaching right now.  As opposed to preaching from a “pulpit”, I’d rather live my life as the “instrument” that I feel I should be in this time and in this moment.  Perhaps in the chaos of life, some of you have lost track of what it means to join in this symphony of life. Perhaps the hurts and pains that life has dealt you have left you feeling rusty and meaningless.  If that is the case, I can only hope that perhaps my brief rambling tonight will ignite a desire to clean up your instrument a bit and join the wonderful music we can all make together.

And if you don’t like analogies… then first, I apologize for having to read through this all, second, have you considered that you possibly hate music? And finally, let me put it to you this way:

Thank you all for loving and caring for me through this very, VERY, difficult time.  I couldn’t do it without all of you, and I can’t do life from this point without you all either.  I hope we can all continue to walk through life together… wherever it may lead us all.

Going Through Changes…

The last you heard from me, I was getting ready to participate in Coasting for Kids at Cedar Point for Give Kids The World.  I am happy to say that the event was a huge success!  Nationwide, the event raised over 40,000 dollars for this great organization!  For all of you that were able to donate, thank you so much!  I am looking forward to participating again next year!

Now I realize it’s been several months since I’ve posted.  If you’ve followed my blogging in the past, you will realize this is not surprising.  I am awful at keeping up with blogging, and with several changes that have been going on in my life, it’s been even more difficult to find time to put my thoughts on a screen.  But, that’s what brings me back here today.

To be honest, I am in the midst of the darkest season that I have faced in my relatively young life…  Growing up, we all have an idea of how we want things to turn out as our life progresses.  We may not have an exact idea of how things will turn out, but most of us tend to have a framework that we try to build our life upon.  Even if we don’t have a full knowledge of what will transpire, nearly everyone has specific things that they hope/believe will never happen to them.  These are the things that redden your eyes with tears, that keep you awake at night, and radically change the course of life that you have followed thus far.  These events have the potential to tear down all you have built so far, and leave you back at square one.  These events shake you to your very core, and make you question what could have possibly brought you to this place.  As devastating as these moments are, they also are pivotal in that they can either destroy you, or build you into a stronger, better person than you were before.

So that is where I stand right now… Facing one of the things that I never thought would ever happen to me.  This is my reality.  The frail hope that this is a very long bad dream has faded, and I am now just trying to figure out where to go from here.

Some of you reading this blog know what it is that I am facing, while others are completely clueless.  I am sorry that I am being vague right now, but I really don’t feel like publishing my entire personal life on the internet.  Rather, I look to process through some of the things I am feeling right now, and attempt to find healing through writing.  I have always loved writing, and find it to be very therapeutic, but I tend to ignore it until something like this happens.

I’m hoping to make this blog a place where I can process through the various feelings I am experiencing as I journey through this chapter of my life’s story.  Now don’t worry… I promise this blog is not going to become “Josh’s Inner Sanctum of Sadness.”  Hmm… Perhaps I will start that blog on another page (sarcasm).  While it is true that I am going through some very difficult things in life, it doesn’t mean that I am completely lacking any positive emotions.  In fact, sometimes in these dark times, you can find joy in places that you would never notice if you were just going about life as usual.

So if you pray, please pray for me.  If you don’t, at least send some positive thoughts my way.  If you don’t think any positive thoughts… well… then perhaps you should start an “inner sanctum of sadness” blog…

Thanks for your support during this difficult time, and hopefully I emerge from this a stronger, wiser person than when it started.

Coasting for Kids

So, if you read my Twitter or my Facebook, you may be tired of hearing about this, but don’t worry… You only need to hear about it for 9 more days… I ask you to please take just a few minutes and read this…

What you see below you is the Gemini roller coaster at Cedar Point… Looks fun, eh?  When it opened in 1978 it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world!

I have ridden this coaster countless times in my numerous visits to Cedar Point over the course of my life, and on July 29th, I will be riding this coaster many more times, but for a VERY different reason…  Let me show you something:

Doesn’t this place look amazing?  If you were a kid and were in the car with your parents driving through the Orlando, FL area, wouldn’t you nag them and cry until they would pull over so you could see what this place was all about?

This place is truly amazing… truly magic… but in a different way than most “attractions” in Central Florida.  This is Give Kids The World Village.  This village is a 70-acre resort complete with over 140 deluxe Villas, entertainment attractions, and whimsical venues.  However, what makes this resort unique is that it is specifically designed for children with special needs and life threatening illness.  This village is a haven and a joyful escape for these precious children and their families.  Since it’s beginnings, Give Kids The World has given over 100,000 children the chance to enjoy both the Village and the famous theme parks in the Orlando area.  No child in need has ever been turned away – and no child ever will…  What’s even more exciting is that you can be a part of making sure these special children continue to have a place to be treated like the princes and princesses that they truly are!

In just 9 days, I will be going to Cedar Point.  I will be riding the Gemini roller coaster for up to 10 hours (with meal and restroom breaks of course).  A lot of the people who have talked to me about the event want to talk about this coaster marathon.  To be completely honest, it was one of the reasons that I signed up for the event.  However, over the past several weeks of raising money for this event, I’ve come to realize that there really isn’t anything special about me sitting on a roller coaster for ten hours.  It’s a ride… It will go up, and it will go down…many many times.  I may get motion sick, I may even need to stop before the day is done.  The truth is I have ridden Gemini over a hundred times already, and simply sitting on it for 10 hours isn’t going to bring joy to a child who is suffering.  It’s what we do in these 9 days leading up to the event that will make it special…  What we do in these next 9 days can and will bring joy to children and their families who desperately needs it.

I am asking for donations to sponsor my involvement in the event.  I have set a goal to raise 1000.00 for Give Kids The World.  As of this writing, I have raised 590 dollars so far!  I am so thankful for those of you who have been able to donate!  Your generosity is so greatly appreciated.  I know we only have less than 9 days left, but I truly believe that we can still hit my goal of 1000.00.  I know money is tight for many these days, but if only 82 people would donate 5.00, I would hit my goal.  If you can give more, that’s great, but all I’m asking is that you give what you can…

It’s easy to donate… I have a secure site set up where you can make your donation.  The money goes directly to the charity and I never see a penny of it.  If you would prefer to give offline, please let me know and I can arrange that as well.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate asking. Give today!  PLEASE!! (yes, I’m begging – these kids deserve it)

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give” – Winston Churchill

Donate by clicking here:
http://www.firstgiving.com/joshmiser

More information on Give Kids The World:
http://www.gktw.org

Photo Tour of Give Kids The World Village:
http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/57447.aspx?id=808543

Under Construction

As someone who is very picky about page design, please avert your eyes from the very plain banner at the top of this page… I will be updating this to a cool, slick custom header later this evening… Thanks for your understanding.

I have a new idea…

So I’m back… after ANOTHER hiatus from Blogging… I read through my Xanga last night.  Yes Xanga still does exist, and it still does hold 3 years worth of my history.  (If you want to read it, knock yourself out)  I was amazed how consistently I kept a blog for 3 years.  Sure, I missed a day here or there, but I was pretty steady at keeping it updated.  To be honest, I really enjoyed reading through it again.  I realize with my latest blog endeavour (this page) I have been awful at keeping it updated.  I think the reason is that I only seem to want to blog when I have some deep revelation, or long story to tell, as opposed to just talking about whatever is on my mind.

So starting today I am going to try to resurrect this blog again and make it a place for me to just talk about whatever is on my mind.  It may be about Pittsburgh, Sports, Computers, Music, my wife, Amusement Parks, etc… But I’ll try to keep it interesting.  I realize no one may believe me until I become consistent, but I encourage  you to start stopping around frequently for updates.

Have a delightful day.

life carries on.

My wife encouraged me tonight to blog…  It’s been quite the hectic/difficult/busy week, so blogging wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind, but I thought it may be therapeutic to “blog it out”.  So, with my wife’s nudging, here are my thoughts for the current moment.

the heavier side of life:
As I stated in my last post, my stepmother (Estela) was not doing well.  I went to visit her and my family a week ago Friday.  It was a last minute trip, but I am thankful I was able to go there and see her, as she passed away on Sunday (Easter) morning.  I left Pittsburgh again on Tuesday morning to head back to Indiana/Michigan.  It has been a good several days, but very hectic and emotional at the same time.  I was able to see so many family members, and was able to spend several days with my father (something I haven’t done in a long time).  When I was young, my brother and I would go out to dinner frequently with my dad, as well as spend weekends at his home.  Although it was under sad circumstances, it was nice to be able to spend time with him like that again this week.  I hope we can do that more in the future.  The services for Estela were very nice, and seemed to be a fitting tribute to her life.  You may have noticed that I said “seemed” in the last sentence.  The reality is I was never incredibly close to Estela.  When parents divorce and remarry, it sometimes does not yield the strongest of relationships.  This reality for me saddened me this week.  Estela always seemed to be a cheerful woman… Passionate, Loving, and a very devoted mother to her 2 daughters.  In the past few years, she was lucky enough to gain 3 grandchildren, and it’s always been clear that was a great joy in her life as well.  All the memories I heard shared about Estela the past few days made it very clear that she was a special woman, loved by many… Especially my father.  I can honestly say that I wish I had made an effort to be closer in the time we had together…  Despite my regrets and wishes, life does carry on.  I cannot turn the hands of time back now, and I must try to make the most of the days that remain in front of me.  There are lessons to be learned from all this, but with the emotions still fresh, I am still processing this.  I am back in Pittsburgh now, and I have one last day before I head back to work.  Hopefully it will be a restful day where I can clear my mind a bit more before diving back into the daily grind again…

other random things:
Despite the sadness/busyness of the funeral, there have been some other things going on…

In order to be with my family through the recent events, I have been doing lots of driving.  I have put well over 1,800 miles on my car in the past week.  Luckily, the only battle scar my car took was a small rock to the windshield on the way back to Pittsburgh yesterday.  I was happy to find out that as long as it can be repaired that my insurance will cover the cost.

Kelly and I began “Spring Cleaning” around the apartment today.  For those of you that don’t know, I have always had a tendency to be a somewhat messy person, but I hate when things get too messy.  With the craziness of the past few weeks, our house had gotten out of hand.  Luckily, we were able to get things back under control today.  There is more to do (isn’t there always?) but the house is looking much, much, MUCH better than it was.

Construction in Pittsburgh is a very frustrating thing… This morning, Kelly and I tried to go to the 10 AM service at the new church we are attending.  We left 40 minutes early, and the drive should have only taken 25 minutes.  Well thanks to Parkway closures/construction, it took us nearly an hour.  However there was a blessing in disguise.  We discovered a diner called Kelly O’s near the church that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on Food Network.  We had a delicious breakfast there (a bit unhealthy), and then made it to church for the 11:15 service.

Lastly… the Pittsburgh Pirates…  I have committed to following and supporting this team this summer.  This city has plenty of Steelers and Penguins fans, and while I enjoy these teams, I have decided to be a devoted Pirates fan this baseball season.  This has already been quite the stressful endeavor.  While the first 2 wins were quite exciting, the next 2 losses were awful.  I was encouraged by the win last night, but then today the team gave up 13 runs in ONE inning…  That’s right… The Bucs gave up more runs in one inning than most teams give up in 2 games…  This could be a long summer. ::deep breath:: GOOO PIRATES!

I know this post has been all over the place and back, but that’s pretty much how life has been the past few weeks.  Hopefully things will begin to return to normal, and as a result my posts will be a bit easier to swallow.  Hope you all have a pleasant week.

Live Like You’re Dying..

It’s been quite the roller coaster of a week… to say the least.

Kelly came home from visiting her parents on Tuesday.  I don’t know how many of you know this, but I am NOT a morning person.  Kelly’s train came in at 5 AM on Tuesday, and typically if I am awake at anytime before 8 AM I tend to be 3 parts zombie, to one part tapioca pudding.  Needless to say I was very tired at work on Tuesday…

Also this week, I have decided to jump back on the “health” wagon.  I didn’t post it on this blog (because I didn’t post anything here then) but last November or so, I began a weight loss attempt.  It was one of many I have had in my adult life, typically with minimal results.  I have been around the same weight since the start of college.  I fluctuate 10 pounds or so in either direction, but not much more (hence why clothes from my senior year of high school still fit me!).  When I do these “attempts” at weight loss, I will typically lose anywhere up to 20 lbs, plateau, get bored, and quit.  Then within a few months I am back at my weight where I have been for so long…. Anyway, back to November.  I am a sucker for infomercials (I own a Snuggie and a pack of ShamWows) and I had heard good things about P90X.  I had a friend who had seen a lot of success with it, and decided to give it a try myself.  I loaded up on the DVDs, Recovery Drink, Resistance Bands, a pull-up bar, the whole shebang.  For 30 days or so, things went great… I lost 10 lbs or so, was eating well, and then the holidays came… In addition to the holidays, Kelly and I had several life issues happen with jobs, cars, health, etc that even further disrupted my routine.  I tried to stay on track, but the workouts were getting more and more difficult, and I finally fell off the train.

Since then I’ve gained back about half the weight I lost, but feel worse about my body than I ever have before.  So I’m back.  This time I’m trying Power 90.  Think of it as P90X: Lite.  It still is a great workout, and I am 3 days in so far, and feeling good.  I have also gone back to eating healthy.  It’s amazing how much better you feel when you eat well and work out.  You feel so much more alive.  In addition to the Power 90, I’m also going to try out Shakeology from Beachbody.  I looked over all the ingredients and it looks like quite the healthy shake!  Hopefully that will aid in this whole “return to fitness” that I am attempting.

Despite the positive turn I have taken this week for my health, I have also had quite the upsetting health news.  I received a call from my dad yesterday letting me know that my stepmother, Estela, had taken a turn for the worse.  She has been fighting cancer for well over a year, and there have been victories and struggles.  Unfortunately, in the past few days she has taken a turn, and is not doing well.  Thankfully, she is resting comfortably at home, and Hospice has been available to help with any needs they have.  I am still praying, and keeping hopeful, but things do not look great.  If you pray, I would really appreciate your prayers for this situation.

With this recent news, I am reminded of how fragile life is.  I have always tried to live by the phrase  “No Day But Today” from the musical Rent.  Whether we have health or sickness, we never know what tomorrow holds.  We must live each day with the reality that it may be our last.  Love one another.  Live passionately.  Never take life for granted.  We can say that we will get to something “tomorrow”, but tomorrow may never come.  Excuses only delay us.  I want to live this life to the fullest, and I have to live that way everyday, every hour, every second, every breath until my last.

There’s only now, There’s only here
Give in to love, or live in fear
No other path, No other way
No Day But Today.