MrMenelausRedz

It has truly been a long time since I last posted something new here.  Be it a new journal entry or a new piece of art.  Well it just so happens that I kind of, sort of have a little bit of both.  I got bored during a break of studying so I decided to attempt to upload something that I did this past May.  Might have done it sooner but truth be told, I just got it back today so whatever.  

ANYWAY, I feel that music is a great piece of art that should be allowed to be expressed.  And since I can't upload music here (last I checked), I uploaded it onto youtube.  [ youtu.be/MnFNX9poeaQ ]

I know nothing too great but I like to think of it as comparable to the rest of the stuff I have uploaded in the past.   Hope you enjoy.

While this may not be a lot for some people but for me, this is a decent milestone.  Thanks for looking at my DA page everyone!  

My summer vacation is now upon me as finals have been over for a little more than a week.  And that means free time, and summer job hunting.  I have found this one job driving tractors but there isn't a set time for me to work and it kind of drives me bonkers sometimes.  Either way, a job's a job.  And I get to drive tractors.  

Oh and I recently obtained Photoshop CS3 so you may or may not get to see some of my attempts with that program.  It really depends on how soon I can learn how to use that program.

With the entry of a new artwork, I thought it was time to put up a new journal as well.  Let's see, what all happened since the last time I made a journal...

I turned 21 about 9 days ago.  It was quite enjoyable and it is pretty nice that I can drink alcohol without worrying about being caught or given a fine.  ...Yeah, that's about it.  

So for those of you who will actually read this, I have a favor to ask of you.  I am in the need of ideas for more MS Paint art work.  My options are kind of limited since I can't really do people (cause I suck at it).  So I was hoping that some of you could help me out and let me know what you all want to see.  

Until next time folks....

It has been sometime since my previous blog so I have been wanting to do this for a while now. This is just an update as to what is going on with myself more or less. I am also just going to be using this as a place to gather my current thoughts on a few things. So if there are a few random jumps in my thought process, I apologize now.

Death has an impact upon us all, even if we can't see or understand that impact. It is still there. If you currently find yourself asking, 'Why is he talking about this?' If that is the case then you are unobservant and have been living under a rock.  Or you just don't have access to my normal way to spread information about myself.  So I'll explain what has happened.  

Just keep in mind that I wrote this a week ago on Monday February 2.  (yes I am that lazy to just copy and paste it here so if it sounds a little different, that's why)


Well...I had one crazy morning today. I started my job this morning at 7:30am doing dish cleaning at the commons dining area just across the street from my current dorm. I'm only getting paid 6:75/HOUR so whatever. I got done at 10am. The last half hour (9:30am) the person that I was working with, who was taking the food off the trays and sorting the dishes to be put into the cleaning machine (I was taking the washed dishes and putting them in the appropriate spot), left cause he said his shift was over. So I was back there doing everything for half an hour. That really sucked cause I was running back and forth, turning the conveyor belt on and off, just trying to not jam up the machine in that last hectic half hour. Luckily it wasn't too busy so that was a plus. Just before my shift ended, I noticed that my mom called me and left a voice mail on my cell. I thought 'ok...I wonder what that is about'. I walk back to my dorm once my shift was over, took another shower and got ready for my 4 hours straight of classes which started at 11am for me (it is currently about 10 after 11am right now). After my shower, I called my voice mail to find out what my mother wanted to talk to me about at 9:38am. She said that half an hour before she called, my grandmother passed away* (this was my father's mother). She died peacefully and with family next ot her. Most of you didn't know this...in fact I think only Chance knew this, my grandmother had some kind of cancer in the bladder/vaginal area. She was in a lot of pain, but she did have her good days. I'm just glad that I got to see her one last time over Christmas before this happened and also because she is now in a better place. There will be a funeral some time this week so if I don't show up here some day this week, that's why. I am writing this right now because I just didn't feel composed enough to go to my first class. I was doing and feeling better about 15 minutes ago (it's now 11:17am) up until * in this post. Then I couldn't control myself and just started to lose it. Hopefully I'll be good enough for my other classes but there's no guarantee to that. I just know that I am very sad right now. Well I hope everyone else's day is going better than mine.

EDIT: I just talked to my dad and he told me a little more about what happened. Last night, my aunt (my father's sister) got a call from my grandmother cause she had a pain in her arm. They went to the emergency room and the doctors found it to be a blood clot. They couldn't do anything about it. While there, she had another one and from then on, she was non-responsive. My dad apparently got a call around midnight last night so he was there when she finally passed away. She was indeed in a lot of pain. A catscan reveled that the cancer ate away her pelvis bone and so she had a cracked pelvis. This explains why she was in pain whenever she walked. So she is in a much better place now. She was in her late 80s. My dad said that they will probably make funeral arrangements today and set the date for Wednesday or Thursday (that's what they are currently thinking). Hopefully it will be Thursday since I have a quiz and homework due on Wednesday.


Anyway, last I talked about this, nothing was set in stone as to the funeral. It turned out that we were going to have the wake on Wednesday afternoon and the Funeral on Thursday morning. Because of this, I left from college Tuesday afternoon and got a ride home from my father. It was kind of weird to think that out of my immediate family, I was the first person my father has seen since his mother passed away. Either way, it was a pleasant ride home. I drove home from the time he picked me up and he mostly slept since he was tired. We got back late so we went to bed right away since we had to be up early in the morning to make it to the wake the next day on time.

The wake....was boring. It was 7 hours of standing/sitting around so that we can be there for my father, my aunt, and my grandfather. It was an open casket because my grandmother just had her hair done last Saturday and "we paid $80 to get it done, so we're going to show it off", according to my grandfather. My grandmother just looked so...unreal. I mean, she looked like one of those wax statues or something. Especially her hands. That's what looked the most fake to me. But I knew she was real, and that I'll never be able to see her again. You know, except in pictures. My grandfather was having a tough time due to this but he managed to get through. Her death was more of a relief to him then a sad event. She was just in so much pain at the end and we more or less has been expecting this for a while now. At least she is in a better place.

The funeral the next day was a peaceful event. My dad and aunt spoke about my grandmother, we sang, listened to the paster, whom we all just met for the first time the night before, speak and read from the bible. Even though it was cold outside, there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Under the circumstances, we couldn't have asked for a better day. I was asked to be one of the six paul bearers who carried the casket to the hurse. Personally, I thought the casket was going to be heavier but I guess with 5 other guys holding it as well, it shouldn't be too heavy. The burial service took place in this small chapel at the grave site since it was rather cold outside. It was there where I last saw my grandmother. Sure the casket was closed and all but I'm never going to be able to see her again in this life time. She is now in her final resting place. My dad said that we'll have to go back there to see her grave once it is warmer out. I think I would like that, to visit her and to see where it is exactly. Once the small burial service was finished, we all went to grandma's favorite restaurant for lunch. It was a very fancy/expensive place. I had the London Broil with twice baked potato. It was delicious. I am glad that my girlfriend was able to come with me on both Wednesday and Thursday to support me. I am truly thankful that I am able to be with someone like her.

I just want to thank everyone who sent me and my family their condolences and prayers. Even though I said this a lot on Monday and Tuesday, I truly and deeply mean it. I really, really appreciate it. It just means a lot that I have great friends who care enough to do that. It kind of made me feel better when I felt my worst after hearing the devastating news this past Monday.

Heh. And to think that I sent my grandmother an email 2-3 days before she passed on, hoping that everything was going well with her and grandpa...and hoping to hear from her soon. God, even though I know that this was not unexpected due to everything that was going on with her, it sure as hell was unexpected to me. I mean, last I heard she was doing just fine, better than before. Oh well, what done is done and I guess I'll never know if she read my email or not.

This has been one hectic/crazy week and I am very tired right now. But for some good news. This past Saturday, I signed a lease to my very own house/duplex thing with 4 of my friends. This is really a big deal to me since I never had a place of my own before. I am really looking forward to next year so that I can experience it.

I got to see Jeff Coffin in concert this past Friday evening. It was an amazing concert and my jazz combo director was able to play miscellaneous percussion instruments with him. For those of you who don't know, Jeff Coffin is the new saxophone player for the Dave Matthew's Band. Also (from jeffcoffin.com/bio):


    Jeff Coffin, well-traveled saxophonist/composer, and two-time Grammy Award winning member of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, rejects all labels and categories other than "music" and "musician."
    Since 1997, Coffin has traveled the world with the Flecktones, performing with musicians of all walks. Some of those he has shared the stage and the recording studio include such diverse artists as The Dave Matthews Band, Branford Marsalis, DJ Logic, New Orleans Social Club, McCoy Tyner, Baaba Maal, Mike Clark's Prescription Trio, Chris Thile, Garth Brooks, Phish, Van Morrison, J.D. Souther, Vinnie Colaiuta, The Dixie Chicks, Bob Moses, Konger Ol Ondar, Stanton Moore, Brooks and Dunn, George Porter Jr., Umphrey's McGee, Del McCoury, John Scofield, Yonder Mountain String Band, Marc Broussard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Wailers and many, many others. Along the way, Coffin has absorbed an astounding range of influences. "Whether it be New Orleans Second Line, African music, Indian Ragas, folk songs, Alan Lomax field recordings, jazz, or funk," he says, "the spirit and breath of the music is what I take away from listening and playing. It's what decides for me whether I like it or not."

    Known for sometimes playing alto and tenor sax simultaneously, with a nod to Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Coffin seeks out the extraordinary in his saxophone sound and in his technique of improvisation. Reaching for the unique is something Jeff makes an integral part of both his playing and teaching. In addition to the Flecktones, Jeff also leads his own group, The Mu'tet which takes it's name for the word mutation, giving way to Jeff's belief that music is constantly changing and mutating.

    Jeff Coffin has played on hundreds of recordings, and has performed around the world including a 2007 performance at the esteemed Carnegie Hall. As a highly in demand educator, Jeff has presented clinics from Farmington, Maine to Perth, Australia and is also an internationally acclaimed Yamaha and Vandoren Performing Artist/Clinician since 2000.


Truly an amazing saxophonist. I wish I could be half as good as him when I play my saxophones.

Other than this passed week, everything seems to be going well for me. In one of my general engineering classes, we are building a wood bridge as a project. Now this is a real wood bridge. One that will be used by bikers and pedestrians. Even though I haven't done anything with it yet (due to my group leader not getting in contact with me), I am really looking forward to this. I can't wait for the finished product. And don't worry, I'll be sure to post pictures of it as it is being put up so that you all can share in my experiences with it.

Well I better get ready for bed since I have to work in the morning to clean dishes...fun times.  

Until next time....

Yes, I know this is 14 days late.  Whatever.  It's still a different year from my previous journal entry to meh.  It's 3am and I'm bored and I don't feel like going to sleep so here's a new journal entry!

Happy New Years and all that good stuff.  Hope you all didn't party as hard as I did.  I spent a couple of hours puking from drinking too much at a part a few days after New Years.  Other than that I had a good time and I managed to not have a hang over.  Yay!

Let's see here, my month break from school is winding down to it's last few days and I go back Monday to start Tuesday.  It shouldn't be that bad of a start considering my first class on Tuesday is Jazz Combo and that starts at 4:30pm, followed by Symphony Band, which starts at 7pm.  So I get to sleep in, relax and play my saxophone Tuesdays.  Not a bad way to spend Tuesdays, although I will probably have to do homework then as well but I'm not going to worry about that until later.  

Artwork is still going slow.  Haven't really been in a mood to draw crappy artwork and not having a scanner usually helps with that problem as well.  Although my interest to draw something has been increasing lately so we'll see.  Maybe something with boats.  Heck I might just spend one of my days at the coffee shop over looking the harbor in my hometown and just draw and drink coffee.  That actually sounds like a good day...but I digress.  I still have those BAWLS bottles sitting in my garage, unless my folks got rid of them.  I'll have to come up with something to do with those.  I will also have to bring my camera around with me to see if anything of interest comes before me to warrant a good picture in my own opinion.  

Well that about sums it up.  Until next time...