acl = [always changing life]

this year, i followed my yearly tradition and attended the austin city limits music festival. i'll be the first to admit, i love when life's little routines slowly turn into traditions. however, i've also learned, following traditions can sometimes close you off to new experiences.

although the tradition of heading down to the festival was kept, several factors lead my friends and i to change our normal routine. we tried different food, listened to different bands, and even decided to forgo "sherpa-ing" chairs around, opting for a quilt instead. at one point we even left the festival for a few hours to cool down in nearby barton springs, which was a whole new experience. funny thing is, even with these changes, i still had a blast.

so are routines and traditions a good thing? yes...but so is mixing it up a bit.

all i know is, this new thing of cooling off in barton springs, might just have to become an acl tradition.

friday bands
-ray lamontagne
-foster the people
-sara bareilles
-kanye west


saturday bands
-iron & wine
-fitz and the tantrums
-wanda jackson
-tv on the radio
-my morning jacket


sunday bands
-dale earnhardt jr. jr.
-airborne toxic event
-fleet foxes
-arcade fire

laissez-[fair]e

i ventured up to the kansas state fair last saturday. no goals, no directions, no preconceived notions. just enjoyed one of the events i fell kansas does best. the state fair.














alright, i did have one goal, and that was enjoy some of kansas state's own "call hall" ice cream... and yes, i did get a double scoop.

those spanx are looking like a better idea everyday.

[spanx] for the authenticity

i go shopping about once a year, and in that trip, i'm usually able to pick up pretty much everything i need to get me through another 12 months. in the time between my trips, however, shops have usually gone through several new looks and styles. you can imagine my surprise and amusement when i found a new product being offered. spanx for men.

now before you ask...no, i didn't buy them, i merely took a photo for the enjoyment of my friends on facebook and twitter. the product did however cause a stir of thoughts in my head the rest of the weekend.

this product doesn't seem very authentic to me, because basically it's sole purpose is to hide something. to lie. as i've gotten older, i find the trait of authenticity to be more important, especially when it comes to people in my life. people who sincerely mean what they say, and say what they mean. oddly enough this has nothing to do whether or not they're a nice person. i've met some real jerks in my life, but the truth is they're jerks through and through. they're being authentic, which then allows me to know exactly how to deal with them. most of my frustration comes from people who portray themselves as one thing, and then think or act in a way completely different. politically, religiously, socially, economically, believe whatever you want, just be authentic about it.

this little rant isn't directed at anyone or anything, rather i'm just amazed at how much this quality has risen in importance in my life when it comes to dealing with people. a quality i know i need to work on myself.

maybe this change in priorities is just part of maturing. i am getting older...a few more gray hairs showing in the beard...not as fit as i use to be...getting a little pudgier around the waist...

you know...come to think of it, maybe i should have picked up some man spanx.