The way we live

That's my band in Alternative Press Magazine. They named us one of 100 Bands You Need To Know In 2010 and gave us a full page spread! Absolutely amazing.

Come on and have your way with me

This is my last week at home before going back on tour. I feel like there's so much left to do and I don't feel like come next Monday I'll be ready. I'm probably just freaking out because this isn't where I thought I would be when we were recording. It's so soon, and I'm still the one booking tour. I thought for sure someone would be doing it for us by now. Oh well, still paying dues. We've been paying them as this band for four years now and it looks like we'll continue to do so. It will make success so much sweeter.

S spent the whole weekend with me. It was absolutely incredible. I picked her up Friday when she got out of work and it was like a reunion... even though I saw her a week ago. We get so incredibly excited to see each other. The first hug seemed like a couple that had been apart for years. What a weekend. We spent time with my friends so she could get to know them. She met my mom, who likes her a lot. She told me that she's confident in us and sees this going the distance. Of course this makes me a happy guy.

This week involves lots of working my butt off to try and set myself up for financial success when I come home from tour. I don't want to be freaking out because I have no money to pay my bills. I want to come home and be able to relax. I'm definitely seeing success. I'm very pleased with life overall right now. There are absolutely some things I'd love to change, and I'm sure life will throw some road blocks at me... but I'm walking with a little spring in my step right now.

Happy happy joy joy

I'm very pleased with everything right now. Before S and I started "talking", we had planned to go to my show together on Valentine's Day. I had an acoustic show at one of my favorite places to play, so I knew it would be a good time. Obviously, S and I started "talking" and we decided to make further plans along with my show. I decided that I wanted to do something sweet for her at the show without being too lame. We had discussed many times how she wished I would cover "Paperweight" by Joshua Radin... so I spent the time and learned it for her. It was a little thing, but I knew it would mean a lot to her.

Fast forward to yesterday. She and her mom arrived shortly after I did (I know, her mom came! How cute!). We chatted for a while and watched the other performers. After a few minutes, she gave me a card and told me to open it, but before I could, she said to wait until later. Once it was time to go on, I played through my set, and when I got to her song, she was so happy. I could tell she was fighting off tears. It was incredibly cute. After I got off stage, she gave me a huge hug and told me to open my card. The card ended with her asking me to be hers. Absolutely adorable. Of course I said I would. This was a huge step for her. She had never been the one to ask a guy out, and had never gotten into a relationship with someone before getting her dad's approval of him. I was ecstatic.

Later on, I met her dad, stepmom, and sister. We had an incredible time. They loved me and I loved them. We talked about how her dad builds acoustic guitars (amazing) and they follow the Dave Ramsey plan (THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER!) just like I do! We stayed for quite a while just talking. Eventually it started to get late, so we made the hour drive to my house and spent the rest of the night cuddling and smooching and watching How I Met Your Mother. I'm happy to report that after watching for five minutes she became hooked and watched many more episodes.

It was an amazing day and an incredible night. Waking up next to her was the perfect way to start off the day. I look forward to many more mornings spent with her in my arms. I feel like I'm a kid again with my first girlfriend. She excites me and keeps me on my toes. She's incredible. We've talked about the future but of course haven't made plans. She's not afraid to tell me what she wants and isn't afraid to give me what I want. She's strong and confident, but not arrogant. She doesn't know quite how amazing she is, but I plan on helping her see.

I wanna be the one to put it in a song

Ah I love feeling this way. When things happen that I'm not stoked about, I can shrug them off so much more easily because S is in my life. I know we're in that honeymoon stage, but I don't care what it's called. I'm pretty sure it's just called happiness. Last night at her house, we were basically completing eachothers' thoughts.

I keep typing sentences and then deleting them because I realize how silly I sound. I feel like I'm in Dumb and Dumber... "I desperately want to make love to a schoolboy". Hahaha. She makes me feel all warm and gooey inside and I love it. No one has made me feel like this. Isn't that the cliche line that everyone says when they get involved with somebody new? Oh well, I don't care. We're both incredibly happy.

It may be early, but we've been discussing a future. Not planning one, just trying to determine if it's a fit. I'm tired of getting into relationships and down the road finding out she doesn't want to ever get married, or she doesn't want kids, or she wants to move to Georgia. There are certain things that have to be in my life in order for a relationship to work out. They're all in place with S. She wants the same things, or at least similar things. We're not rushing into any of them, but it's good to know that when the time comes, it won't be some long, painful discussion where we discover that we're all wrong for eachother and we had an expiration date.

Sunday I'm meeting her dad and she's meeting my mom. I'm a little nervous to meet her dad. I'm vegan and he's a hunter/fisherman who doesn't have any respect for the vegan lifestyle. It won't make me angry, I understand that that's what most people have known their whole lives. I just really don't want him to dislike me because of it. Sure, we don't agree on that, but I'm hoping we will have plenty that can bring us together. Who knows. My mom will love her though. She's just as nervous to meet my mom as I am to meet her dad.

Ah the fun of a new relationship.

No need to wonder what's been on my mind

She. Is. Friggin. Beautiful.

I give up, I let you win

Today I decided to archive my previous entries and start fresh. I feel like this is a new me. I haven't felt so excited about life in a while. I've kept this blog going longer than any one I've ever kept before, so I want to continue writing here, but I want to move forward. The past entries are a great insight into my life over the past however long, but now I want to start a new chapter. This is it.

I spent more time with her yesterday. All day in fact. We had planned it since before we started "talking", but it was better than imagined. It's an hour drive to her house, but well worth it. We putzed around for a while - ate dinner with her mom and step dad, watched the SU game (GO CUSE!), and talked forever like we always do. She had prepared a surprise for me, so we hit the road. She surprised me by taking me to the newly opened FIVE GUYS! Oh man, any guy will tell you that's the key to his heart. I absolutely love Five Guys and her bringing me there was such an amazing idea. While we were there, some poor guy fainted and smashed his head on the ground. They took him away in an ambulance. She was so scared, which was kind of cute. I could tell she was really shook up.

After Five Guys, she took me to her favorite spot that I could tell was beautiful when the sky is clear. It's a spot overlooking a bunch of towns and at night, with clear skies, the lights on the houses and buildings meet with the stars. It was definitely beautiful, but she was more beautiful to me. We talked about more intensely personal things. We shared more with eachother than most new couples do so soon, but we feel comfortable.

Leaving was awful, again. I hate walking out that door. But the real world calls and today I'm back to work. I'm grateful to work for myself so I have the opportunity to stay with her late and sleep in a little before hitting the phone.

Today I've already gotten more done than I thought I would by the end of the day. I have a ton to do all week, but most of what I could do today is done. There are some things up in the air with the band, but that's usual. Tour starts March 1st and I couldn't be more excited. We haven't been on the road since summer. It's my favorite thing in the world. We're not sure how long we'll be gone just yet, but I'm hoping we can lock onto some other tours once this one is done.

I don't want to forget come daylight

I was already in the area, so I had to see you. We had just been given the okay to consider something more than friends. I asked you for your work address so I could pick you up at midnight, when you got out. You didn't know it, but gave me directions from your house and then had to go back to work. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to get to your house. I found your best friend's phone number on Facebook and she happily gave me directions to your house. I got lost a little, but it was worth the drive.

I wanted to surprise you with a cute little gift, so I went to the flower section of a grocery store. We'd never really discussed your favorite flower, so I went with a classic: a single red rose. It might be a little cliche, but I hoped you would find it romantic. I grabbed some candy since I figured we would be a little hyper and checked out.

My heart was beating out of my chest when I pulled into the parking lot that's across the street from your work. I was nervous that it wouldn't be the right one and you'd think I was stupid, but it wasn't and you wouldn't have anyway. When you walked up to my car, I hugged you and felt so satisfied there holding you. Your friend from work smiled a huge smile and walked to her car. You got in and your adorable face lit up when you saw the rose that was waiting for you on my dashboard. I reveled in your happiness the whole drive home. You told me over and over how cute I am and I loved every time.

When we got to your house, you went in and cleaned your room fanatically while I watched and poked fun. You told me to stop because you just didn't know what else to do. We sat there, laid there, stood there... talking about ourselves and the big things and the little things. I asked you the most important questions in the world - your favorite color, your favorite flower, and your favorite candy. I now know those things and will always know them. If I'm lucky, I'll find you a red M&M with the design of a rose on it. So many times I couldn't take my eyes off of you and I wondered if you were creeped out by it. A few moments after I wondered that, you told me that you missed half of a story I told because you were just looking at me. I felt instantly better.

Slowly but surely we found ourselves coming closer together. You tickled me and I pretended to hate it, but I just loved being around you. I gave you a back rub that you seemed to love. We found our way into eachothers' arms over and over again. I kissed you on the head and the forehead. You buried your head under a pillow and told me you hated me. I called you out for lying to me. I joined you under the pillow and we just laid there for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a minute or two. Then I kissed you. It was the perfect culmination to the beautiful dance we'd been dancing all night. I saw stars. We kissed over and over again and I have never been so happy just being in one place with one person.

Eventually, our night had to come to an end if I was going to make it home in one piece. Leaving you was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. As soon as I got out the door, I regretted it. I knocked, you opened it, and I kissed you one last time before I drove home. We texted back and forth the whole way home, and right up until bedtime. You fell asleep before I did, but I slept like a baby.

It was a perfect night with a perfect girl. I'm smiling all day.