The time has come. I've started to look up information on renting a van for the move to Vegas. Finding some cheaper rates than I did 6 months ago. Right around $800 for a van for a week isn't too bad. Even though I'd rather just buy my own and drive out.

It looks like April 19th will be the start date. Now I just need to decide if I am going to drive through Austin to see family on the way through or if I just take the direct route to Vegas. Going through Austin would be nice, I haven't seen a lot of that family in a decade or more. Plus, if I go through Austin I figured I'd go through Roswell as I head to Vegas. I've always wanted to visit Roswell ever since I was a kid and heard about the UFO crash.

I originally told work that April 4th would be my last day. Well, they haven't found any replacements yet and the bar is closed for a week so I'm sticking around for a little while longer. Not much longer because I've given them more than enough notice and it's not really my responsibility to wait on them to find replacements. Otherwise I'd be sitting there when I'm 40 waiting for that big break.

As for today, it's a very bright, sunshiny day out in Chicago. Strangely enough I have nothing to do other than look up trip info. I'm trying not to do much to save money. Although I do feel like sitting at a picnic table, drinking coffee and drawing up plans for some kind of mechanical thing that would be over built so it never wears out. Which is what my Dad used to do whenever he was about to build something he could of just went an bought for $50. What ever it was he was building would always end up being 300lbs and built out of steel. Even if it was a coat rack.

So I guess it's time to start putting my own ads out for a replacement. Time to get this ball rollin'.

Immanent Resolve?

Last Tuesday I left pretty late to make it from Chicago to the U of Woo. I stopped off in Aurora to fill up the gas tank and add some oil as I usually do. When I left from the gas station the car filled up with smoke and I had a 2 block trail of smoke behind me. Ol' Bessie finally gave up. Figures she'd do so as I just got done putting $35 worth of fuel in her.

So she's sitting in a well lit area and I called the business to let them know that it'll be a few days before I can get to her. Aurora is at least an hour from my Mom's house and about that far from the city. I just need to get the info to drop her off at the junkyard. She was a good car and a great investment. I bought her 8 years ago for $250 and I got more than my money's worth out of her.

So now I'm without a car and to get back an forth from the city to my Mom's house I'll be using Amtrak. The closest station is Mendota, IL which is about an hour from here. Then it's back to the rat race of public transportation, which I haven't done in about 8 years. I'm not looking forward to it.

This also brings about the thinking of how much of a pain in the ass it is to couch surf and do so much traveling for a job that I'm burnt out on. It's not that I don't like the job I have, it just gets really boring and aggravating after six years. So without a car it's making it easier to push up the date that I retire from the doorway (again). Not that I'd be against bumping up to a different position.

I was looking into a bar that was for sale in a small town near here. It had a back room for bands, a full kitchen, an attached apartment, full bar and all the appliances for $60k. A steal by any means. Of course as soon as I started looking up the info it was sold. So there goes that idea.

So now the decision has to made very soon. Do I finally leave or do I just give in and stay complacent? Granted, all it'd take for things to be different is a little change whether professionally or personally. But nothing has changed in six years. If I stay I can be comfortable. I have a job that pays well (if I don't take any nights off for shows or other things), I can afford an apartment, I have friends an family nearby and I'll be able to catch up on other things. If i decide to go then I have a job lined up, a place to stay until I'm on my feet and a friend. Either way seems to be weighing out the same.

I've been told to just go and see how it works out. "Dude.. you can always come back. You'll always have a job here." It could be that simple if it wasn't so far away. Figuring it'll cost about a grand to move (car rental, food, lodging), it'll cost about that much to move back. Not really a small cost. I've been through all the different thoughts about going there for a while then moving and so on. I'm not a fan of that. It's either go or don't. So the thoughts continue.

So on that note, I'll be heading to the Amtrak station in about an hour to head to the city.

I get to babysit a ton of people this weekend who want to think they are Irish.

hip hip hooray...

Decision 06

Well, some of you might think this post is about the whole Decision '06 Election Ballots... Then again, if you know me, you know it's not.

Halloween was a pretty eventful holiday all this past weekend. Plenty of things were going on all weekend, all the way up to last night. Sadly, the devil never showed up and offered to buy my soul again.. or is that something you can only sell once?

Well, the decision as to whether or not to move to Vegas has been made. It took so long to make the decision that I decided not to go. There's a few factors involved that helped to keep me around. Family, friends, all the bullshit involved to actually move there, and work. Not that I didn't have work waiting for me out there but the work I have here.

So we'll see what the future holds. I'm getting some paperwork together for future endeavors.

Speaking of the future. I put together a "farewell" show at the Double Door for November 28th. Since it's no longer a farewell show it's now going to be a free admission, come get drunk show. Out of all the shows I've ever put together this had to be the hardest one yet. Since it's the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving a lot of the bands I asked to play had someone out of town or they had a show too close to the date to play mine. But I'm still happy with the line up that we have.

So check out these bands and make sure to mark it in your calendars so you can show up. Here's the line up.

Doors open at 8pm and the first band goes on at 9pm.

Making Ghosts

Chapter Seven

Kentucky Shades

Calling All Destroyers

It should be a really good show and I hope everyone can make it.

If not... you suck.

Move Update

Got a call from the landlord. Ownership of the building transfers on Thursday. Countdown to the move has gotten pushed up within the next 2 months.

So the big question will be am I moving inside the city, outside of the city or to Vegas.

I guess we'll all find out soon enough.


-Rev