I had a rough day or two leading up to Christmas, but by the time Christmas Eve got going, I was feeling a bit better. Christmas day was pretty uneventful, but good. The first stop of the day was at Rosa’s parents house. After that I had dinner back in Woodlyn, and then watched the Eagles game at my Dad’s house. I would have liked to spend more of the day with the woman, but what can ya do? I did manage to come out of the day with some more of my trademark Express underwear, an awesome book full of my favorite artists work, some cash, and a cool DVD. Not bad at all.

On to my prediction. I’m not trying to be cynical, or feel sorry for myself, but I predict that I will not be accepted into grad school. Not this year, anyway. One popular theory is that if I’m not accepted this year, I will be next year. I tend to feel like that is true, but it’s a very competitive situation, so the odds are stacked against me. I haven’t been able to do nearly as much printing as I would have liked to, so hopefully the portfolio that I can put together will seem interesting to the people in charge. I have 4 awesome letters of recommendation on my side, so maybe that will help too. Time will tell.

In the meantime, I’m planning some new outdoor installations. Keep your eyes peeled, city dwellers.

The last time I posted with the DDC sales information, I had a theory that the sales had completely dropped off because I stopped promoting. Apparently, the album has a life of its own, and this last month saw the highest sales ever. I’ve gotten word that there were some technical issues with the reporting for last month, which is what caused it to look like there were zero sales. I could go in and get more accurate numbers for that month, but what really matters is that people are still listening to the music. If you haven’t gotten them yet, you should. I haven’t heard a better album come from any of our peers yet.

BUY: THE END
BUY: 3 OF SEVEN

Sooner than expected, I’ve landed a new apartment. I’m in my current, totally awesome place until the end of January, but it made sense to just lock this one in. The new apartment completely sucks. There is no skylight, no deck, no massive windows, no fireplace, and no cool loft bedroom. In fact, the new place is back in Ridley (aka the burbs, aka Hell), right near the high school where I spent 4 years of hating life and wanting to escape, and right across the street from the awesome Ridley Police (aka The Aryan race) who fucked with me every chance they got when I was young. My breathtaking view of the Philadelphia skyline is being replaced by a mundane look through a generic parking lot. Basically, this place is “nice” by normal suburban standards, but it’s everything I never wanted.

Someone, kill me.

I actually got a job. In January I start teaching Music Production at The Freire Charter School in Philadelphia.

“The Freire Charter School provides a college-preparatory learning experience with a focus on problem solving, freedom, critical thinking, and the collective values of non-violence, safety, community and teamwork. Situated in the heart of Philadelphia’s Center City, we are a unique school that cultivates students’ individuality and personal interests.” Sounds pretty cool, right? Essentially my job is to teach high school age teens to create hip hop music on a Mac.

Also, I am moving. I have the most badass apartment in all of Center City, and it can be yours as of February 1. Check it out.

UPDATE: This thing was on the market for less than one day, and someone has a deposit down on it. Crazy.

I’ve played in the AFBL for a while, and although each and every game gets recorded on video, I’ve never seen any of the footage. Well today that all changed. Here is a short clip of me dominating the game on 12/09/06.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Have I mentioned that I friggin’ love Virgil’s Root Beer? I can’t get enough of the stuff! I don’t get it very often, but it’s probably my favorite beverage right now. I found myself in a Trader Joe’s in Ardmore, and picked up a four pack for much less than it costs in Center City. Very exciting.

Meanwhile, my better half is just about 8 weeks pregnant now. Baby-related discussion is pretty frequent, and one topic that’s popped up many times already is that of the child’s name. Choosing the name a person will be called for their entire life is a pretty big responsibility, so we’re trying to be careful with our decision. We’ve started to compile lists of names, each of us with veto power for names that we absolutely hate. It seems that boy-names are the only question now, because at some point the name Ruby popped up, and my woman was completely in love with it. Since I’m more concerned with boy-related issues, I’m cool with it. It’s a nice name, old fashioned and kinda funny. Names for a boy require much more thought however. At least fifty names have been on the list so far. The only system I’ve come up with is that the name should be two syllables, feature a prominent O sound like Joseph, Milo, and Otis, and it should not end with an R. Biblical names are fine too as long as they fit, like Noah, or Jonah. There’s Italian names like Enzo, silly names like Cosmo, and rock n roll names like Stone. I know, Stone is only one syllable, but Stone Gossard has done more than enough to deserve a tribute like that.

Here is what my kid looks like right now.

As you get older Christmas gifts get fewer. For me they do, anyway. But that’s no reason to give up trying! Here’s my 2006 Christmas List version 1:
• Virgil’s Root Beer and/or Cream Soda
• Wall And Piece by: Banksy
• Supply And Demand: The Art of Shepard Fairey

The last two items on there can be found on my Amazon.com wishlist.

I spent Saturday evening at Rebecca’s studio, which is easily one of my favorite pastimes ever. She’s a great friend and a great teacher, and the environment there is pretty rad. It’s us, cool music, and art all over the place. Throw in a slice of pizza, and that’s about all you really need. My main goal that night was to finish a bichromate print that someone bought as a commission. It was the second try at this print, and it may require a third. Maybe. I had one other project, and that one came together pretty well I think. It’s a book about defense. It’s a relatively simple little concertina, but it’s the first book I’ve made since my Book Arts class during the Summer, which means it’s the first one I’ve made completely on my own. It’s a small step, but an important one.

On a related note, I’m working on a new version of my portfolio site. I’m thinking of just doing a WordPress site that looks and works kind of like this one.