Michael Jaynes

I have bitched about more subjects than I care to go back and read up on. I have whined and sounded sorry for myself. I have been conflicted on life’s big questions such as “what am I going to do with music…………” Hahahah.

Well knee deep into my 2nd year over 30, 2 children, 50% less vision, and a myriad of other reasons makes me step back and think. What in the world am I so conflicted for? I believe that I felt like if I didn’t keep some part of my childhood, yes I am now referring to my early to mid 20’s as childhood, that I wouldn’t be happy. On the contrary. I think I spent most of my 20’s not actually being me. Spending my time essentially just “hanging out” rather than doing the things that make me happy. No wonder I’ve been so conflicted.

I picked up an instrument for the first time in years a few months back and completely forgot how fulfilling it feels to produce music with your hands, rather than beat match someone else’s or sit in front of a computer screen. I forgot a lot about how I grew up and the things that I truly loved and the ways I was raised in the span of about 10 years. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, I enjoy going out and hearing music at the club, kicking it with friends, and if the music REALLY moves me (which frankly doesn’t happen much at the club) I might shake it a litttle on a dance floor.

Being so mixed up in what am I doing with my musical ability made me forget one of the single most important reasons to have the ability. Sharing it with family and friends. Growing up that is exactly what we did. My grandfather, Dad, uncle, frinds of the family would all pile into living rooms and garages and play music together. Sing and laugh and thoroughly life. I don’t think cooping myself up in a room with headphones on staring at a screen is the way I was meant to be.

There’s that and everything else I had either forgotten or am learning that I take great pride and joy in. As a kid, we pretty much weren’t allowed indoors. So most TV shows and pop music on MTV from that era I only know anything about because oflate night reruns and 80’s nights. The damn outdoors. I can’t begin to describe how fun it is to work in my garden or stir up a compost pile. Being outside sweating and working is what humans were designed to do. Not sit on couches and in desk chairs. I even enjoy pushing a lawn mower. A gym membership? Come climb trees to cut limbs down, haul loads of mulch from one side of the yard to another, or shovel gravel with me for a weekend.

Call it an era of self actualization for me that has been a long time coming. Anyways, call it a rant I guess. The intention wasn’t to rant. Only to inform. As a result I am completely changing up the website here pretty soon. I have been working on a family tree so I will head down that path with the site. Hopefully family members of mine can log on, upload pictures, and help fill in any blanks I can’t with the tree.

The whole blogging thing. Maybe I’m over it. Maybe I have always appreciated and enjoyed anonymity. I’m thinking lately the whole facebook, twatter, etc thing has finally turned me off to the internet except for treating it at as one big reference book. Do I really need billions of people to know that Michael is taking a shit? Or Michael is drinking coffee? Or Michael decided not to shave today? Who really cares? Seems to me that the more email, texts, IM, twats, blogs, facebooks are being relied on as sole communication, the more communication is really breaking down. I bet there are very few people who actually know the proper way to write a letter or how to engage in a conversation. The more ways we open up the streams of data to allow one another into each and every miniscule detail of our daily lives, the less people actually talk to and learn from one another.

I could very well be in a bad mood today. Maybe sitting behind a computer screen all day for a living puts the internet and computers at an unfair disadvantage at winning my approval. I do know that I spent time outdoors this weekend digging in the earth, planting things, listening to the birds and sweating in the sun. I went out Friday night and heard actual musicians play actual instruments. I spent time with family on Sunday. This was the best weekend I have had in a long time and not once did I think maybe billions of people with their dicks stuck in a computer might want to know that “Michael is enjoying the weekend.”

The incredibly ironic thing about my unwarranted tirade is that even though twice in April I have downloaded everything off the site, hit “Ctrl-A” and then hovered my index finger above the delete key. I didn’t and am writing about the entire thing for billions of you to read. Sad, sad, sad.

Is the site slow or is it just me? Maybe just the admin page is slow in this version of WP. Who knows? So much going in the world today. Bloggers in Memphis undoubtedly are ranting and raving about Coach Cal leaving for a better coaching opportunity. Bloggers across the US are blogging about the world economic crisis, or Koreas’s missile launch. Well, maybe I live in my own little world. Maybe I am pretty selfish. Maybe. Maybe I just don’t give a damn. I’m not heading up a group to crucify Cal, I’m not crunching numbers and acting like I know what is wrong with our economy or that I know how to solve it all like most people I’ve read from on the internet. Funny how people who are about as educated as me, read about as much as me are the absolute know it alls on subjects that nobody could possibly know it all about! hahaha

Well, let’s see. What do I know about? I know we had a teaser for Spring and I liked it. This last cold snap is not very cool in my book. I know that I love there being flowers on the trees while I walk around. I know that it is getting harder and harder to stay focused on my job lately. I am someone who does extremely well when I am proud of what I am doing. And here lately, well. I am just not.

We’re heading out of town this weekend. Going to Montgomery Bell State Park with the family for the weekend. I am really loking forward to it. Going to do a little fishing, swimming, and maybe a little trail hiking. That is kind of keeping me going this week. I also booked my plane ticket to the great state of Washington to see my bro. Man I cannot wait. Not only have I never been to that area of the country, but damn I miss Patrick. Nobody I have ever met understands the bond between brothers. At least the bond between my brother and I. It was extremely tough on me when he moved away. But I didn’t tell him or show it to him. I smiled and told him I was proud of him to be doing what he had to do for what he loved in life. I also just marked it off on my calendar that we are all going to Florida in June! WOOHOO! That is a winner I tell ya. A week of fun in the sun.

Has it been a whole year since I’ve seen my wife in a bathing suit? I believe it has. Well 2 more months! hehehe Yeah I am still a little kid inside sometmes.

That’s all I can write about. Otherwise I am going to ramble on and on about nothing. Be nice to each other.

Okay so I stole this from another website.  tomatonation.com Let me start by saying that I am in no way the model of an adult sometimes. But I have had this feeling lately that I have less and less in common with most people around me. Is it growing up? Maybe. Is it me on a new path of self-actualization? Maybe. Anyways, as funny as most of this is, I cannot agree more.

25 And Over

If you have reached the age of 25, I have a bit of bad news for you, to wit: it is time, if you have not already done so, for you to emerge from your cocoon of post-adolescent dithering and self-absorption and join the rest of us in the world. Past the quarter-century mark, you see, certain actions, attitudes, and behaviors will simply no longer do, and while it might seem unpleasant to feign a maturity and solicitousness towards others that you may not genuinely feel, it is not only appreciated by others but necessary for your continued survival. Continuing to insist past that point that good manners, thoughtfulness, and grooming oppress you in some way is inappropriate and irritating.

Grow up.

And when I instruct you to grow up, I do not mean that you must read up on mortgage rates, put aside candy necklaces, or desist from substituting the word “poo” for crucial syllables of movie titles. Silliness is not only still permitted but actively encouraged. You must, however, stop viewing carelessness, tardiness, helplessness, or any other quality better suited to a child as either charming or somehow beyond your control. A certain grace period for the development of basic consideration and self-sufficiency is assumed, but once you have turned 25, the grace period is over, and starring in a film in your head in which you walk the earth alone is no longer considered a valid lifestyle choice, but rather grounds for exclusion from social occasions.

And now, for those of you who might have misplaced them, marching orders for everyone born before 1980.

1. Remember to write thank-you notes. If you do not know when a thank-you note is appropriate, consult an etiquette book — the older and more hidebound the book, the better. When in doubt, write one anyway; better to err on the side of formality. An email is not sufficient thanks for a physical gift. Purchase stationery and stamps, set aside five minutes, and express your gratitude in writing. Failure to do so implies that you don’t care. This implication is a memorable one. Enough said.

2. Do not invite yourself to stay with friends when you travel anymore. Presumably you have a job, and the means to procure yourself a hotel. If so, do so. If not, stay home. Mentioning that you plan a visit to another city may lead to an invitation to stay with a friend or family member, which you may of course accept; assuming that “it’s cool if you crash” is not. Wait for the invitation; if it is not forthcoming, this is what we call “a hint,” and you should take it and make other arrangements.

3. Do not expect friends to help you move anymore. You may ask for help; you may not expect it, particularly if your move date is on a weekday. Your friends have jobs to go to, and you have accumulated a lot of heavy books by this point in your life. Hire a mover. If you cannot afford a mover, sell your books or put them in storage — or don’t move, but one way or another, you will have to cope.

4. Develop a physical awareness of your surroundings. As children, we live in our own heads, bonking into things, gnawing on twigs, emitting random squawks because we don’t know how to talk yet. Then, we enter nursery school. You, having graduated college or reached a similar age to that of the college graduate, need to learn to sense others and get out of their way. Walk single file. Don’t blather loudly in public spaces. Give up your seat to those with disabilities or who are struggling with small children. Take your headphones off while interacting with clerks and passersby. Do not walk along and then stop suddenly. It is not just you on the street; account for that fact.

5. Be on time. The occasional public-transit snafu is forgivable, but consistent lateness is rude, annoying, and self-centered. If we didn’t care when you showed up, we’d have said “any old time”; if we said seven, get there at seven or within fifteen minutes. Do not ditz that you “lost track of time” as though time somehow slipped its leash and ran into traffic. It shows a basic lack of respect for others; flakiness is not cute anymore, primarily because it never was. Buy a watch, wind it up, and wear it everywhere you go.

6. Have enough money. I do not mean “give up your scholarly dreams and join the world of corporate finance in order to keep up with the Joneses.” I mean that you should not become that girl or boy who is always a few dollars short, can only cover exactly his or her meal but no tip, or “forgot” to go to the ATM. Go to the ATM first, don’t order things you can’t afford, and…

7. Know how to calculate the tip. Ten percent of the total; double it; done. You did not have to major in math to know how this works. You are not dumb, but your Barbie-math-is-hard flailing is agonizing and has outstayed its welcome. Ten percent times two. Learn it.

8. Do not share the crazy dream you had last night with anyone but your mental wellness professional. Nobody cares. People who starred in the dream may care, but confine your synopsis to ten words or fewer.

9. Learn to walk in heels. Gentlemen, you are at your leisure. Ladies: If you wear heels, know how to operate them. Clomping along and placing your foot down flat with each step gives the appearance of a ten-year-old playing dress-up, but a pair of heels is like a bicycle — you need momentum to stay up. Come down on the heel and carry forward through the toe, using your regular stride. If you feel wobbly, keep practicing, or get a pair that’s better suited to your style of walking. It isn’t a once-a-year prom thing anymore for a lot of you, so please learn to walk in them.

10. Have at least one good dress-up outfit. A dress code, or suggested attire on an invitation, is not an instrument of The Man. Own one nice dress, or one reasonable suit, or one sharp pair of pants and chic sweater — something you can clean up nice in for a wedding or a semi-formal dinner. You don’t have to like it, but if the invitation requests it, put it on. Every night can’t be poker night. Which reminds me…

11. Do as invitations ask you. Don’t bring a guest when no such courtesy is extended. Don’t blow off an RSVP; it means “please respond,” and you should. “Regrets only” means you only answer if you can’t come. If the party starts at eight, show up at eight — not at seven-thirty so you can go a “better” party later, not at eleven when dinner is cold. Eight. Cocktail parties allow for leeway, of course, but pay attention and read instructions; your host furnished the details for a reason.

12. Know how. Know how to drive. Know how to read a map. Know how to get around. Know how to change a tire, or whom to call if you can’t manage it, or how to get to a phone if you don’t have a cell phone. We will happily bail you out, until it becomes apparent that it’s what you always need. The possibility of a fingernail breaking or a hairstyle becoming compromised is not grounds for purposeful helplessness.

13. Don’t use your friends. It’s soulless. It’s also obvious. If the only reason you continue to associate with a person is to borrow his or her car, might I remind you that you have now turned 25 and may rent your own.

14. Have something to talk about besides college or your job. College is over. The war stories have their amusements, but not over and over and not at every gathering. Get a library card, go to the movies, participate in the world. Working is not living. Be interested so that you can be interesting.

15. Give and receive favors graciously. If you have agreed to do a favor, you may not 1) remind the favoree ceaselessly about how great a pain it is for you, or 2) half-ass it because the favoree “owes you.” It is a favor; it is not required, and if you cannot do it, say so. If you can do it, pretend that nobody is watching, do it as best you can, and let that be the end of it. Conversely, if you ask for a favor and the askee cannot do it, do not get snappish. You can manage.

16. Drinking until you throw up is no longer properly a point of pride. It happens to the best of us, but be properly ashamed the next day; work on your tolerance, or eat something first, but amateur hour ended several years hence.

17. Have a real trash receptacle, real Kleenex, and, if you smoke, a real ashtray. No loose bags on the floor; no using a roll of toilet paper; no plates or empty soda cans. You are not a fierce warrior nomad of the Fratty Bubelatty tribe. Buy a wastebasket and grown-up paper products.

18. Universal quiet hours do in fact apply to you. They are, generally, as follows — midnight to six AM on weekdays, 2 AM to 8 AM on weekends. Mine is a fairly generous interpretation, by the by, so bass practice should conclude, not start, at ten PM. Understand also that just because nobody has complained directly to you does not mean that a complaint is not justified, or pending. Further, get your speakers off the floor. Yes, “now.” Yes, a rug is still “the floor.”

19. Take care of yourself. If you are sick, visit a doctor. If you are sad, visit a shrink or talk to a friend. If you are unhappy in love, break up. If you are fed up with how you look, buy a new shirt or stop eating cheese. If you have a problem, try to fix it. Many problems are knotty and need a lot of talking through, or time to resolve, but after a few months of all complaining and no fixing, those around you will begin to wonder if you don’t enjoy the problems for the attention they bring you. Venting is fine; inertia coupled with pouting is not. Bored? Read a magazine. Mad at someone? Say so — to them. Change is hard; that’s too bad. Effort counts. Make one. Your mommy’s shift is over.

20. Rudeness is not a signifier of your importance. Rudeness is a signifier of itself, nothing more. We all have bad days; yours is not weightier than anyone else’s, comparatively, and does not excuse displays of poor breeding. Be civil or be elsewhere.

Not that I don’t enjoy a good thunderstorm. But did we have to get one this weekend? The camping trip I have been so excited about that my last post was about looks like it is going to be a wash. Shouldn’t be any more hard rain like last night. But there are supposed to be light showers all night and tomorrow morning turning to snow sometime in the day. I would really rather snow than rain.

Well my true hard-headed taurean self is showing. I am headed out for the weekend regardless of the obstacles. If I end up sleeping in my car because there is 2 inches of water in my tent then so be it. Maybe I should go home and get the dog to cuddle with.

One way or another I am having something cooked on a campfire and sitting by that same fire and drinking a little whiskey damnit!

It is no secret that I have a dual personality thing going on. On one side, I love the city. The buses, people everywhere, sidewalks, buildings, coffee shops, and man made monuments. On the other hand, I am not sure there is much better than being out in nature. Swimming in rivers, cooking over a fire, climbing rocks, fishing, sitting on the edge of cliffs, and hiking trails. I have been needing to get out of the city for a little while now. So when a friend asked if I’d be interested in making a quick weekend camping trip, I didn’t hesitate in saying Hell Yes!
As much as I dream about taking a backpacking trip to somewhere as beautiful as the picture above, that image is from a google image search. Natchez Trace State Park is a far cry from the scenery shown. But the point is still the same. Being away from everything. Listening to the bugs and night sounds. To be honest, I am quite sure that the forest in the middle of the night is quite a bit louder than the city.
An uncle of mine stayed with some friends for a few nights who live on a farm. Upon returning he said that between the cicadas, cows, horses, chickens, and other assorted wildlife; he sure was glad to be back in the quietness of the city.
So if you can’t tell by now I am pretty excited to do some hiking, a little fishing, cooking, and relaxing in the great outdoors!

I seem to come to these from time to time. Looks like history is repeating itself, again. Seems like there is a constant theme for me. Whether I am going to continue to try to keep myself immersed in music or not.

The Dilemma:

I have been selling old computer hardware that I don’t need any more on eBay. I still have a few things to get rid of but so far this month I have made about $200! Awesome right? Well it is.

I started selling all this stuff so I could raise enough money to buy Serato Scratch Live. Watch the demo below. It really is badass.) I am partially to my goal but now I am doubting whether or not I should pursue making the purchase. Granted, I mentally gave up on deejaying a long time ago. It wasn’t a conscience decision, but I have been kicking myself ever since.  Is it really practical to buy something that I potentially might not ever use? Yes I do turn on the old trusty 1200’s fairly often and mx some records at the house. It takes all of about mixing 10 records to get tired of hearing tracks that I feel like I have heard a quabillion times.

It is not hard to figure out that I have more hobbies than any 10 people I know combined. Come by and take a look at all the stuff I have in my closet, the office, and my workshop. So I am standing at this fork trying to decide whether I am going to continue pursuing a hobby I, for all practical purposes gave up on, or spend my earned money on a hobby that I make great useof?

I sure can find a reason to bitch about almost anything!

so reads a baseball cap I saw yesterday displaying an image of President Barack Obama. I even heard that someone is making Barack Obama pajamas. Really? Yes people are ready for a change, especially after the shambles the previous 8 yrs have left us in. I voted for President in both the primaries and general election. I felt he was the best choice we had for the job. Worthy to sport on your pajamas though? Hanging on racks at K-Mart alongside Spongebob and Dora the Explorer? People might be taking this a bit far.
The shape of our country right now is as bad as I can remember in my lifetime. President Obama has one hell of a job ahead of him. I believe he has chosen his cabinet wisely and has a good grasp of reality to get us through these tough times and everyone come out the other side in a better place.
However, I deeply hope that the same people sporting their ball caps and pajamas know that President Obama is not going to lead us from Egypt to Canaan across the Red Sea. He is not going to strike out marching with millions of people behind him, God part the waters and we arrive safely on the other side. That’s not how this works.
I do believe that yesterday was one for the history books. Of course, only the history books once our kids’ kids are in school, will reveal what gets deemed curriculum worthy. I was not able to watch the inauguration. I am sure it was all over the internet, and my workplace showed it in the auditorium for anyone that could come and watch. Frankly, I was stuck on something at work, looked up and it was almost noon. I did however, see the speech later on television, catch all the commentaries, and see snippets of kids in their elementary schools clapping after the oath of office was given on the news. It is a hopeful day.
People should feel good and full of hope for the future. The one thing people absolutely cannot do is make unrealistic expectations to our new President. Has anyone ever heard of one of the previous 43 that didn’t piss a bunch of people off. It is going to happen. And when it does, don’t feel let down because you thought President Barack Obama was our generation’s Moses.

I have really been wanting to do some travelling. I want to take Melissa to Europe badly. Greece, Italy, wherever. So that has had me dreaming about my only two visits to Europe. Once to Amsterdam and once to Belgium. I have been meaning to finish this for years now and I finally did. A little visual representation of all the beers Justin and I sampled in Belgium. Being the wannabe beer connoisseur that I am, it is only fitting.Like I said I have been on and off working on this for quite some time and just never got around to uploading it. Enjoy.

BELGIAN BEER

Man Christmas came so fast this year and was gone just as fast. It is obvious by the weight of the trash I have waiting on my friends at the Memphis Sanitation Department for this Wednesday’s pickup that the girls and I really raked it in this year. I had a great time visiting with family and both Melissa and I agreed that even though this year was just as busy, it didn’t seem near as stressful running all over the city.
The site has been down for a few days due to a server migration over the weekend that resulted in the server defaulting to a different home page. (I also did not know my ftp username to change it……….) Oops. I don’t use it much these days since Wordpress.
So I have something embarrassing to admit. We got Sega Bass Fishing for the Wii and I absolutely love it! Yes, I know. A bass fishing game. What can I say? I have always had a bit of redneck buried inside this techno-minded city boy exterior.
Weekend was pretty chill. Took down the decorations. (Melissa did it.) Got them taken up to the attic. (Melissa did it.) It is starting to sound like I sit at the house all day and watch my wife work. Well that probably isn’t a false statement. I have a pretty rad wife. We had some out of town company on Saturday night. That was really nice. I don’t know why but I like it when people come stay at my house. Makes me feel all family-man like. Shut up.
I have been working on music a good bit and still haven’t found that the creative juices come pouring very easily. The gears are still a little rusty. I have a few projects in the works and asked Justin to take a listen. He didn’t have anything to say so I am guessing my opinion was correct. Most of it is sounding pretty horroble right about now. That’s okay. Nothing happens overnight.
That’s it for now.
Be nice to each other.