Late Nights + Friends + Sweet Tea + Intense Video Gaming = Weird Dreams

If you hadn't guessed already from the title, last night I had the WEIRDEST dream ever. First, background story about that night. I was hanging out with friends until about 4 AM playing Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (great game), all the while drinking about a gallon of sweet tea. When the sugar from the tea gets out of my system, and I actually fall asleep, it's about 5:30 in the morning. So then I dreamt (dreamed?). I apparently was a street racer who drove my mom's Ford Flex and always won. So then I was driving down the highway during one race, when a giant wave roared over the other cars, giving me the win. After that, I was driving along that same highway, when I saw my dad walking with a nun. So then I gave them a ride to McDonald's and we all got sweet tea....

Anyways, moving away from my insane dreams, have any of y'all ever heard of parkour? Some of you might know it as free-running. That is possibly the single coolest thing that anyone could ever learn how to do. Basically, it involves going from point A to point B using objects around you, usually in a city setting. So running on rooftops, flipping over fences, jumping over benches, and other moves such as that are normally incorporated.

For anyone who wants to see or learn more about this, here are some links to videos of people doing parkour (free-running):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEeqHj3Nj2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pcqRuFEMLs&feature=related

And for anyone who is interested, I'm going to be starting up another blog, which is basically about learning about a different topic with every post! I probably won't post on that one as often as this, since that blog will take a little bit more research and work. Here's a link to the opening page: http://lovetolearnaboutit.blogspot.com/.

-Alex S.

There's Nothing Like a White Christmas!

Wow, snow on Christmas in South Carolina! Talk about a Christmas Miracle! Actually, the snow came late last night and all day today, so I counted it as coming on Christmas. I got some pretty cool stuff, the best of these being a new Alvarez guitar (AD60CKU)! The thing sounds amazing compared to old crappy guitar. Thanks Santa!

The great sound of that new guitar (and the fact that is has a built-in-tuner) prompted me to learn a new song in which I had to drop tune my guitar (which was REALLY fast using that tuner). It's a pretty well-known song written by the Goo Goo Dolls, even though most people don't know it by its name "Iris". It's an absolutely beautiful song, and I highly recommend that everyone take a look at it. Here's a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdYWuo9OFAw.

Speaking of songs, a very good friend of mine posted a video of me playing at a summer camp on YouTube. Check it out, then watch some of her videos as well! They're really good, and she has a talent for singing. Her YouTube username is "ashleythemusician". Here is the link to the video of me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLU8Hz1-y_8, and here is a link to her profile where you can see all her other videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/AshleyTheMusician#p/a/u/0/TLU8Hz1-y_8.

Well that's all for today everyone, hope y'all had a great holiday! Comment, follow me, and I'll catch everyone back here tomorrow.

-Alex S.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I know what's you're thinking, "it's not Christmas yet... What is he talking about?" Well since I'm probably not going to be blogging tomorrow, so I thought I would go ahead and wish everyone a Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy X-Mas, etc. etc.

So today my entire family and I have been tracking Santa Claus via NORAD's website. For those of you who don't know, NORAD is the air defense radar for North America. If anyone else wants to see Santa's worldwide sleigh ride, here's the link: http://www.noradsanta.org/.

Also, another Christmas-like thing I found interesting was that Orange County Choppers (OCC) made a Santa's sleigh bike. The thing is beautiful, defiantly a work of art. And best of all, it runs like a charm!

Well, once again, everyone have a Merry Christmas! Hope everyone gives and gets lots of great gifts!

-Alex S.

Christmas Eve Eve!

Wow, it's already Christmas Eve Eve (December 23rd for those who don't know). Just think, in two more days, children all over will be rushing downstairs to their tree to find presents that had been stashed there by Santa or family members. But, personally, I think that there is so much more joy in GIVING presents rather then receiving them. I mean, getting stuff is great, but GIVING just has a rewarding feeling to it, just seeing that person's face light up is worth more than any present.
But finding the right present can be SO HARD sometimes! I mean, again personally, I have the hardest time picking out gifts for people, because I really have no idea what they might want! Sure, they say they like this or that, but by the time Christmas rolls around, they already have it, so I just wing it with something else. For guys, it's usually a gift card or money, for girls, I normally get a necklace or something (all girls love jewelry, I think it's just how they're wired).

Speaking of the perfect gift, here are the top ten gifts for Christmas this year for guys:
1.)Lomography Spinner 360 Degree Camera (Black)
2.)Kenneth Cole New York Coat, Hooded Parka
3.)Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
4.)Toddland Moustache Wallet
5.) Kinect for Xbox 360
6.) Time Squared Alarm Clock - Blue LED
7.) Michigan Wolverines Navy Perennial Hooded Sweatshirt
8.)Ninja Umbrella
9.)Timberland Hat, Quilted Trapper Hat
10.)Design Your Own Chuck Taylor All Star Low

And for girls:
1.)Nike Athletic iD (Sport) Shoulder Bag
2.)Ticket Stub Diary
3.)Design Your Own Chuck Taylor All Star Slip
4.)BABUSHKA EAR BUDS
5.)Fuji Instax Instant Camera
6.)U Name It! Soffe Athletic Shorts - BLACK
7.)personal library kit
8.)Snap Photo Frames
9.)Green Your Friends: Balance Their Carbon Emissions
10.)Personalized M&M'S

And there you go! Hottest gifts of the season apparently! These lists were taken from http://www.gifts.com/, so credit them for this. And you may as well go give them a visit if you want to see more! For right now, that's all for this post, so comment, follow, and keep checking back for my daily (usually) blog posts!

-Alex S.

Ah the Joys of Wii Fit

Has anyone noticed that whenever adults try to play video games, it seems to be even funnier then when kids play them? I mention this because as I'm typing this, my dad is trying the Ski Jump game on Wii Fit. Haha, I don't think parents were made for video games...

Anyways, we're one day closer to Christmas! Just 3 more days! I kind of hope that those days will fly by, but then again, the faster they go, the shorter of a break I get. And I really don't want to go back to school... Speaking of school, you know something is messed up in the world when the Athletic Director's handwriting is neater than the English teacher's handwriting. What's up with that?

I really need a new guitar amplifier... Mine is slowly beginning to give out, and the distortion sounds very tinny. Or maybe it's just my crappy guitar... Who knows. Either way, I still enjoy the soft sound of a nice acoustic guitar, it really doesn't compare to anything else. Sure with an electric guitar you can get that heavy metal sound that everyone seems to adore in rock and metal music, but a nice acoustic guitar can be used in almost every form of music, even more so if you have a pickup in it so you can hook it up to an amp! And I don't think anyone can disagree, the acoustic guitar DOES have a very majestic sound.

So hooray! You loved through another blog post. For your reward for reading this far, you can now follow my blog and leave a comment for me! See y'all later!

"The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear"

Well today was a pretty successful day. Went to a Youth Group movie marathon before noon, and didn't get out until around 4:00. We watched "Elf", the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (which I had to leave in the middle of due to a doctor's appointment), and "Prep and Landing". The festivities were then followed by a few intense games of dodgeball (all of which my team won, by the way).

Being in a Youth Group has defiantly given me a new appreciation for Christian music. You probably don't listen to it, or if you do, not very much, but if you're one of the ones that listens to it a lot, then you know how inspirational it can be. And no, Christian music doesn't have to be Church hymns. For example, one of the songs that the Youth Group Band (of which I am a member) plays is called "Marvelous Light", and it is DEFIANTLY not a Church hymn. It's borderline rock, actually. Don't believe me? Check it out! Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oA2ka7tnh8.

So I'll leave you with a piece of advice: if you EVER come to the St. John Neumann Youth Group, be prepared to play dodgeball... And you may want to bring a First Aid kit. But, like always, follow my blog, comment, etc. etc., and I'll catch y'all next time!

4 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!

It's Getting Closer!

Jeez, I can't believe there's only 5 days till Christmas! Christmas Break is flying by so fast! Sooner than I know it, I'll be back in school... again... But I guess I'll just have to savor each day left of this break, which is actually a lot more than I realize, considering school doesn't start (at my school) until January 4th I think. Only bad part is that no one is going to be around after Christmas, best friend is going to a running camp in Florida, girlfriend is going to New Orleans. other best friend has an EXTREMELY infected finger...

Anyways, I finally got my guitar amp up and running again! Only took a few "taps" with a sledgehammer. Kidding, kidding. But it was a great feeling! There's nothing like waking the entire family up with a loud strum of a G power chord! From there, the entire morning revolved around playing "Eye of the Tiger", which is easily one of my favorite songs of all time. Rocky, anyone?

Going to see the third Narnia movie in about 20 minutes, I think it's called "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", but then again, I'm not really sure. I hope it's good though, because movie tickets are getting REALLY expensive lately!

Well guys, that's the end. Congrats, you made it. Take a breather. And while you're breathing, follow and comment on my blog! :D

"Lord I was born a Ramblin' Man!" (December 20)

You may call me crazy for making this blog post at just past midnight. I would have to agree. But I figured since I couldn't sleep anyways, I may as well do some blogging. And before you ask, no, I have no idea how that thought popped into my head.

Anyways, I have a funny story to tell. At least I found it quite humorous. My mom and I were driving down an onramp to get onto the highway to go home when an old lady and her friend (at least I hope she was just a friend) attempted to cut us off. So my mom floored it. A few minutes later, we were coasting along down the highway when the old ladies, going about 90 mph I swear, flew past us, honking and flipping us off. So much for Southern Hospitality!

Well, I'm beat. Time to hit the hay I suppose. So the usual: Comment, Follow, See y'all later.

At Last! Freedom to do... Nothing! (December 18)

Oh thank the Lord! Christmas Break is here at last! And better yet, Christmas is closing in fast! Has anyone else noticed that this year is flying by? Not that I'm complaining though, believe me, the faster school ends the better.

Anyways, today I finally fixed my Guitar Hero game, and I've been playing it since 11:00 this morning haha. I don't think I've ever been more addicted to a game in my life! Ironic thing is, is that (in my opinion), playing guitar for real REALLY helps with Guitar Hero. I haven't played it in about a year, but since I've been playing the real guitar, I've gotten a lot better at the video game. So there's some inspiration for people who want to be good at Guitar Hero: Learn to play the guitar.
The game gave me some great choices of songs to learn, like La Bamba, Crazy Train, The Middle, Livin on a Prayer, and other stuff like that. I"ve already learned La Bamba (it's really easy), so now I guess I'll move on to Livin on a Prayer to profess my love of everything Bon Jovi.

So that's pretty much the entirety of my blog post today, gotta go back to playing some guitar (and Guitar Hero). I'll just leave y'all with the normal announcements, comment, follow, etc. etc.

One Day Till Freedom! :D (December 16)

Jeez, one more day, one more exam, then I'm home free! At least till next year anyways. Either way, today was great, spent the morning with the girlfriend, then went and took my French exam (which was very easy thankfully). And now since I studied earlier (hooray for planning!), I can sit back for a nice relaxing evening with my guitar. And yes, you can have nice evenings with inanimate objects, come on people, have a little imagination!

Anyways, anyone heard of the band Maroon 5? Do you like them? Well the song that I've been playing for the past couple days is "This Love" by them. All I've been using is the chords, and so far it sounds pretty good! The rhythm is super fun to play with the chords, and they're all simple chords that everyone should know (which means no barre chords!). If you want a relaxing break from epically soloing till your fingers bleed or the windows of your house get blown out, try this one on for size.

And going very off-topic here, has anyone else noticed the really REALLY large drop in temperature over the last couple of days? I mean, I know it's winter and all, and it's supposed to get colder, but when you live in the south like I do, seeing totally frozen lakes and ponds in December isn't a normal thing. Oh well, maybe it's Global Cooling...

That's pretty much everything for today, just the same announcements as always: Leave a comment, Follow my blog, etc. etc. Alex out!

Ahhh Harmonies (December 14)

Well hello everyone. Let me begin this blog post by saying that cacti hurt. A lot. I have a dish of baby cacti sitting on my dresser, and I began this lovely December 14th by plunging my hand into the middle of them (on accident of course). Hey, at 6:15 in the morning, a dish of cacti looks a lot like a pile of books and papers. Or maybe I'm just crazy

Anyways, hand injury aside, today has been a successful day in the world of guitar for me! I learned a new scale (yes, shoot me, I'm getting excited over a scale). It's called the A minor Harmonic scale (i believe), and it is possibly one of the smoothest sounding scales in all of guitar. The sound is a lot like that in Spanish or Middle-Eastern music, and it wows anyone who hears it.

Well I'm going to add another part about my life, since it's quite a large achievement in my book. My friends and I have been working on a treehouse project in the woods for some time now, and until today it has only been a small triangular treehouse. You see, the problem is that the only wood we had was from knocking down wooden structures that were no longer needed, and the only nails we had were spares from family projects. Well today, we got our hands on more wood and nails, and we began to expand. Can anyone say "outdoor concert"?

So anyways, here's some questions to keep you occupied:
1.) Try out the Harmonic Scale. What do you think of it?
2.) What would be the one venue you would want to perform live at (and it doesn't have to be performing on the guitar)
That's all for tonight's post. Catch y'all on the flip side!

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer....." (December 13)

Tis the season to learn Christmas songs! Maybe... I've been saying that for the past couple years, whether it being learning the songs on the piano or the guitar, but has it happened? You probably guessed it, nope! But this year I'm determined to learn at least one seasonal song. Because I mean really, everyone needs to know SOME sort of song for every holiday! :-)

And now let us move away from the mystical land of sugarplums, and into the musical world of... Well... Music! I guess I'll start this section by proposing, not a Song of the Week, but a Band of the Week. This band I actually just recently discovered via an accidental search on YouTube. They're called Boyce Avenue, and they are purely amazing. They not only do covers, but they also write their own music, which is very good. They blend the amazingly smooth vocals with insane guitar, bass, and drums, to create a finished product that wows audiences everywhere.

Anyways, really short blog post today. Not feeling many ideas coming my way, and I don't want to bore anyone with my rambling. So please, if you have any ideas on what I should post about, feel free to post below.

One Last Breath (December 11)

Hey everyone, I'm back!
If you aren't a fan of the band Creed, then you probably didn't catch the point of my title. Oh well, they come highly recommended from me! Check them out! Anyways, I was just listening to the song "One Last Breath" by Creed (Ahhh, so THAT'S how the title ties in with the blog entry! :O) and I really love this song. Great music, and great lyrics. Personally, I love any lyrics that have some sort of meaning to them. It really brings Creed's music to a whole other level.

Anyways, in the life of me, I just got home from a Beta Club Convention, and I somehow managed to get 3rd in the Science part. Confused? I am! I mean, considering I didn't know half of the answers, and for all of those I put C for my choice... You can imagine how shocked I was. Best part about the Convention, I do have to say was being able to hang around with some people who I now have a new appreciation for. And plus they liked my guitar playing, so what can I say? I like people who like guitar. :)

Well folks, the last stretch of school before Christmas Break is before us! Apperently my school has exams before Christmas Break, but every other school has them after.. I guess we're just weird like that. Either way, there's only one week between me and temporary freedom!

Oh great... There was supposed to be a whole other paragraph here, but I just had a brain lapse... GREAT... Eh, whatever, I'll just keep it blank. So I'll catch y'all later! I'm going to go eat some cake ;D

December 5 - December 11

Wow, one more week of school, then a week of exams (if you can really even call it a week), and then Christmas Break (Winter Break, same difference)! I know I'm excited, what about you guys? I mean, heck, presents, Christmas music, mistletoe (oh you all know what I mean about THAT!), and the great company of friends. Or if you're like me and have no friends... Well, go blog about it or something.

I personally find it amazing how quickly this first semester passed me by! I mean, heck, it's already almost Christmas! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that half of the school year is over, but dang!

And finally, the part you've all been waiting for! It's the part where I geek off about my guitar playing skills like they're something spectacular. And yes, I know that half of you are going to read that and think, "Ok, I'm getting out of here fast", but stick around a little longer! If you do, you'll get to read about how I finally found a song to match my vocal pitch (not that I'm amazing at singing anyways, but whatever). It's called "September" by Chris Daughtry, and I personally find that it is an amazing song, with great lyrics and meaning. But then again, that's my taste.

And this brings us to my weekly questions, which all of you will rush to answer, I'm sure.
1.) What is the #1 item you want for Christmas?
2.) What do you think of the song "September"? And yes, this means you have to actually LISTEN to it.

And that pretty much wraps this week's post up! I just want to really quickly remind y'all that if you haven't already, to follow my blog, check out the weekly posts (or more than once every week, depending on my mood), and leave a comment for me. Thanks again, and I'll catch y'all next week!

November 28 - December 4

Wow, Thanksgiving Break is already over. Was it just me, or did it seem to just fly by? Oh well, on the bright side, there's only a few more weeks till Christmas (or Winter) break.

Over the break, I also managed to learn some songs. Most of them the majority of you have most likely have never heard of, as they are songs for my Youth Group. The one that I'm sure that everyone is familiar with is Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. This is a great song, and its extremely fun to play, since the chords are of a different nature than most. The only portion of the song that I have yet to nail is the solo, mostly because I'm a slacker and didn't feel like learning it. Hey, don't judge! There was turkey downstairs most of the time!

Either way, over Thanksgiving I fell in love... With a guitar. It's the Alvarez AD222C acoustic guitar. It's absolutely beautiful in both looks and sound. AND it can be hooked up to an amplifier, just in case I feel like blasting my family's eardrums out in the middle of the night.

Anyways, moving on off of my love life (and yes, I WILL continue to refer to it as that), comes this week's big question (actually, there are two questions).
1) What did you do over Thanksgiving Break?
2) What kind of guitar do you use, or are planning on using in the near future?

So just post your responses below this post using the little link titled "comments", and I'll see y'all back here next week!