scenes and sounds...: recapitulate 2008: january, february, march

2008 was an interesting year.
I learned, I listened, I talked, I traveled.
I made friends, I lost friends, I realized what a friend is and is not.
I saw (at least) 48 bands I had never seen before.
I hurt and I healed, but the former tended to win out.
I grew so much, but saw how far I still have to go.

This is 2008, in four parts. Here is Part 1.

JANUARY

Rang in the new year with some old high school friends (and some strangers) by playing Guitar Hero in old prom dresses. Looked foward to a new semester of school and hoped it would better than the previous. Was rapidly disappointed. Started writing in this blog. Sort of started dating someone, but didn't have an official "title" for it. Celebrated Ama's 21st birthday. Experienced my one and only hangover. Started BGR Supervisor duties in earnest and realized there was no time for the dance company. Decided to sit out of the dance company. Came down with a terrible cold and lost my voice. Went to see We The Living in Terre Haute. Went to Iowa (!) the next day with Ama to surprise WTL, succeeded, froze to death, posed with a merch mannequin, and got yelled at for taking pictures in Walmart. Realized we could never surprise them again because if you show up in Iowa, you'll show up anywhere. Needed a reason to stop dating someone because it just wasn't working out. Was handed a reason on a silver platter. Stopped dating someone. Realized that being a BGR supervisor was going to be excellent and also insanely time-consuming. Started spending too much time hanging out in the BGR office. Loathed pharmacy school at times, battled with resulting winter blues.

[New Year's Eve]

[Terre Haute, at The Verve.]

[This is Manny.]

[Iowa Walmart, 2 a.m.]

FEBRUARY

Drowned in homework and tests. Spent the evening of Valentine's Day taking a pharmacokinetics exam, and hanging out alone. Ran around the Union and Stewart Center in costumes for one of many comfort-zone-pushing BGR assignments. Got the list of BGR Team Leaders I would be responsible for supervising and training until August. Had to miss a We The Living concert in Lafayette due to BGR training, but housed them for the night anyway. Discovered the hilarity of finding five unconscious band dudes plus all their stuff in my living room. Discovered how dirty a shower can become after five guys use it. Continued to drown in schoolwork and emotional distress. Continued to spend too much time hanging out in the BGR office. Learned a fun line dance for BGR and broke it out when bored. Started a message board for We The Living. Found out Stefan was leaving WTL. Found out Jeremy was joining WTL. Met my Team Leaders for BGR and did a good job pretending I wasn't terrified to have so much responsibility. Prepared for and carried out the BGR Team Leader retreat and discovered just how cool it was to finally be the ones doing the training. Saw Ben Folds on February 29th (leap years are fun). Was directed by Ben Folds to sing the background of "Not The Same" in 3-part disharmony with 5000 other people in the auditorium. Realized I had forgotten was a big concert/show felt like.

[The things we do for BGR.]

[Who let these hooligans in?]

[The 'Bama Slide. We got pretty good at this.]

[Travis and I with our Team Leaders and the Neil and Amelia mural!]

MARCH

Flew to Los Angeles for spring break to visit a friend in Pasadena for a week. Flights were delayed and almost missed Matt Nathanson and Lifehouse at The Wiltern, but made it just in time. Met California Lifehouse fans. Enjoyed the culinary delight that is macaroni and cheese from Swingers Diner in Hollywood. Didn't have a suitcase for a day and a half. Went to Pirates Dinner Adventure for the third time. Went to two Lakers games and saw Jack Nicholson and Nick Lachey. Went to Universal Studios. Flew home with great sadness. Went to Milwaukee with Ama in a blizzard to see Lifehouse, only to find the day of the show that it was canceled because Jason was in the hospital... in Michigan. Hated life and moped in the hotel until we saw Cavashawn was playing in Chicago that night. Made up a story for the front desk and was allowed to leave without extra fines. Went to Chicago and saw Cavashawn for the first time. Fell in platonic music-related love. Laughed because we "really don't need this" but knew we did. Had no idea that it was the beginning of a love affair with Chicago. Went to see Cavashawn and WTL in Cincinnati and had entirely too much fun. Experienced Skyline Chili for the first time. Got a phone call from WTL two days later because they were playing a last-minute show at a Purdue frat. Sold merch for the first time and felt like I was in my element. Experienced a minor heartbreak. Still stayed busy with BGR, still spent too much time in the office, still loathed pharmacy school at times, eagerly awaited proper spring weather.