Back to the Day (Night?) Job

Well, it's been exactly a week since I jet to Indy and Lyla was born this very minute. I'm back on shows with Nick and this week we're with iMusic and University of Delaware...can't complain, it's been a decent gig so far.

Miss you Lyla! You're 1 week old!

Sometimes A Little Girl Just 3 Hours Old Can Change Your World...

When my plane landed in Indy, I turned on my cell phone and there was a Picture Message from Jeb and there she was, little Lyla, horrified by the new world around her and covered in remnants of what had surrounded her for the last several months. Little did I know how symbolic that was for everyone she would come into contact with, she was shedding what she had known and been comfortable with and so had her parents and soon...myself. I ran to grab my rental car and raced down I-465 to the hospital.

Jeb met me at the elevator doors and we walked down the hallway to room 416. When we entered the room, the air changed. There she was, so small and so beautiful. The first time Dawn, her mother, put her in my arms the world changed. I didn't expect to be attached to the baby, I was there to support my best friend and his wife, but this moment was so much more than that. We spent the next couple of days in the hospital to make sure all was well with mother and child and Saturday night, the Templeton family was able to go home for the first time. I stuck around for a couple more days to help where I could and then had to get back east to resume the work I abandoned. It's amazing, overnight, a new life was brought into this world, I saw my best friend become a man that would move the earth with his bare hands to ensure the happiness of a little girl, a family became whole, a lot of people lost a lot of sleep and I suddenly found myself with a niece, perfect little Lyla and she changed my world.

I got on that plane heading east hesitantly, I already missed my friends and now there was one more to miss. Don't grow up too fast Lyla, but when you do, change this world like you did mine and your parents.

-Rod

P.S. Of course, I have a ton of photos, as any annoyingly proud uncle, here's my virtual brag book: www.flickr.com/delylah

Sometimes Life Has To Twist Our Arm A Bit To Breathe

I'm somewhere over PA or OH in a last minute red-eye US Airways flight to Indy, but I'll get to that.

So much has happened since the Midwest debut of my latest album. I got home to the East Coast and went back to the day job for a few days and the following Saturday, the East Coast debut took place in Woodstown, NJ at Beans Coffee Shop. The turnout was more modest than the Midwest, but it was to be expected. The important part was the people that were there we VERY supportive and since this event happened during public business hours, many bystanders were drawn to the music, which is always very encouraging. My East Coast family (now made famous by the new tune "Held Together") were all in attendance: Rita, Nick and Chris. Good friends Charles and Kirsty Hornbostel came all the way from VA to listen. A handful of new friends, like the infamous "Stack" came and it was great to see him and the others. Album sales have been better than expected, the general reception has been great and so far, critics love it…but most importantly, it seems as if nearly everyone that gives ears to tracks 1 all the way through 10 have related. It means a lot to me that someone who feels misunderstood, lonely and/or broken can find a solace in music I've written, in all the times I've felt alone, music has helped me ease the tension.

Distribution of the album is wide, but still a bit scattered. It's available from my website, Greenville College Bookstore, CDBaby.com, BestBuy.com, iTunes, Digstation, GroupieTunes, and many many others I'm not even aware of. I've even heard rumors of people purchasing the CD from local Wal-Marts and Best Buys. If you're in the central Indiana region, the best place to get it and support me is the Greentown Public Library (there's less middlemen to nickel and dime me). A number of licensing opportunities have surfaced, not much information on that yet, but if anything actually happens, I'll tell everyone about it here. Thanks to everyone who has called, sent cards or talked to me after shows to encourage me, tell me what my album means to them and how they relate, you have no idea what that means to me.

After the East Coast debut, the Hornbostels, Nick and I headed over to Iron Hill Brewery for a few beers and great food. Haven't been there since, it's about time to make another trip.

The day job at BEL.com, as always, grows increasingly turbulent. It's an odd dichotomy: I love the work, and it stacks up to an overwhelming amount, but to so much, I just get tired quickly. I had expected to head out to Indy April 25^th or later to be with Jeb and Dawn when their first child was born, and that was a sort of glimmer of hope in a break from all the madness. This morning (April 10) I got a call while on site at a job from Jeb saying the darn kid was on her way, so I tied up the loose ends there, and got on the phone to book the next flight out. The other crew at work are covering clients for me while I'm gone, and I'm thankful for that favor. I packed in record time and Nick gave me a ride to the Philly airport. I skipped into the airport in time to board the plane and now here I am in transit. This post won't go live until I'm near WiFi again, but it's about 9:30pm and here I am.

It's an odd thought, but I've never dropped everything like I did this afternoon. I guess it was just instinct. I want to be there for important moments in my friends' lives and I know they would do the same for me. At the same time, it's kind of forced me to step away from work for a few days and remind me there's an outside world. On trips like this, I'm forced to sit still for the few hours they have me strapped to my seat and listen to music and think.

It's amazing what depths there are to love. Jeb used to be one of the loneliest guys I knew, and one day, he meets Dawn. Later, he told me he was proposing and then a year after that they got married. The fact that Jeb comes home every day to a woman who adores him is amazing to me. It's a simple truth, but just so awesome. Take that a step further and even though I never have and never will go through the child birthing process myself, I imagine it is VERY painful and the fact that a mother is willing to go through this to give life to someone she doesn't even know yet, is astounding. I just look beyond the proverbial horizon and see Jeb and Dawn loving this child so much and it continues to amaze me.

So, this laptop battery is giving way…so goodnight friends, and thank you for your love.

-Rod