the vending room.

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-163850292012-02-16T04:51:13.593-06:00the vending room.little observances.aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-74221797945117123322011-08-06T10:51:00.002-05:002011-08-06T10:54:07.492-05:00Closed until further notice.

This is not news. There has not been a substantial post in The Vending Room in over a year. It did serve as a minor outlet to keep some notes about my driving trip with Willis last summer, but it's time to close the doors. Reprisal to come.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-3861496053362777632010-12-17T12:17:00.002-06:002010-12-17T13:07:14.964-06:00something like a christmas cabaret.

i was cast in a version of the christmas carol this season to play bob cratchit at the bastrop opera house, but that production was cancelled, so we're doing this instead:Saturday, December 17 & 18 at 8 p.m.A Christmas CabaretA delightful presentation of music and fun.Opening TONIGHT!One weekend only!Created and directed by Chester Eitze and David-Anthony BurgerFriday and Saturday Dec. 17 & 18 at

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-77114954867397449242010-07-07T13:37:00.013-05:002010-07-07T14:14:16.592-05:00oh, canada.

willis went to canada.on canada day.after lunch...he found himself at a free cannibus rally.he might have gotten caught up with the wrong crowd...and let things get out of hand.there was a little scare at the border.i tried to play it cool on his behalf.but the authorities sensed he was suspicious.luckily, he had 'destroyed' the evidence.it's good to be free.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-28555662393847263982010-07-07T13:03:00.005-05:002010-07-07T13:34:38.944-05:00i can seattle from here.

seattle.willis's favorite landmark was the space needle. he thought it was his food bowl on a candelabra stand.he lacks depth perception.he made more new friends. he thanked one of them for their hospitality by peeing on the floor seven times.it might have been because he was anxious to get to canada.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-46925251818624111042010-07-07T12:41:00.004-05:002010-07-07T13:02:25.439-05:00bend it like barry goldwater.

this trip has been good for willis if for nothing else, it has improved his social awareness. in bend, he made a new friend at the dog park......and listened intently as he talked about the importance of the republican filibuster.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-40060891424096547542010-07-07T11:11:00.006-05:002010-07-07T12:38:58.546-05:00haiku backwards.

all things northwest must go through ukiah.where the great orchard family rules the land.willis requested a stop to visit the ukiah brewing company.i'm starting to wonder if i should be worried about his habits, especially after what happened in vegas...willis lobbied for a detour through willits. it was not as clever as he thought it was.willis enjoyed his time in ukiah. he marked his

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-24473559096010675362010-06-21T23:11:00.003-05:002010-06-21T23:19:47.091-05:00off to oregon.

tomorrow willis will embark to oregon.first stop is bend. he hopes to do some good hound doggin' outdoorsin', like catching a sick flip-kick ollie off a 9-er breaker rock level 15 trail bmx-style. i've advised him to wear one of those shit-eating biker bonnets to keep his ears out of the gears, but he never listens. he'll probably just end up chasing a jack-rabbit.i mentioned to him that maybe

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-43221881132342454232010-06-17T15:42:00.013-05:002010-06-17T16:25:54.957-05:00where the f**k is willis? -- installment ii.

willis has gone to look for america.as to his whereabouts:installment i -- 1) the vw 2) marfa 3) apache nat'l forest 4) alpine, az [he recommends elk] 5) a corner in winslow, az.installment ii* -- 1) grand canyon 2) death valley 3) lone pine, ca 4) yosemite 5) the golden gate.*pictures of willis in las vegas have been omitted per his request.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-67029311134525595722010-06-04T11:46:00.010-05:002010-06-17T16:23:44.873-05:00where the f**k is willis? -- installment i.

where's willis?(answers to come in installment ii).

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-4704785451054064322010-03-24T22:59:00.025-06:002010-11-04T14:51:29.643-06:00sxsw.

sxsw--this marvelous thing that comes to austin every spring--brings joy, frustration, hope, and loathing--as the descending mass of hipsters, scenesters, travelers, and wanderers infiltrate and addend a city already steeped in back-loaded, spinning, ironic youth. part glorious, part iniquitous--it might not be more than a fleeting microcosm exposing our daily commonality--but we love it

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-42514609625121903202010-03-04T09:17:00.003-06:002010-03-04T09:55:44.745-06:00bookpeople.

dave eggers was at bookpeople last night. it was cool."this is like--dude--i'm nervous--it's like, i'm trying to think of this musically--it's like, meeting, jeff tweedy or something, you know, dude? you know what i'm saying, right? like, dude, yeah. it's like--i don't even know. i'm like, freakin' out man. i need to use the restroom, but, aggghhh, duuuude..." -- paul banks-------------dave

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-78879112317106245682010-03-01T20:23:00.004-06:002010-03-01T21:22:59.591-06:0024.

jack bauer is tv's brett favre.we get it. you're still really good at evading death and catching bad guys. but shouldn't you have retired 4 seasons ago?

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-86935437567360629682010-03-01T20:17:00.002-06:002010-03-01T20:20:20.472-06:00eggers in austin.

dave eggers is coming to austin.book people on wednesday at 7:30. these are good things for our city.http://bookpeople.indiebound.com/event/dave-eggershere's eggers' talking on 826 valencia. inspired stuff.http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-24912311313533599782010-03-01T14:47:00.003-06:002010-03-01T15:19:33.660-06:00info 210.

i pulled out my old copy of of info 210 notes from college today. mike hnatt--a hero. i thought perhaps these old notes could teach me something i missed 8 years ago, which was everything.college is wasted on college students.i had no idea what i was learning. what i should have been learning. what i needed to learn. this is why bill gates and steve jobs are who they are. they just did

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-60215650385965290402009-08-10T15:24:00.006-05:002010-03-01T12:27:59.304-06:00everything that happens will happen after green bay.

here's me in five days.after that, i will drive back to chicago in a rented car and stay until tuesday. maybe stop through madison. or milwaukee.usually these places do not bring to mind major life change, turning point decision-making, or anything more than whether or not 'milwaukee's best' is indeed that and a marginally whimsical interest in what the dells might be like -- but true to form,

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-4903826601215170032009-07-22T16:24:00.017-05:002010-03-01T12:28:11.387-06:00my fourth of july with explosions in the sky.

it started at a watering hole. or a swimming hole. honestly, i'm still not sure which one is which, or if there is a difference. fourth of july is a holiday dear to my heart. maybe it's that epic film from my youth, when i was half as old but twice as wise, independence day, where we learned about how humanity really can pull together long enough to entrust jeff goldblum to bug a

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-43498184818766828002009-07-02T15:14:00.007-05:002010-03-01T12:28:19.895-06:00so adam beaugh bought a jet ski.

by Lorne Chan:but that's only why this story begins.The wreck happened about two weeks ago, and today Adam took it to a shop in New Braunfels to get it fixed.Since he framed the blank check I wrote him instead of cashing it, I'm repaying Adam with a series of lunches. New Braunfels is about half an hour away from San Antonio, so it's not much of a distance to travel, one easily traversed by my

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-58919554184294920922009-07-01T11:26:00.007-05:002010-03-01T12:28:27.575-06:00vinyl & wine -- installment I.

It’s a shame we make the same mistakes over and over again.A few days after I completed my first sitting of Vinyl & Wine, a friend and I had a conversation in which we talked about how it is often difficult to broach a subject when we know the conversation could be tumultuous; though we are quite confident the end result will be positive. Yet each time the situation arises, we find ourselves

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-41801182509362282612009-06-20T18:22:00.006-05:002009-07-01T13:08:42.178-05:00marry me.

i missed st. vincent during sxsw. i did not make the same mistake again when she came to austin this weekend.here is a little video i took of her set at waterloo.she also played an amazing show at mohawk.annie clark is her name. it might be a good idea to pay attention from now on.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-28856719103904338552009-06-18T09:45:00.016-05:002010-03-01T12:28:35.767-06:00a bonnaroo.

this past weekend was this summer's installment of the newly epic music festival bonnaroo. a lemony snickets left me unable to attend this festival which i otherwise had every intention of attending this year. well, i felt it was unfortunate at first. the etymology, or at least the popularization, of the word bonnaroo is attributed to a new orleans blues/boogie woogie musician named dr. john,

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-44949487762147720732009-05-26T08:42:00.006-05:002010-03-01T12:28:43.147-06:00the unpredictability of being edgar.

it's difficult to want to attempt to explain the last 2 1/2 months of my life, mostly because i can't quite explain it to myself. a jerry maguire-esque treatise left me jobless exactly 1 year to the day after i started at my previous employer, and off i went on a steady course toward a life in education. i made my mind up, but i feel most of the time like i'm operating on a lotus exige with the

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-49759120069614990992009-04-20T02:49:00.003-05:002009-07-01T13:04:47.722-05:00if life is really as short as they say, then why is the night so long?

i played an escapade

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-29960341975404024342009-04-16T01:40:00.005-05:002009-07-01T13:05:38.281-05:00twenty six; it's the new twenty four

turning twenty-six feels like being a sophomore in high school again. there is nothing energizing, interesting, or significant about the birthday. you're not a mid-twenties neophyte anymore, but you're not quite an established adult either; especially when you haven't yet chosen a clear career and don't have any long term relationship prospects (i'm going strictly off what it seems like parents

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-36256428077549882002009-03-31T19:07:00.006-06:002009-07-01T13:05:53.658-05:00bittersweet good-southby, pt. ii

picking up on friday morning, it's only appropriate that i dragged out this second post by so many days, as that's what getting up and going friday morning felt like. thursday was epic in a sense that though we called it a fairly early night by austin standards, it was a day that seemed like it would never end, and we never really wanted it to. i like the above picture because it kind of

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-8537912491296385762009-03-24T15:45:00.009-06:002009-07-01T13:06:16.547-05:00bittersweet good-southby, pt. i

there is no way to know where to even begin to start thinking about what just happened.i will attempt to recap a south by southwest experience in a more painless fashion than what my body experienced and still feels a solid 3 days removed from the final act.sxsw in its fullness is a gargantuan task not to be taken on by the faint of heart. just when you think you've got time to rest and recover,

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-17803176032808890962009-02-28T16:03:00.006-06:002009-07-01T13:06:52.894-05:0028 days hath february, all the rest have 31

almost in month three of two-thousand & nine, anno domini -- another beautiful austin, texas day. listening to sigur rós's Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust for the second time this weekend, four days into the lenten season, four days without a beer, a cigarette, or a cup of coffee. my sister found out i smoked the day before i quit, so i figured since she was the last family holdover, i can

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-11571605289003831182009-01-11T14:32:00.016-06:002009-07-01T13:07:50.254-05:002008 - somewhere between music and heartbreak

another year has come and gone, but i'd like to take a moment to reflect as i can't recall one in my life that has been more significant start to finish. i moved to austin on january 1st, 2008 after driving straight to my sister's from a new year's eve spent in memphis, tn (see 'from austin to nyc (via nashville)') with only a short stop over in dallas to pack up the remainder of my belongings.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-29465921322219826592008-11-17T09:36:00.003-06:002009-07-01T13:07:18.362-05:00the ever-living ghost of what once was

i just felt like this today...

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-76433975519593432712008-11-07T10:05:00.004-06:002009-07-01T13:08:25.195-05:00take it to the banks

paul bank's newest little ditty, 'floats on satellites'. sound quality not great, but it works.oh, and Happy Birthday Mom!

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-20822471506160712042008-11-03T10:58:00.005-06:002008-11-03T13:48:26.090-06:00wurst citizen ever

this weekend is WURSTFEST! it should be a good weekend of semi-drunken central texans taking up old german customs like drinking...and eating wrapped meats. just remember to say 'bitte ein bier'!

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-20901163391570559762008-10-31T12:24:00.004-06:002009-07-01T13:09:03.436-05:00a bon iver in boston

justin, adam, and i are going to see this guy in boston on december 14th. to answer your question, yes. we are happy about it.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-31191836389316887342008-10-29T19:19:00.003-06:002008-10-29T20:11:04.954-06:00do you wanna ride?

this is, pretty much, my car:graciously given to me by my parents, after i was forced to sell my beautifully amazing and wonderful VW (see 'from austin to nyc (via nashville)'), and who themselves received it from my grandmother. it's like a family heirloom of sorts. the cadi has been experiencing some, shall we say, technical difficulties as of late, the biggest being its inability to idle at

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-32003409739743937802008-10-28T08:21:00.003-06:002008-10-28T08:26:12.891-06:00don draper's guide to picking up women

be don draper

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-86438439396815125492008-10-27T21:44:00.003-06:002009-07-01T13:10:25.534-05:00the race race

after all this, could it really still just boil down to race?[title is link to bbc story]By Jonathan Alter NEWSWEEKThe conventional wisdom, which I share, is that Barack Obama will win this election, perhaps by a healthy margin. But Democrats are nervous wrecks; they're having nightmares that defeat will be snatched from the jaws of victory.To add to their misery (and guard against complacency),

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-53822165756974569712008-10-27T20:11:00.004-06:002009-07-01T13:12:11.670-05:00i thought about the army...

"ben, you sing the songs of my life," lauren said."you have a weird life," ben replied. ben folds is a cool guy. he's just a cool guy. shortly after that brief conversation with my friend lauren, he signed his set list and gave it to our friend juliette. our other friend brian works for his label. he secured two giant yellow frowny face masks that the band members wore while playing key-tars

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-32995098232000058152008-10-23T20:23:00.009-05:002009-07-01T13:11:23.975-05:00it's such a fine line between stupid...and clever

as i sit watching this is Spinal Tap for the sixth time or so, i can't help but think that this comedy number is very similar to most of the Fox News and MSNBC i've been watching for the past several months, except rob reiner does a much better job of asking real questions than most media outlets.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-27120264460511669542008-10-08T20:19:00.014-05:002008-10-27T21:24:41.693-06:00Rock and Roll Is a Lifestyle

And the chicks are great.Returning from Utah after acquiring nothing beyond food poisoning, I jumped on four more planes and ended up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. We'll say it was for work. Two days to recoup was necessary, and after making through the work days, it was time to get out and enjoy the Brazilian fare. The best I've had so far. Belo is a beautiful city tucked into the north central

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-91655709263046257772008-09-06T02:19:00.007-05:002009-07-01T13:10:44.934-05:00Will There Be Blood?

Is Sarah Palin our real life Daniel Plainview, just in a different sheep's clothing? link

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-28233678763193387742008-09-06T00:35:00.004-05:002009-07-01T13:10:01.907-05:00Good Poems, Provo, & Pudu

Well since the trip to New York, a lot has happened and not a lot of time has been made to write about it. In short, this probably won't be that short. At medium, a lot of the last month and a half involved my friend Phillip and his amazing wife Constance (see link to Phillip's blog/memoirs of amazement in the side column to the right). You see, this is what will happen when your good friend

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-30307525850767750202008-07-13T16:00:00.008-05:002008-07-21T21:55:38.995-05:00From Austin to NYC (via Nashville)

I bought my Volkswagen Passat for the adventure. That's just what it became. Six and a half months ago, I purchased a 2005 Passat Diesel from a man in Tuscaloosa, AL after leaving my job at Sewell Cadillac in Dallas and deciding to move to Austin. Working at Sewell, I had to hand in the keys to my Cadillac and jump on a plane to Birmingham to pick up the Passat. My friend Alex went with me,

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1824884224808444632008-06-25T00:13:00.002-05:002008-06-25T00:51:05.644-05:00It's All Relative

I think every good epiphany should come with a glass of red wine and a cigarette. Right after I completed, of all things, a financial practice problem on behalf of my friend in graduate school, I took a look at the problem, the notes I had scribbled in the margin of the page, the formulas, and the answer, and realizing it had been over 3 years since the last time I had attempted a problem like

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-45487269273133574632008-05-22T20:20:00.007-05:002008-05-23T00:51:40.995-05:00Fantasy Football's Finest

It's no secret to the 7 people that know me that I am an avid fantasy football player. Like most good fantasy players, my team loyalties have been completely blurred and I have been known to cheer for Peyton Manning to throw touchdowns against my hometown team of Houston and for David Garrard to fracture his tailbone. It's a brutal world of nerdery that as a former football player, I am at

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-13729954692004055882008-05-22T19:56:00.003-05:002008-05-22T20:15:01.730-05:00Ruse'd!

This past weekend marked the last that my best friend Alex would visit me in Austin before moving on to Indianapolis to start thwarting ignorance through his efforts as a high school math teacher with Teach for America. We've had some good laughs being roommates for nearly 6 years of our adult lives, and I will surely miss him being close, but I am very excited for him none the less.The weekend

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-74499001423652423732008-04-03T18:03:00.006-06:002008-05-22T19:49:48.989-05:00I am Batman

As told originally on the Work Daily Email (WDE):I would like to formally introduce myself to the WDE. I have apparently received the great honor and privilege of being added to this esteemed list and would like to extend my sincerest gratitudes to all those parties involved in getting me to where I am today. You're out there, you know who you are. It has been asked of me that for my first

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-71277305289139680852008-04-02T23:58:00.004-06:002008-05-22T19:49:33.929-05:00Run

I decided today while running that I think taking a sabbatical in order to run as far as I can run is a good idea. So at some point, I think I will probably go for a run one day, and it will be a while before I get home. I have yet to decide if this should include forethought and planning. The rational part of me says it should, however that is seemingly not the side of me that would make a

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-63673450580835101492008-03-28T19:11:00.006-06:002008-05-22T19:49:20.438-05:00Andrew Bird

If you haven't heard Andrew Bird, you need to. Go download/purchase/burn a copy of Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs right now. This is by no means a new album, but I was inspired to bring it up because of this NY Times Editorial piece he wrote about song writing. Possibly the most talented stage musician I have ever seen.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-41727984061266530312008-03-26T21:37:00.013-06:002008-07-23T17:29:34.948-05:00It's Universal

I'll wrap up the Peru adventures eventually, but it's been so long, I just wanted to get started again.For a person as average as myself to blog stream of consciousness seems mundane, even to me. So the first thing I do before each time I log on to write is ask myself, "Why would anyone want to read this? I must have the least interesting life of anyone I know." Then I inevitably begin to

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-88847933951594120852008-01-21T14:51:00.001-06:002008-05-22T19:42:01.050-05:00Peru - Chapter 6

Conditions improved on day 2, but it was still a bit foggy and wet. As we worked down the mountain it started to dry up and the sun came out. We only trekked until lunch time when we reached what would be our second campsite. It was in a flat valley dropped down right between several mountains. The scene could not have been better. We had an amazing lunch that included fresh rainbow trout

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-20389456386544022202008-01-18T11:37:00.001-06:002008-03-29T10:40:10.216-06:00Peru - Chapter 5

We decided to take it easy that night and get some actual rest. Our big 5 day trek was coming up Monday morning and we wanted to try to conserve our energy. We ambled around the square, had some local pizza for dinner, and watched some TV back at the hostal. On Sunday before we were set to meet our guide, we spoke with Amerigo, the coordinator, who was a native Peruvian but spoke with an

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-4006492632346987842007-12-23T03:18:00.001-06:002008-03-29T10:28:38.182-06:00Peru - Chapter 4

We awoke early Sunday morning and in a sort of daze, managed to find our way to our designated bus stop in the Plaze de Armes for the Sacred Valley Tour. We were all a bit groggy and had to try and find our focus on the bus trip out across the Peruvian mountain landscape. We crossed through valleys and rode over high passes of the mountains as we saw the natural beauty of the country's

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-17728649182334303792007-11-18T17:22:00.000-06:002008-01-06T21:42:09.813-06:00Peru - Chapter 3

As we sat and played our three-person game of beer hockey, a simple game where you spin a coin and call another person's name so that person attempts to knock the coin off someone else’s beer bottle thus making the person whose bottle they hit drink from said bottle for the duration of a subsequent spin of the coin, we were approached by the manager of the hostel, a young Englishman named Tom.

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-55132886022107501652007-11-06T23:17:00.001-06:002008-03-29T10:24:17.004-06:00Peru - Chapter 2

Allow me to digress from the forward momentum of the tale for only a moment to share a few comical moments that befell us early in the trip due to our lack of familiarity with our surroundings.First, as we were going through immigration and having our passports stamped, I was called to the booth when it was my turn. For no apparent reason, when I went to set my passport on the counter, I also

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-45483906694931146382007-10-30T23:02:00.002-06:002008-03-29T09:46:58.035-06:00Peru - Chapter 1

I recently took a trip to the ecologically bountiful nation of Peru and what a trip it was.It began with a flight to Miami to meet the rest of my traveling companions whom I would spend the forthcoming two weeks with. Only one of the other three people did I know, as all of us were affiliated through the same man, one Justin Peltier.Justin is an established traveler and a recent friend. We

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-53684955803370346532007-08-21T00:32:00.000-05:002007-09-13T00:49:38.272-05:00Superbad

Michael Cera is true to his roots from his days as George Michael in Arrested Development playing opposite another somewhat outlandish performance by Jonah Hill (Knocked Up). Cera's extraordinary dead pan is the same typical flawlessly well-timed delivery we are used to, and he is more poignant than ever. His stoic reactions to what would seem to be emotionally intense situations are even-keel

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-3164914928672595992007-08-19T23:46:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:05:23.065-05:00It's Business Time

Even after having to sit front row at The Bourne Ultimatum, I was still inspired, at least for a moment, to immediately enlist and attempt to become a Navy Seal. That dream, however, was quickly quelled when I remembered another movie starring Charlie Sheen (or was it Emilio Estevez? I can never keep those two straight. It's a wonder, you would think they were brothers or something) which

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-52173109922895556912007-06-29T23:15:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:14:33.829-05:00Brody

The last few days have brought about some interesting events. They are listed below in order of importance.1) The Rogers family welcomed Brody Ross Rogers into the family on Tuesday, June 26th 2007 at a whopping 9 lbs 8 oz. Ghaaa! That kid is going to be enorm-o! He was born to my brother Bryan and his wife Olivia, and for those of you who don't know, their combined height is actually

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-34948244515459217862007-06-13T21:58:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:14:56.522-05:00Let Him Play

Reggie McNeal is at it again...http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=333af96c-8c24-4d44-9ed4-0c676af92d8dAfter being arrested in Houston for accosting a police officer in street clothes outside The Red Door, Reggie is still associating with the classiest individuals of the NFL including Chris Henry, the poster child for poor pro-athlete behavior.As an Aggie I can only hang my head

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-31009925192219758552007-04-08T21:42:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:15:10.940-05:00Diesel Pump #9

It started as a normal day; a plan, a goal, an expected result. What ensued could be considered a minor fiasco not to mention the most absurd day in both Travis’s and my life. That is not hyperbole; on the scale of absurdity, taking every day of our lives into account, this one ranked at the top. Not among the top, near the top, or in the running, but right at the pinnacle. The day was

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1164866668847791682006-11-29T22:41:00.000-06:002007-09-13T01:15:34.543-05:00Thanksgiving 2006

(My apologies; I have removed the previous poetic injustice due to many readers’ perception of its “poor man’s Suessical” type nature and have decided to stick to asinine recounts of life’s happenings for the time being. Regards.)I jumped in the Blazer late last Wednesday night and set out on one final, old-fashioned, solo Texas road trip; with roughly 10 hours of driving scheduled in the

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1161792518350772352006-10-25T10:27:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:15:55.687-05:00Summer in Reverse

So I know it's been a good while since the summer, and an even better while since I posted, but I thought I would do the 4 of us that read this a service and post a quick recap of the summer/early fall '06 in Dallas as it occurred through the eyes of one Allen Rogers.Let's start, June 1: I moved into a nicely equipped apartment adjacent to the American Airlines Center and down the street from

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1155702246426083092006-08-15T23:03:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:16:29.705-05:00The Fight for Santa Claus(e) - [the "e" is optional, like in shop"pe"

In the Battle of Good vs. Evil, we as good people of the human race are often drawn to choose, in the case that we were thrust into service, which of the many Super Heroes we would be, and are compelled to explain how their powers truly benefit the world.Well I'm putting it out there, and my vote is in for the big man in the red suit. I'm talking about Santa Clause people.While in the midst of a

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1155337382281557602006-08-11T17:53:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:16:55.191-05:00Stories from the Workplace

Earlier today I was sitting on the couch reading, as it is my day off, and my roommate Alex walks into the apartment just after noon; all grins.Naturally I ask, "So what's going on Alex?" to which he delightfully responded with the following story."So we're leaving work right, and we were downstairs, about to walk across the street. We're all talking and laughing about what we'll be doing this

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1151283624558571832006-06-25T19:36:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:17:18.932-05:00Excursion to the Dallas Public Library

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, so to quickly get up to speed, I moved to an apartment in Dallas by the American Airlines Center, just on the other side of the freeway from downtown, with my good buddy and long-time character actor Alex Brownstein. It's a great location, very close to everything, and it has really been enjoyable. So today was Sunday, my only real day off, and

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1151282166504371552006-06-25T19:31:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:17:58.879-05:00Star Wars Reference #1

6/25/06While watching an episode of 24 - Season 1, Jack Bauer found a building in the middle of the woods and was attempting to access it through a pinpad on the outer door. I spake, "Oh man, he needs R2-D2 to come through the Ewoks and do that little spinny thing in the outlet so he can get in."

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1148448511104413732006-05-23T23:42:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:18:17.144-05:00Opening Lines

So I just finished my introduction to professional retail sales training course for my job, and now that I'm done, I have a workbook to go through in order to complete the course. The course and the workbook are both teeming with valid information, but while working on the book today, I couldn't help but laugh as I was instructed to make up several different opening lines to say to customers when

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1144810617320891872006-04-11T21:08:00.000-05:002008-01-06T21:40:54.349-06:00CARPOOL Gala Weekend - 2006

Where to begin on a weekend such as the one I and some of my closest friends have just bared witness...The weekend started out well. Britt and I promised ourselves and each other on the drive down to College Station that we would attempt to stay drama-free, meaning no fighting, no throwing tantrums, and no Schief-bashing (ok, well, try to keep it to a minimum anyway). Fortunately for us, the

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1144177567529122792006-04-04T13:41:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:19:16.004-05:00Adjust Your Perspective - Volume 1

Adjust your Perspective is a venture I will be undertaking which will cover not only different or uncommon outlooks on ideas, but will delve into the idea of adjusting your perspective itself.I have thought a lot about this statement; thought about all the situations in which it is so appropriate.Consider a teenager, maybe a young athlete or an artist. Kids like this assume they know a lot of

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1144174761874665302006-04-04T13:04:00.000-05:002007-09-13T01:19:42.703-05:00Uh, uh, uh, no conversation

During a phone conversation with my old roommate Jeff:Jeff: "Yeah, so Groth's class is kicking my ass. I have a B in there right now"Me: "Really?!"Jeff: "Well yeah, well, an A with the homework and stuff, but I don't know how I'll do on that second test. Man, his class is terrible. It's just a bunch of busy work...I spent 15 hours the other day working on some case."Me: "Well, yeah, see,

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1143730363216424512006-03-30T08:41:00.000-06:002007-09-13T00:46:37.571-05:00Convo of the Week

Setting: Denny's, downtown Dallas, 11:00 pm, Mom, Bryan, Olivia, and me.Background: Mom has just finished a performance with her competitive, backwards "I'll pay you for the right to entertain others" singing group, which is actually quite spectacular. She is dressed halfway like a 13 year old girl at a 1950's summer camp (as part of the show of course) with her hair in pigtails, a button-down

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16385029.post-1143360867023797872006-03-26T01:44:00.000-06:002007-09-13T00:48:02.376-05:00Where in the World is Wes Jackson (going)?

I have been struggling with what the subject of my first trip back on the blogwagon should be, and then it came all too easily the afternoon of March 24th, 2006. My sister Jen gave birth to her second son, a not so wide-eyed 8+ lb. boy named Wes, and I realized the moment I picked him up what a strange and amazing place is the world in which we live.The first and most profound question to come to

aerogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14715757566133630454noreply@blogger.com1