When I spend too much time around a chessboard, I tend to think of life as just another game, just another challenge. Every action or statement is a move; every thought is a plan, an assessment.
For the most part, I like to think I'm in control, that I'm making the right moves and picking up on all the important characteristics of the situation.
Yet I feel like I may have missed something; that I've been getting ahead of myself, and that I should step back and look deeper. In any case, my moves to this point have been made, and it's on the table.
But this could take a while.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Recent Stories.
Oh, boy.
To talk of all that has transpired is to relay tragedy and epic and romance, which -- though writer I may be -- is an impossible task for me to carry out in this one sitting at my keyboard.
So, in my exhaustion, before I rest myself, I will divulge hints of recent happenings (some in almost riddle form) and leave the rest to the reader to surmise however he (or she) may.
Recent Story 1:
I have become a man without a country.
Recent Story 2:
I am El Capitan, in ways I never could have hoped during my adventures with the Bayside High School chess team last year.
Recent Story 3:
I am ditching my parachute and ready for the fall. This has to do at once with the perks of being a wallflower and The Office.
More soon!
To talk of all that has transpired is to relay tragedy and epic and romance, which -- though writer I may be -- is an impossible task for me to carry out in this one sitting at my keyboard.
So, in my exhaustion, before I rest myself, I will divulge hints of recent happenings (some in almost riddle form) and leave the rest to the reader to surmise however he (or she) may.
Recent Story 1:
I have become a man without a country.
Recent Story 2:
I am El Capitan, in ways I never could have hoped during my adventures with the Bayside High School chess team last year.
Recent Story 3:
I am ditching my parachute and ready for the fall. This has to do at once with the perks of being a wallflower and The Office.
More soon!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
This is Emilio, reporting live from Danny's.
Spent the night. Hoping to get some recording done with Steve, his stepfather, today. I've got my guitar and loop pedal and mic and all the necessary cables.
In other news, I've started playing chess again. And it's true, I have been on a chessic hiatus since this past school year ended. But I've just gotten back into it recently, and I seem to be shaking off my rust fairly quickly. I've won every game I've played.
Chess club starts next week! I'm pumped.
Spent the night. Hoping to get some recording done with Steve, his stepfather, today. I've got my guitar and loop pedal and mic and all the necessary cables.
In other news, I've started playing chess again. And it's true, I have been on a chessic hiatus since this past school year ended. But I've just gotten back into it recently, and I seem to be shaking off my rust fairly quickly. I've won every game I've played.
Chess club starts next week! I'm pumped.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Psyched.
The impending arrival of cool things is measured in "weeks from now"(wfn)...(except possibly my recording session and the arrival of some of my music on myspace.com/emiliovelezmusic, which could happen tomorrow)
First of all, 2 wfn:
The Office, season 5 premiere. THIS IS GONNA BE AN AWESOME AND AWKWARD SEASON.
Second, 1 wfn:
Chess club begins again. This time around -- since the school noticed how one kid can take a scrappy chess club; turn it into a team; and with that team, grab the gold in their first tournament -- TWO TRAILERS, not ONE cramped little room, are going to be vacated for the chess team's use every Thursday; loads of chess books and studying resources have been ordered for us; more chess sets have been bought for the team's use in their new trailers; and recruitment announcements are going to be made on the loudspeaker every morning for a month.
This is already shaping up to be a good year for the team, and it's still 1 wfn.
First of all, 2 wfn:
The Office, season 5 premiere. THIS IS GONNA BE AN AWESOME AND AWKWARD SEASON.
Second, 1 wfn:
Chess club begins again. This time around -- since the school noticed how one kid can take a scrappy chess club; turn it into a team; and with that team, grab the gold in their first tournament -- TWO TRAILERS, not ONE cramped little room, are going to be vacated for the chess team's use every Thursday; loads of chess books and studying resources have been ordered for us; more chess sets have been bought for the team's use in their new trailers; and recruitment announcements are going to be made on the loudspeaker every morning for a month.
This is already shaping up to be a good year for the team, and it's still 1 wfn.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
No, You Don't
No, you don't
Know a thing
About this pain that I've felt
About my personal hell
No, you don't
Want to see
Past what I've put into this kiss
All the things that I hid
From you
And I whisper
So softly
Into your ear
That I want a way out
That I need a way out
But you don't hear
No, you don't
Hear a thing
My words echo in the room
They echo right through you
No, you don't
Know a thing
About this pain that I've felt
About my personal hell
No, you don't
Want to see
Past what I've put into this kiss
All the things that I hid
From you
Know a thing
About this pain that I've felt
About my personal hell
No, you don't
Want to see
Past what I've put into this kiss
All the things that I hid
From you
And I whisper
So softly
Into your ear
That I want a way out
That I need a way out
But you don't hear
No, you don't
Hear a thing
My words echo in the room
They echo right through you
No, you don't
Know a thing
About this pain that I've felt
About my personal hell
No, you don't
Want to see
Past what I've put into this kiss
All the things that I hid
From you
Friday, September 5, 2008
Wise Men or Fools
Nap in the park
In the shade of a tree
Wake up and play some guitar
My mind's at ease again
I'm surrounded by my friends
Sitting here chilling
Everything's cool
We might be wise men
Or we might be fools, but
We don't care
We're just sharing our tune with the world
Yeah, the world goes round and round
While we sit here making our sounds
But we don't pay no mind
To the passing time
We just park it up
And jam it out
'Cause living's what we're all about
You can bet I'll be here
When summertime comes by again
Yeah, the world goes round and round
While we sit here making our sounds
But we don't pay no mind
To the passing time
'Cause it's all about the music
Yeah, it's always been just us and our music
But that's the way we like it
And that's the way we'd like it to stay
In the shade of a tree
Wake up and play some guitar
My mind's at ease again
I'm surrounded by my friends
Sitting here chilling
Everything's cool
We might be wise men
Or we might be fools, but
We don't care
We're just sharing our tune with the world
Yeah, the world goes round and round
While we sit here making our sounds
But we don't pay no mind
To the passing time
We just park it up
And jam it out
'Cause living's what we're all about
You can bet I'll be here
When summertime comes by again
Yeah, the world goes round and round
While we sit here making our sounds
But we don't pay no mind
To the passing time
'Cause it's all about the music
Yeah, it's always been just us and our music
But that's the way we like it
And that's the way we'd like it to stay
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
At Your Door
Lost in thought
What I sought
Is lost on me
It's a mystery
'Cause all I see
Is you
Standing there
And I don't dare
To make a move
'Cause I'm moved by you
Just doing
What you do
I don't know
What to make of this
When the moment seems so delicate
A single word could break it
So I guess I'll take a chance
Gather up some courage
And take your hands
In mine
That's when I kiss you
I close my eyes
You blow my mind
It feels so good
Life is better
Than it should
Ever be
And I'd kiss you again
But you've got to go
Our day is at an end
Our day is at an end
What I sought
Is lost on me
It's a mystery
'Cause all I see
Is you
Standing there
And I don't dare
To make a move
'Cause I'm moved by you
Just doing
What you do
I don't know
What to make of this
When the moment seems so delicate
A single word could break it
So I guess I'll take a chance
Gather up some courage
And take your hands
In mine
That's when I kiss you
I close my eyes
You blow my mind
It feels so good
Life is better
Than it should
Ever be
And I'd kiss you again
But you've got to go
Our day is at an end
Our day is at an end
Monday, September 1, 2008
Summer is at an End
Well, this is it (I get the feeling I've started off several entries with those words, but I'm having trouble remembering).
School starts tomorrow. I've got to get my act straight. (I've said that a few too many times. It's slightly discouraging.)
(Am I using parentheses too much?)
(I'm sorry. I'll stop.)
School starts tomorrow. I've got to get my act straight. (I've said that a few too many times. It's slightly discouraging.)
(Am I using parentheses too much?)
(I'm sorry. I'll stop.)
Takeoff.
I feel set on a road without guidance.
Circa 2004, I began taking bass lessons at the Music Zoo here in New York. The first time I met my teacher, Anders, I didn't know what to think of him. He was kind of crazy("aren't we all, though?" I had corrected myself), but I soon saw that I had a lot to learn from him musically. I progressed under his tutelage, and discovered more than a teacher behind that curtain of purposely disarrayed hair. We had grown on each other. I had found a friend in this man who, when he could see I was down, gave advice and consolation that I could trust; who shared the joy of my good days; who cracked jokes to soften my serious edge; who gave my fingers wings.
There were days, of course, where Anders couldn't make it to the Zoo, and I was assigned to other teachers there. I never worked as well with them. It always seemed for both parties involved to be an "alright, let's get this over with so I can leave" thing.
On the long car ride back from Chicago, I anticipated telling Anders during our next session about my performance at Pinocchio's; to show him what I'd recorded on my new loop pedal; to throw high fives and laugh and walk out feeling that I'd done him proud. But when I unpacked the car and got on the computer, I saw that Anders had sent me a message. I was shocked and tremendously disappointed to read that he'd left the Zoo behind.
It seems I should do the same.
Here's to the good times, making music in that claustrophobic little room. They'll be sorely missed.
Circa 2004, I began taking bass lessons at the Music Zoo here in New York. The first time I met my teacher, Anders, I didn't know what to think of him. He was kind of crazy("aren't we all, though?" I had corrected myself), but I soon saw that I had a lot to learn from him musically. I progressed under his tutelage, and discovered more than a teacher behind that curtain of purposely disarrayed hair. We had grown on each other. I had found a friend in this man who, when he could see I was down, gave advice and consolation that I could trust; who shared the joy of my good days; who cracked jokes to soften my serious edge; who gave my fingers wings.
There were days, of course, where Anders couldn't make it to the Zoo, and I was assigned to other teachers there. I never worked as well with them. It always seemed for both parties involved to be an "alright, let's get this over with so I can leave" thing.
On the long car ride back from Chicago, I anticipated telling Anders during our next session about my performance at Pinocchio's; to show him what I'd recorded on my new loop pedal; to throw high fives and laugh and walk out feeling that I'd done him proud. But when I unpacked the car and got on the computer, I saw that Anders had sent me a message. I was shocked and tremendously disappointed to read that he'd left the Zoo behind.
It seems I should do the same.
Here's to the good times, making music in that claustrophobic little room. They'll be sorely missed.
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