Who’s Smoking?

 

Our next destination was the city of Genk, Belgium (pronounced Henk [I think]) but the orchestra concert was held a short bus ride away in the town of Tongeren .  On the way out of Genk we passed a huge Ford factory where I am hoping to send the General on a foreign exchange program one day!  He really needs to work on his gas mileage and I’m hoping perhaps learning the metric system can help out a bit with that.

 

There was a last minute change in the venue for the concert and it ended up being held in a “casino.”  I put that in quotations because it wasn’t necessarily a place for gambling but rather more of a dance hall type building which I’m about 80% sure was, in its former life, a Marlboro cigarette factory.  The place, and therefore everyone who stayed for more than an Augenblick, reeked of smoke.  Needless to say they did not have happy pair of soloists on their hands, much like my pair of vocal chords were not very happy with me as a result.

View of the stage from the balcony

 

Backstage in one of the dressing rooms Lisette, one of the staff of the orchestra, and I found a cabinet full of costumes used for their version of Mardi Gras.  Naturally we couldn’t resist trying some of the items on for size:

WHY IS HER FEATHER IS BIGGER!!!!

 

Sabrina and I also took the opportunity while the orchestra was rehearsing their other repertoire to explore the town a bit.  Naturally I had to get a picture of the…

CHURCH!

 

Directly across from the church was a large statue in the center of the square.  He’s ready for battle AND (apparently) to grill a mean kebab!

Tonight in Kitchen Stadium: Battle STEAK!!

 

And finally, one of really only four reasons to visit Belgium:

WAFFLES!!!!!!! (The other three being: chocolate, fries and my host family)

 

Artist: Jim Dooley/ Album: Pushing Daisies: Season 1

Voyage à Paris

 

Now, I realize that a lot of you read my blog and feel at times I may be a bit hyperbolic about certain aspects of my life.  It’s not that you’d be wrong, it’s just hard to pin-point exactly where those places are.  Oddly enough, I try and tone down some of the wilder entries and embiggen those that are more mundane.

I off-handedly mentioned in my post regarding Dead Man Walking a while back that Fredica von Stade’s performance in a YouTube clip was reminiscent of a certain customer who frequents Pottery Barn, Chantal.   Let’s just re-visit that video, shall we?

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaand this is Chantal (with the General peaking out in the background):

SISTERS!

 

Artist: Frederica von Stade, Martin Katz, Francis Poulenc/ Album: Voyage à Paris

The Aggie Song

The general had a bit of a romance forming in the parking lot the other day after a Starbucks visit… so it was only a matter of time before a bro-mance in the Randall’s lot, right?

 

 

 

Artist: Carol Hall/ Album: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Trouble is a Friend

 

Niagara falls, baybay!

 

Yesterday was my friend, Jennifer’s, twentywguskn-th birthday and I thought I would take this opportunity for a skip down memory lane if you will.  Oh, and YOU WILL!!

Jennifer and I met when we were freshmen at Baylor and shared a music theory class together.  Sometimes we’d even sit at football games together if I could find her. I always enjoyed finding someone I knew so I could just chat and joke around and not really have to pay attention to the game.  She remembers them a bit differently, though: “Yeah… did you know that I really didn’t know who you were when you used to sit by me? It was really awkward.”  I guess I revel in awkward, though, because I had no idea.  Or like the time when I asked for her phone number so we could hang out:

Me: (after getting her number) So your last name’s Whalen, right? How do you spell that?

Jennifer: W-H-A-L-E-N. Aaaaaaaaaaaand how is it that you spell yours again?

Me: Ummm, it’s Roberts.  You don’t even know my name, do you?

Jennifer: I knew your first name was Joseph, let’s just go from there.

And so a great friendship was born, like most of mine are, out of sheer determination and sticktoitiveness. Like when I met my friend Janai and said: “Yeah, you may not know this, but we WILL be good friends.”  I basically just wear people down until they can’t give up much of a fight any more—you may not like me in the beginning, but eventually you’ll learn it’s just easier in the long run to just nod and smile.  (Just like you’re probably doing right now).

At any rate… HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!!!

Playing a rollicking round of “Catch My Leg”  Apparently I won that round. (Other favorite games include “One, Two, Three Pick-a-Note” and “Scrunch Your Face”, the latter of which she almost always wins. [She can’t help it, her face just looks that way.])

 

Weez be ejucaded!!!!!

 

In Chicago, after she drove up from Texas to Ann Arbor for the first time with the General

 

It’s kinda hard to look this cool in a McAlisters… but I’m pretty sure we’re the exception to the rule here

 

We’re not actually singing here, it’s all STAGED!

 

Artist: Lenka/ Album: Lenka

Swiss Army Romance

 

I came out of the Starbucks near work the other day and saw the General had made an acquaintance. I guess all it took was a bath, huh?

Get it little General!

Artist: Dashboard Confessional/ Album: Swiss Army Romance

Dressed in Your Pajamas in the Grand Salon

 

And now from trains to an even larger mode of transportation…

I saw this on Ruminations.com and it reminded me of a video I saw on someone’s facebook page recently:

 

Subsequently, when I was home recently picking up the General I got some more books from my old room and one of them was a coffee table all about the Titanic.  Upon seeing it my mother recounted:

“Oooooh yes, the Titanic.  We heard that ship sink every night for a month after you saw that show in New York. What you put those poor people through!”

Ever since I got a CD player in my room I have been in the habit of listening to music as I fall asleep and, yes, at a certain point all I would listen to was the soundtrack to the musical that my grandparents took me to when I was younger (I can still see that crows nest coming out of the ceiling right on front of me from front row balcony!)  Looking back maybe I should have had a CD player and a good set of headphones to lull me to sleep.

 

Artist: Maury Yeston/ Album: Titanic

Soldiers’ Gossip

 

So I’m not sure if you heard, but on Christmas day the General encountered a bit of combat on the road and ended up losing a transmission in battle.  After a (not so speedy) rush to the doctor in Crockett the old warhorse is driving better than ever.  Plus, he even had some minor plastic surgery under the hands of my dad, who did an awesome job cleaning him.  And when I say “minor” I actually mean “major,” because I know how much dirt was on that floor.

Dad: “Did you know you have several license plates under the back seat.”

Me: “Huh? Oh yeah… it’s the Ballenger in me.  I’m contemplating maybe do something with them one day?”

Plus, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but apparently the rims of my tires were made of metal and not some hardened, clay-like substance.

So clean you could eat off them!! (Though, to be honest, I wouldn’t.  I think I ran over a possum on the way back)

 

[As a side note, this picture reminds me of one of Jennifer and me in Chicago at the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park.]

 

 

Aaaaanyway, the drive back was just lovely and there was quite a sunset to gaze at along the way!

 

 

 

 

Artist: Steven Sondheim/ Album: Passion

Keep on Truckin’

 

Christmas this year seemed to mimic last year’s stuck-in-a-blizzard-while-driving-to-west-Texas (the stories I could have told if I had my blog back then) theme of awfulness as far as the transportation aspect of it all was concerned.  I got home at 12:30am on Christmas morning from the second of two Christmas Eve services and was up until about 2:00 finishing up packing and wrapping presents. Awake at 5:00 and off by 5:45, thinking: “Allright! I’ve got my coffee, I’ve made some CD’s for the trip, and the General is runnin’ great!!!”

Cut to about three and a half hours later when the old warhorse gets wounded in battle and the transmission blows in Ennis, TX.  Luckily dad came to the rescue (as dad’s so often tend to do) and picked me up so I could make the festivities at Matt and Joanie’s!!

We were all lucky enough to be joined by my aunt Brynda, uncle John, cousins John and Katy, as well as my granddaddy Dan for the holiday.

   

 

Me looking on from the peanut gallery as Joanie put it

 

Even Daisy got to come up and celebrate… much to Scout’s chagrin.

  

“I promise I’ll behave!”                                                        “Heh heh heh”

 

One of the joys of going up to Richardson was getting to spend time with my nephew, Luke.  Not that everyone else wasn’t interesting, but there was really no competing with the most adorable 2 year old EVAR.

As I mentioned previously, I got him a couple of books (Even Monsters Need Haircuts and a German-language version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar I got while on tour this last summer) as well as a giant, stuffed Memo Nemo.  I think it was a hit!!

 

   

My meager attempt at artistry! Also, the reason I was up until 2:00am

 

Daisy looking on and mother apparently floating whispily about

 

It’s exhaaaaauuuuusting opening all those presents

 

One of the biggest hits of the weekend was the Play-Doh set up in the play room.  There were many hours spent molding animals on those tiny tiny tiiiiiny chairs.

Joanie, who is about a week away from welcoming Mr. Roberts No. 2; Luke, our master sculptor; and myself

 

      

             I LOVE this picture!!!!                                     Playin’ it cool with a snake right in front of him

 

When talking about Play-Doh creations I can’t help but think about one that my friends Jeremy, Chris and I made one weekend out of boredom in Ann Arbor.  This time it isn’t so much of a snake as it is a worm taking a vacation at the beach with a cocktail, paisley umbrella, bow tie and sunglasses. Forgive the poor picture quality, it’s from my old phone.

 

That would be a box of orange tic-tacs on the right hand side, in case anyone was interested.  WE COLORED OUTSIDE THE LINES!

 

Monday, Matt was nice enough to drive me back to Ennis to get my car checked out at the local Ford dealership where we met a gentleman in the service department with a certain penchant for abbreviations.  “Okay gents, gimme just a second and we’ll get a diag started and see if we can figure out what’s wrong with your tranny,” which quickly prompted this text conversation with my friend, Will:

Me: Looks like I’m going to have to get a new “tranny” as the Ford guy puts it.

Will: So what’s a new tranny cost these days?

Me: I dunno, about $2,700 and a new tube of lipstick?

I ended up just driving back to Crockett at 35mph (those cars behind me were NOT having it) so that I could get it checked with someone we actually knew.  Unfortunately the General did end up having to get an organ transmission transplant but some very generous family friends of ours were kind enough to loan me a car, of which I have decided to temporarily name the Colonel, so that I could get back to Houston and, more importantly, back to work.

Even with all of the travel travesties I am so thankful for such a wonderful group of family and friends.  The holidays can be a stressful and even sad time for everyone involved, but at the end of the day all you can do is value the time you have together.

So thanks to everyone for the presents and the food and the festivities and the roadside assistance!!!

 

Artist: The Temptations  / Album: The Temptation Collection

Fill it up Again

I was able to spend one night in Crockett before I began my apartment search in Houston and lucky for me my nephew, Luke, was staying with my mom and dad because my brother and sister-in-law were also in the process of moving.  You might remember Joanie making a guest blog post all about Luke while I was away in Europe this summer.

        

See the family resemblance?

 

Luke with the tiny general and my fabulous welcome back sign!

 

You can tell this gas pump is from when the car was mine because the price per gallon is $1.25

Luke, I'm pretty sure that car is exactly "road ready" for a drive to Houston

Also from the relics of Joseph’s past is this t-shirt.  Don’t know what Blue Bell is?  SHAME ON YOU!

 

In Germany they call calories energy.  LOOK AT ALL THAT ENERGY!!!!!

If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)

HOWDY FROM TEXAS.  That’s right, readers, after the 20 hour (or 1,200 mile) drive to Crockett I am officially back in the Lone Star State!!!! Quite honestly, the trip was a breeze—I made 25 mixed CD’s to entertain me along the way, and the only sad moment was when Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” came on and I didn’t have anyone with whom to sing the duet… wah wah!  Well, that and I hit a bird along the way, but in my head it was just stunned and hopped right back up and flew along it’s merry way.

It was hard to leave Ann Arbor, but I’m excited to start this new part of my life!

 

No use lookin’ back now! “Objects in rear view mirror may appear more securely fastened than they actually are.”

 

 

Speaking of rear view mirrors… this is the view I had of my passenger side one:

 

 

My first gas stop happened to be in Lima, Ohio… and for those of you that have been living under a rock for the last year, Lima is the town where that lil’ television show Glee takes place.  Don’t be such a Lima LOSER!

I also had the opportunity while driving through Ohio to pass by the Jesus statue that was struck by lightening recently and burned down.  I had passed it before while driving to Cincinnati for some auditions but hadn’t seen it in it’s blackened state.

  

TOUCHDOWN JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                 FUMBLE JESUS???????????

   

 

After Ohio came Kentucky.  No complaints or interesting stories really.  Pretty drive and very pretty sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

If you read my previous post then you know I stayed my first night in Nashville with my friend Jamie!  The only other picture I have is from the second leg of the drive.

 

TRUCK!

 

 

After Tennessee came Arkansas.  I think my stink face says about all I have to say about the state of Arkansas.

 

 

The only thing “Natural” about Arkansas is the smell of methane

 

 

I think this state just farted

 

 

I did take this opportunity to enjoy a nice snack break.

A combo of Mambas and Combos (with REAL CHEESE!).  I don’t know what it is, but I ONLY eat Combos on road trips.

 

 

The first city when entering into Texas was Texarkana, which is at the corner of Texas, Arkansas and Kanada… or something like that.  Geography was never my strong suit.  It’s much like the city of Arklatex, at the corners of Arkansas, Latvia (that’s a real place, right?) and Texas.

 

You know you’re in Texas when…

 

 

Sometimes at pit stops while I was filling the General up with gas I would ease the monotony by practicing my drumming skills.  One of the “oh crap I still have to fit this into my car” bags I had my baton from conducting class.  You will see why I am a singer and not a percussionist:

GET IT BABS! Yeah, I know, the video is not right side up :(

 

When I pulled into 913 East Goliad I was greeted by……………………………

My mother had this made. Honestly, how ridiculously amazing is this?!?!?  I’m gonna take a stab and say this is in the saloon font.  That seems appropriate for Tejas, doesn’t it?

 

Artist: Alabama/ Album: Greatest Hits, Volume 3