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Stay Positive



Normally I never ask for an autograph or picture with a band, but there are times when I can't resist. And the days leading up to this picture were pretty whirlwind.

At the end of last week, some of the most promising full-time job leads I had all fell through. This took the wind out of my sails and wondered what to do next. It's not like I have the option to quit the job search, but there are definitely highs and lows. As I've maintained in this time, productivity with positivity is better than no productivity with negativity.

On Monday, my editor Audra sent out an e-mail to the writers asking what we're covering this week. Aside from this week's edition of My First Show with Bad Design, I pondered seeing Deleted Scenes play in Denton on Tuesday. I ended up going to that and reviewing.

Since the show was in Denton, I knew I had a while to go before I went to sleep. When I covered the Life and Times show, I didn't get into bed until 4. With this show, I hit the hay around 3 but couldn't fall asleep, especially since a dog next door was left outside and barked its head off constantly.

I finally fell asleep and awoke mid-morning and turned my phone on. There was a three-part text message from my friend and fellow writer Kelly. He planned on covering the Craig Finn show, but couldn't because of work. Asking if I could cover for him, I said yes without hesitation. I'm a fan of Craig's work with the Hold Steady and I looked forward to seeing him in a smaller venue.

I reviewed the show and enjoyed the evening, especially since there were plenty of places to sit and watch. As the show wound down, the guitarist from Finn's backing band approached me and asked what my name was. Turns out, it was James from Moonlight Towers, a band I have championed for years. I had wondered what he and the band had been up to, and suddenly the answer was in front of me.

James was kind enough to introduce me to Craig, the writer of many songs I've played repeatedly over the years. He even took the picture at the top.

That's been my week so far, as I do the final edit on When We Were the Kids and assemble another feature in the meantime. Sure beats sleeping my recliner.

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