City Park

I wrote this poem this past summer while I sat on a city bench located on the north east corner of central park.

A couple sits on the green city bench
The light fixture watches over
Summer night provides the setting
It's mildly humid but getting cooler

The sun has gone but a glow still remains
Children still play with their toys
A young girl in blue rides her bike
Firlflies intrigue the curious boy

The pond is calm and resting for now
She has been busy all day
The time has come for her to sleep
Softly breathing as she quietly lay

Caught up in this present moment
Overjoyed and quite elated
Glad I took time to simply be
Glad I sat, wondered and waited

Walking with Sorrow

This past summer two of my close friends lost their mothers to cancer. I did not know how to comfort my friends with words; therefore, I simply tried to allow my quiet presence to touch deeper than a verbal sympathy. I just read a poem by Robert Browning Hamilton and it deals with the topic of Sorrow.

I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And never a word said she;
But oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.

Coney Island

The Q Train finally made it from Manhattan to the famous Coney Island and I was more than ready to spend a full day on the beach. My backpack full of snacks and beach treats, sun screen was applied and reapplied on the long train ride down and my friends had the huge queen mattress sheet we would all sunbathe on. However, when we got off the train this beach was not how I had imagined it. Relative to the amount of people who used to frequent this area it was now some what of a ghost town. The rides that still happened to work had a few lonely souls riding them. Tall grass and uncut weeds grew from large cracks in cement while only a few businesses remained on the boardwalk. The others were closed up and appeared to be out of operation. It seemed as though this place was falling apart. Still, it did not matter. I was a little discouraged by the current condition of this once booming beach but I was not going to let it get me down. We made our way to the sand in order to claim a piece of territory for ourselves before there was no room left. I kicked my sandals off. Then, I immediately put them back on after almost severing my toe on a broken Corona bottle that appeared to be an intentionally placed booby trap. Dodging glass and trash we finally found a place to set up our base. In fact, while lying down I heard at least three people ask the life guard for band aids because they cut their foot on broken glass. All in all, my experience at Coney Island was exactly that - an experience. Even though it was not what I had expected or anticipated it was still, as odd as it may sound, enjoyable. So if ever you decide to visit Coney Island I would recommend you bring sandals, maybe a few band aids, good company, a positive attitude and no real expectation. It is not what it once was. But, that should not stop you from respecting its history, enjoying its present and daydreaming about what it has potential to be.

Kentucky to NYC: Friends Come to Visit

My Good friends from Kentucky came to visit me in NYC. Here is a list of some of the things we did: explored China town and Canal Street, rode the Staten Island Ferry, Walked around battery park, hung out around Fulton Market, Saw some guy lose his dinner and miss the trash can, knocked Chinese chicken out of Whitney's hand (she is a friend of ours who wanted us to keep her "accountable"), went to central park and got sun kissed while relaxing in Sheep's Meadow, knocked vanilla ice cream out of Whitney's hand,walked W4Th St and around the east village area, got rice pudding, went to the Street Market on Broadway, got fried Oreo at the festival in little Italy, got SPICY Falafel on McDougal St, did pull ups on the Subway, knocked a HUGE thing of sweet tea out of Whitney's hand, laughed hysterically, waited for the M11 Bus for a ridiculous amount of time, enjoyed the beautiful night air, surfed (meaning we could not hold on to the handles or move our feet) while riding the bus to see who was going to buy dinner( You may say that's childish. Maybe you are right. But we always have a great time), ate dinner at 11:30 pm, enjoyed the night life around Saint Marks St and finally went to a roof top to watch the sun rise.

It was certainly a wonderful, enjoyable and memorable time spent with fantastic friends!

NYC Street Market

I recently just attended my first NYC street market and let me say it was quite an experience. The market went all day and was located on Broadway. The street was closed for about 500 yards or more in order to accommodate hundreds of local vendors. There was an array of various foods, memorabilia, jewelry,books, music, clothing and random souvenirs. Later that night we walked the streets of little Italy and they too know how a proper street festival should be put together. If ever in NYC head down to Mulberry St for some delicious Italian dishes!

Hello Again

I went home to New Hampshire a little while ago to visit my folks. It is interesting how something as simple as going home to a house you grew up in can bring back so many memories. Or, even the act of gazing upon an old tree. I climbed this tree many times when I was a child. The maple tree was a place of refuge in games like Hide and Seek. He was my shelter from the unexpected summer rain. He was my sanctuary as I meditated on the things that mattered to a ten year old boy - my fifth grade crush and what was for dinner. And he always listened when I wondered out loud how much trouble I would be in because I blew up the microwave or because I broke the mirror in the bathroom. I just climbed this tree when I was home visiting. I needed to say hello to my old friend.

Stop.... and Smell the Flowers

At the risk of receiving some harrassment from my all-too-manly friends, I figured I would post a picture of some Lilacs. Why Daniel would you do that? First, I love the smell of Lilacs. And second, it is just a simple reminder for us - for me - to take some time out of our busy, "important" schedules and enjoy the simple beauty and profound detail present in nature. I don't know what it is about the smell of Lilacs but it awakens distinct memories and feelings inside of me. The fragrance possesses the power to transport me for a few lovely seconds - as long as I can inhale.

Barefoot in NYC

A couple of weeks ago TOMS shoes did a compaign which challenged people to go without shoes for a day. Well, the premise of the challenge was to walk a day in the shoes of another individual. In order to empathize a little more with the countless number of men, women and children who cannot afford shoes I decided to go barefoot for one WHOLE day in New York City! All in all, it was a fantastic experience! Actually, one kind woman on the subway asked me what religion I was. Then, while I was playing my guitar in the subway at the 96Th St station (which I randomly do from time to time to make life interesting!) another man tried to give me his shoes! I graciously thanked him but told him I could not accept. Check out the TOMS website if you get a chance. They give one pair of shoes away for every pair they sell.

http://www.toms.com/

Nathan Comes to Visit!

My cousin Nathan came to visit me in NYC and these are some of the highlights:

Day 1
- We Got Korean food. This probably would not have been overly exciting had the waiter not made Nathan eat a piece of lettuce which was jam-packed with chicken, vegetables, spices, etc in one bite - as he stood over his shoulder to make sure he was eating it correctly - because it was a "Korean Custom." No exaggeration - okay just some - this lettuce wrap was the size of Andre the Giant's fist. I almost just think he made Nate do it because it was HILARIOUS to watch! My cousin tried to chew and swallow one ENORMOUS bite while the waiter and myself were highly entertained!

Day 2)
- We Saw a guy getting arrested in the subway right by my apartment and he was definitely a handful for the cops.
- I took Nate to an art exhibit between 12Th and Washington which was done by an underground artist who goes only by.....Mr Brain Wash!
- Then, oddly enough, we saw the secret artist in the Chelsea Meat Market of all places. Not very underground if you ask me. Ha. He thanked us for visiting his exhibit and offered to give us some auto graphs and posters if we ever returned.
- That night we saw a live show at the Public Assembly in Brooklyn. Following the show I had my first Falafel! I strongly recommend this middle eastern treat! And if you are ever in NYC I suggest taking the L train to the Bedford stop. The Falafel was only $3.

Day 3)
-I took Nathan to help me retrieve some items from a storage unit we had in the Bronx. Basically, the business took what appeared to be an old Morgue and just sectioned it off into storage units. I think they might film the movie SAW 6 at this location due to the fact it was literally THAT creepy! Not to mention I broke the key off in the lock - of course. And, our unit was in the dungeon. Good times!
- That night Nathan saw a "crazy man" on the train (he said it, not me). Not sure exactly what to do, Nate decided to record the man and his political, racial, arbitrary speech with his phone. Makes perfect sense Nate?! Ha.

Day 4)
It was Nathan's Birthday so I made him some oatmeal to start the day! Then (as I take one DEEP breathe) we walked around the World Trade Center, we listened to piano music (random, I know), I bought us some Nuts 4 Nuts (don't judge they were a delicious little snack), we dawdled around SOHO (South Houston), we Ran to catch the train, Nate went to the bathroom and honestly made the exact same sound as the guy in the stall next to him (we later called this phenomenon a "mocking Dump"), I took Nathan out for dinner at Ruby Foo's Sushi in Time Square, Nathan took me to the Broadway show Wicked and finally, in response to the inquiring woman who was sitting next to me at the play, I kindly replied "you are fine at all!" What?!?! I have NO IDEA what that means. "You are fine at all???" It was a long day!!

Thanks for coming to visit Nathan!!

The Bitter End/ National Underground

These are just a few pictures taken during some of my sets at the Bitter End and The National Underground. If you are ever around Bleecker St or Houston St in NYC I suggest checking out these two venues. They always have live music and draw a fun crowd. I have been fortunate enough to play a few times at the Bitter End and also a grassroots venue called Postcrypt on Columbia University. Postrypt is a student lead venue dating back to 1962 and meets underneath St. Paul's Cathedral right on Columbia University. Definitely worth checking out if you like genuine, authentic, original acoustic music. However, don't try to attend the Friday and/ or Saturday night venue during the summer. The students go home for summer break thus shutting down the venue for 3 months.

Kind Horse Cop

A group from the New York Dream Center hosted a Scavenger Hunt through out the city right before Christmas. Well, one of the missions was to take a picture with a horse cop. The extra challenge, however, was to try to get on the horse. So, after chasing down a horse cop two streets I was able to ask the cop for a photo -with no intention of asking to mount the horse because I really just thought that would be absurd. But to my surprise, after explaining myself and the game he told me to go to side street where he allowed me to mount the horse. His only request: "You guys better win!!!" Well, we were true to our word and we won the Scavenger Hunt that night! Thank you again officer.

Guitar in Time Square/ Brooklyn Bridge

We asked a kind stranger to take a picture of our group on the Brooklyn bridge. The funny part of the story is that when my friend Dan went to retrieve his camera he was not paying attention, walked into the bike path and got slammed by an oncoming biker. The bike's back tire came off the ground as the biker almost flipped! The good news is that they were both fine; although, my friend Dan had a pretty bruised big toe and certainly a humbling New York moment.

During my August trip to NYC my friend Whitney and I decided to sing on the streets in Time Square! Well, after forty minutes the cops eventually came. I suppose they needed to clear the streets of all street vendors and performers. Although, he told me we were "taking people's money." So, I reached into the guitar case and took a handful of money and tried to give it away to people passing by -oddly, no one would take the money. The cop politely laughed and said, "No, you can keep the money man. You just have to move your act." We made $21.57 in 40 minutes. We used the money to buy food for a homeless man.

NYC Photo Shoot

The first time I went to NYC was last August to visit an old friend (I ended up moving to the city three weeks later! ). Well, a college friend of mine from ORU does photography and was going to be in the city the same time. He needed subjects to build his portfolio and asked me if I would be willing to help. I told him I would be glad to help and then immediately went to the thrift store to acquire some "professional-looking" attire. The first few photos are fabulous; however, I feel as though the final picture really captures my personality. I like to have fun, be creative and random. The first few are a bit serious but I think that was the look he was going for. In any case, his name is Daniel Charles and if you ever find yourself in Tulsa, OK be sure to look him up.

Marathon/ Dueling Push Ups

Last June my good friends and I decided to run a Marathon in San Diego. Why San Diego you may ask? Well honestly, we searched marathons around the country and it was considered one of the flattest! Ha. Anyway, after the marathon we all went out and stumbled - quite literally because our legs were KILLING us - into a bar called the dueling pianos. I struck up a conversation with one of the performers and asked him if he ever had people do dueling push ups on top of the dueling pianos. "Never," he said "but I'll call you guys up in a few minutes!" With that he finished his drink and walked back up to the piano. And that is how my buddy Bob and I ended up doing push ups on top of two pianos in a rowdy, crowded bar in San Diego.

2 Guys 1 Guitar/ Guy in Bush

These pictures are from last year; however, I just figured they would be great to post. My friend Bob came to an open mic I was performing at and I decided to put his name on the list to play without him knowing it! Well, when he was called to go up and play - which was a huge surprise - he absolutely would not go. So, I told him I would go with him and we would just make something up. Well, this is what we came up with: 2 Guys and 1 Guitar. The next picture is simply a man in a bush.... I just figured I would help him out.

Ugliest Sweater Party

My Senior year at OCU in Columbus, OH the basketball team and I decided to show our support and attend the Ugly Sweater Christmas Party. So, prior to our Friday night game we all went out to the Salvation Army and tried to find the "ugliest" Christmas sweater of all! Well, we found quite a few less-than-fashionable sweaters. However, I was not satisfied with the selection. So, I basically bought a sweater and some Bodacious accessories and made my own. Total price of THE Ugliest sweater: $6.42 (All accessories included). You may ask, "How long did it take you to make the sweater Dan?" Well, it only took about ten minutes to attach my thrift store treasures to the sweater with safety pins. Oh, and in case you were wondering I did take home the trophy of THE Ugliest sweater that night - a multi-colored plastic Weiner dog. I still don't know who decided on that as the prize!

Radio Show in Juarez Mexico

When I was attending Oral Roberts University I was fortunate enough to travel with a group of fellow students to Juarez, MX. The trip was a mission/ outreach type of trip which was designed to enable students to eventually lead a habitat for humanity/ mission team abroad for an extended trip during the summer months. One day on this particular trip -due to a random contact that was made- a small group was given the opportunity to do a radio show. So, my friend Trey and Mateo translated into Spanish while we put on an hour long radio show. We essentially were able to counsel and pray with certain individuals as they called in. It was undeniably a great experience for all of us.

Pirate Kilt

I really do not have too much to say concerning this picture and what possessed me to dress up as a Pirate with a Kilt. However, I suppose at the time I am sure my reasoning made sense in my own mind. In any case, this attire was what my roomates and I came up with when we were asked to create a theme for an outreach/ mission meeting for college.