March 29th, 2010 - National Cherry Blossom Festival
Mondays show was not the most ideal weather for a performance on the National Mall, but it did mark a milestone for me. The was the first show I've played in a National Park and the view from stage
wasn't so bad. I believe the western equivalent would be rocking "Sold Out" while set up on the edge of the Grand Canyon in Arizona playing to an anomalous mix of serious hikers and tourists in high heals that think they are
at an amusement park and are looking for ice cream and other refreshments.
Parking in DC or any major city is always a fun game for me. Today's episode featured a DC officer first yelling at me to get out of the road, then after explaining that we needed to back up to the stage, stopping traffic for us to back up on the mall
only to be yelled at by a "Cherry Blossom" volunteer who obviously had zero understanding of what the plan was. The plan being what the person in charge, or at least I thought was in charge, had laid out to me
with such precision it seemed too good to be true. With many efforts wasted we finally loaded on the stage and began staging for our 4pm performance. Donnie and Pat had double duty today while sitting in
for a very enjoyable performance with Justin Trawick, another fine musician from Virginia.
Post show parking involved a parallel job on a curved downhill side street off of Connecticut Avenue just north of Dupont Circle where a sit down Italian meal was apparently on the docket.
I suppose there was a misunderstanding on what "family style" meant because for 6 people we ordered 5 dishes and 2 appetizers that also came with free bread. Can we say leftovers...to feed a country.
Listening to Conor Oberst and reading "Evenings Empire" by Bill Flanagan, not ALL at the same time while typing of course, that would be like driving, talking on a cell phone, playing with your iPod, and eating a
sandwich at the same time. Not only illegal in most states now, but pretty common unfortunately.
March 5-13th, 2010 - LDE in the Old Line State
These last two weeks, LDE has been back in some estranged cities in our home state of Maryland. It's not that we've meant to leave Frederick, Annapolis, and California out of our tour schedule,
it's just that things haven't worked out quite right. The last 2 weeks though have proved that we have been missed here in MD and we promise we won't stay away anymore.
Olde Towne Tavern in Frederick was our first stop and it felt good to be back in the blue painted rock box. I forgot how much fun OTT was, including the great staff and some of our long time fans
who were treated to a hometown show instead of traveling to other parts of the world to be with us. We premiered 4 new songs and are quite happy how they are coming together. We invite you to
join us soon to hear the new music from LDE.
Hula's in California was a energy filled night with guest vocal performances from Joe of of Hydra FX and the Sam HIll Band. We will be returning to Hula's this Saturday, the 20th for a birthday
bash concert. I will probably be drinking a Mighty Mango Fruit Smoothy all night.
On Saturday, LDE and company barley survived the Annapolis flooding. We celebrated an early St. P's day by rocking upstairs at Armadillo's with a nice group of fans who pulled up their pant legs and
braved the rain. The LDE van and trailer almost floated away along with some of our cases, but we got everything packed and made it home safely. Look for us to return to all three and more MD cities
in the near future. It will always be home to us (except for Pennsylvania Pat!).
February 22nd, 2010 - Fat Tuesday through Lion and Bull Saturday
LDE is back at it on the road and the dizzying snow fall is hopefully behind us. Canceling 4 gigs, winters worst has only trapped us in our own houses at least and not stranded us on interstates or
in hotel rooms, playing poker and walking to a gas stations. I know my back had a wake up call while holding a small coal shovel for hours at a time.
Fat Tuesday was a great opportunity to
get out of the snow and make some music. Luckily we had succeeded to put together 2 new songs during a few days that didn't grace us with white noise. We premiered them a Nottingham's in Columbia and
I thought they went over pretty well. The nice thing about new songs is they get a few weeks to really develop and that gets everyone in the band excited about them.
When the reverb had subsided it was time for us to head south stopping in Troutville, VA for a full band show at the Pomegranate Restaurant where Phil Donnie and I have often played as a trio.
The room is a great setting for acoustic music and we really appreciate all the folks that came out on a Wednesday night to enjoy with us. If you live in the Roanoke area and haven't made the
5-mile trip up north to the Route 11 town of Troutville, I suggest you do. Stop on in to Pomegranate and get a great meal with perfect wine parings. They have music in the dining room and in back room
providing a great atmosphere for your weekday or weekend. LDE will be returning on Friday April 16th so please come join us for a relaxing evening, and then come out on Saturday for the Rock Show
at Corned Beef and Co downtown. Also, that Saturday morning, I will be running the Mill Mountain Mayhem 10k trail race if anyone is interested in running with a barefoot guy!
After our stopover in Southwest Virginia, we made another Greyhound Bus like detour in Charlotte to shower at our good friend Michelle's house who let us parade in and out at 4am before we had to be in Atlanta, GA
for our APCA conference. After the drive by, we had 4 short hours to downtown Atlanta where we successfully illegally parked our Van and Trailer right on a street next to the hotel we performed at for over 6 hours before
almost being towed. Phil had to beg the cops to let us go citing having no where to park in downtown (which was true) and that we were so broke we couldn't afford to get it out of impound (also true).
Escaping near financial tragedy, we headed 4 miles north to Vinyl where we had a legal parking spot waiting for us thankfully. We played a short 40 minute acoustic set to a quaint crowd while checking in often with the
woman's curling competition on NBC.
The morning Tiger Woods gave his apology speech live on television, we were on our way to Raleigh, NC, leaving the Comfort Suites in Suwanee, GA behind to deal with the aftermath of 5 grown men stuck in one
hotel room. Fully rested, it was hard to resist chocolate pretzels as we trucked up I-85 in search of Wings and a stage. What was even harder to resist was the "after show meal" at Cook Out where
the other guys decided to order burgers, fries, and milkshakes. As the orders came up the van to Phil manning the wheel, I had an internal battle that rivaled that of a guy standing on a ledge thinking about
jumping. I almost broke, but I didn't take the plunge, and what a great decision that turned out to be. The next morning, the other musicians I play with ALL experienced a bit of discomfort
throughout their digestive processes. Best decision of the week for me.
Saturday night we kept it close to home at Lion and Bull where the crowd danced and drank and begged for more, even as we were loading out. We appreciate the atmosphere there and all the good
people working and patronizing. So another week on the road in the books. Currently listening to My Morning Jacket and sipping coffee out of my Djibouti cup.
Cook Out Drive Through after a gig: Bad Idea Jeans
Jauary 17th, 2010 - Midwest, Mother's, Marquette
What makes a tour successful? Is it the music, played perfectly, the details precisely planned, a large amount of CD's sold, new fans won over, the old and true fans who have believed in you for years??? Truth is, it's a combination of all of these paired with perfect weather for January, and a wonderful sense of camaraderie.
Being back on the road reminds me of how great it is to play music for a living in front of great people, but also gives me an appreciation for being home and living life. The opposite is also true. This tour summed up all of the things I love about this life and shadowed the complications that come with hauling 5 guys around the country to perform their craft.
A week ago, I was afraid to look at the weather report, fearing the -20 degree air and constant precipitation would unhinge our plans for a successful tour and leave us stranded, uncomfortable, and sick. To our surprise, the weather across the Midwest was a balmy 35-40 degrees, boosting our spirits and allowing us to stay on schedule.
The schedule was a bit brutal, but manageable with the crowds and fans that were there to greet us each night. 47 hours of driving in less than 5 days. It's been awhile since I have spent this much time laying in a van bench, but it feels like home. If "Up In The Air" was written for us, it would hopefully include a lifetime BP gas card and free hotel stays.
We returned to Mothers Pub after a 1-year hiatus and were welcomed with open arms. Just about everyone that saw us last year attended our return to Ames, IA. Now, armed with the drive to return where we are wanted, we'll be heading back to Ames in April and more throughout the year.
After our morning cattle auction, we departed for the Chicago Area and spent a spirited night at the Old Ballydoyle Pub. On a sad note for this tour, we would like to say goodbye to our friend Rick, the longtime sound engineer at BDP, who passed away last month. We were all looking forward to his great mixes in the non-traditional shaped room that is BDP. Rick made us sound great and would always record our shows, giving us a great sounding memento of our trips to Downers Grove. We'll miss you Rick.
As for the feeling of being home, Pat, Kelly, Molly, all the staff at BDP, and all the fans and friends made sure the experience was all it was supposed to be. We gave a great show and wished we had more time to hang out and socialize with the peeps before we drove to Wisconsin to crash for a few hours before heading to the wilderness of the UP.
We knew we were at home almost instantly after arriving at in Marquette. Our friends and fans greeted us early in the evening while we set up, and the fun didn't stop till the kicked out they last person on Saturday night at 2:30am.
A year after our last shows at the Up Front & Company, it seems like our fan base has quadrupled. Thanks to the word of mouth and commitment from people like Jay, Ben, Tori, Sarah, Jen, Gradie, and others, they've been able to spread the word of LDE to more people than we could have ever imagined.
Friday night at UPC was a slow burn, but the very attentive crowd took to the dance floor in the second set and left begging for more music. It's good feeling when you have fans that are requesting songs and we can't get to all of them in one night.
Saturday, Phil and I took a trip around the lake to perform a special living room show for our good friend Jessica who was sidelined from surgery and couldn't make it out to the Up Front shows. We wish her a speedy recovery so she can be back dancing next time we come around.
Saturday night we were treated to a social get together before the show with some of our great friends, and then treated to most enthusiastic crowd we've had since maybe our CD release show in the summer of 2008.
Now that we are in the denouement of the tour, I can rest easy with a smile on my face knowing that we put together a fantastic week of shows where in my opinion, all the pieces fell perfectly into place. If this tour proves anything, it shows that we are a small town band with small town friends, small town fans, and potential to win over any set of ears in the immediate area of our tunes.
As I stare out the window at the snow covered landscape watching the sun race away from the sky, I can't help but look forward to the next time out. It's been a light 6-8 months for LDE while we put together our new record and plan, but we thank those who have stuck with us and hung on for the ride...FOR SURE!
November 16th, 2009 - Marathon Moments
Running the Marine Corps Marathon last month was the single most amazing day of my entire life, or as I say on tape, the most amazing 3 hours, 59 minutes, and 49 seconds. The early morning was cool and clear on October 25th
and I had prepared so well. 3 weeks before I had run 20 miles, my last long run. In the time between I did much lower millage tapering and getting ready for the big day. Between the collective knowledge I gained for books, web sites, and
friends who had run them before, I made my race day plan, and pretty much stuck with it. Since mid September, my foot had been bothering me, and I still am not quite sure what the problem was, but for weeks I was icing and rest my foot when ever
I could knowing it had to go though hours and miles of pounding. It was my only real injury and it was a little bit of a concern for me.
My other big concern was getting sick the week or day of the marathon. The stomach and swine flu had hit people I knew and I was doing everything I could not to contract anything. I would have been
crushed if a sickness had prevented 17 weeks of training. As Sunday got closer, I felt very anxious and excited. It was all I was really talking about and thinking about, but I had to stay focused on my preparations.
I brought in 3 carbohydrate drinks a day, ate pasta for dinner every night, and got plenty of sleep focusing on waking up around the same time every day to fully prepare.
On race morning I had everything laid out, lists made of what to bring, what to wear, I had my gatorade filled, iPod playlists organized. 5:15 in the morning and it took me almost 2 hours to get to the runners village with
huge lines at the metro getting off the trains and through the turn styles. Finally I made it to the village where I could make final dress preparations, use the facilities and check my bag to be picked up after the race.
I had everything in order and was in perfect shape at the start of the race.
The national anthem playing over the huge speakers in front of 20,000 other runners was enough to give me my first choked quick cry of the day. My first "mistake" of the day took place while lining up.
I wasn't really trying for a time, but under 4 hours was a secondary goal. I lined up in the 4:15 to 4:30 coral, and that proved to hamper me throughout the race. At the beginning I was dodging people
who were going just a bit slower than me, and that probably stole some energy from me. My next big mistake was at mile 7 when I was getting warm wearing my regular running shirt under the
American Cancer Society singlet. I decided at my water stop to quickly take off the orange shirt and tuck it in my fuel belt. While taking off the shirt, I put my sunglasses right at my feet, but for some reason
was so caught up putting my singlet back on, I forgot my sunglasses and had to spend the next 3 hours staring right into the sun. Not my plan at all.
The last mistake popped it's head out when at about mile 18, my lower back began to hurt and I investigated the problem. It turned out that my race number belt (I didn't pin to my shirt so I could do things like take off my under shirt etc) was on a little too tight
and the plastic was digging into my lumbar. I adjusted this, but the damage had been done, I could feel that medium discomfort through the end. And then, the one thing that really threw me off
was my Garmin GPS watch. Apparently, it was telling me that I was going further than I really was. I started to realize this as I crossed mile markers and my watch was saying I had already been by that mile. Hmmmmm, precarious.
Once I was in crystal city (the last 6.2 miles) I thought I had the sub-4 in the bag according to my pace on the GPS watch, but in fact I was about 3-4 off and had to step up my pace at the end to make up the seconds.
I almost couldn't do it, but I came in just under 4 hours and was happy enough not to let the watch bother me.
Now I am not saying I SHOULD have done better and blaming the equipment. I just learned that I made a few small errors and not having split times on my write and relying on my watch was a main
reason cutting my time so close when I ran a perfect race besides that. In my mind I was on pace, feeling great (besides the back and squinting) and wouldn't hit the wall because of my careful
planning, water, carb, and GU intake. I crossed the finish line, received my space blanket and immediately began weeping like a little girl into it. Mission accomplished. I am so proud of myself and so thankful
for all the inspiration, support, and kind words from my friends, family, and all those who donated to ACS making the run even more important to me.
Will I run another one....absolutely. I am hooked. I can do better, and just having that goal ahead of me is a great reason to continue living a healthy lifestyle. I am planning on a 2010 marathon, but not sure if I am
going to do a spring or fall due to LDE's possible schedule. I love running because I can basically do it anywhere. All I really need is a pair of shoes and my thoughts. During this training
I logged over 400 miles, raised $4962 for ACS, and accomplished a major life goal and my single most challenging athletic feat (Climbing the entire Grand Canyon down to the Colorado River and back in 6:15 was the prior.)
Below are some pics of the day and a little video I put together with footage from my morning and the race. Anyone want to go for a run???
As you can see, I forgot to stop the watch right when I crossed...but the 1:30 I walked didn't not equal .64 miles extra. The watch was a little wrong.
November 3rd, 2009 - LDE Mobler in NYC's Time Square
Well this was a day we all in LDE won't soon forget. Say Anything celebrates 20 years of Lloyd Dobler winning the hearts of girls, and Lloyd Dobler Effect decides to step in and
recreate "In Your Eyes" for all in Time Square. Early Tuesday morning the bus pulled out of Silver Spring, MD, heading to NYC to pull off a street stunt in the busiest tourist spot in the city.
We landed a bit after noon and got together with our PR company to discuss logistics and planning. We did a phone interview in the office for the Wall Street Journal and answered a few questions
about the day, and our part in it.
Around 1:30pm, we split from the east side to Broadway and 7th, only to find major trouble parking (expected) and plenty of NYC officers watching the situation in Time Square (not expected).
Even though the "MOBLER", the event with all the Lloyd Dobler look alikes, was scheduled to be there at 4pm, asking the general public to bring thier own boom boxes for a picture of the largest group of Lloyd Dobler's ever, LDE was
not necessarily approved to perform. We discussed all the important details with the organizers and planned to pull of "In Your Eyes" and if we hadn't been arrested yet, play one of our songs "Going Back To The End."
In preparation for the event, we got together battery powered speakers, battery powered guitar amps and a wireless microphone to play in the street and be super portable. We even rehearsed loading
in all the gear and setting it up in less than a minuet.
At 4pm, we were told to head to the bleachers above the TKTS booth on the north side of the square. Before we even set the first few things down, the officers were on us. There was no fooling them today. Without a permit, no one was making any noise on this block.
We tried to stall and compromise and it looked as though this was going to be a big disaster when finally, a certain suave young lady on our team got a small bit of information from the NYC cop.
We promptly moved across the street to the median where were allowed to perform, as long as we didn't move into the street. SUCSESS!!!
We pulled off both songs to a huge crowd of Say Anything Fans, Lloyd Doblers, and hundreds of NYC tourists. A job well done. There was nothing like the feeling of playing music outside in Time Square with the sights and sounds of New York all around us.
In the end, it was exactly what we were hoping for. I want to give a huge thanks to all the people at Big Machine Media and Imagen Records for helping us pull off a crazy stunt, it was so much fun.
Watch out NYC, LDE might be back for our album release and you never know where the battery powered rock show might turn up!
October 13th, 2009 - Marathon Update #3
Well here I am 12 days out from my first Marathon. Let's see, how am I feeling. Good....Very Good...amazingly enough. To recap, I have now run 335 miles, totaling over 49 hours of running.
Since I last left you, I finished all my long runs with a great amount of confidence and humility. It's hard to have both of those emotions at the same time, but trust me, you can.
20 miles was a site to see on my Garmin watch. An hour or 2 later, I almost forgot and couldn't believe I had just ran for 2 hours and 53 minuets, and I still can't believe it now.
20 miles seems like a year ago currently. Since then I ran a 10k last sunday at the Boo Run For Life. I haven't ran a race since May, so it was a good chance to put a few things into practice
before the marathon and try out my Marathon Pace. My pace DID NOT last long as I found myself running much faster that I will be in the beginning of Marine Corps. My pace even accelerated after
seeing an 11-year-old girl ahead of me at the turn around in West Potomac Park. I did eventually pass her and finish 89th with a time of 48:03 and a pace of 7:42 a mile. Now....if I ran 7:42 in the marathon, I would be
smokin' but I clearly have no intention of running at that pace.
It's a weird feeling right now being in my tapering 3 weeks. I feel just as I should supposedly. I feel fat, out of shape, like I should be running more to keep up. I feel that I won't be able
to finish now because I am running so few miles. But ironically, the opposite is true. This tapering, or recovery period is not only advantages, it is imperative for muscles to recover and gather strength from
all the hard miles I put in the prior 14 weeks. I am now leaving it up to preparation, concentration, and hydration on marathon day.
The next time I write to you will be reporting on how the marathon went and a full recap of much we raised for the American Cancer Society. Thanks to all who donated and have showed their support.
If you haven't had a chance to donate yes, my ACS page is linked below along with a page where you can "track my progress" if you find that to be fun and necessary. On marathon day, I will be wearing a tag on my shoe that electronicly tracks when I start the race (because 22,000 people don't all cross the start line at the same time) and
when I cross mile markers and the finnish line (hopefully!!!!). It can be sent by text or email. I will also be posting on the LDE home page a picture of what I'll be wearing in case anyone is out
at the race and wants to taunt me for going to slow! Only 5 more runs and I will be waking up with butterflies, ready to take on the largest challenge of my life. No matter what, I will run
with pride and confidence, and I hope to see you all after I cross the finish line.
September 21st, 2009 - A Few Thoughts and Photos
Well, it's been a crazy summer here in the LDE camp. I've been training for a marathon and the band has been recording a marathon worth of music to make this next record. We would love to have
some more info for you soon, but as of now, it's all hush hush, even to us. We are driving home from Florida currently and I am quite uncomfortable. I need a stretch and a bend. I'm going to see the
Decemberists in Charlottesville, VA this Thursday.
We are playing at the Navy Stadium this Saturday before the 3:30pm game. Come find us if you happen to be a Navy and LDE fan. We just got a show in Fredericksburg, VA at Mary Washington College next Tuesday at 8:00pm.
Redskins pulled out a win over the possible worst team in the NFL. A lady gave $100 last night to my American Cancer Society Fund. That was quite amazing. It's just about a month away and I am still looking to raise a bunch
more money from friends, fans, and the LDE Family. I must say I love my new iPhone. I am so spoiled, but if I can't own anything but a few guitars and the clothes on my back, I mine as well
have a phone that I love, now only if I had service that I love it would be a perfect technology world.
I've been drinking lots of Fruit Punch flavored Gatorade lately. I need it while running, and it tastes yummy, a perfect substitute to the wonderful Coke-a-Cola Classic that I must resist so often.
I miss playing soccer. My wallet is falling apart, maybe I should get a wallet like Pat, basically a rubber band. Nice! Donnie and I drank wine this weekend that cost $3 from World Market. I also
went to buy a belt at a store called Buckle and spent more money than I wished too. I bough mustard and Parmesan Cheese from the grocery store in Florida, and I'm bringing it home because who would
waste such good products.
Good and bad things about a Mohawk. Good, When you go to sleep, you wake up and the mohawk is right where you left it. Bad, if I shower, I either have to "do" the mohawk or put on a baseball hat.
Were never going to get home. That's it.
Rob the night after our Martins night and his 3 our walk home at 6am
Bullhorn, Lyrics, Set List
Buckle has 2 pairs of jeans named for to LDE kids, wierd???
Broken Amp, now fixed, now broken pedals
August 21st, 2009 - Marathon Update #2
Hey there race fans! (fyi, I am not really racing...just finishing) I am happy to announce that I have run over 150 miles since beginning my "official" training in the end of June and I am right on
schedule. So far, training alone (with the exception of my brother James running a few miles with me) has been quite refreshing and I have only been troubled by 1 or 2 tough days and some minor soreness. Ironically, on my longer runs so far, I have felt great, and
usually, when getting close finishing them, I feel as if I could run much much longer.
This aside, I know the road ahead is still quite long and I am looking forward to the challenges. So far from LDE shows I have been able to raise an additional $400 + and I hope that number continues to
grow till October. We haven't quite finalized the date and location for the full benefit show, but it will of course be posted immediately following confirmation. Other than that, I don't know what to say
but I ran 12 miles today and have 13 next week and so on. I also now have ACS wrist bands that I will be selling for a minimum $1 donation at upcoming shows if you feel like joining
the wrist band fad! Thanks again for all the support both monetarily and verbally. Now it's time to stretch some more!
July 24th, August 7-8th, 2009 - Lynchburg/Roanoke Overload
We have been getting quite fond of the new river valley and it's surrounding areas these last few weeks, and we have our Jefferson Center Show next friday, and 2 more Corned Beef shows in the beginning of
September. Roanoke either loves or hates LDE at this point. I think it's a bit of romantic love mixed with alcohol to be honest. We do thank all the friends and fans we have here in Southwest Virginia and hope our
love affair continues for a long long time.
The last few festivals in Lynchburg and Roanoke have been amazing, (and hot) it's always nice to play different set ups either outdoors, in clubs, or at the Jefferson Center where we will put
the Lloyd Dobler Experience stamp on Roanoke this Friday. So far, I think Phil has drank 300 cups of Mill Mountain Coffee, Donnie has eaten 34 Tim's Famous Chickens at Corned Beef, Pat has
watched thousands of people get drunk from his perch on stage at CB, Rusty has been high fived by 134 Frat guys and then they asked if they could play his congas, and I have left my clothes in the pilot
gas station once and almost did it a second time.
It was nice having Cousin Rob up on stage last Saturday to rock "Laid" with us, but other than that, we are not quite so fond of sit in's if anyone was around to hear the kid trying to sing "Jenny," then having Donnie Mute his microphone and us walk off stage.
Good times... Well keep it real Roanoke, we are planning new things for you on our next visits!
July 28/29th - Aug 5/6th, 2009 - Studio: Charlotte, Kernersville, NC
Mixing and recording at the same time is giving me a bit of a headache, but a good pain I suppose. We have been working on the re-recording/remixing of many songs from the 2008, and are also
putting a couple new (un recorded) songs on the upcoming record. I wish I could say more except we are working hard in between performing, rehearsing, writing and game planning that time seems to be
flying by at the highest rate of speed ever. I hope you enjoy the photos from Mitch Easter's pad in Kernersvile, the Fidelatorium. It's a groovy place with lots to photograph!
July 8th, 2009: Marathon Update #1
First let me say thank you so much to everyone who has contributed money and giving me encouragement, I am so proud already. As I write this email, YOU ALL have put $1,026 into the hands of the American
Cancer Society and it has given me continued inspiration to finish this race and raise even more.
So far, I have been formally training for 2 weeks (about 8 week getting conditioned). In those 2 weeks, I have run 28 miles. Seems like a far cry from running all 26.2 of them at once, but I know I will get there soon.
I am enjoying my new running shoes and have found a nice routine keeping pace with my GPS watch and switching between days listening to my iPod shuffle and going "open air." Since the race
doesn't allow headphones, I am trying to prepare myself as much as possible. You can check my daily updated progress on the home page.
As I move forward, here is some info about what I am doing to help raise MORE money for ACS. There are more than 100 days left before the marathon and I have now changed my goal from $1,000 to $5,000. Ambitious, I know.
First, I will be collecting donations and "selling" wrist bands at every Lloyd Dobler Effect and acoustic performance from now until the race. In addition, I am planning a special
fundraising show closer to the marathon date, probably in the DC area. All of the entrance fees, money raised by a 50/50 raffle, etc will go to the effort. All the total money from
shows and the fundraising event will then be donated as the "Lloyd Dobler Effect Family."
Between this and continued generosity from friends and family we will hopefully help reach my new ambitious goal of $5,000. A thousand thank you's again. If you have anyone else
in your circle of family and friends who might want to help, please send them to my Participant Page.
And once again, I'd also like to invite everyone to come out and cheer me on at on race day or visit me at the American Cancer Society tent after the race. More updates to come (whether you like it or not!!!)
June 30th, 2009: LDE donates 25 pairs of jeans to National Geographic
Today I brought 25 pairs of LDE Jeans (some not as stylish as others) downtown to National Geographic. 25 doesn't seem like a whole lot, but we emptied our closets and we hope some of our friends
and fans did as well to help National Geographic's Kids "Guinness Book of World Records Challenge" to set the record for the world's largest collection of clothes to recycle. The donations are going to "COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN" who recycles jeans into UltraTouch
Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, which is used to help build houses in places that have been damaged by hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. Check out the results on
their website, and thanks to all who might have participated.
Chris
June 2-4th, 2009: More and More Studio
Well, we knew eventually we'd have to finish the whole record and this week was a lot of Drums Bass and Percussion. In fact, after these tracks are finished, we'll be 99% done with the recording, and
all that will be left will be mixing and mastering, and then the natural progression would be a Grammy award I assume??
May 25th, 2009 - Jeremy's Run and Chris's Marathon
May 25th I ran Jeremy's Run, a 5k in Olney, MD for drug awareness and it marked the start of my marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. I had just gotten back from vacation the night before
and was a little tired and hadn't been running much lately, but I finished a respectable 37th place out of 300 or so without running too hard. I did of course get beaten by a 9 year old boy and
at least two 14-year-old girls. That's always good for the ego!
Jeremy's Run was the beginning of a long 5-month training program I am undertaking to be able to finish the Marathon.
The Marine Corps Marathon is being run in Washington, DC and Northern Virginia on October 25th, 2009. I've always been a runner and
always wanted to run a marathon, so 2009 seemed like the perfect time to attempt this "life long" goal. Keep up with me here on my journal page to see how miles I am running and if you can,
sponsor me with a donation to help me finish the race. I will running to raise money for The American Cancer Society
and hope with some of our fans help, I am able to contribute a great deal to their effort. Thanks, and I hope to see some familiar faces on race day, cheering the massive crowd of runners on.
