Holiday spirit

I need to work on getting in the holiday spirit. I'm almost out of time. I almost sent this email today. It took great self restraint not to send.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

I mean no disrespect

But I'm pretty sure I improved upon my dad's caramel corn recipe.

Sent from my Windows Phone

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

The new blue screen of death

Never fear, it was only a "near death" experience. All is well.

Sent from my Windows Phone

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

London

This just got real. Our flights to London have been booked. Nonstop from Denver. Ought to be an interesting adventure. We'll be back.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

jobs (thus far)

paperboy
lawnmower
drum teacher
outdoor retail "expert"
missionary
server
paperboy
accounts receivable assistant
outdoor retail "expert"
college town rocker
intern
drum teacher
freelance event marketer
singer-songwriter
assistant content manager
content manager
content supervisor

The repeats aren't typos. I figure each one of these is between a paragraph or a chapter in my autobiography.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Born: December 3, 1955.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Dave & Tim tix just came in the mail.

Been looking forward to these since 2001, I reckon.

Sent from my Windows Phone

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Happy Birthday to Me and a Brag about Eric

Yes, I had a birthday recently - if by recently you mean in September. But let me just back track here for a bit:

I have been working completely full time as an aide since October which has been fun, but very tiring. I would like to thank Eric for working every day with very few breaks because I know how difficult it can be. As of last week, the family I work with found someone to work a few days a week not only to give me a break, but also because Eric will be working in LONDON (temporarily), and I'll be joining him. The plan is not to move there. Just working there as needed. Louisville, CO is still our primary home. :)

CP+B is in the process of expanding their satellite office in London to make it a full time shop. They could hire whomever they want to work there, but they want some of the "Crispin Culture" to be in the London office, and since Eric speaks German and has lived in Europe, he was a perfect candidate for the job.Along with the London news, Eric was put onto a new account (Milka chocolate), Eric was also promoted about two weeks ago! I am so proud of him! Not to mention he is just as handsome as ever.
I had quite the birthday day back in September. People thought I was a bit crazy, but I wanted to make my own cake (pictured below). It was a delicious Pineapple angel food cake and I dried out some pineapple slices to put on top - excellent choice - I am making it every year.
Right after I was done whipping the batter though, the power went out. I totally freaked out because I was afraid that I was not going to be able to make my fantastic cake, but an hour later the power was back on and my lovely cake as done just in time. Also, I had to shower in the dark and couldn't blow dry my hair so it's a bit unkempt.

Eric hat hunger.

Blowing out the candles.

The part that I loved most about my birthday though, was just being with my friends.

Friend Emily


Friends Tanaya, Breanne, me, Emily, and Kristen (Friend Natalie had to leave early).

Dad, a year later.

It's been a year since my dad died unexpectedly in a motorcycle accident. This time last year I was in Doylestown, PA, sitting at my parents' kitchen table after a last minute flight to Philly, reading my dad's will (he was a prepared guy like that) and sobbing. Feeling emotions that were totally new to me.

I got a little too nostalgic a couple times at work yesterday, just reading others' thoughts about him and browsing photos. Good thing I have an office so I could close the door for a couple minutes.

Friday and today, my whole family went out to Chinese food and visited our respective local temples in Denver (Jaime and me), Detroit (Daniel and Francesca), San Antonio (Jonathan and Andrea) and Manhattan (my mom and Ian). It's been great focusing on his legacy and all my memories. Some of my friends ask if I need to distract myself during this time so it won't be so hard. I don't think of it that way. If I made an effort to avoid the photos, the chinese, the memories and the talks about him, I would be missing out on all these feelings. Yes, it's difficult. Yes, most of the emotions are based in sadness, missing him, being sad for my mom and my 17 year old brother Ian who is still at home without his awesome dad. But it also helps me feel close to him. Remembering him and shedding a few tears, feeling a little wimpy and such, is much better than trying to avoid remembering him.

In a nutshell, I'm just grateful that I have a dad worth remembering so much. That's what it comes down to.

I miss him a lot. I haven't heard his voice in a long time. I don't have any videos of him, or saved voice mails or anything. My sister in law Francesca saved this last voice mail she got from him just over a year ago and she put it on her blog. Listening to it just now knocked me over. Thank you, Francesca. This might not mean much to you, but I'm embedding it here so I can get back to it easily. Even though this was just another phone call for him, the love in his voice captures who he was.
< /><>

The last song I wrote before finishing up my latest EP The Thin of Thick Things was "Mourning is Love." It's a simple but heartfelt representation of how I've felt over the last year. I chose a blues structure for obvious reasons, but overall, the message is positive. You can listen to it here:

I hate painting, but I love my wife

This was my belated anniversary gift to Jaime. It may look simple, but it took me way too long 'cause I'm a really lousy painter. Back in school , I had to take a Design & Color class primarily with acrylic paints, as part of my Graphic Design minor. It was the first time I'd ever tried to use a paintbrush as a tool for art or design. It felt like trying to speak a very foreign language.

Anyway, the words are a mash-up of two Ray Lamontagne songs we like. "Shelter" was our wedding song, and "Jolene" has the line:

A man needs something he can hold on to
a nine-pound hammer or a woman like you
either one of them things will do

Every now and then I feel like I need a nine-pound hammer, but then I wake up and realize I have Jaime. She's much better (for me).

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

fall

Saturday fall walk with annie.

Sent from my thumbs.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Thankful

I had one of those random fits of gratitude today. I was at work, sitting at my desk, thinking about the great song I was listening to, which led me to think about how I was glad I had my good hi-def headphones at work, which led to being grateful that I have a good job and a job where I could sit there in my office and jam with headphones on and nobody thought i was a reclusive hermit.

I'm not waiting for Thanksgiving this year. Here's a partial list of things I'm grateful for.

Jaime. If you know her, 'nuff said. If you don't, your loss.
Annie. Ruff. Love this dog. Sometimes I think about how old I'll be when she reaches the end of her great life and I get a little lump in my throat.
My house we bought last year. Something to customize and call our own.
The chance to make music and share it with others that actually, somehow, miraculously like it. I spent 3 days last week at a big Songwriter's Expo and it had my head spinning in so many excited, creative, adventurous directions. I'm not just grateful for music. I'm grateful I found an outlet that allows me to dive in and toy with the craft of making it myself, from scratch.
Truth that provides perspective, both short term and eternal. I'm also grateful for the occasional swift and sometimes subtle kick in the pants to pay attention to it.
An amazing family. Brothers that make me look like "that one" and parents to envy like no other. It gives me hope that my kids might be okay, despite their dad.
Living in this plot of Colorado. I remember having big Northern California home-pride when I first went away to school out of state. Colorado caught me off guard. Don't tell everyone, though. Let them keep thinking it's "middle America" and we'll keep it to ourselves. There's a line in my song "Flannel Shirts and Boat Shoes" that sums it up pretty much: "I could not foreshadow here in Colorado." Another line in "Easiness" from my first album where I sang about looking forward to leaving Miami and laying down roots in Boulder: "We'll climb above this mess, where the airs thin, i'll fall into you, with easiness."
Reed's Premium Ginger Brew. Try it, ice cold.
My day job. The exciting new prospects and projects I've been asked to work on at work. Keeping me on my toes and then some. Some songwriter/artists may lament that they need a day job at all. I'm just grateful that mine is cutting edge and surrounded by creative geniuses. Thank goodness for that. Rather than lament that I need a day job, I'm just grateful that one of my biggest hobbies pretty much pays for itself, and fools listeners into not thinking I have another job. How fun is that?

That's all for now. I'm also grateful for 30Rock, so I'm going to go watch it OnDemand now. 'Til Turkey Day, To be continued.
loveric

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Eric Stoltz was Marty McFly?!

<div>

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Pictures and video from the release show

You can see all the photos on facebook, here.

As well as three videos on YouTube:
Flannel Shirts & Boat Shoes VIDEO

Lone Pine Mall VIDEO

Jaime Bug VIDEO

It was a packed house, and such a fun fun fun time. Megan and Ayo's Travel | By | Skylark set was a beautifully tough act to follow, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Thanks to everyone who came out. Let's do it again at The Laughing Goat, maybe this Spring.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

OMGosh, are you nervous?

When I was a hard-rocking alternative drummer and guitarist in college, my friend Will would often turn to me before a set or a big song and ask "are you nervous?" It always made me laugh for some reason. Sometimes the question made me a little nervous, just because he asked.

I've played a lot of shows in the last 6 or so years. A lot. Very few have been as hyped or as momentous as tomorrow night's CD release show, and I'm headlining. I've played shows with bands, or been the opening act for fantastic artists at really graet venues, but not very often has most of the attention been on me, and my new record at that.

So, are you nervous?

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

LIFT OFF.

Today's the day. The Thin of Thick Things is available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby and ericforsythmusic.com (hard copies). And of course, hard copies will be available at my CD release show at The Laughing Goat in Boulder on Saturday night. Get this: Bring a print out of your iTunes receipt to the show and get a hard copy for only $4.

Be a friend an go leave a review or two on one of them there interweb locations.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

New CD review from The Oomph Music Blog

I like this guy 'cause I can tell he's being honest when he says my voice is "surprisingly"  smooth and soulful, and then follows it up to admit "It isn't what I'd call groundbreaking."

I'm not kidding. I like this guy.

An excerpt: "My advance copy has been in my ipod shuffle rotation for a few weeks now, and when one of Forsyth’s songs comes up, it is one of those moments when I go, “Wait…what song is that??”  Eric Forsyth’s sound is comprised of an intriguing blend of impressive acoustic-roots-folk guitar work underneath, overlaid with Forsyth’s surprisingly smooth, soulful vocals.  It isn’t what I’d call groundbreaking, but it’s just plain good music."

You can read the whole thing here and then post it to your facebook and twitter 'cause you love me. ;)

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

"trees and other shady things" finally on iTunes

Yes, my EP from 2008 has hit iTunes just in time for my new album to quickly join it in a few weeks. Better late than never. If you've heard the CD, PLEASE go to iTunes (here) and leave a review and rate it. That would help, and of course it allows your words to be immortalized on an iconic service such as iTunes. :)

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

CD Release Show, 9.25.10, Boulder

I've been procrastinating writing my email blast that needs to go out. I figured posting this show poster to my blog is a good step in the right direction.

In other news, I met a girl today who works at Warner Bros. Records. Gave her my CD's. She's young and still excited about stuff like this, plus she plays the mandolin and has a personal love of singer-songwriters. We talked about Ray LaMontagne, James Taylor, The Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. Then I got back to the interview I was conducting for her CP+B agency job. Weird. True story.

Oh yeah, the poster. Come to the show. Studies show that 8 out of 10 handsome and smart people are planning on attending.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

My nerdy mind has been blown.

While visiting Colorado last week, my little brother Ian informed me of something that BLEW my nerdy mind. How do most people ignorantly pronounce our last name when they first read it? "For-sith". There are two words in the pronunciation: "Force" and "Sith." Wait...that's nothing. It gets better.

My parents had only 4 sons. Their given first names are:
Jonathan
Eric
Daniel
Ian

J, E, D, I.

This is not a joke, nor, i believe a coincidence. My parents are sleeper Jedi...from Sith ancestry? Much to think about I have. Thank you master, Ian.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Another review of the new ep!

God bless Jeanie Straub and her flattering review of "The Thin of Thick Things" in the Colorado Music blog: READ IT HERE.

It's pretty fun to have Google alert me of reviews written about my new music.

Get yourself a copy at my website: ericforsythmusic.com

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

The first review of the new CD

I've been sending out press releases, and some journalists have even been asking for CD's out of the blue. Good things are coming. The first little review hit yesterday on a great Colorado music and radio blog. You can read it here. If you need a reminder, the CD officially drops publicly on 9/21, and pre-orders are available now on my website. (*cough* click here "cough*)

In the meantime, I've got this Songwriters-in-the-round show coming up on Thursday in Denver. Two brothers, Daniel and Ian, will be in town for it, so "that's neat," as Jaime says. We're descending from the mountains just for this show, then heading back up again the next day.

On a tangential note, I'm really, really excited about my "vacation" next week with Daniel and Ian. I make an effort to not blog negatively about my particular species of "day" job and the way it can sometimes wear on me, but it suffices to say next week is well deserved and couldn't come sooner. That's all. We've been planning this since my dad passed away in November.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

Sunweeds turn into Sunflowers

This image i snapped with my phone last week got a good reaction on facebook, so i thought i'd post it here.

Jaime planted little seeds in june that turned into what i referred to as "sunweeds" in front of our house for 2 months. But then they turned into these mutant flowers from outer space. Pretty cool. Good job, Jaime. Hooray for a south facing house and a cute wife.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

I can't handle the truth.

This child is only happy because he's ignorant.

First, it's announced that Pluto's not a planet after all.

Now, The Triceratops isn't even a real dinosaur.I don't know how I'm going to break this to Jaime. It's going to be like telling Les Paul that it's been decided that the guitar isn't really a musical instrument.

Add to that, that we haven't started the prep work for colonizing Mars and it pretty much makes me question everything I was taught as a kid.

Sigh...And the Triceratops was my FAVORITE dinosaur. It still is. You can't stop me and my own personal reality.

Posted via email from eric forsyth's posting place

A good Saturday

• Started with getting up just in time to play a 10am gig at my home Louisville, CO Farmers Market. Sold some CD's got a bag full of free locally grown veggies.
• Went to Target with Jaime. Bought her a nice tube for tubing down Boulder Creek.
• Talked Ben and Breanne into tubing the creek with us.
• Changed at home, drove into Boulder and had a great time riding the ripples, rapids and waterfalls of Boulder Creek with Ben and Breanne. Beautiful scenery, cool water, good company.
• Went to REI and sampled free camp food. Walked out with nothing.
• Ate a Döner Kebab made by a Vietnamese couple at a crazy little shack on the Hill in Boulder. Reminded me of Germany.
• Walked across the parking lot and got frozen custard from a girl who was delighted to meet a young couple that was actually married. She thought that was pretty cool, like we were from a rare country she'd always wanted to visit, or something. The custard reminded me of Bucks County, PA.
• Went to Pearl Street and bought some fake mustaches for Saturday night's party. Also bought a new pair of really comfy Patagonia loafers with birthday money from mom (thanks mom!)
• Went home, took a nap (ahhh, that's what a nap feels like), showered and changed for the CP+B Summer Party at the historic Boulder Theater.
• Met friends for dinner at Mod Market in Boulder. Friends who were NOT dressed for a CP+B Summer Party. Got some funny looks.
• Went to the party where a hardcore costume and wig-clad cover band played rock hits with frightening precision and enthusiasm. Watched all my coworkers get drunk. It was a blast.
• Got home sometime around 1am.
• Blessed sleep.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

cool info graph on how much the digital world has changed since i started college

make that "digital world...and clowns."

http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/by-the-numbers-how-the-digital-revolution-changed-our-world.html

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

quote

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

I did it!

While typing one of today's 6 bajillion emails, I spelled the word "maintenance" correctly, on my first try, without even thinking about it. No spell-check needed.

You may not think this is a big deal, but it is. I'm a new man.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

"The Thin of Thick Things" Press Release

Download now or preview on posterous

Eric_Forsyth_Music.pdf (15 KB)

Do you know anyone in the music, journalism, or radio business? Shoot me an email at ericforsythmusic@gmail.com and let me know. I have a press release and a free CD for them.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

Rear Window

I love this movie, so when I saw this great movie poster designed by Brandon Shaeffer, I had to preserve it somewhere to share. See more awesome Branon Shaeffer movie posters here.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

The Thin of Thick Things

For those that are unaware, I like to play music. I like to write music. I like to record music. I like to listen to music. These likes have joined forces and led to a new record. It's called The Thin of Thick Things and it's now available for pre-ordering on my website at www.ericforsythmusic.com.

This is something i'm extremely excited about. It's my 2nd EP and in many ways it's quite different than the first (Trees and Other Shady Things), but that may just be me, analyzing it much deeper than the average Joe would. I'm excited about the music, but i'm also excited about the CD design by mCroxton Design, the mandolin playing on three tracks my Dave Willis of Boulder, CO, the webpage graphic by Daniel, the fact that the CD will be available all over the web, including iTunes, and lastly, I'm stoked to wit's end about my official CD Release Show at The Laughing Goat on Pearl Street, Boulder, CO on September 25, 2010. Tell your friends.

Something occurred to me on Sunday. Creating a collection of songs like this, writing the music, lyrics, recording it myself, organizing and managing the production and design myself and seeing a finished, mastered result in your and my hands is one of the few things in my life that I will ever create from scratch and be able to say it's truly original. That is why I'm glad I was able to create Trees and Other Shady Things in 2008 and why I'm happy to bring you The Thick of Thin Things.

All I want for my birthday is for everyone I know to forgo one fast food meal and instead, spend $7 on this fun little collection of songs. That's a win/win, I'd say. Although Pre-ordering has begun, the actual public release is not until 9.21 (CD Release Show on 9/25). Pre-ordering ensures you get it just before 9.21 and you even save money on shipping.

Hope you like it,
eric

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

Miles Davis

I came home at about 10:45pm last night, and Jaime was busy doing something productive in her little domain upstairs. I got a bowl of ice cream, walked upstairs with it, and delightfully discovered that she had rummaged through my boxes of old CDs and pulled out a Miles Davis album. She ripped it onto her new iMac and had it playing out of the new speakers we got her.

I folded Annie's dog bed in half, laid down on the carpet and used it as a pillow. Finished my ice cream and fell asleep right there, listening to Miles. It was great. I need to listen to more jazz. I used to listen to jazz at least half of the time. Thank you, Jaime.

p.s. if you don't own "Kind of Blue" you need to get it. Today. It's one of those "every human that can hear must own" albums.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

A Colorado adventure

It started in Great Sand Dunes National Park, inlcuded 4x4 jeep trails, big alpine climbs, swimming in a freezing glacial-fed lake, post holing through snowfields in June, lots of creative creek crossings, a very interesting alligator farm, a flat tire, ghost towns, campfires, sleeping under the stars, some rain, but more sunshine, and plenty of wrangling 12-18 year old scouts. The only thing that would have made it more complete is if we weren't rained out of our river rafting on the last day. We took a rain check for later this summer.

you'll have to click on each photo to see the whole thing.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

Skunky Jowls.

Annie was sprayed by a skunk last week. Just before midnight. And I was already really, really tired. I think it was Tuesday night. I was surprised how much it smelled like 20% skunk and 80% really strong epoxy solution, like I used to use to patch up cracks in my snowboard - but stronger. It was extremely potent. Jaime and I took two separate trips to the 24 hour grocery store and somewhat frantically made the following cocktail:

1 quart or liter or whatever of Hydrogen Peroxide. 1/2 cup of baking soda 1 teaspoon or of dish soap or your liquid soap of choice.

Mix it up till it's frothy. Pour it all over the struggling upset dog. Use big rubber gloves to rub it in (don't do this with bare hands, really) while it stings the eyes of your poor dog. For good measure, coat your dog in Scope mouthwash, just to make up for any stubborn lingering stench, then rinse it all off. Do it twice for good measure, and don't miss any spots. It actually works.

In Annie's case, she didn't just get sprayed by a skunk, she chased down and bit a skunk, so she is now referred to as "skunky jowls." As she was drying from our exhaustive outdoor bathing, She grew antsy, and ripped her collar right off the leash that is staked to the ground outside our back door. Literally ripped the collar. (Good thing it was her extra collar we don't ever use.) Her goal was to get back at that skunk by biting it again, which she did, while growling. Apparently the skunk was still right around the corner because she got it so good the first time, it couldn't even limp away. She put the final chomp on it and then came back when I screamed at her, waking up our neighbors i'm sure.

This was not a cool thing she did. We had to start over. This is when I made another trip to the store, more more of the secret sauce ingredients.

Finally, we went to bed. The front and back porch still stunk of skunk, but Annie was alright (except for a slight lingering of skunky jowls, which were eradicated the next day thanks to Jaime). Annie had bloodshot eyes for several days from all the chemicals.

Animal control came and took the wheezing, disabled skunk from our backyard the next day. Tested it for rabies and called to let us know - no rabies.

Annie still barks at skunks and coyotes and cats and anything else that creeps outside at night. A near perfect dog. Near.

Meanwhile Jaime and I used our Best Buy Rewards money to go buy some DVDs, one of which I lobbied to be Marley & Me. We watched Marley & Me a few nights after the incident, and reaffirmed that our dog was awesome and we love her like whoa. I cried at the end. I didn't cry the first time I saw it (in the theater), but I did cry like a baby when I read the book a couple years ago. It's a good book, and I'm only getting softer these days - sue me. I recommend it to anyone that got married, moved to South Florida and has a crazy lab that they got in South Florida as a puppy, but then their work in the media/communication field moved them far away, where the dog gets to run in the grass and snow more. Anyone that fits that description will probably love it. You know anyone like that?

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

our backyard

I can't remember exactly when i took this video. Work's been kind of consuming, but this must have been last weekend. I've had two real weekends in a row, and it's been really nice, even if the weeks in between are brutal. All is well. As I walked with Jaime and Annie, that late afternoon / evening, I thought I'd whip out my flip cam and capture the light, the grass, the hills, the trail. This is a block from our house.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

Metal fans

thanks taylor.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

Jaime Blogs!

proof directly below!

sorry, i thought it was worth noting.

have a nice day.

-eric

Bolder Boulder 2010K

Yesterday, I ran the largest 10K run in world. That was further than I have ever run at one time in my life, so it was a good experience. I now see why Maylin is so skinny. Here are my results:
If you couldn't tell, a 5K is about as far as I have ever run at one time. That third mile was a tough one. I remember seeing the 5K sign directly up hill from when I turned a corner and my body telling me that there was no way I was going to run any further. But I pressed on and after I passed the sign, my run seemed to be a lot easier. There was a time however, around 4K when I started to lose feeling in my feet and had to sit down on a curb to shake some feeling back into them.

At around 9.5K, here is what my legs felt like:
That's right...a rainbow Jell-o mold. I honestly wasn't sure if I could make it up a hill to the finish line. But of course I did, and when I was coming around the track, I heard a proud voice calling my name and I looked over and saw Eric waving to me and cheering me on. I wore my dinosaur shirt so that Eric would know I loved him when he saw me (I tried to Rawr but didn't have the energy.)
This is an "after" picture of me and my friend Sabrina Walbrecht. I am also holding some snack bags - awesome. These were filled with chocolate milk, Curious George fruit snacks, power bars, power gummies, creamers (not kidding), Boulder Chips, and I am sure there were other things. But the coolest part is that I got those awesome bags. I was able to get one for Eric, too, because I found a coupon/ticket for one on the ground in the middle of the race and I picked it up. Also, I am wearing my new sunglasses (thanks eric!)
I don't ever have to do that again, but if anyone wants to come visit me next year on Memorial Day, I'll consider it.

In other news, I think Eric finished recording his last song for his new EP yesterday while I was taking my 4 hour nap, so be on the lookout for some awesome new music coming your way soon.

I also got the new Jack Johnson CD today...excellent.

what's wrong with me?

It’s probably odd that my lust for a cool motorcycle has not decreased since my dad’s death (from a motorcycle accident) 6 months ago. What’s more perplexing is that there’s a chance it has actually increased a little bit lately.

Let me explain a bit.

First of all, I can’t explain a bit. I can’t explain it. That’s what’s brought me to start writing this post. Exploring the possible explanations in writing. But let me clarify what background points I can. I miss my dad a lot. I think about him often. I changed my facebook profile picture to an old teenage photo of him because I like glancing at it several times a day. He reminds me why I am who I am, and it’s fun to realize how much we have in common. Even though he passed away on his bike, there’s always been something about riding that I felt connected me to him, even years ago. The irony now probably tortures my mom.

I bet some of my psychologist/therapist readers are having a hay day with the theory that I lust after motorcycles because of his accident. Although I admit that I do not understand all of the inner workings of the sub-psyche, I honestly believe (and hope) that this isn’t rooted in, or even related to, a subconscious self-destructive tendency. My quest for the perfect motorcycle for me is nothing new. But it’s still surprising me that it has not diminished in the slightest since suddenly losing my dad. In defense of my sanity, any motorcycle lusting boy will back me up on the fact that motorcycle lust always spikes when the weather warms up - spring and early summer. This is where we are now. Coming up on Memorial Day this weekend. This is textbook. I am not sick. (Right?)

I’ll further clarify that I am not in the financial position to buy a bike anytime soon anyway. In case you were wondering if I was about go out and act on my lust.

Even if I were in the financial position, it’s too soon. My mom would say that any day is too soon, and I’d be lying if I denied that this lingering knowledge will keep me far away from ownership for quite a while. I ache for her, and can’t bring myself to even be misinterpreted as disrespecting her feelings by going out and getting a bike anytime soon. Or maybe as long as she’s alive, which I suspect and hope will be a long, long time.

I’ll further clarify that when I say I lust after a motorcycle, it’s not just any motorcycle. It’s a very specific style that makes me drool. Somewhere around the vicinity of this. These are relatively tame and practical death machines. Yes, I know I just wrote “tame and practical death machines.” That’s why I also wrote “relatively.”

So, I’m not sure where I’ve landed with this exploration, but I’m glad we had this talk. I’m going to go get in my broken air conditioning, “check engine” lit, relatively gas guzzling 5-passenger car all by myself and drive home on this beautiful summer evening.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

fur

The lady next to me is either wearing a polar bear or an eskimo that was wearing a polar bear.

Sent from the robot in my pocket.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

Contentment is...

Sitting in my paris hotel bed, feat aching from walking at least 15 clicks today, eating Ritter Sport from munich, REM live concert on TV, meeting a friend for crepes in the morning, then off to my home where the heart is.

Work hard, play hard = contentment.

Love,
e

Sent from the robot in my pocket.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

I will do embarrassing things for airline miles.

I watched "Up in the Air" on the to Frankfurt on Sunday night (from Denver, that's a 9.5 hour flight). I got a window seat on purpose, hoping i could prop up against wall and sleep. Little did I know this man would be sitting next to me.

[insert picture of very wide German dude]

I'll never find the perfect picture for that. Anyway, I like that movie. It got me thinking about how I changed my flight from some other airine to Luftahansa b/c they are partners with United and i've switched my frequent flier goals from American to United and blah blah blah. There I was, pretty uncomfortable, but happy as a clam, because I was on my way to Munich and then Paris. This is no boondoggle, but it makes me really happy to actually use my German for work. So bring on the work, because I feel at home here. Heck, I lived in Germany, including Munich, for more of my adult live then I lived in Miami. Or Philadelphia, or Michigan, or California. And I call some of those places "home." I've even been issued drivers licenses from three of those states. (But never Utah, despite my recent use of "heck.")

Anyway, I'm jetlagged. It's pretty late here and i'm writing this in an attempt to bore myself into a 4 hour coma. But that's not working, because my mind is not bored. Maybe the blog will time stamp this post and reveal just how late. Maybe it will do it in mountain time and make you find a world time zone map online and do the math. We'll see.

I'm off to Paris on Thursday morning. More work, but i'm really looking forward to it because i've never been, and I think there are a large group of people that subconsciously don't believe you're a cultured or traveled adult if you haven't been to Paris. I desperately long to be accepted by these elite elitists, so I'm off to Paris to prove my worth. I will buy a baguette and take a horribly embarrassing picture of myself raising it to the Parisian heavens, perfectly encrusted (like the baguette) by the outline of the Eiffel Tower behind me. Then I'll show those snooty American Chez Luis pancreas eating exclusivites they have some french-american cultural relations to repair, so get off my back. I have my own club. And we fly coach, baby.

Oh, and I don't drink wine when I'm in Paris or beer when in Bavaria. So I can't really be taken seriously in either of these places anyway.

Anyway, even though I'm more than stoked to be here for work, and it's been a professional goal of mine to use my German and travel abroad on professional assignments, I wish I could at least share my hotel room with Jaime and let her explore museums and history and buildings and food and stuff while I worked, then catch late dinners with her when available. Jaime has a cute habit of picking up and randomly practicing German phrases like "Wie kommt Mann in die Hauptbahnhof?" And "Ich habe den besten Mann aller Zeit!" So natürlich I wish I could afford to bring here here. For this reason, I made her a little tour of the München Hauptnahnhof as I walked around tonight. See video below.

And I have a feeling I'm going to really wish she could be with me in Paris. Since Jaime will be in Ohio, and Annie's taken care of (thanks Ben and Bree), I'll take Saturday, my last day in Europe, to explore Paris by myself and fly home Sunday morning. I'll probably just hit up the Orsay museum, Notre Dame, and Eiffel Tower and otherwise eat three or four tasty, but hopefully affordable meals. Maybe I'll rent a bicycle to get around. Yes, That could be good. Pray for good weather. It's been raining in Munich all week and I hear it's going to snow in Boulder tomorrow. The law of averages suggests that Paris be 72 and sunny on Saturday.

The law of averages also suggests that I get to sleep, to make up for the time that i've been awake. If that makes sense. Gute Nacht.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous

DEN - FRA - MUC

Sent from the robot in my pocket.

Posted via email from ericforsyth's posterous