Post contributed by Josue Durham

The whole time growing up, I was known as a risk taker. The older I got, the bigger the risk and adventure I craved. However, once I got married, a lot of those adventures stopped. I still enjoy sky-diving, but the month long adventure trips into the wilderness in the summers are now a thing of the past. After getting married, I kind of “settled down” in a suburb of Atlanta, GA. However, with my company trying to expand into the Northern market, I get to go on an adventure once again. No, it’s not camping, hiking, rock climbing or even jumping out of planes, but it should be quite the adventure nonetheless. The expansion has me and my wife moving to Michigan. Okay, so moving to a place that neither myself nor my wife know anything about, doesn’t exactly scream adventure, but you have to understand, neither one of us have lived north of the Mason Dixon Line, mush less in the middle of winter. Anyway, like I said, neither my wife nor myself have ever lived in Michigan so we were forced to start from scratch. Luckily, I had a coworker recommend I look at http://www.direct.tv/direct-tv/Michigan/F/direct-tv-Flint/ for our cable service. At least getting out televisions working wasn’t too much of an adventure. Now if I could just find my wife a coat that is warm and “stylish”.

Neil Young has put up a previously unreleased Crazy Horse jam on his site: http://www.neilyoung.com/ I found this on Twitter and it’s pretty exciting. I listened to, learned, and performed Neil Young’s music before I was 20 and have revered him as a rock artist ever since. He can flat pick an acoustic and make a Les Paul ring out like no one else. There isn’t any explanation on his page which escalates the excitement. Not even a title. It makes me feel like I am in the studio with the Neil and the Crazy Horse. When you go there, you see a player bar and decibel pins from a darkened studio. Very very cool thing. I hope it stays a while. No telling how long it will be up though. If I were famous this is the kind of sh** I would do.

My oldest daughter turned 7 on Friday and we had a great time celebrating with Pizza and a huge cupcake. We decided to have it just with our immediate family. We seem to be developing an “every other year” big birthday and that works out pretty well for us. Meanwhile, Bella got a lot of gifts and the next day we wen to Victoria Gardens to meet with my folks for Cheesecake Factory. I’d say we all enjoyed this 2 day birthday. Unfortunately, I left the camera at home for day 2 but I got a lot at the pizza place. Here they are for posterity.

So much has happened in my little girl’s life in the past 7 years. When she was born, she looked like a bald headed cabbage patch doll with pink lips and husky dog eyes. Now she has long hair, beautiful but still husky dog eyes, and a mind like a steel trap. Just to prove it isn’t only me saying that, this year she was promoted to 2nd grade after just a month of 1st grade and recently she scored 100% on a district level ELA test. yes, as a teacher and daddy, you could say I am proud!

Bella fights with her little sister Julianna a lot but as I recall growing up with my brother, that’s par for the course. She is an excellent artist, she sings on pitch, though her diction and inflection need some practice. We took the training wheels off her bike a couple weeks ago and she rides her 2 wheeler like a champ. One of the best parts of being a parent is watching your child grow. The years really do go fast, perhaps that’s why I this blog is my journal :)

Sounds like the title of a movie huh? Some people might call it a crisis, for me it’s a reboot. Well, that’s how I feel tonight. It’s as if I am find many of my “selves” not the best cages for me. I think we see ourselves clearer later in life and rethinking the goals we strive for is a good idea. Some examples: Since about age 16 I wanted to make it in music. I’m starting to see now at age 42 that is never going to happen. So, now that I know that, what should the extent of my efforts be musically? Should I bother to continue writing songs? What is the return? After all, writing songs is VERY difficult. But I digress.

I started college at age 21 and finished at 28. I wanted to be a college professor of literature. Instead, I got a career as a 4th grade teacher. I’ve been doing that for 13 years. That is my calling, that is my “trade.” I feel I need to kick a CD of my music into a lake as a symbolic act. In December of 2006 I started blogging. I had a hope I would become a famous and appreciated one. Did that happen? Hell no. I count my few friends online as important and special but I am making roughly $150/month doing it. This might be considered a nice chunk but the fact is, I spend tons of time online messing with my blogs.

I feel like “Self 2.0″ is in order. I am NOT a songwriter anymore, I play guitar and I know a few songs. That is no longer my identity. I am NOT an aspiring blogger anymore. I am one who keeps a diary online, writes movie reviews, and writes a weekly-well-thought-out post. I’ll write posts for hire once in a while, but never as much as it was. The hundreds more I made then were not worth the strain and hours put in.

It’s liberating to be able to reboot my goals.

The primary thing I am is a classroom teacher. I am very proud of my job. It took me many years to “master” it and I still work out the knots every day. Maybe that’s why I am so drawn to it, it keeps challenging me.

As Peter Townshend sang all those years ago, “Who are YOU?” If you don’t like it, you can do an identity reboot.

Credit: Roger Ebert’s Journal

My Movie Review of We Need to Talk About Kevin is up at: http://www.damienriley.com/we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-movie-review/

I’m playing a show at The Grind: Saturday January 7th, 2012 7pm-8:30pm

The Grind Apple Valley is kindly hosting me and my acoustic guitar :)
for a night of modern rock, oldies, and my original songs.

The Grind has some of the best coffee drinks and treats in the High Desert.
Try one of their gingerbread lattes, they’re amazing!

I am really looking forward to this gig at the Grind, It’s been too long.
The Grind is located at:
12111 Apple Valley Rd.
Apple Valley, CA
(760) 961-8600

Here’s just some of the songs I’ll be playing in my 90 minute set:
Black Balloon – Goo Goo Dolls
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Viva la Vida – Coldplay
You’ve Got a Friend – James Taylor
Blue – Jayhawks
Angelyne – Jayhawks
Rocket Man – Elton John
These Days – Jackson Browne
The Road to Mexico – Dave Sharp
Sure High – Dave Sharp
It’s a Mean Mean Hand – Dave Sharp
Our Lady of the Well – Jackson Browne
Better Days – Goo Goo Dolls
Coward of the County – Kenny Rogers
The Gambler – Kenny Rogers
Daydream Believer – The Monkees
The Remedy – Jason Mraz
When You Love Someone – Brian Adams
Day Tripper – The Beatles
Keep on Rocking in the Free World – Neil Young
-and many more

For more info on me, including mp3‘s, visit my music website: http://www.rileycentral.net/music/

Opening my eyes to glucose and its effects on the body has truly changed my eating habits. I’ve gone low carb, low sugar in hopes of lowering my blood sugar levels. I am pre-pre diabetic, not yet in the danger zone but close. I’ve learned that oatmeal is just about the best thing I I can eat for breakfast. Runny over easy egg is also a good choice. I’ve also made the choice to increase my intake of proteins throughout the day especially meats. Vegees and fruits are also a big thumbs up.

I have never felt better and I can’t wait to see my blood glucose results in the Summer when I go back to check them. We are all taught wrong from an early age. For example, I have learned that even apples, the amazing fruit that “keeps the doctor away” are potentially bad for blood glucose levels. Not as bad as a Snickers bar mind you but it just goes to show that we don’t know all that we think we know about food. More on my diet later …