Day Five. Yes.

THEY ARE HERE.
TOTAL

BRUTAL

AWESOMENESS.

That's right, folks, Awaken the Tide. We are here, we are strong, and we're here to stay. We're also goofy, but hey, everyone needs some laughs. Our pictures are in, and we've never looked better. Another thank you to Richard Rasner and Pickles, who made this happen.

So, now that the good stuff's been said, today was a decent day. Aside from both of the kids being sick, Amanda being sick, and helping a close friend move in the rain, the day was welcome. I needed a little bit of rain (which of course brings snow).

You know, even though I was stuck at home with 3 sickees, it felt great to have a little family togetherness. Since my school schedule dominates my Mondays and Wednesdays, any time that we can have together as a family is awesome. I think that I've realized something that I never noticed before: I have a son AND a daughter.

Just kidding.

My son and my daughter get along a lot better than most siblings. Whenever Ethan decides that he wants to play with something, and Alexis tries to take it, he gives Alexis a different toy to play with, and that usually calms her down. I really hope that this is how it will be for their lives: they take care of each other.

Sorry I didn't have much to say, gang, but I promise that tomorrow will be better. Take care.

Emile

Day Four. Awesomeness.

Greatest day ever. Just refer to this amazing picture.

Yes, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words. This one, however, is really worth a good forty million. Seriousness is not in the Awaken the Tide vocabulary, yet we are still able to make some amazing music. In all actuality, when was the last time you ever heard someone truly serious with their music make something good? If you're too serious, you start to lose focus on what music is: the heart's outlet. After all, what good is music without putting a little heart and soul into it?

I think we took in excess of a billion pictures today; each one unique, each one amazing. The greatest photographer on Earth, Richard Rasner, really gave us some great images. We're excited to have him as a friend, and look forward to working with him in the future. OF COURSE, behind every great man is a great woman, and in this case, it was THE Pickles. Yes, she is the one who made me look so good, while I turned around and made a monkey of my face. See the excellent mohawk Zeus is sporting? Pickles. My nicely trimmed hair? Pickles. She's amazing at what she does, and we all love her for it.

Chris (on the left) was too tired to function. I'm pretty sure he was asleep while he was awake. Possible? I think so. He proved it today. He rocked it, though. He's the man.

Cory (in front of Chris) is truly a ninja. That's right, by the time you finish reading this sentence, he probably climbed up a tree and attacked you. He's just that good. ...which is probably why his drumming is so great.

Andee (with the Monster beanie) is pretty much the brains of the operation. Together, he and Chris make the best guitar tracks. Without this guy, who I met at an August Burns Red show, I wouldn't be part of this musical genius.

Zeus (far right) had so much faith in the band's progression that he actually flew out from Rhode Island just to be part of it. We couldn't have had a better addition. Plus, he can play the bass better than anyone I know.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed today's blog, and I look forward to writing for you all tomorrow! Have a great night, folks.

Emile

Wow, this one is late... Day Three

Hey everyone!

Okay, so, today was pretty eventful from the get-go. Alexis is sick, and she was wheezing this morning when she woke up. I called the doctor's office, and they said that if I "bring her in now, we can fit her in." I told them that I'd be there, so away I went.

OF COURSE, Murphy's Law struck again. I KNOW that I hit every single red light in between home and the doc's office, and to add fuel to my fury, the old people were out to play. That's right, the ones that NEVER go above 35 in a 45 zone, then they drive side by side so that you can't pass. I can't neglect to mention the one that turned on his turn signal two and a half blocks early. Oh yeah. I stayed behind him, thinking he'd turn soon, not realizing that "soon" in old people terms actually means "eventually". Anyway, we got to the doctor's office, and Alexis was fine. Nothing that a little cherry-flavored Robitussin (a.k.a. crap) couldn't take care of.

The rest of the day went pretty well. We went to dinner at Macaroni Grill for my dad's 59th birthday. I called a reservation in, and they specifically asked if it was for an occasion. I told them that it was for a birthday, and they told me that they'd sing and everything for him. They didn't. They sang for the 12 year old kid that sat next to us that didn't want to go to Macaroni Grill at all, but not for my dad. I thought that was a little awkward. It pretty much halved the waitress's tip. JUST KIDDING.

Tomorrow's going to be a great day. I'm going with the band for a photoshoot in Riverside. We're going to be rich and famous in about four months, so we need some decent pictures of us. ...and I definitely can't wait to go with the guys to see Parkway Drive in a couple weeks. IT WILL BE EPIC.

Well, that's all I've got for now. I'm going to bed, since it's past 12:30. Have a great night/day, everyone, and thanks again for taking the time to read! See ya!

Emile

Day Two. ...well, one and a half.

Okay, so, today was a pretty awesome day. After waking up and writing a blog, the day seemed to get better. We went to Disneyland and California Adventure!

At California Adventure, we went on the ferris wheel that seems like it's 1,000 feet up. We didn't go on the ones that are on tracks because I'm pretty sure that Ethan would have freaked out. Anyway, while up there, we got to see the roller coaster California Screamin' break down!

After about 40 minutes of the riders sitting up there, they were finally escorted off by the staff. I'm pretty sure one of them had to pee because he ran down the stairs and zoomed into the bathroom. I don't know, and I really don't care to. Anyway, we proceeded to go to the "Bug's Life" area when my son caught a whiff of an awesome scent: a "stick". Yeah, he chooses to call a churro a stick. He's too stubborn to change his ways. ...little punk kid... He gets it from his mom. Hehe. It was then and there that made me realize that I hate theme parks. $3.50? REALLY?! It was a sugary piece of wallet death. I hate theme park food.

The most unfortunate part of the day came when I got a phone call saying that there was band practice. I'm pretty sure I collapsed and came to about ten minutes later, because I didn't even remember getting on the next ride that I supposedly volunteered to go on. It's this ladybug ride that's kind of like the teacups, except you don't control the spin, so you can't judge whether or not you need to slow down because your kid looks green. Thankfully Ethan didn't chuck, but the familiar cleaning supply odor indicated that some other poor guy had to deal with a kid that DID. Anyway, I can't wait for this weekend. It proves to be a good week every time I go to hang out with my guys at Awaken the Tide headquarters. We're going to make it, guys. You'll see.

Well, now it's "Oh-God-thirty", so I'm going to hit the hay. I hope you all had a great day, and can't wait to tell you about tomorrow! Take care.

Emile

Oh yeah, we took pictures with Lightning McQueen and Mater, too. =oP

Day One of Blogging

So, I decided to take the next step in world wide webbing by creating a blog. You know what they say, "The less you keep up with technology, the more likely you'll die earlier." Seriously. I think keeping up with technology is a mere pittance for a longer lifetime.


Yesterday was a pretty awesome day. After a reluctant rise to go to school, still sore from working out the day before, I got dressed and left for the in-laws' house, since my backpack was there. On my way down, I was happily screaming out some Parkway Drive, when out of nowhere, I hear a voice. "WHAT is WRONG with you?!" I looked to my right and saw this lady that looked like she had just rolled out from underneath a rock that had been repeatedly hitting her face for an hour or so. I turned down my music and said, "Excuse me?" She angrily said, "My son doesn't need to hear your crappy music!" I was extremely turned off by this, and retaliated with, "Here's an idea: roll up your window, moron!"

So here's the best part: She rolled it up and began to drive away. As she did, I saw her daughter (or son's friend or something) in the backseat giving me the "too much metal for one hand" sign. She was wearing a Dimmu Borgir (the most Satanic metal band ever) t-shirt. I politely laughed and waved, and went on with my day. Apparently the "mom of the year" needs to focus on BOTH kids.

Anyway, another reason I'm blogging is to track my weight loss. I guess it's more successful when it's tracked, so here goes. =oP

I hope all of you have a great day, and thanks for reading my random garb!

Emile