My Last Day of Being 24… *sigh*

Jan 22, 2008 by Justin Wayne

Welcome back once again! If you haven’t put forth your input on the Justin Wayne Show cover art, please scroll down after you’re done here, check it out, and vote in the sidebar. I need your support! The release of the podcast draws nigh, and if I’m going to change it I’m going to have to do it soon!

The podcast is shaping up very well. I emailed an old radio buddy (and great friend, to boot!) and asked him if he’d help with some of the voicing of the radio stabs and bumpers for the show. I had it the next day. This wondrous man known as the one-and-only Ryan Flynn laid down a lengthy lot of options for me and in one night! Thanks Ryan, you’re a rockstar. I’ll be including one of these in the sidebar for your review.

Ryan may also be taking a bigger part in the JW Show. I hope that he does! More on that next time.

I’m also using the guitar tracks from a new friend of mine in Seattle. His name is John Williams (not to be confused with the composer you may know from Star Wars). A fantastic guitar player and a recording artist, he’s donating a few of his tunes to the cause. It’s much appreciated, John! You can visit John, who’s also an avid sailor at his blog (click here for John’s blog) or at his website (click here for John’s website).

I’m thinking that this is the weekend to kick off the blog, so if you’re interested in being included on the e-mailing list to be notified of each show, let me know. Send me an email:

justin.arndt@gmail.com

So… as you heard in the subject of this blog, today is the last day of me being 24. That means tomorrow is my birthday and all cash and personal checks (made out to Justin Arndt) can be sent to my parents’ address in the States. I’m kidding, of course.

I was doing some thinking this morning as I sat over my large cup of coffee. What have I learned about myself and the world in the last 25 years that I should bring with me into the next 25… and what should I forget and leave behind. I’ve made two lists for your review. (…and mine!)

What I’ve Learned: To Keep as Life Knowledge

(In no particular order…)

1. When going to a foreign country post-9/11 always have proof of the address at which you’ll be staying.

2. Higher altitudes or visiting a place at high altitude causes you to get drunk (and puke all over your new boots) much quicker.

3. When you ask your parents for money twice in one month (in college…) they will assume you’re using drugs. What are they supposed to think?

4. Rock and roll is NOT dead. And punk is NOT the new disco. It will never die.

5. Once you have a good dog, you can never go to having no dog and be happy. In fact, there’s a few loss-of-innocence things I’ve learned. Ignorance is bliss.

6. Someone is ALWAYS listening to you on the radio. Even when you’re SURE no one is.

7. Never insult the audience. Also, never insult yourself because it insults the audience. If they’re listening, they don’t want to be told that what they’re listening to is crap. Especially by the person who’s creating what they’re listening to.

8. E-mail is still not a replacement for a physical letter written by hand. Try it sometime. Even just a hello. It’s amazing what happens.

9. Chain letters are just as annoying as e-mail like they used to be as physical mail.

10. I love my family. Truly and completely. For better or worse.

11. Good friends are hard to come by and are irreplaceable. Keep them.

So there’s that list. I figure ten is good. Just ten things I’ve learned through 14 years of school and a Bachelor’s Degree. Right?

But… can’t forget the things I should forget.

Wait, I hope I can forget them…

What I Will Forget:

1. Foldgers Coffee is no substitute for real ground beans. I’ll drink a cup of Foldgers at someone’s house and remember this, and then promptly forget it again.

2. Smoking ruins my voice. I’m happy to say I’m a quitter and I don’t need this information anymore! Yay!

3. Concussions get worse and add up across your lifetime. (That’s a memory joke, but for those of you who’ve had more than two, you’ll understand.)

4. All that stuff that happened right after Christmas, 2005. (Thanks, Kyle for saving me!)

5. The taste of black licorice. That stuff is awful and I don’t ever want to see another piece of it as long as I live.

6. That I used to feel the same way about red licorice.

7. The pain of getting kicked in the nuts. We never “remember” it because it’s so awful but then when it happens… it all comes rushing back like you life flashing before your eyes – only remembering each time you’ve been kicked before. Insane.

8. The pain of getting dumped. Looks like I’ve got that taken care of, thank God.

9. Dating.

10. Puking when I drink too much. I’m hoping I’m over that “phase” too.

That’s what I came up with. I obviously had a large cup of coffee to do all that thinking.

If you’d like to be my friend on myspace, click on the link in the sidebar. It will take you straight there. I’m building up my friend list so I can send out notices on the Show from there too.

Thanks again for all your love and support. We really couldn’t do any of this without you. It’s been a great 25 years. Thanks for making them great!

(I say the “love” bit because my parents and family read this, not because I’m a self-loving weirdo… that’s a seperate problem)

Cheers,

Justin