I was shocked to receive this email today:

WHA????

How is this possible?

I know the Twitterverse is smaller than we all suspect, with fans of mega stars now possessing the ability to follow people on Twitter and see into the very minutiae of their daily lives…and yes, today I decided to follow Rick Warren on Twitter (no big deal….he has thousands of followers) but it is much less often that these so-called mega stars FOLLOW YOU BACK.

Now, I’m not naive enough to think that it’s ACTUALLY the Honorable-Reverend-Doctor-Sir-Richard-Warren himself that is following me…it is probably an intern or assistant of some sort that is in charge of his media, social networking, etc…but still…it’s weird.  Just weird enough to make me pause and think to myself…”oh goodness…I need to watch what I Twitter!” No more “That’s What She Said” jokes with @cottrelltravis or “your butt” jokes with @heids124…this is big time.  I’m a Twitter celebrity.

NOT

But still…I will think twice before pressing that send button from now on.

Rick Warren is watching.

If you ever, ever, EVER want to freak the bujeezus out of someone, just put my kids in monkey masks.

Just wanted to pass along that yesterday Nathaniel was baptized in the Pacific Ocean near our church in San Diego.  He had been asking about getting baptized for a long time, and we kept putting if off because we really wanted him to be old enough to know and understand what he was doing.  Well, yesterday was the day!  Our Executive Pastor, Steve Boschen baptized him…

I need to explore this…but it looks pretty darn great from afar.

(I’m currently running Logic Pro 8)

They say that if you want to hear a musician complain, just give him a gig.

HA

Someone said that yesterday at my session and it reminded me of my ridiculous tendency to stress out about the fact that I don’t have any work when I don’t have any work, and then to turn around and stress out about all the work I have to do as soon as I get work. HA. I’m a mess…

I’m actually not a mess, today, I feel AWESOME.

I started a new routine this week–one of discipline.  I’ve been getting up at 5:30AM–no matter what time I go to bed–and using the extra time to exercise, read my Bible, pray, and get started on my work before I have kids yelling and climbing all over me.  It’s been absolutely wonderful…and I’m pretty convinced that being disciplined with my time is the only way for me.  I’m just always going to do it…and doing it this week has reminded me of my freshman year of college–I was the nerd that went to bed at 10pm and woke up in the dorms at 6AM (when everyone else was going to sleep…weirdos…).  But I was super balanced that year–one of the most challenging years of anyone’s life–and I believe it was a result of the discipline.

Also, it’s helping me get my work done. Yahoo!

Ah–so on the work front…tons of stuff to do…it’s awesome.

Projects I’m working on right now:

–Just finished orchestrating for a Curious George Broadway Show.  Sessions were yesterday and Monday.  I love hearing the music I write played in the studio. It’s exhilarating!
–Orchestrating Travis Cottrell’s next Easter Musical. Rhythm records today, strings in early August, and the whole orchestration is due in September. I am blessed beyond belief to be working with this guy.  SO BLESSED.
–Writing a kids musical with my wife for Word Music.  That records in October in Nashville and our kids choir will premiere it this Christmas in San Diego.  My wife is so talented.
–Composing for another episode of Travelscope this next week. This will be episode number four!

We’re also going to squeeze in a few days off to celebrate our ten-year anniversary this November, along with my 30th birthday.  Our calendar is becoming increasingly full…and so is our hearts…full…with joy and exuberance…and excitement…and hopefully creativity…and musical notes…and stuff…

Well, I’m off to get back to work. 

Nathaniel is a lucky dude. Since we have two different sets of friends–one in Burbank, and one in San Diego–he gets TWO parties (taking place this Saturday and the next).

Every year I make Nathaniel’s birthday cake.
Some years it is marvelous, others…well…it usually tastes good.

Here is what this year’s cake is SUPPOSED to look like:

And here is what I made, with the limited amount of food coloring I had, and limited tools:

Yeah, baby.

Today iTunes is bringing back the “45″…albeit a digital incarnation.

It used to be–long before I was born–that instead of buying an entire album, one could purchase these smaller 45s.  Kind of like buying a single…usually they contained an  “A” side–the big song–and a “B” side with a bonus track or something.  But don’t ask me…I wasn’t there.  Talk to my parents.  HAHAHAHA

Today iTunes is selling the D45–a digital version of this very thing–two songs for the price of one (sorta).  Check it out.

I did a shocking thing the other day.  I went to Blockbuster and RENTED MOVIES!

(GASP!)

If you’ve been reading for any time at all, then you know I never, ever, ever, neverevernever, rent movies–except for last week.  I don’t know what came over me…

I actually went in to pick up ONE movie that had been a surprise success at the box office, but that we had missed when in the theatres, and I walked out of that place with SEVERAL movies.

But hey, don’t judge, I’m in the film business.  This is RESEARCH.

So here’s the scoop:

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

I had high hopes for this movies since it raked in some cash at the box office (over a hundred million…) but I was sorely disappointed.  It is clearly meant for young kids and/or families.  It was almost funny in spots, but not laugh-out-loud.  The bad guys were just soft enough to not be too scary, but trying to be scary just enough to be silly…it did not do a good job teetering the line between realistic and cheesy. It was just plain cheesy.  Sorry Blart.  I’m not a fan.

Frost/Nixon

This was a great movie.  I happen to like Ron Howard’s films (Backdraft, Far and Away, Willow, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, anyone?) and this was no exception.  Great acting on the part of the two main characters, and an interesting story, to boot.  If you care anything about politics or history, you’ll love this.  And if you don’t, you’ll probably like it just fine as well. 

Twilight

TwilightTwilightTwilightBlahBlahBlahoverdramaticmessofamovieBlahBlahBlahTwilightTwilightTwilightBlahBlahBlahBlahBlah…

Memento

Christopher Nolan directs (Batman Begins, The Prestige, Batman: The Dark Knight) and leads us on a most fabulous journey through the mind of a guy with short-term memory loss that is out to track down the guy who killed and raped his wife.  It’s a fascinating concept and was executed most excellently by Chris Nolan.   There is a great twist, and I was left with many questions at the end.  I LOVED it.  It would have garnered an easy PG-13 rating if they had taken out most or all of the F-bombs, but they didn’t. 

It’s been a while, but she’s baaaaaack!

Tonight Christy and I saw this new mystery/suspense/sci-fi movie SURROGATES in a test screening.  It was pretty awesome.

It was poignant, but not preachy; sci-fi, but not nerdy; suspenseful, but not scary. 
Good story, good actors, good script…all goooood.

Check it out when it comes out, I think you’ll like it!

It is set to release September 25.