Posted 11:31 PM by Luke
The return of lapa

You best be careful where you steppin. Cause Lapa is back y'all, and he's whiter than ever!

Ok, where the heck do I start after like a month of no blogging? I guess we'll kind of go backwards. School ended yesterday when I turned in my final story for my writing class!!! I don't know if I have ever felt more relief at the end of a semester. This might really even be more than my horrible Missourian semester. I dunno, it's hard to compare now to 5 months ago you know? But I know thta over the past 6 weeks or so, I sort of crumbled under the pressure of a tough, busy semester. I came into it flying hight from Denver, just following God and not getting caught up in the stress of it all. After spring break, I guess I lost my focus and turned more into survival mode. You know, that feeling that you just have to get things done, just make it to the end and then you can breathe and focus on what matters. I hate that feeling. God showed me a lot about myself in it though. I was so busy, busier than I have ever been, and I tried to handle all of it as it got harder rather than still turning to Him for it. I see how I still have that habit of just turning inward, just taking it to survival mode to make it through. I still have a lot to think through about it. My joy is still far too based on circumstances. I can see it now as I begin to feel happy again simply because school is over. The Lord is good always, not just when I am feeling relaxed out of school pressures. I expect a lot from Him this summer, to really move my focus more outward, from myself to His interests. To see what it really is like to devote 2 months to reaching an area of people with the Gospel. I cannot wait! June 5th, baby!

So anyway, school is finished. But a few weeks back I went to the good old Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis. I have not yet told you about said festival. Now, I shall. The road trip down was great - much musical preparation was done :) And the festival, well, let's just say the 50 bucks I popped for it was totally earned back on the first night alone. Wilco came out after we had suffered through the horrible band Seether, the worst music I have ever heard. But Wilco made it all worth it. They played a great, concise set with a lot of Yankee and Being There, which I expected. Plus two new ones: Handshake Drugs and At Least That's What You Said. Both great. The only downside was that the crowd was definetly not Wilco-worthy. They talked and didn't give Jeff the free vibes to go all out and be goofy and such. Needless to say, Ann and I were extremely annoyed. You have to see them at their own show where the crowd actually deserves to hear their music. But we did convert our friend Elliot to Wilco. He has become quite the fan I must say. He has taste, what can I say. After Wilco was John Mayer. The guy blew me away. I had seen him last year from far away and was impressed, but now I saw him up close, and he is one of the most amazing guitar players I have ever seen. I mean the guy just rips it up like no deal. I was inspired. I now have a goal to strive for in guitar skills. I will never reach it, but that's the best kind of goal, cause then you never stop striving toward it! I like his music, but it was sealed when I saw him up close and live. Amazing. Plus, his guitar faces are hilarious, he just is so connected with it that he can't help but make a face every time he plays something. Or he'll sing a melody then play it on guitar. He's good, Sarah. You have finally won me over (though I can't say it's for ALL the same reasons ;)).

The downside to that amazing Friday evening was that it hailed that night. We arrived at the campsite at about 3 am (I must be lonely.....OR NOT). We were all prepared to hit the sack hard and not awaked again till late the next morning, but alas, the hail began to break holes in our tent. Thus, water began pouring in. I began frantically trying to grab my pillow and sleeping bag from under the leaks, but to no avail. They were already wet. So, I tried to sleep for awhile but went out to breathe for a bit only to meet this guy Aaron had been talking to in the bathroom. He was a biker biking across America. Really cool guy. I was looking for opportunities to share my faith with him, when I noticed he was reading St. Francis of Assisi. Turns out he was on this biking trip as a spiritual retreat of sorts, trying to get back his focus with God. He had been concerned only with himself for so long, and now he was trying to really follow Christ. What a cool experience to get to hear about it and to encourage him! But that was soon forgotten when I lay back down in my wet sleeping back. This time with Aaron's feet covering half of it. I tried to move him but all he said was "I don't know where I am." Classic Aaron. So I tried to sleep around his feet in my moist world for about an hour before giving up. I changed clothes and moved to the car as the sun began to rise. What a night.

Saturday night was Jack Johnson and Ben Harper (whom we met in a hotel downtown earlier after watching ducks walk down a red carpet. sound like a strange surreal, drug-induced dream). Jack was fun and chillin, so chilling. SO chillin. Kinda boring by the end though. Ben was incredible. They rocked the house BIG TIME. I was taken back by how rockin they were. They are so mellow on their albums, but man Ben got up there with his slide guitar and his powerful voice and put on one heck of a show. They only downside was that he was mixing Gospel messages with non-gospel messages (i.e. drugs). So that wasn't cool. We saw Sheryl Crow that night too. Boring. Nothing special there Sunday was Nickel Creek. They were so great! I loved their modern bluegrass style already, and I was just amazed to see how talented they were live, each one just going all out on the instrument. And the covered Radiohead and the Beatles! That was unexpected, and even better, they covered them VERY well. They took it and made it inot their bluegrass version and it worked somehow. Tight.

On the way home, we hit some bad storms, but it was all good. Blasted some great music. Listened to Aaron just be the hilarious guy that he is. All in all, definetly the most amazing musical 3 days I have ever had. I can't believe I paid jack for such an incredible lineup! And the people were great, though 11 is a large group to handle. I wish we's gotten to really hang out a bit more and have some good conversation, but the past is the past. Oh yeah, and Ann and I hung out with this homeless guy named Kevin for awhile on Saturday on our way to the festival. He was a really cool guy who talked so much of his faith in Christ. We got him a sandwhich and a little cash for his board for the night. I hope he was being honest and that he was going to use that cash for that. Lord knows. I pray he is finding his hope and strength in Christ still.

Anyway, this has been a ridiculously long post. If there were any typos, forgive me, I don't feel like checking it. I have much more to say, but I'll spread that out over the next week in COMO while I am chillin. Until next time.....lapa. Oh wait, the music. Currently finishing up Countin Crows' This Desert Life. I was really feelin this one tonight. They really fit certain moods with me. This is their weakest album, which for them is still great :)