Ryan Starkey

Hey all... Its been forever since ive updated but ive had some pretty extraordinary things happen to me lately worth mentioning.

First off, I had a birthday. I became 24 in september and had a pretty good day other than the fact that I felt old the whole day. Most birthdays just kinda go by but this one actually made an impact. It seems ive accomplished alot in these 24 years... whew!

Heres a list of a few things I got for said birthday:

1. my dads jazz bass
2. headphones and a direct box
3. itunes gift card
4. awesome meal at los tres
5. subway cups( I got real into winning a prius because I thought nobody took the game seriously... instead i got free sandwiches, drinks, chips and tons of cookies... totally worth it)

Secondly, My sister had a child... Olivia May Kunkle... Shes really cute and I would show you a picture but I dont have a photobucket and dont want the hassle of signing up...youll just have to take my word for it.

Lastly, theres good news on my moms cancer. Apparently the scan she recently had showed just a tiny bit left. Just another thing to be greatful for this year...

the best week ever!

Today I pressure washed my whole entire back porch and took most of the paint off in order to put a fresh coat of paint on later. Pressure washing seems simple when you start off but once you get into to mannnn you really get into it. now ive decided to not only pressure wash both front and back porch.... im adding the entire siding on my house and sidewalks in front of my house to the things i need to do list. I would say owning a house is awesome and it is for the most part but.... no one ever really tells you the responsibility involved. I cannot remember a day in the last month ive had off that ive spent doing something completely for myself and not spent time on this house. Im going to take a house vacation soon and just veg out.

Every once in a while i get this idea in my head that indianas weather is going to be consistent until i realize it is, of course, indiana and a chance of snow this weekend totally makes sense...Its april for petes sake! I need some solid sunshine in my life and im sure you do too.

Other noteworthy things in my life include not drinking soda...If youve ever tried it you may know what im going through...I just want to sleep a whole lot...could be the weather could be the lack of caffeine. you decide.

Also, we played an apartment show in lafayette. cant say it went bad. cant say i didnt have fun and thats what its all about i guess.

Work right now is kinda a drag. Kinda disappointed in the lack of effort in co employees but i suppose its always been that way so no use in getting bent outta shape.

Things im excited about this spring/summer.

block party on the 4th of july
camping and campfires
boating/fishing
shows
potential roadtrips
bike riding?
fun/not sleeping all the damn time.
sxsw maybe(tryin to decide if i should go)

just like the title....i cant feel my face....could be a good sign i should go to sleep...probably not in this chair but in my bed...im not totally convinced thats going to happen...im going to regret this in the morning either way but yeah haha wish me luck.

Update:

I made it back to bed. awesome. 1 for me  and 0 for party


sincerely,
 not drunk

im not much of a sewer and could really appreciate the help... my favorite pair of pants are falling apart and could use a little tlc... id gladly pay someone to help me out or even giving me advice as to where i should go to get these fixed. All of the trouble areas are seam rips and it seems to me that they would be easy fixes but again like i said im not a sewer so i dont know. please? haha

This weekend was perfect by the way. Im so glad I got to see everybody I got to see and I hope everybody had a good time. I know I did and thank you for that!

Im going to leave you with this video. I just found out about this swede and figured id share. This is his cover of stepstone by woodie guthrie. i hope you like it


The Tallest Man On Earth: Stepstone (Traditional) from shoottheplayer.com on Vimeo.

Lately ive been really inspired to play bass...i dont know what it is about old motown songs and or what it is about the playing style of james jamerson but when I listen to these old songs I just want to be there in the 60's. The man has a different tact than modern bassists and you dont hear it until you sit and listen closely to a record.

I also think alot about what it would be like to hear his songs for the first time on the radio and how mind blowing it would be to hear something so amazing. I guess I never realized how easy it would be to take people like him for granted. So what im going to do is list the people that have inspired me musically over the years...soo here goes.

The Beatles(specifically george harrison but not limited too)
The funk Brothers (specifically james jamerson)
Ryan Adams(weird choice I know)
Crosby Stills Nash and Young(young mostly)
Ray Lamontagne(mans got a voice)
Sigur Ros(most intense live show ever)
Jackson Browne
Phil Spector(crazy or not)
Mark Trombino
George Neumann(for making most of these bands possible)
Another George...George Martin

There are a ton more but I would like to know some of the people that have changed your lives musically if you care to share

Apparently I have the knack for picking girls that dont ever make sense. Thats not to say there arent girls that have before but I just think theres a reason im completely insane outofmymind crazy when it comes to relationships. The idea of any solid relationship with me is getting slimmer and slimmer. Sometimes that doesnt bother me but sometimes it really does.

I quit smoking. Its surprisingly not bad/hard. I think the worst part is in the morning. I hate the morning because I tend to think way too much about little things and big things. cigarettes helped my anxiety of the coming day and now I clean house to relieve stress. Im the modern day Danny Tanner and I definitely dont feel good about it.

So I just ate it real hard on the ice outside my house for the first time this year. I was totally tricked because this puddle of ice had it in for me. It was covered with snow and just so happened to be the quickest way from my car to the door. Im pretty sure it wasnt there yesterday. The point of the story is I kinda hate ice. I rest easy knowing that its going to be gone in the spring.

In other news. Ive been working on alot of music. Some good. Some bad. Some so so. It just feels good knowing that ive still got some of this stuff in me and that i havent out grown it. Its gotten alot harder to come up with but i feel like thats just me being a little more careful about what im putting out. hopefully, my friends and i will be able to share them someday.

Also, I built a desk for the studio. It looks real good. You never can tell what a guy with a couples of days will do with his free time.

anyways, merry christmas everybody. Hope you have a great holiday.

Alright, so heres the deal. Now most of you have heard that Shane and I are getting a place together but have no idea where or what it is. Well, here it is in all of its homey house shapened glory.



Now, Im buying this with the intentions of music making and all around business gain but I have no doubt that it will also be a good place to hang out. Its got not one but two, count it, two sweet porches and a pretty nice sized living room. Come over sometime, you'll like it I promise or at least try and make it to the house warming party and listen to some tunes(date to be annouced).

Also, shane and I are trying to get some music together for october 11th and if I feel comfortable enough i may even invite you to come out and enjoy some art and some free music. I let you know how thats coming haha.

until next time be well,
Ryan

This my excavation and today is kumran
Everything that happens is from now on
This is pouring rain
This is paralyzed



I keep throwing it down two-hundred at a time
It's hard to find it when you knew it
When your money's gone
And you're drunk as hell



On your back with your racks as the stacks as your load
In the back and the racks and the stacks are your load
In the back with your racks and you're un-stacking your load



I've twisting to the sun I needed to replace
The fountain in the front yard is rusted out
All my love was down
In a frozen ground



There's a black crow sitting across from me; his wiry legs are crossed
And he's dangling my keys he even fakes a toss
Whatever could it be
That has brought me to this loss?



On your back with your racks as the stacks as your load

In the back and the racks and the stacks of your load

In the back with your racks and you're un-stacking your load

New things to be noted:

1. New car! It's rad but I fear it may put me out of my element. Im not usually used to nice things and nice things have found their way to me recently. I think thats a good thing but its not without saying I haven't worked hard for it this past year. I think its a good thing though. Just another step in the adult direction.



2. New Microphone/Microphones! Im investing alot of money in some tools that im excited about. Hopefully, they pay themselves off with some quality music plus it's beautiful I dont know why you wouldnt want to buy this!




3. Nashville! Shane's family and I went on a vacation touring this city. It was amazing. Saw the new and the old grand ol opry's, toured the cracker barrel's, fell in love with kellie pickler, saw some dinosaurs, ate underwater, bought some posters. awesome!



anybody else got anything new going on?

To compare my life to something you have to compare it to those jokes you've heard a thousand times before. Yeah sure, they're great in the beginning but after awhile the novelty wears off and all you're left with is five minutes of your time wasted and a memory you can kick off to the side until the next time you have to hear it… “Wait…you can hear it, right? Oh…you’re already walking away. Shit…I guess that answers my question.”

Sometimes I have to wonder what it would be like to not be completely frustrated with what’s going on in my life. Completely understanding that I don’t run my life. To sit back and let god take the wheel and not have questions. But damn it, its so irritating to put trust in something and to not get something in return.  It’s a lot like putting faith into you’re spurious friends, that are still your friends but you cant figure out why because its always been so dishonest but you’ve got the idea in your mind that someday its going to get better even though its never going to change.

I’m exhausted at the thought that my life is controlled like a math equation with my friends and family. I try to live my life for others and not myself and there are milestones to be had with it but its so disheartening to understand that its never going to be reciprocated the way I think it should be.

How selfish am I to want what cant be had?

well?

So heres the deal, I need to make fat cash to make my dreams come true, otherwise, im going to waste away in a factory, which isnt necessarily a bad thing if youre into that kinda thing, but its definitely not my style and i wouldnt be happy...soooo what i need from you guys is a few ideas, brilliant ideas to get the ball rolling on this... ideas that you probably wouldnt ever do yourself but ones that are plausible in the scheme of things and my gift to you in return would be a monetary award, depending on the amount recieved from said scheme(assuming said scheme got cash, assuming i chose your scheme).

All schemes are considered and my promise to you will be not only an awesome dream come true but a little cash in your pocket without doing a damn thing. Sooo do your best to Brainstorm and get back to me.

Sincerely yours, Ryan

I didnt get my job and im bummed... turns out im quite the sucker

I laughed at a blood this weekend and lived to tell the tale. I Havent quite decided if he thought I was too bad ass or not worth his time...but I prefer the bad ass version of me better... so we'll just say that.

and just a word of advice...Man thongs are bad ideas, its very possible that if you come into contact with these and arent careful...you might show your jewels to the world.