Hello!
There was a time when these e-mails arrived in your inbox at least three times a month. It may seem like eons ago, back before serious contenders for the highest office of the land were showing constant contempt for science and before Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Battleship were inspirations for films. But here we are now, in the fall of 2011, and I feel the time is right to return to the practice of sending out messages of love and joy each Sunday evening.
It's been over two months since I last wrote you an e-mail, and a lot has happened since then. The biggest is my change in location. I'm currently living in North Andover, Massachusetts with my brobro and good friend Chris. We were able to find a great apartment; it has four floors, including a basement, and enough rooms to allow each of us two separate spaces. The downsides number only two, but they are big: the house is full of lead paint and our landlord is that rare breed of scumbag that shakes your commitment, if only momentarily, to doing good in the world. Since moving in to the place on September 1st, we've had a few difficulties with him, but as the weeks have gone by, we believe that he now knows he has to at least pretend to respect us. Perhaps I'm making it seem worse than it is, but many of you probably understand what it's like to deal with a bummer of a person as your landlord. If not, it will likely happen to you someday so take this to heart: you will survive it and be better off after it. It's astonishing that the insight my mother gave me in sixth grade still holds true for some people: this is the best their life is ever going to be.
All is not doom and gloom on Maple Avenue, though. I have turned my second room into a music room and have begun a steady practice of writing and recording. This is my week for The Compass (which, if you have not bookmarked yet, do it now!), so I've been working on re-recording a demo from senior year at Elmira. I'm excited about creating a new song at least every two weeks. Soon, I will begin performing online weekly like I had been doing back in the spring. I'll be sure to update you about it when that begins. I'm planning on getting out to the local open mics by the end of October and investing some serious time and resources into becoming a musician.
You may be wondering what I'm doing now for work. To be honest, my main job is and must continue to be, writing, recording and performing music, as well as improving The Compass. For eight years, I've been relegating music to the figurative corner of my life. Now, it is time to bring it out, dust off the cobwebs and leave it in the center of my world.
But I am no fool -- I need to put the pork on the fork, as they say. I've been applying for jobs and have a good lead on the Apple Store at the mall in Salem, New Hampshire. I have an interview there on Tuesday. I've already been to a hiring seminar and think that I may enjoy this particular retail job. Much of the Apple culture reminds me of City Year, and the employees emphasized the importance of a human interaction as the core of working there. Who knows? Maybe I'll buy myself an iPad. While I think the 2003, MySpace-hating Paul Riley would be disappointed, the forwardthinking Paul Riley that exists now knows that change can't be dismissed simply because it is change.
Other things that are neat: I've really been vibing on the things from my '90s childhood. For a while there in August, I was watching Doug pretty consistently on "The '90s Are All That", the new special programming block that Nickelodeon has created to capture the nostalgia that pervades YouTube and other internet hot spots. As with most of my obsessions, my interest in Doug led me to spend hours searching Wikipedia and other sites for information about the show, and I became consumed with talking about it. I even searched for days, in vain, for a Doug t-shirt that James and I had as kids. (While most of our clothes were different -- blues and reds for me, greens for James -- we often had two copies of particular shirts. It is something that has persisted to this day, leading to awkward moments when we realize we match just before we are about to depart for a night out with friends.) Three weeks after Doug returned to my life, Jurassic Park supplanted it. More specifically, Ariana Richards commanded my attention for a few weeks, leading to some interesting posts over on The Compass. But this obsession led me to watch Angus for the first time in years; my money for one of the ten best soundtracks ever.
Since arriving at this new address, a new object has been tantalizing me: The Adventures of Pete and Pete. I've said before that the reason I am the way I am is because of certain shows I watched when I was younger. But now, several years removed from that era, I think Pete and Pete is the best definition of my identity: whimsical, absurd, interested in the mysteries of life. The relationship between the brothers Pete, as explained in "When Petes Collide," mimics the one I have with James. Plus, can't we all agree that Ellen Hickle is the greatest fictional woman of all time? Sorry, Pam, but I'd choose The Dot over the Receptionist any day.
One of the things I most associate with The Adventures of Pete and Pete is the fall. The beauty of the afternoons, the autumnal sunsets, cool, crisp air, the melancholy that comes before winter. It is a wonderful time and I think this is the first year in a while that I can appreciate it. I'm excited about the potential of my life in a big way, and I'm hoping that you'll be interested in hearing about it through these e-mails. Please remember that the reason for these e-mails is not for me talk on and on about my life, but to start a conversation. I am truly disappointed when I don't hear back from people during the week, so please -- let me know how the past few months have been for you. You can even frame it as a "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" report (though school has been in session for weeks now). It'll be just like that Pete and Pete episode! (I told you I am obsessed.)
I didn't expect this e-mail to be so long, and I hope it hasn't discouraged you from replying. So, let me know about your life and if you're ever in North Andover, you're more than welcome to stop by! Take care of yourself and I hope to hear from you soon.
Love,
Paul