Happy Ho Ho Ho To You!

So it is almost Christmas...for some reason this year, I ain't feeling it. I have no idea why. To me it feels like Christmas is still weeks away. Wish I could figure that one out. Maybe it is the busyness, or the tons of other things going on. I feel like there are tons of distractions in my life right now that can keep me unfocused on almost everything. My brain may also be numb from the stretch of cold we had that was so bitter. Hopefully next week I will be feeling very "Christmas-y". I have to say I am really looking forward to the New Year. I think it is going to be an amazing year ahead for me and my family. I do believe it will be a year of opportunity. I am not one for New Year's Resolutions. I try and make "Life Resolutions" throughout the year and actually change myself for the better if I can. I am always wanting to change and become a better person. My wife and I are constantly pushing each other to do this. That is awesome. Lately as in my last post, I have been really feeling the need to be less self-centered and not so self absorbed. I am going to keep challenging myself on this. In every situation I keep telling myself "It isn't about me, it is about those around me. How can I affect those around my in a positive light?" My goal is to be selfless. Here's hoping! I also want to kill these last 40-50 lbs. and get as fit as I can. That would be awesome. Gym/pool membership time and a lot of self discipline. That will be awesome. Other then that I am pretty good! I am planning on taking a trip down to North Carolina to see a friend and learn a bunch of recording techniques/info/know-how a month or so....I cannot wait. I think this could unlock my future some what! Anyway, life is good and Merry Ho Ho!! Hope everyone has a great holiday and gets to spend some quality time with friends and family. I am looking forward to hanging with my kids on their break from school. God Bless you all and thank-you God that You are the reason we can celebrate together. Peace out!!
- Vaughno Claus

Snow Shoes and Self Absorption

Man is it cold now. After a very decent November we have been smacked with some winter that literally takes your breath away...but not in the good way. In the I can't breath because my lungs have started to instantaneously freeze! I am amazed at the amount of people that have no idea how to drive in winter. I think unless you have have 10 years experience driving in winter conditions you should have to take a course on winter driving living in cities like Edmonton. Brutal! I have also become increasingly aware of how self absorbed so many people are. I don't think I talk that much about myself but now I am going to be even more aware of it! I honestly don't understand why everyone thinks other people care that much about every little detail of their lives. Do you not think that they have their own lives? Do you think that their lives are so boring that your trivial information about you is much more interesting then thinking about what is going on in their world? Don't get me wrong, I like hearing about the big things that go on in people's lives like "Hey I just got a promotion at work!" or "Dude, you should gotta hear this hilarious thing my kid did yesterday!"...that is all good! But leave it at the good stuff. So many times I have witnessed people interrupting someone talking and start talking about themselves....what the heck is that?! Seriously!! You are NOT that interesting!! I appreciate the people I share life together with but it really is a two way street...try and make it a one way street and I will be taking the nearest off ramp!! How is that for a metaphor? I just wish people would think about what they are talking about more and put themselves in others shoes. Really people, it ISN'T all about you. Maybe it is the tabloid era we live in now (which I despise!) where we are bombarded with insignificant details about "celebrities" and their lives. I DON'T CARE!!! So if you feel you are so important then everyone should know everything about you and only talk about you? I am going to try my darndest to only talk about me when someone ASKS me about myself. And will probably only actually listen to people when I ASK them about themselves. So just a heads up...if you are going on and on about yourself and I have asked you to do so...that blank look on my face is probably there for a reason. Again, I am open to talking about life, what is going on, current events, sports, music, whatever...just remember it is a dialogue not a monologue!! Until next time...in the words of Red Green....keep your stick on the ice!

Change is in the wind...

I can smell it...things feel like they are shifting. To what extent? I am not sure. But I know it is for the better. Some days I feel like I need to participate in a polar bear swim. Ya know, where the group of people go jump in the ocean in the middle of winter and give there system a shock...they say it makes them feel alive. I want to give my life a shock. Shake things up a bit. Start living life to the fullest. Seizing ever opportunity and running with it. Get out of my comfort zone and push the envelope and see stuff happen as a result of the work of my hands! I want to walk up to that cliff and take the plunge! And I think I have run out of metaphors. I feel I/we are on the edge of something big and going to start walking into it. How it will look, I have no idea. Now it will work, I have no idea. How it will all unfold I have no idea. All I know is if I perservere and am relentless it WILL happen. Time to walk in some faith. And now it is time for bed. Until next time....peace out y'all!!

Monday, Monday...

Yesterday I was talking with my friends about the future and how a few of us have no idea what is actually in store for us. We kinda think we know what we are supposed to be doing with our lives but nothing is for sure or set in stone. I call it feeling like a leaf dangling in the wind. I hate it. I would like to know everything a stick to the plan but that is not the way it works. Epecially when you want to to things that most people would say are outside the box. I would like to spend my life doing music. Recording, producing, arranging, music director at a church, leading, even a little teaching...I wouldn't mind a side record deal either to help with some income. That is a lot easier said then it is to come by. But the bottom line is "who knows?". Well, God knows but He ain't telling me everything right now! Probably because if I knew I would find some way to screw it up or I wouldn't enjoy he journey and only focus on the goal. I have a hard enough time doing that anyway. O.C.D. much? Anyway, I will keep chugging along and keep trying to open doors where I can and see what becomes of everything. I am happy with the TFW demos and the overall reaction to them. I am going to start recording the F.O.G. ep right away and hope to have that released by next spring. Things are moving. Today we are going to go get our flu shots. Seem like common sense to me. Lots of stuff going on...must be a Monday because I feel like I am staring up at a very large hill I have to climb. That is o.k. though...as long as I make it up! Until next time!

Life can be so confusing...

Do you ever feel like you are a bystander watching your life like a movie? Do you ever get that feeling like a piece of driftwood floating in the ocean? Do you ever feel like you are going foward in reverse? Do you feel like your life may be an oxymoron? I do...sometimes I don't get it. I can feel like a ball of confusion sometimes. I could put together a pretty good soundtrack for my life...it would probably look like this:
1. Ball of Confusion - The Temptations
2. Place in this World - Michael W. Smith
3. Leave Me Alone - Extreme
4. Sailing Away - Styx
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2

I guess it would only be an ep...atleast that is all I could think of off the top of my head. Sometimes it is hard. You think you know what you want, then you think maybe you were wrong. You think you should go left, but you should have went right. You zigged when you should have zagged and now you are gun shy to try zagging at this point. All this and I am really tired all the time now. But things could be a lot worse. My cousin's friend just passed away and she was in high school. She died of cancer. How does a high school girl die from cancer. Talk about not even getting a chance to live. That is brutal. I read a couple of their notes her friends posted on facebook last night. I was moved. I can't imagine having to deal with that at such a young age. It is one thing when someone close to you dies but they have atleast lived their life even if it was cut a little short. But something seems so wrong about a high school girl dying from cancer. So what they heck? I don't know. Right now I can't tell up from down and left from right. But I know it will get better. I know this too shall pass. I know I will get my bearings back and my compass will point north again....until then...I just keep swimming, just keep swimming....

Sanctuary...

We want to buy a new house. We are looking outside the city. Somewhere we can breathe a little easier. Some place we can feel a little safer. Some place where hopefully you can leave something outside for more then 2 minutes and it won't be stolen. Some place our kids can play more freely without us feeling they have to be arms reach from us at all times. Some place we can walk our dog and not be looking over our shoulder every five seconds to see who is behind us and why are they there? Some place I can start building VB Music Studios the proper way and actually have room to work on and produce the projects I am working on. Some place with some aspect of solitude and sanctuary where we can create, flourish, find peace, get away from the hectic pace of the city and find the lifestyle we are craving. So we are looking. There a couple places we are interested but we will have to wait and see. I like being in the city but I don't love living in the city. I like working in the city but I wish I had my refuge to retreat back to when I am done. I need my inspirational space where I can create my art and feel secure there. It will come. It will be good. Our friends will want to come visit lots because it will end up be a great place to be. The coffee will be on, the deck set up to hang out, the conversation flowing and the laughter contageous. I can't wait!

Getting there...

The knee is coming along...still pretty sore to bend it but after a few months of rehab it should be good. It will be great to be able to drive a car normally, walk normally, take stairs normally, etc... So life is puttering along nicely. Got lots of work ahead of me with the F.O.G. ep and TFW demos. Today I bought U2 tickets online. I had a hard time with it and still have a hard time with it. The first set of tickets that came up were beside the stage and they wanted $250 per ticket...ARE YOU INSANE? I like U2 but unless Jesus is playing lead guitar for them and it is a one night only show and Bono is going to be giving me a massage after the show I WILL NOT pay $500 for two tickets so my wife and I can take in the show. I had a hard enough time paying the $95 per ticket price. I hate it when it is all about the money. Think of how rich U2 is...do they really need to charge that much to see them play for a couple hours. I can't really wrap my mind around it. Makes me appreciate bands like Pearl Jam more that try and keep their ticket prices down. I saw that Bon Jovi is coming the month after U2 and playing Commonwealth Stadium as well. Their ticket prices range from $36-$136...that is much more reasonable in my opinion. Sure Bon Jovi is less popular now then U2 but in my mind they are fairly comparable for what they have done and hit songs...I guess they aren't as cool or as marketable so they can't charge what U2 does...or is it they just don't want to? I may take my wife and kids and have a good time the 4 of us for less then what we pay for the 2 of us to go to U2. My kids like Bon Jovi better anyway! Ha ha...oh well, I will see you all there at the U2 concert next June and will be shaking my head at those that were willing to spend that much money on those seats. There are so many things I would rather spend $500 on the one concert! You think Bono would be saying "Don't come to our concert...give that money to feed the world!" I guess he wants his lavish bills paid too...he would rather have my use the Bon Jovi money to feed the world instead. Whatever...do what you will. Maybe that is why I love the metal scene...it is still about the music for the most part....BWAAAAAA!!!