Back in the Saddle

What a month.  First of all, thanks to everyone who was praying for our family.  To catch up on past blogging, I thought that the best way to do this would be to post on everything at once so that I can completely catch up.  So here we go...

1. Family - Family is doing well.  Jamie's family is growing.  All three of the kids look so grown up.  And the new addition of Lucy (their dog) is quite a character.  Mom and Dad are doing well in Kansas and dad is really enjoying working at his new church.  It was great to see them all since Alli and I won't be able to see them this Christmas season.  I also was surprised to come home (to my old apartment which is now Chris' apartment) the first night I was there to find that Chris had proposed to Amelia (Alli's sister) and she said yes.  One step closer to having a new bro in the family.  I'm totally excited!  We even got to celebrate Amelia's birthday/engagement with Paul and Julia over lunch.  
2. Friends - Ah, the boys.  It was great to see them all.  Scott and I accomplished the trifecta...a couple of drinks at Starline, 7 tacos at Tacos De Tijuana, and then on to Foster's Donuts for our usual maple bars and blueberry sprinkles.  Needless to say, my stomach was doing back flips after that one.  The next day was great as well.  I got to see the latest addition to the Serus Victoria Baby Clan.  Quinn (JT's new baby boy) was beautiful.  JT and Ashley were very attentive and awesome parents.  We also got the entire gang together and had a blast at Edo-Ya, my favorite sushi place in Fresno.  It was fun, but I also began to realize how much I missed the guys and the band.
3. Church - Playing on Sunday and preparing for tonight's Worship Night has led to a very busy week.  I'll be sure to post pictures from the worship night.
4. Alli and Baby - Two weeks till we can find out the sex of the baby.  She's doing well and has yet to get sick.  We've been very lucky with the whole "no sickness" thing.  Hopefully that is a clue to a future easy birth.  I think it's a boy, but Alli thinks it's a girl.  I guess we'll see in a few weeks.
5. Music - Trudging along trying to write some new material.  Also trying to rewrite some lyrics for old songs.  It seems some of my old band mates think that the past few songs I have written have had some "cheesy" lyrics.  I'll see what I can do.  Currently I'm working on writing my first folk-ish song called "Senses of You."  I'll release it as soon as it's finished.
6. Soccer - Top four teams in the league are Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and (surprise surprise) Aston Villa.  Arsenal presently find themselves in fifth due to lack of consistent playing.  This weeks big games are the battle for Manchester (Man U vs Man City) and Chelsea vs Arsenal.  Should be a fun weekend.  Go Man U!
7. Stuff - This week marks the Oregon Civil War - Oregon State vs Oregon.  As silly as this sounds, people all around town are sporting their teams colors (Orange and Black or Green and Yellow).  Crazy Oregonians!
8. Lastly, Happy Thanksgiving!

For those interested...

Last week, I was in Visalia for my grandfather's memorial service.  It was actually a wonderful service.  The music was upbeat and fun.  It was a true celebration of life.  My mom, her two sisters, and my father even got to talk to us all and share some funny stories about grandpa.  It was a wonderful reminder of how awesome he was and of how much he loved God.  Here is the link to my Grandfather's obituary.  It says it all... including a nod to our 1/2 of a great grand child.

Grandpa Bud's Obituary  

New Music - Something

Finally I was able to finish the demo of my latest track entitled "Something". Although it has nothing to do with my life now, it has everything to do with the fact when people are single, they are looking for someone with that special something. And it's usually not something that is typical that catches your eye initially. It's the obscure and odd things that usually stand out. Without giving too much away and allowing you all to interpret it the way you want to in your own head, you can listen to it at Porter Music. Just click on "Something" to hear or even download it. Feel free to pass it on, or not, and tell me what you think about it. Go ahead and critique it as much as you want since it is a demo. The more ideas on the table, the better. Enjoy. Here are the lyrics as well.

Something
Written by B. Porter
Copyright 2008

Verse 1
Say Something…You know that everything will turn out just fine
Wait a moment…You know you’ve got to get the timing just right

Pre-Chorus 1
I’ve thought for hours, even long days and nights
It’s just a new beginning but it’s welling up inside

Chorus 1
There’s something about you girl that makes you attractive
I don’t know what it is, but I think that I like it

Verse 2
Walk on over…you know you have to make your dream become real
Don’t panic…you know you have to let her know how you feel

Pre-Chorus 2
I really need to warn you so I’m gonna let you know
You make me feel like a ticking bomb and I’m ready to explode
So it’s off, away I go

Chorus 2
There’s something about you girl that makes you attractive
I don’t know what it is, but I think that I like it
There’s something about you girl that makes you exotic
I don’t know what it is, but I know that I like it… like it… like it

Bridge
Something sweet, something mean
Something that’s bold and scary, something extraordinary
Something real, something free
Something that’s young and spiteful, something that’s clearly delightful,

Verse 3
Say Something…You hope that everything will turn out just fine
Don’t wait a moment…Before she leaves and it’s your final goodbye

Kickin' It

This last Friday, McKinley teachers were kicking it old school with a little game of kickball. For once, we were the ones playing, instead of officiating the game. The best part of the game was how we played it. Since we Oregonians are now heading into the rainy season, there is no chance that we would be able to play outside. Don't get me wrong, I love a good play in the mud, but being muddy at the end of a long Friday isn't many people's idea of a good time. The game was played in the gym, which meant new rules. All balls are fair. You can catch anything and it's out, no matter what it hits, as long as it hasn't yet touched the ground. Lastly, home runs happen if you can kick it out the double doors that lead to the hallway. The game was tight. Honestly, I don't even remember who won, but we all had a good time. Check it out.

Pitching it for the ladies.

Sean in mid swing.

Megan goes for the well placed kick.

Gretchen in flight before the boot.

Even Mama Twigg came out and kicked a few.

Fixing the Gates

As a young boy, I always loved going over to my Grandpa Bud's house. He and Grandma Girl (we called her that because we couldn't pronounce the name Verle) lived out in the country and had a barn and walnut orchards that we used to play in. But the one thing that I always loved was that Grandpa was always tinkering with some sort of gadget that wasn't working. He would be all dressed up in his grubby work clothes, hands covered in grease, thinking about how to fix the problem at hand. To this day, I still can't think of a time when he wasn't able to fix something. He was unstoppable. No broken part or engine would stand in his way from having a well running, working machine. And he would take any moment he could to explain what he was doing and how "with a little elbow grease" things would get done and taken care of.

Last night, my Grandpa Bud passed away. I know that this is a sad moment for all of us in the family, but I have chosen to take this time to reflect on how awesome he was. He was a strong willed man. He served his country well and in the process met and married the woman he loved till the day that he died. He knew how to work hard and be productive and we all loved him for it. He was a teacher to any listening ear (especially when it came to anything on the farm), and was always encouraging in his own gruff manner. Best of all, he was a man of God who shared the good news of Jesus all around the world. Even though I really miss him and always will, I can't help but think of what my dad said to me as he shared the news of grandpa's death. "He's fixing the gates and getting them ready for us in the future." I can picture him now, swinging the gates to see if they are level, listening intently to make sure they don't squeak. Personally, I just can't wait to see him when we get there.

Below is my favorite picture of the two of us together. Me sitting on the old white fence, almost a young man with an ear-to-ear smile on my face. The orange tree with the oranges that made the best fresh squeezed orange juice in the background. And him, looking at me with that grin, probably thinking to himself what a crazy grandson I was. But most important, both of us totally happy to be spending time together.

Grandpa and Me - 1993

My Costume

Having lived in California for the majority of my life, I've ran into my fair share of different sports fans. Since California has so many stinking teams to choose from, one can get lost amongst the hoards of fans. But there is one thing that you learn about all of these fans...no fans are crazier than Raider's fans. So, since I actually own a Raiders jersey (I know, I know...But it says Porter on the back), I thought it would be fitting to go as one of those crazed Raiders fans. And all it took was a little bit of shaving to really bring the costume together. Have a look for yourself.