The Carys

2011 And Change

2010-11-04T08:27:00.001-07:00

When I'm on facebook or twitter, or watching videos on YouTube, I almost always hear people talk about change. Sure, life isn't easy and never perfect so I can see why change is a constant centerpiece in one's mind.

When I look back at the last 10 years or so, and start counting all the changes and adaptations necessary to be where I am today, I can say with detail it's staggering. For instance, it was 10 years ago I bought my first cell phone. I also got married and 9/11 happened 10 years ago... Lots of changes.

2011 will not prove any different for me than years previous when speaking about change. I will try my best to spend more family time (my NY RESO) so some of my business responsibility will pass to other hands.

Business-wise, this year will include putting all my resources into what has been successful for me to date. Hitting on some details:

-Begin collaboration on soundtracking and foley for an action film in late January

-Continue mastering and studio work as well as PR for the 870 Movement

-Will be making more videos, especially commercials. For instance, the Oasis Farms Commercial was a huge hit here locally in theaters.

-Have taken on the chair position of Logistics with Relay For Life this year. It's pretty awesome to be apart of something so meaningful to my wife and my family.

-Even though it takes a lot of time and energy, I gotta keep DJing. I love it way too much and was way too successful with it last year to quit.. it's like being paid to throw a party.. no really, it is.

Changes:

-Will spend less time involved with the CMRG modeling division as Chandra is doing a fantastic job with that branch of CMRGCORP. We had 5/8 of our models sign with high level agencies last year. I had a hard time with telling girls they were too short or putting them on diets. Chandra has a gift with that, so I gotta give the best.

-Will spend more weeks on family vacations this year. We have 4 years left raising up my oldest and my youngest isn't too far after that, so I realize more everyday that they will be off to college and beyond, all before I turn 40. :/ :( <--- sadness

-This is my final year on the theatre committee at SAAC. It has been a wonderful 3 years and I feel like this group has brought some of the best shows to date to our area. I'm gonna miss being on the committee.

Here are some memories of 2010:

Have a fantastic 2011!

Thoughts on Parenting and the Future

2010-10-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

So a few years ago, I was browsing YouTube for the song "Syracuse" by Pinback. It's one of my favorite songs from the '00s.

If your iTunes Library is lacking Pinback, may I suggest you go download the album "Summer in Abaddon" right now. You won't be disappointed. Especially if you need more chill in your day. So go download..

{Now. No seriously. Right now.}

During my YouTube search of the song, the only version I could find was a video made by a woman in St. Pierre and Miquelon Canada, set to a series of video clips of her 6 year old daughter, Emma. The clips are a wide-array of scenes from snow days, birthday parties, taekwondo class, and what appears to be many, many art and children's theatre performances. A well-rounded kiddo!

So I'm watching this video and what I see at the end.. I break down into tears. A MAJOR GUY-CRY! I haven't been moved so much in a while and it took me a moment to grasp why my emotions ran so high.

Here's the video:

In the final frames where Emma is being chased down by her Mama in the snow, it donned on me that no matter how old Emma gets, through schooling, heartaches, good times and bad; the way we see Emma in the video as an adorable little 6 year old girl running to the wild open, will always be the way her mom will see her.. those fun-loving, innocent, child play times slipping away with every step.

I have a 13 year old and an 8 year old and it truly stabs me in the gut to think that I don't have much longer to "raise" my boys. Complete and utter HEARTBREAK!

It's been said that I vacation a lot with my family, and we do, but now the answer as to why should be much clearer: love what you have NOW and spend as much time as possible interacting with your kids because it won't be long until they are grown and doing the same with their own.

Pave the way.

Love and Light,

-M

My First DJ SET LIST (1992)

2010-09-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Barton/Rogers 5th Quarter Dance - October 29, 1992

Well Well, I was going thru my stuff in the garage last month for a garage sale (sale went excellent btw), and I came across an old box of memorabilia from middle school and high school. In it contained a stress-load-test bridge made of toothpicks that Sam Allen, Kirsten Birkland, Sarah Beth Cameron and I did in 8th grade for Mr Hoover's class (we made an A). I also found love notes and artwork, a few boutonnières from homecomings past and of all things; a folded piece of paper that Read: "Set List."

Immediately, I knew it was from the Barton/Rogers 5th Quarter Dance of '92: My first paying gig as a "DJ" back at St. Paul's UMC. I think I got paid like $50 bucks and split it with Jeremy "Dife" Lovette cause he let me borrow the P.A. (Hey, I was the one with the Music, and before the land of MP3's and Internet, it was a feat to have a good (term used loosely) catalogue of music CD's which in part, were a luxury at the time (1 Cd in tall cardboard box packaging =$19-$21). Most of the songs I played however, I had recorded from the radio.

It was a decent party. I remember being excited to meet the Rogers students (I went to Barton and didn't fraternize with the crowd from across town lol) as I pleaded with the Youth Minister at St. Paul to let me play "Baby Got Back" to no avail. I also didn't make the set list long enough and I didn't hype the crowd, if at all, and I remember running out of music and playing duplicates of some songs which as kids, we didn't care.

After the party, I was told by Karen G. that I did a good job and she liked my shirt. I had the BIGGEST CRUSH EVER ON HER OMG! HAHA!! So embarrassing..

So without further ado, I present to you in order, the Barton/Rogers 5th Quarter Dance SET LIST from October 29, 1992:

1. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock

2."Jump" - Kris Kross

3."3am Eternal" - KLF

4."Tennessee" - Arrested Development

5."Jump Around" - House Of Pain

6."Tic-Tac-Toe" - Kyper

7."Rump Shaker" - Wrexx N Effect

8."Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana

9."I've Got The Power" - Snap!

10."All For Love" - Color Me Badd

11."Under The Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

12."Poison" - Bell Biv Devoe

13."Gonna Make You Sweat" - C+C Music Factory

14."Ice Ice Baby" - Vanilla Ice

15."Knocking The Boots" - Candyman

16."Motownphilly" - Boys II Men

17."Stay" - Shakespeare's Sister

18."XTC" - Kyper **Had no clue what it meant, I swear!**

19."Summertime" - Fresh Prince/Will Smith

20."Mr. Wendal" - Arrested Development

21."Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn

22."Iesha" - Another Bad Creation (ABC)

23."All I Want" - Toad The Wet Sprocket

24."November Rain" - Guns N Roses

25."Walk On The Ocean" - Toad The Wet Sprocket

26."I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston

27."End Of The Road" - Boys II Men

Stories From The Vault

2010-06-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

So I spent the majority of May on the road.. 5,200 miles in 4 trips.

I got a lot accomplished, business and pleasure, did what I set out to do and had a great time along the way. Pics/Recap in the photos section of my FB page. So looky there. I'll blog about it soon.

Oh, and if you do drive out that way be prepared for tons of Border Patrol Checkpoints along the way. You can kiss the 4th Admendments' ass buh-bye! There were K-9s there too so kiss the Supreme Courts' decision on that bye as well. (No. 99-1030 City of Indianapolis et al, v. James Edmond 2000)

..to even begin on all that is a blog in and of itself.

On with it..

I write today about a memory that occurred to me this morning while I was standing in my pj bottoms, pouring me a hot cup of java.
My recall was from my Freshmen Fall Semester that I spent at SAU (my college proceedings after that web together like a silly string prank gone awry, so I'll spare those details)

It was Fall 1997. I had turned down scholarship offers to go to the SEC and Big-10 schools for the comforts of being 35 miles away from my hometown, and me, being raised in a rather financially humble home, I had little other choice but to pick up a full-tuition (+expenses) scholarship to Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. My dad taught there, and him being divorced from my mom and removed from the home, I thought it would be a great way for us to bond and put the past in the past which it did.

So I accepted the Percussion Music Performance scholarship and met many new ppl, enjoyed classes, and really enjoyed performing with the Marching and Jazz band there.
It was also exciting that the SAU Mulerider football team had an undefeated record and went on to win the Gulf South Conference that year.

Begin Story:
For decades, the Heartbeat of SAU was a long-standing tradition that happened directly after the Homecoming Pep Rally on Thursday nights until the Homecoming football game at noon on Saturday. Band students would organize and congregate to play a heartbeat pulse on a rather large bass drum the entire time spanning from night thru dawn, thru day time, thru night thru dawn until kickoff. 2 solid days of a low, thumping, pulse that reminded the students that gameday was coming.

In the air was an undeniable spirit of nostalgia and hope, to win win win.

But this year was way different.
Where was "Bertha" the big drum with the heartbeat on it?? She was missing from her spot.
Days and days went by leading up to Thursdays' Homecoming pep rally with no sign of where the tradition-long heartbeat drum was located.. some claimed theft.. others claimed lies and deceit.. unfortunately it was deceit at the hands of the very man whos' students asked repeatedly to find Bertha.. Allen Buffington (Buffy), Percussion Director of SAU bands.

Seemed Allen put Bertha in an undisclosed location as he declared Bertha was over. No heartbeat that year.. nothing.. nada. He claimed it was an annoyance.. oh really?? After decades of use, an annoyance? I was FURIOUS. Not to say, my life at that moment revolved around this one hiccup, but goshdammit I would NOT be denied my newly found collegiate freedoms. I WOULD NOT BE DENIED. No one would step up to the plate so I had to take matters into my own hands..

With 2 hours to spare until the pep-rally, I made the decision to skip Jazz Band and hopped into my 1981 Datsun pickup (oh yeah baby) and zoomed to El Dorado to pick up a spare bass drum I had at my house (don't ask).
I showed back up to SAU in enough time to throw my snare drum in the back of the truck and got to the Greek Theatre just as the band was warming up. We played the selected stand tunes and had the pep rally. All the drummers looking at me with smiles in our eyes as we knew the toll of the heartbeat was about to begin..

As the rally came to a close, my brother John raced over to my truck, found the bass drum in the back, perched it atop my truck cab and just like Compton, began blasting away those thudded tones of heartbitual delight. THUD-THUD. THUD-THUD as those still in attendance for the Homecoming rally blasted back in cheers! It was awesome! Most of the drummers hopped in the back of the truck with John as I drove away slowly doing a lap around the school meeting classmates on the street to cheers and pumping fists of admiration.

We joyously headed back to the band hall to unload the drums from the rally and that is where the party almost ended.. Buffington, standing there with arms crossed, as you can imagine he was PISSED OFF at our display of disloyalty.

With other students looking on, He walked up to me and pointed his finger into my chest and said "Your actions have just caused you to lose your scholarship and your position as drummer in the Jazz Band, and if you don't stop this right now you will lose your postion on the feild and won't perform tomorrow as well."

shitshitshit what did I do right?? lol. But I had to tighten up quickly, my people were all around. Steadying myself, I looked at him and pointed my finger in his face and said "You don't have the f*ckin' authority to do shit, and I'd like to see you go on and try it."

pin drop, people. pin drop.

He quietly walked away, and I put up my gear, the onlookers really didn't say much. Some said I handled it wrong. Which in hindsight you know, but I had to do what I said I was gonna do and headed over to Harton Theatre in the middle of the mall to set up shop.

It got cold rather quickly that night and there were times where I was alone beating that damn drum. About 10 pm, a red truck showed up and parked in front of me. It was Buffy and he brought bass drum mallets and a thermos of hot chocolate. He asked where everyone was, and I didn't say much, just shrugged my shoulders. He apologized and said "administration, you know" and handed me the thermos. He also said that the job was mine still for the Jazz band and I wouldn't be losing my scholarship! About that time, Penny Dew and friends began to show up and rotate out on who and when would take turns on the drum! HOORAY!
I went home late that nite, got up early the next day to find Brandon beating on the drum. He looked exhausted but happy to see me.
And throughout the day, students would come by and lay in on that drum. And throughout the night a party was held at the drumsite into the morning where those who hadn't slept rolled into the stadium at noon with the heartbeat bangin', fans cheering the arrival of the heartbeat until the kickoff blast of the canon..
We won that game against Henderson State. Stomped 'em hard.
..and went 11-1 for that year.

I don't know what's become of Bertha or the whole Tradition of The Heartbeat of SAU now, but for that one small sliver in time, that one moment.. it was OURS.

Love and Light,
M

The Good, The Bad The OMG I'M DRIVIN TO CALIFORNIA

2010-05-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

...there's a kid flipping above our heads.. says Garrison...

So I just got back from a wonderful trip to Fayetteville. Always one the most beautiful, peaceful places for me to go. It has definitely grown since I went to college there in the 90s. Things change. People remain the same.

I was there for 5 days taking Continuing Education Courses for Massage Therapy. Last year State Legislation decided to royally screw us LMTs into taking more classes (18 hours total, each 6 hrs costs me about $500 = $1,500) and paying more fees as well as other goodies I won't get into. Legislation blows.

Anyway, I learned a lot and met a few great people. The two females I inquired about modeling happened to be models, so that was positive. I also learned that in the 350,00 person area, there are only 2 legit modeling agencies. Blew my mind. CMRG has picked up 6 new models this month, and I'll update ya on that ASAP. I got a lot on my plate.. when do I not right?

Today is Relay For Life here in Union County, and my wife being a cancer survivor of 10 years, (thyroid) is a monumental acheivement. Murphy Oil (where she works) decided to this year sponsor Thyroid Cancer Research.. pulls at the heart strings.

Paige is in charge of the Luminarias (candle lit bags) and the number is about to exceed 1,000. The last 8 years she has been on committee the number has only grown more and more. I'll help label the bags with the names and it astonishes me the number and the names of the people affected by cancer. People I went to school with, or people I grew up knowing who had either passed from or have survived.. mind blowing. Makes me realize that life is too fragile and short to sit still.. something that has always been difficult for me to do.

I'll get home about 2am, weather permitting, so I can go see (and DJ) Chad and Holly's wedding in Hot Springs on Saturday. I'll get back Saturday nite and get up early Sunday morning to drive to SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA!!! I'm going to visit Jinjer, Raul, Hollywood, peeps, treats and skeets. Should be a fascinating 10 days. All for, except I left my iPod in Houston last trip, so I betta get to burning some CDs.. gah feels so primitive to do now.. I remember dubbing tapes.. technology right?

God Bless ya.. I'll take pictures and promise to write as time permits.

Love,

Michael

March, April.. It's All Relative..

2010-04-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I bullchitted on my last blog.. I had every intention of blogging earlier, but in true Cary fashion I got busy with work.

Lots of irons in the fire.

First off, I had to get a secretary. This is helping TREMENDOUSLY considering the last 9 years of being a business owner, I've somehow managed to get a lot of work done.. anyways, Chandra is her name and she will be more than happy to help you out if you can't find me. You can reach her by email at: cmrgcorp@gmail.com .

Clinic work has been great. Surprising, since this time last year I didn't know if my business would weather this shitstorm of a economic downturn. I live in El Dorado, so economic depression I know!

I landed another large contract with General Dynamics, and that is always most-awesome. I also gained 12 new Word-Of-Mouth clients in the month of March alone. Just when I thought I had worked on everyone in ElDogg..

CMRG Models have been doing great. It's tough getting everyone on the same page when school is involved. I don't want to be "that guy" who made someone forget about school, even though they are full model potential.. a delicate balance of sorts.

Ashlea went to Shreveport for a ProScout meeting and has been asked to meet with 32 agencies in Dallas next month. Very excited for her.. here is one of my favorite pics of Miss Roberson:

oh, and you can follow her on facebook if you'd like: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashlea-Roberson/180076123371?ref=ts

I've been DJing a lot more as word gets around that my competition is OVER PRICED and WHACK! (Not my words, but I'll repeat 'em!) From Houston, TX to Parker's Chapel, AR.. Thanks to all the awesome people I've met along the way.

KJ's 40th, HOUSTON, TX MAR 2010

I will write more about the family Spring Break Vacation and my upcoming trip to CALIFREAKINGFORNIA after a while... I gotta get packing for my trip to a LMT Convention tomorrow. I'm staying in a super-posh suite on a keycard access-only floor.. SA-WEET!

Love and Light is all we have,

Back To Blogging

2010-03-04T18:41:00.000-08:00

Soon enough, and without further ado, I will begin blogging again next week. So much has gone awry and anew since my last blog I should definitely write about it. Keep posted as I release my next blog on Monday, March 8, 2010.

Until then, enjoy some music I've been working on.. :) http://www.reverbnation.com/870movement

And this video from the day after Christmas when i took the boys to Shreveport for more shopping and their first H00ters experience. Perfect gentlemen I say!

Peace Love & Harmony,
Michael

Our First Blog/Update

2009-06-17T07:14:00.002-07:00

Welcome to The Cary's on Blogspot!

Michael, Paige, Zachary and Garrison are all busy busy for the summer.

I, Michael, am a massage therapist in Arkansas and recently have joined HLH, a new rock band based out of the Northwest Arkansas Region as their drummer. I have also been putting plans in motion to open a branch of my Massage Therapy Clinic near Fayetteville.

My wife, Paige, is a Tax Accountant for Murphy Oil for years now and she still loves her job. She's the more disciplined as far as exercise goes between the two of us. She's been running 2 miles + most days as I try to keep up, but to no avail. Otherwise, this year will mark 10 years she's been free of cancer (thyroid cancer, surgery Dec. 1999).

Zac, he's my oldest son and unique because he's my stepson. I've known him since he was 3, so I definitely feel like a daddy to him and we make a cozy two-some. He left June 1st to go camping in the Rocky Mtns. in Colorado and will be there through the 21st. Talk about a LONG TIME without my backbone!! He was born with holes in his heart, and then mos. later had bacterial meningitis causing him a stroke and leaving him partially paralyzed in his left arm and hand. Through my practice and others, he's much rehabilitated , and enjoys life like a normal 12 year old should, even playing football the last 5 years.

Garrison is my youngest. Wow what a kid! Like a burst of energy zooming through the house. He is 5 years younger than his brother so he tries, and very well I may add, to compete like brothers do. He had 25 goals on his championship soccer team (11-0, outscored opponents 111-10) this last spring. He also shot his first turkey this last season! A 14# jake! He made Honor Roll and Principle's list this last spring and he is a great student, and 100% loving little boy. He's spending his summer kickin' it with me during the day and we play sports, video games and talk talk talk. Boy, that kid can talk.

I'm very fortunate to own and run my own business. It gives me the time and flexibility to stay with my kids during the summer and I can book appointments around that free time with them. I am a blessed man and am very humbled by my life. I have great friends and a wonderful family and for that, to me, I'm the richest man alive.

Love and light,

Michael