The Life and Times of J-Long

The stories, sights, emotions, comical moments, and everything you ever wanted. Transparent.

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Eddie Van Halen broke all the rules, just like Jimi Hendrix did back in the day. He was literally a trail blazer in every aspect of the guitar. He had a sound unlike anyone before him. I can honestly say that he was one of the reasons I picked up the guitar myself. I spent my entire Summer back in 2007 listening to all of the Van Halen albums over and over again and trying to learn his riffs. We lost one of the best to ever pick it up. Rock music was changed because of his sound. Rest easy, Eddie! We will keep the torch lit! https://www.instagram.com/p/CGC6VqVHV_i/?igshid=ftb8afrhjb

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So this past Saturday, I got to marry my best friend. On our wedding day, I walked into my dressing room and she had this laying there for my wedding gift. Y’all, I’m still blown away. My wife bought me an Elliott 357, which is something I have been wanting for years! My wife is the greatest. Shout out to @southernbel for making dreams come true. @elliottguitars this is so good! (at The Firehouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGA2jrDnmuQ/?igshid=117486760ygu3

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Best burger in Wake County belongs to @govt.cheeseburger y’all. @kleinjohnert and @cyclopexion are going in on this burger game! Y’all definitely need to come through! #rdu #burgergang (at govt.cheeseburger) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCeino3BoQg/?igshid=1vh9dh5yfsngb

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Standing in solidarity with people of color. It is time for racism to die. https://www.instagram.com/p/CA7_azPBOpd/?igshid=3fuvzei1cl2w

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Earlier this week I was able to check off a bucket list catch for myself - The Amberjack aka “Sea Donkey”. ⠀ ⠀ If you’re unfamiliar with this fish, just search YouTube for “blacktiph amberjack” and watch insanely muscular men struggle to fight this fish and pull it in. Many argue that pound for pound, this is the hardest fighting fish in the ocean. From my experience pulling this 50+ pound fish in, I agree. The rod tip was bent over in the water and you’re pulling up with every bit of strength you have. At the end, I was exhausted and almost speechless. This was a tremendous experience for me. (at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQ5oBxAKjI/?igshid=1x4l676wj303s

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To all our friends in Raleigh and the surrounding areas: Now is the time to be a true local.⁣ ⁣ You have a choice to make about how you’ll mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on our community. This virus is serious—that’s undeniable—and we’re all justifiably afraid. Your local businesses and restaurants are also afraid and they need our support now more than ever. Like you, they also have families to worry about. They must feed their children. They’re thinking, too, about making their mortgage and student loan payments and all of the other things that aren’t stopping because of the novel coronavirus. Unlike many of us, they don’t have salaried jobs. Instead, they rely on our daily patronage to make a living and to pay their employees. Their fear of the virus is amplified by the fear of a day (or weeks) without sales. ⁣ ⁣ If you like eating at all of our area’s award-winning restaurants, shopping at our specialized boutiques, and soaking in all that our city offers us it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. ⁣ ⁣ Why am I saying all of this? Several of our great friends are running restaurants in the area and are trying to keep their heads above water and smiles on their faces despite slow business. If any of this resonates with you, take care of the folks at these places that you love. Get a to-go order, dine-in, grab a coffee. Ask them how they’re doing. Tip generously. Everything helps. ⁣ ⁣ Check the comments for a list of some of our favorites if you would like to pay them a visit during these uncertain times. Please comment with YOUR favorite neighborhood spots so we can pay them a visit, too.⁣ ⁣ (at Raleigh, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ukWT4BH2X/?igshid=1go1snq76m1d5

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Okay people, I’m going to go ahead and put this out there. @brenjoy is going to blow up this year. I came across this album last night and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Vocals, production, and instrumentation are 💯 This album is so fresh. Somehow, it manages to infuse r&b, jazz, gospel ALL into one. This is a masterpiece project. Thank me later. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9cAlCbhUUg/?igshid=ru4kxjrwf5qa

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I’m not usually one to brag but, sometimes, when something good happens that means a lot to you, you share it. As you might’ve guessed from the photo, I’m this year’s recipient of @Dreamboxlearning’s Rookie of the Year award. 🏆 🏆 🏆 This award means a lot to me because of what it represents. It represents me going into a brand new industry and hitting the ground running. Every day that I come to work, I remind myself of the WHY behind what I do. 🎒 Kids matter. 🧑‍🏫 Teachers matter. 🧑🏽‍💼 Principals matter. Every interaction that I have with a school has the potential to alter the academic trajectory of a student’s life. That’s a big deal. 🗣️ I wanted to thank a few people at Dreambox whose tremendous contributions enabled me to achieve this accolade. Thank you to: 💪🏾 Jessie Woolley-Wilson - For being a fearless CEO who doesn’t back down from gender/racial barriers and continues to disrupt the education technology industry with compassion, innovation, and kindness. 👑 Faith Sparrow - For being an amazing sales team leader and empowering me to do my best work every day. 👏🏻 Jonathan Liles - Who answers my non-stop questions and always serves as a great manager for our team by leading as example. 🙌 Ashley Laver and Nicki Szczur - For being absolute rockstars all year! Thank you for always going above and beyond to deliver value to our clients and their students with professional development and coaching on best practices in schools. Here’s to the new year and the kid’s lives we will change! Time to make it happen! #MKOD #effortwithimpact #dreambox #dreamboxlearning https://www.instagram.com/p/B8RVcFghX15/?igshid=r7a3zrenje40

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When I tell you hat @unionspecialbread absolutely smashes the breakfast and lunch game in Raleigh, I’m trying to tell you this is the move! Biscuits with sausage gravy. I don’t mean gravy mix either, this is made from scratch by @andrewullom and the crew. Also, the egg sandwich is the best any of us have ever had. If you haven’t been here yet, you are doing yourself a disservice. ⁣ ⁣ Not only are they pumping out high quality items and breaking community barriers, but they are doing it the right way. Paying employees a living wage, and empowering them to do their best work! Decentralized command in restaurants is not practiced often enough!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ @andrewullom thank you for the counter service and incredible hospitality today. We appreciate all that you are doing for our wonderful city. Here’s to many more visits and great conversations 🍻 (at Union Special) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7MYXEMBN6M/?igshid=sfee12xcxhc2

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@adamgrant There is so much truth and wisdom here. Let’s operate more in grace in everything we do. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6LoWNvgHPz/?igshid=ue1levmz1vp0

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⁣ I first met Maggie Kane in 2016, thanks to my brother Cameron, and was instantly awed by the mission of her organization, A Place at the Table. (For those who don’t know, A Place at the Table is a pay-what-you-can café in downtown Raleigh that serves everyone with equal hospitality and respect.) ⁣ ⁣ 🙏🏻⁣ ⁣ This year was the first time I got to experience the magic of A Place at the Table as a volunteer. As I rolled up my sleeves to wash dishes this past Thanksgiving, I was struck by the quality of the food the kitchen produced: golden waffles 🧇, hearty biscuits and gravy, and Benedicts 🍳 with silken hollandaise. (I worked the breakfast shift.) ⁣ ⁣ 🧼🧼🧼⁣ ⁣ Poverty can be isolating. The more money you make, the more dining options available to you—which is what makes A Place at the Table’s mission of providing community and great food to all regardless of means so needed and special. You’re given the same menu and service as the person next to you regardless if you can pay the suggested price for your meal, less than the suggested price, or pay by volunteering with the restaurant. ⁣ ⁣ A Place at the Table has been in operation since January 2018 and since has made a huge impact on the City of Oaks (swipe for stats proudly displayed in the café). If you have time, I hope you’ll volunteer (it’s easy–just go to A Place at the Table’s website). The café relies on volunteers to serve 40,000+ meals per year. ⁣ ⁣ #aplaceatthetable #downtownraleigh #rdu #raleigh #paywhatyoucancafe https://www.instagram.com/p/B53BK8lAxxD/?igshid=1lieitbi7rccl

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⁣ I first met Maggie Kane in 2016, thanks to my brother Cameron, and was instantly awed by the mission of her organization, A Place at the Table. (For those who don’t know, A Place at the Table is a pay-what-you-can café in downtown Raleigh that serves everyone with equal hospitality and respect.) ⁣ ⁣ 🙏🏻⁣ ⁣ This year was the first time I got to experience the magic of A Place at the Table as a volunteer. As I rolled up my sleeves to wash dishes this past Thanksgiving, I was struck by the quality of the food the kitchen produced: golden waffles 🧇, hearty biscuits and gravy, and Benedicts 🍳 with silken hollandaise. (I worked the breakfast shift.) ⁣ ⁣ 🧼🧼🧼⁣ ⁣ Poverty can be isolating. The more money you make, the more dining options available to you—which is what makes A Place at the Table’s mission of providing community and great food to all regardless of means so needed and special. You’re given the same menu and service as the person next to you regardless if you can pay the suggested price for your meal, less than the suggested price, or pay by volunteering with the restaurant. ⁣ ⁣ A Place at the Table has been in operation since January 2018 and since has made a huge impact on the City of Oaks (swipe for stats proudly displayed in the café). If you have time, I hope you’ll volunteer (it’s easy–just go to A Place at the Table’s website). The café relies on volunteers to serve 40,000+ meals per year. ⁣ ⁣ #aplaceatthetable #downtownraleigh #rdu #raleigh #paywhatyoucancafe (at A Place at the Table Raleigh) https://www.instagram.com/p/B53AZJMgsDT/?igshid=8qjx4bwqbp4a

[j-long]

I first met Maggie Kane in 2016, thanks to my brother Cameron, and was instantly awed by the mission of her organization, A Place at the Table. (For those who don’t know, A Place at the Table is a pay-what-you-can café in downtown Raleigh that serves everyone with equal hospitality and respect.) 🙏🏻 This year was the first time I got to experience the magic of A Place at the Table as a volunteer. As I rolled up my sleeves to wash dishes this past Thanksgiving, I was struck by the quality of the food the kitchen produced: golden waffles 🧇, hearty biscuits and gravy, and Benedicts 🍳 with silken hollandaise. (I worked the breakfast shift.) 🧼🧼🧼 Poverty can be isolating. The more money you make, the more dining options available to you—which is what makes A Place at the Table’s mission of providing community and great food to all regardless of means so needed and special. You’re given the same menu and service as the person next to you regardless if you can pay the suggested price for your meal, less than the suggested price, or pay by volunteering with the restaurant. A Place at the Table has been in operation since January 2018 and since has made a huge impact on the City of Oaks (swipe for stats proudly displayed in the café). If you have time, I hope you’ll volunteer (it’s easy–just go to A Place at the Table’s website). The café relies on volunteers to serve 40,000+ meals per year. #aplaceatthetable #downtownraleigh #rdu #raleigh #paywhatyoucancafe (at A Place at the Table Raleigh) https://www.instagram.com/p/B52_wG7AVh0/?igshid=1hyai102k2gzv

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Today is @southernbel birthday. She is my fiancée, my ride or die. The love of my life. She still somehow manages to laugh at my jokes, lets me play guitar really loud in the living room, and is always down for pizza and concerts. She’s beautiful and holds me down like no other. Thank you for putting up with me and my ridiculous amount of shoes. I’m so blessed to have you in my life. Let’s party. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5iMR70A0Ql/?igshid=jwjhfwe8wv0r

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👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼#Repost @tonyrobbins with @get_repost ・・・ Hats off to our dear friend, Ellen!👏🏆🥇❤️THIS is what we need to see and hear more of in the media and from celebrities!! . IT’S OK TO BEFRIEND PEOPLE WHO YOU DISAGREE WITH! . 🤝 We can have different points of view and still laugh, get along, converse, watch the game, and have MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS with each other. Limiting the people we spend time with to people who share the exact same beliefs as us is NOT the answer. How would we ever get anything done, much less make any progress moving conversations forward in order to support our children and build a brighter future? It is so important for all of us — especially in these unique times — to traverse the imaginary lines that divide us and GET TO KNOW THE HUMAN BEINGS who represent all sides of the issues. That's how we will break the patterns of hate & anger and disrupt the divisive polarization we have come to know. Start by asking quality questions like: . What can I learn from this person who has a different perspective? What does the person who sees the world that way really want? What are their concerns? What could we enjoy together? We’re not supposed to agree on everything. We’re all DIFFERENT and THAT’S OK!! . If we are going to celebrate the diversity of our human family, we must meet our brothers & sisters with kindness and basic respect. Cheers @TheEllenShow! We salute your admirable approach to life. "Be kind to one another." And that means everybody!✌️❤️👉🌏 https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZnN5EgWJQ/?igshid=b2bdvjzbenqd

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Posted @withrepost • @southernbel H O M E // Our path to home ownership wasn’t straight but it led us exactly to where we needed to be. Today, we closed on our first home. ⁣ ⁣ 🏡⁣ ⁣ Huge thank you to our amazing real estate agent, @donnalovesrealestate, who stuck it out with us for the past year and who gifted us the beautiful charcuterie board as a closing day surprise. ⁣ ⁣ 👏🏻⁣ ⁣ We HIGHLY recommend Nick Overcash with @primelending! If you’re buying a house, this is your guy. ⁣ ⁣ 💍⁣ ⁣ A year from today, we’ll be getting married. ⁣ ⁣ #northraleigh #raleigh #closingday #ourfirsthome #firsthouse #newhousevibes #newhouse🏡 #firsthousetogether #raleighnorthcarolina ⁣ ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/B3KaK4uAP26/?igshid=1hioifgdndt7b

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Tried to live without a @officialgretsch Duo Jet, but I missed having one way too much. Welcome home! Special thanks to @matt_anthony2 and @midwoodguitarstudio for the hospitality as always. #guitar #guitarist #gretsch #silversparkle (at Midwood Guitar Studio) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3INpyYhESt/?igshid=3pcoziwxbsh0