Friday, May 30, 2008

Pipe down, Tito Puente!

Still feeling crappy. REALLY don't want to go to work tonight, but there's nobody else who can cover...

Just finished watching the LOST season finale...it was both satisfying and unsatisfying. It answered some questions but in a rather matter-of-fact sort of way. All in all, I give the season a "B". Maybe a "B+".

Yesterday when I got home from work, the doofus who lives next door and plays drums was playing his drums. For like 2 hours. So I got kinda sick of it and went over to tell him to shut up and Jeannie was getting home at the same time, so we went over together and she very diplomatically told him to shut the f*** up. I think when we went over and knocked on the door he thought we were the cops, so he never even opened the door and just talked to us from behind it. He did, though, seem genuinely clueless that his drumming might be annoying to the entire block, so at least he was just dumb and not malicious.

That's about it for now.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Memorial Day Weekend

We're back from another great Ohio trip. I always feel a little post-trip depression when I get home, and this time is no exception, but I also feel renewed. Ready to put more into creative projects, ready to remember that there's still another life out there that has nothing to do with being a manager at the B&N.

Here's what I want to remember from the trip:

1. got a speeding ticket on the way there. Yuck. I knew there would be extra police out for the holiday weekend, but still let my speed creep up too much.

2. Meeting young Jack, who is a big ol' slobber factory. And cute and curious and a frequent napper.

3. Baseball games in the backyard after dinner.

4. Really stinky farts during Phase 10. Losing to Schlueter by points.

5. Sitting at night, after the kids are in bed, talking. Old stories and new stories, laughing, silence. It's the best.

6. I started coming down with some sort of weird cold last night/this morning. Still feeling a little crappy but nothing too terrible. I am glad, though, that I'm off work tommorrow.

If you live in Chicago, go see North!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Very Gay -4 -3 -2 -1 This Post 1 2 3 4 Very Straight

I'm having a pretty damned good day. I'm just coming off of a long stretch of work, and today's been my first day off in awhile, and I've been enjoying my sunshine and solitude. Started off the day with a good trip to the gym, then took a decent walk to the Radioshack and Giant G at the Rotunda to purchase a new cordless phone battery, a set of precision screw drivers (for small electronics, so I can figure out what in the hell is wrong with the touch pad on my MP3 player and stop being forced to listen to it in random all the time), some salt n' vinegar potato chips, bananas, chicken patties, and bread. On the walk and back, I took a detour along this trail that is near our house that sorta runs through some kinda woods, and it was just a damned nice walk in the semi-sun, with headphones, and I felt like a 10 year old kid. But happier, because I was a miserable little sad bitch of a 10 year old.

When I got home, I did some dishes, and then decided to surprise the J-Dog by making some quinoa salad for us to enjoy together for dinner. So I walked down to Eddie's and bought a red pepper, lime juice (cause I didn't feel like squeezing 6 limes to death [and, I gotsta save the real limes for the G&T's, yo]), cilantro, and green onions. And I came home and made some quinoa salad that, when I tried it, tastes a little too...spicy, maybe...it's too something, but I can't quite tell what. But anyway, hopefully we'll have enough left to bring some to Ohio with us when we leave for Ohio tomorrow.

That's another reason why it's been such a good day. All day I've been looking ahead to our trip tomorrow evening; picking up the J-Dog from work tomorrow at 4 (with 2 vegetarian fajita burritos from Chipotle in the back, and a bag of salt n' vinegar chips, and bananas, and nuts 'n raisins), hopefully missing the traffic, getting out of Baltimore, cranking up the tunes and hittin' the road. Aah, it is the best. Can't wait to see the cool kids. Speaking of the cool kids, check out this little enticing snippet from the play that Schlueter wrote and directed:



I think that from this clip it's pretty obvious that the play is a thinly-veiled reference to the brief but passionate affair that Schlueter and I had back in Kirksville. (does the bald guy in the video look like anybody you know?)


And, I don't want you to think I'm gay (what with all the quinoa salad and such) so here's something manly that I found amusing from my friend Jeff's blog:

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Schminventory

I'm just getting in from an inventory, and because inventories always make me think of Bewley, I'm enjoying a tasty Guinness in her honor.

On the drive home:

1. The moon was bright.

2. I saw a deer not too far outside the city limits, on Charles Street.

2. I listened to 2.5 Dan Fogelberg songs. And enjoyed them, dammit.

I'm just getting over the mild cold I've had for the past few days, and feeling like I need a day off work. Unfortunately, I still have a couple more days to work before I get that day off. But then it's off to Ohio and the fun begins...

When I was walking into our house tonight, I felt like something felt very strange and then realized it was because there was no noise outside because of the late hour. I don't know that I've ever been here and not heard some type of noise, somewhere. But not tonight. It felt totally quiet. Weird.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Welcome back, Ricky.

I hesitated, not knowing if Elz' new blog was going to take off or die a slow death like the last one, leaving me staring at a page that said IMAGINE A BLANK SPACE whenever I checked to see if he had written...

But it looks like Eric is in it to win it this time, so I'm gonna go ahead and link to it over there in the sidebar to make my daily shit-checking even easier.



And I'm getting sick.

Friday, May 16, 2008

PEHDTSCKJMBA

I am the proud owner of two tickets to see Tom Waits in Columbus, Ohio on June 28th.

Tom Waits is on my list of Top 5 People (or Bands) I'd Like to See in Concert Before I Die (whether it's possible or not). The list, in it's entirety, being (in no particular order):

Tom Waits
Jimi Hendrix
Bruce Springsteen
Bob Marley
Frank Sinatra

So, seeing as he's one of only 2 living people on the list, I figured I should do my best to get tickets. Well, now I just have to figure out the logistics of getting to the show...

By the way, if you're not sure what PEHDTSCKJMBA is, watch this.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

A List of Gratitude

1. Headache gone

2. Made it to the gym today

3. Saw this video at the gym. The future is here!

4. I don't have to work till tomorrow night, which means I can attempt to get Tom Waits tickets tomorrow morning.

5. I've made it to page 350 of Mason and Dixon (just under half way!). Reading that book is kind of like walking through very deep snow. Enjoyable, but slow and tiring. I'd say that Infinite Jest is about 5 times more entertaining.

6. Trip to Ohio soon. Can not f@#$'in wait. Long overdue.

A List of Mild Complaints

1. Rip-roarin' headache

2. Bad tooth

3. Had to work an inventory tonight at the Bowie store (about an hour away)

4. Late night driving makes me crave a cigarette

5. Had a fight with Korn at work the other day. Still relatively pissed.

6. Didn't get to see my ladyfriend at all today

7. Wasted the day

8. Feel like tomorrow's gonna be another wasted day

Monday, May 12, 2008

It's raining hammers, it's raining nails

It has been raining a lot lately, which means our apartment is leaking, and it means that the store is leaking, and trees are falling over, and all sorts of shit like that.

Yesterday I got a big stack of CD's from the library, catching up on some older releases that I'd been interested in but never picked up, including:

Johnny Cash, The Great Lost Performance. I give it a "B+". A concert from 1990, which was when he was starting to sound old, but still had that great Johnny Cash thing goin' on. Listening to it makes you proud to be an American.

The Stars of the Lid, And Their Refinement of the Decline. A solid "A". If you ever need background music for anything, but especially something relaxing, look no further than Stars of the Lid. It's soothing without being new age bullshit.

Hem, Eveningland. A "B". I have mixed emotions about this album. I love the lush country-folk instrumentation (guitar, piano, pedal steel, strings) and the vocals and melodies are gorgeous, but at times it feels a little schmaltzy.

Sparklehorse, Dream for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain. A "B+". Catchy yet weird, more accessible than other Sparklehorse albums. Not for everyday listening, but good to listen to when you're not sure what you're in the mood for.

The Twilight Singers, Powder Burns. An unfortunate "C-" (although I haven't finished the whole thing yet). Greg Dulli, please please please get an actual good producer to produce your next album (and stop acting and writing like a young, oversexed junkie).

Josh Ritter, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. I haven't really listened to enough of this one yet. I liked The Animal Years, and so far this one doesn't sound as interesting, but it still sounds decent.

And a few others as well. (Hot Chip, Marah).

And now a few random thoughts:

1. I think I feel comfortable enough to say that the lime is my favorite fruit. I realized the other day that a lot of my favorite foods (and a few choice beverages) have a lime involved in some way. So let's celebrate the incredible, edible lime!

2. I think the umbrella is perhaps the stupidest invention ever. I would rather be absolutely soaked all day than have to carry an umbrella around for 5 minutes.

3. Writing that made me remember the time that Jeannie said: "I would rather poop in my pants and sit in it for an hour than watch Jay Leno." How true that is!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Aloha!

Miss LGG: I have also been listening to this CD lately. And no, I'm not joking. I'm a sucker for slide guitar and vibraphones.

I also did end up buying the new Black Keys' album, Attack and Release, which at first I was luke warm about, then I really liked a lot, and now I'm back to being luke warm about.

I shall post some songs on my handy-dandy little playlist player over there in the sidebar!

I spent the day today hanging out in the city and in Robert E. Lee park with my sister. Then went and enjoyed a tasty Thai dinner with me sister, her hubby, and the J-Dog.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Plans

Today I found this old picture, which is I think just about the weirdest picture ever. It is of my grandma and grandpa and, I think, my uncle. I played around with trying to use it as a CD cover for while. Looks like it was taken on the moon.



Somebody should write a movie about this picture...

I've been listening to Death Cab for Cutie's Plans album. I bought it the other day, along with Daniel Lanois' new CD, Here is What is. So far I much prefer the Death Cab. Death Cab seems to be really good at conveying vague melancholy. Although sometimes they're pretty good at conveying very specific melancholy, too. Is melancholia a word? If it isn't, it should be.

Busy day at work today.

Tomorrow I hang out with my sister, who is in town.

Now I'm gonna go soak my butt and drink a G&T.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Opening day, G&T season

Well, I feel a little bit better today, although a few people at work commented that I didn't seem my "usual self." Whatever that might mean. But, nonetheless, I feel better. The J-Dog and I had a great day yesterday, got to go outside and lay in the sunshine in the park. The first park we went to, Herring Run, seemed to be infested with caterpillars, so we headed to Clifton Park and enjoyed looking up at the trees and planes and watching the golfers. And while I am not a hippie and love the good, old fashioned, American indoors, I have to say that gettin' outside and enjoying the trees and sunshine was good for the ol' psyche.

I've been thinking about recording lately, and, more specifically, my method while I was recording 'Long Drive Home.' I realized the other day that my method has changed a lot since then, most notably in the fact that I used to use drum samples looped together and layered on top of each other, and then play along with the constructed drum lines. I think I'm gonna go back to that method, with the exception that I'm going to create my own drum samples instead of finding pre-existing samples on the web. I've experimented with it a little bit in the last couple of days and the results have been promising. So I think I'm gonna spend the next month or so building up a library of drum samples, before I even start to think about other instruments. It kinda takes away the pressure of starting with nothing and then trying to finish the day with a mostly-completed song.

I enjoyed my first G&T of the summer tonight. It seems to be doing the trick.

Should have a busy day at work tomorrow, but hopefully that should make it go by quickly.

Oh, and I got a call from my brother tonight, who told me that, contrary to what I had previously reported not too long ago, they will not be having another kid. False alarm, apparently.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Each week, of course...

Not too much going on. I feel like I could use a day off work, cause I've been tired and grumpy and and overly sassy lately.

Two nights ago Jeannie and I came into possession of a free ticket to a This American Life live satellite event that was beamed to a somewhat local movie theatre (and other theatres around the country). So that was cool, we headed down to a theatre in Columbia, MD and watched Ira glass talk about stuff. It was good to go on an unexpected date, and it was fun to see something live, something that wasn't afraid to show things going not-right (technical glitches, people adjusting to unexpected questions/situations on the fly) on a large, national scale.

Then last night we went to a dinner gathering of folks from Jeannie's job. Which was fine. Good food, low-key. Then I went home and watched the latest episode of LOST, which was pretty uneventful but not the worst episode ever.

Anyway, I feel like I'm ready for another vacation already. This sucks.

My sister and her husband will be in town for a visit this week. Looking forward to it.