First off, I must admit that I'm not all that familiar with Lou Reed. So hearing that he had died yesterday and had been a beloved musician, I was curious as to what this was all about.
With a little poking around I realized right away that I did know his song: 'Walk On The Wild Side'.
Then I had to admit to myself that I had mistakenly thought
that song was one of those "one hit wonder" type deals.
Boy was I wrong. Lou Reed was actually one of the two founding members of The Velvet Underground, a group that is said to be responsible for inspiring much of the alternative movement that included Seattle's own Nirvana. So basically speaking without Lou Reed there might never have been room for one Kurt Cobain to find an audience. And while I do readily admit that I don't have a lot of love lost for much of the early 90's alternative scene (out here it wasn't alternative at all- everyone was listening to it), I do have a very soft spot for Nirvana. Besides being born and bred right here in the northwest rain forest, their stuff just touched me at a time when I was beginning to realize that I did indeed have my own thoughts and feelings.
So to Lou Reed I must say 'thank you' for the influence on future musicians and being an important part of this musical journey that so often surprises with its roots and branches that reach out to so many.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
El Paso Chihuahuas!
My husband is a huge sports fan. Just about any sport. Just about any time. Just about anything pertaining to sports at all, really.
He is very excited today about a new name for a AAA baseball feeder team for the San Diego Padres. When the team moved from Tuscon, Arizona to El Paso, Texas, they needed to rename themselves. They chose the name: Chihuahuas.
My husband loves sports, especially baseball. My husband loves our little tan chihuahua. His initials are EP.
So of course he loves this:
Our little guy, Tanner, thinks he's plenty feisty enough and wants to know if he can play too!
He is very excited today about a new name for a AAA baseball feeder team for the San Diego Padres. When the team moved from Tuscon, Arizona to El Paso, Texas, they needed to rename themselves. They chose the name: Chihuahuas.
My husband loves sports, especially baseball. My husband loves our little tan chihuahua. His initials are EP.
So of course he loves this:
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| Logos created by the Brandiose team |
Our little guy, Tanner, thinks he's plenty feisty enough and wants to know if he can play too!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Musical Monday- OrigAudio Rock-It 3.0
My new favorite little musical gadget is a tiny thing called a Rock-It. It is awesome!
I like to take music with me while I work and stuff and this thing is perfect for that. You wouldn't believe the amount of sound you can get out of it by sticking it to a closet door or large open box. It is just a really cool item that actually works as advertised.
I am super cheap, so I got mine from Bed Bath And Beyond for $9.99 on clearance. If you look this item up you can find it in many places for under $20.
Check out this review from YouTube:
Have a great day and I hope your week is off to a rockin' start!
I like to take music with me while I work and stuff and this thing is perfect for that. You wouldn't believe the amount of sound you can get out of it by sticking it to a closet door or large open box. It is just a really cool item that actually works as advertised.
I am super cheap, so I got mine from Bed Bath And Beyond for $9.99 on clearance. If you look this item up you can find it in many places for under $20.
Check out this review from YouTube:
Have a great day and I hope your week is off to a rockin' start!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Musical Monday
Music speaks to my soul; always has.
From my overcooked by 3 and 1/2 weeks journey in the womb- always responding immediately to any upbeat tune that came through an old transistor radio to the experiences I've shared as a member of an 80 piece symphonic band, and every musical experience and genre in between, music has always been a part of who I am.
I once met a doctor who deemed that music was just frivolous and unneeded. I knew I would never trust him with anything regarding my health. Although I was born with hearing issues that required surgical repair, I can certainly speak to the fact that the vibrations and patterns in music are life blood and I feel sorry for someone who doesn't get that life without music is certainly missing something.
With a love of music in mind, I am starting a new feature here on my blog. I will be posting something musical on Mondays, as often as I can. I am hoping to find lots of different musical aspects to touch upon.
For today, as an opening to my Musical Monday feature, I will leave you with a video for a song that I found while looking around for new stuff to add to my mp3 player that I use for my daily 'dance breaks'. This song is an example of a typical easy going Zac Brown Band deal that speaks to where I am in life right now and it's got a great, fun beat.
From my overcooked by 3 and 1/2 weeks journey in the womb- always responding immediately to any upbeat tune that came through an old transistor radio to the experiences I've shared as a member of an 80 piece symphonic band, and every musical experience and genre in between, music has always been a part of who I am.
I once met a doctor who deemed that music was just frivolous and unneeded. I knew I would never trust him with anything regarding my health. Although I was born with hearing issues that required surgical repair, I can certainly speak to the fact that the vibrations and patterns in music are life blood and I feel sorry for someone who doesn't get that life without music is certainly missing something.
With a love of music in mind, I am starting a new feature here on my blog. I will be posting something musical on Mondays, as often as I can. I am hoping to find lots of different musical aspects to touch upon.
For today, as an opening to my Musical Monday feature, I will leave you with a video for a song that I found while looking around for new stuff to add to my mp3 player that I use for my daily 'dance breaks'. This song is an example of a typical easy going Zac Brown Band deal that speaks to where I am in life right now and it's got a great, fun beat.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Look Out World, Here I Come!
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| A recent fortune received after some tasty kung pao |
Sometimes we have to get back to our core. That inner 'thing' that tells us what we really want is a powerful tool when we actually pay attention to it.
It's easy to get caught up in over-thinking stuff and hoping to do what we 'ought' to do, all the 'shoulds'.
The facts are what they are in any situation; and yet how those facts pertain to our lives can be something else entirely.
So for me and mine, for now, the most important thing is that we are all on the same page. We're coming out and declaring to the world that we are going to make a move to Southern California!
My husband and I have spent a lot of time in California, making wonderful memories and strengthening the bonds of family and friendship. California is our go to, for reliable weather and an easy going attitude. California has been pretty good to us over the years.
We need to leave the Seattle area. Hiding out from the grey and the rain 9 months out of the year has never been our bag. We are constantly seeking out sun. The snippy 'Seattle freeze' attitude is real. Frankly we're tired of spending time trying to avoid interaction with people who want very badly to let you know how much better they are because they are greener, donate more to charity and are just way smarter than you.
There are always things we can complain about in any place we choose to live. It's time to stop complaining and move on. While Washington is beautiful in many ways and Californians can be dopey and apathetic, there is no perfection anywhere. Only different experiences that can fit us better or worse at different points in our lives.
This feeling of being ready for change is so strong now. I am familiar with it. It is the exact same feeling I had when we bought the Palm Springs condo one year ago in November.
That turned out to be absolutely one of the best things that my husband and I have ever done!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Never Say Never
I don't care if I end up looking/sounding stupid.
I really don't.
Seriously, have a laugh. This one's on me.
And we'll all feel better for it.
I'll laugh right along with you.
Ever get the feeling you've been swimming against the current and then found yourself wondering why? Sometimes we fight and fight and fight against something, only to find that the thing we thought we ought to avoid at all costs is the very thing that we really need to be doing. In fact, it's what is meant to be. At least for a particular season or two of life.
So here goes.
Through a series of unfortunate experiences with a surprise opportunity that turned out to be a non-issue with a company that still doesn't know exactly what they are looking for, my husband and I did manage to learn something very important.
Both of us are actually very open to the idea of living in California.
Stop laughing. Seriously, you can stop now.
I know, I know... I wrote this: Why Southern California Isn't Really A Full Time Option
This would not be forever. Not even for more than a few years or so.
But after honestly looking at the possibility of living in Southern California, my husband and I both came to the same conclusion- the annoying things that have kept us from moving to California, like crazy politics and a high cost of living are already haunting us daily right here in Seattle.
While we would not accomplish the true fit of home that Texas feels like for us, nor some key long term objectives- we could manage to put on something warmer and more easy going and wear it in comfort for a time. And of course there is the fact that there are more options for where my husband is in his career right now than there are in Texas. So it just makes sense in a lot of ways.
I guess I'm saying I've realized that sometimes an in-between is good enough for awhile. And it sure beats the feeling that I have every time I come back 'home' from Palm Springs to the Northwest- that feeling that has grown stronger and stronger for my husband and I. That feeling that simply says: We can't stay here anymore.
I really don't.
Seriously, have a laugh. This one's on me.
And we'll all feel better for it.
I'll laugh right along with you.
Ever get the feeling you've been swimming against the current and then found yourself wondering why? Sometimes we fight and fight and fight against something, only to find that the thing we thought we ought to avoid at all costs is the very thing that we really need to be doing. In fact, it's what is meant to be. At least for a particular season or two of life.
So here goes.
Through a series of unfortunate experiences with a surprise opportunity that turned out to be a non-issue with a company that still doesn't know exactly what they are looking for, my husband and I did manage to learn something very important.
Both of us are actually very open to the idea of living in California.
Stop laughing. Seriously, you can stop now.
I know, I know... I wrote this: Why Southern California Isn't Really A Full Time Option
This would not be forever. Not even for more than a few years or so.
But after honestly looking at the possibility of living in Southern California, my husband and I both came to the same conclusion- the annoying things that have kept us from moving to California, like crazy politics and a high cost of living are already haunting us daily right here in Seattle.
While we would not accomplish the true fit of home that Texas feels like for us, nor some key long term objectives- we could manage to put on something warmer and more easy going and wear it in comfort for a time. And of course there is the fact that there are more options for where my husband is in his career right now than there are in Texas. So it just makes sense in a lot of ways.
I guess I'm saying I've realized that sometimes an in-between is good enough for awhile. And it sure beats the feeling that I have every time I come back 'home' from Palm Springs to the Northwest- that feeling that has grown stronger and stronger for my husband and I. That feeling that simply says: We can't stay here anymore.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Not Comfortable
A wise blogger I once met irl (you can find her blog at: http://yourdailydose-robin.blogspot.com/
) and I have talked about the fact that life seems to keep sending you the same message over and over and over until you get it.
Oh yeah, some days can really feel like head to wall experiences if you get caught up in this little hamster wheel of the universe.
So right now I'm thinking that I hope this is the last time around for me needing to learn that it's OK to be in uncertainty. Not that this will be the last time that I'll ever have uncertainty... Nooo, that's completely unrealistic. I get that.
But this should be the last time that I ever have to equate uncertainty with getting all anxiety ridden, overly emotional and just certain that the only thing I could be certain of in a moment like this is that all things negative eventually grow out of uncertainty. Whew- did you catch your breath after that one?! (This is where those of you who were raised in households in which you needed to be hyper vigilant to avoid any possible upsets to the ol' family apple cart can rest assured that yes, this is a personal shout out to you.)
This time around I am learning that not only does life go on while we are in uncertainty; it can actually go on in a remarkably positive way. If you try hard enough to separate yourself from the queasiness that tends to take over in the midst of uncertain moments, those moments of uncertainty can lead to paying attention in sharp detail to every day things that will leave us with memories and appreciation that we might have otherwise missed.
Today, in this moment, that's where I'm at. I'm stopping to take notice of the little things. I'm listening with a more open heart. While it's true that I will probably always be more comfortable when things in my life are fairly 'settled', I am making a concerted effort to allow the positives that always exist- even when life is a bit out of sorts, to come through. I want to experience the best life has to offer, no matter how unsettled I might be feeling.
) and I have talked about the fact that life seems to keep sending you the same message over and over and over until you get it.Oh yeah, some days can really feel like head to wall experiences if you get caught up in this little hamster wheel of the universe.
 |
| found at: commons.wikimedia.org |
So right now I'm thinking that I hope this is the last time around for me needing to learn that it's OK to be in uncertainty. Not that this will be the last time that I'll ever have uncertainty... Nooo, that's completely unrealistic. I get that.
But this should be the last time that I ever have to equate uncertainty with getting all anxiety ridden, overly emotional and just certain that the only thing I could be certain of in a moment like this is that all things negative eventually grow out of uncertainty. Whew- did you catch your breath after that one?! (This is where those of you who were raised in households in which you needed to be hyper vigilant to avoid any possible upsets to the ol' family apple cart can rest assured that yes, this is a personal shout out to you.)
This time around I am learning that not only does life go on while we are in uncertainty; it can actually go on in a remarkably positive way. If you try hard enough to separate yourself from the queasiness that tends to take over in the midst of uncertain moments, those moments of uncertainty can lead to paying attention in sharp detail to every day things that will leave us with memories and appreciation that we might have otherwise missed.
Today, in this moment, that's where I'm at. I'm stopping to take notice of the little things. I'm listening with a more open heart. While it's true that I will probably always be more comfortable when things in my life are fairly 'settled', I am making a concerted effort to allow the positives that always exist- even when life is a bit out of sorts, to come through. I want to experience the best life has to offer, no matter how unsettled I might be feeling.
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