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Today, I spent the better part of the day watching the below video. After watching it more times than I’ll admit, I have dreams of re-creating it in the same fashion as my Regina Spektor video from back in the day. Maybe now that I’m 30, I can see things much clearer than before, because it’s pretty obvious to me today that I have obviously missed my true calling in life. As anyone who has attended a wedding with me in the last six months knows, I’m a big fan of interpretive dancing. It’s just one of those amazing skills that I possess.
Clearly, I was meant to be a backup dancer on Solid Gold.
I am really loving the new Cee-Lo album. Of course, my love for the F you song was what initially got me to buy the album, but I’m really loving the rest of it, too.
On the second track, “Bright Lights, Bigger City” there is a spot where you hear the faintest sound of a siren in the background. Every stinking time I hear it, I immediately hit the brakes and look in my rearview mirror for an ambulance or fire truck. When I see nothing, I realize I’ve been tricked again by the song. You’d think I’d catch on, but this has happened close to 10 times. I’m obviously not catching on.
Why am I so gullible all the time?
Don’t ask me why it’s taken 4 years to add Hall and Oates to my record collection. But thank goodness the day has finally arrived. Can’t wait to give this guy a spin tomorrow when I get home. My apologies to the neighbors.
I can’t tell you how good life is after you’ve taken a section of the CPA exam. Unfortunately, I feel like I probably failed. Fortunately, I have a month of bliss before I get my score. Yahtzee! My mood has been phenomenal for the last 24 hours. I wonder why?
I got to enjoy hang with the a-holes over a few “eastsides” and tequila gimblets last night. Speaking of… are liquor stores open on Sunday? I need to restock my vodka supply. This week might involve some experimenting in the kitchen in how to make an eastside. That $hit was good! If I can learn how to make one that will save me 10 bucks a pop. Last night’s bar tab was a little high, but worth every freaking cent. On the bright side, I got my bathroom towel hanger fixed after the bar last night for free. Thanks Boozanna!
I got to spent an hour at Central Market today. I love farting around in nice grocery stores.
I took about a 2 hour nap this afternoon. Guess it’s not surprising that I’m still up and blogging and it’s 10:30. Whoopsies!
I got to spend lots of time downloading new music this evening. So, I have always been a fan of Cee Lo back from his “I Wish” days. But, brother takes it to a whole new level these days. I highly recommend his single “F**k You”. Why not?
Oh yeah, and I also caught up on Brothers and Sisters, Modern Family and Cougar Town.
Life is so good if feels like a Steve Winwood song. Roll with it!
We are about 4 days from take-off for Cabo and I’m starting to get a wee bit excited. In my spare time at work, I’m trying to compile a good playlist for the beach. If I get it done in time, I’ll share. In the mean time I thought I’d share my two most favorite albums for beach napping.
There comes a point when you’re so relaxed laying in the sun, that you begin dozing in and out of conciousness and maybe even begin to drool a little. It’s like the best nap ever, even if it is a little embarrassing. I usually can only reach this state of euphoria when I’m listening to music. And time and time again, I’ve road tested these two albums while laying out. They are my most favorite. Try them.
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – “Live at Luther College”
Eric Clapton – “Unplugged”
Back in the days when I used to buy CDs, and only greatest hits ones at that, I discovered my guilty pleasure band. I’ll be honest, what first attracted me to them was this album cover picture:
Just looking at those serious expressions, you can tell there’s sustenance there. I believe I was working at Handango when I purchased my first Hall & Oats album. I downloaded it onto my first mega MP3 player and began listening while I was at work. It was love from the beginning. Smalls quickly took notice of my head bobbing and leg taping and asked to borrow my headphones to give them a listen. She fell in love, too.
Once you get past the ridiculous picture and the pondering of whether or not their partnership extended beyond the recording studio, it’s really easy to get absorbed in the music. Most people would recognize their songs if they heard them over the radio. They’d most likely say, “Oh yeah, I love that song”, but wouldn’t be able to tell you who was singing. That’s why I think they are a very underappreciated band. And I’d be happy to burn you a copy if you’d like. There’s nothing I’d love more than being able to share my H&O joy with you.
Well, you-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo, you make-a my dreams come true…
In my three weeks of sobriety, I totally forgot how much fun it is to go out with friends. I also forgot how much fun a random night can be. Case in point, please watch the videos here.
We hit up an art gallery, Cafe Izmir, a cougar themed birthday party and then had a chocolate martini nightcap at the Balcony Club. Talk about a sweet joint. They had a band that was jamming to some sweet jazz similar to what I used to hear waking up on a weekend morning at my Dad’s house. Naturally, I was really into it. So much so, that I think I could get a second job moonlighting as a jazz band interpreter. No, I’m not talking about signing. I’m talking about movin’ and groovin’, trying to convey the emotions of the music through facial expressions and body movements. Crystal and I dabbled that a little a few years ago on a family vacation to San Diego. We practiced our skills to the open credits of ER. It was powerful.
On a related note, I took Rocky for a walk this evening when I got home. It was dark out, but I chose well lit streets so my dentist wouldn’t worry. There were some good jams on the radio and I realized that if I go walking when it’s dark, I can really rock out to the music, much like I would if I were a jazz interpreter. It was definitely considered free style walking and I am glad no one could see it. Cause if they did, they’d think I was a crazy person. Which might not be too far off from the truth anyways.
Now that I’m off my soapbox, let’s get on to the one thing that’s been good about this week. Elvis’ 75th birthday.
In typical fashion, I’m celebrating the day much like I have in years past. I set the Tivo to record all the movies airing today. And also the E! True Hollywood story on LMFP (just for you, nans). Viva Las Vegas, Blue Hawaii, Jailhouse Rock, Spinout, Speedway and Elvis on Tour. That’s what I’ve got waiting for me once this work week is through.
For breakfast I had a PB&B sandwich (english muffin). And tonight we are going to Chuy’s for the birthday bash. I’ve been tuned into Elvis Radio all day, which is broadcasting live from Graceland, so I was able to catch the cake cutting ceremony this morning on the front lawn. Priscilla and Lisa Marie were there. Heck yes.
I’m also wearing these bad boys that I picked up on our last trip to Graceland. Which is just what I’m doing today… Takin’ Care of Business (in a flash).
Now, to continue my blog tradition… here’s the latest Top 10 Things Elvis. I’m going with my favorite Elvis quotes, either by him or said about him. I hope you enjoy…
Top 10 Elvis Quotes
10. “A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis.” – Jackie Wilson
9. “You have no idea how great he is, really you don’t. You have no comprehension – it’s absolutely impossible. I can’t tell you why he’s so great, but he is. He’s sensational.” – Phil Spector
8. “His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people.” -Frank Sinatra, 1950′s
7. “You know, Bush is always comparing me to Elvis in sort of unflattering ways. I don’t think Bush would have liked Elvis very much, and that’s just another thing that’s wrong with him.” – Bill Clinton, during the 1992 presidential campaign.
6. “There have been a lotta tough guys. There have been pretenders. And there have been contenders. But there is only one king.” – Bruce Springsteen
5. “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” – John Lennon
4. “That’s my idol, Elvis Presley. If you went to my house, you’d see pictures all over of Elvis. He’s just the greatest entertainer that ever lived. And I think it’s because he had such presence. When Elvis walked into a room, Elvis Presley was in the f***ing room. I don’t give a f*** who was in the room with him, Bogart, Marilyn Monroe.” – Eddie Murphy
3. “I wasn’t just a fan, I was his brother. He said I was good and I said he was good; we never argued about that. Elvis was a hard worker, dedicated, and God loved him. Last time I saw him was at Graceland. We sang Old Blind Barnabus together, a gospel song. I love him and hope to see him in heaven. There’ll never be another like that soul brother.” – James Brown
2. “Don’t criticize what you don’t understand, son. You never walked in that man’s shoes.” -Elvis
1. “When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times… I learned very early in life that:
‘Without a song, the day would never end;
Without a song, a man ain’t got a friend;
Without a song, the road would never bend;
Without a song.’
So I keep singing a song.”
- Elvis, from his acceptance speech for the 1970 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation Award.
Watching that always gives me chills. Happy birthday, E.
For those that sit in a cubicle all day and have the option to listen to music, I highly recommend Sirius radio. It’s probably the only thing that will carry me through busy season. At first I wasn’t sure how much I needed it, given that I’ve got a massive music collection here on my iPod. But, I always seem to run into trouble trying to make a decision about what I want to listen to. Unless it’s clearly a Billy day or I’m in a Hall & Oats mood.
I’ve developed a little daily routine, much like my old gum chewing ways (cinnamon, green mint, blue mint, fruity, oh my). In the mornings I start off on the Elvis channel. Just to get a little soulful kickstart to my day. I jam to Elvis for an hour or two and then when I’m warmed up, I turn on E Street Radio (aka 24/7 Bruce). I rock out to the Boss for the better part of the day. Usually listen to a concert or two. When I start to get tired mid to late afternoon, I have to switch it over to the 80′s channel. Yahtzee! I’m pumped up again, but more so in a delirious state. The 80′s carry me through dinner and usually the rest of the evening. Sometimes I’ll switch over to Classic Vinyl or the 90′s stations for a little while.
That’s it and that’s all. I attempted to go over to the #1 hits station (the Kiss FM of satellite radio), but I started to feel light-headed so I had to go back. Guess I am an old soul.
Aside from my work mental state being at an all-time high, I do think my productivity has soared as well. The only thing is I really need to watch it on the air guitar. My cubicle wall ain’t that high.
Last weekend, my dear friend from the ATL came to visit the Big D. And I don’t think we were ready for her. No one is ever ready for Jamila. I was set to pick her up at the airport on Friday night and about 25 minutes before her flight was to take off, she sent me a text saying American had lost her reservation. I figure if there is anyone who can talk her way through check-in and security and get on the plane in time, it would be Jamila. Whatever it is, she has it.
The minute I saw her on the other side of the glass in bag claim, it was all laughs. We were standing there waiting for her bag, when we heard this loud squeaking noise coming from the rotating bag claim. We both did a double take when we saw a young guy, pulling off a PLASTIC LEOPARD PRINT suitcase, which was making the noise. Seriously, plastic? Leopard print? We felt bad, he definitely know we were cracking up at his luggage.
We then met Jen at the Oceanaire for old times sake. Our waitress was a mess and the bus boy made the mistake of asking us, “how’s it hanging tonight?”. Pretty sure you should never ask a group of girls that question, let alone at the Oceanaire. Dinner was delicious, we got the brownie dessert, and I almost asked the Executive Chef to refill my water. I just noticed a guy in all white clothes standing at the end of our table waiting for us to finish our conversation before he made his move in. Luckily, I read the words “EXECUTIVE CHEF” on his lapel before I asked for water.
Saturday night, Jen had a group of us over for dinner, drinks and many rounds of Rock Band. Jamila and I were born to play that game. We sang many duets and luckily I had introduced her to Fleetwood Mac way back in the Nortel day, so we could deliver a phenomenal version of “Go Your Own Way”. Not sure Jen’s neighbors thought it was that phenomenal, but we sure did.
The weekend, of course, wouldn’t be complete with out a Tina Turner legs shot.
The weekend also wouldn’t be complete without Jamila introducing us to some new vocab words. ”In your mist” and “cheesin’”. For example, Jen has a lot of guys in her mist right now. And also, Jarad was cheesin‘ when he was talking about his lack of body hair.
One more thing to note… it has been decided that I will venture to the ALT to visit Jam in the year 2010. She has promised me that we’ll go for chicken and waffles. I am not ready.
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