The recipe calls for the zest of one lemon and I walk out--in my moccassins--to the tree in the front yard and pull one from the back where the dew hasn't evaporated.
I hear Modest Mouse in a discount clothing store while shoppers pick through purses following a familar Doobie Brothers tune. I can't imagine they had this in mind when they wrote the song, but then again, according to wikipedia the did, once upon a time, sell minivans with their music. Perhaps this is part of their master plan.
I've been enjoying a long stretch of calm the last little while, but I have fallen out of touch with some friends and for that I will make amends. I used to think you made amens not amends, perhaps I should do that as well. My mom bought us TiVo for Christmas. Once you use TiVo, watching television is never quite the same. The novelty hasn't worn off, so we are watching a lot of it lately. I am thrilled that I can watch Minnesota Gopher hockey in southern California where I can pause the game and walk to the store in my shorts for some snacks. My allegiances to sports teams have tended to follow the wind and my current zip code. Gopher hockey, however, sticks with me. I like the fact that a strong majority of the team is from Minnesota, where I even watched some of them play in high school. There is only one non-Minnesotan on the team this year, but I can let that slip because he is one of the best goaltenders in the nation. This seems like a unique situation in sports--when a team actually represents their state. I wouldn't be surprised to see the gophers in the Frozen Four. They are having a great season, but have just hit some bumps.
As a kid I used to stay up late listening to Al Shaver call the Minnesota North Stars games. This I am realizing was a unique and formative experience.
A while ago I went to a therapist. I told her that I am not always on--I am very inconsistent. She asked if I was okay with being inconsistent and I said of course, I've been that way all my life. It's no surprise to me. Here I am writing not feeling the need to apologize for my lack of activity. I am just an inconsistent person. I'm also terrible at multi-tasking, I pay little attention to detail, and am not particularly organized. I keep looking for a job description that doesn't include those desired attributes.
D is still hurting. We ordered cable so we might rest and get better. TV feels like radio now. I'm just trying to find something different and all I get is the same shows played over and over. I don't think I'll ever be compelled to set a VCR again.
I've been out of touch with some people--sorry. I am feeling a bit of energy, which probably explains why my itunes downloading activity has increased--or is that the cause. I bought XTC's Black Sea which is now the third time I have officially paid for the album. My cassette wore out and my record is in Minnesota. I couldn't wait. I really think Travels in Nihilon would be a great song to remake. You might think I'm crazy, but there are some great subtleties to that song that could be brought out.
Speaking of Minnesota, I went back last week for my Mom's wedding. We had a blast playing football in the street. I miss my brothers--they are great people. I am truly lucky to have two of the best people I know as my brothers.
It really feels like Minnesota has changed since I left. The city has become so upscale, and the country has become so "blue state." I remember when Minneapolis was a gritty working town. It felt colder then, but more welcoming. I seems like the middle class, which felt before like all of Minnesota, is disappearing. There are such extremes of wealth and poverty in the city that it makes me worried.
I was in Minnesota during what I believe was an adolescence and I missed it's coming of age. You can see the Minneapolis I remember in this Husker Du video. I miss it.
Welcome back B. It wasn't hard for me to think of an answer to Dirk's earlier comment. The best guitar player in spirit has to be Nick Drake. These days I am learning about sadness, pain, and loss and finally seeing that they lie right alongside happiness, joy, and love. All of these things are always with us--just like Nick.
I found this touching video because it uses a great Nick Drake song and the dog reminds me of Ginger. Ginger used to wake me up at 6 every morning to go for a run even in the frozen months. Ginger, Rosie, Ceasar--I miss you.
We got married on August 4th at Shipwreck Beach! Hawaii was a magical, magnificent place. We spent a whole day snorkeling in the pouring rain, swimming with a sea turtle and dodging some big fish that seemed intent on tasting our toes. It is impossible to put into words the incredible happiness I felt--a breath of fresh air, a smile.
Adrian Belew may be the best living guitar player. OK--I've checked and it's official. The guitar seems to move him--it comes to life and plays the player. One of the best shows I have ever seen was his Inner Revolution tour at the Barrymore in Madison. We had front row seats and watched as the music smiled on us. The highlight for me that evening was The Rail Song. Of course you can catch Adrian with King Crimson as well these days. There you can see the perfect compliment to Adrian in Robert Fripp who seems to will the guitar, while the guitar wills Adrian. Here is a clip that just belew me away.
The show was great. As I left the show I wasn't overly excited. I was expecting the energy level to be high, but I found the mood to be slightly somber. As I reflect on the show I realize that the songs and performances were powerful in a different way. The emotional songs are sticking with me. They did a great job capturing the uncertainty and troubles we are collectively in at the moment. Acknowledging the confusion and pain while asking everyone to help support each other. It was refreshing to see a band perform with honest emotions rather than the usual overly enthusiastic act that has become the standard at a rock show. The more I think about it, the more I appreciate the experience. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a downer--we had a lot of fun. A few highlights: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2 (a crazy instrumental with 20,000 glow sticks flying like a food fight), and My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (a beautiful sing-a-long). They closed the show with a cover of "War Pigs" with images of Bush, Rumsfeld, etc, and bombs. I think they meant to send a message that wasn't altogether pretty. They were shooting a DVD so you might get to see the show as well. Until then, here is a clip from the show. (Please excuse the quality--I'll do better next time--this was just made with my portable camera).
