Tomorrow, Julie and I are going to a wedding.
No, it's not ours. That's a-ways away in the future. We don't have a date set.
This is the wedding of her friends Amy and Troy. You might've seen it in her blog that she was looking for a date for the wedding, and that's how we ended up meeting. (She got more than just a date for the wedding out of the deal.)
It's going to be an absolutely beautiful day for a wedding. Highs in the upper 60's, maybe lower 70's, and for November 1st, that's pretty impressive.
I've got my nice, dark gray suit here, ready for tomorrow. Julie's got...well...she's got something, but I'm not entirely sure what it is.
I'll make my way back to Pittsburgh a few days later, fix up the old house nice and pretty, and get her on the market. Shortly thereafter, I'll load some stuff on a truck and say "goodbye" to Pennsylvania, and "hello" to Illinois as a full-time resident. Get a job out here, something retail likely, until I can find someone willing to take a chance on me.
We'll get a picture or two of us tomorrow, for the curious who wanna see how we look dressed up.
I'll have to be sure and shake Troy's hand when I see him, because if it weren't for him...
I wouldn't have found the love of my life.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
It's a video blog, Charlie Brown.
A special treat for my readers (and occasional stalker) today:
Julie's oldest son, Travis, decided he wanted to carve pumpkins for Halloween.
This in and of itself is not unusual. People all over carve pumpkins, some quite creatively and with rather interesting patterns.
After opening and hollowing out the pumpkins, he got the idea to put Kadie, the rather photogenic and incredibly adorable dog into the pumpkin, as you see here.
With that accomplished, Travis thought it'd be a good idea to stuff Bob, one of Julie's cats, into the pumpkin. Bob's a good kitty, especially affectionate in the bathroom (don't ask), but somewhat shy and unwilling to try new things, as seen here...
Of course, you can't torture one without torturing the other. It was Rico's turn next, Julie's older (and somewhat larger) cat. Rico is less active, but more vocal, about what displeases him...
Of course, it was all in good fun. The pumpkins didn't get finished last night, but the memory will last a lifetime.
No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.
Julie's oldest son, Travis, decided he wanted to carve pumpkins for Halloween.
This in and of itself is not unusual. People all over carve pumpkins, some quite creatively and with rather interesting patterns.
After opening and hollowing out the pumpkins, he got the idea to put Kadie, the rather photogenic and incredibly adorable dog into the pumpkin, as you see here.
With that accomplished, Travis thought it'd be a good idea to stuff Bob, one of Julie's cats, into the pumpkin. Bob's a good kitty, especially affectionate in the bathroom (don't ask), but somewhat shy and unwilling to try new things, as seen here...
Of course, you can't torture one without torturing the other. It was Rico's turn next, Julie's older (and somewhat larger) cat. Rico is less active, but more vocal, about what displeases him...
Of course, it was all in good fun. The pumpkins didn't get finished last night, but the memory will last a lifetime.
No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A surprise...
This weekend, in Sycamore (DeKalb's neighbor), they've had a cool Pumpkin Festival with a parade, rides, decorated pumpkin contests...just a big party.
We went to the high school yesterday for an antique show (vendors too, but with some cool stuff...like amazing cinnamon banana roasted pecans), and wandered around a bit.
Today, we got up early went back into town. You have to go early for three reasons:
* Get a good parking spot
* Get a good parade viewing spot
* Get some good food.
And there was good food a-plenty to be had. Caramel apples. Beer-battered Brats on a Stick. Spiced Apple Cider.
Julie, Cory, Hailey and I walked around for a bit, the sun shining and a cool breeze whipping through the streets. We stopped in a candle and scent shop and Julie got a cool scented oil diffuser. We all got free tea lights. There was a cat in there. It was really cool.
Leaving there, we walked up the street. I said "let's go in here", to a jewelry shop Julie brought me to before, when she got her Grandma's old ring cleaned and fixed.
There's been a ring in there that Julie had wanted since she first laid eyes upon it. An orange diamond. Gorgeous ring.
Today, when we went in there, I bought her that ring.
Putting it on her finger, I whispered in her ear "you do know what this means, don't you?" She said "I'm going to marry you".
It was then I asked her to marry me. She said yes.
:)
We went to the high school yesterday for an antique show (vendors too, but with some cool stuff...like amazing cinnamon banana roasted pecans), and wandered around a bit.
Today, we got up early went back into town. You have to go early for three reasons:
* Get a good parking spot
* Get a good parade viewing spot
* Get some good food.
And there was good food a-plenty to be had. Caramel apples. Beer-battered Brats on a Stick. Spiced Apple Cider.
Julie, Cory, Hailey and I walked around for a bit, the sun shining and a cool breeze whipping through the streets. We stopped in a candle and scent shop and Julie got a cool scented oil diffuser. We all got free tea lights. There was a cat in there. It was really cool.
Leaving there, we walked up the street. I said "let's go in here", to a jewelry shop Julie brought me to before, when she got her Grandma's old ring cleaned and fixed.
There's been a ring in there that Julie had wanted since she first laid eyes upon it. An orange diamond. Gorgeous ring.
Today, when we went in there, I bought her that ring.
Putting it on her finger, I whispered in her ear "you do know what this means, don't you?" She said "I'm going to marry you".
It was then I asked her to marry me. She said yes.
:)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Yeah, I should be sleeping, but...
...instead, I sit and read and listen to music and blog and stuff like that.
Tomorrow morning (likely VERY early) I'll get on the road and go back out to DeKalb. I've missed Julie so much these past couple weeks. It's amazing how happy she makes me (and how happy I make her). With her, I'm complete, I think. She has my heart, and I love her so very much.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've heard it all before. What else is new, I know.
Well...
I had a real estate agent come by and we talked about selling the house. I could do one of two things:
It's a no-brainer, really. It'll require a little scraping of old paint (and the wallpaper it's been painted over), a fresh coat of new paint and (maybe) ripping up 20 year old rugs (I've got hard wood...floors!), and I might be able to get an extra few grand out of the house.
Also, I've gotta take paintings and pictures down (no biggie, since I was going to do so anyway) and take out some of the furniture (once again, already planned). The real estate agent said there was "too much furniture in the dining room", and really, she's right. Besides the table and four chairs, there's a bar, a dresser/cabinet, an entertainment center loaded with photo albums, DVDs and CDs, another entertainment stand with the stereo and more movies and music, an old organ...the list goes on.
The good news is, according to the research she's already done, houses in my area sell fairly quickly, within an average of sixty days. That's not too shabby, given the current economy (but then, this isn't a big, super-expensive home, and the Pittsburgh market hasn't been too too bad). My insurance will cover the house for six months, should I have to leave it vacant that long, before the coverage drops to fire only.
And, best of all...I get to be closer to my love. I think I can live with that, and the extra bit of work that needs to be done isn't that bad.
So, yeah, I'll be leaving Pittsburgh behind, moving out to DeKalb. My family...well...I've talked to two of my brothers, and I know they're worried, but they also understand that it's my life, and they know that Julie makes me happy.
Julie...
Okay, I think I will call it a night, now. Go to bed and get some sleep. Do a little more cleaning out tomorrow, call it an early night (promise!) and be ready to go see my angel...
Tomorrow morning (likely VERY early) I'll get on the road and go back out to DeKalb. I've missed Julie so much these past couple weeks. It's amazing how happy she makes me (and how happy I make her). With her, I'm complete, I think. She has my heart, and I love her so very much.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've heard it all before. What else is new, I know.
Well...
I had a real estate agent come by and we talked about selling the house. I could do one of two things:
- Sell the house as/is for less money, or
- Fix up a few things and get more cash.
It's a no-brainer, really. It'll require a little scraping of old paint (and the wallpaper it's been painted over), a fresh coat of new paint and (maybe) ripping up 20 year old rugs (I've got hard wood...floors!), and I might be able to get an extra few grand out of the house.
Also, I've gotta take paintings and pictures down (no biggie, since I was going to do so anyway) and take out some of the furniture (once again, already planned). The real estate agent said there was "too much furniture in the dining room", and really, she's right. Besides the table and four chairs, there's a bar, a dresser/cabinet, an entertainment center loaded with photo albums, DVDs and CDs, another entertainment stand with the stereo and more movies and music, an old organ...the list goes on.
The good news is, according to the research she's already done, houses in my area sell fairly quickly, within an average of sixty days. That's not too shabby, given the current economy (but then, this isn't a big, super-expensive home, and the Pittsburgh market hasn't been too too bad). My insurance will cover the house for six months, should I have to leave it vacant that long, before the coverage drops to fire only.
And, best of all...I get to be closer to my love. I think I can live with that, and the extra bit of work that needs to be done isn't that bad.
So, yeah, I'll be leaving Pittsburgh behind, moving out to DeKalb. My family...well...I've talked to two of my brothers, and I know they're worried, but they also understand that it's my life, and they know that Julie makes me happy.
Julie...
Okay, I think I will call it a night, now. Go to bed and get some sleep. Do a little more cleaning out tomorrow, call it an early night (promise!) and be ready to go see my angel...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Random Notes for October 17, 2008
A few odds and ends to talk about today...
Her room's pretty much cleared out. All that's left in there is her old furniture (anyone want a vanity and dresser? All you've gotta do is pick it up and haul it away. I'll even through in a used organ...), and the cedar chest, which comes with me. Yes, there are her memories and papers in there, but I want the chest (always did), and I can go through that at my leisure.
Today, I tackled the hall closet. Oy vey. There's old coats of hers that she hasn't worn in 10+ years, my brother's books from when he was in college (and he graduated 30 years ago), a really cool old microscope, and my old records.
Wait. Read that again. I found my old records!
I understand to you, gentle reader, this means diddly, but to me...these are lost memories that I thought were long gone. These are the 33rpm records (younger readers might not now what that is...ask if you're not sure) that I played over and over when I was a kid.
It was so bloody wonderful to open the one bag in there and see my old records. Even my original Bill Cosby comedy albums (those got played more than anything else, with perhaps the exception of Johnny Horton's Battle of New Orleans, and that one got played A LOT.) were in there.
Brought a big smile to my face, lemme tell ya.
No, that's not my Hallowe'en costume, going as a fat, balding Fonzie.
Awhile back, I told Julie that I used to wear a biker jacket in the Winter. For some reason, she found it hard to believe that I would wear such a thing, and I told her that when I found it, I'd put it on and take a picture.
It was in the hall closet, so I just had to put it on and take a picture. And yes, sweetheart, it's coming with me to DeKalb.
On that note, Julie's probably done with work for the day. I'm gonna take a break and then get back to work cleaning out my closets...
- I got a phone call from the Realtor today. She'll be out to see the house Tuesday afternoon at 2 to talk to me about selling the place.
- To this end, I've started cleaning out 50+ years of stuff.
Her room's pretty much cleared out. All that's left in there is her old furniture (anyone want a vanity and dresser? All you've gotta do is pick it up and haul it away. I'll even through in a used organ...), and the cedar chest, which comes with me. Yes, there are her memories and papers in there, but I want the chest (always did), and I can go through that at my leisure.
Today, I tackled the hall closet. Oy vey. There's old coats of hers that she hasn't worn in 10+ years, my brother's books from when he was in college (and he graduated 30 years ago), a really cool old microscope, and my old records.
Wait. Read that again. I found my old records!
I understand to you, gentle reader, this means diddly, but to me...these are lost memories that I thought were long gone. These are the 33rpm records (younger readers might not now what that is...ask if you're not sure) that I played over and over when I was a kid.
It was so bloody wonderful to open the one bag in there and see my old records. Even my original Bill Cosby comedy albums (those got played more than anything else, with perhaps the exception of Johnny Horton's Battle of New Orleans, and that one got played A LOT.) were in there.
Brought a big smile to my face, lemme tell ya.
- Speaking of things I found...check this out:
No, that's not my Hallowe'en costume, going as a fat, balding Fonzie.
Awhile back, I told Julie that I used to wear a biker jacket in the Winter. For some reason, she found it hard to believe that I would wear such a thing, and I told her that when I found it, I'd put it on and take a picture.
It was in the hall closet, so I just had to put it on and take a picture. And yes, sweetheart, it's coming with me to DeKalb.
On that note, Julie's probably done with work for the day. I'm gonna take a break and then get back to work cleaning out my closets...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Video didn't kill the radio star
I can remember, when I was a little kid, waiting every week for the new issue of TV Guide to come to the house. I'd get it and put it on the end table near the couch, under the current issue, and not let anyone look at it until that week was over.
I loved TV Guide. Mind you, I'm talking about the old digest-sized TV Guide, not this new magazine-sized imposter. I would read it from cover to cover, every week, even if I didn't understand what all the articles meant. Even did the crossword puzzle in the back of the book most weeks.
I'd wait for the new Fall Preview Issue. Oh, that was a special one, one that would be kept for a few weeks (every other issue was tossed into the garbage Saturday morning). It was so cool, seeing the listings for all the new shows coming, wanting to see the cool ones and forgetting about those dull, boring dramas.
TV Guide meant to me there was another week coming. As a kid, I figured that if we didn't get a new issue of TV Guide, well, the world was going to come to an end. No TV Guide...no more life.
Yeah, I was a warped little kid.
We stopped getting TV Guide years ago, around the time so many new cable stations started to appear. There were so many options, guides on the TV and on this new, marvellous invention called the internet, why did we need this little book? After so long, we ended the subscription and just decided to "wing it". Whatever was on, we watched.
As a kid, I watched a lot of TV. The older I got, I watched less and less, with fewer and fewer shows coming out to hold my interest. I can count on probably one hand (maybe adding an extra finger or two) TV shows that have captured my interest to the point that I had to see them. Otherwise, it was background noise, something to fill the void in an empty home.
Some night, I wouldn't even turn the TV on. A shocking concept, to be sure, but I was content to listen to a record, read (Heavens forbid!), or just surf the web.
About two years ago, I dropped cable and switched to a satellite. We got cable in the house back in 1981, when cable was in its infancy and MTV actually showed music videos. Mind you, I love the dish, and I won't switch back to cable. There's more choices, a better signal, and my rates don't go up every time some VP at the cable company farts.
But yesterday, to go along with the changes in my life, I did something that, as a child, would have seemed impossible.
I stopped the TV service.
Well, not stopped, but more like put on a six-month "hold". I haven't been here to watch the TV, and since I'm looking more toward moving to DeKalb, I really don't have time to watch the boob tube anymore. A phone call later, and my dish service is "paused".
Last night, when I'd normally be going into the living room and flip on the television, I popped in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Paused it a couple times when Julie called, but that was it. No TV shows for me to stay up late and watch. No annoying commercials. No flipping through 500 channels and not finding one damn thing worth watching.
It was an amazing experience, one that still, today, seems somehow surreal (and I can't even watch The Surreal Life).
Yes, I'm aware I can watch most of the shows on the Internet, but I'm not comfortable doing that. Places like Youtube and their ilk are good for short clips, but to sit and watch a whole show on the computer? I'm a geek, but I'm not ready to go there.
In six months time, I don't know if I'll restart the dish service. I may. I may not. Yes, it's nice to have the shows, the diversions, the entertainment. But I prefer my music, and I still have my XM radio. I've got DVDs out the yin-yang. Sure, it'd be cool to have Julie over to watch the race in high-def (even though she doesn't see a difference, she might sing a different tune when she sees Dale Jr. in crystal-clear high definition...and then have her forget her loving boyfriend again...sigh), but I don't know, right now, if I want the TV back.
Another day, another change. Interesting where life takes you, isn't it...and I don't even have a copy of TV Guide to tell me what's on anymore.
I loved TV Guide. Mind you, I'm talking about the old digest-sized TV Guide, not this new magazine-sized imposter. I would read it from cover to cover, every week, even if I didn't understand what all the articles meant. Even did the crossword puzzle in the back of the book most weeks.
I'd wait for the new Fall Preview Issue. Oh, that was a special one, one that would be kept for a few weeks (every other issue was tossed into the garbage Saturday morning). It was so cool, seeing the listings for all the new shows coming, wanting to see the cool ones and forgetting about those dull, boring dramas.
TV Guide meant to me there was another week coming. As a kid, I figured that if we didn't get a new issue of TV Guide, well, the world was going to come to an end. No TV Guide...no more life.
Yeah, I was a warped little kid.
We stopped getting TV Guide years ago, around the time so many new cable stations started to appear. There were so many options, guides on the TV and on this new, marvellous invention called the internet, why did we need this little book? After so long, we ended the subscription and just decided to "wing it". Whatever was on, we watched.
As a kid, I watched a lot of TV. The older I got, I watched less and less, with fewer and fewer shows coming out to hold my interest. I can count on probably one hand (maybe adding an extra finger or two) TV shows that have captured my interest to the point that I had to see them. Otherwise, it was background noise, something to fill the void in an empty home.
Some night, I wouldn't even turn the TV on. A shocking concept, to be sure, but I was content to listen to a record, read (Heavens forbid!), or just surf the web.
About two years ago, I dropped cable and switched to a satellite. We got cable in the house back in 1981, when cable was in its infancy and MTV actually showed music videos. Mind you, I love the dish, and I won't switch back to cable. There's more choices, a better signal, and my rates don't go up every time some VP at the cable company farts.
But yesterday, to go along with the changes in my life, I did something that, as a child, would have seemed impossible.
I stopped the TV service.
Well, not stopped, but more like put on a six-month "hold". I haven't been here to watch the TV, and since I'm looking more toward moving to DeKalb, I really don't have time to watch the boob tube anymore. A phone call later, and my dish service is "paused".
Last night, when I'd normally be going into the living room and flip on the television, I popped in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Paused it a couple times when Julie called, but that was it. No TV shows for me to stay up late and watch. No annoying commercials. No flipping through 500 channels and not finding one damn thing worth watching.
It was an amazing experience, one that still, today, seems somehow surreal (and I can't even watch The Surreal Life).
Yes, I'm aware I can watch most of the shows on the Internet, but I'm not comfortable doing that. Places like Youtube and their ilk are good for short clips, but to sit and watch a whole show on the computer? I'm a geek, but I'm not ready to go there.
In six months time, I don't know if I'll restart the dish service. I may. I may not. Yes, it's nice to have the shows, the diversions, the entertainment. But I prefer my music, and I still have my XM radio. I've got DVDs out the yin-yang. Sure, it'd be cool to have Julie over to watch the race in high-def (even though she doesn't see a difference, she might sing a different tune when she sees Dale Jr. in crystal-clear high definition...and then have her forget her loving boyfriend again...sigh), but I don't know, right now, if I want the TV back.
Another day, another change. Interesting where life takes you, isn't it...and I don't even have a copy of TV Guide to tell me what's on anymore.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Online, offline and holding the line
Well, that was quick, wasn't it?
Okay, explanation time, if you didn't hear.
Before I left for my last DeKalb visit, I went and switched my home telephone number from Verizon to Vonage. Vonage is cheaper, and has a more features which appeal to me these days (like accessing my voicemail online and a virtual DeKalb phone number). I did the switch, it worked, and it was all good.
Except...switching the home phone number from the phone company meant that they were cancelling my home phone service. Not a good thing, trust me.
When I got home, I found that I had no DSL. Given that I'm trying to find work and need to stay in touch with the woman I love, who happens to be over 500 miles from me, being offline is a bad thing.
A long phone call back to Verizon (my cell phone bill is gonna be bad again this month...sigh) later, I was able to setup DSL service through them, but not without consequences:
* I had to cancel DSL through my long-term provider, Speakeasy. This hurt. I loved their service, and losing them, while expected and even planned, was unpleasant. If you ever used the onestar@speakeasy.net e-mail address, you can delete it, as that account is gone.
* Verizon told me it could take up to 10 days to get my DSL back up and running at home. This was unacceptable, I told them, and believe me, I spoke to about a half-dozen people, all the way down to the local connection office on Friday, in the hopes I'd be connected sooner than October 20th.
Thankfully, it seems someone there listened, and I'm back up and running with a dedicated DSL line here at home. If you have my home phone number, you can call it safely and I'll be able to answer. I think I'll have to put my cell phone in the freezer to let it cool down from all the use it's received over the last few days...
Now then. Time for the big news. Some of you are probably expecting the next sentence and won't be surprised in the least. Some of you, friends and stalkers alike, might be surprised.
I'm leaving Pittsburgh.
For the last month, I've been actively seeking employment out near Julie. I've decided, after the last trip back here from seeing her, I don't want to leave her. I want to be nearer to her, and she wants me there as well.
I'll put my home up for sale, and start the process of relocating out to the Mid-West.
I don't want to start 2009 here. I will be in DeKalb, near the woman I love, to start the new year.
I've applied for over three dozen jobs out there, and while I haven't heard anything yet, I'm continuing to apply, I'll be working with headhunters, and am actively seeking employment there.
My heart is out there. I don't want to be here anymore.
So while I'm back online, you might not see or hear from me as much as you used to. I've got things to do...lots of things...to make this work. I'll keep you posted as how things go, job hunting, living accommodations, stuff like that...as I make this move.
Okay, explanation time, if you didn't hear.
Before I left for my last DeKalb visit, I went and switched my home telephone number from Verizon to Vonage. Vonage is cheaper, and has a more features which appeal to me these days (like accessing my voicemail online and a virtual DeKalb phone number). I did the switch, it worked, and it was all good.
Except...switching the home phone number from the phone company meant that they were cancelling my home phone service. Not a good thing, trust me.
When I got home, I found that I had no DSL. Given that I'm trying to find work and need to stay in touch with the woman I love, who happens to be over 500 miles from me, being offline is a bad thing.
A long phone call back to Verizon (my cell phone bill is gonna be bad again this month...sigh) later, I was able to setup DSL service through them, but not without consequences:
* I had to cancel DSL through my long-term provider, Speakeasy. This hurt. I loved their service, and losing them, while expected and even planned, was unpleasant. If you ever used the onestar@speakeasy.net e-mail address, you can delete it, as that account is gone.
* Verizon told me it could take up to 10 days to get my DSL back up and running at home. This was unacceptable, I told them, and believe me, I spoke to about a half-dozen people, all the way down to the local connection office on Friday, in the hopes I'd be connected sooner than October 20th.
Thankfully, it seems someone there listened, and I'm back up and running with a dedicated DSL line here at home. If you have my home phone number, you can call it safely and I'll be able to answer. I think I'll have to put my cell phone in the freezer to let it cool down from all the use it's received over the last few days...
Now then. Time for the big news. Some of you are probably expecting the next sentence and won't be surprised in the least. Some of you, friends and stalkers alike, might be surprised.
I'm leaving Pittsburgh.
For the last month, I've been actively seeking employment out near Julie. I've decided, after the last trip back here from seeing her, I don't want to leave her. I want to be nearer to her, and she wants me there as well.
I'll put my home up for sale, and start the process of relocating out to the Mid-West.
I don't want to start 2009 here. I will be in DeKalb, near the woman I love, to start the new year.
I've applied for over three dozen jobs out there, and while I haven't heard anything yet, I'm continuing to apply, I'll be working with headhunters, and am actively seeking employment there.
My heart is out there. I don't want to be here anymore.
So while I'm back online, you might not see or hear from me as much as you used to. I've got things to do...lots of things...to make this work. I'll keep you posted as how things go, job hunting, living accommodations, stuff like that...as I make this move.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Offline
I'm going to be offline for a while, folks.
I've no internet at home (again), and it's gonna be a few days before I can get back online there.
It's either borrow my buddy's connection of hang out in coffee shops to get on.
Be back when I can...
I've no internet at home (again), and it's gonna be a few days before I can get back online there.
It's either borrow my buddy's connection of hang out in coffee shops to get on.
Be back when I can...
Saturday, October 04, 2008
In all fairness...
For my birthday, Julie bought me some new clothes. For some reason, she dislikes parts of my wardrobe, as we learned from the whole blazer or no blazer debacle.
Among the gifts was this new henley shirt:
It's a long-sleeved shirt. I won't wear long sleeves until it gets to about, oh, 10 below zero, so I pushed the sleeves up.
Time to take this to the Court of Public Opinion (for fun, of course...this is all in good fun you know). What do you think?
C'mon. Vote. I'll still do what I please, mind you...
Among the gifts was this new henley shirt:
It's a long-sleeved shirt. I won't wear long sleeves until it gets to about, oh, 10 below zero, so I pushed the sleeves up.
Time to take this to the Court of Public Opinion (for fun, of course...this is all in good fun you know). What do you think?
C'mon. Vote. I'll still do what I please, mind you...
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Just call me "gramps"
Time to bring this to the court of public opinion.
It's a little chilly in DeKalb today, and I wanted to wear my blazer. Now, folks know I love my blazers...but Julie doesn't seem to think I look good in 'em.
For your consideration...please take a look at the two examples presented below:
She seems to think that these sportcoats make me look like I'm 71, and not 41. I like the feel of a sport coat. It's a classic look. Julie, on the other hand, thinks they're from the 70's (okay...maybe more like early 80''s) and says they make me look more than just old-school...just plain old.
So I ask you, gentle reader, to offer your two cents worth. Sport coat or no?
Not that it matters. I'm too stubborn for my own good, and if I like 'em, I'll wear 'em (just not around my love...)
It's a little chilly in DeKalb today, and I wanted to wear my blazer. Now, folks know I love my blazers...but Julie doesn't seem to think I look good in 'em.
For your consideration...please take a look at the two examples presented below:
She seems to think that these sportcoats make me look like I'm 71, and not 41. I like the feel of a sport coat. It's a classic look. Julie, on the other hand, thinks they're from the 70's (okay...maybe more like early 80''s) and says they make me look more than just old-school...just plain old.
So I ask you, gentle reader, to offer your two cents worth. Sport coat or no?
Not that it matters. I'm too stubborn for my own good, and if I like 'em, I'll wear 'em (just not around my love...)
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Defining moments in a life
Music.
Those who know me, know it's as integral to my life as the woman I love, the air I breathe and the food I eat. Music has kept me going through the good times as well as the bad. It's more than just background noise...and should never be treated as such.
Yes, I know. Not everyone shares my passion for music. Some just "see" it, as I said, as background noise, something to have on in the car while they're driving or in the house to fill the empty spaces in their lives. I don't see it as such. To me, it's needed to define moments, put things in perspective, or just simply carry me away to a safe place inside my soul.
There isn't a week, it seems, that goes past that I'm not buying a CD. And yes, let's get this out of the way now: I don't like digital downloads. They're not as good as CDs, even though CDs today are mostly audibly overproduced pieces of noise made louder to satisfy the iPod and their ilk. Dynamic range is a thing of the past. Tonal quality sacrificed at the altar of a lie jokingly referred to as "cd-quality". Pfft. That's likely the second biggest joke I've ever heard, with the concept of "conservatives for change" narrowly beating it out.
But I digress. As I said, there isn't a week that goes past where I haven't bought at least one CD. This week, well, I've got four of them sitting near me as I type. Colin Hay (the lead singer of the 80's band Men at Work) did a solo album with acoustic version of his old group's biggest hits, along with some of his solo material, and it's damn good. Well worth tracking down, if only to hear "Overkill" done acoustically.
A couple blasts from the past as well: Metallica's self-titled (and sometimes referred to as the "black" album) from '91 is part of my collection again, as well as a greatest hits package by Cheap Trick, something that's long been missing from my collection.
I also decided I wanted something new. During a recent visit to a Barnes and Noble (yeah, they're slightly overpriced, but you can listen to samples of every album they have, and they've got excellent Jazz and Classical sections), I picked up the new release by an artist from Mali named Issa Bagayogo.
His style's considered electronic, but this new album also has some Jazz overtones to it. Listening to samples of some of the tracks, I was hooked, and picked it up. It's in the car CD player now, and it's been nice to listen to there, but I have to devote some time to listen to it at home where I can enjoy it uninterrupted.
Yes. Believe it or not, I still try to sit back and listen to albums the way they were meant to be listened to...by themselves with no interruptions. No TV, no games, not while reading or cooking or whatever, but just hearing the music for the sake of the music.
Although it's next to impossible to find in the new layout Facebook offers, I have an app that shows what I'm listening to on Winamp. Right now, The Fugees are playing Killing Me Softly. I've got my noise cancelling headphones on, which is so cool that it's even drowning out the sound of my fingers going across the keyboard at full speed.
What about you? What drives you, musically? Is it mere background noise filling in the holes in your life or does it have a greater meaning than that? Most importantly...what are you listening to right now?
Those who know me, know it's as integral to my life as the woman I love, the air I breathe and the food I eat. Music has kept me going through the good times as well as the bad. It's more than just background noise...and should never be treated as such.
Yes, I know. Not everyone shares my passion for music. Some just "see" it, as I said, as background noise, something to have on in the car while they're driving or in the house to fill the empty spaces in their lives. I don't see it as such. To me, it's needed to define moments, put things in perspective, or just simply carry me away to a safe place inside my soul.
There isn't a week, it seems, that goes past that I'm not buying a CD. And yes, let's get this out of the way now: I don't like digital downloads. They're not as good as CDs, even though CDs today are mostly audibly overproduced pieces of noise made louder to satisfy the iPod and their ilk. Dynamic range is a thing of the past. Tonal quality sacrificed at the altar of a lie jokingly referred to as "cd-quality". Pfft. That's likely the second biggest joke I've ever heard, with the concept of "conservatives for change" narrowly beating it out.
But I digress. As I said, there isn't a week that goes past where I haven't bought at least one CD. This week, well, I've got four of them sitting near me as I type. Colin Hay (the lead singer of the 80's band Men at Work) did a solo album with acoustic version of his old group's biggest hits, along with some of his solo material, and it's damn good. Well worth tracking down, if only to hear "Overkill" done acoustically.
A couple blasts from the past as well: Metallica's self-titled (and sometimes referred to as the "black" album) from '91 is part of my collection again, as well as a greatest hits package by Cheap Trick, something that's long been missing from my collection.
I also decided I wanted something new. During a recent visit to a Barnes and Noble (yeah, they're slightly overpriced, but you can listen to samples of every album they have, and they've got excellent Jazz and Classical sections), I picked up the new release by an artist from Mali named Issa Bagayogo.
His style's considered electronic, but this new album also has some Jazz overtones to it. Listening to samples of some of the tracks, I was hooked, and picked it up. It's in the car CD player now, and it's been nice to listen to there, but I have to devote some time to listen to it at home where I can enjoy it uninterrupted.
Yes. Believe it or not, I still try to sit back and listen to albums the way they were meant to be listened to...by themselves with no interruptions. No TV, no games, not while reading or cooking or whatever, but just hearing the music for the sake of the music.
Although it's next to impossible to find in the new layout Facebook offers, I have an app that shows what I'm listening to on Winamp. Right now, The Fugees are playing Killing Me Softly. I've got my noise cancelling headphones on, which is so cool that it's even drowning out the sound of my fingers going across the keyboard at full speed.
What about you? What drives you, musically? Is it mere background noise filling in the holes in your life or does it have a greater meaning than that? Most importantly...what are you listening to right now?
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