Originally, I wanted to write about every night of Week of Wally. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. I got home late most nights last week, and my internet was wonky every night. Therefore, you are going to get this recap where I will write approximately a paragraph about each night. Lets begin shall we?
On Monday, the plan was to go bowling. Unfortunately, every alley in Portland with beer has leagues during the week at the time I wanted to go. Thus, we decided to bowl on campus. However, we had dinner at Baan Thai first. It was Louisa, Mark, Robin, and Derek for dinner. Eric! joined us for bowling. It was good times, and afterward, Louisa, Robin, and I grabbed a drink at Paccinis.
Tuesday was the big day, and it was dinner at Deschutes Brewing. Every year in Portland for my birthday I have gone to a brew pub. This year was no different. The group was 20 people: Debo, Louisa, Goodwin, Boz, Brookes, J, Eric!, Kyle, Emily, Christine, John, Mark, Nachel, Kari, Robin, Jenn, Joe, and Cody. I think I am forgetting someone. The most embarassing moment was when Debo sang to me. My face got bright red. After dinner, a group of us went to Rock Bottom. It was good times.
As usual, Wednesday was Pub Quiz. We fielded two teams for four people. The Good and The Bad had Joe, Jason, Jenn, and Robin, and And the Wally had Brookes, J, Amie, and me. It was the wrong night to split up The Good, the Bad, and the Wally. We would have kicked ass combined, but seperated only And the Wally made it to the final round. We finished fourth.
On Thursday, I had the photo scavenger hunt. Seven people besides me came out for it: Ashley, Kari, Derek, Eric!, Robin, Brookes, and Salazar. We had two teams of four. The first four people were on Kari's team, and the last three were on a team with me. Both groups accomplished all the pictures and had lots of duplicates. We realized lots of ways to improve it in the future, but everyone had a blast. The only downside was the person who suggested the event did not get to make it. After the hunt, we went to Paccinis for some food. I have missed their burger. Yum.
For Friday, Joe, Jenn, and Jason were having an apartment warm party. With nothing else really planned, I went there. It was decent. I drank some gin drinks, played some video games and Stratego, and talked. Obviously we had Joe, Jenn, and Jason, but Brookes, Amie, Eric!, and Goodwin also partied. Eventually, the party died, so I grabbed drinks with Goodie, Jaz, and Rhea. Then I passed out on Goodie's couch. True story.
On Saturday, I went pub crawling. At first it was just Brookes and me. We had beers at Roots Organic Brewing and the Lucky Lab. I tried this sour brown beer at Roots, and it really was sour. I am still uncertain if I liked it or not. After those two pubs, we went to the Green Dragon where Kim and Robin met up with us. I really like that bar, but the service was pretty bad. Oh well. Afterwards, we ventured into this place called Sway Bar. None of us had been there before, but we all kind of liked it except for one issue. It was too dark in there. The only illumination came from the candles on the tables. While there, J joined us. Finally, we went to My Father's Place which is still one of my favorite dive bars. It has cheap drinks and food, and the service is pretty good. I would like to go there more often. Or live about it.
Well that is the Week of Wally in a nutshell. Pictures are on both facebook and Flickr. Thanks to everyone who came along and celebrated. Special mention goes to Brookes and Robin. They tied for the most events. Both of them only missed one night. I guess it is time to start planning next year...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
She Only Calls Me on Sundays
Well, Week of Wally is officially here. We kicked the festivities off with an extra long game night with some fried chicken from KFC. However, first, we should talk about Saturday. Or maybe I should talk about Friday.
On Friday, I tried to get more applications done for jobs. I managed to get two finished, but I never got anymore work made on them. My current job kept taking precedence. I tried to manage some of the filing that had been piling up, but the Ondine computer finally decided to begin its final death throes. About a week or two ago, it began to literally fall apart with keys going missing. As of Friday, it started locking up, and then it started popping up with virus and ad ware warnings. Most of them were those anti-adware adware programs.
Anyway, it was quickly becoming futile to use, so I called Housing. They told me to call Ross. He would not be able to have us a replacement until Monday, and he told me to call Housing back. Housing decided to loan us their laptop for the weekend. Of course, we weren't set up to use StarRez on it, so I had to figure that out. Luckily, it worked before I left. Unfortunately, I got no other work done managing that crisis.
Now, I thought I might get some of the work done on Saturday because I was asked to come in. Normally, I don't work Saturdays, but it was a move out weeekend, and they wanted the help. Plus, I could use the money. Before going to work, I had the most amazing breakfast at the Blue Pig Cafe.
I have passed this cafe multiple times on Division, and recently, I read about it in the Willamette Week. Since I had to be up early on a Saturday, I finally decided to try it, and I do not regret it. I got the chicken fried steak platter, and it came with eggs, potatoes, and a giant biscuit. It was so good and filling; I was unable to finish it all. So good.
As for work on Saturday, it was fairly quiet and slow until the final ten minutes when we had a line of people checking out. Of course, I did not get any of the work I wanted finished because it was just steady enough during the day to keep me out front. Plus, I had fun talking to everyone working that day.
That evening I came home to eat a bite and watch some Arrested Development like I did on Friday night. Of course, I had some gin & tonics on Friday, but Saturday I had been asked to go out too. Thus I did not drink with dinner. Anyway, I met up with some friends at Paccinis for Salazar's 21st birthday. I had a Tom Collins and a gin & tonic. For some reason, I am really enjoying gin drinks lately. Well, the party group left to go do some expensive stuff I did not want to do, so Alex, Kim, Robin and I stayed in to play a board game. The choice for the night : Chicago Express.
Chicago Express was one of the three games I bought myself for my birthday. (The other two being Brass and Race for the Galaxy.) After one play, I think this game could quickly become one of my favorites. It is relatively simple, but there is a lot of strategy to it. The game has no luck, and your decisions carry a lot of weight. The other players seem to enjoy it too. I want to buy more train games now. For those curious, Alex won the game.
On Sunday, I got to sleep in just a little bit, and I made more progress on season three of Arrested Development. However, it was time to start Week of Wally, so I got nothing productive done at home. I needed to be on campus around 2 PM for an Extra Special Game Night!
As soon as I got there, we had like six people show up: Robin, Alex, Brookes, Louisa, Derek, and myself. To begin, we played everybody's favorite TransAmerica. This game is easily in my top 5 just because of how simple and fun it is. Great intro game. From there, Eric!, Mark, Alex, and I played Brass for the first time. The game is long, complex, but fun. While we being industrial revolution tycoons, other people played Rock Band. In the end, Eric! won Brass. I think next time we play it will be different. However, I think we all liked it.
After that game, we took a break to go buy some fried chicken. We bought a lot... and all but one of the biscuits KFC had. I love fried chicken... a lot. It is so delicious.
Once everyone had eaten, we gave Chicago Express another go. This time Robin won. I don't think the game works as well with six players, but I still really like it. I kind of want to play it again next week, but that would violate my ban on playing the same game two weeks in a row rule. Oh well.
We ended the night with Betrayal at the House on the Hill. Unfortunately, I had to be the priest instead of the little boy. (Those two kids are just so balanced! Seriously, they're the best characters in the game.) At least, we had a new haunt. Robin was the traitor, and he was an invisible killer. I got killed first, so I joined some people playing Rock Band. I am not even sure who won the game actually.
Special thanks to everyone who came out to the Extra Special Game Night and the first night of Week of Wally. We had Eric!, Louisa, Brookes, Derek, Mark, Kim, Robin, Alex, Debo, Nachel, Jason W., Kyle, Omar, Cody, Ashley, Brett, Jazlynn, Salazar, a random FYE resident, and I am probably forgetting someone. Anyway, I despereately need to go to bed now. It will be time for work before you know it.
On Friday, I tried to get more applications done for jobs. I managed to get two finished, but I never got anymore work made on them. My current job kept taking precedence. I tried to manage some of the filing that had been piling up, but the Ondine computer finally decided to begin its final death throes. About a week or two ago, it began to literally fall apart with keys going missing. As of Friday, it started locking up, and then it started popping up with virus and ad ware warnings. Most of them were those anti-adware adware programs.
Anyway, it was quickly becoming futile to use, so I called Housing. They told me to call Ross. He would not be able to have us a replacement until Monday, and he told me to call Housing back. Housing decided to loan us their laptop for the weekend. Of course, we weren't set up to use StarRez on it, so I had to figure that out. Luckily, it worked before I left. Unfortunately, I got no other work done managing that crisis.
Now, I thought I might get some of the work done on Saturday because I was asked to come in. Normally, I don't work Saturdays, but it was a move out weeekend, and they wanted the help. Plus, I could use the money. Before going to work, I had the most amazing breakfast at the Blue Pig Cafe.
I have passed this cafe multiple times on Division, and recently, I read about it in the Willamette Week. Since I had to be up early on a Saturday, I finally decided to try it, and I do not regret it. I got the chicken fried steak platter, and it came with eggs, potatoes, and a giant biscuit. It was so good and filling; I was unable to finish it all. So good.
As for work on Saturday, it was fairly quiet and slow until the final ten minutes when we had a line of people checking out. Of course, I did not get any of the work I wanted finished because it was just steady enough during the day to keep me out front. Plus, I had fun talking to everyone working that day.
That evening I came home to eat a bite and watch some Arrested Development like I did on Friday night. Of course, I had some gin & tonics on Friday, but Saturday I had been asked to go out too. Thus I did not drink with dinner. Anyway, I met up with some friends at Paccinis for Salazar's 21st birthday. I had a Tom Collins and a gin & tonic. For some reason, I am really enjoying gin drinks lately. Well, the party group left to go do some expensive stuff I did not want to do, so Alex, Kim, Robin and I stayed in to play a board game. The choice for the night : Chicago Express.
Chicago Express was one of the three games I bought myself for my birthday. (The other two being Brass and Race for the Galaxy.) After one play, I think this game could quickly become one of my favorites. It is relatively simple, but there is a lot of strategy to it. The game has no luck, and your decisions carry a lot of weight. The other players seem to enjoy it too. I want to buy more train games now. For those curious, Alex won the game.
On Sunday, I got to sleep in just a little bit, and I made more progress on season three of Arrested Development. However, it was time to start Week of Wally, so I got nothing productive done at home. I needed to be on campus around 2 PM for an Extra Special Game Night!
As soon as I got there, we had like six people show up: Robin, Alex, Brookes, Louisa, Derek, and myself. To begin, we played everybody's favorite TransAmerica. This game is easily in my top 5 just because of how simple and fun it is. Great intro game. From there, Eric!, Mark, Alex, and I played Brass for the first time. The game is long, complex, but fun. While we being industrial revolution tycoons, other people played Rock Band. In the end, Eric! won Brass. I think next time we play it will be different. However, I think we all liked it.
After that game, we took a break to go buy some fried chicken. We bought a lot... and all but one of the biscuits KFC had. I love fried chicken... a lot. It is so delicious.
Once everyone had eaten, we gave Chicago Express another go. This time Robin won. I don't think the game works as well with six players, but I still really like it. I kind of want to play it again next week, but that would violate my ban on playing the same game two weeks in a row rule. Oh well.
We ended the night with Betrayal at the House on the Hill. Unfortunately, I had to be the priest instead of the little boy. (Those two kids are just so balanced! Seriously, they're the best characters in the game.) At least, we had a new haunt. Robin was the traitor, and he was an invisible killer. I got killed first, so I joined some people playing Rock Band. I am not even sure who won the game actually.
Special thanks to everyone who came out to the Extra Special Game Night and the first night of Week of Wally. We had Eric!, Louisa, Brookes, Derek, Mark, Kim, Robin, Alex, Debo, Nachel, Jason W., Kyle, Omar, Cody, Ashley, Brett, Jazlynn, Salazar, a random FYE resident, and I am probably forgetting someone. Anyway, I despereately need to go to bed now. It will be time for work before you know it.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Sinking Pretty Ladies' Battleships
Lately, I have been extremely tired. I am not sure why, but it has been difficult getting through days. From this exhaustion, I am just feeling all around weak. I know I mentioned this before, but it is continuing. Some of the same ol' stuff is tearing me down. However, it is not getting me as down as before... luckily.
Well, I have been job searching. As of right now, I have applied for... one job. However, I have everything ready to go for another one, and I am almost ready for a third. I just need to finish writing a cover letters. Speaking of which, those are pain in the arse to write. Hopefully, my latest attempts to pay off.
At long last, I am trying to get radio jobs. The one job I applied for was a Producer/Call screener position. It may only be part time, but I think it would be fun. I am also going to apply for a sales job at a station. I know. I kind of hated Sales class, but it would be a good job. The third job is with a community media group, and it is more what I would really like to do.
I shaved. My beard is now gone. While removing it, I took gradual steps. At first, I had friendly mutton chops, then I got rid of the chops. After that, I rocked a mustache. I would have kept it longer, but when your mom says you look like a pedophile, it is probably wise to listen. Sheesh my mom is mean.
Last night at pub quiz, I had a completely different line up for The Good, The Bad, and The Wally. The usual good and bad had replacements. I am not going to lie. I found it a little more fun this week. I think I kind of miss the constant changing of the team we had back in the summer. Of course, we did not do so well in the actual rounds, but we did win the Thirsty Lion Trivia Challen. Free beer and beer glasses! Huzzah.
I may lose, or tie I should say, at games of Scrabble online, but with Battleship, I am an ass kicking, name taking Admiral.
Well, I have been job searching. As of right now, I have applied for... one job. However, I have everything ready to go for another one, and I am almost ready for a third. I just need to finish writing a cover letters. Speaking of which, those are pain in the arse to write. Hopefully, my latest attempts to pay off.
At long last, I am trying to get radio jobs. The one job I applied for was a Producer/Call screener position. It may only be part time, but I think it would be fun. I am also going to apply for a sales job at a station. I know. I kind of hated Sales class, but it would be a good job. The third job is with a community media group, and it is more what I would really like to do.
I shaved. My beard is now gone. While removing it, I took gradual steps. At first, I had friendly mutton chops, then I got rid of the chops. After that, I rocked a mustache. I would have kept it longer, but when your mom says you look like a pedophile, it is probably wise to listen. Sheesh my mom is mean.
Last night at pub quiz, I had a completely different line up for The Good, The Bad, and The Wally. The usual good and bad had replacements. I am not going to lie. I found it a little more fun this week. I think I kind of miss the constant changing of the team we had back in the summer. Of course, we did not do so well in the actual rounds, but we did win the Thirsty Lion Trivia Challen. Free beer and beer glasses! Huzzah.
I may lose, or tie I should say, at games of Scrabble online, but with Battleship, I am an ass kicking, name taking Admiral.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Guys Night Out
On Saturday, I woke up a little bit earlier than a normal Saturday because I needed to go to the Post Office. On Thursday, I received a notice from the USPS saying that I had a package I needed to sign to pick up. I was confused because I had no idea what it might have been, and I could not read who the send was according to the card. Well, I went to go get it, and I was confused where the Will Call door was because the main counter was closed. It ends up that it is this door to the left of the counters.
Well, I pushed the button and gave the guy my card, and he gave me my package. It ends up it was from Wendy. It was mailed from China, and it was filled with all sorts of Chinese stuff including a hat! The hat has Chinese letters on the inside of it, but I have no idea what it says. When I see Tiger on Monday, I am going to ask him what it says. Let me just go on record saying how incredibly awesome Wendy is.
For lunch, I hit up Popeye's...again. I have gone there for the past three Saturdays. I am just so excited to finally know where one is at here in Portland. I knew they existed, but I had never seen one.
While I was there, I made a little bit of progress on the Faulkner story, "The Bear". I have a hard time calling it a short story. It is approximately 140 pages. Although I am not sure of the exact word count, I am pretty sure it classifies more as a novella than a short story. I always thought short stories were designed to be read in one sitting, but what do I know. The point is "The Bear" is a long story.
During the afternoon, I played Rock Band for a good while. I played the solo guitar tour on medium and finished it. It was fun, and then I started to play a couple songs on hard. At the moment, I am not good enough to do that. Perhaps in time.
After finishing up Rock Band, I watched some Arrested Development while I waited on J and Chris to show up. We were going to have a Guys Night, but the plans were not decided at first. However, by the time they showed up, we were ready to go. The plan was to go eat at Old Chicago and then go to Edgefield.
I have never been to Old Chicago before. In fact, we were all Old Chicago virgins, but I kind of enjoyed it. It was fun watching J try to hit on our waitress until we realized she was married. I noticed the ring first and tried to point it out, but no one listened. Then Chris noticed, and J was disappointed. It was still fun, and the pizza was decent.
After dinner, we headed over to Edgefield for some of their St. Patrick's Day celebration even though it was a few days before the actual holiday. I have never been there before, but it was really impressive. I would like to go back during the day. Anyway, by the time we got there, everything was winding down. We caught some of the Freak Mountain Ramblers, and they seemed alright. All in all we still had a good time just walking around and talking and what not. True story.
From there, we headed to J's apartment to get his computer, so we could watch some Star Trek: Voyager with Jaz and Lisa. While cruising around, we invented a new word: "yestermorrow". It means today. If you are curious how it got invented, well I was trying to say tomorrow, but I started out saying yesterday, so I quickly switched over to saying tomorrow. We then discussed how yesterday's tomorrow would be today, so thus a new word. True story.
Anyway, before going to Jaz, Lisa, and Chris's apartment, we stopped to buy some pie from the spinning cylinder of pie at Bannings. We got a peanut butter fudge pie because it was described to us being like a peantut butter cup to the tenth power. I have to say it was pretty amazing.
Now I have not seend Star Trek: Voyager in a good while, but we chose on of the episodes I remembered. It was the one where the aliens take over the ship and make the crew act out World War 2 on the holodeck. It was a kind of cool two parter. I mean when else do you get to see Nazis running around getting shot aboard a Federation ship? Of course the best part is when the Klingongs attack the Nazis with their bat'leths. It is only a brief shot in the episode, but it is truly amazing.
When I got home around 2 in the morning, I talked to Debo briefly. He updated me about a situation. This situation played into the beginning of my Sunday which resulted in me being in a weird mood. However, I will write about that later.
Well, I pushed the button and gave the guy my card, and he gave me my package. It ends up it was from Wendy. It was mailed from China, and it was filled with all sorts of Chinese stuff including a hat! The hat has Chinese letters on the inside of it, but I have no idea what it says. When I see Tiger on Monday, I am going to ask him what it says. Let me just go on record saying how incredibly awesome Wendy is.
For lunch, I hit up Popeye's...again. I have gone there for the past three Saturdays. I am just so excited to finally know where one is at here in Portland. I knew they existed, but I had never seen one.
While I was there, I made a little bit of progress on the Faulkner story, "The Bear". I have a hard time calling it a short story. It is approximately 140 pages. Although I am not sure of the exact word count, I am pretty sure it classifies more as a novella than a short story. I always thought short stories were designed to be read in one sitting, but what do I know. The point is "The Bear" is a long story.
During the afternoon, I played Rock Band for a good while. I played the solo guitar tour on medium and finished it. It was fun, and then I started to play a couple songs on hard. At the moment, I am not good enough to do that. Perhaps in time.
After finishing up Rock Band, I watched some Arrested Development while I waited on J and Chris to show up. We were going to have a Guys Night, but the plans were not decided at first. However, by the time they showed up, we were ready to go. The plan was to go eat at Old Chicago and then go to Edgefield.
I have never been to Old Chicago before. In fact, we were all Old Chicago virgins, but I kind of enjoyed it. It was fun watching J try to hit on our waitress until we realized she was married. I noticed the ring first and tried to point it out, but no one listened. Then Chris noticed, and J was disappointed. It was still fun, and the pizza was decent.
After dinner, we headed over to Edgefield for some of their St. Patrick's Day celebration even though it was a few days before the actual holiday. I have never been there before, but it was really impressive. I would like to go back during the day. Anyway, by the time we got there, everything was winding down. We caught some of the Freak Mountain Ramblers, and they seemed alright. All in all we still had a good time just walking around and talking and what not. True story.
From there, we headed to J's apartment to get his computer, so we could watch some Star Trek: Voyager with Jaz and Lisa. While cruising around, we invented a new word: "yestermorrow". It means today. If you are curious how it got invented, well I was trying to say tomorrow, but I started out saying yesterday, so I quickly switched over to saying tomorrow. We then discussed how yesterday's tomorrow would be today, so thus a new word. True story.
Anyway, before going to Jaz, Lisa, and Chris's apartment, we stopped to buy some pie from the spinning cylinder of pie at Bannings. We got a peanut butter fudge pie because it was described to us being like a peantut butter cup to the tenth power. I have to say it was pretty amazing.
Now I have not seend Star Trek: Voyager in a good while, but we chose on of the episodes I remembered. It was the one where the aliens take over the ship and make the crew act out World War 2 on the holodeck. It was a kind of cool two parter. I mean when else do you get to see Nazis running around getting shot aboard a Federation ship? Of course the best part is when the Klingongs attack the Nazis with their bat'leths. It is only a brief shot in the episode, but it is truly amazing.
When I got home around 2 in the morning, I talked to Debo briefly. He updated me about a situation. This situation played into the beginning of my Sunday which resulted in me being in a weird mood. However, I will write about that later.
My Friday the 13th
On Friday, the desk started off alright. Then this crazy situation started. A resident from the other side of campus came by looking for a package that I had signed for. It took me a second to recollect why I had signed for it, but then I remembered what happened. The postal lady forgot that the Montgomery desk existed and made me sign for two packages. I kept one of them, but she walked off with the other saying she would deliver it. I am afraid that she forgot to take it to the resident's box. Now, it looks like I lost a package. I am a little mad at the USPS now.
I went to lunch late because of that situation because I went to Monty to see if maybe they had the package. On the plus side, Debo bought my lunch that day. However, I did not get to eat with or talk to the person I wanted to. I was really looking forward to the possibility of conversation with her too.
After lunch, the desk calmed down a little bit. The best part was Kyla brought me pie. It was strawberry rhubarb, and it was amazing. I love pie.
Since Friday was the second Friday the 13th this year, Debo had a mini movie marathon. More people were supposed to come, but it was mostly just he and me. We watched the first movie and Part 3. Kyle showed up at the end of the first but left about five minutes into part 3. Mark showed up for most of the second movie. I would have liked to have watched part 6, but it was getting late. It is one of the downsides of relying on the bus.
On the way to the bus, I stopped to buy more of this candy I discovered the night before. Unfortunately, they were out. I tried some other similar type candies, but they were not as good. For those curious, it was Hi Chew fruit chews that I liked so much. What I did not like as much was Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews and Mamba fruit chews. The Hi Chew ones seem much better, but I am not really quite sure. Of course I realized by keeping candy in my pockets, especially soft candy, I look and seem even more like an old man.
I went to lunch late because of that situation because I went to Monty to see if maybe they had the package. On the plus side, Debo bought my lunch that day. However, I did not get to eat with or talk to the person I wanted to. I was really looking forward to the possibility of conversation with her too.
After lunch, the desk calmed down a little bit. The best part was Kyla brought me pie. It was strawberry rhubarb, and it was amazing. I love pie.
Since Friday was the second Friday the 13th this year, Debo had a mini movie marathon. More people were supposed to come, but it was mostly just he and me. We watched the first movie and Part 3. Kyle showed up at the end of the first but left about five minutes into part 3. Mark showed up for most of the second movie. I would have liked to have watched part 6, but it was getting late. It is one of the downsides of relying on the bus.
On the way to the bus, I stopped to buy more of this candy I discovered the night before. Unfortunately, they were out. I tried some other similar type candies, but they were not as good. For those curious, it was Hi Chew fruit chews that I liked so much. What I did not like as much was Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews and Mamba fruit chews. The Hi Chew ones seem much better, but I am not really quite sure. Of course I realized by keeping candy in my pockets, especially soft candy, I look and seem even more like an old man.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Obscenity in Your Milk
Lately, when I have been waking up, I've been trying to turn off the wrong alarm. I have two set. One makes an annoying noise, and the other plays music. I try to turn the radio off when really it is the obnoxious phone alarm I need to turn off first. Silly me.
Last night, I dreamed about the International Beard Line. I have no idea what that means or what it entails, but I think you were supposed to be on one side or the other. It also told you when to shave I think. I have no idea, but I did dream about it.
Today at the desk, it was almost miserable. I am pretty sure I had a migraine all day. What worries me about this possibility is that I also think I had one on Tuesday. Although my head hurt less as the day went on, it really left me feeling physically exhausted all day. Due to that, I was not really prepared to deal with other stuff happening today, and I felt mentally exhausted. It was not a good day to feel this way because a lot was going on at the desk. We had a lot of packages early on in the day, I had to deal with paperwork type problems and issues with UHO, and Check Outs are beginning. I felt like I was not there fully most of the day and definitely not firing on all pistons. This combination of physical and mental exhaustion led to me feeling emotionally weak even though nothing bad happened.
Today for lunch was bacon & potato pizza at Hot Lips. This pizza is basically the reason why I wake up on Thursdays. It is so good.
We decided to go to the Thursday night quiz at the Voleur tonight. We had a full team tonight, but if we had had one less, we would have gotten to add a random cute stranger to our team. Oh well, maybe another night. Our name for the evening was "We Obscenity in Your Milk." I kind of like the Thursday quiz. It is definitely different from the one at the Lion. Plus, it has by far the cutest quizmaster.
It was a good quiz tonight. At the end of the first round, we were in fifth or sixth place, but by the end of the second we jumped into a solid third thanks to the Who Am I questions. It doesn't hurt that two of them were famous female Tennesseeans. We made it into the final three after the handouts, and due to getting the final question right, we placed second! Hooray five extra bucks!
For the past few weeks, I have been playing phone tag with my friend Casey. He called me earlier today, and I was going to try to call him tomorrow. However, he just called me! So I am going to go talk to him now.
Last night, I dreamed about the International Beard Line. I have no idea what that means or what it entails, but I think you were supposed to be on one side or the other. It also told you when to shave I think. I have no idea, but I did dream about it.
Today at the desk, it was almost miserable. I am pretty sure I had a migraine all day. What worries me about this possibility is that I also think I had one on Tuesday. Although my head hurt less as the day went on, it really left me feeling physically exhausted all day. Due to that, I was not really prepared to deal with other stuff happening today, and I felt mentally exhausted. It was not a good day to feel this way because a lot was going on at the desk. We had a lot of packages early on in the day, I had to deal with paperwork type problems and issues with UHO, and Check Outs are beginning. I felt like I was not there fully most of the day and definitely not firing on all pistons. This combination of physical and mental exhaustion led to me feeling emotionally weak even though nothing bad happened.
Today for lunch was bacon & potato pizza at Hot Lips. This pizza is basically the reason why I wake up on Thursdays. It is so good.
We decided to go to the Thursday night quiz at the Voleur tonight. We had a full team tonight, but if we had had one less, we would have gotten to add a random cute stranger to our team. Oh well, maybe another night. Our name for the evening was "We Obscenity in Your Milk." I kind of like the Thursday quiz. It is definitely different from the one at the Lion. Plus, it has by far the cutest quizmaster.
It was a good quiz tonight. At the end of the first round, we were in fifth or sixth place, but by the end of the second we jumped into a solid third thanks to the Who Am I questions. It doesn't hurt that two of them were famous female Tennesseeans. We made it into the final three after the handouts, and due to getting the final question right, we placed second! Hooray five extra bucks!
For the past few weeks, I have been playing phone tag with my friend Casey. He called me earlier today, and I was going to try to call him tomorrow. However, he just called me! So I am going to go talk to him now.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Whoa! It's Wednesday.
Why has it been so cold lately? Like I know the high has been reasonable, but the windchill is unacceptable. It has been freezing at the desk, and the walk to and from campus is almost unbearable.
All in all the day at the desk was uneventful. I tried to read more of Go Down, Moses, but I mostly looked up games on Board Game Geek. Before leaving for work, I ordered A Touch of Evil, the Supernatural Game, so I read about it some. Plus, with my birthday approaching, I decided I need to continue the tradition of buying myself boardgames for my birthday. Currently, I am in the mood for something meatier. It needs a longer game time and some strong mechanics. At the moment, I am looking at Age of Steam, Steam, or Brass. Interestingly, the first two are almost the same game. It is a matter of deciding which is a better fit for me, but the former is winning because it has already been released.
As I mentioned, the desk was fairly uneventful, except for the final hour. In that sixty minutes, I worked alone, and I swear. In that amount of time, I did more work than had been done at the desk all day. It was outrageous!
After work, I tried to call various family members on my way to Pub Quiz. Out of the seven family members I called, only three answered. However, one person called me back while I was talking to someone else. I am trying even harder to execute my decision to remain in better contact with my cousins. I know we all want to stay close, but someone has to actually make the effort. As most of you know, I tend to make myself the person that makes the bigger effort. However, in this case, it is much more worth it.
Speaking of Pub Quiz, it was good fun for the most part. We lost, but I enjoyed it. At one point, I was worried if anyone else was going to show up, but we had the true The Good, The Bad, and The Wally tonight. Unfortunately, we missed being in the top 5 by three points. It was rough. I think we are going to try to go tomorrow night.
I don't know what else to say. Therefore, I am going to end here. So long!
All in all the day at the desk was uneventful. I tried to read more of Go Down, Moses, but I mostly looked up games on Board Game Geek. Before leaving for work, I ordered A Touch of Evil, the Supernatural Game, so I read about it some. Plus, with my birthday approaching, I decided I need to continue the tradition of buying myself boardgames for my birthday. Currently, I am in the mood for something meatier. It needs a longer game time and some strong mechanics. At the moment, I am looking at Age of Steam, Steam, or Brass. Interestingly, the first two are almost the same game. It is a matter of deciding which is a better fit for me, but the former is winning because it has already been released.
As I mentioned, the desk was fairly uneventful, except for the final hour. In that sixty minutes, I worked alone, and I swear. In that amount of time, I did more work than had been done at the desk all day. It was outrageous!
After work, I tried to call various family members on my way to Pub Quiz. Out of the seven family members I called, only three answered. However, one person called me back while I was talking to someone else. I am trying even harder to execute my decision to remain in better contact with my cousins. I know we all want to stay close, but someone has to actually make the effort. As most of you know, I tend to make myself the person that makes the bigger effort. However, in this case, it is much more worth it.
Speaking of Pub Quiz, it was good fun for the most part. We lost, but I enjoyed it. At one point, I was worried if anyone else was going to show up, but we had the true The Good, The Bad, and The Wally tonight. Unfortunately, we missed being in the top 5 by three points. It was rough. I think we are going to try to go tomorrow night.
I don't know what else to say. Therefore, I am going to end here. So long!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Just a Tuesday
So my "Blog Buddy" got onto me for not blogging in a while. Thus, I am trying to correct this problem. I have debated on what to write about. Do I want to tell you about my past few days or do I just want to talk about the day? I think I am going to go with the latter.
It was cold this morning. Like the weather says it is near 40, but the wind chill is quite lower. I noticed it when even the bus felt cold, and the walk to campus was unpleasant. As you can imagine, sitting at the desk was almost miserable. At least one DA had to get into warmer clothes twice. To manage, I made sure to wear a sweater today. It worked, but I also had a headache. I don't think that is related, but it did add to the discomfort at the desk today.
For lunch, I was going to originally get Loco Locos. However, I decided I wanted something cheaper, so I was going to go to Hot Lips and get a slice of pepperoni pizza. Before I left, I ran into Joe, and he convinced me to go to McDonald's. Say what you will, but it is kind of tasty. Although, I am starting to get tired of it.
While at the desk today, I started to plan my birthday celebration. Since I am turning 25 this year, I decided it was going to take more than one day to truly celebrate. Therefore, I am going take an entire week because somethings are too awesome for only one day. My goal is to have different activities for every night of the week. As of right now, I am only missing two days worth of activities. It begins Sunday March 22 and goes until the following Sunday. Here is the tentative schedule:
In class tonight, we talked about motivation and beliefs. Actually, I think we skimmed over the motivation factors, but recognizing a person's beliefs and values helps to understand how they react. It was fairly self-reflective. I also learned that it is really hard to fill in blanks for a minute each about the following three statements:
There is a friend I need to write an email to soon. I was reading her blog last night, and I realize our lives have taken parallel paths. We have similar but not exact situations. I wanted to comment on her blogs, but I felt my responses would be rather lengthy. Luckily, I got her email.
What else... Oh yeah. Girls.
Actually, I could probably write a whole entry on all of that. Maybe I will do it tomorrow. Or sometime soon.
It was cold this morning. Like the weather says it is near 40, but the wind chill is quite lower. I noticed it when even the bus felt cold, and the walk to campus was unpleasant. As you can imagine, sitting at the desk was almost miserable. At least one DA had to get into warmer clothes twice. To manage, I made sure to wear a sweater today. It worked, but I also had a headache. I don't think that is related, but it did add to the discomfort at the desk today.
For lunch, I was going to originally get Loco Locos. However, I decided I wanted something cheaper, so I was going to go to Hot Lips and get a slice of pepperoni pizza. Before I left, I ran into Joe, and he convinced me to go to McDonald's. Say what you will, but it is kind of tasty. Although, I am starting to get tired of it.
While at the desk today, I started to plan my birthday celebration. Since I am turning 25 this year, I decided it was going to take more than one day to truly celebrate. Therefore, I am going take an entire week because somethings are too awesome for only one day. My goal is to have different activities for every night of the week. As of right now, I am only missing two days worth of activities. It begins Sunday March 22 and goes until the following Sunday. Here is the tentative schedule:
- Sunday - An Extra Special Game Night
- Monday - Undecided
- Tuesday - Birthday Dinner
- Wednesday - Pub Quiz at the Thirsty Lion
- Thursday - Undecided
- Friday - Tennessee Themed Karaoke at Sukis!
- Saturday - SE Pub Crawl
- Sunday - Recovery
In class tonight, we talked about motivation and beliefs. Actually, I think we skimmed over the motivation factors, but recognizing a person's beliefs and values helps to understand how they react. It was fairly self-reflective. I also learned that it is really hard to fill in blanks for a minute each about the following three statements:
- I believe people should...
- I believe people are...
- I believe I deserve...
There is a friend I need to write an email to soon. I was reading her blog last night, and I realize our lives have taken parallel paths. We have similar but not exact situations. I wanted to comment on her blogs, but I felt my responses would be rather lengthy. Luckily, I got her email.
What else... Oh yeah. Girls.
Actually, I could probably write a whole entry on all of that. Maybe I will do it tomorrow. Or sometime soon.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Twenty Albums That Have Influenced My Life
There is an Internet meme going on right now where people are supposed to choose their 15 most influential albums. I believe in one version you're supposed to choose albums that you can connect to specific moments or times in your life. It is this version I am going to work off. The following albums may not be what I consider to be the My 15 Favorite Albums, but they are 20 works that have influenced my life in some way or fashion. I had to increase the list top 20 because I found my stuck at 18, and instead of eliminating three, I found it easier to add two more. Instead of just listing them, I plan on writing why these albums are important to me.
Lets begin with Number 20...
20. A Pocketful of Kryptonite by The Spin Doctors
Lets begin with Number 20...
20. A Pocketful of Kryptonite by The Spin Doctors
To be honest with you, I actually do not care for most of this album. However, it needed to belong on the list for one simple reason. It is the first album that I remember owning myself. Everything else had always belonged to my parents, but I believe this to be my first CD, or at least the one I consider. (I'm going to choose not to count the Weird Al albums.) In fact, I can remember when and who bought this one for me. I got it one of the first two Christmases after my parents divorced. My stepgrandmother bought it for me, and I still have it many years later.
19. Songs You Know by Heart by Jimmy Buffett
Before I begin, let me just state how much I loathe greatest hits. I often quote the Kids in the Hall and describe them as only suitable for "housewives and little girls." That being said I found myself including about six of them on my list. Although there are albums that I prefer by these artists, these greatest hits influenced me more if for not other reason that they introduced me to an artist I now love.
The first of these is Songs You Know by Heart. I can very easily recall listening to this album with my mom while riding around in her red Hyundai. Buffett is a big part of my family life, and there is no way I could not include him on this list. Many times my family has gathered together to go see Buffett live, and I'm not just talking about parental units. Aunts, uncles, and cousins all go to the shows. Although I have most of his albums and don't even own this compilation, it is this album that has influenced me the most.
18. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.
I listened to this album almost religiously in high school, and it may have been part of the reason why I was depressed all the time. (OK. It may not have been the reason, but it certainly did not help the situation.) I haven't actually listened to it in a very long time, but there is no denying that for a couple of years at least, it was a very important part of my life.
17. Skeletons from the Closet: the Best of the Grateful Dead by the Grateful Dead
I started listening to the Grateful Dead because of Jimmy Buffett's cover of "Uncle John's Band" off of Fruitcakes. Luckily, my dad had this greatest hits, and I started listening to the original version. At first, I would only listen to that one song over and over, but eventually, I started listening to the songs preceding and following the track. Before long, I started listening to the whole damn album. Of course, I definitely prefer the album American Beauty, but it is this compilation that introduced me to the band and began to influence the style of music I have come to love: Americana.
16. Achtung Baby by U2
My stepdad has always been a big U2 fan, and most people would probably choose The Joshua Tree as their most influential album. It is probably the better album, but the one I have most memories of listening to is Achtung Baby. It is another one of those that I listened a lot to in high school, and it is a really good album. I could probably write more about it, but I don't know what to say.
15. Add It Up (1981-1993) by The Violent Femmes
I can still remember the day my stepdad bought this album. I wanted him to get Under the Table and Dreaming by Dave Matthews Band, but he bought this one instead. Over ten years later, and you can guess which one I listen to more. The Violent Femmes are a truly unique band, and I still love to listen to them. Surprisingly, I have bought very few of their albums, but this compilation has been an impact of my life and was another step along the path to discovering a style of music I truly love. From this band, I began to become interested in less mainstream groups, and it is probably the closest I have ever gotten to listening to punk. However, I enjoy them for their more folksy side.
14. Too Far to Care by the Old 97's
I'm not really sure how influential this album really was in my life, but I love it and the band. Therefore, I felt it should be on the list because it was the album that introduced me to the band. Well, that isn't completely true. I actually discovered random songs of theirs back in the days of Napster. However, this one was the first album of theirs I got. My mom bought it for my my freshman year of college, and since getting it, I've never been too far to care about it. (Ouch that was lame!)
I have always loved the bands lyrics. Rhett has written some great songs for a broken hearted man. Their so simple, but so right. I mean you cannot get much better than "I've got issues, yeah. Like I miss you, yeah." For more than one relationship, I have used "Big Brown Eyes" to express my feelings, and it seems fitting that I use this album because it has that song.
13. Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits by Simon & Garfunkel
Paul Simon has been a big influence on my life. I really got introduced to him and his work, both solo and with Garfunkel, my freshman year of high school when the marching band show was An Evening with Paul Simon. Now of days, I do own all of their albums, but I still feel that the greatest hits influenced my life. It is a great collection of songs, and it is a good introduction to an artist I love. Of course it isn't the most influential work of his on this list. That will appear later.
12. Crossing Muddy Waters by John Hiatt
In recent years, John Hiatt has become one of my favorite song writers. I love his rootsy voice and style. This album, his biggest folk effort, was the first one I ever received of his. At the time, I was falling in love with the single "My Baby Blue" off of Beneath This Gruff Exterior, and I was mentioning it to my mom. She happened to have a copy of Crossing Muddy Waters, and I was hooked as I placed it in the CD player. Since then, I have gone on to acquire about two-thirds of his discography, and it was all because of this wonderful album. It is a good beginning point for him, but I also recommend starting with Bring the Family.
11. Being There by Wilco
I got into Wilco around the time that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot came out, but it was Being There that introduced me to the band. It was around this time that I was beginning to discover alt-country and Americana artists. I bought this album while in NYC, and I am glad I bought it before Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Around this time there was a lot of publicity around record label drama for YHF, so a lot of people were discovering the band. However, I still feel Being There is the better starting album. It has less of the experimentations found on later recordings and showcases the group as the awesome rocking group that they are. Had I not begun with this one, I am not sure if I would be as big as a fan of Wilco. I'm just saying.
10. Flood by They Might Be Giants
I love They Might Be Giants, and it is because of this album. As soon as I got it for Christmas one year, I was hooked to the whimsical and metaphorical songs created by the Johns. Almost immediately, I set out to acquire as many more albums as theirs that I could. Within a week, I had two more recordings by them. I always look out for new material by them, and they were one of the best live shows I have been to. I would go see them again in a heart beat, and I hate live shows! This album really helps show that life can be fun, but serious all at the same time. How many other groups have written a song about a nite lite? I don't know the answer, but none of the songs would be as great as "Birdhouse in Your Soul."
9. American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash
It was Cash's penultimate album that really made me a fan of his work. For years, I had claimed to like Cash, but it wasn't until I saw the video for "Hurt" that I sought out the work of this legendary artist. I began with American IV, and then I checked out the other American recordings. The entire series is phenomenal, but it only shows the artist in his later years. From there, I did the dreaded; I got a greatest hits. The man was always a genius, and he has so many landmark recordings. At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin are arguably two of the best live recordings either. The man was a bad ass, and he recorded up until the very end. It was because of American IV: The Man Comes Around that I discovered one of America's greatest treasures.
What I love about this album is the near perfect song choice. It is almost like Johnny knew this would be one of his last albums, and he chose songs that showed an old man's reflection on his life. Johnny has a lot of covers on it, but he manages to make them his own. Most people talk about how he recorded the definitive version of "Hurt," but I also think his version of "In My Life" is vastly superior to The Beatle's original. The song works so better with Johnny's mature voice and just has a deeper meaning when he sings it. Then there is the final song on the album: "We'll Meet Again." Although the end was near, he knew he'd see us all again. Whether it was on the other side, with a new album, or just simply re-listening to this one, he'd see us all again. God, the man was a genius and great talent.
8. Greatest Hits by Bruce Springsteen
I know. Another freaking greatest hits album on my list, but I love the Boss. In fact, he is the only boss I enjoy listening to. (I stole that from a t-shirt.) I have a large percentage of his discography, and I am not sure he has ever released a bad album. True some are not as good as others, but none of them are bad. So why then did I chose a greatest hits compilation instead of one of the legendary albums like Born to Run or The River?
Simple. Because I began with the hits. My dad and I bought this album, and then we went to go see him and the E Street Band live. Now, I already loved most of the songs, but after seeing him live, I was a devoted Springsteen fan for life. It never would have happened had it not been for the greatest hits album. Thus, it belongs on the list.
7. A Stranger in Town by Bob Seger
I grew up listening to Seger. He is my father's favorite artist, and I knew the lyrics to most of his songs since I started talking. With him being a part of my life for so long, you would think that a a greatest hits would be more appropriate, but I did not truly appreciate this man until much later in live.
While in college, I had a hankering for some Seger, so I went to Wal-Mart and bought A Stranger in Town. While listening to it, I realized Seger was more than just comfort music. He was a truly brilliant and rocking musician. With its driving opening drumming, "Hollywood Nights" sets the perfect tone and expectations for the album, and the whole damn thing delivers. Without a doubt it is my favorite album by him, and "Hollywood Nights" is probably my favorite song of his. It is also one of my favorite songs to do rock star kicks to. In my opinion, Seger does not get the respect he deserves. If you doubt me, check out this album and Live Bullet, his second best recording and one of the best live albums ever.
6. Trace by Son Volt
I remember the day I got this album. I had already downloaded half of the tracks off of it, and my stepdad tried to talk me into getting a new CD by a newer band. However, I knew I had to have this one. Ever since I first heard, Jay Farrar's voice, I have been a fan of his music. This album is phenomenal and has some great songs.
"Drown" is one of the most rocking, rootsy alt-country songs of all time. It belongs on Rock Band or Guitar Hero. It has some great guitar work. Then there is "Windfall." It is one of the most perfect opening songs for an album ever, and it is a pre-requisite to begin any road trip with me. The closing song "Mystifies Me" will always have a special place in my heart. It reminds me of a special someone, and for a while, I could not stand to listen to it because of the memories it brought back. However, that embargo could never last, and now it makes me smile that special kind of smile you have for a lost love.
5. Road of Memories by Moonlight Cellar Band
I know what you are thinking. Who the hell is the Moonlight Cellar Band? Well, they were some friends of mine from high school, and during our senior year, they recorded this lovely album. Of course, you are probably now asking yourself why the hell this makes a list of influential albums?
It has been about six and half years since I graduated high school, but this album still holds a lot of sway over me. Every once in a while I find myself putting it on and being reminded of some of my happiest memories from high school. I used to love to go see these guys play, and I was so excited when they made it. Hell, I bought like six copies of the album! I even got them to give my mom a bunch of copies in attempt to get a record deal. Despite all the memories, the music is pretty damn good too. (Even if Scott may deny it now.) It is hard to believe that it was recorded by some teenagers. As I was discovering alt-country and Americana bands, my friends formed a freaking Americana band, although I don't think they quite realized it at a time. Kudos to you guys. Isn't it about time for a reunion?
4. Magnificent Man by The Floating Men
The Floating Men are without a doubt my favorite band, and my favorite album by them is Song of the Wind. However, Magnificent Man has influenced me slightly more. It was the first album of theirs I ever got. It was gift from Gwen. When I was getting into them, they had just released this record, so when I saw them live, they were playing more cuts off of it. Actually, I will never forget the first time I ever saw them.
Gwen, my very first RD at MTSU, asked me if I wanted to go see a show that evening. After listening to the first few tracks off of Bootleg Snacks Volume 2, I was intrigued, so I loaded up in a car with her, Sheila the AC, and Chris French. We drove to the Bongo Java and saw Jeff Holmes do a primarily solo, acoustic set. I was hooked from then on out. After listening to a mix-CD over the summer, I finally got a Magnificent Man, so it became probably the most influential of their recordings. Plus, it has "Invisible Life" which contains my favorite line from a song ever: "I've given up on ever joining the rodeo, but I'd still make on hell of a spy."
3. Stardust by Willie Nelson
In my opinion, Willie Nelson is one of the greatest recording artists in American history. I know very few artists who are as respected by people of such various and diverse backgrounds than him. Stardust is my favorite album by him even though he did not write a single song on the album. It simply a collection of his interpretations of some classics of the Great American Songbook.
There were many nights while at MTSU that I would grab this album, get into my Ford Ranger, and drive around Murfreesboro. While listening to it, I would collect my thoughts, and I really think it helped me to get through some rough patches in my life. It is a very soothing and relaxing album. I also believe that Willie's version of the title song, "Stardust", is probably the definitive. I am not sure I have heard another version as close to as good as his is.
2. 83/93: An Anthology by Uncle Tupelo
It is hard to listen to alt-country and not like Uncle Tupelo. They are usualy given credit for creating the genre. That may be a bit of an overstatement, but they were definitely one of the most influential. When I was first discovering this genre and this band, all of their recordings were out of print, but Rhino had just released a greatest hits. Despite the fact that their four studio albums are vastly superior, I cannot deny the influence this compilation had on my life.
Throughout high school, I dreamed and longed for music that was really rocking but had just enough twang to really make you feel. Little did I know that people had already created it, and thanks to Uncle Tupelo, I found them and the sound I was searching for. From them, I went on to discover Son Volt, Wilco, Old 97's, The Jayhawks, and my love of Americana. I used to listen to those artists and this compilation as I drove back and forth from Murfreesboro and Cookeville my freshman year of college. A lot of the credit for this discovery goes to Jason Coleman and his borther's band, The Coal Men. Thanks to his website, I started to discover the music I love. Eventually, Uncle Tupelo's albums were re-released, and I retired this disc. However, there is no denying what an impact it had on my life as I started college.
1. Graceland by Paul Simon
For close to a decade now, this album has been my favorite, and there is no denying its impact on my life. In my opinion, it is one of the most perfect albums ever. Every song is great, and no matter what mood I am in, I can listen to this album. When I am happy, I find joy in the songs, and when I am sad, I find comfort. It is incredible.
I can still recall the first time I remember hearing "You Can Call Me Al." My father and I were coming back from Golden Mountain, and while at a gas station, this song came on over the radio in the truck. I was probably only 7 or 8, but it seemed like the most perfect song to me. Then a year or so later, I saw the video. I became obsessed with the song, and it was another one of those cases where I just listened to one track on an album and ignored the rest.
Eventually, I overcame my ignorance and discovered the other tracks on the album. I am not even sure when that happened, but I believe some credit goes back to that marching band show, "An Evening with Paul Simon." Thank you Mr. Talbert! However, I am pretty sure I had already a deep love affair with this album because I am pretty sure I got super excited when the decision was made for that show.
I can remember summers spent at my mom listening to this album while taking a shower. It has been such a part of my life for so long, and I love it. I have owned more copies of this album, and I even have it on vinyl!
It would be near impossible for me to choose my favorite track off of this album because they are all so incredible. Of course, there is my long, love of "You Can Call Me Al", but what about "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"? "Under African Skies" is one of the most beautiful songs Simon has ever recorded, and then there is the title track. Out of all the perfect songs on the album, the song "Graceland" is probably the greatest song by Simon and my favorite song of all time. I love to do it a karaoke, and it is an incredible piece of music.
I am not sure if I have ever said this or he will ever get it, but thank you Mr. Paul Simon. My life would not be what it is without your album Graceland. It has helped me through some difficult times, and it has also been there to celebrate with me during some of my happiest moments. Thank you.
19. Songs You Know by Heart by Jimmy Buffett
Before I begin, let me just state how much I loathe greatest hits. I often quote the Kids in the Hall and describe them as only suitable for "housewives and little girls." That being said I found myself including about six of them on my list. Although there are albums that I prefer by these artists, these greatest hits influenced me more if for not other reason that they introduced me to an artist I now love.
The first of these is Songs You Know by Heart. I can very easily recall listening to this album with my mom while riding around in her red Hyundai. Buffett is a big part of my family life, and there is no way I could not include him on this list. Many times my family has gathered together to go see Buffett live, and I'm not just talking about parental units. Aunts, uncles, and cousins all go to the shows. Although I have most of his albums and don't even own this compilation, it is this album that has influenced me the most.
18. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.
I listened to this album almost religiously in high school, and it may have been part of the reason why I was depressed all the time. (OK. It may not have been the reason, but it certainly did not help the situation.) I haven't actually listened to it in a very long time, but there is no denying that for a couple of years at least, it was a very important part of my life.
17. Skeletons from the Closet: the Best of the Grateful Dead by the Grateful Dead
I started listening to the Grateful Dead because of Jimmy Buffett's cover of "Uncle John's Band" off of Fruitcakes. Luckily, my dad had this greatest hits, and I started listening to the original version. At first, I would only listen to that one song over and over, but eventually, I started listening to the songs preceding and following the track. Before long, I started listening to the whole damn album. Of course, I definitely prefer the album American Beauty, but it is this compilation that introduced me to the band and began to influence the style of music I have come to love: Americana.
16. Achtung Baby by U2
My stepdad has always been a big U2 fan, and most people would probably choose The Joshua Tree as their most influential album. It is probably the better album, but the one I have most memories of listening to is Achtung Baby. It is another one of those that I listened a lot to in high school, and it is a really good album. I could probably write more about it, but I don't know what to say.
15. Add It Up (1981-1993) by The Violent Femmes
I can still remember the day my stepdad bought this album. I wanted him to get Under the Table and Dreaming by Dave Matthews Band, but he bought this one instead. Over ten years later, and you can guess which one I listen to more. The Violent Femmes are a truly unique band, and I still love to listen to them. Surprisingly, I have bought very few of their albums, but this compilation has been an impact of my life and was another step along the path to discovering a style of music I truly love. From this band, I began to become interested in less mainstream groups, and it is probably the closest I have ever gotten to listening to punk. However, I enjoy them for their more folksy side.
14. Too Far to Care by the Old 97's
I'm not really sure how influential this album really was in my life, but I love it and the band. Therefore, I felt it should be on the list because it was the album that introduced me to the band. Well, that isn't completely true. I actually discovered random songs of theirs back in the days of Napster. However, this one was the first album of theirs I got. My mom bought it for my my freshman year of college, and since getting it, I've never been too far to care about it. (Ouch that was lame!)
I have always loved the bands lyrics. Rhett has written some great songs for a broken hearted man. Their so simple, but so right. I mean you cannot get much better than "I've got issues, yeah. Like I miss you, yeah." For more than one relationship, I have used "Big Brown Eyes" to express my feelings, and it seems fitting that I use this album because it has that song.
13. Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits by Simon & Garfunkel
Paul Simon has been a big influence on my life. I really got introduced to him and his work, both solo and with Garfunkel, my freshman year of high school when the marching band show was An Evening with Paul Simon. Now of days, I do own all of their albums, but I still feel that the greatest hits influenced my life. It is a great collection of songs, and it is a good introduction to an artist I love. Of course it isn't the most influential work of his on this list. That will appear later.
12. Crossing Muddy Waters by John Hiatt
In recent years, John Hiatt has become one of my favorite song writers. I love his rootsy voice and style. This album, his biggest folk effort, was the first one I ever received of his. At the time, I was falling in love with the single "My Baby Blue" off of Beneath This Gruff Exterior, and I was mentioning it to my mom. She happened to have a copy of Crossing Muddy Waters, and I was hooked as I placed it in the CD player. Since then, I have gone on to acquire about two-thirds of his discography, and it was all because of this wonderful album. It is a good beginning point for him, but I also recommend starting with Bring the Family.
11. Being There by Wilco
I got into Wilco around the time that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot came out, but it was Being There that introduced me to the band. It was around this time that I was beginning to discover alt-country and Americana artists. I bought this album while in NYC, and I am glad I bought it before Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Around this time there was a lot of publicity around record label drama for YHF, so a lot of people were discovering the band. However, I still feel Being There is the better starting album. It has less of the experimentations found on later recordings and showcases the group as the awesome rocking group that they are. Had I not begun with this one, I am not sure if I would be as big as a fan of Wilco. I'm just saying.
10. Flood by They Might Be Giants
I love They Might Be Giants, and it is because of this album. As soon as I got it for Christmas one year, I was hooked to the whimsical and metaphorical songs created by the Johns. Almost immediately, I set out to acquire as many more albums as theirs that I could. Within a week, I had two more recordings by them. I always look out for new material by them, and they were one of the best live shows I have been to. I would go see them again in a heart beat, and I hate live shows! This album really helps show that life can be fun, but serious all at the same time. How many other groups have written a song about a nite lite? I don't know the answer, but none of the songs would be as great as "Birdhouse in Your Soul."
9. American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash
It was Cash's penultimate album that really made me a fan of his work. For years, I had claimed to like Cash, but it wasn't until I saw the video for "Hurt" that I sought out the work of this legendary artist. I began with American IV, and then I checked out the other American recordings. The entire series is phenomenal, but it only shows the artist in his later years. From there, I did the dreaded; I got a greatest hits. The man was always a genius, and he has so many landmark recordings. At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin are arguably two of the best live recordings either. The man was a bad ass, and he recorded up until the very end. It was because of American IV: The Man Comes Around that I discovered one of America's greatest treasures.
What I love about this album is the near perfect song choice. It is almost like Johnny knew this would be one of his last albums, and he chose songs that showed an old man's reflection on his life. Johnny has a lot of covers on it, but he manages to make them his own. Most people talk about how he recorded the definitive version of "Hurt," but I also think his version of "In My Life" is vastly superior to The Beatle's original. The song works so better with Johnny's mature voice and just has a deeper meaning when he sings it. Then there is the final song on the album: "We'll Meet Again." Although the end was near, he knew he'd see us all again. Whether it was on the other side, with a new album, or just simply re-listening to this one, he'd see us all again. God, the man was a genius and great talent.
8. Greatest Hits by Bruce Springsteen
I know. Another freaking greatest hits album on my list, but I love the Boss. In fact, he is the only boss I enjoy listening to. (I stole that from a t-shirt.) I have a large percentage of his discography, and I am not sure he has ever released a bad album. True some are not as good as others, but none of them are bad. So why then did I chose a greatest hits compilation instead of one of the legendary albums like Born to Run or The River?
Simple. Because I began with the hits. My dad and I bought this album, and then we went to go see him and the E Street Band live. Now, I already loved most of the songs, but after seeing him live, I was a devoted Springsteen fan for life. It never would have happened had it not been for the greatest hits album. Thus, it belongs on the list.
7. A Stranger in Town by Bob Seger
I grew up listening to Seger. He is my father's favorite artist, and I knew the lyrics to most of his songs since I started talking. With him being a part of my life for so long, you would think that a a greatest hits would be more appropriate, but I did not truly appreciate this man until much later in live.
While in college, I had a hankering for some Seger, so I went to Wal-Mart and bought A Stranger in Town. While listening to it, I realized Seger was more than just comfort music. He was a truly brilliant and rocking musician. With its driving opening drumming, "Hollywood Nights" sets the perfect tone and expectations for the album, and the whole damn thing delivers. Without a doubt it is my favorite album by him, and "Hollywood Nights" is probably my favorite song of his. It is also one of my favorite songs to do rock star kicks to. In my opinion, Seger does not get the respect he deserves. If you doubt me, check out this album and Live Bullet, his second best recording and one of the best live albums ever.
6. Trace by Son Volt
I remember the day I got this album. I had already downloaded half of the tracks off of it, and my stepdad tried to talk me into getting a new CD by a newer band. However, I knew I had to have this one. Ever since I first heard, Jay Farrar's voice, I have been a fan of his music. This album is phenomenal and has some great songs.
"Drown" is one of the most rocking, rootsy alt-country songs of all time. It belongs on Rock Band or Guitar Hero. It has some great guitar work. Then there is "Windfall." It is one of the most perfect opening songs for an album ever, and it is a pre-requisite to begin any road trip with me. The closing song "Mystifies Me" will always have a special place in my heart. It reminds me of a special someone, and for a while, I could not stand to listen to it because of the memories it brought back. However, that embargo could never last, and now it makes me smile that special kind of smile you have for a lost love.
5. Road of Memories by Moonlight Cellar Band
I know what you are thinking. Who the hell is the Moonlight Cellar Band? Well, they were some friends of mine from high school, and during our senior year, they recorded this lovely album. Of course, you are probably now asking yourself why the hell this makes a list of influential albums?
It has been about six and half years since I graduated high school, but this album still holds a lot of sway over me. Every once in a while I find myself putting it on and being reminded of some of my happiest memories from high school. I used to love to go see these guys play, and I was so excited when they made it. Hell, I bought like six copies of the album! I even got them to give my mom a bunch of copies in attempt to get a record deal. Despite all the memories, the music is pretty damn good too. (Even if Scott may deny it now.) It is hard to believe that it was recorded by some teenagers. As I was discovering alt-country and Americana bands, my friends formed a freaking Americana band, although I don't think they quite realized it at a time. Kudos to you guys. Isn't it about time for a reunion?
4. Magnificent Man by The Floating Men
The Floating Men are without a doubt my favorite band, and my favorite album by them is Song of the Wind. However, Magnificent Man has influenced me slightly more. It was the first album of theirs I ever got. It was gift from Gwen. When I was getting into them, they had just released this record, so when I saw them live, they were playing more cuts off of it. Actually, I will never forget the first time I ever saw them.
Gwen, my very first RD at MTSU, asked me if I wanted to go see a show that evening. After listening to the first few tracks off of Bootleg Snacks Volume 2, I was intrigued, so I loaded up in a car with her, Sheila the AC, and Chris French. We drove to the Bongo Java and saw Jeff Holmes do a primarily solo, acoustic set. I was hooked from then on out. After listening to a mix-CD over the summer, I finally got a Magnificent Man, so it became probably the most influential of their recordings. Plus, it has "Invisible Life" which contains my favorite line from a song ever: "I've given up on ever joining the rodeo, but I'd still make on hell of a spy."
3. Stardust by Willie Nelson
In my opinion, Willie Nelson is one of the greatest recording artists in American history. I know very few artists who are as respected by people of such various and diverse backgrounds than him. Stardust is my favorite album by him even though he did not write a single song on the album. It simply a collection of his interpretations of some classics of the Great American Songbook.
There were many nights while at MTSU that I would grab this album, get into my Ford Ranger, and drive around Murfreesboro. While listening to it, I would collect my thoughts, and I really think it helped me to get through some rough patches in my life. It is a very soothing and relaxing album. I also believe that Willie's version of the title song, "Stardust", is probably the definitive. I am not sure I have heard another version as close to as good as his is.
2. 83/93: An Anthology by Uncle Tupelo
It is hard to listen to alt-country and not like Uncle Tupelo. They are usualy given credit for creating the genre. That may be a bit of an overstatement, but they were definitely one of the most influential. When I was first discovering this genre and this band, all of their recordings were out of print, but Rhino had just released a greatest hits. Despite the fact that their four studio albums are vastly superior, I cannot deny the influence this compilation had on my life.
Throughout high school, I dreamed and longed for music that was really rocking but had just enough twang to really make you feel. Little did I know that people had already created it, and thanks to Uncle Tupelo, I found them and the sound I was searching for. From them, I went on to discover Son Volt, Wilco, Old 97's, The Jayhawks, and my love of Americana. I used to listen to those artists and this compilation as I drove back and forth from Murfreesboro and Cookeville my freshman year of college. A lot of the credit for this discovery goes to Jason Coleman and his borther's band, The Coal Men. Thanks to his website, I started to discover the music I love. Eventually, Uncle Tupelo's albums were re-released, and I retired this disc. However, there is no denying what an impact it had on my life as I started college.
1. Graceland by Paul Simon
For close to a decade now, this album has been my favorite, and there is no denying its impact on my life. In my opinion, it is one of the most perfect albums ever. Every song is great, and no matter what mood I am in, I can listen to this album. When I am happy, I find joy in the songs, and when I am sad, I find comfort. It is incredible.
I can still recall the first time I remember hearing "You Can Call Me Al." My father and I were coming back from Golden Mountain, and while at a gas station, this song came on over the radio in the truck. I was probably only 7 or 8, but it seemed like the most perfect song to me. Then a year or so later, I saw the video. I became obsessed with the song, and it was another one of those cases where I just listened to one track on an album and ignored the rest.
Eventually, I overcame my ignorance and discovered the other tracks on the album. I am not even sure when that happened, but I believe some credit goes back to that marching band show, "An Evening with Paul Simon." Thank you Mr. Talbert! However, I am pretty sure I had already a deep love affair with this album because I am pretty sure I got super excited when the decision was made for that show.
I can remember summers spent at my mom listening to this album while taking a shower. It has been such a part of my life for so long, and I love it. I have owned more copies of this album, and I even have it on vinyl!
It would be near impossible for me to choose my favorite track off of this album because they are all so incredible. Of course, there is my long, love of "You Can Call Me Al", but what about "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"? "Under African Skies" is one of the most beautiful songs Simon has ever recorded, and then there is the title track. Out of all the perfect songs on the album, the song "Graceland" is probably the greatest song by Simon and my favorite song of all time. I love to do it a karaoke, and it is an incredible piece of music.
I am not sure if I have ever said this or he will ever get it, but thank you Mr. Paul Simon. My life would not be what it is without your album Graceland. It has helped me through some difficult times, and it has also been there to celebrate with me during some of my happiest moments. Thank you.
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