Thankful Thursday

Here are my 5 for this week!

1. My Grandma. She turned 101 yesterday, and although her memory isn't the greatest (but really, it's over a century old), she still has the piss and vinegar of a much younger person. I love her!



2. Sunshine. I know I've used this one before, but on days like today it's hard not to be thankful again. Loving it!



3. Lilacs. My favorite flower. Their scent is Spring, sunshine and happiness all wrapped in (at my house) a tiny lavender flower. I wished they lasted longer than the few weeks they're around.



4. Softball. Every year I dread the approaching season because that means I'll actually have to do a tiny bit of exercise. But with our first practice last night I remembered why I play every year. Friends, fun, and occasionally a beer or two. It's the sport of summer!



5. Spending time with old friends. This goes along with softball. Even though we may live in the same town, it seems that the only time I get to see some friends is during softball season. And, it's always a good time. Love ya Kel! Can't wait for more beer drinking, pickup rides in the bomber! :)

Shitlist

I apologize in advance, but according to the "rules", this had to be the title of this post.

The rules are....
1. Put your iTunes (or other Music Player) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS! Add some commentary if you’d like.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?? With A Little Help From My Friends – Joe Cocker (yep)
WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Lake of Fire – Nirvana (depends on my mood)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Moondance – Van Morrison (If only my s.o. was willing to dance)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? Small Town – John Mellencamp (purpose, no – destiny, yes)
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? As Tears Go By – The Rolling Stones (ha, I am a bit emotional)
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Sorry You Asked? – Dwight Yoakam (Sometimes I truly am)
WHAT IS 2+2? Since I’ve Been Loving You – Jimmy Page & Robert Plant (huh?)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS? Everlong – Foo Fighters (We have been friends a long time)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Sweet Jane – Lou Reed (Sweet, sure – Jane, nope)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Babe I’m Gonna Leave You – Led Zeppelin (I don’t think I’m going anywhere)
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Casey Jones – Grateful Dead (A cocaine-addicted, railroad engineer? Don’t think so.)
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Move Over – Janis Joplin (He does hog the bed)
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Light My Fire – The Doors (I’m not sure how I should interpret this)
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones (Already married, this one never played but it would have been a good one)
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Cry For The Bad Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd (Nope, don’t so much care for the bad people)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Bring It On Home – Led Zeppelin (And, they should)
THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? Time for Me to Fly – REO Speedwagon (I’d love to escape ND but don’t think it will be happening)
HOW WILL YOU DIE? I Don’t Know – The Replacements (true enough but not crazy about the ambiguity)
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET? The Last Time – The Rolling Stones (Which last time? The last time I got drunk? Then yes I do)
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? Gives You Hell – All-American Rejects (I do love a good come-uppance)
WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? It’s Good to be King – Tom Petty (Not hardly)
WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin (We often times have one – still married)
WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin (Actually pretty true)
DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo – Rick Derringer (Awesome whatever it means)
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? Black Mountain Side – Led Zeppelin (Eh, no)
WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? Feel Like Makin’ Love – Bad Company (Nope, don’t think so)
HOW AM I FEELING TODAY? Rough & Ready – Trace Adkins (Actually for a Monday, I am)
WILL I GET FAR IN LIFE? Night Flight – Led Zeppelin (Will I be taking this soon?)
HOW DO MY FRIENDS SEE ME? Used to Love Her – Guns N’ Roses (ouch)
WHAT IS MY BEST FRIEND’S THEME SONG? That’s the Way – Jimmy Page & Robert Plant (I don’t think she’d agree)
WHAT IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE? Dazed and Confused – Led Zeppelin (so true)
WHAT WAS HIGH SCHOOL LIKE? Sideways – Citizen Cope (uh huh)
HOW CAN I GET AHEAD IN LIFE? Love Street (Follow the path of peace and love, that’s me)
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT ME? Boogie with Stu – Led Zeppelin (I don’t think my dancing is that great)
HOW IS TODAY GOING TO BE? Down on the Corner – CCR (wha?)
WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THIS WEEKEND? Go For A Soda – Kim Mitchell (probably at some point)
WHAT SONG DESCRIBES MY PARENTS? Bye Bye Blackbird – Joe Cocker (eh?)
TO DESCRIBE MY GRANDPARENTS? Bron-Y-Aur Stomp – Led Zeppelin (um, no)
HOW IS MY LIFE GOING? Burden in My Hand – Soundgarden (yep)
WHAT SONG WILL THEY PLAY AT MY FUNERAL? Travelin’ Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd (appropriate)
HOW DOES THE WORLD SEE ME? Lie to Me – Jonny Lang (I’m usually pretty honest)
WILL I HAVE A HAPPY LIFE? Celebration Day – Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes (I guess so :D)
WHAT DO MY FRIEND’S REALLY THINK OF ME? Four Sticks – Jimmy Page & Robert Plant (don’t get it)
DO PEOPLE SECRETLY LUST AFTER ME? Waiting for the Sun – The Doors (doesn’t exactly answer the ? I’ll interpret it as a no)
HOW CAN I MAKE MYSELF HAPPY? Small Town Saturday Night – Hal Ketchum (sooooo true!)
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE? Little Ways – Dwight Yoakam (sure)
WILL I EVER HAVE CHILDREN? Couldn’t Get It Right – Climax Blues Band (bah, Sofia’s perfect)
WHAT IS SOME GOOD ADVICE FOR ME? Shine On You Crazy Diamond – Pink Floyd (Couldn’t agree more, it’s my motto)
HOW WILL I BE REMEMBERED? Straight On – Heart (I do try to tell it like it is, mostly)
WHAT IS MY SIGNATURE DANCING SONG? Long As I Can See the Light – CCR (I don’t think this song is “danceable”)
WHAT DO I THINK MY CURRENT THEME SONG IS? Young Lust – Pink Floyd (not hardly, I like the old dudes, unless I’m the “young”, then maybe)
WHAT DOES EVERYONE ELSE THINK MY CURRENT THEME SONG IS? Wonderful One – Jimmy Page & Robert Plant (how sweet!)
WHAT TYPE OF MEN/WOMEN DO YOU LIKE? Flowers on the Wall – Statler Brothers (well, maybe wallflowers – Lee is kinda quiet)
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Shitlist – L7 (well ok, that pretty much sums it up. I’m out)

Thankful Thursday

Ha! I did remember this time. After the long and emotional post below, this post is probably needed. So it goes...

1. As I stated before, I give thanks to Jim Morrison. Critics feel that he was self-destructive, quasi-mythical being too obsessed with his own image. Maybe. But, as I stated below, to me he was so much more. So critics be damned. Jim Morrison, you always have been and always will be my idol.



2. Sleep. It's been hard to come by this week. But, when I get a full night in, I truly am a different, better person. Without a proper amount, well let me just say, best keep your distance.



3. Coca-Cola. A near and dear friend. It's been with me through thick and thin. Can't say enough good about my favorite soda. And, I'm not talking diet either. No unleaded for me, thank you.



4. Thursdays themselves. Just because it's one day closer to Friday. Amen.



5. Fridays! I mean really, who doesn't love Fridays?

When You're Strange

Last night on PBS, they showed the documentary about The Doors, "When You're Strange", narrated by Johnny Depp. Don't know if you've heard of it, but I've been waiting quite a while to be able to see this.



Watching it last night and thinking about it today, I feel like I'm 15-years old again hearing Jim Morrison's voice for the first time. And, I cannot put into words how that feels and how much it means to me. It's an emotion that's indescribable. The best way I've ever known how to put it was like this: I just wanted to crawl into Jim Morrison's voice and hide. There was always a comfort and healing that I could find when I would hear him sing. His words always seemed to sum up the apartness from others I felt as a teenager. Like he understood. It was as if Jim Morrison's voice finally gave me my own.

Now, before you go thinking the worst, let me just tell you that I have a loving family, great parents, great sisters and brothers. I had friends who are still my friends, and I cherish their friendship deeply. I was never ostracized in any way in high school, actually the opposite. I was involved in many extra-curricular activities and could never really have been categorized as a loner. Very normal.

But, here's the thing: For me to be normal took a huge amount of effort. Now, that's not to say that others didn't find me a little weird or maybe a lot weird, they did. I just didn't let my total freak flag fly, as they say. I kept most of my far-out thoughts and ideas closely to myself. I couldn't be the true and real me. So, to make me feel better, I retreated to music, and the Doors were the perfect answer. Dark, moody, weird, far-out, everything their music has been described as summed me up perfectly. All you have to do is listen to "People Are Strange" and know that Jim Morrison felt alienated from others. And, so did I. We meshed perfectly.

And, for years the Doors and Jim Morrison were my solace and my world. I have books, posters, cd's and albums, shirts, hats, whatever you like that are a testament to that. If you wanted to know what I was like as a person, listen to their music because I wore my Doors affiliation like a badge of honor. One of my senior pictures is even Doors-themed. You get the drift.

Then, one day it changed. I'm sure it wasn't just a snap of the fingers, and boom, I'm normal. Because I'm just as strange as I always was. But now, I'm happier, more content with life, less angsty. I don't know if I just grew up or just had heard "Light My Fire" one too many times, but I didn't need Jim Morrison as much anymore. And that scared the hell out of me. Not only did I feel like a traitor to some sort of legacy, but I felt like a traitor to my younger self. Before if someone asked me who my favorite band was, who my idol was, I could answer without even taking a breath, The Doors - Jim Morrison. Now that wasn't the case anymore. I wasn't the "me" I had always known. And, it made me incredibly sad. I was leaving the past behind, and with it, Jim Morrison. Or, so I thought.

Last night reminded me that he's never far from my consciousness. Just watching him, hearing him speak, hearing him sing, listening to Johnny Depp speak about his meteoric rise, eventual fall and then his death just reiterated to me how much he is a part of me. I relived all the emotions I always had concerning his life and death. He was, is, and always will be a part of me.

Jim Morrison was so many things: singer, poet, alcoholic, icon, rebel, dangerous, sex symbol, etc. But, to me, he was and is so much more. And, for that I'm so grateful. A lot of him made me who I am today.

So thank you Jim Morrison, wherever you are.

When the Music's Over

I will the first to admit that I’m not exactly up on new music. I really don’t know who’s popular right now. Not that I care, but I figured I would get the confession off my chest right away. With that being said, I do subscribe to Rolling Stone, which does keep me in the loop…somewhat. I now know names, but not necessarily the music that goes along with them.

I maybe should leave well enough alone in that respect. But, enquiring minds want to know, right?

In just about every issue they mention this chick called Ke$ha (a $ sign? Really? Should have been my first clue). I guess her song Tik Toc (or Tic Tok, I really don’t give a shit) has been like THE track to hear. So because I’m naturally curious, I looked the video up on YouTube to see what all the fuss was about.

Now, really people… If this is the way music is trending, I think the apocalypse may be upon us. WHAT is this crap? Have I really gotten so old that I just don’t understand the attraction this song has for people? Have I been turned away from modern radio for so long that a generation of music has skipped me by, and along with it good taste?



Artists used to write songs concerning issues that were important to them. Love, heartbreak, death, destruction, war. You know, real issues. I have to say that writing a line about brushing your teeth with Jack Daniels is a far cry from the lines concerning the Kent State shootings in CSNY’s Ohio. But, even I will admit that if you are writing about boozy teeth brushing, you do have some issues. Serious issues.

I guess my biggest bitch lies with the record companies and the music press. They don’t sell music anymore. That takes a backseat to image. Image sells. And, that’s what gets crammed down our throats. And, it’s disgusting. What’s worse is that people lap this crap up like it’s the only thing they’re being offered. But, I have to say that even if someone offers you a shit sandwich, you don’t necessarily need to eat it. Food for thought, no pun intended.

But, I’ll step off my high horse. There are some things I listen to that aren’t exactly palatable to everyone. To each their own. Just because I think this song sucks does not make it so (even though in my own head, it does). So, take a listen, tell me what you think. I’m curious to know if I’m the only one who feels this way. I doubt it, but you just never know.

Until then, I think I’ll heal my ears with some Classic Vinyl on XM. I think I hear some old, forgotten song calling my name.

Thankful Thursday

Oh, I know myself too well. I completely forgot about Thankful Thursday. Now, if it had been Thirsty Thursday, that would have been a completely different story. As you can see, my priorities are a bit skewed. So, here are my five for a belated Thankful Thursday:

1. My Mom - in honor of Mother's Day weekend, I give thanks for the most important woman in my life. Love you Mom!


2. Sunny days - after the past week and half (or more) of cloudy, rainy days, I could use some sunshine. It's amazing what sun will do for the soul.


3. Coffee or instant cappuccino - since the weather has been so crappy lately, it's been pretty cold in my office. These drinks give me a bit of warmth in this deepfreeze.


4. Text messaging - I'm not much a phone-talker, but I love text messaging.


5. My iPod touch - this little gadget has saved me from Motley Crue on regular radio more times I can count, and for that there isn't enough thanks in the world.