CDs of the week, but not in listening order:
1. Jamiroquai, The Return of the Space Cowboy
2. They Might Be Giants, Here Come the ABCs
3. The Cardigans, First Band on the Moon
4. Snow Patrol, Final Straw
5. The Bro Code, disc 1, as read by Neil Patrick Harris
I was really excited when I pulled out this week's CDs. And then I opened up the Jamiroquai case...and the wrong CD was in there.
Back in the day I had a nasty habit of taking CDs out of my player and putting them into the cases of the ones that were replacing them. This made for a very disorganized collection. I don't think it ever got too far out of hand, but I did spend some time one day trying to rearrange everything and get them in the proper cases. Of course, it wasn't a completely thorough job, as I found out last week. It was about 11:30 at night when this happened, and that's about the magical time that if I'm on a mission, I turn incredibly stubborn and become determined to see it through before I go to bed. I went through every single case in the largest pile of CDs in my apartment in hopes of finding the disc...to no avail. O went to bed in the middle of my search--he wasn't about to get involved in telling me to go to bed and give it up for another day, because I probably would've growled (or whined) at him that I'd find it soon. At least he knows me well enough. I eventually became really frustrated and really tired, and tired won out, so I sadly crawled into bed and left the mission of finding the CD for another day. The thing that I hadn't checked that night was a collection of discs that reside under the bed -- there isn't enough room in the living room for them, unless I want to make the place look incredibly cluttered. So I moved some things out of the way, took out the zippered case that holds the CDs, and just grabbed a handful to start through. Luckily for me, case #2 had the CD! Sweet joyful day! I probably would've taken some time to dance around a bit, but I had to get ready for work.
The one thing I'm noticing about listening to the CDs on my portable player: I have to keep turning the volume down. Whenever I've had to switch batteries, or whenever I put in a new CD, the volume level automatically starts at 10 (out of 20, I believe). I usually have to turn it down to 5 or 6 before it feels comfortable coming through the headphones. All the CDs I've listened to on the portable thus far have been actual albums and not burns or mixes, but I'm curious as to whether or not I'll have to turn the volume up on those.
I should say that for all the parents or parents-to-be out there, TMBG's Here Come the ABCs would be a great addition to any kids music collection. The songs were all catchy, informative, and above all else, fun. My favorite is still "L M N O", a funky quirky song to remind kids that L M N and O are four letters, not one. Simple enough, but I kept finding that it gets stuck in my head--not really a bad thing in this regard. While it's perfect for the kids, I think the adults would also find it entertaining.
I got The Cardigans First Band on the Moon not too long after my family first got a CD player stereo (and a computer with a CD-ROM drive). I distinctively remember listening to it on the computer the night I got it being asked immediately by my brother, "Why are you listening to THAT?" Clearly, we had some differences of opinion when it came to musical choices (This also popped up with Jamiroquai--go figure), but I didn't really care about his opinion, though--I liked the music. Of course, the most popular track is "Lovefool" due to the juggernaut of a soundtrack to the mid-90s film version of Romeo and Juliet, but I think there are a few other gems on the album. "Your New Cuckoo" and "Great Divide" are two of my favorites. As I was telling O when we were listening to this over the weekend, I love the fact that the music is so poppy, yet the lyrics tell a different story, one that says, basically, "You're psychologically ruining me!" It's so easy to sing along happily and then have to check yourself when belt loudly, "Baby I was your whore." Whooops. Then the hook brings you back in and you don't care anymore. That's what I always felt, anyway.
The Bro Code spawned from one of my current favorite sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother. Written from the perspective of Neil Patrick Harris' character Barney, this is a collection of rules for "bros". For example: "Article 34: Bros cannot make eye contact during a devil's three-way (two dudes)." It's actually pretty funny to hear it being read out loud. The Bro Code is referenced often in the show, and I'm glad they actually produced a book (and an audio version!) to put all the rules in one place at one time. I was a little late coming to HIMYM, but I think it's very creative in how much they've done outside of the show, including both the audio book and a slew of websites created just because they were mentioned in passing by one of the characters on the show. And, you know, I love the story of the show and the characters created. If you're into some humorous audio books, this one is worth a listen.
I picked up a double-CD set of Jamiroquai's Emergency on Planet Earth and The Return of the Space Cowboy my junior year in college at the semi-annual record and CD sale in Ithaca held at the Holiday Inn. I had just purchased A Funk Odyssey a few weeks before, so finding the double-album box was like finding the diamond in the rough. I nearly flipped my lid! With that purchase, I had in my possession all five Jamiroquai albums (at the time). I believe it was in October of that year when I got it, and I remember going back and hanging out at Isaac's apartment on Cayuga being extremely contented with my find. Sometime that semester I used both of the CDs from the box in an assignment for Advanced Audio in which I analyzed their sound. I love the instrumentation on Space Cowboy. It's a great album to listen to when you want to mellow out, need something a little funky, or have just a slight hankering for some didgeridoo. Listening to it today reminded me of listening to it the October I got it 9 years ago. I can even remember the smells of my dorm room, and how quiet it was on my floor during fall break, aside from the group of friends who also stuck around. It's amazing how a sound, a taste, a smell can trigger so many other sensory memories and instantly transport you to somewhere else. I'm fascinated by it every time and always do what I can to take in the moment, and hope the memory doesn't fade away too easily.
I was thinking today on my walk to work that Snow Patrol's Final Straw seemed to be a perfect fall album. The music starts off very poppy--sunny and happy and hopeful, and as the album progresses it takes a darker, slower, somber turn. Nothing too dark, mind you, but still something there to make you think it's progressing just like the fall--going from warm to cool in a manner that seems to naturally flow. I've always liked listening to the album and remember having it on many times as I stood at the train station waiting to catch the R5 to work in the mornings--it's a funny memory since because I've been getting to work earlier these days, my walk has taken me by the station around the time that the train I used to take is pulling in. Again, I'm being driven by the memories!
I'm beginning to realize that's going to happen a lot during the course of this project. I'm traveling back in time to encounter things I've left long ago. Yes, I'm listening to my CDs, but I'm also bringing back to the front of my mind everything that was going on around me when I had those CDs playing more often. Of course it won't be the same for all of them, but there are plenty in my collection that will jog some pretty interesting memories for me. I'm enjoying delving into it all, and I can't wait to see where next week will find me.
Happy Listening!
Battery tally: Two sets put in this week. One died rather quickly when I found out they were in an incorrect charger to start. That problem's been fixed. Total tally for the projet: 3 sets of rechargeable batteries.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
5 CDs a Week, week 1
CD List of the Week:
1. Modest Mouse, The Moon & Antarctica
2. Music from the Motion Picture The Talented Mr. Ripley
3. Padraic, My Playlist, a mix by John Vettese
4. Mother Redcap, All This Nothing
5. Live, Throwing Copper
My blind grabbing of CDs for this week turned up a few I was excited to listen to again, along with one that, I'll admit, I hadn't yet listened to. I even tore through one of the rooms in my apartment looking for my portable CD player. Yeah, that's right, I'm giving the iPod a periodic break and going old school for this project. I probably won't be carrying it around every day, but I'll bring it with me for my walk to work more often now, so I can get more listening done. I should keep track of how often I go through the rechargeable batteries I'm using too. I really can't remember how often they need to be changed with this thing. I won't be using the portable player exclusively, but I'll still keep a tally going of battery changes for my own amusement.
The first CD I popped in was Modest Mouse's The Moon & Antarctica, which made me so incredibly happy to pick out first among my entire collection. It also must've been one of the last CDs I listened to on the portable before it got locked in the closet prison, because it auto-recalled to track 15 when I turned it on--fun to note. I got into Modest Mouse not too long after I started interning at the studio, and so listening to this album is a bit of a time-traveling event for me. Not all of it was happy memories, though. Even though I was starting up something really truly awesome, I was terribly lonely, dealing with moving back home from college and having virtually none of my friends in the area anymore--some were still up in Ithaca, others across the country with new jobs or starting grad school, so I had a lot of fish out of water moments. But I also remember being up at the front desk at the studio listening to different Modest Mouse songs with Matt and really liking what I heard. Around the same time I got "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" on a mix, and I knew even more that I liked the band's style. This was before "Float On", before the band had so many of their songs showcased in commercials, before they were getting a ton of radio airplay (at least on major stations). There's something about catching a band just before they blow up big that's just so...neat to be a part of. Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to be of the mentality of "Ohhh, I knew this band before they got big," but more of "Oh, I know this band, and they're getting big--cool!" I loved the sound of the album, from the cool mellow of "Gravity Rides Everything" to the driving strings on "The Stars Are Projectors". I think a lot of these songs really stand up years after I first heard them, and it was refreshing to get another listen.
The next CD I popped in was the soundtrack to The Talented Mr. Ripley. I remember watching the movie and loving the jazz songs that played throughout, but the pieces composed by Gabriel Yared were haunting, taking you to places of beauty but with a sense of unease. While I was listening to some of this on my walk home last night, it was easy to imagine myself as someone in a film being followed by a suspicious man. Thankfully, that wasn't actually happening, but I love that the music could take me to that place and let my imagination run wild. On top of all that, there were also some great vocal performances. Sinead O'Connor's performance on "Lullaby For Cain" gave me chills, and John Martyn's singing on "You Don't Know What Love Is" is slow, sad, and about as close to what the human voice can do to combine howling and singing. I'd go out on a limb to say that in the past, he convinced me that I didn't know what love is. Then again, maybe I didn't.
"Padriac, My Playlist", was a great mix put together by my friend John. He had an iTunes gift card and didn't know what to spend it on, so he decided to ask his friends to suggest songs that he didn't already own, and, in the order of the suggestion, he'd put them together on one CD. I thought this was a great idea, so I made my own suggestion of "At Last" by Etta James, which made it in at track #3. I love the fact that 20 people were able to suggest such diverse songs, and I think it turned out as a very successful mix; John did as well, because he did it one more time (and you might see me write about that in the near future). For some examples of diversity: Mark Mothersbaugh to Big & Rich, Harry Nilsson to 2Pac and Dr. Dre. It really spanned the gamut and was worth another spin.
"Selling the Drama", "I Alone", "White, Discussion", "Lightning Crashes", "All Over You"--five great songs on one great album. Listening to Throwing Copper took me back to eighth grade, and it was nice to step back into '94-'95, thankfully only for a short time. Sometimes you listen to an album and you forget how many good songs come from it. I don't think I need to be reminded twice with this one.
I had to unwrap Mother Redcap's All This Nothing--I won't lie about it. Sometimes I get CDs fresh from clients who have recorded them, bring them home, and then promptly forget to open them up and give them a listen. Bad Pattae! I wasn't sure exactly what I was in for--I'd only heard bits and pieces of it over the course of the many months that the guys were in the studio working on it, but I was surprised. There were a few good tracks on it--the Jersey guys can do rock alright, and I think their hard work showed.
That wraps up my first week of listening. I'm sure as I go through this project I may change up format, decide I want to post about every CD on a different day (which will get me to post more often BUT will likely be shorter than this one), or figure out a way to do this better, but I'm going to continue. I've been getting a lot of positive feedback already, and I hope that I can live up to the hype. Then again, I want to do this for myself. With luck, others will find this just as entertaining. So, until next week, happy listening!
Battery Tally: 1 set of rechargeables went out this morning on my way into work. Set 2 will start tomorrow.
1. Modest Mouse, The Moon & Antarctica
2. Music from the Motion Picture The Talented Mr. Ripley
3. Padraic, My Playlist, a mix by John Vettese
4. Mother Redcap, All This Nothing
5. Live, Throwing Copper
My blind grabbing of CDs for this week turned up a few I was excited to listen to again, along with one that, I'll admit, I hadn't yet listened to. I even tore through one of the rooms in my apartment looking for my portable CD player. Yeah, that's right, I'm giving the iPod a periodic break and going old school for this project. I probably won't be carrying it around every day, but I'll bring it with me for my walk to work more often now, so I can get more listening done. I should keep track of how often I go through the rechargeable batteries I'm using too. I really can't remember how often they need to be changed with this thing. I won't be using the portable player exclusively, but I'll still keep a tally going of battery changes for my own amusement.
The first CD I popped in was Modest Mouse's The Moon & Antarctica, which made me so incredibly happy to pick out first among my entire collection. It also must've been one of the last CDs I listened to on the portable before it got locked in the closet prison, because it auto-recalled to track 15 when I turned it on--fun to note. I got into Modest Mouse not too long after I started interning at the studio, and so listening to this album is a bit of a time-traveling event for me. Not all of it was happy memories, though. Even though I was starting up something really truly awesome, I was terribly lonely, dealing with moving back home from college and having virtually none of my friends in the area anymore--some were still up in Ithaca, others across the country with new jobs or starting grad school, so I had a lot of fish out of water moments. But I also remember being up at the front desk at the studio listening to different Modest Mouse songs with Matt and really liking what I heard. Around the same time I got "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" on a mix, and I knew even more that I liked the band's style. This was before "Float On", before the band had so many of their songs showcased in commercials, before they were getting a ton of radio airplay (at least on major stations). There's something about catching a band just before they blow up big that's just so...neat to be a part of. Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to be of the mentality of "Ohhh, I knew this band before they got big," but more of "Oh, I know this band, and they're getting big--cool!" I loved the sound of the album, from the cool mellow of "Gravity Rides Everything" to the driving strings on "The Stars Are Projectors". I think a lot of these songs really stand up years after I first heard them, and it was refreshing to get another listen.
The next CD I popped in was the soundtrack to The Talented Mr. Ripley. I remember watching the movie and loving the jazz songs that played throughout, but the pieces composed by Gabriel Yared were haunting, taking you to places of beauty but with a sense of unease. While I was listening to some of this on my walk home last night, it was easy to imagine myself as someone in a film being followed by a suspicious man. Thankfully, that wasn't actually happening, but I love that the music could take me to that place and let my imagination run wild. On top of all that, there were also some great vocal performances. Sinead O'Connor's performance on "Lullaby For Cain" gave me chills, and John Martyn's singing on "You Don't Know What Love Is" is slow, sad, and about as close to what the human voice can do to combine howling and singing. I'd go out on a limb to say that in the past, he convinced me that I didn't know what love is. Then again, maybe I didn't.
"Padriac, My Playlist", was a great mix put together by my friend John. He had an iTunes gift card and didn't know what to spend it on, so he decided to ask his friends to suggest songs that he didn't already own, and, in the order of the suggestion, he'd put them together on one CD. I thought this was a great idea, so I made my own suggestion of "At Last" by Etta James, which made it in at track #3. I love the fact that 20 people were able to suggest such diverse songs, and I think it turned out as a very successful mix; John did as well, because he did it one more time (and you might see me write about that in the near future). For some examples of diversity: Mark Mothersbaugh to Big & Rich, Harry Nilsson to 2Pac and Dr. Dre. It really spanned the gamut and was worth another spin.
"Selling the Drama", "I Alone", "White, Discussion", "Lightning Crashes", "All Over You"--five great songs on one great album. Listening to Throwing Copper took me back to eighth grade, and it was nice to step back into '94-'95, thankfully only for a short time. Sometimes you listen to an album and you forget how many good songs come from it. I don't think I need to be reminded twice with this one.
I had to unwrap Mother Redcap's All This Nothing--I won't lie about it. Sometimes I get CDs fresh from clients who have recorded them, bring them home, and then promptly forget to open them up and give them a listen. Bad Pattae! I wasn't sure exactly what I was in for--I'd only heard bits and pieces of it over the course of the many months that the guys were in the studio working on it, but I was surprised. There were a few good tracks on it--the Jersey guys can do rock alright, and I think their hard work showed.
That wraps up my first week of listening. I'm sure as I go through this project I may change up format, decide I want to post about every CD on a different day (which will get me to post more often BUT will likely be shorter than this one), or figure out a way to do this better, but I'm going to continue. I've been getting a lot of positive feedback already, and I hope that I can live up to the hype. Then again, I want to do this for myself. With luck, others will find this just as entertaining. So, until next week, happy listening!
Battery Tally: 1 set of rechargeables went out this morning on my way into work. Set 2 will start tomorrow.
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Challenge
As I sit here watching O destroy zombies with terrible might, I decide it's about time to make good on the idea that's been floating around in my head the past couple weeks. It's probably not a unique idea, but I think it could be good for both my listening development and hopefully my writing--with luck, it would be in tandem.
My challenge to myself is to listen to every single CD I own.
Sure, on the face of it, that's no hard feat. I probably have somewhere in the neighborhood of, oh, we'll say 200 discs lying around in various places in my apartment, with a small few still at the Ranch (which I'll pick up next time I go home--I know how much my parents love it when I take more of my stuff out of their house).
I could just throw some into the changer at home every night and spin a few discs while I do things around the apartment, but I want to delve a little bit deeper than passive listening. I know it would be hard to go through in detail about every CD I own (and hell, I already know that, at least with some of them, I don't really WANT to), but I want to take the time give each CD its moment to caress my ears, and let it either teach me something I didn't already know, or remind me of a story that I could relay in this space.
So what I'm going to do is this: each week, I will select 5 CDs at semi-random (semi-random because, as I've mentioned, not all of my discs are in one location) and give them a spin. There will likely be multiple spins of the same disc in one week. And in each group I will find something to write about, be it the music, the lyrics, a fond (or not so fond) memory I've associated with the music, or just my general thoughts on what I've listened to that week. Hell, I may get inspired to write a poem, and I'll use that week's entry to post it here! At the top I'll list every CD I've listened to in that week, along with whatever comes with it. Mix CDs WILL be included because often times those brought with them their own memories, ideas, and stories. I'm sure I'll be embarrassed by some of the previous musical choices I've made (at least I'm happy my Color Me Bad album was on cassette and will NOT be part of this project!), but I think I'll wind up stumbling on some musical diamond in the rough that I've let sit by for far too long.
I started my CD collection in the summer of 1996. Since then, I've gone on buying sprees, buying droughts, and almost given up the CDs in favor of those nifty downloadable files everyone seems to have these days. I've picked up CDs at shows, been given discs by performers and friends alike, and I think it's high time I give them all just a little bit of time to play their hearts out for my ears. Maybe I'll even jog some memories for someone else. Either way, it should be a fun and musical time.
My challenge to myself is to listen to every single CD I own.
Sure, on the face of it, that's no hard feat. I probably have somewhere in the neighborhood of, oh, we'll say 200 discs lying around in various places in my apartment, with a small few still at the Ranch (which I'll pick up next time I go home--I know how much my parents love it when I take more of my stuff out of their house).
I could just throw some into the changer at home every night and spin a few discs while I do things around the apartment, but I want to delve a little bit deeper than passive listening. I know it would be hard to go through in detail about every CD I own (and hell, I already know that, at least with some of them, I don't really WANT to), but I want to take the time give each CD its moment to caress my ears, and let it either teach me something I didn't already know, or remind me of a story that I could relay in this space.
So what I'm going to do is this: each week, I will select 5 CDs at semi-random (semi-random because, as I've mentioned, not all of my discs are in one location) and give them a spin. There will likely be multiple spins of the same disc in one week. And in each group I will find something to write about, be it the music, the lyrics, a fond (or not so fond) memory I've associated with the music, or just my general thoughts on what I've listened to that week. Hell, I may get inspired to write a poem, and I'll use that week's entry to post it here! At the top I'll list every CD I've listened to in that week, along with whatever comes with it. Mix CDs WILL be included because often times those brought with them their own memories, ideas, and stories. I'm sure I'll be embarrassed by some of the previous musical choices I've made (at least I'm happy my Color Me Bad album was on cassette and will NOT be part of this project!), but I think I'll wind up stumbling on some musical diamond in the rough that I've let sit by for far too long.
I started my CD collection in the summer of 1996. Since then, I've gone on buying sprees, buying droughts, and almost given up the CDs in favor of those nifty downloadable files everyone seems to have these days. I've picked up CDs at shows, been given discs by performers and friends alike, and I think it's high time I give them all just a little bit of time to play their hearts out for my ears. Maybe I'll even jog some memories for someone else. Either way, it should be a fun and musical time.
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Meaning of It All
It has been QUITE some time since I last wrote anything I felt remotely post-worthy on this here blog, but I guess I've been getting bit by the writing bug lately. I don't necessarily expect to have a big audience for the things I post, but that really isn't my goal anyway. I want to use this spot as a way to voice my thoughts and opinions on what I'm observing from the world, the things I'm learning and how I'm trying to apply that knowledge, and tidbits I find worth sharing with anyone who cares to read. My goal is to make myself get in the habit of writing more, because, as I've realized in the past few weeks, it's something I definitely have missed doing. I have a new poem that I wrote, but I won't post it until I've had the opportunity to give a hand-written copy to the person I wrote it for. Perhaps before then I'll have something new to post anyway.
On to some other things...
I've taken more of an interest in cooking lately. A large part of the reason why has to do with a personal quest to have a more personal connection to the food I'm eating. Back when I first moved out on my own, my freezer was stacked high with Lean Cuisines perfect for popping in the microwave at the end of a long day of work while I watched whatever version of Law & Order was currently airing on NBC that night. While they might have been a step in the right direction as far as portion control and getting more vegetables in my diet were concerned, thinking about the ingredient list and the amount of sodium contained in those little dishes had me thinking twice about going back to my grocer's freezer aisle.
Over time, I've let my grocery-buying habits evolve to include more fruits and vegetables and get myself motivated to consume them before they go bad. Sometimes it's not as easy as it looks! You know you should have some healthier-for-you snacks, but goshdarnit it's hard to resist the lure of Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Combos when they're sitting RIGHT there! And then, before you know it, your peppers have gone bad, the grapes are sour and squishy, and you don't even want to guess what the technical name is for what's growing on the strawberries. Nevertheless, I persisted, more aware of what I was buying and how long it'd last, and perhaps taking more time between trips to the store for Combos. It's really amazing how all the little steps add up over time until you realize that you're definitely not eating the same crap every day. I feel guilty some days for not having enough of my fruits or veggies now, and I try to make them a big part of every dinner I cook now. A dinner of all starch and fats is no longer my ideal meal. For anyone who knew me when I was a young Pattae, that's HUGE.
Lately, I've been going even more in-depth to try to find the healthy balance of buying locally-produced, organic, and conventional produce. I read up on what's suggested buying organic over conventional, and just this weekend I went to one of the local farmers' markets in the area to see what people from area farms are selling. I like having a better idea of what the growing seasons for various fruits and vegetables are around here. It makes me think a little bit more about what I might see stocked in the grocery store in six months' time and where that's actually coming from. But as far as the market is concerned, I picked up some local tomatoes, some fresh-baked bread, and some farmhouse cheddar. I haven't tried the cheddar just yet, but tonight I tried my hand at making a homemade bruschetta, and I think I had a successful run. It was fairly easy to prepare, and the taste was so fresh and delightful. I definitely plan on doing it again in the near future. I hope to post more about recipes I'm trying out with a little more detail in coming posts.
I haven't even gone on to talk about all the martial arts training I've been involved with over the past year and a half, but I guess I'll get to that next time, hopefully with some good examples of things I've been working on. Until then, goodnight!
On to some other things...
I've taken more of an interest in cooking lately. A large part of the reason why has to do with a personal quest to have a more personal connection to the food I'm eating. Back when I first moved out on my own, my freezer was stacked high with Lean Cuisines perfect for popping in the microwave at the end of a long day of work while I watched whatever version of Law & Order was currently airing on NBC that night. While they might have been a step in the right direction as far as portion control and getting more vegetables in my diet were concerned, thinking about the ingredient list and the amount of sodium contained in those little dishes had me thinking twice about going back to my grocer's freezer aisle.
Over time, I've let my grocery-buying habits evolve to include more fruits and vegetables and get myself motivated to consume them before they go bad. Sometimes it's not as easy as it looks! You know you should have some healthier-for-you snacks, but goshdarnit it's hard to resist the lure of Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Combos when they're sitting RIGHT there! And then, before you know it, your peppers have gone bad, the grapes are sour and squishy, and you don't even want to guess what the technical name is for what's growing on the strawberries. Nevertheless, I persisted, more aware of what I was buying and how long it'd last, and perhaps taking more time between trips to the store for Combos. It's really amazing how all the little steps add up over time until you realize that you're definitely not eating the same crap every day. I feel guilty some days for not having enough of my fruits or veggies now, and I try to make them a big part of every dinner I cook now. A dinner of all starch and fats is no longer my ideal meal. For anyone who knew me when I was a young Pattae, that's HUGE.
Lately, I've been going even more in-depth to try to find the healthy balance of buying locally-produced, organic, and conventional produce. I read up on what's suggested buying organic over conventional, and just this weekend I went to one of the local farmers' markets in the area to see what people from area farms are selling. I like having a better idea of what the growing seasons for various fruits and vegetables are around here. It makes me think a little bit more about what I might see stocked in the grocery store in six months' time and where that's actually coming from. But as far as the market is concerned, I picked up some local tomatoes, some fresh-baked bread, and some farmhouse cheddar. I haven't tried the cheddar just yet, but tonight I tried my hand at making a homemade bruschetta, and I think I had a successful run. It was fairly easy to prepare, and the taste was so fresh and delightful. I definitely plan on doing it again in the near future. I hope to post more about recipes I'm trying out with a little more detail in coming posts.
I haven't even gone on to talk about all the martial arts training I've been involved with over the past year and a half, but I guess I'll get to that next time, hopefully with some good examples of things I've been working on. Until then, goodnight!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Oh, hi there.
I've disappeared from the ether for far too long. While I don't have a lot of time in the current moment, I'd like to tell you about a couple fun things.
1. The Philles won the National League Championship last night, and I firmly believe that, future dynasty or not, the people of Philadelphia are in the midst of a truly amazing and special team. I hope that they are about to be successful in defending their World Series title against whichever team they wind up playing--part of me is hoping for a match-up with the Yankees, but only after losing a couple games to the Angels. Let's give the Phils a few days of rest.
2. The studio has started up a great website to help artists raise funds for their projects called Feed The Muse. Currently still in the early stages and with some cool changes on the way, the site has already helped people raise over $15,000 in our first three months. We're all really proud.
3. Speaking of great sites, I recommend you check out The 61. Seriously, go there now. If you love music, especially of the independent variety, go there NOW. It's a fantastic site, and I could go on and on about some of it's features here, but I think I will save that for its own dedicated post. If you decide to sign up, tell them pattae sent you. Let me know when/if you sign up, and I'll be your first subscriber!
4. It's October, and we've hit one of my favorite times of year. There isn't too much special about posting that--I just thought it needed to be said.
There's more where this came from. Seriously. I promise.
1. The Philles won the National League Championship last night, and I firmly believe that, future dynasty or not, the people of Philadelphia are in the midst of a truly amazing and special team. I hope that they are about to be successful in defending their World Series title against whichever team they wind up playing--part of me is hoping for a match-up with the Yankees, but only after losing a couple games to the Angels. Let's give the Phils a few days of rest.
2. The studio has started up a great website to help artists raise funds for their projects called Feed The Muse. Currently still in the early stages and with some cool changes on the way, the site has already helped people raise over $15,000 in our first three months. We're all really proud.
3. Speaking of great sites, I recommend you check out The 61. Seriously, go there now. If you love music, especially of the independent variety, go there NOW. It's a fantastic site, and I could go on and on about some of it's features here, but I think I will save that for its own dedicated post. If you decide to sign up, tell them pattae sent you. Let me know when/if you sign up, and I'll be your first subscriber!
4. It's October, and we've hit one of my favorite times of year. There isn't too much special about posting that--I just thought it needed to be said.
There's more where this came from. Seriously. I promise.
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