royalkeister united

Top 5 Albums of 2011 You Might of Not Heard (or maybe you did)

2011-12-31T20:17:00.002-05:00

Man, I look at this list and I'm starting to feel old. Not one punk album on it. 2011 was a year of the synth and the ethereal for me I suppose. Maybe I'm feeling a bit nostalgic or I'm rebelling against other groups that seem to be forced down my throat over the year (Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and so on)

1. Inni by Sigur Ros
Sigur Ros is so overly talented. They're obviously from a planet of musical volcanoes and glaciers. Oh wait, they are. They're from Iceland.

2. Something to Die For by the Sounds
We love the Sounds. The Sounds love us. I know that because they personally told us. Long story, great album (beware of some swears for young ears).

3. Hurry Up We're Dreaming by M83
My friend Sam introduced me to this group out of France. They've been on heavy rotation since.

4. Timez Are Weird These Days by Theophilus London
This reminds me when I thought Hip Hop was cool in the late 80's. Let's see, maybe can I still do the running man... (again, some swears on this one for the young ears)

5. Within and Without by Washed Out
aka Ernest Greene. This guy does all this music by himself in a small studio. Wish I could do half of what he does.

2011 wasn't as strong as 2010. On last year's list I most regrettably left off Sidewalks by Matt & Kim. Everyone in my house loves that album and we play it LOUD in our car and sing a long. 2012 already looks promising with new releases promised from Silversun Pickups, Bryan Scary, and Foxy Shazam. If you happen to buy Bryan Scary's new album (February release) you might find someone you know mentioned in the liner notes. I wonder who it might be...

Ragnaristic Reflections- Ragnar Sin City 2011

2011-10-26T16:23:00.013-05:00

* The elevation depicted on the maps were deceptive in how steep and long those inclines were
* Randy Jr's "holy crap" look on his face after hitting his first round of hills
* Some stunning scenery around Lake Mead, red rock formations, and gorges
* Yeah, the desert is hot. So why was I running through it?
* 2 large cases of bottled water and 3 large cases of Gatorade is still not enough
* I was comfortably under my pace time on my first two legs, but over on my last
* The "One Mile to Go" sign either gave me the energy to run faster or reason to despair
* Buffets and gambling were the last things I wanted to do in Vegas while doing Ragnar
* My favorite run was my night run (leg 22). Slight incline, straight, cool breeze, clear skies, all the stars were visible. I made 18 kills (people I ran past) and no one killed me.
* Apparently, I passed my sister's team without knowing it on my night run. They had a 2.5 hour head start
*Ev (my sis) texted "You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man" after I unknowingly passed Meredith on her team. I told Brian (my teammate, her husband) still thinking they were ahead. Brian put on his game face and did his best run of the relay. I think Brian and Ev are a little bit competitive.

* Brian barreling into exchange 24 and everyone getting out the the way
* Randy Sr. running with bloody knees after tripping over rocks in the dark
* After seeing Neal off at exchange 24, driving down the road and seeing a line of red blinking runners lights head into the mountains. Surreal.
* Driving through leg 26 feeling bad for what Lance Brandow (in van 1) was about to run. I call that leg the "widowmaker" or the "great equalizer"
* Getting to exchange 30 seeing only six other team vans, but no runners or Ragnar crew. Brian compared it to a post-apocalyptic scene where we were the only survivors
* Everyone snoozes, but I stay awake so not to miss any news on our situation
* No phone reception for a good deal of the race. Mike Sailer came into exchange 6 without us aware due to the lack of phone/text availability
* Bobby sleeping on top of his Sub-Urban at exchange 30
* Ragnar finally comes to exchange 30. I hear Bobby on the roof of the car say to the Ragnar guy "Can you get me a pillow?". Stunned Ragnar guys says "Did you just ask me for a pillow?"
*Ragnar finally tells us where the detour was (a quarter mile away). It's a dirt patch. We try to sleep in the car. Freezing.
* I get a grand total of 45min of shut eye in about 38 hours
* Boy Scouts provide breakfast. My pancakes froze on the way from the skillet to my plate

* We all suffered on our last legs
* My inadequate training was exposed in the last mile of my last leg
* My legs itched like crazy after stumbling through tumbleweed in the middle of the night
* I had to stop and walk a short spell close to the end of my last leg due to rapid heart rate and double vision and feeling faint. I was obviously dehydrated, malnourished, and sleep deprived. How do you train for that?
* Cold Gatorade at exchange 35 was heavenly. So nice.
* So relieved when I saw our van 1 at the finishers area. So proud of them.
* Still thought it was our van 1 that passed Ev's team in the night
* Really cool finishers' medals
* Wishing the two team vans have more time to hang out together.
* Shoelace Ninjas Ragnar Las Vegas 2011: 188 miles, 31hours, 40minutes, 1 second

*Grateful I have been blessed with the ability and opportunity to take part in such an event. Wish my family could have been there. Next year...

12th Anniversary Mix Tape!

2011-07-30T17:23:00.002-05:00

It's that favorite time of year when I get to express my love and admiration to my lovely wife for our wedding anniversary (August 7th). I always choose to do a mix tape because it actually requires me to be thoughtful and put forth an effort. Much better than a gift card, right? Well, I guess that depends. But I love putting these together for her. Here is this year's list!

1. Lasso by Phoenix: A band that Amber is fond of. This is a catchy song, but I promise, no lassos have ever been used in our 12 years together.

2. 24 Hours by the Sounds: If I were rich and could afford a house band, I think we would want the Sounds. Lots of good times with the Sounds as our background music. "I'm yours and the world is ours."

3. Bizarre Love Triangle covered by South: South does a great cover of this New Order song. New Order is one of the most under appreciated bands of the 80's.

4. Cameras by Matt & Kim: This song makes me think of all the good times I've had with Amber and all the good times yet to come. When playing, this song must be played loud!

5. On Melancholy Hill by Gorillaz: I make no bones about being a fan of Damon Albarn (Blur, The Good Bad and the Queen, Gorillaz). And perhaps this gave me a reason to place one of his songs on a mix tape. Besides two of the founding members of the Clash play on this. How cool is that? "'Cause you're my medicine when you're close to me."

6. Teenage Demon Baby by Foxy Shazam: WHY IS FOXY SHAZAM NOT YET THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD! Love this band out of Cincinnati. A strange love song with a campy 1960's horror vibe.

7. Crossfire by Brandon Flowers: A great song from the lead singer of the Killers. It speaks to me of overcoming obstacles together.

8. Only You by Yaz: I believe that Amber is subconsciously a Vince Clark fan. Depeche Mode? Check. Erasure? Check. Yaz? Check. He is the undisputed king of the drum machine. A fine song that reminds me a little of Preston, Idaho. I wonder why.

9. Around Us by Jonsi: I couldn't do a mix tape for Amber without including Jonsi. She loves his music. He is simply one of the most brilliant musicians I've ever seen.

10. Running to Stand Still by U2: One of my favorite songs by U2. This is back when U2 could paint a picture with their music.

11. Anything to Say You're Mine by Etta James: A stark departure from the other songs on this list. But no one can sing a love song like Etta James. Her voice and style is one that cannot be copied (countless have tried).

Love you Ambi! Thanks for not kicking me to the curb these past 12 years!

Like the Mighty Flea, I've banned the Tunes

2011-06-18T09:02:00.009-05:00

Like the Mighty Flea, I've banned the tunes... while I'm running. Early 2008 I took up running to fill the void left by years and years of college and post-grad education. In the beginning, I could barely run a 1/2 mile on the treadmill. Over time, I got outside and was running close to 13 miles a week. I did a couple of 5k races and got pretty slow to mediocre times. I relied a lot on my iPod to keep me motivated. The Bouncing Souls and the Sounds helped get me through that beginning phase of running. I even shed 20lbs in the process.

Then 2009 happened. We moved to the Phoenix area and I fell off the wagon and gained most of that weight back. THEN 2010 happened and I started to make a serious commitment to running. First thing I did was strap on the iPod and turn up the Bouncing Souls. Almost immediately I found my running experience to be tedious and a chore. I found my self counting how many songs it took to run 3 miles. Also, it seemed pace and breathing would change with the tempo of each different song. Since not all of my songs have a tempo of 120, I felt my brain revolting on me while I was on the run. It felt like my brain was trying to sabotage any success I might have while trying to reach my running goals.

Now I'm tuneless and the world is better. Because the tunes are off (as much as I love the Souls and the Sounds), I can hear my breathing pattern, my heartbeat, and concentrate on my pace and stride. Even better, I can hear the wonderful world around me. Now that I live in Ohio again, I can hear the wind in the trees, the cardinal singing, smell the lilac, and most importantly, hear cars. I run twice as much as I used to and I'm afraid putting plugs in my ears can put me at risk for being unaware of drivers that don't watch for runners.

The debate for and against running with tunes is discussed at length here at Runner's World Magazine online. For me, I simply cannot do it anymore. My success has doubled since dropping the tunes. I've dropped 45lbs and I'll be doing my first 1/2 marathon in September (here) and the Ragnar Relay in Las Vegas in October (here). Plus I've shaved off about 10 minutes from previous race times.

People still ask me for race playlists, which I'm more than happy to provide. But, Flea (of RHCP fame) who ran his first marathon and when asked about if he listens to music while running, he said "Never. I don't like it. It's like my senses are so overwhelmed already, so full. The sound of my heartbeat, running up this canyon here in Malibu, the birds, the animals, the sights, it's so much already. It's a beautiful thing." Right on brother Flea, right on.

Cincinnati Reds 10k, 1 mile Kids Run, Gapper Run

2011-06-12T14:22:00.002-05:00

The Sounds: Something to Die For

2011-04-24T17:50:00.004-05:00

I love the Sounds. It is obvious that I only post on groups that I like and albums that I enjoy. I always like and enjoy the Sounds. "Something to Die For" falls right in line with their three previous albums: catchy beats, easy lyrics, and that special Swedish pop sensibility. Just like Swedish Fish, you can't help but want more after you've had the first bite. Amber and I love 'em even more after meeting them a year ago in Tempe, AZ. Possibly the nicest rock stars you'll ever meet. Some snooty critics may belittle the Sounds albums, but I won't ever put 'em down. A few songs are not intended for little ears, so we don't play those in the car. Best songs according to my daughter Chelsea are: "Better Off Dead", "Something to Die For", "Yeah Yeah Yeah", and "Dance With the Devil". Not sure if the album is necessarily something to die for, but it is certainly something to get really excited about. We're looking forward to seeing them live again to get our Swedish on!

The Strokes: Angles

2011-04-24T17:36:00.003-05:00

Last month, the Strokes blessed us with their newest album entitled "Angles". I didn't know they were still a band. Lead singer Julian Casablancas put out a fantastic solo album in '09. And that is all I knew of their whereabouts.

I remember when they first burst out on the scene in '01 with their album "Is This It". What a welcome sound they were breaking up the monotony of Nu-Metal acts that were dominating the airwaves. It felt like I was experiencing New York in 1977. After that, their other albums were kind of... 'meh'. And then they disappeared, I think.

Now they're back to the good ol' vibes of NYC art school rock. "Angles" is quite possibly their greatest album. It is a great listen front to back. And Julian Casablanca's voice is better than ever. Best songs include: "Macchu Picchu", "Under the Cover of Darkness", "Two Kinds of Happiness", "Gratisfaction", "Taken For a Fool", and "Life is Simple in the Moonlight". I know that is most the album, but its that good. Check it out for yourself.

Jonsi: Live at the Wiltern

2011-04-24T17:14:00.002-05:00

This is a late review for Jonsi's "Live at the Wiltern" which came out earlier this year.

Last year, Amber and I had the pleasure to see Jonsi perform in Tempe, AZ. When we heard Jonsi was going to release a live album, we were eager for it's release. Listening to Jonsi has helped me through some crazy frustrating times while living in AZ. His music captures and delivers you deep into Iceland with beautiful imagery and stunning soundscapes.

Recording a live album is always a bit tricky. The sound engineers have to get everything just right in order for the live concert sound quality to be good enough for commercial production. Even with the brilliant people running the board for Jonsi, some of the songs can be a bit jarring. Especially when Jonsi uses his vocal special effects for the songs "Around Us", "Sticks and Stones", and "Grow Till Tall". That fact is totally forgiven and forgotten with the sonically perfect progression of the songs "Icicle Sleeves" to "Kolnidur" to "Tornado". Amber and I love the lone bass drum sequence that leads into "Kolnidur". The song "Tornado" itself is worth buying the album alone.

Rumor has it that Jonsi is back working together with the rest of Sigur Ros. It'll be interesting to see which direction the band takes after Jonsi's solo project. Although, Sigur Ros has produced some brilliant songs, I have kinda enjoyed Jonsi's solo stuff more. I hope to see him do this again one day.

This Is Important! Best Albums of 2010

2010-12-22T17:43:00.025-05:00

Spin, Rolling Stone, MTV, NPR, they all feel it important to dictate what is best for us at the end of each year with their "best albums" lists. I hate lists. I hate 'em cuz I'm a sucker for them. Only problem is that I don't like their lists. So here's my one and only "best albums of 2010" that I will ever make (yes, I meant what I said). And instead the afore mentioned media outlets tell you what to think, I'm gonna tell you what is best for you this year.

#1 Foxy Shazam- Foxy Shazam

All year, it has been my goal to shove Foxy Shazam into the ear hole of any willing victim. Why do I love Foxy Shazam so much? Perhaps it is because they don't fall into one genre. Perhaps their live show is most awesome-est show in the world right now. However, they are also extremely versatile and talented. They do Soul, Punk, Gospel, Glam, Hard Rock, you name it. Lead singer Eric Nally explains it like this: "When I listen to a Foxy Shazam record I think of Evel Knievel, Bruce Springsteen, my childhood, Van Morrison, my old friends from high school I don't talk to anymore, Elton John, the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and beyond, Iggy Pop and my first kiss." Kapish?

What some people miss is the surprising candid and sincere lyrical content. Most are often caught up in their live shows (again, one of the best I've ever seen) and miss that Nally is singing about fear of success, dispensing advice to his son, life's struggles, trying to the right thing, and bits of blown up bodies flying through the air.

I admit that, for some, it is hard to appreciate or even comprehend Foxy Shazam unless you've seen them live. So, when you do give Foxy Shazam a try, simply follow Eric Nally's advice: "When you listen to our record, think of your favorite things and it'll make sense to you as well. Foxy Shazam is not concerned with what category it falls into".

#2 Jonsi- Go

Jonsi, lead singer of Icelandic super group Sigur Ros, gave us the most brilliant solo album in 2010. If my beloved Amber had made this list, it would've been number one. So I'm making it a close second.

When we saw Jonsi live a couple of months ago, one spectator I talked to afterward nailed Jonsi's effort when she said "Sigur Ros can be an almost spiritual experience. However, Jonsi's album was total exhilaration." In a society where most people still prefer a painting of some dogs playing poker at a card table, Jonsi is our lone Monet'. He literally creates and paints landscapes and events with his music. This is clearly evident in songs like "Tornado", "Boy Lilikoi", and "Kolnidur". This album puts my mind in a good place every time I listen to it with pictures of Icelandic glaciers and cool volcano beaches helping me cope with being stuck in the suffocating heat of Arizona.

Jonsi, is not for everyone, but he should be. His falsetto is a little too much for some and the fact that some of the songs are in Icelandic creates a hurdle for others. Like Sigur Ros, his style is an acquired taste. But that style is "exhilarating" if you give his music a fair shot.

#3 The White Stipes- Under Great White Northern Lights

Does anyone rock as thoroughly as Jack White? Nope. Technically, this is a recording of their tour of Canada in 2007. But the album came out in March of this year. After watching the rock-u-mentary feature Jack White, Jimmy Page, and U2's the Edge, no one can deny what a mad genius Jack White is and UGWNL only reaffirms this.

Listen to their cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene". Dolly's original version was a sweet naive plea to a woman to not steal her man. The White Stripes take the song and make it a heart-wrenching cry for mercy. One of my favorite songs of the year.

The White Strips gain a lot of points in my book for sounding better live than their engineered studio recordings. UGWNL captures the genius of Jack White, the loving relationship between he and Meg White, all the brilliant improvisations, and all out good ol' Detroit Rock 'n' Roll. This is precisely the type of album that inspires a kid to pick up a guitar and learn how to play.

#4 Alkaline Trio- This Addiction

I'm a long time Trio fan, so there is no revelation that this album fell on this list. Alkaline Trio has been churning out straight up simple goth-punk for years with little variation. Some claim this album resembles their efforts from their early years. I don't care. It might be a little more introspective leaving out some of their typical horror show themes, but its still all good fun to me. Songs like "Dine, Dine My Darling" (clearly a Misfits reference) , "Draculina", and "This Addiction" are all the types of songs you crank up in your car and sing along to.

#5 Les Savy Fav- Root for Ruin

Part of the post-hardcore movement, Les Savy Fav is what Fugazi would sound like if Fugazi didn't take themselves so seriously. Apparently they've been around for years, but I only found out about them this summer. I'm cool like that.

Remember that over-weight balding guy with a beard that has lived in your dorm for the past eight years cuz he' s not keen on graduating and getting a job? That would be Les Savy Fav. This is the type of band you could find playing in the basement of an old Masonic temple for five bucks per kid. Their album "Root for Ruin" reminds me of all the fantastic bands in the mid 90's in the Northwest that were overshadowed by the grunge movement. I guess that is why I'm drawn to it.

This is a simple, unpolished, and unapologetic rock album (or post-hardcore if you need to be specific). Very raw and deliberate, it has a Stooges quality to it. Highly recommended for those who are tired with the polished saccharin crap kids are force fed these days.

There you go. That's my small list. Enjoy.

Jonsi

2010-10-24T13:46:00.006-05:00

Amber, Jonsi, and Me

When I was growing up in the Spokane Valley there was a small field across the street from our house. There was a dirt path that carelessly ran through it which I used to walk from my place to my best friend's house. There were some old scary trees in that field as well that stood over a ditch. I remember playing in that field using dead branches as swords or guns, pine cones as grenades, and saving the world from imminent destruction. We would often return home with mud on our jeans and wet from climbing those trees or from diving in the ditch to escape imagined harm. I remember finding empty robin eggs and toying with rolly-polly bugs and enjoying that small patch of nature. This was our world. Our world to discover and manipulate with young naivety and innocence. This is also the world that Jonsi (of Sigur Ros) portrayed in last night's concert promoting his solo album.

After the concert, Amber asked if I knew if Jonsi was an environmentalist, because all the imagery he used had to do with forests, animals, and insects. I'm not sure if he is, but I don't think his intention was to promote environmental politics. I think his message and the theme of this solo album, "Go", is much more simple. It has more to do with exploration, growth, and the struggles and miracles of living.

His set started very quiet and it seemed as if he was slowly grabbing our imagination with a sort of bedtime story or lullaby. What followed was a finely crafted dream scape with alternating moments of reflection and rapture. My favorite part of the concert was the song "Kolindur" followed by "Tornado" played one after the other.

As I have posted about Sigur Ros in the past. What I have said about them also applies to Jonsi. It is an acquired taste. Many of the songs are in Icelandic. So many people have a difficult time relating. Although, Amber and I agree that Jonsi is not a pop star by any stretch. He is actually soft spoken and shy as we found out after the concert. Rather he is a musical artist in the purest sense much like a painter or a sculptor.

All in all Amber and I had a wonderful time. Well worth the money we spent. I do want to shortly mention how awesome Jonsi's drummer was. We don't think we've seen such a brilliant percussionist (I say that rather than drummer, because he didn't just sit behind the drum set the whole time) in ages. After the concert we asked to have our picture with him. He was shocked, because who asks to take a picture with the drummer? Really, he was that good.

If you're brave and into something new that is more escapist than pop music, give Jonsi a chance. We're very happy we did.

Les Miserables

2010-10-10T19:20:00.004-05:00

Most of the time we read for fun (unless you're a student). It is a way to relax and escape. All of us have our individual tastes in genre such as horror, romance (yuck), political, history, and so on. I tend to lean toward the dead author genre. I like the classics. My sister, Evelyn, calls me a book snob. So what if I am. When we buy books, most often we devour the material and call it good. Some books are intended that way. However, it would be a crime to approach Victor Hugo's Les Miserables in that manner. The English unabridged version took me several months to complete. I loved every 1463 pages of it. As I carefully read each chapter, I had a highlighter pen at my side to catch the countless pearls of wisdom that infest the book. I knew I wasn't reading a simple "fun" book, but a book with a soul that would lift and inspire.

Les Mis is probably mostly well known in the musical version. Over 50 film, TV, and animation adaptations of the book have been made. Regardless of which mode the book has been translated too, all are merely rough sketches of Victor Hugo's masterpiece. I am going to assume you already know the basic story line of this well known classic. So I will spare the plot description. Allow me instead to explain why I love this book so much.

For me, Les Mis is easily the most well written work of fiction I have ever read. Hugo doesn't describe characters, these are people he writes about. The lengthy depictions of Waterloo, the sewers of Paris, etc. only help us to truly understand the psyche of the French in the mid 19th century. The first 100 pages details the "minor" character of Bishop Myriel alone! What brilliant description and wisdom Victor Hugo imparts. I read this book continually asking myself, am I Jean Valjean? A man who willingly sacrifices to help the poor and rescue an abuse orphan. Am I Thenardier? A man who is two-faced, vindictive, and will trample anyone over for gain. Or am I a Javert? One who loves and follows the law, but neglects the virtues of mercy and redemption. I hope to be more of a Jean Valjean, but I admit there is a bit of Thenardier and Javert in all of us.

Les Miserables probably is not a mere vacation pleasure novel, as I already stated. This story can be life changing if we allow it. It is to be read slowly and pondered deeply. How I have loved my time reading this book! Many years it took me to finally pull myself to tackling the unabridged version. I regret I did not do it sooner. I recommend this perfect work of fiction to everyone. I fully intend to re-read this story dozens more times before I die. Each time knowing I will be inspired and that I will learn something new each time.

I can go on and on and on about this book. However, I will end this post with some of the quotes I highlighted while reading. If you do intend to read Les Mis, please read it unabridged. Its a beast, but so well worth it.

"Often a battle lost is progress attained."

"Curiosity is gluttony. To see is to devour."

"There are no bad herbs, and no bad men; there are only bad cultivators."

"Indigestion is charged by God with enforcing morality on the stomach. And remember this: Each of our passions, even love, has a stomach that must not be overloaded. We must in all things write the word finis in time; we must restrain ourselves, when it becomes urgent, draw the bolt on the appetite, play a fantasia on the violin, then break the strings with your own hand."

"At critical moments, have we not all, after asking a question, stopped our ears so as not to hear the response?"

"Have no fear of robbers or murderers. They are external dangers, petty dangers. We should fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices the real murderers. The great dangers are within us. Why worry about what threatens our heads or our purses? Let us think instead of what threatens our souls."

Idols of my Youth- Black Happy Reunion Show

2010-08-07T22:50:00.007-05:00

Is there one band you would freely fork out major money to see live in concert? Amber and I like to play this game sometimes in the car. Our list includes the Smiths (i wish), the Verve, and so on. We understand that there is a super slim chance the Smiths will reunite and tour. But, how awesome would it be to see Morrissey, Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce, and Johnny Marr on stage again? That is how I also felt about the most influential band in my life, Black Happy. Unlike the Smiths, Black Happy decided to give it one last go (actually 2 shows only in Spokane and 3 in Seattle) and I forked out the dough to get some small closure with some rock idols of my youth.

Before I describe the show, please visit the band's site http://www.blackhappy.net/ to get an idea of what makes them different. You can find them on iTunes as well. Understand, that while almost unknown to the rest of the country in the early 90's (the grunge era), that Black Happy was one of the most beloved bands in the Northwest. In no exaggeration, their popularity rivaled and often exceeded many of the major label acts that you would recognize that came from the NW during that time. Music blog, Seattle Subsonic, says it brilliantly here (warning, some language). It has been 15 years since they last played together. There was no way I was going to miss this, cuz I know that this is it.

So, yesterday I flew up from my Arizona inferno to see Black Happy play at the Knitting Factory in downtown Spokane. I was joined by my friends Michelle and Bruce Coppess. There were many-a-thirtysomethings waiting to get into the venue. The frequent topic in line was "Am I too old to mosh?". Yes, yes you are.

The three of us spent our time in the balcony during the first too bands. For an energetic band such as Black Happy, there should have been more high tempo bands. But, there were a lot of yawn going around. I can't even remember the names of the acts. Oh well, you didn't miss anything there.

After 2 hours Black Happy finally hit the stage. At this time, I moved down to the floor to join the humanity (and no, I did not mosh). The guys in Black Happy are starting to look like grown ups and no longer the long haired rockers they once were. Paul forgot the words a few times and some sound system kinks required some adjusting, but they gave their heart and soul to us last night. Although Paul did a brilliant job singing, I'm not sure if he really had to. The crowd knew every word to every song. Often he would point the mic to the crowd to soak up the love as we all sang and sang and sang. The highlights for me was when they sang "The Life and Times of...", "3-Day Weekend", "Myself", and especially "Home". All those songs came from the epic "Peghead" album, which is one of my top 3 albums of all time.

This was a cathartic experience for me. Its ironic that I left Coeur d'Alene 15 years ago, the same time that Black Happy split. And since I've been gone, many relationships I had basically no longer exist. It is hard for me to identify myself to that area anymore. Yet, Black Happy's music has always stayed with me, much like my most treasured friendships of my youth. I needed this concert to reconnect me with who I was then and with people and a place that I seemingly abandoned. Black Happy gave me the courage as a teen to be me and not what I thought I should be in comparison to others my age. Through them learned it was possible to rock the casbah and maintain my integrity at the same time. I still carry that with me today.

Like I often say, go check out Black Happy on iTunes, online, etc. Sad to say that unless you saw them this weekend or next, you're not going to see them again. But, you can still hear some of the best music the NW (and specifically Coeur d'Alene) ever produced.

Thanks to Michelle and Bruce for a great 18 hour weekend at "Rancho Be-bop"!

11th Anny Mix-Tape!

2010-08-05T18:24:00.003-05:00

Here it is. Every year I post the "mix-tape" that I make for Amber for our wedding anniversary. Those who know the two of us would agree that Amber is the better half of this marriage. Without her, I would be much like the "comic book guy" from the Simpsons: lonely, set in my ways, obese, lame goatee, obsessively watching Simpsons and Family Guy re-runs, and my only friends would be from online gaming. Thanks for keeping me from a life of loser-dom Ambi! Love you forever and ever!

Here's the mix-tape:

1. To Lose My Life by the White Lies: "Lets grow old together and die and the same time". That is how Amber and I plan it. Great band out of England that oddly sounds a lot like Joy Division.

2. 1901 by Phoenix: I have no correlation between this song and our anniversary except that its a good song and Amber loves it. I'm sure the band is named after the bird and not the inferno that we currently reside in.

3. Thieves In the Night by Hot Chip: This is the kind of electro-pop that Amber likes.

4. Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode: Amber and I first hit it off talking about Depeche Mode when I met her in Utah. The original video for this is hilarryous.

5. Fell In Love With A Girl by the White Stripes: The title explains why I included this one. I also think Jack White is a genius.

6. Fade Into You by Mazzy Star: This may be the best love song from the 90's. I wish this band was still around. Absolutely perfect, just like Amber.

7. 11th Dimension by Julian Casablancas: 11th dimension for our 11th anny. This song is a total ear-worm. We can't enough of it. The beat, the voice, the lyrics, the retro video. One of my favorite songs of the last decade. I'm interested to hear the new Strokes album after Julian's awesome solo album.

8. Save Me by Queen: Amber saves me for all the reasons that I mentioned above. Great song and great lyrics. Like I said last year, I don't care how people feel about Freddy Mercury's personal life. He was one of the greatest rock talents ever. We love Queen in our house.

9. Connect by Foxy Shazam: Foxy is our favorite band of the moment. We've seen them twice, met them, and can't get them out of our heads no matter how hard we try. One of the best live bands ever. I think Amber actually wanted Foxy Shazam to come to our house to play for our anny, but she'll have to settle to a mix tape. She loves this song cuz its about the lead singer, Eric's, wife.

10. Sara Smile by Hall and Oates: "Its you and me foreva..." Yeah, I like Hall and Oates. Gotta problem with that? Amber doesn't. We like to sing this song in the car.

11. Home Is Where Your Heart Is by the Sounds: A fun memory with Amber was the Sounds concert with Foxy Shazam opening. Amber says I screamed like a girl throughout the concert. I deny, deny, deny.

Happy 11th Anniversary baby!

Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony- BBQ

2010-08-03T16:58:00.008-05:00

Favorite BBQ- Stacy's Smokehouse BBQ in Phoenix, Arizona

Website: www.stacyssmokehousebbq.com

Good ol' Southern BBQ done best in the scorching desert. Twice has Stacy's won best BBQ in the Phoenix Metro, has also been featured on Spike TV's "Food Dude", and was just recently named one of America's top 10 buzzworthy BBQ restaurants. All accolades that Stacy has so far received are well deserved.

Prior to moving to the Phoenix area, City BBQ in Cincinnati was our favorite. Tender meat with a little char on the outside and fantastic side dishes, especially the peach cobbler. Then we met Stacy today as Chelsea wanted ribs for her 9th birthday. Stacy's Smokehouse BBQ is everything I want a BBQ restaurant to be. The building is small and um... purple. Inside, air is saturated with the smell of slow cooked meat and Stacy's special BBQ sauce. Amber and I ordered large pork sandwiches. When it arrived the pork was generously heaped on a sesame bun and soaked in Stacy's BBQ sauce. It took a lot of smashing the sandwich down to be able to fit it in my mouth. Lauren ordered a half rack of pork ribs and Chelsea a half rack of beef ribs. The ribs were to commit a crime for. I prefer pork and Lauren was willing to let me help out eating hers. One half rack of ribs at Stacy's is equal to any full rack at any chain BBQ restaurant (i.e. Longhorn, Texas Roadhouse, etc.). Not necessarily in the number of ribs you receive, but the amount of meat on the ribs. These were huge fat ribs dunked in sauce. They could make a man grin for a week. Simply the best ribs I've ever had. Stacy's BBQ sauce is also perfect. A very small kick, but a perfect blend of garlic, paprika, sugar, cajun, salt, and the love of a good woman.

Despite the exterior of Stacy's restaurant, he isn't concerned about looks or the "overall restaurant experience". He concentrates solely on the food and we're the benefactors of his hard work. Forget about all the fancy and high profile restaurants in Phoenix and Scottsdale. Stacy's food is for real salt of the earth folk. Although, you will occasionally find a small group of business types having a power lunch there while trying to "keep it real, yo". The prices for the ribs, sandwiches, etc. are reasonable, because the portions are quite generous. However the sides, while good, are pricey. Probably to compensate for the entrees. And no proper southern BBQ is complete unless there is kool-aid. In Stacy's case, they only serve grape. Its a purple thang, y'all.

Second Place: City BBQ in Cincinnati, Ohio
Third Place: Montgomery Inn in Montgomery, Ohio

Curious Links

2010-07-22T19:33:00.002-05:00

As you can see on the right hand side of this web page, I have two links. One to the website that Amber manages (well, used to) and one to my friend Jen's awesome and highly recommended music page. Many friends I have that maintain websites via blogspot have long lists of links directing you to their friends' and various family members' websites. I felt two was good for this site, because I wasn't sure if many of my friends for family would appreciate me linking them to the world. However, I've chosen to add two more links to friends' pages that are devoted to music, art, and things that I find interesting.

The first site belongs to my friend Jenean. I've known Jenean for at least 15 years from when I was an awkward freshman at Boise State University. This may seem like gushing, but I'm sincere when I say Jenean has always been one of the coolest people I've ever known. She has a fantastic taste in music and style and a great sense of humor. While on my church mission in Germany, I remember getting post cards from her out of Poland with pictures of polluted sunsets and decaying industrial buildings always with a cheerful greeting. So, for the music lovers, I recommend that you visit the link to her Digestible Trax website.

The second site belongs to my friend out the the Nasty 'Nati, Sam. I know Sam from my days living in Cincinnati. Sam and I bonded on our mutual love for the band Sigur Ros and European soccer. I didn't know many people who knew who Sigur Ros is, yet alone appreciate the best thing to ever come out of Iceland while I live in Cincinnati. It was hard for me to find many people with similar music and artistic interests while living there. While most in Cincinnati preferred music directed toward country, 50cent, or Nickelback, it was nice to have someone to talk about Sigur Ros, Mew, etc. with. Sam is also brilliant with a camera. Often he uses a Holga camera. Once I stop hoarding musical instruments, I hope to take up the Holga too. In the meantime, I'll just live vicariously through Sam. Please check out his new website.

Don't forget to visit Jen's JenX website. She also has exceptional taste in music and literature. And if you're bored, you can visit the website from my favorite person in the world, Amber. She doesn't update the page anymore, but there are some cute pictures of our girls on it. Amber has great taste in music too in case you were wondering (Muse, Foxy Shazam, Depeche Mode).

A Friday With Foxy

2010-04-25T11:06:00.009-05:00

Friday night found Amber and I at the Martini Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona (yuck) to see Cincinnati's own Foxy Shazam. As mentioned in previous posts, we saw Foxy back in October. We left that show impressed and when we found out they were back in town, we were quick to get a ticket to see them again.

First off: the opening acts. The first band was Bad Rabbits out of Boston. They had the crowd dancing and really set the mood right for Foxy. Having never heard of 'em before, they could be described as a blend of De La Soul, Prince, and Chaka Khan with and even more urban edge. We liked them. Am I gonna buy their music? I dunno. I'd have to be in the mood. The second band, The Young Veins, destroyed what the Bad Rabbits had successfully built up. The YV's are fronted by ex-Panic! at the Disco guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist (now guitarist) John Walker. Even Amber was thoroughly bored by these twits who are certainly still living off the money they made from their former band. You can experience yourself their lack of originality and aptitude for the mundane and pretentious on their website. Stop ripping off the '60's guys, your career is over. In addition, the sound engineers in the back of the venue couldn't get their act together and everyone was getting a headache by the end of YV's set.

Much to the crowd's relief (except for a couple of Panic! obsessed girls that came to see YVs) Foxy Shazam quickly made their way on stage. Lead singer, Eric Nally, exclaimed that he only needs two things in life, "Love and Christmas Presents". That is what Foxy gave us the whole time, figuratively of course. I don't think I've ever been as exhausted watching a band as I was with Foxy. I'll chalk up some of that to getting older. Foxy started the concert by playing the manic "Yes, Yes, Yes" from their last album. This set the tone for the entire show with a blinding fury of arms, legs, feet, standing on things that shouldn't be stood on, flying hair, water over everybody, and a pause where lead singer Eric Nally displayed his ability to eat three lit cigarettes at once. Oh, and a healthy dose of comedy. Amber and I positioned ourselves up front stage left close to the bar where the under-aged kids weren't allowed. Smart move by Amber, cuz the crowd was into it and going nuts. Not that I'm complaining, I understand that I'm not 19yrs old anymore and I'm concerned Amber may get a knee to the temple or something. Anyhoo... There were several highlights to the show. Foxy is certainly a band that is better live than on CD, which scores a lot of points with us. I thought the best songs were: Killin' It, Wannabe Angel, The Rocketeer, Unstoppable, and Count Me Out. They also performed a soulful a capella rendition of "Evil Thoughts". The concert was ultimately cut slightly short with no encore. For one, the venue's sound engineers couldn't get the annoying little feedback on the vocals ironed out and the band inadvertently destroyed the wiring that went to the drums speakers near the end. Nevertheless, before leaving the stage, Eric Nally gathered the band again and had them perform "Evil Thoughts" for a second time a capella, which turned out to be hilarious. Following that, they tore into a long jam session with the remaining working sound equipment and then left the stage with the audience clamoring for more. The crowd wasn't pleased that Foxy couldn't play more. But there was really nothing the band could do about it. We only spent twelve bucks a piece in the concert, so we didn't feel ripped.

Afterward we briefly met Sky White, their talented piano player, and got the scoop on where in Cincinnati everyone was from. And on the way out, we met lead singer Eric Nally. That guy is TINY. All in all it was a good night for us. Catch Foxy Shazam if they're going through your town. They don't disappoint.

Race for Haiti 5k Playlist

2010-04-23T19:24:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow morning I run the 1st (and only?) annual Race for Haiti near the capitol building in Phoenix. I'm actually going to run without my iPod. I've gotten out of that habit when I realized that I subconsciously let the change in rhythms and tempos between songs alter my breathing and pace. However, if I were to have a running playlist for tomorrow, this is what it would be:

11th Dimension- Julian Casablancas
1901- Phoenix
Animal Arithmetic- Jonsi
Well Thought Out Twinkles- Silversun Pickups
Dine, Dine My Darling- Alkaline Trio
I Am Everything I Am Not- Crime In Stereo
Search and Destroy- Iggy Pop
No One Sleeps When I'm Awake- The Sounds
My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)- The Ramones
Surprise, You're Dead- Faith No More (this one would carry me over the finish line)

Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony- Burgers

2010-04-21T20:17:00.005-05:00

Favorite Burgers: Joe's Farm Grill in Gilbert, Arizona

website: joesfarmgrill.com

This was an extremely tough choice. In fact I only made up my mind on this 30 seconds ago. It was between Joe's and Arthur's in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Before I tell you why I chose Joe's, let me tell you why I love Arthur's. Arthur's is an older establishment that is often overlooked in favor to Zips (no, not the franchise) Burgers a couple of miles away in Mt. Lookout as Cincinnati's best burgers. Amber and I found Zips burgers to be good, but uninspiring, similar to the overrated Hudson's burgers in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Arthur's makes 'em by hand and they don't skimp on anything. My favorite is the sinful bacon blue cheese burger. Arthur's is one of the reasons I'm still trying to lose weight from when we lived in Cincy. It is a classic neighborhood bar that does have a separate area for restauranteurs, so we could bring the kids. By the bar is a very large mural of regular customers over the years which adds to the history and connection to the area.

Now, here is why I chose Joe's Farm Grill over Arthur's: fresh picked ingredients from their own garden. When you walk up to Joe's, you don't smell fat and grease that you would at any fast food joint or Applebee's. Instead, you smell what you're supposed to smell: the Grill! When you bite into their famous Fontina Burger, you taste the grilled local beef, the garden fresh veggies, and lip-smackin' fontina cheese. Joe's has been featured on the Food Network on a number of occasions for good reason. Not only are their burgers killer, but they do pizza, and some wicked milkshakes made from fruit on their farm (the date milkshake is the best).

Joe's is the place we like to take friends and family when they come visit. I thought my sister, Evelyn, had died and gone to her happy place when she ate a Fontina burger after she ran a local race. I'm tellin' ya, Joe's gots good burgers!

Straight Outta the Nasty 'Nati- Foxy Shazam!

2010-04-14T20:29:00.004-05:00

The last couple of months I have experience some exciting new music. I've filled my ear canals with music from Julian Casablancas, Seasick Steve, Alkaline Trio, and Silversun Pickups. Another band about to hit heavy rotation on my iPod is Foxy Shazam. I mentioned them before back in October when I saw them open for the Sounds. This is what I wrote:

"The opening band was Foxy Shazam from Cincinnati (never heard of them when we live there). They were entertaining to say the least. I could only describe them as a mix between Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears and a seizing hyena."

I stick by what I said. Now Foxy Shazam released their first major label album yesterday. They have been picked by Spin magazine as one of their top 10 bands to watch for this year. Where were these guys when I lived in Cincinnati? Was I constantly at the wrong place at the wrong time? Regardless, when Amber and I saw them in October, we found them extremely eccentric, hilariously funny, and a ton of fun.

To see and listen to Foxy Shazam, you need to pack away your musical biases and let lead singer Eric Nally take you for a journey (which in our case was a summer night in the Great Smokey Mountains realizing that someone stole our tent). Some say that Mr. Nally is an unholy hybrid of Freddy Mercury's charisma with the voice of Geddy Lee of Rush. There is a pianist that plays with his toes and a bass player named Daisy. Confused? Don't worry. Just buy the album, and by all and any means see them live.

Muse has Lasers!

2010-04-10T21:25:00.011-05:00

Last night, Amber and I attended the much anticipated Muse concert in Phoenix. I've watched their live HAARP dvd a thousand times, so it was about time I got to see this band up close and personal. So, I'm gonna lay this post out sequentially as the night unfolded.

At Home/Before Concert: Our babysitter arrived on time and I had prepped my self by watching some of my favorite scenes from the HAARP dvd. The girls were excited to get us out of the house because they had someone new to torture. Before we left, Chelsea asked if we were going to meet the band afterwards, especially since we met the Sounds back in October. I told her that Muse had a small militia keeping the fans away and there was no chance of meeting them. With that, they booted us out and we were on our way fighting rush hour traffic to get to the concert on time.

Arena/Pre-Concert: We got there 45 minutes early and walked right in. Amber made friends with one of the ushers hoping he could sneak us back stage. We found our seats easy and watched the people work their way in. That is when I noticed a couple with backstage passes. "How did they get so lucky to get those?", I thought. Well, the fella was Chester, the lead singer of Linkin Park. I pointed him out to Amber and she wanted to go say hi. Trying not to be the starstruck type, I wanted to stay put, but Amber dragged me over to meet him. There were few people in the arena at that time, so we got to talk to him for a minute. Very nice guy, he was the one to reach out to shake our hands. Amber, not knowing exactly how to break the ice, said "Last time I saw you, you were on Nickelodeon's Kid Choice Awards with your kids!" He laughed calling his kids his "herd". We took a couple of pics and went back to our seats. He and his family sat only 2 rows behind us. We may not have met Muse, but we met someone!

Silversun Pickups: I was looking forward to seeing the Silversun Pickups as nearly as much as Muse. They did not disappoint at all. I smiled through the whole set. Is it okay to smile when yer rockin'? I dunno. Brian Aubert's voice sounded like fog constantly creeping up on a shore while drummer Chris Guanlao was a fury of arms and hair making each beat desperate and profound. It was so fun to see what Aubert could do with his guitar, especially since he plays a double cut-away semi-hollow like I do (typically a jazz guitar). Silversun Pickups are much better live than on CD, which is always a major plus. Best songs of the set: The Royal We, Panic Switch, Well Thought Out Twinkles, and of course Lazy Eye

Muse: The set they used is so hard to describe. I'm sure you could find it on YouTube. Or check out or friend Jen's website here to get a better description than what I could do. There were lasers. Lots and lots of green lasers. Three giant skyscrapers where each member stood projected psychedelic scenes that flashed Orwellian images and scenes of the band and crowd. And near the end a multitude of giant inflated eyeballs were unleashed on the crowd. When they'd pop, red confetti would rain down on the people underneath.

Because I've seen HAARP so much, I knew exactly what song they would play by what type of guitar they would switch to (strange, I know). Matt Bellamy is a thousand-times the guitar player I will ever be. He does things that makes you cock your head and furrow your brow in wonder, questioning how he ever comes up with some of the things he does. Each song was absolutely brilliant. One song, "Super Massive Black Hole" was dedicated to the "Stephanie Freaks" as Matt Bellamy referred to the local Twilight book series fans, knowing Stephanie Meyer was in attendance last night (Phoenix is her hometown). I laughed, nay, I guffawed. However, I told Amber that if they didn't play "Knights of Cydonia" I was going to ask for a refund. Fortunately, Muse did not disappoint. They ended with "Knights" and satiated my appetite to rock.

Post concert impressions: There is no denial as to how talented Muse is. They are quite possibly the most gifted rock band on the planet. And I'm not just saying that to gush. However, I agree with Amber, that a smaller venue would have been more of our preference versus an arena. Only problem, you can't bottle up a band as over-the-top and bombastic as Muse. In addition, the crowd nearly sucked the energy out of the concert. By all accounts coming from Seattle, Portland, and Salt Lake, the crowds there were off the hook. Here, everyone was more concerned about dropping their iPhones than fully getting into the music. I saw only TWO crowd surfers for the entire extravaganza. TWO! No pushing, moshing, or the general freaking-out that I'm accustomed to. Just some friendly swaying back and forth and some euro-clapping for the song "Starlight". At the end Matt Bellamy thanked the crowd and told them they "rocked". I couldn't help but wonder if he was joking. Phoenix may not have rocked, but Silversun Pickups and Muse most assuredly did.

Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony- Milkshakes

2010-04-02T19:08:00.004-05:00

Favorite Milkshakes: Big J's in Preston, Idaho

I've found that some people can be militant about who has the best milkshakes, especially those crazies in Utah. However, and I'm sure our beloved Ratchfords would agree, that Big J's make the best milkshakes ever.

Big J's main claim to fame was it's cameo in the film Napoleon Dynamite. A couple of scenes show Napoleon's brother Kip and Uncle Rico discussing their door to door sales strategery at the old Big J's while sucking down those lovely milkshakes. I doubt Napoleon's creator, Jared Hess, would have ever used Big J's as a scene back drop unless he too had a fond attachment to the joint.

Enough about Napoleon Dynamite though. Here is why Big J's is the best: the raspberry milkshake. The reason that this milkshake is so special is that they use nearby Bear Lake raspberries. These raspberries are sweeter than what you find at the grocery store. They're what you'd expect growing in your Grandma's garden. Other places that tout their milkshakes try going to the bizarre with their combinations and so on. Big J's simply uses what is local and you feel that you are experiencing a bit of the Cache Valley. I've even contemplated moving to Preston, just so I can get a Big J's milkshake when I want.

Runners-up: Iceberg and Nielsen's Frozen Custard both in the SLC area. Told you they're nutso about milkshakes in Utah.

Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony- Sandwiches

2010-03-26T22:21:00.012-05:00

Favorite Sandwiches: (its a tie!) Deli George in Boise, Idaho and Primanti Bros in Pittsburgh, PA).

Deli George: www.deligeorge.com

Primanti Bros: http://www.primantibrothers.com/

I won't go so much into detail on Primanti Bros since I did a post on them awhile back. Primanti's is vintage Pittsburgh. Anyone who visits the Burgh inevitably makes their way to the historic Primanti Bros on the Strip downtown (dahntahn). One look at the sandwich and you'll see it oozes blue collarness with a good dose of history. Every sandwich is the same: a slice of homemade Italian bread, tomato, coleslaw, french fries, cheese, meat, and another slice of Italian bread. One can get just about any meat they want. You can put an egg on it too if you think you need the extra protein. I'm a hot pastrami kind of guy, so that is what I prefer. The clincher for me is the coleslaw. It is has more of a vinegar kick too it. The recipe is of course a secret. Best slaw on the planet though. These sandwiches carry nearly a day's worth of calories. However, I've never met anyone who didn't walk away with a lead belly and a greater appreciation for all things Pittsburgh.

Deli George's in Boise doesn't have the history that Primanti's has, but most agree that it would fit in well with some of the finest deli's of NYC. This deli is small and it is rare that it is not wall to wall packed. In my not-so-humble opinion, Deli George is the best eats in all of Boise. George keeps it humble and all about the product. He's not gonna rush your food. The deli features a spectacular variety of gourmet sandwiches. Check out the New York, New York (pastrami again), Bella Bella Chicken Portabella, the Righteous Reuben, Pilgrim's Pride, and the best Chicken Salad sandwich in the world. Its killing me to write about this. I want to jump a plane to Deli George's right now. 100% awesomeness.

Runner up: Flancer's in Gilbert, AZ. Try the "It's About Thyme" chicken sandwich. All homemade bread.

Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony- Dessert

2010-03-23T20:47:00.006-05:00

Favorite Dessert: The Niederegger Cafe' in Luebeck, Germany.
website: www.niederegger.de/en/cafe_niederegger/wahrzeichen/wahrzeichen.php

A lot of people don't like the sweet almond paste that is marzipan. Not us. We love it. Crave it sometimes. But we won't accept just any old run-of-the-mill marzipan. It has to be only Niederegger marzipan out of Luebeck, Germany. Niederegger was founded in 1806. They claim to have invented marzipan, but that is disputed by the Italians. Nevertheless, the consensus is that Niederegger makes the finest marzipan in the world. There is a marked difference between them and their competitors. Here is an example:

While in Utah visiting Amber's family, I stopped in a deli and thought I'd surprise Amber with a treat. I purchased a small bag of marzipan "potatoes" and brought them home. Of course Amber was surprised and grateful. Then she tasted one. "This isn't Niederegger is it?" she said. "No, it's some other brand". "Oh, well you can have the rest" as she pushed the bag toward me.

Was she being picky? No. She's just been spoiled with the good stuff. That spoiling came at the hand of our dear friends Brigitte and Claudia Dziallas in Germany in October of '08. While visiting them, they drove us to Luebeck to see the town, learn some history, and to hit the Niederegger Cafe'.

I'm sure a portion of heaven must look like the inside of the cafe'. We had marzipan cake and marzipan hot cocoa. What makes their product so good is the lack of sweetness (to the American taste bud). It was sweet, but you could still taste the almond flavor and chocolate. Also on display at the cafe' are statues made of marzipan (not as kitsch as it sounds, kinda cool really).

There is no place in this world that I would rather take my family for an afternoon treat that the Niederegger Cafe'. Too bad it is so far away. Fortunately, Niederegger marzipan can be found in specialty stores. But I still miss the cakes and marzipan hot cocoa. Ask Amber. She gets all dreamy-eyed if you mention the cafe'. If you don't like marzipan, check out my runner up. If you do like marzipan, only settle for Niederegger.

Runner up: Busken's Bakery in Cincinnati, OH. Their holiday "schnecken" are wicked.

Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony- Thai Food

2010-03-20T13:43:00.002-05:00

Favorite Thai food: Thai Chili Gardens in Orem, Utah

This place is exactly how we like our restaurants. It is a locally owned/mom&pop type restaurant with a small Asian market next door. This is where Amber fell in love with Thai food so there is some sentimentality to it for us. We went there so often that they soon recognized us and knew what we wanted and how we liked it.

To start any meal at Thai Chili Gardens, you need to have their Sum-Tum (green papaya salad) with sticky rice. This is the only place I have been to that serves their Sum-Tum with sticky rice which goes to show how authentic they are in this current wave of Thai food enthusiasm. The perfect complement to the Sum-Tum is the well known staple Pad Thai (rice noodles and peanut sauce). TCG make their Pad Thai as well as anyone else, but I prefer the Massaman curry. Sooo good, the Massaman Curry consists of massaman curry paste, potatoes, choice of meat, onions, carrots, and peanuts delivered in a bowl for you to dip into and drench your rice with.

Caution with TCG. They make things a little bit hotter than most places. They do let you choose how hot you would like your entree, but might scoff a bit if ask for a level 1 or 0. I go with a 2 or 3 on my Sum-Tum and Massaman Curry. I get a little sweat going, but can still enjoy the food. We asked our waitress (a Laos native) how hot she eats her food and she casually said she eats at a level 10. When we asked how she could tolerate that, she matter-of-factualy stated she was at level 5 in the womb.

So again, there you go. Best Thai food is found in Orem, Utah of all places at Thai Chili Gardens.

Runners-Up: Thai House in Mesa, AZ and The Green Papaya in Cincinnati, OH

Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony

2010-03-14T22:56:00.006-05:00

I love food. Not the TGI Friday's/Chili's sort. It's the independent-family owned restaurants with fresh ingredients and a dash of love that I can't get enough of. Amber and I are very opinionated about our favorited joints and often have discussions about which restaurant has the best Thai, pizza, sushi, burgers, etc. So, I am going to do a "Scary Larry's Best of Gluttony". I'm mostly choosing from the places I've lived- Spokane/Coeur d'Alene, Boise, Germany, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Phoenix. I know there are some awesome establishments not located in the places I've lived. If you have a suggestion, post. I'll try anything once.

To kick this off, I'm going to start with BEST PIZZA.

Ramundo's Pizza in Hyde Park/Mt. Lookout (Cincinnati, Ohio): Amber and I strongly disagree on this. She prefers Mio's Pizza, also in Hyde Park, but I insist on Ramundo's. It is said that once you've had Ramundo's, you never go back. True. They are famous for their Ramundough Bite which is pepperoni and cheese rolled in dough, brushed with garlic, and thrown in the oven. Like most pizza places, they have their specialty pizzas (Bianco and Uncle Frank's specials), but I like to keep it simple. For me it all lies in their pizza sauce. I'm satisfied with a cheese and mushroom pizza because the sauce adds a spicy kick that puts little beads of sweat on my forhead. I love it. It is this reason that Amber prefers the tamer Mio's.

Ramundo's feels like a proper pizza joint. Its a small hole in the wall next to a UDF at a busy intersection. You'll find a horde of teenagers hanging out there after school clogging your way to the cashier. There's nothing fancy about the place, because they're focused on the pizza.

There you go, Scary Larry's Best Pizza.

Ramundo's website: ramundospizzeria.com

I'm Gonna Regret This: My 20 Best Songs of the Decade

2009-12-24T14:03:00.003-05:00

After reading Rollingstone and Spin mag's songs/albums of the year and decade, I decide to do my own. This is because I have better taste than them if I do say so myself! Anyway, here is a list because we love lists!

Songs that have reflected by tastes and moods over the last decade:

1. Break the Night With Colour by Richard Ashcroft- My favorite song of the decade. All the others are in no particular order.
2. Knights of Cydonia by Muse
3. Gone by The Bouncing Souls
4. Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. 156 by Mew
6. Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros
7. One Armed Scissor by At the Drive-In
8. War All the Time by Thursday
9. True Believers by the Bouncing Souls
10. Special by Mew
11. Rebellion (Lies) by Arcade Fire
12. Starlight by Muse
13. I Still Remember by Bloc Party
14. Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance
15. Clocks by Coldplay
16. No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age
17. L.E.S. Artistes by Santogold
18. True Believers by the Bouncing Souls
19. Precious by Depeche Mode
20. No One Sleeps When I'm Awake by the Sounds

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

2009-12-14T18:46:00.008-05:00

On occasion, I'll go back and re-read a book that was assigned in high school. I've re-read Walden several times, The Grapes of Wrath, 1984, etc. This has been greatly rewarding seeing that as I gain new experiences and perspectives, I can learn new lessons from these books.

Last year, I took my Chelsea and Lauren to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio (http://www.freedomcenter.org/). Chelsea was baffled as to why someone could be so cruel as to hold someone as a slave. It was confusing for her. Lauren on the other had was bored and wished it had more kid things to do (she was only 5). On the way out we stopped by the gift shop to get something to remember our visit. On a shelf, I saw a copy of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. I was tempted to buy it, but got a refrigerator magnet instead.

A couple of months ago, while hanging out at the local Barnes & Noble, I saw the book again. I remember reading it in high school, but I didn't remember much else besides the fact that Frederick Douglass knew Abraham Lincoln. This time I bought it. It took me two days to read the book (the narrative itself is less than one hundred pages). I am so glad I read this book. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is easily one of the greatest pieces of historical American literature!

Here is a very quick synopsis: Frederick Douglass was born a slave in 1818. In 1826 he is sent to live with a family in Baltimore, Maryland. There, his master's wife begins to teach him to read. This new ability fills him with the insatiable desire to break free of the devilish hands that bind him. This he eventually successfully does and goes on to become one of the greatest abolitionist orators and advocates of the 19th century. This is all I will let on, because everyone needs to read this book. I look forward to the day that my daughters read this book and we can discuss it.

At this point though, I wanted to mention some of the things I learned. First, piety does not translate into compassion. A minority of people contend that this book is anti-Christianity, because Douglass observed that the cruelest of his masters were those that feigned deep religious piety. Mr. Douglass was not anti-Christianity. In fact he had a far greater understanding of the teaching and application of the Gospel of Jesus Christ than any of his masters. It baffled him that these individuals would want to convert the "brute" to Christianity yet forbid the slaves to read the Bible that they were preaching from. Here is a quote from Mr. Douglass on this:

"They attend with Pharisaical strictness to the outward forms of religion, and at the same time neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. They are always ready to sacrifice, but seldom show mercy. They are they who are represented as professing to love God whom they have not seen, whilst they hate their brother whom they have seen. They love the heathen on the other side of the globe. They can pray for him, pay money to have the Bible put into his hand, and missionaries to instruct him; while despise and totally neglect the heathen at their own door."

The next thing I learned is how slow and insidious corruption is. The wife of one of his master's, Sophia Auld, is a good example of this. When she first received Frederick, she had never owned a slave and assumed him to be a human being as she was. She didn't think it any issue to teach Frederick to read. Unfortunately she was reprimanded by her husband when he found out and she quickly fell in line. Her kindness slowly turned to indifference and apathy which in turn turned to cruelty. This instance caused me to reflect upon my own prejudices. How have I slowly corrupted myself? Where do I turn a blind eye? Who do mistreat without giving it second thought? This book gave me much to evaluate in my own life.

The content of this book out measures the actual size of it. A person can only become better for having read it. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is one of the most important pieces of American literature ever written. Only a callous individual would think less.

Family Trip to Spokane/ Cd'A

2009-10-20T21:00:00.004-05:00

Two weeks ago we traveled up to Spokane/ Cd'A to visit family and friends. My sister Ev and her family joined us. It has been almost 7 years since I was last there. It was good to reconnect with my Grandmother, my Aunt Dyann, Karl Snarl and his fam, Michelle and her fam, and the Lee family.

Date Night with Amber- The Sounds Concert

2009-10-18T13:40:00.004-05:00

Last Friday, I finally got a date night with Amber. These are usually few are far between because of my lousy job and being busy parent.

So we jumped at the chance to see one of our musical guilty pleasures, the Sounds. Earlier in the day, I spotted their tour bus at an intersection and decided to stalk it all the way to the venue. The girls were in the care and love the thrill ride and possibility of meeting rock stars. When the bus pulled up to the venue, Amber asked the tour manager if the Sounds were indeed in the bus. He said it was, only they were sleeping still and he didn't want to wake them. However, he assured us that if we lingered after the concert there was a good chance that we could meet the band. The girls were bummed because they didn't meet that band, but at the same time excited that they came so close to meeting "rock stars". They screamed "Sounds rock!" all the way home.

The concert was at a smaller venue, the Marquee in Tempe. I prefer my concerts that way, more intimate. The opening band was Foxy Shazam from Cincinnati (never heard of them when we lived there). They were entertaining to say the least. I could only describe them as a mix between the talented Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears and a seizing hyena. The second band, Semi Precious Weapons, from Brooklyn were ueber-lame. The lead singer is a pathetic Lux Interior rip off. They had the crowd begging for the Sounds by the time their set was done.

The Sounds were worth the wait and price of admission. Lead singer, Maja (pronounced Maya), was always in control of the crowd while the band delivered with precision. The crowd sang along, we all danced, I lost my voice. There were no fights or brutal mosh pits. It was one of those concerts that you hoped would last all night. It wasn't the scene where I was afraid that Amber might be clobbered and everyone seemed to be in a really good mood. That is what the Sounds does to people.

After the concert we were slow to leave. I bought a vinyl for my man room wall. Then we made our way to the back of the venue to where the tour bus was. Apparently 20 other people had the same idea as us. It took only a couple of minutes before the band came out and starting talking to us. We took pictures, had them sign my record, and talked a little bit. They were very kind to us. They made sure to stop and get to know everyone. Maja even did a little video for our girls.

It was a lot of fun. I'm glad Amber had a good time too and that she was there to share the fun with me. Date night- success.

New Music: The Resistance by Muse- Soundtrack to '1984'

2009-09-17T11:08:00.003-05:00

In writing this review, I will try to be as nonobjective as possible. It is no secret that the music of Muse is highly regarded in our home. It is also no secret that one of my all-time favorite books EVER is George Orwell's '1984'. So it is no surprise that a combination of Muse + Orwell is going to cause a lot of excitement around here. The correlation cannot be anymore clear or obvious when there is a song entitled 'United States of Eurasia' on the album.

Matt Bellamy, the singer and guitarist of the group, lets all of his interests and influences hang out on this album. Being a classically trained musician, he shows off his genius on the last three tracks with a three part prog-rock symphony. Pretentious? Yes. He and the rest of the band deserve to be. Their musical talent is extraordinary as can be attested by watching their HAARP dvd. Other obvious influences leak out such as Queen and of course Bellamy's penchant for conspiracy theories, political drama, and the supernatural.

So why would I call this a soundtrack to '1984'? Listen to what they're trying to say. The song 'United States of Eurasia' is obvious when referring to the fictional oppressive nation where Orwell's book took place. However, listen also to first three tracks of the album and you can imagine the love affair of Winston and Julia playing out. One difference I see between Muse's and Orwell's approach is that Orwell's book was a prediction of what could happen, whereas Muse's approach is of what they perceive already is.

Being as biased as possible, every rock-loving individual should own a copy of this album. Not many albums come along where I feel the need to listen to it over and over and over. I even like the hip-hop infused 'Undisclosed Desires' (you know those 'Twilight' film people are salivating to get that song on their soundtrack). So, go ahead buy it. It is best listened to with the volume turned up to 12.

Mix Tape: 10th Wedding Anniversay Edition

2009-08-07T14:02:00.005-05:00

Today Amber and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Our bond began with our common interest in music. She found me sitting in her apartment that she shared with my sister's friend Mega-deth (Meredith). I was playing the guitar looking my usual hot self. She soon began stalking me and I succumbed to her advances. For real, we all know I got the better deal out of the situation. She is a far better person than I.

So, every year I make a mix CD for our anny. I actually agonize over it for months trying to get the perfect mix. Here is this year's mix with explainations why I chose each song.

1. You're So Rad by the Bouncing Souls: The word "rad" isn't used enough. Rad rhymes with dad, mad, plaid, triad, ad, sad, and nads. All of which are used in this lovely ode to someone being rad. Amber is indeed rad.

2. Midnight Sun by the Sounds: A new song from their latest album. Amber likes this album, Crossing the Rubicon, better than the others. Its a song about someone pining for someone, blah, blah, blah. Great tune though.

3. Hysteric by Yeah Yeah Yeahs: The YYY's are the coolest band in rock right now. Karen O is the coolest rock-chick in rock right now. So, of course I give Amber only what is coolest. This is one of Amber's favorite songs from the YYY's. I was gonna put on their song Maps. But this mix is for Ambi, not me.

4. Human by the Killers: Nothing romantic in this song. Just a fun song from one of Amber's favorite bands. I always like to sing "Are we human or are we Amber?". Amber puts up with a lot.

5. Love My Way by Psychedelic Furs: This is the live version. This got Amber and I talking about John Hughes (R.I.P.) today and what great taste in music he had. We love those 80's brat pack films.

6. Rather Be by the Verve: One of the greatest bands to walk the planet. Nowhere I'd rather be than with Amber sharing my highs and lows.

7. Somebody by Depeche Mode: Amber and I first hit it off over both of us liking DM. I used to sing her this song when we dated.

8. To the End by Blur: A very honest song about relationships. 10 years of marriage isn't all romance and thrills. We fight and argue, we act selfish. What matters is that we always move forward and apologize. That is what this song is about. Great song. Epic band.

9. Perfect Day by Lou Reed: Very simple song by a legend. Some of my best times with Amber are spent doing absolutely nothing.

10. Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros: I love this song. If Amber was a song, this is the song she would be. Its like fresh clean rain on my face standing on a northern beach. Amber's eyes sparkle on a cloudy day. All three of our girls got that from her.

11. Somebody To Love by Queen: We like Queen and this song seemed appropriate. I could care less about folks opinions about Freddy Mercury. He was one of the greatest performers in the last century.

12. Angels by Robbie Williams: A guilty pleasure for us. Yes, he was in a boy-band. So, that kinda squashes any cred I had. I bought this CD when we were dating and I used to sing this to her too.

Here's to another ten years full of ups and downs. I wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else.

The Kitchen Boy

2009-06-25T12:28:00.002-05:00

I don't know particularly why, but the story of the fall of the Romanov family in 1918 during the Bolshevik revolution has fascinated me for years. The life and death of the last Russian Tsar, Nikolas II, is one of the most compelling period in history in at least the last thousand years. Hollywood could not come up with a more memorable and terrifying script.

Numerous legends and conspiracies surround the deaths of the Tsar and his family. All that is known is how brutal and horrendous the events occurred at the hands of the Bolsheviks. However, when the bodies were finally uncovered close to seventy-five years later, two of the children's' bodies were missing. So the questions and conspiracy theories arose: did the children survive, were there witnesses besides the executioners themselves?

Questions about the where-abouts of the Romanov children led to the writing of this historical-fiction about the last days of the Romanov family. In Tsaritsa Alexandra's diary, she notes that the day before the family was executed, their trusted kitchen boy was sent away for good for unknown reasons. And it is the account of this kitchen boy's last days with the Romanovs that author Robert Alexander bases his novel on.

Through the eyes of the kitchen boy, Leonka, we learn of the factual bonds between the members of the Romanov family. One can't help but develop a strong sympathy for their plight, no matter how self-inflicted it was. You especially feel for the children, especially because of their faith and innocence.

I cannot divulge to much about the book besides what is already known in reference books. What I can say is that Robert Alexander masterfully brings the reader into the lives of the Romanovs, allowing us to (in a fictional way) get to know a family that was secluded and helps us to develop a relationship with them.

This is a book I recommend for anyone.

Sigur Ros

2009-06-18T23:13:00.004-05:00

Please indulge me this strange obsession I have with Scandinavian musical artists. I say this in the wake of my last blog being on the Sounds from Sweden. Other Scandi-flavors I enjoy also include Mew, Tiger Baby, and Millencolin. However, I just wanted to say something regarding my favorite band from Iceland: Sigur Ros (Icelandic for "victory rose").

I've been listening to Sigur Ros for years. I was not an instant convert. Their music is the literal translation of "an aquired taste". For one, all the songs are in Icelandic. The language is totally foreign to my ears. It's not as familiar a sound as french, spanish, or german. Then there is the eerie falseto that their lead singer Jonsi Birgisson often uses. Something you really need to hear to understand what I'm talking about.

After getting past my musical taste comfort zone, I realized that the music that they create literally takes you somewhere. If music could paint a picture, they would probably resemble a Bierstadt. For example, their song "Hoppipola" feels like clean summer rain on the shore of a mountain lake. I'm sure if I could understand what they were saying, I would feel differently. Oh well.

A good introduction to their work is a concert that Current TV filmed last year at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, linked here.

Sigur Ros has really helped to me to appreciate artistry in music. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years you'll be a fan too.

Crossing the Rubicon

2009-06-12T20:59:00.003-05:00

Yes, my favorite musical guilty pleasure, the Sounds, is out with their new album "Crossing the Rubicon". Now I can fill my warped brain with new swedish pop hooks and synth beats.

"Crossing the Rubicon" is a stark departure from their previous two albums "Living in America" (2002) and "Dying to Say This to You" (2006). The two albums prior to "Rubicon" can be described as: catchy, naughty, arrogant, bold, addictive, perverse, profaine, snarky, cheeky, fun, and (again) addictive. Although I won't let my daughters listen to a few of their songs, the Sounds style of play is always a pick-me-up. However, the Sounds seem to have grown out of their never-let-the-party-end attitude with this new album. If "Living in America" was the build up to the party, "Dying to Say This to You" was the riot at the disco, now "Rubicon" is the drive home with the windows down with your friend's head on your shoulder.

It seems that once a band has reached a level of notoriety, they tend to become nostalgic and reflective of their career and what has brought them thus far. The Bouncing Souls have made a name for themselves in this manner. The Sounds fall into this schtick with "Rubicon". Like I said, its not as brash as their previous two albums, but they maintain their pop sensibility. Strong singles from the album include "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake", "My Lover", "4 Songs and a Fight", and "Midnight Sun". They get a little too reminescent with "Home Is Where Your Heart Is" and "Underground" which are a bit kitsch.

All in all, the album is a decent effort. I do miss the "finger in the air" attitude that was evident on the last two albums. Its a good pop CD. And finally suitable for my daughters to listen to.

My New Toy!

2009-05-30T23:09:00.003-05:00

This is my new toy (thanks to Amber) that takes me on my way to total musical DIY shangri-la. I can create a nearly infinite number of different phrases. It like being a one man Depeche Mode. Here is the manufacturer's website with demo.

Before and After

2009-05-25T18:54:00.005-05:00

The yard in our new home had been neglected for some time before we bought it. Neither Amber or I wanted to clean it up. Who knows what kind of poisonous creatures lurked underneath the brush? So we hired some landscapers do to it for us. All they did was weed and trim. It made a world of difference.

Papago Park- Tempe, AZ

2009-04-26T19:54:00.003-05:00

Road to Phoenix- Route 66

2009-03-27T22:25:00.010-05:00

Last week we said our good-byes and watched the movers pack our junk in a big semi bound for our new home in Phoenix, AZ (Gilbert actually). Then early Monday morning we set off on a three day adventure with two cars and a GPS to guide the way. Starting in Ohio, we traveled through Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and then Arizona. Much of the trip was spent on the historical route 66, although much of it is now I-40.

Our first over-night stop was in Springfield, MO. The hotel clerk told us check was at noon, but offered to let us stay longer because a mighty storm front was coming. Nope, we had a schedule to keep, so in the morning we were headed to Oklahoma. The moment we hit OK, we saw a dense dark wall of rain with cars literally disappearing into it. There were no tornadoes, but the intensity of the rain/wind/lightning really freaked out the girls. All I could see were the taillights a slow moving semi that I was hugging maybe 12 feet away. This continued for about 30min until it started to let up. Then it was clear skies the rest of the way to AZ.

We stopped at a Cherokee "trading post" in OK, although I didn't see any Cherokee's, but we saw 2 buffaloes! Then we stopped in Amarillo, TX for the night and had dinner at the "Big Texan", a route 66 attraction. They have their world famous 72 oz. steak. I wasn't brave enough to go for it. No way, did I want that sitting in my gut the next day. We did find it funny that the waiters/waitresses were required to say forced "howdys" and "y'alls".

The next day took us to AZ. However, not before we took a long stretch of route 66 through New Mexico. In an area called "the Narrows", I saw my first natural arch. Then in AZ, on highway 60, we unexpectedly ran into the Salt River Canyon. It was alarmingly breath taking. I can't believe that the Grand Canyon is supposed to be bigger and more beautiful than the Salt River Canyon. I look forward to going one day.

So we arrived safely in Phoenix. I start my new job next week and the girls have started school already. Its a new adventure for us. Hope its a positive one.

Buffaloes in Oklahoma

Outside the "Big Texan" restaurant in Amarillo, TX. Everything is bigger in TX. Especially the kitsch.

Heart attack on a platter. The 72 oz. steak.

Natural arch on route 66 in New Mexico

Salt River Canyon, AZ

Ralph Blackwelder Sr.

2009-03-08T11:38:00.002-05:00

Today I'm going religion...

Today in Elders quorum (Mormon priesthood meeting for men during church) we were discussing love as a guiding principle in missionary work. We we asked to share our thoughts on this by the instructor. One young man decided to share an experience that prompted me to write about this experience as soon as I got home so I wouldn't forget it.

This young man is probably around 20 years old. He is African-American and lives in a rough neighborhood here in Cincinnati. In telling about his experience he expressed that much of his time involved activities on the street. He did not expound on what those activities were, it really doesn't matter in this case. His clothes weren't what some people would deem "church appropriate" and he was jobless until recently.

Now enter Ralph Blackwelder Sr. Ralph has been a part of the Cincinnati group of Mormons since forever practically. Every week he goes to the local grocery stores and collects all the expired bakery goods from one of the local grocery chains (Krogers). He then takes these goods and distributes them to families in need every week. For free. Just because he and his wife want to serve their fellow man. They choose to follow the words of Jesus when he said "to life thy neighbor as thy self".

Since Ralph has been in Cincinnati forever, it seem he personally knows nearly every person in the city. Well, Ralph knew this young man that I mentioned since he was young. This young man's mother is a member of our church and both have been baptised years ago. They just haven't been to church in ages. That is until Ralph decided to step in.

The young man today expressed how grateful he was for Ralph Blackwelder Sr., because Ralph keeps him off the streets. He expressed that Ralph has come to his house and got him out of bed and personally chauffeured him to church. He also told us that Ralph was also instrumental in getting him a job a Busken's Bakery (yummy!) which has also helped keep him off the streets. He was so thankful that someone has taken vested interest in his well-being. He says it has been life changing and that he wished that his friends that are still on the streets could take part in all the blessings that have come into his life, because Ralph Blackwelder cares.

What I admire about Ralph Blackwelder Sr. is his sincerity. There are few people that conduct themselves with the integrity, sincerity, and selflessness that he does. Ralph serves regardless of another person's background or persuasion. He simply gives. And when he's done giving, he gives more. He has been a tremendous example to his family and every person that he has come in contact with.

I get so caught up in my own interests many times that I neglect the fact that I could be helping out someone else or my community. I should be doing more of what Ralph does. All of us should.

Am I More East Coast than West Coast?

2009-03-07T09:57:00.002-05:00

I'm beginning to wonder... Although I was born and raised in the Coeur d'Alene/Spokane area, all my tastes seem to lean to upper east coast. Even when I was younger I noticed this. Consider this:

Music: Most of my favorite bands come from either England or the NY/NJ area. For as long as I can remember, my dreams was always to go to a gig at CBGB's. Alas, that is no longer possible, but my whole taste in music revolves around what took place there in the 1970's and 80's. Here are some of my favorite east coast bands: The Ramones, the Bouncing Souls, Thursday, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears, My Chemical Romance, Interpol, and so on.

Food: One of the things I love about the upper east coast are the beloved neighborhood restaurants and deli's. Mom and Pop shops that make the best food. Amber and I are not fans of chain restaurants. We like a place with history and personality. The closer a restaurant is to violating health code the better. That means they're paying more attention to the food. I watch a lot of Travel Channel and I salivate at some of the shops I've yet to visit. I'm dying to get a pastrami sandwich from Katz's Deli in NYC. My favorite will probably always remain Primanti's in Pittsburgh. Here's how a Primanti's sandwich goes: Sourdough then meat of your choice then fried egg, then cheese then french fries then coleslaw then sourdough. There's a pic of one of those sinful suckers in one of my previous posts.

Philosophy: When I think east coast, I think blue collar, hard working, fast paced, not the most aesthetically pleasing, kinda dirty, and neighborhood oriented. All things I look for and try to be. Like food, I like a place with history and personality.

Landscape: I did grow up in one of the most beautiful places in the world. However, I do enjoy the deciduous forests of the east especially in fall.

The bizarre thing about all of this is that I've never been to NYC or Boston or Philly. Yet, these places have always appealed to me, even when I was young. I'm really craving a pastrami sandwich.

Well, here's to moving to Phoenix...

p.s. trivia: how many rock icons can you pick out in the above picture?

Nearing the End of a Chapter

2009-02-26T16:36:00.009-05:00

Ever want to read my life story in a nutshell? No? Well, you're gonna anyway. At the end of March we will be moving from Cincinnati to Gibert, AZ (suburb of Phoenix). We have lived in the Midwest for about 5 and a half years now. So I guess it is time for me to reflect this chapter on my life. Well I guess maybe I should reflect on all chapters thus far. I tend to define my chapters by the places I've lived. Here we go...

Spokane/Coeur d'Alene: I was born there, I grew up there. When people find out where I'm from, they generally think I'm crazy for ever leaving. I had it all. Lakes, trails, camping, forests, mountains, skiing, and more lakes. Growing up I always thought I would never leave the PNW. I knew I would leave CdA, only to go to maybe Seattle or Portland. I was oblivious to the rest of the world, but I wanted to see and do it all. I still miss a lot of people from there. Although, in high school I was voted most likely to leave and never come back. So far so good. As much as I loved the natural beauty of my home, I felt there was an invisible ceiling for me there that I needed to break through. On the night of my graduation, I was at the senior party until about 5:30am. I went home then caught a plane to Boise at 7:10am so I could start classes at 9am at Boise State University.

Boise (round 1): My year in Boise was a total waste of productivity, but I had a good time! After getting straight A's my summer semester, I pretty much flunked the next two semesters. I saw a lot of concerts. Met the Toadies, Sugar Ray, and Radiohead (twice). Like I said, I didn't get much done, but I made some lifelong friends in Paul Dickinson and Jen and Tac Anderson. It was time to get my life in order, time to go on a mission

Hamburg, Germany (and surrounding cities): This is where I went on my LDS mission. I have to admit, in the beginning, I approached it too much as an adventure than a mission. That quickly changed. I learned about religious and ethnic intolerance directed not only at myself, but those that I knew and taught. I became more sensitive to other peoples' perspectives and backgrounds. My eyes were opened to the hardships of individuals displaced because of civil war, genocide, and terrorism seeking political asylum from Africa and former Eastern Bloc countries. I learned a great deal about my own beliefs from an unexpected source: Muslims. I fell totally in love with the German people. They still carry a lot of emotional baggage from WWII, because the rest of Europe and the World won't let them live it down. They are a remarkably introspective people open to candid discussion. There is less of sense of avarice and more community connection there. I still maintain contact with my beloved German family Brigitte and Cloudy. Being a naive kid from N. Idaho, my mission changed every single aspect of my life including spiritual, philosophical, political, etc. My Heavenly Father knew that I needed to be there.

Boise (round 2): I started classes 2 days after I got back from Germany. I was very awkward (was I ever not) for the first several months. All sense of style was lost after wearing a suit for 2 years. I lived with my sister Ev during that time. However, it didn't take long for me to find the most special person of my life, Amber. We met in January of '99. We met in Provo, UT when I went with Ev to visit her friend Meredith (Mega-deth!). Meredith and Amber were roommates. It was a right time right place moment. I seriously didn't think I had a chance. Amber is much more refined and social than I am. Apparently, Amber saw that I had sweet guitar chops and we began a relationship. Eight months later we were married and she moved to Boise where I was still going to school.
At BSU my goal was to get into med school, but Paul turned me onto Nursing Anesthesia, because his dad was a Nurse Anesthetist. However, I was not feeling the motivation at BSU and Amber wanted to be closer to her family in Utah. I made a deal that I would only go if I was able to transfer to the University of Utah. BYU and the other schools didn't have a med school or their own hospital, so I felt they were useless. Luckily I was accepted to the U of U and off we went.

Utah: Can't say I really wanted to live in Utah, even being that I'm Mormon. Too homogeneous. However, transferring to the U of U was the best academic decision I ever made. It really provided the motivation, support, and resources I needed to advance. I scrapped the whole doctor bit after Chelsea was born in 2001. I wasn't willing to sacrifice time with her to stroke my ego. Instead I focused on what I needed to do to pursue my Master's to become a Nurse Anesthetist. That way, I get more time with Chelsea and get to essentially do what an Anesthesiologist does (of course for less pay, but I'm not complaining about how I'm compensated). During this time, we were living in Amber's parents basement. They were so tolerant of me and very supportive. Most in-laws wouldn't have put up with a wannabe-punker trying to make good like they did. We owe them big time. In 2003, I completed my Bachelor's in Nursing and Lauren was born that year. Although, in order to get into Anesthesia school Amber and I figured a move to the east would be best because that is where the highest concentration of schools are (particularly PA). So, as a whim, shot-in-the-dark, whatever you call it, we began looking to Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh: We moved there so I could work in an ICU which is requirement before anesthesia school. I could have done that anywhere in the country, but why Pittsburgh. Well, the first 2 months we were beginning to wonder. We just knew at the time it felt like the right thing to do. And it was. We ended up loving that city more that we ever could imagine. For the first time as a couple, we were away from both of our families. So, it was a time of growing for us as a couple. And it was fun. I worked with some brilliant nurses and doctors. Our church ward was small and so much like a family. We still try to visit as often as we can. Pittsburgh has the qualities that I'd like to have: hardworking, non-pretentious, family oriented, and very hospitable. Love that town. However, we had to leave because I was accepted to the University of Cincinnati for anesthesia training. I miss driving through the Fort Pitt tunnel to see Pittsburgh before me (one of my favorite things in the world).

Cincinnati: On our move to Cincinnati, we expected it to be a lot like Pittsburgh. It wasn't. We were closer to Dixie and we learned that racism still festers. Cincinnati has its history of it. Also, we weren't as welcomed here as we were in Pittsburgh. So, I just stuck my nose into my studies. Eventually, we found a nice part of town to live in and things became more tolerable. We are surrounded my awesome family restaurants and shops and more diverse ideas and background. Amber was pregnant with Sydney when we moved to Hyde Park in Cincinnati. That way she was only 2 blocks from her favorite Thai restaurant. After graduating in 2007, I decided to stay a year here to work. I will really miss the job I have right now. I really like the people I work with and I get to spend a lot of time with the fam. Hopefully my new job in Gilbert will be just as fun. Living in Hyde Park, sure we could stay. However, it is time to go home to family. Especially since Amber's dad died about a year and a half ago. We miss him severely.

So this is an end to a chapter for us. I have always been surrounded by wonderful and supportive friends. For that I am grateful. I am a product of many places and experiences. Time to turn the page.

Today's Playlist

2009-02-25T18:42:00.002-05:00

1. Hier Kommt Alex- Die Toten Hosen
2. Spaceman- The Killers
3. Kids- MGMT
4. After Hours- We Are Scientists
5. L.E.S. Artistes- Santogold
6. Death- White Lies
7. Valium Skies- The Verve
8. Mercury- Bloc Party
9. Zero- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
10. No You Girls- Franz Ferdinand
11. Propane Nightmares- Pendulum

Lux Interior

2009-02-08T09:08:00.003-05:00

Where have all the truly artistic and original musicians gone? When was the last time we found a group that really wandered outside the commercial box? Amber and I were talking a little bit about this today. These artists are hard to find. The last group I can think of is Mew.

Just recently, the founding member of the Cramps and punk rock legend Lux Interior died of continuing heart issues. I don't claim to be a fan of the Cramps or their S&M/dominatrix/psychobilly schtick, however I will give credit where credit is due.

The Cramps started in the 70's and were part of the greatest rock movements in history taking place at CBGB's in NYC. They copied no one and were truly disturbing. Like I said, I'm not a fan, but I can't help but be jealous at their stroke of genius by playing a gig at the Napa State Mental Hospital in California (click here to view). To see Cramps fans mingling with mental patients... you can't tell the difference. Also to see some of the mental patients dancing on stage, well... you know this wouldn't fly anymore with today's regulations. It kind of reminded me of when Johnny Cash played at the Folsom State Prison. When was the last time that any artist tried to pull off something like that? (that wasn't a copycat)

I guess I'm lamenting the current lack of creative music talent marketed to the masses. Less and less are musicians interested in pushing creative boundaries. More and more are they interested in creating palatable sugar coated blah, blah, blah. College radio is no longer college radio. Female tweenies are who record labels are catering to. We all know what this is about.

So, despite being weirded out by Lux Interior and the Cramps, I recognize that another music pioneer has bitten the dust.

Steelers Win 6th Super Bowl!

2009-02-02T13:59:00.008-05:00

Our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl 43 last night against the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in a nail-bitter. I know how much this means to the city. Phoenix will recover. We had a little Super Bowl party for the girls. They were able to wave their Terrible Towels and cheer on the Steelers. Sydney really got into the excitement by yelling "Diller, Diller!". Now Pittsburgh owns more championships than anyother team in NFL history. Go Stillers!

Speaking of Pittsburgh...

2009-01-25T18:27:00.002-05:00

Pittsburgh has obviously been on my mind a lot lately, because of the Super Bowl. Here is another reason to love the Burgh: Primanti Bros!

Taqueria Mercado and Panaderia in Cincinnati

2009-01-20T18:51:00.005-05:00

Our favorite Mexican restaurant in the WORLD! This is no chips and salsa Chi-Chi's or Don Pablo's. This restaurant is in a little strip mall just north of Cincinnati. If you weren't looking for it, you'd pass by it. You know its good when you walk in and you're the only gringo there. Everything is very fresh and inexpensive. They own their own Mexican bakery next door, which provides all their breads and tortillas. Our favorites include their seasoned pork enchiladas, tortas, and shrimp quesadillas. The enchiladas have to be the best in the world. Amber also likes their refried beans, homemade, never from a can. Afterward, if you aren't stuffed from the burrito you ate that is nearly the size of Sydney's head, wander to the bakery where they have some awesome Mexican pastries. The girls beg for them every time we visit. So if in Cincy looking for some absolute authentic Mexican that puts those chain restaurants to shame, go to Taqueria Mercado and Panaderia in Cincinnati, you won't be disappointed. However, if you enjoy the mediocrity of chain locales like Applebee's, TGI Fridays, Olive Garden, et al., you're in for a culture shock.

Question: Larry, why are you and Amber such big fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers? You're from the west!

2009-01-19T16:20:00.003-05:00

Yeah, me and Amber are huge Pittsburgh Steelers fans. We're also clearly trying to brainwash our daughters into becoming ones too. However, some have criticised us because we currently live in Cincinnati, are originally from Idaho, and don't have the deepest Pittsburgh roots. So I offer up this explanation:

1. We did live in Pittsburgh. However, it was a short stay because we had to move to Cincy so I could work on my Master's degree. I believe we lived there for about a year and a half. We loved our time there, the friendships we made, and all that the area had to offer. It was a growing time for Amber and I, because we were on our own without our families, so it was a real bonding time for us. We always had the support and care we needed from our friends in our neighborhood, church, and work.
2. Black and Gold looks real cool.
3. The Cincinnati Bengals stink, their organization stinks, and they look like clowns in their lame uniforms. There are a lot of Bengals fans who are not renewing their season tickets. The Bengals embarrass the people of Cincinnati.
4. Our former home-teacher from Church, Chris Hoke, plays for the Steelers. So we always like to see him play and do well.
5. Pittsburgh is one of our favorite places in the world. They have Andy Warhol, the PGH Penguins, Primanti's, the Strip, the Carnegie museums, the three rivers, and on and on and on. We will always be yinzers at heart.
6. Steelers Nation is so fun to be a part of. Steelers fans are nearly as rabid and insane as European soccer fans. There is a real sense of community.
7. And mostly, every time the Steelers win, it feels like a win for the city. And it is the city of Pittsburgh that we are truly fans of. The Steelers and their organization embodies what Pittsburgh and it's inhabitants represent: hard working, blue-collar, and family oriented ideals.

So that is in a nutshell why we will remain Steeler fans. I can go on forever giving more reasons, but I'm sure I've done that do many of you already, so I'll spare you this time.

BCS Busted (Again): Utah 31 Alabama 17

2009-01-03T18:21:00.003-05:00

Last night Utah defied popular opinion and destroyed powerhouse and former #1 Alabama to become Sugar Bowl Champions in New Orleans, LA. Wish I could have been there. Its a good time to be a Ute. I'm quite proud.

What I'm Listening to Right Now

2008-12-23T22:02:00.003-05:00

Besides listening to my stomach growl at how much junk I've eaten in the last 3 days, these are some of the things I've been listening to lately:

Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears- I know I blogged on them awhile back, but I find them wildly fascinating. They remind me of a lot of the people I used to jam with. Intensely creative and severely misunderstood. If you live Queen or the Rocky Horror Picture Show, you might like BSST.

Film School- First, the things I don't like about this band: they're from SoCal, the lead vocalist lacks frontman charisma, they call themselves psychadelic when they're really shoegaze, and they're not the most original. What I do like about them is that they're a new version of The Cure/Joy Division/New Order/Stone Rose/any band from Northern England. Its really good music for rainy weather.

Santogold- Santi White (Santogold) is a nice addition to my indie repertoire. Although, many of my indie loving friend may scoff at this choice of music because Santogold sounds nothing like Death Cab for Cutie or Built to Spill. Santogold does it all in her own style. She does electronic/hip-hop/pop/indie in a very sincere, yet clever, east-coast way. Some say she sound like M.I.A. . I don't know. I don't listen to M.I.A. This did make me take notice that my collection of music usually hails from Europe or the East Coast. Interesting...

Pendulum: Very synth, drums, and bass oriented, but with at punk mentality. Originally from Australia, but now live in the UK. I'm just starting to get into these guys. I may write more on them later

I really haven't found anything overwhelmingly awesome new since I found Mew a couple of years back. Yet, these are just a sample of some of the stuff I'm into at the moment.

Why we are not moving to Dallas

2008-12-20T09:21:00.003-05:00

In the last few months we got everyone up in a lather about us moving to Dallas, Texas. The cost of living there is low, there is not state income tax, and it would be "closer" to some of Amber's brothers. I accepted a job offer from the University of Texas Southwestern and we went down to Dallas on Thanksgiving weekend to shop for homes. We could have gotten a really really nice house with good schools, shopping, etc. However, it all felt empty. What was our real motivation to move to Dallas? $. Dallas has a great standard of living and I can see why people like it there. Yet, for me it did not feel like it could be home. Our original plan after I graduated from the U of Utah was to move east, get my Master's degree and then go home to the west. Dallas is not the west and not as close to family as we would like. So we've refocused our sights to the west. We won't get the best "bang for our buck" like in Dallas, but we would be home. So sorry for getting everyone wound up about our move. On the positive side, it was good to see Ryan Stutz again and being able to meet his family.

Embarrassing Moment

2008-12-17T15:39:00.003-05:00

About a month ago, I went to our YMCA to use run on the treadmill because it was too cold outside. I took my duffle-bag and changed into my running clothes there after work. Amber washed my workout clothes a couple of days before, which I appreciate. Sooooo, I get on the treadmill and start running. About 2 minutes into it a white toilet paper looking thing started peeking out of my left shorts leg. I could see this happening because all the treadmills face a giant mirror. Luckily it wasn't TP, but a dryer-sheet. I decided just to let it fall out and off the treadmill because I wasn't going to stop my run for a stupid dryer-sheet. However, the look I got from those on the treadmills behind me was a bit entertaining. To them it must have looked like I used the restroom before running and I got TP stuck in my shorts. Oh well, I finished my run picked up the dryer-sheet still lying behind the treadmill and went home to tell Amber.

Sky Sport's Fan Zone- The Greatest Sports Show EVER

2008-11-07T19:45:00.004-05:00

Long ago my friend Ken Witzel introduced me to this show that can sometimes be found on Fox Soccer Channel. Instead of having over-paid boring commentators working the game, Sky invites one fan from each of the teams and lets them do the commentary on an English Premier League (soccer) game. I wish we had something like this in the states for the NFL or College Football/Basketball. Brilliant! Click here for a hilarious clip of a clash between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC. Then you must see this clip of Arsenal FC vs. Tottenham from last week.

I tried the durian, didn't like it.

2008-10-21T14:36:00.004-05:00

Inspired by Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern, I decided that I needed to give the durian a try as well. So one of the nurses I work with, Debbie M., brought in some for me to try. She is from the Philippines and "likes" durian.

I gave it a try, took a bite, didn't barf. It tasted like rotten sweet onion plus licking whatever is at the bottom of my garbage can. The aftertaste is murder. I'm someone who'll try most things at least once. That is my one and last time with durian.

Poor Sydney

2008-10-17T17:23:00.005-05:00

We do strange things with our kids. She kind of looks like one of the kids from "Nightmare Before Christmas".

The Death of Pepe'

2008-10-17T08:46:00.003-05:00

Sometime after bedtime, right before "the Office"...

Chelsea: Daddy, one of our fish died!
Me: ...
Chelsea: (very concerned) One of our fish died! Come look!
Me: Uh, looks like he swam too close to the filter and got stuck.
Chelsea: Why did he do that?
Me: He just made a wrong decision, that's all.
Chelsea: He didn't listen to the other fish when they told him not to swim so close?
Me: I guess.
Chelsea: Didn't he know he could die?
Me: I dunno.
Chelsea: He should have listened to the other fish.

As I try to "fish" Pepe' the dead fish out of the aquarium, I make a big mess cuz he falls all the way to the bottom, thus amusing Lauren greatly. I take him to the toilet and flush him down unceremoniously.

Chelsea: Serves him right for not listening to the other fish. Sorry you lost your fish dad.
Me: Thanks.

Song of the Day: Above and Below by the Bravery

Germany

2008-10-14T11:29:00.028-05:00

Hamburg Rathaus (city hall)

I know most aren't interested in what I have to write here, its the pictures that people want to see, but let me write this stuff down for my own sake.

Saturday Oct. 4, Amber and I left the 'Nati to have a little vacation in Germany. Hamburg, Germany was were I served my LDS mission and I've been dying to get back (it took me 10 years). Grandma Bell was extremely kind to come from SLC to stay with the girls while we had our little adventure.

Hamburg Panorama
It was Amber's first time to Germany (and Europe) so it was awesome to be able to stay with our friends Cloudy Dziallas, Peter Henning, and their little girl "Inchy". I knew Cloudy from my mission and Amber met Cloudy when she came to visit us in 2004 in Pittsburgh. We had a lot of fun introducing Amber to North German dishes specific to the region (matjes!) and talking soccer and politics. I am very appreciative of their hospitality and friendship. Friends like them are a rare find.

Inside St. Michaelis Cathedral in Hamburg

Fall In Hamburg
The first couple of days we spent in Hamburg. We saw the famous Rathaus (city hall), St. Michaelis cathedral, and shopped a little. On Tuesday, we took the typical tourist route and went to Berlin. It was my first time there so we did what most people do there: see the Reichstag, bits of the Wall, the Berliner Dom, Brandenburg Gate, etc. Berlin is so big and has so much history one day was simply not enough, but we did our best. Amber and I did feel it necessary to eat a "Berliner" in Berlin in tribute to JFK's famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate.

Amber and I at the Reichstag
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Mosaic
On Wednesday, we were joined by my "German Mom" (Cloudy's real mom) Brigitte. All of us, except Peter, took a short trip to Luebeck, a port city by the Baltic Sea. There we saw some of the beautiful architecture and ate a ton of good food. Here Amber got her first dose of matjes (raw sea herring). We ate at an old captain's society restaurant. All of us ate dishes very indigenous to the area. After we got our fill there, we waddled our way to the Niederegger Marzipan Cafe to eat some of Luebeck's world famous confection: marzipan. Marzipan was invented in Luebeck and only the best comes from there. Amber and I tried to down what we could without looking like pigs.
Pinkys Up! at the Niederegger Marzipan Cafe'
Amber and I at the Holstentor in Luebeck
Thursday was "my" day. No soccer games were scheduled the week we were in Hamburg due to World Cup qualification games that week. So after a lunch of more great matjes prepared by Brigitte, we visited the Nordbank Arena, home of Hamburg SV. There, we walked through the museum, saw the impressive trophy case (I was 12 inches from the Champion League Cup!!), and took the stadium tour. On the tour we saw the inner workings of the stadium. The best part was when they allowed us to walk the tunnel that the players take on their way out to the pitch. I didn't get to touch the pitch. It cost at least 900,000 euro, so I couldn't even sneeze on it. However, I did get to sit on the players' bench. And did I say I got to walk the tunnel? Yeah, that was wicked cool. We were joined by Rudi Jaeger, Cloudy's bro-in-law, for the tour. We then went out for steaks and ended at Rudi's house where Amber met Britta. Britta also being a fan of the "Twilight" books, they had a lot to talk about, ugh.

Some of Hamburger SV's Trophies
Walking the tunnel at Nordbank Arena with Peter and Inchy

The last three days, we spent in a favorite part of the country of mine called the Harz. We spent two days in Wernigerode and one in Goslar. The only Americans that I know that know these places exist are the ones who were there with me 10 years ago (and now whoever is reading this). So this makes the Harz our little secret spot, since I know all of you are gonna buy tickets to go there right now.

Amber and Cloudy in Wernigerode

Peter grew up in Wernigerode. Wernigerode was just inside what was once East Germany. Because of this, things were a little less expensive than in Hamburg (dang Euro!). We stayed at the Weisser Hirsch (White Buck) Hotel. Our room was the best I've ever stayed in. It looked over the town plaza and city hall (see pic below). So, If ever in Wernigerode, stay at the Weisser Hirsch and request room 204.
The view from our hotel room in Wernigerode

Wernigerode Castle

In Wernigerode, we visited a glass making factory, took a gondola up to the top of a mountain where legend has that Witches gather every year to dance. We also toured the famous Wernigerode castle (Ambi's first time in a castle). From the castle you can see the Broken, the highest point in Northern Germany. I hiked it three times during my mission, but not this time around. Maybe next time.

The Broken
Sunday, our last day, we spent some time meandering through the lovely Goslar. We saw the Kaiserpfalz castle and watched a Glockenspiel. Afterward, it was back to Hamburg. Rudi, Britta, and their girls joint all of us at Cloudy's house where we enjoyed the last hours of our trip in Hamburg.

Kaiserpfalz in Goslar
It was sad to go. Hamburg never feels foreign to me. Not when you have people you care about there. Sure there is a language difference, but never a language barrier. I think even Amber felt the same. What make a trip special is the people you spend it with. I hope it won't be another 10years 'til we return.

p.s. we took about 655 pics. There was no way I was gonna post a ton of them.

To My Ambi '08

2008-09-29T09:04:00.003-05:00

The art of tape-mixes has dwindled mightily the last 10-15 years. In high school we made and gave mix tapes all the time. This then evolved into making mix CD's. Now, I have no idea what kids do. Send each other their iMixes and make each other pay for it?

Anyway, for our anniversary, I made Ambi a mix-CD. I did one last year too. So, here is what it looks like:

Cemeteries of London by Coldplay: Nothing romanitc about this song, but Amber loves Coldplay.

Northwestern Girls by Say Hi: Amber is from the NW, so there you have it. Eric Elbogen is the new Morissey with out me wanting to cut myself.

Pictures of You by the Cure: There aren't many that disagree that this is one of the greatest love songs ever written.

Perfect Situation by Weezer: Amber and I like to sing along to this in the car.

Space and Time by the Verve: Love the Verve. I wish I had a fraction of the talent that Richard Ashcroft has.

"Heroes" by David Bowie: Amber like David Bowie, but this is one of my top 5 favorite songs in the universe.

Hamburg Song by Keane: Amber is also a big fan of Keane. I'm a big fan of Hamburg.

Starlight by Muse: Starlight is one of Amber's all time favorite songs. I can't blame her. It never gets old.

Blue In the Face by Alkaline Trio: Amber is into those "Twilight" books about vampires. This is a vampire love song by a real cool punk band.

Night After Night by the Sounds: This is the song that you'd expect to be the last slow dance at a high school dance, but it won't be because the Sounds are too cool for school.

156 by Mew: We both love Mew who are from Denmark. Yes, all their songs are in english. I think this song is about stalking, but Mew continues to be vague about it (TacNJen, do you know what he's talking about?).

So there you go. Go make a mix-CD/tape/whatever, carry on the tradition.

Remnants of Ike

2008-09-19T16:45:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday we had the remnants of hurricane Ike blow through Cincinnati. There were sustained winds of 45-55 mph with gusts up 80mph. Being a weirdo, I thought it was cool. We lost our power. Some trees fell down. Blah, blah, blah. I though I saw worse when the remnants of hurricane Ivan came through Pittsburgh in 2004.

Well, Ike caused more problems than I gave it credit. We just got our power back today after 5 days without it. During this time we all were pretty cranky. Some people only had loss of power for a few hours, but our street was one of the last areas in the city because of the damage caused to a transformer. Despite all my self-pity, I must consider myself fortunate. Yeah, we lost all our food in our fridge and freezer, but the house and cars were not damaged. I also consider myself lucky that a giant tree didn't decide to do a Lambeau Leap onto our house (see the poor souls 3 miles from us in the above picture). I can't imagine the hardship for everyone in Texas. So, having survived a hurricane, sort of, I'm ready to see a tornado.

We Live In Cincinnati

2008-09-06T17:31:00.001-05:00

I pass by this ad everyday to work. I had to take a picture. Classic Cincinnati.

Forth

2008-09-04T17:58:00.002-05:00

This is not Urban Hymns.

I needed to say that first before anyone makes a judgement about the Verve's first album in over 10 years. Amber told me yesterday that she was having trouble with Forth, because Urban Hymns is so good. She doesn't dislike Forth, its just not Urban Hymns.

True, Urban Hymns was an epic album. One of the best ever. Some critics place it up there with the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's album. However, Forth is a terrific CD. It is undeniably Verve, although resembling their album A Northern Soul. It is more etherial than Urban Hymns and requires more thorough listening.

The lyrics continue to amaze as does Nick McCabe's guitar stylings. Highlights of the CD include Love is Noise (the obvious single), Rather Be, and Valium Skys. From what I gather, many of the songs are Richard Ashcroft's, but he decided to bring them with him to put out an album.

This album is not going to suit every Verve fan or people who only own Urban Hymns. This is Verve to the core and will be well recieved by any Verve fan who has followed their whole carrier as well as Richard Ashcroft's solo efforts.

I'm just so happy their back together. I hope this isn't just a one-off thing and that they'll continue to make more music.

Gatorade/Steelers 5k Playlist

2008-09-03T10:00:00.004-05:00

Here is my playlist from my iPod from the race:

Dawn of the Dead by Does It Offend You, Yeah?- I really like this song, but I'm not sure if it pumped me up at the start.

Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue- I know this offends my Indie colleagues, but I cannot deny that this song totally gets me going. I'm sorry, so sorry.

Like the Angel by Rise Against- One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite punk bands.

The Gold Song by the Bouncing Souls- No list of mine is complete without the Souls. They are a staple of my music diet.

Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance- This song is inspirational to me. It is an anti-suicide song, but I try to apply it to my running or any daily situation.

Better Life by the Bouncing Souls- I love the Bouncing Souls!

I Found Away (featuring Douglas P.) by Alkaline Trio- A catchy song off A.T.'s new CD that helps me move my feet. "Away" is not supposed to be separated by a space in case youthinkIdidatypo.

She is Beautiful by Andrew W.K.- I tell Amber his song is about her. My sister and I agree that every one's race time playlist needs Andrew W.K.

Blitz to Pittsburgh

2008-09-02T15:19:00.016-05:00

Today, my Sister and her family left to go home to Boise after staying with us for a week. We took them to do some typical Cincinnati things and showed them our favorite restaurants. Yet, we had to take them to our beloved Pittsburgh. We did a lot of the Pittsburgh things (visit Point State Park, the Strip, Pittsburgh Pirate game, etc), but didn't have time for all. Our main purpose for going to the "burgh" was to run the Gatorade/Steelers 5k. My goal for this race was to run the whole thing and get a better time from the Cincinnati Reds 5k that I ran in May. So here is a little bit of what happened...

Our friends, the Witzels, joined us for the race. Only Ken ran, because Diane wasn't able to due to her knee. At the end it was Ken and I sprinting to see who would come in first. We both recorded the same time at 28:26, but my name was posted above his, therefore I win this round. I'm sure there'll be a re-match.

Brian (my sister Evelyn's husband) finished four minutes ahead of me. He trained for a week. And I've been training since February!

Our friend Jaimee Hoke joined us too. She smoked all of us.

Amber achieved her goal of going a full 2 miles non-stop. I think Ev took it a bit easier because she was pushing Macy in her stoller.

We are so grateful to Maggie Gunn for watching the girls as we ran.

Both Chelsea and Peach ran their races admirably. They did not finish first (they weren't keeping track anyway), but they were satisfied that they did their best.

As for myself, I shaved 4 minutes off of last time. However, I have to admit I did stop 2 or 3 times to prevent the hurls. Apparently my diet of Buca di Beppo, Red Robin, and Primanti's Bros. did not do well with me that morning. I had been running 3 miles consistenly 3 times a week for 2 months, so I let myself down. Note to self: do not eat a mass of steak fries the night before a race.

Enough writing, here are some pics.

The Vacation

2008-08-21T19:15:00.012-05:00

Last week we got back from our vacation. As mentioned 3 posts ago, Amber and the girls left several weeks earlier for Amber's Grandmother's funeral. So I joined them the first week of August for a week and a half of R&R, whatever. Here are some thoughts and pictures of the vacation:

We were very happy to see our friends Tac & Jen with their family. They came for Chelsea and Laurens' birthday dinner at my sister's house in Boise. They are two of the coolest people we know in the world. I'm hoping they'll join us for our trip to South Africa in 2 years for the World Cup.

My favorite part of the vacation was getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to go golfing with Brian and my Dad. My Dad just walked with us, but I think he was entertained by our lack of finesse and talent. Brian thoroughly out shot me, but I was the only who got par on one of the holes.

Floating down the Boise river was fun with the girls. It was so nice to be able to see the bottom of a river without the pollution.

Chelsea nearly drowned at my parent's apartment complex pool. None of us were watching her cuz she's pretty self-sufficient, except she can't swim. I just happened to glance at the deep end and saw Chelsea's eyes wide open under water with her struggling to stay up and swallowing water. I grabbed her in time, 10 seconds later would have been disastrous. She threw up a lot from all the water she swallowed. Apparently, she wanted to show me she was brave by doggy-paddling it out there by herself. I felt so bad.

Our whirlwind of a trip continued to SLC to Amber's Mom's house. Eloise truly has a talent with kids. Our girls love her dearly.

We got to see one of my best friends from my mission, Christy and her family. It was nice just to hang out again and talk like we use to. Her husband, Ryan, also introduced us to the video game "Rockband". He sang Radiohead's "creep" pretty well.

On the way to SLC we stopped in Preston, ID, one of my favorite places. There is a restaurant there called Big J's. They make the best milkshake in world. We visited Amber's friend Emillie (I think I spelled her name wrong) and her family. The Madsens are some of the nicest people we know.

Amber's family had their family reunion. The girls loved playing with their cousins. I spent 2 hours filling almost 200 water balloons for a water balloon war. It lasted 3 minutes. Oh well.

I feel bad for not being able to make time to see Karl-Snarl.

Amber and I got to celebrate our anniversary by going to our favorite sushi joint, Ichiban Sushi. Try the Sondra's Silver Lake roll, Pink Power roll, and Lotus roll.

We took Chelsea to see some Picasso and Monet at the U of Utah.

It was just nice to renew relationships again with friends and family. Our friend Diana stopped by to see us in Boise and spoiled us rotten, which was sweet.

I'm tired of flying, but I'm so ready for our Germany trip in October.

Here's some pics:

Urban Hymns and Forth

2008-07-29T19:06:00.004-05:00

Saturday, I was transferring some of my CD's to my iPod. One of the CD's I transferred was "Urban Hymns" by the Verve. I haven't listened to the CD in it's entirety for over a year and I thought this is a good time as any. Doing this reconfirmed my opinion that Urban Hymn's is one of the best albums ever.

I don't know a lot of Verve fans, but I know 99% of you have heard the Verve before (unless you live under a rock or Cincinnati). Here is some background and history on their album "Urban Hymns" and about the Verve in general:

! The most popular song from the album is "Bittersweet Symphony". Nearly everyone has heard this song on commercials, at sporting events, and TV shows. The main riff was stolen from the Rolling Stone which caused a big legal to-do. However, the Q music mag out of England did name "Bittersweet Symphony" one of the 10 best songs ever written (up there with the Beatles, David Bowie, and Lou Reed).

! The Verve broke up around 1999 despite huge success in the U.S. and abroad. Last year they re-united and began touring to sold out crowds around the world (but never came close to Cincinnati).

! "Bittersweet Symphony" has the best music video ever. You can look up on Wikipedia about the production.

! Richard Ashcroft had a fairly successful solo career after the 1999 break up. He performed "Bittersweet Symphony" with Coldplay at Live8 in Hyde Park, England. It was a killer performance. It gives Amber and I goosebumps each time we watch it. He wrote and sings one of my all time favorite songs "Break the Night with Colour".

! the Verve came out of England in a real interesting time in English pop music, aka Brit-pop. They became wildly popular because of the soul and sincerity of their music. Oasis was the most well known in the States. Yet, while Oasis was so good at melodies and hooks, Pulp at glam, Supergrass at basic catchy garage tunes, and Blur at clever kitsch and purely addictive songs, the Verve was the most poetic and bluesy while maintaining their British identity. "Urban Hymns" really set them apart from the rest as songwriter and performers.

! BEST OF ALL... the Verve releases their first album in 11 years on August 26th called Forth! I'm so excited I could scream like Chelsea does for the Jonas Brothers. However, I will maintain my composure like an adult... as I wet myself.

Who Listens to Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears?

2008-07-26T08:35:00.008-05:00

Sometimes I devour new music too quickly only to regret wasting my money later. However, there are time that I buy music and let it sit until I come back to it later only for it to taste really good. This is one of those times.

Last year I was introduced to Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears on my friend Jen's website (http://www.jenxmusic.com/). Perhaps my best description of this band would be Frank Zappa meets John Lennon meets Ziggy Stardust meets the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm not going to attempt to critique their latest album, the Flight of the Knife, and all the highlights, because it is all one big highlight. You can't take it to spin class or just play it in the background in your cubicle at work. It takes active listening, because it sucks you in like an epic sci-fi movie (not in the Star Trek way, though). These guys are outstanding song writers and musicians. A must see live act.

So, what type of person listens to Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears? People to really like Tim Burton movies, band geeks, drama class nerds, comic book guy, goth chicks, people who think Weird Al is a sell-out, boys without girlfriends, indie snobs, computer programmers, people with really strange laughs,... me. (although none of the above descriptions pertain to me... except the Tim Burton part)

disclaimer: Scary Larry is in no way related to Bryan Scary. He is only a fan.

Ambi Where Art Thou?

2008-07-18T17:39:00.003-05:00

On Monday evening, Amber's Grandma Chandler passed away from old age. It was kind of expected, so we were somewhat prepared. Nevertheless, we will miss her. She was the definition of "cute little" grandmother. We chose Sydney's middle name, Louise, after her. She will be missed.

So, Amber is headed to Pocatello, ID (ugh!) for the funeral. Instead of flying there and back, she pushed me to let her take the girls and stay in Salt Lake with her mom until I fly in two weeks later. I have done an excessive amount of pouting and guilt-tripping, because I'm all by my lonesome for over two weeks. Its not fun being without Amber. I don't like it!

Here are ten (but not limited to) reasons why I miss Ambi:

1. She is smarter than she'll let herself believe she is.

2. She is prettier than she'll let herself believe she is.

3. On a day when the sky is clear blue, her eyes sparkle.

4. She is competitive, but she won't tell you that.

5. She listens to awesome music, much to my relief.

6. Have you seen how pretty our girls are (totally unbiased)? Yeah, they didn't get it from me.

7. Somehow she has the superpower of saving money by spending more money. Must be a chick thing.

8. She is extremely unselfish. This helps to balance out my extraordinary selfishness.

9. She is an awesome cook. I really don't want to sound like a pig or make anyone think I take advantage of this. However, she does make Thai food from scratch. I think that deserves mentioning.

10. She has always pushed me to be the best I can. Without her, I'm quite pathetic.

Since this blog mostly talks about music, last year I made a CD for our wedding anniversary. These are "our songs":

Invincible- Muse

Comforting Sounds- Mew

I Still Remember- Bloc Party

Precious- Depeche Mode

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want...- the Smiths

The Ocean- the Bravery

Home- Depeche Mode

Sonnet- the Verve

Somewhere Over the Rainbow- Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Bedshaped- Keane

Street Spirit (Fade Out)- Radiohead

Break the Night With Colour- Richard Ashcroft

All I Want Is You- U2

An Addendum to the Last Post I Did... and a Playlist X 2

2008-07-14T15:15:00.006-05:00

A couple of things I forgot to add to my list from my last post about becoming a hot vampire:

8. Of course you need to get bit by a vampire. That or drink the blood of the main dude vampire. Numerous films allude to these necessities (i.e. the Lost Boys, Bram Stoker's Dracula)

9. Read "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. A good background knowledge of the grandaddy of all vampires, Vlad the Impaler, is an absolute for any respectable blood sucker.

10. Yes, you need Vitamin D (to anyone who criticized this point). My point is just because you're immortal, does not mean you're invincible (garlic, holy water, etc.). Vampires are also not immune to blood borne pathogens. Be careful who you bite. Only bite hot looking and healthy people. No promiscuous peeps or IV drug addicts. You won't die from any virus or bacteria, but you will spend an eternity feeling pretty sick. Sicko breath won't make you a hot vampire.

So, I'm leaving my vampire advice to ten steps. You can add more steps if you like. Anyway, here are 2 playlists for people who want to become vampires and for people who want to become vampire victims.

For People Who Want to Become Vampires- not all songs are specifically about vampires, but its a cool list anyway:

1. Possum Kingdom- The Toadies

2. Hysteria- Muse

3. Never Enough- The Cure

4. I Will Possess Your Heart- Death Cab for Cutie

5. In Vein- Alkaline Trio

6. These Fangs- Say Hi to Your Mom

7. Evil- Interpol

8.The Killing Moon- Echo and the Bunnymen

9. Totalimmortal- AFI

10. 156- Mew

For People Who Want to Become Vampire Victims:

1. Girlfriend in a Coma- The Smiths

2. Sweet Sweet Heartkiller- Say Hi to Your Mom

3. Many Funerals- Eisley

4. Cemeteries of London- Coldplay

5. Dead Souls- Joy Division

6. A Question of Time- Depeche Mode

7. Misery Love Company- Bryan Scary

8. Superstition- Stevie Wonder

9. Blue In the Face- Alkaline Trio

10. Hurt- Johnny Cash

How to Become a Hot Vampire

2008-07-08T19:37:00.002-05:00

I am excited that Amber has recently got into reading. I tend to be the reader in the house, so her new hobby lifted my hopes that we could talk about what we've read and learned. However, beggars cannot be choosers. While I'm reading snobby books on Einstein and Emerson, Amber has immersed herself in vampire culture by reading all of Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" books about a girl who falls in love with a vampire boy. I haven't read the books, so I can't justly critique them and be fair. The "Twilight" series has apparently become a pop culture phenom along the likes of Harry Potter. Which is good, I like to see more people reading...anything. So, kudos to Stephanie Meyer. Now, I've just got to get Amber interested in Orwell.

This leads me to a friend of mine at work and a strange conversation during surgery. As we're doing spine surgery, my friend Marie jokingly stated that she wants to become a vampire. I can't remember the rest of the conversation we all had, but I feel prompted to make a "how to" on becoming a vampire. How, do you ask, am I in the position to expound expert advise on becoming a vampire? I saw "the Lost Boys", duh.

1. Watch "the Lost Boys". It is the best vampire instructional film EVER. In order to start the vampire transformation, you need to look like a rock star. Just don't end up like "death by stereo", if you know what I mean.

2. Read the "Twilight" series by Stephanie Meyer. If you skin starts to glisten, you're on your way.

3. Start small with the blood sucking thing. Rare steak, open wounds after you've removed the scab, or small woodland creatures are a good start.

4. Get fangs. My freshman year in college, I went to see David Bowie and NIN in Portland, OR with my friends Tac n' Jen. I ran into a guy that must've been 6ft4in, looked like Joey Ramone, had a cape on, but also had porcelain fang implants. The implants are a definite, since it is probably too late to grow fangs (you would've had to start at birth with the vampire thing to grow 'em). Shaving the teeth down to make fangs is dumb. They just look like sharp stumps.

5. Listen to goth. I suggest the Cure or other depressing bands like Depeche Mode, the Smiths, Joy Division, et al. Some vampire like bands along the lines of Type O Negative, but they strike me as the child molester type, so stick with the Cure.

6. Act mysterious. I don't think I've ever seen a zealous vampire. Desperate, maybe. Keep your statements pithy, but profound. Always wear shades (the light, remember) and look pensive.

7. Take vitamin D supplements. You're a vampire now, so that means you're vitamin D deficient from lack of sun. You need to keep a body healthy. That blood you're sucking won't do it for you totally. You don't want to be an osteoporotic vampire do you?! Zinc will help the immune system.

So those are my 7 essential steps to becoming a vampire. Hope it helps those that desire to become a creature of the night. I also hope I haven't thoroughly scared off my few remaining friends with this post.

Next time: How to become a werewolf. Step 1. Rub Rogaine on your back and forehead and act like the typical frat boy.

Song of the Day: In Vein by Alkaline Trio

Triumph and Tragedy

2008-06-29T19:20:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, our family took part in the Hyde Park Blast races here in Cincinnati (Hyde Park is the neighborhood we live in). It is a fantastic event that had over 1500 runners, bicyclists, and kid participants. Tons of free stuff, live music, etc.

Amber and I did the 4 mile course that started at 8am. We weren't planning on going full blast on the run because I was pushing the double stroller and Amber had the other stroller. Our plan was to run a mile, then walk a mile, run a mile, walk mile. But... as soon as I crossed the start line the front wheel of my double stroller fell off bending part of the wheel. I was able to bend it back in place, but could not run with the stroller. The wheel would begin to wobble every time I started to run, so I had to walk the entire course. Good thing I did, because some of those hills were beastly. My butt and shins are killing me.

In the afternoon, were the kids races. Chelsea and Lauren were in the same age group of 4-6yr olds. There were easily 50 kids in the group. Before the race Chelsea said "Dad, it doesn't matter if you finish first, it only matters if you've done your best". Great concept for a girl her age. She did do the best job she could finishing third behind two boys and was very pleased with her outcome. I was very proud of her maturity and approach to competition.

As I was waiting at the finish line to take pictures, I couldn't find Lauren. She did exceptionally well at the Cincinnati Reds 5k, so I thought I may have missed her. I finally found her in the crowd of kids sniffling. When she saw me she burst into tears and gave me a hug. She had a bump on her head and a scrape on her left leg. Someone had apparently pushed her down during the race. Chelsea was very disturbed that someone would hurt her sister to cheat in the race and offered her race medal to Lauren. It was all very touching to see my two oldest girls bond at the race. I am very proud of them. It make you feel good when you see your kids try hard.

So here are some pictures of the race and one of our very cute Sydney.

Run to the Hills

2008-06-24T19:07:00.003-05:00

For some reason, hair metal makes me laugh. Here's me having some fun with Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills". I think my face looks like Ducky from "Pretty In Pink".

runlarryrun

2008-06-16T19:24:00.002-05:00

This is the name of the playlist on my iPod for when I run. I put it on shuffle each day I run for some variety. The playlist has just over 60 songs that are fast paced or are intended to take my mind of my exhaustion. Most of the songs are from punk bands present and past. The Bouncing Souls dominates the list with the most songs. I've seen the Souls twice live, I swear they write the soundtrack to my life. So, they're my fav to keep me going and pushing harder.

Here is the list of ten songs I used to get me through the Red's 5K mentioned in the last post. I did it in celebrity iMix format to feed my ego.

Less Than Free- The Bouncing Souls: I Listen to this song at the beginning of every run. It winds me up every single time.
Little Sister- Queens of the Stone Age: I literally pace myself to the cowbell in this song.
We’re Coming Back- The Bouncing Souls: Their cover of the soccer anthem written long ago by Cock Sparrer, but better. Makes you want to shout ‘Oi!’ while running.
LCM- Children 18:3- This is actually a Christian pseudo-punk band, but this song has just enough tribal to make it on the list. Much better than Stryper!
She Sells Sanctuary- The Cult: I can’t really figure out the link between running and a song about a hooker, but the Cult rox!
Holiday- Green Day: This song caters to some of my leftist leanings. Viva la faux revolution!
Time is Running out- Muse: I’m reminded of the need to pick up the pace with this song. Amber and my Sis LOVE Muse.
Sadie- Alkaline Trio: The plot of the song takes my mind off of the pain my legs are shooting to my brain.
Party Hard- Andrew W.K.: I can’t convince myself that running is a party, but A.W.K. can. He puts on the most fun concerts ever.
Rabbits Are Roadkill on Rt. 37- AFI: Roadkill is what I feel like the next day after running, but I love the pain.

Cincinnati Reds "Redlegs" 5K

2008-06-07T16:13:00.020-05:00

This morning I got my fat keister (oh boy) out of bed and ran my first 5K. After graduating with my Master's in December, I needed a new goal. My goal is shed the 30lbs I took on during 2 & 1/2 years of sedentary activity studying anesthesia. I knew an old fashioned diet wouldn't work and probably wouldn't be sustainable. A change in lifestyle would be the only way to become fit again. So, instead of starvation, Amber and I took on training for 5K's. Our goal was to run the 5K associated with the Flying Pig Marathon in May. I got hampered by some illnesses and couldn't run it, but Amber did very well. So I turned my attention to the 5K sponsored by the Cincinnati Red Major League Baseball team here.

I started training in February on the treadmills at our YMCA. At that time 0.5 miles straight running was a struggle. Now, I can run 2.5 miles straight (on treadmill) and not feel like I'm going to have a heart attack afterward. I know this simple for a lot of people, but try doing no exercise for over 2 years and then starting over again. Of course my state is my fault, but I'm trying to correct it. With a family history of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, I have to correct it.

My goal today was to get under 35 min, which I comfortably did (see at http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/downloads/y2008/5k.pdf, I'm #1186). Next time, I'd like to get under 30min. I didn't run the entire way. A 5K is equal to 3.1 miles. I ran the first 1.5 miles, walked 0.6, then ran the last mile. I was afraid I might tucker out at the end and I wanted to be sure to run across the finish line.

The fun part about finishing in this race is that you get to run into the stadium on onto the field where they have the finish line. Afterward, they had a "Gapper's" run for the kids, named after the team's mascot. Lauren (Peach) was in the 4 and under group and Chels was in the 10-5yr old group. Lauren was in no mood today to run until she met the Gapper and Mr. Redlegs (another mascot). So Lauren surprised us all when she took 1st in her group. Chelsea ran very well also. She did not finish 1st (she's almost 7yr old), but did finish in the middle of the pack beating some kids older than her. We're very proud of their effort this morning. Amber didn't run, because she is still recovering from her PRK surgery for her eyes.

All in all it was a great activity for our family and we intend on making this a family tradition. It helps me live healthier and lets me be a better example to the girls. Oh yeah, and I've lost 10lbs.

So, there is this good book I read...

2008-05-31T09:47:00.008-05:00

I've been deliberating on how to write a review about this book I read. The vast majority of people I know, and nearly all my family on both sides, label themselves conservative and/or republican. I, although, am fiercely independent. I think I inherited that from my dad. You may feel the same way, but I'm tired of receiving mass email regarding Barack Obama's middle name and how it makes him a terrorist or George Bush's lack of intelligence. It all comes off as trite propaganda and sloganeering. Yet, it is truly amazing at how both die-hard liberals and conservatives eat this stuff up and hold such things as truths. If we are to make informed and educated opinions, we need to dig a little deeper. In addition, it would be helpful to listen to those who we think we disagree with. We may learn more about our own perspectives and maybe realize that our enemies are not so different from ourselves.

So, there is this good book I read by none other than the third most hated Democrat (after the Clintons), Al Gore. It is titled The Assault On Reason. This book is by no means an easy read. You can almost hear Al Gore's long Tennessee drawl as you read it. Before I started the book, I was expecting some shameless promoting of his current projects, which he does, just to a minimum (although not enough for your biased republican). I was also expecting some sour grapes from losing the 2000 election to G.W.. However, you get a sense that he is past the pain from the loss and is looking to achieving a brighter future under our current circumstances.

Al Gore does not just ramble on with his opinion on the state of the environment or anti-war sentiment. Although, I should read the book over, it can be generalized into three different topics: 1. Media- its origins, how it has been manipulated since the time of the invention of the printing press by politicians for their gain and how it have been influenced by it. 2. the Erosion of the Constitution- he talks in detail how presidential administrations have eroded the Constitution for the gaining of greater power in times of crisis. He does detail much on how the Bush administration (not just Dubya himself) has put the sanctity and worth of the Constitution in great danger. And 3. How we as informed citizens can make a difference- We rely much to much on 30 news clip or advertisments to base our biases and opinions. Television has been particularly mind warping. A small group of large corporations manage numerous television channels and stations and we are only hearing what they want us to hear (you knew that already). However, we enable this process by falling for it and tuning in for more.

This book reads like a brilliant research project. Gore does inject some of his thoughts and opinions, but he sites many references from philosophers, scientists, and our founding fathers so that we also can learn to appreciate the magnificence of the Constitution and how it was constructed. He does site his sources (around 250 of them) and gives credit where credit is due. Like him or not, this book makes you feel like he truly and deeply loves this country and the principles it is founded on. He writes with a sense of desperation to return to those principles that we have lost, especially with this current administration.

I can go on and on about how good this book is. Despite how I feel about this book, there will be those who will abhor this book without opening the cover due to pettiness against Al Gore or the Democratic Party. It is a shame we will deny ourselves certain things, because of our prejudices. After reading it, I don't feel panic or hatred. Rather, I am hopeful and enlightened. This book is a call to action, a refusal to be a victim. Read it if you want. I highly recommend it. I don't expect any comments on this post, due to the "sensitive nature" of politics, but if you want to talk a little about books, I don't mind an open discussion. Just don't go all Rush Limbaugh conservative on me, please.

A Good Season, Despite High Hopes

2008-05-17T15:25:00.005-05:00

I'm gonna dedicate a little space on my blog to some of my favorite sports teams and their progress this year. So listen up...

Team Keister: As reported a couple of posts ago, Ambi succesfully ran the Flying Pig 5K achieving well under 35 min. Her goal was sub-40 min, so she was a success. I believe she could have made sub-30 if she hadn't decided to puke 2 or 3 times. However, I failed the team by claiming "injury and sickness". I will try to redeem myself by running the Cincinnati Reds Redlegs 5K in 3 weeks. Team Keister also plans on running the (5 time Super Bowl Champions) Pittsburgh Steelers 5K on Labor Day.

Chelsea FC: Chelsea lost the English Premier League title to Manchester United last Wednesday by tying Bolton 1-1, thus only gaining one point to their total points in the standings. Man-U went on to beat Wigan that same day, securing the most points at the end of the season, taking home the trophy. I wish and hope for a Chelsea win against Man-U in Moscow this Wednesday for the Champions League trophy. This will be the first all-English final ever in the history of the competition. Chelsea won the last time the two met each other.

Hamburger SV: Hamburg was one of the teams tipped to be a "Bayern-killer" this year. They came close, but fell off in the last few weeks of the season. Their trainer, Huub Stevens, will be returning to the Netherlands to coach PSV Eindoven, so his chronically sick wife can receive medical treatment at home. So all the speculation about a new coach brought the team down a bit, especially since it took so long to name one. Last week HSV finally named Martin Jol (who last coached Tottenham Hotspurs) as the new coach. He has a terrific repuation, but I will miss the success and mentaltity that Huub Stevens brought to HSV. As a thank you to Stevens, the team slaughtered Karlsruhe SC, 7:0 in the final game of the season.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Stillers are awaiting the new season as defending AFC North Champs. They have the NFL's toughest schedule this season. Here's hoping for the best...

Pittsburgh Penguins: One win away from the Stanley Cup finals. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the two most exciting young hockey players I have ever seen (I was too young to appreciate "the Great One's" rookie season).

University of Utah: I firmly believe that the U of U's gymnastics team is the most successful sport team in the history of the state of Utah. They have won 10 NCAA National Championships, and have been to the finals every year for over 20 years. What other team in Utah can claim such success? None. This year they took second at nationals, barely losing the National Championship to the University of Georgia. The Utes football team is getting ready to take the Mountain West title this year. We have a lot of returning starters and will give BYU a run for their money. I don't want to get into how much I don't like BYU and how overrated they are, it'll only create less-than-holy emotions.

So that is my sports round-up. Just remember, my teams are the best teams, cuz I said so.

Song of the Day: You Won't Make A Fool Out of Me by Flogging Molly

Say Hi To Your Mom

2008-05-07T16:10:00.005-05:00

I've been listening to Eric Elbogen's (you've never heard of him) project for a couple of years now. Say Hi has been on a mainstay on my iPod, but I've now decided to impart to the masses my appreciation for this pseudo-band.

Say Hi claims to be inspired by "pretentious indie music". And seeing that I'm fairly pretentious myself I gravitated to Say Hi. Eric's project is a cross between new wave, stoner music, and pure northwest irony I suggest downloading "blah blah blah" which is about liking to suck blood in a sweet way.

This group (Eric has a couple of friend help him at concerts) gives me hope. Hope that I can create my own band by myself. The only band that I felt had full chemistry in was Dr. Burley and the Buttercups. Other bands I've tried to get involved with usually faltered cuz one or two of the band members felt the band had to sound like Metallica (ugh) or Phish (double ugh). So I might as well do it myself. Is 31 to old to become a rock star?

Go buy Say Hi To Your Mom. They're good. And don't forget Mommy's Day is this weekend.

Flying Pigs

2008-05-07T15:12:00.003-05:00

I'm in no way calling Amber a pig. Not after running her first 5K over the weekend. Every year, Cincinnati has it's Flying Pig Marathon. They also hold a 5K and a 10K on the Saturday before the half and full marathon. Ambi and I set a goal to run it together. Amber did much better than she gives herself credit. She completed it under 35 min. Not bad for a first 5K. As for myself, I dropped out. I have a list of excuses. They are: while training I got the flu, 2 weeks later got something that felt like Ebola creating 20-30 sores on my tongue and gums preventing me from talking an eating for 10 days (but I lost 12 pounds!), then I pulled some muscles in my back, and then I got a throat infection. So I didn't feel I was ready to run. Regardless of my pathetic state, I'm proud of Ambi for sticking to it and doing well.

We've enjoyed training for a 5K and will continue to do so throughout the year. Our next 5K will be one sponsored by the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. I don't think we're ambitious enough to do a half or full marathon. Although, I think we'd like to work up to doing 10K's.

As a side note, Ambi would have totally smoked that kid behind her, but she felt it important to stop before the finish line and puke.

I'm a better dancer

2008-04-15T17:50:00.004-05:00

Today I was watching one of the best music videos of all time on YouTube. Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" is one of my faves. I've been fortunate to see them twice. It was my sis Ev that got me into them way back in the day, which is a switch since I'm the once usually introducing her to music.

Which leads me to this: the last time I was in Boise visiting fam, Ev was watching some old Depeche Mode videos. She claims that I looked like a young David Gahan (2nd from the right) when I was younger. I think he's goofy looking, so I didn't know how to take it. However, Ev worships the guy, so I don't know how to take that either. Anyhoo, despite any physical similarities, I'm convinced I'm a better dancer.

Song of the Day: Living Well is the Best Revenge by REM

Very Good News...albeit late

2008-04-02T18:06:00.002-05:00

1. Muse came out with their live CD/DVD. NME's best live act last year. Very awesome. Go buy it.

2. Apparently I'm either not a devoted fan or I'm totally lame and out of the loop, because I found out last week that one of my all time favorite bands, the Verve, reunited (a year ago). This thrills me to no end. I hope they come to the U.S. soon. Now, we'll just see if the Smiths fall in line.

Float

2008-03-22T17:58:00.003-05:00

Another St. Patrick's Day is come and gone. Not being Catholic, there wasn't much for me to ponder about this holiday. Yet, there are some things that I come to expect each St. Patrick's Day. I expect the celebration of everything and everyone Irish. Every Irish person I've ever had the honor to meet has been of great personality and each one an exceptional story-teller. On St. Patrick's Day I expect to see most non-Irish people pretend they are in order to legitimize the Guinness they hold in their hands. I expect green beer, parades, getting pinched despite wearing green, and the bagpipe music that I love (really, I do like the pipes). However, about every other year I expect a new album from one of my favorite bands around St. Patrick's Day.

This year Flogging Molly released their 6th? album: Float. I've been listening to FM for about 7 years and this is their best overall album yet. Many compare FM to the Pogues, but FM is quite a bit more cantankerous and rambunctious. They're sort of a hard sell by just listening to them at first. Yet, like european soccer, you can't fully appreciate them until you see them live. In 2001, those in the know, saw the greatest concert in SLC history and across the states when FM and the Bouncing Souls toured together. People from all over still talk about this concert in disbelief and bewilderment. Each gig, lead man Dave King lathers the crowd into near riot with profain rants between songs and lyrics that lift heart and soul with the super solid musicians that accompany him. You either want to drown your sorrows in alcohol (or in my case Kool-Aid) or march in solidarity on behalf of the working man.

Go by Float, go see FM live. It will the at least one of the top 3 concert you will ever see. I promise.

Music to Slit Your Wrists To...

2008-02-25T20:29:00.002-05:00

I don't know why, but I've been on a Joy Division kick lately. This is a band I've only rediscovered at this point in life as I yearn for something original and sincere. However, I have to admit that I'm glad I didn't listen to Joy Division as a teenager. It was enough that I listened to the Cure, the Smiths, and so on, but if I had listened to Joy Division during that time, I may have just slit my wrists. Apparently, Ian Curtis couldn't take it either. Despite his talent he off-ed himself in his mid-20's in 1980. So, if you like wonderful depressing music and are emotionally stable and taking your psych meds regularly, I recommend Joy Division.

The Greatest Concert EVER!

2008-01-31T20:03:00.000-05:00

I've seen a ton of bands play in my life. I gave up counting after 200. So in a daze of nostalgia, I tapped the back of my brain for the best concert I ever attended.

In the Spring of 1996, I was in Seattle for Spring Break. While there, my two friends (Paul and Josh) and I found out Radiohead was playing at a small club downtown called DV8 (that's original). The concert was sold out, when we got to the venue to see about tickets. As we walked toward a McDonald's some guy asked us if we were from Idaho. Perplexed, we said yes. He then offered us three tickets for ten bucks a piece (I think, they may have been cheaper). So that was it. We got to see Radiohead that night.

Now days, Radiohead is a super group that is pretty much untouchable. That night we saw them in a small club before they became the biggest band in the world. They were supporting their release of "The Bends". The sonic intensity of that concert cannot be described in words. I even got Thom Yorke's guitar pick at the end. And to top that we met the band afterward by their bus (I've got it all on video).

So that is the best concert I ever saw. However, if anyone wants to save up for my birthday present in April, I'd really like the Bouncing Souls to play at my birthday party. The End.

Song of the Day: Viva La Revolution by The Adicts

In the 90's...

2008-01-31T19:54:00.000-05:00

All I wanted to be was a rock star. I played in a couple of bands and got nowhere quickly. Although, I did have a lot of fun. Dr. Burley and the Buttercups being the most epic of them all. Anyway, as musicians try to search out other musicians to start bands with they usually list what bands influence their style of play. So these are my 20 most influential albums when it came to me learning to play and write songs. Nothing terribly surprising. What are your most influential (not necessarily best) albums of the 90's?

20. Dirt- Alice in Chains (1992)
19. Elastica- Elastica (1995)
18. The Great Escape- Blur (1995)
17. Blood Sugar Sex Magik- Red Hot Chili Peppers (1991)
16. Gish- Smashing Pumpkins (1991)
15. Kerplunk- Green Day (1992)
14. Parklife- Blur (1994)
13. Leche Con Carne- No Use for a Name (1995)
12. Definitely Maybe- Oasis (1994)
11. OK Computer- Radiohead (1997)
10. Siamese Dream- Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
9. Punk In Drublic- NOFX (1994)
8. Urban Hymns- The Verve (1997)
7. Hopeless Romantic- Bouncing Souls (1999)
6. Operation Ivy- Operation Ivy (1990)
5. The Bends- Radiohead (1995)
4. Apple- Mother Love Bone (1990)
3. Singles Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992)
2. Peghead- Black Happy (1994)
1. Discography- The Ramones (1990)

Resolutions

2008-01-28T18:26:00.000-05:00

This is the first year I actually completed a new year's resolution. I resolved to pass my boards to certify as a nurse anesthetist and I passed. Now I can make a check. So for my new new year's resolution, I resolve to finally learn all the words to R.E.M.'s "Its the End of the World As We Know It".

What's on my iPod today? Interpol, Against Me!, Bouncing Souls, Bloc Party, and Radiohead

Song of the Day: Someone Great by LCD Soundsystem

Our New Pets

2008-01-19T17:07:00.001-05:00

Due to constant moaning, tears, and harassment from our girls, we relented and got them some pet fish. They actually wanted a wolf-dog like the famous Balto, but I eventually comprimised on 5 tetra fish. We said we couldn't get a dog until Sydney is at least five years old. Even then I'm not so sure. Amber wants a poodle, but my insecure manhood can't take such a blow. I like the wolf-dog idea better. Anyhoo, Our 5 fish are named: Maya, Miguel, Pepe', Rosalina, and Jenna. We bought them in the same area as our favorite Mexican restaurant, hense the Hispanic names. If the fish survive maybe we'll move up to a tarantula. As for the picture, the fish are in there, they're just camera shy.

Song of the day: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi by Radiohead

There is still a pulse

2008-01-12T17:07:00.001-05:00

Wow, its been over 2 months since I "blogged". Hope everyone had a pleasant Holiday season. We really enjoyed seeing friends and family in Pittsburgh and Salt Lake. Thanks for the cards, pics, gifts, and so on. Lets make this year a good year (despite it being an election year).

Which leads me to a special perspective I've taken about our children. I work with a lot of young weathy (or soon to be well-to-do) professionals. Many pridefully drive their BMW's, eat at restaurants where prices aren't listed, and have expensive hobbies. Is there anything wrong with that? No, not really. They know I have three precious girls. And they love seeing them interact and play. However, they themselves have decided that they don't want kids. Why? A couple of reasons. Money being #1. Yet, to appear more altruistic in their reasons, they state that they could not possibly have a child with all the war and evil that exists in this world. It would be cruel to do that to a child.

Yes, there is a lot of evil in this world (read the news) and there is a lot of war (thanks to Bush). And life will not be rosy, but my perspective is that our children are our only hope to combat what is wrong out there. If we teach them compassion, self-lessness, and a good work ethic, our bleak outlook on the future could be brighter. We can make a choice now. Be defeatists or make a difference. I believe our children give us hope and inspiration as we slowly corrupt ourselves. I'm not saying go out and have a gaggle of kids, but if you don't want to have kids just be honest and admit you'd rather pay for a Lexus than someone's college tuition. Enough philosophy today.

Song of the day: Steppin' Stone (Live) by Dr. Burley and the Buttercups

Preview to Christmas Pics

2007-11-02T19:57:00.000-05:00

These are some of the pics we won't be using for this years Christmas letters.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-30T17:58:00.000-05:00

'ere We Go Steelers!

2007-10-30T17:54:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, Amber and I actually got to get out by ourselves for a date. We treated ourselves to our one yearly NFL game by watching our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers clobber the Cincinnati Bengals. Its always a risk seeing the Steelers here in Cincy because the Bengals fans can be a bit abusive. I got beer spilled on me last year. This year the fans were more subdued. I think they're more resigned to the fact their team stinks. The best part was getting to see our friend Chris Hoke play and meeting up with him afterward. He was our home-teacher from church when we lived in Pittsburgh. One of the nicest people you'll ever meet. So we enjoy supporting him when he comes to town. Go Stillers!

Song of the Day: Breaking the Broken by Sparta

Reluctantly Adding to the Problem

2007-10-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

Last week Amber's beloved car had to be traded in for a new car. The radiator developed a large crack shooting steam and radiator fluid out the front of the car. And who knows what other damage occured to the engine. She had it for 10 years and we were planning on getting her a new car anyway (next year). So we were forced to prematurely buy a new (used) car. We made sure it was what Amber wanted since we're the type to drive a car until you can't drive it anymore. It was a '04 Honda Pilot that we got. We could have got a mini-van, but I wasn't so willing to throw my youth away so early. Instead we settled on a gas-guzzling SUV. For this, I feel bad. I talk the good talk, but I don't walk the walk. We did actually need something larger so Amber could transport the 3 girls. However, I'm sure we could have tried harder to find something less polluting, but at the risk of losing all the fun little gadgets we enjoy with the Pilot. I guess that is why our society is in a pinch. We sacrifice our future for little comforts. I promise to do better next time around. There is currently talk in D.C. about requiring car manufacturers to produce cars that have a m.p.g. of 35 or greater. That would be great. Although, I would like us to eliminate combustable engines as a whole and rely on electricity. Like that will ever happen. I guess I'll forever be the optimist.

Song of the Day: Dirty Old Town (sung by Larry Mullen Jr.) by U2

time for bed...

2007-09-25T19:58:00.000-05:00

Ever feel like you need to say something, but you don't know what to say? Or you know something just isn't right, but you don't know what it is? And you know something needs to be done, but you don't know what to do? Today is one of those days. Sorry folks, I'm not going crazy. I've just had a long day in the OR and I'm exhausted. Have a pleasant day.

Song of the Day: Comforting Sounds by Mew

The Sounds and JenX

2007-09-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

I like music. So I would like to share yet another european band that I listen to. I've been reluctant to share this little gem, because the music is so pop. That would totally ruin my hardcore/indie/anti-establishment image that I have of myself. Now, I can't afford to let people think I've sold out (or is it soul doubt?), right? Whatever. So, I really like this band out of Sweden called the Sounds. I've been listening to them for a while now. They're a near carbon copy of Blondie. Just a bit more provocative. They always seem to pull me out of a bad mood as I drive my car. Check 'em out.

On a side note... For those of you that like music that others might not have yet caught onto, please visit my friend Jen's website at http://www.jenxmusic.com/. She has turned me onto bands including Bryan Scary and the Shredded Tears, The Honorary Title, and Inkwell.

Lists

2007-09-13T20:18:00.000-05:00

We all like lists right? Who's #1, who's the best, can we convince others to agree with our opinions? Why do we like lists so much? We see them on TV and in magazines all the time (i.e. top 100 child TV stars, power rankings, etc.). Maybe, we're just a very competitive and insecure people. We need to know who or what is tops and whether we're associated with the #1 spot. Anyhoo, here is a list of my top 5 favorite movies in no particular order. Hooray lists!

Labyrinth

Victory

New York Doll

The Goonies

Spirited Away

Happy Birthday Peach!

2007-08-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

Poor Peach had to spend her entire birthday on an airplane coming home from Grandma's house in SLC. Plus, I neglected to post anything until now. Peach turned 4 years old on August 16th. She is definitely the entertainer in the family, destined to be a rock star. Like Chelsea, she got an electric guitar for her birthday. Now we just need to teach Sydney how to play the drums. Love you Peach!

An Explanation

2007-08-23T09:54:00.001-05:00

Some have asked why the title of this blog is called "Royalkeister United". First, my last name is Keister and I can use it however I want. The "royalkeister" came about in 1998. I had just returned from my church mission in Germany and was sharing an apartment with my sister in Boise, Idaho while I attended Boise State University. Ev (my sis) and I got a new computer and we thought we could share a new email account. I set it up and chose the name "royalkeister" because Ev was the princess of the house and usually a royal pain. Well, Ev never used the email account and I just took it over. Since then, everything I do is under the name "royalkeister". As for the "United", most of you know I'm a lunatic for European soccer. Many English soccer team names end with "united" such as Sheffield United, Leeds United, and most famously Manchester United. So I just liked the sound of the name "Royalkeister United". And that is how the name was born. The End.

Song of the Day: Lean on Sheena by The Bouncing Souls

Music that Never Antiques

2007-08-20T18:33:00.000-05:00

I'm always searching for new interesting music. I tend to really get into a band for awhile, but then grow bored and start looking for something new. However, there are some songs that I can never tire of. They can be played at anytime, in any mood, on any occasion and I enjoy listening to them as much as I did the first time I heard them. Here of some of those songs that have satiated my music thirst over the past 20 years. Do you have any all time favorites?

1. Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode
2. Fire Woman by The Cult
3. The Zookeeper's Boy by Mew
4. Gone by The Bouncing Souls
5. Under Pressure by Queen/David Bowie

A Great Man Gone: Wayne Delmar Bell 8/2/07

2007-08-08T18:54:00.000-05:00

On Thursday August 2, 2007 we lost our beloved Wayne Bell. He left us quietly in his sleep with no warning. He was our father, grampa, and mentor. In my life, I have met rock-stars and seen influential politicians speak, heck I even attended a lecture by the Dalai Lama. However, their achievements pale in comparison to the imprint that Wayne has left on my and my family's lives. He was a celebrity in his own right. He served as mayor of Preston, Idaho (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) and co-owned the local newspaper. He also served in many church positions. Most of all he was the hero to his dozens grandchildren and his nine children. He was a man of enormous integrity and always had his priorities in order. We will miss him and his beautifl influence on our lives. Love you Ambi. Love you Eloise. God Bless.

Happy Birthday Chelsea!

2007-08-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

Great Danes

2007-08-01T17:37:00.000-05:00

As you know, I tend to gravitate towards things european. I speak German, I follow european soccer daily, and I like a lot of music that comes out of places like Great Britain and Sweden (this is other music besides ABBA that comes from Sweden). For nearly a year I've been obsessed with a band out of Denmark called Mew. And I think it is time that everyone gains the same appreciation that I do in regards to their music. Take all the things you love about Radiohead, Depeche Mode, and Sigur Ros and you have Mew. They have a very unique sound that often uses dischord with a driving or atmospheric melody. If you listen to them, you'll love 'em. In addition to Mew are their friends in Tiger Baby. They are more of an electronic/pop/indie group fronted by Pernille Pang who has a voice of an angel. However, for some their sound my be a little too european/discotheque for some. I'm sure they're right up my sister's alley. So give Denmark a chance. They use wind power, believe in mermaids, and have great music.

Tzatziki!

2007-07-27T17:46:00.000-05:00

Tzatziki, tzadziki, or tsatsiki (τζατζίκι) is a Greek meze or appetizer, also used as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros. Tzatziki is made of strained yoghurt — in Greece and Turkey usually sheep's-milk or goat's-milk yoghurt — to which are added cucumbers (either pureed and strained or seeded and finely diced), garlic, salt and usually olive oil, sometimes vinegar, and dill, parsley or mint. Olive oil, olives, and herbs are often used as garnishes as well.

It is the simple things that make life a bit sweeter. Before I married Amber, I never knew she could cook. She'll deny that she cooks well, but she does. She can make a number of Thai dishes from scratch. Today, she surprised me by making tzatziki sauce for our dinner. Anyone who has ever had a Turkish doener or a Greek gyro can attest for the awesomeness that is tzatiki. Amber never ceases to surprise me. Either that or I'm easily pleased.

Top Ten Songs I'm Listening to Today

2007-07-16T15:32:00.000-05:00

1. Any song by Mew (best thing to ever come out of Denmark).
2. Kreuzberg by Bloc Party
3. Starlight by Muse
4. Break the Night With Colour by Richard Ashcroft
5. "Heroes" by David Bowie
6. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths
7. Every song the The Bouncing Souls have ever written
8. Painted by Numbers by The Sounds
9. Evil by Interpol
10. Taking Back Control by Sparta