Flobots

Way back in the day at George Washington High School I had a friend I met doing theater. His name was Andy, and we were in the Music Man together. My junior year, we even went to prom in the same group...

Andy has been obsessed with music as long as I've known him. I drove him to his first gig (his band was called The Funktion) because my jeep was big enough to carry his gear. The great thing about Andy was that it was always about the music. He didn't play because he thought it was cool, or that he'd be rich and famous someday. He just wanted to be on the stage.

A few years back, Andy started playing guitar in another Denver band, the Flobots. A year or two ago, they hit it big with a song called "Handlebars" (check out the video here), which became a huge radio single and paved the way for an international tour and a signing on a major record label. I bought the album and I really enjoyed it, but I didn't get a chance to see them live until they visited Baltimore this weekend, and Amy and I went to see the show...


I may be biased, but they put on an incredible show, and we had a great time listening. When the show was over, we hung out and waited for about 20 minutes until they came out to sign autographs. Andy took a second to recognize me (I'm much better looking than I used to be), and immediately insisted that we come hang out backstage and have a drink. Once he had signed autographs for his legions of adoring fans, we went backstage and talked to him and Stephen (another member of the group that I knew from high school) for about 30 minutes. Then he introduced us to the rest of the band, gave us a quick walk through the tour bus, and the three of us went out for hot chocolate and grilled cheese at a local diner (mind you it was 2:30 am). It was great to catch up with him, and to get an updated photo...


(He asked us if we could swing by the Dunkin' Donuts because donuts are a very valuable commodity on a tour bus.) It was a great evening all around, and I can't think of a group of people who are more deserving of success. If you have any interest in alt rock/hip hop you should check out their music and see if they're coming to your town.

New Moon

I think I might be a 13 year old stuck in a 29 year old's body. Because I went to see the new Twilight movie with my friend Michelle, and I *totally* loved it. There's just something so great about watching a totally cheesy romance movie with hot guys and laughing at all the cheesy moments with a girlfriend that is just so... fun. I seriously want to own this movie, and I totally realize how sad this is.

For all you Twilight fanactics out there... okay, I am totally for Edward when I read the books, but watching this movie... this almost changed my mind (uh, Rob, I think you need to buff up a little bit!):

Adjustments

Here is our new kitty- getting adjusted to her new home. It's been going pretty well- Karma and Bixby still have some spats, but we've also found them sleeping together (when they think we're not watching). The feeding is tricky though- they each only want the food that the other has. Bixby really isn't supposed to eat adult cat food yet and Karma hardly needs to eat more food other than her own- any ideas? Right now I have to supervise while they eat but this could be tricky when we go on vacation.

Views

This is a view of my cubicle at work... ooh, exciting! Actually I hear I might be getting a second monitor soon, so that would be nice. The chair is much more ergonomic than the one I had in grad school.... And you can see the plant in the back that Kevin gave me- really spruces things up!



This is a view from outside my window- I love having a window! On nice days like this one, I can see for miles (even if the immediate view is of a car dealership).

This is the view of my drive home on I-95- I know, I know, I probably shouldn't be taking pictures while driving, but when it's this backed up, you know you're not going anywhere fast! So not a fan of the commute....

Hopefully I'll eventually get some pictures to show of our Thanksgiving and my parents' visit- it was a lot of fun!

A Thanks and A Giving

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You receive from the world what you give to the world." -Gary Zukav

It's clear from all of the blog posts this year that Kevin and I are very blessed indeed. Perhaps the biggest blessing we have of all is each other.

Nonetheless, I try to be grateful every day, and not just on Thanksgiving (though I appreciate the holiday, my favorite of the year, for its intentions).

One thing I am just starting to grasp is the concept that Gary Zukav refers to above- that what we want to receive, we must give in return. The few things I feel I am lacking are things I've noticed that I'm not good about giving to others- I'm trying harder in these areas. On the other hand, the enormity of the blessings I have received makes me feel selfish for not giving in return. I thought today I would post about two of my favorite charities that I'll be donating to this year.

1) Kiva : I love the concept of this website- you can make loans through professional lenders to people around the world who are trying to run a business. You can look through the profiles and see what they are trying to do, what they will use the money for. Then, after you have loaned the money, the borrowers have a set amount of time to pay you back. When you get the money back, you can then lend the money to someone else. I like this because I can only imagine how hard it is to start and run your own business in a place like America- in some of these third-world countries, these loans can really help empower women, provide money for kids to go to school, foster innovation in parts of the world where it's stifled, and improve international communication and trust.

2) Central Asia Institute: Ever since reading "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson (the most inspiring book I've ever read), I've been donating to CAI. The goal of this program is to provide education in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a focus on women. The idea is that an educated woman will be able to make better decisions for her health, children, and community. More educated children in these areas in general means less temptation for them to join terrorist cells- they have better options available to them. CAI has established 130 schools in the region- and a key point is that these are not "westernized" schools but rather run by locals. I feel like nowhere else in the world is maybe as important for the US to be addressing the root of the terrorist problems than in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and this program does it right- through education rather than weapons.

There is a great blog post on Zen Habits about this concept of giving away what we want to receive, found here. I highly recommend it!

Books 44, 45, and 46

44) The Host by Stephenie Meyer. As any reader of Twilight knows, Stephenie Meyer knows how to write sexual tension and passion, and does it extremely well. This book had some great instances of that- but not enough. The idea of this book was very creative, but the plot got a bit tedious at times. It was definitely a page-turner; I couldn't wait to keep reading it. But, at the same time, I felt like I kept waiting for something more exciting to happen.

45) The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. I had a hard time rating this book, so let me lay out the pros and cons. Cons: Plot is a little dull compared to some other recent books I've read. I mean, it takes place out in Nowhere, Montana- so there's not a lot going on. Pros: Perhaps part of the book's appeal is that despite the lack of real excitement, I definitely loved the characters enough that I wanted to keep reading. Which leads me to... Pro: The characters were awesome. I feel like I know them, and the book wasn't that long. I really loved the narrator Paul, and his brothers, his father, and of course Rose and Morrie. Pro: Speaking of Morrie, one of the best parts of this book was how it made me think back about all the amazing teachers I've had in my life and how truly important they are. I loved Morrie the teacher, which brings me to.... **spoiler here** Con: The ending? Here I loved Rose and Morrie the whole book, and well, they just don't turn out to be as good of people as you think they are. I think that kind of ruined the respect I had for Morrie as the teacher. Also... Con: I'm not sure I got what Paul was saying on the last page. I read it like 3 times but I'm still not sure what happened.

46) Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson. I'm a little torn on this book between 3 and 4 stars. Part of me LOVED it. I'm a fan of historical fiction and this story about the last few decades of the "free" Comanches is something I was unfamiliar with. The plot was quite fascinating and I liked the Wanderer/Nadua love story. On the other hand, the first half of the book was markedly better than the second half. The second half was full of cliches,e.g., "We're in love and our two awesome horses had TWINS that look just like their parents". Cheesy. And certain things were totally rushed (one of the main character's friend is killed towards the end with hardly a mention). It also seemed to move a lot slower for me in the second half. Something I'm not sure about- the violence in this book. I'm not sure when I last read something with such potent images of rape, torture, killing. Now, don't get me wrong- I think these portrayals were necessary in the context of the story, but... yowza. Makes me glad I didn't live in Texas back then!

Song list for a Rainy Day

It's been raining all week in Baltimore, so I made a playlist that encapsulates my rainy mood (sorry, they tend to be a bit depressing!). I've included some of my favorite lyrics and links to most videos here. Enjoy!

1) Winter Song. Sarah Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. "This is my winter song; December never felt so wrong; cause you're not where you belong; inside my arms."

2) Hymn #35. Joe Pug. "I have done wrong; I will do wrong; there's nothing wrong with doing wrong."

3) Hazy. Rosi Golan. "You don't know this now but there's some things that need to be said; and it's all I can hear; it's more than I can bare."

4) All that I want. The Weepies. "Above the roof tops, the full moon dips its golden spoon; I wait on clip-clops, deer might fly; why not? I met you."

5) Raining in Baltimore. Counting Crows. "There's things I remember and things I forget; I miss you, I guess that I should; Three thousand five hundred miles away; What would you change if you could?"

6) Wedding Day. Rosie Thomas. "I'm gonna drive under skyline and sunshine; drink good wine in vineyards and get asked to dance; i'm gonna be carefree and let nothing pass me by never ever again."

7) Naked as We Came. Iron & Wine. "She says if I die before you darling; don't you waste me in the ground; I lay smiling like our sleeping children; one of us will die inside these arms."

8) Let Him Fly. Patty Griffin. "And there ain't no talking to this man; he's been trying to tell me so; It took awhile to understand the beauty of just letting go."

9) World Spins Madly On. The Weepies. "Everything that I said I'd do; like make the world brand new; and take the time for you; I just got lost and slept right through the dawn; and the world spins madly on."

10) That Year. Brandi Carlile. "Ten years I never spoke your name; now it feels good to say it; you're my friend again." (this video is amazing. Actually, Brandi Carlile is my music crush right now).

11) Can't Go Back Now. The Weepies. "I can't really say why everybody wishes they were somewhere else; but in the end, the only steps that matter are the ones you take all by yourself."

12) February. Dar Williams. "And then the snow came; we were always out shoveling; And we'd dropped to sleep exhausted; and we'd wake up, and it's snowing."

13) Fix You. Coldplay. "And the tears coming streaming down your face; when you lose something you can't replace; when you love someone, but it goes to waste; could it be worse?"

14) Comfort. Deb Talan. "So cry; why not? we all do; And turn to one you love; and smile a smile that lights up all the room; Follow your dreams into every out-door; it seems that's what we're here for."


15) Winter. Josh Radin. "The walk has all been cleared by now; your voice is all I hear somehow; calling out winter; your voice is the splinter inside me."

16) Useless Desires. Patty Griffin. "Every day I take a bitter pill that gets me on my way; for the little aches and pains; the ones I have from day to day; To help me think a little less about the things I miss; to help me not to wonder how I ended up like this."


17) Sleeping to Dream. Jason Mraz. "I found myself in the riches (your eyes, your lips, your hair); and you were everywhere; I woke up in the ditches; I hit the light and I thought you might be here; but you were nowhere."


18) The Way I am. Ingrid Michaelson. "Cause I love you more than I could ever promise; and you take me the way I am." (note: there are clowns in this music video- freaky!)

19) Hymn #101. Joe Pug. "The more I buy, the more I'm bought; and the more I'm bought, the less I cost."

20) Forgiven. Deb Talan. "And it's time to go; I cannot stay, you cannot know; My love, so dear, will it be faith or fear?"

21) Christina. Patty Griffin. "If you had the real thing, how would you tell?; Liars can say it all just as well."

22) The Beauty of the Rain. Dar Williams. "You're just two umbrellas one late afternoon; you don't know the next thing you will say; this is your favorite kind of day; it has no walls, the beauty of the rain is how it falls."

23) Death Came and Got Me. Rosie Thomas. "When will love ever find me?; All my life all I've craved is to be seen; who cares anyway?; Cuz when it's over all that matters is the love you gave away."