so you know its never a good monday morning when you walk out on the porch to enjoy your cereal before leaving for work, and this crosses your vision:
yep. that’s Dixie. my real first investment - a 1983 ski boat who doesn’t wear her age well. Apparently a muskrat (yeah, look that jerkface up on Wikipedia) - chewed around the rubber lining that is between the inboard and outboard parts of the motor. my ex-roommate Johnny Cakes and my neighbor Joe - easily the coolest and nicest Yankee I’ve ever met - spent the better half of the afternoon rescuing her from Davey Jones’ Locker. She’s got a long road ahead of her, but she will ride again. On a related note, if anyone knows a good place to get ol’ Dixie patched up, just let me know. We’re also taking donations for repairs and/or sympathies. and muskrat pelts.
Here’s two weeks worth of Dundies, since I’ve been a lazy jerk. (PS. This is my second time writing this, because WordPress deleted the first - that’s what I get for being lazy. What a jerk.)
CDs That Won’t Leave My Stereo:
The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
Feist - The Reminder
The Stills - Without Feathers
The Avett CD is actually Josh’s, but he’s up Raleigh recovering from some brutal back surgery (he does however get to use a cane for a while, which is pretty p.i.m.p.) so I’m borrowing his CD. And he’ll be lucky if he ever gets it back. The Avett Brothers once again deliver with their most recent full-length. Their music can only be described as the three-way love child of bluegrass, punk & alt country - but she’s got bluegrass’ eyes and ears. Raw and melodic, this is pretty much the only country music made today that I can believe. It doesn’t hurt that Bob the bassist went to Winthrop either. Cue Rock Hill shout out here. Plus, they played on Conan. Check it out:
PS. I just re-read the part about the three way love child. That’s gross.
The Feist and The Stills CDs were birthday gifts - and yep, they were great gifts. Both of these come out of Canada (I know… thats what I said), but it’s some of the most refreshing takes on indie-pop I’ve heard in a while. The Stills fall more in the vein of hung-over, drum-heavy piano rock - it sounds like the CD recorded on the Sunday afternoon after Logic Will Break Your Heart. It’s been picking up some rough reviews, but tracks like ‘She’s Walking Out’ and ‘Helicopters’ could play on repeat for the next 6 weeks and I wouldn’t care. And with Feist, she errs more on the side of quirky folk pop, somewhere between a more moody Norah Jones and a more upbeat Cat Power. “I Feel It All” would make your dead grandpa smile and dance. Feist also picked up an award this week with…
Best Non-Homeless Musical Performance on a Bus:
Feist played on the freakin’ moving bus - cool points were showering down from the heavens in buckets.
New Years Resolution Update:
Katie got me an iPod Nano to run with. I named it Prefontaine. I’m going to run two 5K’s before I run a half-marathon in October - The Govenor’s Cup. If I die during or after the race, all my stuff goes in a big pile and can be fought over by the following people: Josh Forte (careful… he’ll beat you with a cane), Ashley Park, my sisters, Elizabeth King, Megan Smith & Johnny Cakes. Anything not claimed can be set on fire and used to warm yourself in the winter months.
70’s Jam I Heard Covered By a Bar Band and Then Went Home and Downloaded: “Couldn’t Get it Right” - Climax Blues Band. You know this song. Or at least the chorus. And you’ll swear you know who sang it. But you don’t. Until now.
I missed my Friday Free-For-All last week. But last week was my birthday. I do what I want. And yes, I do mean all of last week was my birthday. I tend to subscribe to the school of thought that says “Your birthday only comes around once a year, so make a big friggin deal out of it.” Confucius said that. And this fella does what the Bible tells him, so I celebrated my birthday all week. Kind of like a non-Jewish Hanukkah in July. Here are just a few of the highlights:
- Clair came up for a few days. I love hanging out with her because I can still be a kid with her - even though technically neither one of us are kids anymore. Ratatouille, Transformers, and Putt-putt. Great times.
- Wednesday night me, Ashley and my neighbor Joe went dumpster diving at the Winthrop Coliseum (side note: Coliseum is a word that I can’t spell without help). We came home with several large chunks of basketball court - they are replacing the floor and had thrown the rest outside in the trash. Thats going to be one awesome kitchen table. Everytime I eat, I’ll just think of this.
Thanks for the memories.
- Thursday was my actual birthday. Plenty of people remembered. Its a great feeling when your e-mail box looks like this on your birthday:
And here’s a big shout out to those I haven’t thanked yet. Seven of you will read and receive this (side note: I can’t spell receive yet either. I can’t believe I worked for a newspaper…): (not in alphabetical order) Morgan Elvington, Christie Dillard, Erica Anne, Gregory Adamson, Jonathan Settle, Mary Dolan, Jeremy Fiske, Elizabeth King (you owe me a freakin’ cd), Heather Evans, Leigh Ann Condor, Sara Bryant, Julie Purpura, Laura Smith, Claire Pujol, Britt Tolleson, Bradon Neil, Maeghan Pawley, Brittany Smathers, Erin Cauthen, Courtney Heth, Stephen Jones, Johnny Cakes, Veronica Lopez, Macie Pardue, Mandy Weber, Lauren Wilbert, Margaret Lowery, Charity Yost, Meghan Campbell, Angela Johnson, Michael James, Luke Wackerhagen, Lizzy Firtko, Stephanie Hawkins, Jennica Krebs, Lauren Janzen, Megan Parker, Zac Caldwell, Angela Austin, Amanda Oldham, Lindsey Porter, Julianne Jordan, Ryan Cox, John Prose, Nikhole Brown, Lauren Kennington, Rob Tice, Melissa Coy, Laura Wolfe, Robbie Strickland, Jenna Drenten, Amanda McBride, Jess Hall, Stefanie Johns, Rachel Voyles, Sara Holler Anna Cox, CAROL! Kawa, Katelyn Barringer, Caroline Wylie, Jessica Wilks, Laura Radney, Saundra Coller, Courtney McGinness, Billy Cronin, Katie Rutland, Matt Geib, Beka Horton, Nath Coudert, Becky Hunt, April Roach, Jeremy Harriot, Chris Gaynor, Carly Mendez, Lisa Watkins, Taylor Wilks, Mary Sims Pressly, Natalie Temple, Jessica Bean, Amanda Bacik, Janie Davis, Russ Hightower, Vance Benson, Mikey Antinoro and Will Matthews.
Definitely made my day to hear from all these people. Thanks everybody! Its amazing what six seconds and a notice from Facebook will do to make your birthday that much better.
So yeah, Ashley took me out to dinner - Cheesecake Factory. Steak Diane. Delish. And she got me the best 33-gifts-in-one-bag I’ve ever had. Followed by my surprise cake party she planned at the lake house - old roommates, friends, homemade confetti cake and Zac Mallard humor. Freakin sweet. That Ashley Park - she’s a good catch.
- Saturday we went home to see my famila (for my Spanish speaking brothers). I have the greatest family on the planet. Hands down. My dad can beat up your dad and my mom loves me more than yours does. Just learn to deal with it. My sister are also prettier, smarter, cooler and just overall better than any siblings you might have. Too bad for you. So I opened some great presents and ate bacon cheeseburgers and birthday salad and confetti cake. Yep. my second one. That’s when you know its a good birthday.
So those of you still reading are probably like, “what a pretentious jerk. why do i want to read about his birthday?” Well this is my blog and I want to remember my birthday. And all the people who made it one for the books. If this is how it starts, 24 is going to be a great year.
* - I have pictures of a lot of this stuff. I’m going to put them on here - whenever I figure out how to get them of my iPod. Stupid technology.
I Wish I Was There For This:
these French guys do some awesome stuff filming live music. Here, they filmed The Shins on the streets of Paris. Its the first time ever that I wished I was in Paris again.
They also have done some cool stuff for the Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear. Check it out. Or don’t - it’s your funeral.
Best Unreleased Slash Future Summer Jam of 07:
Click here to hear the new Kanye, sampling from Daft Punk. This song isn’t out yet, but somehow the white kid stumbled upon the new hip hop jam.
Addition to the New Years Resolution ‘Seven New Place in ‘07′:
So far, I’m a little behind - I’ve only been to two new places thus far (San Fran and Connecticut) - but that is all about to change this weekend. This weekend will be the first time I’ve ever been on stage for a wedding. My roommate Odie is getting married, and finally I’m a groomsman. Its about freakin’ time. Good luck kids. Go make some honeymoon babies in Mexico.
America, you don’t look bad for 231. I would have guessed you were only 215-220 by the looks of you.
Fourth of July was exactly how its supposed to be – a freakin’ slice of America… great friends, sunshine, water sports, sunburn, red meat, fireworks and classic rock. My house is a wreck, but in a good kind of way. Kind of like the way you feel tired when you just get done running. Which is actually how tired and sore I feel right now. I think I’m going to petition to those in authority that if 4th of July falls in the middle of the week again, that we should also have the 5th of July off to recover. It feels like my week is starting all over again today. Yesterday also reminded me that one of the best decisions I’ve made in the past decade was to move to the lake. I don’t care how far away from work it may be (which is 37.9 miles for those keeping score) - i love it.
On a semi-related side note, a friend of mine got a splinter wedged into the bottom of her foot (don’t slide your feet on an old dock people) and I was trying to get it unwedged. I was able to get most of it out with some tweezer and a knife, but I had to get my sister, the future nurse, to pull the rest out. While I was hacking away at this girls foot with a knife, she told me that the reason I sucked at getting splinters out is because I’m a graphic designer – I only care about what the final product looks like, not about what it takes to get there. Kind of random I know, but I thought that was a pretty accurate deduction about me, my job and my personality taken from an interesting perspective. whatever.
Oh and finally, my birthday season has officially started – Erica got me this sweet tshirt from digital kitchen. I have the coolest friends.
