Onwards and Upwards

Elle has graduated from this:

To this:

(Man I look tired!  Perhaps I should have taken the picture at the start of the hike instead the end...) 

I borrowed this backpack from my friend (and next door neighbor and taunter-of-scary-images-at-night-when-Rob-is-out-of-town-just-to-freak-me-out) Charity. 

 I Loved it and Elle loved it and now I need to get me my own.  

I wonder if they make any of these that fit 4 year olds......  

Perhaps I'm not going to want her on my back when she is 4 though.  

Maybe I'll just need to get into better shape.

Remember this?

This was our hike up Timpanogos Cave

One of the best pictures ever.

Waiting on the rapture

It's official.  Here in my house, tacked above my computer in my bedroom, there is one ticket to the Glendale Arizona Radiohead concert. (Ok, officially- it's B's ticket because I bought hers and she and Matt bought mine and Matt's -Matt and I are sitting together in the lower bowl and B will be in the general area, but in the upper bowl, so we have to switch tickets-)  But still................having the ticket in my hands feels as good as mine (and if anything should go wrong with mine and Matt's ticket- I'll fight her for this one- I'm not above that.)

I can hardly believe that what started 12 years ago, is going to culminate into me finally getting to be there, watching the greatest band on earth, play their music right in front of me.  12 years ago, I was hanging out, listening to music (lots of The Cure) and in the span of 2 months, had 4 different people tell me that I should check out Radiohead, they thought I would like it.  Two of those people were good friends I trusted quite well, one was a work mate, and one was a boy I went out with once.  I was moving to NY then, and when I got to NY, and made it into a music store, I bought OK Computer (that was the one I was told to start with).  I popped it in my cd player and well, to make a long story short- it changed my life.  I couldn't believe how good it was.  I bought The Bends.  Blown away again.  At that point, I couldn't buy any other RH albums, because I couldn't get those two out of my player for long enough to do so.  That lasted a few years, then I bought Amnesiac.  Basically for about 6 years I really listened to little else (and that is being generous).  For some reason, I didn't want to buy all their albums at once.  I wanted to get to know them in time, so that's what I did.  I bought them one by one through the years.  Then when I caught up with the band, I started getting the B sides. 

I lived in this world for a long time.  Not keeping up with what was going on currently with the band.  Just soaking them in at my own pace.  When I had caught up, they were starting to tour for In Rainbows.  That year was a terrible year for us.  There was no way in the world we could have handled me taking a road trip to see them play somewhere.  I may have been able to go if they came to Salt Lake, but no.  As I followed the tour, I got more and more disappointed that I wasn't there.  I should have been there.  I couldn't be there though and it broke my heart.  The last date they played, they played in Santa Barbara, and they webcasted the entire concert in real time.  I had it up on the laptop and watched while Rob slept beside me.  I took turns cheering and crying and clapping while they played.  It was wonderful really.  I also vowed that the next time they toured, I WOULD be there.  Whatever it took, I would be there.  There was no way around it.  I was not going to go through that again.  I belonged there.  

Flash forward to now.  They started announcing tour dates.  They left big gaps and nothing back east, and no California.  So I impatiently and nervously waited while tickets went on sale.  After sales started, they announced Seattle and California.  Seattle sounded right to me. Sounded awesome.  Matt had never been there.  Radiohead's website presells tickets a few days ahead of time.  For Seattle, they did that the day of my niece's wedding and there was no way to try.  They went on sale to the public on sat morning and were gone in seconds.  I wanted a GA ticket, I wanted to be right in front of the stage.  So, we waited for the California shows to sell.  Presale- gone in seconds, later sale- seconds- and I mean literal seconds.  We sat at our computers refresh, refresh, refresh- sale- gone.  Right out from under us.  It was a mad house.  Radiohead fans everywhere are up in arms.  Fans were actually staying up all night hitting refresh only to have then sell out right before their eyes.  What's worse, tickets were appearing on resale ticket sights by the hundreds, for 5 to 10 times the ticket price amount, directly after.  I don't know what happened, but it was not cool.  It wasn't fair.  Something went bad.  On the fan forums, there is a very ill wind in the air.  And it does suck, that is a nasty disappointment and frustration that I understand.  They tried to have most tickets "paperless" which means that the person that bought the ticket has to present the exact credit card they used and their id at the gate to get their tickets.  This is to prevent what ended up happening.  Somehow the scalpers have found a loophole and were able to secure tickets and take advantage of us fans that are really, a pretty fierce, loyal lot.  We recognize the genius and we live for it and we want to be there to see it happen.  Fans are trying to blame someone, and ticketmaster is getting some major wrath for this, the band is getting it's share too.  I don't think for a minute that the band is happy this is happening.  But I hope that the fans raise a big enough stink about this and let the band know how they feel.  Maybe I'm just optimistic, but I really think that something can be done next time, and avoid all this.  If you follow up with the band at all, you will know that they are firmly against corporate greed.  They went independent from their record company and now release their own stuff, how they want.  They pioneered a new way to buy CDs with In Rainbows, asking people to "pay what they want".  You could name your own price to get their cd.  Cool eh?  People that can do all of this and be so innovative, I think, can figure something out- and not have to go through sites like Ticketmaster and let the true fans buy the tickets at actual ticket price.  I really hope they come up with something, cause I fully intend to be there next time too.

I was referring to mostly the other fans in that last paragraph, cause I was lucky and was able to come up with a do-able alternative and have a happy ending.  I found out that for whatever reason, the tickets in Glendale were much cheaper to buy on these secondary sites then any other tour date, so we decided to do it.  I cruised a lot of ticket websites and found the one that had the best reputation and a 100% guarantee on the tickets you buy there.  We went to purchase floor seats and found out that they tacked on an extra 55 dollars in fees.  We regrouped.  I would have done it, but got a really sinky feeling in my gut thinking of Matt and B having to add over 100 extra dollars and they are fans, but maybe not over 100 dollar fans tacked on to two already double priced tickets.  We figured out that we could get decent seats (very decent seats) on Jonny's side of the stage for quite a bit less.  Then we couldn't buy 3, only 2 or 4.  So.............B offered to sit somewhere else, and let Matt and I sit together since we are the bigger fans and she might as well get an even cheaper seat in the upper bowl.  Yeah- B's awesome.

I am perfectly happy with this.  I am also bringing some binoculars. :)

In light of all that has happened and the catastrophe of the ticket sales, I think to the most recent Radiohead song they have released.  It's called The Daily Mail, and it's lyrics remind me very much of this whole thing.......................................

The Daily Mail

The moon is a rock on a mountain
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
Waiting on the rapture

Singing we’re here to keep your prices down
Feed you to the hounds
To the Daily Mail,
Together
Together

You made a pig’s ear, you made a mistake
Paid off security and got through the gate
You got away with it but we lie in wait

Where’s the truth? What’s the use?
I’m hanging around lost and found
And when you’re here, innocent

Fat chance, no plan

No regard for human life

Keep trying, you’re not right
You’re fast to lose, you will lose
You jumped the queue, go back again

President for life, lord of all
The flies in the sky, the beasts of the earth
The fish in the sea, you’ve lost command

Am I the only one that sees the irony?

What is making this whole thing even better, is that two of my sisters -Cat and Sue are coming along for the road trip and also to baby sit my kids while we are at the concert.  Rob can't go, which pains me a lot. I would love to have Rob at my side for this, but he can't miss school.  He will get the full report though, oh yes, he will.  It is going to be so much fun, what a road trip!  I am so excited.  The ides of March didn't turn out so well for Ceaser, but I'm sure looking forward to that date.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY GOING!!!!!!!!

October, 2010:

Me: I hope Radiohead does that when I see them in concert. (Note I said "when" not "if".  If Matt can see the Pixies, I WILL see Radiohead).

Matt:  You will totally see them. And it is going to rip your face off and eat with a side of dope sauce. I will be there for sure. 

excerpts taken from This Monkey's Gone to Vegas 

I'm a Mormon in Cedar Hills Utah

I just have to speak out about what is going on in my town.

First off, I live with my family in a town in Utah that is (according to a statistic I read) OVER 90% LDS. As you may imagine, this has made it a crazy hotbed of religion crossing over to secular decisions over the years. Before 2005 apparently, there was a law against businesses being open on Sunday and also a law against beer being sold in the town. In 2005, a referendum overturned this and now it is ok. For all my non LDS readers that may not know too much about my religion, we are urged not to drink alcohol and we also are urged to "keep the Sabbath Day holy" which basically translates to having a day of rest- rest from everyday work, school, eating out, shopping, etc.)

Enter Walmart. It opened it's doors this year around March, and underestimating my "quirky" town, opens it's doors on Sunday like every other Walmart in the country. Now, we all know how I feel about Walmart, but let us leave that for this post, as it has nothing to do with this issue. It is no secret that the store is doing poorly. Is it the economy? Perhaps. Location? Doubtful, as there are very few stores in the area. There IS a petition going around however on people banning it out of principle until they close their doors on Sunday. How many people are actually doing this and making a true impact on the sales? I have no idea.

Why is this happening? Someone PLEASE logically explain it to me. As already stated, I am a Mormon, I try my best at keeping the Sabboth Day holy. I drive past stores open on Sunday and guess what? I don't go. (In all honesty, I am not perfect at this. I admit to picking up a thing or two on Sunday if I need to. It isn't ALWAYS medicine for a dying baby, but it also is never a full cart of stuff that can't wait.) I also have been known to go out to dinner with family on Sunday on occasion. It is never mine or my husband's choice, but if someone is in town that is going out and we want to see them, we go, because we feel like it is also important to spend time with family, even if they aren't LDS and share my beliefs, but they do have limited time during the week to see us (or during vacation out here). So, in light of that,* gasp*, I'm not perfect, but I do try, and I weigh my decisions and I once in a while, *gasp again* make a mistake.
Back to driving past a store on Sunday and not stopping to shop, that is called "choice" or as my religion likes to call it "free agency" I am faced with a decision of what is right and what is wrong and I chose one. As I understand it, this is a fundamental part of being a member of my church. We follow the teachings of Jesus, and Jesus is the one in heaven that decided we should all have free agency (Satan was the one that wanted no choices for anyone). I use my free agency everyday. I don't always make the right choice, but having a choice is life. I believe I am blessed more when I have a choice and make the right one then when I do the right thing because there is no other option.

With all this in mind, why are people in my town so bent on losing all choice? There are (albeit few) people in my community that aren't LDS. Which actually boggles my mind as I think if I weren't, there would have been an Emily shaped hole in my wall long ago. I was at the park the other day and some guy I met asked me point blank what ward I was in. You know what? I was offended. Don't get me wrong-- I am proud to be a Mormon, I think it's a nice thought that perhaps my countenance led this guy to believe that there is no way I am anything but Mormon, but I think more likely, he "played the odds" and asked me because there is a very good chance that I do in fact belong to a ward. I was offended for the nice mom that may not be LDS and has to answer that question for the millionth time.

A funny thing about me is, I like diversity. I like differences in people. I like being around people of other religions, race, shape, hair style. So why the *beep* am I in this town? Rob and I ask ourselves that everyday. We don't belong here. We don't feel comfortable here. We don't want to raise our children here. I want Scout to experience choices, so she knows how to handle them. I want her to know that she doesn't have to wear shabby chic or Sundance chic (a style sported around here I have labeled myself), she doesn't have to have her house decorated a certain way, because everyone is different and that is the spice of life. There is no spice here. In fact, spice has been sucked out of every corner of this place and it wilts me. Rob and I are wondering when exactly the Mayor and the City Council will just screw it already, and build a huge city wall around the town and make you scan your temple recommend for entrance. Because that is what it feels like they really want to do, that WOULD pretty much secure that no LDS people may enter and bring their non Mormon ways into our dear city. Too much? Perhaps.

Anyways, I think I made my point and got a little off my chest. There is a lot more, but Rob needs the computer. Perhaps I will add a little more later, for now, I would like to close with a nice thing I can say about my town. My neighborhood does feel safe. I feel good having Scout play outside and even out of my sight for a minute or two at a time. I think it has more to do with the very quiet streets and traffic -which we had a more then modest amount of in our other residences- then to the fact that it's a very Mormon neighborhood. The people that our back yard faces aren't LDS, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh watch out!

Emily's Wal-Mart Gripe

I recently made a deceleration that I was never going to Wal-Mart again, and there was some interest as to why. Well, there are several reasons, and this is also a deceleration I have made in the past, but one I would love to finally keep (although I already have plans to go back, but you'll see why below).
So, it really wasn't a big deal, but this was the experience or "straw that was the camel's spinal demise" (or something). So, I looked online for the cheapest way to get my ipod shuffle going again, and Wal-Mart sells a product that was a little shuffle dock for $17 (replacement docks are $30 WHY is that?? You can buy Shuffles now for like 45 bucks. You might as well buy a new one. Rotten Apple people, sorry, didn't have a good ipod week). This product is a little speaker system that also can be plugged into the computer for syncing. I assumed it was available in store since it didn't say otherwise, so Scout and I went and picked up some groceries while we were at it. They didn't have it. They did have a product for "$19" that was a wall charger for assorted electronics including the shuffle. It can be unattached to the wall and plugged into the computer, but I asked the electronics dude if it can sync it too. He looked at it and said that since it has a USB port, that would be possible. So I bought it, and then shopped for some groceries. I went to the self check out line, which I am a pro at. The weights however, wouldn't accommodate my "green bags" (that has never been an issue before) so the lady had to fix that, but it took her forever. Then, when I got to the ipod product, it rung up as $23 dollars, so I went up to her and told her that the shelf said it was 19. I explained it very clearly, but she misunderstood me about 10 times and then when she finally understood what I was saying, blew out this huge sigh and said, "well I can check for you, but it is going to take a long time." I offered to look for myself, but she shooed that suggestion. So she called over another worker who went to check. Scout is getting impatient at this time so, it was getting fairly lame. The girl comes back and says, yeah, these are 23 dollars, she said they were all on the wrong rack. Whatever, I bought it anyway and paid for everything and then we went to the little rides to give Scout her promised car ride. The machine ate the 2 quarters I gave Scout, I put one more in and nothing. So there was a attendant standing behind this desk that looked like the cashier center, it was all official with clip boards and what not. I stood behind this old guy who bought 80 dollars worth of cat food. (I can only imagine why), and I told the girl (who had a tag that said "Manager") and before I even finished my sentence, she shook her head and told me I needed to go to customer service. So I scooped Scout up and went there. I would have just left, but the bean was promised a ride and they had several other machines, and I had no more quarters, so I waited. When it was my turn, they did refund me my 3 quarters. We rode the horsey this time and then went home.
That thing does not sync with itunes, it only charges.

Now I have to go back and exchange it. I called the manufacturer, since I have a new library, so I wasn't sure if I downloaded it right. I will suppress another gripe of mine about how all companies have moved their customer service out of the country and now when you call a company you have to talk to someone with an accent so thick you can't understand each other (not to mention this guy had no idea about what I was talking about, he didn't know the product at all that he was supposed to be "technical support" for and couldn't answer my one simple question). I normally don't have a problem with trying to communicate with someone that speaks a different language from me, I am usually very tolerant, but this situation bugs me that it just reminds me about how jobs are fleeing this country and going over seas in the name of cost. Yes, I do realize that I went looking for a product that was the cheapest I can find. So that is why I am not griping about it (too much). Yes, I am a hypocrite, and I realize it.

So besides the events of this week, I have always hated Wal-Mart and avoid it most of the time.
My reasons are two fold:
1) There is the issue of the fact that I simply always have an unpleasant time there. The times that I have been hit or run down by another shopper and their cart, have ALWAYS occurred there. No one ever apologizes. No one seems happy at Wal-Mart. Everyone is crabby and rude. It's just a bad place.

2) The second reason, (and I like to think this one is the most important reason to me) I don't like how it moves into a town and business that have been around for years, find the competition too fierce and shut down. Many simply can't compete, it's a monster. I happen to like the little shops. I like having a choice as to where to shop. If everyone only shops there, then that is going to be our only choice when we go shopping. They are popping up EVERYWHERE, like 5 blocks from another one. The one that appeared in Sandy, a few years ago, was a giant scandal. No one thought there needed to be another one around there. There were even protests surrounding it's opening. I was very close to joining in on the picketing, but didn't.
I should have, but didn't because of this reason: the demands of my pocketbook and it's convenience win sometimes and I break down and go, abandoning my principles.
They really sell plastic baggies cheaper then anyone else on the planet. And sometimes it is dinnertime and Scout is crabby and I need tortillas and I don't know -thread, and it's either two stops or one stop to the old Wal-Mart, and the pull of that one stop is enough to make me choose that hell-hole. I'm so weak!!
Rob refuses to shop there, but for my first reason, not my second. He says, and I quote "everyone that shops there wears over sized Tasmanian Devil shirts". In fact, he thinks it is a good company to work for and provides it's employees with good benefits and provides people with jobs that otherwise may not get a job elsewhere. That is fine and good, but I don't think the benefits out weigh the crap. They talk about how they "give back to the community" but I heard the statistics once and it was a pittance.
There. That is the majority of my gripe. I could go on, but I am kind of sick of thinking about Wal-Mart.

I Like Books

Apparently, the National Endowment For the Arts has decided that Americans have read an average of 6 books on this list of a hundred and people are posting it on their blogs to show that they are not part of that statistic. I was kind of hoping I had read over 50%, but I fell short at 42 (I think). I need to take up Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy to raise my percentage. I probably should anyway.... Anywho, here is my list, the yellow ones are read by me and I did one in pink because I am in the middle of it right now. Feel free to copy the list and put on your own blog.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell**
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma- Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (en francais)
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

The most haunting part of the statistic is that many of the people I know have read many of these books, far more then 6, I am sure. That just means that many people have read none of them.
Ok, THE MOST haunting thing is that my own dear husband has read only one of these books.
It's the Color Purple, if you were all burning with curiosity. I bet he has read the Bible cover to cover too. I know who would have predicted I would marry a man that didn't enjoy reading? Strange things happen all the time.

Alright, here is what I really want you all to do. Tell me the books that I haven't read that you all think I would really like, or that you all think is really lame that I haven't and I will read them.

15 Albums Everyone Should Own

I am writing this blog as a service to mankind. This is a list of 15 albums that no one should be without in their musical library (according to Emily of course and yes, Scout took a long nap today -see chicken and fries-). I was inspired to write this because I am working on downloading my entire cd collection to my itunes library and this is no small feat. I am coming across albums I haven't listened to or thought about in years. Chances are, if you aren't Radiohead, you've been largely ignored the last few years.
They are in no particular order, well maybe I'll list them alphabetically so there is no mistake- and they made the list either because they are so beautiful, or they are just so damn good.

****Before you pin me to the wall for not including I don't know, Licensed to Ill or something, you must keep some things in mind. This is not necessarily a list of MY favorite albums or the greatest ever (note that it doesn't include my all time fav, The Final Cut -not included because I am not sure it has what you might call "mass appeal"). You might call this a list of albums that it makes me actually sad to think everyone doesn't own a copy. So, after reading this, head to FYE or write me and I will burn you a copy, because we have some gems here guys.


#1. Abbey Road by the Beatles

A Classic. I picked this one (over the White Album, believe me it was a dog fight in my head) because it fit the criteria of what I was looking for in this list. From the first song to the last, you are one happy camper. No skipping around, no funny business, just one great song after another. I love the second side, all the songs kind of mesh and compliment each other.

#2. After the Gold Rush by Neil Young

Oh this album is such a treat, and I don't mean the Japanese version, which is the only picture I could find. It's only flaw is that it doesn't have Down By the River on it. (This album and Decade was another dog fight, but I was trying to steer away from "greatest hits" albums, a goal I had that got shot in the dust later). For all of you that think Neil Young has an unpleasing voice, listen to this album it is beautiful. He may not be Josh Groben, but his voice has a beauty all it's own.
For the record I don't like Josh Groben.

#3. The Bends by Radiohead

What can I say about the Bends? If this was the only album on this earth, I would still be happy. The first 2 songs are good, but with the start of the 3rd song I like to say that Emily's The Bends begins. It gives me pause it is so good and Jonny Greenwood's guitar playing in this album totally kicks my butt.

#4. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkle

An essential for any great road trip. Roll down the windows in the middle of Iowa, turn it up, and sing every song at the top of your lungs. It will turn the worst mood into the best. This was the last album they recorded together and they were fighting the whole time, but man it has so many of the greats on it.

#5. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

It's almost embarrassing to put this one on here, as it is such a cliche on every "best of" list out there. But it is on every one for a reason. It's a masterpiece. 'Nuff said.

#6. Greatest Hits Vol.II by Bob Dylan

Another "diamond in the rough" voice. You have to love Bob. I am sorry to say I only own compilation albums when it comes to Bob Dylan, so I can't really say if he has a album that is awesome start to finish. I am sure he does. This has all the greats: Tangled Up and Blue, Don't Think Twice, Subterranean Homesick Blues, etc.
Another must have for any road trip.

#7. Soundtrack to 'Immortal Beloved' by Beethoven

Besides this being a great Gary Oldman picture (is there any other kind?) this soundtrack is awesome. No one can deny that Beethoven is genus, this particular album provides you with excellent adaptations of his work. If you are looking for good old Beethoven, get this album, you will not be sorry, it is haunting and then totally exhilarating.

#8. The Best of Van Morrison

Another greatest of album, it's the only Van Morrison I own. I haven't felt the need to purchase any other after buying this one. This is the quintessential cd for cleaning the kitchen, (just don't dance too much or you wont get anything done). Van Morrison has a great voice and a catchy sound, very bluesy and soulful for an Irish lad. A must have, you can't help but like it.

#9. Unplugged in New York by Nirvana

This album is beautiful. If you need more endorsement, in high school we were listening to it in my friend Beth's kitchen and her grandma said, "that's pretty" and we are talking about a group that recorded "tourettes". This album was released some time after Kurt shot himself and a few tracks like "All Apologies" and "Jesus Don't Want Me For a Sunbeam" will just break your heart. They do a great rendition of a David Bowie song and some Meat Puppets.
*I was re-reading this blog this morning and need to add that this rendition of "Pennyroyal Tea" canmake you shed tears if you know Kurt well enough. Talk about heart breaking.

#10. OK Computer by Radiohead

The only band to have the honor of having two albums on my list (come on! Is anyone surprised?) This was my first introduction to Radiohead and I bought it while I was living in New York and I didn't just like it, it knocked me down and slapped me in the face. Perhaps you could call it a life changing experience. It has many times been given the honor of being compared to Dark Side of the Moon for being an album that is just pure genius (and Radiohead as the new generation's Pink Floyd) while I can see the comparisons, of course they stand on their own. The album gives the smackdown to all yuppies (when you hear Thom talk about piggies, which you will numerous times, he means yuppies) and the song Paranoid Android has some of the greatest lyrics I have ever heard. (opening with,"please could you stop the noise, I'm trying to get some rest from all the unborn chicken voices in my head" and "I may be paranoid, but I am NOT an android (what?)" and last but not least, "the panic, the vomit, the panic, the vomit, God loves his children, God loves his children yeah!" Classic. Thom, I love you.

#11. Pinkerton by Weezer

If you only know Weezer in passing, perhaps can dig "Buddy Holly" or "The Sweater Song" out of your memories of the 90's, look closer. This fairly obscure album is their second and hands down best effort. It hides in my cd collection until about once a year I find it, pop it in my car and am blown away at how much I love it. With each song that comes on I am like, "Oh yeah! This song is the best!" Nerd rock rules.

#12. The Otis Redding Story

With Otis Redding, I pretty much could put any album on here. I picked this one as it has 3 disks and just about every song he ever recorded. The 1st disk starts with "These Arms of Mine" and I don't know anyone that could hear that song and not just melt into a puddle. That man could have sung a banshee scream and it would have been gold. Just pick up any of his albums, it doesn't matter much, but if you don't have at least one of his in your collection, I will personally come over to your house and slap you in the face.

#13. Cat Steven's Greatest Hits

This is the only Cat Steven's album I own. I bought it when I was about 19 and was enchanted. Every song is just so good. It starts off with "Wild World" and ends with "Another Saturday Night" and has some surprises in between. Play this album while cleaning out the garage or going through boxes of old junk.

#14. When the Pawn........ by Fiona Apple

(The title of this cd is like a paragraph long).
Who knew when Fiona first appeared, that skinny writhing waif would turn out to be among the few women singers I would absolutely love? This album is just so incredibly good, one fantastic song after another. If you are sensitive to some swearing, I guess you can skip this one (there isn't a lot, but a little). A must have if you just got out of a bad relationship, if you are happily married like me, you imagine you have while listening and then when it is over, you are happy married person again and thankful for it (this girl is unlucky in love, and I am glad I'm not the person she's singing to). The song "Get Gone" should be every slighted women's theme song. The whole album is heavy on the piano which is always a great thing to me, and she produced it herself at like 19. Pretty cool.

#15. Wish by The Cure

This album is art. I wrestled with a lot of Cure cds trying to find my favorite start to finish and this is it (dog fight galore). The trouble with The Cure is that they have a habit of starting every cd with a fantastic intro song that is instrumental for 3 or 4 minutes at the very least and very pleasing to the ears, so it was hard to choose. For about a solid year I fell asleep to this album every night. The intro is a desperate plea from Robert and the album includes the classic "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea" -that song kicks my butt. Some die hard Cure fans might string me up by my toenails for having it beat out albums such as "Faith" and "disintegration" but, you know what, I like those albums too, but this is my list! (Cure fans are a snobby lot, and oh so serious about their Cure albums. Trust me.)

Alright I've said my peace. What I would like is some feedback! Tell me what you think, pin me to the wall, disagree with me, and I'd love to know which of these albums you own too. Let me know if I grossly ignored an album I shouldn't have (I feel like I may have some blaring omissions here, I came up with this list in about 15-20 minutes, ok, truth time, this was originally a top ten, but things happen, and some albums can't be ignored). There are a lot of you out there that read without commenting. I know this from emails and texts and talking. That's fine, but don't be afraid to comment. If you don't want to open a google account, you can do it "B style" and publish under "anonymous" and sign your name. We all would like to hear everyone's opinions I think.

Confessions of a Guitar Hero Nerd

This is my notebook where I write down all my scores when I play Guitar Hero. I was getting frustrated because the game doesn't record your longest note streak for any given song and I like to know when I have beaten my old streak. I also write down my high scores. I have it broken down by song (separate pages for hard and expert scores) and separate sections for GH's I, II, III and Rocks the 80's. The only other person who knew about this notebook until now is Rob and he finds it very, very funny* I am coming clean now because recently something crazy happened with our memory card and it erased itself. Well, I happen to have a record of all my old scores la la la la la la. Who's laughing now? Probably everyone (including Rob).
*see: nerdy