...and it was frightening. Whoever thinks that Canada is just like the U.S. or our friendly little neighbor to the north is incorrect; based on my 1.5 hour drive in the extreme southwestern corner of the country.
I had to wait at the border for about a half hour. I really didn't mind it because I never actually sat at the border of our country before. Everyone should try it once. But, OMG, the border cop was the most frightening person that I have ever met in my life. Do you remember the bad terminator, T-1000, from T2? Played by Robert Patrick? Do you? Cuz that's exactly what this guy was like, the way he looked, talked, acted...exactly. Here was our conversation:
(before I put my car into park)
Cop: "Where are you from?"
Me: "Wisconsin"
Cop: "Why are you here?"
Me: "I'm at a conference in Blaine and I'm staying at the Semiahmoo Resort for a conference"
Cop: "When did you get here"
Me: "Ah, yesterday at about 4:00ish"
Cop: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Vancouver"
Cop: "Why"
Me: "For Dinner"
(wierd look on his face)
Cop: "Who are you meeting?"
Me: "No one, I've never been to Canada before so I..."
Cop: "You're eating alone."
Me: "Yes."
Cop: "Where are you eating?"
Me: "Umm, at this place on Betty Ave. I think it's called um, um, it's on 781 Betty Ave. oh here I have it written down: It's Big D's BBQ and Brewery, 871 Beatty Ave."
Cop: "Go"
No "Welcome to Canada" or anything. And this guy was ripped, he could have easily tore my head off, no kidding.
And of course, I was not expecting the sudden change from the english units to metric. Everything was all of a sudden in km/hr and meters. It was hard to adjust. I locked the cruise control right on 100 km/hr cuz I didn't want to risk getting picked up by the mounties.
The rest of the drive was fairly normal. Lots of bridges. My GPS got messed up and took me off on the wrong exit so I had to figure that out quick.
As I got into town I crossed a huge bridge and descended into chaos. For streetlights they have green, blinking green, yellow, blinking yellow, and red. WTF? Only in Canada. I noticed all the houses were made of this cement/adobe material, no siding, kinda run-down looking. Extremely dense population. Althought, this is what they are going for according to wikipedia because they don't want urban sprawl. All signs were in English/French/Chinese. Tons of Chinese/Indian live in Vancouver. It is a very diverse town, more than I have ever seen. I got into downtown and everywhere you look are these huge towering glass apartment building from the 1950s/60s. It looked so futuristic, it reminded me of Tokyo. I'm guessing there is a lot of crime because of the way things are locked up so securily and have huge bars over the doors. It's such an artsy town, often called "North Hollywood" since it's the 3rd largest maker of films in the world behind the US and India. A hip culture.
I was thinking of stopping for dinner, but no way. I realized I didn't have any canadian change and all the street parking was meters. So I just drove around and headed back.
The drive home was uneventful, it only took 5 min. to get back across into the U.S.
So that's my story...
Oh, I found a clip from the 3rd episode of "Twin Peaks" It's this weird dream sequence. Watch the entire thing. Do not watch it right before bed. Shawn, this is right up your alley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uLpRvERjLE
Monday, September 29, 2008
Well this is just ridiculous.
I could honestly say that this has been one of the most intense/exciting weeks since I was about 5 years old on Christmas Eve. THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS. Who would have thought that I would have had to wait 25.5 years for this to happen again? There is a picture of my little sister and I sitting in a wagon in 1982 and I was decked out from head to toe in Brewer gear. And now I'll have to call up my sister again and find that wagon, get decked out in Brewer gear again and get another picture of us in that wagon.
I had just landed in Seattle when I turned on my cell phone and immediately called Dobbins to get the awesome/terrible news about the Brewers. I had a huge knot in my stomach. When he told me they are going into the playoffs and CC had a complete game and Braun had a monster homer to put them in the lead, I wanted to scream out loud on the plane...and then get tackled immediately by air marshalls. I think I texted "World Series or Bust" to everyone I know...and I'm telling you, Dale Sveum looks like a genius right now. And I will look like a prophet if the Brewers actually go to the WS.
I am going to Saturday's game and possibly Sunday if they win a game...correction, when they win a game. The atmosphere will be electric and the tailgating will be ridiculous. If you don't have tickets, just come and tailgate!
Can this week get any better?? No. Most definitely not.
Because I am at this conference at this beautiful resort in Blaine, WA and the sun is out and the birds are chirping, leaves are falling, mountains in the distance...and I just got asked to lead a focus group for 62 other substation engineers tomorrow at 2:30. Now, I just may be the youngest person at this conference and other engineers have waaayyyy more sub. experience than I do; like 30 years more. Why did they ask me? I have no idea. Everythign was going great up to this point. But I said yes and now I have to figure out what to discuss for 2 hours. But if this was last year, I would have said "no" for sure. Gotta keep pushing myself!
Yeah, this resort is nice, and the conference is very good, actually. I'm learning a lot. And the food is amazing. And they have hospitality suites every night.
On the drive to the resort I popped some "Death Cab" on in the car and drove on the "405" and drove through Bellingham where they are from.
I think either tonight or Wednesday night I'll head up to Vancouver for dinner. I heard the boarder crossing alone can take up to 45 min. We'll see. I brought my passport.
I'll put on some pictures in a few days, just like did with my North Carolina trip pictures...for real, I will.
The progressive dinner was fun on Friday, I was stuffed to the gills. We watched the end of the brewer game, played some risk and saw Camann drinking a beer on FSN. I lunged at the TV when I saw that, made Ed rewind his TiVo and he took a picture. Good stuff.
Buck, Ed, Tuck and I have decided to brew our own beer this fall. I'm going to brewer a porter (perhaps vanilla porter), Ed is going to brew an ale, Tuck is going to brew an amber ale, and I think Buck is doing a wine. And it will taste amazing hopefully. Really, how hard can it be?
Also, Buck and I are running for president/vice president in 2016. Our slogan will be "Let's use some common sense, people." It's a good thing I'm not running for president, because based on my Risk playing abilities, I will drive us right in WWIII. We need to start campaigning now! No, I actually wouldn't want to be president; could I do it from Wisconsin?
I saw this opportunity to remix a Radiohead song: http://www.radioheadremix.com/ and I started to work on it. Man, I have no idea what I'm doing. You download the individual instrument tracks and mash it up however you like and upload the song when your done. People rank it and then the band picks the best one out of the top 15 or so. I will get last place.
How about this for an idea: Transparent Solar Cells. So you could shine light through and induce a current in one cell and then induce a current in the one below it and so one. That way you could stack cells vertically instead of needing such a huge surface area. Heck, you could make bricks out of them and build buildings. I'm sure this is already patented, but if it's not, I better get on it!
Finally, a plug for Shawn's Peaches and Bobo site: http://www.peachesandbobo.com/ You'll laugh very hard.
OK, back to the conference.
WORLD SERIES OR BUST.
I had just landed in Seattle when I turned on my cell phone and immediately called Dobbins to get the awesome/terrible news about the Brewers. I had a huge knot in my stomach. When he told me they are going into the playoffs and CC had a complete game and Braun had a monster homer to put them in the lead, I wanted to scream out loud on the plane...and then get tackled immediately by air marshalls. I think I texted "World Series or Bust" to everyone I know...and I'm telling you, Dale Sveum looks like a genius right now. And I will look like a prophet if the Brewers actually go to the WS.
I am going to Saturday's game and possibly Sunday if they win a game...correction, when they win a game. The atmosphere will be electric and the tailgating will be ridiculous. If you don't have tickets, just come and tailgate!
Can this week get any better?? No. Most definitely not.
Because I am at this conference at this beautiful resort in Blaine, WA and the sun is out and the birds are chirping, leaves are falling, mountains in the distance...and I just got asked to lead a focus group for 62 other substation engineers tomorrow at 2:30. Now, I just may be the youngest person at this conference and other engineers have waaayyyy more sub. experience than I do; like 30 years more. Why did they ask me? I have no idea. Everythign was going great up to this point. But I said yes and now I have to figure out what to discuss for 2 hours. But if this was last year, I would have said "no" for sure. Gotta keep pushing myself!
Yeah, this resort is nice, and the conference is very good, actually. I'm learning a lot. And the food is amazing. And they have hospitality suites every night.
On the drive to the resort I popped some "Death Cab" on in the car and drove on the "405" and drove through Bellingham where they are from.
I think either tonight or Wednesday night I'll head up to Vancouver for dinner. I heard the boarder crossing alone can take up to 45 min. We'll see. I brought my passport.
I'll put on some pictures in a few days, just like did with my North Carolina trip pictures...for real, I will.
The progressive dinner was fun on Friday, I was stuffed to the gills. We watched the end of the brewer game, played some risk and saw Camann drinking a beer on FSN. I lunged at the TV when I saw that, made Ed rewind his TiVo and he took a picture. Good stuff.
Buck, Ed, Tuck and I have decided to brew our own beer this fall. I'm going to brewer a porter (perhaps vanilla porter), Ed is going to brew an ale, Tuck is going to brew an amber ale, and I think Buck is doing a wine. And it will taste amazing hopefully. Really, how hard can it be?
Also, Buck and I are running for president/vice president in 2016. Our slogan will be "Let's use some common sense, people." It's a good thing I'm not running for president, because based on my Risk playing abilities, I will drive us right in WWIII. We need to start campaigning now! No, I actually wouldn't want to be president; could I do it from Wisconsin?
I saw this opportunity to remix a Radiohead song: http://www.radioheadremix.com/ and I started to work on it. Man, I have no idea what I'm doing. You download the individual instrument tracks and mash it up however you like and upload the song when your done. People rank it and then the band picks the best one out of the top 15 or so. I will get last place.
How about this for an idea: Transparent Solar Cells. So you could shine light through and induce a current in one cell and then induce a current in the one below it and so one. That way you could stack cells vertically instead of needing such a huge surface area. Heck, you could make bricks out of them and build buildings. I'm sure this is already patented, but if it's not, I better get on it!
Finally, a plug for Shawn's Peaches and Bobo site: http://www.peachesandbobo.com/ You'll laugh very hard.
OK, back to the conference.
WORLD SERIES OR BUST.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Inspiration
Where does it come from? How do you get it? Can you force it?
I've been wondering these questions for a while. Lately over the past few weeks I've been inspired to do a lot of things in my life, but where does this inspiration come from?
Over the course of a few months I realize I have 4 big interests/inspirations; things that my heart is telling me I should be doing.
1. Help the homeless.
2. Witness to people, spread the Gospel, sharing faith.
3. Write music.
4. Encourage/Support people.
Last night I got my haircut at like 8:00pm. Odd time for a haircut, I know. But that's all they had available and I needed a haircut bad! I've had the same girl, Anna, cut my hair for the past 2 years. She just got engaged and is currently in the planning stages and all that good stuff. Anyway, before yesterday I never talked about my faith with her. I asked her if they found a church to get married at yet, she said no because they are getting married outside but one of her other clients is a pastor and will be officiating. I asked her about her upbringing and she said that her family never went to church so was never exposed to anything religious growing up. But she did say she has some big questions and really wants to get her marriage started off on the right foot. She was definitely seeking something. So I told her about our church and she knew right where it was, said she was intimidated, but really wanted to just "check it out" to see what it is about. so I invited her and she is really excited to check it out soon. I encouraged her to pursue her questions and said she can ask me anything. So, hopefully a little seed is planted and some good will come of it!
Helping to make dinner/breakfast for the guys at the men's homeless shelter a few times a month has really made me want to pursue that even more. The are such a thankful group of guys and area ton of fun, actually. I hope to share my faith with a few of them eventually.
Watching Camann's show on Wednesday was also inspiring. It looked so effortless on stage doing what he was doing. Granted, he is a much more gifted musician, but I have my own style and I just felt like playing, recording and writing tons of songs after that. I've found that a lot of inspiration comes from friends.
It's really refreshing to see a bunch of my friends starting to get their art out there and pursue their passions. And that's inspiring as well. Buck and Shawn are getting into their writing, Camann is writing and performing songs, teaching piano lessons, starting to lead worship, playing in cool bands. I'm writing a ton of new songs. Dobbins has changed his career path and is focusing on what he really wants to do with sports. Everybody seems to be headed in the right direction. To be able to work is a privilege and I'm very thankful for my job, but a lot of people make it their lives when there is so much more out there. I just want to keep pushing myself.
I still have some confidence issues and still have this fear about sharing my art. But over the past few years my confidence has increased 10-fold and I'm sure I'll get there.
God is really drawing me in the right direction, just gotta stay on course. Gotta stay "Away From Temptation"
Other than that, it's going to be a nerve wracking weekend in baseball. The crew is tied for first in the NL wildcard with the Mets, they have only 3 games to go and they play the Cubs. But man, these past two games have been sweet with Fielder having walk-off home run and Braun having a walk-off grand slam in back-to-back games. Great momentum to bring us into this final series. It will be such an incredible day if the Crew can actually get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, I'll be in Seattle if it happens so I won't get to be around Brewer fans. But I got my playoff tickets!
Tonight, us and a few other couples are having a progressive dinner (swingers club as Camann calls it) Ed, Buck and Tucker all moved into new places so we're gonna go and check them out! And eat food with friends, what could be better?
I hope to take some great photos in the Northwest, especially with all the leaves changing color. Speaking of the Northwest, have you ever watched "Twin Peaks" because you should. It is the most intriguing, weird, funny, horrifying, quirky show we have ever seen and it is so cool. It aired from 1990-1991 and now has a cult following. Shawn, you shouldn't watch this show cuz it might give you nightmares. Seriously, especially episode #3.
I've been wondering these questions for a while. Lately over the past few weeks I've been inspired to do a lot of things in my life, but where does this inspiration come from?
Over the course of a few months I realize I have 4 big interests/inspirations; things that my heart is telling me I should be doing.
1. Help the homeless.
2. Witness to people, spread the Gospel, sharing faith.
3. Write music.
4. Encourage/Support people.
Last night I got my haircut at like 8:00pm. Odd time for a haircut, I know. But that's all they had available and I needed a haircut bad! I've had the same girl, Anna, cut my hair for the past 2 years. She just got engaged and is currently in the planning stages and all that good stuff. Anyway, before yesterday I never talked about my faith with her. I asked her if they found a church to get married at yet, she said no because they are getting married outside but one of her other clients is a pastor and will be officiating. I asked her about her upbringing and she said that her family never went to church so was never exposed to anything religious growing up. But she did say she has some big questions and really wants to get her marriage started off on the right foot. She was definitely seeking something. So I told her about our church and she knew right where it was, said she was intimidated, but really wanted to just "check it out" to see what it is about. so I invited her and she is really excited to check it out soon. I encouraged her to pursue her questions and said she can ask me anything. So, hopefully a little seed is planted and some good will come of it!
Helping to make dinner/breakfast for the guys at the men's homeless shelter a few times a month has really made me want to pursue that even more. The are such a thankful group of guys and area ton of fun, actually. I hope to share my faith with a few of them eventually.
Watching Camann's show on Wednesday was also inspiring. It looked so effortless on stage doing what he was doing. Granted, he is a much more gifted musician, but I have my own style and I just felt like playing, recording and writing tons of songs after that. I've found that a lot of inspiration comes from friends.
It's really refreshing to see a bunch of my friends starting to get their art out there and pursue their passions. And that's inspiring as well. Buck and Shawn are getting into their writing, Camann is writing and performing songs, teaching piano lessons, starting to lead worship, playing in cool bands. I'm writing a ton of new songs. Dobbins has changed his career path and is focusing on what he really wants to do with sports. Everybody seems to be headed in the right direction. To be able to work is a privilege and I'm very thankful for my job, but a lot of people make it their lives when there is so much more out there. I just want to keep pushing myself.
I still have some confidence issues and still have this fear about sharing my art. But over the past few years my confidence has increased 10-fold and I'm sure I'll get there.
God is really drawing me in the right direction, just gotta stay on course. Gotta stay "Away From Temptation"
Other than that, it's going to be a nerve wracking weekend in baseball. The crew is tied for first in the NL wildcard with the Mets, they have only 3 games to go and they play the Cubs. But man, these past two games have been sweet with Fielder having walk-off home run and Braun having a walk-off grand slam in back-to-back games. Great momentum to bring us into this final series. It will be such an incredible day if the Crew can actually get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, I'll be in Seattle if it happens so I won't get to be around Brewer fans. But I got my playoff tickets!
Tonight, us and a few other couples are having a progressive dinner (swingers club as Camann calls it) Ed, Buck and Tucker all moved into new places so we're gonna go and check them out! And eat food with friends, what could be better?
I hope to take some great photos in the Northwest, especially with all the leaves changing color. Speaking of the Northwest, have you ever watched "Twin Peaks" because you should. It is the most intriguing, weird, funny, horrifying, quirky show we have ever seen and it is so cool. It aired from 1990-1991 and now has a cult following. Shawn, you shouldn't watch this show cuz it might give you nightmares. Seriously, especially episode #3.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Team WAPAM!(i) + Updates
This past weekend was the Fox Cities Marathon. Myself and few others did the relay marathon. The first 4 runners run 5 miles, the last person runs 6.2. Our team breakdown is as follows:
WAPAM!
Leg 1: Pam Hau "Are you doing?"
Leg 2: Whitney "KC" Stach
Leg 3: Andy "Shaft" Camann
Leg 4: Mike "Zeke" Lashua
Leg 5: Adam "Ringer" Gibbs
Our team was a hodge-podge of various people that I either have briefly met (Pam, Whitney), know very well (Andy) and don't know at all (Adam). The other team, Ann's Army, was comprised of:
Leg 1: Shawn "Gold Rush" Dobbins
Leg 2: Sarah "S-Dobbs" Dobbins
Leg 3: John "Daddy J" Dobbins
Leg 4: Heather "Heater" Vogts
Leg 5: Andy "M. Todd" Dobbins
The sheer logistics of getting people where they needed to be was just absolutely staggering. On Saturday evening, we all met at the Dobbin's house to discuss who is taking who where and at what time. We got it all figured out and I got to bed at a decent hour.
Sarah's boyfriend, Mike, picked up the first and second leg runners at 6:45am and dropped them off that their proper mile markers. At 8:15, Andy's uncle picked up the leg 3 and 4 runners to drop them off. Then at 9:30, Andy D. and Adam left to go to the mile 20 marker for the final leg.
Amber and her mom came out to watch me at mile15 and 20 and also met us at the finish line. It was great to see them out there!
It was a real tight race the whole way. WAPAM! finished with a final time of 3:20:12.
Check out some photos:
Team WAPAM! at the finish.
Camann checking to see if I fall after he handed me the timing chip.
The worst picture of me ever. I just finished my leg and it looks like I'm about to collapse. I am stopping my watch in this picture while yelling for Adam. He was surprised to see me!
The Rew and I before my run.
Man, I have been studying like a banshee for my big exam coming up on Oct. 24th. Everyday at work for a few hours I do some reading and work on problems. I really haven't done much work lately, but I consider this work since I need to pass this exam to move up in the company. I still have my class every Tues. night and that is becoming quite the pain as well. It's boring and it's over 2 hours of driving and 2.5 hours of class. Not my idea of a good way to spend a Tues. night. Plus I'm missing my lifegroup's potluck tonight.
WAPAM!
Leg 1: Pam Hau "Are you doing?"
Leg 2: Whitney "KC" Stach
Leg 3: Andy "Shaft" Camann
Leg 4: Mike "Zeke" Lashua
Leg 5: Adam "Ringer" Gibbs
Our team was a hodge-podge of various people that I either have briefly met (Pam, Whitney), know very well (Andy) and don't know at all (Adam). The other team, Ann's Army, was comprised of:
Leg 1: Shawn "Gold Rush" Dobbins
Leg 2: Sarah "S-Dobbs" Dobbins
Leg 3: John "Daddy J" Dobbins
Leg 4: Heather "Heater" Vogts
Leg 5: Andy "M. Todd" Dobbins
The sheer logistics of getting people where they needed to be was just absolutely staggering. On Saturday evening, we all met at the Dobbin's house to discuss who is taking who where and at what time. We got it all figured out and I got to bed at a decent hour.
Sarah's boyfriend, Mike, picked up the first and second leg runners at 6:45am and dropped them off that their proper mile markers. At 8:15, Andy's uncle picked up the leg 3 and 4 runners to drop them off. Then at 9:30, Andy D. and Adam left to go to the mile 20 marker for the final leg.
Amber and her mom came out to watch me at mile15 and 20 and also met us at the finish line. It was great to see them out there!
It was a real tight race the whole way. WAPAM! finished with a final time of 3:20:12.
Check out some photos:
Team WAPAM! at the finish.
Camann checking to see if I fall after he handed me the timing chip.
The worst picture of me ever. I just finished my leg and it looks like I'm about to collapse. I am stopping my watch in this picture while yelling for Adam. He was surprised to see me!
The Rew and I before my run.
Man, I have been studying like a banshee for my big exam coming up on Oct. 24th. Everyday at work for a few hours I do some reading and work on problems. I really haven't done much work lately, but I consider this work since I need to pass this exam to move up in the company. I still have my class every Tues. night and that is becoming quite the pain as well. It's boring and it's over 2 hours of driving and 2.5 hours of class. Not my idea of a good way to spend a Tues. night. Plus I'm missing my lifegroup's potluck tonight.
This Sunday I'm off to the great state of Washington for a Cascade User's Group Conference at the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, WA. http://www.semiahmoo.com/ It's really close to the Canada border, like 2 miles, so I'm going to head up to Vancouver one of the nights to check it out. It's only 40 min. away. I'll have a rental car when I'm out there so I can check out the scenery when I have a little down time. I expect it to be absolutely gorgeous!
I'm pretty pumped for Camann's show tomorrow night; possibly more than he is. I pushed back our Book Group until 7:30 so we can make the whole show. I'm excited to hear some of the new songs he has been working on. And have you heard the new Modern Antiques stuff? No? Well you're in for a treat. www.themodernantiques.com
Speaking of music. I've been working hard on two songs entitled "This Human Life" and "Away From Temptation". Maybe someday when I grow a pair you'll hear them!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Mike's Soul Mix
One of the first mixes I ever made was called Mike's Soul Mix and I created it in the summer of 2000, right after my parents got a brand new computer that could burn CD's! I popped it in the other day and blew my mind. I think I blew Dobbin's mind as well whe I played it for him. I don't mean to brag or anything, but I have really good taste in music. Let this mix list explain why:
1. "She Drives Me Crazy" - Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) - 1988
Just a killer pop tune. You either hate it or love it. Me? I love it. It's got this guitar riff you can't ignore, vocals you can barely understand and "in your face" drums. You all know it and you kn ow you love it too.
2. "Crazy" - Seal - 1990
I guess I was a fan of songs with the word "crazy" in them. But this is song impressive because it sounds like no other songs during it's time. If it was released today, it would be a hit single. The chorus is great "No we're never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy". Also there is an awesome drum fill in the middle of the song which wins me over every time.
3. "Dirty Laundry" - Don Henley - 1982
This is a good song, but I really don't know why it's on this mix. It doesn't really fit at all. I became a huge Don henley fan in the summer of 2000 and I must have really liked this track. It's your typical political and social commentary that you expect from Don.
4. "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones - 1978
My favorite Rolling Stones song. Just a funkyish soul tune. Great melody, sensual lyrics. Great guitar work. A pop masterpiece.
5. "Everywhere" - Fleetwood Mac - 1987
This is the song where people make fun of me for liking. Cuz it sounds kinda whimpy and too girly. But I love the keyboards and the gentle vocal stylings of Christine McVie and the looped drum part. I will even go as far to say that this is my favorite Fleetwood Mac song...there I said it.
6. "Walking in Memphis" - Marc Cohn - 1991
You know this one. You like it. You know why. Nothing can beat the piano work and passionate lyrics in this song. And this guy got shot in the head!
7. "I'm on Fire" - Bruce Springsteen - 1984
It's at this point in the mix that I start to bring it down a bit. And when I say a bit I mean a lot. It's not uncommon for me to do this in a mix and then Andy and Shawn will say something like "Man, you're really bringing this mix down, this must have been a dark period in your life". Anywho, this is the start of a 4 song slide of musical greatness. This isn't a sad song, but a slow, darkish sounding song that is one of my very favorite Bruce songs of all time.
8. "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" - Travis Tritt - 1994
Yes, Travis frickin' Tritt. A country artist. How dare I. Anther thing about my mixes is that I like to include a country song or two on my mixes. Because believe it or not, there are good country songs out there! And this is one of them. One of the darkest country songs I know. It's about this guy who's wife dies in a drowning accident and he is mad that she never told him goodbye. And the tag at the end of the song is amazing. Back me up here, Dawg.
9. "Coming Back to Life" - Pink Floyd - 1994
"Where were you when I was burned and broken?" opening this tearful song of doubts, disappointment and finally hope. Awesome guitar solos and steady back beat make this one a winner. Rick Wright R.I.P.
10. "Snow on the Sahara" - Anggun - 1997
You may have forgot about this song or have never known it. This a cool electronicish song, sweet vocals, dark but uplifting. A very girly song as well but I'm not afraid to admit I like it!
11. "In The House of Stone and Light" - Martin Page - 1994
The end of the slide. A masterfully beautiful tune. Great bass. Amazing vocals. What a song for a one hit wonder! Definitely a song I wish I had written. The vocal breakdown in the end is to die for.
12. "Learn to be Still" - The Eagles - 1994
Man, what is up with 1994 being such a great year in music? One of my favorite Eagles songs. A very simple song with complex lyrics. One of Don's finest. A lot of biblical imagery in the song too which makes it cool.
13. "Losing My Religion" - REM - 1991
The song that turned me on to REM freshman year of college. There is a mandolin in this song which makes it so cool! I heard that the phrase "Losing Your religion" means "going crazy".
14. "Everything is Different Now" - Don Henley - 2000
This was Amber's and my song from Freshman year. Don Henley was the very first concert we went to together in the summer of 2000 at the Marcus Amphitheater. He played this song and we went nuts! We wanted this to be the song for our first dance at our wedding, but you really can't dance to it!
15. "Burn Down the Mission" - Phil Collins - 1991
This is an Elton John cover song from the Two Rooms album to honor Elton and Bernie Taupin for their work. A killer track. Tight horns, gospel choir, fast. I highly recommend people download this track; it'll just make you want to dance!
16. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King - 1961
Whoa, old song here. But a touching way to end a great mix. Can the lyrics get any better? No. I think this song is also way ahead of it's time; sounds like it could be from the late 60s.
In other news...
I'm running in a relay marathon this Sunday with some friends. I'm looking forward to it because I have never been a relay team before (except high school). Our team name is WAPAM! which is acronym from the first letter from each person's first name. Camann is running it and will do awesome!
Our lawn is green again! Thank you fertilizer and rain!! I mowed it on Monday and I think it was as thick and lush as it has ever been. It clogged up the mower like 100 times.
Our first discussion for Book Group is tonight. We're reading "Renovation of the Heart" by Dallas Willard which is about trying to put your character in line with Christs. So it's something we can all benefit from!
I realized that it has been one year tomorrow that Mrs. Dobbins has been gone. And I miss her a ton. Man, time flies. I remember thinking that I was going to get a phone call that I didn't want to get sometime that week. But the Dobbin's family is like glue and they can take a hit and keep on going like no body's business! I shall have a Berry Weiss or other fruity beer this weekend in honor of her! (that was our thing)
Alright, I should get back to work!
1. "She Drives Me Crazy" - Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) - 1988
Just a killer pop tune. You either hate it or love it. Me? I love it. It's got this guitar riff you can't ignore, vocals you can barely understand and "in your face" drums. You all know it and you kn ow you love it too.
2. "Crazy" - Seal - 1990
I guess I was a fan of songs with the word "crazy" in them. But this is song impressive because it sounds like no other songs during it's time. If it was released today, it would be a hit single. The chorus is great "No we're never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy". Also there is an awesome drum fill in the middle of the song which wins me over every time.
3. "Dirty Laundry" - Don Henley - 1982
This is a good song, but I really don't know why it's on this mix. It doesn't really fit at all. I became a huge Don henley fan in the summer of 2000 and I must have really liked this track. It's your typical political and social commentary that you expect from Don.
4. "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones - 1978
My favorite Rolling Stones song. Just a funkyish soul tune. Great melody, sensual lyrics. Great guitar work. A pop masterpiece.
5. "Everywhere" - Fleetwood Mac - 1987
This is the song where people make fun of me for liking. Cuz it sounds kinda whimpy and too girly. But I love the keyboards and the gentle vocal stylings of Christine McVie and the looped drum part. I will even go as far to say that this is my favorite Fleetwood Mac song...there I said it.
6. "Walking in Memphis" - Marc Cohn - 1991
You know this one. You like it. You know why. Nothing can beat the piano work and passionate lyrics in this song. And this guy got shot in the head!
7. "I'm on Fire" - Bruce Springsteen - 1984
It's at this point in the mix that I start to bring it down a bit. And when I say a bit I mean a lot. It's not uncommon for me to do this in a mix and then Andy and Shawn will say something like "Man, you're really bringing this mix down, this must have been a dark period in your life". Anywho, this is the start of a 4 song slide of musical greatness. This isn't a sad song, but a slow, darkish sounding song that is one of my very favorite Bruce songs of all time.
8. "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" - Travis Tritt - 1994
Yes, Travis frickin' Tritt. A country artist. How dare I. Anther thing about my mixes is that I like to include a country song or two on my mixes. Because believe it or not, there are good country songs out there! And this is one of them. One of the darkest country songs I know. It's about this guy who's wife dies in a drowning accident and he is mad that she never told him goodbye. And the tag at the end of the song is amazing. Back me up here, Dawg.
9. "Coming Back to Life" - Pink Floyd - 1994
"Where were you when I was burned and broken?" opening this tearful song of doubts, disappointment and finally hope. Awesome guitar solos and steady back beat make this one a winner. Rick Wright R.I.P.
10. "Snow on the Sahara" - Anggun - 1997
You may have forgot about this song or have never known it. This a cool electronicish song, sweet vocals, dark but uplifting. A very girly song as well but I'm not afraid to admit I like it!
11. "In The House of Stone and Light" - Martin Page - 1994
The end of the slide. A masterfully beautiful tune. Great bass. Amazing vocals. What a song for a one hit wonder! Definitely a song I wish I had written. The vocal breakdown in the end is to die for.
12. "Learn to be Still" - The Eagles - 1994
Man, what is up with 1994 being such a great year in music? One of my favorite Eagles songs. A very simple song with complex lyrics. One of Don's finest. A lot of biblical imagery in the song too which makes it cool.
13. "Losing My Religion" - REM - 1991
The song that turned me on to REM freshman year of college. There is a mandolin in this song which makes it so cool! I heard that the phrase "Losing Your religion" means "going crazy".
14. "Everything is Different Now" - Don Henley - 2000
This was Amber's and my song from Freshman year. Don Henley was the very first concert we went to together in the summer of 2000 at the Marcus Amphitheater. He played this song and we went nuts! We wanted this to be the song for our first dance at our wedding, but you really can't dance to it!
15. "Burn Down the Mission" - Phil Collins - 1991
This is an Elton John cover song from the Two Rooms album to honor Elton and Bernie Taupin for their work. A killer track. Tight horns, gospel choir, fast. I highly recommend people download this track; it'll just make you want to dance!
16. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King - 1961
Whoa, old song here. But a touching way to end a great mix. Can the lyrics get any better? No. I think this song is also way ahead of it's time; sounds like it could be from the late 60s.
In other news...
I'm running in a relay marathon this Sunday with some friends. I'm looking forward to it because I have never been a relay team before (except high school). Our team name is WAPAM! which is acronym from the first letter from each person's first name. Camann is running it and will do awesome!
Our lawn is green again! Thank you fertilizer and rain!! I mowed it on Monday and I think it was as thick and lush as it has ever been. It clogged up the mower like 100 times.
Our first discussion for Book Group is tonight. We're reading "Renovation of the Heart" by Dallas Willard which is about trying to put your character in line with Christs. So it's something we can all benefit from!
I realized that it has been one year tomorrow that Mrs. Dobbins has been gone. And I miss her a ton. Man, time flies. I remember thinking that I was going to get a phone call that I didn't want to get sometime that week. But the Dobbin's family is like glue and they can take a hit and keep on going like no body's business! I shall have a Berry Weiss or other fruity beer this weekend in honor of her! (that was our thing)
Alright, I should get back to work!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
9/11/2001 Remembered
It is 7 years today since 9/11 happened. Do you remember where you were? I remember it like it was yesterday...
I was a Junior in college, it was the 2nd full week of school. I got up at like 8:30 for my 9:45 class. I took a shower. Put on my favorite shirt which was a dark blue T-shirt with "COLLEGE" written across the front and I was wearing shorts, of course. It was unusual for me to eat breakfast in college, but for some reason this morning I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat in front of my roommate's big TV, turned it on. Right away I was seeing images of smoke pouring out of the world trade center. At first I didn't think much of it, I figured there was a fire on one of the floors and they were working to put it out. So I changed the channel, then I changed it again and on every major station this news story was on. It must have been more than a fire I thought, so I listened to the broadcast and quickly saw footage of a plane hitting the first tower. As I was kept eating breakfast I started to hear reports that another plane struck the 2nd tower. "What is going on!" I thought.
Well, it was time for me to start going to class. I remember passing Ryan Alt on the way to my ECE 330 Signals and Systems lecture and he said something like "S^*t's going down, man." and he just kept walking. I got to my class and they brought a TV out with the news coverage on. My professor was like "I understand if you don't want to be at lecture today so you can go if you'd like." So everybody went into the hallway to watch the TV.
Around lunchtime I went over to my friend, Christy's, place to go and grab some lunch. When I was in her apartment I said "Man, isn't this crazy whats going on in New York City this morning?" And she didn't know what I Was talking about. So I told her and I remember tears welled up in her eyes and she put her head in her hands but she didn't cry. We turned on the TV for a bit and then went down to State St. to get some lunch at Q'Doba.
That afternoon, I called Amber and we talked about what was going on, she came over and we watched the news for a long time and that's when we found out that a plane hit the Pentagon and another crashed in PA. My mom called as well to see how I was doing. I remember she wrote me an email that day with the subject "Cruel World"
Then I went to bed. And over the course of the week I remember attending a memorial service on campus for the victims and watching the concert in NYC for the fireman and their families. Bruce played an acoustic version of "My City of Ruins". Very fitting.
Every year around this time I'm always a bit anxious as to what is going to happen on 9/11 this year, if anything. "What do the terrorists have planned this year" I keep thinking. And of course I see the shows of all the footage of that day which gives me the chills. Especially when CNN re-plays the actual broadcast as the events unfolded that day.
The world hasn't been the same since!
I was a Junior in college, it was the 2nd full week of school. I got up at like 8:30 for my 9:45 class. I took a shower. Put on my favorite shirt which was a dark blue T-shirt with "COLLEGE" written across the front and I was wearing shorts, of course. It was unusual for me to eat breakfast in college, but for some reason this morning I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat in front of my roommate's big TV, turned it on. Right away I was seeing images of smoke pouring out of the world trade center. At first I didn't think much of it, I figured there was a fire on one of the floors and they were working to put it out. So I changed the channel, then I changed it again and on every major station this news story was on. It must have been more than a fire I thought, so I listened to the broadcast and quickly saw footage of a plane hitting the first tower. As I was kept eating breakfast I started to hear reports that another plane struck the 2nd tower. "What is going on!" I thought.
Well, it was time for me to start going to class. I remember passing Ryan Alt on the way to my ECE 330 Signals and Systems lecture and he said something like "S^*t's going down, man." and he just kept walking. I got to my class and they brought a TV out with the news coverage on. My professor was like "I understand if you don't want to be at lecture today so you can go if you'd like." So everybody went into the hallway to watch the TV.
Around lunchtime I went over to my friend, Christy's, place to go and grab some lunch. When I was in her apartment I said "Man, isn't this crazy whats going on in New York City this morning?" And she didn't know what I Was talking about. So I told her and I remember tears welled up in her eyes and she put her head in her hands but she didn't cry. We turned on the TV for a bit and then went down to State St. to get some lunch at Q'Doba.
That afternoon, I called Amber and we talked about what was going on, she came over and we watched the news for a long time and that's when we found out that a plane hit the Pentagon and another crashed in PA. My mom called as well to see how I was doing. I remember she wrote me an email that day with the subject "Cruel World"
Then I went to bed. And over the course of the week I remember attending a memorial service on campus for the victims and watching the concert in NYC for the fireman and their families. Bruce played an acoustic version of "My City of Ruins". Very fitting.
Every year around this time I'm always a bit anxious as to what is going to happen on 9/11 this year, if anything. "What do the terrorists have planned this year" I keep thinking. And of course I see the shows of all the footage of that day which gives me the chills. Especially when CNN re-plays the actual broadcast as the events unfolded that day.
The world hasn't been the same since!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
I Could Be A Nurse
On Sunday I volunteered at the medical tent for the Wisconsin Ironman here in Madison. My shift was from 8pm-1am. I helped out in the triage area which means I assisted or carried the people to the medical tent, weighed them, placed them in a chair, filled out a bit of paperwork and then waited with them until a registered nurse assisted them.
I saw all kinds of things from blistered feet to diarrhea to extreme vomiting. I had to hold a few people as they vomited either on the pavement or in a trashcan. We weigh them to determine how much weight they lost over the course of the race. If it's over 5 pounds, we get fluids into them and if it's really severe the doctor will put an IV into them. One guy lost 18 pounds!!! I also saw lots of road rash, dizziness; some guys didn't even know where they were!
The back area of tent reminded me of a medical tent in the middle of a war. There were dozens of cots lined up, sick people lying with bandages, ice and blankets over them. IVs and tubes were everywhere. You could hear sounds of vomiting echo through the tent.
And it didn't bother me at all; I really liked it. I bet I would be an OK nurse. Granted, I haven't seen people with severe burns or amputated limbs and I didn't have to do any cleanup of blood or vomit or fecal matter. But still, I think I could hold my own.
Or maybe I would be way in over my head.
What else is new??
Tonight I'm going to the Brewers vs. Cincinnati game with Dobbins. Suppan is pitching and they better not break my heart like they did last night! I can't take much more of that! This will only be the second game I've been to all year. The other game was opening day!
Amber and I went on a lunch cruise on Lake Monona on Saturday afternoon with the Buckinghams. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly but the water was calm and the food was great. Later that evening we went to my aunt and uncles place in Lake Mills to visit. Great times as usual. I think we talked straight for 5 hours!
On Friday night I helped prepare and serve dinner at the homeless shelter by the capital and then after that I met Camann downtown and went to this little club called The Frequency to check out a few bands. The first band was absolutely terrible, just screaming and sooo loud. So we left and went to Genna's to grab a beer and hang out. Then we went back to hear the headliner. they were pretty good, but it was getting late so we left after a few songs.
Man, I've been so busy lately. And it's totally my fault since I don't say "no" to anything. My day is always crammed, I gotta learn to not stop feeling like I gotta have something going on all the time. I need another vacation!
I saw all kinds of things from blistered feet to diarrhea to extreme vomiting. I had to hold a few people as they vomited either on the pavement or in a trashcan. We weigh them to determine how much weight they lost over the course of the race. If it's over 5 pounds, we get fluids into them and if it's really severe the doctor will put an IV into them. One guy lost 18 pounds!!! I also saw lots of road rash, dizziness; some guys didn't even know where they were!
The back area of tent reminded me of a medical tent in the middle of a war. There were dozens of cots lined up, sick people lying with bandages, ice and blankets over them. IVs and tubes were everywhere. You could hear sounds of vomiting echo through the tent.
And it didn't bother me at all; I really liked it. I bet I would be an OK nurse. Granted, I haven't seen people with severe burns or amputated limbs and I didn't have to do any cleanup of blood or vomit or fecal matter. But still, I think I could hold my own.
Or maybe I would be way in over my head.
What else is new??
Tonight I'm going to the Brewers vs. Cincinnati game with Dobbins. Suppan is pitching and they better not break my heart like they did last night! I can't take much more of that! This will only be the second game I've been to all year. The other game was opening day!
Amber and I went on a lunch cruise on Lake Monona on Saturday afternoon with the Buckinghams. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly but the water was calm and the food was great. Later that evening we went to my aunt and uncles place in Lake Mills to visit. Great times as usual. I think we talked straight for 5 hours!
On Friday night I helped prepare and serve dinner at the homeless shelter by the capital and then after that I met Camann downtown and went to this little club called The Frequency to check out a few bands. The first band was absolutely terrible, just screaming and sooo loud. So we left and went to Genna's to grab a beer and hang out. Then we went back to hear the headliner. they were pretty good, but it was getting late so we left after a few songs.
Man, I've been so busy lately. And it's totally my fault since I don't say "no" to anything. My day is always crammed, I gotta learn to not stop feeling like I gotta have something going on all the time. I need another vacation!
Friday, September 5, 2008
I Love My Job...
...when things burst into flames.
Yesterday morning a rare, yet exciting occurrence happened at work. There was a massive switchgear failure at one of our substations near campus. More specifically, it was Bus 2 failure which knocked out four feeders and hundreds, if not thousands of customers for about an hour before we switched the load onto different substations.
The switchgear that failed was installed in 1972 and was in rough shape since it was so old. Overtime, insulation breaks down and that combined with the all-day rain yesterday made for the perfect storm. Things started at about 10:00 when I saw the lights dip a bit and low voltage alarms started to come in on my display from all over the city. This is common when a bus has failed, because the high fault current causes the voltage to drop.
One of our wireman was at the gate of the substation for an unrelated reason when he heard this hissing sound from inside the switchgear and then a loud bang and then a bunch of breakers opening at once. Then he saw smoke and fire coming out of the backside of the switchgear. He grabbed the fire extinguished and quickly put out the flames. Other crews started to arrive and they thought they had isolated the part that failed, so we attempted to energize the bus again to restore load to the rest of the feeders. We closed the main breaker remotely from downtown in the bunker where I and like 15 other "high-ups" in the department were. Everything seemed to be OK...for about 30 seconds. My boss was talking to one of the crew members and while he was on the phone we heard this crash and a low rumble. And the guy on the phone said "I didn't work." Apparently, the door blew off the backside of the switchgear and flames of all colors blew out like 6 feet. Our crews were running for the fences I was told. Luckily no one was injured because everyone was in the clear when it happened. But now we have a very expensive fix on our hands and since the equipment is so old, we need to get a lot of custom parts made.
After looking at the damage, there was molten aluminum on the floor because the fire got so hot!
Here is a picture of the inside of one of the cubicles (all the black is char from the fire, usually it's silver):
Yes, I know, I haven't put up a blog about our NC trip yet. I apologize. Hopefully soon!
The crew has got to start winning again. This is no time for lolly gagging!
Yesterday morning a rare, yet exciting occurrence happened at work. There was a massive switchgear failure at one of our substations near campus. More specifically, it was Bus 2 failure which knocked out four feeders and hundreds, if not thousands of customers for about an hour before we switched the load onto different substations.
The switchgear that failed was installed in 1972 and was in rough shape since it was so old. Overtime, insulation breaks down and that combined with the all-day rain yesterday made for the perfect storm. Things started at about 10:00 when I saw the lights dip a bit and low voltage alarms started to come in on my display from all over the city. This is common when a bus has failed, because the high fault current causes the voltage to drop.
One of our wireman was at the gate of the substation for an unrelated reason when he heard this hissing sound from inside the switchgear and then a loud bang and then a bunch of breakers opening at once. Then he saw smoke and fire coming out of the backside of the switchgear. He grabbed the fire extinguished and quickly put out the flames. Other crews started to arrive and they thought they had isolated the part that failed, so we attempted to energize the bus again to restore load to the rest of the feeders. We closed the main breaker remotely from downtown in the bunker where I and like 15 other "high-ups" in the department were. Everything seemed to be OK...for about 30 seconds. My boss was talking to one of the crew members and while he was on the phone we heard this crash and a low rumble. And the guy on the phone said "I didn't work." Apparently, the door blew off the backside of the switchgear and flames of all colors blew out like 6 feet. Our crews were running for the fences I was told. Luckily no one was injured because everyone was in the clear when it happened. But now we have a very expensive fix on our hands and since the equipment is so old, we need to get a lot of custom parts made.
After looking at the damage, there was molten aluminum on the floor because the fire got so hot!
Here is a picture of the inside of one of the cubicles (all the black is char from the fire, usually it's silver):
Yes, I know, I haven't put up a blog about our NC trip yet. I apologize. Hopefully soon!
The crew has got to start winning again. This is no time for lolly gagging!
Monday, September 1, 2008
End of Summer
I'm back! And on to the next month: September. Ahh, it seems like only yesterday it was April and the anticipation of late summer nights, the start of baseball and a cool glass of Lemonade were in the air.
In response to a fan request, it is only fitting that I make of list of amazing "End of Summer" songs. Now, the key to a great end-of-summer song is that is has to evoke particular emotions and feelings...feelings of summer dreams that were deferred, a summer love that was not meant to be, a cool wind coming in from the north, people leaving the only town they have ever known to start the next chapter of life in college, a sunset, regrets, nostalgia of the best summer of your life. Generally the songs have a sadder feel than a summer song; a much gentler feel. Fall and winter songs are just downright depressing
I'll tell you a bit about one of the best summer's of my life. It was the summer of 2000. The first summer after freshman year of college. I was back in Neenah; the promised land. I hit my stride. Amber and I start going out that spring and we were still in the "limerance" phase of our relationship where we couldn't be apart for more than a day and we hung every night. I would call her as soon as I got home from work and we would talk about what we wanted to do that evening. At the end of the night, I would drive her home, walk her to her door and kiss her goodnight. Every night was charged with excitement.
Andy and I went to so many shows, it was ridiculous; Styx, Kansas, Vic Ferrari; whatever. We would go anywhere to see a show, county fairs, summerfest, festivals all just to satisfy our insatiable urge to learn more about one of our great passions in life. At nights we would go "cruising" into the wee hours of the morning with the music cranked Smoke a cigar, listen to Pink Floyd while hanging out in the hot tub.
I also became really good friends with a lot of the guys from the Cross Country team that year. I think I was more infamous than popular with that crowd during high school. But after freshman year and seeing all the guys again, we hung out a ton and I formed some really strong friendships. Playing cards, going camping, DMB shows; we were always doing something exciting.
You'll know an end-of-summer song when you hear it; it's different for every person.
In no particular order (It's a long one!):
"Nightswimming" - REM
"Find the River" - REM
"The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley
"Backyard" - Guster
"Lithium Sunset" - Sting
"My Sundown" - Jimmy Eat World
"23" - Jimmy Eat World
"Daylight Fading" - Counting Crows
"Holiday in Spain" - Counting Crows
"Dear Valentine" - Guster
"Come Downstairs and Say Hello" - Guster
"Do You Remember" - Phil Collins
"Crawling Back to You" - Tom Petty
"Round Here" - Counting Crows
"I Hope You Dance" - LeeAnn Womack
"Racing in the Street" - Bruce Springsteen
"Darkness on the Edge of Town" - Bruce Springsteen
"The River (Live)" - Bruce Springsteen
"If I Should Fall Behind" - Bruce Springsteen
"The Promise" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sad Eyes" - Bruce Springsteen
"#41" - Dave Matthews Band
"Typical Situation" - Dave Matthews Band
"The Difference" - Matchbox Twenty
"Bed of Lies" - Matchbox Twenty
"Rest Stop" - Matchbox Twenty
"Trouble" - Coldplay
"Don't Panic" - Coldplay
"Secret World" - Peter Gabriel
"Please Don't Ask" - Genesis
I know I missed a lot and this list could go on and on so please post some of your favorite end-of-summer songs if you'd like!
I'll blog about the North Carolina trip soon!
In response to a fan request, it is only fitting that I make of list of amazing "End of Summer" songs. Now, the key to a great end-of-summer song is that is has to evoke particular emotions and feelings...feelings of summer dreams that were deferred, a summer love that was not meant to be, a cool wind coming in from the north, people leaving the only town they have ever known to start the next chapter of life in college, a sunset, regrets, nostalgia of the best summer of your life. Generally the songs have a sadder feel than a summer song; a much gentler feel. Fall and winter songs are just downright depressing
I'll tell you a bit about one of the best summer's of my life. It was the summer of 2000. The first summer after freshman year of college. I was back in Neenah; the promised land. I hit my stride. Amber and I start going out that spring and we were still in the "limerance" phase of our relationship where we couldn't be apart for more than a day and we hung every night. I would call her as soon as I got home from work and we would talk about what we wanted to do that evening. At the end of the night, I would drive her home, walk her to her door and kiss her goodnight. Every night was charged with excitement.
Andy and I went to so many shows, it was ridiculous; Styx, Kansas, Vic Ferrari; whatever. We would go anywhere to see a show, county fairs, summerfest, festivals all just to satisfy our insatiable urge to learn more about one of our great passions in life. At nights we would go "cruising" into the wee hours of the morning with the music cranked Smoke a cigar, listen to Pink Floyd while hanging out in the hot tub.
I also became really good friends with a lot of the guys from the Cross Country team that year. I think I was more infamous than popular with that crowd during high school. But after freshman year and seeing all the guys again, we hung out a ton and I formed some really strong friendships. Playing cards, going camping, DMB shows; we were always doing something exciting.
You'll know an end-of-summer song when you hear it; it's different for every person.
In no particular order (It's a long one!):
"Nightswimming" - REM
"Find the River" - REM
"The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley
"Backyard" - Guster
"Lithium Sunset" - Sting
"My Sundown" - Jimmy Eat World
"23" - Jimmy Eat World
"Daylight Fading" - Counting Crows
"Holiday in Spain" - Counting Crows
"Dear Valentine" - Guster
"Come Downstairs and Say Hello" - Guster
"Do You Remember" - Phil Collins
"Crawling Back to You" - Tom Petty
"Round Here" - Counting Crows
"I Hope You Dance" - LeeAnn Womack
"Racing in the Street" - Bruce Springsteen
"Darkness on the Edge of Town" - Bruce Springsteen
"The River (Live)" - Bruce Springsteen
"If I Should Fall Behind" - Bruce Springsteen
"The Promise" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sad Eyes" - Bruce Springsteen
"#41" - Dave Matthews Band
"Typical Situation" - Dave Matthews Band
"The Difference" - Matchbox Twenty
"Bed of Lies" - Matchbox Twenty
"Rest Stop" - Matchbox Twenty
"Trouble" - Coldplay
"Don't Panic" - Coldplay
"Secret World" - Peter Gabriel
"Please Don't Ask" - Genesis
I know I missed a lot and this list could go on and on so please post some of your favorite end-of-summer songs if you'd like!
I'll blog about the North Carolina trip soon!
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