CD Roulette

I’m a big fan of purchasing music online. I like the fact that I can stream just about any album beforehand, determine which songs I like, and then cherry pick them from ITunes. Never more do I have to by an album that has exactly one good song. (I’m thinking of Willie Nelson here, if it’s one of his better albums.)

Despite these benefits, there is still something I miss about buying physical CDs. I always enjoyed fumbling with the packaging in the car for ten minutes until I finally got it out. I liked opening the case and smelling the new CD case smell. I liked pulling out of the parking lot, putting in the CD, and discovering each and every new song, while all the while hoping that I hadn’t purchased a lemon album. (Willie!) Maybe I’m weird, but that just made me happy.

So, occasionally, I still pick up an album at the store. I usually reserve it for artists where I know most of the stuff is going to be good. But, once in a while, I’ll still take a flyer on an unknown artist, just for old time’s sake.

My latest attempt at this was David Nail’s debut album, which I picked up on my way to the U.P., based on the potential of his song ‘Red Light’. Unfortunately, it was a big swing and a miss. It was typical contemporary country music. Overproduced, with only the barest hints of traditional country instrumentation, along with just about every song containing multiple, loud, electric guitar solos. There were a few good songs in there somewhere, but they were all lost in the noise.

Still, it was worth a shot. It’s always fun when you get lucky and strike gold. Although, in this case, I should have bought a Willie CD instead.

Dealing With The Post-Christmas Blues

There is always a letdown once Christmas is finished. The presents are all unwrapped, the living room looks like a tornado just hit it, with flecks of wrapping paper still floating in the air, the trillions of calories of food have all been eaten, and you are sitting in an easy chair wondering just how on earth you managed to eat so much in such a short time.

You then start looking ahead to the dark, dreary months of January and February, which are punishment for all of the fun you had on Christmas. You think about the short days and the weight you have to lose. Soon, you start to feel a little down.

But fear not! You just need to think of the positives of Christmas being over. They should be enough to get you through the immediate post-holiday letdown period and give you the momentum you need to roll into spring.

And, since I’m feeling generous, I’ll help you get started:

• You won’t have to hear SheDaisy sing their annoying version of ‘Deck The Halls’ on the radio anymore. (Plus, there is a much better chance you’ll hear ‘Amarillo By Morning’ now.)
• The Super Bowl is coming fast.
• The stores will be less crowded, and you will have no real need to go there anymore, anyway.
• My birthday will be here soon. (Not very subtle, I know, but still, it needed to be said.)
• You no longer are required to be cheerful to everybody to show your holiday spirit. You can now resume ignoring them because they annoy you!

Unfortunately, this all may be outweighed by the fact that American Idol will probably start up soon. Ugh. Now I’m depressed.

Merry {bleep}mas!

What a great song. Too bad it's based on the truth:




Also, it just seems to me like some songs just don't need a Christmas version:



Well, Merry {bleep}mas everybody!

Dang it.

Weekend Metrics

Sometimes all it takes is getting away from it all:

Number of days spent in Wisconsin: 0
Number of times internet was used: 0
Number of times work was thought about: 0
Number of times real life interfered with fun: 0

In my book, that's a good weekend.

These Are A Few Of My (burp) Favorite Things

There’s something about the Christmas season that just pushes your pants past their breaking point and sends the button shooting off dangerously in some random direction. Ah, good ol' tradition!

Yup, you can’t go anywhere these days without being assaulted with high-calorie Christmas goodies that you are forced to eat in self-defense, or risk being labeled as a Grinch. For example, here is what the middle of my week looks like:

Tuesday – Treat Day at work
Wednesday – Work Team Christmas Get-Together after work
Thursday – Another Treat Day at work
Friday – Most likely, getting my stomach pumped

This isn’t even factoring in the plate of cookies that was dropped off at my doorstep by the landlord. It’s getting to the point where I hope I get a Rascal for Christmas.

Now, I realize that it is my decision as to how much Christmas junk food I eat. But when it comes down to it, and there is fudge involved, my willpower skitters away and hides under the couch, only to reappear sometime during the New Year, aghast at the number of calories that now must be burned.

Still, this year I have a secret weapon that will help make everything much easier. I can’t believe it took me this long to think of it. It makes so much sense: stretch pants.

Shop 'Til You Drop (Or Sit In The Car Instead)

Ah, Christmas shopping.

I do enjoy the Christmas season, and occasionally I even like trying to pick out interesting gifts that will surprise people. Still, I’m not a huge fan of the hordes of people who are out trying to do the same thing.

I really shouldn’t complain, though. Where I live now, the crowds aren’t all that bad. I remember Christmas shopping in Minneapolis one year. More specifically, I remember driving around a full Best Buy parking lot waiting for somebody to leave just so I would have a place to park. That was not fun. Anybody on my gift list that year was lucky they didn’t get slush wrapped in a box.

Still, some folk know how to do it. I always like seeing the men sitting in their cars in the parking lot. Obviously, their wives are inside doing the shopping. I assume they are in the car for one of two reasons: either they insist on not coming in, or their wives won’t let them because all they’d do is gripe and complain and knock over display stands the whole time. Either way, that seems to me like the best way to go, and I hope that someday I get to be one of these guys. You can listen to the radio, take a nap, wave to the other unfortunate guys who are heading inside, or read a book. Your only worry is whether your entire retirement fund is being spent while you sit in your car or not. Still, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff.

Despite saying all of this, Christmas is the time for giving, and I’m trying my best this year to go the extra mile. I think my multiple viewings of It’s A Wonderful Life have made me a bit sentimental, but you need to embrace the season, I guess.

And for anybody out there on my list, I hope you like slush.

Padded Room, Here I Come!

I did something dumb the other day. But luckily, it was dumb in a funny sort of way.

I had just returned home and was approaching my front door. I had my hands full with groceries and was fumbling with my keys. Suddenly, I realized that I was doing something that didn’t seem quite right. Puzzled, I stopped and looked down. That’s when I realized what it was: I had pressed the ‘unlock’ button on my car keyless entry, after I had aimed it at my front door.

Needless to say, the door didn’t open. (If it had, it would have been awesome.)

After that, I stood there in the hallway and laughed out loud. I suppose I should have been scared that I had attempted this, as a guy shouldn’t be losing his mind and trying things like this until he’s in his mid-sixties. Still, what was I to do? It was funny.

So, with this in mind, don’t be surprised if I start to exhibit weirder that usual behavior around you. For example, if I point a TV remote at you, I may just be hitting the ‘mute’ button, or perhaps ‘fast-forward.’ And, if anything like this does happen, please be polite about it and don’t make a scene. Just chalk it up to the whole ‘going crazy’ thing. Thank you in advance.

Still, I’m not too worried. Since then, everything has been fine.

Hey, there’s a delete button on this keyboard! I bet I could use it on some people that I know!