SOS: I need new music!

So, those of you who know me well, know I have a fairly eclectic taste in music.  I will listen to just about anything, and like almost everything from classical to jazz to funk and pop.  The only types of music that really don't push my buttons are rap, hip-hop and a lot of the super-poppy, "boy band" type music.


If you REALLY know me, you know that my CD player has held the latest from TRAIN for the better part of the last three years.  I'm not embarrassed to say, I freakin' love them and their music, and I'm perfectly happy to listen to nothing but Train and have them as the soundtrack to my life.  If I happen to listen to anything else, it's usually country or 80's - early 90's.

However, it occurs to me that there has been some good music (other than Train... *gasp*) to come out in the last decade, and I've largely overlooked it due several factors:

* Kids.  When you have kids, you tend to listen to "kid music".  And since I refuse to subject my own ears to anything with Barney or The Wiggles on it, my "kid music" collection consists largely of They Might Be Giants, Laurie Berkner, various Disney soundtracks and a smattering of other non-annoying, kid-friendly albums.

* Nostalgia.  Country music, specifically older country: George Strait, Alabama, Willie Nelson, The Eagles, Kenny Rogers, etc.  All remind me of a simpler time when I was a kid, and my family was a family.  I remember starlit nights out on the deck of my grandparents' lake house, with my uncles pickin' and singin'... or sitting up in my room with the radio on, playing Barbies and dreaming of the future.  


The 80's - early 90's music is nostalgic too, but for a different time.  Def Leppard, old-school Bon Jovi (specifically the New Jersey album), NKOTB, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany all remind me of junior high dances, which, despite the fact that I rarely got asked to dance by anyone still hold fond memories.  Anything "grunge" - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins... all take me back to high school and a time when a whole new genre of music was born.  That was pretty cool.

* Train.  That's it.  The previously aforementioned band with whom I've had a mild to moderate obsession since Meet Virginia hit the airwaves back in 1999.  It's fair to say the release of Save Me San Francisco pushed me over the edge from fan to superfan with one listen.  It's simply awesome, and if you've never heard the album, you need to.  If I had the means, I would follow their tour around a significant portion of the country, because they are fantastic live, and lead singer Pat Monahan isn't too shabby to look at for a couple of hours either.  


Now, I had a point in starting this post.... what was it???


OH YEAH!  New music.  I don't really know much about what's out there.  I hear what's most popular of course, because the rare times I do switch it to the radio in my car, they play those same 10-15 "hot right now" songs over and over.  Boring.  Says the girl who has already listened to California 37 well over 100 times in its entirety.  Yes, I get the irony... moving on.  


Now, I'm not completely clueless about today's music, and I am aware that there are other artists out there... some of my other current favorites are Jason Mraz, Colbie Calliat, Cowboy Mouth and Gavin DeGraw.  You just don't hear much of them on mainstream radio simply because they don't fall into that little box of big-hit money makers that radio stations play until we are all sick of them.


The ultimate purpose of this post was and is to seek the help of my friends, the majority of whom I know have fabulous taste.  So I'm asking YOU: what are you listening to?  Who should I be listening to?  Help me branch out a little, and broaden my musical horizons!  I've got a $3 Amazon MP3 credit (thanks to my friend Laura at Wheel N Deal Mama) and I want to know what I should spend it on!  Help me out here folks, and turn me on to some new music that I might not otherwise know anything about.  Leave me a comment here, and share your favorite artists / albums / songs with me!

Mid-Year Resolution

I don't make New Year's resolutions.  I feel like they set me up for failure, and that's not the way to start off a new year, is it?

But there are things I want to accomplish by the end of 2012, and since they say it helps to put them in writing, here goes: my MID-year resolutions (in no particular order).

1.  Be Positive.  There is so much negativity in the world right now, and sometimes it feels downright hopeless.  In the long run though, I can't do anything about anyone else but me, so for my own piece of mind, I will be positive.  I will look for the bright side of things, and remember that it could always be worse.

2.  Get Organized.  Yeah, I know, you've heard that one before.  But I'm doing it.  Slowly but surely, it's happening.  If it wasn't for the fact that I would be mortified to show anyone what it looks like right now, there would be before and after photos, but that's not gonna happen.  Probably.  That is to say, yes, I do have some before photos, but that doesn't mean I'm going to post them.  Doesn't mean I won't change my mind once it's all done and looking fabulous either, but for now, NOPE.

3.  Get Healthier.  I'm fortunate.  I'm pretty healthy, despite all the things I have done, and still do to sabotage myself.  My cholesterol is good, my triglycerides are fine, and except for the ongoing weight (lifestyle + thyroid) I'm doing ok.  I can do better.  A lot better.

4.  Prioritize.  This one is a challenge for me.  I tend to suffer from what I like to call "butterfly chaser syndrome".  Which simply means, I'm easily distracted.  When I clean, I'll pick up something that needs to go to the bedroom, and rather than return to the task at hand, I'll see something that needs doing in there, and start that, which leads to another room, then another... you get the idea.  Which leaves a whole house full of partially done chores.  Then the holes get filled, and I get overwhelmed and choose to ignore it until I just can't any more.

5.  Be Present.  Also a challenge for someone who has spent much of life either looking forward or back.  No more "what-ifs".  The past is the past; it cannot be changed.  The future hasn't happened yet, and ultimately depends on what you do in the PRESENT.  I look around, and I can hardly believe that my children are so grown now.  It's hard to grasp that it's July already!  Where did the last six months go??  Before I know it, these kids will be in high school, and I want to make sure we have a great relationship by the time they are.  And that means being present now.

So, there you have it.  Naturally, this isn't a complete list, but those are my top five.  I'm also not resolving to keep up with this blog any more, because it feels trite.  I like knowing it's here.  I don't know if anyone reads it except me, but hey, if not that's ok.  It's something I want to keep up with, and maybe that goes hand in hand with number four up there... making it a priority.  We shall see.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~ Steve Jobs

Blowing the dust off.... again.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions... well, I don't really believe in hell, except for the one we make for ourselves here on earth.  So, with that in mind, I'm pretty confident that my immortal soul is not in any real danger here.  

I had good intentions of keeping up with this blog on a regular basis, but as they say, life got in the way.  And it probably will again, but that doesn't mean I don't have things to say.  I've got ideas brewing, and I've even jotted a few of them down!

One of my biggest issues (aside from time and procrastination) is memory.  My mind seems to be clearest at the most inconvenient times.  Namely, when I'm driving, showering, or just waking up.  In fact, I have composed some of the most clever blogs, and well-written and thought out letters in my mind in those crystal clear moments just as I'm regaining consciousness first thing in the morning.  Unfortunately, once I fully wake, and my feet hit the floor, life gets in the way.  I have to actually start my day, and all those clever quips, poignant thoughts and reveries quickly disappear.  

I'm working on ways to keep from losing those moments, and will hopefully be able to carve out a few minutes (maybe even 30!) every week or two to commit to keeping up with this blog.  

There are lots of things I want to write about, but I probably never will.  For many reasons: they're private, and I don't want my personal life splashed all over the internet.  Fear of confrontation... there's a reason I never took debate in high school, or went on to law school; I don't like to argue, even when I'm pretty sure I'm right.  Fear of not being "liked"... granted, this particular fear dissipates with each year; as I grow older, I'm less and less concerned over whether or not you "like" me.  Finally, there are some things that I just won't post about, not because I don't care, or because I don't get riled up about them, but I really don't want to have THAT kind of blog.  There are plenty of those out there, and I'd rather this one stay fairly light-hearted, and more about my life and my thoughts on life, rather than stirring up controversy.

In the meantime, while I gather my thoughts (and try to keep them in my head!) and decide what to write about next, I'm going to go take care of some business around here.  Happy Sunday!