Do you still taste the way you seem?

Mmm...new music. Dunno where it came from, but I just wanted something new to listen to in the car. I went on a trip with the last mix I made, so I burned out on it pretty quickly. I went in a different direction this time. A little more dance/electronic this time around, with a heaping of alternative and a smidge of rock. I think I'll enjoy it in the car for a while to come.

Aside from music, I've been a big lump of nothing exciting. Since getting back from Rolla, I've just been fighting a sickness. I went to the doc twice, but all she could tell me was, I have a virus. Yeah, thanks. I think my five minute google of symptoms told me more. At any rate, I managed to get four days off in a row, so I spent it sleeping and pretty much nothing else. It helped quite a bit. Also, last weekend, we celebrated my roommates bachelorette party. It ended up being a pretty good time. We were on a party bus and if you were in the KC area and happened to see a large black school bus driving by with a bunch of girls yelling out of the windows...that was my party!

My first DJing assignment went pretty well. Heather's sister asked if I could do the music for the bus and I said I would, but truth be told, I usually only make playlists for myself. But I combed through my music selections and came up with a pretty lengthy list of songs I thought would work for the night. One small problem though, I forgot to sync it to my iPod. I could have kicked myself. So...I just put on the first party-type song I ran across, then hastily made a new playlist on the fly. I got a lot of compliments for it, so I guess the night was a success, music-wise. Next up, the wedding. This task seems much more daunting, since the music selection is a lot more restricted. I'll have to do my research on this later. :)

Anyway, I don't really have much else to say. Just sitting here in the dark watching Fringe until I have to get ready for work. Until next time...enjoy the new mix.

Playlist: Just Like You Dreamed

1. Sex Bomb - Spinnerette
2. American Trash - Innerpartysystem
3. Animal Attraction - She Wants Revenge
4. Sirius - Mimosa
5. New York City Speed - Kill Hannah
6. Newborn - Depeche Mode
7. Goodnight, Goodbye - Kill Hannah
8. Hot Like Sauce - Pretty Lights
9. Let Go - Breathe Electric
10. Die Tonight Live Forever - Innerpartysystem
11. Born To Quit - The Used
12. Loud Pipes - Ratatat
13. Questions For An Ex-Lover - Love Is a Story
14. The Street The Sound - Flight 409
15. Racing Lights - Stars of Track and Field

Enjoy!

Relax your mind and be still

Editor's note: There is humor later on in this post. Do not be deterred by my whining!

This, for all intents and purposes, will be a blog about how this has been a shitty week. No, really, it has. Sleep deprived, underfed, overworked, sick, poor...you get the point. And I feel that the direct and root cause for it being such a shitty week is because I just don't care. I don't know what it is, but lately I either feel angry at everything or, if I manage to cool myself off, I am just completely indifferent. I know it's just a phase, because really...there's absolutely nothing to feel angry or indifferent about...I just feel it anyway. I think there's some irony in feeling indifferent; seeing as there should be a distinct lack of feeling there. Hence my theory as to this mood shift just being a phase. Once Spring explodes into rainbows and flowers and cuddly cute baby animals, I shall feel better about the state of my life and the world in general (you know...barring anymore horrific natural and/or man made disasters and/or wars). But OTHER than that...this is totally just a phase.

I thought getting out of town would really help ease whatever tension it is that I'm creating for myself...but I think it just made things worse. I did enjoy my trip, but it just added to my recurring problem of being overworked, sleep deprived, underfed, etc. So now really, I just need a staycation instead. A few days at home to do nothing but relax and be lazy. I can dream, can't I? To quote a wise, wise man...

"Dream it you fucking dreamers." - Dane Cook

You know, really...I'll just be very, very happy when this wedding and baby business is finally over. When the reality sets in that there is a new baby in the family, I think all the focus of my current life will rest in that area and I can be content to not think/plan beyond that for now. And this wedding stress...it has absolutely convinced me that I will never plan a wedding. Ever. So, friends out there, if you ever get a cryptic invite to come hang for a weekend at some resort or some such, be warned, this will be my wedding. You will wear tees and flip flops and drink and party into the wee hours of the morning and YOU WILL LIKE IT.

Ahem...so, yes, where was I? Oh, yes! Stress. Bushels of it. And not even my own. Jeeeeeez, hire a wedding planner next time (please GOD let there never be a next time...)

Wow, off track, off base, off...everything. Ready for a heaping dose of whatever sedative a mental specialist deems fit to give me and doze of to a dreamland of wonder and beauty. Also, I'm out. Night!

Songs to consider:

American Trash - Innerpartysystem
Change (In The House of Flies) - Deftones
Crazy - Patsy Cline

You can be your own spotlight

For a while there, I was becoming concerned with my utter lack of finding any new music I wanted on iTunes. Turns out, I just needed a little inspiration. I started the newest set of songs a few days ago, but finally finished it today. It's an interesting mix, with no real correlation between the songs. But it's got some decent rock music on there, and I think I needed to finally get some good new (to me) rock to enjoy at a loud volume whilst driving down the highway. It helps wake me up for work and alternately, it helps me loosen up after work. Which...let's face it, I need just about every day. Another plus is that I'll have plenty of new music to listen to on my way to and from Rolla next weekend. So many pluses, so few (meaning none) drawbacks! Anyway, I should be sleeping in preparation of waking up early (at 4 pm) to get ready for the roomie's wedding shower. Should be fun. :)

Title: Anthropophagy

1. Carry On - Valencia
2. Happiness - Dance Gavin Dance
3. The General Public - The Morning after Girls
4. New Low - Middle Class Rut
5. All of the Lights - Kanye West feat. Rihanna
6. Hopeless Romantic - Late Night Habit
7. Shake Me Down - Cage The Elephant
8. Love-Hate-Sex-Pain - Godsmack
9. What Happened To Emotion? (Killing Me) - Forever The Sickest Kids
10. Say You'll Haunt Me - Stone Sour
11. Like I Do - Envy On The Coast
12. Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia) - Patrick Stump
13. Kick In The Teeth - Papa Roach
14. All The Lovers - Trace The Skyline
15. The Crow & The Butterfly - Shinedown
16. Dragonfly - Shaman's Harvest
17. Just In Time - There For Tomorrow
18. E.T. - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West
19. American Landslide - Eye Alaska
20. End Of Me - Apocalyptica feat. Gavin Rossdale

Bonus track: Machine Gun Blues - Social Distortion

Double points to anyone who knows what the title means without googling it. :)

On a related note, I bought Patrick Stump's EP Truant Wave feeling excited that the bulk of the music would be similar to Spotlight, which he'd released already. Sad to say, I was a bit disappointed. I really just don't like any of the other songs all that much. I truly hope his debut album has a better sound overall. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to say that even though I'm sure he's a good lyricist, the music that he makes to go with those words just don't feel like Patrick Stump. We shall see.

Off to bed I go!

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a cloud
A host of dancing Daffodils;
Along the Lake, beneath the trees,
Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them dance; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:-
A Poet could not but be gay
In suck a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils.

---William Wordsworth

How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes

It feels like these last few weeks have just flown by. I haven't even done anything. 2011 is going to fly by faster than 2010 did. But there's a lot of uncertainty hanging in the air starting in June, so maybe things will slow down a bit around then. As for now though, I'm just along for the ride; holding on to whatever it is that keeps me going. I watch a lot of Criminal Minds, and in turn, I have a lot of dreams associated with the show or it's content. Which can be scary or troublesome at times, but overall, isn't so bad. Better than being bored.

I'm looking forward to Spring. We've had a few nice days since my last post, but it's definitely still too cold and gross out to enjoy any fresh air. I feel like a recluse; holed up in my apartment sleeping and watching TV all day. I only leave under cover of darkness. I wonder if any of my neighbors even know I work all night. I feel like they think I'm either coming back home from sleeping elsewhere or I was out partying all night when I see them in the mornings. Both sound more fun than the truth. Reminds me of being an RA and staying out all night when I should have been home with my residents. Weird. I'm used to living alone now, but I'll have a stressed out roommate soon enough. Supposedly in a week or so, but who really knows when she'll get around to moving back in on a more permanent basis. I'm not even sure I'll see her any more often than I do now. We shall see.

This last weekend I was visited by the sickness from hell. I think after my day (night) of misery was all said and done, I had the cleanest plumbing of anyone I know (I mean that both literally and as a metaphor for my intestinal tract). It was awful. I hate being sick, and this was pretty intense. But at least it was over and done with after a day. I'm still getting a little icky now and again, but for the most part, I'm just tired. I even called in to work Saturday night. I alternated between laying on the couch in a semi-fetal position and curled up on the bathroom floor. Then I made myself sleep more, but I woke up with the worst headache (think massive hangover). It would literally get better with every swallow of Powerade. Not cool.

Anyway, nothing really to note about life for now. I'm just cruising along like I said. I've got a trip to Rolla planned for March and some days off for Heather's bachelorette party and for the wedding, too. Should make April arrive in next to no time. By then, I'll be an aunt, I'll potentially have a new roomie and I'll be much closer to 25. All interesting changes in my life to look forward to! That's it for now. We shall see what's happened by the next time I come back. :)

Songs to consider:

Awake My Soul (Mumford and Sons)
Super Bass (Nicki Minaj)

Is this a natural feeling...

Or is it just me bleeding all my thoughts and dreams?

Ringing in February with the (officially) worst snow storm I have ever lived through may sound like an interesting start to anyone's day. But, let me tell ya, being holed up inside with just a cat for company can make a person go a little crazy. And you know it's all psychological too. I mean, how many days do I spend sitting on my couch in my apartment a week? At least two. But the idea of not being able to leave is the driving force in my renewed desire to leave. Hell, it's even too cold to go play in the snow (as if I actually desired to do so). No...snow is no longer a likable thing for me. Could have something to do with ending up backwards in a median last week...but then again, maybe not.

I have (somewhat) recovered from my trip to Albuquerque to visit my friend Joe. Despite ending up in the ditch the night before I left and getting absolutely no sleep before my flight out, the trip was nice and smooth. I love zero minute waits for ticketing and security checkpoints. I was beyond tired and not having my nerves frayed further by travel was a definite plus. I flew into Denver and had just about enough time to zip up to the Caribou Coffee and get a delicious and tasty frozen coffee before hopping on my connecting flight to ABQ. I was literally passed out before we took off from Denver and, although vaguely aware that I was flying, did not wake up until we landed. It was a short flight...and it was a plane, so the sleep wasn't great, but I definitely needed to power down for a little while. Got to ABQ early and subsequently had to wait for Joe to leave his apartment and pick me up. I looked like death, but managed to keep upright til Joe arrived. First stop was the grocery store. I told him that I would need cereal and milk since he isn't a breakfast person, nor does he drink milk. I was so hungry that I also bought a York peppermint patty and snarfed it down before we even made it out to the car.

Upon arrival at the (gated and oh-so-fancy) apartment complex, I was given the "10 cent tour," offered a choice between a twin or a queen sized air mattress and then promptly sat down with a large bowl of cereal to catch up on Big Bang Theory and Bones. I was too tired to follow Bones all the way though, but I managed to chat with Joe til after midnight, then went to pass out. Unfortunately, Joe did not have a spare blanket and contrary to popular belief, it is actually cold in ABQ this time of year. Not as cold as KC, but still...I froze. I didn't sleep all that well because of the cold factor, but we made a point to stop at the local Target and purchase a nice warm blanket for the rest of my visit.

Friday,we got up and got ready then went and visited the Nuclear Science and History Museum. The science nerd in me was completely satisfied and pictures of that adventure can be found on Facebook. We then had sushi for lunch (which counts as my first real sushi meal) and it was delicious. How we managed to eat 5 rolls between us is beyond me. After that, we ran errands (liquor store, Whole Foods, etc.) before heading up to Sandia Peak for the cable car ride up the mountain. All I can say is, wow. It was so pretty, even in the dead of winter. The temp dropped significantly, but that didn't stop us from doing a bit of exploring on the snow covered trails before watching the sunset from the lookout. Very pretty. We booked it out there pretty fast after the sun went down cause it was way too cold. Got home and made homemade mac and cheese with about $25 worth of cheese, rice noodles and amaranth flour. It was delicious despite the finicky noodles. We ate, drank...and watched TV. I fell asleep briefly in front of the fire place, but managed to stay awake til midnight or so again. Something about that place makes me sleepy. Must have been the thinner air...

Saturday started a little later, with New Mexican food (tasty) for lunch, before we headed out to Petroglyph National Monument. It's basically a big park full of volcanic rocks that a bunch of glyphs were carved into a long time ago. Pretty neat, if you ask me. Took all the obligatory touristy pics and enjoyed the nice obstacle course up to the top of the Mesa and then back down .We had fun making up meanings for the pictures and naming the ones that looked like people. After that, we headed back home for the afternoon. I was tired and Joe was hurting (he ran a half-marathon the week before) and we spent the afternoon preparing a duck for dinner. It was a little undercooked, but still quite delicious. And duck is a hard bird to cook. I definitely fell asleep again watching TV, then made it back to bed a little earlier that night. So, so tired all the time there!

Sunday was a lazy day. We made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies that turned out awesome and just sat around and watched football for most of the day. We ate Chinese for dinner and went to sleep early since my flight out Monday morning was at 6. Got up and showered at 4, made it to the airport a little after five. Joe, who isn't a hugger, did manage a one-armed, two pats on the back half-hug before bolting into his car. It was a little frigid, so I don't blame him. I had just about enough time to grab a drink and some M&M's before taking off toward Salt Lake City. Flying over snow covered mountains is a lot of fun. I took some pics coming in over the Great Salt Lake, but otherwise, just stuck to reading and listening to my iPod. When I got to the airport, the first thing I saw was a HUGE group of Mormon missionaries waiting for a flight out. I totally thought seeing them everywhere in Utah was a myth!

Anyway...I waited out my two and a half hour layover wandering about the airport before I finally got boarded. Both flights home were regional jets, so my luggage had to be valeted. I didn't mind though. Less for me to put up with. I did however, get stuck sitting next to a VERY large woman. I mean, she had to actually ask for a seatbelt extender to be properly buckled in. She apologized for taking up more space, but was very gracious about it and tried her best not to overflow too much. I felt a little closed in, but otherwise, the flight wasn't too bad. I finally finished How To Defeat Your Own Clone too. It was hilarious, yet informative. If those authors ever write anything else, I'm all over it. Got back home, ate some (cheap, yet tasty) sushi with my mom and finally got back to my apartment. I was tired, but too afraid to fall asleep in case I slept through my alarm. So instead, I worked on no sleep and was up 30 hours before I finally got to sleep. I had three days off though, so it worked out. This last week has just been work and laziness and a lot of talk about this storm we got. I was half-expecting nothing to happen with all the talk going on. My store was crazy busy, but that just makes my shifts go faster, so I didn't mind too much.

Today though, I called into work. I didn't particularly want to, but with the roads being closed left and right, my mother's command that I not leave the house and the likelihood that the store would be dead (if not closed), made me feel not as guilty. I'm glad the snow has stopped falling, but I'd rather not have the bitterly cold temps right after. At least now I'm off til Friday, so I can stay in and stay warm. I've been watching Burn Notice and I just started watching the first season of Haven, so I have plenty to keep me occupied.

And to leave off from this incredibly long post, I will give you another playlist I made recently. It's not quite the same caliber as my last one, but it was made under extreme exhaustion with a desire to have new music. Hope you enjoy a song or two. :)

Playlist: Nine Days Past Normal

1. With You (Underwhelmed)
2. Vanished (Crystal Castles)
3. Missing You (Overscene)
4. Creator (Santigold vs. Switch and FreQ Nasty)
5. The Garden (Mirah)
6. Cross My Heart (Marianas Trench)
7. Both Sides Of The Story (We Are The In Crowd)
8. G-Get Up And Dance! (Faber Drive)
9. For The Nights I Can't Remember (Hedley)
10. Anywhere But Here (SafetySuit)
11. Stutter (Maroon 5)
12. Love Drunk (Boys Like Girls)
13. Save You (Simple Plan)
14. Dog Days Are Over (Florence + The Machine)

You can get a sense of something lost from this playlist. It's a little more subdued (for the most part) than the last one. It wasn't on purpose, but I mean, I just go with what feels right and that's how I get to the end. I started this list with Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit. It took me considerably longer to get all these songs, but I think it turned out to be pretty cohesive, even with the genre differences (a few rock songs, an electronic song and a mashing of alternative and pop in between). Enjoy!

Turn up the volume, blow up the speakers

EDITED 02.02 - Added a song and the official playlist title. :)

Mmm, I love new (to me) music. Sometimes, I just go into iTunes and pick a song I like and build up a brand new playlist of songs through Genius that I (mostly) haven't heard before. What comes from that is something I can listen to for weeks with increasing enjoyableness with every cycle through the list. So I'm excited to travel with this music here in a few days when I'm stuck on a plane/in the airport on my way to (and from) Albuquerque.

Now, most of the titles suggest a theme, but it was totally accidental. Still fun, but a completely innocent happening. Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something...

Enjoy!

As yet to be titled playlist: Five Days In Paris

1. Alibis (Marianas Trench)
2. Hypertronic Superstar (The New Cities)*
3. One Night Stand (Exit This Side)
4. Your Man (Down With Webster)
5. You And I Tonight (Faber Drive)
6. We'll Be Alright (Travie McCoy)
7. We Are Young (3OH!3)
8. You Look Better When I'm Drunk (The White Tie Affair)
9. Tell Me (No Love Lost)
10. Secrets (OneRepublic)
11. Catch Me If You Can (Burnham)
12. Here With You (Allstar Weekend)
13. Last Night (Good Charlotte)
14. My Body (Young The Giant)
15. Suicide Sunday (The Friday Night Boys)*

* These songs do not fit in with the title theme that the other ones otherwise imply. Not unless the hypothetical situation one could draw from the theme was set in space and ended really badly. So...not really. :)

And yes, I know this playlist makes me look like a 12-year-old girl (except for the overlying theme), but I sometimes need a pop-y playlist for my cold and dark drive to work. It keeps things looking a little...brighter? Besides, I tend to alternate listening to playlists like this with hard rock and/or indie rock. So sue me!

Now about that nap I should be taking...