I gotta talk about The New Pornographers

  Ok, it's been a minute.  It's always is with this thing, and with most other things in my life but let me rant about The New Pornographers for a bit.  

  Ruby and I went to go see The New Pornographers last Saturday night at the White Oak Music Hall.  It's a show that Ruby is sure NOT to skip.  The few times they book a show in Houston, she is sure to purchase tickets, without letting me know if she so chooses.  She doesn't have to as I love them as well.  The show was no disappointment at all either.  They bring it every night, that, I am sure of.  Also, I will say that going to a show these days that does not allow pictures or video recording at all was actually pretty damn nice.  There was a moment or two that my mind wished I could have gotten a picture of the band, but I didn't want to get kicked out of the show.  The White Oak Staff was all over it and jumped on a few folk with the quickness.  Good on them.  

  I don't remember how I got into The New Pornographers.  I do know it was "The Laws Have Changed," that hooked me.  I think that was their first big hit. I remember the video, but I doubt that MTV had anything to do with it.  How did one discover music in 2003?  I am not sure.  I did used to have an actuall magazine subscription to NME that featured indie artist that also included an actual, physical CD that had a mix of the bands featured in that month's issue.  Can you dig that?  Maybe the were featured in there?  In any event, I found them some how and purchase Electric Version in the year it was released.  Smart move.

  

  Not to take away from the rest of the musicians in the band at all, but Neko Case was the stand out.  The vocals just stick out so much.  I guess that the song writing is the thing that helps bring that out and just absolutely hook you in.  I think that I really have enjoyed every album that they have put out.  A solid catalog from top to bottom.  

  In 2005 we were lucky enough of to catch them while on a vacation trip to San Francisco at an awesome venue called Bimbo's 365.  If we were every going out of town, I would always scan to if we could potentially catch a show from a band we like if we could.  That was probably one of the smartest things I did that year.  I think Twin Cinema had just come out so I hadn't heard anything off of it yet, but we went and I bought the cd at the show.  I was also lucky that in 2005, Hotel Rooms sometimes had alarm clocks that had CD players in them.  The venue was like a 1940's ballroom.  It was fucking classy as shit.  It had giant as Chandelier and they, as a venue, also did not allow any photography at all.  As an added bonus, Destroyer opened the show and Dan Bejar also joined The New Pornographers as and played two sets that night.  I didn't know him at the time, but also became a fan that night.  

  During the Houston set, they ended with "The Bleeding Heart Show."  That might be a perfect song for them to end any one of their shows.  There was a moment during that particular song that I am not sure that I have ever felt at a live show.  I might have, but I don't recall off the top of my head.  During the Coda of the song (I am not sure if that is what it is called - AROUND THE 2:40 MARK IN THE SONG), I got fucking chills.  I mean straight up Goose Bumps.  It was an absolute amazing feeling, that just hit me.  I am not sure why.  I mean the song is amazing, but to actually get god damn Goose Bumps!?!?  Incredible.  Maybe it is because I am getting older, I was just in the moment and all these feelings hit me?  I am not sure, but it was like a runners high.  Exhilarating.  It was a great night to a great, professional, awesome sounding show.  I am glad that I felt the way I did and went to the show.  I could go on and on and I sure, but I will end it there.  I just wanted to make sure that I recorded this feeling down some how and glad that I did.  

  

  

Keeping It Going.....

 You know, I always have a bunch of things that I want to do.  Not necessarily goals, but you could say that.  When I actually get some things going, I find that I can't seem to stay consistent on one of them, something always seems to get left behind.  It's like I can't juggle doing more than two or three things for any amount of time.  I don't quite know why that is...duh, or else I woulds be doing them.  Running is dominating my time right now.  Not that it is super time consuming, but it does wear me down.  It think it is the getting up at 05:30 in the morning five times a week.  Not sure if this is the answer to the problem, I can't go to sleep early.  Try 05:30 in the morning, and running.  You might change your tune a little.

 I was doing really well with reading for about two years, but I fell off that horse and hard.  It first started when the post season started for the MLB.  I told the girls that as long as The Astros were in the postseason, normal life will come to a stop, and it did.  Once it ended, very successfully, the holidays were right behind that.  Since then, I can't seem to pick it back up.  I don't know why, I really love to get lost in a great story....I really do.  I am just having a hard time trying to get back to everyday reading.  I will try to schedule it in this week, but it hasn't worked yet.  

  The other thing that lingers around me is playing music.  I can't seem to keep that going either, strange to me in that I do want to.  Ugh, at least I think that I do.  Why is it that I can't seem to stay with it?!?!  I had a good little streak going with playing the bass a little.  At the time, I was hoping to jam with Raymond.  After a few weeks, it just faded.  It is something else that I am going to try add to my routine in the next week, or so.  

  Another thing I am trying to approve on is trying to keep the house clean.  Like I have been really putting in major effort into it.  The only thing that really happens with that is I get stuck in the kitchen.  It takes all of the damn time!!  I am still trying though.  There are other areas that I want to get to, again, something else I am going to effort to squeeze in the daily routine. 

   Spring Break is winding down.  It was fairly uneventful for the kids.  I think they are ok with it though.  Squeezed in one other movie, Memento, which they all liked.  Looking ahead at the calendar, there is just about two months left in the school year.  Shit.  I can be dangerous to look ahead.  Raymond will be done with 11th grade and the Girls will be in the 8th.  Where does the time go?  I don't know, but I do my best to try and make good memories with the kiddos.  I feel as if I have done a pretty good job with that.  Hopefully, they look back at me with happiness.  We need to get more time in with friends and family, the time will fly by and we will all wonder just what the hell happened?  

Mike, This is Your Fault...

Ok Mike, this is for you.  You planted that damn seed in my head.  I am basically doing this for you.  Ha! 

 

Well, let's see...where do I start?  Well, I have been on a successful streak on running.  I usually get up at 05:30 am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.  I started on this nice little streak in the first week of January with the intentions of weight loss, but things changed for me a little bit.  I followed my safe little "couch to 5K" training schedule that I have always followed and was so excited to get to the week where I finally get to 3 miles because it had been almost exactly two years when it came up.  Things didn't go well.  When I got to the day to run 3 miles, I couldn't do it.  It was a complete failure and such a let down.  I wanted to stop like after my first mile.  I was hurting and had to actually walk just about half of it.  What the hell happened?  What was the point in slowly building up to it and not be able to do it?!?  I think I hit the old wall that people talk about, so I took about a week off.  When I started up again, same thing.  It was very frustrating.  

 I started doing some digging online.  I found a good follow (for me) and I decided to change things up.  One thing I read was that running just three days a week isn't enough if you want to achieve distance goals, which I was starting to focus more on than weight loss.  Five days a week was suggested, but not only that, I had to mix it "easy runs".  Something that isn't strenuous.  So I gave it a shot, and decided to roll back on my distance.  It's working so far.  I feel a lot better.  I am going to take my time and just stay as consistent as I can.  I want to be able to eventually get to 3 miles and do it well.  Just like to master it and feel like a runner.  I think I am well on my way.  

 So now that it is March, I have been running for the majority of three months.  I have heard studies that it may take a season to really form a habit, unlike the two weeks that have be thought of in the past.  I am pretty much there.  I have no intention on stopping.  Let's see how long I can keep this up.

 

 

Moving on....We are over half way through with the kids Spring Break.  Of course Ruby and I had to work but we decided to try to watch a few movies in the evening.  A year or two ago we started having movie nights.  I wrote random movies on little pieces of paper and put them in a mason jar and we pick at random.  We started that again.  We have only watched "Signs" and "Can't Hardly Wait."  I think the kids liked them overall.  Well, I know Raymond enjoyed them.  Zoe and Lylah may be a bit harder to impress.  Lylah liked them, but I can't get a read on Zoe.  I hope they do at least appreciate that we actually do this together.  Hopefully it feels them with some good memories.  It won't always be this way.  I know I try to soak in the moments while we go through them.  

 As I mentioned to you before, I am going through The Cure's discography. It's pretty cool to hear the albums get better as you go on.  The early stuff is good, but they albums get better.  I will try to go through their entire studio albums....I'm currently on album five now?   Let's see...

- Three Imaginary Boys (done)

- Seventeen Seconds (done)

- Faith (done)

- Pornography (done)

- The Top (done)

- The Head on the Door (currently on)

I REALLY liked Faith and Pornography, which I have never really listened to before.  Can't wait to keep on going.  

Alright, I am done for the night.  Gotta hit the bed.  More later this week.