Put Your Records On 07.14

I remember flipping through the channels in the wee hours of the morning about 8 years ago and a video catching my eye. It was more the music than the song than the video, actually. The band was Muse and the song was titled Muscle Museum (the title is as esoteric as the song, derived using the word listed immediately before and after MUSE in the dictionary) and I was compelled to rush out the following day to snap up a copy of their album, Showbiz. There were several other great tracks on there and I was eager for their follow up.

Unfortunately, I didn't really keep up with them as well as I should have. It probably had something to do w/ delving more into dance/pop music. Fortunately, I rented a movie called High Tension and one of their songs, New Born, was featured. Their style is very distinctive, as I instantly knew it was them despite not knowing for sure and not having heard their music in years. Actually, I take that back. Their style is usually distinctive. With their latest single, Starlight, I didn't immediately recognize it as being performed by them. From what I've heard of their music (which admittedly isn't too much - only a song here and there), this does appear to be their most accessible track, as it's more upbeat (maybe not lyrically) than most of their other efforts.

Give it a listen to, and, if you like it, you can buy the album, Black Holes & Revelations on iTunes:



Artist: Muse
Album: Black Holes & Revelations
Track: Starlight

<br /><bgsound src="http://www.hddweb.com/65155/Starlight.m4a"><br />

Bad Weather

It may be storming here, but that's not the bad weather I'm referring to. I've seen some warning signs w/ N, so I'm going to distance myself a little. Making the same mistakes I made in a previous relationship is no longer an option for me. Oh well. If at first you don't succeed...

Get Tested

This morning I got tested and, thankfully, the results were negative. If you haven't gotten tested before or in a while, then go here to find a location near you. You have no excuses now.

Lovesong

It seems like most of the top 10 on American Idol were a little tired from performing so well last week. Or maybe it had more to do w/ Gwen Stefani (obviously only on the show in an attempt to boost sales of her underperforming album The Sweet Escape) coaching them this week.

My Blake didn’t seem to have any energy (he looks worn out), and his performance was hurt. I feel he could have done so much more with this song. Granted, the finalists are on a very hectic schedule that they are not used to. They aren’t just choosing their song, preparing the arrangements and practicing. They also have to shoot commercials, do promos, record studio versions of the songs they are performing and god knows what else. However, that really isn’t an excuse. While I can give them some slack since they have probably never been so busy in their life, one should know by now (come on, it’s season six!) what they are getting themselves into. They are their product, so they should be at the top of their game each time they perform. Maybe I’m being too tough, but I figure they really should be working extremely hard for the record deal they get if they win.

If you missed it, here's Blake performing Lovesong

And WTF is up w/ Sanjaya’s hair? That atrocity alone should get him voted off.

Yummy

I had a soy dulce de leche latte at Starbucks today. I highly recommend it.

Put Your Records On 07.13

Robyn self-released her self-titled album back in 2005 to critical praise; however, it was never released in either the UK or US. The UK is lucky, as the album is set to be released there next month. The album is essentially the same w/ the exception of two tracks that were reworked: Robotboy and Bum Like You. These two tracks just happened to be my favourite songs off the album, so I couldn’t wait to hear the new versions. I wasn’t thrilled w/ the new Bum…, but I’m pleasantly surprised w/ Robotboy. When all is said and done, the only real difference is that the beats are more emphasized. This gives it a little more of an edge. Give it a listen to…

Artist: Robyn
Album: Robyn
Track: Robotboy

<br /><bgsound src="http://www.hddweb.com/65155/Robotboy.m4a"><br />

Rock-afire Explosion!

I couldn’t sleep last night, so I was up surfing the net. For an unknown reason, Showbiz Pizza came to mind. For those that are not familiar, this is an 80’s restaurant chain that served pizza, had an array of video games and an animatronic stage show. You may be thinking this sounds an awful like Chuck E. Cheese, and you’d be right. Back in the day, the companies were rivals. However, Showbiz Pizza swept in and purchased Chuck E. Cheese when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. While both Showbiz and Chuck E. Cheese were still operated as separate entities for a time, they would eventually merge after disagreements between the two owners of the company (Brock Hotel Corp. and Creative Engineering, Inc.). The characters that I have fond memories of (known as The Rock-afire Explosion) have since been retired (since they were owned by Creative Engineering), being replaced by the lame Chuck E. Cheese characters.

The band, The Rock-afire Explosion, consisted of several characters: Billy Bob Brockali (the company mascot – a country bear that played the “guitar”), Looney Bird (Billy’s comedic sidekick), Fatz Geronimo (a gorilla that played keyboard), Mitzi Mozzerela (a female mouse that didn’t play an instrument but would occasionally sing and inexplicably wore a cheerleader outfit), Dook Larue (a dog that played the drums…although he was apparently just doing this until he could become a space dog, hence the outfit) and Beach Bear (another guitar wielding bear, but this one was a surfer).

While I did love the characters, I always remembered being a little freaked out by them…especially Mitzi Mozzerela. Despite that, I have fond memories of Showbiz Pizza. They may no longer exist, but at least I can still reminisce whenever I want thanks to YouTube.

To My Fellow Bloggers

I haven't really allowed myself time to stay up to date or even visit any blogs. I try to avoid them while at work because I never know what the content will be. I also was in a funk for a little while after Zadie's passing, but now that I'm dating N and have been working out religiously I'm feeling a lot better. I plan on catching up on your blogs over the weekend. I should have enough down time between the gym/work-out and quality time w/ N.

Take care and TGIF

Who's Your Daddy?

My Blakey stepped it up a few notches from last week's lackluster performance and proved he's the one to beat...as far as the men go. Maybe it's just cause I'm sweet on him, but I think he did extremely well tonight. The song was well suited for him and he definitely made it contemporary.

I don't think I'm the only one who has a little crush on Blakey. Has anyone else noticed Ryan Seacrest gets a little touchy-feely around him? Hmmm...

Anyway, if you missed it or just want to watch it again, here's video of his performance:

Bless Her Heart

After my work out, I stopped by CVS to pick up more of my addiction - Vitamin Water Fruit Punch. The sweetest lady was working the register. She reminded me of one of the muppets, except w/ dark hair and very red lipstick. And she told every customer as they left:


"Come Back And See Me!! I'm Here All The Time."

Time For The Future

I'm considering going back to school as early as this fall. I spent one year at college back in 98/99. I was majoring in illustration, but lost my passion for art due to multiple circumstances. I've basically had to start over from scratch trying to figure out what it is that I want to do with my life in terms of career, and I feel like I may have just narrowed it down. I've been leaning toward graphic design over the past few days, so I'm going to look into possibly pursuing that. Considering both my roommate and the guy I just started to date (assuming it works out) are both graphic designers, I have people that can further help me along. Now I just need to get my finances in order, find out how much I can get in loans and find someone that I can move in w/ (as my rent is currently at $1000/mo).

Put Your Records On 07.12

It looks as though at least four popular British acts washed up on U.S. soil on Tuesday: Amy Winehouse, Aqualung, James Morrison and The Fratellis. I’ve had Amy’s album since it was released over in the UK, I wasn’t impressed with James’ album overall and I haven’t clicked with a song from Aqualung’s album just yet (I only got it this morning)…so I’m choosing to focus on The Fratellis. I’ve had their first two singles, Chelsea Dagger and Whistle For The Choir, for a little while now, so I decided to get their album. The album is very consistent, so if you like the song I have for you to listen to below, then chances are you will enjoy the rest of the album. I think their style is fun indie pop/rock.

Purchase the album here:


Artist: The Fratellis
Album: Costello Music
Track: Chelsea Dagger

<br /><bgsound src="http://www.hddweb.com/65155/Chelsea_Dagger.m4a"><br />

What I Gotta Do

Working out the past two evenings with N has made me want to get my butt (and the rest of the body) in shape. Well, that and N’s gorgeous body (seriously, if things progress w/ him, I’ve totally lucked out - he’s not only sexy, but he’s generous, caring and sweet), the latter being my biggest motivation. I plan on forcing myself to do some form of exercise every day, whether that is in the form of the gym, running or doing yoga at home. I’ve also been very well behaved in terms of my diet. I’m not on a diet, just trying to make healthier choices. Granted, the past two evenings with N has meant dinner at Taco Cabana (somewhere between Taco Bell and Chipotle) and a local Pizza joint, but I made better decisions than I normally would have.

N is out-of-town for the next week, so I won’t have a work out buddy. It’s gonna be a big test to my commitment to this goal, but I’m determined to not slack off. If I do it long enough, it’ll become routine. Something that will help is that I found out today that my new normal shift is now 7a-4p. I’m always more ready to work out at 5 p.m.ish, as that is the time I used to go at when I would run 3 miles practically every day (which I did for about two-and-a-half years).

How Many Lawyers Does It Take To Order A Starbucks?

I just got back from my daily Starbucks run, and I was surprised by several of my co-workers. Okay, maybe not too surprised. There were six lawyers (they were together, not separate) in line ahead of me attempting to place five drink orders. Instead of having one person with a list or each individual stand by the barista to relay their drink orders, they were all over the place. One person would place their order and then walk off, but nobody else would go up to give their drink order. They had to track two or three of them down when their turns came up. The majority of them weren’t even sure what they wanted. Now these people are obviously very intelligent, but for some reason seem incapable of figuring out how to do something as simple as placing an order.

On a side note, I’m ready for this day to be over with! I have a third date w/ N tonight, and I’m really looking forward to it. He knows that it takes me a little while to come out of my shell, and obviously sees the potential cause it seems like he wants to stick around. I’m getting used to seeing him practically every night, so it’s going to suck when he leaves for a week starting tomorrow.

You Keep Me Hanging On

I was on a very interesting second date w/ N, and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It wasn’t your typical second date, or at least I wouldn’t think of it as being so. I won’t go into details, as that would reveal too much about his life and I’d rather keep his personal life personal. Especially if this turns into something more serious. I will say that he really opened himself up to me, and it meant a lot that he felt comfortable enough to do that. We should be getting together again Wednesday evening. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Surprisingly, the last thing on my mind tonight was Blake Lewis. His performance was lackluster at best, as he really didn't seem to put his all in it this week. Watching the performance only (I haven't seen any commentary made before or after his singing), it just seemed like he had something else on his mind. Maybe it was nerves, I don't know. Having not seen any of the other performances, I hope his was good enough to make it on to the next round. If he's back next week, I hope he kicks it up a notch.

Weekend Recap

Where to start...hmmm...this weekend really didn't play out like I thought it would. I was supposed to have two dates w/ two different guys. One Saturday evening and the other Sunday for brunch. Both dates ended up being cancelled by the other party at the last minute; however, I did end up going on somewhat of a date.

I had plans with N for Saturday at 7 p.m. N is about my age. Physically, he reminds me of the guy I had a crush on all through high school...only much cuter. He's really very sweet and actually thinks I'm hot (nobody's ever told me that, I get cute at the most). I had a strong feeling that it wasn't going to happen, so I wasn't surprised when I received a text message at 6 p.m. that read, "I'm sick." He did call to explain his situation in more detail, and it was something I was very understanding about. I've had to deal w/ someone in a similar situation, so it's not something that would "scare" me off.

My second date was supposed to be Sunday morning. I met L last weekend after 3.5 years of having a crush from afar. He's a little older and Puerto Rican. In my opinion, he's just plain gorgeous. I had asked him to brunch and he never got back to me, so he pulled me aside when he saw me out last night. He said he would love to get together and even insisted we do lunch Sunday at 11 a.m. I was drinking last night, so I said, "sure." I ran into a friend of mine who is going through a rough patch in his life, so I stayed up until 5:30 with him. I didn't get much sleep, but still go up and dressed for brunch. However, like last night, I get a call at the last minute. He had to cancel because he's just not ready to date right now. Assuming he wasn't lying (which I don't think he was), I respect his decision. I just wish I had known earlier so I could have focused on getting the sleep I needed.

Much to my surprise, N actually called me when he got off of work today. He said he wanted to get together for a date, but then text messaged me asking if we could "maybe" just get coffee. This felt like he was trying to get out of it, so I told him he needed to let me know when he's actually able to make time for me. He quickly committed to a time and place, so I decided to give him a shot. I'm really glad that I did. We talked (well, it was mostly him cause I'm so quiet) for about two-and-a-half hours, and I learned a lot about him. I find him to be very interesting (and pretty easy on the eyes). I'm definitely going to be approaching this with extreme caution, but I'm interested in seeing where this may go.

Oh, and to make the night complete, I apparently cut my gum on something prior to our little date. Halfway into the night, he tells me it's been bleeding. Of course, I couldn't get it to stop. And it turns out he's somewhat anal about teeth, so we spent a lot of time discussing my gums. Even though he was very sweet about everything, I was embarassed. haha. Oh, and it stopped as soon as the date was over. Go figure.

Put Your Records On 07.11

I use Last.fm to track the music I play, cause, well, I love lists. While I rarely use any other features beyond checking out what I'm listening to, the other day I happened to go to the page designated for my favourite band of the moment, Of Montreal. They had a list of similar artists along with a picture, and one of them caught my eye cause he looked cute. The picture was too small, so I had to visit his page to get a better view. And yes, he is gorgeous! Even better is that he is a very talented songwriter/singer. He produces quirky, thought-provoking songs that elicit repeat listenings. I'm currently stuck on two songs from his latest, non-holiday themed album (released all the way back in 2005), Illinois (a/k/a - Come On Feel The Illinoise), but that's my normal pattern. I seek out and latch on to one or two tracks and then slowly branch out to the others. I don't tire of an album quite as quickly this way.

So by now you are probably wondering which artist I am referring to. That would be Sufjan Stevens. If you haven't already heard of him, I highly recommend that you check him out.



In the meantime, hit play and give my favourite track a listen to.

Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: Illinois, a/k/a Come On Feel The Illinoise
Track: They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!

Pickle Surprise

Wake Up Alone

Slowly but surely, I'm beginning to recover from the traumatic events of Saturday night. I still miss my baby immensly, especially in the morning. Having her warm little body curled up under the covers next to mine and that adorable little face greeting me. Some people may find it difficult to comprehend how one could be so attached to an animal, and all I can compare it to is losing a family member. In fact, the only way I can really operate is by trying to not think about it. I have to detach myself from it, otherwise, I would still be in bed. Aside from dinner Monday and a failed attempt at going to work Tuesday, I didn't get out of bed until yesterday afternoon.

My friend invited me over to his house and we lounged around the pool downing mimosas. We talked about anything other than Zadie. Then my friend Terrance swooped by and took me to dinner. He has been an amazing friend throughout this ordeal. The night of the incident, he rushed right over and stayed with me until after 1 a.m. I don't think I could ask for a better friend than what he's proven to be.

On a sour note, I am very frustrated with my ex. He is supposed to be my best friend, yet, he wasn't there when I needed him the most. I called him while I was rushing out the door with Zadie slowly dying in my arms, and he told me, "let me finish what I'm doing here and then I'll head over." I don't think so. When your friend is going through something like that, you drop everything that you are doing to help them out. Well, in most circumstances, but he definitely could have rushed over. He also told me that he was going to call me back and has yet to do so. Back in January, he wrote a blog about how he was disappointed in me as a friend. When I confronted him about it later, he told me he had no idea why he was mad at me just that he was. It's my turn to be disappointed in him, and at least I have a reason. A very good one.

All that aside, I'm excited about this weekend. My friend, Jorge, from Houston is in town today. He recently lost his dog to cancer, so it'll be nice to have someone who can relate to what I'm going through. He's also an amazing friend. It's hard to believe that we only met in person about one year ago (we've known each other via MySpace for over 3 years), because we instantly bonded. He's someone that I feel like I've known for most of my life. I'm hoping he is able to stick around through Friday, as we don't get to hang out as often as I'd like to.

I also may have two dates this weekend. One of them started off promising, then quickly faded, but, as of last night is back on course. The other one is one that I'm not spending any time worrying about. I would love to go out w/ this guy since I've had a crush on him for so long, but I just feel like I'll be disappointed if I think it's actually going to happen. If I think it won't, then it'll be a nice surprise if it does.

Assuming I go on a date, it will be my first in over a year-and-a-half. I've actually been on very few dates in my lifetime. I went on one w/ my last boyfriend before we became exclusive, and it had been over three years since before that. So if you have any suggestions on what I should plan to do, let me know! I'm used to being in a relationship, and those "dates" are a little different.

All Mixed Up

Okay, this was not Blake at his best, but he's still so friggin adorable (in my opinion) that I can't help but love it. Watching him put me in a good mood, which is something I really needed. btw, I'm not even going to comment on the introduction video. I don't know what he was thinking.

On another note, I'm trying my best to not think too much about Zadie. I tried going to work today and just couldn't stay. I'm much better when I'm at home or not working for some reason. However, one of the guys from Friday night called me tonight. I honestly thought that he wouldn't, but he surprised me. We are supposed to get together this weekend, but he said, "lets play it by ear." I won't be getting my hopes up, but at least he called. The guy that I thought something might develop w/ hasn't called. You would think that with three guys telling me that they like me, that I would get at least one date. Wishful thinking. It's been a year and a half since my last real date, so it's about time for another one.

The Departed

My little Zadie has passed away. It was an accident on my part, and I don't want to sit here and go all over it again. So, understandably, I think I'm just not gonna be up to posting for a while.

Boys, Boys & More Boys

As you may know, I haven't been on a real date in, oh, a year and a half. And I really only went on one before I was in an exclusive relationship. So a little over a year since that relationship fell apart and a few rendezvous with non-available guys, I am ready to finally get back into the dating scene.

Last weekend I met two guys. I was only able to introduce myself to the one that I really liked, but I did give him my phone number. He never called. I was able to spend a little more time with the other guy. He was probably a little drunk, but he was telling me how much he liked me and all that crap. He was cute enough and I probably would have given him a chance, but he never called like he insisted he was going to (I didn't ask if he would, he just kept telling me he would). I was okay with him not calling, but I was a little disappointed in the first guy.

I joined a friend out on "the strip" (it's where most of the gay bars/clubs are here in Dallas) last night, mostly in hopes of running into the first guy from last weekend. Another friend had told me that I really need to learn to approach people, so I wanted to work on that. We started out at JR's and it was pretty much dead. There were a lot of people, but nobody interesting in the slightest. So we headed over to Round Up. As we made our way around the loop, I locked eyes with a guy. This wasn't just any guy, though. I've had a little crush on him since I first saw him at the gym around 3 and a half years ago. Of course, at that time, I was in a relationship, so a little crush is all it could be. But last night, I took friend's advice and walked up and introduced myself. It went well, I think. As usual, I'm not going to be getting my hopes up.

After we parted ways, I spotted the guy from last week (the one that I wanted to call me) standing by himself. We hugged and he immediately apologized for not calling. He says that when he got home last weekend, he couldn't find the card I had written my number on so he had come out in hopes of running into me. I don't know if I necessarily believe that he came out just to find me, but, if true, it's really sweet. I've never had someone do that before. We spent the rest of the night together and I'm interested.

I've met three guys now, so hopefully at least one date will come of it. lol.

Good Enough

Thankfully, enough voters agreed w/ me so my 'AI' crush Blake Lewis will be back next week. Honestly, while some of the women are extremely talented, the only thing that makes me sit down and watch the show is him. Last night, I only watched long enough to hear that he was still in the game and then went to bed (yeah, I know, it was early, but I was tired).