Month: August 2013

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Road Tripping

I’m going on a picnic, and I’m taking asparagus, broccoli, carrots…

Yeah, right.

You know I’m really taking angel food cake, Bacardi, candy…

But usually I’m playing the game with my kids, and I want to make sure I’m leaving a good impression about vegetables instead of candy and other things I would ordinarily bring on an adult-type picnic. These are the types of games we play in the car on road trips, or at least they were until technology interfered. Or, I should say, until I let technology interfere. That’s the glory of road trips. We can go old school if we want, just to remind ourselves of how the days of yore went by. Continue reading “Road Tripping”

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A Time to Read

You know, finding time to read has gotten so much harder lately. When I really want to just sit, relax, and unwind, my mind is all over the map, though, and I can’t focus. Instead, I’ve been using mindless television shows that don’t challenge my poor brain like a book does. And it’s sad, too, because there are so many books I have here that are potential good reads. In fact, I have two books I am currently in the process of reading that are essentially on pause while I finish doing this two-jobs-at-one-time experiment that has driven me quite mad over the course of the past six weeks.

Here are the two books that are currently on hold:

Pure, by Julianna Baggott, is yet another one of those post-apocalyptic tour de forces that have become quite popular lately, along the lines of The Hunger Games, The Selection, Prodigy, and Delirium, but for some reason it lacks the push, the impetus that made me inhale those other books like they were the sweetest smelling roses. I’m not saying that Pure is bad, but maybe I’ve just gotten to my limit in the genre and I need to come back to it at a later date.

Deeply Odd is the umpteenth book in Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series that is just as quirky as the first one. It’s this book that makes me realize there must be something with how my brain is wired with these two jobs that is messing with me, because this is a good book (don’t get me started on the less than stellar 55 Shadow Street that I have yet to finish, and for the first time with a Dean Koontz book, I don’t think I will finish) and a return to form for the master of the supernatural. Continue reading “A Time to Read”

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Nocturnal

The man in the moon is just like me With an argyle sweater sewn to fit And an excuse on opposite Thursdays For why he never seems happy He looks into a crystal ball To see his future But it reflects only his past One we shared oh so long ago He sees his lack … Continue reading Nocturnal

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7 Albums from 2013 You Must Have in Your Collection

This year is more than halfway over now, and there have been numerous albums released since the start of it. I did a bit of a retrospective at the end of 2012 that celebrated those albums, but I have yet to give homage to the amazing records that have come out during this year. A small reminder: these are albums I fully endorse and appreciate, but they aren’t necessarily my favorite albums. There are some albums I think everyone already has, so I’m not going to put The 20/20 Experience here, even though it’s a dynamic record, and I’m also not going to talk about Magna Carta Holy Grail because, well you know. So, without further ado, here are seven albums from 2013 that you must have in your collection:

Product Details1. Dido – Girl Who Got Away

This is the first album from Dido since her debut album that I feel is truly her from start to finish. There was way too much outside influence on the previous two, and I think it showed in her live shows as well. Something was missing. But she’s found it again with Girl Who Got Away. Like Alicia Keys’ return with Girl on Fire, this album showcases the voice of an angel in rare form. Every single time I listen to it, I hear something new and profound, and I hope Dido never forgets her voice again. Standout song: Let Us Move On. Continue reading “7 Albums from 2013 You Must Have in Your Collection”

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Friday Top 5: Rules of Play dating

When I was growing up, there weren’t such things as play dates. If you wanted to play with other kids it wasn’t as neatly wrapped up as your mom calling their mom and setting up a time for mutually beneficial social activity. We would go out on the street and see who else was out there. If you wanted to play the same game, it was on. If not, you compromised or went back inside. Simple as that.

So, when my seven-year old asks me if she can have a play date with one of her little friends, I’m about as lost with the concept as I can be, with trying to come up with activities for her and her friends. I rack my brains to come up with ideas for that mutually beneficial social activity, but I’m clueless. Being here is not quite like when I grew up on the streets of Philadelphia. The houses are farther apart, the kids are few and far between, and most play date mates need to either be driven to our house or we need to drive to theirs.

There are rules to play dates that I’ve noticed apply before the date even begins: Continue reading “Friday Top 5: Rules of Play dating”