A Barnum & Bailey Christmas

So, Every year some friends and I choose the songs that we've really enjoyed in the year, and put together a little mix CD. Here is this years list, complete with cover art. Check out these songs!

Open spaces, Johnny Greenwood- This year I went on a real classical kick. I listened to an NPR list of 50 top classical albums. I read about all the composers in the list. Then I never returned to it. This track was not among the music NPR suggested, but I think it was the catalyst for my classical listening.

The Clap, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down- I like clapping ever so much, and I originally wantedthis to start the compilation, but I felt that Open Spaces fit their better. Consider “Open Spaces” and “The Clap” as the “overture.”

See Fernando, Jenny Lewis- While I don’t see myself partaking of “a bottle of suds” anytime soon, I think I’d be more tempted if it were offered to me by Fernando.

Start A War, The National- I love this track. I love this voice. This was the first of two groups that I discovered this year only to realize that Chris had recently posted music from them on previous compilations. The other band was Vampire Weekend. I like how this song could have so easily erupted, and somehow didn’t. It’s right on that edge.

The Breeze, Dr. Dog –I don’t know exactly why I like this track, I just do, so stuff it.

Please Do Not go, Violent Femmes – This was the year that I the Violent Femmes made a somewhat unexpected return into heavy rotation. Do you realize how old this music is? It reminds me of high school, but in reality, it should remind me of kindergarten.

Truckin,’ Grateful dead- I don’t get the Grateful Dead. Never have. But I like this song.

Lomhlaba Kawunoni, Ladysmith Black Mambazo- I first heard Ladysmith Black Mambazo when I was just a little kid, and loved them right away, although I had no idea to whom I was listening. It was only this year that I discovered the secret behind those great African vocals on Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” Ladysmith Black Mambazo were brought into the studio, but they’ve recorded a bunch of stuff on their own. What an incredible sound. Since we had an overture, let’s call this the “entr'actes”

People are strange, The Doors- “Women seem wicked when you’re alone.” Truer words were never spoken (well, with the exception of “leggo my eggo!”). The Doors are weird. Jim Morrison was whacked out. I guess that is why I love them so.

You got yr. cherry bomb, Spoon- Give me a steady upbeat tempo & I tend to be hooked. I love the horns on this track. I also am aware of the fact that it causes my foot to tap involuntarily.

Where is my mind, the pixies- I watched a Pixies documentary this year. What a cool band. I had a really hard time choosing a track, but in the end, I couldn’t resist playing my favorite from days gone by.

Acid tongue, Jenny Lewis- Jenny Lewis says it how it is, and apparently she is a liar. So am I, sometimes.

World news, local natives- I could have put several tracks from Gorilla Manor on this list. James & I hired lawyers & spent several thousand dollars working up a mutually favorable agreement in terms of who got which song. Clearly, I hired the better lawyer.

Laminated Cat, Jeff tweedy (sunken treasure)- And you thought I might put together a compilation list that contained no Jeff Tweedy. Ha. Think again. Laminated Cat became my favorite song to play on the guitar this year. I love these lyrics despite my general optimism. “Springtime comes and the leaves are back on the trees again, snipers are harder to see, my friends.” (Chris, be warned.)

Like the Ocean PT 1 & 2, the Besnard Lakes- I liked these 2 tracks. The rest of the album sounded about the same. These tracks almost got deleted. The reason they stuck on is that they used a guitar technique that got heavy use on “Loveless,” by My bloody Valentine. I like it when things go a bit out of tune for a moment or two.

Band on the run, Wings- James & his wife joined my wife and I for a trip through some of the best music of the last 50 years- Paul McCartney Live! It was an excellent concert, and Sir. Paul, my third favorite Beatle, was incredible. I’ve always liked this track; probably more than anything else he has done post Beatles.

I’m waiting for the man, the velvet underground- This is also the year that I finally realized what the deal was with the Velvet Underground. I guess I just had never given them a good listen. I almost put “Heroin” on the list, but in the end I wanted something a bit more upbeat.

Pretty Birds, Fictionist- I usually dislike local bands in Utah. They tend to either be really heavy, trying to buck the Utah culture, or they tend to sound like another happy day in happy valley. Fictionist is a local band that I think deserves international attention. This is a live (in studio) performance of Pretty Birds. I tried to get a better copy, but failed. This was recorded off of YouTube, but I think the soundis pretty good.

I stand corrected, Vampire Weekend- Frankly, I could have put 60% of the Vampire Weekend album on this list, and maybe one track from Contra. As a whole, listening to Vampire Weekend (the album) is such a great mix of sounds, and the drumming is incredible.

Audrey & Bethany love their cousins! We were so glad they came up to spend a few days. Everyone got to spend some time bike riding :) eating good food, and I had a riot shooting with all the lovely ladies!

(ps, you can full-screen it) and here are some of my favorites too..

Am I crazy, or what? I feel, at my age, I should know better. I know there are only 24 hours in a day. I know there are only 7 days in a week. Why then do I set out to accomplish so much more than I can ever manage? Ha ha. For example, I started out with the idea of sewing a simple quilt for our two girls, which then turned into 2 more complicated quilts, which then turned into 4 quilts and hosting an I-Spy Kitty cat fabric swap. (2 more spots if anyone or their girls like cats) Also, trying to figure out a way not to have to cut out dozens of butterflies by hand (anyone have a Sizzix Big Kick?) And then all of the other daily things that should be required of a mother, but I love it all. Truly, I love being where I am and couldn't have better girls in the world. So, maybe someday I'll try being more practical, but for now I'm having too much fun.

going private?

I've been thinking about making this a private blog for a long time, and maybe now is the time to do it. I'm not really worried, but I guess I'll be able to be a bit more liberal with some information. Ooh... that sounds exciting, huh? No, I don't have anything too interesting that we're concealing, but I suppose I will leave it at that :) I'd like to say I'll post more often... but let's be honest, I probably won't.
So if you would like to be added to the illustrious list, send us your email. Really, we're happy to share and are not picky at all about who views our blog, as long as we know who you are.

Hmm.. I guess we haven't posted for a while. Yes, we are still alive and now radon free in our house, which is nice.... Also, we are mostly healthy (which I hesitate to post this as it seems whenever I admit we're all healthy something changes). We've gone camping (see Doug's "dads pics") where Bethany spent most of the time swinging and Audrey got to enjoy her cute cousins. We had fun watching fireworks with some friends and talking about taking photos, and BBQ'ing at the Cache Valley Cruise-In, which was interesting, and we saw some fun cars (including the "monkey car" which was the girls favorite). I started a quilt with the original idea from obsessively stitching who does an awesome job breaking it down for those of us who don't sew. As always, I made it more complicated and time consuming and will probably be working on it for several more weeks, but we will see how it goes... I'm not sure if I will like the quilts, but at least the girls will. We hope to get out and play more this summer in this nice weather and hopefully our garden will finally do some growing. I haven't taken any photos for a long time and hope to remedy that soon for the next post in a month or two :)

poison in the air, flowers everywhere

Turns out our lovely home contains radioactive gasses, from the breakdown of uranium to be precise. Radon baby. Radon is the 2nd highest cause of lung cancer. Apparently this may be more common in quaint little Cache Valley than one might expect. We now know that several people in our area have radon problems in their homes as well. Looks like we'll be installing a mitigation system. It might be worth it to check your own homes. http://www.radon.utah.gov/

If you haven't read it before, I'm posting it again. Here is Jamie Oliver's petition for school food & the health of your kids. It only takes a few seconds to sign. http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition
Also.... I'm so excited! The end is actually in sight..it's been two years and a lot of hard work (mostly on Doug's part). We are finishing caulking and taping this week. Then we (yes, we meaning Doug) need a sprayer to prime and paint our basement this weekend. Does anyone have one to lend? I promise I'll make it up to you! A photo session? Pretty please?? :)

Come on, come on, come on, and give 'em to me

I'm guessing any Jack White reference is most likely futile, but indulge me for a moment. Thanks.
I do have some extra tomato starts... I re-potted a few today into bigger containers and still have too many. They are better boy (my favorite) , Brandywine, and sunsugar (tiny yellow sweet). If anyone wants some, please come get them; I hate to throw them away! I also have more buttercrunch and Romaine lettuce seeds than I will EVER need in my life. I would be happy to share :)

meandering thoughts

The LDS conference this weekend (thanks to the internet) was great. I always love to be reminded of things to work on to improve myself. There is never a shortage of things to work on in the day :) Patience- as in working hard, is one of the things I wish to keep in mind.
This rest of this post is almost verbatim to my friend Jenny's. I had watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution when I was down in SL over a week ago and loved it. I was ready for a little extra motivation; I've been intending to put more action into my thoughts (especially after my doc told me to cut my sugars out....not to mention a handful of nutrition classes creating awareness of accountability) I feel pretty strongly about this, and if you feel any bit similarly, you should watch the video. (It is the same link from Jenny's blog to the video, so thanks for letting me steal this from you :) ) It is food for thought. At least my kids know what a tomato is though!
Here's Jamie Oliver telling you what he really means about a food revolution.
You can also sign his food revolution petition on his website here.

Thankfully, I can say we're starting our 2nd tray of broccoli sprouts (yum! even my kids eat them!) and I'm on the search for fairly quick, unprocessed, healthy meals, especially some that use our food storage and that my kids will eat. Cheers!

I'm trying my best to be optimistic... I know this snow will melt soon, it is after all, April. It's a good thing that it is warming up instead of cooling down. I'm very excited for spring and summer. My garlic is peaking out of the snow and my peppers are sitting on my window. I also had promised to build a snowman this year and had failed to do so yet, so I thankfully made good on my promise.

Albie


Atlas is confident in his vole-catching skills. I do wish he was more fortunate and that we didn't lose a third of our grass to those little buggers. Oh well.

this and that

We spent more time than not down in SL last month. Being a bit compulsive, I manage to keep myself busy no matter where I am. I guess it gives me a chance to do the crafty things I normally don't do at home because I feel there are more pressing things that divert my attention. So, I worked on my first "real" sewing project, dresses (I don't feel like I can count curtains or pillowcases) and had some fun with different flowers.
I also finished covering the cough-drop tins my mom gave me and embellished them with the tags my cute friend Nicole gave me (Thanks Nicole!). We've been doing "commission" for Audrey. Rather than an allowance, she "earns" commission and has 2 tins- savings and spending, and sets aside tithing. I did 2 for Bethany at the same time, since I'm guessing I'd be a year behind if I waited to do them until she needed them.
The "bubble stick" was an alternate project because toward the end of working on pinwheels I discovered (apparently I didn't read the directions) that I didn't have any eyelets or the tool to set them, so the pushpin will have to work for now until I can find one. Oh well.
So, now that I have neglected any real projects that need to be done (cooking, cleaning, gardening, etc. etc.) hopefully it will warm up again soon and I'll have even more motivation to press forward.

waiting for spring...

Thanks mom for the cute dresses! They love them! Here is Bethany - who keeps calling herself a princess and twirling in her dress. I thought you'd want to see how fun they are on them. Thanks again.

The Rickenchocolater 360: EAT YOUR HEART OUT

Let me start this post by introducing you to a fabulous guitar. Keep in mind that while this introduction is somewhat focused on my (Doug) obsession with guitars, it doesn't continue that way. Therefore, those of you who do not care one whit about guitars, feel free to read anyway, as you will see this post has more to do with how awesome my wife is, and less to do with cool guitars. Any Questions? please send them in triplicate via certified mail. On we go. This is the Rickenbacker 360. For our readers from mars, it is a musical instrument known as a guitar. It is played by shortening the theoretical string length by pressing the strings down to the long board or "fretboard" using ones fingers and then plucking the strings with fingers or a plectrum (often referred to as a pick.) Made famous by the likes of George Harrison, Peter Buck of REM, and many others, in my humble opinion, it is a piece of artwork. I love its retro design and smooth lines. (Of course, if you know me, I'm in love with alot of guitars) Anyhow, if I have my way, some day this guitar will hang proudly on the wall of my home music studio. Donations are always welcome, and can also be sent via certified mail, or any other means of transport, for that matter.

Now, on to the point of this lengthy and worthless, as many might claim, introduction. Two days before my birthday, Heather asks me via instant messaging if I have seen the new "Rickenchocolater 360." Now, a smart man would have been very quick to pick up what was happening. I am not a smart man. Therefore, I proceeded to perform a google search, despite a sneaky suspicion that she was up to something. As many of you have likely already surmised, My google Search revealed nothing. It was at this point that I began suspecting that Heather had created something exciting for my birthday. without getting into any more detail, I shall simply display an image of what I found when I came home from work that evening.
Needless to say, she nailed it. This was, without question, the coolest birthday cake I have ever received. (sorry mom, the Hot Air Balloon Cake, complete with licorice ropes, supplied for my 5th birthday? has dropped one rank position, feel free to re-apply for first place by providing a cake of superior taste and creativity than that which heather made. I will be happy to consume it, and restore your rank.) Heather, thanks so much, it was such a great surprise. I really appreciated the thoughtfulness and time it took to create such a magnificent cake. You never cease to impress.

my name is doug and I have a brother.

We went on a double date with my (Doug) younger brother Scott and his girlfriend, Michelle last week. We had a great time. In typical Heather fashion, the camera came along. We took some fun pictures in a location that cannot be revealed without taking a blood oath (sign-up sheets will be made available next Monday). Thanks, Scott and Michelle, we had a great time!

Happy Valentines Day!

more to come....

just curious...

I just checked out who's been looking at our blog and saw a lot of visits from someone in Sweden as well as a private blog- in the crown .blogspot? Maybe I should know who you are, but I don't and I'm curious. So, if that is you, tell me who you are!!!

field trip

I took these a long time ago at the house where my dad grew up and milked cows. I hadn't been there since I was maybe 2 or younger, so it was interesting to see some of the things I vaguely remembered... the old barn, for example. It would have been fun to go inside. I did find an old car with character... charming.

another one bites the dust....

I guess a good thing about everyone being sick at the same time is that I don't try desperately hard to keep everyone healthy just to find out someone else is sick by the time the other is healthy; but two colds at once? There is no rest for the wicked. Bethany has been throwing up for 5 days, and now Audrey started this morning. I'm also guessing everyone, parents included, have RSV on top of something else. Thank you nursery! I have hope that everyone will be well again soon and I will not be so lazy and get my act together instead of wasting time on things like making valentine bingo because I'm too tired to do anything else. I hope everyone else is well and let me know if you want a file to print for Valentine picture- bingo :)

We're tired of boring old snow. Ah, now that is better!

C12H22O11

By January, I'm completely tired of the snow. I thought we'd try an experiment. I was going to do those liquid-bluing/ammonia crystal garden things for the girls, but discovered I had none of the ingredients, alas. I did have sugar :) so we made rock crystal candy. Pretty easy, just had to wait a couple of days. The girls had more fun looking at them grow than actually eating them, but they were pretty good.